Europe’s Christmas markets are the ideal destination for getting into a festive holiday mood. You can venture into storybook-like medieval market squares where warm mugs of mulled wine warm up winter nights, aromas of sweet spice linger in the air and handmade gifts make for one-of-a-kind souvenirs.
For travelers from the U.S., a Christmas market-themed river cruise along the Rhine or Danube rivers is one of the most popular ways to visit several of the most famous markets in one trip. However, those aren’t the only cruises that can take you to Europe’s holiday markets, as I learned this past Christmas.
Inspired by the Viking river cruise on the Danube I took last year, I booked another wintertime European cruise for this year’s vacation — but this time on an ocean-going ship in the Mediterranean.
My husband and I, as well as our two young daughters, were excited to cruise with small-ship line Windstar Cruises on the 312-passenger Star Legend. But we didn’t expect our journey to be filled with visits to Christmas markets in every port. After all, for all their tourist charms, no one ever mentions Rome and Barcelona as must-visit Christmas market destinations, do they?
However, we were delighted to discover that both cities host Christmas markets — as did every other port we visited: Livorno and Genoa, Italy, as well as Nice, France. We were determined to visit them all, transforming our offseason Mediterranean cruise into our own Christmas market sailing — just on an ocean vessel instead of a river ship.
Along the way, we discovered that there’s plenty of Christmas magic in the great Mediterranean port cities. Here’s what you should know if you want to do the same.
A Christmas market cruise on the Med requires a DIY approach
The first thing to note is that, unlike my Viking river cruise, where shore tours to festive markets were included as free excursions in the cruise fare, Windstar’s shoreside program doesn’t feature Christmas markets. This means our Christmas market cruise on the Mediterranean was a do-it-yourself undertaking.
Fortunately, none of the markets were too difficult to reach on foot or by public transport (with the help of Google Maps). In Rome, our precruise hotel was an easy 10-minute walk from the Christmas market on Piazza Navona. In Livorno, a free shuttle bus from the ship to the town center dropped us a five-minute walk away from the market.
In Genoa and Nice, the markets were less than a half-hour on foot from where we docked; it was easy to follow the flat curve of the waterfront toward the holiday lights. Both walks also allowed us to soak up some of the main sights in each city, such as Nice’s pastel-pretty old town, Vieux Nice.
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Our ship stayed overnight in Nice, so we were also able to tick off Monaco’s Christmas market. The bus from the port of Nice to Monaco is one of the Mediterranean’s most scenic public transport routes and a tourist attraction in its own right, so we happily paid the 1.70 euro ($1.76) fare each for the 45-minute ride. Most conveniently of all, Barcelona’s market was set up just outside the cruise terminal where Star Legend docked.
Mediterranean Christmas markets have a different vibe
The three Italian cities we visited first — and particularly Rome — had a definite holiday buzz. They were beautifully dressed for the season; the streets glittered with festive lights, and elaborate decorations adorned shop fronts.
Compared to the fairytale medieval market squares crammed with wooden chalets in the cities along the Danube, I found the Italian Christmas markets lacked the coziness and atmosphere of their river counterparts. They had fewer stalls, fewer people and a less charming setting in general.
The markets in Livorno and Genoa were so small that we visited all the stalls in under 15 minutes. We couldn’t find an inviting spot to linger with a glass of mulled wine or — and this shocked me — stalls with fresh food.
In the river towns, particularly Passau in Germany and Bratislava in Slovakia, freshly cooked food was a huge part of the Christmas market experience. Everywhere, people were enjoying local dishes such as bratwurst sausages, loksa (potato cakes with fillings) and cinnamon-dusted chimney cakes.
Surprisingly, the Italian markets focused less on seasonal eats. Apart from roasted chestnuts, I found little in the way of savory fare. They do sell traditional sweets — such as ciambelle (giant donuts) in Rome and chocolate fudge in Genoa — but it was far from the array of Christmas market food I found on my river cruise.
Further into the sailing, the Christmas markets we visited in Monaco and Nice were more similar to those I visited on the Danube — with the added advantage of warm winter sunshine. Vendors served Champagne and oysters alongside fragrant vats of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts on open fires. Besides the heavy plates of tartiflette and bratwurst sausages, stalls sold local food specialties such as socca (a chickpea pancake) in Nice and barbajuan (a fried ravioli) in Monaco.
Not to be outdone, Barcelona’s giant seasonal Port Vell fair was also great fun, with loud music, flowing sangria, big cast iron pans of simmering paella and sweet churros dipped in Nutella for dessert.
My children’s delight in riding the giant Ferris wheel in Monaco made me realize something else: Christmas markets in river cities are focused on food and gifts, with the occasional ice-skating rink, whereas the better markets we visited in the Mediterranean offered more variety of activities. Of course, they sell seasonal specialties to savor and souvenirs to take home, but the markets also included fairground rides and games, which my kids loved.
Related: Mediterranean cruise guide: Best itineraries, planning tips and things to do
You’ll find plenty of traditional crafts to bring home
I came home from my Viking river cruise laden with gifts to place under the Christmas tree. I bought hand-carved cookie stamps from Budapest, a horseshoe forged from steel in Bratislava Castle’s medieval market and handmade ceramic mugs from Passau for my daughters.
Similarly, I picked up some delightful souvenirs from the Christmas markets we visited on the Mediterranean, such as a doll of La Befana in Rome. The figurine of an old lady with a pointy nose dressed in rags and clutching a broom made of dried twigs is a classic Italian Christmas character: She is said to bring presents to good children on Jan. 5, Epiphany Eve (or, as lore has it, a lump of coal to those who are bad). Her brush is also believed to sweep away any lingering problems of the previous year.
I found another delightful festive tradition on the Cote d’Azur, too. Santons — or miniature clay figurines of shepherds and lavender growers that people use to create Provencal nativity scenes in their homes — are on sale in both Nice and Monaco. In Barcelona, we discovered the Tio de Nadal, a small decorative wooden log with a smiling face that is said to poop out Christmas gifts.
Related: Best time to cruise to the Mediterranean
Ocean vessels offer more onboard attractions than river ships
Christmas market river cruises build market visits into the itinerary, which adds an ease to your visit that a do-it-yourself Christmas market cruise on the ocean doesn’t have. That’s also why Christmas market river cruises are so popular — they often book out years in advance.
Winter Mediterranean cruises are considered offseason trips and not as popular as itineraries in warmer months. That means ships sail less full or have last-minute availability for spur-of-the-moment travelers. On Star Legend, the ship was nowhere near full capacity; we sailed with just 193 passengers on a ship that could carry 312.
Even though it’s a smaller yacht-style vessel, Star Legend is also much bigger than a Viking river ship. It can carry 312 passengers and has six guest decks, compared to Viking’s 190 passengers and four decks. Our cabins were larger than those on the Viking river ship, with a separate lounge area. Our family of four booked two cabins, and we really appreciated the space as it meant we were not always on top of each other.
Windstar has a nice way of arranging adjoining cabins. Instead of a door in the middle of the room that you can open or close, the ship puts a small vestibule between the hallway and the doors for each cabin. We could leave both cabin doors open and close the main door onto the corridor to create our own private space.
The ship offered more public areas and amenities on board than the river ship, including a spa and fitness center, swimming pool and theater. As it was heated, we used the swimming pool daily. We spent most evenings in the lounge bar, Compass Rose, as we all loved the nightly live music. However, we made sure not to miss the carols in the theater on Christmas Eve nor the crew show two nights before we disembarked.
The extra size of Star Legend was most noticeable in the food and beverage offerings, with six restaurant and bar areas. In contrast, our Viking riverboats offered only a small casual buffet area, a lounge and one restaurant. We had to be seated at 7 p.m. every evening around big tables with other guests. On the ocean, we could eat when we wanted and with whom. I much preferred having this choice.
Related: The best Mediterranean cruises you can book
The Mediterranean is a delight to cruise — even in winter
The traditional Christmas market river cruising season starts when the markets open in mid-November and finishes before Christmas.The Christmas markets along the Danube close on various dates, usually after Christmas day but before the end of December at the latest.
The markets in Mediterranean cities start later, in early December, but also remain open until Epiphany (Jan. 6). Confirm the markets are open during your potential sail dates before finalizing your booking.
If you prefer cooler temperatures, fewer crowds and cheaper fares, winter is a smart time to cruise the Mediterranean. The same seven-night Europe’s Winter Riviera itinerary as ours in December 2025 is currently priced at $3,892 with Windstar’s all-inclusive add-on package, based on double occupancy. In comparison, a similar summertime itinerary on Windstar’s Wind Surf sailing yacht in July starts at $5,692 based on double occupancy and with the all-inclusive add-on package.
However, you have to approach a winter cruise in the Mediterranean knowing that you have no control over what weather you’re going to encounter.
The night before we boarded in Rome, the weather was so bad on the Italian coast that the ship couldn’t leave Livorno. The Captain told us that just as he was about to put out the call for buses to shuttle everyone up from Rome in the morning, the winds dropped, and the ship was able to get underway a few hours later than planned.
Fortunately, we enjoyed seven days of uninterrupted blue skies — the kind of perfect winter conditions you would order if you could. The heated Jacuzzi and plunge pool on the top deck became part of our morning routine, as did lunch under the warm midday sun on the top deck at Star Grill. The temperature even tiptoed into the 60s as we sailed out of Nice into an afternoon of glorious Cote d’Azur cruising as we headed toward Barcelona.
The weather was perfect for shore excursions, such as a fabulous 3.7-mile hike of the hilltop fortifications that once protected Genoa from invasion. Because we traveled over the holiday week, we found crowds enjoying walks and meals in the sun with family and friends wherever we went. Barcelona was so busy when we arrived that the volume of pedestrian traffic along Las Ramblas was a popular topic of discussion with fellow passengers at cocktail hour back on the ship.
The warmer weather means you’ll need to take a different approach to packing than you would if you were on the river. We didn’t need long underwear, gloves or warm hats. Layering is key during winter in the Mediterranean. You can be in a T-shirt and jeans for lunch in the sun, but the minute you step into the shade, you’ll want to put on a sweater and warm coat.
The dress code on Star Legend was very similar to my river cruise with Viking: relaxed during the day and smart casual at night.
Related: Mediterranean cruise packing list: What to pack when cruising Europe
Only a few cruise lines offer winter Mediterranean sailings
If you would like some Christmas market cheer on a winter cruise in the Mediterranean, you’ll want to consider two other cruise lines in addition to Windstar.
Viking’s fleet of ocean vessels carries fewer than 1,000 people, and children under 18 are not allowed to sail. The line’s seven-night Iconic Western Mediterranean cruise between Civitavecchia (Rome) and Barcelona calls at Marseille, Villefranche-sur-Mer (for Nice and Monaco) and Livorno (gateway to Florence and Tuscany).
MSC Cruises is a great choice for families interested in winter sailings to ports with Christmas markets at reasonable prices. The gigantic MSC World Europa sails a loop around the Mediterranean year-round, calling at Genoa, Civitavecchia (Rome), Messina, Valetta, Barcelona and Marseille. Other MSC vessels — including MSC Splendida, MSC Orchestra and MSC Magnifica — also cruise the Western Mediterranean in winter.
Bottom line
While they aren’t quite the storybook markets in twinkling, snow-dusted towns that you picture when you think of the Rhine and Danube’s Christmas markets, the markets in the Mediterranean are a delight. They have all of the festive ingredients to get you into the holiday mood — especially given the region’s tendency for glorious winter sun.
Of course, it would be much easier to visit the Mediterranean markets on a shore excursion, but if you’re someone who’s not afraid of organizing your own activities, you’ll find getting to them a breeze. If you’ve already enjoyed a Christmas market river cruise and are looking for a different experience in Europe over the holidays, an ocean cruise to Christmas markets on the Med offers a similar festive mood and a new array of equally delightful seasonal traditions to uncover.
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