Of all of Europe’s cruise regions, the Western Mediterranean offers the most of the most: arts and culture, surf and sand, cafe hopping and boutique shopping. It encompasses the absolute best variety of sights, attractions and activities.
Itineraries that sail the Western Mediterranean typically emphasize ports of call in Spain, France and Italy with a few interesting detours along the way. These could also include stops in Portugal (primarily Lisbon, though Porto is occasionally featured), Canary Islands, Morocco (Casablanca and Tangier), Tunis (La Goulette), Monte Carlo and Gibraltar. Within these choices, however, actual ports of call vary wildly and can include everything from France’s oh-so-chic Villefranche to Italy’s open-air museum of Florence.
Because the euro’s value can fluctuate wildly against the U.S. dollar, it can be much cheaper to cruise to Europe than plan a land-based trip. For value-conscious U.S. travelers, a cruise helps to soften the blow of big-ticket items like hotels and restaurants.
I read this article with great interest as the Western Mediterranean is on my list of places I would like to visit. Only recently did my wife also inform me that she would like to go here as well. Time to start the planning....
This article points out that most cruise lines have ships that sail this region and that the itineraries vary based upon the cruise line and the size of the ship.
Ports of call mentioned include Barcelona, Florence, Naples/Sorrento, Nice/Monte Carlo/Cannes and Rome.
