Med cruise planning help please!

[McKin]

:confused: My username says it all. Have only ever done a couple of short Caribbean cruises, so I feel overwhelmed. My husband and I (57 & 69) hope to do a 7 or 8 day Med. cruise, probably in August, although I know that's going to be hot. We will be in England visiting relatives so will go from there, probably flying to departure point from London, Birmingham of Bristol.

Have looked brifly at Royal Caribbean and Holland America, who both have week long cruises to Athens, etc. But before committing would like to know all options:

1) If you've taken a med cruise on one of these lines would like your opinion;

2) Suggestions for other cruise lines? I know there are smaller European lines, but I do know the standards of some of them might not be the same as American standards, i.e. I do like to know the cabin itself will be as nice as possible. (I'm aware of the different standards of hotel rooms here and in Europe, and I'm kind of picky about some things)

3) Suggestions of other threads post this on, if this isn't the correct place. I know that after we narrow it down I'll need to do more reading about the ports., etc.

 

Our goal is to see some of the historical sites, along with great views and food and relaxing in between. Would prefer for the ship to not be full of kids; would just as soon not have to dress up for formal nights;

 

I'll appreciate whatever suggestions anyone has and will go from there. Thanks!

[cruisemom42]

While we can share some advice, you also really need to do some research on your own to narrow down your options. Cruise Critic has a whole section that gives overviews of all the common Med ports. Another good place to get some quick info is from www.europeportreviews.com

 

For Mediterranean cruises, the ship is really less important than the ports. Any of the mass market or higher American-targeted lines will likely be fine (although NCL is probably my least favorite).

 

In August, not only is it going to be hot, it's also going to be very crowded -- seemingly all of Europe goes on vacation in August. So you get the American tourists and the Europeans as well. Also, August increases the likelihood of kids on board.

 

For a 7-day cruise, leaving from England is not ideal if you want to see mostly the Med. I'd suggest flying to a more central Mediterranean port and choosing a cruise that's at least 10-12 days long to be able to really get a good sampler of Med ports. Longer cruises also tend to have fewer kids aboard.

 

Just a few thoughts to get you started....

[chipmaster]

Welcome to CC.

 

THe link provided by the other poster is a good one. There a so many historical port on the Med that the options are overwhelming. IMHO sailing from England isn't the best way. You spend too much time sailing around into the Med versus "in" the Med. Also 7 days is very short. traveling from the US you really should try and make time for two weeks at a minimum. Plan at least a day at the beginning to adjust time.

 

A med cruise is also so much about the ports. Yes the ship is important but IMHO the port days are what make your memories. I'd pick a list of the 5 or 7 most important port then find the cruiseline/ships that sail it. Also note, where port is relative to attractions as in many places the drive from port to the big attractions can be 90' or more. Tours can also be expensive and budget busting running easily 150-300/day or more if you do it with the cruiseline. DIY or independent/private is the smart way to do excursion in Europe.

 

:confused: My username says it all. Have only ever done a couple of short Caribbean cruises, so I feel overwhelmed. My husband and I (57 & 69) hope to do a 7 or 8 day Med. cruise, probably in August, although I know that's going to be hot. We will be in England visiting relatives so will go from there, probably flying to departure point from London, Birmingham of Bristol.

Have looked brifly at Royal Caribbean and Holland America, who both have week long cruises to Athens, etc. But before committing would like to know all options:

1) If you've taken a med cruise on one of these lines would like your opinion;

2) Suggestions for other cruise lines? I know there are smaller European lines, but I do know the standards of some of them might not be the same as American standards, i.e. I do like to know the cabin itself will be as nice as possible. (I'm aware of the different standards of hotel rooms here and in Europe, and I'm kind of picky about some things)

3) Suggestions of other threads post this on, if this isn't the correct place. I know that after we narrow it down I'll need to do more reading about the ports., etc.

 

Our goal is to see some of the historical sites, along with great views and food and relaxing in between. Would prefer for the ship to not be full of kids; would just as soon not have to dress up for formal nights;

 

I'll appreciate whatever suggestions anyone has and will go from there. Thanks!

[tomko2]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

We have done two Med. cruises; one from Rome (2007) and one from Barcelona (2009) both in late August. IMHO it was not too hot and we definitely did not have a high number of children on board either ship which I attribute to the time of year.

The cruises were chosen by itinerary: priority one was Egypt and priority two was Venice. Both included ports in Greece (Athens, Rhodes, Mykonos and Corfu).

Photos in the link below.

We found it very useful to read reviews in the front section of these boards to gain insight on what other people did on their trips.

Here are our reviews:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=33168

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=57957

 

Hope this helps.

[tom_uk]

I've done several Mediterranean cruises with Celebrity Cruises, and have enjoyed them very much. The other cruise line we use a lot is P&O, from the UK, because it means we can just drive to the port; but as others have said there is that long haul from the UK to the Med and back again at the end of a cruise - a P&O Med cruise is generally 14 nights or even longer.

 

Anyway, I blogged from our last two cruises with Celebrity. These were a 10-night cruise on Galaxy out of Civitavecchia in 2007, and an 11 night cruise on Solstice in 2008; both were to the eastern Mediterranean, but with different itineraries. Here's a link to a gateway into the blog posts for the two cruises: Galaxy 2007 and Solstice 2009.

 

Hope you find these useful. There are other links to other cruise reviews elsewhere in the blog site.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I can't see why a 7-day cruise, when you're flying from England, would not be fine. You don't have to see *the whole* Mediterranean, just part of it. Pick an area--eastern Med., western Med., in between, concentrating on Italy, or Greece, or France/Spain.

 

You could look at Azamara or Oceania. Higher prices, but smaller ships, casual ambience.

 

If cabins are important, and budget is not important, have a look at Regent. This has been my cruiseline, although they are expensive and getting increasingly so, but despite that many Med. cruises will already be sold out.

 

But as has been said elsewhere, the average Med. 7-day is very port intensive, so it's not so much about the ship, as the ports and the length of time in each port.

 

Enjoy!

[Terpnut]

My suggestions:

 

1. In general, choose a cruise based on your ports of interest versus choosing specific cruiselines or ships.

 

2. As Cynthia recommended, you should begin by researching any and all the individual ports and decide which ones are of most interest to you and your husband. Then pick a cruise mainly on itineraries that include most of the ports you find of interest.

 

3. Then for each port, go to the respective CruiseCritic forum to do more research and then ask specific questions to narrow down excursion ideas, tips, etc.

[maryann ns]

I agree about choosing the ports. That is what we did with our cruise last fall (Istanbul, Athens, Kusadasi, and Alexandria were what decided it for us, but we loved all the ports!) That being said, I am so glad we chose Azamara, which is very casual yet elegant and the food is wonderful.

[McKin]

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply. I'm continuing to search about ports, etc. to narrow down our choice. We are limited to a 7 day cruise since we will be spending 1 - 2 weeks in England prior to the cruise. I understand it will definitely be best to fly to point of departure. I did just find that Celebrity has a couple of 10 days we might consider.

I will continue to check back here occasionally, so any further tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[texancruzer]

As you can see by my signature, we have done Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Holland America cruises. We are dw and dh (ages 54 & 50) and like port intensive cruises...... we don't cruise for the ship (altho we like a nice onboard experience too)

 

My first choice for Europe cruise is Celebrity. We did Solstice to the E. Med last year and it was a dream trip ! Royal Caribbean is second choice - we did first Med cruise on Brilliance. Have only cruised once on Holland America and while it wasnt bad - we enjoyed Royal and Celebrity leaps and bounds above HAL.

 

Definately choose your cruise on the ports..... but use the sea days to wind down !

[TLCOhio]

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply. I'm continuing to search about ports, etc. to narrow down our choice. We are limited to a 7 day cruise since we will be spending 1 - 2 weeks in England prior to the cruise. I understand it will definitely be best to fly to point of departure. I did just find that Celebrity has a couple of 10 days we might consider. I will continue to check back here occasionally, so any further tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Cynthia and others have made excellent points on focusing on the ports. We have had friends who have done Celebrity and HAL, being happy with both. You said: "Our goal is to see some of the historical sites, along with great views and food and relaxing in between. Would prefer for the ship to not be full of kids; would just as soon not have to dress up for formal nights". The history in this area of the world is great, including the Greek Isles and Turkish Coast, plus Italy, etc. It is hard to go wrong for history in this area, so that why to focus on what cruises get you the best arrangements/options during your limited time period. It will be warm and busy during this August period. That's one plus to using a smaller ship rather some of the larger 2000-3000 passenger boats. Below are some visual samples for the types of history you can experience in this area of the world.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

At Ephesus, here is the famed outdoor theater that hosted Saint Paul preaching, plus rock stars, etc. At this site in the 1st century AD, the Apostle Paul spent over three years in Ephesus preaching the Gospel. This included a sermon condemning pagan worship in this theater:

 

 

 

Harbor view in Mykonos and one of the charming windmills:

 

 

 

On Acropolis hill with our very knowledgeable private guide who helps us appreciate all of the history and architectural details there:

 

 

 

Corinth's temple columns with the mountains overlooking the town in the background:

 

 

 

Epidaurus has totally amazing acoustic properties. It is located on the Peloponnesos Peninsula:

 

 

 

Along the Turkish Coast, Bodrum harbor and city views:

 

[McKin]

I received a book I ordered today from GLobus. It includes trips that includes cruises on MTS Cristal or MTS Aquamarine ships through Louis Cruise Lines. Apparently includes their own Globus guides on the cruise with a day before and after the cruise. I haven't gotten down to comparing prices yet. Any comments from anyone? Anybody been on one of these and one with someone like RCC or Celebrity?? Thanks

[agabbymama]

My words of advice, do all your planning and research well ahead of time.

Have your Plan "A", and also have a Plan "B" for when Plan A falls apart.

 

You can see by my signature, I'm not a stranger to foreign travel, however on our Med cruise, it seemed that nothing went as planned. My big mistake was not having a Plan B.

 

And be prepared to go with the flow when both Plans A and B fall to pieces. Don't let it ruin your entire vacation.

 

Others have posted to "take half the clothes you think you will need and double the money you think you will need."

 

Have a great trip!

[tom_uk]

My words of advice, do all your planning and research well ahead of time.

Have your Plan "A", and also have a Plan "B" for when Plan A falls apart.

 

You can see by my signature, I'm not a stranger to foreign travel, however on our Med cruise, it seemed that nothing went as planned. My big mistake was not having a Plan B.

 

And be prepared to go with the flow when both Plans A and B fall to pieces. Don't let it ruin your entire vacation.

 

Absolutely agreed.

 

Here are links to a couple of blog entries from a cruise in 2007 when we had to drop plan A. On Mykonos Plan B (which, to be fair, was simply a re-ordered version of Plan A) worked out well. At Naples, however, Plan B wasn't so successful. We should have thought it through better, but we were thrown when something that we'd taken for granted - where the ship would dock - turned out to be different, on that occasion.

[Springchicken]

Thanks to all of you for taking the time to reply. I'm continuing to search about ports, etc. to narrow down our choice. We are limited to a 7 day cruise since we will be spending 1 - 2 weeks in England prior to the cruise. I understand it will definitely be best to fly to point of departure. I did just find that Celebrity has a couple of 10 days we might consider.

I will continue to check back here occasionally, so any further tips will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

We loved the Celebrity Solstice cruise we took last fall. It was 11 nights and the times in port were good. Since we went in mid-Oct. we got a great price on a balcony...can't help you with August info. Find your port, find the ship and then go to the Roll Call for that cruise and share tours with others. Much less costly and more fun.