First cruise- which itinerary?

[lstewart123]

First, let me preface this by saying that I am completely clueless as I've never been on a cruise. Second, I realize the following options are totally different & all over the map. That said, we have the opportunity to take one of the following 7-8 night itineraries:

(1) Norwegian cruise in late June: Bergen, Stavanger, Kristianasand, Oslo OR

(2) late June/early July in Oslo, Fredrikstad (Norway), Gothenburg (Sweden), Helsingborg (Sweden) & Copenhagen (Denmark) OR

(3) mid October to Venice and Croatia (Porec, Zadar, Trogir) OR

(4) later October to Athens, Thessaloniki, Istanbul

 

I do realize these are all very different options. I know it boils down to what we would like to see, but frankly, we don't know anything about any of the locations (other than maybe basic info on the Greece/Istanbul one) and we don't want to rule out on of the first 3 cruises above just because we don't know anything about them. We are very open to new places and experiences so I'd love to hear more about what some of these places might be like. Also, we're in our 40s and active if that makes any difference.

[paul929207]

While I have enjoyed our visit to the Baltics, for me, they rank below the two Med ones. Personally, I would pick Greece, but Venice is wonderful too.

[Growler]

My preference would be for Norway and the fjords. But that's only because they're still on my list! (also, the best meal I've ever eaten, in the best restaurant I've ever visited, was in Oslo!)

[tak81288]

Honestly, I think you will be better of grabbing some books from the library and reading up on each of these ports and their history where it is applicable and I would pick the itinerary that interested me the most after reading up on them. The cruiseline may do lectures and things on each port, but you still want to know something about each place before you even book just to make sure you will be interested in the first place.

 

For example, if you go somewhere like Greece, some of the sights won't mean much to if you don't know anything about Grecian history.

 

That's just my opinion though. Everyone on here will give you their preferences, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it is right for you, especially if you don't know anything about the places you are visiting. Giving descriptions of what to do, the history behind some of the places...etc...would be too much for anyone to type up on a message board.

 

Have fun planning your first cruise... :)

[Dayenu]

For me it would be a toss between #1 and #4 - but we done #1 and our next cruise is #4 (approximately the same routes)

 

Norwegian fjords are like "wow" factor every minute, and then you can die, you've seen it :p

[operafan]

For us, number 4, because we love the Greek islands.

[polySeraph]

First, let me preface this by saying that I am completely clueless as I've never been on a cruise. Second, I realize the following options are totally different & all over the map. That said, we have the opportunity to take one of the following 7-8 night itineraries:

(1) Norwegian cruise in late June: Bergen, Stavanger, Kristianasand, Oslo OR

(2) late June/early July in Oslo, Fredrikstad (Norway), Gothenburg (Sweden), Helsingborg (Sweden) & Copenhagen (Denmark) OR

(3) mid October to Venice and Croatia (Porec, Zadar, Trogir) OR

(4) later October to Athens, Thessaloniki, Istanbul

 

For me, that would be easy! . . . .(1)

 

Our very first cruise WAS a Norway cruise in late June. We wanted to visit Norway and a work colleague had told me that a cruise was the best way to see Norway. So a cruise it was!

 

Many of the other passengers we met on the ship said, "Wow, Norway's very ambitious for a first cruise!" We were mystified about what this meant, so finally we asked someone. Apparently the "right way" to start cruising is to start off with a couple of Caribbean cruises or Alaskan cruises and then move on to Europe and Norway. :confused:

 

Of course, the "right" first cruise for you is the one that excites you so much that you can hardly wait to tell everyone you know!

 

So, I'd recommend you do a little research over in the Ports of Call section. You can also find all of Rick Steve's episodes on Hulu. Sooner or later (probably sooner), you'll see something that is so interesting, intriguing, or beautiful that you'll just have to go and see it. And that will be the right first cruise for you! :)

 

By the way, Norway was sooooh indescribably beautiful that I'm going back next year. :D

[lstewart123]

Wow- thanks! For those that have been to Norway, is there enough to do? Other than the beauty of the landscape and the pretty little towns, is there much to do in terms of excursions, etc.?

[dln929]

See how easy it is to reach your ports and that might winnow out some itineraries right then and there. We're going on our first cruise and although I wouldn't change a thing about it, I had no idea what a pain in the you-know-what it is to fly into Venice. We have to take three different planes just to get there! Next cruise, we're departing from Barcelona. Easy to fly into and much less expensive.

[polySeraph]

Wow- thanks! For those that have been to Norway, is there enough to do? Other than the beauty of the landscape and the pretty little towns, is there much to do in terms of excursions, etc.?

 

That depends on what you like to do.

 

Norway is known for its spectacular scenery, but there's also historic sites, cultural opportunities and active sports (hiking, kayaking, etc). The 1st time we were there, we spent the day just walking around Alesund (it was charming). In Bergen we took the "Norway in a Nutshell" excursion through the ship. We've planned completely different activities for the next trip.

 

The best way that I've found to research ports is to start by looking at what my cruiseline is offering in terms of shore excursions. (You can usually find it on their website.) Then I look at what OTHER cruiselines are offering in terms of shore excursions for that port. That gives me a basic idea of what there is to do in the area and what's reasonable timewise for the length of the port call.

 

Then I go to Cruise Critic's port call section. For Norway, you would go to the Europe forum and then click on the Northern Europe & Baltics sub-forum. Start off with a search or two, and then if you can't turn up what you need, post a question.

 

I'd also encourage you to get involved with the roll call for your sailing. You may find others who want to do the same type of excursions that you do and then you can possibly organize private tours together. It's also just plain fun to get to know others that will be on your same sailing and to share the anticipation with them.

[navybankerteacher]

The Aegean in late October - Athens to Istanbul (#4) would be my first - truly awesome cities -- perhaps not as pretty as Norway, but far more to see - and ideal weather.

 

One other point: perhaps your first cruise might better be on a much less expensive, shorter, local itinerary -- what if you just happen to not like cruising? You will have made a major investment, and you might prefer land travel for your overseas ventures.

[TheDunphys]

For me it's hands down Venice and Croatia. Can't beat it, particularly for a first cruise. So romantic and gorgeous at that time of the year. Having said that, you'll have a blast on any of your optioned cruises. Enjoy.