The Great Adventure! VISION OF THE SEAS 12-Night Med Cruise: A Full PICTORIAL Review!

Hi friends!

After a summer of traveling, working and (whispers) turning 30, I'm finally getting around to writing a big review on that 12-night cruise around the Mediterranean that kicked off our summer! Emphasis on the word big -- I came home with a suitcase full of souvenirs and over 5,000 pictures.

If we haven't hung around the same CC threads before, let me introduce myself: I'm Nicole. I live in Chicago and I l-o-v-e to go on cruises. Before I turned 30, the last thing on my 20s travel bucketlist was to visit Europe and for me and my family, doing it on the cruise was the best way to see and do everything we wanted to.

I was traveling with my sister, Stephanie (29), who is the level-headed one who balances out all of my big ideas and my Mom (I value my life too much to post her age online), who is always down for adventure and comes along for the ride.

I had a live thread going while we were on our cruise, but I really wanted to start a full review for a few reasons. One, because cruising the Med is so different from cruising the Caribbean and Mexico and I learned a lot of things that might be useful to other cruisers and two, to kind of re-live and document this trip because it was, hands down, the best cruise we've ever taken.

I really hope some of you will follow along -- these reviews are always so much more fun when there's people to share with. I'll be cross-posting it here from my blog, where you can read posts in full instead of in broken out increments (six pictures per post, Cruise Critic? Really? :p). If you want automatic updates, you can subscribe to this thread, or my blog, or they'll be posted on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (links in my signature) :)

And with that....here we go!

I admit it: I’ve been putting off writing this for a little while.

There were a few legitimate distractions (Cancun, Phoenix, the blog redesign, work), but I was also dragging my feet a little here for probably the same reasons I still have a suitcase filled with souvenirs sitting and waiting to be unpacked in my closet. Writing this closes the book on what was, thus far, the best trip and greatest adventure I’ve ever been on, and part of me wanted to hold onto it for just a little while longer.

Europe was always a dream for all of us, each for a slightly different reason. For me, it was this great, unknown Pandora’s box of adventures unlike anything I’d ever done. The last thing on my pre-30 travel bucket list. The only part of this trip that I was comfortable and familiar with was the fact that we’d be doing it by cruise ship and we had almost 20 cruises under our belts over the past 11 years. Everything else? New. Different. Exciting.

This trip was all I could talk about from the moment we booked it to the moment we left. I’d told my friends I was half convinced I was going to burst into tears the moment I stepped foot in Barcelona because this anticipation was so much.

((For the record, there were no tears on the outside, but on the inside, I was crying, grinning like a damn fool and trying to work out hair-brained schemes that involved quitting a job I generally love to spend the rest of my life taking pictures of the European countryside and drinking a lot of wine))

Why a Cruise?

It might seem like an odd choice to some to do a cruise on a first trip to Europe, but to me, there wasn’t much consideration to other choices.

First of all, we love cruises. We’re comfortable on cruises, we know what to expect on cruises and with that, we could fully immerse ourselves in discovering these new places without worrying about transit between countries, hotels and meals.

And that brings me to the second reason we decided to explore Europe via cruise ship: cruising is (and continues to be) one of the most cost effective means of travel. We’re not a backpack-and-hostel kind of family (not that there’s anything wrong with that), and hotels in Europe can be incredibly expensive.

And, airfare to Europe was going to be expensive in and of itself, so going to visit one place wasn’t enough. We wanted to visit as many places as we could in the two and a half weeks we were traveling. A cruise provided for 12 nights of accommodations, all meals, non-alcoholic beverages, nightly entertainment and transit to seven ports in five different countries.

Choosing a Cruise

While most of our cruises have been on Carnival, we’ve also traveled on Princess and Royal Caribbean and we don’t feel particularly loyal to any one brand. We have Platinum status on Carnival, so on Caribbean itineraries, they often win, but with a trip as big as this Europe trip was becoming, we were open to any line that offered the best itinerary and the best rooms at the best price.

We knew the time frame we needed to travel in (using the Memorial Day holiday to maximize our time off and vacation days) and we knew that we wanted a cruise that was at least ten days but no more than 14.

Around Thanksgiving, we narrowed it down to two options: a 12-night Grand Med cruise on the Norwegian Spirit or a 12-night Grand Med cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas. The ships were nearly identical in age and size and the itineraries only differed slightly: both visited Florence/Pisa, Rome, Naples and Athens. Norwegian also touched Provence, Mykonos, Istanbul and Venice while the Royal Caribbean itinerary offered Cannes, Kusadasi, Santorini and two more sea days.

Cannes vs Provence. Mykonos vs Santorini. Istanbul vs Kusadasi. Sea days vs extra port time. I wanted to visit the Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, but I also wanted to see Santorini. Two sea days seemed like too little, but did four seem like too much? The price was comparable. This became my own personal version of Sophie’s Choice.

We ultimately chose the Royal Caribbean itinerary. One, because it would put us in Cannes during the film festival, two, because nothing would compare to Santorini (or so I was told) and three, because at the end of all of this, we all had to go back to work and two “days off” would certainly lead to some kind of exhaustion.

Choosing a Room

It was apparent from the get-go that no matter which type of stateroom we would choose, an interior room would never suffice. Three adults in an interior room for nearly two weeks seemed like some kind of special version of hell. Suites were generally out of the question because they seemed like a luxury and we’d decided we would rather spend that extra money on excursions and shopping.

In December, a new category of room opened up for online booking: Family Oceanview. These rooms had either a window or a porthole, a king sized bed and a separate sitting area, but it also had a separate room with bunk beds. While this was more than enough sleeping area for the three of us (and, technically, would sleep double our party), it meant we’d have more room than we’d have in a balcony. Plenty of room to move around, plenty of room for our stuff, perfect for an extended stay. And while I love balconies, we’d barely be on the ship as it was. The ship wasn’t the destination on this one.

Figuring Out the Rest

Once we had the cruise portion planned, there was still…everything else. Pre-cruise time in Barcelona was a must (not only had I dreamed of visiting Spain since I was 13, but because we were cruising, the number one cruising rule of thumb is you always give yourself a buffer in case your flight gets delayed), but there are no direct flights from Chicago into Barcelona, so we also had to figure out where, when and how to connect – none of us had ever flown a non-direct flight before. None of us had even flown internationally. We had a lot to learn.

And then, there was the post-cruise. We had a few days before we had to be back in the US and back to work, and it didn’t take any time or thought to decide to spend those days in Paris. Mom’s biggest unfulfilled dream in life thus far had been to visit Paris and see the Eiffel Tower, and just as the stars had aligned the year before to put us in St. Lucia on her birthday, they aligned once again to put us in Paris on her birthday this year.

So that left us figuring out flights and hotels, and like it’s own kind of Jenga puzzle, this trip slowly came together. There was only one direct flight a day on American from Charles De Gaulle to O’Hare, so we knew which flight home we had to be on. I have unlimited vacation days at my job, but Mom and Stephanie don’t, and Stephanie literally had not another day to spare for this trip, so our only option to get to Barcelona was a late afternoon flight that connected in London. Our options to get from Barcelona to Paris were a flight on EasyJet or Air France (neither of which came highly recommended) or a seven hour train ride (which was a big time suck but all of my friends told me was a beautiful and scenic trip), so we booked a one-way train ticket. Little by little, it came together.

I found our hotels for pre- and post-cruise on Expedia, booking off of one night free specials (Barcelona) and extra savings promotions (Paris). Hotels in Europe are notorious for being small and the condition of the rooms can vary greatly depending on where you stay and the rating of the hotel, so I gave due diligence and spent a great deal of time on TripAdvisor reading reviews. I couldn’t play the Priceline game this time.

We didn’t really know what we were doing, but piece by piece, it all somehow came together.

The Final Itinerary

Day 1: Chicago to London

Day 2: London to Barcelona

Day 3: Barcelona

Day 4: Embark the cruise ship in Barcelona and set sail for the Mediterranean

Day 5: Cannes

Day 6: La Spezia (Florence/Pisa)

Day 7: Rome

Day 8: At Sea

Day 9: At Sea

Day 10: Athens

Day 11: Kusadasi (Turkey)

Day 12: Santorini

Day 13: At Sea

Day 14: Naples

Day 15: At Sea

Day 16: Disembark; Barcelona to Paris

Day 17: Paris

Day 18: Paris

Day 19: Paris to Chicago

Last Odds and Ends

I spent literal months (basically my entire winter) reading cruise reviews here on Cruise Critic and travel guides for the ports we’d be visiting. Nothing could have prepared us for the adventure that was awaiting, but it helped build the anticipation.

We booked all of our excursions through Royal Caribbean, mostly because this was our first time in Europe and it felt like the safest option. We’d consider booking through outside companies now that we’ve done it all once, but we have no regrets. Excursions booked up early, and many sold out (some before the ship even set sail), so if you’re planning on booking excursions through the ship, do it early.

I’ve been shooting with a Nikon D60 for the past six years but a trip like this called for something major. So after six years with an entry-level SLR, I purchased a Nikon D7000 on Black Friday (Best Buy had a great deal on a package that included an 18-140 lens, which would basically cover all of the range I’d need for this trip) and though it was a big purchase, the quality of the pictures far exceeded what my D60 was capable of. No regrets. All of the pictures in this review will be from either the D7000 or my iPhone 6+.

So that’s how it begins. I hope you all enjoy reading along as much as I’ll be enjoying reliving this trip. If you have any questions about cruising Europe along the way, shout ‘em at me! You can leave me a comment here (or on my blog), on Twitter or Instagram (@nicolesonthego) or on Facebook.

Up next: Chicago to London to Barcelona

Going to learn a lot from your review....we are starting out in paris and leaving from Rome next fall...details will be great!!

Can't wait for the rest! Awesome review and photos so far!

You are a great writer and photographer. I am thoroughly enjoying your review.

Did you have to fly through London to get to Barcelona? Or, did you just want to see London while in Europr?

Going to learn a lot from your review....we are starting out in paris and leaving from Rome next fall...details will be great!!

Enjoying the photos...looking forward to more.

Going to learn a lot from your review....we are starting out in paris and leaving from Rome next fall...details will be great!!

I've got plenty of details on both for you!

Can't wait for the rest! Awesome review and photos so far!

Thank you!

You are a great writer and photographer. I am thoroughly enjoying your review.

 

Did you have to fly through London to get to Barcelona? Or, did you just want to see London while in Europr?

Thank you!

We had to fly through London to get to Barcelona -- all connecting flights through other US cities were too early in the morning and there were no direct flights from Chicago to Barcelona.

Enjoying the photos...looking forward to more.

Thanks! :)

Very much looking forward to hearing more!:)

Hello! Fellow CC member from Chicago joining in (ok technically the south west suburbs) your intro has me begging for more! You are an amazing writer, I can't wait to relive your trip with you!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Very much looking forward to hearing more!:)

Wooooooo!

Hello! Fellow CC member from Chicago joining in (ok technically the south west suburbs) your intro has me begging for more! You are an amazing writer, I can't wait to relive your trip with you!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Chi-town cruisers unite! :) Next part should be up later today -- hope you enjoy! :D

Loving your review!!! :)

Loving your review!!! :)

Thank you! :)

Subscribed and definitely looking forward to the review! I'll be going on a 10 night European cruise next year which will hit my #1 and #2 bucket list cities - Venice and Santorini. I'll be spending 3 days in Venice pre cruise. I don't even know where to start my research but I think this review is a good spot! :D

Can't wait for more! :)

Subscribed and definitely looking forward to the review! I'll be going on a 10 night European cruise next year which will hit my #1 and #2 bucket list cities - Venice and Santorini. I'll be spending 3 days in Venice pre cruise. I don't even know where to start my research but I think this review is a good spot! :D

Let me know if you have any questions along the way! :D

Can't wait for more! :)

Hope you enjoy the next part! It's been a lot of fun re-living this trip as I write :)

Days 1 & 2: Chicago to London to Barcelona

In many ways, I feel like this trip kind of snuck up on me. We’d been planning it for months, but it always seemed just out of sight until the moment it was actually here.

This trip, our departure in particular, was extraordinarily more stressful than any other trip we’d taken. European culture and customs can be so different than those that we’re used to. Instead of worrying about how to get to Florida and which hotel we’d stay in, it was “How do we get Euros? What does a Euro convert at? Are we packing too much? Too little? What’s the climate in these countries? What do I need to prepare for?”

And, admittedly, I put off planning the final details of this trip until I literally couldn’t put it off anymore, perhaps as a means to keep it alive and the anticipation going. Once it was planned, it would be underway and once it’s underway, it’s over.

I was furiously packing, unpacking and repacking until I left for work the morning of our departure. I’d sent my big suitcase off to Mom’s house the weekend before and the plan was for her and Stephanie to take my big piece to O’Hare in the cab and I’d catch the Blue Line from work and meet them at check-in. I was worried about the time change and jet lag, so the night before our departure, I stayed up as late as I could, trying to get as little sleep as possible, so I’d be so tired on the plane that I’d just fall asleep.

Best laid plans, right?

That Wednesday morning, I woke up to a gorgeous, pure blue Chicago sky, perfect for the start of a brand new adventure.

I threw any tchotchke that wasn’t packed into one of my two carry-ons (no one in our family has ever been accused of packing lightly), threw a salad into my purse and ran off to catch the 8:49 am shuttle to work.

The day was already going far too fast as I alternated between setting up my autoresponder, filling in my backup and checking the turbulence forecast. Stephanie got out of work early and was in such a good mood that when I asked her if she wanted to drive downtown to pick me up from work so that we could all head to the airport together, she actually agreed.

We made a quick stop back at my apartment because I was totally convinced I’d forgotten to turn my flat iron off and I was about to leave the country for three weeks and burn down my condo (…it was off) and then we headed up I-94 to Mom’s house.

As our brand of luck would have it, traffic coming into the city was non-existent, but traffic coming out of the city at noon on a Wednesday was a terror (go figure), so we got to Mom’s house with no more than 15 minutes to spare before our taxi showed up. I reshuffled things amongst my bags until the cabbie literally took my bag away. One day, we’ll get this packing thing right.

The ride to the airport was quick and though we had to go to the counter to check in (turns out when you travel internationally, you need to verify your passport information when you check in on the American Airlines app. If, like me, you check in at exactly T-24 and happen to be standing inside a Macy’s store without access to your passport and you exit out of check-in and you do this more than once, your check-in freezes and you have to check in at the counter), check in was not only quick, but I found the words TSA Pre-Check stamped across my boarding pass in big, beautiful letters. Between that and the fact that my bag was only a pound and a half overweight (which sent three maxi dresses into Mom’s three pounds underweight suitcase), this trip was already off to a great start…until we got to the gate.

O’Hare…O’No

We got to our gate around 2:00 pm for our 4:40 pm flight to London. We grabbed some bars of chocolate from Vosges to enjoy on our flight and a quick lunch (Wolfgang Puck Chinois Chicken Salad for me – there is no better option at O’Hare as far as I’m concerned) and settled in at our gate.

All of American’s flights, whether domestic or international, depart from Terminal 3 in O’Hare, not the International Terminal. Even so, there’s a currency exchange in the middle of the terminal. The rates are pretty poor so I wouldn’t recommend using a currency exchange in a US airport to get the bulk of your foreign currency, but Mom went in and came out with enough Euros to cover a taxi to our hotel in Barcelona should we not be able to get Euros before we got to the hotel.

Even though we had a couple hours to pass before our flight, O’Hare is an interesting place to people watch and being in O’Hare means I’m going somewhere, so I never really minded long airport waits before. It was all part of the anticipation.

About an hour before our departure time, they announced a delay – our plane needed a new tire. The plane had arrived into O’Hare the night before (thanks, Flight Aware), so I wasn’t entirely sure why the delay was coming now when this would have been a known problem the night before. An hour later, we were delayed for another hour. Two and a half hours in, they finally announced the real problem: there was an unexplained vibration in the cabin that the engineers couldn’t figure out, let alone fix.

They kept mentioning the phrase decision time. “The new decision time is 6:15 pm.” “Decision time will be 7:00 pm.” Decision time is a heavy phrase. It felt like we were looking out at two unappealing choices: flying seven and a half hours in a broken/recently fixed plane or a cancellation. I had four different friends holding my hand via text message throughout this delay. This was not the way we’d envisioned our trip starting off, but we were glad more than ever that we added that extra Barcelona day into our itinerary for this reason alone. The airline handed out meal vouchers that weren’t valid for booze, which was exactly what I needed, so Frontera Grill would have to do.

At 7:30 pm, nearly three hours after our scheduled departure time, they made the call to get us a new plane. I was incredibly relieved that our flight wasn’t cancelled and that we wouldn’t be flying on the original aircraft, but a whole new issue surfaced: there was no chance we were going to make our connecting flight to Barcelona. We’d chosen our flights carefully so that we’d have enough time to connect and experience Heathrow, landing in London around 6:30 am and departing for Barcelona around 9:20 am. We were so far delayed at this point that there was no way we were making that flight. Mom got on the phone with British Airways to try to get us rebooked and to try to preserve the preferred seating we had paid for and the rep assured us we would be rebooked into the same kinds of seats we’d booked and put us on the next flight out to Barcelona, leaving at 11:20 am. While not great, this still got us into Barcelona by 1:00 pm and allowed us enough time to check in and salvage some of the exploring we’d wanted to do that day.

We sat around waiting and waiting and waiting. Our 8:30 pm departure time was moved to 8:45. At 9:00, it became 9:15. We’d approach our new departure time and figure out we’d be further delayed by logic, not by any announcement from the crew working the counter, who were not lax at providing updates, but awfully cold towards a large crowd of people facing a very heavy delay.