Miami to Philipsburg, Ponta Delgada, Cádiz, Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, Barcelona, Genoa & Naples

Town, sand and sea.

Ships dock at Point Blanche, around the headland from Philipsburg itself, and the boardwalk into town is a pleasant walk or a two-minute water taxi. Front Street and Great Bay beach are the easy day; the French side at Marigot and the beach under the Maho runway need a car or a tour.

Seafront space, garden shade, or Carlos Machado collections.

Ponta Delgada is the main city of the Azores, on the island of São Miguel. Its black-and-white cobbled centre is close to the port, and the crater lakes of Sete Cidades and hot springs of Furnas are the island highlights.

Cathedral surroundings, a botanical park, or Cádiz museum collections.

Cádiz is one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited cities, set on a narrow spit in the Atlantic with the port right beside its old town. It is a good walking city in its own right, and Seville and the sherry towns of Jerez are the popular day trips.

Gothic merchant halls, hilltop history, cathedral-side gardens.

Palma docks a few kilometres west of the centre, with the cathedral visible from the ship and a shuttle or taxi to reach it. La Seu is the reason to come: a sandstone Gothic hulk on the seafront with a Gaudí interior, and the old town behind it is a good afternoon.

Old Port quays, Mediterranean cultures, Le Panier.

Marseille berths in a large commercial port well north of the Vieux Port, so this is a shuttle call rather than a walking one. Notre-Dame de la Garde on its hill is the view, the Vieux Port is the lunch, and Aix-en-Provence is the half day inland for anyone who wants a different city.

Port Vell waterfront, maritime history, Gothic Quarter streets.

Barcelona is the busiest cruise port in the Mediterranean and one of the few where the city genuinely rewards arriving early. The terminals are at Moll Adossat, out along the breakwater past the old harbour, close to the bottom of La Rambla but not walkable from it with luggage.

Old Port quays, Mediterranean cultures, Le Panier.

Marseille berths in a large commercial port well north of the Vieux Port, so this is a shuttle call rather than a walking one. Notre-Dame de la Garde on its hill is the view, the Vieux Port is the lunch, and Aix-en-Provence is the half day inland for anyone who wants a different city.

Sea history, palace art or the old port

Genoa is the capital of Liguria and a historic maritime republic, with one of Europe's largest medieval old towns packed into narrow lanes called caruggi behind the harbour. The Palazzi dei Rolli along Via Garibaldi and the waterfront aquarium are the classic sights, and pesto comes from here.

Spaccanapoli streets, archaeological galleries, castle views.

Naples docks at the Stazione Marittima in the middle of the city, which is unusually convenient and makes the day a choice rather than a transfer. Pompeii is half an hour by train, Capri is a ferry, and Naples itself is the best street food in Italy if you would rather stay put.