Eastern Mediterranean Cruise, help!

[lauraodonnell86]

My husband and I (no kids) are thinking about planning a cruise to Croatia, Greece and surrounding areas for fall of 2017. We have been on 5 Caribbean cruises so we aren't new to cruising and we've been to England and Ireland so not really new to international traveling either. But I have no idea where to start with a Mediterranean cruise. We prefer Royal Caribbean and Celebrity but are really open to any line. We also have friends in England that we might visit before/after the cruise.

 

What is the best time to go?

 

What is the best departure port?

 

Any must see ports?

 

Thanks for any and all advice you may be able to offer! :rolleyes:

[kerryincork]

Most of Europe have school holidays from mid July to beginning of September, so to avoid hoards of kids I recommend sailing either side of these dates. The Med can get really hot on those dates too.

[cantwaitt]

We did a 24-day in August two years ago. If you have the time I would recommend a back-to-back for 24-28 days and get a sweeping experience. My wife is a teacher so we were restricted on time.

 

Otherwise, I would go in June or September. The prices are much lower then and the weather a little less hot in the hottest places.

 

Otherwise, I would just decide where you would like to go and check out all of the cruise lines.

 

My favorite ports were Croatia, Istanbul, Kusadasi (to go to Ephesus, a must see destination), Santorini, Venice (even though I had been there previously), Naples (to get to Pompei, sorento and Positano), Monaco, to name just a few.

 

I usually pick itinerary first, then heavily let price determine the cruise line. You really can't go wrong with any of them.

[pseudoware]

You'll get a bunch of the same port suggestions. Outside of that, spend some pre or post cruise time in Venice. While there, consider taking the train somewhere for the day or overnight. Padua, Milan, or beyond. Have a great time!

 

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[SuiteTraveler]

We like going in May when the weather is still mild and because it is only the beginning of the cruise season in the Med, the prices are lower than in summer. Med cruises are very different from Caribbean cruises. In the Med, most people are off the ship all day from about 8am to around 6pm and you are in ports 5 out of 7 days, so not a lot of sea days, which means the ship acts more as a floating hotel and restaurant then a resort. So, the ship is not as important to the enjoyment of your vacation as it is on a Caribbean cruise. For this reason, it makes sense to bargain hunt at whatever level you are comfortable with. Many cruises that go to Croatia and Greece start in Venice. You might take a look at this 14 day cruise on the NCL Jade which can be done back to back:

https://www.ncl.com/vacations/europe-cruises-2-guests?destinations=4294934557&cruise=1&cruiseTour=1&cruiseHotel=1&cruiseHotelAir=1&numberOfGuests=4294915774&pageSize=10&currentPage=1&sortBy=Featured&autoPopulate=f&from=resultPage

 

We have been on this ship twice in Haven suites. It is a GREAT experience and relatively inexpensive. Even a balcony would be nice, though. We like the freestyle concept - never having to dress up, going to a different restaurant on the ship each night. Most evenings after a full day of touring in Europe, we are tired and just want to eat dinner and go to bed in order to get up the next morning and go on another day long tour. It is exhausting but so completely worth it!

[Essiesmom]

First, you have to determine where you want to go. And deciding on departure port helps, too. Go to http://www.cruisetimetables.com and from the second list of ports, plug in some of the places you would like to visit, then the time. It will show you who is calling there, and their itineraries. As other posters mentioned, itinerary is more important than ship or cruise line. EM

[SPacificbound]

Celebrity's 2017 Europe schedule will be out next week. If you are a Captain's Club member it should be out Tuesday.

 

I prefer April-May or September-October.

 

Some favorites... Florence, Amalfi Coast, Athens, Ephesus, Kotor.

 

Too many to list. :)