Costa Deliziosa: 4-Night Mini Cruises

Trieste sits at the northeastern corner of Italy, pressed against the Slovenian border at the head of the Adriatic Sea. The city has about 200,000 residents and a distinctly Central European character that sets it apart from other Italian cruise ports.

Bari cruise port is the principal port of Italy's Apulia (Puglia) region on the Adriatic coast, about 450 kilometers southeast of Rome. Ships dock at the New Port, a short walk from Bari's old town (Bari Vecchia), a tangle of white-walled medieval streets wrapped around the cathedral and the Basilica of San Nicola.

Kotor cruise port is one of the most visually spectacular arrivals in the Adriatic. Ships sail through a deep fjord-like bay (Boka Kotorska) surrounded by limestone mountains that rise steeply from the water, with the walled medieval town of Kotor tucked at the base.

Split cruise port is the main gateway to central Dalmatia and one of the most remarkable cities in Croatia. The city is built around and inside Diocletian's Palace, a 1,700-year-old Roman fortress that the emperor built as his retirement residence around 300 AD.