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Looking to cruise the Mediterranean? This special trip can be the voyage of a lifetime, but in many ways it’s unlike a Caribbean cruise. Planning a Mediterranean cruise takes more thought and planning. I just did my first Mediterranean cruise (and in the last few years have planned many for my lucky clients). I am excited to share some tips for planning a Mediterranean cruise with you.
The Ultimate Guide to Cruising the Mediterranean
We just took our first Mediterranean cruise and although this was my 21st cruise (whoa!) my first non-tropical sailing. This was truly the most incredible trip, but one that does take planning and thought. I loved planning my own family’s Mediterranean cruise and can assist you with finding the perfect itinerary, ship and most important, what to do in ports.
Which cruise lines Cruise the Mediterranean
We sailed on MSC, the number one cruise line in Europe. I thought this was the PERFECT option for a European cruise, because the entire time you felt like you were in Europe- announcements in many languages, an international clientele, and European standards of food & service.
Of course the above can be a negative for some families if you want more American style experience and for full disclosure, we did stay in the MSC Yacht Club which is MSC’s exclusive ship, within a ship experience.
I do HIGHLY recommend MSC’s Yacht Club be it on a Europe sailing or on one of their North American itineraries.
But if you are looking at other cruise line options to sail in the Mediterranean, you will find Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Princess, Norwegian, Carnival, Virgin Voyages, and Disney Cruise Line for your larger ship, mass-market experience and then smaller lines like Regent, Silversea, Seaborne, Viking Ocean, Oceania and Sea Dream Yacht for a more luxury experience.
When is the best time to cruise the Mediterranean?
Many ships will reposition from the Caribbean to Europe in late April/early May and will end their Mediterranean season in the fall. But there are ships that sail the Mediterranean year round.
PS Consider a transatlantic cruise, they are so affordable and then you can even do a back to back to experience more of Europe!
In my opinion, the best time to go, for great weather, not too hot and to avoid the peak summer crowds would be in May or September. Of course if you are traveling with kids, maybe summer is the only time to travel and that’s great too.
How to choose a Mediterranean Cruise
I can definitely assist with finding the right cruise line, ship, and itinerary, but in general, once you narrow down your dates, I’d choose the itinerary with ports that most interest you.
For a Europe cruise, its most important to choose the ports you are most interested in, taking into account the cruise line, and ship second.
In the Mediterranean it’s common for some of the ships to sail in a continuous loop, and guests can embark at many of the ports. So you might see a sailing listed as embarking several days in a row at different cities.
If you are coming from the United States, it’s going to be easiest to embark in Barcelona, Rome or Athens since there are many flights from the major US cities to these destinations.
It is important to note that from Rome airport/city center it’s about an hour ride to the port at Civitavecchia.
Also worth noting that in the last few years, large cruise ships have been banned from porting in Venice. Many cruise lines still list “Venice” as a port, but in fact the cruise ends at Trieste (about an hour from Venice) or Ravenna (closer to Bologna).
Choosing a cruise is tough – always trust your cruise vacation to a professional. I know all the ships, all the lines and can help you choose your most perfect cruise! No fees, and great service – click the banner below to get started:
Tips for Planning a Mediterranean Cruise
When you work with me, I assist with all of this, and you should ALWAYS book your cruise with a travel agent, but here are some tips to help plan your amazing Mediterranean Cruise
Arrive to your port city at least the day before your cruise to help adjust to the time, and not miss your ship! Ideally two nights before embarkation.
Mediterranean cruises are Port intensive so choose an itinerary that is visiting ports you are most interested in
Some ports (Civitavecchia, Venice, Florence) are far from their proper cities. Some ports you can just walk off the ship and enjoy the city, for example in Palermo, Naples, Athens, or Barcelona.
Greek islands require tenders, which takes time and is often a challenge for guests with limited mobility.
Choosing Excursions- this is the toughest part of the experience (in my opinion). But the most fun! I suggest going port by port and looking at what the ship offers, as well as independent options. Or you can just go on your own or hire a private guide, again all aspects of your Mediterranean cruise I can assist with.
For our cruise, I liked having a mix of group tours, private tours, and independent days. When planning, also take note of the length of the tour. Day after day of touring was tiring, so some days we chose to do longer tours than others.
Pay attention to ship arrival and departure times, when planning excursions not thru the ship.
If you are doing an excursion that takes you far from ship, consider booking the excursion thru the ship- so they guarantee you get back on time (Amalfi coast and Capri for Naples, Florence or Pisa from La Spezia, or Cinque Terre from Livorno for example).
Be sure to have small bills, in Euro/local currency to tip the guides.
Enjoy lunch (or maybe breakfast or dinner) in port.
Pack comfortable shoes, you will do lots of walking!
Mediterranean Cruise Review
Our recent sailing on the MSC Grandiosa was such an amazing vacation (especially with teens) and a great way to get a feel for some of the ports.
We sailed seven nights, round trip out of Barcelona. We spent two nights pre-cruise at the Petit Palace Bouqueira and spent our one full day in Barcelona doing a combo Park Guell and Sagrada Familia tour. We also saw a flamenco show and walked around the Las Ramblas area.
Our cruise itinerary was amazing – our first full day was a sea day, then we ported at in Tunisia, North Africa, Palermo, Sicily, Naples, Italy, Livorno, Italy and Marseilles, France. This was a great itinerary to check off some of the one and dones off the bucket list like visiting Pompeii and Pisa!
We actually learned a ton about each port and funny enough, these places have such similarities in history, architecture and their love of olive oil. We had some fantastic local meals in Palermo, Naples, and Marseille, France.
I loved being able to tour all day, but then come back to the ship to relax, use the pool and enjoy great dinners and entertainment in the evenings.
Yes, different than a European land trip, but fantastic nonetheless.
I highly recommend a Mediterranean cruise to families, couples, honeymooners really something for everyone to enjoy! Be sure to reach out for all your cruise planning needs. Your next sailing is just a CLICK AWAY
Have you done a Mediterranean cruise? What ports did you visit? What are your best tips for cruising the Mediterranean?
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