When you think of a Mediterranean cruise, I’m sure you picture beautiful blue water, islands, beaches, and quaint European cities. It is a trip that is typically on most bucket lists and it was no different for me. Although choosing a cruise and planning all the details may seem overwhelming, I’m here to tell you that it is definitely worth it. The 9 night Eastern Mediterranean cruise my husband and I took two years ago was one of those trips I will never forget and is sure to be your next favorite trip too. Here are the ports we visited and some tricks to make the most of each one:
Rome– When a cruise leaves from Rome, it is actually leaving from the port of Civitavecchia, about an hour train ride from Rome. If you choose a cruise that docks in Rome, it is important to take into consideration the time it takes to travel into the city. Check out my post on visiting Rome in a day here.
Messina, Italy– This port is on the island of Sicily in the Southernmost part of Italy. We loved cruising through the beautiful Strait of Messina before docking for the day.
Although most people leave Messina on excursions for other attractions such as Mount Etna or the town of Palermo, we found Messina to be relaxed and charming. We enjoyed walking around the historic city, viewing the churches and harbor from above and grabbing a drink in the main city square.
Mykonos, Greece– Known for it’s nightlife and party atmosphere, I found Mykonos to be exceptionally beautiful. A cruise ship may dock next to the town or several miles away as ours did. If the latter happens, there are several ways to travel into town; you can walk, take a small ferry boat or pay for the cruise sponsored bus. We chose to walk on the way into town and take the ferry on the way back (much cheaper than the bus).
We did not choose a shore excursion on the island because it is small enough to explore on your own. There are numerous shops and restaurants to browse or you can sit on the beach right on the edge of town. We also walked higher on the island to get a great view of the town below. While there are many dead end roads and private walkways, weaving our way through the winding streets added to the adventure and quaintness of the city.
Kusadasi, Turkey– This port is on the Western edge of Turkey and is the closest port to Ephesus, an ancient Greek city. Unfortunately, most cruise lines cancelled all stops in Turkey for the 2017 year. Our cruise took place in the summer of 2016 and we did not feel unsafe during our day in Kusadasi. I will provide some information in the hopes that this beautiful port will once again be deemed safe enough for visitors. Because the city of Ephesus requires some extra transportation to get there, my husband and I chose to take a shore excursion. It included a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary, the home where Mary is believed to have spent the last several years of her life. We then took a guided tour of the city of Ephesus which is only about 30% excavated. I feel very lucky to have been able to visit such an important city in ancient times. Believe it or not, Ephesus was built as a port town on the Aegean Coast but is now about 5 miles away from the water.
Kusadasi is well known for shopping, especially for textiles and hand painted ceramic dishes. As a part of our tour, we were given a local demonstration on weaving the beautiful rugs seen below. After an amazing excursion, we even had time left to visit the Bazaar in Kusadasi and purchase some handpainted pottery. Just don’t forget to bargain for a lower price while shopping for local goods!
Santorini, Greece– The most famous of the Greek Islands, Santorini is well known for its blue-domed churches and white buildings. If arriving to the island by cruise, the ship will tender off shore and you will need to take a boat to the dock. Once at the dock, you can either ride a donkey, take a gondola, or trek up a significant amount of steps to reach the top of the island.
There are two main towns on the island of Santorini, Fira and Oia. Fira is the town located at the top of the Gondola. There is a public bus that links the two towns unless you want to walk the two hours between them. We took the bus which is very inexpensive but can be quite crowded.
The town of Oia, on the edge of the island, is a must see because of its local shops and beautiful views. We also spotted several of those famous blue-domed churches in Oia.
Athens, Greece– Like most of the stops on a Mediterranean cruise, the port of Athens is several miles away from the historical sections of Athens. There is always cruise-sponsored transportation into the city but we opted for the cheaper option, the public bus. It took about 30 minutes before we were dropped off only a few blocks from the Acropolis. It costs about 20 euros to enter the Acropolis, also home to the famous ruins of the Parthenon. We did not take a guided tour, but there are numerous signs in the area explaining the importance of the buildings and temples of the area. Several blocks away from the Acropolis is the Acropolis Museum, a relatively new museum which we absolutely loved. I am usually not a museum person but this one explained the history of both the Acropolis and Greek culture in general. Plus, it is only 5 euros to enter!
After the Acropolis Museum, we made our way to other ancient Greek sites around the city, all within walking distance. These included the Temple of Zeus, Arch of Hadrian, Roman Agora, Temple of Apollo and the Panathenaic Stadium. The latter is completely made of marble and was originally built in 144 AD. It was refurbished and used again in the first modern Olympic games in 1896. There are numerous delicious places to stop for a bite to eat along the way which is obviously a must do when visiting Greece!
Naples, Italy– There are some interesting sights in the city of Naples, but there are also several options for shore excursions and trips outside the city. It was very difficult to bypass a visit to the Island of Capri but we chose to hire a private driver for the day who took us along the Amalfi Coast and to the ruins of Pompeii. We really enjoyed having a local driver who grew up in one of the small towns in the area since he was able provide us with unique knowledge and stories about the Amalfi Coast.
We made numerous stops along the coast for amazing views and were able to visit both Positano and the town of Amalfi, seen in the pictures below.
The city of Pompeii was founded around the 6th-7th century B.C. but was buried under a layer of volcanic ash in 79 AD after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The ruins are very well preserved but I highly recommend a guided tour of the city. We found the the ruins to be beautiful but they are rather large with a good portion being residential areas of the city. In other words, I believe you would gain a much greater appreciation and understanding of the area if you have an expert explain it to you 🙂
**Tips
- There are several different regions of the Mediterranean that are popular for cruising and it is important to choose the one that most appeals to you. A Western Mediterranean cruise typically includes ports in Spain, France and parts of Italy while an Eastern Mediterranean cruise includes the Greek Isles, Venice, Croatia and sometimes Turkey. I couldn’t resist the blue and white buildings of the Greek Islands so we had to choose the Eastern Mediterranean cruise.
- Because you are typically in port for less than a day, you should make the most out of this limited amount of time. With that being said, it is not always necessary to book a shore excursion. Some port cities can be explored on your own but I would pick a few “bucket list” experiences and splurge on the excursions.
- While I always felt safe during our cruise, do be aware of pickpockets while on shore. Tourists are pretty easy to pick out so don’t make yourself easy prey. I used a money belt that was hidden underneath my clothing.
- There are some people that may disagree with me on this, but don’t spend a lot of money on the specialty dining on board the cruise ship. The meals we ate in the main dining room were delicious and are always included in the price of the cruise. On a similar note, really assess how many alcoholic beverages you are likely to consume before you choose any “beverage packages.” Don’t forget all the time you will be off of the boat in port.