7 days, round-trip Western Mediterranean from Palermo

About this cruise

You sail from Palermo on October 22, 2026 and spend 7 nights visiting Civitavecchia (Rome), Savona, Marseille, Barcelona and Cagliari. It's a well-tested route and there's a reason people keep booking it. There's a stretch of back-to-back port days, so those days are busy, but the sea days around them give you time to recharge. The Western Mediterranean route takes in Italy, France and Spain, 3 countries, and the differences show up in the food, the architecture, and the mood. Most ports give you about 10 hours, so you can do more than just tick off the main sights. As for the ship itself, Costa Smeralda: 5,224 guests, 20 decks. Entertainment, dining, and enough space that it never feels cramped. If you like having options (restaurants, bars, activities, entertainment), a big ship delivers that. Being shoulder season helps: golden light, comfortable weather, and shorter queues at the popular spots. 7 nights of not thinking about anything except where to eat next. That's the pitch.