Suggestions on our future Celebrity Cruise

[Realblonde474]

My husband and I are both experienced cruisers and while I have enjoyed RCCL (just returned from a RCCL LOS cruise) we took a Celebrity cruise last year and have decided that we are going to stick with Celebrity whenever we cruise without children.

 

We generally cruise in March or April of each year but we are flexible.

 

I am seeking your advice on a ship (he likes the larger ships, I don't care but don't like the MEGA ships) and a port.

 

We are thinking about a Medi cruise as we have seen most of the Caribbean.

 

Suggestions on your favorite ship would be welcome! :D

 

Thanks!

Donna

[ghstudio]

Your biggest problem will be that the Celebrity ships don't get to Europe until late April.

 

While quite different, you might consider a transatlantic cruise. Knee Jerk reaction is usually, what will I do for six days at sea. The answer is you'd be surprised...you might actually just read and relax :) Those cruises do make a number of stops once they reach the Azores. We're doing our second one next month.

 

Don't know your time constraints, but taking the transatlantic and staying on the ship for the next cruise in Europe might be wonderful. We're doing the Equinox TA to Rome and then staying on the boat to Greece and Turkey.

 

The Celebrity "large" ships are quite different than the RCL ships. RCL has that "central park" thing going....and everyone congregates in that "tight" area. Celebrity ship design is very different and you almost never have crowds or even waiting lines. We hate the larger RCL ships, we tried the eclipse last year and were shocked at the difference. All of the Solstice class ships are essentially the same. The M-class ships (Millenium, Constellation, Infinity) are all great ships as well....and the "baby" Century is terrific as well.

 

That was long winded....and now I'm going to give you my real recommendation. Take Celebrity's Galapagos cruise on the Xpedition. It is by far the best cruise we have ever taken...and that opinion is shared by most who have had the opportunity to take the cruise. Check it out....

[Thechats]

Hi, fellow Georgian. The Med cruise (Barcelona to Venice) on HAL was our favorite until we took Celebrity's Turkey and Greece cruise out of Istanbul last fall. Although we spent 2 nights in Istanbul pre-cruise, it was barely enough time to scratch the surface on all of the amazing things to see and do there. Other cruise highlights included the ruins at Ephesus and Athens, the Lycian rock tombs, and the breathtaking beauty of Santorini. The weather was great and people were friendly - especially in the Turkish ports. For us, this cruise was the perfect combination of history/culture, sun, and beautiful scenery. We're headed to the Baltic next and many people rate that itinerary highly so hope it lives up to the billing. Personally, I don't think you can go wrong on either a Med or Turkey/Greece cruise but there are certainy lots of good options. Ultimately, it will likely simply boil down to needing to prioritize them.

[aquaclass]

gh is right Galapagos would be a great choice.

 

You might also consider visiting Australia on Solstice (great ship) spending a couple of extra nights in Sydney.

[Realblonde474]

Thank you so much for all of the great suggestions...I will start looking ASAP!

 

Donna

[4774Papa]

Also, Celebrity has cruises to and in South America from December to March. We did Infinity last December from FLL through the Panama Canal to Valparaiso, Chile, that was super.

Consider Celebrity cruises in Australia/NZ and the Far East.

[Bruin Steve]

My husband and I are both experienced cruisers and while I have enjoyed RCCL (just returned from a RCCL LOS cruise) we took a Celebrity cruise last year and have decided that we are going to stick with Celebrity whenever we cruise without children.

 

We generally cruise in March or April of each year but we are flexible.

 

I am seeking your advice on a ship (he likes the larger ships, I don't care but don't like the MEGA ships) and a port.

 

We are thinking about a Medi cruise as we have seen most of the Caribbean.

 

Suggestions on your favorite ship would be welcome! :D

 

Thanks!

Donna

 

Donna,

I have cruised all over the world...and, at least for me, the Mediterranean will always be my favorite...The ports are incredible--the history, architecture, archaeology, art, culture, etc.

 

Definitely consider being flexible in your timing and go in May or June...

Any Celebrity ship is great...

I have been on all three sizes...and each has its benefits...

None, even the largest Solstice-class, will give you that "mega-ship" feel...largely because the passenger-to-space ratios are so much better than ships on most other lines...

Choose by the itinerary you like...You won't see all of Europe in one cruise anyway, so you will have to go back...and you will want to...

 

For a first Med cruise, you might want to do more of a "grand" Mediterranean itinerary...something that spans from West to East and hits a variety of ports in different countries, a mixture of small and large...Also great to find itineraries that start in one port and end in another--so you can do distinct pre- and post-cruise stays...

 

Our first Med cruise was on Millennium several years ago and went from Venice to Barcelona ...and we spent extra days in both cities...Both are great cities for an extended stay...in between, we visited Dubrovnik, Corfu, Athens, Santorini, Naples, Rome, Livorno and Villefranche--a nice mix of ports...Fabulous cruise...

 

And, of course, there are some alternatives...an Eastern Med route that goes to Israel, Egypt, Turkey and Greece is generally impressive and fascinating as well...

 

Good luck...

[CathyCruises]

We have done 3 Celebrity Med cruises--really think that's an excellent choice, and I would choose S class every time. If you watch, you can find some screaming deals; our last 12 nighter was $949 for a balcony cabin, but in early November. You can find some good deals early in the season too. Check this link every week to see upcoming deals: http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Exciting_Deals/XcitingDeals_cel_tues.pdf