Italy Cruise Ports
When it comes to holiday destinations there are few that have as much to offer holidaymakers than the country of Italy.
Famed for its scrumptious food and known around the world for its historical sites of interest, Italy also offers great beaches, modern cities, a unique culture and great attractions but perhaps best of all from our point of view is the fact that the country is long and thin and surrounded by sea which means no matter where you want to visit, it is never far from the coast.
With the country also having a long maritime history, there are great ports located around the whole country, which means there are lots of cruise port of calls to take you near to all that Italy has to offer and that makes Italy a fantastic destination for a cruise holiday.
Cruises To Italy
Cruise Holidays in Italy
Cruise holidays to Italy are a great way to see all that there is to see in the country as so often when you take a holiday to Italy you only get to see the area around where you are staying.
When it comes to choosing your holiday, there is a fantastic range of cruise lines that offer a wide range of itineraries for cruising around the country or for calling in whilst on a Mediterranean cruise and you even have the choice of weather to fly into Italy and starting your cruise there for a more port intensive cruise or to enjoy a land based break before or after your cruise or you can even select from a choice of cruise lines and ships that offer cruise holiday to Italy direct from the UK without the need to fly.
Italian Cruise Guide
Popular Ports in Italy
When it comes to cruise ports in Italy, it is arguably best to split them into 3 different locations due to the way that many cruise lines offer holidays.
If you are coming from the UK or cruising around the Mediterranean, you will likely visit only those ports of call on the west coast of Italy, which is the Tyrrhenian Sea.
If you are cruising the Balkans or Greece, you will visit the country from the East coast or the Adriatic Sea.
The final segment of cruise ports are the Italian Islands, which are found off of the African coast.
The port of Civitavecchia is the key port for the nations capital city and it is also the main cruise port for starting and ending cruise holiday in Italy, although it also makes for a popular port of call.
Unfortunately, it can take well over an hour to get into the centre of Rome from the port due to the traffic but all of the historic sites of Rome are well worth the wait.
The historic port and city of Genoa is often the gateway to the Alps and it is also perfect for a visit to the city of Milan but for those who stay more local, there is lots to see and experience in Genoa and its surrounding mountains.
La Spezia is a relatively small coastal city but it is perfectly located to a selection of popular cities including Parma, Modena, Bologna and Florence, which makes the port a popular one for those wanting to explore but also a smaller port, it is great for those who simply want to leave the ship for a day of exploring.
For those wanting a bigger city to explore whilst still been just a short drive to must visit Pisa and Florence, Livorno is the perfect choice for you.
Naples is one of the most historic and iconic cities in Italy and is a great destination for those wanting an authentic Italian experience whist ashore but it also acts as a gateway for visiting the iconic Pompei.
This historic city has many sites of interest going back to the Medieval times and t was also a key city during World War 2 which makes the port a great stopping point for history lovers but there is a lot more just waiting to be explored in the city limits and at the nearby Naples and Pompei.
The small city of Brindisi has a strategic position in the entrance to the Adriatic Sea which has allowed it to enjoy a lot of wealth down the year and it is still a trading port nowadays.
The port is a popular stopping point for smaller ships and for more cultural holidays due to the many archaeologically important sites found in and around the city limits.
Bari is an often overlooked city for holidaymakers but thankfully many cruise ships are opening up the great history and attractions of the city.
As one of the biggest and most important cities in the South of Italy, Bari is home to a thriving port, a large university and lots of important attractions and landmarks including a large Cathedral, the Swabian Castle, many fountain filled squares and even beautiful beaches.
The port city of Ancona is one of the most beautiful natural harbour on the eastern seaboard of Italy and it also offer slots of fascinating sites of interest dating back to ancient Greece times, the Roman era, Byzantine sites, and its period of naval prowess.
When it comes to Italian cruise ports, there are a couple that come instantly to mind and one of those is the port of Venice.
From its famous canals to beautiful bridges and from the many bars, shops and restaurants to incredible architecture, the city is simply designed for arriving by ship and setting off for a day of exploring.
The historic city of Trieste is a beautiful city in its own right and is well worth visiting but as the most north-eastern port in Italy, it is also a popular port for those wanting to visit Slovenia and its capital city of Ljubljana.
The island of Sicily has been immortalised in many mob movies but there is so much more to this beautiful island that is often referred to as the ball at the end of the foot of the mainland of Italy.
The 2 main cruise ports on the islands are Catania and Palermo whilst the cruise through the strait of Messina (that links the island to the mainland by many ferry serves), is a must do on many bucket lists.
The island of Sardinia is located to the west of Naples and the north of Tunis and offers lots of areas of outstanding natural beauty just waiting to be explored from the main cruise port in the south of the island in the large city of Cagliari.
Popular Cruise Lines
As one of the world’s most popular destinations for a cruise holiday, it will come as no surprise that the vast majority of cruise lines that operate in Europe offer cruises to Italy including the likes of P&O, Princess cruises, Celebrity cruises, Marella cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Holland America Line and the home favourites of MSC cruises and Costa cruises.
Region
Full Name: Italian Republic (Repubblica Italiana)
Location: South East Europe
Capital City: Rome (Roma)
Currency: Euro
Language: Italian
Demonym(s): Italian
Top Ports: Civitavecchia (Rome), Genoa, Venice, Naples, Palermo, Livorno
Italy is one of the world’s leading holiday destinations and it is no surprise why so many choose to take their holiday in one of the countries great holiday resorts, incredible cities, beautiful mountains ranges or in its stunning countryside but for those wanting to experience all of the very best of the country, their can be only one way to visit the country and that is on an Italian cruise holiday.
From the Alps and Dolomites in the north to the ancient cities in the centre of the country to the beautiful countryside and beaches of the south to the famous islands off of the its mainland coast, Italy has something to offer everybody and all of it can be easily reached from one of its many cruise ports which are located right around the coast of the country.
Many cruise holidays go from one end of the of the country and go right around the south coast and up to the top of the other coast to take in the widest possible range of ports whilst some take in ports as part of wider cruises around the Mediterranean, around the Adriatic Sea or on cruises of North Africa / Middle East or the Greek Islands.
That gives holidaymakers wanting to cruise to the country a great choice of what you can see, where you can visit but also it gives great options when it comes to the cruise lines you can choose from, the cruise ships you can visit onboard of and even if you fly to start your cruise in Italy or if you depart from the UK, with many not needing a flight at all or with some offering a repositioning cruise from or to Italy.
With so much choice, you also have a great opportunity to get the right cruise at the right price but no matter what your preferences are for an Italian cruise holiday, you can be assured of many memorable moments on a cruise to Italy.
Best Time To Visit Italy On A Cruise
With a great all year around mild climate and so many places to visit no matter what the weather, Italy makes for a great all year around destination but its main season is throughout the summer between May-September.
Cruises From UK
When it comes to visited Italy on a cruise holiday from the UK, there are plenty of options including round trips and repositioning cruises.
For those wanting to see the best of Italy without the need for flying, there are numerous round trip cruise itineraries setting sail form these shores and taking in several Italian cruise ports, as well as other ports in the Mediterranean and Iberia.
If you would like to see a wider range of Italian cruise ports as well as spend more time visiting port sin the Eastern Med, a repositioning cruise holiday could be the best option for you.
Cruises From Southampton
Whilst it is often possible to visit Italy on a cruise holiday from a number of cruise ports around the UK, the widest range of ships, lines and itineraries heading to Italian cruise ports of call is offered by the UK leading cruise port of Southampton.
Here at CruiseHols.co.uk we bring you all of the information you will ever need to choose the right cruise destination for you and your family.
Our destination guides include everything from ports to attractions and excursion to the positives and negatives of the destination.