Mediterranean, Anyone?

[cruzn4life]

I was wondering if anyone has been on any of the Eastern or Western Mediterranean cruises and could give me some feedback? DH and I are booking an anniversary cruise and are trying to decide which ports we want to hit. Thanks!

[tracey980]

I would also like to hear opinions on the med cruises since I am seriously considering this cruise for the summer of 2008.

[itsanita]

I did that cruise in May of last year and it was just incredable. We had made reservations on both RC and Celebrity. As both ships seemed to be great, we turned toward the itinerary to make our decision. We did quite a bit of reading and spent hours pouring over the boards on CC. Finally we choose to go from Venice to Barcelona, instead of Venice to Veinice or Barcelona to Barcelona (backtracking back to the port that you left from) as it gave us more stops. We thought this would cause an expensive air flight, leaving from a different city than we flew into but it was in fact very close in price to a round trip ticket. We chose the intinerary that had an overnight in Venice. We flew in 2 days ahead of our cruise and spent 2 wonderful days in Venice, then got on the ship and had one more night in Venice. It was just magical. And we stayed overnight in Barcelona after our cruise. We also chose an itinerary that did not have too many of the Greek islands, as we wanted to see more of Italy.

My suggestion is to do as much research as you can, then make the decision based on the itineray, not the ship. Most of the cruise ships that go to the Med will probably meet your needs, as you will be in the ports for most of each day. At least if your main purpose is to see the Med and not just enjoy days on a cruise ship. So go on the MED Boards on CC and start checking it out.

 

Below is a review of our trip. You might want to go to the review section and read the others as well. Have a great time and if you have any specific questions, just ask.

 

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?

 

EntryID=19241

[cruzn4life]

Anita,

 

Thanks for the info! What was the weather like when you were there? I noticed you have done Hawaii, too...which is our other possibility...which trip did you like best?

[sea-cruise]

Anita,

 

Thanks for the info! What was the weather like when you were there? I noticed you have done Hawaii, too...which is our other possibility...which trip did you like best?

The weather runs along the same lines as ours in the states, within a few degrees. We enjoyed the Med cruise equally as well as Hawaiian Islands. If you plan on going in the winter I would suggest Hawaii and if you want to go in the warm months, then Europe would be good.

We did Italy, Greek Islands, Turkey, & Israel. Rhodes (Greek Isle) was our favorite. We would like to make Barcelona our next goal. Have a wonderful cruise!

[Liv4cruzin]

That's not exactly an easy question to answer. Some of the megaliners are just too big (deep draft) & require anchorage at some of the Med. islands. It can also depend on how many ships might visit a port on the same day; & who gets priority docking. One time in Dubrovnik, we docked; the next visit, we anchored (both visits were on mid size ships). Law of averages says that you will dock in places like Barcelona, Livorno/Florence, Civitavecchia/Rome, Venice, Kusadasi & Istanbul. I think everybody anchors at Santorini. Several others will be a "sometimes yes", "sometimes no".

 

As to whether you should choose the ship or the itinerary first.... I'd definitely choose itinerary. You will find a lot of similar itineraries. From there you can pick & choose which ships/lines you might prefer. Be sure to check lines that do not advertise much. Examples are Oceania, Crystal & Orient Lines. They are known for their extensive & varied itineraries, as well as varied in their rate structure. As for what ports you should visit.... that's such a personal & subjective question. If you've not visited the area before, you could hardly make a wrong decision. If you have the luxury of time & the budget for it, try to choose an air/sea pkg. that starts at one port & ends in another. Even better if you can do a few days pre & post cruise to really get to know some of the more magical ports of the Med. An example would be starting in Rome & ending in Istanbul (yes, it's a safe, mysterious & magical city that takes many days to get to know all it's nuances). Another newly emerging port of interest is Kotor, Montenegro. It takes several hours to sail into the Bay of Kotor; & it is spectacular. An itinerary that spends at least an overnight in Venice is a must. You will have to decide if you'd rather visit the many Greek Islands in the Eastern Med. or stick to the various ports of Italy. If it's going to be a once in a lifetime trip, you should cram in as much as your time/budget can withstand. And in case you haven't looked at it this way...... it will definitely NOT be your typical relaxing cruise. There will be few sea days; & a lot of exploring to be done. Shore excursions are of course much more expensive than you encounter on Caribbean or Alaskan cruises. If you're up for all of this excitement, you will come home w/ a lifetime of memories & a whole new perspective of this beautiful world in which we live.

[Susan-M]

Great post Becky!

 

Linda: I was just as overwhelmed when choosing our Med cruise...so many choices!

 

We really enjoyed our Med cruise on Millennium -12 night, Barcelona to Venice, with stops in France, Italy, Greece and Croatia .... great ports and a very nice ship! We tendered in Villefranche and Santorini.

 

A couple of recommendations that come to mind:

- as Becky mentioned, starting and ending in different cities, with a couple of days added on at each end to explore those cities;

- doing a longer (10, 12 or more days) vs. shorter (7 day) cruise;

- go in the spring or fall (temperatures won't be as hot, crowds will be slightly less in ports and if you are travelling without children there are a lot fewer on board in spring/fall than in summer months.)

 

It's a wonderful way to celebrate an anniversary .... enjoy!!

[pcur]

I, too, recommend looking at itineraries. I've been to the Agean Sea, Eastern Med (???), and Western Med. Ports I highly recommend:

 

Venice - magical city

Naples - for the Amalfi Coast and Pompei

Livorno - for Florence

Civitavechhia (sp?) - for Rome

Istanbul

Kusadasi - for Ephesus

Barcelona

Santorini (yes, it's always tendered, but it's a volcano rim, so the water is very calm)

[Beth & Rob]

We are taking a 12 day Med cruise on the Brilliance in October. Our airfare was 880 through Delta, but the schedules have changed a few times, but that's ok. We are flying into Barcelona 3 days early.

 

It's a port intensive cruise. I've been on the Radiance before and this ship is a sister. It was just a magnficent ship, staff was wonderful, food was great....It was my husbands first cruise and he's been on several more since.

 

We've booked another Radiance class on the Jewel to the Caribbean for 2/08.

 

Look into this cruise and see if it's something you'd like to do. It also does a Venice overnight.

[NeoJava]

Of the ports in Spain, France and Italy that we went to, the only MUST MUST see city is ROME (Civitavecchia). I would suggest to find a cruise that begins and ends in Rome so you can do a pre- or post- cruise stay in that city. My suggestion would be post cruise, if you do it you'll understand why.

 

Here's something else to think about. Your cruising history is similar to what we've done Linda. And what I found in previous cruises is that the nicer the ship, the better the experience. HOWEVER, with Europe and the Med, EVERY SINGLE PORT was EXCELLENT and we took as much time off the ship as possible on adventures in little towns and great, historic places. We took the Voyager of the Seas (RCCL) and found that by evening, with the full days we had and a bit of jetlag thrown in, we were too tired to enjoy the ship's amenities. A couple nights, we were barely able to drag ourselves to dinner! (Rome day and Monaco day were exhausting!)

SO, find a ship that begins and ends in Civitavecchia and goes to other ports that you really want to visit and don't worry about the amenities that the ship has to offer.

[zaandam_2]

i wrote a very detailed blog of my med cruise. the link is in my signature.

[cruzn4life]

Thanks for all of the input & advice! You've all been a HUGE help! :p

[cruzn4life]

Zaandam 2 - you spent 28 nights B2B on Liberty?!? Lucky you! :D How did you like the transatlantic? Was there alot of rolling?

[zaandam_2]

Zaandam 2 - you spent 28 nights B2B on Liberty?!? Lucky you! :D How did you like the transatlantic? Was there alot of rolling?

 

i really like sea days, so i liked the transatlantic. i needed the rest after running around europe too. seas were too calm for me, but that can never be predicted.

[cruzn4life]

seas were too calm for me, but that can never be predicted.

Too calm?!? :confused: Really?!? I had heard that transatlantic's were rough. DH gets seasick easily, so we have avoided them. Maybe we should look into it (we like sea days...port days...ANY day that involves being on a cruise...) ;)

[Bruin Steve]

I was wondering if anyone has been on any of the Eastern or Western Mediterranean cruises and could give me some feedback? DH and I are booking an anniversary cruise and are trying to decide which ports we want to hit. Thanks!

 

Well, Linda, there is so much possible advice to give that I don't think I have quite enough time or patience to do it now...

 

I just completed an Eastern Mediterranean cruise, my fourth European cruise in the past 5 years...so, I have a few opinions, I guess...

 

But your question was so generic...let me ask:

Have you been to Europe before...or will this be your first?

If you've been before, where have you been?

What sort of things do you like to do? Do you like Archaeology? Art? Architecture? etc....

 

Anyway, in general, there are few really bad ports on most Mediterranean cruises...

 

For a first timer, I would go with a more general, what they call a "Grand Mediterranean" itinerary...something that spans from Spain to the Aegean with a wide array of ports over 12-14 nights...

 

Personally, my favorite cruise ever was the Celebrity Millennium's Med itinerary...Starting in Venice and ending in Barcelona (or vice-versa)...it's great to start and end in two different ports and tack on a couple of extra nights in each...for a romantic anniversary cruise, that few nights stay in Venice is incredibly romantic...

 

The ports also give you a nice range of small islands to big cities, ancient ruins to modern, thriving cultures...

 

Everyone has their favorite ports...

Santorini and Dubrovnik, for example are nice smaller ports , incredibly picturesque and fascinating...Rome and Barcelona are large cities with much to see...

Livorno gives you a door to Florence and Tuscany, Naples to Pompei and the Amalfi Coast...

 

It's hard to think of a port on any of these itineraries not worth visiting...

 

good luck...

[cruzn4life]

Have you been to Europe before...or will this be your first?

If you've been before, where have you been?

What sort of things do you like to do? Do you like Archaeology? Art? Architecture? etc....

 

Neither of us has ever been to Europe - we've both always wanted to go. We are wanting to see as much as possible, but are on a VERY tight budget (which is why we usually stick with the cheaper itineraries in the Caribbean). We like archaeology (DH is a history buff) and architecture; sightseeing, new experiences...oh, and don't forget the shopping! ;)

[Liv4cruzin]

I'm so glad Susan mentioned the heat. Our first trip over was during the horrid heatwave in July/Aug of 2003. We knew we'd never make that mistake again. The last trip we chose late Apr/early May which I found to be the ideal time. This is bumper season; ships are just beginning their Med. season. Although we found the mornings quite cool along the Bosphorus in IST in Apr., the daytime temps were quite comfy (upper 60's to low 70's). The spring flowers are in full bloom; & it's just lovely then. Don't know how the flora will look in late fall; but temps should be about right then too. For those cruise lines that base their fares on the time of season, you will find it a little cheaper in this bumper season.

[Bruin Steve]

Neither of us has ever been to Europe - we've both always wanted to go. We are wanting to see as much as possible, but are on a VERY tight budget (which is why we usually stick with the cheaper itineraries in the Caribbean). We like archaeology (DH is a history buff) and architecture; sightseeing, new experiences...oh, and don't forget the shopping! ;)

 

Well...first, you may end up spending quite a bit more than you do in the Caribbean...but, trust me, it IS worth it...

 

Last time, we took Oceania...it was very nice, but, my advice, if you are trying to hold to any kind of budget, steer clear...despite what look like attractive offers--they make it up in additional hidden charges and higher onboard prices for everything...

 

Costa has some attractive pricing, but I have not heard very promising reviews on their cruises...My sister took a Med cruise with them and will not use them again...

 

Take a good look at Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival...

 

Carnival is the newest entry into the Mediterranean field...and a lot of folks report finding good prices...It wouldn't be my first choice for this route--I don't think the food and service rate with the others....but, if you're trying to keep it to a budget...and if their pricing substantially beats the others, they would be worth consideration...Overall, they're really not a bad product...and the ports and itinerary are more important than the ship or line anyway...

 

Royal Caribbean has long had "round trip" cruises from Barcelona on the Brilliance, but I think they're starting to vary that...one of the problems with the round trips is you usually get fewer ports and less time in port as they need to backtrack...plus you can't do those two distinctive pre- and post-cruise stays...

 

Both Princess and Celebrity have excellent itineraries...and, as I've said, Celebrity has the roomiest, most uncrowded big ships and superior food and service...

 

When we've priced them in the past, Celebrity has come out only marginally more expensive--meaning so small an increase so as not to be worth differentiating...

 

When booking, though not overly romantic, consider an "Inside" cabin...With so few at sea days and such long hours in port--when you'll want to spend the maximum time in port, you'll really spend little time in your cabin anyway...

 

In fact, if you can get a lower price on an inside guarantee, grab it...

 

As I said, you'll want to spend an extra couple of days in port before and after...Once you've booked, search TripAdvisor.com for hotel deals...they certainly can be found...

 

You will find Shore Excursions and/or priivate tours in some ports to be very expensive...and you may be tempted to try to do them on your own...But be wary...the reason they are expensive in Rome, Livorno, Naples and Nice/Villefranche is that the port is quite far from the sites...It is easier to do by tour or driver as the logistics and timing can otherwise be difficult...

 

Private tours tend to become reasonable in price when split several ways (like 6 or 8 to a van)...Use the roll call boards here to try and line up tour mates...

 

As to ports, for Archaeology, the following ports are incredible:

Naples: The chance to tour Pompei...This is perhaps the most extensive and well-preserved ancient city I've ever seen...

Kusadasi: The ruins of Ancient Ephesus are quite impressive

Santorini: Ancient Fira and Akrotiri--destroyed by the volcano in 600 BC...

Athens: The Acropolis, the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion and numerous sites in the Pelopenesse

There are also interesting ancient sites to be visited in Rome (Forum, Colisseum, Pantheon), some towns near Livorno (ie. Etruscan sites in Volterra) and other places...

 

For Medeival sites, Dubrovnik is an incredible walled city...also, I loved Budva near Kotor--which is similar...Rhodes is also outstanding in this regard...

 

For Renaissance Art and Architecture, of course there is Venice and Florence...

 

For modern architecture, there is nothing like the Gaudi works in Barcelona...

 

All of these ports have tremendous cultural--and shopping--opportunities...

 

Good luck...

[MavisMarie]

Liv4cruizin's posts were excellent! People like her make this board worth reading. Down to earth, good advice.

 

The only thing I would want to underline is this: Seriously think about starting in one port city and ending in another - Barcelona to Venice, for instance. That way, you can have a few pre and post cruise days in a relaxed way to enjoy without meeting the ship's schedules. It can be quite tiring on these cruises due to an overloaded schedule in each port.

Don't miss Venice! Have fun planning. I'm sure you'll have a cruise of a lifetime. :)

[cruzn4life]

Well...first, you may end up spending quite a bit more than you do in the Caribbean...but, trust me, it IS worth it...

We anticipate spending quite a bit more than we did for previous cruises. Thank you for all of the detailed info...it helps sort things out a little!

 

As for the inside cabin, that's what we usually book...we aren't in the cabin much and would rather have the extra money for something else.

 

Has anyone done a repositioning to the Med? I was looking last night and there are some pretty attractive offers (14 days for $699pp inside). :eek: It ends in Rome and has a few stops enroute...just curious. :confused:

 

Thanks for all of the great advice that EVERYONE has been giving!

[zaandam_2]

We anticipate spending quite a bit more than we did for previous cruises. Thank you for all of the detailed info...it helps sort things out a little!

 

As for the inside cabin, that's what we usually book...we aren't in the cabin much and would rather have the extra money for something else.

 

Has anyone done a repositioning to the Med? I was looking last night and there are some pretty attractive offers (14 days for $699pp inside). :eek: It ends in Rome and has a few stops enroute...just curious. :confused:

 

Thanks for all of the great advice that EVERYONE has been giving!

 

excursions, tours and hotels are very expensive in europe, so be prepared.

 

i did a transatlantic from europe. they are a good value. i assume that's what you mean by repositioning. the bad part is the air tends to be more expensive when booking and 'open jaw' flight.

[Liv4cruzin]

Thanks so much for the kind words.

[NAS-KARR]

Do either or. It'll be a cruise of a lifetime. We did Barcelona,Marseille,florence,Rome,Naples,Mykonos,Istanbul,Kusadasi,

Athens and Venice.

We loved it so much we're going back in 08 and doing 10 more ports of call. If that helps you any to decide.

 

 

CIAO,

[sandyshep]

I would also recommend itinery. We have cruised the med twice on Milennium and with P&O Aurora. Going this summer on the Legend to Italy and Croatia. Bear in mind if you are travelling July/August it will be very hot around 30C. If you plan to travel from Southamptom you will cross the Bay of Biscay which can be quite rough. I would recommend you do a post cruise hotel stay if travelling from Barcelona or Venice as you may be stranded at the airport waiting for an evening flight home. One other thing sailing into Venice during the day (ie not when your tucked up in bed) is one of the most magical experiences. get on the top deck early to get a brilliant view and good pictures.

PS if your thinking of Hawaii also consider Thaiti, magical island and beautiful people