First Time European Cruisers Need Help

[junglejean]

My husband and I will be cruising on the Reflection October 2016. This will be our 2nd cruise and we are novices. Any helpful information about cruising or Europe in general would be educational to say the least and much appreciated from any expert travelers

[gsrunyan]

1) Have some idea of what you want to see and/or visit so you don't waste your time.

2) We like to bring back souvenirs for ourselves and gifts for friends and family.

3) Try some of the local foods.

 

Glenn:cool:

[junglejean]

We are leaving out of Rome and hope to spend several days in the city prior to cruising. Any suggestions about Rome or Nice would be great

[cherylandtk]

Grab yourself a Rick Steves guidebook, either the Mediterranean Ports one or a city or country specific book. A wealth of helpful information on what to see and do, how to get around, where to eat and stay and a lot of practical information on using public transport, opening hours of sights, getting to and from the airport, etc.

[cruisemom42]

Welcome to Cruise Critic -- I see you haven't been here long.

 

There is tons of great info available on all of the Mediterranean Ports here on Cruise Critic's Ports of Call boards:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=603

 

I also second the suggestion for Rick Steves' Mediterranean ports guidebook.

[Traveling Library]

We are leaving out of Rome and hope to spend several days in the city prior to cruising. Any suggestions about Rome or Nice would be great

 

Rome is amazing. Every corner you turn has another sight to see. Just about every church, no matter how modest from the outside, has an amazing altar piece. For the Colosseum avoid the main entrance and instead walk away from the Colosseum a few yards and buy your ticket at the Palatine Hill gate. You can then skip the LONG ticket line at the Colosseum.

If you want to visit the Villa Borghese buy your tickets ahead of time. Walking the grounds/gardens are free and lovely.

[cb at sea]

DEFINITELY learn something about where you're going! That's true of any travels to anywhere you've never been. You time ashore will be totally enhanced if you do a bit of research! A guidebook is the way to go!

[celebrity]

Welcome to Cruisecritic Jungle Jean. Yes, Rick Steve's Guide to the Med cruise ports is essential as well as Youtube, Trip Advisor, Tom's Port Guides and the ports of call boards here. Have you signed up for your roll call? There is a wealth of knowledge here and if you join in your roll call, you can possibly share tours to save $$.

Any questions, feel free to ask as I can assure you someone will have an answer.

[FTLcruisers]

traveling to Europe requires a little more research than going to the Caribbean. Just keep in mind that many of the ports you will be visiting will have numerous places that you might want to visit so your research will help - and, of course, CC will be a big help too! You just have to realize that you won't be able to see/do it all - especially when visiting someplace like Rome. We spent 5 days there - I had an excel spreadsheet for each day - plus we had been there before and we still have places we haven't visited yet. Depending on your itinerary, you might have some long days too. Often the ports are far away from the city you'll be visiting (i.e. Berlin was a 3 hour ride from the German port city at which we were docked). So, again, your research will help in knowing things like this.

 

I never wanted to go to Europe until I did - now I wish I could go more often. Actually this year for the first time we'll do 2 trips - we did a TA in May and will do another one in Nov.

 

Enjoy!

 

Marianne

[celebrity]

traveling to Europe requires a little more research than going to the Caribbean. Just keep in mind that many of the ports you will be visiting will have numerous places that you might want to visit so your research will help - and, of course, CC will be a big help too! You just have to realize that you won't be able to see/do it all - especially when visiting someplace like Rome. We spent 5 days there - I had an excel spreadsheet for each day - plus we had been there before and we still have places we haven't visited yet. Depending on your itinerary, you might have some long days too. Often the ports are far away from the city you'll be visiting (i.e. Berlin was a 3 hour ride from the German port city at which we were docked). So, again, your research will help in knowing things like this.

 

I never wanted to go to Europe until I did - now I wish I could go more often. Actually this year for the first time we'll do 2 trips - we did a TA in May and will do another one in Nov.

 

Enjoy!

 

Marianne

Agreed! No longer interested the Carib. Give me exotic ports of call.

The Med is magical.

[cruisemom42]

 

I never wanted to go to Europe until I did - now I wish I could go more often. Actually this year for the first time we'll do 2 trips - we did a TA in May and will do another one in Nov.

 

Enjoy!

 

Marianne

 

Agreed! No longer interested the Carib. Give me exotic ports of call.

The Med is magical.

 

 

I'm watching a special on Rome right now, feeling like it's been too long since I was there. (I just got back from 10 days there on June 1st...) ;)

[Essiesmom]

In addition to Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports, on his website he had free audio tours to download to ipod/mp3, along with basic maps you an print out. We used the tours for Rome and did it all on our own. Central Rome is very walkable if you have good shoes, plus we used buses and subway. He has tours for Pompeii, too. EM

[pris993]

If you are a first timer, suggest you pick a few things you want to see, don't try to do it all.

 

Mediterranean cruises are very port intensive, you can find yourself exhausted after a cruise, unless you pace yourself. Assume you will return.

 

Don't know if you are booking your own air or doing thru a cruise line... recommend you do direct flights, less chance for luggage delays, plus fly in a day or two early.

 

Ask questions on the port boards, you can get good information there.

[emmtee]

Don't know if you are booking your own air or doing thru a cruise line... recommend you do direct flights, less chance for luggage delays, plus fly in a day or two early.

 

We just booked our airfare through the cruise line for the first time and it will be the last as well. Yes, we're saving some money, but our flights are CRAP and I don't think we can change them. We arrive in Rome the morning of the cruise - not enough time to see the city because the port is 1.5 hours from Rome and in the opposite direction from the airport. The best option I've found is a combination airport to port transfer that includes a quick drive-by of the sights.

 

Coming home is even worse. They have us leaving Venice at 6:50 AM. We arrive in port the day before, so we don't have to worry about getting to port late, but it means we have to be off the ship at 4:30 AM so we can be at the airport when they open at 5:00. We also have a 5 hour layover at Dulles, so it's going to take us 22 hours to get home.

 

Never again. :mad:

[ontheweb]

We are leaving out of Rome and hope to spend several days in the city prior to cruising. Any suggestions about Rome or Nice would be great

 

Since no one has answered anything about Nice, if you are into museums, the Matisse Museum and the Chagall Museum are fabulous. When you leave the first one you see, ask and they will get you a taxi to the second.

Edited June 21, 2015 by ontheweb

[Velvetwater]

Agreed! No longer interested the Carib. Give me exotic ports of call.

The Med is magical.

 

The Caribbean is exotic!

 

Well...to us lot over here anyway.

 

Love the Med but it has been many times now...

Edited June 21, 2015 by Velvetwater

[celebrity]

The Caribbean is exotic!

 

Well...to us lot over here anyway.

 

Love the Med but it has been many times now...

 

Lol! I envy your close proximity to so many fabulous places. As Americans whose history only goes back a few hundred years, climbing to the Acropolis, walking the streets of Pompeii, seeing the Vatican, the treasures of Ephesus, the Greek islands , etc blew us away.

Can't wait to return.

[cruisemom42]

The Caribbean is exotic!

 

Well...to us lot over here anyway.

 

Love the Med but it has been many times now...

 

It may be exotic to you, but it seems much of a sameness. Each day you dock at an island with palm trees, beaches, blue water, shopping for tourists...

 

There is much more variety in the Med. Rhodes is nothing like Venice, which is nothing like Tunis.

 

But then, I am not a beach person!

[celebrity]

It may be exotic to you, but it seems much of a sameness. Each day you dock at an island with palm trees, beaches, blue water, shopping for tourists...

 

There is much more variety in the Med. Rhodes is nothing like Venice, which is nothing like Tunis.

 

But then, I am not a beach person!

 

Funny, I am a beach person. Lived near the ocean my entire life but nothing compares to walking the streets of Ancient Rome, seeing the architecture, art and history of places I have studied in school. Besides, in the Med, you can always do a beach day like we did in Mykonos.

Best of both worlds.

[Velvetwater]

I am a beach and sightseeing person...I also like beaches both sides of the Atlantic.

 

The Palm trees and crystal water sounds amazing right about now and even though the Culture may be not so obvious theres so much ancient History and Culture south of the border. If I was in a southern state I would be floating/travelling to Central and South America constantly!

 

Heres a few things among the many cultural sights I can think of off the top of my head:

 

 

The ruins in Belize and its amazing reef

The rain forests in Costa Rica (Thankfully been there)

Grotto Caves in Jamaica

The historic forts in San Juan (I believe St kitts has similar)

Cartagena's old town and history (Again...been there thankfully)

 

 

The food is a massive culmination of foods from all over the world and the weather is fantastic as well.

 

I love how theres more variety in Europe however in the Med there is a lot of commonalities between nations in art, churches, cuisine ingredients and whatnot. Don't get me wrong the unique style of each country is amazing but if I have to see one more gold emblazoned post 15th century church with a sad past I will scream tirarmi fuori di qui! :D

Edited June 21, 2015 by Velvetwater

[slidergirl]

My one suggestion: do not try to see everything at each port. Unless you are one who has a checklist of 10s of things at each stop that you must spend 5 minutes looking at so you can say you "did" it, like the Griswalds in National Lampoon's European Vacation ;)

Part of the excitement of visiting a new place, for me, is experiencing the "atmosphere". I will pick a few places/activities that I want to spend quality time with and plan for those, buy advance tickets. The rest of my time, I love to just walk around, be surprised by what I find, take the time to sit, drink a beverage, and watch the world go by.

Don't get so busy with activities that you can't remember what the port was really like! I will also chime in and say to take a look at Rick Steves' book. I'm not a "Steves-aholic", but he does have some good suggestions.

[SuiteTraveler]

We are leaving out of Rome and hope to spend several days in the city prior to cruising. Any suggestions about Rome or Nice would be great

 

For Rome, book a walking tour with Through Eternity. I would start near Roma Termini/Spanish Steps/Piazza di Spagna and then head to the Fountain of 4 Rivers, followed by the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, a nice lunch and then take a cab to the Forum and then go in the Colloseum. That would be day 1. The second day, I would recommend a tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel.

 

If you are interested in more unusual sights in Rome, then you will want to go to Santa Maria della Concezione del Cappucini and the Catacombs.

 

It is beneficial to hire a driver and car and get outside the city of Rome to see the aqueducts and also visit some interesting sights such as Villa Lante - tiered Rennaisance garden - widely considered the best in existence, Villa Farnese - the famous Heaven stairs and the building the Pentagon in Washington DC is based on and Lake Bracciano.

 

If you are into art or gardens, then you would appreciate a visit to Bomarzo to see the Garden of Monsters. Most people in the US are not aware of this garden which is famous all over Europe as one of the most mysterious and fascinating in the world. The statue of Hannibals Elephant inspired Salvador Dali's painting The Temptation of St. Anthony. But moreover, this is just a really fun place to visit, especially early in the morning when the park is mostly empty. You can stroll through the park imagining yourself to be a Renaissance Princess visiting Orsini. At every turn, there is another statue or scene that will astound you. if you can pretend to be a Renaissance person, you will have an appreciation of how extraordinary all of this was. Even as a contemporary person, the garden is enchanting. I just loved the Orc and could imagine how it may have been used for parties or lovers trysts! This is a singular Renaissance garden that isn't planned based on balance or scale and there are so many unique and extraordinary scenes throughout. There is a book you can get about Bomarzo - amazing to read about this before seeing it. Truly an unforgettable experience and unlike anything else you will do in Italy.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Garden-Bomarzo-Renaissance-Riddle/dp/0711226733/ref=pd_sim_sbs_14_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1Y8AYAK78SPYPAVEF0PP

Of all the places I've been to in Italy, Bomarzo may well have been the best, most mysterious and enchanting.

 

The other important thing to understand is that up until the mid 1800's, Italy was essentially 20 different countries with 20 different cuisines. What most Americans are familiar with as "Italian food", is, in fact an amalgam of the 20 different cuisines. "Italian food" as a cuisine doesn't actually exist in Italy! It is important to understand this so that you can order the best food from the region you are visiting. Otherwise, you might order pizza or chicken parmigiana in Rome (when these dishes are from Naples - it is the equivalent of ordering Tex-Mex food in New Jersey). Many times I have read here about someone who has ordered the wrong thing in the wrong area and thinks it was awful. A little knowledge can go a long way to having an amazing food experience in Italy:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/27/travel/italian-regional-food/

http://www.rusticocooking.com/regions.htm

 

Understanding what food to order and where is very helpful in having the best possible experience. We specifically ask to be taken to restaurants where the locals eat. Your driver can help you to decipher the menu which will be in Italian only, if you are not familiar with Italian. By doing this, we have had some amazing culinary experiences - some of the best meals of our lives!