Cruise itinerary
21-Night Mediterranean Cruise from Istanbul
21 nights · Mediterranean · 16 ports of call
21-night Mediterranean cruise aboard Queen Elizabeth, departing Istanbul and calling at Kusadasi, Mykonos Island, Katakolon, Messina, Sorrento and Civitavecchia-Rome and 9 more.
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At a glance
- Ship
- Queen Elizabeth
- Cruise line
- Cunard
- Duration
- 21 nights
- Region
- Mediterranean
- Departs
- Istanbul
- Returns
- Barcelona
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 Queen Elizabeth sailing, typically within 24 hours.
Where this voyage takes you
Day-by-day itinerary
- Day1
Istanbul
The city straddling Europe and Asia along the Bosphorus, once Byzantium and then Constantinople. Ships dock near the historic peninsula, within reach of the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the covered Grand Bazaar's labyrinth of stalls.
- Hagia Sophia
- Blue Mosque
- Grand Bazaar
- Day2At sea
- Day3
Kusadasi
A resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast that serves as the cruise gateway to ancient Ephesus, one of the best-preserved classical cities in the Mediterranean. Pigeon Island guards the harbour, and the marble Library of Celsus lies a short drive inland.
- Ephesus ruins
- Library of Celsus
- Pigeon Island
- Day4
Mykonos Island
A Cycladic island in the Aegean known for whitewashed houses and a lively summer scene. Ships anchor off the main town, where windmills overlook the sea, the Little Venice quarter meets the waves and sandy beaches stretch along the south coast.
- Windmills
- Little Venice
- Chora town
- Day5
Katakolon
A small port on Greece's western Peloponnese coast, best known as the gateway to ancient Olympia. The sanctuary where the original Olympic Games were held lies a short drive inland, among ruined temples and the old stadium.
- Ancient Olympia
- Olympic stadium
- Temple of Zeus
- Day6
Messina
A Sicilian port on the strait that separates the island from mainland Italy, framed by the Peloritani mountains. Its harbour clock tower performs an elaborate noon display, and the town is a common gateway to Taormina and the slopes of Mount Etna.
- Etna day trips
- Taormina gateway
- Astronomical clock
- Day7
Sorrento
A clifftop town on Italy's Bay of Naples, perched above the sea facing Vesuvius. Sorrento is known for its lemon groves and limoncello, a tangle of narrow shopping lanes, and its role as a base for Capri, Pompeii, and the Amalfi Coast.
- Marina Grande
- Lemon groves
- Piazza Tasso
- Day8
Civitavecchia-Rome
The deep-water port serving Rome, roughly 80 kilometres up the coast. Ships dock here for shore excursions to the Colosseum, the Vatican and the Roman Forum, while the town itself keeps a working harbour and a Michelangelo-designed fortress.
- Gateway to Rome
- Fort Michelangelo
- Vatican excursions
- Day9At sea
- Day10
Valletta
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
- Day11At sea
- Day12
Kotor
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
- Day13
Split
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
- Day14
Zadar
A walled Adriatic city on Croatia's Dalmatian coast, built on a compact peninsula of Roman and Venetian stone. Zadar is known for its waterfront Sea Organ, the solar Greeting to the Sun installation, and Roman ruins at the old forum.
- Sea Organ
- Roman Forum
- Greeting to the Sun
- Day15
Trieste
A port city in northeast Italy near the Slovenian border, long the seaward gateway of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Grand Habsburg-era squares open onto the Adriatic, with the seafront Piazza Unità d'Italia and the white Miramare Castle on the bay.
- Piazza Unità d'Italia
- Miramare Castle
- Viennese cafés
- Day16At sea
- Day17
Dubrovnik
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
- Day18
Messina
A Sicilian port on the strait that separates the island from mainland Italy, framed by the Peloritani mountains. Its harbour clock tower performs an elaborate noon display, and the town is a common gateway to Taormina and the slopes of Mount Etna.
- Etna day trips
- Taormina gateway
- Astronomical clock
- Day19
Palermo
The capital of Sicily, a port city layered with Arab, Norman, and Baroque history on the island's north coast. Palermo is known for its mosaic-rich Cappella Palatina, lively street-food markets, and the Norman cathedral at nearby Monreale.
- Cappella Palatina
- Ballarò market
- Monreale mosaics
- Day20At sea
- Day21
Ibiza
A Balearic island in the western Mediterranean off Spain's east coast, known equally for nightlife and quiet coves. Ibiza Town's walled Dalt Vila old quarter rises above the harbour, with sandy beaches and the islet of Es Vedrà to the southwest.
- Dalt Vila
- Es Vedrà
- Beach coves
- Day22
Barcelona
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
Upcoming departures
- 21 May 2027
- 8 Oct 2027
Upcoming sailings of this itinerary — a NestCruise advisor confirms current availability and your fare.
21-Night Mediterranean Cruise from Istanbul FAQ
Which ports does this cruise visit?
This 21-night Mediterranean cruise calls at Istanbul, Kusadasi, Mykonos Island, Katakolon, Messina, Sorrento, Civitavecchia-Rome, Valletta, Kotor, Split, Zadar, Trieste, Dubrovnik, Palermo, Ibiza and Barcelona.
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 Istanbul and ends in Barcelona.
How long is this cruise?
21 nights aboard Queen Elizabeth.
When does this itinerary sail?
Upcoming departures include 21 May 2027 and 8 Oct 2027. A NestCruise advisor can confirm current availability.