Travelling in Europe is a grand and exhilarating adventure. Perhaps too grand. The prospect of choosing one country or one single destination can be daunting for most travelers, especially those who have never visited Europe before. If you are interested in testing the proverbial waters consider a Mediterranean Cruise.
Part 1 – Making the Decision
It doesn’t matter if you are a first timer or an experienced cruiser, the Mediterranean itself is the destination. Don’t pay the high cost of the flight and cruise fare if all you plan to do is stay on board the ship. There are other much cheaper options for that. Consider the cruise a very relaxing, cost effective mode of transportation from one destination to another. The best part of a Mediterranean cruise is waking up every morning in a different port.
There are a number of cruise lines that offer European destinations, each with varied itineraries that cover eastern or western 
Mediterranean, or a combination of both. Our first trip was a 12 day cruise that stopped at nine ports in five different countries. It offered a sampling of the best the Mediterranean has to offer from iconic landmarks in bustling metropolitan cities to lesser known historical and cultural sites.
At first the idea of travelling to so many cities was overwhelming. We had mere hours at many of the stops. In order to ensure that we accomplished all that we wanted we knew planning would be the important initial step in preparing for our European adventure.
When to go will be your first big decision. The Mediterranean can crowded at the best of times and hot most of the time. Consider going during the spring or fall instead of the summer months. The climate will be more temperate, even if it is still busy, and the cruise fares are usually cheaper. Once you have a time frame you can see what itineraries are available and chose the one that best suits your time and budget.
Next research what is available to see and do in each of the ports and decide what is important to you. Prioritize your top five and then whittle that down to make sure you can do what is most important in the time available. Many historic sites can be seen in short time, especially in cities like Florence and Athens that have a fairly compact historic center. Perhaps chose one museum or renowned art gallery instead of trying to visit a different one in each port. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is breathtaking, as is the Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel. Both would take you the better part of your day in port to visit and are well worth foregoing other sights.
If the cruise itinerary says you have eight hours in port, start by subtracting at least an hour to allow for the time required to get the ship cleared through customs. Then you should allow time to disembark, as well as time to get back on the ship from wherever your port transportation drops you off. Consider the time to travel from the port to the area you wish to visit. Some ships dock right in the destination city, such as Istanbul, while others dock at smaller ports and you travel to your destination. For example, Rome is a three hour round trip from the port of Civitavecchia.
Another consideration is the time spent waiting to get into most attractions. Consider going to the most popular sites as soon as you arrive in port when the lines are shortest, or better still, reserve a time online before you leave home and skip the lines altogether. Pay attention to the suggested length of time required to visit most attractions. Web sites or a good guidebook will provide this information.
For more information check out Mediterranean Cruise: A Sample of Europe – Part 2 Getting Around.