Mediterranean - Would I Like It?

[arrow3]

I'm trying to plan a cruise for 2008. I'd like to go with RCCL. I've been on two other cruises with them - once to the Caribbean and once to Alaska.

 

I didn't really like the Caribbean - not much to do since I'm not really a beach person. I loved the ship (Mariner) but the ports were just boring to me.

 

Alaska I absolutely loved. I didn't like the Radiance as much as I liked the Mariner, but it was still nice. The ports were just excellent, there was so much to do.

 

Given that, can anyone tell me if I would like the mediterranean or not? I've not been to Europe in a long time and have a desire to visit now. I just don't want to be bored during the cruise.

 

Thanks!:)

[carlmm]

Many European cruises, especially those by American cruiselines like RCCL, are very port intensive. Thus, if you are afraid of being bored they probably are very suitable for you. Almost every port gives you access to places and cities full of history and art.

Yet, you cannot compare it to an Alaska cruise as you do not have much scenery when sailing.

[ValRober]

I agree with the previous post that you will not be bored with this kind of cruise. We spent little time on the ship itself...just breakfast before we left for our excursions...then dinner after a very busy day sightseeing...and early to bed to rest up before our next day in a different port. There is so much to see and do with all of the art, culture, history, gorgeous sights to see...a fabulous opportunity for travelers! And the nice thing is you get to return to your wonderful cruise ship each evening!

[Sheik]

You'll love the atmosphere of the Mediterranean countries, very beautiful countrysides, a lot of culture etc. etc.

[Love Cruis'n]

I recently posted a rather lenghty review of our Med cruise in July. Here is the link http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=609979.

 

In my book, it topped Alaska (which I never thought would happen) and personally I don't see how you could be board (although there were three "at sea" days, which we appreciated to rest up following so much activity in various ports.)

 

 

In the end, only you can judge.

 

Bon Chance...:)

[fmax]

Like you, I'm not a beach person. I've done Western and Caribbean and actually liked both, as much for the whole cruise experience as anything.

 

however, I loved the Med Cruise. It's definitely port intensive. A quick overview:

 

A couple of days pre-cruise in Barcelona - which I loved.

 

Marseille - a quiet Sunday. Took shuttle into port - did HOHO bus around the town. Had lunch in a typical french restaurant overlooking the harbour.

 

Villefranche - every day, up at 6:30ish to have breakfast in the main dining room. Off the ship by 7:30-8:00 if in port that early. Tendered an took train to Nice. Walked down to Promenade, took HOHO bus around town. Walked along the promenade then to bus station. Bus to Monaco - had lunch walked around outside of Palace - down to Monte Carlo. Wandered around. Took bus back to Villefranche

 

Florence/Pisa: Pre-arranged tour with people I met on these boards (driverinrome). Pisa first - hadn't pre-booked to climb tower but some of the others had. There was space so joined them in climbing tower. Departed by 9:30 - off to Florence. Spent hours here and saw most of the major sights then back to port about hour before departure

 

Rome: Again, same group and same company - driverinrome. Full, busy day and back to port about hour before departure

 

Naples: Different group - just another couple. Company seesorrento. Morning drive around Amalfi coast with stops for pictures and hour or so in Amalfi then traditional lunch. After lunch of to pompeii and had pre-arranged a tour guide for this. Couple of hours there and back to the ship.

 

Most days it was around 5:30 - 6:00 we were back on board. By the time we dumped any purchases in the cabin, got washed changed for dinner, wandered through the ship and stopped for a drink it was time for late dinner (8;45 - 9:00ish). Definitely 10:30-11:00 before we finished dinner so it was maybe a half hour checking what was going on then turned in to be well rested for the busy, long day ahead.

 

You definitely can't go wrong with a Med cruise.

 

 

Frances

[cusyl]

Go for it....after so many cruises in the Caribbean we wanted to do something special for our 50th anniversary. We had always wanted to cruise in the Med and it was absolutely the best ever. You won't regret spending the money...for us it was a once in a lifetime experience.

[Susan-M]

Our Med cruise on Millennium was my favorite of the 6 cruises that we've taken. We really enjoyed doing the ports on our own and our days were very full taking in all of the amazing sites and scenery. There was no time to be bored ... we usually hit the pavement running as soon as we could disembark ... and came back to the ship ready to collapse after exhaustive but very rewarding days.

 

If you enjoy Europe you really can't go wrong with a Med cruise to ports that you are interested in seeing. And if you really want to be sure to avoid boredom, choose the most port intensive itinerary that you can find. :)

[winewanderer]

No way you would get bored on a European cruise, too port intensive. If anything you'll wishing for more sea days.

 

I love the Carribean and Mexico, not much of a beach/sun whorsipper but love swimming/snorkeling. My DH and I, after having been all over those locations, were getting bored.

 

Loved Alaska, I'm a nature buff.

 

Loved cruising Europe. Going back again this year and next year. I think you'll like it too.

[olga77]

Absolutely loved Med cruise last year and, in fact, doing another one this year. We have never taken Caribbean/Alaska cruises because of two reasons. First of all, my DH and I are not really beach people either (we'd rather have an active vacation involving much walking and sightseeing). Second of all, we'd rather go to Europe than to Alaska. So no intentions do either of those cruises so far. But that's a matter of personal choice. As far as Med cruises go, we'd live on board if we could afford it. :) You see very interesting places all the time and they are always different (not as it is in Carribean), a lot of history and culture, GREAT FOOD, new people, and so forth. Just an idea of being in Europe has a great impact on you that you don't want to come back... You should do it; you'll never be bored. But prepare to spend money (as all the excursions, private tours, etc. cost a lot).

Hope you'll do it!:p

[Wendy The Wanderer]

If you know Europe, and want to go back, think about a land trip.

 

Was what bored you just the ports in the Caribbean, or was it shipboard life as well? If you like being on a ship, a Med cruise makes a lot of sense. But if you didn't, do a land trip.

[want2cruiseagain]

They have wonderful excursions in the Western Med. When I looked at all the different places we could go in each port, we knew this would be way better than a land trip. I probably would never go to Sicily. I finally got to see the Cinque Terre. Naples, Sorrento, Pompeii. French Riviera. Now we can go back and do a land trip if we want to concentrate on a certain region.

[arrow3]

Thanks all for your replies!

 

The caribbean ports were what bored me. I love being on the ship, and in fact I only took that cruise so that I could get on the Mariner. I absolutely loved the ship and would love to go back except the Mariner is still in the Caribbean.

 

The alaska cruise was just phenomenal. The ship wasn't as spectacular as the Mariner but the ports were so much better. We kept so busy at the ports doing all sorts of exciting excursions.

 

The thing that I'm concerned about is the fact that most of the excursions in the Mediterranean seem to be sightseeing excursions. Although the ports you visit are certainly beautiful, I'm afraid that I'd get tired of just sightseeing after a while.

 

Thanks again for everyone's help. I'm going to try to look deeper into the excursions available and see what I can come up with. I'm looking at doing the Voyager W. Mediterranean.

[carlmm]

The thing that I'm concerned about is the fact that most of the excursions in the Mediterranean seem to be sightseeing excursions. Although the ports you visit are certainly beautiful, I'm afraid that I'd get tired of just sightseeing after a while.

... I'm looking at doing the Voyager W. Mediterranean.

 

Maybe you can post your ports and the kind of activities you are interested in. I am sure the people here will be happy to help with suggestions in your direction if available.

Of course most tourist come to enjoy history and culture but there are millions of Europeans who can have that everday and spend their holiday with sun bathing, hiking, sailing, playing golf or tennis, diving, .....

[want2cruiseagain]

We really enjoyed our excursions. We met alot of nice people on the bus and some of us did the same excursions a couple of days in a row so we got to know them.

 

We had a lovely excursion to Sorrento. We had a great guide and had lunch on a working farm up in the hills. It was so cool and we met so many nice people.

 

My favorite was the Cinque Terre because we left from Port Spezio on a tour boat and went out into the ocean to approach the towns. Just fabulous!:)

[ollienbertsmum]

I am sure that you will find loads in the Med to keep you occupied. Was the temperature also an issue in the Caribbean? If so you might want to consider Northern Europe - which can include UK ports, the Baltic, Norwegian fjords. It can depend what time of the year you are going. Touring the Med mid summer can be quite tiring. Just MHO

[sealover155]

I know this sounds obsessive but we're about to leave on our 6th Med cruise - just can't get enough of the fascinating ancient cultures, amazing sites, food, etc. After all these cruises, we have a few preferences: early or late season (late April or May, late September, October, November). We prefer the Celebrity M class ships although last year we were on Century and enjoyed it also. We've visited places we never thought we'd see such as Dubrovnik, Malta, Corsica and been intrigued by them all. We have also enjoyed the international guests on Med cruises. It's a more sophisticated experience than the Caribbean or even Alaska cruises. Hope you enjoy.

[arrow3]

Thanks again everyone. I'm still looking into it - now if only the airfares were cheaper! :) :)

[meicha]

I just came back from the Voyager W Med Cruise and LOVED IT. Here's my trip report:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=614309

[SoCalGal]

We will be on the Royal Princess for a 16 night cruise from Rome to Stockholm next June 6th. Luckily we have five sea days to rest because we'll need it due to visiting eleven different ports! We took our first Med cruise on the Mille in 2001, Istanbul to Barcelona, and loved every minute. It is just not possible to be bored with so much to see. We have also taken three Alaskan cruises on the Summit which we loved, but they are quite different from Europe. We have done the Caribbean twice, and also the Panama Canal, and although they were fun, they can't compare with Europe and beautiful Alaska.

[arrow3]

SoCalGal - How would you say the Alasaka Cruise is different?

 

meicha - thanks for the review!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

One of the previous posters is right--lots of Europeans do all kinds of activities that aren't just "sightseeing". What do you like to do? What's your level of activity? One of the reasons I prefer land trips in Europe is that we can wander and do whatever strikes our fancy. We can sightsee when we wish, but spend an afternoon just sitting under a tree with a drink. In Greece we would spend the mornings out seeing ancient sites, driving around the countryside, then come back for a nap and then a nice leisurely lunch in a pleasant cafe. Then later we'd wander the lovely medieval town we were in, just soaking it in. Another lovely meal outside, and a wander down to the port to see the lights. Heaven.

 

In northern Portugal last summer we based ourselves in a city for 3 days, just doing the usual desultory wandering, and sampling the culture. Then we took off with a rental car for 3 days further north and explored spectacular countryside, interesting little towns, local festivals, taverns, little hotels. Had a great time. Highly recommend this kind of travel. Portugal's also a great bargain right now.

[SoCalGal]

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Alaska in my opinion is probably one of the most beautiful places on earth. If you love vast wilderness, mountains, waterfalls, rivers, glaciers, sea and wildlife then Alaska has all that. But to really see Alaska you need to get away from the ports and take day excursions and/or take a land trip into Denali. It is still wonderful if you can't afford to do the excursions, but you miss so much. Flying into and landing on inland seas such as Misty Fjords National Monument is not to be missed! Many people take a helicopter and/or a plane and land on glaciers. This year was our third cruise and we decided to take a 6 night land package to Fairbanks...it was fabulous! We saw lots of brown bear (grizzlies) and moose in the wild. Our prior two cruises were 14 nighters from San Diego to Alaska. Alaska is filled with sights of humpback whales, seals, otters, bald eagles, wolves, black bear and brown bear not to mention the fantastic scenery.

 

Although we liked going to the Caribbean (when we were much younger), we would much rather do more interesting cruises in the future. On our to do list is South America, Galapagos, and New Zealand, Australia and China.

 

We enjoyed the Med. because of the history and interesting ports such as Alexandria, Egypt, Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona, etc. To see various cultures so different than our own is a great learning experience and helps us understand the world so much better. It is one thing to read about it, but to meet people of so many different countries and to learn about why they think as they do is very enlightening. My husband and I have memories of our Med. cruise that will last our lifetimes.