Which is the best cruise line for Europe

[mac4cruise]

We have only been on 11 cruises all with Carnival to date, all in the Caribbean.

We always have had a great time on all of them.

However we are looking into a cruise in Europe next year in the Mediterranean.

Carnival is very weak in the Med who do you recomend is this area.

We like site seeing and just reaxing on the ship so really any extra special ammities on the ship is not really important to us other then good food.

[pamp0227]

I agree Carnival is weaker in Europe and appears to focus more on the Caribbean cruises. We cruised on RCL for our Northern France and British Isles cruise 2 years ago and loved the cruise. I am also researching a Mediterranean cruise and will look closely at both RCL and NCL which we have previously cruised with.

 

Good luck on your planning.

[Minoushka]

Last year we did our cruise on HAL noordam .itinerary was great older people and lots of families on bard . On celebrity Silhouette lots of Italians

[sippican]

A vote for Royal Caribean.

[Tapi]

You may also want to look at two European cruise lines: MSC and Costa

 

Costa is owned by Carnival, and many of their ships are structurally similar to the Conquest and Spririt class ships on Carnival. Decor is also similar since the ships for both cruise lines were conceived by the same designer: Joe Farcus.

 

If you want something different, try MSC. It's a casual cruise line, yet their ships have been dubbed as "the most beautiful ships on Earth".

 

If you do decide to sail on one of these two cruise lines, go with an open mind. They cater to a heavily international crowd, so several things will be quite different from what you're used to on American cruise lines.

[Cruzinbabe06]

I have done 2 Med cruises.

 

The NCL Epic was very nice. A lot of different eateries. Ate at a different restaurant every night. Some had fees. The entertainment was way better than CCL and RCCL. A different show every night. Blue Man Group, Cirque Dinner Show, Legends in Concert, etc. We had a balcony. Loved their cabin setup with sink in room. Itinerary is very Port Intensive. Leaving from Barcelona with stops in Naples, Florence, Rome, Cannes and can't remember the last port. However, we had 5 striaght ports and I would never do that again. We were exhausted at the end of this cruise.

 

RCCL Navigator was very good. I like the ports better on this cruise. We left from Rome. Went to Athens, Turkey, Messina, Sicily and Crete. This was very relaxing with sea days in between for a more laid back cruise. Entertainment was standard. We got the Ice skating show. But, one night I remember looking for something to do. So we went and saw a movie in the theater that night.

 

Epic was a better ship, with better food and entertainment. I wish I could sail on the Epic with RCCL port itinerary.:D That would be the ultimate cruise. LOL!

 

We did a lot of research, which was the fun part. And had booked all private full day tours for each port. Every tour provider showed up on time in port.

 

I'm doing a land trip to Egypt this year. But, next year I want to get back to the Med.

 

Whatever you choose, enjoy. Europe is wonderful.:)

[mcgratru]

Princess...amazing itineraries...beautiful ships

[finsupcruiser]

Vote for NCL --We loved our Med cruise:)

[rjrpar]

Actually Carnival has some great deals in Europe. We did the Med last year on Carnival and it was great(and we usually sail with RCCL). We are doing the Baltics in August at a great rate. Remember, in Europe it is more about the sightseeing and less about the ship.

[vols_159]

You may also want to look at two European cruise lines: MSC and Costa

 

Costa is owned by Carnival, and many of their ships are structurally similar to the Conquest and Spririt class ships on Carnival. Decor is also similar since the ships for both cruise lines were conceived by the same designer: Joe Farcus.

 

If you want something different, try MSC. It's a casual cruise line, yet their ships have been dubbed as "the most beautiful ships on Earth".

 

If you do decide to sail on one of these two cruise lines, go with an open mind. They cater to a heavily international crowd, so several things will be quite different from what you're used to on American cruise lines.

 

Warning warning my aunt and uncle took a costa cruise to Egypt and other ports a couple years ago all the menus were in Italian shows Italian food Italian they only like pizza and spagatti.. They couldn't eat pizza or spagatti for almost a year... So before you book costa do some research they didn't there son picked the cruise and asked the parents to tag along..

[Cruzinbabe06]

Actually Carnival has some great deals in Europe. We did the Med last year on Carnival and it was great(and we usually sail with RCCL). We are doing the Baltics in August at a great rate. Remember, in Europe it is more about the sightseeing and less about the ship.

 

 

Why not have both. Nice ship and great ports.

 

When you come back from the ports, that ship is your home for the duration. Everyone wants the best food, cabin, service and entertainment, along with great ports. That's what you're paying for. So factoring in what ship works for that person, does matter.

 

We all have different tastes and what is important to one person may not be important to the next.

 

So to the OP, research is the key and see what fits you and your family needs.

[steph7021]

I loved doing the Med on RCI--Brilliance of the Seas. That said..I'm really excited about the itinerary on my 2014 NCL cruise--The Grand Med! I'm still shopping around--but prices on the other lines are really, really high. Airfare is going to be bad enough! Also--NCL has a generous cancellation policy so we were able to book worry free and still have time to shop around.

[mek]

Itinerary is the most important factor for me when selecting an European cruise. Where the cruise begins and ends can also make a big difference in airfare.

 

I also look at shore excursions offered. Some lines do a much better job offering excursions than others and prices can vary dramatically by line, so if you are planning on doing ships' tours, I think it's important to check this out before booking.

[JinxyB]

I've only done one Med cruise and it was a 12 day Barcelona to Venice on Celebrity. It was fantastic and I really want to cruise with them again. We chose by itinerary and it was between a RCI and X. I'm pro- carnival but I would never choose to sail with the on a European cruise. I'll stick to carnival for my week long Caribbean trips.

[magiccruiser]

I totally disagree that Carnival is weak for the Mediterranean. I sailed on the Carnival Magic two years ago out of Barcelona and loved it. I picked it specifically because Carnival offered the longest days in the ports and had a great price. Last year I sailed on NCL from Venice to the Greek isles and was not impressed with the ship or the port hours they gave us. This year I'm sailing in the Med again with Carnival for 12 days for a ridiculously low price! That means I have more money to spend actually seeing Europe which is why I go in the first place.