10 Night Italy, Spain & Malta Cruise

Barcelona cruise port is the busiest in the Mediterranean, handling millions of passengers a year across multiple terminals. The city behind it earns that traffic.

Palma de Mallorca cruise port is one of the busiest in the Mediterranean and the main cruise gateway to the Balearic Islands. Palma sits on the south coast of Mallorca, the largest of the Balearics, about 250 kilometers south of Barcelona.

La Spezia is a working Italian naval and commercial city on the Ligurian coast, but cruise passengers know it primarily as the gateway to Cinque Terre, the five colorful fishing villages clinging to the cliffs along a rugged stretch of coastline just north of the city. The La Spezia cruise port sits at the edge of the city center, a short walk from the train station that connects directly to the Cinque Terre villages.

Rome's cruise port is in Civitavecchia, a working port town about 80 kilometers northwest of the city. That distance is the single most important thing to understand about this stop.

Naples cruise port is one of the most popular stops on Mediterranean itineraries, and it's easy to see why. The city sits on the Bay of Naples with Mount Vesuvius looming behind it, and it serves as the gateway to Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Sorrento.

Valletta cruise port is one of the most visually dramatic arrivals on any Mediterranean itinerary. Ships sail into the Grand Harbour, a deep natural inlet flanked by honey-colored limestone walls that rise straight out of the water, with Valletta itself perched on the peninsula above.

Palermo cruise port drops you into one of the most chaotic, layered, and rewarding cities in the Mediterranean. This is the capital of Sicily, sitting on the northwestern coast of the island along a gulf facing the Tyrrhenian Sea.