Mediterranean cruises – popular routes
Mediterranean is the birthplace and intersection of civilizations, cultures, religions, ancient and modern worlds. Countries of Mediterranean offer recreation for everyone: endless beaches, where you can bask in the sun, majestic mountains and scenic forests, which can seemingly be admired for eternity. And of course you can explore the rich heritage of this unique region. Mediterranean cruises will help you immerse in this unforgettable world, located at the intersection of old and new.
Greek Islands
Greeks like to quote an old legend about the origin of their islands: they say that the islands were created by God after he created all the other lands. There were only a handful of colored stones in God’s hand when he with a smile threw them into the sea. That is how Cyclades, Dodecanese, Sporades and the Ionian islands came to life.
Typically, Greek Island cruises start at Perea, in Zea marina, not far from Athens. The ships are nice and small, taking no more than 100 passengers, and the duration is pretty short as well. The most popular route is to Cyclades, sculpted out of white stone, sun and sea salt and located just east of the Peloponnese. The beauty of this island attracted people since the ancient times, but getting there was very difficult. The island boasts a mild Mediterranean climate with cool (by Greek standard) summers characterized by fresh seasonal winds called “meltemia” Cyclades form a ring around the sacred island of Delos. And Santorini, which is famous for its mysterious origins as a result of vibrations in the earth’s crust, can be safely added to the list of contenders for the title of the lost Atlantis. The island’s capital, Fira, is located just the opposite of the volcano, which up to this date still emits smoke. All the Greek islands are characterized with endless beaches, windmills, dazzling white houses, little churches and restaurants serving excellent white and red wine, seafood salads and soft goat cheese. The usual duration of the cruise is one week.
The rest of the Mediterranean
Nice, Cannes, Monaco, Pisa, Rome and Florence, Marseilles and Genoa, Palermo, Barcelona, Athens and Istanbul – of course there are other options, but the meaning remains the same – during the two weeks a traveler gets to see the most beautiful cities of the continent. The biggest cruise liners in Europe travel the Mediterranean. Their size is beyond the imagination – the height of a twenty storey building, with its own newspaper, published in several languages, and besides restaurants, tennis courts and swimming pools, there often a small chapel: whatever you say, but a cruise is still the most romantic form of recreation, and those who don’t get married on the shore, sometimes come on board in wedding dresses.
Cruise voyage is like an eternal holiday. Cruise liners are usually assigned to Italian and Spanish ports, so the whole crew behaves accordingly. There is a light and easy going atmosphere and everybody seems to be having a great time. No matter where you look – there is music, wine and gifts. The main event of a trip – Captain’s Gala. Men wear tuxedos (they can be rented), ladies look beautiful in cocktail dresses – and there is really no way to distinguish who is an experienced traveler and who is a cruise novice.
Overall, Mediterranean cruises are a great introduction to cruise vacation and should definitely be considered as your first foray into this wonderful means of travel.
