12 nt Brilliance Med/Greek Isles Summer 09

[cem]

I hope you can help us make up our minds! Our family (husband and 17 year old daughter) is considering this cruise next summer but we're not totally sure its a fit. The only other cruise we did was the Disney Cruise when DD was 9 and it was fine for what it was. We have done week-long city stays in London, Paris, Rome, Venice, and Munich where we rented apartments and enjoyed the space and freedom it allowed us. This time around we want to see some of the mediterranean but this kind of itinerary is harder to do independently - especially with 3 in a room. Hence my first question:

 

1) Cabin size - is the difference between a junior suite and grand suite noticeable and worth it for 3 in a room? We tend to spread out and my daughter is particularly messy - especially in the bathroom!

 

The only junior suites left are near the aft (1984 and back) and the grand suites are near the front (1036 and forward) if that makes any difference.

 

2) Crowds - how long does it typically take to get on and off the ship? Is it well organized? If the ship docks at 7:00am, what time do people start getting off? I think we would probably do most tours independently.

 

On sea days, can you find a quiet place to relax or is it a zoo?

 

3) Ports - do you feel there's enough time in each place, or is it really "just a glimpse"?

 

4) Since this is quite a busy itinerary do you find this a relaxing holiday or are you exhausted afterwards?

 

I have tons more questions but I'll stop here for now!

[teacherkim]

We did this cruise last June with my parents and our 5 year old. Will give you my opinion on most of your questions.

1)can't help with the cabin since we just had a simple oceanview, but we managed with 3 so I would guess you will be very comfortable in any suite.

 

2)Only had waits to get off on the tender days. Any day that we docked we were able to walk right off within 15 minutes of the arrival time.

 

3)No problem finding a quiet place on sea days unless you must be right on top of the pool

 

4)Ports are just one day. Yes for some it is just a glimpse so you must prioritize what you want to see. For instance in Rome we went to the Coliseum, lunch in Piazza Navona, and the Vatican. With allowing the hour each way on the train that was all we had time for, but we knew that going in. I did a lot of reading on the ports of call boards to make sure we made it to the things most important to us.

 

5) There are some exhausting days but we felt it was nicely balanced out with the sea days and less busy ports; like simply spending the whole day in Santorini on the beach. Strongly suggest you get to Barcelona a couple days early, not only is it a great sightseeing city but that gives you time to get over the jet lag and start out the cruise relaxed.

 

Have fun if you choose this trip; the Brilliance is a beautiful ship:)

[marci22]

1) Cabin size - is the difference between a junior suite and grand suite noticeable and worth it for 3 in a room? We tend to spread out and my daughter is particularly messy - especially in the bathroom!

 

The only junior suites left are near the aft (1984 and back) and the grand suites are near the front (1036 and forward) if that makes any difference.

 

2) Crowds - how long does it typically take to get on and off the ship? Is it well organized? If the ship docks at 7:00am, what time do people start getting off? I think we would probably do most tours independently.

 

On sea days, can you find a quiet place to relax or is it a zoo?

 

3) Ports - do you feel there's enough time in each place, or is it really "just a glimpse"?

 

4) Since this is quite a busy itinerary do you find this a relaxing holiday or are you exhausted afterwards?

 

I have tons more questions but I'll stop here for now!

 

The nice thing about the grand suite is that you have access to the concierge, who can provide priority tender tickets, answer questions, and generally help out with any problem you might have.

 

On docking days, it is easy to get off the ship, usually at the time stated. We had a problem with Athens (2 hours late) only because the port authorities would not give the captain permission to dock on time.

 

Not sure of your particular itinerary, but on tendering days, it can be challenging to get off the ship early. You must have your priority tender tickets in hand and be waiting a few minutes early to be assured of an early departure.

 

Sea days can be challenging if you want a pool chair; it seems everyone has the same idea. If you aren't a pool person, there are plenty of areas on the ship to find a quiet spot to relax.

 

Because of the travel time required in many of the ports, it really is just a glimpse of that area, so choose what you want to see/do the most and make that your priority.

 

My family of 5 found this trip a little exhausting towards the end, but we loved being able to see so much in one vacation.

[cem]

Thanks for the info - lots to think about!