My wife and I are planning on a Mediterranean cruise Jul 2023 to celebrate our 10 yr anniversary. My wife went on one short cruise after college and I have never been on one before, so we don't really know what we're doing. We would love any/all input!
We are trying to decide between a 7 day RCI cruise and a 7 day HAC cruise.
https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/find-a-cruise/E3M07F/O346.html
https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruises/itinerary/7-night-greek-isles-from-rome-civitavecchia-on-odyssey/OY07ROM-3274971603?sail-date=2023-08-13¤cy=USD&country=USA&dates_maxDate=07%2F31%2F2023&dates_minDate=06%2F01%2F2023
About us:
We're in our early 30's, but we are old souls 😊. We're planning on reading tons of books, eating good food, sitting by the pool, etc. We drink, but not that much. We're really excited about the historical sites included in this cruise. I think of us as being pretty adaptable and fairly easy to please. If the food isn't perfect or if the boat is a little crowded, it won't ruin our trip. At the same time, when I read reviews like "we had to wait an hr or two to get a table each night" or "the pool was always too crowded to use" that gives me pause.
We like the Holland America cruise because: 1. It hits Venice, Athens, and Ephesus, all of which are on our list of places we'd love to see, 2. Reviews seem to indicate that Holland America may provide a little better service, a little better food, and the ships may be less crowded.
We like the RCI cruise because 1. It hits Rome, Naples, and Ephesus, 2. The ship is new and looks beautiful. While we are certainly old souls, we'd love to try all of the cool activities they've included. It also looks like, although there would be a ton of people onboard, there are plenty of places to sit and read a book.
Please let me know what you think of these specific cruises, the cruise lines, the ships, any tips on booking the cruise, etc. Thank you!