Luxury Cruises On The Mediterranean

Home
>
Cruising & Sailing
>
Luxury Cruises On The Mediterranean

Luxury Cruises On The Mediterranean

A classic Mediterranean cruise visits major port cities located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the countries of Spain, France, Italy, Monaco, Greece and Turkey and the islands of Malta, Crete and Sicily. Some cruises also include stops in Egypt. The Mediterranean cruise season is April to November when the weather is generally sunny and mild. Many cruise lines sail the Mediterranean and while there is most likely a cruise that appeals to any style and budget, we'll focus on luxury cruises here.

Radisson Seven Seas is a luxury carrier in the small cruise line category. As such, a small number of passengers (only 198 to 700 based on individual ship capacity) are treated to personal service by a cruise line that has been selected by Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure to be the "World's Best Small Cruise Line". Radisson Seven Seas appeals to the sophisticated traveler. Based upon service, quality dining, upscale accommodations, and service, Radisson Seven Seas has earned a six-star rating. The cruise line's special accommodations include two 700 passenger all-balcony suites ships, Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner, and one 490 passenger all-suites ship, Seven Seas Navigator. The Radisson Diamond is another unique ship due to its twin hull design. The Radisson Diamond carries 350 guests in luxury.

The Seven Seas Voyager and the Radisson Diamond routinely cruise the Mediterranean Sea, departing from or terminating at ports such as Rome, Venice, Athens, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Istanbul normally for a 7-night cruise. These cruises stop at some of the most famous European cities that occur between the start and end points such as Florence, Italy; Marseilles, France; St. Tropez, France; Dubrovnik, Croatia; the island of Sicily; and others.

Crystal Cruises is another award-winning six-star cruise line. A reader's poll by Travel + Leisure magazine named Crystal "World's Best" in cruise line service. Conde Nast Traveler magazine has awarded Crystal "Best Large-Ship Cruise Line" while Travel + Leisure called Crystal the "World's Best Large - Ship Cruise Line", both titles being given for the past nine years. Crystal Cruises boasts "extraordinary cuisine" coupled with impeccable service.

Crystal offers a large number of 7- to 12-night Mediterranean cruises, many with romantic overtones. For example, the Renaissance Reflection cruise originates in Lisbon and stops in Barcelona, Cannes and Monte Carlo. The Italian Treasures cruise spends seven nights on the west coast of Italy. The Path of the Phoenicians is a twelve-night odyssey from Athens to Istanbul followed by stops at the historically famous Greek islands of Kusadasi, Rhodes, and Santorini before terminating at Venice.

The Yachts of Seabourn cruise line advertises that they provide "Ultra Luxury" by "delivering the highest levels of personalized service to an exclusive group of guests aboard intimate, elegant ships that could visit the most enticing destinations worldwide." Seabourn sails three identical all-suite ships that cater to only 208 passengers each. Of course, dining and service is world-class.

Seabourn offers longer, leisurely cruises that can explore a small or unique area in-depth. For example, the 17-day Spring Time in Spain cruise originates in Lisbon, Portugal, stops at six Spanish ports plus ports in Monaco, France and the Balearic Islands. Many of the stops were selected due to the availability of golf courses. The 16-day Mediterranean Odyssey II begins at Istanbul; spends six days at Greek ports, four days at Italian ports along with several days at sea before terminating at Lisbon. The 7-day Capitals of Antiquity cruise begins at Cairo, Egypt; tours the historic Greek islands of Rhodes, Mykonos, and Kusadasi before terminating at Istanbul.

If luxury is your objective, there are a large number of out of the ordinary Mediterranean cruises to choose from beyond those discussed here.

Looking for information about cruises? Go to: http://www.whatcruises.com 'What Cruises' is published by Colin Hartness - An excellent resource for Cruises! Check out more cruise articles at: http://www.whatcruises.com/archive

In The News:

Set sail for small ports
iAfrica.com
And those tired of arriving in port to find it crammed with giant ships and several thousand cruise passengers swarming all over town should certainly consider cruising on a smaller ship with access to less crowded and more remote destinations.

CruiseMates Cruise Guide
Royal Princess Entertainment Firsts
CruiseMates Cruise Guide
Without a doubt, the biggest news in cruising right now involves the introduction of two brand new cruise ships next year. First is Norwegian Breakaway in April, 2013, less than a year away. That ship will sail year round from New York City, ...

and more »

Financial Times
Sea-change: The Acciona prepares to compete in the Vendée Globe
Financial Times
By Victor Mallet Sailors like to distinguish themselves from powerboaters and pretend that theirs is an environmentally friendly sport using only the power of the wind. But the reality has always been rather dirtier. Cruising yachts, especially in the ...

Sail World
Fresh hopes for cruising sailors as EU attacks pirate lairs
Sail World
New hopes have been raised for cruising sailors wanting to cross the Indian Ocean with the very first proactive attack by European Union naval forces into Somalia this week, after promising to take more positive action. The EU Naval Force had announced ...

and more »

Living Here: Amusements and attractions
Daily Press
Cruising mid-April through late October. Waterside, downtown Norfolk. 757-627-7245. americanrover.com. Busch Gardens Williamsburg. European-themed adventure park with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions. Single-day tickets: $66.99 adults, ...

and more »

Mixing cruising with independent travel
Chicago Tribune
I used to think there were independent travelers and cruise passengers -- two mutually exclusive categories. But now, with cruising shedding its newlywed and geriatric stereotypes, all kinds of tourists are finding shipboard travel to be appealing.

and more »

Crystal Honors Soldiers From Around The World With Veterans' Gatherings
MarketWatch (press release)
Both ships will be sailing the western coast of France over the holiday weekend, with Crystal Symphony spending the rest of the summer in the Baltic region, and Crystal Serenity cruising the Mediterranean area until December.

and more »

InnerSea Discoveries/American Safari Cruises Christens Two Vessels for ...
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Safari Endeavour and Wilderness Explorer join the UN-CRUISE Fleet. Unveiling UN-CRUISE Adventures for its combined fleet of upscale yachts and expedition vessels, InnerSea Discoveries/American Safari Cruises inaugurated two boats in time for a full ...

and more »

TTR Weekly
New options for Chao Phraya cruises
TTR Weekly
A cruise on the River Chao Phraya is right up there as a must-do activity when visiting Bangkok. There are countless operators, big and small, competing for the charter or join-tour business and sailing an equally bewildering variety of river craft, ...

Sail World
The Blurr wins 2012 Elliott 5.9 Traveller Series opener at Opua
Sail World
Sailed over the weekend of May 19-20 2012, the host club was Opua Cruising Club which has several E5.9's racing regularly. 10 races were sailed in moderate to strong breeze with shifty and gusty conditions making for plenty of challenges.

Google News