Mediterranean cruise: easyCruise

The USAToday's take on easyCruise ... the new bargain cruise ship that will soon begin sailing between Mediterranean ports.

But what a soon-to-launch European cruise ship lacks in frills — basically, all of them — it hopes to make up with tantalizingly cheap fares and flexible itineraries to some of the Mediterranean's most expensive destinations.

When it sets sail in late April or early May on one-week itineraries along the French and Italian Riviera, easyCruise, a high-seas version of the British budget airline easyJet, will charge as little as $111 per cabin, per day (single or double occupancy). Ports of call include such glitterati magnets as St. Tropez, Cannes, Monaco and Portofino, and passengers can board and depart anywhere along the route as long as they stay on the ship at least two nights. The cruises include stops in Nice and Genoa, which are served by easyJet and Irish rival discounter Ryanair, respectively.