Want to Cruise the Mediterranean

[JudiDM]

I would love to take a cruise to see Italy, Turkey, Greece and Malta. Have no idea where to start. I was thinking of Sept of 2010. Don't even know if that's a good time to go. Don't know what ship to take, what tours to take or how to take them.. Can anyone help me out?

Judi

[GSPLover]

You need a cruise specialist for the Mediterranean area.

[sillysailor 1955]

We did the Eastern Mediterrean last December on the NCL Jade - Great price - Great itinerary (the food not so hot, but you are not booking this cruise for the eats:)). We left from Barcelona, did Rome, Turkey, were supposed to do Athens-but unfortunately it was cancelled due to rough seas, also did 2 days in Egypt and finally Malta and then back to Barcelona. If you have any questions just ask - it was a great trip - I am sure you will enjoy it.;)

[badtwin]

If you do not want to spend a great deal of your own time and energy, I agree with GSP lover. There are so many variables, it is sort of overwhelming and a good travel specialist would be great help. You have time of year, ship and line, type of cabin, length of cruise and port issues, at the very least. And then of course there is finding the best deal. ;)

 

That said, my spouse and I have had good luck finding and booking our first 3 cruises - two caribbean and one mediterranean.

 

As far as the time of year it really depends. We went to Italy and Greece in mid-May this year and it was already starting to get hot and crowded, but we needed to go after our daughter was out of school. If you are flexible, then it is like any other vacation - depends on what you want. (And some times are much more affordable than others as the previous poster touches on).

 

For ports, you need to have an idea of what is important to you and find a cruise that hits as many as you can. And for price, we use several sites, many of which have links on the main pages of cruise critic.

 

Our approach has been to decide on location (for example, eastern vs western caribbean) and time (for example, spring break at school) and then look for the cruises that fit those criteria on the discount sites since we are not "wedded" to any line. Several have very useful search functions that allow you to find cruises by any number of factors.

 

Once we find the contenders, we use Cruise Critic to compare the various lines and ships available. Lots of information here - some you need to take with a grain of salt. For example, you will find some cruise lines are higher end, some are more family oriented and some sound like one long party. And then you have to compare the ships witihin that line. There are lots of reviews of both here. After you read the reviews, you can go to the discussion threads for those lines to get a feel for the ships and the type of folks who use them. This should help narrow your search too.

 

Once you have the likely picks, then you need to consider other issues - like airfare. There can be big differences in fares depending on time and port. Another issue is whether the line will match any price decreases - if the price goes down, will you get a bump up in quality or a refund or not? And then you have to be careful before you book to get the best deal. My spouse got us double the onboard credit by booking with an discounter rather than the cruise line directly. As you book you have to decide on what type (inside, window, balcony etc.) and then which cabin (they usually give you a chart and you actually pick the cabin) - again, cruise critic is a big help. You learn to avoid cabins under certain common areas for example.

 

Then you get to figure out what to do at each port!

 

As you can see, it is daunting. We learned a lot after our first cruise and are still learning. After three, I personally don't think you can have a "bad" cruise but I am glad we had some experience before our mediterranean cruise. There was a lot of planning to make the cruise and each port stop as memorable as possible.

 

good luck. I am already asking my spouse when we he thiks we should take our next cruise.

[JudiDM]

Thanks for such speedy responses! What is a cruise specialist and where do I get one? Silly Sailor, that sounds like the trip I would love to take. Ball park, what was the cost? Am I off base to think $5000.00 will cover DH and myself? I want to go on tours of course and was hoping that would cover everthing..even souvenirs? What about weather, is it still nice in Sept or October? I was in London and Spain one November (latter part) and it snowed in London!! Spain and Gibraltar were chilly and rainy. Thanks for any info.

Judi

[auducky2]

We are going to the Mediterranean this September. The cruise starts in Barcelona and goes to: Rome, Naples, Dubrovnik, Venice, Katakolon, Athens, Ephesus, and ends in Istanbul. The only place it doesn't go on your list is Malta. It's 12 nights and we booked an inside room for $999 each. We got airfare for $1360 r/t for BOTH of us. We found people to share our excursions in Naples (Pompeii and the Amalfi), Katakolon, and Ephesus. The other places we are doing on our own. I've done a lot of research and it seems like September is one of the best times to go. I will post when we get back!

[sillysailor 1955]

Thanks for such speedy responses! What is a cruise specialist and where do I get one? Silly Sailor, that sounds like the trip I would love to take. Ball park, what was the cost? Am I off base to think $5000.00 will cover DH and myself? I want to go on tours of course and was hoping that would cover everthing..even souvenirs? What about weather, is it still nice in Sept or October? I was in London and Spain one November (latter part) and it snowed in London!! Spain and Gibraltar were chilly and rainy. Thanks for any info.

Judi

Hi Judi - like I said DH and I did 12 day cruise on NCL Jade last December with another couple - we started out booking inside for very little money and ended up in a minisuite if memory serves me for around $1200 each. We booked air thru Orbitz on Iberia ended up paying around $725(?) each for flight to Spain (stopover in Madrid). We booked all the excursion thru NCL (they were pricey but really that's why we booked this particular cruise). I realize you could do the excursion cheaper on your own, but as we had never been there before we were a little nervous going it on our own. I would budget between $5,000 and $6,000 just to play it safe. Like I said IMHO NCL Jade is a very beautiful and clean ship. I just felt the quality of the food on NCL has declined from our first NCL trip about 5 years ago - or maybe the European market isn't as pickey as we are. However that being said you will certainly not starve - my advice to you is save the extra $$ you would spend on specialty restaurants (in my opinion they are not any better than the MDRs) and use the cash for your shore excursions. As far as the weather goes in December it was chilly in Barcelona, in Rome it was about 60 degrees but it poured (but the tour guide said that was unusal for that time of year) Turkey (Ephesus) the weather was 65-70, Athens was a bust (unable to dock due to rough seas :() Egypt weather was I would say mid 70s. The other advantage to going "off season" on this trip is nothing was crowded as it would be in the summer. Hope this info helps.

[AmoMondo]

September is a really good time of year to visit the Med (as is May). main school holiday period is over and it is not quite so busy ashore. the weather is still good but not quite as blistering hot as August

 

You don't say how long you want your cruise to be. if you want to do Italy, then you tend to find that cruises operating out of Venice will also go to Turkey and greece (but probably not Malta). And those operating out of Western ports,(genoa, Savona, Livorno, Citavecchio) tend to do the West med and take in malta. An option might be to do B2B 7 day cruises (1 East med the other West Med). if you can only spare 7 days, then I'd suggest looking at the protreview website and reading up on the various european ports in the countries you want to visit. Make a list of your preferences, thinking about do you just want to do ancient cities or more beach resorts or a bit of both. if it's old cities you will probably want a cruise that does Piraeus (for Athens)or katakalon for Olympus, in Turkey definitely istanbul but you may also want to think about Kusadasi for Ephesus, venice is an absolutely must and Dubrovnik is pretty interesting. if you fancy combining some beach places then consider some that include islands such as Corfu or santorini.

A med cruise really is all about the prots first. Once you've decided where, you can start narrowing down which cruises will give you the ports you want at a price you want to pay. Once you've got that sorted, i'd then try to decide between cruise line first rather than specific ships. If you want casual dining rather than fixed dining, nake sure the cruise line you choose has that. What type of atmosphere do you want onboard? Do you want lots of vibrant party, party vibe or more quieter laid back, understated ? Do you want to be travelling with fellow Americans on an American line geared to American tastes and preferences or are you willing to give a European line a try in order to be mixing with more nationalities, cultures, languages and cuisine?

 

Hope this helps you. This is personally the way i went about going for my first cruise which just happened to be a med one. For other people the facilities onboard are more important than the prots, so that is their starting point. Only yu can decide which things are the most important to you. once you know that, use that to filter down the wide variety of offerings out there.

 

Good luck with your planning - I sometimes think that is part of the fun of a cruise and you still have plenty time to do that

[sillysailor 1955]

Hi Judi - like I said DH and I did 12 day cruise on NCL Jade last December with another couple - we started out booking inside for very little money and ended up in a minisuite if memory serves me for around $1200 each. We booked air thru Orbitz on Iberia ended up paying around $725(?) each for flight to Spain (stopover in Madrid). We booked all the excursion thru NCL (they were pricey but really that's why we booked this particular cruise). I realize you could do the excursion cheaper on your own, but as we had never been there before we were a little nervous going it on our own. I would budget between $5,000 and $6,000 just to play it safe. Like I said IMHO NCL Jade is a very beautiful and clean ship. I just felt the quality of the food on NCL has declined from our first NCL trip about 5 years ago - or maybe the European market isn't as pickey as we are. However that being said you will certainly not starve - my advice to you is save the extra $$ you would spend on specialty restaurants (in my opinion they are not any better than the MDRs) and use the cash for your shore excursions. As far as the weather goes in December it was chilly in Barcelona, in Rome it was about 60 degrees but it poured (but the tour guide said that was unusal for that time of year) Turkey (Ephesus) the weather was 65-70, Athens was a bust (unable to dock due to rough seas :() Egypt weather was I would say mid 70s. The other advantage to going "off season" on this trip is nothing was crowded as it would be in the summer. Hope this info helps.

 

Oh I forgot last port was Malta - really really lovely!

[Bruin Steve]

I would love to take a cruise to see Italy, Turkey, Greece and Malta. Have no idea where to start. I was thinking of Sept of 2010. Don't even know if that's a good time to go. Don't know what ship to take, what tours to take or how to take them.. Can anyone help me out?

Judi

 

Judi,

First know that September is typically a very good time to go...July and August are typically the hottest months--and the ones during which everyone--Americans and Europeans both--tend to take their vacations...So, September is usually a little less crowded...and cruise prices tend to be a little lower (though, in some places--like Venice-- for reasons I cannot understand, the hotel prices get a little higher)...

 

As to which ship to take, you will see varying recommendations from all sorts of people here--mostly depending on which ship or cruise line THEY took...

 

Know that it's hard to have a bad Med cruise...but also know that everyone has different standards and criteria...what might be great to another cruiser might not be great to you...or what you are willing to accept might be unacceptable to someone else...We all look for different things in a cruise...For me, for example, I would not cruise again on Carnival or NCL...and, yes, I have been on both...but that's not to say that for you, these lines might be perfect...

 

So, only you can pick your ship and cruise line...

 

Most important is the itinerary...And there are many, many to choose from...Some concentrate in just a certain part of the Mediterranean (Western--largely the ports between Spain and Italy, Eastern--Greece, Turkey, the Aegean, "Grand"--ranging all the way from Spain to Turkey with a little of something for everyone...or to specialty areas-like the Black Sea or the "Holy Land" itineraries that visit Israel and Egypt)...

 

There are 7 night itineraries (which most of us veteran Med cruisers find much too short), 10 nighters, 12 nighters, 14 nighters...and even longer...

 

For a first time Med cruiser...and based on your question, I would recommend you look for a 12-14 night "Grand" itinerary...

 

Next question would be "round trip" or "one-way"...Some itineraries start and end in the same port--like Barcelona to Barcelona...Others start in one and end in another...I prefer these--they gove you a chance to spend extra time before and after the cruise in two different cities...I always recommend flying in at least a couple of days early--gives you a chance to really see your embarkation city...plus, it's a great hedge against jet lag, travel fatigue, major time zone chnges, late flights, missed connections and lost luggage...

 

Next, look at your budget...I have found that most of the mass-market big ship lines have some very similar pricing...If you don't have tight budgetary constraints, also consider Oceania and Azamara...a little more upscale smaller ship lines with great food and service...and really great itineraries...

 

But, if it's going to be a stretch, I would look at lines in this order: 1) Celebrity (My favorite line--and with great itineraries in the Med and the most uncrowded ships and best food and service) 2) Royal Caribbean (Great ships, lots of choices) 3) Princess (Ships are a bit crownded for my taste, but some great itineraries) 4) Holland America (Depends on your age group--great product but demographics skewed a bit older)...Of course, you may want to consider NCL--I wouldn't...not impressed with their product or their itineraries--but they my be right for you...apparently they are for some people...Ditto Carnival...Plus there are many other lines tht cater primarily to Europeans--but, depending on you, you may like them (Costa, MSC, etc.)...

 

I wouldn't just "go to a 'cruise specialist'" as some have advised--especially if you've never dealt with them before...Some really don't have your interests in mind...but, how would you know? I would first do my own research...Go to the websites for each of the cruise lines. They all have tools through which you can research their offerings...Input "September 2010", "Europe" or "Mediterranean" and "Enter" and see what comes up...Scan through the itineraries...print them out or bookmark them if you like them...Then, try to narrow it down on your own...Come up with maybe 4 or 5 that really catch your attention--ports you'd like to visit...

 

THEN, find a good travel agent and ask the TA to price each for you--with air, without air...inside, window, or balcony cabin...apples for apples...

 

Then, you can compare for yourself...and then, if it hasn't become abundantly clear to you...and it probably won't, COME BACK HERE and ask for opinions...Start a thread like: "Celebrity Solstice vs. RCI Brilliance of the Seas vs. Ruby Princess"...and we can all give you our opinions as to which ones we like and why...and then YOU can decide for yourself and book it...

 

That stage of the process is a lot of the fun of planning a cruise...

 

Good luck...

[JudiDM]

You guys are the BEST!! Couldn't have gotten better info anywhere!! Having only done The Big Red Boat and Carnival, I didn't know where to start!! Now the youngest is 23 and we get to go on our own. In Jan. we're going to the Panama Canal, but I so very much want to do a Mediterraen Cruise. I don't want parties all day, but we are not wheel chair bound (yet). I want a balcony, warm weather, great food, and wonderful traveling companions....not too much to ask, right? Oh also a great price. You all have given me such great idea, can't wait to start planning.

Judi

[agabbymama]

I did Grand Princess 12 nights in Oct '08 from Civitavecchia (Rome), Monte Carlo, Livorno (Pisa & Florence), Naples, Santorini, Kusadasi, Mykonos, Athens, Katakolon, Corfu and ending in Venice.

 

I had budgeted $4500 pp, and ended up spending $6000 pp for a 21 day trip, with pre-cruise and post-cruise stays. Hotels, food, transfers, tours, etc. all add up very quickly.

 

So pack half of what you think you need and take double the money you think you need. I think your budget estimate is closer to the mark for one person, not two. Remember you lose almost half your US dollars immediately upon conversion to EURO.

[sillysailor 1955]

You guys are the BEST!! Couldn't have gotten better info anywhere!! Having only done The Big Red Boat and Carnival, I didn't know where to start!! Now the youngest is 23 and we get to go on our own. In Jan. we're going to the Panama Canal, but I so very much want to do a Mediterraen Cruise. I don't want parties all day, but we are not wheel chair bound (yet). I want a balcony, warm weather, great food, and wonderful traveling companions....not too much to ask, right? Oh also a great price. You all have given me such great idea, can't wait to start planning.

Judi

 

Half the fun is in the planning.... Good Luck it's a great cruise. BTW if you sail out a Barcelona - try to spend some extra time there its a great city.:)

[Seabee]

Judi...please give my regards to mayor jaxon...I think you'll find the fares to Europe are very reasonable right now as is air fare.

[Mysticks1]

Thanks for such speedy responses! What is a cruise specialist and where do I get one? Silly Sailor, that sounds like the trip I would love to take. Ball park, what was the cost? Am I off base to think $5000.00 will cover DH and myself? I want to go on tours of course and was hoping that would cover everthing..even souvenirs? What about weather, is it still nice in Sept or October? I was in London and Spain one November (latter part) and it snowed in London!! Spain and Gibraltar were chilly and rainy. Thanks for any info.

Judi

 

We are from Mobile and going on Celebrity Solstice 9/28/09 so approx. the same time you want to go next year. Ours is an 11 night cruise and our cost right now for a higher level balcony cabin is just a few dollars under $5000. Our airfare for 2 was approx. another $2500 - Mobile to Atlanta and then to Rome. So for the one that we have booked you would need more that $5000

[JudiDM]

Is this a small world or what??? Seabee we just got home from a party with Jay and Lynnette Jaxon and I was telling Jay about the Sept 2010 cruise I want to take and asked if they were interested in joining us!!! Who do i say is sending their regards??

Judi

[Seabee]

Judi..tell him Burns said hello. We are going on our second med cruise in November. Be sure and stay a few days extra in Rome if you've never been there.

 

I hope to be in the Bluff City in the next few weeks.

[beauwalker]

I agree with Bruin Steve's priorities--itinerary first. Only you know which ports you've been dying to see. Most of the ships deliver a pretty good product ,although you might not believe it reading the posts online. (Azamara is my favorite!)

 

I would also do the research before I contacted a travel agent. They have their own biases too.