Help! Which Itinerary Would You Choose???

[EMc&DrS]

We're wanting to book our first European cruise for this summer and we've narrowed it down to two very different itineraries on two difference ships/cruise lines (Celebrity Reflection vs HAL Rotterdam VII). We've sailed the Reflection three times and loved it. The Rotterdam is brand new, but we've sailed on her sister ship, Koningsdam, and loved it, too. We'd probably book Aqua Class on Celebrity, and we have a regular balcony room on hold with a giant oversized balcony on Rotterdam. Other than the two embarkation cities, we have never been to any of the destinations on either itinerary. Reflection is an 11-day cruise while HAL is a B2B two-week cruise with all stops in Norway. We're curious if any of you who have cruised many of the routes in Europe will have strong opinions about one cruise vs the other. I'll post this same topic on the Celebrity board as well.

 

Reflection itinerary: Rome; Messina, Sicily; day at sea; Santorini; Mykonos; 26 hours in Istanbul; Kusadasi, Turkey; Athens; Day at Sea; Naples; Rome

 

Rotterdam itinerary: Amsterdam; Day at Sea; Oslofjord to Oslo; Kristiansand; Stavanger; Sognefjord to Flåm; Day at Sea; Amsterdam; Day at Sea; Hardangerfjord to Eidfjord; Alesund; Geiranger Fjord to Geiranger; Bergen; Day at Sea; Amsterdam

 

Like I said, two very different itineraries.  Price is about the same, so not really a factor. Any opinions are welcome!  Thanks in advance.

Edited February 14, 2022 by EMc&DrS

[tupper10]

Both are wonderful cruises.  We did the cruise you are thinking about on Celebrity but we ended up not going to Turkey at all due to political unrest.  I am not sure what the situation in Turkey is now or what it will be when you cruise but you should take that into account. Ironically the Holland America ship did go to Turkey at the same time so we couldn't figure out why Celebrity decided to cancel all the Turkish ports.  Instead of Turkey we ended up doing the Baltic ports which we really didn't want to go to at that time.    

[Oceansaway17]

27 minutes ago, EMc&DrS said:

We're wanting to book our first European cruise for this summer and we've narrowed it down to two very different itineraries on two difference ships/cruise lines (Celebrity Reflection vs HAL 

 

Reflection itinerary: Rome; Messina, Sicily; day at sea; Santorini; Mykonos; 26 hours in Istanbul; Kusadasi, Turkey; Athens; Day at Sea; Naples; Rome

 

Rotterdam itinerary: Amsterdam; Day at Sea; Oslofjord to Oslo; Kristiansand; Stavanger; Sognefjord to Flåm; Day at Sea; Amsterdam; Day at Sea; Hardangerfjord to Eidfjord; Alesund; Geiranger Fjord to Geiranger; Bergen; Day at Sea; Amsterdam

 

Since it is summer, I would do the Rotterdam up in the Northern part of Europe.  you get to see Amsterdam and Oslo two great capitals and some fjords.  And you will be on a brand new ship.

Well that is my take and I was supposed to do Rotterdam in May but decide to not go out of any European ports until 2023.  

good luck with decision.

[BarbinMich]

I've been on a similar itinerary to the one on Reflection.  However, we did it in October when the temps were warm, but comfortable.  Personally, I wouldn't want to do it in the heat of summer, plus there are probably more crowds in the ports then..  I've visited some of the ports on the Rotterdam itinerary and enjoyed them (Amsterdam, Stavanger, Flam, and Bergen; the other ports are further north which shouldn't be a problem in the summer except for much more daylight).  Enjoy!

[tupper10]

Just now, BarbinMich said:

I've been on a similar itinerary to the one on Reflection.  However, we did it in October when the temps were warm, but comfortable.  Personally, I wouldn't want to do it in the heat of summer, plus there are probably more crowds in the ports then..  I've visited some of the ports on the Rotterdam itinerary and enjoyed them (Amsterdam, Stavanger, Flam, and Bergen; the other ports are further north which shouldn't be a problem in the summer except for much more daylight).  Enjoy!

Wow you are so right - we did the Celebrity cruise in September, and a land trip to Turkey in the fall- summer would be too hot.  Also Holland has some great trips including Norway and Iceland as well this summer - so the poster may want to consider these itineraries as well - if going in the height of summer.  

[cruzin4us]

One of the most fascinating ports I have ever been to was Kusadasi, Turkey.   The main attraction is Ephesus.   I've cruised a lot, and Ephesus blew me away.   https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/ephesus

 

[Cruising-along]

Even though the Med is my favorite cruise destination, if you're going in the summer, I would choose Norway over the Med.  Save the Med for spring or fall.

[EMc&DrS]

16 minutes ago, tupper10 said:

Both are wonderful cruises.  We did the cruise you are thinking about on Celebrity but we ended up not going to Turkey at all due to political unrest.  I am not sure what the situation in Turkey is now or what it will be when you cruise but you should take that into account. Ironically the Holland America ship did go to Turkey at the same time so we couldn't figure out why Celebrity decided to cancel all the Turkish ports.  Instead of Turkey we ended up doing the Baltic ports which we really didn't want to go to at that time.    

Ironically, we were booked on a Celebrity cruise to Turkey back in 2015, but changed it to a different itinerary due to political unrest. They ended up going to Athens for 2 days instead of Istanbul.

[EMc&DrS]

5 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Even though the Med is my favorite cruise destination, if you're going in the summer, I would choose Norway over the Med.  Save the Med for spring or fall.

Seems to be a popular suggestion. Unfortunately, my wife is school principal, so we have very limited windows of opportunity to cruise...

[Shmoo here]

1 hour ago, EMc&DrS said:

Rotterdam itinerary: Amsterdam; Day at Sea; Oslofjord to Oslo; Kristiansand; Stavanger; Sognefjord to Flåm; Day at Sea; Amsterdam; Day at Sea; Hardangerfjord to Eidfjord; Alesund; Geiranger Fjord to Geiranger; Bergen; Day at Sea; Amsterdam

This is the one I'd pick.

[StLouisCruisers]

37 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Even though the Med is my favorite cruise destination, if you're going in the summer, I would choose Norway over the Med.  Save the Med for spring or fall.

 

Good advice.  Norway is a spectacular cruise and you would want to do that in summer.  The exact opposite for the Med.  As for political unrest, we were booked on a Princess ship for a Black Sea cruise in 2014 and switched to Holland America because when HAL cancelled the Ukraine, they offered us more replacement ports in the Black Sea (Romania, Turkey, Georgia).  Princess cancelled Ukraine and gave us Mykonos! 

[Cruising-along]

38 minutes ago, EMc&DrS said:

Seems to be a popular suggestion. Unfortunately, my wife is school principal, so we have very limited windows of opportunity to cruise...

I understand.  That does limit you.  In that case if/when you go to the Med, I'd try to go as early in the summer as possible.  We love it there April/May -- very warm, but not oppressive like July/August.

[VMax1700]

All the Eastern Med ports will be scorchio in the summer months.  June is as late as I would plan for those countries and September again at the earliest.  Not only the heat, but Europe will be on holiday too in July/August and after the last two years, expect lots of tourist again in Greece and Italy.

Have you considered doing 7 days to Norway and 7 days in Western or Eastern Med?  Intra EU flights can be reasonably priced.  

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by VMax1700

[EMc&DrS]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

All the Eastern Med ports will be scorchio in the summer months.  June is as late as I would plan for those countries and September again at the earliest.  Not only the heat, but Europe will be on holiday too in July/August and after the last two years, expect lots of tourist again in Greece and Italy.

Have you considered doing 7 days to Norway and 7 days in Western or Eastern Med?  Intra EU flights can be reasonably priced.  

 

Both cruises we are considering are in mid-June

[FlaMariner]

Since both itineraries must be on the bucket list, I'd choose the Northern Europe trip because of the Rotterdam......and go on the Mediteranean trip another year. 

[jhannah]

We've been on both (substantially the same) cruises. Loved them both. I lean more heavily on the Norwegian fjords. They are stunning. Been twice, and are planning to return in 2023.

[lcand1923]

i’ve been on similar cruises.  Both trips are great.  The deciding factor for me would be the time:  mid-June.  Since you are limited to that time frame, I would do the Norway cruise.  The Med trip will be very, very hot.  Save that until you can go in the fall.

[RuthC]

Norway is scenic and cooler. The Med is intense exploration and HOT. 
Makes the choice easy for me---Norway every time. I have been there more times than I can count (maybe 10? more? I don't remember). It draws me back with the beauty it offers. 

I like the Med, don't get me wrong, but I have been there in early May and late October and found it too hot even in those months. It was sundress warm, no need for a jacket, the time I was in Rome in mid-November. I wouldn't consider it in the summer. 

The Norway itinerary is excellent, with a nice turn-around day in Amsterdam, where there is a lot to see and do. 

[VMax1700]

The farthest north you sail is to Alesund and that will be on the night of the 21st June -the summer solstice!  Sunset will be 11.42 pm and sunrise again at 3.32 am. The 'day' will be almost 20 hours of daylight.  It is amazing.

https://dateandtime.info/citysunrisesunset.php?id=3163392&month=6&year=2022

[EMc&DrS]

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

The farthest north you sail is to Alesund and that will be on the night of the 21st June -the summer solstice!  Sunset will be 11.42 pm and sunrise again at 3.32 am. The 'day' will be almost 20 hours of daylight.  It is amazing.

https://dateandtime.info/citysunrisesunset.php?id=3163392&month=6&year=2022

That's pretty cool--thanks for the info!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

7 hours ago, EMc&DrS said:

We're wanting to book our first European cruise for this summer and we've narrowed it down to two very different itineraries on two difference ships/cruise lines (Celebrity Reflection vs HAL Rotterdam VII). We've sailed the Reflection three times and loved it. The Rotterdam is brand new, but we've sailed on her sister ship, Koningsdam, and loved it, too. We'd probably book Aqua Class on Celebrity, and we have a regular balcony room on hold with a giant oversized balcony on Rotterdam. Other than the two embarkation cities, we have never been to any of the destinations on either itinerary. Reflection is an 11-day cruise while HAL is a B2B two-week cruise with all stops in Norway. We're curious if any of you who have cruised many of the routes in Europe will have strong opinions about one cruise vs the other. I'll post this same topic on the Celebrity board as well.

 

Reflection itinerary: Rome; Messina, Sicily; day at sea; Santorini; Mykonos; 26 hours in Istanbul; Kusadasi, Turkey; Athens; Day at Sea; Naples; Rome

 

Rotterdam itinerary: Amsterdam; Day at Sea; Oslofjord to Oslo; Kristiansand; Stavanger; Sognefjord to Flåm; Day at Sea; Amsterdam; Day at Sea; Hardangerfjord to Eidfjord; Alesund; Geiranger Fjord to Geiranger; Bergen; Day at Sea; Amsterdam

 

Like I said, two very different itineraries.  Price is about the same, so not really a factor. Any opinions are welcome!  Thanks in advance.

I would choose Celebrity and the med for your first European cruise.   Since this is your first trip to Europe, the Celebrity cruise offers much more variety in some of the best European Tourist attractions around.   Norway, while pretty, is pretty much the same is every port.   

 

Life is short and you never know what's over the horizon - There is always a chance that your first cruise could also be your last - so - I would go on Celebrity....

 

June in Southern Europe will be OK.   Norway will be on the cool side.

 

[Andi Land]

My husband and I have had this same conversation. He wants Norway and I want Med. He is a terrible traveler and needs anxiety meds in crowds. So, we get to go to the Med first since that’s my choice and if we did his choice first we might never get to Europe again. I haven’t booked anything yet but am planning on the Med in 2024. Good luck on making your choice. I think either one will be stellar. 

[cruisemom42]

If you can only go in the summer, then I would just bite the bullet and do the Med cruise. For me it is, hands down, the cruising area par excellence. I never tire of the mix of history, scenery, great food, and art in the Med. Yes Norway and the Scandinavian countries are nice, but not on a par with the Med. And it sounds like you have a very nice itinerary, very doable. My only concern would be if Turkey is "open for cruise business" in summer 2022...

 

Be sure to spend some time in Rome pre-cruise. Also your itinerary misses Livorno, which is the traditional port to visit Florence. However Florence is only 1.5 hours from Rome on a fast train, so it could be done on a daytrip from Rome as easily. I recommend spending 3 days in Rome, 4 if you want to add a daytrip to Florence.

[Tampa Girl]

20 hours ago, cruzin4us said:

One of the most fascinating ports I have ever been to was Kusadasi, Turkey.   The main attraction is Ephesus.   I've cruised a lot, and Ephesus blew me away.   https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-greece/ephesus

 

 

What a fascinating history!  Thank you so much for posting the site.  How far from Kusadasi is Ephesus?

[cruisemom42]

28 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

What a fascinating history!  Thank you so much for posting the site.  How far from Kusadasi is Ephesus?

 

Less than a half hour's drive.