Fred. Olsen Mediterranean Cruises

Italy is the backbone of most Fred. Olsen Mediterranean itineraries. Salerno opens up the Amalfi Coast, Positano and Ravello, and Pompeii and Vesuvius are within reach for a different sort of day. La Spezia is the gateway to the Cinque Terre villages, while Trapani in western Sicily leads to the hilltop town of Erice and the salt pans along the coast.

The Dalmatian coast is one of the great rewards of a smaller ship. Croatia’s Dubrovnik lets guests walk a full circuit of the medieval city walls before the day trippers arrive, and Split is built inside the walls of Diocletian’s Roman palace. Koper in Slovenia adds a Venetian-influenced old town, while the approach to Kotor in Montenegro, threading between mountains at the head of a deep bay, is one of the most memorable arrivals anywhere in Europe.

Greek itineraries span the mainland and its surrounding islands, offering so much to discover. In Piraeus, the iconic Acropolis and Plaka district are within easy reach, while Rhodes features a walled medieval old town that guests can wander for hours. On Crete, Heraklion leads to the Minoan palace at Knossos, and the Venetian fortresses and shaded arcades of Kerkira on Corfu are beautiful to behold.

Arriving in Valletta is half the pleasure, as Fred. Olsen’s ships sail into the Grand Harbour beneath the honey-coloured bastions of a city built by the Knights of St. John. Malta’s entire capital is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and compact enough to explore on foot, with St. John’s Co-Cathedral and its two Caravaggio paintings at its heart and the Upper Barrakka Gardens looking out over the harbour.

Istanbul is the headline call of Turkey, and ships moor within reach of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. Further south, Marmaris is a relaxed harbour town backed by pine-covered hills, while Kusadasi gives guests one of the best-preserved classical sites in the world at Ephesus, where the marble streets and library facade still stand.