Help! Which Itinerary Would You Choose???

[Sea42]

What would you like from your cruise?

IMO, the Mediterranean will give you a lot of great history and architecture, and a very fast paced adventure. Norway will offer beautiful scenery, with fewer big cities and a more laid back pace.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Holland America Crew is better.

[EMc&DrS]

20 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

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.

 

Thanks for this. You are one of the few voices recommending the Med itinerary during the month of June, but you make a compelling argument. We canceled a similar itinerary in 2015 because of political unrest in Turkey. We've got to hit these destinations at some point!

 

I will tell you we have been to Europe several times, but never on a cruise. We've been to Rome a few times, but that's the only destination on the Med cruise we've been to before. The last time we were in Italy was in early June, 2017. Venice was pleasant, Florence was warmer, but Rome was brutally hot.  However, we're from Atlanta, so we are used to oppressive heat in the summer. You've given us more to consider--thanks.

[EMc&DrS]

20 hours ago, Andi Land said:

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. 

Thanks! I hope he loves the trip so much that he'll want to go back again and again. 

[EMc&DrS]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

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.

Thank you for your input. You've hit on several of the reasons why this is a hard decision. Ironically, we've had the Norway cruise planned for some time, but Norway wasn't open to US travelers until just recently. That's what started our search for a new cruise because I wasn't going to make final payment in early March if Norway was still "closed." 

 

As far as Florence, we've been there several times, so we're OK with Livorno not being on the trip.  We've never been to Naples or Sicily, however....

[EMc&DrS]

7 hours ago, Sea42 said:

What would you like from your cruise?

IMO, the Mediterranean will give you a lot of great history and architecture, and a very fast paced adventure. Norway will offer beautiful scenery, with fewer big cities and a more laid back pace.

You are exactly right! I'm good with either while my wife was initially afraid she'd get bored on the Norway trip. Personally, I think she'd enjoy the relaxation of the slower pace. We were in Interlaken, Switzerland in 2019 and loved the slow pace. It's a destination you just experience without running from place to place like you do in historical stops like Rome or Athens. For anyone who hasn't been there, we would HIGHLY recommend it.

[MAVIP]

We did both a few times. Mid June: choose Norway and save the Med till you have the opportunity to travel there before the 1st of June or after Mid-September. You will not regret a decision to visit the Fjords. (And I am not to only one with this advice.) Enjoy your holidays!

[MISTER 67]

I'd go with the Mediterranean cruise, fascinating ports with so much history. We have sailed 3 times in the Mediterranean and all 3 were great cruises. I'm a Floridian and don't care to visit places that are cold. We did Alaska 1 time, great scenery but we were cold much of the time, I imagine Norway would be much the same.