Sea you later! Four stunning Mediterranean cruises 2016

If you’ve never experienced a cruise before, you have no idea how much fun you’re missing. Every ounce of workday stress is left behind on the mainland as massive luxury cruise liners containing every pleasure known to humankind whisks passengers away for days of endless romance, sunshine, drinking, eating, nightclubbing, socializing, recreation and live entertainment—all of which includes waking up each day in an exotic new city or country. The Mediterranean makes for an especially attractive cruising experience, thanks to its many beguiling port cities, beach-filled islands and gorgeous waters. Not surewhere to begin? Not to worry, here is the lowdown on four dazzling itineraries for Mediterranean cruises 2016, ready to set sail soon. Happy cruising!

Related: Check our guide to undiscovered Greek Islands!

The cruise: 7-Night Western Mediterranean
The cost: Starting at $504 for an interior room
The ship: Norwegian Epic
Lowdown: Hit the high seas for a week-long excursion that begins in beautiful Barcelona before hitting ports that offer day excursions to Italy’s most famous cities, including Naples, Rome and Florence. The boat swings through the opulent French Riviera before making one final stop in Mallorca. The Epic has 4,100 passenger berths, making it quite the big boy and also boasts 17 dining venues, 2 pools, 5 whirlpools, multiple bars, a sports complex, outdoor jogging track, day spa, casino, kid-friendly water park and a nightclub for teens.
Why we love it: With prices starting as low as $504, this is a wallet-friendly way to explore many gems of the Mediterranean without busting the bank account. We love that the ship entertainment includes marquee names like Blue Man Group and performances from the world famous Second City comedy club out of Chicago. By some opinions, the ship isn’t as sleek and streamlined as some of its peers, but we love that it offers 100-square foot cabins with adjoined living area for single travelers.

The cruise: 10-Night Italy and Greek Isles
The cost: Starting at $1599 for an interior room
The ship: Celebrity Reflection
The lowdown: Set sail from the Eternal City for a ten-day cruise that weaves its way through the enchanting Greek islands, including Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes. The ship touches down for a day in Turkey and again in Naples, Italy before returning to Rome. The Celebrity Reflection first launched in 2012, making it a relative newcomer to the seas (and also the last of Celebrity’s Solstice-class cruise ships), including room for 3,046 passengers. Her features include two pool bars, a private membership lounge, video arcade, the Canyon Ranch SpaClub, the Persian garden, personal trainers, an adults-only solarium pool, art gallery, lawn club and more.
Why we love it: Island hopping in the Mediterranean via a luxury cruise ship is a great way to check off iconic destinations like Mykonos and Santorini in one fell swoop. Ten days offers plenty of time to really unwind and this excursion includes two full days at sea which tend to be our favorite days. We’re not going to lie, we also love the Lawn Club which recreates a perfectly manicured green space complete with hammocks, private cabanas, a 48-seat eatery and plenty of grass space for lounging and soaking up the sun.

The cruise: 7-Night Western Mediterranean
The cost: Starting at $825 for an interior room
The ship: Harmony of the Seas
The lowdown: Wave goodbye to Rome aboard the brand new Harmony of the Seas for a thrilling 7-day itinerary that drops thrill seekers in or near iconic destinations like Naples, Barcelona, Mallorca, Marseilles, Florence and Pisa before looping back to the Eternal City. The newest member of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis series, the Harmony of the Seas outsizes its predecessors in length, width and passenger capacity including enough staterooms to hold an impressive 6,360 passengers and nearly 1,200 crew cabins.
Why we love it: Sometimes bigger really is better and we can’t deny Harmony of the Seas its outrageous amenities and attractions including an adults-only solarium, 2 rock-climbing walls, two FlowRiders, a zip-line, an ice skating rink and three multi-story water slides. Guests can wander through one of seven “neighborhoods” including the Boardwalk and Central Park before making their way to lunch or dinner at a wide variety of dining options such as Chops Grille, Windjammer Cafe, Chic, The Grand, Sabor and many others.

The cruise: 7 Night Mediterranean and Adriatic
The cost: Starting at $1298 for an interior room
The ship: Royal Princess
The lowdown: Wave goodbye to the Gaudi-obsessed city of Barcelona and hit the high seas for a 7-day whirlwind adventure that whisks guests around the Mediterranean and Adriatic including exotic ports-of-call such as the Italian Riviera, Sicily and Tunisia before winding down its journey in gorgeous Rome. The Royal Princess boasts numerous eye-catching amenities such as movies under the stars, al fresco massages, a putting green, full-service spa and more dining options than previous Princess vessels.
Why we love it: The Royal Princess has some unexpected features including a cantilevering glass bottom walkway that extends 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship and offers spectacular views and also and adults-only sanctuary with seven cabanas that “float” around an interior swimming pool. But what we really love is the exotic itinerary which begins and ends in marquee European cities Barcelona and Rome, but touches down in between in several unusual ports including Sicily and the North African country of Tunisia!

Tagged: Cruise, Europe, Family time, Uncategorized