European Cruises

[kruzerci]

I'm planning on proposing to my girlfriend on the Enchantment cruise this summer, yes my kids already know :D , and was thinking about taking a Mediterranian cruise for our honeymoon next summer. Depending on how much time we can manage to be away from work I would like to do at least a week long trip on a Voyager or Freedom class ship. I've only been to London and Rome, so Europe is still pretty foreign for me.

 

My main question is, do European cruises have the same feel as a Caribbean cruise or is it a totally different experience onboard? I can immagine food options, shows, music would all be different from Caribbean cruises. Thanks for any insight.

[ubdkjrb]

...if you don't think about it! Guess what you get if you buy the more expensive imported beer???

 

Peter

[mike@sea]

European cruises are slightly different in my opinion. The cruises are usually very port intensive. That leads to empty ships during the port days which leads to less/non existing onboard activities during those days. Passengers usually get up early to explore the great ports/cities which leads to a pretty quiet ship at night as everybody is exhausted and thus in bed early. This however may not be the case on cruises 4 nights and less ( more party orientated ).

Dining times often change to later times as the large number of European passengers tend to prefer later dining times. So beware if you prefer late dining. This could result in dining time 9:00 or even 10:00 p.m depending on ship.

The food on European cruises may differ slightly too but you will find plenty of nice dishes on the menu suitable for every taste.

Shows are just as good or bad as on any other cruise.

 

Europe is a wonderful place to cruise. You will be blown anway not only by the expensive Euro but also by its diversity and exceptional ports and cities.

 

However, the experience may differ depending on when you want to go ( month ) and where you want to go. And of course on which vessel...

 

One thing to remember for Mediterranean cruises is to maybe avoid August for several reasons. It is unbearable hot and most restaurants and shops in France and Italy will be closed due to the fact most people are on vacation. Some of them do go on cruises and some of them take their kids along... That of course sometimes leads to way too many kids (of every age) on the ships. Neither fellow passengers nor the kids sometimes like that, depending on the vessel and activity level offered ( kids are usually not into sights, culture and history).

 

September, October and November in the Med can be anything from cooler to extremely hot. The sea condition can be anything from flat as a mattress to windy to real stormy. My advise is always the month of May. Cruise prices are not as high, the weather is usually perfect ( even in May it can be very hot ! ) and the sea condition is usually very good ( flat ). The colours you will experience are extra special.

 

Hope this information helps. Go for it. You will love Europe. It is ten times better than the Caribbean if you are into lovely ports, culture, history etc. The beaches are fantastic too but it is unlikely that you will visit them if you have never done a European cruise before as there is so much more to explore.

Enjoy.

 

Mike

[debt]

I did a western med cruise last year. Fell in love with Malta! What a great little island. A must see in my book. As is Tunis.

[rubrrick]

European cruises are slightly different in my opinion. The cruises are usually very port intensive.

Europe is a wonderful place to cruise. You will be blown anway not only by the expensive Euro but also by its diversity and exceptional ports and cities.

 

My advise is always the month of May. Cruise prices are not as high, the weather is usually perfect ( even in May it can be very hot ! ) and the sea condition is usually very good ( flat ). The colours you will experience are extra special.

 

Mike

 

Mike......some great comments in your post. I have cruised in the Med in May, June and July. May and June are our favorite months to travel in Europe, whether it's a cruise, ore exploring different countries by road or rail.

 

I have only experienced one June.....two years ago, that rained continously in Germany, Northern France, Switzerland and Amsterdam. When the rain stopped, we were in Bavaria, and within 2 days the temperatures rose to almost 100 degrees, and the airconditioning systems in many European hotels are minimal, or none in some of the B&B castles that we were staying at.

 

I also avoid all of Europe in August, as shops are closed and the Europeans themselves are vacationing.

 

Rick

[kruzerci]

Mike......some great comments in your post. I have cruised in the Med in May, June and July. May and June are our favorite months to travel in Europe, whether it's a cruise, ore exploring different countries by road or rail.

 

I have only experienced one June.....two years ago, that rained continously in Germany, Northern France, Switzerland and Amsterdam. When the rain stopped, we were in Bavaria, and within 2 days the temperatures rose to almost 100 degrees, and the airconditioning systems in many European hotels are minimal, or none in some of the B&B castles that we were staying at.

 

I also avoid all of Europe in August, as shops are closed and the Europeans themselves are vacationing.

 

Rick

 

Yeah, I was in Rome in August when I went. We were just there for a few days, and I don't remember it being unbearably hot, but we didn't have good weather. We were in London in January, very cold :eek: ! I like to cruise in July, so it would either be late June or early July when we went.

 

If we do it, I'm leaning towards the 7 night Western Med cruise on the Navigator in a JS. For one, Navigator is my favorite ship to date, and second 7 days is good for me. Maybe add a couple days before and after the cruise in Rome.

 

Thanks again for the advice.