Western Med Highlights: Italy, France, Spain & Tunisia

Naples is instantly recognizable from the sea. The port is overlooked by Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino), the royal Palazzo Reale, and Castel Sant’Elmo atop the hill, with Mount Vesuvius rising prominently behind the city. Suburbs climb the volcano’s slopes, and an eruption would require evacuating around 600,000 people.

The city was ruled by various European dynasties, including the Hapsburgs, Bourbons, Bonapartes, and the House of Savoy. Naples declined after the Italian capital moved to Turin, Florence, and finally Rome, leaving many historic buildings in disrepair.

Naples features significant architecture, such as the Gallerias Principe di Napoli and Umberto I, churches, and former convents, alongside modern 1970s apartment blocks. The city is a mix of wide avenues and narrow alleys, known for its lively, passionate street life.

The port provides access to Pompeii, Sorrento, Ravello, Positano, Capri, and Ischia, but Naples itself offers a rich and authentic urban experience.

Tunis is the capital of Tunisia, the northernmost country in Africa, but the city feels neither Arab nor African. It's a place where old and new mix without any seeming conflict, in both the architecture (with Moorish and French influences) and way of life.

On one corner in the capital city of 2.5 million, you might see a group of girls in tight jeans and tops with dangling earrings possibly heading to one of the modern shopping malls. On another, an old lady with a traditional head covering stands with her camel. (Women have not had to cover their heads there since the mid-1980s.) Meanwhile, a street sweeper wields an old-fashioned thatched broom while he chatters away on his mobile phone.

Outside the very Arab souk (main market) in the well-preserved Medina (Old City) is a square with a fountain where we spied men sitting and talking dressed in garb that would look at home in Rome (one wore a light tan suit -- his blue shirt open -- and tasselled loafers without socks). Passing them were men in traditional red skull caps.

Tunisia's history dates back over some 3,000 years. The country has been occupied by the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Turks, Spanish and French. During the 12th to 16th centuries, Tunis was considered one of the most important and wealthiest cities in the Arab world. It finally gained independence from France in 1956. Tunisian presidents are elected, although the same leader ruled from 1957 to 1987. His successor, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, ruled from 1987 to 2010, when nationwide demonstrations over unemployment, corruption and poor living conditions forced him to resign from office. "We have elections, but we know the outcome of these elections before they take place," said our guide, noting that the system is more a wink to the concept of democracy than reality.

This is a poor country, with a 15-per cent unemployment rate. It is one of the world's largest producers of olive oil. Other products include citrus, wine and dates. Tourism is an important business here (more than five million tourists visit each year, mostly French and German), though cruise calls are still pretty exotic and limited largely to European ships (like those from Costa and MSC Cruises) and U.S. lines that offer more exotic Mediterranean itineraries (such as Oceania). And though it may be considered a third world country, we saw few genuinely poor folks. The streets and towns were extremely clean, and crime (though we heard of the occasional run-in with pickpockets) is low.

To be sure, if you get off the ship on your own rather than a shore excursion, you will immediately throw yourself into a foreign atmosphere including cab drivers at the pier haggling to give you a tour -- more intense haggling than I've come across in other places. And the souk is very much a place where Arab traditions rule -- so are many coffee houses, which are for men only.

But all in all, you'll find a laid-back city, very liberal by Islamic standards, and much more Western than you'd expect.

Relax and enjoy the facilities and entertainment onboard your ship. If the weather is good take some sun and sunbathe on the pool deck. Otherwise explore below deck the wide range of activities that will be available during the day. Perhaps you prefer to find a quiet spot and catch up on your reading.

The capital of Spain's Catalonia region is one of the country's -- maybe even Europe's -- most beautiful and vibrant places. A city of contrasts, it is like no other in Spain; this is most evident in its architecture, a marriage of Gothic spikes and modern curves. (One name to keep an eye out for is Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona's most famous architect.) Barcelona is also a city of distinct neighbourhoods. The old city -- Ciutat Vella -- is the heart of everything, with museums, shopping and cafes. Then there's the port area, Port Vell, which features bars, restaurants, shops, an IMAX theatre and the largest aquarium in Europe. (Port Vell is different from the working port area where cruise ships dock, but it's not too far away.) Enchanting and ancient, the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) is the centre of the old city and brings together the best of Barcelona in a series of narrow streets, shops, cafes and magical corridors. One of Barcelona's best attributes is that while it seems large and spread out, its neighbourhoods are surprisingly walkable and easily accessible by bus, metro or even on foot (in comfortable shoes). Don't miss a stroll along Las Ramblas, replete with produce and flower stands, a historic opera house and maybe even a glimpse of Marilyn Monroe calling to you from the balcony of the Erotica Museum. Just be sure to rest your feet now and then over a few plates of tapas (which are meant to be shared, but we won't tell if you don't) and an ice-cold pitcher of sangria or a bottle of cava, the region's sparkling wine.

Marseille, gateway to Provence, is France's largest port and second largest city, with a vast history stretching back more than 2,000 years to its foundation by the Greeks in the 6th century BC. While much of the city is urban sprawl, it has a spectacular setting between dramatic limestone hills and the Mediterranean, and the once-industrial streets now feature stylish shops and cutting-edge art galleries, thanks to investment from its role as European Capital of Culture 2013. Most cruisers make a beeline for Le Vieux Port, a buzzing, picturesque harbour lined with boutiques, restaurants and cafes. This district attracts an eclectic crowd, from local fishermen to millionaires venturing ashore from James Bond-style mega-yachts. All gather to soak up Le Vieux Port's charming atmosphere, browse its bustling markets and tuck into a bowl of Marseille's classic signature dish, bouillabaisse (a rich fish stew).

Naples is instantly recognizable from the sea. The port is overlooked by Castel Nuovo (Maschio Angioino), the royal Palazzo Reale, and Castel Sant’Elmo atop the hill, with Mount Vesuvius rising prominently behind the city. Suburbs climb the volcano’s slopes, and an eruption would require evacuating around 600,000 people.

The city was ruled by various European dynasties, including the Hapsburgs, Bourbons, Bonapartes, and the House of Savoy. Naples declined after the Italian capital moved to Turin, Florence, and finally Rome, leaving many historic buildings in disrepair.

Naples features significant architecture, such as the Gallerias Principe di Napoli and Umberto I, churches, and former convents, alongside modern 1970s apartment blocks. The city is a mix of wide avenues and narrow alleys, known for its lively, passionate street life.

The port provides access to Pompeii, Sorrento, Ravello, Positano, Capri, and Ischia, but Naples itself offers a rich and authentic urban experience.