Most people like to choose a service or company recommended by a good friend. This would be true for cruise lines, too. Some ships are based in Europe year-round, while many are repositioned seasonally from winter cruising in the Caribbean to summer in the Mediterranean, where higher pricing (and higher operating costs) prevail. While some are large resort ships, the majority of ships cruising in the Mediterranean tend to be mid-sized (between 600 and 1,600 passengers) or small (between 200 and 600 passengers), due to the size of the ports available. Choose a large resort ship (1,600 to over 5,000 passengers) and you’ll only get to large, busy ports. [6]