The Mediterranean hosts some of the most iconic destinations on the planet. Whether you're gazing upon the Trevi Fountain in Rome, eating baguettes in the South of France, or attempting to wrap your face around the Acropolis in Athens, a Mediterranean cruise may be the trip a person can have.
When to reserve a Mediterranean cruise
Booking far ahead of time (two years or more) or relatively last minute (8 weeks or less) can frequently find you cheaper prices. June, July and August tend to be the busiest, and most expensive, months to take a Mediterranean cruise. Your money will often go further if you are planning for the shoulder seasons in spring and fall, when the weather conditions are still reliable, if chillier and grayer. Winter will get you even steeper discounts and fewer crowds, however in many instances, it lacks the sun's rays and the sunshine the med is known for, and you'll have fewer daylight hours to understand more about.
How to find the best cruise deals
Discount sites like Expedia, Kayak, or cruise-specific sites like Cruise Critic can lead to excellent prices. Cruises typically set their rates as per-person with an assumed double occupancy, or as per-day prices.
Consider what's contained in that price. For longer trips, can there be self-service laundry on board, or perhaps is there a fee? Are drinks – – coffee, alcohol, juices, sodas – included? What exactly are your food options, and what to reviews say about food quality? You will be spending considerable time around the ship, so understand what you're spending money on.
Below, we've tried to provide you with an idea of the least expensive Mediterranean cruise options. Everything is in per-person rates. MSC and Costa dominate as the lowest-priced options (under $500) when it comes to Mediterranean itineraries, although Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean will sometimes have deals of note.
How to choose a Western Mediterranean vs. Eastern Mediterranean Cruises
Both areas have Unesco World Heritage sites, unbeatable local cuisine and excellent shopping. Western cruises in the budget realm tend to focus on Spain, France, Tunisia, and western parts of Italy, such as Genoa and Rome.
Eastern Mediterranean cruises hit Italian destinations like Venice, as well as Greece, Montenegro and Croatia. If you're most thrilled by warm sandy beaches, the Eastern Mediterranean would be the best choice.
Some Eastern Mediterranean itineraries could also include Albania or so far as Turkey and Middle Eastern countries, though we couldn't find them on any budget itineraries.
The best budget Western Mediterranean Cruises
If you want to keep the cruise real short, MSC runs deals on single-night itineraries from one western Mediterranean city to a different for under $100 per person. For instance, as of this writing, you will find April 2022 overnights from Genoa, Italy, to Marseille, France or Barcelona, Spain for $69.
Keep an eye out for MSC's promotional deals, which frequently incorporate a 2-for-1 price with kids sailing free. For example, an eight day, seven night sailing on MSC Poesia (one of the most elegant ships in MSC's fleet) to Italy, France, Spain and Tunisia in November starts as little as $389.
On Costa Cruises, a three-night western Mediterranean itinerary can be as cheap as $231 in October, sailing to Marseille, Barcelona and Genoa. This one is on their own Costa Magica ship, which pulls a lot of Italian cruisers and it has Italian-themed decor to match.
If you are the plan-ahead type, you can spend 72 hours visiting Rome, Naples and Barcelona on Royal Caribbean's Harmony from the Seas, the world's second largest cruise ship, for under $419 per person, but you will need to book as wild as October 2022.
When you are looking at peak season prices, the newly-launched Costa Smerelda sails to Barcelona, Palma, Cagliari, Rome, Savona, and Marseilles for as low as $669 in June. Bonus: the ship was designed to use 100% liquefied natural petrol to chop exhaust emissions.
Royal Caribbean International's best deal is a seven night trip in August through Italy, Spain and France on Explorer of the Seas – which has an ice skating rink, surf simulator, and mountain climbing wall onboard – for $754.
The best budget Eastern Mediterranean Cruises
Limited on time and money? See three countries in four days for $279 aboard the MSC Musica in October, which sails to Greece, Montenegro and Venice, Italy.
For folks with increased vacation days, spend seven nights on the MSC Lirica to determine several spots in Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, and Greece for $347
When it comes to the high season, Costa has a late May steal of a deal for a seven night cruise for $649 around the Costa Deliziosa, a relatively small ship with room for under 2,300 passengers. This route stops in Venice and Bari, Italy, as well as several ports in Greece.
Royal Caribbean International has seven night July itineraries that explore Greece and Croatia for less than $800 on Rhapsody from the Seas, that has run numerous awards from Cruise Critic, including 2022's best dining, best entertainment, best overall cruise ship, and finest value.
A seven-day trip around the Celebrity Infinity in late June hovers around $940, likely because the ship is getting an organized major overhaul later around. But hey, will still be a great way to Venice, Split, Kotor, Corfu, Naples and Rome, and people regularly praise the variety of restaurants onboard, renovation or not.
