Best X Itinerary for Europe

[Joanne G.]

In addition to all the good suggestions already posted, I would say pay attention not just to the ports you will visit but to the times that you will be in port.    Long port times, staying into the evening, are wonderful.   Rarely, you might even come across an overnight visit.    On the other hand, depending on the distances between ports, you may have a very early morning arrival with an early-to-mid afternoon departure - not good.   Or an early afternoon arrival with a late night departure  - may or may not be good depending on what you want to do there and what time the sun sets.    

 

Also, make sure you research how far from the port are the attractions you are interested in.    The cruise lines' information can be misleading about a port stop for, say, Florence or Rome - they aren't on the coast!     

 

As for deciding between Norwegian fjords and the Med, I would say that would be based on your preference between natural scenery and historical sites, and between sweatshirts and tank tops (if you are looking at May or June).

 

Airfare may be more expensive for a cruise that starts and ends in different ports, but in these crazy times, no one can predict flight schedules and prices that far in advance.  If I otherwise found a dream one-way itinerary, I would deal with the airfare however I had to.   

 

Lastly, I am with those who say take as many days as your situation allows.  Definitely go at least one day early to deal with the jet lag.   If you feel you absolutely have to fly home on the day you disembark, be aware of the distance from whatever port the cruise ends at to the airport.  When a friend and I did a cruise out of Civitavecchia, the one non-stop return flight to Chicago was too early for us based on the expected disembarkation time and the distance to the Rome airport.  I see the OP is in Atlanta, but even a busy hub like that won't have as many flight choices from Europe compared to what you would find when  returning from  one of the Florida ports.   So we stayed in Rome an extra night - not a hardship at all!    This may not be a problem in other ports. 

 

Happy cruise planning! 

[stevenmary]

Although we live in UK, so still sort of part of Europe (until December!) we have only done 3 Mediterranean cruises, no fjords yet - but it is on our list. Of course I cannot comment on travel from US to Europe, but I see you already have some comments from others.

 

If you are romantics at heart, find a cruise departing Venice before they close it to cruise ships for good. Take a pre-cruise stay (Mestre on mainland is quieter, cheaper and a short bus ride) for a couple of nights to see what you can but don't try to do it all. Get a VeneziaUnica card for bus and ACTV vaporetti transport.

 

The sailaway we experienced on Constellation in 2017 was probably the most moving ever. Spectacular views over La Serenissima (see picture) and a glorious operatic soundtrack.

 

For the rest, your choice, but it should involve some ports in the Adriatic (beware Dubrovnic is going the same way as Venice), maybe Greece and/or any of Naples, Rome, Majorca, Valencia, Barcelona. Finish in either Rome or Barcelona. You should be able to do this in 7 to 9 nights.

 

Regarding Edge class, we sailed on Edge last year in an Infinite Veranda stateroom which was very nice, but not really a Veranda - more like Outside with opening window. The whole ship was very nice, but very different.

 

Whatever you choose, enjoy the experience.

[Oceangoer2]

On 5/4/2020 at 4:22 PM, Want2Cruise 701 said:

We've never done Europe before.  I've tried to research, but there doesn't seem to be a clear cut answer from what I can see.  Thinking about either an eastern or western Mediterranean or Fjords cruise.  Everything appeals to us since we've never been, and quite clearly we can't see it all in one cruise.  What would be the best to start?  A sailing anytime between end of May 2021 through July 2021.  Some info:

 

Prefer S Class but could do an MClass if there's clearly a better itinerary.  Never have sailed Edge Class so can't say.  We cancelled our Edge and Apex for the fall/winter.

We don't mind port intensive itineraries.

Sailing cannot be longer than 9-10 nights.  7 nights preferable.  DH just can't take that much time of from work when you factor in travel time and pre and post cruise stays.

 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Looks like we won't be sailing for quite some time, so we'd like to make this a great cruise.  TIA!

 

 

We've sailed Barcelona to Rome...10 day...which was great....Nice,  Montenegro, Monte Carlo, Dubrovnik, ...tiring with ports/excursions every day...but a super way to visit different countries, with a different embark/debark location.  We've now chosen a 7 day Rome to Venice, with Sicily, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro ports in between.  To justify the long flights, we're arriving 2 days early in Rome and staying 2 days in Venice after the cruise to wind down.    We chose an M class 'Infinity' for the ports;  never sailed it before so looking forward to a change from S class.  Have fun deciding what will be best for you!

[cangelmd]

🧐 ok no one is really answering your question and I’m going to sort of answer it.

Our first trip to Europe was a 7 day Western Med cruise out of Barcelona. We did 7 days because that was the longest we could be away from our kids and was the longest reasonable time I could be off work, but it was mostly about the kids.

We were in our early 40s and it was our 20 wedding anniversary.

It is a trip, not a vacation - the flights are long and you will feel compelled to see as much as possible. I think the sea day is a blessing, you need a little rest after sightseeing.

.it will really make you want to go back to Europe.

You will have less choice because of the 7 day constraints, so look hard at the ports offered - a Florence and Rome are great choices, but they are a long bus ride from the port- just know that it makes for long days.

We did everything wrong, we had to fly in the day of departure- I would never do that again, but you may have to. We got bumped from our flight over and literally almost missed the boat. This was in 2000, pre-9/11, s it actually worked out well for us, but we went from an early arrival in Barcelona and sightseeing to having the first officer standing at the gangway with a walkie-talkie telling the bridge as we boarded -“they are here, start the raise anchor”.

 We don’t know what post-Covid flights will be like, but I’m pretty sure it won’t work out as it did for us, so if you wrangle an extra day, put it toward flying in a day early not adding a day to the cruise.

 I think your choice of itinerary is actually not that important, all are lovely, it will be dictated by the short time. Still can be wonderful.

[GottaKnowWhen]

We've never done Europe before.  I've tried to research, but there doesn't seem to be a clear cut answer from what I can see.  Thinking about either an eastern or western Mediterranean or Fjords cruise.  Everything appeals to us since we've never been, and quite clearly we can't see it all in one cruise.  What would be the best to start?  A sailing anytime between end of May 2021 through July 2021.  Some info:

 

Prefer S Class but could do an MClass if there's clearly a better itinerary.  Never have sailed Edge Class so can't say.  We cancelled our Edge and Apex for the fall/winter.

We don't mind port intensive itineraries.

Sailing cannot be longer than 9-10 nights.  7 nights preferable.  DH just can't take that much time of from work when you factor in travel time and pre and post cruise stays.

 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Looks like we won't be sailing for quite some time, so we'd like to make this a great cruise.  TIA!

 

You want to “do” Europe. Why? Seriously, why do you want to go there? Think ahead to the time you are back home with friends/family/workplace colleagues and you are talking about your Europe trip. Do you think you’ll be happiest, most pleased to share, your memories and stories of the people you met? The sidewalk cafes? The museums? The architecture? The topless beaches? The farmhouses? The street markets? The rip-off fashion-bag-clone sales deals at every corner? The ancient sites and sights? You really can’t do Europe any more than you can do any country within Europe or any State in the U.S. So, focus and prioritize. When I came back from my first extended personal travel in Europe after some time away, back home I was trying to sort my pictures from the trip. It was all a jumble. Some churches, some street scenes, some landmarks etc etc. But no coherent story. Since they I have tried to decide first Why I am going, What I want to see and do and experience, Why I am going. If you don’t have enough knowledge oof the region to be able to do that sort of planning, then two choices: a, just pick something, go and learn, and find out what you really want to do next time. Or: b, read a few books about travel in Europe. Mark Twain, Rick Steves, Anna Leopold, etc. See what grabs your imagination...

 

I’ve traveled in Europe, Scandinavia and England for work and for leisure, land and sea. My favorite countries are England and Italy but have a fondness also for Greece where I lived as a young child. I could live in Spain. We have upcoming TAs to England, will spend time there with friends and relatives. But our next extended trip to Europe, God willing and the creek don’t rise, will be for a Greek Island cruise out of Venice, then over to Civitavecchia, then a TA back home. We’ve been to most of the ports before, look forward to a revisit. Definitely will spend time in Venice and vicinity before the cruise. I just saw new ports announced for 2021 in the Med, it would take too many changes for me to do that in 21 but am hoping they’ll repeat the Salonika stop in ‘22 so I can visit my one-time home... I’ve spent time in Lithuania , Sweden, Norway, Denmark. Hope to get back to Norway to get out of the urban areas to the coastal sights. Really, any travel is good, any new experience is good, don’t try to do the “best “ trip, just do a trip, experience and enjoy and learn.

 

Stan

 

 

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[denatravels]

First, let me say (for context) that I adore cruising. I’ve been on almost 20 cruises since I started five years ago. I’ve done several med cruises (as long as 24 days), Baltics, British isles, and Norway. I do not recommend seeing Italy by cruise ship— the ports are quite far away from the cities and therefore you spend much less time in each city.
My very first cruise was in 2015. I did a two week land tour in Italy and then a 7 day Greek Isles cruise that left from Rome. You cannot appreciate Florence in 6 hours.


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[GottaKnowWhen]

I totally agree. What you can see from a cruise stop is at best a sampler. I have nothing against the big cities, I've spent a week in Rome, 10 days in Naples, 2 weeks ± in/around Venice, 4 days in Florence (followed by a leisurely drive down to Civitavecchia for a cruise), 7-10 days in Paris, etc. I wouldn't recommend that anybody go to New York City or Miami or D.C. or San Francisco for a quick stop any more than I would recommend the big cities in Europe as a quick drive through. But the first timer needs to start somewhere! Reading travel books, and travel guide books, is one way to get a sense of what is there and what seems intriguing. Travel videos are useful as well. But ultimately my advice is to just do it. One cruise or one week in any given city or some combination of these will help the first-timer learn what to see and do the next times they are back. One great benefit of cruising is that you can see multiple places in a short period, but unlike on a land tour your hotel moves with you. No need to unpack and pack and unpack and pack and ... The downside is that the hotel moves whether you are ready to move on or not. So the visits will be a quick taste, but hopefully enough to let you know where you want to focus your attention the next time. 

 

Back in the late 80s-early 90s I was living in the Kansas City area. A counterpart from a lab in England I had been collaborating with wanted to travel to the U.S. with his family for a 3-week vacation and asked me for suggestions. Joe had already spent time with me in D.C. and in K.C. and I had stayed with him and his family on my several trips to the London area. So I thought I knew them, and I knew the trip was about Joe's wife and two young teenage boys, not about Joe. I sketched out a three week itinerary that started in D.C., included stops in the South (Disney World), the West (Yosemite, Grand Canyon...), in Chicago, in NYC. And a few days with us in K.C. There is no way they or I or any mortal could have survived the driving and flying and route finding and all of the other stuff that goes with a complicated itinerary like that. Nor could they have enjoyed themselves. Instead Joe and his family spent a few days in D.C. coming and going, the rest of the time they stayed with us in K.C. We explored the town, we drove to Branson for a long weekend, we visited the Amish region north of K.C., we spent a day in the Tallgrass region, but mostly we stayed in K.C. They got to experience a very small slice of our very large and complicated country and I learned something about planning for leisure travel. In short, don't try to do too much. If you see many places in a short period (like with cruising) don't expect too much. Treat it as a scouting trip in preparation for the next time.

 

Stan

[Tapi]

On 9/8/2020 at 2:06 AM, Ashland said:

7 nights...for us that's way too short considering the time and $$ it takes just to get there.

The first time I went to Europe as a teenager, I spent 32 days bouncing around from one country to another by land. It was an amazing experience where we got to spend several days at major cities like Paris, Amsterdam, London, Rome, Barcelona, and Madrid, with a sprinkling of overnights in smaller cities along the way and in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

 

But when it came time to take my own kids to Europe for their first visit, time constraints as well as budget considerations dictated that all we could do was a 7 night Mediterranean cruise. But we made the most of it, and it was truly an absolutely wonderful experience for the entire family. Yes it felt like a blur at times, and it went by way too fast, but I don't regret that trip for one moment even if it was short.

 

Knowing the time limitations, we selected an itinerary that would allow us a) to fly nonstop from our home city in order to minimize the time spent getting there and back and b) to sail roundtrip from the same city to simplify things further. We chose a 7 night roundtrip from Civitavecchia with 2 nights in Rome pre cruise, visiting Palermo, Valletta, Barcelona, Marseille, and Genoa over Thanksgiving week. The kids missed only one day of school. 

 

Yes, it was short, but the other option was not going to Mediterranean and spending yet another week repeating Caribbean ports of call. The Med was definitely the right choice! :) 

Edited September 10, 2020 by Tapi

[Oceangoer2]

50 minutes ago, Tapi said:

The first time I went to Europe as a teenager, I spent 32 days bouncing around from one country to another by land. It was an amazing experience where we got to spend several days at major cities like Paris, Amsterdam, London, Rome, Barcelona, and Madrid, with a sprinkling of overnights in smaller cities along the way and in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

 

But when it came time to take my own kids to Europe for their first visit, time constraints as well as budget considerations dictated that all we could do was a 7 night Mediterranean cruise. But we made the most of it, and it was truly an absolutely wonderful experience for the entire family. Yes it felt like a blur at times, and it went by way too fast, but I don't regret that trip for one moment even if it was short.

 

Knowing the time limitations, we selected an itinerary that would allow us a) to fly nonstop from our home city in order to minimize the time spent getting there and back and b) to sail roundtrip from the same city to simplify things further. We chose a 7 night roundtrip from Civitavecchia with 2 nights in Rome pre cruise, visiting Palermo, Valletta, Barcelona, Marseille, and Genoa over Thanksgiving week. The kids missed only one day of school. 

 

Yes, it was short, but the other option was not going to Mediterranean and spending yet another week repeating Caribbean ports of call. The Med was definitely the right choice! 🙂 

 

I agree with your opinion.  The med cruises are port intensive and the longer ones we find tiring trying to get 'the most' out of our time.  I'm finding a 7 day with pre and post days and the opportunity to travel to cities of interest, the best for us.  As you say, the best way to explore a culture is spending more time in one location.  DS, after U graduation, took 6 months travelling by bike/train through France and Italy...he was a French immersion student and enjoyed trying to improve his use of that language;  apparently Italian was a non starter..LOL.  We knew we wouldn't experience what anyone does who has more time in these ports, but the overall experience is certainly worth it, providing wonderful memories.

Edited September 10, 2020 by oceangoer2

[4774Papa]

Frankly, I would probably never fly to Europe for less than a two week cruise or land tour.

 

We have done just about every cruise that can be done from Europe.

For a first time visit, I would go with Italy and do a 10 cruise minimum.  The Venice to Rome cruise is great.

 

Other options are the Greek Islands including Athens and/or Istanbul.

We had a great Black Sea cruise, but not sure they are available any more.

Western Med including Barcelona, Naples, Rome, Monaco and port for Florence.

British Isles cruises are great.

Baltic Sea cruises that include St. Petersburg, Russia.

Norway cruises that go up to the North Cape.  Amazing scenery.

[George C]

On 5/4/2020 at 5:21 PM, Cat4158 said:

It depends really what you want to see. Ancient history? More recent history? Scenery? Pretty Islands? Beaches? Arts and Architecture? Europe has pretty much most of everything. Focus on your own interests and try to base your cruise on that. If it were up to me and it were my first time in Europe I’d go for Mediterranean Europe something that included Rome or even Athens. Venice is unique and worth a visit if you can fit it in. Florence has amazing architecture and art, Naples is gritty and authentic + amazing pizzas! There’s loads of ‘pretty’ places to visit all around the Med. 
It all depends on you. My worst nightmare would be a beach everyday or a private island but everyone is different. Good luck with whatever you choose. Hopefully Europe will be open for you. 

I will always remember having pizza in Naples totally amazing, we heard Sophia Lauren speak a couple of years ago and was able to ask her what her favorite food was, her reply was I am from Naples so of course it’s pizza. 

[Carol4158]

3 hours ago, 4774Papa said:

Frankly, I would probably never fly to Europe for less than a two week cruise or land tour.

 

We have done just about every cruise that can be done from Europe.

For a first time visit, I would go with Italy and do a 10 cruise minimum.  The Venice to Rome cruise is great.

 

Other options are the Greek Islands including Athens and/or Istanbul.

We had a great Black Sea cruise, but not sure they are available any more.

Western Med including Barcelona, Naples, Rome, Monaco and port for Florence.

British Isles cruises are great.

Baltic Sea cruises that include St. Petersburg, Russia.

Norway cruises that go up to the North Cape.  Amazing scenery.

 

[Carol4158]

If you have two weeks to spend in Europe then do a 7-8 day cruise to see a selection of places but start and finish it in places you would like to stay for longer. A starting or ending point in Rome, Venice or Barcelona could occupy two or three days whereas for some ports one day would be entirely sufficient.  

Edited September 10, 2020 by Carol4158

[denatravels]

I will always remember having pizza in Naples totally amazing, we heard Sophia Lauren speak a couple of years ago and was able to ask her what her favorite food was, her reply was I am from Naples so of course it’s pizza. 

I did a walking food tour in Naples![emoji487][emoji492][emoji510][emoji494]🥂


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[doodlefan]

I often suggest to cruisers asking for a good European Itinerary to try a 12 night Italy, Greece and Turkey  itinerary.  Princess used to do a fabulous one that gave a great overview of these 3 countries.

 

Since you don't have that long and since you're on the Celebrity board, I would check out the 7 night on June 13th Infinity.  The ports are varied and interesting and not too much travel time from the Ports to the cities, with the exception of Naples which can be spent right there or I always suggest Pompeii to first timers with a private excursion group (hopefully you can join one on the roll call) you can visit Pompeii and then work your way down the Amalfi coast.  To save time, we usually go one way down and take the hydrofoil back across from Sorrento to Naples instead of going all the way back by car.

 

  This cruise gives you some great time in Venice  with a overnight at the start, its easy wandering around in Venice.   Split, Croatia, you can visit the old towne right there and tour the Diocletian's Palace, all within walking distance from the ship,  Kotor, as well has a nice walled old town right there or take an excursion to either Perast (world heritage site) or in the other direction Budva and old walled city on the coast.   Corfu also has an old walled town, although it isn't walking distance but often there is a shuttle or hop a cab.  If weather permits, hit the beach.   You would end in Rome, and since there is an overnight in Venice at the beginning, I would use the extra day or two here for a couple of nights post cruise.  

If you're going to do a 7 night cruise it is important to make sure the towns and cities are easy to get to from where the ship docks, you don't have alot of time to waste.

 

I also like the June 24th Constellation.  It is 9 nights but again overnights in Venice and ends in Rome, it has La Spezia which is very close to go to Cinque Terre, one of my favorite areas to visit.

 

Also the Apex  7 night  on June 26th has a nice mix of Spain ports, Nice and Marseille in France, La Spezia for Cinque Terre  and ends in Rome.  This one is quite pricey but I'm sure some TA's have group space.

 

I dont think you could go wrong with any of these Itineraries, after all this will be your first trip, you will fall in love with Europe and be back I'm sure.

 

OHHH and just to make it more confusing, check out Infinity 7 night,  June 20th, it has Valletta Malta which is fantastic. 

 

Just a note that the cruises I have mentioned here all start and end in a different port, I find on a short cruise, that's how you get a more varied itinerary, when they go in one direction and don't have to come back.  

 

I know it's not Celebrity but Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas has a great VERY affordable 7 night on  May 30, June 6, 13, 20, 27, it's the same itinerary each week,,  roundtrip Barcelona that might be worth a look. 😉

 

I hope this gives you a place to start, I remember planning my first Europe cruise and we flew into Venice and spent  a couple of days and then took the train to Rome to start our cruise,  because there was no way I was going to Italy and not see Venice, turns out I've been back to Venice many times since,  so don't get too caught up in trying to see and do too much, just pick your itinerary and enjoy every minute of THOSE ports.  Some of the best moments are sitting on a bench eating Gelato and people watching in Rome, or sipping a Spritz overlooking a canal in Venice or walking the top of the walls of old town Dubrovnik on a sunny day.  Ohhhh I really need a vacation. 😂

[GottaKnowWhen]

You mention the train from Venice to Rome. Trains! A European reality that must be experienced! I remember a train north out of Cardiff on a Saturday afternoon, in a compartment with a drunk Welshman who spent the entire three hour journey ranting about the British, with occasional breaks to ask “You are not Bloody Brits are you!?!” The high speed train from Madrid to Barcelona, watching the speed indicator at the front of the compartment approaching 300/kph. But the real gem was the early morning train from Stockholm to Oslo. We had a stop about an hour into the trip, small town. Five couples boarded, came to our area, broke out the champagne, the party was on! Turns out ‘‘twas a tradition among this group of friends; when someone turned 50, they would all pitch in for a special weekend. Birthday girl had no idea where they were going, what was planned, she just knew to pack for three days with maybe some fancy dress clothes. The group welcomed us into their gathering and we did what we could to help celebrate. 
 

General  advice: don’t be afraid to take local transportation or to mingle with the locals.

Stan

[Ashland]

15 hours ago, Tapi said:

The first time I went to Europe as a teenager, I spent 32 days bouncing around from one country to another by land. It was an amazing experience where we got to spend several days at major cities like Paris, Amsterdam, London, Rome, Barcelona, and Madrid, with a sprinkling of overnights in smaller cities along the way and in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

 

But when it came time to take my own kids to Europe for their first visit, time constraints as well as budget considerations dictated that all we could do was a 7 night Mediterranean cruise. But we made the most of it, and it was truly an absolutely wonderful experience for the entire family. Yes it felt like a blur at times, and it went by way too fast, but I don't regret that trip for one moment even if it was short.

 

Knowing the time limitations, we selected an itinerary that would allow us a) to fly nonstop from our home city in order to minimize the time spent getting there and back and b) to sail roundtrip from the same city to simplify things further. We chose a 7 night roundtrip from Civitavecchia with 2 nights in Rome pre cruise, visiting Palermo, Valletta, Barcelona, Marseille, and Genoa over Thanksgiving week. The kids missed only one day of school. 

 

Yes, it was short, but the other option was not going to Mediterranean and spending yet another week repeating Caribbean ports of call. The Med was definitely the right choice! :) 

Well since you went to Malta it was worth it....my favorite port.

[Tapi]

5 hours ago, Ashland said:

Well since you went to Malta it was worth it....my favorite port.

I loved Malta. Truly one of my favorite ports as well. 

[chemmo]

With only 7/9 nights cruise and a necessary two days pre cruise to avoid flight worries and boarding jet lagged start by thinking about where you would like to spend those few days. Barcelona or Venice would be my two choices. Rome is best seen in my opinion as a 4/5 day city break or it is a blur...

 

Once you have your starting point think what really interests you. Ancient history, natural wonders, Medieval churches, opportunity for a beach day or a mix of all? Whilst you may decide not to use Celebrity excursions looking at them for a variety of ports may give you a better insight into what you want.

 

With the high cost of flights if you can add on an extra day or two it is well worth it. 

 

I will I’ll finish with my favourite ports...They are in order, best first...

 

Santorini the most spectacular island scenery, legends of Atlantis.

Naples for Pompeii.

Malta, Knights Templar, spectacular history and churches.

Venice, just sooo unique.

Dubrovnik, incredible walled town.

 

Whilst this may be heresy on Cruise Critic there are alternative ways to see Europe other than cruising. If you plan on seeing more than a glimpse, land tours are quite easy to arrange yourself and if you don’t want to drive train services are generally good. You could fly to Rome, for example, spend a few days there then move on to Florence for a couple of days before finishing in Venice for a few nights. Alternatively fly to Athens and stay at a nice hotel a bus ride from the centre. See the city sites and then book day trips to Marathon, Delphi, Corinth, Myceni....all spectacular. You could look at any tour operator to sort this and it would be much cheaper than a cruise...The benefit of a land stay over a cruise is having time to soak up the ‘ambience’ of a culture, the food, the drink, the sunrises and sunsets...

 

Don’t dismiss Norway, it is a fantastic cruise and does fit in well with your limited time frame...You could even fit in a couple of days in London.

 

Whatever you choose to do sincere best wishes for a fantastic first trip to Europe...

 

 

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by chemmo

[MisterMet]

On 9/10/2020 at 7:27 PM, doodlefan said:

I often suggest to cruisers asking for a good European Itinerary to try a 12 night Italy, Greece and Turkey  itinerary.  Princess used to do a fabulous one that gave a great overview of these 3 countries.

 

Since you don't have that long and since you're on the Celebrity board, I would check out the 7 night on June 13th Infinity.  The ports are varied and interesting and not too much travel time from the Ports to the cities, with the exception of Naples which can be spent right there or I always suggest Pompeii to first timers with a private excursion group (hopefully you can join one on the roll call) you can visit Pompeii and then work your way down the Amalfi coast.  To save time, we usually go one way down and take the hydrofoil back across from Sorrento to Naples instead of going all the way back by car.

 

  This cruise gives you some great time in Venice  with a overnight at the start, its easy wandering around in Venice.   Split, Croatia, you can visit the old towne right there and tour the Diocletian's Palace, all within walking distance from the ship,  Kotor, as well has a nice walled old town right there or take an excursion to either Perast (world heritage site) or in the other direction Budva and old walled city on the coast.   Corfu also has an old walled town, although it isn't walking distance but often there is a shuttle or hop a cab.  If weather permits, hit the beach.   You would end in Rome, and since there is an overnight in Venice at the beginning, I would use the extra day or two here for a couple of nights post cruise.  

If you're going to do a 7 night cruise it is important to make sure the towns and cities are easy to get to from where the ship docks, you don't have alot of time to waste.

 

I also like the June 24th Constellation.  It is 9 nights but again overnights in Venice and ends in Rome, it has La Spezia which is very close to go to Cinque Terre, one of my favorite areas to visit.

 

Also the Apex  7 night  on June 26th has a nice mix of Spain ports, Nice and Marseille in France, La Spezia for Cinque Terre  and ends in Rome.  This one is quite pricey but I'm sure some TA's have group space.

 

I dont think you could go wrong with any of these Itineraries, after all this will be your first trip, you will fall in love with Europe and be back I'm sure.

 

OHHH and just to make it more confusing, check out Infinity 7 night,  June 20th, it has Valletta Malta which is fantastic. 

 

Just a note that the cruises I have mentioned here all start and end in a different port, I find on a short cruise, that's how you get a more varied itinerary, when they go in one direction and don't have to come back.  

 

I know it's not Celebrity but Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas has a great VERY affordable 7 night on  May 30, June 6, 13, 20, 27, it's the same itinerary each week,,  roundtrip Barcelona that might be worth a look. 😉

 

I hope this gives you a place to start, I remember planning my first Europe cruise and we flew into Venice and spent  a couple of days and then took the train to Rome to start our cruise,  because there was no way I was going to Italy and not see Venice, turns out I've been back to Venice many times since,  so don't get too caught up in trying to see and do too much, just pick your itinerary and enjoy every minute of THOSE ports.  Some of the best moments are sitting on a bench eating Gelato and people watching in Rome, or sipping a Spritz overlooking a canal in Venice or walking the top of the walls of old town Dubrovnik on a sunny day.  Ohhhh I really need a vacation. 😂

This is an excellent post and advice.  All of these posts offer great advice and perspective.  Anytime you get to travel to and within Europe you are in for a wonderful experience.  Take what you can from these great posts, plan a wonderful cruise, explore, immerse, enjoy, and relax.  Write a wonderful cruise review that we can all read when you get back and we'll all point back to this thread and say, "hey, we helped them plan that cruise!" LOL

[llamo68]

My husband had never been to Europe so I thought a Mediterranean would give him a good sampling. So we went on an 11 night Constellation that left out of Rome. He loved it!! We went to Corsica, Malaga, Gibraltar, La Spezia, Toulon, Cadiz and back to Rome. A great taste of Europe and made us both want to return!! We planned some excursions on our own and two with the cruise line.


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[intr3pid]

Do a 10-nighter from Barcelona to Venice stopping in all your key Western Med ports and a couple of Eastern Meds too.

 

There is so much to see in Europe in the summer that you can't do just a quick 7-nighter unless combining with a longer land-based tour.

 

On our cruise trip to Europe, we spent 7 weeks, doing 4 cruises in all 4 corners - incl. Baltic and Norway - and still maybe saw just half of what had on our list!

[upwarduk]

On 9/8/2020 at 7:20 PM, Joanne G. said:

Long port times, staying into the evening, are wonderful.

Azamara are known for staying late in port, not Celebrity.

[Joanne G.]

5 hours ago, upwarduk said:

Azamara are known for staying late in port, not Celebrity.

 

Actually, we had 2 late night (10:00 - 11:00 pm) departures on a Med cruise some years ago on the Galaxy.   I figure it's simply a function of the distance to the next port.   It's a great opportunity to enjoy dinner at a local restaurant - something we didn't do, but in hindsight, I wish we had.   On the other hand, in one of those ports, we didn't arrive until around noon or 1:00, so that might affect options for daytime activities.  

[4774Papa]

Cruises in the Med are great to visit a lot of ports, however for short periods.   Great for ports that are a bit hard to get to, like the Greek Islands, Split, Dubrovnik, Malta, etc.  However, for taking in cities like Rome, Paris, London, Munich, Berlin, Barcelona, Seville, Madrid, you need to spend more time.    Rome, Paris and London deserve 5-6 days each.  Munich, Berlin, Barcelona, Seville deserve 3-5 days.