Eastern Mediterranean Cruises

The Eastern Mediterranean consists of sea areas bordering Italy, Greece and Turkey which – with their history and beautiful landscapes make up for a highly recommended area as far as cruising goes. The main key areas to visit are Venice in Italy, Athens in Greece and Istanbul in Turkey. Longer cruises can also stop in places including Dubrovnik in Croatia, Rhodes and Crete.

The region is very popular in Europe for both people that seek a good time in the sun and people who are into discovering different and exciting cultures, both old and new. The Eastern Mediterranean is the place where ancient history was born, a blend between Eastern and Western cultures in the past and nowadays, a source of information for different types of cultures, histories and personalities.

For more diversity, some cruise lines also offer cruises that start in the Western Mediterranean (including, therefore ports like Barcelona, Rome or Genoa). These cruises offer a complete experience, with longer cruises ending as far as Alexandria in Egypt. Some cruises sail round-trip, others offer a one way itinerary, stopping the cruise at a different port than the one they embarked on.

Places to visit

Most cruises try to offer a varied itinerary for people visiting the Eastern Mediterranean, but for people with genuine interest in the interesting culture and history of the area, there are cruises focusing on the historically relevant places like Athens (for a study of ancient Greek relics), Istanbul (a blend between Byzantine, Greek and Islamic culture) and Venice (with sites that include both Roman and medieval history).

For people who are mostly in for a good time in the sun, cruises focus more on the Greek islands, famous for their white beaches with clear blue water. Santorini, Rhodes, Corfu, Samos, Patmos and Mykonos are only a few of the places recommended for sun, beaches, crystal clear waters and a really good time.

Key tourist sites include Piazza San Marco and Basilica San Marco in Venice, the Parthenon in Athens, Greek port Katakolon (close to Olympia, where Olympic games were held in ancient times), the Blue Mosque and the Haghia Sophia in Istanbul, to name but a few.

Times to visit

Since most holidays happen in the summer, that is the time when the cruises will have more passengers. However, since summers in the Eastern Mediterranean area are notoriously hot (July - September), it is recommended for people who can get away from their jobs in other times, to try and visit in spring and autumn (April-June and September-November) – still warm enough to enjoy the sun, but not enough to get a sunstroke. Cruises and tourist areas in those times are also not as crowded, making the trip more on the relaxing side for people with busy lives and jobs. As an added note, extra-season tickets are also much less expensive and itineraries are more flexible.