Mediterranean Cruising

There are more than 20 cruise companies operating in the Mediterranean, with cruises ranging from just one night to around three weeks.  The Mediterranean stretches more than 2,200 miles from the 22 mile wide straits of Gibraltar to the Black Sea in the east and the Suez Canal in the south east.  It offers a seductive mix of cultures, geography and history all in a beautiful climate and has been called the "cradle of civilisation".

The Greeks, the Romans and the Egyptians all built their empires around the Mediterranean and have left behind some of the world's most spectacular buildings including the Pyramids, the Acropolis and the Colisseum.  Some of the greatest art collections in the world are housed in Italy while another ancient centre of art and learning, Istanbul, bridges the gap which divides Europe and Asia.  The area is full of different cultures and contrasts from the sophistication of the Cote d'Azur to the excitement of Egyptian street markets.  And, of course, you can guarantee more sunshine than in the UK!

A Western Mediterranean cruise leaving from the UK will typically last around 12 days, with calls at Atlantic ports such as Cadiz in Spain or Lisbon in Portugal on the way there and back.

Silversea's luxury liner "Silver Cloud"  at sunset

Ports of Call

These could include the following:

• Spanish mainland ports such as Barcelona, Cadiz, Malaga and Valencia
• Balearic Islands - Ibiza, Majorca, Minorca
• Canary Islands - Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro
• French ports e.g. Cannes, Villefranche (near Nice), Monte Carlo, St. Tropez and Ajaccio in Corsica
• Italian ports - Genoa (the hub of Italian cruising), Civitavecchia (for Rome), Livorno (for Florence, Naples, Sorrento and Portofino), Venice, Sardinia, Amalfi, Catania in Sicily and Portoferraio in Elba
• Valetta, the main port of Malta
• Limassol, Paphos or Larnaca in Cyprus
• In Greece; Piraeus and Loutraki (for Athens), Corfu, Rhodes, Heraklion (Crete), Santorini, Zante, Katakolon, Mykonos, Skiathos, Volos, Cephalion (following the footsteps of Captain Corelli!), Delos, Gythion (for Sparta), Nafplion (for Epidaurus, Corinth and Mycenae) or Pylos
• Turkish ports could include Istanbul, Izmir or Kusadasi (for Ephesus), Bodrum, Dikili, Canakkale (for Troy), and Antalya

Middle East cruises could stop at

• Israeli ports such as Tel Aviv or Haifa and Ashdod for Jerusalem.
• Egyptian ports - Alexandria and Port Said (for Cairo), or Safaga, for Luxor
• Tartous in Syria, for visiting Damascus or Krak des Chevaliers
• Black Sea ports, e.g. Varna and Nesebur in Bulgaria; Yalta and Odessa in the Ukraine; Constanta in Romania
• North African ports - Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia (for Tunis and Carthage), or Tangier, Agadir and Casablanca in Morocco

How to get there?

Most Mediterranean itineraries include a short flight from the UK to Genoa, Palma or Athens.  This takes passengers straight to the sunshine without having to pass through the temperamental Bay of Biscay.  Alternatively they can take a coach, a train, or drive to the Mediterranean port.  Some cruises start and return to the UK, though this obviously is longer.

Cruise and Stay

Many people choose to combine a week's cruise with a week ashore, with Majorca, Cyprus and the French Riviera being the most popular choices.  Also short cruises of one, two or three days are available from Cyprus.

Passport, health and visa information will be given to you at time of booking

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