Mediterranean cruising is one of the most chosen areas for going on a cruise these days. Some people like to go on a world cruise which does take a long time.
In fact, to get the best out of it you can take years to do it properly rather than months or weeks. Most of us do not have that length of time to take our vacation so we opt for something simpler such as western mediterranean cruises.
This gives us the flexibility of spending anything from a few days up to a couple of weeks if we have to fit it in with our annual holiday.
The Med is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean although it is rarely thought of that way. It is an enormous sea with an area of about two and a half million square kilometers.
Its coastline borders on countries in Southern Europe, Northern Africa and Eastern Asia. In these countries you can stop at around 120 different sea ports situated in seventeen different countries. These diverse regions and cities allow you to experience many different styles of culture as the Mediterranean has been an important strategic and trading are for a very long time.
Some of the best known places you can visit are Rome and Venice in Italy, Barcelona in Spain, Athens in Greece, Alexandria in Egypt, the Holy Land and the island of Gibraltar which is right at the entrance from the main Atlantic.
Each of these places has something different to offer so you will not just be sitting on a boat all the time.
You should not have any problem finding a cruise tailor made for you as there are more than 50 companies offering cruises in the Mediterranean. A Western Mediterranean cruise will normally take you to, amongst other places, Spain, France, eastern Italy and Morocco whereas an Eastern Mediterranean cruise can include Greece, Croatia, Turkey, Egypt and the Holy Land.
Apart from the countries the cruise liner might visit some of the many islands dotted around such as Malta, Sicily, Cyprus or Crete.
There is a real mixture of old and new to keep you interested on one of these trips. Starting with the monuments of ancient Greece right through to the vibrant more modern areas such as Monte Carlo on the French Riviera.
One thing that a lot of people do is to combine their cruise with a spot of sunbathing on the sun filled beaches that are found close to the actual ports. You could spend one week cruising and the second week relaxing by the blue sea.
So whether you are looking for a relaxing time or a vacation offering a cultural experience that you will never forget, you can not be disappointed if you choose Mediterranean cruising as a holiday.