9 days, one-way from Catania to Marseille
About this cruise
This one leaves Catania on September 11, 2027 and spends 9 nights visiting Taranto, Valletta and Naples, with additional stops along the Western Mediterranean at a pace where every day has something going on but there's always time to just sit and watch the water too. You get off in Marseille, which is a good excuse to tack on a few days on land. 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 route threads through 3 countries along the Western Mediterranean coast: Italy, Malta and France. 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 Serena: 3,014 guests, 13 decks. Entertainment, dining, and enough space that it never feels cramped. Being shoulder season helps: golden light, comfortable weather, and shorter queues at the popular spots. 9 nights of not thinking about anything except where to eat next. That's the pitch.