Vipond - Mediterranean By Cruise Ship

Published by: Ocean Cruise Guides Ltd.

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Author: Anne Vipond

Editors: Mel-Lynda Andersen, William Kelly

Contributing Editors: Michael DeFreitas

Addtl Photography: Michael DeFreitas, Phil Hersee, Alan Nakano

Front cover artwork by Alan H. Nakano

Cartography: Reid Kelly, Cartesia, OCG

Ebook Design: Reid Kelly, Ocean Cruise Guides

Publisher: William Kelly

Email: info@oceancruiseguides.com

Visit our website: www.oceancruiseguides.com

Mediterranean By Cruise Ship Sixth Edition, Revised

ISBN: 978-1-9277470-0-1 (paper)

ISBN: 978-1-9277470-9-4 (ebook)

Foreword

A cruise ship at anchor along the French Riviera.

B ack in the mists of antiquity, the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea were the centre of the known world. Today, as the cradle of Western civilization, the Mediterranean offers cruise passengers a rich variety of destinations spanning 5,000 years of human history.

Nowhere else in the world is there such a concentration of architectural wonders and artistic masterpieces. Cities of past glory disarm visitors with their ancient ruins and Renaissance palaces, as well as their waterfront promenades, outdoor cafs and chic boutiques. Baroque churches face fountain-filled squares, medieval castles overlook golden beaches, and subtropical flowers flourish in a mild climate and sensuous setting that has long appealed to poets, painters and romantics.

The Mediterranean is a storied sea, and its layers of history and human drama inspire a passion for living. This intensity extends to affairs of the heart, with many a star-crossed romance unfolding beneath the Meds sunny skies.

Mark Twain described his Mediterranean cruise, which he took on board a steamer from New York in 1867, as a picnic on a gigantic scale. By then the fashionable Grand Tour of Europe was so popular with British and American travellers that members of the wealthy class began seeking ever more exclusive modes of travel in the form of Pullman rail cars, stately hotels and lavish ocean liners.

Today we can all embark on a grand tour of the Mediterranean, where an expanding fleet of modern cruise ships now carries passengers from port to port in unsurpassed luxury and comfort. And when you step ashore at each port of call, the options range from exploring the nearby attractions on your own to booking an all-inclusive shore excursion that takes care of logistics while you enjoy the destination.

This guidebook is designed to help you make the most of your cruise. Each port of call is different and a bit of reading will assist you in deciding what you would like to see and do without cramming too much into the time you have there.

At the end of the day, it matters not so much that you have seen everything there is to possibly see, but that you have enjoyed what you chose to focus on so you can return to your ship enriched by the experience and buoyed by the memories youve made.

Bon voyage!

Anne Vipond

Mediterranean Cruise Options

Choosing Your Cruise

T he Mediterranean Sea, bordered by three continents and over a dozen countries, offers an extraordinary diversity of cruise destinations, with ports of call ranging from grand cities to idyllic islands. Ships plying the Mediterranean are as diverse as their destinations, and some of the newest premium and contemporary ships offer Mediterranean cruises, along with a host of small luxury ships. (For more detail, please refer to the Cruise Lines Glossary at the back of this book where those servicing the English-speaking market are profiled.)

The length of a Mediterranean cruise can vary, usually ranging from one to two or more weeks, and both round-trip cruises and one-way cruises (which depart from one port and terminate at another) are available. The ships dock at the large ports, but often anchor and tender passengers ashore at smaller ports, such as some of those along the French Riviera or at the smaller Greek islands.

Monte Carlo is a great place to visit by cruise ship with its cruise dock close to town.

Each spring, following a winter in the Caribbean, ships begin arriving in the Mediterranean. Their transatlantic crossings often include stops at the Madeira and Canary Islands, as well as Morocco and Portugal, before entering the Mediterranean Sea. Some ships head to Southampton, England, which has become an important base port for cruises to the Med.

The Western Mediterranean encompasses Spain, France and Italy. Ports of call include Gibraltar, Cadiz, Valencia, Malaga and Mallorca, with Barcelona a major base port. The French ports of Marseille, Toulon, Nice, Monaco and others along the Cte dAzur are also featured in western itineraries, as are Corsica and the Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily.

Local attractions can often be reached on foot, such as those on the Greek island of Patmos

The boot of Italy lies in the middle of the Mediterranean and its famous ports and nearby cities are included in both western and eastern cruises. The Italian Riviera, Florence, Rome and Naples are all popular stops, as of course is Venice, where most ships dock overnight so their passengers can fully enjoy this enchanting city. Venice is also a major base port, as is Romes seaport of Civitavecchia.