How does a Mediterranean cruise differ from a Caribbean cruise?

[sweetlove13]

I'm booked next year on Epic for a 17-day Mediterranean, Canary Islands & Morocco cruise and I'm really excited about the itinerary. So far I've done 5 cruises - 4 Royal & 1 Carnival, 4 were in the Caribbean so that's what I'm used to & they were all 7 days except for one 4-day. So doing a 17-day on a new cruise line in the Mediterranean is a big change for me & I'm a little worried about what to expect!! I'm hoping my fellow CC cruisers can help me out with some advice and info. What can I expect from NCL compared to Royal? How does a Med cruise differ from a Caribbean cruise? Are longer cruises much different than a 7-day?

 

Any advice would be very much appreciated!! [emoji2]

[insidecabin]

Date would have been useful.

 

Probably end Nov as that seems to be the only 17n

 

Pack cool weather and rain clothes.

[Snowrose]

Well, beyond the Med being old civilizations with amazing historic sites that you can visit, probably the next biggest thing that comes to mind is that you don't have the constant pop-up thunderstorms/showers that you have in the Caribbean. The weather is more stable.

[TxnAquarian]

What a fantastic itinerary! I guarantee you will love the Mediterranean more than your Caribbean cruises. The history and scenery alone will be fantastic. I've never been on Royal Caribbean or Carnival, so I can't help you with ship comparisons.

 

You will find an older, more well-traveled group on a longer voyage....probably a lot of Europeans onboard as well, which will make for a great community of cultured people looking to spend long days in port. You'll be tired each night, as most of the ports will require full days of sightseeing, which will be different from Caribbean itineraries where the ships are more lively at night. I encourage you to eat off the ship, as you really need to be immersed in the food and wine and local people.

 

You should expect cooler weather for the Mediterranean portion....we had cool temps and precipitation when we sailed this area in October one year. However, the Canary Islands should be pretty moderate with temps in the 60s and low 70s.

 

You'll have an amazing time and see some incredible places!

 

 

 

Michael

[mobu2015]

The biggest difference is that depending on where the ship goes, a few med ports require transport to the cities/sites that many tourists would consider "worth" seeing. I say "worth" only because the majority of cruise passengers would want to make the trip to the popular sites as opposed to staying in the less touristy port areas but this all depends on where you're going.

 

Also, being that its more than double the length of your previous cruises, this will be a big change and depending on how you travel/pack it might take an extra bit of planning.

[SuiteTraveler]

Med cruises are drastically different from Caribbean cruises because they are so port intensive. Days in port, most people get off the ship by 8:00 and don't get back on until 5pm or just before sail away. The main expense in these cruises is for the shore excursions. The cheapest shore excursions are actually private excursions that you share with members of your roll call. You need to research each port and figure out what you want to do. Some ports you can do on your own, others, you need a driver. It all depends on what you feel comfortable with and what you want to do.

 

My advice is that, if you don't already do extensive walking, begin walking at least 1 mile a day and work up to 5 miles a day in preparation for this cruise. Taking the stairway up and down at work and/ or at home is also a good way to prepare. There is nothing wrong with heading to the gym if you don't already. The more fit you are the better prepared you will be to withstand the rigors of the tours and get the most out of this experience. Much of the tours in Europe are over uneven surfaces such as hills, cobblestones and gravel. There is lots of uphill walking over uneven surfaces in some areas and lots of stairs at places such as castles, cathedrals and antiquities.

 

Since you will be on the Epic, I recommend you get a spa cabin because your body will THANK you after all the exercise you get in port! For us, most evenings we wanted to relax, have dinner and go to bed because we knew we'd be up early the next morning on another tour. So you may or may not feel like seeing ANY of the shows.

 

As to pre cruise - plan to arrive at least 24 hours in advance of your cruise if flying from somewhere else and spend the night at a hotel. 2 nights will allow you to adjust to the time change if flying in from America. Understand that pick pockets are prevalent at all tourist sites, but you can make yourself far less of a target by not carrying a backpack or purse or fanny pack. Your money should be concealed in several places on your person. I generally try to dress like a local and not having a purse, pickpockets pass me up for someone with whom it is easier to see where their valuables are kept. Also, since I'm not on a tour with a tour guide, just walking around with 3 - 4 other people, it is not obvious I'm a tourist. I keep my voice low when speaking English. I wear European walking shoes and generally dress in black - nothing that would identify me as an American. I never wear any jewelry that looks real - only plastic cheap looking stuff of little interest. If it is important to you, leave it at home.

 

I think you will have an absolutely fantastic time, just know this is a completely different kind of vacation than a Caribbean cruise, which is about relaxation. This is the total opposite of that, but so very rewarding!

[Sauer-kraut]

What a fantastic itinerary!!

Start off and JOIN YOUR ROLL CALL -- you might find others who are organizing private tours and need others to join the small group. You can get a better tour geared for the group as well as most likely being cheaper than the cruise tours.

 

Then start looking at the PORTS OF CALL boards for your port days. You will get all kinds of information on how to get around, walking tours, DYI tours, how to use public transport etc. There is a wealth of information over there!

 

Then closer to sail time, coordinate your outfits. It doesn't matter if you wear items more than one day, no one will notice. You are off the ship all day, and the evenings will be for resting and going to bed to gear up for the next day!

 

Have a fantastic time! Love the Canaries, lived on Tenerife for about 3 months, it is very interesting.

[mrobstad]

All these responses are great! European cruises are port intensive, as stated above, and excursions are costly. Much more research IMHO with Europe to find best and least costly excursions.

[funat55]

I agree with SuiteTravelor who provided very accurate information. In many ports you can't just walk off the cruise ship and grab a tour from like you can in the Caribbean. Many of the ports are isolated and in the middle of nowhere so unless you have a shore excursion planned, there is no place to go.

 

We were very fortunate to have 8 in our immediate family traveling together. We booked all our shore excursions with one company who have vans in every port. They were Mercedes Benz van that held 9 people. So, 1 driver and 8 of us was perfect and we were able to split the cost 8 ways. It was perfect, our driver took us to all the famous places and when we had seen enough, we could move on. Our driver also found us quaint local places for lunch.

[mrobstad]

Good point funat55! Excursions must be booked beforehand.

[vp1]

Having been on about 20 caribbean cruises and a couple of European cruises here's what I can add (in addition to the excellent comments already posted).

 

1. Get to the embarkation port / area a day or two early if possible. On our first European cruise our flights were very delayed, huge lines at customs, etc. What I thought was plenty of "extra" time was quickly gone - we BARELY made the ship. We are heading back to Europe in July and are landing at the embarkation city a day an a half early for this reason (in addition to acclimating to the time zone change).

2. Shore excursions in Europe are great, but much more expensive as a rule. On our upcoming European cruises we are averaging 65 euros per person per excursion (often not including the actual admission prices to the sites themselves). For a family of 4 we have already committed to spending at least $1,500 for shore excursions for just 5 (of the 15) ports. On average these are 65 euros per person per excursion. The ship's excursions are generally much more money and often involve an entire busload of tourists. I highly suggest that consider shore excursions with an independent agent - you will certainly see much more in many cities than you could without the tour. (Expensive, but worth it.)

3. Others have mentioned that you will be spending a great amount of time ashore. I'd suggest water bottles that are filled on the ship along with some snack foods for walking around. I'd also agree that eating in many of the cities is part of the allure of traveling - plan on spending some money every day that you are ashore on food.

4. Pack light - a cruise of 2 weeks or more will undoubtedly generate some purchases. These can be a challenge to get home and I'd suggest leaving some room in the luggage. We have in the past actually boxed up some things and mailed them home from a local post office (when we had a few days in a city between two cruises), but this was also an expense.

5. Take some time to get to know the other cruise passengers. We had a chance to talk with passengers from at least a dozen different countries - not typically the case for a one week Caribbean cruise from a US port.

6. For us, the easiest way to deal with currently was at an ATM in the port. The ship will exchange some money, but they have a limited amount and the exchange rate (not surprisingly) is poor. We took some money with us when we left the states, but most often we simply went to an ATM ashore.

7. Bring several memory cards for a camera and swap them out once in a while. First, if a card were to get lost or damaged, you'd still have photos. Secondly, the cards are generally so inexpensive that you can take hundreds or thousands of photos and review them later. We generally found that, even though we had a laptop, we did not have the free time that we would have liked to review the photos while on vacation.

That's about it for now - enjoy your cruise!

~Bob

[jcallcut]

As others mentioned, Ned cruises are very port intensive so you will not usually have a lot of sea days. Also time in port is usually pretty long. Probably the biggest difference is the distance from the port to the major cities. Many times it may take an hour or more going to the city such as Rome or Florence. That is why the excursions are so long. You will likely also do a lot more walking on Med excursions. I have learned to cherish the downtime on med cruises. You will have a blast. Just remember to pace yourself.

[Markanddonna]

You will love traveling Europe and will likely become bored with cruising in the Caribbean after you experience this type of travel.

 

You have received some REALLY great advice. I think the part about conditioning yourself for all of that walking is really important. Bring some "foot/toe" repair items just in case.

 

Read about how Europeans dress and try to emulate them. You won't succeed 100% and you'll find exceptions, but you don't want to draw attention to yourself as an American for several reasons.

 

Go to some other great sites for more info and reviews. Check out Trip advisor and Rick Steves. I used the city forum experts a lot on tripadvisor. I even used them while I was there to answer last minute questions about where to buy a certain item or where can you find the best ______. My peeps came through for me!

[insidecabin]

Americans that try to dress like Europeans stand out just as much as those that don't.

 

There is no single European look.

[earn]

We have cruised in the Caribbean and Europe. We live in Scotland and do land vacations in Europe several times a year. You will feel safe in all the places you visit though I have no idea about Morocco! Just be careful and don't try to be someone you are not. That will probably make you stand out more. I am sure I look british in mainland Europe but have never had any issue.

 

Most of the ports you will visit with the exception of Rome and Florence are close to the city. Naples is very close but please don't stay there. Hire a taxi and ask to tour the Amalie Coast, which is stunning. In Tenerife take the tram to La Laguna. Most ports in Europe will have port transport which is very cheap, however cruise lines like to convince clients they need to buy bus transport through them.

 

Be glad that there is now the euro. A few years ago you would have needed umpteen currencies with you.

[SuiteTraveler]

Americans that try to dress like Europeans stand out just as much as those that don't.

 

Sorry, but you are plain wrong. I've lived in Europe so I know how to assimilate. It's much easier than you think with just a little research and planning ahead, some basic knowledge of the local language and customs and a willingness to change your behavior to fit in.

[sweetlove13]

Wow, thank you all for such wonderful advice!! I feel like I have a much better understanding of what I can expect. I'm really looking forward to this adventure, I wish it wasn't more than a year away, but that gives me plenty of time to prepare.

 

Thanks again!

[Markanddonna]

Suite traveler is correct that you need to do a bit of research on this topic. Just a few guidelines are helpful. Dressing in neutral, solid colors is perhaps the best overall advice. Women might add a touch of color using a scarf or something like that. I remember wearing a print top in Rome and I'm pretty sure I was about the only one I saw with one. It is pretty impossible to get the "look" of a local, but it is also about what you DON'T wear. I fit in northern Europe much better because of my heritage and coloring but I just don't want to stand out like a target.

[MandyMommyof2]

While I have no immediate plans of taking a Mediterranean cruise, this has always bee a dream of mine. I have taken some notes from this post as I think it is full of great, useful information. :)

[lettienets]

Americans that try to dress like Europeans stand out just as much as those that don't.

 

There is no single European look.

Some generalization here, but there sure is an American look, more casual clothes, tshirts, bright colors, stripes, ball caps, running shoes, shorts etc. European men often wear jackets, blazers over tshirts, collared shirts, more formal shoes or "soccer" look shoes, darker colors; women wear more dresses and skirts esp work days. Less overweight people in Europe, smaller people, with darker hair. Except Scandanavia and Germany. One can spot the difference.

To blend in wear more dress up clothes, darker clothes, shoes etc. Purses, not travel bags, fannypacks or backpacks. Just observances I have noticed in big cities. Lot of generalities.

Edited May 21, 2015 by lettienets

[RNRcruisers]

We took our first European cruise this past January and absolutely loved it. We always felt very safe but you do have to be alert and aware of your surroundings. I agree that it is a lot of walking but it didn't seem necessary to do workouts in preparation. If you are in reasonably normal physical condition it shouldn't be a problem. I wore comfortable black boots instead of tennis shoes and felt like I didn't stand out at all and could walk all day. I agree that you will want to do a lot of research ahead of time. Most of the cities we went to have so much to do that it can be overwhelming but it helps to read others' experiences.

 

I didn't think the excursion prices were too bad, especially compared to our Alaskan cruise. We also did private excursions with other CC members instead of NCL excursions. But many ports we just got a map and walked around. We didn't purchase a lot of meals in port but we did usually stop for a coffee and pastry at some point during the day. It was perfect for us. We got to taste a little bit of the culture and it tided us over between breakfast and our lunch back on board. And I personally would rather have a pastry than a full meal any day! :p

 

I agree that it was a little quieter on board in the evenings. We usually got back onboard by 3:00 or so (very crowded at the buffet at that time!), had a late light lunch and went to our room or a lounge to relax for a while before dinner. We would do the trivia or dance lessons and enjoy a drink then had dinner around 7:30 or 8:00 and maybe a show after that. It was the perfect mix of busy and relaxing.

[mrobstad]

I just got an alert about several princess cruises around $67 per night! It's prices like these that make me hate traveling solo!

[conandrob240]

It's very different.

 

Go, go, go every day all day. Not a lot of down time. More about the ports, less about the ship. Not very relaxing but filled with amazing sights.

 

Crowd will be very different. Seemed much louder and livelier to me. Very animated. But nightlife much quieter because people are exhausted after touring all day. Dinner is busier later rather than at 5 or 6pm.

 

No bathing suit tops for little girls. No big deal for me but it was hard for my daughter to understand LOL. She asked the girls quite a few questions! ( she was 6 at the time). Teen son was happy about no tops for lots of women at the beaches so it all balanced out 😉

 

As for ports and safety- do you travel to big cities here? If so, no different. Be aware of where you are going and look out for scams. Google them so you are familiar. For example, we saw the wedding ring scam ( person pretends they found a dropped wedding ring, asks if it's yours and then tries to sell it to you) while strolling around Italy and were able to just laugh.

 

Consider doing stuff on your own to really experience places. Tours are very cookie cutter. Use the boards to take trains and explore on your own.

[umpy10]

Do yourself a huge favor and buy Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports book. It saved us not only $ in ideas, but it has countless tips & tricks about every port that are invaluable. It was our "Cruise Bible" and it made our 12 Day and 7 Day cruise in the Med. unforgettable !!

Also any tickets that are available online will save you hours (literally) not waiting in long line ups to purchase a ticket. ( Museums, Vatican, Colosseum etc.) and the price was only 1-2 Euros more than waiting in line, worth it !

 

But the biggest difference between a Mediterranean & a Caribbean cruise would have to be ........................... NO HURRICANES ! ;)

 

enjoy your cruise !

cheers...the Ump...:D