Eastern Mediterranean

[goncruzn]

Today I booked the Eastern Med on the Navigator for October 27 - November 3 of 2013. This will be my first cruise that's not going to the Caribbean and I am so excited. For anyone who's taken this cruise before, what is the weather in the Med like at that time of year? Any must see's or do's in Athens, Turkey or Sicily? I also booked a hump cabin on deck 7. You think that's a good location? Any comments, thoughts or suggestions are appreciated!

[rblucy]

We just returned from this cruise and that was where our room was. It was a great location. It was quiet because it was closer to food than bars/entertainment which was perfect for us. Very close to stairs/elevator too. And easy to find bc it was next to the library :)

We did private tours in Sicily and Athens. In Sicily we saw Mt. Etna, Taormina, Castlemola, and Messina. In Athens we hit the main ruins and had time for a quick lunch. In Turkey we did a tour through the boat to Ephesus and then walked around the port by ourselves.

You'll have a great time! It was a wonderful vacation!

[goncruzn]

Thanks so much rblucy! I started to book a cabin farther away from the elevators because I wasn't sure about the noise coming from people coming and going and, well really it was because I thought I will probably need the exercise ;).

 

Who did you use for your private tours? Were you pleased with the service?

[rblucy]

We ended up using the stairs a pretty decent amount of time bc floor 7 was kind of in the middle, not too far either direction, so that was our exercise :) Well, that and walking around the sites in 99 degree weather! With all that sweating, neither DH nor I gained any weight on vacation haha!

For Sicily, we used Sicily with Mario and were very pleased. Mario was really friendly and fun. He didn't provide as much history, but we all liked him. In Athens we used Private Greece Tours and chose their half day tour. The main difference between the full day vs half day was the full day included museums. We were very happy with our experience and our driver was knowledgeable and friendly. Before each stop he would give us some information about what we would be seeing and then let us check it out, which was perfect for us. In Turkey we did a tour through the boat and in Crete we took the city bus. For our transfer from the airport to the cruise, then from the boat into Rome with a full day tour, and then our transfer from our hotel to the airport, we used Rome In Limo. They were very professional and helpful. Our driver for the tour was knowledgeable about all the sites we saw and really fit a ton into one day. Everyone was shocked by how much we were able to see in just one day! I would recommend all three companies.

[goncruzn]

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely look into Mario and the other tours you suggested.

[Ned11]

I'm looking at this cruise also for next July so all the above info will help.

[griffy116]

This is soooo strange. We had a bump-out balcony cabin in 7, but I can't remember the number 73something?? We just got back a few weeks ago from this itinerary on Navigator. You are in for a wonderful trip. We used Ephesus Deluxe in Turkey and I would recommend them to anyone. You can pay U.S.D at the end of the tour. They were fabulous and got us in and out ahead of the crowds and buses, took us much closer than the buses. We did their tour of Ephesus, including the Tour of the House of the Virgin Mary. In Sicily we used a private excursion group and I think the name for New Info Services...???...They were great and Taormina is a must. In Athens we used Dennis Private Tours and they were also wonderful. I would recommend any of these and would use them again in a heartbeat. I'm very envious :(

[mjldvlks]

We did an Eastern Med on Splendour beginning Nov 10, 2007. Our itenerary was Venice, Dubrovnik, Kusadesi (Ephesus), Santorini and Corfu. Most of the time we wore light jackets. The only exceptions were: (1) our layover in Frankfurt (we took a side trip to Heidelberg) which was pretty cold, even saw a few snow flakes; and (2) Ephesus where, by the end of the day I was in shirtsleeves.

 

We thought the weather was great for touring and seeing stuff. Not really good beach weather. When we were there, things were starting to shut down for the season. You, being about 2 weeks earlier should have much less of that, if any. We had a great time. Weather-wise, I think it was a great time to be there, but, if I had it to do over, I would try to be just a bit earlier (as you are) to avoid the closings.

 

Have a great trip.

[bonsai3s]

Today I booked the Eastern Med on the Navigator for October 27 - November 3 of 2013. This will be my first cruise that's not going to the Caribbean and I am so excited. For anyone who's taken this cruise before, what is the weather in the Med like at that time of year? Any must see's or do's in Athens, Turkey or Sicily? I also booked a hump cabin on deck 7. You think that's a good location? Any comments, thoughts or suggestions are appreciated!

 

...we spent 21 wonderful days on the Navigator. Met and made so many friends and the icing on the cake...great crew! from our waiter, asst. waiter, bartenders, cruise directors (one was female who spoke several languages fluently), cabin stewards, and entertainment staff.

 

* Weather: We were on that cruise the same exact time. The weather was warm but changed dramatically at the end. Civitavecchia/Rome/Athens/Sicily/Kusadasi...were all warm and borderline hot. In Livorno, it rained. Then in Toulon...it was a hurricane. The winds were so strong, the Navigator was not allowed to leave the port. It can be difficult to guess what Mother Nature is going to do.

* Athens, Turkey, and Sicily: Planning is part of the fun...you will have plenty of time. Join your roll call and perhaps join a group for each port. We make every effort to do shore excursions "DIY' (do it yourself). We've learned from members of Cruise Critic...they are eurocruiser, cruisemom42, Hlitner, johnbull...they will provide you with accurate and detailed information. Briefly, in Athens, we shared a taxi with another couple that took us quickly from the port to the Acropolis. We had great photos without the thousands of people in the background. Taking the metro was also easy but our plan was to get to the Acropolis before the busloads of people. We easily walked around Athens and visited most of the historical sights. The taxi driver took us back to the ship and still had plenty of time to shop at the port. In Kusadasi (Turkey), I arranged a private tour for 20 people that we met on Cruise Critic. (not sure if allowed but we highly recommend Ephesus Shuttle). In our air-conditioned and oversized van, we visited Ephesus (with the terrace houses included), the house of Virgin Mary, Artemis Temple, a lunch buffet at a local Turkish restaurant, a visit to a carpet shop (you can skip this), with a wonderful guide and driver. In Messina, Sicily, the port was only a short walk to the center of town. We watched the clock tower display at noon and then walked to the train station for our "DIY" to the incredible town of Taormina.

Happy Sailing!!!!!!!! :)

[goncruzn]

Thanks so much for all the helpful information. I haven't had a chance to get over to the roll call board yet but I will do so as soon as possible. I will definitely look into doing one of the private tours in each city. I would much rather do that than book one of the ship's tours. Thanks again for all the info. It definitely helps me with my planning, especially figuring out what type of clothing to take. All my previous cruises have been to the Caribbean and Central America where it is hot all the time.