Italy’s prime location in the heart of the Mediterranean
makes it a perfect cruise destination. Whether you are
leaving for countries abroad or actually headed into the
country, there will be plenty of options for Italian cruises.
Another popular way to see the picturesque back country
of Italy is on a river cruise, seeing the area around
Venice, or traveling down the
Po River, Italy’s longest of its kind.
Most cruises in Italy make great use of the surrounding
Mediterranean waters, offering travel to islands such
as Corsica and Malta, to the exotic African shores, even
to Greece and Turkey.
About 40 miles outside of Rome,
you’ll find the port city of Civitavecchia, which
is the main departure point of the majority of cruises
in Italy. You’ll find all the major cruise liners
here, including Carnival, though most are Italian companies.
Though Civitavecchia has many great sights of its own,
including ruins that date back to the second century,
if you want to explore the seas surrounding Italy, you’ll
have no time to waste. With so many Italian cruises departing,
you’ll have a great variety of destinations available.
Take a cruise that focuses on the African side of the
sea, with stops in Tunisia and Egypt – even Morocco
if you book one of the longer cruises, which usually last
about two weeks at sea. Malta and Sardinia are other popular
ports of call – the former offering the warmest
weather in all of Europe, and the latter is one of the
most secluded areas in the Mediterranean, an island that
seems untouched by time itself. Head over to Turkey and
Greece for a little Middle Eastern flair – plenty
of 10 day Italian cruises make these countries their prime
destination.
If you are further north, you may wish to skip Civitavecchia
and sail out of Genoa. Located
on the Ligurian peninsula, your trip will take you past
quaint hillside villages, sheer cliffs, sandy beaches
– the area’s diversity is only matched by
its beauty. Genoa is where you’ll find lots of cruises
around Italy. If the Italian coastline appeals to you
more than setting sail for foreign lands, the best Italian
cruises you’ll will never stray from the boot –
heading south to Sicily (and
usually stopping Palermo or
a coastal town nearby) before going up to the canals of
Venice. Some of these are round trip, but if one of these
cruises around Italy is only a small portion of your European
vacation, you can make Venice your final destination and
continue your travels by land. The main ports of call
on cruises around Italy include Livorno, Pisa,
Sorrento, Naples,
Palermo and Venice.
The other popular types of cruises in Italy are the majestic river cruises, allowing you to see all kinds of the northern countryside. Major ports of call on one of these river cruises will include villages small and large, most notably Mantua, Polesella and Chioggia, where the Po feeds into the Adriatic Sea.
