One cruise to choose..which one should it be?

Have made reservation for Baltics cruise. I am having second thoughts and doubts about this cruise. Have cruised Med, not Greece though. Done Italy, Spain, and mostly Caribbean in winter. I don't want to sound spoiled but this will be our 30th wedding anniversary and we want it to be special. Can't do Galapagos (that is what I really wanted) as we have limited time (12 days the most). Cancelled Egypt as don't think it would be safe next May.

With all you great cruisers out there someone must have an idea.:confused:

Thank you!!!!

Have made reservation for Baltics cruise. I am having second thoughts and doubts about this cruise. Have cruised Med, not Greece though. Done Italy, Spain, and mostly Caribbean in winter. I don't want to sound spoiled but this will be our 30th wedding anniversary and we want it to be special. Can't do Galapagos (that is what I really wanted) as we have limited time (12 days the most). Cancelled Egypt as don't think it would be safe next May.

 

With all you great cruisers out there someone must have an idea.:confused:

 

Thank you!!!!

We enjoyed our W Medit cruise, but the E medit itin which included Greece, Turkey & Italy was really outstanding in every way...the Greek islands were gorgeous... I am thinking that area is still safe (?) (did both of these in Sept for anniv trips--perfect weather that time of yr)

We have not done the baltics so can't really compare whih cwould be better,,,...

We have travelled extensively, and my question to you is what types of things interest you? Do you prefer beaches, shopping, history, scenery??? For example, we are definitely not the beach type, but love history and cities. When we did the Baltic, I selected a cruise itinerary that had 3 full days in St. Petersburg, which was the highlight of the trip. Three full days with a private driver were barely enough to do justice to St. Petersburg.

We both are usually beach people but this time we are looking to see things that we have not seen before. That is one of the reasons we booked Baltics. Princess has a Ireland, England, Scotland cruise that is 12 days out of London. We really wanted to sail Celebrity again especially since we are now Elite.

I welcome any comments regarding your experiences. We chose May for the Baltics as it was before school gets out. We like to sail in winter to warmer climates but are looking for a change. We went to Alaska in May 2009 thinking it would be a cool Spring...it was 80! We had to buy clothes to wear in Seattle.

Thanks again for your input. These boards are a wealth of knowledge:D

Congratulations on your upcoming 30th anniversary. The Baltics are on our bucket list but then, we are not beach people. OTOH, the Greek Islands are very special, as is Turkey and Greece. So much history. We so loved Santorini and stayed there a full week following a cruise from Southampton to Athens. Whatever you decide on, have a wonderful cruise and I hope you pick Celebrity as the Elite perks are great.:p

We both are usually beach people but this time we are looking to see things that we have not seen before. That is one of the reasons we booked Baltics. Princess has a Ireland, England, Scotland cruise that is 12 days out of London. We really wanted to sail Celebrity again especially since we are now Elite.

 

I welcome any comments regarding your experiences. We chose May for the Baltics as it was before school gets out. We like to sail in winter to warmer climates but are looking for a change. We went to Alaska in May 2009 thinking it would be a cool Spring...it was 80! We had to buy clothes to wear in Seattle.

 

Thanks again for your input. These boards are a wealth of knowledge:D

Here is a thought. IF you are beach people and want something different, why not try a catamarin sail in the British Virgin Islands(BVI's).

We did this twice ( a seven day and a ten day sail). Did it with a captain and cook. Best vacation ever. Very laid back and great dining aboard as well as on shore. You won't find better beaches anywhere.

You can go into places no cruise ship can take you. I snorkeled everyday, as they take you to the best snorkel spots.

When I penciled it out, it was cheaper than a cruise. As you pay one fee but it not only includes food but alcoholic drinks & wine of your choice and you don't have taxi and tour costs as they take you right to the area you want to go.

We are crusing the Panama Canal this year(Friday) but think we might do a catamiran next year.

I have lots of pictures if you are interested.

Bob

Our cruise on the Eclipse last June brought us to many places we'd not have gotten to visit otherwise. There were many options besides museums/history, e.g. we Segwayed in Bruges and biked in Copenhagen. No ship tours, but did book a private St. P-burg 2-day with SPB tours. If you are a beach couple, you could go to one near Warnemunde. We enjoy finding a restaurant with outdoor seating, having a wine/beer and just people watching.

Your anniversary will be special regardless of which cruise you choose by preplanning more "romantic" port options. They are there to be found!

How about Hawaii? We booked a 2013 trip there and I always thought Hawaii was so romantic. Much less intensive than a Mediterranean trip and more time to relax and enjoy each other's company.

In May- I'd do Greece and Turkey. If you do one that includes Venice and Istanbul- you will LOVE it.

We enjoyed our W Medit cruise, but the E medit itin which included Greece, Turkey & Italy was really outstanding in every way...the Greek islands were gorgeous... I am thinking that area is still safe (?) (did both of these in Sept for anniv trips--perfect weather that time of yr)

 

We have not done the baltics so can't really compare whih cwould be better,,,...

I second the Eastern Med. We did it in early September too and the weather was perfect. The Greek Isles (Santorini and Mykonos) were spectacular, Turkey (Kusadasi/Ephesus) was a surprise but the biggest surprise was Rhodes. May is a great time and all of the stops have great beaches.

I really recommend the Eastern Med trip for an anniversary.

Don't rule out the Baltics just yet. We were on Constellation in May of 06 and it was, hands down, one of our very favorite vacations. It is a lovely, different part of the world rich with history, magnificent scenery, and delightful people. I think it's underrated, to be honest.

The Celebrity cruises include several sea days which gives you plenty of time to relax as a beach or warm weather cruise would do. We spent our 2 days in St. Petersburg with Alla Tours on a private tour, which made our experience there very personal. I researched all of the options, made suggestions to Alla, and she put together the perfect itinerary, including a night at the Mariinsky to enjoy a performance of the famous ballet. Tallin, Estonia, is such a gem, Stockholm spectacular, and Amsterdam loads of fun. As for the weather, it was very pleasant Spring weather with only one rainy day in Oslo. The other benefit to May is virtually no crowds anywhere. May would be my first choice for the Baltics.

We've been to Turkey and Greece several times, but for a memorable and unique anniversary, I'd jump at the chance to go to the Baltics.

For your 30th anniversary, I would definitely leave the Caribbean behind and head to Europe. DH and I have cruised all regions of Europe with our favorites being the Baltics, of course St. Petersburg is the highlight here also Tallinn, Estonia which is sure to delight, our other choice would be the Eastern Med. I haven't browsed X's itineraries but many go to Istanbul which is fascinating, Ephesus with it's magnificent ruins, also enjoy the beauty of the Greek Isles, lovely Dubrovnik, Croatia and of course the romantic Amalfi Coast. What's not to love! I'm sure whatever you decide will be sure to please and make for wonderful memories of your anniversary. Everyone's bucket list is different, gather information and do whatever makes both of you happy, if it's beaches it doesn't get much better than Hawaii.

After a little research and much back and forth :) We have decided to stay with the Baltics cruise!

Thank you all for your feedback. I appreciate these boards so very much. They have addes enjoyment to every cruise we have taken in the past 10 years. You all are a plethra (?) of information!

Off to the Baltics!!!

Carol

on your upcoming anniversary

and on what I think will be an unregrettable decision

we did the baltic cruise last year and would do it again in a heartbeat -

caution -- beach in tallin would be pretty cold then -- but i'll bet youve guessed that !!

since youve done mediterranean already, i'll bet you will find this fascinating. ENJOY!!!