Opinions Please: Planning our first Europe/Med cruise

[motherchic]

I would like to cruise and see parts of Europe and or parts of the Med.

We would like to see some of these beautiful areas without rushing with only several hours. Is that possible?

Also I love warm weather rather then cold. Suggestions as to what time of year to cruise. Any other ideas Celebrity or not is appreciated.

Thank you

Motherchic

[Rysyonok]

There is so much to see in Europe that we chose to rush rather than relax, and it was worth it - some daily tours had 2, 3 cities. To stay warm, go before October. Try 7-day West Med cruises. :)

[lifevicarious]

I would like to cruise and see parts of Europe and or parts of the Med.

We would like to see some of these beautiful areas without rushing with only several hours. Is that possible?

Also I love warm weather rather then cold. Suggestions as to what time of year to cruise. Any other ideas Celebrity or not is appreciated.

Thank you

Motherchic

 

If you don't want to rush, I don't suggest a cruise.

 

A cruise is a great way to not have to worry about anything. You get on board, you have your food, the same bed to sleep on, and you wake up each morning in a new place. But you won't get to see much of anything other then the highlights.

 

It can be a great way to see a little bit of a lot of places in a short time which can help you decide on what you want to investigate at a later time in more depth. But you don't get the chance to immerse yourself in a culture. You're shuttled from one tourist site to the next in a bus. This can certainly be a great way to travel, but in my opinion, the ports of a cruise itinerary are secondary in nature to the cruise itself, I'm sure others will disagree though.

 

I have been to Europe 5 times. The first 4 were 3 week land/train/plane vacations. The 5th trip was a 13 night Mediterranean cruise. The cruise was a 3 continent, 5 country whirlwind tour. I got to see snippets of a lot of different places but for seeing a country, you can't beat a land tour. I love photography and have focused primarily on travel photography (you can check out my photo blog at lifevicarious.com if interested). I don't find a cruise conducive to the type of exploring I would like to do, but that doesn't mean I don't like cruising.

 

As for time of year to go, I don't know where you live but Summer is a great time. THe middle of summer will certainly be hotter and busier. Many would agree that the shoulder seasons are the best compromise between warm weather and smaller crowds (May/June and September/Oct).

 

Not sure if that helps or not, and I'm sure others will have differing opinions, but that is my two cents! :)

[hylasgirl]

I would like to cruise and see parts of Europe and or parts of the Med.

We would like to see some of these beautiful areas without rushing with only several hours. Is that possible?

Also I love warm weather rather then cold. Suggestions as to what time of year to cruise. Any other ideas Celebrity or not is appreciated.

Thank you

Motherchic

 

 

A Med cruise is my favorite cruise of all time. I have done a few of them now... returned to areas again and again. You can see so many things with your day in port. Yes, they are busy days... but I haven't been on a cruise yet that has been more enriching than a Mediterranean cruise. The sights are amazing!

 

We have been in May and we have also cruised several times in September. They were both perfect. I would not go any later than September. The weather is PERFECT in May and September. Later May was very warm... perfect for us. You will be chancing some cool weather in October.

 

I have cruised with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. I have liked them both for different reasons. BUT... if Celebrity would do a route like the Brilliance does out of Barcelona (which they used to) I would choose Celebrity over anyone.

 

I would NOT only do a 7 day Med. cruise. But that is just me. There is just too much to see. You barely get settled in and the cruise is over. I have only done 12 day Med. cruises and they have been perfect... leaving a few days to explore at the end of the cruise.

 

For your first Med. cruise I would suggest an itinerary that includes Venice, Livorno (Florence), Naples (favorite cruise port) and Civitavecchia (Rome). These are the biggies... plenty to do and see... and SOOOO incredible. Each place is so different from the next. I love that about the Mediterranean. Not all stops look the same... I would cruise the Med. every year if I could.:)

 

Don't let anyone talk you out of getting a taste of Europe by cruise ship. It's an incredible way to see some of these areas and it has determined areas that we have wanted to go back to. With our ever falling dollar, it's also a great value!

 

Enjoy!

[Can'tstopcruising]

Motherchic, I don't know how old you are or how energetic you are , but regardless, this is my opinion, for what it's worth.

 

A cruise is all about the ship. If the ports can be toured in one day, I find it suitable. Otherwise, I prefer to spend more time in a given place.

 

You didn't mention how long a trip you wish to take. We used to do 3 cities in 15 days. As we got older, we reduced it to 2. Now, give me 1 destination for 3 weeks!!!! On our last European trip (October), we did 4 places in 3 weeks and for us (seniors) that was tiring.

 

I can identify with your "problem". We would like to do a trip in the fall. Either 1) Provence or 2) a 12 night cruise plus Barcelona or 3) Azamara has a winter offer for 14 nights Asia which sounds exotic and tempting but involves over 24 hours of flying in each direction.

 

I am sure that you will have as many different opinions as there will be responses to your query. But at least they will give you lots of food for thought! Have fun planning!

[May B]

We did a 14-day Baltic in July of '08. We were incredibly lucky with the weather and it was warm every place we went. The ports were:

St. Petersburg, 2 days

Copenhagen, 2 days

Stockholm, 2 days (departure port, plus we arrived a day early)

Riga, Latvia

Tallin, Estonia

Helsinki, Finland

Oslo, Norway

Gdansk, Poland

[not in that order]

 

We loved it and I have a list of things I'd like to do next time in all the ports except two. Mr. B., on the other hand, claims to have seen enough of them all.

 

The cruise ended at Harwich, England, and then we spent time in London. Do you all know that Buckingham Palace is open in August to tours for the general public? Delightful.

 

We happened to have started in London, as we went to a bridge congress in Scotland before flying to Stockholm, and during our three days in London, we had the special experience of watching guests arrive for a lawn party at Buckingham Palace. I was in awe.

 

Btw, that was our one and only trip to Europe or the UK and I think it was a great start.

 

There's a wonderful Amsterdam to Barcelona itinerary in Sept. that would fill in the gaps between the Baltic and the Med., for anybody who's looking for something a bit diff. I think it's on the Connie.

 

Have fun, deciding and then doing!

[brazilgirl]

Motherchic-

 

I too have visited Europe by land and by ship ( the Med and the Baltics).

 

My 2 cents:

 

If possible , plan a pre and/or post cruise land trip . Then you get best of both worlds! Many cruises leave from fascinating cities such as Venice and Barcelona , which are worth days of exploration . You can also use these cities as a base , rent a car and do exploration of nearby regions. My friend just did a Med cruise and they spent a week in Rome and Florence. When we did our Baltic cruise , we did a pre Paris portion and a post London portion...wonderful!

 

Cruises are fabulous to get an overview of Europe . But in a 7 hour visit , you get a "taste". I would absolutely do at least a 12 day cruise.

 

Another suggestion- try to book private tours rather than the ship tours. You really get a lot more out of the experience. We ´ve also rented cars in several ports , which ended up being great- we really took advantage of our time ( we did this in Santorini , Copenhagen and Warnemunde).

 

My favorite Med ports- Venice , Santorini , Livorno , Naples and Dubrovnik.

 

We went to the Med in May- less crowds and great weather...sunny , not too hot. My friend went in July and about died of heat stroke (figuratively) and she is used to Brazilian weather!

 

Have fun- you´ll love it!

 

Kim

[zoncom]

I would go in May before summer crowds. Also, better pricing. A 12 nighter from Barcelona- Rome gives a great Med overview. You will prefer some countries over others. Come back to see them extensively on land. Find one that is not heavy on Spain as (in my opinion), the ports sort of duplicate each other. Except Barcelona, a great port. Book your own air online and go in a few days early, maybe a few days after. Both BCN and Rome offer excellent open jaw pricing. I would not do a 7n er, all you will get is jet lag. Check fares on Booking Buddy.

[Lsimon]

We did a Barcelona to Venice cruise in September a couple year back. The weather was ideal. While it was crowded I got the impression the crowds were nothing compared to what people experience in the summer, especially August.

 

The trip was incredible stopping in the French Riviera, the major Italy ports, Greece and Croatia - and the sail into Venice mid day, slowly past the heart of the city, was an experience I'll never forget.

 

We planned to do the same cruise this coming September with other friends and had one booked on Celebrity but they cancelled that itinerary, at least for September 2010. Instead we're taking a similar itinerary but round trip from Barcelona on the Century so it doesn't include quite the selection of ports that the one way trip did.

 

I'd highly recommend this "classic" Mediterranean itinerary for your first cruise to Europe. We've also done a couple Transatlantic repositioning cruises that originate in the Med and visited a few interesting ports before heading the the US coast.

 

As far as being rushed, the will definitely be some rushed days, especially they days at the major Italy ports at Rome and Florence as these ports are about an hour away from the cities. This makes for a rushed long day, especially since almost everyone is getting off the ship about the same time, but one that you'll remember forever.

 

After our upcoming trip we imagine that our next European cruise will be in Northern Europe / Baltic region which we've heard wonderful things about. But for our first trip we really wanted to see the Mediterranean cities and were glad we did.

 

Photos and port reviews:

[Icecat]

I would like to cruise and see parts of Europe and or parts of the Med.

We would like to see some of these beautiful areas without rushing with only several hours. Is that possible?

Also I love warm weather rather then cold. Suggestions as to what time of year to cruise. Any other ideas Celebrity or not is appreciated.

Thank you

Motherchic

Check into the Royal or Star Clippers, small sailing vessels that will get you into ports not visited by the large cruise ships. Since these ships only have 170-220 passengers, you avoid the mob scene. Next year, were on the Royal Clipper for our 3rd trip in the Med.

[kannna]

Trips with overnight stops are nice. We did Venice to Barcelona on the Summit in 2008 and had overnights in Venice, Kusadasi, and Civitavechia. This allowed you to get a larger taste of the port and not feel so rushed.

[Onessa]

We've done several Med cruises as well as several land-based vacations in Italy and Spain. The cruises are a marvolous way to "try out" a few places and see which ones most interest you. We never would have considered spending two weeks on Sicily had it not been for our last cruise that stopped in Messina.

[Bruin Steve]

I would like to cruise and see parts of Europe and or parts of the Med.

We would like to see some of these beautiful areas without rushing with only several hours. Is that possible?

Also I love warm weather rather then cold. Suggestions as to what time of year to cruise. Any other ideas Celebrity or not is appreciated.

Thank you

Motherchic

 

I am a veteran of six Europe cruises with another set for this July...Plus, I have traveled throughout Europe several more times on "land" vacations...

 

I have cruised with seven different cruise lines, three of them to Europe (Celebrity, Princess and Oceania)...

 

Here is my take:

 

First of all, "rushed" is relative...I have usually felt far less rushed on cruises, largely because on land trips my wife has always wanted to fit in as much as possible...and a large part of each day always seemed to be taken up by logistics--getting from one place to the next, checking in and out of hotels, etc. One can do a less rushed land trip by choosing only one or two "base" locations and limiting one's visit to the regions around the bases...But a cruise helps ease a more extensive itinerary by handling the logistics for you and traveling while you eat, sleep and are entertained...

 

My preference is to sort of combine the two types of vacations...Do a cruise that starts in one port and ends in another...and tack on some extra days at either end...

 

For example, this past summer, we did a 14 night cruise that began in Barcelona and ended in Istanbul (both towns we have visited before, Barcelona many times)...We tacked on three hotel nights in each of these ports...This allowed us three very leisurely days in Barcelona to enjoy the city night and day at a slow pace...Also allowed us to rest a little from the flights and to catch up with the major time zone change...The three night stay in Istanbul (plus an "overnight" on the ship) allowed us to enjoy Istanbul at a leisurely pace and to wind down from the cruise before returning to the reality of home...

 

In Barcelona, we stayed in a hotel right on Las Ramblas...In Istanbul, we stayed in the heart of the Sultanhamet...So, everything in both towns was easy and walkable and we really got to enjoy the nightlife (something you miss on most cruises since most ships depart at the end of the day...Celebrity is very good in this regard with some "overnights" and some late nights in port)...

 

For our coming Baltic cruise--14 nights in and out of Southampton, we are flying into Heathrow 8 days early, renting a car and touring Cornwall, Devon and Dorset...Then, after the cruise, we are spending two additional nights in London...

 

I believe doing Europe this way really gives you the best of both worlds--you get to spend some longer and less limited time in a couple of places and also get the great cruise experience and get to take in a wider range of towns and countries...

 

For some ports, we've found a day's port stop visit to be long enough...For other ports, it's nowhere near enough...You have to learn to pic and choose what you see in those towns and be content with seeing "enough" or "something" rather than everything...Rome wasn't built in a day...and it certainly can't be covered in a day's tour...You see a little of Rome or Athens or Istanbul and you really want more? Just book another cruise and come back...or book a cruise that starts or ends there and spend a few days pre- or post-cruise...or just come back for a "land trip" to that town sometime...

 

Remember, though, that even on a "land trip", you are never going to have enough time to "see everything" in these ports--which is one of the reasons I keep returning...keep traveling...keep cruising...I think in my life, if I combined all of my visits, I've probably spent about a month in Rome, three weeks in Barcelona and in London, a week in Istanbul and in Stockholm...and so on...Yet I keep on going back and find new things to see and do every time (as well as revisit old favorites)...

 

But, every cruise, I get enough in each port visited to make my day and my vacation worthwhile...and by cruising, I get a nice variety of experiences...

 

When and where to go? Well, if you like warm weather, Mediterranean cruises are always going to be warmer than Baltic or Northern European cruises...though, in July and August, it is warm enough up north...But, on the whole, I think the Med is your best bet...I love the northern cruises as well, but the Med is clearly my favorite...virtually every port is a gem...

 

We usually go in July or August (because my wife works for the schools) and it can be very hot--but not really different than it is for us here at home in Southern California--hot but not muggy--far less humid than when it gets hot on the east coast of the US...We actually enjoy it...We dress for it, bring sunblock and a bottle of water and a hat when out and about each day...The skies are blue so photos are great...and it never rains in Med climates in the summer...

 

I really recommend you look for a Med cruise on Celebrity (I'd also recommend Azamara or Oceania for some great itineraries and a smaller less formal ship--but the prices tend to be a bit higher...Celebrity is the best value for a great cruise at a reasonable price--my first choice)...

 

Pick an itinerary with ports that interest you...

But, I would suggest finding one that 1) Starts and ends in different ports, 2) Mixes in a few different countries and cultures, 3) mixes some large cities with some smaller ports or islands for some variation and 4) has some longer hours in some ports...

 

I also recommend taking the longest cruise and longest total vacation you can afford and get away from work for...You've got to fly there anyway, might as well make the most of it...

 

Good luck...

[History addict]

Some great advice here already but I'll add my comments too :

 

British school holidays are from mid July until first week in September - there will be a lot of British families in the Med in these months. Something to bear in mind if you don't like cruise ships full of kids.

 

As has already been stated, May/June and September are lovely months to enjoy the Med before the heat of the summer, especially if you are wanting to go sight-seeing rather than enjoying the sun.

 

The Eastern Med around Greece/Turkey is several degrees hotter than the western Med around France/Spain/Italy.

 

Where you go depends on how much time you have and whether your focus is seeing the major cities or history or shopping, etc.

 

Many Med cruises do circuits in either the eastern or western Med. If you want to do both areas then the re-positioning cruises could be a good bet.

 

The major cities are all worth seeing (in my humble opinion) but some are a long way from the port areas and you may need to consider using the ship's excursions for the likes of Florence (from Livorno) or Rome (from Civitavecchia). Others such as Barcelona and Naples are right outside the port. Athens is midway but easily reached by public transport.

 

The sail into and out of Venice is about the best you'll ever see in your life and something every cruiser ought to do at least once. It was my first ever sailway on the first night of my first cruise and to be remembered forever.

 

My favourite part of the Med is the Greek Islands. Extremely picturesque ports and villages (eg, Mykonos), some amazing scenery (eg, Santorini) and some stunning historical sites too (eg, Delos). Cruises in this area often call at Athens and Turkey too. A great area to visit in May.

[motherchic]

Thank you all for such wonderful advice. I appreciate all the time you took to give me such thorough suggestions.

I will come back when I make a decision Or have another question.

Many thanks,

Again

Nadine

[graceinmelbourne]

Thank you all for such wonderful advice. I appreciate all the time you took to give me such thorough suggestions.

I will come back when I make a decision Or have another question.

Many thanks,

Again

Nadine

 

 

Hi,

 

We are going on a 12 night cruise on 12th September on Brilliance of the Sea with 2 kids ages 9 and 13. We are from Australia so they will be on school vacation then but if you can get them out of school then it would be an ideal time to go as it is still warm but the ship and ports will not be as crowded as they would be in summer. They get to visit places such as Cannes, Livorno (Florence), Rome, Naples, Dubrovnik, Venice and Corfu. A great way to visit these wonderful places. There won't be many kids on board at this time of year which means they have much more opportunity to do the fun things on board such as rock climbing, water slides, pools etc. without hundreds of other kids. We do hope there will be a few kids on board though!