What Mediterranean cruise to do?

[jam82]

Please tell me which Mediterranean cruise I should do with my 4 year old. We are thinking of going in May or June 2011. I want a good kids program so I'm looking at NCL or RCCL. I'd also consider Princess. Any suggestions?

[Kerry's Girls]

I did the NCL Jade with my 5 year olds and it was a great ship with great itinerary for kids. Usually I wouldn't choose NCL because I like more traditional cruising, but on a port-heavy cruise with kids, the Freestyle cruising works out great as far as meals. The ship also has a fun waterslike and a small splash pool if your daughter doesn't swim yet (my girls loved it). NCL does charge for the kids club on port days.

 

Best,

Mia

[boulders]

Disney will be cruising the Med in May and June, 2011. They have 10 and 11 night itineraries out of Barcelona.

[jam82]

Thanks. I should have said that we can only do an 7 or 8 day. The Jade is my first choice because of the itinerary that goes to Santorini and Mykenos, but it goes out of Venice which seems a lot more expensive to fly to than Barcelona. Any good tips on flights? We'll fly from Houston. Does anyone have experience flying into one port and out of another, especially in regards to price? I don't want to spend too much of my cruise money on airfare.

[Ula]

We just got off the 12 day med cruise on Princess. There were children on the cruise. They all seemed to like the kids clubs. We saw a group of wee ones eating together on formal night.

A piece of advice, this cruise is very port intensive and lots of walking. With a very young one do half day excursions. Do have a cute story, on our tour of Delos we had a young man about 4 or 5. At that point I think he was the only one left with any energy. He was just very happy.

Well the ruins are kind of boring for one that age and he was in our group. He was just boping around when all of the sudden he yelled very happily. Oh great look its a lizzard. Everyone just busted out laughing. He did find a cat to pet which also made him happy.

[chipmaster]

I couldn't possibly tell you which cruise to take without knowing what your preferences are? All the major lines have a reasonble club and for a child as young as 4 my experience with the 3 I have will offer the most basic of care. For my planning recommend picking the list of ports you want then pick from the cruise lines/ships that offer them. If Disney does it I'd go with them, then I'd really group NCL, Princess, Carnival and RCCL in the same group.

 

Please tell me which Mediterranean cruise I should do with my 4 year old. We are thinking of going in May or June 2011. I want a good kids program so I'm looking at NCL or RCCL. I'd also consider Princess. Any suggestions?

[6rugrats]

Thanks. I should have said that we can only do an 7 or 8 day. The Jade is my first choice because of the itinerary that goes to Santorini and Mykenos, but it goes out of Venice which seems a lot more expensive to fly to than Barcelona. Any good tips on flights? We'll fly from Houston. Does anyone have experience flying into one port and out of another, especially in regards to price? I don't want to spend too much of my cruise money on airfare.

 

No idea what cruise you should take; I wouldn't have taken any of my kids to the Med at that age because of how port intensive it is, and they certainly wouldn't have been very interested in museums, ruins, etc.

 

But, I can advise you on airfare. Consider the fact that you want to travel at the height of tourist season. Airfare to both BCN and VCE usually is expensive. Also, tickets for May and June have been for sale for several months now and usually, the cheaper fare buckets sell out first. There is no way of knowing when it's cheapest to purchase, or if airlines will have sales.

 

Highly suggest you find the cruise you are interested in and then start researching airfare before you book the cruise. It is certainly possible the airfare will be much more than your cruise fare. If you are flying into and then out of another city, choose the "muticity" option on the airline's webpage to search for fares.

[brazilgirl]

We took the Celebrity Med cruise with our 4 yr old ( who is now going on 7). It was 12 nights (Barcelona to Venice).

 

My tips:

 

If possible , try to book private shore excursions. This really made our trip a lot more special! We booked private trips in Rome , Livorno and in Naples.

 

We rented a car in Santorini , which was lovely. The kids loved the beach , we explored Oia , savoring the yogurt and petting the cute cats. Renting a car is a fantastic option for parents , as it offers great flexibility and reduces "tired leg syndrome".

 

The highlights for our 4 yr old were the Gondolas and the Coliseum...he still talks about the gladiators and has the cheap gladiator statue he bought displayed proudly in his room.

 

In Livorno , we ended up going to Lucca and rented bikes and rode on the wall (it´s a walled city). It was one of our favorite days ever....The Med is really nice for kids and adults. I can´t wait to go back.

 

Here is a more complete review with tips...http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=785432&highlight=summit+review+part

 

Have fun!

Kim

[queenL]

Thanks. I should have said that we can only do an 7 or 8 day. The Jade is my first choice because of the itinerary that goes to Santorini and Mykenos, but it goes out of Venice which seems a lot more expensive to fly to than Barcelona. Any good tips on flights? We'll fly from Houston. Does anyone have experience flying into one port and out of another, especially in regards to price? I don't want to spend too much of my cruise money on airfare.

 

 

Don't forget you have other options. It may be easier to fly into one city and take the train to your embarkation port. We found it was a better deal to fly into Rome and take the train to Venice. You will have to do the math to see whether it will be cost effective for you. On the way back from our cruise next month we will return to Barcelona by cruise, take the train and fly out of Madrid.

 

It is difficult to recommend a cruise line to you without knowing your cruising style and preferences. I prefer newer, larger, activity laden ships when I can swing it. The Oasis of the Seas has been my favorite ship to date. That said, itinerary and cost are usually the decisive factors for me. That tends to guide my preferences in various directions. So given the criteria you presented, if it were me I'd take the NCL Epic or RCL Liberty of the Seas. Both of those ships are in the region at the time you are looking to sail. We will be travelling with our 3 1/2 yr old next month to the Mediterranean. We chose MSC Splendida. It is a new, beautiful, ship, running a great itinerary, kids under 11 sail free and I've been wanting to try the Italian cruise lines for some time. I will post a review when I return.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[Lisou]

Bonjour,

 

As you can see, it is a subjective affair since everyone has their favourite cruise line:confused:. It depends if you prefer Eastern or Western Med. Also depends how well travelled your 4yo is?

 

As a first European experience for my 6yo daughter last year, I chose to spend a few days in Paris prior to our cruise, then we took an internal European flight to fly to Barcelona. We were on Royal Carribbean`s Voyager of the Seas (VOS) for a 7 day port intensive Western Med cruise. I agree with Kim (Brazilgirl) regarding the private excursions. I also agree with Lucca for the Livorno port rather than Florence for a child. If you decide to bring your 4yo along, you will need to make comprimises in terms of how many ruins and museums you visit as your child may not be as fascinated as you:p!

 

The VOS had a skating rink and many other child friendly amenities and of course being on RCCL meant that the children`s program was great!

[mary_228]

I would avoid sailing out of Venice, especially for a seven night cruise. We did this a few years ago when all transportation workers striked in sympathy for the railroad workers (I think), making transport in Venice from the airport to the hotel a real ordeal. Not to mention the six hour delay in our connecting city since the airport workers also struck! OTOH, an overnight stop in Venice would be great if you can find an itinerary that does this. You can enjoy this beautiful city in the evening - so atmospheric - without the cost of a Venice hotel room! And you can leave your child in the kids program while you and your spouse have a romantic evening together!

[brazilgirl]

We did exactly that in Venice...we had an overnight , so we left the kids at the Fun Factory and walked around Venice at night and had dinner. It was lovely!

 

Kim

[Onessa]

We've done a number of Med cruises and a few land trips with our DD (now nearly 15YO) since she was just an infant. She was first in Venice when she was 4YO and she was captivated by it.

 

Scope out parks in any of the ports in which you visit to let your kids let off some steam. At that age, the little ones seem to be able to communicate even if one is speaking Greek and the other English!

 

Don't forget you have other options. It may be easier to fly into one city and take the train to your embarkation port. We found it was a better deal to fly into Rome and take the train to Venice.

 

We flew into Milan and took the train to Venice (a bit shorter than Rome). Try any number of alternatives. Sometimes booking into Paris or Amsterdam and doing a separate flight from there to the port city can be cheaper.

 

I would avoid sailing out of Venice, especially for a seven night cruise. We did this a few years ago when all transportation workers striked in sympathy for the railroad workers (I think), making transport in Venice from the airport to the hotel a real ordeal.

Strikes can happen anywhere. Italy may be best known for them, but Spain and France are not immune. What happened to you in Venice could happen anywhere in Europe.

[European_CruiseGirl]

We are cruising on the Jade out of Venice on May 2011 with our DD (who will be 2 years 11 months by then). :)

 

We choose the cruise mainly because of the ports. Greece is soooo easy with kids. Everyone in Greece loves children and for example the restaurants accommodate children very well. We are planning to go to the beach at least at Corfu and Mykonos. Perhaps also Santorini. Can't wait. :) We will try the kids club but I seriously don't know how it will work as our DD does not speak (or understand) english. She speaks two languages but none of those is english. Still I'm willing to give it a try. :) I'm sure young kids don't mind the language barrier. I am however a bit concerned how the staff can handle unexpected situations if they do not understand what a child is saying (if - for example - our DD suddenly starts to cry and ask for me but they of course would not understand her or - another example - how would my child feel if she's surrounded by adults and children who speak a language that she doesn't understand. I know it might be scary for me if I was in that kind of a situation and felt still totally dependable on those people).

 

I cannot give any tips on flights as we live in Europe. Venice is quite convenient for us for that reason. The hotel fares seem high though. :eek:

[toonye]

Hi Jam82!

 

Cruising the med in June is a great idea as it won't be as hot and crowded as in the summer!

 

But also expect a more older crowd on the ship as none of the european countries will have school holidays at that time of the year.

 

That being said, all major cruise lines will still offer kids facilities onboard.

 

We've cruised the med 3 times (2x eastern, 1x western) with our daughter being 5, 6 and 7 during these vacations.

 

On these cruises we had a mix of "cultural, adult-only' visits at some ports while our daughter staid onboard at the kids club for the ports which had been most boring for her.

 

And on the other ports, we did "low key " activities like beach break together.

 

It has worked very well as everybody was happy!

So, of course, it requires excellent kids facilities.

 

From my experience and comprehensive researches on the matter, I would go with either Royal Caribbean or Celebrity. These lines are for ME the only ones that offer the flexibility I need for MY family: ie. extensive opening hours of kids club, also on port days, no charge for port days and real activities and not only "supervision"

 

We've never sailed with NCL but disqualified them because of the port days supervision being charged.

 

We've sailed with Princess and although our daughter has loved the club, we really missed the RCCL flexibility (need to pre-register kid ahead of time, opening hours shorter than hours at port, no activities on port days but "free play" session, etc...)

 

That for the kids facilities.

 

Regarding the flights, I don't really understand why they charge you more to fly into Venice than Barcelona as I imagine you'll have to connect in Francfort anyway.

And for us, flying form Francfort to Venice is the cheapest (as cheap as 89 EUR return pp!) and Barcelona is more expensive.

But I imagine the best offers of Lufthansa must be sold already, you'd probably have to book them in July.

 

If you could find any cheap flight to Europe from Houston (to Heathrow, or Francfort, Paris, Rome, etc...) , you'll also be able to book another ticket to your departure port for a small fee as there are low cost airlines both for Barcelona and Venice from almost every major european airport.

 

Good luck! and don't hesitate if you have more/different questions, I'll be glad to help you if I can!

 

Toonye

[jam82]

Thanks for all the tips. I'm tempted by the low prices on MCS, but am a bit hesitant because DS only speaks English.

[SelectSys]

Please tell me which Mediterranean cruise I should do with my 4 year old. We are thinking of going in May or June 2011. I want a good kids program so I'm looking at NCL or RCCL. I'd also consider Princess. Any suggestions?

 

I really like RCCL for family travel. It is a good balance of activities for all. The only ships in their fleet that I don't really like are the Vision class ships.

 

Thanks. I should have said that we can only do an 7 or 8 day. The Jade is my first choice because of the itinerary that goes to Santorini and Mykenos, but it goes out of Venice which seems a lot more expensive to fly to than Barcelona. Any good tips on flights? We'll fly from Houston. Does anyone have experience flying into one port and out of another, especially in regards to price? I don't want to spend too much of my cruise money on airfare.

 

For a 7 or 8 day cruise to the eastern med you'll likely depart from either Venice or Athens. Airfares to anywhere in Italy are a bit higher than if you are going to other destinations in Europe.

 

Our family's favorite all time cruise was the Brilliance of the Seas out of Barcelona which goes to Santorini and Mykonos even though it is 12 days. If you can get the time, it is a great trip.

 

You can also consider Liberty of the Seas out of Barcelona for an inexpensive 7 day trip.

[jam82]

I so wish we could do 12 days, because that sounds like a great cruise, but we can't. I guess it will have to be the Liberty or the Jade. Thoughts?

[jandsmom]

We're going on the Liberty of the Seas the end of June out of Barcelona. The air fare was the most difficult part! We're flying out of Boston and they wanted $1600 RT and there are four of us. In order to use DH's frequent flyer miles we're going from Boston to Munich and then over to Barcelona. It was the most economical and we'd have to have a layover somewhere with United. My kids are on the older side - but from everything I've read - RCI has a great kid's program! DD will definitely be taking advantage of the teen one.

[SelectSys]

I would avoid sailing out of Venice, especially for a seven night cruise. We did this a few years ago when all transportation workers striked in sympathy for the railroad workers (I think), making transport in Venice from the airport to the hotel a real ordeal. Not to mention the six hour delay in our connecting city since the airport workers also struck! OTOH, an overnight stop in Venice would be great if you can find an itinerary that does this. You can enjoy this beautiful city in the evening - so atmospheric - without the cost of a Venice hotel room! And you can leave your child in the kids program while you and your spouse have a romantic evening together!

 

This can happen anywhere in most of Europe and especially in Italy I would think.

 

However, I do think a 7 day cruise is short for someone coming all the way from the US unless it is part of larger vacation. The airfare and travel time would keep me closer to home when travelling with the family.

 

 

Hi Jam82!

 

 

Regarding the flights, I don't really understand why they charge you more to fly into Venice than Barcelona as I imagine you'll have to connect in Francfort anyway.

And for us, flying form Francfort to Venice is the cheapest (as cheap as 89 EUR return pp!) and Barcelona is more expensive.

But I imagine the best offers of Lufthansa must be sold already, you'd probably have to book them in July.

 

If you could find any cheap flight to Europe from Houston (to Heathrow, or Francfort, Paris, Rome, etc...) , you'll also be able to book another ticket to your departure port for a small fee as there are low cost airlines both for Barcelona and Venice from almost every major european airport.

 

 

The reason they charge more for certain routes is based simply on "supply and demand" as well as market competition. With the almost complete demise of Alitalia there just isn't as much direct capacity across the atlantic to Italy.

 

OP, be careful about buying a ticket on a low cost carrier (LCC) as the cost of luggage and be much more than the price of the base ticket itself. You really need to look at all the costs. I would also recommend much longer connections as any problem with your first flight could cause you to miss the second and as you would be on separate tickets the carrier would have no obligation to help you out. You could end up needing to buy another last minute ticket.

 

I so wish we could do 12 days, because that sounds like a great cruise, but we can't. I guess it will have to be the Liberty or the Jade. Thoughts?

 

My vote would be Liberty as a loyal RCCL follower.

[familycruzinnewbie]

We may be heading to Europe during the summer of 2012 and I was hoping to go a cruise there. I looked at the airline rates for 2011 just to see and honestly some of it makes no sense. For example, Frankfurt can cost more than a destination that I stop in Frankfurt on the way. And Air Canada still have horrible fuel charges. We have the option of Continental but that requires an 8hrs in Newark in each direction. You really do need to be careful about connecting to a low cost airline. We spent a year in Ireland and used Ryanair frequently but you have no guarantees with them. If something changes, they will tell you that it is cheaper to let your other ticket die and rebook than change it. They changed their schedule for one of our destinations and cancelled another outright and I had booked the return from another airport. It's fine for getting from A to B but I wouldn't butt it up against a transcontinental flight or a cruise departure without a lot of extra time and a plan B. Also we never checked luggage, just took a small carryon each. Even if you pay for checked bag, you are limited to 15kg per person.

 

The 2012 schedule is not out yet obviously but I have been looking at the NCL Jade and Carnival Breeze (assuming it is similar to Magic for 2011). I like that there is more space in the basic Carnival rooms. Princess has some nice routes if you can luck into a good price. My kids would be 9 and 12, so would like to find a route that works for them with at least one sea day to break things up.