The Best Mediterranean Small Ship Cruises

From the Strait of Gibraltar in the west to the Dardanelles leading to the Black Sea in the east, a Mediterranean cruise provides a rich kaleidoscope of interests and experiences. If you get hooked by its diversions and diversity, then cruising in these waters can soon become a habit, and happily, there are a myriad of varied itineraries from which to choose lasting from the week up to a month. If your travel plans are limited to the high summer season, then select an itinerary that avoids at least some of the more crowded ports, as while the streets of large cities such as Barcelona, Rome, Athens and Istanbul can handle the hoards, interior visits to cultural sites — museums, palaces, mosques and churches — can result in a disappointing and even an unpleasant experience. Cruise itineraries fall into four different, and sometimes overlapping, areas: 1) Western Mediterranean, 2) Eastern Mediterranean, 3) Combined East and West and, 4) The Black Sea.