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Shore excursions reflect the hospitality industry heritage with a visit to Tenerife’s clifftop Ritz-Carlton Abama to recharge with yoga and relaxation or cocktails on the roof terrace of a five-star Mallorcan hotel built around a 19th-century mansion. Save and organize every aspect of your trip including cruises, hotels, activities, transportation and more. As one of the largest travel agencies in North America, we have a wealth of recommendations to share!
Build-Your-Own Luxury on Premium and Mainstream Cruise Lines in the Med
Today, the cruise line hosts Americans, and of course other nationalities, on its ships in the Mediterranean showing off the region’s vibrant and diverse cultures with thousands of unique excursions. Tour UNESCO World Heritage sites, sunbathe on the Côte d’Azur, visit Pompeii, stroll the spice market and Grand Bazaar of Istanbul and roam the lavender fields in Provence—you’ll be steeped in culture every step of the way. With a slightly more upscale clientele that skews a bit older than some other brands, Holland America Line excels at comfortable cruises that hit some of the hottest ports of call in Turkey and the Greek Islands. And while the line has numerous ships in the Mediterranean, the Oosterdam is an excellent choice for your Mediterranean cruise—it holds just shy of 2,000 passengers, and its 2016 remodel makes it a perfectly contemporary option.
Regent Seven Seas
Traveler Editors' Favorite Cruise Ships in the World: Gold List 2024 - Condé Nast Traveler
Traveler Editors' Favorite Cruise Ships in the World: Gold List 2024.
Posted: Wed, 13 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Everyone has their favorite list of the best Mediterranean cruise ports (as evidenced by the discussion I just had with TPG's cruise team about which to include). Some travelers want to hit all the most popular cities, while others prioritize the ability to walk right off the ship into the heart of the town. Some ports are better for historical attractions, others for cafe culture or outdoor activities.
Considerations for Choosing the Best Time for a Mediterranean Cruise
Royal Caribbean is the line to choose for those traveling in groups with varied interests and age levels. Think, the kids who want to play all day, the adults who want to lounge by the pool, the friend who wants to explore a city’s history through tours, or the friend who wants to stay up all night enjoying the onboard entertainment. And, best of all, it’s one of the few in the Med to offer options for those who are short on time or want to tack on a quick sailing to a longer trip. Across the board, from mainstream to luxury, Mediterranean cruise fares peak in June, July and August. Prices for big-ship cruises varied by as much as $60 per person per night between spring sailings and summer. On luxury lines like Silversea, spring cruise fares were hundreds of dollars cheaper per person per night compared to summer fares.
The three newest ships in the Silversea Cruises fleet — Silver Moon, Silver Dawn and 2023's first-in-class Silver Nova — all feature the cruise line's immersive culinary program known as S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste). When Silversea's next ship, the 728-passenger Silver Ray, debuts in 2024, it will also take its guests on culinary-focused journeys — among them an 11-day Rome to Venice itinerary in June 2024. You can sail to Croatia’s headline city of Dubrovnik, just-on-the-radar Kotor in Montenegro and enjoy shore tours to Cetinje, once the smallest European city and known as the “Valley of Gods”. Then there’s Venice, where you can tick off the classic sights of St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge on a tour, topped off by a gondola ride. Best for unexplored ports of callWindstar steers clear of large ports in favour of tiny harbours and hidden coves that bigger ships can’t reach. The line’s 312-passenger Star Pride can sail up the Guadalquivir, the only major navigable river in Spain, to reach Seville while other vessels have to moor a 90-minute drive away in Cadiz.
For example, the Greek islands are vibrant and lively in the summer, while Italian cities like Florence and Rome are less crowded in the shoulder seasons. Peak-season cruises tend to be more expensive, so if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, consider traveling during the shoulder seasons (spring and autumn). Cruising in the Mediterranean during spring offers the advantage of comfortable temperatures, allowing you to explore ports of call without being overwhelmed by summer heat.
Mykonos, Greece
The tours are usually led by locals, which means the guides can also give you some good recommendations if you have time before you need to return to the ship. Some ports of call, like Nice, France, were easy to get around, but others like Rome were packed to the gills. Going early or late in the season usually means you'll have more tolerable weather and smaller crowds in some of the big destinations like Athens. If an Italy adventure with the entire family sounds like the perfect cruise vacation in 2024, Norwegian Cruise Line's new Norwegian Viva, launching in August 2023 as the sister ship to 2022's Norwegian Prima, is an ideal playground for guests of all ages. Michelle Palmer is a development editor who has over 10 years of experience in the travel publishing industry. She loves telling the stories, histories and culture of places that inspire others to go and experience new destinations.
The best time for Mediterranean cruises can be determined by a few factors — choice of ships and excursions, crowd volume and weather. Oceania also maximizes its time in port with extended stays, immersive “Go Local” and “Go Green” excursions, and small group sizes. There’s evening entertainment, shopping, and even a casino on board, so you’ll need a variety of outfits to transition from day to night. Stories have been told of parents losing their children to the amazing, kids-only, onboard experiences day after day.
Oceania Cruises
Best Cruise Insurance Plans Of April 2024 – Forbes Advisor - Forbes
Best Cruise Insurance Plans Of April 2024 – Forbes Advisor.
Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 22:36:00 GMT [source]
Explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site and take in some of Split’s best sights, such as the Port of Split and Marjan Hill. Livorno is a port city located in the Tuscany region of Italy, and it’s one of the most popular cruise stops in the Mediterranean Sea. The city features a centuries-old town center with narrow cobblestone streets that are lined with quaint shops and cafes. Livorno also has incredible natural beauty with its beaches, rolling hillsides, and breathtaking views of the sea.
Most of the winter offerings cruise the western ports of Italy, plus France, and westward to Barcelona. There are a handful of longer sailings that sail from Athens or include Istanbul, western Turkey, Israel and even Alexandria, Egypt. Among popular cruise lines, only Viking includes stops in Santorini in winter, and only Costa offers cruises that include Venice in the winter. Best for adult-onlyThis adult-only line runs Mediterranean cruises that last from a week up to month or more, with a wide choice of departure points. Viking has a reputation for providing passengers with an in-depth insight into destinations through both its shore tours and on-board lectures by historians and other guest speakers.
Temperatures remain moderate across most of the Mediterranean year-round, but even Istanbul can be chilly, with an average high temperature of 48 degrees in January. Athens, Rome, Barcelona and most of the Greek islands see temperatures in the mid- to upper-50s in December and January, warming slightly in February. I'm also a travel advisor with extensive training and certifications in cruise vacations and Disney properties. When I'm not under a palm tree in the Caribbean, I can usually be found hiking the National Parks! Stroll along the famous Croisette and shop designer boutiques for a truly luxurious experience.
You can find a variety of weeklong Mediterranean cruises, but if you've got the time, nine- to 14-night sailings are not uncommon. Seven-night cruises are best if you're short on time or want to tack on a few days in Barcelona, Rome or Athens before or after your cruise. Longer itineraries are ideal for experiencing a greater variety of destinations and traversing more of the Med. To decide what crowds would look like in various months, we looked at two popular ports where the effect of multiple ships is felt the most -- Santorini and Venice. Visit Santorini in June or July and you will find yourself fighting for breathing room among as many as 15,000 other cruise ship passengers.
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