What is your favorite Mediterranean port?

New to cruising, have booked our first trip (Viking Star Empires of the Mediterranean : Istanbul to Venice), and I am already looking for future trips. I am especially interested in suggestions for smaller, lesser known (to me anyway!)ports, but would appreciate information even about the more popular ports. Thanks

Athens, there is something awe inspiring about visiting places like the Parthenon and the Acropolis.

Ephesus Turkey! Loved the ancient city and the terrace houses, which they are still excavating. I'd love to go back in 5 years and see how much more they've uncovered. I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did.

A close second was the Cinque Terre on the coast of Italy. Will spend more time there in the future.

Lisbon -affordable for pre/post cruise stay. Rich history of Portuguese exploration forms a common thread across multiple museums and antiquities. Wonderful restaurants and, of course, Fado!

Ideal 10 day Med Cruise = Lisbon to Rome on Oceania. Have more days available to add ports or want THE BEST extended pre/post Med experience? Sicily!!!

Tough question since we enjoy many ports all around the Med. But Istanbul is certainly among our top 3 as is Venice. Kusadasi is also a great port for first time visitors (and even a 2nd visit). Santorini remains DW's favorite.

Hank

We knew nothing about Tallinn, Estonia but it ended up being a favorite.

We knew nothing about Tallinn, Estonia but it ended up being a favorite.

Talinn, while a lovely port, is not in the Mediterranean. :D

There are so many excellent Mediterranean ports, it is difficult to choose. I love Rome, but Rome is better visited before or after a cruise, not as a cruise stop. Same is true of Florence.

Venice and Istanbul have two of the best sail in/sail out opportunities. Malta is another beautiful sail in/out.

I also love Naples (so much to do), Ephesus and Antalya in Turkey, and Split, Croatia. Most recently I enjoyed visiting Thessaloniki in Greece, which was a new port to me, having taken a number of Med cruises....

I'll certainly go with Hank's Istanbul and Venice.

And the sail past Venice's St Marks Square & the Grand Canal is one of the best in the world - I hope your sail-in is at a sensible time of day, but even if it's at daft o'clock in the morning it's well worth the effort. Starboard (right-hand) side of the ship is best when sailing in, even if that means going on deck in your jim-jams.

Agreeing two out of three's pretty reasonable, Hank, so I'll happily disagree with you on Kusadasi (or Izmir) for Ephesus. But then dusty old ruins really aren't my scene.

So clearly Piraeus (for Athens) and Katacolon (for Olympia) don't make my list either.

Hopefully Santorini & Mykonos are on your itinerary, & perhaps Dubrovnic - all good ports-of-call.

Consider a Baltic cruise next time round. There are sailings from the UK, and it's to the sort of places that are pretty impossible to combine by any means other than a cruise ship. A great variety of ports, a wonderful sail-in to Stockholm, and visa-free visit to St Petersburg.

The Caribbean too is absolutely made for cruising - a different island every day, all worth a day but few worth longer. Winter is the best time to be in the Caribbean - and a pretty good time not to be in Nottingham ;)

Then there's the Far East. Places like Bali, Bangkok, Saigon, Halong Bay, Hong Kong.

The problem with cruising is the limited time in port - usually for just one day. And that's often not long enough for some places. Rome (especially if you take out the travel time between port & city), or for Barcelona, or for the many sights around the Bay of Naples - mebbe even for Venice.

You're only a couple or three hours from the Med., so instead of cruising consider a flight plus hotel break for some of those places.

All just MHO as always.

JB :)

Edit.

Yikes, done it again.:o Just noticed, you're from Nottingham, Maryland - not Nottingham, England.

Strike my remark about being 2 - 3 hours from the Med. :rolleyes:

Or the convenience of the Baltic from the UK :rolleyes:

But I suspect I'm still right about your Nottingham in winter :)

Talinn, while a lovely port, is not in the Mediterranean. :D

 

 

There are so many excellent Mediterranean ports, it is difficult to choose. I love Rome, but Rome is better visited before or after a cruise, not as a cruise stop. Same is true of Florence.

 

Venice and Istanbul have two of the best sail in/sail out opportunities. Malta is another beautiful sail in/out.

 

I also love Naples (so much to do), Ephesus and Antalya in Turkey, and Split, Croatia. Most recently I enjoyed visiting Thessaloniki in Greece, which was a new port to me, having taken a number of Med cruises....

LOL...My Bad :D:o

Istanbul.

Venice, Dubrovnik, Ephesus (but not the town of Kusadasi!), Santorini.

Most of the above, but we also like the ancient ports of Cartagena and Malaga, in Southern Spain.

Just through Gibraltar, and round out of the Med is Cadiz, which we'd be happy to visit on every cruise. :cool: Further north in the Atlantic, but can be visited on some Med cruises is Lisbon...the sail-in alone is worth it!

Rhodes old town is lovely, and Malta is a gem. :)

Venice...Villefrance (with Monte Carlo, Nice & Eze closeby)...Dubrovnik...Naples (cannot get enough of Capri and Sorrento)

Wow...I need to call my travel agent and book a Med cruise!!!

Amazing history, walking distance sights, Knights Templar, cannons going off at midday. What more could you want?

As others have said Naples, Venice, Santorini, Athens.....but it was when we visited Malta we felt we were really walking through history, the church of the Knights....

For us, Venice, but we have a place in out hearts for Santorini, where we were married.

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions! Your posts have convinced me our first itinerary was a good choice. We go from Istanbul to Venice, with stops for Ephesus, Athens, Santorini, Dubrovnik, Pula, and Kotor.

Several replies mentioned Valletta, Malta which has certainly peaked my interest. Jocap, thanks for the Cadiz suggestion. I will start some research for that next.

John Bull - sorry I confused you with my Nottingham, Maryland address. I do so wish that we were just a couple hours away. We have loved all our trips abroad, but that trans-Atlantic flight is a killer!

Barcelona - I'm a Gaudi addict.

Love Barcelona too, another favorite is Ville De France, not well known. Another favorite is Haifa Israel.

Venice...Villefrance (with Monte Carlo, Nice & Eze closeby)...Dubrovnik...Naples (cannot get enough of Capri and Sorrento)

Wow...I need to call my travel agent and book a Med cruise!!!

Great choice.

I like Kotor...nice sail in, a walled town, and an activity (climbing to the fort). It's just the right size for a port day. That's not to say it could compete with Rome, Venice, Istanbul or Barcelona....I just view those ports to start and or end a cruise.

Amazing history, walking distance sights, Knights Templar, cannons going off at midday. What more could you want?

 

As others have said Naples, Venice, Santorini, Athens.....but it was when we visited Malta we felt we were really walking through history, the church of the Knights....

Totally agree with you. It was an unexpected delight!

Arlene

This is such a tough question but top of my list are Venice, Rome, Athens, Malaga, Lisbon, Mikonos ......... :o I love the Med. :)

I like Kotor...nice sail in, a walled town, and an activity (climbing to the fort). It's just the right size for a port day. That's not to say it could compete with Rome, Venice, Istanbul or Barcelona....I just view those ports to start and or end a cruise.

This.

Kotor was an amazing departure - like cruising the lochs in Scotland, only not cold or peeing rain. We didn't see the sail in (too early) but we spent an age watching till we reached the open sea.

Venice is an obvious choice although I havent been there on a cruise.

Kotor is our favourite also very beautiful place and surroundings with great food and culture. It can really compete with the big guys.

I like Kotor...nice sail in, a walled town, and an activity (climbing to the fort). It's just the right size for a port day. That's not to say it could compete with Rome, Venice, Istanbul or Barcelona....I just view those ports to start and or end a cruise.

Glad to hear this about Kotor. We will have a port day there in October. First time for us.

My favorite Mediterranean ports so far are Venice, Dubrovnik, and Barcelona.

We were fortunate to spend a week in Barcelona in 1991. Have spent some port days there since then. Will spend three post-cruise days there in April.

We will spend two pre-cruise days in Venice in October.