40th Birthday Cruise - Med or Alaska?

[momofmeg]

Both are great-it is hard to say which is best. However the summer is best for Alaska and spring and fall is best for the Med. I can tell you we had some hot days last month in Kotor, Split, and Venice-and when you are outside doing a walking tour-there is no way to escape the heat. A couple of times there I wished we had picked Alaska instead-LOL!

BTW you are just a baby! 40 is young! In 2 years I turn 60, my MIL turns 80 and My SIL turns 50-we have decided a Baltic cruise is the best way to celebrate turning a new decade for the 3 of us-LOL! Hopefully we get to go.

[momofmeg]

[quote name='sheffield']The ship would decide it for me, I find the solstice class ships are so much better than the M class ships.[/QUOTE]


LOL! and I feel the opposite way! This is exactly why the OP needs to read reviews of different cruises and make her own decision-any of us (including me) can stir her wrong.

[momofmeg]

[quote name='Waterlily777']That will be fabulous. If you have some flexibility, earlier in June would be wonderful.

You might want to do a little research about Sunset Veranda cabins if you are sailing on a Solstice-class ship. I love the aft cabins on the M-class ships, but the S-class ships have almost no overhang, so you will be really exposed to the sun. I do know that this works for some people, but for me, not so much :p.

Congratulations on getting one step closer to that Mediterranean cruise![/QUOTE]

But you walk MILES-as there are no elevators or stairways on the back of the ship-and with a port intensive cruise that was mostly walking tours of places like Pompeii, Rome,etc. for us, I was awfully tired and wished for closer elevators. I missed dinner several times and only attended 2 shows. Of course the OP being 20 years younger than me may not have that problem!

I did love the views from the balcony though. Edited July 27, 2012 by momofmeg

[momofmeg]

[quote name='Bridge Maven']I have done both cruises, more than once. If you are able to take the cruise in June I would recommend the Mediterranean one. However, if you can only take it in August, I would go to Alaska, instead. Mediterranean cruises are very port intensive and the August heat in that part of the world will make you feel like quitting shore excursions in the middle of them.[/QUOTE]

June was 95 degrees F on our cruise in Venice, Split, and Kotor. I say take it no later than May or wait until mid September. That may be unusual-but you just never know. I know it was 92F in Barcelona the last day we were there and for that time of the year it is supposed to be 82F for a high.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I have to agree that I'd go in May too. The flights will be cheaper, the cruise will be about $400 cheaper for a balcony cabin. There won't be as many crowds or ships in port- especially in Santorini. The temperatures will be better for sight-seeing. And there won't be as many kids- which if I didn't have one of my own.. would appeal to me.

[MTemple212]

[quote name='rebeccalouiseagain']I have to agree that I'd go in May too. The flights will be cheaper, the cruise will be about $400 cheaper for a balcony cabin. There won't be as many crowds or ships in port- especially in Santorini. The temperatures will be better for sight-seeing. And there won't be as many kids- which if I didn't have one of my own.. would appeal to me.[/QUOTE]

I would have to agree with this poster about when to go. Especially due to the prices for flights. I have lived in Europe (Sicily) during the 80's and a Late May/Early June or Mid to late Sept would be a perfect time in the Med for a cruise. Our last two TA's we did were from Rome and Venice and were done in Early November and Mid Oct respectively and were both too late in the season in my opinion. the weather wasn't real bad but wasn't warm either. I have also been to Alaska and did an Alaskan in my early 40's and I felt I was too young in comparison to other cruisers. I swear I thought I was the youngest on the ship!!

[momofmeg]

[quote name='MTemple212']I would have to agree with this poster about when to go. Especially due to the prices for flights. I have lived in Europe (Sicily) during the 80's and a Late May/Early June or Mid to late Sept would be a perfect time in the Med for a cruise. Our last two TA's we did were from Rome and Venice and were done in Early November and Mid Oct respectively and were both too late in the season in my opinion. the weather wasn't real bad but wasn't warm either. I have also been to Alaska and did an Alaskan in my early 40's and I felt I was too young in comparison to other cruisers. I swear I thought I was the youngest on the ship!![/QUOTE]

We only went in June so our daughter could go with us-she works in our local county school system and so could not go in May. However, I told hubby, if we ever do go again- she's been with us, and we will go when we can enjoy it more. After all, she will have more chance to go when we are no longer around.

[momofmeg]

[quote name='MTemple212']I would have to agree with this poster about when to go. Especially due to the prices for flights. I have lived in Europe (Sicily) during the 80's and a Late May/Early June or Mid to late Sept would be a perfect time in the Med for a cruise. Our last two TA's we did were from Rome and Venice and were done in Early November and Mid Oct respectively and were both too late in the season in my opinion. the weather wasn't real bad but wasn't warm either. I have also been to Alaska and did an Alaskan in my early 40's and I felt I was too young in comparison to other cruisers. I swear I thought I was the youngest on the ship!![/QUOTE]

I was in my mid 40's and felt that way too . I did love Alaska-but back then I was not ready to go to bed after the shows and we were on HAL and the lounges were all dead after 10 pm. I think if the OP picked a line like Royal Caribbean for Alaska she would have a younger crowd.

[celebrity]

I was in the same boat..no pun intended for our cruise. We are in our 50's and hadn't ventured outside of Bermuda or the Caribbean. We chose the Med as it is port intensive and will require a lot of walking and high energy. We want to experience it before we are too old to fully appreciate all the wonderful ports of call. We are booked for Sept 2013 and will start training for the extensive walking required. I've also heard that there are lots of seniors on Alaska cruises so you may feel more comfortable in the Med. Whatever you decide, Happy Birthday and Happy Sails!

[Eightydays]

No contest -- The Med!!

We did one Med cruise then went to Alaska, and after Alaska we did 4 more Med cruises.

We also did a British Isle/Norway cruise that you would probably enjoy if Alaska appeals to you. The natural beauty of the Norwegian fjords is breathtaking. Alaska was very nice but really does not compare (in my opinion).

[calvins5]

Alaska


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[H2OH!]

While I loved Alaska...I loved our med cruise more!!

Time of year is something to think about in terms of weather and crowds.

We saild the med mid-September and was perfect.

we sailed Alaska mid-june and were luck to have perfect weather- actually warm weather in the 80's and sunny!

the med weather is more predictable.

bottom line- I would do med over Alaska