Tyrrhenian & Mediterranean Overture

Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco in France. It really has a fairy-tale image with its beautiful Riviera - Côte d'Azur - setting, yacht-filled harbor and the elegant Casino that visitors can’t miss, though most don’t even enter to see the opulence and grandeur reflecting its exorbitant cost. It is an extremely rich place, where fast cars, big diamonds and flashy yachts are the norm. Read more about Monte Carlo, France

Porto Santo Stefano is a seaport town on the west coast of Tuscani, Italy. It lies 65 km NW of the major cruise port Civitavecchia, two hours from Rome. The port is on the north side of a 10 km wide ‘island’, joined to the Italian mainland by three narrow 5 km sandbars, one of which has an entry-exit road. Read more about Porto Santo Stefano, Italy

Taormina is a small town on the island of Sicily in Italy, in the Province of Messina. Settled on a hill, the town - accessible via an aerial tramway - dominates two sweeping bays, and on the southern side the top of Mount Etna can be seen. While it is unashamedly touristy and has a main street lined with high-end designer shops, the town remains a striking location with gorgeous medieval churches, a stunning Greek theatre, and sweeping views. Read more about Taormina, Italy

Valletta (aka Belt Valletta, Città Umilissima) - traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's principal administrative district - is the capital city of Malta, located in the central-eastern portion of the island. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is essentially Baroque in style, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture. Don’t miss the the majestic St John’s Co-Cathedral, with its imposing bastions and a treasure of priceless paintings. Read more about Valletta, Malta

Valletta (aka Belt Valletta, Città Umilissima) - traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's principal administrative district - is the capital city of Malta, located in the central-eastern portion of the island. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is essentially Baroque in style, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture. Don’t miss the the majestic St John’s Co-Cathedral, with its imposing bastions and a treasure of priceless paintings. Read more about Valletta, Malta

Named on the occasion of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, the city of Victoria – aka Rabat - is the capital of Gozo, a small island of the Maltese Archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The city is situated on a hill about six km from the artificial harbour. At the heart of the city lies the ancient Citadel of Roman times. Read more about Victoria, Malta

Ajaccio (aka Aiacciu, Aiaccio) is a port on the west coast of the island of Corsica, 390 km SE of Marseille. It occupies a sheltered position at the foot of wooded hills on the northern shore of the Gulf of Ajaccio. The city not only encloses the entire harbour but takes up the better part of the Gulf. Read more about Ajaccio, France

The seaside resort town of Saint-Tropez that lies 104 km to the east of Marseille in SE France is very popular with tourists. Set on the lovely blue water of the Bay of Saint-Tropez, this modern version of a medieval town is distinguished by the line of yachts along the quay, the promenade, and the famous terrace cafes. Behind the cafes, the small streets and old buildings comprising sunset-hued pink, orange and deep red townhouses are picturesque, but they're possibly more popular for the multitude of shops and restaurants than their historical significance. Read more about St Tropez, France

Palamos is a Spanish town in the heart of the Costa Brava, washed by the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea and close to the coastal mountains. The town was originally founded in 1277, and the old town and the fishing port are separated from the new tourist resort by a headland. With many beautiful beaches such as Cala Estreta and Carla Margarida, diving and water-sports that include sailing and wind-surfing are well catered for. Read more about Palamos, Spain

Barcelona, located in Catalonia Spain, is Europe's largest metropolis on the Mediterranean coast, and one of the world’s major global cities. Today, Barcelona balances itself on the cutting edge of architecture, intellectual life, and style. Indeed Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture, the first time that the winner has been a city, and not an individual architect. Read more about Barcelona, Spain

Mahon is the capital city of the Balearic Island of Minorca. The Balearic Islands form an autonomous Spanish community. Mahon, located on the eastern part of the island has the second deepest natural harbor in the world. Read more about Mahon, Spain

Palma de Mallorca is the major city and port on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situated on the south coast of the island on the Bay of Palma, and almost half of the total population of Majorca live there. Visitors are spellbound by its blue waters, white beaches, lush foliage (almost 40 percent of the island is protected countryside), and 300 days of sunshine each year. Read more about Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Sète is the most fascinating small town on the French Mediterranean coast precisely because it doesn't go out of its way to be charming. The town encircles a lone hill, the Mont St-Clair, on the otherwise flat Languedoc coast. With the sea out front, and backed by the salt water Thau lagoon - colonised by oyster and mussel beds - and the two joined by a series of canals, Sète is all but an island. Read more about Sete, France

Toulon is a French city that borders the Mediterranean in the SE of Provence. Better known as France’s main naval base than a cruise port, there are some excellent beaches a short drive along the coast, and many visit the beautiful and often dramatic Provencal countryside, while others prefer to drive east to the French Riviera resorts. Bobbing sailing boats dot its busy harbour where French warships also constantly come and go. Read more about Toulon, France

Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco in France. It really has a fairy-tale image with its beautiful Riviera - Côte d'Azur - setting, yacht-filled harbor and the elegant Casino that visitors can’t miss, though most don’t even enter to see the opulence and grandeur reflecting its exorbitant cost. It is an extremely rich place, where fast cars, big diamonds and flashy yachts are the norm. Read more about Monte Carlo, France

Portofino, part of the Italian Riviera, sits on a peninsula in the Tigullio Gulf east of Genoa. It is a picturesque half-moon shaped seaside village, with shops, restaurants - with their famous sea food - and cafes, lining the shore. The crystalline green waters invite visitors to enjoy diving as there are 20 dive sites, as well as boating, in specified areas. Read more about Portofino, Italy

Seen from the water, Calvi, on the island of Corsica off the southern shores of France, is a beautiful spectacle with its three immense citadel bastions topped with ochre buildings that are sharply defined against a hazy backdrop of mountains. A hangout for European glitterati in the 1950s, the town these days is an interesting resort, in that its glamorous marina, souvenir shops and fussy boutiques contrast with the down-to-earth villages of its rural hinterland. Fascinatingly, Christopher Columbus supposedly came from Calvi, and there is a large statue at the foot of the citadel that commemorates this legend. Read more about Calvi, France

Olbia is a seaport in a NE wedge of Sardinia, and the main connection from the island to mainland Italy. It is fast becoming a popular tourist centre, primarily as the gateway to the famous and delightful stretches of coast, the Costa Smeralda. The people of the town are very friendly and there is a variety of bars, pubs and fine Italian restaurants to be enjoyed. Read more about Olbia, Italy

Rome, sometimes referred to as "The Eternal City," is the capital city of Italy. Cruises from Rome depart the Rome Cruise Terminal which is approximately 1.5 hours by train North-West of the city centre. Rome is renowned across the world for its rich past, impressive archaeological sites, delectable cuisine, gorgeous gardens, homes of local nobility, and significant structures including the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona. Read more about Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy