Carmen
Travel editor at Reisedrop · 2026-09-20
For German-speaking Switzerland, the cruise port is Basel or Genoa. For the Romandie the answer lies elsewhere: Marseille. TGV Lyria from Geneva or Lausanne, three and a half hours, and you're fifteen taxi minutes from the cruise terminal. No flight, no baggage allowance, no stress. Here's the guide.
Marseille, the underrated port
Marseille has become one of the Mediterranean's biggest cruise ports: MSC and Costa base ships there year-round, with seven-night loops to Spain, Italy and sometimes Tunisia or the Balearics. The advantage of an embarkation port: lower entry prices and a wider cabin choice than mid-route stops. Boarding is in the afternoon – the morning TGV is enough.
The itineraries worth taking
The classic western Mediterranean loop – Marseille, Barcelona, Palma, Rome or Genoa – remains the best first cruise: a port almost every day, few pure sea days, and no return flights needed since you arrive back where you started. In winter, some ships head from Marseille to the Canaries or Morocco: ten to eleven nights of sun with no jet lag.
Real prices, no nasty surprises
An inside cabin in the western Mediterranean starts around 700 to 900 francs per person per week in low season, full board included. A balcony adds 300 to 500 francs. Not included: drinks, excursions, gratuities – count 25 to 40 francs per day per person depending on the line. Always compare the final price, not the teaser price: that's exactly what our comparison does.
Genoa and Savona, the Italian alternative
From Valais or the Lake Geneva arc via the Simplon, Genoa is doable by train (five to six hours). Costa embarks in Savona, MSC in Genoa. Prices on the same loops often sit one notch below Marseille – and northern Italy deserves a hotel night before boarding. Our honest take: for a first cruise, Marseille stays simpler; for repeat cruisers, Genoa widens the choice.