Queen Elizabeth: 21-Night Mediterranean from Rome (Civitavecchia)

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.

Messina cruise port sits at the northeastern tip of Sicily, directly across the narrow Strait of Messina from mainland Italy. Ships dock right at the city waterfront, making it one of the easiest Mediterranean ports to step off and explore.

Katakolon is a small fishing village on the western coast of the Peloponnese, with a permanent population of only about 700 people. It exists on cruise maps for one reason: ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, is 45 minutes inland.

Rhodes is the largest of Greece's Dodecanese islands, sitting in the far southeastern Aegean Sea just 18 kilometers from the Turkish coast. The Rhodes cruise port is in the city of Rhodes on the island's northern tip, where ships dock right next to one of the best-preserved medieval old towns in Europe.

Istanbul cruise port is one of the most extraordinary arrivals in the world. Ships sail up the Bosphorus Strait between Europe and Asia, past Ottoman palaces and Byzantine ruins, and dock at Galataport, the underground cruise terminal in the Karaköy neighborhood right in the center of the city.

Istanbul cruise port is one of the most extraordinary arrivals in the world. Ships sail up the Bosphorus Strait between Europe and Asia, past Ottoman palaces and Byzantine ruins, and dock at Galataport, the underground cruise terminal in the Karaköy neighborhood right in the center of the city.

Kusadasi cruise port is Turkey's busiest and the primary gateway to Ephesus, one of the most significant ancient Greek and Roman cities in the world. The port sits on Turkey's central Aegean coast, about 95 kilometers south of Izmir, with ships docking at the Ege Ports cruise terminal right in the middle of town.

Mykonos cruise port is one of the most instantly recognizable stops in the Greek islands. Whitewashed cube buildings cascade down hills to the Aegean Sea, blue-domed churches punctuate the skyline, and windmills stand sentinel on the ridge above Mykonos Town (Chora).

Athens cruise port is in Piraeus, a busy port city about 10 kilometers southwest of central Athens. Piraeus is its own city, not just a terminal, and it handles cruise ships, island ferries, and commercial traffic all at once.

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.

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.

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.

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.