40th Anniversary Criuse...maybe Mediterranean?

[BopRN]

We are planning a 40th anniversary trip for next May and considering a Mediterranean cruise. We have never been to Europe. Please share what you have enjoyed, what you would do differently, if you did included a landtour, anything that might help us make our decision. We really have no idea where to start.

Thanks.

[Clarea]

Most Med cruises I've looked at are port intensive. Many times only one sea day. That plus the fact that some of the ports are far from the city and require an hour bus or train trip to get to the city. In other words, choose carefully, or you will need a vacation to recover from your Med cruise.:)

[Spurschick]

We are planning a 40th anniversary trip for next May and considering a Mediterranean cruise. We have never been to Europe. Please share what you have enjoyed, what you would do differently, if you did included a landtour, anything that might help us make our decision. We really have no idea where to start.

Thanks.

 

Congrats on the anniversary:D

 

I recommend getting there (wherever you sail from) a couple of days early if you can. It helps with jet lag. Personally I don't do a pre cruise tour as I can see how I feel when I get there and do things at my leisure. Whilst I might feel fine when I get up I might be tired by the afternoon:rolleyes:

 

I carefully go through itineraries. Whilst it may sound silly, different ships may go to the same ports but may not be in port as long. So if there is a particular port you want to see more of pick the itinerary that fits best.

 

When you select your itinerary visit the ports section on here. Do your research on what you want to do. Some things you may find easy to do yourself, others you may do better with a guided tour.

 

Try to break up tours if you can. By that I mean if you do all day tours every port it will get really tiring both physically and mentally, so prioritize the most important ports first.

 

The med is beautiful and you will have a great time. That time of year it is not unbearable heat yet so it will be more pleasant.

 

Happy sailing:D

[sdjsnewmexico]

Our Mediterranean cruise was outstanding. It was very port intensive. We sailed from Barcelona and would go back in a heartbeat. We used Rome in Limo in Rome and Naples, and also had private guides recommended by them at the Vatican and Pompeii. We would do it all over again! If we did it again, I would stay longer! A 7 day cruise plus 3 days for travel just wasn't long enough, especially when you travel that far.

We are also celebrating our 40th next year and have booked a 16 night transatlantic from Miami to Southampton. Lots of sea days and lots of new ports and the itinerary really excited us! Whatever you decide, happy planning and Happy 40th!:)

[cruisinskier]

Congrats on your upcoming anniversary. We have been lucky enough to do a 10 day med cruise from Venice to Barcelona which was great. Last year, for our 25th anniversary, we spent 3 weeks on a land vacation touring France. Reviews, including lots of photos, are attached in our travel blog if you wish to see what we did on those 2 trips. The med cruises are port intensive and the days long to see all the historic sites. We had a group and used Rome in Limo in 3 different ports to maximize the trip.

 

This year we are headed back to Europe for our first river cruise as part of our travels. This would be another option for you to potentially consider as you cruise right into town, shore excursions are included as well as wine/ beer. A river cruise also allows you to easier visit cities such as Paris or other inland cities. We are doing the Rhine from Amsterdam, through Germany, and ending in Basel Switzerland. Just another option for you to keep in mind.

 

I would suggest listing the places you really want to see and then figure out if those places are best visited by cruise, land or a combination. There are advantages to both. Whatever you do, planning is a big part of a Europe trip. The ports section on this site as well as Tripadvisor offer lots of detailed info. Once you decide, research your options, relax and have a fantastic time! One thing for sure....once you get to Europe, you will want to go back!

Edited June 4, 2014 by cruisinskier

[LookingForward2]

We are planning a 40th anniversary trip for next May and considering a Mediterranean cruise. We have never been to Europe. Please share what you have enjoyed, what you would do differently, if you did included a landtour, anything that might help us make our decision. We really have no idea where to start.

Thanks.

 

I would start by booking one (any one) by June 4th (tomorrow)! There is a great sale going on right now - BOGOHO plus the WOW sale which would give you $200 onboard credit. You would only need to put down 50% deposit. You have several months to change or cancel.

We just booked a Med cruise for September 2015, but had originally planned for the one leaving Barcelona on May 28 - 13 night - good itinerary.

It is a little overwhelming, but now that we've booked, I'm going to have plenty of time to research.

[Kat196]

We are going on a Med cruise this September - 7 day Splendour of the Seas from/to Venice. Our ports are in Croatia, Turkey and Greece (2 stops). Most of these ports have attractions at/near to the ports and, of course, you can choose to visit places a bit further. We are spending some time before/after the cruise in Venice, which we love, so we're really looking forward to this.

[read52]

Next year the Allure will be in the Mediterranean. We love the ship and we too have never been to Europe. We are celebrating our 40th this year but we booked for next June 25 out of Rome. We hope to go a few days before so that we can explore Rome before the cruise. This cruise you can get on in Rome or Barcelona. Check it out.

[loubetti]

I would not do a Med cruise of less than 10 days. When you consider the travel costs, a 7 day would be a poor value to me. Also, if it is your first time in Europe, 7 days is simply not enough. JMHO.

 

Otherwise, what others have stated is spot on. It's very port intensive, and you'll often find yourself getting up at 6 AM for excursions. It's not so much a vacation, but a tour.

 

Also, when looking at these cruises, do not forget RCI's sister line, Celebrity for other options. We did two Med cruises on them (10 and 11 days) and they were superb!

[londongal796]

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!!!

 

I did a Med tour while living in the US and it was definitely a wonderful experience. I have since been on two more Med cruises (soon to be a third) but now I live in the UK so it is a lot easier to get to these cruise ships!!!

 

That being said, I really can not recommend a Med cruise enough, if you are interested in history, sightseeing, and culture. If you really just want to relax and enjoy the sun, I would definitely say this isn't you're type of thing. But the fact you are considering a Med cruise leads me to believe you would enjoy history, sightseeing and experiencing other cultures, in which case -- please do seriously look into it!!!

 

Owing to the time changes, it would probably be a good idea to come a few days in advance to get over jet lag and do some exploring. Pick a 'starting' port in a place where you will get the most enjoyment out of it. Here are a few suggestions:

 

1) Sail out of Venice. Venice is simply the most romantic city I have ever been to. 2 or 3 days will be enough time to see everything you could want and get you used to the Mediterranean culture.

 

2) Sail out of Rome. It will give you a LOT of time to see all of the important places, like the Vatican, all of the historic sights, and not have to be so rushed to get through it all. This is a wonderful city, hugely historic, and very beautiful.

 

3) Sail out of Southampton (or Harwich) in England. I'm not impartial, honest!! :D Spend a few days in London. At least everyone will speak English and you can look up long lost relatives at the National Archives or even visit the British Library. There are historic palaces (such as the Tower of London and Hampton Court) to visit, and loads of iconic places to visit.

 

It would be a great experience if you could do more than a 7 night cruise, as I do think the cruises which are a little longer have a few more sea days which can be a welcome relief. I have done a 7 day cruise where we had two 'sea' days and one 'half' port day, it was quite intensive really. It's very hard to weigh up your options -- we went to Athens and Turkey, back to back, and both of them I could not fathom having less than a full-days tour. So we were exhausted by the time we got to Crete but fortunately that was a half-day visit anyway.

 

It is absolutely true that nearly every day you will be getting up at 6am for a 7am excursion, but hopefully that will not be too much of a negative!

 

There are so many rewards for travelling to Europe but no matter how you celebrate your anniversary, enjoy yourselves and do just what you want!!!