How to Choose Your First Med Cruise- The Most Important Post You will Read!

[Aquahound]

On 3/1/2023 at 6:01 AM, Hlitner said:

This post is a primer from first-time Med cruisers and should be read BEFORE you choose a cruise.  Forget what you have learned in the Caribbean or Alaska.  The Med is all about the ports, port times, and specific port days.  The cruise line and cruise ship are secondary!

 

 

Hank, I think this is an excellent post.  However, I do differ in opinion a little.

 

It's great info if a cruise is the travel of choice.  As someone else mentioned, cruising Europe cannot compete with land vacations.  Some of my most treasured memories are walking the streets of Rome and Venice at night, finding little holes in the wall, and enjoying the house wine and chatting with the owners.  I guess this can be remedied a little by spending an adequate amount of time pre or post cruise in the area.  

 

But yes, if a cruise is the way, then itinerary should be the priority.  Hank, I like that you said the ship is secondary.  I agree with that, as long as secondary is still important.  What I don't agree with is when people say the ship doesn't matter.  If someone decides to see Europe via cruise, I still highly recommend it be on a line/ship that suits their likes.  Being on the wrong ship for their likes is a good way to ruin an otherwise great vacation.  

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

After reading your posts, I am wondering why you ever take a cruise instead of a land trip.

 

I like the cruiseexperience, including being on the ship. If I didn't I shouldn't cruise.

 

Our cruise this summer departs from Barcelona and the ports are Marseille, Genoa, Naples, Messina and Valletta. For us a few hours is enough in all those ports and we will most likely stay on the ship in one or two of them. We will fly to Barcelona a few days before the cruise.

 

We take landtrips too but this is a cruiseforum so I don't write about that here.

Edited March 2, 2023 by sverigecruiser

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

Hank, I think this is an excellent post.  However, I do differ in opinion a little.

 

It's great info if a cruise is the travel of choice.  As someone else mentioned, cruising Europe cannot compete with land vacations.  Some of my most treasured memories are walking the streets of Rome and Venice at night, finding little holes in the wall, and enjoying the house wine and chatting with the owners.  I guess this can be remedied a little by spending an adequate amount of time pre or post cruise in the area.  

 

But yes, if a cruise is the way, then itinerary should be the priority.  Hank, I like that you said the ship is secondary.  I agree with that, as long as secondary is still important.  What I don't agree with is when people say the ship doesn't matter.  If someone decides to see Europe via cruise, I still highly recommend it be on a line/ship that suits their likes.  Being on the wrong ship for their likes is a good way to ruin an otherwise great vacation.  

We agree!  I have pointed out in other posts that we are cruise addicts (for over 50 years) but also love our independent land travel.  We often use TA/Repositioning cruises as a fun way to get to and from Europe, but we also tend to spend weeks (or longer) in Europe, usually with a rental/leased car.  For folks that want to see Europe, Asia, South America, etc. a land trip is the best option.  Cruises are very limiting in terms of ports and the time in ports.  And there are many fine places that are nowhere near any kind of cruise port.

 

But this thread was aimed at the first time Med cruiser.

 

Hank

[Bellanina]

Here's why we are excited about our first Med Cruise. We have traveled Caribbean areas, East and West, also extensively in Mexico and other tropical areas, plus Hawaii, and all the CA  wine areas. Sometimes it's been independent,  and some have been tours with groups.  All prior travels to Europe have been planned independently, affording us time to immerse in one area longer, which we love. But we are weary of unpacking, checking in repeatedly on tours, and being on the road in other countries. The ability to sample areas we may want to return to, without having to pack up and leave every day or so, is appealing at this point. We haven't been on a cruise in many years and are willing to pay a bit more for a cruise over a land tour. 

[bonsai3s]

5 hours ago, Bellanina said:

But we are weary of unpacking, checking in repeatedly on tours, and being on the road in other countries.

Our thoughts...exactly.

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, Bellanina said:

But we are weary of unpacking, checking in repeatedly on tours, and being on the road in other countries. 

 

1 hour ago, bonsai3s said:

Our thoughts...exactly.

 

X3 -- I think you nailed one of the big pluses to taking a cruise.   

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, Bellanina said:

Here's why we are excited about our first Med Cruise. We have traveled Caribbean areas, East and West, also extensively in Mexico and other tropical areas, plus Hawaii, and all the CA  wine areas. Sometimes it's been independent,  and some have been tours with groups.  All prior travels to Europe have been planned independently, affording us time to immerse in one area longer, which we love. But we are weary of unpacking, checking in repeatedly on tours, and being on the road in other countries. The ability to sample areas we may want to return to, without having to pack up and leave every day or so, is appealing at this point. We haven't been on a cruise in many years and are willing to pay a bit more for a cruise over a land tour. 

One thing you left out is not having to find a place to have dinner every day.

[Sea42]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

One thing you left out is not having to find a place to have dinner every day.

That's really one of the things I prefer about land trips. For us, finding local restaurants and then strolling through these beautiful places after dinner is a joy.

[navybankerteacher]

17 hours ago, Bellanina said:

…But we are weary of unpacking, checking in repeatedly on tours, and being on the road in other countries. …

While avoiding packing/unpacking is a plus for cruising, spending enough time in a few places gives you the opportunity to really experience them - the four or five hours possible in places like Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul, etc. I find simply frustrating. Also, “…being on the road in other countries…” certainly supplements the time spent in cities.  Although I would only consider it if driving - I think staying at home competes with a bus tour almost anywhere.

[ldubs]

1 minute ago, navybankerteacher said:

While avoiding packing/unpacking is a plus for cruising, spending enough time in a few places gives you the opportunity to really experience them - the four or five hours possible in places like Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul, etc. I find simply frustrating. Also, “…being on the road in other countries…” certainly supplements the time spent in cities.  Although I would only consider it if driving - I think staying at home competes with a bus tour almost anywhere.

 

 

On land trips, we have taken the Hop On/Hop Off buses to kind of get a feel for a place before exploring it deeper.  

 

[navybankerteacher]

40 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

 

On land trips, we have taken the Hop On/Hop Off buses to kind of get a feel for a place before exploring it deeper.  

 

 Good idea if you are in a city for just a few hours, but for a couple of days or more, using public transportation or just walking works for u#.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, Sea42 said:

That's really one of the things I prefer about land trips. For us, finding local restaurants and then strolling through these beautiful places after dinner is a joy.

Different strokes for different folks. Neither DW or I eat meat which makes finding places to eat more difficult. As well as neither of us would ever be considered a foodie.

 

On ships we don't need the extra pay for dining. DW actually would prefer to eat always in the buffet. She says she likes to make her own salad. In the dining room on one cruise she freaked out a waiter by ordering a baked potato as her main course. (Actually at home there have been times when that is all she had as a main course with a salad and maybe something like raisins for dessert.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

 Good idea if you are in a city for just a few hours, but for a couple of days or more, using public transportation or just walking works for u#.

 

Even on land trips we use it as a kind of preliminary recon of the place before we start the walking & hanging out.  

 

We did use the HO/HO on our last cruise in Copenhagen (one of my favorites for strolling).  Our SIL hadn't been there so we took the HO/HO so she could get an overview.  Then we hopped off at the town hall square and took her on a walking tour through the Stroget.  Hopped back on at the palace for the obligatory photo stop at the Little MeMe (of course) then back on to the ship.   

 

One thing I personally have a hard time wrapping my head around is public bus systems.  I do OK with street cars/trams but find the city bus routings confusing.  Even in SF where I worked for so many years.   I need to figure bus routings out for an upcoming trip to Porto and Lisbon - otherwise I will be huffing and puffing up too many hills.  

[cruisemom42]

On 3/2/2023 at 11:29 AM, ldubs said:

I'm always skeptical of those who claim the cruise ship doesn't matter as it is solely transportation.  

 

 

****WARNING: LENGTHY MUSINGS AHEAD****

 

The problem with posting on message boards in short paragraphs (lest others complain you're being too wordy) is that it is difficult to get nuances across. 

 

I always find it difficult to quantify how I feel about cruising in just a few words. There are some things about it I like, there are some things that are frustrating. It's not the mode of travel I would choose if I were limited to one choice, but fortunately we are not limited -- so it makes for nice variety to take a cruise now and again.

 

It's also difficult to know the frame of reference of your readers/responders when posting on CC:  there are the hardcore Caribbean cruisers who live in Florida and seem to cruise about 1/3 of the year as their main and pretty much only form of travel, there are the Caribbean snowbirds, etc. Then there are those who like more far-flung destinations and who may or may not ever take a 7-day Caribbean cruise. (Or Mexican riviera for our West Coast friends.)

 

I may never be the sort to take a vacation strictly for relaxation. I'm not an AI person. I have to engage my mind in some way -- experience something, learn something, see something, do something. I don't like beaches. Natural scenery doesn't appeal to me much. I don't sit around the pool, go to the spa, or play in the casino. Yet surprisingly I enjoy cruising and find it to be a nice way to travel -- at times. I also do a fair amount of independent travel worldwide -- both on my own and on specialist tours. As well as for work, which from time to time takes me to France and Germany along with many US cities.

 

I think it's a little silly when people say you can't see much/do much/learn much on a limited port stop. Of course you can if you're focused, if you've planned well, if you are just trying to add a piece to your overall knowledge and are not trying to eat the entire cake in one sitting. I can make a good go of a place like Delos or Zadar or Ithaca or even Tallinn in a day. And for someone who takes an average of one European cruise a year, chances are I will end up in a given port more than a single time. 

 

The big cities are of course better experienced on stays of multiple days -- but cruise travel is not incompatible with that. I've spent the equivalent of a week or two each in Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul, London and Rome just via pre- and post-cruise stays.

 

Some who travel like to "poke" cruisers a bit, and perhaps at times it's justified. (Not that I don't find it a bit strange that they are here, posting, on a site for cruisers...)  However, many people in the US do not travel outside the country until retirement, at which time it may seem a bit daunting to set off for, say, Europe on one's own with no prior experience.

 

In the US you can travel extensively without negotiating different currency or a new language. Many also come from small towns and have no experience navigating a large city by public transportation. Trains are limited to a few routes....

 

So cruising may feel like a safe first step -- and sometimes an only step, especially for those whose bucket list is a kind of "one and done".  For some, it may ignite a love of travel that expands into other modalities.

 

What's the 5-cent takeaway?  Maybe it's this: before people start passing dictums about "You can't do ______ well on a cruise ship" or "You shouldn't use a cruise ship for ______", just remember everyone is coming from a different place that may not be readily apparent from a flippant answer on a message board. Sharing info with others is great. Lecturing is tiresome.

 

[Bellanina]

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

While avoiding packing/unpacking is a plus for cruising, spending enough time in a few places gives you the opportunity to really experience them - the four or five hours possible in places like Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul, etc. I find simply frustrating. Also, “…being on the road in other countries…” certainly supplements the time spent in cities.  Although I would only consider it if driving - I think staying at home competes with a bus tour almost anywhere.

I can appreciate any opportunity to immerse longer in place, which we have done, and will surely do again. We haven't cruised in many years, so the jury is still out on limited times in port.  I purposely chose an itinerary that allowed us overnights in port, but it's not perfect. Fingers crossed!

 

Have not done a bus tour, but have done tours in a Sprinter. 

[Bellanina]

5 hours ago, Sea42 said:

That's really one of the things I prefer about land trips. For us, finding local restaurants and then strolling through these beautiful places after dinner is a joy.

This is an excellent point, especially since we are food and wine lovers. Still hoping to catch a bit of local dining when in ports during the day,

[ldubs]

47 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

****WARNING: LENGTHY MUSINGS AHEAD****

 

The problem with posting on message boards in short paragraphs (lest others complain you're being too wordy) is that it is difficult to get nuances across. 

 

I always find it difficult to quantify how I feel about cruising in just a few words. There are some things about it I like, there are some things that are frustrating. It's not the mode of travel I would choose if I were limited to one choice, but fortunately we are not limited -- so it makes for nice variety to take a cruise now and again.

 

It's also difficult to know the frame of reference of your readers/responders when posting on CC:  there are the hardcore Caribbean cruisers who live in Florida and seem to cruise about 1/3 of the year as their main and pretty much only form of travel, there are the Caribbean snowbirds, etc. Then there are those who like more far-flung destinations and who may or may not ever take a 7-day Caribbean cruise. (Or Mexican riviera for our West Coast friends.)

 

I may never be the sort to take a vacation strictly for relaxation. I'm not an AI person. I have to engage my mind in some way -- experience something, learn something, see something, do something. I don't like beaches. Natural scenery doesn't appeal to me much. I don't sit around the pool, go to the spa, or play in the casino. Yet surprisingly I enjoy cruising and find it to be a nice way to travel -- at times. I also do a fair amount of independent travel worldwide -- both on my own and on specialist tours. As well as for work, which from time to time takes me to France and Germany along with many US cities.

 

I think it's a little silly when people say you can't see much/do much/learn much on a limited port stop. Of course you can if you're focused, if you've planned well, if you are just trying to add a piece to your overall knowledge and are not trying to eat the entire cake in one sitting. I can make a good go of a place like Delos or Zadar or Ithaca or even Tallinn in a day. And for someone who takes an average of one European cruise a year, chances are I will end up in a given port more than a single time. 

 

The big cities are of course better experienced on stays of multiple days -- but cruise travel is not incompatible with that. I've spent the equivalent of a week or two each in Barcelona, Athens, Istanbul, London and Rome just via pre- and post-cruise stays.

 

Some who travel like to "poke" cruisers a bit, and perhaps at times it's justified. (Not that I don't find it a bit strange that they are here, posting, on a site for cruisers...)  However, many people in the US do not travel outside the country until retirement, at which time it may seem a bit daunting to set off for, say, Europe on one's own with no prior experience.

 

In the US you can travel extensively without negotiating different currency or a new language. Many also come from small towns and have no experience navigating a large city by public transportation. Trains are limited to a few routes....

 

So cruising may feel like a safe first step -- and sometimes an only step, especially for those whose bucket list is a kind of "one and done".  For some, it may ignite a love of travel that expands into other modalities.

 

What's the 5-cent takeaway?  Maybe it's this: before people start passing dictums about "You can't do ______ well on a cruise ship" or "You shouldn't use a cruise ship for ______", just remember everyone is coming from a different place that may not be readily apparent from a flippant answer on a message board. Sharing info with others is great. Lecturing is tiresome.

 

 

I can't help but like what you are saying.  And you are absolutely right about how short comments might come across other than intended.  

 

There are all kinds of different angles to travel. For us sometimes it is just the opportunity to travel.  In our (much) younger days we once went to the airport with carry-ons and no plans other than to look at the UA departure board.  Tried for a buddy pass stand-by to London and didn't make it.  Instead we made a flight to Paris.  Did a quick call to 1-800 Holiday Inn after we were confirmed.  We didn't even worry about a return flight until we were ready to come home.  For a number of very good reasons I wouldn't do it again, but it was fun in our more carefree days.  

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

In the US you can travel extensively without negotiating different currency or a new language. Many also come from small towns and have no experience navigating a large city by public transportation. Trains are limited to a few routes....

 

 

Easy in many countries in Europe too. In most countries most people speak english and euro is used in many countries.

 

It's also possible to avoid public transportation in many places. 

[cruisemom42]

Easy in many countries in Europe too. In most countries most people speak english [except where they dont't] and euro is used in many countries [except where it isn't -- and the euro is not the US dollar].

 

It's also possible to avoid public transportation in many places. [But if one is trying to keep costs below a cruise, one cannot take 500-euro private excursions every day.....]

[Aquahound]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

What's the 5-cent takeaway?  Maybe it's this: before people start passing dictums about "You can't do ______ well on a cruise ship" or "You shouldn't use a cruise ship for ______", just remember everyone is coming from a different place that may not be readily apparent from a flippant answer on a message board. Sharing info with others is great. Lecturing is tiresome.

 

 

While I totally agree with that statement, the sad and unfortunate truth is that the few instigators on this board who always find a way to insult others' preferences while championing their own preferences as the only choice everyone should have, will never go away.  And yes, the lecturing is quite tiresome. 

 

While I believe the best way to immerse into another land is to stay a while, I still love cruising, and I have never had a problem feeling satisfied with my tours during day-long stops.  Any suggestion that it isn't is ludicrous.  

[Sea42]

1 hour ago, Bellanina said:

This is an excellent point, especially since we are food and wine lovers. Still hoping to catch a bit of local dining when in ports during the day,

It is fun to find a cute place for lunch while in port and it's much easier on the budget than doing dinners out!

[Markanddonna]

Not only might it be important to return to an interesting port, city, or region to see new things, it is sometimes important to return with fresh, better-researched eyes. The first time I was in Israel (on a cruise), the experience was overwhelming. I thought there was no way I could get around the old city of Jerusalem on my own. We did this past November, and intense research and great advice from others made it a much better-appreciated experience. Now, after more post-trip research, I want to return to some of the same places because I "didn't get" or appreciate some of the places we passed. Hezekiah's tunnel, Kidron Valley, etc. 

 

We are all very different. Others are happy with only what a tour guide might tell them. I research before and after a trip and find I want to return for more. 

[pdmlynek]

On 3/2/2023 at 8:59 AM, evandbob said:

Same with the Caribbean or Alaska, Hawaii or Tahiti - land vacays always allow more time to experience a location while a cruise port stop only gives a small sliver of local lore and custom.

 

I chuckle when someone says they've seen the entire country after a few port stops in the same place.

This is my view as well.

 

When we planned our cruises, we specifically chose ports that are small enough to see highlights in a short time that the cruisehip is in port.  We chose NOT to have a stop at Istanbul, for example, because to see even the highlights, you'll need several days.  

 

But, we do with little time that we have.  

[pdmlynek]

On 3/2/2023 at 9:58 AM, cruisemom42 said:

Also -- sometimes a cruise provides just enough time in a place. After having been to Santorini twice, I struggle to find anything else worth doing there. 

Wow, I really respect that view.  And I agree with the sentiment,

 

Most experienced travelers would say that you'd need a week, a month, or half a year, to get to know Santorini (or a similar place), but given how much more there is to see around the globe, devoting a month to each little island would take tens of thousands of year to visit various places around the globe.  Unfortunately, travel is a triage endevour.  

[pdmlynek]

On 3/2/2023 at 12:14 PM, ontheweb said:

After reading your posts, I am wondering why you ever take a cruise instead of a land trip.

Although I do not write on behalf of @sverigecruiser, I agree with him. 

 

I travel frequently, and many times cruises are not a good way of visiting the places that I want to see.  I may prefer car camping, or backpacking, or staying in private houses, or staying in hotels.  And, sometimes, cruises are the best way.  It just depends on what one tries to visit.