Cruising the Mediterranean

By Clark Norton

Sailing into the Grand Harbor of Valetta, Malta, at dawn is one of the most magical experiences in cruising. As the sun rises over the Mediterranean, Valetta's fantasyland of walls, forts, turrets, towers and domes takes on a dazzling orange glow. It's easy to imagine yourself transported back to the mid-1500s, when the Knights of St. John ruled this tiny island nation anchoring the sea between Sicily and North Africa.

My wife and I were on the fourth day of a 13-day cruise aboard Oceania's Regatta, a 684-passenger ship that meandered from Barcelona to Lisbon by way of Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Cadiz, Malta, Tunisia, Gibraltar and Morocco. Almost daily, we encountered a new port (and often a new country), adding up to a spicy and sometimes dizzying melange of sights, cultures and languages—all served up against the ever-present backdrop of the cobalt-blue sea.

Several months later we sampled a different Mediterranean experience, this time a week-long voyage from Venice down the Adriatic coast of Croatia to Dubrovnik and back, aboard Elegant Cruises' M.S. Monet. Because of the ship's compact size, we were able to dock at intriguing lesser-known ports such as Pula, Korcula and Split. And with fewer than 30 fellow passengers, we were able to mingle with just about everyone else on board, including many in the all-Croatian crew.

No doubt about it-the toughest part of taking a Mediterranean cruise is deciding which one to take. Some two dozen major cruise lines and a number of smaller ones will ply the Mediterranean in 2008, mostly from spring through fall, though some sail year round. For the first-time Mediterranean cruiser, it can all be a bit bewildering.

Itinerary options

Mediterranean cruises are most commonly one or two weeks in length, though some are 11 or 12 days, and you can also find a number in the three- or four-day range. As a general rule, the longer the cruise, the more you can expect to venture off the beaten track.

Most itineraries fall into one of two broad regional categories: Western and Eastern. Western Mediterranean cruises focus primarily on the area from the Straits of Gibraltar along the coasts of Spain and France to the west coast of Italy and points south, while Eastern Mediterranean cruises sail the region from Venice east to the Adriatic and Aegean seas to the Turkish coast and south to Egypt.

If this is one of your first visits to southern Europe, then a Western Mediterranean itinerary may prove ideal. Along with sun-kissed French Riviera and Spanish coastal ports, a number of ports in western Italy are gateways to must-see destinations: Rome, Florence, Pisa, Pompeii or Capri. More out-of-the-way stops include Mallorca, Ibiza, Elba, Malta, Sardinia and Gibraltar. Some itineraries dip down into North Africa for calls in Morocco and Tunisia.

If you've already covered much of Western Europe, if you're a classical history buff, or simply in search of warm Aegean beaches, an Eastern Mediterranean cruise may be the best option.

These voyages often embark in Venice or Piraeus (Athens) and typically call at a medley of Greek islands such as Mykonos, Santorini, Crete and Rhodes, as well as Istanbul and Kusadasi (for ancient Ephesus) in Turkey. Some itineraries include Dubrovnik and other Adriatic ports as well as Port Said or Alexandria in Egypt, primarily for excursions to Cairo and the pyramids. A few add Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon-and even once-isolated Albania and Libya.

Choosing a cruise line

If you already have a favorite cruise line and it sails your preferred itinerary, you can proceed to book your cruise. But if not, you'll need to make some decisions.

First-time cruisers often opt for one of the mainstream cruise lines, such as Carnival, Disney, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, or the Italian lines Costa and MSC. Expect to have plenty of company-often thousands of passengers-as well as an array of onboard entertainment and activities, from rock-climbing walls to Broadway-style revues.

Mainstream cruise lines concentrate on large, popular ports in Spain, France, Italy and Greece. They cater heavily to families during summer and holiday periods, usually offering supervised programs for youngsters.

Premium lines that cruise the Med-including Holland America, Celebrity, Princess, Oceania and the new Celebrity offshoot Azamara-are more upscale versions of mainstream lines. Their ships tend to be smaller (Oceania and Azamara vessels both top out between 600 and 700 passengers) and their itineraries often feature more far-flung ports. Holland America's 2008 schedule, for example, lists voyages that stop at Limassol, Cyprus; Sarande, Albania; and Tripoli, Libya. Some premium lines are family-friendly, others less so, but onboard entertainments remain plentiful.

The Mediterranean's luxury cruise lines include Regent Seven Seas, Crystal, Cunard, Silversea, Seabourn and SeaDream Yacht Club. While their ships are typically either small or mid-sized, their staterooms and suites are among the roomiest at sea, and service is doting. With an affluent clientele, they offer wide-ranging, creative itineraries and low-key, sophisticated onboard entertainment. A few, such as Crystal and Regent, provide seasonal children's activities.

Finally come the small-ship and niche cruise lines. Windstar and Star Clippers are both known for their casually elegant, yacht-like sailing ships. Croatian-owned Elegant Cruises and Greek-based easyCruise are others. These lines take advantage of typically compact ship size to dock in often small, atmospheric ports, and are more likely to rely on riveting scenery than elaborate entertainment. EasyCruise, a no-frills line, sails the Greek Isles and aims for a youngish crowd by staying in port late at night and cruising mostly in the mornings, when passengers are sleeping it off.

Settling on a budget

No matter how tempting the itinerary or ship, your bottom line may dictate cruise choice.

The mainstream cruise lines almost always offer the least expensive cabins. It's not difficult to find a week-long Mediterranean cruise for $1,000 or less per passenger, especially in the spring or fall-summer is high season in the Med, though off-season weather can be more pleasant. Of course, you can quickly inflate your tab if you opt for a verandah suite, take lots of organized shore excursions, or haunt the shipboard bar, spa or casino.

Premium lines are more expensive, though you can still find good deals. Oceania, for instance, often offers early-booking fares at 50% off the brochure rates along with free international airfare. If you can score a premium cruise for $150 to $250 a day, you're still doing well by Mediterranean standards. Paying for your trip in dollars rather than euros saves about 30% on the exchange rate.

On a luxury line, your base fare might easily amount to five or ten times as much as on a mainstream line, though perks like wine and gratuities are included on lines such as Regent, Seabourn and Silversea.

Fares on small-ship and niche cruise lines can range all over the map, from as low as $20 a day on easyCruise (accommodations only, no meals included) to $300 and up per day on Elegant Cruises, Windstar or Star Clippers. The good news? Once you've settled on your itinerary, cruise line and budget, all that's left is buying your tickets and looking forward to one of the world's most alluring destinations. With the Mediterranean, it's hard to go wrong.

Clark Norton is a New York-based freelance writer.

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