First timer to Mediterranean-need help

I do plan on reading many posts on this board but thought I would pose these questions. What would you say are the must do ports in the Mediterranean that you have to see and which ones are no big deal? (In your opinion).

Ever since I saw Mama Mia I was intrigued with Greece. The white buildings and rugged terrain looked beautiful. I hate to admit it but the Mediterranean is an area I know very little about. There is 4 of us that are trying to plan a cruise (7 to 10 day). We were originally thinking of the Greek Islands.

What I don't know is once you have seen one port do they all look the same, if so which other areas should we include?

Some of the ports on certain cruises (some in Greece, some elsewhere)I have never even heard of. Which are the wow ones and which ones could be missed? My husband and I like to be active, we like beaches, scenery and adventurous activities. Not much for sitting on a bus to look at churches,ruins etc. Our friends like history of all kinds so we are trying to see if we can make it work for all of us. It seems like many people love Mykonos and Santorini. Heard a few people say that Croatia was beautiful. Can you help point us in the right direction.

I know you're looking for ideas, but really the only way to figure out what ports are must sees FOR YOU is to do the heavy lifting. Read guide books, look at photos and video online and think about what appeals to you.

I would suggest for a first time cruise you want to mix it up a little and not just do all Greek islands. But beyond that it's hard to say. I've been to more than 50 different ports in the Mediterranean and I think I've enjoyed them all.

I like history and ruins, also big cities. Scenery and beaches don't do much for me. But I think one can find something of interest in just about every port -- some deserve more time than others, though. ;)

Some of my favorite ports have been Istanbul, Naples, Athens, Venice, and of course Rome (although Rome is better as the start or end point of a cruise because there is so much to see...you need to allow a few days). But I have also liked places that are less frequently on "starter" itineraries, such as Split (Croatia), Antalya (Turkey), Malta, Cyprus, and Tunis.

Very well written cruisemom42. "Must do" is what interests you...not what we tell you it is.

I have been looking thru things since my post and some of the ruin pictures were quainter than I thought they would be and looked interesting. The seaside cafes looked nice. I looked at some of Croatia and it looked different and interesting also. I will take the suggestion of not just sticking to the Greek Islands. You are right my must do's and your must do's might be totally different. If you do think of something you did that was the highlight for you share it and I will look into it. I don't plan on spending the entire day at a beach, but water front areas have a charm of there own. If I only go to this area once I want to choose areas that are different from each other. For instance when you take a tour of many of the Caribbean islands they look very similar(IMO).

I am trying to edit my last post but I can't get it to save. Anyway you already mentioned your favourite ports, but if you think of something you did or saw that was a highlight for you, post it and I will look into it. Looks like I have lots of research ahead of me!

We've been on three Med cruises. Here is a link to pictures from the one that seems closest to your interests. Hope it helps.

https://markandkareneurope2013.shutterfly.com/pictures

I am trying to edit my last post but I can't get it to save. Anyway you already mentioned your favourite ports, but if you think of something you did or saw that was a highlight for you, post it and I will look into it. Looks like I have lots of research ahead of me!

Okay, here are some favorites for me, focusing mainly on the Eastern Med rather than Western, since you are interested in the Greek isles:

Athens -- Visiting the Acropolis and getting there EARLY (on your own via taxi from the port) before the tours arrive.

Katakolon -- Main reason to stop here is to see the site of ancient Olympia; home of the original Olympics. The site and museum were fascinating for me but if you aren't "into" ruins you may have to work a little harder -- or get a good guide -- to get the feeling of the place.

Mykonos -- Taking the ferry across to Delos from Mykonos and visiting the ruins there. Mykonos town is worth a short wander, but not more. I'm not a beach person but many people go to one of the beaches here.

Dubrovnik -- Walking the walls of the old city

Venice -- Just wandering around; visiting St. Marks and the museum above (most people don't even realize it's there but you can see the REAL bronze horses and get a spectacular view of the square).

Split -- The whole of the old town is built inside the ruins of the palace of a Roman emperor. Just walking around or taking a short local tour is good.

Kusadasi -- Without a doubt, Ephesus are some of the most impressive ruins you'll ever see.

Istanbul -- Yanked from most itineraries at the moment, but it's a fascinating mix of East and West. Haghia Sophia is a real highlight for me, one of my favorite buildings in the world....

Santorini -- The Greek island of postcards. You want to go to Oia for pictures of the iconic white houses with blue roofs.

Rhodes -- The "old town" (including a Templar palace) is fascinating to walk around and it's only steps from where you dock. Find a self-guided tour online and do it on your own.

Valletta, Malta -- Several famous buildings worth visiting in Valletta, including the co-Cathedral and another Templar headquarters. Try to get a local bus or a tour to Mdina, another nearby town that's very interesting as well.

Naples -- Too many possibilities here, but my favorite is Pompeii. If you combine it with a visit to the Naples Archaeological Museum you'll get a really good idea of how the ancient Romans lived.

There are many others -- Corfu (not my favorite Greek island, but very different from Santorini or Mykonos), Cyprus, Nafplion. If Turkey is still out, your ship might call at Kotor or Sarande in order to avoid the need to charge the VAT onboard. Crete is a large island with at least 3-4 ports; well worth a visit. (Iraklion is closest to Knossos, a very interesting archaeological site, but Rethimnon is a prettier town to walk around.) Sicily, an even larger island, might also be a stop at one of her several ports (Catania, Messina, Palermo, Trapani). And of course Israel is sometimes featured on Eastern itineraries, but usually those are called "Holy Lands" itineraries.

Have you had a look at the Cruise Critic "Destinations" section? There is some good, brief summary information on the most common ports for all the Med cruises there and it might give you some additional ideas.

Lots of good info (as usual) from cruisemom however keep in the mind the Mediterranean is vast so I would focus on one area especially if your going to do a 7-10 day cruise. If you go from say Greece to Italy to Spain in a week then you'll have less ports. It sounds like you really want to do a Greek isles cruise. I would pick 1 or 2 must see destinations and find a cruise with those in it and then do research on the remaining ports in the itinerary. If you list out 4-5 must see ports then it will be harder to find a cruise with all of them.

If "Mama Mia" intrigued you, then you should certainly consider a cruise that spends a long day on at the island of Santorini. Once on that island, head over (by bus, taxi, or boat) to the town of Oia...and you will be pleased with the views. The actual island used for the filming of Mama Mia was Skopelos which is not used as a cruise port. But Santorini is an excellent substitute (most folks would prefer it to Skopelos.

Naples is another excellent port because it offers dozens of options (.i.e. The Amalfi Coast, Capri Pompeii, etc). While we would normally recommend Istanbul (an amazing city) the current political situation has made this a port to avoid (for the moment) until things stabilize. Many cruise lines have stopped calling at Istanbul....and if you do find a cruise going to that port there is a reasonable likelihood of having your itinerary changed before your cruise.

Hank

So funny to me that you mention Mama Mia inspired you to want to visit the Med...same for us a few years ago.

Just for discussion, seven years ago I chose our first Med cruise from Rome to Venice which included Rome, Naples (for Amalfi Coast), Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Katakolon, Corfu and Venice. It was memorable. The Greek Islands were magical to us...still are! Rome and Venice were the icing on the cake! Each Greek island has its own character...definitely not cookie cutter. From that point on we picked other areas to focus on, such as an Adriatic cruise, Mediterranean Riviera and more. We're back to the Med this May for two weeks of joy!

Spend the time on the research, there are so many sources to engage your enthusiasm!

Thanks so much for everyone's tips and pictures. I am starting to get a bit of a feel for the area.

I think I will make sure that Santorini is one of my ports of call.

I will probably do a 10 day cruise because it is a long way to go for 7 days.

I really enjoy sea days so will look for a cruise that has 1 to 2 sea days.

From what I have read May, June, September are great months --not too hot and not as crowded.

Those are my must do's so far----at least I have START. Thanks again!

Keep the suggestions coming.

We've been on three Med cruises. Here is a link to pictures from the one that seems closest to your interests. Hope it helps.

 

https://markandkareneurope2013.shutterfly.com/pictures

Thanks for posting lovely photos .we are visiting ports in Athens and Olympia Greece. Can you tell me which has a beach or small village nearby as we aren't going to view ancient ruins ,but would love a traditional Greek meal and stroll on beach if possible.thanks in advance

I do plan on reading many posts on this board but thought I would pose these questions. What would you say are the must do ports in the Mediterranean that you have to see and which ones are no big deal? (In your opinion).

 

Ever since I saw Mama Mia I was intrigued with Greece. The white buildings and rugged terrain looked beautiful. I hate to admit it but the Mediterranean is an area I know very little about. There is 4 of us that are trying to plan a cruise (7 to 10 day). We were originally thinking of the Greek Islands.

What I don't know is once you have seen one port do they all look the same, if so which other areas should we include?

Some of the ports on certain cruises (some in Greece, some elsewhere)I have never even heard of. Which are the wow ones and which ones could be missed? My husband and I like to be active, we like beaches, scenery and adventurous activities. Not much for sitting on a bus to look at churches,ruins etc. Our friends like history of all kinds so we are trying to see if we can make it work for all of us. It seems like many people love Mykonos and Santorini. Heard a few people say that Croatia was beautiful. Can you help point us in the right direction.

I make a video of every port I visit, the links for them are in my sig below. I can't think of a Med port I haven't loved. Any Med cruise will have something for both you and your friends, especially if you can include a Greek island. My personal favourite port is Naples, for the sheer variety of remarkable options. All the best, Tony

Thanks for posting lovely photos .we are visiting ports in Athens and Olympia Greece. Can you tell me which has a beach or small village nearby as we aren't going to view ancient ruins ,but would love a traditional Greek meal and stroll on beach if possible.thanks in advance

We did not go to a beach in either port. In Athens we went to the Acropolis and we went to Olympia.

I am trying to edit my last post but I can't get it to save. Anyway you already mentioned your favourite ports, but if you think of something you did or saw that was a highlight for you, post it and I will look into it. Looks like I have lots of research ahead of me!

HI

It might also be a good idea to have a look at a few itineraries that maybe include Mykonos and Santorini - and then look at what other ports are included. Do some research on those other ports included and see what appeals.

Santorini is great for that "Greek look" and I'll be heading on a cruise this summer that takes in Mykonos as well this time.

If you do a search on certain web based travel agencies you can sometimes select Greek Islands or Eastern Mediterranean as an option and see what comes up .

Do you have to be on a huge Ocean Liner? There are small ships that go to several Greek Islands. Smaller ones which are lovely and similar to the one depicted in Mama Mia. If you choose a large ship then look for the itinerary with the longest time in Santorini and also Mykonos.

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When we did our Greece trip last year (have a mostly finished review somewhere on here) the highlights were island hoping before the cruise (Aegina & Hydra), wine tasting in Kotor and Messina and watching the sunset in Santorini with a bottle of champagne on the ship. Oia in the morning was great, but by the time we got to Fira it was too packed for our liking. The winery in Santorini is terrible. The Almalfi Coast is gorgeous if you get a chance. We did it on a prior cruise and taking the water taxi from the port (not Naples) to Almalfi is a highlight of our lives.

We are booked on the Jewel of the Seas on October 7th (9 night) . It sounds as if our itinerary would fit your needs. Our ports from Rome are Sicily, Malta (substituted for our cancelled port of Kudadasi), At Sea, Mykonos, Santorini, Athens, At Sea, Naples. We plan to spend 5 nights pre-cruise in Rome and then 5 nights post cruise in Tuscany before flying over to Barcelona for the Freedom of the Seas TA. We should get a good taste of the Med this way. Can't wait for October!

I am trying to edit my last post but I can't get it to save. Anyway you already mentioned your favourite ports, but if you think of something you did or saw that was a highlight for you, post it and I will look into it. Looks like I have lots of research ahead of me!

tomsportguides.com is a great help for newbies to the Med. area. You'll enjoy each and every stop. Nicole

We have done Med cruises and numerous independent trips to Greece and Turkey.

Unless you are absolutely sold on a cruise our advice would be to travel through the Islands on your own. The Greek Islands are divided into groups, these groups are often the determinate of ferry routes and schedules. There is a huge difference between Santorina at 2PM and Santorini at 8 PM after the cruisers have left. The islands are very different. We have had three trips to Crete for example, usually for a week at time. On our last trip we very much enjoyed Sifnos and Naxos. Paros was OK. Crete was wonderful. We can also recommend Santorini , Mykonos, and Rhodes. The island ferry system is great. The trick is to pack light...leave all the regular stuff at home and keep your schedule flexible.

Our last trip was 10 days on the mainland and Hydra followed by a few weeks of island skipping down to Crete. Flew into Athens, out of Heraklion. We have done something similar in the north and included Turkey.