Iberian Coast Odyssey – Bilbao & Lisbon

About this cruise

No complicated itinerary, no back-to-back transfers, just the ports, the ship, and the sea in between. This 10-night sailing from Dover on May 30, 2027 visits Le Havre (Paris), Bilbao and A Coruña, with additional stops along the Western Mediterranean. The sailing ends in Barcelona. A few ports come in quick succession, which is great for sightseeing but means you'll appreciate the sea days when they arrive. The route threads through 3 countries along the Western Mediterranean coast: France, Spain and Portugal. People come back from this cruise talking about Alicante: A castle-topped city on the Costa Blanca. Around 10 hours per port on average, which is generous enough to go beyond the obvious. There are 15 restaurants on Carnival Sunshine, so you'd need to double up a few evenings to try them all in 10 nights. There are enough performances, events, and social mixers on a cruise this length that you couldn't do them all if you tried. And that's a good problem. Dover itself is worth spending some time in. Don't just treat it as a departure point. Timing-wise, spring usually means comfortable temperatures and lower prices than peak season. 7 ports, 3 countries, one suitcase. That's the appeal.