24-night Western Mediterranean cruise from Southampton on Aurora

The Grand Mediterranean is a 24-night Western Mediterranean cruise aboard Aurora, operated by P&O Cruises. Departing Southampton on September 14, 2026, the voyage visits 12 ports including Cadiz, Palermo, Malta. CruiseCaptain has fare history for this sailing.

Length: 24 nights
Departs: Sep 14, 2026
Returns: Oct 8, 2026
Ports of call: 12
Days at sea: 12

Voyage code R616

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Why this route stands out

A closer look at the journey

Fixed editorial images from the places on this itinerary. They stay stable each time you return to this sailing.

Southampton

Cruises from Southampton are part of a storied maritime heritage. Famous ships have sailed from Southampton port and, before commercial air travel, it was the gateway to the world with Hollywood celebrities like Bette Davis and Elizabeth Taylor passing through to board a Southampton cruise. In its atmospheric Old Town, 12th-century churches, cobbled streets, and timber-framed houses like the impressive Tudor House & Garden sit side-by-side, surrounded by one of the most complete Medieval city walls in the UK where the Bargate – the ancient entrance – still stands intact. There are bustling marina-side bars, shiny shopping districts and a vibrant cultural quarter where the Mayflower Theatre puts on West End musicals and the SeaCity Museum catalogues Southampton’s seafaring past. Some of England’s most impressive landmarks are an easy drive away, including the Neolithic wonder Stonehenge, the picturesque spa city Bath or Buckingham Palace, Tate Modern and Tower Bridge in the bustling capital of London. Discover 5,000 years of history and more on a Southampton cruise.

Cadiz

More than a hundred watchtowers gaze out across the waves surrounding this ancient Andalusian city. Sprinkled with evocative cobbled side streets, you’ll explore 3,000 years’ worth of history, while stumbling across palm-tree lined plazas of shaded coffee sippers. Cadiz claims the mantle of Western Europe’s oldest city, and every piece of architecture - and every wrong turn - offers a chance to discover fascinating new tales. Founded by the Phoenicians in 1100BC, Christopher Columbus used the city as a base for his exploratory, map-defining voyages of 1493 and 1502. The port grew in importance and wealth as Cadiz’s strategic location close to Africa’s northern tip helped it blossom into a centre for New World trade. Catedral de Cádiz, is a display of the city’s wealth and importance, looming spectacularly over the Atlantic’s waves, with cawing seagulls sweeping between its twin bell towers. Inside, treasures from the city’s trading exploits in the West Indies and beyond - which helped fuel the growth of this historically prosperous city – are on display. Enveloped by ocean on almost every side, Cadiz has something of an island feel, and you can cool off from southern Spain’s unrelenting sunshine on the sweeping golden sand beach of Playa Victoria. The two towers of the new El Puente de la Constitución de 1812 mark a contemporary landmark in this most ancient of cities, in the form of a spectacular new road bridge. Torre Tavira, meanwhile, is the most famous of Cadiz’s army of watchtowers, and the highest point in the city. Reach the top for a view of the ocean fringing the city’s expanse, and to learn about the towers - constructed so trading merchants could survey the harbour from their lavish homes. The Central Market is a chaotic place of bartering, where flashing knives dissect fresh fish. Stop in at the orbiting bars to enjoy tapas, freshly prepared with the market’s produce.

Palermo

The capital of Sicily is situated on a crescent-shaped bay on the island's north coast. Once the intellectual capital of southern Europe, Palermo has always been at the crossroads of civilization. Due to its favourable location, Sicily's most interesting city has attracted almost every people and culture touching the Mediterranean world. Its most unique characteristic is a harmonious blend of Arab-Norman cultures mixed with Byzantine and Jewish elements, which created some unforgettable and resplendent works of art. Phoenician traders first colonized Palermo in the 6th-century BC, but it was the Carthaginians, who built the important fortress here that caught the covetous eye of the Romans. After the first Punic War, the Romans took control of the city in the 3rd-century BC. Following several invasions by the Vandals, Sicily was settled by Arabs, who made the country an emirate and Palermo a showpiece capital that rivalled in splendour both Cordoba and Cairo. The city became a magical place of palaces and mosques, minarets and palm trees. In the 11th-century Palermo was conquered by the Norman ruler, Roger de Hauteville. During the Normans' hundred-year occupation, the city experienced a remarkable period of enlightenment and a flourishing of the arts. Counting a population of more than 300,000, Palermo became the centre of Norman rule and one of the most important trading centres between East and West. Eventually, Palermo was incorporated into the “Kingdom of the Two Sicilies” under the Swabian ruler Frederick II, known as the Holy Roman Emperor. After the bloody Sicilian Vespers uprising in 1282, the Spanish took control and brought the Inquisition to Palermo. Some historians believe that the nature of the Inquisition helped foster the protective secret societies that eventually evolved into the Mafia. Today, visitors can still experience the legacy of Palermo's rich past. Great Arab-Norman buildings include the Cappella Palatina, La Martorana, San Giovanni degli Eremiti and, a few miles outside the city, the Cathedral of Monreale. Palermo's bustling streets and animated markets give the town an Oriental feel. The Quattro Canti, or Four Corners, is the monumental crossroads laid out in 1608-1620 at the central intersection of the four longest and straightest streets of the city. North of Piazza Castelnuovo lie the avenues of the new city. Most sights are scattered along three major streets: Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Via Maqueda and Via Roma. A vigorous metropolis with a strong historical profile, Palermo is packed with interesting sights, which make it an enriching and enjoyable place to explore.

Price tracking

Today’s fare, in context

Show all 34 cabin grades

Cabin grades and pricing
Name	Supplier code	Type
Deluxe Balcony	EA	Balcony
Deluxe Balcony	EB	Balcony
Deluxe Balcony	ED	Balcony
Deluxe Balcony	EE	Balcony
Balcony	GA	Balcony
Balcony	GB	Balcony
Balcony	GC	Balcony
Balcony	GD	Balcony
Balcony	GE	Balcony
Balcony	GF	Balcony
Single Balcony	QF	Balcony
Large Inside	OA	Inside
Large Inside	OE	Inside
Inside	PA	Inside
Inside	PB	Inside
Inside	PC	Inside
Inside	PD	Inside
Inside	PE	Inside
Inside	PF	Inside
Large Obstructed View	K5	Oceanview
Large Outside	KB	Oceanview
Large Outside	KD	Oceanview
Outside	LB	Oceanview
Outside	LC	Oceanview
Outside	LD	Oceanview
Outside	LE	Oceanview
Outside	LF	Oceanview
Single Outside	RE	Oceanview
Penthouse Suite	A1	Suite
Suite	B1	Suite
Suite	B2	Suite
Suite	B5	Suite
Mini Suite	CB	Suite
Mini Suite	CD	Suite

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The journey

24 nights, in order

Follow the entire sailing from its first day to its last, with the route and schedule in one view.

Day 1 Sep 14, 2026

Southampton

Cruises from Southampton are part of a storied maritime heritage. Famous ships have sailed from Southampton port and, before commercial air travel, it was the gateway to the world…
Explore Southampton

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The full itinerary

25 scheduled calls

Your ship

Aurora

Welcome aboard Aurora An intimate classic Our smallest ship Aurora is a big hit with guests who return year after year for her cosy comfort. She’s a stylish lady with her towering 35-foot sculpture in her atrium and artworks adding detail to each venue. The tiered decks shaping the Terrace Pool add a beautiful backdrop to your sunbathing. And if the weather doesn’t play ball, Crystal Pool’s retractable roof comes to the rescue.

4★ 76,152 GT 1,874 Passengers Built 2000

Aurora