To many, Princess Cruises will always be synonymous with ‘The Love Boat”, a popular television sitcom that introduced millions of Americans to the concept of cruising.  Week after week both passengers and crew found friendship, love and adventure as the ship sailed in and out of ports around the world including Italy and the Greek Islands, giving many of us a taste of what it would be like to embark on a Mediterranean cruise!

Today Princess Cruises has grown to a fleet of 17 innovative ships designed with spacious decks, elegant public spaces and well-appointed staterooms with amenities you would expect from a first class hotel. The concept of “personal choice dining” was introduced by Princess, allowing guests the flexibility of dining when and with whom they choose, in a variety of upscale restaurants or more casual venues.

Select ships feature the inviting piazza-style grand atrium, inspired by the bustling public squares of Italy. This unique space, with its tempting eateries, casual shops, and live entertainment, is the heart of the ship, and a fun place to have a drink or people watch both day and night. However, while it’s lovely being able to enjoy an inspirational vision of an Italian piazza, on a Mediterranean cruise, the real thing is just steps away!

Princess realizes that everyone chooses a Mediterranean cruise for a different reason. To make it easy for each guest to experience what is important to them, the cruise line offers focused shore excursions and walking tours that visit select highlights of city while exploring particular aspects of the port's appeal in greater depth: cuisine, history, art/culture, religion, or guided shopping.

For a more immersive vacation, guests have the option of adding a cruise tour that combines a remarkable Europe cruise with a multi-night land tour. Guests will have the extra time to explore some of the most fascinating places in the world, sampling the culture, seeing the sights and of course, savoring local cuisine.  For example, on a Classic Italy cruise tour, guests travel to Rome, Florence and the Tuscan countryside before embarking on an exciting twelve-night Mediterranean cruise.

Princess has over 50 unique European cruise itineraries to choose from, sailing on magnificent ships both large and small. With over 130 European cruise ports, from favorites such as Barcelona, Venice, and Santorini, to hidden jewels like Cephalonia, Greece and Portofino, Italy, guests can discover their very own Mediterranean cruise adventure aboard a Princess ship.