Cruise itinerary
28-Night Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona
28 nights · Mediterranean · 17 ports of call
28-night Mediterranean cruise aboard Queen Elizabeth, departing Barcelona and calling at Messina, Piraeus-Athens, Istanbul, Kusadasi, Mykonos Island and Katakolon and 10 more.
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- No booking fees
- 10,000+ sailings
At a glance
- Ship
- Queen Elizabeth
- Cruise line
- Cunard
- Duration
- 28 nights
- Region
- Mediterranean
- Departs
- Barcelona
- 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
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
- Day2At sea
- Day3
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
- Day4At sea
- Day5
Piraeus-Athens
The ancient harbour of Athens and Greece's principal cruise port. Ferries fan out to the Aegean islands from its quays, while the Acropolis, the Plaka district and the National Archaeological Museum sit a short metro ride inland.
- Gateway to Athens
- Acropolis
- Aegean ferries
- Day6At sea
- Day7
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
- Day8At sea
- Day9At sea
- Day10
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
- Day11
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
- Day12
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
- Day13
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
- Day14
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
- Day15
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
- Day16At sea
- Day17
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
- Day18At sea
- Day19
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
- Day20
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
- Day21
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
- Day22
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
- Day23At sea
- Day24
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
- Day25
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
- Day26
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
- Day27At sea
- Day28
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
- Day29
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
- 14 May 2027
Upcoming sailings of this itinerary — a NestCruise advisor confirms current availability and your fare.
28-Night Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona FAQ
Which ports does this cruise visit?
This 28-night Mediterranean cruise calls at Barcelona, Messina, Piraeus-Athens, Istanbul, Kusadasi, Mykonos Island, Katakolon, Sorrento, Civitavecchia-Rome, Valletta, Kotor, Split, Zadar, Trieste, Dubrovnik, Palermo and Ibiza.
How many days are spent at sea?
9 days are spent at sea; the rest are in port.
Where does this cruise depart from?
It is a round-trip sailing from Barcelona.
How long is this cruise?
28 nights aboard Queen Elizabeth.
When does this itinerary sail?
Upcoming departures include 14 May 2027. A NestCruise advisor can confirm current availability.