Eastern Mediterranean Cruises
The Eastern Mediterranean has been gaining in popularity as a cruising region over recent years. Encompassing the area ranging from Italy’s east coast to the Adriatic and Greek to Turkey, the Eastern Mediterranean is now one of the most popular cruising regions in all of Europe. It offers a unique blend of ancient cultures and history along with such wonderful treasures as pristine beaches and quaint little villages. Because of the sheer diversity of the region and its features, it probably offers the greatest array of holiday options in Europe.
Usually Eastern Mediterranean cruises will start in Piraeus (the port city for Athens) often ending in Rome (served by the port city of Civitavecchia) or visa versa. More recently Crete has started to establish itself as a starting point to the Eastern Mediterranean. Some cruise lines mix a combination of Eastern and Western Mediterranean ports into their Mediterranean itineraries giving customers a true flavour of the Mediterranean.
Using Athens and Rome as the starting and ending points of the voyage is a wise choice on the part of the cruise lines since those cities present the most varied options for pre or post-cruise land tours. Neither can be seen adequately in a one-day port stop, so most cruisers will opt to tack on a two or three-day stay in these cities as an “add on” to their holidays, and the cruise lines will offer many options including reduced rates at fine hotels and comprehensive touring packages to those passengers who choose to do so.
Depending upon the length of the sailing, many cruise lines will include at least one overnight port stay on their Eastern Mediterranean cruises. The most popular ports for this would include Barcelona and Venice since those places offer the most varied nightlife that passengers can take advantage of during an overnight port stay. Also, some cruise lines, especially those embarking or disembarking in Athens, may include a more comprehensive exploration of the Greek Isles, including port stops in Santorini and Katakolon. In fact, for those cruisers who prefer more time in and around the water, rather than an itinerary that involves a lot of touring through ancient cathedrals and other historically significant sights, an itinerary that primarily features the Greek Isles may be just the ticket. These types of sailings will provide for some touring, but also for lots of quality beach time, a uniquely Eastern Mediterranean atmosphere, and ports that are steeped in lots of rich history as well. Common ports on these Greek Isles itineraries often include Santorini, Rhodes, Mykonos, Corfu, Samos and even the small island of Patmos, where St. John the Beloved is said to have received the Revelation of Jesus Christ back in bible times. A visit to the Cave of St. John is a must see for cruise passengers who are lucky enough to make a port call here.
While some of the cruise lines base ships in the Eastern Mediterranean year-round, historically it has been a summertime cruising destination. Most Eastern Mediterranean cruises run from spring through fall, with the focus being on the high summer season. Winter cruising in the Mediterranean, though, has become more and more popular in recent years, especially since the temperatures are more moderate and thus the crowds are significantly less. Prices are usually more reasonable during this time too; a significant consideration if one is planning for a pre or post-cruise stay of some duration.
Most of the mass market cruise lines will position a ship in the Eastern Mediterranean at least during the warmer months of the year. Additionally, some cruise lines base smaller ships in the Eastern Mediterranean which are capable of getting into some of the smaller, more exotic ports of call inaccessible to the big vessels. Just a few of the cruise lines that ply Eastern Mediterranean waters would include Costa and MSC (who offer cruises in this region year-round), as well as Princess, Holland America and a host of others that base a ship there seasonally.
The Eastern Mediterranean presents one of the most wonderful cruising options in all of Europe. It is a place that will delight even the most seasoned traveller and it will provide for a holiday that will never be forgotten no matter how many subsequent trips you take to other luxurious destinations in the future.
See all the great destinations you can visit as part of an Eastern Mediterranean cruise holiday
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