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EXPLORA II · Mediterranean & Western Europe

6 nights, Lisbon to Barcelona

December 21, 2026 – December 28, 2026 · 6 nights · 6 stops

Explora's name for it: A Journey from Lisbon to Barcelona Along Iberia’s Southern Coast

Six nights, six stops, Lisbon to Barcelona one-way. That math tells you the pace: this is a port-a-day run with little time at sea, a steady march along Iberia's southern and eastern edges rather than a slow cruise. You start in Lisbon, where the terminal sits right at the foot of Alfama and Praca do Comercio is about a 10-minute walk the other way. From there the calls trade off in character. Gibraltar is a 2.6 square mile slice of Britain on a limestone Rock, with the only wild monkeys in Europe up top. Málaga hands you a Moorish hilltop fortress, a Roman theater, and the tapas counters at Mercado de Atarazanas. Ibiza's call is Dalt Vila, the walled UNESCO old town climbing to a 14th-century cathedral, not the clubs. You finish in Barcelona with Gaudí and the Gothic Quarter.

This sailing rewards travelers who like motion and variety and don't mind an early-up, walk-a-lot rhythm. Most calls put a castle or old town within a flat 15 to 30 minute walk or a short shuttle, so it suits the curious over the sun-lounger crowd. If you want sea days, slow mornings, or one place long enough to settle in, pick a different itinerary. Several ports also drop you a few kilometers out, so figure on shuttles.

The ship is all-suite, all-oceanfront.

Lisbon (open port guide)LisbonGibraltar (open port guide)Málaga (open port guide)Alicante (open port guide)Ibiza (open port guide)Barcelona (open port guide)Barcelona

The itinerary, port by port

6 calls over 6 nights, Lisbon to Barcelona. Open any port for my full day-ashore guide, what to see, when to go, and how the day actually runs.

Getting there: Flights to Lisbon (LIS) are already bookable for these dates. I watch the fare for booked clients so you book at the right moment. When to book your flights →

  1. Embark
    Lisbon

    Lisbon spreads over hills above the wide Tagus estuary, and the cruise terminal sits at the foot of Alfama, the city's oldest quarter. Port guide →

  2. 2
    Gibraltar

    Gibraltar is a 2.6 square mile British territory built around a single limestone monolith at the mouth of the Mediterranean, where you hear English, pay in pounds, and look across the strait toward Morocco. Port guide →

  3. 3
    Málaga

    Málaga is the working capital of the Costa del Sol and the birthplace of Picasso, and its old town packs a Moorish hilltop fortress, a 1st-century BC Roman theater, and an unfinished Renaissance cathedral… Port guide →

  4. 4
    Alicante

    Alicante is a working Costa Blanca city that puts a hilltop Moorish fortress, a marble seafront promenade, and a maze-like medieval quarter inside a single walkable radius from the cruise pier. Port guide →

  5. 5
    Ibiza

    Ibiza's reputation is nightlife, but the cruise call is about Dalt Vila, the walled UNESCO old town climbing from the harbor to a 14th-century cathedral. Port guide →

  6. Disembark
    Barcelona

    Barcelona packs Gaudí's modernisme, a 2,000-year-old Roman and medieval core, and a working Mediterranean waterfront into a single dense, walkable city. Port guide →

Fares on this departure, decoded

Reading the fare fine print is the job. Here's what this sailing currently carries:

Spontaneous Summer Invitation
A near-term fare on a small set of summer-season sailings. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
Invitation to Discover More
Explora's discovery fare, available across most of the calendar. Onboard credit where the offer applies.
Air-Inclusive Fare
A fare that folds airfare into the voyage price on a smaller set of sailings.

The ship and your suite

This sailing is aboard EXPLORA II, all-suite, every suite with a private ocean-front terrace. Suites run from the entry Ocean Terrace to the Owner's Residence; the right tier depends on how you travel. Compare suites → · What's included →


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