How to Find a Mediterranean Cruise

Cruising the Mediterranean with the salty sea breeze in your face as you sip a glass of sparkling wine sounds like an idyllic way to spend your vacation. While the trip itself is relaxing, choosing a cruise requires some legwork and a fair bit of research. You want to make sure the cruise you select dovetails with your vacation style.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Travel agent
• Cruise brochures

1. Decide whether you want to plan the vacation yourself or enlist the help of a travel agent. If you have never cruised before, you might want to visit an agent who specializes in cruises. Even if you decide not to book with an agent, there is no harm in visiting an agency to discuss your trip.

2. Call various cruise lines to request promotional brochures. These booklets will give you a good overview of each line and can help you decide which atmosphere will appeal to you most. Royal Caribbean, Disney, Costa, Carnival, Holland America, Princess, Seaborne and Norwegian all operate cruises in the Mediterranean.

3. Decide how many days you want to cruise, and figure out the ports you most want to visit. You also need to select the time of year you'd like to cruise. Cruises in the Mediterranean region range from five to 28 days, with most being at least one week of cruising. Ports include destinations along Africa's northern coastline, as well as stops in Turkey, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Spain and France, among others.

4. Narrow your options down to two or three choices, and then use personal contacts and the Internet to do further research to figure out which cruise you want to take. You can read reviews written by travelers on sites such as Travelocity, Cruise Critic and Cruisemates to get a straightforward assessment of each cruise. Don't forget to research shore excursions and ensure that the ships you are looking at offer tours that interest you.

5. Book your chosen cruise either through the cruise line directly or with a travel agent. Ask about any travel documents you need to procure, and make any travel arrangements that are necessary. If you want to stay in the area before or after the voyage, make those arrangements.

Tips & Warnings

• Late spring through fall is the most popular time of year to cruise, and that means there is a larger selection of ships and itineraries during those months. You can cruise anytime, but your selection might be more limited during the winter. Different cruise lines have different strengths and weaknesses. Royal Caribbean typically markets to a younger American crowd, while MSC is an Italian line that caters to the European set. Decide which elements of a cruise are important to you, and figure out which line offers those things.
• You need a passport to travel outside the United States. If you don't have one, make sure you allow at least four to six weeks for your application to be processed.

References

• Available Cruise Lines
• Passport Information