EXPLORA IV — 21-Night Middle East Cruise from Barcelona

Cruise itinerary

21-Night Middle East Cruise from Barcelona

21 nights · Middle East · 19 ports of call

21-night Middle East cruise aboard EXPLORA IV, departing Barcelona and calling at Palma de Mallorca, At Sea, Valletta, Siracuse, Sicily, Gallipoli and Kotor and 12 more.

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At a glance

Ship: EXPLORA IV
Cruise line: Explora Journeys
Duration: 21 nights
Region: Middle East · Western Asia
Departs: Barcelona
Returns: Jeddah

How NestCruise works:we're advisor-led, not a booking engine. No fares are listed and there are no booking fees — tell an advisor your dates and party and they price your exact EXPLORA IV sailing, typically within 24 hours.

Where this voyage takes you

Voyage route — calls shown in order; map is schematic.

Day-by-day itinerary

Day
1
- Barcelona
  Depart 20:00
  Catalonia's seafront capital and one of the Mediterranean's busiest cruise homeports. Gaudí's Sagrada Família and Park Güell crown the city, while the tree-lined Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter's medieval lanes lie a short ride from the terminal.
  - Sagrada Família
  - La Rambla
  - Gothic Quarter
Day
2
- Palma de Mallorca
  Arrive 09:00 · Depart 18:00
  The capital of Mallorca in Spain's Balearic Islands, set around a wide bay. Its enormous seafront cathedral, La Seu, rises above the old town's narrow lanes, with a hilltop castle, marina and nearby coves a short way from the cruise terminal.
  - La Seu cathedral
  - Bellver Castle
  - Old town
Day
3
- At Sea
Day
4
- Valletta
  Arrive 09:00 · Depart 21:00
  Malta's fortified harbour capital, built by the Knights of St. John on a peninsula between two deep ports. Honey-coloured limestone defines St. John's Co-Cathedral, the Grand Master's Palace and the bastions overlooking the Grand Harbour.
  - Grand Harbour
  - St. John's Co-Cathedral
  - Upper Barrakka Gardens
Day
5
- Siracuse, Sicily
  Arrive 09:00 · Depart 19:00
  A historic city on the southeast coast of Sicily, once among the greatest powers of the ancient Greek world. The island of Ortigia holds its baroque core and a temple-turned-cathedral, beside a vast archaeological park with a Greek theatre.
  - Ortigia island
  - Greek theatre
  - Baroque cathedral
Day
6
- Gallipoli
  Arrive 09:00 · Depart 19:00
Day
7
- Kotor
  Arrive 09:00 · Depart 19:00
  A walled medieval town at the head of the Bay of Kotor, a fjord-like inlet of the Adriatic ringed by steep mountains. Ships anchor below the old town, whose stone lanes and ramparts climb toward the fortress of San Giovanni.
  - Bay of Kotor
  - Old town walls
  - San Giovanni fortress
Day
8
- At Sea
Day
9
- Ravenna
  Arrive 08:00 · Depart 21:00
  A historic city near the Adriatic coast of northern Italy, once the capital of the late Roman and Byzantine West. It is celebrated for early Christian mosaics in its churches and mausoleums, several of them UNESCO World Heritage sites.
  - Byzantine mosaics
  - San Vitale basilica
  - Dante's tomb
Day
10
- Koper
  Arrive 09:00 · Depart 21:00
  Slovenia's main port, a compact medieval town on the Adriatic with strong Venetian roots. Its Tito Square and bell tower recall centuries under Venice, and it sits within easy reach of Ljubljana, the Postojna caves and the Istrian coast.
  - Tito Square
  - Venetian old town
  - Postojna Cave
Day
11
- Fusina
  Arrive 08:00 · Depart 17:00
  A mainland port on the Venetian Lagoon in northeast Italy, used as the cruise gateway to Venice. A short water crossing reaches St. Mark's Square, the Grand Canal and the maze of bridges that make up the historic island city.
  - Gateway to Venice
  - St. Mark's Square
  - Grand Canal
Day
12
- Split
  Arrive 09:00 · Depart 18:00
  A Croatian port on the Dalmatian coast, built quite literally inside the walls of a Roman emperor's retirement palace. Diocletian's Palace still forms the living old town, its cellars and courtyards woven through with cafes, shops and the cathedral.
  - Diocletian's Palace
  - Riva promenade
  - Marjan Hill
Day
13
- Dubrovnik
  Arrive 08:00 · Depart 17:00
  A walled city on Croatia's Dalmatian coast, its limestone old town wrapped in sea-facing ramparts above the Adriatic. Ships call here for the marble main street of Stradun, the circuit of the city walls and the cable car to Mount Srđ.
  - City walls
  - Stradun
  - Mount Srđ cable car
Day
14
- At Sea
Day
15
- Heraklion (Iraklion), Crete
  Arrive 09:00 · Depart 18:00
  The largest city on Crete and the island's main port, in Greece. A Venetian harbour and fortress front the town, while the Bronze Age palace of Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum's Minoan treasures lie close by.
  - Palace of Knossos
  - Venetian harbour
  - Archaeological Museum
Day
16
- At Sea
Day
17
- Port Said
  Arrive 07:00 · Depart 21:00
Day
18
- Suez Canal Transit
  Arrive 00:15 · Depart 00:30
- Suez
  Arrive 16:30 · Depart 17:00
Day
19
- Sharm El Sheikh
  Arrive 08:00 · Depart 20:00
Day
20
- 'Aqaba
  Arrive 07:00 · Depart 20:00
  Jordan's only coastal city, on the Red Sea at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. It is a base for diving among the reefs and a gateway inland to the rock-cut city of Petra and the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum.
  - Petra gateway
  - Wadi Rum
  - Red Sea reefs
Day
21
- At Sea
Day
22
- Jeddah
  Arrive 08:00
  A Red Sea port on Saudi Arabia's western coast and the historic gateway for pilgrims bound for Mecca. The restored coral-stone houses of Al-Balad form the old town, while a long corniche runs beside the modern waterfront.
  - Al-Balad old town
  - Jeddah corniche
  - King Fahd Fountain

Upcoming departures

21 Oct 2028

Upcoming sailings of this itinerary — a NestCruise advisor confirms current availability and your fare.

21-Night Middle East Cruise from Barcelona FAQ

Which ports does this cruise visit?

This 21-night Middle East cruise calls at Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, At Sea, Valletta, Siracuse, Sicily, Gallipoli, Kotor, Ravenna, Koper, Fusina, Split, Dubrovnik, Heraklion (Iraklion), Crete, Port Said, Suez Canal Transit, Suez, Sharm El Sheikh, 'Aqaba and Jeddah.

How many days are spent at sea?

5 days are spent at sea; the rest are in port.

Where does this cruise depart from?

It departs from Barcelona and ends in Jeddah.

How long is this cruise?

21 nights aboard EXPLORA IV.

When does this itinerary sail?

Upcoming departures include 21 Oct 2028. A NestCruise advisor can confirm current availability.

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About: EXPLORA IV — 21-Night Middle East Cruise from Barcelona

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