Oosterdam

Standard tours of Corfu run at a pace suited to those staying on the island, but if you’re passing through on a cruise ship, time is of the essence.

A private driver-guide shows you Corfu your way, typically the UNESCO-listed Old Town, the Paleokastritsa coastline and hilltop villages, on a half or full day.

Taste Corfu's Venetian-influenced food on a three-hour walk through the Old Town, with local snacks, sweets and drinks along with the history behind them.

Head down the coast to hilltop Taormina for its ancient Greek theatre and Corso Umberto, then up to the village of Castelmola for sweeping views of Mount Etna.

Ride a 4x4 up Europe's most active volcano to walk among craters and old lava flows, then taste Etna wines over lunch high on the mountain.

Eat your way around Messina with a local guide: arancini, focaccia messinese, granita and other Sicilian street food classics, adding up to a full meal.

A full day along one of the world's most famous coastlines, with time in clifftop Positano, Amalfi and Sorrento and photo stops at the best viewpoints on the coast road.

Walk the streets, villas and forum of the Roman city buried by Vesuvius with an expert guide who brings everyday life in 79 AD to life. A great half-day option.

Learn to make real Neapolitan pizza, and gelato for dessert, in the city where pizza was born, then sit down to eat what you made. Two hours, so it fits any port day.

Take the wheel of a soft-top 4x4 and follow the coastal Route des Crêtes to the fishing village of Cassis and the limestone cliffs of the Calanques, stopping wherever the views call for it.

Paddle with a guide along the white limestone cliffs of the Calanques, slipping into hidden coves and stopping to swim in clear Mediterranean water.

See Marseille's Old Port and Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica, then head inland to stroll the fountains, markets and café-lined boulevards of Aix-en-Provence before returning to the ship.

Made for cruise passengers: a boat transfer skips the long cable car queue in Fira, then a guided tour takes in Oia and the island's best caldera views.

Sail from Fira Old Port, where cruise tenders land, to hike the volcanic crater of Nea Kameni and swim in the warm sulfur springs before heading back.

A small-group visit to three Santorini wine estates to taste 12 wines made from the island's volcanic vineyards, paired with local bites. Book the daytime tour on a port day.

Skip the lines at ancient Ephesus and walk its marble streets to the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre with a guide, timed around your ship's schedule.

Relax the traditional Turkish way with a steam, body scrub, foam wash and massage at a local hamam in Kusadasi, an easy 90-minute break close to the port.

Spend the day on the water along the coast of Dilek National Park, with swim stops in quiet bays and lunch served on board.