Mediterranean cruises: itineraries and reviews

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Mediterranean cruises are every traveler's dream. Recently, it has become available to middle-class people who have a rest no more than once a year. The cruise allows you to combine a vacation at sea with a visit to the most interesting and beautiful places on the planet (cities, islands). A cruise is a vacation on a luxury liner, where you can sit in a cozy restaurant and look at the sea surface.

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea, located in an almost enclosed space of mainland lands, is connected through the Strait of Gibr altar to the Atlantic Ocean. The lands that surround the sea are a treasury of civilizations that have preserved the atmosphere, landscapes and architecture of ancient times.

The Mediterranean is considered the largest inland sea on our planet, so sea cruises on its waters can offer tourists a variety of unusual, interesting and memorable routes.

The Mediterranean gives tourists andbeach, and excursion rest. Reviews of Mediterranean cruises indicate that this type of travel is perfect for individual, romantic, and family vacations. Each port city gives visiting tourists new experiences, meetings and a variety of souvenirs and gifts (leather and fur products, jewelry).

All Inclusive holidays on Mediterranean cruises are quite affordable for every tourist who wants to spend an unforgettable vacation.

Main Departure Points

Cruises on the Mediterranean Sea on modern liners are the favorite routes of tourists from all over the world. All travel companies prepare cruise offers for their clients. In the spring, liners rush to the Mediterranean, and in the fall they return to the Caribbean Sea or fly along the coasts of Asia, Australia and South America.

The main Mediterranean cruise itineraries are as follows:

• Mediterranean cruise from St. Petersburg.
• Flights from Sochi and Odessa to the Mediterranean.
• Cruises around the Mediterranean from European cities.

Flights from St. Petersburg

It is rather problematic to find a Mediterranean cruise from the Northern capital. Mostly from St. Petersburg, cruises are made along the B altic Sea to the countries of Northern Europe.

Europe from north to south

Amigo-S, a Mediterranean cruise tour operator, is a progressive team of advanced employees. Companyhas been specializing in tourism to European countries for more than ten years. Cruise "Europe from North to South" is designed for seventeen days. It includes visits to countries such as Russia, Finland, Germany, France, Portugal, Great Britain, Spain and Italy. The port of departure is the city of St. Petersburg. The journey is made on the MSC Meraviglia.

The cost of a Mediterranean cruise depends on the cabin class the traveler chooses, ranging from one hundred thousand to one hundred and eighty thousand rubles.

Cruise price includes:

• cabin accommodation;
• food in restaurants (drinks from the bar are paid extra);
• animation on the liner;
• pool and gym use;
• caregiver services for children;
• assistance in loading and unloading luggage;
• interpreter services.

Additionally, the passenger can pay:

• medical travel insurance;
• service fee;
• drinks at the bar;
• air travel;
• transfers;
• hotel stay before and after the cruise.

MSC Meraviglia Liner

MSC Meraviglia is one of two comfortable liners built by the STX France shipyard. It became the largest cruise ship built by a European company. Its length is three hundred and fifteen meters, and its carrying capacity is 167,600 tons. The liner can simultaneously take 5700 people.

This is an innovative vessel that carries:

• Near field communication.
• Ability to use mobile applications and smart devices on board.
• A huge LED screen placed on the ceiling, with an area of four hundred and eighty meters.
• New Family and Super Family cabins.
• Beauty salon, solarium and premium restaurants.
• Theatre.
• An amusement park connected to a water park.
• Cirque du Soleil performances.

Judging by reviews of Mediterranean cruises, a holiday on the MSC Meraviglia will be remembered for a long time.

Flights from Sochi

Sea cruises from Sochi along the Mediterranean Sea will be of interest to tourists starting their journey from the south of Russia. Odessa can serve as an alternative as a starting point. A sea cruise in the Mediterranean allows people to choose the tour that suits them at any time of the year. Sea voyages from Sochi and Odessa along the Mediterranean provide an opportunity to visit the ports of our Black Sea coast and visit European cities.

The length of the journey from the port of Sochi to the Mediterranean Sea will be approximately two and a half thousand kilometers and it will pass through the following seas:

• Aegean.
• Adriatic.
• Ionic.
• Marble.

Two main routes

Duration of cruises on a linear route is about eight days, and on a circular route - just over two weeks.

If a tourist decides to travel along a linear path, then he will arrive from Sochi toVenice in eight days, visiting Turkey, Greece and Italy during the tour. Excursions will be held on the territory of these states for all interested tourists, where they can get acquainted with the sights of these lands. This is a unique opportunity for the inhabitants of our country to get acquainted with the culture of Greece, Turkey and Italy, to see a huge number of unforgettable places that they will remember for a long time and will never be able to forget. The most extensive excursion program is held in Greece. You can return back by taking another cruise, now from Venice to Sochi, or by purchasing a plane ticket in the desired direction.

Traveling along the circular route takes twice as long, and during such a trip the tourist visits twice as many beautiful places and cities. The cruise ends in the same port where it started.

MSC Opera liner

Cruises on the route from Sochi to the Mediterranean are carried out on a first-class liner MSC Opera. The service on this snow-white handsome man is top notch. The liner was recently reconstructed. On board today there are many entertainments for tourists of all ages. We list the main places of leisure on the liner:

• Bars and restaurants.
• Stores selling top brands.
• Bath and beauty salon.

Every tourist traveling on MSC Opera must attend two mandatory events:

• Drill drill. This event isformal and lasts just under an hour. During the exercise, each tourist puts on a life jacket and moves towards the boat deck for further evacuation.
• Grand opening of sailing on the liner. It is held on the first evening of a sea cruise in the form of a concert. Tourists personally get acquainted with the captain of the liner and the attendants, enjoy dishes and drinks prepared in the restaurant.

Cost of the tour from Sochi

Prices for sea cruises from the southern port of our country in the Mediterranean depend on several determining factors:

• Duration of travel (time, distance).
• Liner type.
• Cabin level.
• The level of consistent nutrition.
• Additional fees.

The minimum price for a cruise is three and a half thousand per day for one person. Conditions are as follows:

• Accommodation is provided in cabins without windows.
• The cost of the tour includes three meals a day and the services of a guide.

The cost of living in cabins with windows will be from three and a half to seven thousand rubles per day per person. A room with a balcony will cost a tourist from seven to ten thousand rubles a day. When traveling with children, discounts are provided for their accommodation in cabins. For example, a third child under eighteen can travel for free.

If a married couple goes on a cruise along a linear route, then they need to pay for eight days of rest. When placed in cabins without windows for two, the cost of livingit turns out seven thousand rubles a day. Taking into account all additional fees (port, fuel), the trip will cost the family about sixty-five thousand rubles. It's relatively inexpensive to visit three European countries.

Domestic cruises

Domestic sea cruises usually start from ports in Italy or Spain, where the tourist needs to fly by plane. Here in an Italian or Spanish city, a vacationer transfers to a white liner and sets off to enjoy the culture and history of Naples and other wonderful European cities.

Here are the routes of famous Mediterranean sea cruises:

• Cruise "Enchanted Shores" - Italy, Greece and Montenegro).
• Cruise "Cote d'Azur" - Italy (Genoa), Spain (Palma, Barcelona) and France (Cannes, Ajaccio). The duration of the cruise is seven days.
• Cruise "Classic Mediterranean" - Italy (Genoa), Spain (Palma) and France (Marseille). The duration of the cruise is seven days.

Pros of cruising

A sea cruise is a wonderful vacation, consisting, at first glance, of some pluses. We list the main ones:

• You can visit several countries in one trip (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Israel, Tunisia), different cities.
• Recreation takes place on first-class liners equipped with the latest science and technology.
• The cruise combines both beach and sightseeing holidays.
• Russian-speaking groups on popular routes with an interesting excursion program in their native language in each city along the liner's route.
• The ability to order services on an individual basis, plan a trip on the liner and vacation in the host cities.
• Acceptable prices. Cruises are an elite form of recreation. They are not as expensive as many people think. The cost, of course, depends on the route, the class of the liner and the type of cabin. Travel operators constantly have special offers and discount programs for early bookings.

Cons of cruises

Cruise, which, at first glance, consists of some advantages, still has a number of disadvantages. We list the main ones:

• A huge liner often cannot go straight to the coast of the host city. For example, in Nice, the liner is in the roadstead, and passengers get to the shore by boat.
• The cost of the cruise does not include many interesting excursions. A tourist, if desired, can purchase them on board the liner.
• It will be very problematic and costly for a tourist to interrupt his cruise even if it is urgently necessary, since he will not have the opportunity to fly in the direction he needs at every point of stay.

Results

Sea cruises have always been in demand among travel enthusiasts, but for a long time they were out of reach for tourists with a modest budget. Today, a traveler with a limited budget can afford to take a cruise. Citizens of our country who love to conquer the seas, attend excursions and enjoy the sun on the deck of the liner,very often choose cruises on the Mediterranean Sea from Russia. Having set sail in the Mediterranean, travelers visit many European cities. Modern liners at the level of luxury hotels offer recreation and entertainment for every taste (gyms, beauty salons).

Tourists who love the sun and the sea can have a great rest by choosing a summer cruise in the Mediterranean. This is a great way to relax under the sun on the deck of a liner. If you are in doubt whether to go on a Mediterranean cruise or not, then do not hesitate, buy a ticket and go on a fabulous journey! Any tourist during the trip will meet a lot of interesting people, visit more than a dozen places of interest and get a lot of positive emotions.