Messina cruise port

Taormina’s Greek theater and Mount Etna from a downtown pier.

Messina is the gateway to Sicily’s east coast, and the ships dock right downtown on the Via Vittorio Emanuele waterfront, a 10 minute walk from the Duomo and its noon clock show and from the train station. Almost everyone goes up the coast to Taormina, the cliff-top resort town with the Greek theater framing Etna, or up the volcano itself; the clever ones catch the Duomo’s mechanical lion before they leave. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls here from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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Dockeddowntown waterfront pier, walk-off to the Duomo in 10 minutes

Eurocards in Taormina, cash for buses and trains; Italian

Apr to Jun, Sep to Oct70s to low 80s, clear views of Etna

All inevery price includes taxes and fees

Start here

Three ways to do Messina

Taormina on the cliff, Etna on the slopes, or Messina itself on foot: pick your day and the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Taormina

The Greek theater and Corso Umberto

Taormina is 30 miles south: the ship’s coach does it in about an hour each way and drops you at the Porta Messina gate, usually 5 to 6 hours for about $80 to $120 with a guide
On your own, the Interbus coach from Piazza della Repubblica by the station is about €4.30 one way and 50 minutes on the fast runs, or the regional train to Taormina-Giardini (about €5.50) plus the Tao-Link shuttle up the hill (about €2)
The Greek theater is about €14 as of 2026 and the view of Etna through the broken stage wall is the photo of the cruise; then Corso Umberto for granita and the Piazza IX Aprile terrace

Best for: first-timers, photographers, everyone really

Mount Etna

Europe’s biggest active volcano

Ship excursions drive 90 minutes to Rifugio Sapienza at about 6,200 feet on the south side, walk the Silvestri craters and lava fields, and come back in 5 to 6 hours for about $75 to $120
Add the cable car and 4x4 from the Rifugio to about 9,500 feet for roughly €50 to €75 more if the mountain is open; it is 20 degrees colder up there, bring a jacket even in July
Longer 8 to 9 hour versions pair Etna with a quick Taormina stop or a winery lunch on the lava-soil slopes

Best for: hikers, families with teens, repeat Taormina visitors

Messina on foot

The Duomo clock, the Caravaggios and a granita

Walk 10 minutes from the gangway to Piazza del Duomo for the noon show on the world’s largest astronomical clock: the bronze lion roars, the rooster crows and the figures march for about 12 minutes; the cathedral itself was rebuilt after the 1908 earthquake
The Regional Museum, a 10 minute taxi north, holds two late Caravaggios and Antonello da Messina’s polyptych for about €8
Finish with a brioche and coffee granita on the waterfront and the view across the Strait to Calabria and the golden Madonna on the harbor fort

Best for: short calls, walkers, anyone skipping the coach

Live from the cruise lines

Messina cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Messina or Taormina from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Messina

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

Where you start

Home ports that sail to Messina

Messina is the Sicily day on Greek Isles and Italy loops from Rome and on Adriatic sailings rounding the boot; pick a home port and the list above filters to cruises leaving from there.

Rome (Civitavecchia)Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Princess 7 to 11 night Greek Isles and Italy loops that stop at Messina on the way to or from Athens Athens (Piraeus)Westbound Mediterranean crossings on Celebrity, Norwegian and Holland America with a Messina day before Naples GenoaMSC World Europa and fleetmates on Italian loops with a Messina or Taormina call Barcelona10 to 12 night Western Med and Greek Isles sailings that reach Sicily midweek NaplesSouthern Italy departures that pass through the Strait of Messina overnight VeniceAdriatic and Greek Isles sailings from Venice, Ravenna and Trieste that round the boot via Messina

In port

Things to do in Messina and Taormina

Most ships give you 8 to 10 hours here; Taormina or Etna takes most of it, the Duomo clock takes 15 minutes.

Taormina and the Greek theaterThe cliff-top resort Goethe and Garbo loved, an hour up the coast. The 3rd century BC theater (about €14) frames Etna and the sea, Corso Umberto runs between the two medieval gates, and Piazza IX Aprile is the terrace for a granita. Coach, Interbus or train plus shuttle; allow 4 to 5 hours door to door.

Mount EtnaA 90 minute drive to Rifugio Sapienza at about 6,200 feet, the Silvestri craters and the black lava fields from the 2001 and 2002 eruptions. Ship excursions run 5 to 6 hours for about $75 to $120; the cable car and 4x4 to the upper slopes add roughly €50 to €75 when open. Cool and windy; bring layers.

The Duomo and the noon clockMessina’s cathedral, rebuilt after the 1908 earthquake and the 1943 bombs, keeps a Norman portal and the largest astronomical clock in the world in its bell tower. At noon the lion roars, the rooster crows and the saints parade for about 12 minutes; free, a 10 minute walk from the ship, be there by 11:45. The tower climb is about €5.

Isola Bella and the Taormina beachesThe pebble cove and tiny island below Taormina, reached by the cable car from the top of town (about €6 round trip) or the Tao-Link shuttle from the station. Swim and lunch at Mazzarò on a hot day, then ride back up for the theater.

CastelmolaThe village above Taormina, 10 minutes up by minibus or taxi from Porta Messina, with a ruined castle, almond wine at Bar Turrisi and the whole coast and Etna below. A good add-on if you are in Taormina for the day.

Regional Museum of MessinaTwo late Caravaggios (the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Raising of Lazarus) and Antonello da Messina’s San Gregorio polyptych, about €8, a 10 minute taxi or the tram north along the waterfront. Quiet, air-conditioned and 90 minutes.

Savoca and Forza d’AgròThe hill villages where the Sicilian scenes of The Godfather were filmed, 45 minutes south: Bar Vitelli, the church where Michael marries Apollonia and views over the Ionian coast. Ship excursions run 4 to 5 hours, often paired with Taormina.

Granita and the StraitSicily’s east coast does the best granita in Italy: order coffee or almond with a warm brioche on the Messina waterfront or on Corso Umberto for about €5, and look across the 2 mile Strait to Calabria and the ferries that still carry the trains.

Pick your style

Which lines call at Messina?

Nearly every line that sails the Greek Isles from Rome stops in Sicily, and Messina is the usual choice; these are the ones with the most calls.

      Celebrity CruisesCelebrity Xcel, Ascent, Equinox and Constellation on 9 to 11 night Italy and Greek Isles sailings from Rome and Athens, spring to fallSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Royal CaribbeanOdyssey, Explorer and Brilliance of the Seas on Greek Isles loops from Rome and Ravenna with a Sicily daySmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Epic and Gem on 10 to 11 night Greek Isles and Italy itineraries from RomeSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Princess CruisesSun Princess and Enchanted Princess on Mediterranean sailings with a 9 to 10 hour Messina daySmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      MSC CruisesMSC World Europa weekly on its Genoa and Naples loop, usually the busiest ship in portSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Holland America LineVolendam and Oosterdam on 10 to 14 night Mediterranean itineraries with Taormina excursionsSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Oceania and RegentSirena, Insignia, Allura and Seven Seas Voyager, Navigator and Mariner on luxury Italy and Greek Isles voyagesSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Costa CruisesCosta Fascinosa and fleetmates on Italian loops that call most weeks in seasonSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      VikingViking Neptune, Jupiter and Mira on Mediterranean itineraries with a full day for TaorminaLive prices
    

Timing

When to go

Eastern Sicily is sunny from April through October, very hot in July and August, and mild with rain and the occasional Etna snow cap from November to March; spring and fall are best for Taormina.

April to JuneHighs from the upper 60s to the low 80s, Etna still snow-streaked into May for the best photos from the theater, wildflowers on the slopes. May and June are ideal.

July to AugustUpper 80s to mid 90s on the coast, with Taormina’s Corso packed by 11 am. Go to the theater at opening, swim at Isola Bella in the heat, or head up Etna where it is 20 degrees cooler.

September to OctoberLow to mid 80s easing to the mid 70s, the sea warm through October and Taormina calm again after mid September. The clearest Etna views of the year.

November to MarchHighs in the upper 50s to low 60s with the wettest weather in November and December; Etna wears a snow cap and the upper cable car often closes. Taormina is empty and lovely on a sunny winter day; MSC and Costa keep calling.

Good to know

Messina questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Messina, and how far is it to town?

Ships dock alongside the downtown waterfront on Via Vittorio Emanuele, in the sickle-shaped natural harbor; there is no tendering. Piazza del Duomo is a 7 to 10 minute walk, Messina Centrale railway station and the Interbus stop on Piazza della Repubblica about 10 to 15 minutes. Through 2027 the quayside is being rebuilt, so some ships shift to the Marconi quay a few hundred yards along the same waterfront and taxis pick up at Largo Minutoli; the walk into town is the same. Note that some itineraries list this call as Taormina and a few small ships anchor off Giardini Naxos and tender instead.

How do I get to Taormina on my own, and what does it cost?

Three ways. The Interbus coach from Piazza della Repubblica is about €4.30 one way or €6.80 return and 50 minutes on the direct runs, and it drops you in the town at the Via Pirandello terminal; departures are only every hour or two, so check the timetable against your all-aboard. The regional train to Taormina-Giardini is about €5.50 and 40 to 65 minutes, but the station is at sea level and you need the Tao-Link shuttle (about €2, every 50 to 60 minutes) up to town. A taxi is about €80 to €100 each way and a private transfer from about €145 per car. The ship’s coach is the only option with a guarantee.

What money do I use, and will my phone work?

Italy uses the euro. Cards are fine in Taormina’s shops and restaurants and at the theater, but the Interbus driver, the train ticket machines and the granita bars often want cash, so carry €40 or so. Italian is the language and English is easy in Taormina, thinner in Messina. Sicily is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of New York. Most US carriers sell a daily international pass of about $10 to $12, or buy an eSIM before you sail.

Is Messina safe for cruise passengers?

Yes. Messina is a quiet provincial city and Taormina is a resort; the cruise lines and the U.S. State Department note only the usual Italian cautions about pickpockets on crowded buses and trains and traffic that does not stop for pedestrians. Keep your bag in front on the Interbus and on Corso Umberto in high season, leave the passport in the cabin safe, and on Etna follow the guide: the upper slopes close when the volcano is active and the weather turns fast.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

Taormina is the one to do, and on a call of 8 hours or less, book it through the ship: the coaches are timed to the sailing, the guide handles the theater tickets and the departure guarantee covers you if the coast road jams. On a 9 or 10 hour call the Interbus or the train plus shuttle works fine on your own if you take an early run and leave 2 hours for the return. Etna should always be a ship excursion; the mountain road and the cable car are not something to improvise from Messina.

Do I need a passport for a Mediterranean cruise?

Yes. Every Mediterranean cruise needs a passport valid for at least three months beyond your return (we recommend six), and there is no closed-loop exception as there is for round trips from US ports. The EU’s new entry-exit system records your arrival at the first Schengen port, and the ETIAS travel authorization is being phased in; check the EU’s official site before you fly. Our specialists keep a current checklist for every sailing.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, government taxes, fees and port expenses, so the number you see is the number you pay for the cruise. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and onboard gratuities are extra, and SmartCruiser adds bonus onboard credit on the picks at the top that you cannot get booking direct.

Talk to a Sicily cruise specialist

Tell us your dates and whether Taormina or Etna is the goal and we will find the Italy and Greek Isles sailing with the most SmartCruiser value, then book it for you. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560