Various forms of Mediterranean cruises and when to go.

Enter "Mediterranean cruises" to find cruise holidays in the Mediterranean:

The majority of Mediterranean cruises sail between May and October, with some offering iteneraries in late April or early November as well. You may find better deals on shoulder season cruises, but before you book, make sure you look up average temperatures. A cold-weather cruises can be a lovely escape from the summer crowds or a futile struggle against rain and chill.

Mediterranean cruises can take several forms. Western Mediterranean voyages visits major cities in Spain  , France  and Italy   as well as more exotic locations such as Monte Carlo and Dubrovnik. Eastern Mediterranean cruises focus on Greece , Turkey  and the islands of the Aegean Sea. Some longer cruises may combine eastern and western cities, as well as Atlantic ports and North African cities .

When booking a Mediterranean Cruise it is essential to not the actual ports where the ship will be docking. Cruise ships don't sail to Athens, Florence or Rome. Instead they call at Piraeus, Livorno and Civitavecchia, requiring a transfer to the big-name cities. For instance, travel time from Civitavecchia to Rome can take between 1½ and 2 hours.

Other important ports in the Mediterranean where cruise ships wil be docking are Barcelona and Venice. Sailing through the Giudecca Canal into Venice is one of the great experiences in cruising, and from Venice you can cruise to almost anywhere in the Mediterranean. A few of the luxury cruise lines offer Mediterranean cruises from Monte Carlo.