The Mediterranean offers a huge choice of departure ports for cruises but Venice, Barcelona and Palma are three great favourites, with a great number of ships ‘home porting’ all season (in other words, operating round trip cruises from these ports). Here’s what each one has to offer.
Venice
Venice is the starting point for cruises down through the Adriatic to the Greek Islands and Turkey, as well as voyages that call at a number of Italian ports. One of the best points about cruises from this romantic city is that you almost always spend the first night docked, giving you time to drop off your luggage, jump onto the water bus (operated by all cruise lines from the terminal to the Piazza San Marco) and lose yourself among the canals and alleyways of the medieval city. You’ll probably have dinner on board the first night but take time to wander into Venice after dark, too, when the thousands of day trippers have gone and even the pigeons are roosting. It’s quiet, romantic and completely magical.
Most ships depart the following afternoon, which gives you a whole morning for shopping (Murano glass, hand-made paper, leather goods and carnival masks are the best buys) and sightseeing. Then, it’s one of cruising’s great moments to be on deck with your camera as your huge ship slips down the Giudecca Canal, looking over the rooftops and beautiful, if crumbling facades, glowing in the late afternoon sun, before heading out over the misty lagoon.
Cruise lines sailing throughout the summer from Venice include: Royal Caribbean; Princess Cruises; Holland America Line and Star Clippers. Cruise lines calling at Venice but not basing a ship there include Carnival, Cunard, P&O Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club, Windstar Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Fred. Olsen Cruises, Island Cruises, NCL, Silversea, Swan Hellenic, Seabourn and Voyages of Discovery.
Palma
Palma is another great place to start a cruise and combines particularly well with a land-based holiday. Thomson Cruises, Island Cruises and Ocean Village all base ships here and offer a wide range of accommodation for a week before or after your cruise.
Palma is right at the heart of the Med, so cruises departing from here can get as far south as Tunisia on a seven-day itinerary, and to a wide variety of French, Spanish and Italian ports.
If you’re lucky enough to arrive in the morning or early afternoon, take a stroll into the city. It’s an easy walk along the bay from the terminal and the views of the magnificent gothic cathedral and the old town are fantastic. Stop en route to drool over the megayachts in the harbour. You should have time for a drink in the centre before jumping in a taxi back to the ship for an evening sailing.
Most cruise lines offer excursions around Palma on the last day of the cruise, too, for those with evening flights. If you’ve already seen the city and have children in tow, there are two great water parks at Magaluf, a short drive from the terminal, or you could take a tour up into the mountains to the pretty towns of Soller, Valldemossa and Deia.
Cruise lines sailing throughout the summer from Palma include Ocean Village, Island Cruises and Thomson Cruises. Cruise lines with ships calling at Palma include Carnival, Crystal, MSC, P&O Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Star Clippers, Windstar, Fred. Olsen, Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Holland America Cruises, NCL, Princess, Seabourn and Silversea.
Barcelona
Barcelona is fast establishing itself as the leading cruise port in the Mediterreanan, thanks to its massive cruise terminal, futuristic international airport and, of course, the appeal of the city itself. A short hop from the Balearics, it’s a well-placed hub for cruises around the Western Mediterranean to Spanish, French and Italian ports, although some itineraries go as far south as Greece and Turkey from here.
Barcelona is the perfect place to stay on for a couple of days after your cruise, exploring the narrow streets of the gothic quarter, the 24-hour street entertainment along the Ramblas boulevard and the strange but wonderful architecture of the masterful Antoni Gaudi, whose works include the Sagrada Famiglia cathedral and the famous wavy apartment block, La Pedrera.
There’s plenty more to see, all in a compact space, from the breathtaking Camp Nou football stadium to the Picasso Museum and the fantastic Miro Foundation on Montjuic hill.
Cruise lines sailing throughout the summer from Barcelona include: Costa, MSC, Royal Caribbean, NCL, Celebrity, Princess and Holland America. Cruise lines with cruises calling at Barcelona include Carnival, Cunard, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Windstar, Crystal Cruises, Fred. Olsen Cruises, Island Cruises, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises, Seabourn Cruises, Silversea Cruises.
