First time we have even connsidered a cruise

[swanmark]

Hi Guys, we are a couple in our early sixties and we are considering taking our first cruise, We have thought about it for many years, but never done anything about it because of various reasons, like will we get sea sick. its very expensive especially the tipping etc and do we have to eat at a table full of strangers etc. But this year we are seriously considering a cruise. We thought the best place to take our first cruise would be the Med, on an all inclusive cruise. We think an outside cabin would be a better choice than an inside. So I have a few questions, which is the best cruise line for all inclusive med deals, which ships have the best cabins, don't really want a ship that's full of kids etc and what hidden charges should we look out for, anyway if anyone can give us some advise It would be most helpful, thank you in advance.

[Clarea]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

I think you could make use of a good travel agent. They would be able to talk with you to determine a good match for cruise line and itinerary. Do you have some friends who might be able to refer to you a reliable travel agent?

[Keith1010]

Welcome to Cruise Critic and to the world of cruising.

 

If you want a cruise that is fairly inclusive then you will want to look at the luxury lines.

 

Please note that while all of the luxury lines include gratuities, wine, beer, spirits, and many other items that most other lines don't include some luxury lines include other things such as a basic set of shore excursions (you can book others for a price) while some don't. I would not get too hung up on that because in the end if excursions are included your cruise fare is a bit higher.

 

These are the luxury lines to look at and all sail the Mediterranean.

 

Crystal Cruises

 

Regent

 

Silversea

 

Seabourn

 

I would not really look at Sea Dream for your first cruise as they are inclusive but their ships are very small.

 

As to kids. More and more children are sailing the Mediterranean in the summer months even on luxury lines too.

 

I would look for a cruise in May or even early June or September to minimize the number of children on board.

 

I would probably get a travel agent who specializes in cruises to help you with this. We are not allowed to recommend travel agents on this board so my advice would be to ask friends who cruise if they have someone they can recommend.

 

Keith

[beachbum53]

Hi Guys, we are a couple in our early sixties and we are considering taking our first cruise, We have thought about it for many years, but never done anything about it because of various reasons, like will we get sea sick. its very expensive especially the tipping etc and do we have to eat at a table full of strangers etc. But this year we are seriously considering a cruise. We thought the best place to take our first cruise would be the Med, on an all inclusive cruise. We think an outside cabin would be a better choice than an inside. So I have a few questions, which is the best cruise line for all inclusive med deals, which ships have the best cabins, don't really want a ship that's full of kids etc and what hidden charges should we look out for, anyway if anyone can give us some advise It would be most helpful, thank you in advance.

 

Although you will undoubtedly get a variety of opinions and suggestions on here, your best bet would be to go and talk to a cruise specialist in your area. A knowledgeable agent will be able to answer all of your questions and try as best as possible to match you up with a cruise that best suits you.

[OCruisers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

A med cruise would be a great choice!

No, you don't have eat with others. You can request a table for two.

The longer the cruise, the less children. There are never LOTS of children on Holland America cruises.

Finding a good travel agent who specializes in cruises would be very beneficial to you!

[John Bull]

Hi, Swanmark, & welcome to Cruise Critic,

 

To be able to best advise you, and more especially to avoid giving totally wrong advice, we need to know a little more about you.

 

Like........

 

What part of the world you live in (Brits or Aussies can get caught out by "hidden charges" & costs that are normal add-ons for Americans)

 

What time of the year you can / want to cruise. For instance "full of kids" depends on the time of year & cruise itinerary as well as what ship, and winter in the Med means a limited choice of ships & not the best weather.

 

How long a cruise do you anticipate? A week? A fortnight? Til the money runs out? ;)

 

Happy to fly?

 

There's no such thing as "all-inclusive" except with premium lines. But most offer optional (or sometimes included) drinks packages, and you can go ashore on ship's excursions, private excursions, shared excursions, or under your own steam using shanks's, train, bus, taxi, ferry, hop-on bus etc.

 

There are various dining choices, on very few ships is sharing a table the only option.

 

The more we know about you, the more we can suggest

 

JB :)

[thinfool]

I agree about finding a specialist that you can sit down and ask questions of.

 

And I will comment that, given your comments about cruising being expensive, if you want an All Inclusive type of a cruise, your wallet needs to be well provisioned. Far more so than with a cruiseline that allows you some discretion as to how much you spend onboard and what you spend it on.

 

And airfare. Med cruises are great but also pricey when you add airfare from the US or Canada.

 

Can you tell us where you live? Not your address, but country or state.

Edited March 16, 2016 by thinfool

[Host Walt]

I suggest that you read through all the thread topics on this (First Time Cruisers) forum just to see what others have to say.

 

Then check out this link: First Time Cruiser Resources

 

Finally, as recommended earlier, find yourself a good travel agent. Here's a Cruise Critic article on Finding a Cruise Travel Agent.

 

One caution. Once you've experienced a cruise for the first time, you'll be hooked. :)

[swanmark]

Hi, Swanmark, & welcome to Cruise Critic,

 

To be able to best advise you, and more especially to avoid giving totally wrong advice, we need to know a little more about you.

 

Like........

 

What part of the world you live in (Brits or Aussies can get caught out by "hidden charges" & costs that are normal add-ons for Americans)

 

What time of the year you can / want to cruise. For instance "full of kids" depends on the time of year & cruise itinerary as well as what ship, and winter in the Med means a limited choice of ships & not the best weather.

 

How long a cruise do you anticipate? A week? A fortnight? Til the money runs out? ;)

 

Happy to fly?

 

There's no such thing as "all-inclusive" except with premium lines. But most offer optional (or sometimes included) drinks packages, and you can go ashore on ship's excursions, private excursions, shared excursions, or under your own steam using shanks's, train, bus, taxi, ferry, hop-on bus etc.

 

There are various dining choices, on very few ships is sharing a table the only option.

 

The more we know about you, the more we can suggest

 

JB :)

 

I am in the UK, we were thinking about mid September this year for a week or 10 days, also cant decide if the Med or the Caribbean would be best for our first cruise

[OCruisers]

I am in the UK, we were thinking about mid September this year for a week or 10 days, also cant decide if the Med or the Caribbean would be best for our first cruise

 

September is heart of hurricane/tropical storm season in the Caribbean so that's something to consider.

[cb at sea]

1st....folks aren't "strangers" once you introduce yourselves! So smile, and say "Hi!"...that's all it takes! We ENJOY tablemates....makes our evening!!!!

Nowadays, you can get a table on your own, if you aren't social!

 

There are no "hidden charges" if you do your research...get brochures and read the fine print at the back of the brochure.

 

Gratuities are common on ANY type of venue. You pay gratuities at bars and restaurants don't you? Surely you tip the housekeeper in a hotel! Cab drivers, porters, room service...these are ALL common, everyday tips that you should extend ANYWHERE...not just on a cruise!

 

As far as getting seasick...there are medications that prevent or stop it...so talk to your doctor, if you feel over-the-counter stuff won't work.

[MicCanberra]

Hi Guys, we are a couple in our early sixties and we are considering taking our first cruise, We have thought about it for many years, but never done anything about it because of various reasons, like will we get sea sick. its very expensive especially the tipping etc and do we have to eat at a table full of strangers etc. But this year we are seriously considering a cruise. We thought the best place to take our first cruise would be the Med, on an all inclusive cruise. We think an outside cabin would be a better choice than an inside. So I have a few questions, which is the best cruise line for all inclusive med deals, which ships have the best cabins, don't really want a ship that's full of kids etc and what hidden charges should we look out for, anyway if anyone can give us some advise It would be most helpful, thank you in advance.

 

Welcome to cruise critic.

Going all inclusive will keep the kids away and take care of things like tips etc. Tables for two can be arranged. Ocean view cabins are much nicer than an inside cabins as you can see what the weather and such is doing.

Enjoy.:D

Edited March 16, 2016 by MicCanberra

[MsPoppadom]

Hi Swanmark,

Welcome to the forum. There is a separate UK cruisers section that might be relevant to you, but like others, I too suggest you contact a cruise travel agent (specialist, not just random High St shop - and if online, look out for ABTA and ATOL certificates) to discuss your options. But, here's my 2 cents worth

 

For 7-10day trip, esp as your first, I would opt for the Med over the Caribbean because of lengthy travel times from the UK & hurricane season over there.

 

I don't think any ship will be over-run by kids as most will be in school during time time you are considering. We were on a Celebrity ship from Venice in early August and there was barely a handful of kids even though it was school holiday season across Europe. Then again on a Royal Caribbean ship in Nov there were more children surprisingly, despite the time of the year, but those were mostly toddlers and non-UK families. A travel agent (TA) can discuss all the various cruise lines and costs involved. There's loads of information on various cruise pages/forums such as this, so we can help too.

 

Think of a cruise as a full board holiday where meals are included (in the buffet and main dining room - but optional 'extra charge' venues may exist. Usually soft drinks in the buffet are part of the cruise fare but otherwise you will have drinks to pay - either on 'pay as you go' basis charged to your account (with compulsory gratuity) or you may be able to purchase a All Inc (AI) package charged per day. Sometimes cruise lines offer you these for 'free'. On our May cruise we got one, for August we do not. Shop around :)

 

You may need flights to get to the port (Southampton or Med ports) and perhaps transfers once there. Or you can get a package from cruise line/TA, that includes the cruise, flights and transfers. We have done both, sometimes arranging your own travel is cheaper - but it is convenient to get all from the cruise company.

 

Apart from the ultra luxury lines already mentioned, you do usually have the 'tips' aka gratuity to pay at the end of the holiday. There's your basic charge per person per night (varies depending on cruise line and cabin type) and then extra service charge on drinks, excursions etc.

 

Thomson from UK sells their cruises with flight & transfers & tips included. Rest will present you with a charge at the end of the holiday, to be billed to your credit card or settled with cash/card onboard. Just that Thomson ships are small and ancient - but many love them, just read various reviews here on Cruisecritic and on the other UK based cruise forum. Youtube is full of video clips, professional and passenger own clips so you can see what cabins look like.

 

Best of luck with finding your perfect cruise holiday. We never been hit with travel sickness onboard, even in winter storms. Summer on the Med we've always had nice calm seas. In the warm summer months we like a balcony cabin (not having to look for a sun lounger on the deck) but otherwise inside or oceanview cabin will do (window purely for light, I've yet to find one that opens) - after all, you don't spend much time in the cabin other than sleep and get changed.

 

Oh, and ITV have a documentary series on at the moment on Thursday nights, from Regal Princess (of Princess Cruises) if you fancy a glimpse of what RP and Royal Princess ships look like.

[KirkNC]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

[swanmark]

Thanks for all the tips guys especially Ms Poppadom, good sound advise

[John Bull]

 

There are no "hidden charges" if you do your research...get brochures and read the fine print at the back of the brochure.

 

Gratuities are common on ANY type of venue. You pay gratuities at bars and restaurants don't you? Surely you tip the housekeeper in a hotel! Cab drivers, porters, room service...these are ALL common, everyday tips that you should extend ANYWHERE...not just on a cruise!

 

 

Hi again, Swanmark,

 

First of all, ignore the above remarks by CB at Sea about "no hidden charges" and tips. CB seems to have tunnel vision and despite being involved in threads on those subjects still protests that what's normal for Americans is normal for everyone else. :rolleyes:

Here's an example of how new cruisers got a shock about costs, it also gives a lot of useful info to a first-timer on a US ship.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2328270

 

And, to CB ..........

Yes, in the UK most of us leave something for waiting staff. But at nowhere near the levels expected in the US or on a US ship - they're tips, not wages - and you know as well as most on Cruise Critic, that crew rely on tips as their primary income.

 

No, we don't tip bartenders.

Some tip housekeepers, some don't - all very hit-and-miss. Those who tip usually leave the equivalent of only a few dollars per room - and I get the impression that's the same in the States.

 

We don't tip in fast-food places or self-service buffets, we don't tip chefs or bottle-washers or laundry staff or folk who re-fill coffee urn or sweep the floors or all the other unseen background staff.

And neither do you in the US.

Yet on cruise ships they're all in the pool for those "tips" to supplement their reported $50 per month "wages".

Hellfire, that's not even the American way.

 

And even in the US, "service" isn't put on the check even before the customer has sat down to eat.

 

There's a no-tipping culture in Australia, Japan & many other countries.

 

So do us all a favour, CB, and open your eyes to the lands beyond the US coast.

 

 

 

Rant over, back to the meat of the thread.............

 

Swanmark - CB at Sea has at least demonstrated one of the financial pitfalls of sailing a US ship, and why I usually suggest a Brit ship like P&O, Thomson or Fred Olsen for a Brit's first cruise.

The "daily charge", often referred to as tips or gratuities, on US & Italian ships is around $13 per person per day, even for kids.

Most drinks are significantly more expensive on US ships, plus a 15% to 18% service charge - even if you buy at the bar. The chit that you sign for your drinks thoughtfully has an empty line in case you want to add a tip as well as the mandatory service charge!! Life would be simpler if the service charge were rolled into the bar prices, but that's not the American way.

There's no drinks service charge Brit ships.

There are no daily charges on Thomson ships. Since being incorporated into the Carnival empire, P&O has introduced daily charges but at £4 per person per day they're less than half the level on US ships.

On P&O you can take aboard any reasonable quantity of any drink (wines, beers, spirits, etc) for consumption in your cabin or on your balcony. Other cruise lines impose serious limitations on what drinks you can take aboard.

Bear in mind that currency on US ships is US dollars. You don't need any dollars on-board, you sign for everything & your credit card is charged at the end of the cruise - all very simple & convenient, but bear in mind that you'll lose out a little on exchange charges.

 

Don't let the above put you off US ships. There's a wide choice of US cruise lines & itineraries, US ships tend to be more lively, more glitzy, more cosmopolitan, have more "toys", and crew tend to be more inter-active.

But do bear in mind those costs when choosing a cruise. I usually reckon our on-board costs to be around £100 to £150 pppw more than UK ships, and factor this extra cost into my choice.

 

Note how many folk have advised you to talk to cruise specialist travel agents. If you read the thread that I've linked you'll see some of the reasons why that's excellent advice. Google "cruise travel agents" - most have "cruise" somewhere in their name. Talk to a few, figure who seems most knowledgeable, helpful & up-front. Get the best deal you can from all, then give that helpful one the opportunity to match the best quote. It'll pay dividends in good simple advice on a range of matters such as cabin location and dining choices.

 

A major drawback to cruising is the limited time you have in each port, especially when the port is some distance from the attractions. For instance you'd actually have no more than about 5 hours in Rome, a city which is worth more like 5 days. And there are half-a-dozen very worthy places to visit from Naples - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, the Amalfi coast, Sorrento, Vesuvius, but you'll only have the chance to visit one, mebbe two.

So for many places on a Med itinerary, treat your port-of-call day as simply an opportunity to get an overview - it's not a million miles to fly back there sometime in the future for a proper visit.

Mid-September is an ideal time for the Med - not too hot, less-crowded, kids back at school, decent choice of ships.

Choice of flying to a Med embarkation port or sailing from the UK. Sailing is simpler & more convenient (no luggage limits, no airport zoos or flight delays) but involve a number of sea days to get to & from the Med.

 

That limited time ashore is actually an advantage for the Caribbean. A different island state each day, all of them worth a day visit but unless you like to laze on beaches few are worth longer than a day. So the Caribbean is made for cruising, and it'd be my choice for a first cruise. :cool:

On-shore costs are way lower than in the Med, and surprisingly cruises are better value than in the Med and currency everywhere is the US dollar.

But it's a long way to go for less than a couple of weeks.

And September's not a great time to go. It's still in the hurricane season - doesn't mean you'll be sailing through a hurricane, but itineraries are sometimes changed in order to avoid them so some ports may be different to those in the brochure.

If you can easily switch to a fortnight around late November to early March, that's an ideal time to be in the Caribbean - and a ideal time not to be in the UK. ;)

If you plump for the Caribbean, definitely choose a UK ship. These are chartered flights (everyone is on the cruise) from a range of UK airports direct to Barbados or Jamaica rather than via a US airport and sea-days out of Florida. Transfers are super-easy - from aircraft to bus to ship, no immigration, no luggage carousel, the bags you checked in at your UK airport you'll next see outside your cabin door.

 

The Med, the Canaries and the Caribbean are popular with kids, so keep away from school holidays. The Baltic is made for cruising, and attracts virtually no kids.

But be wary of "adults only" ships, such as P&O's smaller ships - they appeal to folk "of a certain age" and the ship will be sleeping by 10pm.

 

I've got no direct experience of Fred Olsen, but Fred doesn't appeal to kids. However the clientele seems to be quite active recently-retireds, so not a rest-home at sea.

 

Very verbose post :rolleyes: but hopefully you can glean some useful info.

 

JB :)

[MicCanberra]

I would suggest a Baltic cruise (out of Copenhagen or such) as they tend to be fairly port intensive, go to interesting places, the seas are relatively calm (compared to other waters) and do not involve too much travel.

Edited March 17, 2016 by MicCanberra

[swanmark]

Hi again, Swanmark,

 

First of all, ignore the above remarks by CB at Sea about "no hidden charges" and tips. CB seems to have tunnel vision and despite being involved in threads on those subjects still protests that what's normal for Americans is normal for everyone else. :rolleyes:

Here's an example of how new cruisers got a shock about costs, it also gives a lot of useful info to a first-timer on a US ship.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2328270

 

And, to CB ..........

Yes, in the UK most of us leave something for waiting staff. But at nowhere near the levels expected in the US or on a US ship - they're tips, not wages - and you know as well as most on Cruise Critic, that crew rely on tips as their primary income.

 

No, we don't tip bartenders.

Some tip housekeepers, some don't - all very hit-and-miss. Those who tip usually leave the equivalent of only a few dollars per room - and I get the impression that's the same in the States.

 

We don't tip in fast-food places or self-service buffets, we don't tip chefs or bottle-washers or laundry staff or folk who re-fill coffee urn or sweep the floors or all the other unseen background staff.

And neither do you in the US.

Yet on cruise ships they're all in the pool for those "tips" to supplement their reported $50 per month "wages".

Hellfire, that's not even the American way.

 

And even in the US, "service" isn't put on the check even before the customer has sat down to eat.

 

There's a no-tipping culture in Australia, Japan & many other countries.

 

So do us all a favour, CB, and open your eyes to the lands beyond the US coast.

 

 

 

Rant over, back to the meat of the thread.............

 

Swanmark - CB at Sea has at least demonstrated one of the financial pitfalls of sailing a US ship, and why I usually suggest a Brit ship like P&O, Thomson or Fred Olsen for a Brit's first cruise.

The "daily charge", often referred to as tips or gratuities, on US & Italian ships is around $13 per person per day, even for kids.

Most drinks are significantly more expensive on US ships, plus a 15% to 18% service charge - even if you buy at the bar. The chit that you sign for your drinks thoughtfully has an empty line in case you want to add a tip as well as the mandatory service charge!! Life would be simpler if the service charge were rolled into the bar prices, but that's not the American way.

There's no drinks service charge Brit ships.

There are no daily charges on Thomson ships. Since being incorporated into the Carnival empire, P&O has introduced daily charges but at £4 per person per day they're less than half the level on US ships.

On P&O you can take aboard any reasonable quantity of any drink (wines, beers, spirits, etc) for consumption in your cabin or on your balcony. Other cruise lines impose serious limitations on what drinks you can take aboard.

Bear in mind that currency on US ships is US dollars. You don't need any dollars on-board, you sign for everything & your credit card is charged at the end of the cruise - all very simple & convenient, but bear in mind that you'll lose out a little on exchange charges.

 

Don't let the above put you off US ships. There's a wide choice of US cruise lines & itineraries, US ships tend to be more lively, more glitzy, more cosmopolitan, have more "toys", and crew tend to be more inter-active.

But do bear in mind those costs when choosing a cruise. I usually reckon our on-board costs to be around £100 to £150 pppw more than UK ships, and factor this extra cost into my choice.

 

Note how many folk have advised you to talk to cruise specialist travel agents. If you read the thread that I've linked you'll see some of the reasons why that's excellent advice. Google "cruise travel agents" - most have "cruise" somewhere in their name. Talk to a few, figure who seems most knowledgeable, helpful & up-front. Get the best deal you can from all, then give that helpful one the opportunity to match the best quote. It'll pay dividends in good simple advice on a range of matters such as cabin location and dining choices.

 

A major drawback to cruising is the limited time you have in each port, especially when the port is some distance from the attractions. For instance you'd actually have no more than about 5 hours in Rome, a city which is worth more like 5 days. And there are half-a-dozen very worthy places to visit from Naples - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, the Amalfi coast, Sorrento, Vesuvius, but you'll only have the chance to visit one, mebbe two.

So for many places on a Med itinerary, treat your port-of-call day as simply an opportunity to get an overview - it's not a million miles to fly back there sometime in the future for a proper visit.

Mid-September is an ideal time for the Med - not too hot, less-crowded, kids back at school, decent choice of ships.

Choice of flying to a Med embarkation port or sailing from the UK. Sailing is simpler & more convenient (no luggage limits, no airport zoos or flight delays) but involve a number of sea days to get to & from the Med.

 

That limited time ashore is actually an advantage for the Caribbean. A different island state each day, all of them worth a day visit but unless you like to laze on beaches few are worth longer than a day. So the Caribbean is made for cruising, and it'd be my choice for a first cruise. :cool:

On-shore costs are way lower than in the Med, and surprisingly cruises are better value than in the Med and currency everywhere is the US dollar.

But it's a long way to go for less than a couple of weeks.

And September's not a great time to go. It's still in the hurricane season - doesn't mean you'll be sailing through a hurricane, but itineraries are sometimes changed in order to avoid them so some ports may be different to those in the brochure.

If you can easily switch to a fortnight around late November to early March, that's an ideal time to be in the Caribbean - and a ideal time not to be in the UK. ;)

If you plump for the Caribbean, definitely choose a UK ship. These are chartered flights (everyone is on the cruise) from a range of UK airports direct to Barbados or Jamaica rather than via a US airport and sea-days out of Florida. Transfers are super-easy - from aircraft to bus to ship, no immigration, no luggage carousel, the bags you checked in at your UK airport you'll next see outside your cabin door.

 

The Med, the Canaries and the Caribbean are popular with kids, so keep away from school holidays. The Baltic is made for cruising, and attracts virtually no kids.

But be wary of "adults only" ships, such as P&O's smaller ships - they appeal to folk "of a certain age" and the ship will be sleeping by 10pm.

 

I've got no direct experience of Fred Olsen, but Fred doesn't appeal to kids. However the clientele seems to be quite active recently-retireds, so not a rest-home at sea.

 

Very verbose post :rolleyes: but hopefully you can glean some useful info.

 

JB :)

 

Thank you John some great advise, to be honest I found CBs remarks quite condescending, as if I had some sort of moral obligation to tip all and sundry for anything and be grateful about it Lol

[MsPoppadom]

Hi Swanmark

As per previous post, I too would recommend Baltic cities but for summer months, May-Aug. You will get better climate Sep-Nov on the Med, and cruises that are port-heavy. Our last two 7 night cruises had just one sea day, rest were in port.

 

Going back to charges, Thomson obv have flights & xfers included but you will be presented by an itemised drinks bill unless you 'upgrade' to the AI drink package. Cost of that will vary, sometimes if u book far enough in advance you get it free, other times I have seen it cost from 90-240GBP pp for a 7 day cruise.

 

It is worthwhile talking to a cruise consultant/TA or at least checking them out for current offers online. I would advocate booking thru a specialist UK cruise TA over cruise line direct. For example, we got a better cabin for same amount of £ as list price was - presumably due to trade discounts for bringing X amount of business to the ship. Also, for your questions you will have a UK TA to talk to - not an international call centre in South America.

 

Do not discount the US cruise lines because of the daily service charge (our last two were about 12usd pppd) as you can still get a great deal. Just as an example, we were quoted a balcony cabin for a week with regional UK flights, xfers and drinks package on the Med (late May) for £700pp. Considering that is all our food & drink covered for a week on a better (read newer & bigger with more facilities)ship than any Thomson ship. Plus the gratuity for a week is less we would've paid on Thomson for the drinks package.

 

Obviously on Tui owned Thomson you have 98% UK passengers (on our Thomson cruise we met a few Nordic Tui passengers too) and P&O will have a big UK lean. The American ships are worth a consideration but for yourself I would stay away from the Italian MSC and Norwegian (NCL) for your first (or forever).

 

My suggestions would be Celebrity, Cunard or Princess if they have suitable Med or Baltic sailings during the time you are considering. Look up any offers (free drinks, flight & xfers deals, WiFi, onboard credit etc) and speak to a cruiseTA.

 

Happy holiday research!

Edited March 18, 2016 by MsPoppadom

[zoncom]

Lots of books in your library on cruise lines. Berlitz publishes one annually, very detailed Fodors and Frommers also excellent.. Always look at ratings and in case of Brit lines, AGE of ships. Thompson has some old ones with less amenities.Due to Isis crisis and Militants Europe is the bargain this season but its getting late.Look at photos on this site. Celebrity and Princess good for your age group. I just booked Celebrity Reflection for B2B in Spring.

[LynnTTT]

I will be Devil's advocate, but I think a cruise is the worst way to see the Mediterranean. Why eat on board ship when you can be strolling in Rome and eating as Romans do. A friend was very disappointed to discover she only had 5 hours on a bus in Rome.

I realize that independent travel is time consuming, but an good tour (Grand Circle, Trafalgar, etc) does a great job. You'll see much more

Get a good travel agent and book a land tour.

Save cruising for Caribbean.

[MsPoppadom]

I will be Devil's advocate, but I think a cruise is the worst way to see the Mediterranean. Why eat on board ship when you can be strolling in Rome and eating as Romans do. A friend was very disappointed to discover she only had 5 hours on a bus in Rome.

I realize that independent travel is time consuming, but an good tour (Grand Circle, Trafalgar, etc) does a great job. You'll see much more

Get a good travel agent and book a land tour.

Save cruising for Caribbean.

 

Valid point, if you really want to see Rome or any non-port destination. For us cruising is about the relaxation, entertainment and luxury onboard. And fresh port every morning that is not just another beach or a week in one single place. Bus tour or even train travel from one city to another, does not compare with the luxury cruises offer. We do weekend city breaks for those Euro cities we're interested in, but cruising is more about the journey than just ports. Mind you, we're also particular about which ports/itinerary we choose. No ship calls at Rome. Same as marketing Southampton as London in the US. Or Greenock as Glasgow. Pick ones that are of interest and actually have interesting places of visit within an hour's journey, if not right at port.

 

So yes, original poster.. Do your research :)