Europe Cruise Expert Needed

[CALMOM]

My husband and I have always wanted to cruise to Europe. We have sailed on Princess, Carnival & RCCL.

 

I desperately need some advise on which cruise line and which itinerary might work best for us.

 

Time of Year: Anytime, prefer nice weather

Size of Ship: It doesn't matter

Style of Ship: Not Luxury, casual but formal nights are O.K. too

Type of Cabin: Always a balcony or mini-suite

Smoking: Yes, but not in cabin but want to be able to smoke on

balcony and a few areas inside & outside on different

decks.

Our Age: Young, early 50's

Ports of Interest: Rome, Spain and definitely Greece

Time in Ports: At least 12 hrs., 2 days would be great

Cost: We are just average income & try to get best cruise

fare so we have the ability to book any excursions

that interest us.

 

Thank you so much in advance. This is going to be our 25th Anniversary gift to each other.

[Hlitner]

All the cruise lines that you have cruised have ships in the Med. Given your criteria we would suggest you take a good look at the various itineraries offered by Princess. As to the weather in the Med, June - Sept will generally get you excellent weather although it can get hot during those summer months. The spring and fall shoulder seasons would get you cooler weather, but also increase the chances of rain.

 

Hank

[euro cruiser]

For ideal weather in the Med, I would aim for the first half of June or the second half of September. It's still quite warm and days are long, but not so beastly hot as mid summer and less chance of rain than early spring or later fall.

[cruisemom42]

I agree Princess has some very good itineraries in the Med.

 

When you say "nice" weather -- do you mean beach weather? If so, I agree with the suggestions given for timing. But my own preference is to cruise a little earlier or later (earlier Spring or later Fall); you still have nice weather for sightseeing -- I don't like extreme heat -- and it is much less crowded. Also, better cruise deals can be found, and airfare is cheaper. Just a thought. Late October can get rainy in the Western Med, not so much in the Eastern Med.

 

Which brings me to itinerary. Most Med cruises have itineraries that focus mainly on either the Eastern Med (from Italy -- often Venice -- east to Croatia, Greece, and Turkey; some also visit Egypt or Israel) or the Western Med (from Italy -- often Rome -- west to France and Spain).

 

A few cruises will give you a "taste" of both. One great itinerary on Princess, IMHO, is the "Grand Mediterranean" which sails from Venice to Barcelona (and vice versa) and gives you four great ports in Italy Civitavecchia/Rome, Livorno/Florence, Naples, and Venice), a greek isle (Mykonos), stops in Athens and Istanbul (both wonderful), Kusadasi (Ephesus is a highlight for many), as well as Monte Carlo (France) and finally Barcelona (Spain). If you want to see more of Spain, you could add a few days onto your trip at the beginning or end in order to do so.

 

Here's a link to that itinerary and info:

 

http://www.princess.com/pb/itineraryDetails.do?voyageCode=R013N&tourCode=&date=0510&noOfPax=2&resType=C&definition_name=

[UKBayern]

CruiseMom is right, most cruises focus on Western or Eastern Med. What you could do is go with RCCL Navigator from Civitaveccia (Rome) which does East one week and West the other week, and do a back to back. This also normally works out much cheaper with the airfares, as you will be flying in and out of the same airport (open jaws are almost always more expensive).

 

Most cruise lines only travel the whole Med on their way out to sea for their ocean crossings or back into the Med after their Caribbean winter. This will be the case in April or October, what also happens to be the quietest and cool but still fairly pleasant time of year. We were on the November 2009 sailing of the Splendour of the Seas from Venice to Lisbon. Temperature were OK, varying from right out cold in Lisbon (12 °C), to right out gorgeous in Corfu and Sardinia (23°C). Mostly 18/19°C all the way. On the other hand, the price was more than right.;) The best time to travel the Med is in May/beginning of June or middle/end of September. A lot of Europeans know that of course, so prices will be higher. Beware that in southern Spain, Sicliy and in Greece/Turkey temperatures in July and August can be as high as 40-45°C. Not fun!

 

If you are open to other cruiselines than the ones you mentioned too, you have a wealth of choices (everybody is in the Med). The Celebrity Century has very nice itineraries out of Barcelona in June, covering the whole Med. Celebrity Cruises will not break the bank either.

Holland America Line (by the way, I'm am huge fan of HAL!) has gorgeous 20 or 24 day itineraries in April, May or September called "Mediterranean Adventure" and "Magic of the Mediterrean", covering everything you want and more. It might be the same as with Princess Cruises: rather pricey...

 

Why not have a specific cruise travel specialist do the searching for you? Let them earn their commission!:D They know what is new, what is reduced, and they will be able to give you the information you want about a cruise line you don't know.

[chipmaster]

My husband and I have always wanted to cruise to Europe. We have sailed on Princess, Carnival & RCCL.

 

I desperately need some advise on which cruise line and which itinerary might work best for us.

 

Time of Year: Anytime, prefer nice weather

Size of Ship: It doesn't matter

Style of Ship: Not Luxury, casual but formal nights are O.K. too

Type of Cabin: Always a balcony or mini-suite

Smoking: Yes, but not in cabin but want to be able to smoke on

balcony and a few areas inside & outside on different

decks.

Our Age: Young, early 50's

Ports of Interest: Rome, Spain and definitely Greece

Time in Ports: At least 12 hrs., 2 days would be great

Cost: We are just average income & try to get best cruise

fare so we have the ability to book any excursions

that interest us.

 

Thank you so much in advance. This is going to be our 25th Anniversary gift to each other.

 

SHould be a very fun gift :)

 

I think the line matters little and the port lineup the most important thing. There will be difference between the major lines; Costa, Princess, NCL, RCCL etc, but I would select the line/ship that has the port lineup you want.

 

I'd make the list of ports in Italy, Spain, Greece that you want to sail most and then find thru either TA or internet the ship/lines that sail to the most of them. If you aren't constrained go before middle of June or after 1/2 of Sept for best price and less heat.

 

IMHO if I was on a budget and had to choose between a balcony or saving the extra 400-500/person and splurging for two extra private tours in port I'd take the private tours. The tours are expensive, but for us the private tours were what made the ports special, no large bus crowds, drop off 10-50' from the attractions, attentive driver to whisk you at your pace to your next site, beat the baclony.

 

One cruise to consider would be Princess's Grand Med;

Starts/End Venice

Inbetween: Athens, Rome, Florence/Pisa, Naples/Pompeii/Amafli, Istanbul, Kusadasi/Ephesus, Mykonos and Monte Carlo

End/Start: Barcelona

 

Happy planning

[LILynn]

This is my experiences - I hope this helps.

 

My first Med cruise was on the Grand Princess is September. We had great weather and we went to fantastic ports in Italy, Greece and Turkey.

 

We had so much fun that the following year we went on the HAL Prinsendam, also in September on another European cruise. I loved this ship as it was small and was able to get into many ports the bigger ships could not. We started in Amsterdam and ended in Rome. I do not know if this is the itinerary that you are looking for as we only had 2 ports in Italy and none in Greece but it was fantastic.

 

This September we were on the HAL Oosterdam. Another fantastic cruise. We started in Venice (overnight) and ended in Barcelona (overnight) We were all over Italy and also stopped in Dubrovnik and Corfu and Santorini Greece.

 

I love both Princess and HAL - the service was fantastic on both lines.

 

This year we are booked, in September on Oceania. I really wanted as many Italy ports as possible and I did not want to do the same itinerary that we had done in the past. So we are trying a new line. I have read great things about Oceania. The price was comparable to Princess (Oceania was more but it included air). No formal night, anytime dining and 12 ports in 12 days.

 

We love travelling in September. The crowds are not as great as the rest of the summer. There were very few kids on the ship as they are all back in school. The weather has always been nice.

 

I have only had a balcony once - at the last minute we got an upgrade offer for $200 so we took advantage of it. But in all honesty we never used it other than one night when we were passing Stromboli - an active volcano. I could have easily gone up on deck to watch if we did not have the balcony. We spent a lot of money on tours and drivers and I am reallly happy that I saved the money and put it toward that.

 

Good luck - I am sure you will have a great time no matter what you do.

[BurBunny]

You mentioned you're a smoker and one of your priorities is to be able to smoke on your balcony. Many people here have recommended Princess. Do know that, since the fire on the Star Princess several years ago, Princess allows smoking in the cabins, but NOT on the balconies.

 

The smoking on the balcony preference does significantly reduce your choice of lines. If this is truly your priority, you won't be able to sail on Celebrity, for example. To satisfy your desire for multiple and long days in port I would have recommended Oceania or Azamara Club, but both of them also restrict smoking areas.

 

Holland America line is the only premium line which permits smoking in both the cabin and on the balconies.

 

You might want to evaluate if itinerary or smoking options is more important to you. For Europe, and to get the most out of it, you might consider compromising a bit on the smoking options to get a more favorable itinerary for your desires.

 

And definitely, contact a professional cruise specialist travel agent to help you navigate the options.

[cruisemom42]

You mentioned you're a smoker and one of your priorities is to be able to smoke on your balcony. Many people here have recommended Princess. Do know that, since the fire on the Star Princess several years ago, Princess allows smoking in the cabins, but NOT on the balconies.

 

The smoking on the balcony preference does significantly reduce your choice of lines. If this is truly your priority, you won't be able to sail on Celebrity, for example. To satisfy your desire for multiple and long days in port I would have recommended Oceania or Azamara Club, but both of them also restrict smoking areas.

 

Holland America line is the only premium line which permits smoking in both the cabin and on the balconies.

 

You might want to evaluate if itinerary or smoking options is more important to you. For Europe, and to get the most out of it, you might consider compromising a bit on the smoking options to get a more favorable itinerary for your desires.

 

And definitely, contact a professional cruise specialist travel agent to help you navigate the options.

 

Burbunny, this is simply not true. Princess still allows smoking on balconies. They did not ban smoking after the fire; they put sprinklers on all the balconies and invested in fire-retardant outdoor furniture.

 

My parents are smokers and cruise both Princess and HAL because balcony smoking is allowed.

 

Here is a line-by-line breakdown on smoking restrictions:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=225

[CALMOM]

You mentioned you're a smoker and one of your priorities is to be able to smoke on your balcony. Many people here have recommended Princess. Do know that, since the fire on the Star Princess several years ago, Princess allows smoking in the cabins, but NOT on the balconies.

 

The smoking on the balcony preference does significantly reduce your choice of lines. If this is truly your priority, you won't be able to sail on Celebrity, for example. To satisfy your desire for multiple and long days in port I would have recommended Oceania or Azamara Club, but both of them also restrict smoking areas.

 

Holland America line is the only premium line which permits smoking in both the cabin and on the balconies.

 

You might want to evaluate if itinerary or smoking options is more important to you. For Europe, and to get the most out of it, you might consider compromising a bit on the smoking options to get a more favorable itinerary for your desires.

 

And definitely, contact a professional cruise specialist travel agent to help you navigate the options.

 

Actually you can smoke in your cabin and on the balcony with Princess. However, I appreciate your help. I have never really considered Celebrity, as I have heard not as many wonderful things as I have for Princess, Carnival & RCCl. Thanks again.

[CALMOM]

SHould be a very fun gift :)

 

I think the line matters little and the port lineup the most important thing. There will be difference between the major lines; Costa, Princess, NCL, RCCL etc, but I would select the line/ship that has the port lineup you want.

 

I'd make the list of ports in Italy, Spain, Greece that you want to sail most and then find thru either TA or internet the ship/lines that sail to the most of them. If you aren't constrained go before middle of June or after 1/2 of Sept for best price and less heat.

 

IMHO if I was on a budget and had to choose between a balcony or saving the extra 400-500/person and splurging for two extra private tours in port I'd take the private tours. The tours are expensive, but for us the private tours were what made the ports special, no large bus crowds, drop off 10-50' from the attractions, attentive driver to whisk you at your pace to your next site, beat the baclony.

 

One cruise to consider would be Princess's Grand Med;

Starts/End Venice

Inbetween: Athens, Rome, Florence/Pisa, Naples/Pompeii/Amafli, Istanbul, Kusadasi/Ephesus, Mykonos and Monte Carlo

End/Start: Barcelona

 

Happy planning

 

Excursions in Alaska are about $200/pp, are they about the same in Europe? I love watching the sunset from my balcony and we do sit on our balcony anytime we are in the cabin, so I would want a balcony for sure. Thank you for the info,

[CALMOM]

I agree Princess has some very good itineraries in the Med.

 

When you say "nice" weather -- do you mean beach weather? If so, I agree with the suggestions given for timing. But my own preference is to cruise a little earlier or later (earlier Spring or later Fall); you still have nice weather for sightseeing -- I don't like extreme heat -- and it is much less crowded. Also, better cruise deals can be found, and airfare is cheaper. Just a thought. Late October can get rainy in the Western Med, not so much in the Eastern Med.

 

Which brings me to itinerary. Most Med cruises have itineraries that focus mainly on either the Eastern Med (from Italy -- often Venice -- east to Croatia, Greece, and Turkey; some also visit Egypt or Israel) or the Western Med (from Italy -- often Rome -- west to France and Spain).

 

A few cruises will give you a "taste" of both. One great itinerary on Princess, IMHO, is the "Grand Mediterranean" which sails from Venice to Barcelona (and vice versa) and gives you four great ports in Italy Civitavecchia/Rome, Livorno/Florence, Naples, and Venice), a greek isle (Mykonos), stops in Athens and Istanbul (both wonderful), Kusadasi (Ephesus is a highlight for many), as well as Monte Carlo (France) and finally Barcelona (Spain). If you want to see more of Spain, you could add a few days onto your trip at the beginning or end in order to do so.

 

Here's a link to that itinerary and info:

 

http://www.princess.com/pb/itineraryDetails.do?voyageCode=R013N&tourCode=&date=0510&noOfPax=2&resType=C&definition_name=

 

Thank you for the website. Looks like I have some homework to do. I do use a TA but I prefer to already know which Itinerary prior to calling her. thank you again for your help.

[CALMOM]

I agree Princess has some very good itineraries in the Med.

 

When you say "nice" weather -- do you mean beach weather? If so, I agree with the suggestions given for timing. But my own preference is to cruise a little earlier or later (earlier Spring or later Fall); you still have nice weather for sightseeing -- I don't like extreme heat -- and it is much less crowded. Also, better cruise deals can be found, and airfare is cheaper. Just a thought. Late October can get rainy in the Western Med, not so much in the Eastern Med.

 

Which brings me to itinerary. Most Med cruises have itineraries that focus mainly on either the Eastern Med (from Italy -- often Venice -- east to Croatia, Greece, and Turkey; some also visit Egypt or Israel) or the Western Med (from Italy -- often Rome -- west to France and Spain).

 

A few cruises will give you a "taste" of both. One great itinerary on Princess, IMHO, is the "Grand Mediterranean" which sails from Venice to Barcelona (and vice versa) and gives you four great ports in Italy Civitavecchia/Rome, Livorno/Florence, Naples, and Venice), a greek isle (Mykonos), stops in Athens and Istanbul (both wonderful), Kusadasi (Ephesus is a highlight for many), as well as Monte Carlo (France) and finally Barcelona (Spain). If you want to see more of Spain, you could add a few days onto your trip at the beginning or end in order to do so.

 

Here's a link to that itinerary and info:

 

http://www.princess.com/pb/itineraryDetails.do?voyageCode=R013N&tourCode=&date=0510&noOfPax=2&resType=C&definition_name=

 

Hum, the Princess Grand Mediterranean sounds pretty good, I will check into it. Thank you so much for your help

[BurBunny]

My apologies. I'd thought they'd moved to smoking in cabins only. Thanks for the correction on that :)

[sunsetbeachgal]

Princess also has small ships doing Med cruises as well as larger. We have done both of the itins recommended on Princess above and just loved them. This year we are doing a Med/Greek Isles cruise in Sept on the Ocean Princess (680 passenger capacity), a ship that folks really seem to love, It does 12 ports in 14 days and does some ports that larger ships can;t get into. Good luck and congratulations on your anniversary!

[CALMOM]

Thank you everyone so much for your help. I just don't know what I would do without this website. It is like the best TA in the entire world.

 

I wanted to sail either beginning of June or end of September 2011, do you know when those reservations open up particularly for Princess & HALS, I think that is my choice for cruise lines, even though I have never sailed on HALS.

 

Thank you all so much.

[UKBayern]

T

I wanted to sail either beginning of June or end of September 2011, do you know when those reservations open up particularly for Princess & HALS, I think that is my choice for cruise lines, even though I have never sailed on HALS.

 

I don't know about Princess, but I was on the site of HAL the other day, and I saw they are already selling for 2011. They seem to also have shorter trips of 10 or 12 days in the Med in 2011.