Europe, Need Help and Advise from the Pros

[Hlitner]

The OP is correct that this topic is best left to the European boards (where I have personally posted more then 5000 messages). We have been cruising in Europe for over 30 years plus spent more then 10,000 miles driving in Western Europe. Quite a few of those cruises have been on Princess (we are Elite with this line) and Princess does an excellent job in Europe. Here are a couple of thoughts which can be very important to those who are planning "a trip of a lifetime to Europe." Ideally, you should book a cruise that begins and ends at two different ports and then add a few days at either end to extend your trip and explore two places in more depth. Carefully study the itinerary with the knowledge that much of Europe is closed on Sundays and in Italy many things are closed also on Mondays (especially in the morning). Pay careful attention to the hours in port as in Europe you can spend a lot of time just getting from a port to where you want to go. You also need to budget a lot of extra money (when compared to cruises in the Caribbean) since Europe is expensive, organized excursions are overpriced, and you will spend much more money ashore. If you do your homework you can save thousands of dollars by doing your own thing while ashore. The truth is that its not that difficult to go off on your own, use public transit, and have a lot more fun then the tours without being stuck on a "cattle call" with 50 other souls being led around by a cattle driver carrying his/her little sign. For those that want organized tours it often makes more sense to book private tours which can usually be arranged in-advance online. You will find lots of help on this and other issues on the various European boards (my personal labor of love). One other factor is how you get to Europe. Carefully explore doing your own air vs. cruise air since you can often save money with your own air. However, Princess's new air program is a great improvement since they now offer many more options. Also keep in mind that getting to your embarkation and debarkation ports can be expensive and a bit problamatic. An example would be Civitavecchia which is more then an hour from Rome. As to when to cruise, we personally love the shoulder seasons of spring and fall when things are not quite as crowded and sometimes will be reflected in lower prices for the cruise as well as air. Hope this helps.

 

Hank

[jff50]

I'd give a lot of weight to starting and ending in cities that you really want to spend extra time in. We did a Med cruise last November that sailed from Istanbul to Barcelona (with stops in Venice overnight, Athens, Izmir, Dubrovnik, Naples and Rome). It was a fabulous itinerary. Istanbul was number one on my list of cities to visit (and did not disappoint) and Barcelona has a great (and deserved) reputation. Loved Venice, but would much rather spend extra days in Istanbul, and get an overnight in Venice (mid-cruise) than spend extra days in Venice and not get to Istanbul. There is an article in cruise mates on the authors favorite cruise port cities--and Istanbul is #1.

 

http://www.cruisemates.com/blog/201008241632/favorite-cities-world-visited-cruise-ship/

 

As far as cities to start/end a cruise in; I'd go with Istanbul (1st), Rome (2nd) and Barcelona (3rd).

 

I'd also pick Europe by itinerary over cruise line. Not sure if Princess has a sailing from Istanbul to Barcelona (or vice versa). While Princess is easily our favorite cruise line (22 cruises on Princess compared to about 8 total on other lines), we went with NCL because the itinerary was what we wanted and the price for our daughter (as the third person in the cabin) was about $250 with NCL compared to $1,500-$2,000 with Princess.

[CALMOM]

Again thank you all, I am taking notes with ever post. I am kind of getting the impression that possibly the Grand Med might but to port intense for my first cruise. Is it better to see a lot of ports and have little time or see less ports and have more time.

 

I am a little over loaded, as some say since I am traveling that far, I should stay a few days before and after but I really only have about 15 days for the vacation. I wish I had more time but DH still works and it's hard for him to get away more then a couple of weeks.

 

Thank you all my CC Family, I would be so lost without you all.

[Shogun]

Hi There

 

When we did the Med the first time we had temps of over 100 degrees, long days on tour near the end we cancelled our tours at one port we never got of the ship, the other we just walked around the town,

 

but we did go back again next year.

 

So my thoughts OK lots of ports lots to see, but build in some chill out time.

 

yours Shogun

[cruisemom42]

Again thank you all, I am taking notes with ever post. I am kind of getting the impression that possibly the Grand Med might but to port intense for my first cruise. Is it better to see a lot of ports and have little time or see less ports and have more time.

 

I am a little over loaded, as some say since I am traveling that far, I should stay a few days before and after but I really only have about 15 days for the vacation. I wish I had more time but DH still works and it's hard for him to get away more then a couple of weeks.

 

Thank you all my CC Family, I would be so lost without you all.

 

You know your own energy level better than others, so try to plan accordingly. I prefer to be very active and see as much as possible -- that's not to say that I run around and cram 8 sites into one day, just that I prefer to be in a port for at least 10 days on a 12-day cruise. YMMV.

 

As to timing; just get the maximum time you can. If you can go over a holiday (Memorial Day, Labor Day) to gain an extra day, go for it. On the one hand, you'll wish you had more time. On the other hand, you'll have a great time with whatever time you have.

[mbleackl]

WOW, thank you all again, you are already lowering my stress level;).

 

So if the ports are an hour away from the town, how far are the airports from the ports?

 

Would I want to stay closer to the airport or closer to the port, wherever I am boarding the ship? I have heard how expensive the hotels are in Europe, what is considered expensive? How would I go about getting the best price?

 

I noticed on the GM 12 day cruise, that the ship arrives in Venice at 1:00 p.m. on day 12 and also shows arriving at 5:00 a.m. on Day 13. Does this mean that we arrive in the area on day 12 but don't dock at the port until 5:00 a.m. on day 13? I'm a little confused.

 

Since this is a 12 day cruise, I would only be allowed to stay either 2 full days before in Barcelona or 2 full days after in Venice. Which would you recommend?

 

Thank you all again, I would be so lost without all of you. I know my TA has experience with European cruises but I prefer hearing from many opinions, especially CC members, they are very reliable and honest. CC members have no financial interest and at some point have benefited from other CC members, for their personal cruises.

 

Not all Ports are an hour away but Rome is about an hour or so from the Port of Civitivecchia and the airport about the same.

For staying before/after, I would definately stay in Venice rather than Barcelona (my opinion only). We booked a hotel in Venice next May at about $200 per night through Expedia. We found the prices to be a lot higher going through the hotels directly. The Airporter bus is about a 20 minute ride from Piazza Roma for 3 Euros or you can get the water bus depending on your hotel location about a 30 minute ride.

 

For tours in many places go to the Cruise Critic Roll Call for your sailing and you will usually find someone has arranged a private tour and is looking for folks to join. A private tour with a reputable operator (and you can find information on them in the Ports Board) is less expensive and a more flexible itinerary if you have a group of around 8 people than the ship tours who also crowd 40 or more into the busses.

 

Coming down the Grand Canal in Venice in a Grand Class Ship like the Ruby is an amazing experience. You won't be sorry if you do the Grand Mediterranan.

[Sunsailor]

Whatever cruise you choose be sure to spend a few days in the embarkation and debarkation cities. We stay at least 2 nights before and after...more if we can. It adds less cost to the trip then you may think. Check out Tripadvisor.com for advise and reviews in choosing hotels. We always manage to find 2 and 3 star hotels in great locations,well recommended, for not much money...always less than $200 per night.

The key to a great trip is to do the research and have an idea of what you want to see in each port. Have a wonderful time

[JanetAlice]

We did the exact same cruise as Cruising Kirby and and it was wonderful especially going down the Grand Canal at the end of the cruise. I agree with previous posters, extend your trip on both ends (Rome and Venice for us) I believe I still have my private tour info if you want to contact me. jconti@nycap.rr.com

[financialgrl]

Another for the Grand Med on Princess. Did this in late May. Weather gorgeous until mid June in Turkey and Greece it started to get hot. We went from Barcelona to Venice and it was great - 3 days precruise in Barcelona with 2 extra days in Venice after the overnight. The only problem I can see with doing the cruise in this order was that departing from Venice AP sucks. There just is not enough room in there for airlines to have more than 2 people generally on the counter to service passengers and you stand in long lines forever. It's a shame b/c Venice as our last stop was such a great city. I am thinking it would be easier to fly into Venice and out of Barcelona on the end of the cruise. That AP, was so much easier, it was painless.

 

Cruise is extremely port intensive and both myself (55) and niece (20 y/o runner in great shape) were glad that I eased up on the number of tour hours we were gone on the second part of the trip b/c Florence/Rome/Naples were all very long long days at the beginning of the trip when you begin in Barcelona. Even so, if you asked either of us, we'd both do it again in a heartbeat! BTW, no matter what cruise you choose, I'd recommend doing any port intensive European cruise while you are still young and mobile enough to be able to do so. I am not in the absolute best of shape but did fine but on 3 of our tours, older folks were unable to continue due to the uphill uneven terrain in Rome, Kusadasi and Acropolis sites.

[JanetAlice]

Very wise advise financialgrl. I feel the exact same way.

[Tiffany's mom]

You will love cruising Europe.

 

We are doing the October Transatlantic (our third) is year and are booked for the 2011 cruise. If you book it with a discount agent early the prices are really low. We have a BA for just under a $100 a day each. Also as someone said when looking at airfares, get a round-trip ticket and then a one-way back to Calif. This years airfares were from 650 to 1000. We paid 850 for a good flight schedule. Last year we only paid 436. It depends on what day you return to Fort Landerdale what the price will be to fly home. Ths year is Sunday and it cost more.

 

Tours - If you can get on a roll call early there is a lot of poeple who will be putting together private tours. Private tour are so much better than the ship offers. Next years roll call have lots of private all ready fulled.

 

Transatlantic cruises are about 18 days. This year they cut 2 ports and the cruise is only 16 days. You will find that these cruise are mostly retire passsenger and very few children. This cruise start with lots of ports and has a very relaxating 5 to 6 days at sea. So you come home rest and a easy flight home, not that long flight and time change from Europe.

 

Happy cruising.

 

Pam

[chipmaster]

My 2 cents

 

1) Roundtrip or open jaw to the major cities are just a few dollars different. You spending a thousand or so on the cruise, similar on the airfare and like same ballpark on the excursions I'd make sure I'm trading off the round trip versus open jaw for ports. With open jaw you can add two to three more days onto your trip to get extra days to explore.

 

2) Make sure cruise is what you want. Its great for a port/day, but frustrating in that Rome or Florence in a day how can it be done justice :mad:

 

3) IMHO its ports ports ports. Pick the line and ship that has your top ports and meets your schedule. In the end I found Princess Grand Med was perfect for us. Honestly I agonized several other ships and lines, all for ports, never did I get tied to Princess. A port missed is a bigger loss then having or not having water slides, the mouse, or rockclimibing walls or whatever else makes a line your favorite.

 

4) Budget the excursions, with only a day some ports are great DIY, others really scream of private car / driver that run about 400-600 euros/day

 

Happy planning,

 

I know I should probably post on Europe Boards but they are broken down by areas and I'm not sure where to go, so I was hoping I could get some advise here.

 

The only thing I know for sure, is I would like to cruise with Princess and I want to go to Europe. I can cruise anytime of the year, so looking for the cheapest season in 2012. I would like to sail between 7 and 12 days, not really sure. I would like to see Venice or Barcelona and or Rome. I would like to go to at least a couple of the Greek Isles but not interested in going to Egypt or Israel. I live in California and not sure what would be the cheapest way to fly and which port to fly to. Would it be cheaper to do a round trip cruise, fare wise and air fare?

 

I just need a lot of advise, so please advise all you can, I REALLY appreciate it.

[Hlitner]

Most of the Med cruises are quite port intensive, but that is something that can be controlled by the cruiser. Many folks want "to do it all" which is certainly understandable, but we often see passengers totally exhausted. If you are somebody who takes lots of organized excursions (we tend to do most places on our own) you can quickly find yourself booking full day excursions in every port, spending hours riding in buses (we personally hate buses which we think of as cattle cars for humans) and being rushed from place to place by the tour guides. For us, we find that in many ports we like to slow down, spend at least an hour or two having long lunches in romantic outdoor cafes, take frequent gelato breaks, and just relax. The thought of trekking through museum after museum while the outdoor weather is gorgeous is enough to make me tired. Cities like Florence, Paris, Rome, etc. can best be enjoyed by doing a lot of walking (assuming you have no physical limitations), browsing shops and markets, touring an ocassional museum, and really enjoying the regional cuisine and wine which often does more to define the culture of region then most sites. Spending a few days in your embarkation city is a great idea since it gives you time to recover from jet lag, lets your lost luggage catch-up, takes away a lot of the stress of worrying about delayed flights, etc. Many European ports can be overwhelming with possible choices of things to do, so it really helps to focus on a few things with the attitude that we will someday return and do other things. Several years ago we coined a state of mind we call the "If its Tuesday, this Must be Belgium" Syndrome which does define many cruise passengers we see in Europe. For those not familiar with this old movie (you can rent it) it is about a European bus tour that goes to 8 countries in 18 days. We hear passengers talk about all the places they saw in a day and wonder if they really saw anything. Sometimes one needs to just stop and smell the roses. So my simple advice to anyone worried about all the ports is to plan some slow days. There are places such as Mykonos, Sardinia, Majorca, etc. where it makes sense to just have a nice beach day. There are other port stops where you can simply walk off the ship and explore the local area on foot without taking any tour (this works well in Barcelona, Cadiz, etc).

 

Hank

[CALMOM]

Not all Ports are an hour away but Rome is about an hour or so from the Port of Civitivecchia and the airport about the same.

For staying before/after, I would definately stay in Venice rather than Barcelona (my opinion only). We booked a hotel in Venice next May at about $200 per night through Expedia. We found the prices to be a lot higher going through the hotels directly. The Airporter bus is about a 20 minute ride from Piazza Roma for 3 Euros or you can get the water bus depending on your hotel location about a 30 minute ride.

 

For tours in many places go to the Cruise Critic Roll Call for your sailing and you will usually find someone has arranged a private tour and is looking for folks to join. A private tour with a reputable operator (and you can find information on them in the Ports Board) is less expensive and a more flexible itinerary if you have a group of around 8 people than the ship tours who also crowd 40 or more into the busses.

 

Coming down the Grand Canal in Venice in a Grand Class Ship like the Ruby is an amazing experience. You won't be sorry if you do the Grand Mediterranan.

 

It sounds like Venice is definitely the people to stay a couple of days in. I have heard wonderful reviews of Venice. Thank you also for your help.

[CALMOM]

We did the exact same cruise as Cruising Kirby and and it was wonderful especially going down the Grand Canal at the end of the cruise. I agree with previous posters, extend your trip on both ends (Rome and Venice for us) I believe I still have my private tour info if you want to contact me. jconti@nycap.rr.com

 

Thank you, I emailed you.

[CALMOM]

You will love cruising Europe.

 

We are doing the October Transatlantic (our third) is year and are booked for the 2011 cruise. If you book it with a discount agent early the prices are really low. We have a BA for just under a $100 a day each. Also as someone said when looking at airfares, get a round-trip ticket and then a one-way back to Calif. This years airfares were from 650 to 1000. We paid 850 for a good flight schedule. Last year we only paid 436. It depends on what day you return to Fort Landerdale what the price will be to fly home. Ths year is Sunday and it cost more.

 

Tours - If you can get on a roll call early there is a lot of poeple who will be putting together private tours. Private tour are so much better than the ship offers. Next years roll call have lots of private all ready fulled.

 

Transatlantic cruises are about 18 days. This year they cut 2 ports and the cruise is only 16 days. You will find that these cruise are mostly retire passsenger and very few children. This cruise start with lots of ports and has a very relaxating 5 to 6 days at sea. So you come home rest and a easy flight home, not that long flight and time change from Europe.

 

Happy cruising.

 

Pam

 

I assume the Transatlantic is the cruises that return to Florida? I just didn't know if I would regret spending those days at sea, instead of flying back from Venice or Barcelona, and seeing more ports. It is worth a consideration though, considering that I would still have to fly back to the West Coast. Is there flights from Los Angeles to Venice or Barcelona or do they all connect in Florida? I hope I don't sound confusing. Thank you.

[CALMOM]

My 2 cents

 

1) Roundtrip or open jaw to the major cities are just a few dollars different. You spending a thousand or so on the cruise, similar on the airfare and like same ballpark on the excursions I'd make sure I'm trading off the round trip versus open jaw for ports. With open jaw you can add two to three more days onto your trip to get extra days to explore.

I agree on the open jaw. I live on the West Coast, so I would have a couple of flights, actually.

 

2) Make sure cruise is what you want. Its great for a port/day, but frustrating in that Rome or Florence in a day how can it be done justice :mad:

I have no doubt a day in Rome is enough, I'm just trying to get a taste on my first cruise so I know where I really want to spend time on the next Med Cruise.

 

3) IMHO its ports ports ports. Pick the line and ship that has your top ports and meets your schedule. In the end I found Princess Grand Med was perfect for us. Honestly I agonized several other ships and lines, all for ports, never did I get tied to Princess. A port missed is a bigger loss then having or not having water slides, the mouse, or rockclimibing walls or whatever else makes a line your favorite.

My priority is the itinerary, not really the ship. Although, I do prefer Princess but like I said I'm going for the itinerary that works best for me. The cruise fare is also a consideration for me, as well.

 

4) Budget the excursions, with only a day some ports are great DIY, others really scream of private car / driver that run about 400-600 euros/day

I guess that is where the Roll Call will be helpful to me.

 

Happy planning,

 

Thank you so much for your help.

[CALMOM]

Most of the Med cruises are quite port intensive, but that is something that can be controlled by the cruiser. Many folks want "to do it all" which is certainly understandable, but we often see passengers totally exhausted. If you are somebody who takes lots of organized excursions (we tend to do most places on our own) you can quickly find yourself booking full day excursions in every port, spending hours riding in buses (we personally hate buses which we think of as cattle cars for humans) and being rushed from place to place by the tour guides. For us, we find that in many ports we like to slow down, spend at least an hour or two having long lunches in romantic outdoor cafes, take frequent gelato breaks, and just relax. The thought of trekking through museum after museum while the outdoor weather is gorgeous is enough to make me tired. Cities like Florence, Paris, Rome, etc. can best be enjoyed by doing a lot of walking (assuming you have no physical limitations), browsing shops and markets, touring an ocassional museum, and really enjoying the regional cuisine and wine which often does more to define the culture of region then most sites. Spending a few days in your embarkation city is a great idea since it gives you time to recover from jet lag, lets your lost luggage catch-up, takes away a lot of the stress of worrying about delayed flights, etc. Many European ports can be overwhelming with possible choices of things to do, so it really helps to focus on a few things with the attitude that we will someday return and do other things. Several years ago we coined a state of mind we call the "If its Tuesday, this Must be Belgium" Syndrome which does define many cruise passengers we see in Europe. For those not familiar with this old movie (you can rent it) it is about a European bus tour that goes to 8 countries in 18 days. We hear passengers talk about all the places they saw in a day and wonder if they really saw anything. Sometimes one needs to just stop and smell the roses. So my simple advice to anyone worried about all the ports is to plan some slow days. There are places such as Mykonos, Sardinia, Majorca, etc. where it makes sense to just have a nice beach day. There are other port stops where you can simply walk off the ship and explore the local area on foot without taking any tour (this works well in Barcelona, Cadiz, etc).

 

Hank

 

Hank, I so agree. When we cruise to Alaska, we are booked with excursions from the minute we dock until we sail away and I find myself totally exhausted and not having the opportunity to see the town itself. I really wanted to avoid this on the Med Cruise. I really want to take my time and enjoy each port, see a few Museums, some church's, talk to the locals and really enjoy the port rather then hoping on a bus and doing an actual activity. I don't know if this is the right way to do it or not, I guess I will find out. I know I cannot see everything and this will not be my only cruise to the Med, at least I hope not.

 

Thank you for your advise.

[junglejane]

You've gotten lots of good advice from people with a lot more experience than I have. My 2 cents is to agree with Chipmaster that it's very frustrating to try to do Rome or Florence in a day. We went to the Med in 2008 on a Venice-Barcelona itinerary that made ports stops for Rome and Florence. The trouble is that it takes so long to get to those cities from the ports (90+ minutes one way) that you are terribly rushed when you get there. That's why we are returning to the Med in 2011 for a cruise that embarks from Rome. That way we can fly in a few days early for a pre-cruise visit to Rome.

 

I absolutely loved Venice, and to me a Rome-Venice (or vice versa) itinerary would be ideal. But this time we also wanted to go to Istanbul, and couldn't find a summer Rome-Venice cruise that stopped in Istanbul, so we're doing a Rome RT.

 

Have fun whatever you choose.

[CALMOM]

You've gotten lots of good advice from people with a lot more experience than I have. My 2 cents is to agree with Chipmaster that it's very frustrating to try to do Rome or Florence in a day. We went to the Med in 2008 on a Venice-Barcelona itinerary that made ports stops for Rome and Florence. The trouble is that it takes so long to get to those cities from the ports (90+ minutes one way) that you are terribly rushed when you get there. That's why we are returning to the Med in 2011 for a cruise that embarks from Rome. That way we can fly in a few days early for a pre-cruise visit to Rome.

 

I absolutely loved Venice, and to me a Rome-Venice (or vice versa) itinerary would be ideal. But this time we also wanted to go to Istanbul, and couldn't find a summer Rome-Venice cruise that stopped in Istanbul, so we're doing a Rome RT.

 

Have fun whatever you choose.

 

I have to agree with you, I have put that into my criteria now. Thank you for your advise. Your advise is worth, just as much, as everyone else.

[PatriciaF]

I was the one who initially posted the alert about the distance from port to Rome and Florence. I have talked to people who were absolutely shocked regarding the distance and were quite disappointed regarding the long commute and the short time in these cities.

 

Now--these people probably don't use cruise critic to plan, plan, plan their vacations like most of us here do, but you need to balance what you absolutely want to see from these ports to the time (or money) available to do so. (Also, I think some cruiselines itineraries say "rome" rather than civitivecchia (sp?) or "florence" rather than livorno, which is the reality.

 

I think a 12 or 14 day Med cruise would be a great way to get a taste of each country to be able to decide where you could go back to for a longer vacation using a rental car or train for touring.

[Tiffany's mom]

I assume the Transatlantic is the cruises that return to Florida? I just didn't know if I would regret spending those days at sea, instead of flying back from Venice or Barcelona, and seeing more ports. It is worth a consideration though, considering that I would still have to fly back to the West Coast. Is there flights from Los Angeles to Venice or Barcelona or do they all connect in Florida? I hope I don't sound confusing. Thank you.

 

Yes the cruise ends in Florida, Fort Landerdale. We buy a round-trip to Europe and then another one way from Flort Landerdale to California (San Diego). The round-trip is always cheaper then a one=way to Europe.

 

Check out next year's roll call on the Ruby, Oct. 19. You can't believe how many have booked this cruise already. We have been booked for 2 months. We have done 10 cruises in Europe and I like the transatlantic the best. I do not come home so tried. On the last days you set the clocks ahead a hour every day. So went we get to florida there is only 3 hours difference to the West Coast. When you fly home from Europe it can be as much as 11 hours time change and that can wipe you out.

 

All so you can't beat the price difference on the cruise. For a cruise in the middle of summer the lowest balcony is 3,500 pp for next year. We paid less than $100 a day pp for the transatlanta. So there is a lot of difference. We really enjoy the balcony and use it a lot. So if you are watching the expenses October TA will save a lot of money and also give you extra money for tours, etc.

 

Pam

[junglejane]

I was the one who initially posted the alert about the distance from port to Rome and Florence. I have talked to people who were absolutely shocked regarding the distance and were quite disappointed regarding the long commute and the short time in these cities.

 

Now--these people probably don't use cruise critic to plan, plan, plan their vacations like most of us here do, but you need to balance what you absolutely want to see from these ports to the time (or money) available to do so.

 

We did lots of research and planning and used private tours (organized through our Roll Call) for Rome and Florence. But there's just no getting around the fact that you'll be pressed for time if you visit these cities on a day trip from one of the ports.

[CALMOM]

We did lots of research and planning and used private tours (organized through our Roll Call) for Rome and Florence. But there's just no getting around the fact that you'll be pressed for time if you visit these cities on a day trip from one of the ports.

 

Is there cruises that stay in the ports more than one day? I am concerned about the time restriction and being able to enjoy the port, since the ship is so far away. I guess I am use to the ships docking right in the cities, from my other cruises. It sounds like the Med Cruises are completely different.

[junglejane]

Is there cruises that stay in the ports more than one day? I am concerned about the time restriction and being able to enjoy the port, since the ship is so far away. I guess I am use to the ships docking right in the cities, from my other cruises. It sounds like the Med Cruises are completely different.

 

There seem to be certain ports where ships will stay overnight, such as Venice and Istanbul. I'm not aware of ships staying overnight for Rome (Civitavecchia) or Florence (Livorno). Don't get me wrong. A lot of these ports are very "doable" in a day (for a first time introductory visit). For example, I thought a day was plenty for Dubrovnik, Santorini and Athens. I think it's mainly Rome and Florence where the distance from the port becomes problematic.