Advice please!

we are considering a first time cruise and would like to do one leaving Venice and touring Croatia, Santorini, Dubrovnik area possibly sept/ Oct this year.

We are looking for smaller ship with good dining options ( we both enjoy fine dining) and good evening entertainment. We don’t want water slides and go kart tracks on board!

We are 61/65 fit, healthy and whilst we can afford the better quality holidays we don’t want to pay over the odds for a holiday we may not enjoy.

I’m concerned about motion sickness, and my husband refuses to dress in dinner jacket (he’s retired from business and prefers smart jackets and trousers)

Also I’m very confused on whereabouts to choose on a ship, we want a balcony... but which part of the ship is better? ... is there any way of knowing when you arrive in port which side of the boat is better to be on?.... which side will get the morning or evening sun?

If anyone can give advice I would be very appreciative.

we are considering a first time cruise and would like to do one leaving Venice and touring Croatia, Santorini, Dubrovnik area possibly sept/ Oct this year.

 

We are looking for smaller ship with good dining options ( we both enjoy fine dining) and good evening entertainment. We don’t want water slides and go kart tracks on board!

 

We are 61/65 fit, healthy and whilst we can afford the better quality holidays we don’t want to pay over the odds for a holiday we may not enjoy.

 

I’m concerned about motion sickness, and my husband refuses to dress in dinner jacket (he’s retired from business and prefers smart jackets and trousers)

 

Also I’m very confused on whereabouts to choose on a ship, we want a balcony... but which part of the ship is better? ... is there any way of knowing when you arrive in port which side of the boat is better to be on?.... which side will get the morning or evening sun?

 

If anyone can give advice I would be very appreciative.

Oceania

Generally, something mid ships, mid deck will feel the least motion. In the MIDDLE of the ship is the most stable place.

Either side of the ship is fine. You won't dock in the same direction every time, so you have 50/50 odds of facing the dock. If you're not facing the dock, you will be in a harbor, with sights everywhere...no worries! Whether you get morning or evening sun depends on the direction you're going in relation to where you are on the ship. It can change daily.

A smaller ship sounds like it would suit you best...perhaps one of the "luxury" lines....most don't have "formal" nights anymore. Talk to a good cruise travel agent. They can give you all your options.

Thank You! I’m going to visit a local travel agent this week to try and get more advice and hopefully book something...

Go to http://www.cruisetimetables.com and choose your departure port, then your dates. It will tell you who is sailing and their itineraries. Once you have some possibilities, go to the boards here for those cruise lines and ask about the experience. You can get other options by googline for Adriatic small ship cruises. EM

Based on the parameters you have provided, I suggest avoiding all of the mainstream cruise lines and would suggest starting your research with a premium line - Viking Ocean & Oceania would probably meet your requirements.

When searching for a new cruise line we liked both, in the end opting for Viking. Viking currently has 5 ships, with the oldest dating from 2015. Each ship has 930 passengers. They don't have any casino, annoying photographers and the evening dress code is smart casual - open necked collared shirt and trousers - No jacket, No ties, but also no shorts or jeans. This is the standard every evening as Viking has no formal nights.

Meals are very good and both specialty restaurants are complimentary.

Viking has no inside cabins, all balconies - DW also experiences motion sickness, so we opt for a midships cabin, on the lowest deck that has cabins below. We book a DV 4 cabin on Deck 4 - midships. Which side of the ship is best in port is impossible to determine in advance, however for sunrise/sunset look at the route on a map to determine the best side for sunsets. For Venice southbound, the Stbd side (odd number cabins) will experience sunsets and port side (even numbers) should get sunrise.

For the route you are considering, Viking offers Venice to Athens - 10 days calling at all the ports you mentioned. However, you will be very luck to find space in Sept/Oct 2018, as most 2019 are already fully booked. Here is a link to the Viking cruise

https://www.vikingcruisescanada.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/eastern-mediterranean/empires-mediterranean/index.html

Good luck finding a cruise & enjoy.

Azamara Cruises

For the sail-out from Venice past St Marks Square (one of the best sail-outs in the world) in a balcony cabin, best by far is port (left) side.

That said, up on deck is just as good - and more sociable.

Morning sun won't make a lot of difference for the short while that you're in your cabin on port days, evening sun will of course be to the west - starboard side heading south from Venice.

But if your cruise returns to the same port as your embarkation (ie it's not a one-way cruise) everything levels out over the length of your cruise.

And most of your sailing will be at night - only one or two days will be "sea days".

Since motion sickness is a concern, aim for a cabin mid-ships (about halfway down the length of the ship) because there's less "pitching". Think of a see-saw - but hopefully not as extreme :D. I could never figure the logic, but the stern tends to pitch less than the bow.

And choose as low a deck as your ego will allow. Generally higher decks command premium prices, but tend to sway more. "The more you pay, the more you sway". On smaller ships that's not such a big problem because the highest decks aren't 14 to 15 storeys high.

You'll pay quite a lot more on the smaller ships others that have suggested.

If that's more than you want to spend, Celebrity is probably the best of the mass-market lines, with Princess not far behind.

No waterslides & such on those ships, they tend to attract the more mature passenger. But they are mainly quite big ships.

All just MHO as always.

JB :)

Go to www.cruisetimetables.com and choose your departure port, then your dates. It will tell you who is sailing and their itineraries. Once you have some possibilities, go to the boards here for those cruise lines and ask about the experience. You can get other options by googline for Adriatic small ship cruises. EM

Thanks! Will do.

Thanks John Bull, a lot of really helpful advice...

So far I’ve only found Norwegian that are doing cruise in October...as I particularly want to stop at Santorini (big fan of Mamma Mia )

But the cruise also stops at Corfu which I’ve been to so trying to find Montenegro instead...I know I’m being picky but I’m sure I saw this option at some point so I’m hunting it down!

What’s your experience of Norwegian, if any ?

...

What’s your experience of Norwegian, if any ?

If you're looking for a luxury experience Norwegian is not for you. NCL Star is an older ship, but, there are swimming pool slides and in my experience the main dining rooms on Norwegian Cruise Line are not great.

I would recommend focusing on some of the luxury lines like Crystal, Seabourn, Regent and Oceania as Flatbush Flyer had recommended.

There is an Oceania 7-night Mediterranean cruise leaving Venice on October 26 with the following itinerary:

Venice, Italy | Ravenna, Italy | Zadar, Croatia | Kotor, Montenegro | Corfu, Greece | Messina, Sicily, Italy | Naples, Italy | Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

There are only suites available for this cruise at $3,449 per person.

As mentioned above it's best to speak with a travel agent who specializes in cruises and can point you in the right direction.

Jonathan

Thanks John Bull, a lot of really helpful advice...

So far I’ve only found Norwegian that are doing cruise in October...as I particularly want to stop at Santorini (big fan of Mamma Mia )

But the cruise also stops at Corfu which I’ve been to so trying to find Montenegro instead...I know I’m being picky but I’m sure I saw this option at some point so I’m hunting it down!

What’s your experience of Norwegian, if any ?

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Mediterranean-cruises/athens-to-venice-RVA181024/?sr=%2Fcruise-finder%2F%23search-result-anchor

Thanks cruiserking I’m off to travel agent this afternoon although the itinerary of Oceania is not my first choice. We did the Amalfi coast last year and reallywant Santorini included.

Many of the cruises for Sept and October are booked already... is it worth waiting for last minute? We are retired and can go anytime?

Thanks John Bull, a lot of really helpful advice...

So far I’ve only found Norwegian that are doing cruise in October...as I particularly want to stop at Santorini (big fan of Mamma Mia ��)

But the cruise also stops at Corfu which I’ve been to so trying to find Montenegro instead...I know I’m being picky but I’m sure I saw this option at some point so I’m hunting it down!

What’s your experience of Norwegian, if any ?

No personal experience of NCL, but my partner has.

I've avoided NCL for one simple (but some would say illogical) reason - I'm a great believer in transparent up-front and competitive pricing, and NCL have a reputation for nickel & diming their customers.

Examples -

.....they have led the way in increasing service charges / tips / gratuities / call-them-what-you-will, and in ensuring that they get that money.

......they give over a far higher proportion of the ship to extra-income activities such as art "auctions" and premium-pay restaurants. Some say that the standard of food in the included restaurants has consequently fallen below that of other cruise lines.

......they don't permit passengers to take aboard any drinks whatsoever - not even bottled water or sodas. (tea, regular coffee, etc is free on all cruise lines, including NCL). Drinks prices are high on most cruise ships, not just NCL

Sadly, NCL isn't alone in squeezing money out of their passengers - you'll find on most cruise lines that it's the "extras" that generate their profits, because they want to quote low cruise prices. But NCL take it further than the other cruise lines.

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=2031

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2375938

(you'll find opinions on both sides of the fence in those links)

There is an easy answer - just take those extra costs into account when choosing a cruise. That's something I do as a matter of course with other cruise lines, but I draw the line at NCL.

Luxury lines offer far more inclusive pricing, but altho pricing for us in the UK might be different to those booking in the US, their cruise prices are so very much higher that the "inclusions" only make a small dent in the difference.

Sorry, this post has been all about costs.:rolleyes:

My partner has enjoyed cruising with NCL (including one with daughter this year), and it has a reputation for informality and "free-styling".

Ships are large but beautifully-appointed.

If it weren't for my hang-up about nickel-and-diming I'd have given NCL a try a long time ago.

...............................................

BTW....

Santorini is getting ever-more popular with cruisers and consequently access from cruise ships is getting ever-more slow and difficult - you are tendered to a pier below the cliffs and have to make your way to the top by cable-car (inadequate capacity) or on the back of a mule. There are ways to alleviate that, but bear it in mind.

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/search.php?searchid=135587582

Corfu is very pleasant but I found it unexciting.

Haven't yet visited Montenegro, but love Croatia's Dalmatian coast.

All just MHO, and admittedly not all based on personal experience.

Stand by for posts from those wanting to defend NCL :D

JB :)

The cruise that ticks your boxes is Star Flyer, leaving Venice Sept. 1. Unfortunately, likely to be very pricey. She is a sailing ship, so small.

Here she is in Santorini:

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruisesonstarflyer-01sep2018.html

She also does this cruise Oct. 6: https://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruisesonstarflyer-06oct2018.html

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/Mediterranean-cruises/athens-to-venice-RVA181024/?sr=%2Fcruise-finder%2F%23search-result-anchor

Veranda cabins "guaranteed"

Thanks for this but want to depart Venice if possible And I’ve done Crete Rhodes and Athens already.

Just been to travel agent and all the ones I want are fully booked for balcony rooms on ships we would condider... what are my chances for wait list?

The size of that ship scares me to death! I’ve been sea sick on many ferries and pleasure boats, so feel I need a larger boat to feel safe.

Thanks for this but want to depart Venice if possible And I’ve done Crete Rhodes and Athens already.

Just been to travel agent and all the ones I want are fully booked for balcony rooms on ships we would condider... what are my chances for wait list?

Booking terms for Americans are different to those for us in Europe - they can book penalty-free (ie cancel their booking and get a full refund of deposit) right up to "final payment day". So there tends to be a mini-glut of availability approaching that date.

But "final payment day" is normally at least 90 days before the cruise date - and we're well beyond that for September / October.

We are also retired so totally flexible on dates and we often book late, particularly on Brit ships like P&O or Marella. Brochure prices in the UK tend to be over-priced, so best value is either super-early (for early-booking incentives) or from about 8 weeks before sailing date for seriously good value on cruises that still have excess availability - naturally they don't like sailing with empty cabins.

You've "just been to a travel agent".

So I'm presuming that's an agency which sells all sorts of holiday packages.

Can I suggest that instead (or in addition) you phone some cruise specialist agencies. Use the phone, not the internet.

Naming agencies isn't permitted on Cruise Critic, but just google "UK cruise agents". They know cruising way way better than high street travel agents (very very useful for a first-time cruiser), and they'll have late deal offers to hand.

And get on their e-mailing lists. If / when you find a suitable cruise from any source, go back to the one which seems the most helpful & ask them to beat or at least match the price.

Best-value late offers tend to be Marella or Cruise & Maritime or Fred Olsen. All three are UK-orientated, all three have much older ships without the glitz & glamour and they're at the opposite end of the spectrum from the likes of Oceania so don't expect too much. But they tend to be smaller ships, very friendly and relaxed, and they have some great itineraries.

JB :)

Thanks for this but want to depart Venice if possible And I’ve done Crete Rhodes and Athens already.

Just been to travel agent and all the ones I want are fully booked for balcony rooms on ships we would condider... what are my chances for wait list?

Waitlists for premium/luxury cruises in Sept/Oct (2018) will most likely have a low probability of success. Once final payments are made the number of cancellations drops dramatically. However, doesn't hurt to try, as you may be lucky.