Europe 2021 Celebrity or Viking?

[Vineyard View]

Envious of you both Deec and CCWineLover!  What fun trips to research! 

We are big fans of independent travels as well so look forward to your reports on these journeys! 

[SM77]

On 7/16/2019 at 1:37 PM, gerelmx said:

Uncertain of which one to choose, I have always traveled with RCCL and lately with Celebrity, my plans for 2021 is a cruise through the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Greek islands, it will be my first time in this part of the world, which Cruise Company would you choose and why?

 

 

Just to confuses matters more, we love Viking but did Athens to Barcelona (B2B) on Oceania Riviera last November - we were very impressed w/ Oceania, especially the food & their specialty restaurants.  Even though we are booked on Viking for South America this Dec; making our own B2B Viking river cruises(the Elbe & Cities of Lights) for April, and doing Southeast Asia in 2021, we are doing an Athens to Athens that will include Istanbul & Ephesus on Oceania (one of the smaller ships versus the Riviera) in Nov 2020.  My only experience on a larger ship was RCCL in 2007 - Inside Passage Alaska.  Alaska was a great cruise but traveling on Viking or Oceania is vastly different & better in my opinion.

[Vineyard View]

I looked at Viking and Oceania for the Mediterranean next May. I liked the 15 day options on Viking but the one we wanted sold out a year in advance. 

I have heard good things about Oceania so I looked at them and could only find 12 day itineraries in the Mediterranean. 

The idea of 15 days vs 12 was more attractive to us. 

So this could be a consideration. 

Celebrity ships are just too large for our taste. 

 

 

[MRGACRUZR]

We have been top tier loyalty members on RCCL, Princess and Celebrity with Celebrity being our go to line for an upscale experience. We tried some other stuff for a few years and returned to Celebrity. To us, it is no longer an upscale experience. Will probably never return. The experience was the same as an RCCL mega ship. Way too many people in too small a space. Obnoxious. Now that we have found small ship cruising we will stick with VO and Windstar, so far. They make you feel a little more special and it's a much more personable and social experience. 

[philw1776]

Viking knows the area so they would be my #1 choice.  

In 2nd place would be the small ships of Silversea (600 guests and less) whose founder is named...Manfredi!  And who helped Tor get started in Ocean by working to get the Italian shipyard the shipbuilding contract.
Silversea tends to be elegant and dressier, requiring sports coat for dining some evenings and does allow under 18 age group.