Princess or Windstar for offseason Mediterranean cruise

[katmu]

I am planning to do a Mediterranean cruise this winter, sometime between late November and the end of February as a solo cruiser.  I am limited by my job as to when I can travel so Fall and Spring are out, and I really don’t like the crowds and heat in the summer in the Med.  I’ve traveled to Italy and other parts of Europe in the winter but this will be my first Mediterranean cruise.  I really enjoy seeing new destinations, so I do not want a mega ship or a lot of nightlife.  Food should be good but doesn’t need to be gourmet. 

 

When I was originally looking, I was deciding between a 10 night on the Island Princess in November from Athens to Rome and an 8 night on Celebrity Infinity from Barcelona to Athens.  I ruled out the Celebrity due to the solo pricing on this particular sailing.  I could have booked a fake 2nd passenger I guess, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing that.  So that left me with the Island Princess and I went ahead and made a $99 deposit on an oceanview cabin.  The itinerary is below:

 

Day 1 Athens (Piraeus), Greece. 7:00pm

Day 2 Mykonos, Greece 8:00am 6:00pm

Day 3 At Sea 

Day 4 Limassol, Cyprus 7:00am 4:00pm

Day 5 Rhodes, Greece 9:00am 6:00pm

Day 5 Ephesus / Kusadasi, Turkey 7:00am 5:00pm

Day 6 Crete (Heraklion), Greece 7:00am 5:00pm

Day 7 Olympia (Katakolon), Greece 9:00am 6:00pm

Day 8 At Sea 

Day 9 Naples / Capri (Sorrento), Italy 7:00am 7:00pm

Day 10 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy 6:00am

 

So naturally, the travel agency I use sent me their newsletter and of course there is another cruise that I would never have looked at because it’s on Windstar, a line I would have assumed to be out of my price range.  It’s a 7 night from Barcelona to Rome on the Star Legend.  I could do an oceanview cabin for the roughly the same price as my Princess sailing, granted it’s 7 nights instead of 10:

 

Day 1 BARCELONA

Day 2 BARCELONA 4:00 PM

Day 3 MARSEILLE 9:00 AM 6:00 PM

Day 4 NICE 8:00 AM 10:00 PM

Day 5 GENOA, ITALY 8:00 AM 10:00 PM

Day 6 LIVORNO 8:00 AM

Day 7 LIVORNO 6:00 PM

Day 8 ROME 8:00 AM

 

If I went with Princess, I would eventually do a Western Mediterranean cruise in a year or two, and if I went with Windstar I would also do an Eastern Mediterranean in a year or two.  Rome is the only place on either itinerary where I have spent significant amounts of time.  I know the many of the negative reviews on Island Princess focus on the extra cabins that were added.  I was looking forward to Athens, Ephesus and Sorrento / Pompeii on the Princess cruise but I also would love to see Barcelona, Nice, Genoa and the overnight stop in Livorno has me excited about the Windstar cruise. 

[kashmira]

But exactly are you looking for.

Detailed elaboration would help cruisers to help you.

 

I am also a solo traveler but prefer paying the double occupancy and having my freedom and privacy.

 

Please be detailed so cruisers can help you accordingly.

 

Thanks.

[ldubs]

I've also read the negative comments about the renovations to Island Princess.  Based on our experience,  I would not hesitate to go Island Princess again.  Island Princess is among the smaller ships in the Princess fleet but still contains all the bells and whistles.  It is a lot larger than Windstar Star Legend.  If you like really small ships, that could be a difference.   Additionally Windstar is considered an upscale line compared to Princess.  Not having been on Windstar I can't really comment. 

 

The Island Princess itinerary is more varied and includes a couple sea days.  The larger ship will provide a variety of options to enjoy sea days.  For the Windstar Itinerary, the two days in Livorno are a nice feature if you want multiple excursions from that port (like Lucca, Florence, Pisa).  And, like you say, you would get to see Barcelona without having to get a hotel there.  The Windstar embark/disembark ports are more convenient travel points, at least for me.  That could make a difference if you are traveling just for the cruise.  

 

To me a big difference between the two is the ship size and what will likely be two different on-board experiences.  I like the larger ship experience for the more varied and vibrant atmosphere.  Many others prefer the small ship experience.   No help I'm afraid. 

[CruiserBruce]

I would not be inclined to fly 8 or 10 hours for a 7 day cruise. Even if Windstar is so much better a cruise line, which it is.

[katmu]

34 minutes ago, ldubs said:

I've also read the negative comments about the renovations to Island Princess.  Based on our experience,  I would not hesitate to go Island Princess again.  Island Princess is among the smaller ships in the Princess fleet but still contains all the bells and whistles.  It is a lot larger than Windstar Star Legend.  If you like really small ships, that could be a difference.   Additionally Windstar is considered an upscale line compared to Princess.  Not having been on Windstar I can't really comment. 

 

The Island Princess itinerary is more varied and includes a couple sea days.  The larger ship will provide a variety of options to enjoy sea days.  For the Windstar Itinerary, the two days in Livorno are a nice feature if you want multiple excursions from that port (like Lucca, Florence, Pisa).  And, like you say, you would get to see Barcelona without having to get a hotel there.  The Windstar embark/disembark ports are more convenient travel points, at least for me.  That could make a difference if you are traveling just for the cruise.  

 

To me a big difference between the two is the ship size and what will likely be two different on-board experiences.  I like the larger ship experience for the more varied and vibrant atmosphere.  Many others prefer the small ship experience.   No help I'm afraid. 

My only other cruise on Princess was on the Sky in the Caribbean, and after that cruise I certainly felt that a ship that size was too big for me.  Granted the Island Princess is much smaller, but I’m not sure that the extra activities would be as important to me on a European cruise as that would on an itinerary where I’m mostly looking to relax.

 

For Livorno, I would likely spend the night overnight in Florence so I can spend more time there.

 

11 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

I would not be inclined to fly 8 or 10 hours for a 7 day cruise. Even if Windstar is so much better a cruise line, which it is.

 For either cruise, I would be doing both pre- and post- cruise stays in the embarkation and debarkation cities.  So the 7 night cruise would end up being more like 13-14 days, and the 10 night would end up being probably 16.  I’m not someone that flies in only for the cruise.  That is why they are both one way itineraries.

[Nebr.cruiser]

The Island is not a favorite of mine, but it's okay, I'd sail her again for the right itinerary.  To me, the itinerary and length of the cruise is much better on Princess, and many of the ports will probably be warmer, which is a factor that time of year.  

 

I'm sure Windstar would be a wonderful experience, but to me itinerary and length top that.

 

Also, keep your eye on Princess as sometimes they have very cheap single rates, usually on repositioning or shoulder/off season cruises.  My sisters paid only 10% over on a recent cruise, and each got the same amount of OBC as a couple would and their own balcony.

Edited April 26 by Nebr.cruiser

[ldubs]

On 4/25/2024 at 5:21 PM, katmu said:

My only other cruise on Princess was on the Sky in the Caribbean, and after that cruise I certainly felt that a ship that size was too big for me.  Granted the Island Princess is much smaller, but I’m not sure that the extra activities would be as important to me on a European cruise as that would on an itinerary where I’m mostly looking to relax.

 

 

Island with 2200 passengers is about 2/3 the size of Sky.  Still compared to Star Legend's 300+ passengers, it is very large.  

 

Whichever you decide, enjoy!   

 

 

Edited April 28 by ldubs

[mnocket]

Wow.  You are trying to compare two very different cruise experiences.  Both the ships and the itineraries are completely different.  My inkling, given your stated desire...

 

"I really enjoy seeing new destinations, so I do not want a mega ship or a lot of nightlife.  Food should be good but doesn’t need to be gourmet."

 

is that Windstar is a better match. In all honesty, these two cruises are so different that I really don't think it should be a difficult decision for you to make.  You know what you value most. It really shouldn't be hard to determine which option is the best fit for you.

[katmu]

3 hours ago, mnocket said:

Wow.  You are trying to compare two very different cruise experiences.  Both the ships and the itineraries are completely different.  My inkling, given your stated desire...

 

"I really enjoy seeing new destinations, so I do not want a mega ship or a lot of nightlife.  Food should be good but doesn’t need to be gourmet."

 

is that Windstar is a better match. In all honesty, these two cruises are so different that I really don't think it should be a difficult decision for you to make.  You know what you value most. It really shouldn't be hard to determine which option is the best fit for you.

I think it’s the fact that I had I’ve now had 2 cruises that were supposed to stop at Naples for Pompeii that have been canceled.  I’m strongly leaning towards Windstar this year and then an another Mediterranean last next year or earlier in 2026 that would cover Naples, Ephesus and Greece.