The stunning Spanish city of Barcelona remains a popular spot to start and/or end a European cruise. Travelers should be aware of the varying itineraries and options on hand before booking their cruise.

Destinations

Many Barcelona cruises bill themselves as a Mediterranean cruise while mixing in stops to such European cities as Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Naples, Rome, Florence, Athens and Dubrovnik. Cruises dubbed Middle Eastern or Eastern Mediterranean bound cruises include such destinations as Alexandria and Dubai. A few transatlantic cruises depart from Barcelona, with guests making stops in the Bahamas before disembarking in Miami, Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale or New York. On the flip side, some cruises stay closer to home and heavily feature other Spanish cities, such as Ibiza, Cartagena and Seville via the port town of Cadiz.

Cruise Lines

Barcelona remains a popular destination for cruise bound travelers. As a result most major cruise lines including Costa Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Azamara Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland American Line, Royal Caribbean and Cunard include service to Barcelona.

Travel Calendar

Due to the city’s nearly continuous mild weather, travelers can book cruises departing to and from Barcelona year round. You can always find at least 1 major line deploying cruises from January to December, with the vast majority of travel options coming in July through September. Winter cruise dates, particularly November and December, tend to offer the more affordable fare.

Packages

Prices vary according to the high and low seasons, of course. Costa Cruises features 7 and 8-night Mediterranean packages with prices starting as low as $600 for an inside cabin. Suites may run upwards of $2,700. Norwegian Cruise Lines delivers a 12-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise for as little as $600 in December. However the cheapest price in March will run you closer to $1,200. Smaller lines like Azamar and Cunard cannot afford to offer low rates like the major lines. For instance, the least expensive rate for a 12-night European cruise via these 2 lines come in at just over $2,000. The Disney Cruise Line offers a range of anywhere from 7 to 11-night Mediterranean and European cruises starting at around $1,800, or balcony-equipped rooms priced around $4,000. Tourists looking to enjoy a luxurious cruise in a shorter time span may wish to look into Royal Caribbean’s 4-day Spain-centric cruise starting around $450. With so few shore excursions and stops adding to the expenses, travelers can get a remarkable $400 deal on Celebrity Cruises’ 14-night transatlantic trip.