MSC Divina - Eastern Mediterranean from Rome

Where this cruise calls, day by day

6 ports and 2 sea days over 7 Nights.

1. Day 1

   Rome (Civitavecchia)

   ItalyDepart
   Rome (Civitavecchia) port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore

2. Day 2 · At sea

3. Day 3

   Mykonos

   GreecePort

   Mykonos is the Cyclades at their most commercial - a whitewashed town that has been a fashion and nightlife destination since the 1960s, with prices to match. Most ships berth at Tourlos, about 2km north of Chora, though when the schedule is full some anchor and tender straight into the old harbour. For many passengers the real draw is next door: Delos, the uninhabited sanctuary island, is a 30-minute boat ride.

   • Delos - the ancient sanctuary of Apollo and its Terrace of the Lions, by boat from the old port
   • Little Venice, the Kato Mili windmills, and the church of Panagia Paraportiani
   • Beach time at Psarou or Platis Gialos, or the party beaches at Paradise and Super Paradise
   • Ano Mera and the Panagia Tourliani monastery, away from the crowds

   Getting ashore

   Two options: most large ships dock at Tourlos (New Port) 2km from town, with a paid shuttle bus or water taxi into Chora; when berths are taken, ships anchor and tender into the old harbour, which lands you in town on foot.

   Best months

   May-Jun and Sep-early Oct (Jul-Aug is crowded and expensive, and the meltemi wind can cancel Delos boats)

4. Day 4

   Kusadasi

   TurkeyPort

   Kusadasi is a Turkish resort town that exists commercially for cruise ships, and the terminal delivers you straight into a bazaar built around that. Almost nobody stays: ships call for Ephesus, one of the most completely excavated Roman cities anywhere, half an hour inland. Go early - the site is unshaded marble, and by midday several ships' worth of passengers are on the main street at once.

   • Ephesus - the Library of Celsus, the 24,000-seat Great Theatre, and the Terrace Houses
   • The House of the Virgin Mary on Bulbul Dagi above the site
   • Selcuk: the Basilica of St John and the single standing column of the Temple of Artemis
   • Sirince, a hill village of old Greek houses now given over to fruit wine

   Getting ashore

   Docked at Ege Ports (Scala Nuova) - never a tender port, with room for four large ships. The bazaar is ten minutes on foot; Ephesus is 15km, about half an hour, and is best walked downhill from the Upper Gate to the Lower.

   Best months

   Apr-May and Sep-Oct (Jul-Aug at Ephesus is brutal - no shade, hot stone underfoot)

5. Day 5

   Marmaris

   TurkeyPort

   Marmaris is a package-holiday and yachting town on a nearly enclosed bay - 35,000 residents in winter and something near 400,000 at the height of summer. It is not an antiquities port and does not pretend to be. Ships berth by the marina, walkable to a small Ottoman castle and the old bazaar, but the excursions worth taking all involve leaving town.

   • Marmaris Castle, rebuilt by Suleiman in 1522 for the campaign against Rhodes
   • Eski Carsi, the old bazaar quarter below the castle - not the modern covered market
   • Dalyan, an hour away: the rock tombs at Kaunos by river boat, and Iztuzu turtle beach
   • A boat to Sedir Island, whose protected sand you may not put a towel or shoe on

   Getting ashore

   Docked alongside at the terminal on the Netsel side of the marina, with tendering only if the berths are full; the bazaar and castle are about 15 minutes on foot around the harbour.

   Best months

   May-Jun and Sep-Oct (Jul-Aug is very hot and the resort strip is at capacity)

6. Day 6 · At sea

7. Day 7

   Naples

   ItalyPort
   Naples port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
8. Day 8

   Rome (Civitavecchia)

   ItalyArrive
   Rome (Civitavecchia) port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore