The best Mediterranean cruise holidays to book for 2026 and beyond
Relax, explore and feast while floating around Italy, France and Greece
Konoly
The Mediterranean is a top choice for a cruise, offering a mix of bustling cities and beautiful beaches.
The region’s miles of colourful coastlineis often best discovered by boat and holidaymakers will find a tangle of rich cultures, irresistible romance and classic cuisines.
It is easily accessible from the UK, with some sailings departing from Southampton and others from bases such as Athens, Barcelona or Rome.
With on-shore excursions exploring everything from the Greek gods to platters of authentic tapas, it’s possible to liaise with locals over flamenco in Barcelona, cleanse your palate with gelato in Sicily and bask on the beaches of Mallorca all on one trip.
Most major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Princess and Celebrity Cruises, offer Mediterranean sailings across a range of large and small ships.
Larger cruise ships will typically visit the main tourist destinations, while smaller vessels can reach quieter islands.
Here’s our guide to the best Mediterranean cruises for this year and beyond.
Best for: City stops
Mediterranean, MSC Cruises
Genoa, Italy – Naples, Italy – Messina, Italy – Valletta, Malta – Barcelona, Spain – Marseille, France – Genoa, Italy
Visit six ports in seven days across Spain, France, Italy and Malta on an action-packed sailing aboard MSC World Europa.
Explore the beaches and architecture of Marseille one day and be eating pizza for lunch in Naples the next.
Sailing on MSC World Europa, there is lots to do on board. Highlights include the Venom dry slide that drops 11 decks, plus pools, bumper cars and an F1 simulator.
You will only get one sea day but this is a great option for those who want a whistle-stop tour of the continent.
Departs 19 July 2026. From £1084pp.
Best for: Luxury sailing
A Journey of Lively Beach Towns & Timeless Lyrical Charm, Explora Journeys
Barcelona, Spain – Palma de Mallorca, Spain – Puerto Banus, Spain– Tangier, Morocco – Cadiz, Spain – Portimão, Portugal – Lisbon, Portugal
Explora Journeys’ newest luxury cruise ship is making its debut this year and you could be among the first on board.
Explora III is launching in July 2026 and passengers can get a floating upmarket hotel experience at sea while sailing from Barcelona to Lisbon on a seven-night cruise.
Port highlights include Tangier in Morocco and gothic Portimão in the Alrgarve.
On board, guests can enjoy their own suite as well as five heated pools, six restaurants and 12 bars and lounges. Explora Journeys’ ships have a a guest-per-staff ratio of 1.25:1 so you can expect a decent level of service.
Departs 3 August 2026. From £3,960pp.
Best for: Couples
Starry Nights in Greece & Croatia, Virgin Voyages
Athens, Greece – Santorini, Greece – Bodrum, Turkey – Mykonos, Greece – Dubrovnik, Croatia – Kotor, Montenegro – Corfu, Greece – Barcelona, Spain
You can enjoy the adults-only cruise line’s party atmosphere aboard Scarlet Lady on a 10-night sailing from Athens with Virgin Voyages.
Onboard highlights include a choice of top restaurants such as the Gunbae Korean BBQ as well as 24-hour access to sweets, nostalgic board games and the iconic Scarlet Night party where the whole ship turns into an entertainment venue.
Make sure you save energy for the seven stops though, including the blue domes of Santorini, medieval Kotor and the party island of Mykonos, where there is an overnight stay.
Departs 11 July 2027. From £1,771 per person.
Best for: Families
Western Mediterranean, Royal Caribbean
Rome, Italy– Naples, Italy– Barcelona, Spain – Palma de Mallorca, Spain – Marseille, France – Florence, Italy – Rome, Italy
Royal Caribbean is set to debut its newest Icon class ship in the Mediterranean for the first time this summer.
Legend Of The Seas will sail from Rome and Barcelona from July next year.
Departing from Rome, a seven-night sailing will take in the best of Spain, France and Italy including cultural city days in Barcelona and Marseille, plus time on the beach in Palma de Mallorca.
On board, the ship will have the largest waterpark and slides at sea, as well as a high ropes course and 40 bars and restaurants to cater for 5,610 passengers. Unique onboard features include the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical and an immersive railway-themed dining experience.
Departs 27 August 2026. From £1,563pp.
Best for: Foodies
Greece, Malta and Turkey, Celebrity Xcel
Barcelona, Spain – Valletta, Malta – Santorini, Greece – Ephesus, Turkey – Mykonos, Greece – Athens, Greece
Explore three different countries in one sun-kissed week on Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship Xcel.
The ship launched last year and is making its debut in Europe this summer.
There will be plenty of culinary and cultural delights to savour ashore during this cruise.
But Xcel also has great places to eat on board including the outdoor continental restaurant Bora, and Mosaic, where guests can dine on food inspired by the ship’s route.
You can also enjoy high-end bars, pool parties and unique immersive theatre shows before enjoying a drink in the Magic Carpet bar that hangs over the side of the ship.
Departs 8 August 2026. From £889pp.
Best for: All-inclusive
Grecian Discovery, Marella Cruises
Limassol, Cyprus – Piraeus, Greece – Thira, Greece – Bodrum, Turkey – Heraklion, Greece – Rhodes Town, Greece – Limassol, Cyprus
Head for some shoulder season sun with Marella on a week-long cruise at the end of October.
Departing from Limassol in Cyprus, aboard Marella Discovery, guests can explore the quieter side of Santorini as well as the ancient ruins of Athens.
Plus, there is even a Halloween party on the ship.
Passengers can also enjoy the ship’s two pools, outdoor cinema and rock climbing wall.
Other highlights include a choice of seven bars and eight restaurants as well as its highly-regarded show lounge.
Additionally, all meals, snacks, drinks and tips, as well as flights and transfers are included in your cruise fare.
Departs 28 October 2026. From £1,198pp.
Best for: Smaller ports
Voiles de St Tropez, Star Clipper
Nice, France – Lerici, Italy – Portoferraio, Italy – Sant’Amanza Beach, France – Bonifacio, France – Porticcio Beach, France – Ajaccio, France – St Tropez, France – Nice, France – St Tropez, France – Nice, France
Explore the smaller ports of the region on a traditional tall ship with Star Clippers.
Sailing aboard Royal Clipper, you will be able to help raise and even climb the sails as you navigate on a round-trip from Nice.
This seven-night sailing uses the ship’s small size to dock in parts of the French and Italian riviera that larger vessels can’t reach such as Lerici, Ajaccio and St Tropez.
Expect locally-inspired food, discos and expert talks onboard as well as educational excursions in port.
Departs 26 September 2026. From £2,255pp.
Read more: The best mini cruises from the UK
