Mediterranean Honeymoon Cruise Advice - May 2011

[KJD4982]

Hi! We are planning a Mediterranean cruise for our honeymoon in May 2011. We are only considering the luxury ships from Seabourn, SilverSea, Regent, and Sea Dream (Crystal did not have an itinerary that fit our needs).

We want to know which cruise line might best suit us as we are new to all of these cruise lines... We are 29-31, and are a very fun loving couple who enjoy casual nightlife (not clubs, but some dancing, good company, a good bar, etc.) and we want to be somewhat adventurous and explore the beautiful cities of the Mediterranean, and do a few excursions, but also spend time just hanging out doing nothing. We will be looking at 7-10 day itineraries.

It appears that we can't really go wrong since we are pretty easy going and the service and amenities should be great regardless... but I am wondering which people feel is a better value, has better cuisine, has a more youtful vibe, and has nicer facilities? Also it seems that kids are not usually aboard most of these types of cruises, but we would like to have an adult-only atmosphere since we have a toddler at home who will not be able to come with us, and we don't want to miss him too terribly by being reminded of him by toddlers on board. School age kids would be okay in small numbers that don't overrun the boat.

Any advice is welcome!

Thank you!

[kitty9]

For your age group, I would recommend Sea Dream. A bit more laid back with no formal nights, but lots to do in terms of water activities and the like. Great food and service. I've found that lines like Seabourn and Silversea tend to have an older clientele (could be as high as 60 and older). Regent would also be a good choice for your age group, but they do attract more kids than the other lines. But Regent's cabins cannot be beat in terms of size and amenities. For me, Seabourn has the best food and service, but I've not been on their new, and larger ships, so I don't know if the larger size affects things to the negative.

[Keith1010]

Congratulations on planning a honeymoon cruise.

 

A couple of comments.

 

First, I would highly recommend that you study the layouts of the cruise ships you are considering and also that you find a travel agent who specializes in luxury cruise lines and one who has sailed on most or all of the ones you are considering.

 

Also, study the diagrams very carefully to make sure you will feel fine on each of the ship and cruise lines you are considering.

 

For example, you may know this already but Sea Dream which offers a wonderful experieince in terms of gourmet cuisine sails very small ships. Their ships are onl 4,200 tons and carry only around 100 passengers which are half the size of Seabourn's triplets. As I say they have first rate cuisine and their entertainment is in line with what you mentioned as they typically have a piano player and dancing. Just be sure you are sure that you will feel fine in such a small ship.

 

Let me also suggest that you order a copy of a book called the Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships published by Berlitz written by Douglas Ward. You can order it from amazon.com and the latest version is from 2010. It will give you a nice writeup on each cruise ship including a feel for the ages of adults (this will range base on itinerary, time of year and lenght of voyage) and a nice writewup about the ship, accommodations, cuisine, service, entertainment and the like. It is a small price to pay to do some good research.

 

The cruise lines you mentioned are all nice and I think getting with a travel agent who specializes in luxury cruising and reading up a little more will be a big help.

 

Keith

[KJD4982]

Thank you both for the sound advice. These boards are wonderful. I have narrowed it down to SDII Malaga to Monte Carlo and RSSC Athens to Venice. I think we may prefer the SD itenerary, though. All the advice here is very much appreciated!

[Keith1010]

Good luck with your decision and congratulations on your upcoming honeymoon.

 

Keith