Which cruise destination?

[Sandra1616]

Hi cruisers,

I am undecided about what cruise destination to choose for my first cruise.  I love the idea of going to southern or western caribbean for the warmth, beauty of the Caribbean and to unwind. I also love the idea of going to the western Mediterrean to learn about Greek and Italian culture and some mythology.  Then, there is the Holy Land to visit the places mentioned in the Bible and in the news. Would one destination provide a better start to many more cruises in the future than the others?

[CruiserBruce]

The Eastern Med would include Italy and Greece, and we would select that any day over the Caribbean. The Holy Land is a great place to cruise, but is cruised a little more rarely, due to security reasons.

[puppycanducruise]

I'd take a Med cruise.

Like CruiserBruce says, Eastern Med will get you Greece and Italy.  We're doing one this spring, sailing from Venice and visiting Athens, Ephesus and Istanbul (among others).

 

 

[WatchHill]

I would do any European adventure over a Caribbean cruise. If you decided on Europe, plan to fly/arrive in your port city a few days before the cruise and explore the culture & history of the region. A cruise barely touches the aspects you desire, do your research, decide on a specific destination and do land and cruise.

 

Darcy

[Essiesmom]

It depends on time of year.  If you are looking for relaxation, warmth and escaping the Canadian winter, the Caribbean would be the choice.  Also a good taster to see if cruising might be for you.  Cruises in Europe are anything but relaxing.  Few sea days to unwind, long days in port...and the eastern Med. in July/Aug will be crowded and beastly hot.  EM

[bonsai3s]

Agree with Essiesmom.

Other things to consider...what is your budget?...How much time/vacation do you have?

 

Our first cruise was in the Mexican Riviera...drove to the port...7 days...ship: Song of America.

We had no idea what we were getting into.

We got addicted to cruising.

Fast forward to today...yes, we've done the Caribbean, Western and Eastern Med, and Holy Land, and many more.

 

For your first cruise, perhaps you can choose one near you, not very expensive, not much planning, not too port intensive,......and if you find out you like cruising, then you'll be like most of the wonderful people here on Cruise Critic...addicted to cruising...and addicted to Cruise Critic. 😊

[pacruise804]

13 hours ago, Sandra1616 said:

Hi cruisers,

I am undecided about what cruise destination to choose for my first cruise.  I love the idea of going to southern or western caribbean for the warmth, beauty of the Caribbean and to unwind. I also love the idea of going to the western Mediterrean to learn about Greek and Italian culture and some mythology.  Then, there is the Holy Land to visit the places mentioned in the Bible and in the news. Would one destination provide a better start to many more cruises in the future than the others?

 

For a first cruise I would choose Caribbean from the places you've mentioned.  If you do happen to struggle with sea sickness you are closer to home and if you have to miss the ports it won't be as much of a negative.  Once you fall in love with cruising 😉 I would consider a Med cruise 🙂 

[ldubs]

16 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

  Cruises in Europe are anything but relaxing.  Few sea days to unwind, long days in port...

 

I read this from a lot of CC members and never understand.  You can rest/unwind as much as you would like.   Just stay on board.   Or, there are a lot of half day excursions so even if you visit every port there is plenty of opportunity for downtime if that is what is desired.  Point being there are lots of options for someone wanting more idle time.   

[evandbob]

65 degrees F in Antartica a few days ago.  Watching glaciers calving from a balcony would be very relaxing in those temperatures and could be a great start to a long and diverse cruising history.

[Sandra1616]

Hi Ldubs,

The point of being on a cruise is to enjoy cruise activities and visiting the ports.  If people are unwinding by sleeping in their cabin or doing something they can do easily and freely at home, it is a waste of the cruise time in my humble opinion.

[bbwex]

IMHO the Caribbean gets boring, though the weather is certainly good in the winter.  One island is a lot like the next, though they each do have some individuality.  By and large, people are there for the beaches and not much else.  Ports in the Med are, again in my opinion, more interesting, have more history, and are more memorable.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, Sandra1616 said:

Hi Ldubs,

The point of being on a cruise is to enjoy cruise activities and visiting the ports.  If people are unwinding by sleeping in their cabin or doing something they can do easily and freely at home, it is a waste of the cruise time in my humble opinion.

 

Hi Sandra, 

 

Yep good points.  I just don't understand why someone can't sleep in their cabin during a Med cruise.  Lol.  

[navybankerteacher]

 A Caribbean cruise between January and March is a great way to escape some of winter, you can enjoy shipboard experience and the ports you visit really do not need more than the eight or ten hours you are there if you want to experience them.  If you are interested in the Mediterranean, forget about cruising - just fly to Italy, or to Spain, or to Greece and stay in one or more of the places you want to experience.  Most Mediterranean cruises are port-intensive, so you do not really get the shipboard experience, and most port calls are too brief to let you accomplish anything more than being able to say “yes, I’ve been to Rome” (or Florence, or Athens or whatever place  the few hours available do not begin to give you a chance to really see.

[lynncarol]

I think if this is the OP's first cruise, it should definitely be the Caribbean. No language barriers, easy ports to visit, warm weather and (usually) calm seas. Once you are a more experienced cruiser, branch out to different environs...there are so many exciting places to visit in the world.

[pacruise804]

On 2/15/2020 at 3:41 PM, Sandra1616 said:

Hi Ldubs,

The point of being on a cruise is to enjoy cruise activities and visiting the ports.  If people are unwinding by sleeping in their cabin or doing something they can do easily and freely at home, it is a waste of the cruise time in my humble opinion.

What type of "cruise activities" are you interested in doing?  That could have a big factor on what ship/line you choose.  Most activities that come to mind for me I can do easily on land.

 

We all have different cruising styles.  For me, cruising is about being on the water and the views.  Getting to visit multiple ports while unpacking only once is a plus too.  There is also an aspect of it being much harder for others to reach me, so we are really unplugged for a while (even if we do use our phones for the camera & ship app).  Everything else could be accomplished - and sometimes better - with a land vacation.

 

I can't easily take naps at home (life keeps getting in the way 😉 ) and my bedroom doesn't have the faint sea motion and ocean breeze (if sleeping on a lounger) that I get on a ship. I do agree that's a very expensive nap if that is all I do on the ship 😄 

[Sandra1616]

Well my style of cruising is unwinding from past stresses, enjoying ship amenities (particularly the pool and shows), tasting delicious food and most importantly enjoying excursions. I hopefully will enjoy people I go with and make new friends too. I want to come back home feeling refreshed with good memories and a few pieces of clothes and jewelry.

[NantahalaCruiser]

On 2/18/2020 at 6:37 PM, Sandra1616 said:

Well my style of cruising is unwinding from past stresses, enjoying ship amenities (particularly the pool and shows), tasting delicious food and most importantly enjoying excursions. I hopefully will enjoy people I go with and make new friends too. I want to come back home feeling refreshed with good memories and a few pieces of clothes and jewelry.

A typical Western Med cruise - say between Venice and Barcelona - would be 10 to 12 nights with 1 or 2 days at sea and probably 2 ports (e.g. Rome and Florence) that are about an hour bus ride from the port city. While you could choose to limit most of your excursions to half days to have more opportunities to enjoy the ship (pool etc.), the tendency is to take day long tours in order to take in the history and culture of the diverse European ports - not much opportunity to unwind from past stresses.

 

Cruises that stop in Israel are generally 10 o 12 night Eastern Med cruises that spend only 2 or 3 days in Israel. A land tour is a much better option for a Biblical Historical trip to Israel.

 

A 7 to 10 night Caribbean cruise - with 2 or 3 days at sea and many opportunities for half-day excursions - seems most appropriate for your first cruise given your above stated objectives.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

 

Edited February 21, 2020 by NantahalaCruiser

[LoriPhil]

Our first cruise was Alaska - Inside Passage out of Vancouver.  Like many cruisers here, our “one time to Alaska” has turned into 8 cruises there so far, with B2B Vancouver (including scenic cruising through a Glacier Bay) being our favorite.  

[Kate P.C]

I love all those destinations! However, for a first time I would choose a European adventure! If you do love beaches and sunny days, then Caribbean would be the best option. But I suggest Europe first 🙂

[Sandra1616]

Hi everyone,

All the cruises have ample amounts to offer anyone.  It was tough to choose, but for my first cruise I decided on western or southern Caribbean, because I desire warm weather, lots of relaxation and unhurried shore excursions.  I think I will go with Celebrity cruises, because of its award winning reputation, itinery and great food operations.  Your inputs helped me decide.  Thanks again, Sandra

[pacruise804]

Have a great time!