If you had the choice for embarkation which would you chose-Rome,Venice,Barcelona?

[new kiwi girl]

Hi Just booking my med cruise for next Sept, and have a choice between embarking at Barcelona and disembarking in Venice, vice versa, or Rome for both. For ease of use, and cheaper cost which would you use? Another factor for me is I have relatively new Knees, and hopefully all will be well in a year, but still don't want to push it by walking lots with luggage. There will be 4 of us to share expenses.

 

I want to thank all for sharing all their wealth of knowledge as I find it such a help.

 

 

cheers

[Keith1010]

Rome, might be cheaper because you could get a R/T flight from there. I would start off by looking at the flight situation for all of these places to see the cost and the ease/complexity of the flights. Keep in mind that the airport is located about 45 minutes from the port and about 45 minutes from the city and that the city to the port is about 90 minutes.

 

As to the other two locations I highly recommend flying in a few days before the cruise to get over the jet lag and to ensure you arrive on time should your flights be delayed or cancelled. Either of the two cities would be nice.

 

Now, if you have trouble walking, Barclelona might be easier to get around with various forms of public transporatation.

 

I guess if I had to rank this it would be Rome, followed by starting in Barcelona followed by Venice given your situation. If walking was not an issue I would have placed Venice ahead of Barcelona.

 

Keith

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Return to Rome would obviously be the cheapest option. I also would imagine that Venice would be the most challenging for your new knees.

[chipmaster]

Hi Just booking my med cruise for next Sept, and have a choice between embarking at Barcelona and disembarking in Venice, vice versa, or Rome for both. For ease of use, and cheaper cost which would you use? Another factor for me is I have relatively new Knees, and hopefully all will be well in a year, but still don't want to push it by walking lots with luggage. There will be 4 of us to share expenses.

 

I want to thank all for sharing all their wealth of knowledge as I find it such a help.

 

 

cheers

 

I didn't find open jaw versus round trip from the same port to be much different in price if you book early enough. I believe for us the difference was just a few tens of dollars. I'd always opt for the embarkation/disembarkation in two different ports for the Med as you can then add a couple days on both ends and see TWO cities intstead of one. But if that one is Rome versus Venice and Barcelona that is a difficult choice :rolleyes:

 

As to port costs Venice and Rome are both expensive with Venice more so with limited hotels and being purely a tourist destination. We found Barcelona much more economic, but with the euro where it is it'll be expensive in most ports.

 

We did Venice to Barcelona. I'd say depending on what the schedule is I'd pick the one that sails in/out of Venice during day/dusk be the one I'd take. We did the Grand med on Princess so my preference is the Venice to Barcelona with a stop in Rome.

 

In all the ports you'll have to deal with walking. If you book a hotel close to port, have a dock you can avoid lots of stairs. You do need to be prepared that a med cruise usually means signficant tours / walking in port. I'd suggest you consider Private tours and with 4 you'll probably have reasonable cost, if you get 2-3 more for a total party of 6-7 you can get a private minivan for ~ 100-150/person in port. These private tours offer far more intimate and efficent sightseeing then any of the cruise ship tours. We did this in most of your ports last summer and my father, mother and mother in-law all in their 70's and 80's did fine as the private tours drop you usually 10-50' from the attractions while the ship bus tours require you to walk hundreds of yards if not more in Europe.

 

Good luck planning and with those new knees

[CintiPam]

We also have found that flying open jaws has not added much, if any at all, to our airfare costs, perhaps because flying to anywhere in Europe from Cincinnati, which is controlled 90%by Delta, is so expensive!.:D

 

The advantages of having extra days to spend in two cities rather than one have been fabulous.

 

In fact, we just purchased airfare for our Oceania April 28, 2010 Venice to Barcelona cruise, and look forward to three extra days in each city, our first visit to Barcelona.

[boiledham]

We sailed out of Venice this summer and it was magical!! The best sail away ever...down the Grand CAnal and past St. Marks' Square! We cut cost by staying in an apartment (studio type) and fixed 2 of our 3 meals each day. We were located about 5 minutes from the grocery store and market. Plus we were able to just be part of the community instead of targets at a "tourist" trap. We stayed in an apartment in Barcelona as well. They tend to run a little less and you can generally sleep more people. Have fun! The trip is fantastic!!!!:D

 

One more thing, we flew USAirways. Left Nashville, connected in Philly and then straight to Venice. Then out of Barcelona to Philly and Nashville. I had to check prices daily at their website ( sometimes more than once or twice) but it paid off.... $950 rt.

[CintiPam]

We sailed out of Venice this summer and it was magical!! The best sail away ever...down the Grand CAnal and past St. Marks' Square!

 

How did your ship fit under the Rialto Bridge?:confused:

[jocap]

How did your ship fit under the Rialto Bridge?:confused:

LOL!:eek:

[keltic]

Venice. Sailing the Giudecca Canal, it´s a unforgettable experience.

[NANCYR2]

Venice. Sailing out of Venice is something I will never forget.

[hylasgirl]

Venice and Barcelona are certainly the easiest ports to sail from. Venice gorgeous and local to everything. Sailing the canal is wonderful! Barcelona is very convenient also. Rome... LOVELY city but not as great to sail out of. Although, I prefer more time in Rome than I do in Venice or Barcelona so we sailed both in and out of Rome this past summer. We always fly open jaw and never have spent anymore for a ticket.

 

Have fun!

[AmoMondo]

I'd choose Venice as it is my favourite of the 3 cities but it is also the most expensive. Living in Europe, I can get direct flights to Venice, so it is also easy to get to.

 

However if you are coming from further afield then barcelona and Rome are going to have abetter choice of international direct flights. Barcelona is less hassle to get to the port than it is from Rome to the port.

 

They are all great place though and you will enjoy which ever one you choose.

[financialgrl]

I also wanted to spend more time in two different cities, so I will embark in Barcelona and end in Venice. I considered a Rome to Rome cruise but I liked that it would be easier to be in a place where it's only a quick little cab hop to the port from the AP as opposed to 1.5 hours. I am planning on taking a direct flight from Wash DC to London Heathrow, spend the night at an AP hotel and then the next afternoon take the 2 hour flight over to Barcelona and doing the same thing on the way back home from Venice back to London before heading back home to DC. With no direct flights, to fly from DC to Barcelona end up being about 15 hours when you take into account the 5 or 6 hour layovers before getting on the overnight flights.

[Mexfolkart]

Of the three my favorite to embark from is Barcelona..wonderful start to a trip..you are right IN the city, right near the dock. We love to sail into and out of the Venice harbor..Paul Theroux wrote that the only way to see Venice for the first time is to sail into her early in the morning..very true and I will never forget it..sailing out is also nice. But we LOVE Barcelona..inexpensive to get a hotel ahead of time, lots to do and its a wlking city..well, they all are aren't they..we always go ahead of time..in Barcelona at elast 4 days ahead..

Sherry

[iluvbkk]

IMHO I would say Barcelona would be easier for you to navigate your embarkation. Remember, when you fly into Rome, you have about an hour's worth of transportation to get you to the pier. You do have the option of taking a train to the pier which is definitely the cheapest way to go, but if you are concerned about the wear and tear on your knees, you would probably want to hire a driver which is costly. That's what we did last Oct., but there were 2 senior citizens, 1 middle ager and 1 nine year old. The thought of lugging suitcases up and down stairs to get the cheaper train was not doable since my husband's knees are in bad condition. Venice seems to be a bit difficult as well but not having done any embarkatioin there, I can't say for sure. But in Venice, there is a lot of up and down bridge stairs, etc. which makes walking challenging. Barcelona is definitely easier in that regard, but I would recommend taking a taxi from whatever hotel you decide upon to the pier. As to hotel costs, I found Rome and Venice to be pricier than Barcelona. If you take a cruise that includes Venice, you get to sail into it anyway and enjoy the view of Venice coming and going. In a nutshell, I would go with Barcelona.

[texancruzer]

Barcelona would be the easiest.

 

Venice and Rome a bit harder just due to logistics.

 

My favorite city and preference.........Rome, glorious Rome :D

[Lois R]

Hi,:) I am trying to plan my first cruise to the Med for next Sept too.

There is so much stuff to research:eek: and usually I LOVE that part;)

I know my itinerary but haven't been able to book flights (too far

out) and trying to find a hotel pre-cruise too.

I am sailing from Barcelona and the hotel choices are overwhelming!:confused:

 

I have cruised plenty of times (see my signature) but this

is my first one across the pond.:D

I called the cruiseline to see how much they charge for flights~

I really hope I can find something lower in price..if not I may

have to change my cruise:rolleyes:...hoping I can find something within

my budget!

[jdvmd]

Rome is my favorite city in the world but it isn't that easy to get to Civitavecchia. That said, I would vote for Venice, then Barcelona and finally, Rome.

[hubofhockey]

Hi,:) I am trying to plan my first cruise to the Med for next Sept too.

There is so much stuff to research:eek: and usually I LOVE that part;)

I know my itinerary but haven't been able to book flights (too far

out) and trying to find a hotel pre-cruise too.

I am sailing from Barcelona and the hotel choices are overwhelming!:confused:

 

I have cruised plenty of times (see my signature) but this

is my first one across the pond.:D

I called the cruiseline to see how much they charge for flights~

I really hope I can find something lower in price..if not I may

have to change my cruise:rolleyes:...hoping I can find something within

my budget!

I am planning my first Med cruise too. It starts in Venice and ends in Barcelona. I used Trip Advisor as my primary resource in my search and read all reviews and then searched here.

 

As far as Barcelona goes, the best hotel for the lowest price was Hotel Jazz. It was the 4th rated among Trip Advisor users among over 500 hotels and my price was around $150/night.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187497-d296916-Reviews-Hotel_Jazz-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

 

As far as flights go, just search travelocity. You will get a better price than any cruiseline will give you.

[Lois R]

I am planning my first Med cruise too. It starts in Venice and ends in Barcelona. I used Trip Advisor as my primary resource in my search and read all reviews and then searched here.

 

As far as Barcelona goes, the best hotel for the lowest price was Hotel Jazz. It was the 4th rated among Trip Advisor users among over 500 hotels and my price was around $150/night.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187497-d296916-Reviews-Hotel_Jazz-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

 

As far as flights go, just search travelocity. You will get a better price than any cruiseline will give you.

 

Hi:) I have been reading TripAdvisor ALOT:eek:

I saw that hotel and I am still searching. I love a B&B style

type accomadation and they are all over Europe and many times

they are way less money too.:)

Thanks for your reply though:D

Oh, as for Airfare, I usually book directly through the airline.

But I will look at all various sites as well.

[hubofhockey]

Hi:) I have been reading TripAdvisor ALOT:eek:

I saw that hotel and I am still searching. I love a B&B style

type accomadation and they are all over Europe and many times

they are way less money too.:)

Thanks for your reply though:D

Oh, as for Airfare, I usually book directly through the airline.

But I will look at all various sites as well.

 

You mentioned that hotel choices were overwhelming. Nice hotels seem very reasonably priced in Barcelona. So I thought you meant hotels and not B&Bs. We booked a B&B in Venice (the top rated one in Tripadvisor).

 

If you book directly through airlines, why are you considering booking through the cruiseline? You may find that the online travel sites will list flights that, for some reason, the airline online sites won't include. Good luck.

[Lois R]

You mentioned that hotel choices were overwhelming. Nice hotels seem very reasonably priced in Barcelona. So I thought you meant hotels and not B&Bs. We booked a B&B in Venice (the top rated one in Tripadvisor).

 

If you book directly through airlines, why are you considering booking through the cruiseline? You may find that the online travel sites will list flights that, for some reason, the airline online sites won't include. Good luck.

 

I guess my post was not clear..sorry. I am not considering flying

through the cruiseline. I was just stating I called them to see

what they charge. Seems they are always more than direct or other

websites.

 

Oh, I am sure I will find a hotel:) thanks for the luck!!

[cjcruiser27]

Try searching on airfare dot com...someone just got a direct from NY to Barcelona for 400.00, they arrive 3 days early before the cruise..1 way..

Hi,:) I am trying to plan my first cruise to the Med for next Sept too.

There is so much stuff to research:eek: and usually I LOVE that part;)

I know my itinerary but haven't been able to book flights (too far

out) and trying to find a hotel pre-cruise too.

I am sailing from Barcelona and the hotel choices are overwhelming!:confused:

 

I have cruised plenty of times (see my signature) but this

is my first one across the pond.:D

I called the cruiseline to see how much they charge for flights~

I really hope I can find something lower in price..if not I may

have to change my cruise:rolleyes:...hoping I can find something within

my budget!

[hubofhockey]

Lois, I certainly understand what you're going through and I am happy to hear that you are not booking air through the cruiseline. :cool: I have to admit that I get a bit nervous about airfare.com and vayama and less so about travelocity and orbitz.

[cjcruiser27]

What is it that makes you nervous about booking thru them? Just wondering, I never have but have read about those who do.

Lois, I certainly understand what you're going through and I am happy to hear that you are not booking air through the cruiseline. :cool: I have to admit that I get a bit nervous about airfare.com and vayama and less so about travelocity and orbitz.