There are more cruise ships plying the waters of the Mediterranean this summer than ever before, with many cruise lines offering discounts. Royal Caribbean takes the lead with no less than 12 ships cruising the Mediterranean. Second in line is P&O with seven. Thomson, Fred Olsen and Cunard are not far behind.

The giant Norwegian Epic, sailing under the NCL Cruises flag, docked at the Azores this weekend and will arrive in Barcelona on Wednesday for a bumper season of Mediterranean cruises. Grand Princess is due to dock at Southampton harbour on the 21st May after undergoing major refurbishments. During the coming summer months she will visit several Italian and Spanish ports. So will several of MSC and Costa Cruises’ ships.

There is literally something for everyone. If you want specialist cruises, you have the option of travelling with Saga or Voyages to Antiquity. Azamara and Oceania have a number of boutique ships in the Mediterranean during the next few months and the luxury ships of Seabourn, SeaDream and Silversea will also be out there offering a variety of cruises.

The question inevitably arises: isn’t the market becoming overcrowded?

There are certainly those who predict that the market is now becoming saturated. For some destinations, like Civitavecchia (Rome) it might certainly be true – an estimated 12,000 passengers will arrive at this port on a busy day this summer. Barcelona’s Las Ramblas will not be far behind that figure.

The sheer number of ships available, combined with the fact that for various reasons many Americans have built up a resistance to travelling to the Mediterranean, has caused many cruise lines to offer spectacular special offers. P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Olsen and RCL are all offering remarkable discounts on many cruises right now.