MSC World Asia: 27-Night Transatlantic from Genoa

Genoa cruise port is one of the main embarkation points for western Mediterranean itineraries, particularly for MSC and Costa Cruises, which both have roots here. The city is the capital of Liguria and the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, pesto, and focaccia, and it has a grittier, more working-class feel than the polished Italian cities most tourists flock to.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alicante is a mid-sized Spanish city of about 330,000 people on the Costa Blanca in southeastern Spain. It's a working Mediterranean city that happens to have a beautiful waterfront, a hilltop castle, and some of the best weather in Europe.

Malaga cruise port is the main gateway to Spain's Costa del Sol and Andalusia. The city sits on Spain's southern coast, about 130 kilometers west of Granada and 50 kilometers east of Marbella.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the largest city in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa. The city has about 380,000 residents and serves as a major embarkation port for Canary Islands cruises and a regular port of call on Atlantic, repositioning, and West Africa itineraries.

St. John's is the capital and main cruise port of Antigua, one of the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean. The Heritage Quay and Redcliffe Quay cruise terminals sit in the heart of St. John's, directly adjacent to the duty-free shopping district.

Barbados cruise port is in Bridgetown, the capital of the easternmost Caribbean island. Bridgetown Port (Deep Water Harbour) sits just outside the city's UNESCO-listed historic center, with modern terminal facilities including 21 duty-free shops, restaurants, car rental agencies, and a tourism office.

Martinique gives you something most Caribbean ports can't: an actual piece of France in the tropics. This is a French overseas department, so the bakeries are real, the wine is good, and the Creole cuisine draws from both metropolitan French technique and Caribbean soul.

Pointe-a-Pitre is the economic capital of Guadeloupe, a French overseas department in the Lesser Antilles that gives you Caribbean beaches with French culture, cuisine, and infrastructure. The archipelago consists of two main islands shaped like a butterfly: Grande-Terre (flat, with beaches and sugar cane) and Basse-Terre (mountainous, with rainforest and a live volcano).

St. John's is the capital and main cruise port of Antigua, one of the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean. The Heritage Quay and Redcliffe Quay cruise terminals sit in the heart of St. John's, directly adjacent to the duty-free shopping district.

St. Maarten cruise port is one of the busiest in the Caribbean, with ships docking at the A.C.

Basseterre cruise port in St. Kitts uses the Port Zante terminal, a purpose-built cruise facility in the heart of Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis. Port Zante includes two dedicated cruise piers capable of berthing the largest modern ships plus a marina, restaurants, shops, and the Amina Craft Market.