Med Cruises

[mamakudu]

Morning All. My first post, so I apologise if it's a bit rambling!
I am looking for advice on Med cruises (Eastern). My husband and I are planning one September 2010 for our 30th wedding anniversary. As this is pretty much a trip of a lifetime (overseas cruising is expensive from South Africa because of the high airfares involved getting to the departure port), I want to get it as right as possible. But I find my mind boggled by the choices and hope that someone cane give me some sage advice. Comparing apples for apples seems almost impossible. here goes:
Budget - middle. We're not fancy schmancy, so the level of Crystal is waaay above us. On the other hand we're not restricted to bottom line, so middle of the range is good, if there is such a thing. We are also very shy, so being on a ship full of non English speakers is a bit intimidating for us.
Who we are - we're not party animals, and love just watching scenery go by as opposed to being entertained 24/7, although we do enjoy the evening shows and watching the action at deck parties when they happen. We also enjoy our own company so large numbers of people put us off a bit. Smaller ships?
Food - seems to be top of everyones list, and although we love our food, it's not ours. As long as there is plenty of it and it's resonably good we are fine.
Ports of call - we are looking for 7 - 10 days, about. We are dying to see the Greek islands, the reason for the trip, but have noticed many ships dock, say 10 am and leave by 4 pm. Can one even get off the ship in that time?? Royal Caribean seems to do one that spends about 8 hours during the day in each port which seems to be quite good. Are we asking too much though?
Our previous experiences are limited to the MSC line here in S Africa. When one leaves the ship at a port of call it takes about 2 hopurs to happen and 2 hours for them to get on again, I don't think MSC is the most efficient in this way. We have been on 3 cruises and loved them, but it's the only line that comes here, with one ship a season, so experience is limited. I'm hoping that all that experience out there will be able to advise on where I should at least start looking!
Thanks in advance for your help.

[kestrel]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

We did a Med cruise in 2005 on Grand Princess. The cruise included Italian ports and Greek Isles. It remained my favorite cruise so far. Two of my favorite ports are Santorini and Venice.

Based on your budget, I will suggest that you check RCCL, NCL, Princess, HAL, or Celebrity. All these cruise lines provide excellent entertainments, and use English as their main language. You can find out various itineraries and prices online for you to choose from.

Most cruise passengers don't spend 2 hours to get off and another 2 hours to board the cruise. However, there are some ports that require tendering, which will take a lot more time. In most cases, you can find out on cruise website whether they tender in a particular port.

I highly recommend that you check "Ports of Call" on Cruise Critic Boards. You will find tons of information there.

Many people added pre-cruise and post-cruise stays in Barcelona, Rome, Venice, etc. to their Med cruises. These are all wonderful cities that you need more than one day to explore. Since you will be traveling far, it will be a good idea for you to consider pre-cruise and/or post-cruise stay.

Enjoy your planning.

[wwinfl91]

Hi,

We have only done one Med cruise but have done 20 cruises total. Our only Med cruise was on Princess from Barcelona to Venice including stops in Monte Carlo, Florence (Livorno), Naples, Athens, Kursadasi (Ephesus), Istanbul and ending in Venice.

We loved the cruise and would do another again but would rather miss Monte Carlo. We have been on Princess, HAL, Celebrity, RCL, Costa, Disney and Carnival (did not like Carnival).

We are now in our 60's but did not start cruising until 1997 when we were in our 50's. We have our most cruises with HAL with Princess and RCL coming in second and third.

I would suggest searching the various online sites looking for a cruise of 10-14 days. Greek island cruises tend to be more expensive and less available than regular Eastern or Western Med cruises.

Wish I could provide more info specific to your request.

Have a great next cruise.

[paul929207]

Welcome to Cruis Critic and congrats on your anniversary.

We were in Durban for a day in October on the Tahitian Princess and loved your city.

Pricess is a middle of the road line that we think does a great job. They have a number of itineraries that include Greece. Most people on their ships are English speakers. All announcement, tours, etc are in English.

[cruisemom42]

I'll put in another good word for Princess. They would seem to fit your criteria; I find the line generally fun but laid back. Their prices are mid-range and they have good Med itineraries. I'm doing the Greek Isles cruise this summer on Ruby Princess. You might check that out -- it's 12 days but most port days are a decent length.

One word about smaller ships. They are desirable, but you'll find if you price them that they tend to be more expensive than the larger ships (which I assume can spread the costs across a larger number of passengers....)

Also, if you can cruise during the "off peak" season (mid-Spring or mid-Autumn) you'll find better deals ..... and fewer crowds.

[John Bull]

Because of the language & culture clashes, I'd suggest you avoid the Italian lines Costa & MSC, and the Spanish line Pulmantur.

As well as the US lines already suggested, consider the lines catering mainly for us Brits.
P&O have a very mixed range of ship sizes & tastes. http://www.pocruises.com/
Ocean Village is mid-size & more relaxed than most http://www.oceanvillageholidays.co.u...n_cruises.aspx
Thomson have smaller ships, very homely & friendly, a lot different to the glitzy modern US offerings http://www.thomson.co.uk/cruise.html
Fred Olsen have a very loyal following, again very friendly ships, tho the average passenger age is higher than most. http://www.fredolsencruises.com/
Bear in mind that on-board costs are much lower than US ships, esp bar bills & also gratuities, which are included in OV & Thomson's ticket price, and there's a lot less hard-sell, which can get quite off-putting.

You might like to check out reviews on these and all other Med cruises at http://www.home.cruises.co.uk/cruise...rchsubmit.y=13

Kestrel's suggestion of extending your holiday with a few days pre/post cruise is excellent - one problem of cruising that you've already identified is the limitations on your time, so as well as taking the stress out of tight scheduling to get to the port, you'll be able to explore in depth. A worthwhile embarkation port might influence your choice of cruise - it does for me.

Whatever you choose, have a great time

John Bull

[beemergal]

No expert here, but I have been looking for a similar cruise for myself and have done some research. One of the cruises I have found to be enticing is on Holland American's Eurodam on a Rome round trip. It is 10 days long and stops at Corfu, Greece for 10 hours, Athens for 10 hours and Santorini for 13 hours. That last one is a big one for me. There is also a 10 hour stop in Ephesus, Turkey and another 10 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

The ship itself is new and looks very enticing. Prices seems right in the middle, depending on cabin type.

You might check this one out. There is a 3 day sale going on right now from Wednesday, Dec 9. I am really tempted to put down a deposit, but I am not sure yet what dates I can sail. I want to be sure it is warm and I will probably have to wait until later in 2010.

[pwa1960]

My wife and I are doing a 12 day on the Ruby Princess Sept. 2, 2010 celebrating our 30 anniversary also. I liked the ports they stop at because we wanted to see parts of Italy and the Greek Isles. We also wanted a decent sized balcony without paying a lot of money. I thought the mini-suite price was very reasonable without having a large suite. Not an expert in cruising so can't help you with most of the questions. Good luck. I found it hard to make the final decision but I have no regrets. We can't wait. Good Luck and congratulations.

Pat

[mamakudu]

Thank you all for the invaluable input. I have to be honest that part of the fun of doing a trip like this is the research, so I'm having fun doing it all.

I am discovering that the port is making a difference to our decision. For examply the one I've found on Thomsons has Corfu as it's base - the thought of a few days before or after in Corfu is very enticing (thanks for the suggestion.) venice is another one.

Thanks again. I would imagine there are going to be many more questions coming up!

[cdamom]

hi, we celebrated our 25th last june and did the legend of the seas (royal c), out of rome italy, we toured southern italy, greece, turkey and egypt (12 nights), i would highly recommend this one and if need be we had the best private tour for naples who gave us the best excursion ever, there were 6 of us with marcello he took us to places in southern italy that the tours don't go, took us to real italian food and it cost less than all the shore excursions, have fun, it was our first cruise but not our last, we plan to go bac to the med. next year,

[chipmaster]

Originally Posted by mamakudu

Morning All. My first post, so I apologise if it's a bit rambling!
I am looking for advice on Med cruises (Eastern). My husband and I are planning one September 2010 for our 30th wedding anniversary. As this is pretty much a trip of a lifetime (overseas cruising is expensive from South Africa because of the high airfares involved getting to the departure port), I want to get it as right as possible. But I find my mind boggled by the choices and hope that someone cane give me some sage advice. Comparing apples for apples seems almost impossible. here goes:
Budget - middle. We're not fancy schmancy, so the level of Crystal is waaay above us. On the other hand we're not restricted to bottom line, so middle of the range is good, if there is such a thing. We are also very shy, so being on a ship full of non English speakers is a bit intimidating for us.
Who we are - we're not party animals, and love just watching scenery go by as opposed to being entertained 24/7, although we do enjoy the evening shows and watching the action at deck parties when they happen. We also enjoy our own company so large numbers of people put us off a bit. Smaller ships?
Food - seems to be top of everyones list, and although we love our food, it's not ours. As long as there is plenty of it and it's resonably good we are fine.
Ports of call - we are looking for 7 - 10 days, about. We are dying to see the Greek islands, the reason for the trip, but have noticed many ships dock, say 10 am and leave by 4 pm. Can one even get off the ship in that time?? Royal Caribean seems to do one that spends about 8 hours during the day in each port which seems to be quite good. Are we asking too much though?
Our previous experiences are limited to the MSC line here in S Africa. When one leaves the ship at a port of call it takes about 2 hopurs to happen and 2 hours for them to get on again, I don't think MSC is the most efficient in this way. We have been on 3 cruises and loved them, but it's the only line that comes here, with one ship a season, so experience is limited. I'm hoping that all that experience out there will be able to advise on where I should at least start looking!
Thanks in advance for your help.

Congrats and welcome to CC.

I think Med cruise is a great way to tour if you want to see a lot of places on just one trip with simply travel logistics. I did such a cruise a year and half ago with my parents.

The biggest challenge in my mind is to pick the set of ports. I think the cruiseline matters less as most mainstream cruiselines are about the same. Yes they have different themes but the cruise is all about the ports. As such make the list of the favorite 5-7 ports and find the cruiseline and sailings that hit the most. I think any of the mainstream lines will provide good enough food and entertainment. But your memories will be all about the ports.

If budget is a concern I'd say save money on the cabin and use it for port private tours.

You are right that port time is limited but what they list is arrival and departure. We found we could be off within 20-30' of arrival time. You do need to plan to be back at the boat an hour+ before sailing so you don't risk missing the boat. In that is the only minus of a cruise, so miuch to see and so little time. But no better way to see 5-6 places in a week or 7-8 places in 10 days.

Oh, I really like the Princess line up, reasonable price, reasonable food, great set of port offerings.

Happy planning

[Host Sheila]

Hi, let me add my welcome to Cruise Critic. You've picked a good place to get helpful information from experienced cruisers. You might also want to post on the Mediterranean boards to get some up-to-date information about ports and, when you've made your decision, to get ideas about private shore excursions that receive excellent reviews. Good luck with you 'shopping expedition'. I know you'll love taking a Med cruise. Ours was one of our very favorite and we plan to do another soon.

[SelectSys]

Originally Posted by mamakudu

...
Food - seems to be top of everyones list, and although we love our food, it's not ours. As long as there is plenty of it and it's resonably good we are fine.
Ports of call - we are looking for 7 - 10 days, about. We are dying to see the Greek islands, the reason for the trip, but have noticed many ships dock, say 10 am and leave by 4 pm...

Glad that you have food out of the equation. The food is generally just OK on the mass market cruise lines unless you want to spend extra for the specialty dining rooms on most ships.

You already got some decent line recommendations. I would just start scanning the specific itineraries for cruises that emphasize the Greek Islands. My guess is that Princess may have the best choice for you. Some of their cruises will start in a eastern med (e.g., Istanbul or Athens) and end in Rome and then repeat the journey in the opposite direction for the next cruise. I like RCCL but their cruises loop back to the departure port and thus might not give you as many days in the Greek Islands.

One thing you'll find is that cruise ships don't spend too much time in port. As such a cruise vacation really only gives you an impression of each port area and is much different in that respect from a land vacation. The good news about the Greek Islands is that they are small and don't take too much time to get around. Just mix up the activities a bit on each island as you won't have enough time to do it all. For example, beach one day, ruins the next, shopping and sites on the third.

Since the price of airfare sounds high, I hope you'll have an opportunity to extend your holiday a few extra days both prior and after your cruise.

Good luck with your search!

[Captain Canuck]

we did a Rome to Copenhagen cruise...moved the ship up to Copenhagen for the summer runs...prices on these cruises are really good...you can also get the reverse in the fall

we have done a number of med cruises...all good. Costa has beautiful ships but does cater to Italians. But we did the cruise for the ports so did not mind. Also tend to keep to ourselves so not mingling much was not an issue

since there are so many choices I would recommend using one of the online cruise agencies that have search engines. you put in the area and the time frame you want to cruise and it returns most if not all the options. the one we use even lets you sort by price.

since airfare is an issue I would look to find the cheapest air and then see if you can find a cruise based on that. don't forget to check out bigger air hubs close to where you cruise out of..bigger hub means more flights and probably cheaper options. We cruised out of Genoa but flew into Milan. Stayed a few days in Santa Margherita which is the shopping town for Portofino. train from Milan to there and from there to the Genoa.

as to my faves; Istanbul, Kusadasi and Santorini. The rest are nice but these were great. We also did a holy land cruise last May.
Egypt and Israel plus Santorini were the highlights. 12 days on Royal Princess.

Have fun planning.

[mamakudu]

Thanks all for the masses of help. We are fining it down to one of two cruises now, all your help has been invaluable.

[berkyvdr]

We are also interested in a similar cruise for the fall, probably eastern (for our first Med cruise anyway) but when in the fall?

Would it be too hot in September to be doing lots of walking? Would it be too cold in November for the same thing? I would think November prices and crowds would be less, which is attractive. I don't want to be wearing heavy coats for touring.

[paul929207]

We took a 12 night Princess cruise from Venice to Rome in Late November 2007. The weather was cool. Most days, the highs were in the 60's, although a couple did hit 70. We had a wondeful time.

[tennisobo]

Hello:
We took a Med cruise to celebrate our 30th anniversary this summer. It was fantastic. We are loyal Princess cruisers, but went with HAL on this one because they offered a 10-day (just like the Eurodam someone mentioned earlier) which left us several days of our vacation (only had 2 weeks) to enjoy Rome.

Another consideration, since you mentioned airfare prices, is to research the cost of airfare to/from the different embarkation/disembarkation cities. We found it cheaper (for us, anyway) to go with a cruise that started and ended in Rome. You may find that the cost of your airfare for some cruises is way higher than for others because of the cities you are flying in and out of.

Yes, research is fun, but this trip was the most research intensive I've ever had to do. But, thanks in large part to cruise critic, we had a great time and even spent several hundred dollars less than our budget.

If I were you, I would be researching:
1) itinerary
2) airfare
3) cost of hotels pre- and post-cruise
After all that is decided, you can move on to excurions. Private vs. ship sponsored, and shared vs. on your own.

Have a great time!

[tomko2]

We have taken two RCI Med. cruises: one from Rome and one from Barcelona both 12 nights. Our priority on the first cruise was to go to Egpyt and for the second cruise it was to go to Venice. Both cruises were excellent. Here are our reviews:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberre...?EntryID=33168

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberre...?EntryID=57957

Photos of the Med. cruise on the Legend in the link below and some photos from our Cruise on the Brilliance (am way behind on posting the pictures from August ).

Hope this helps.
Kathy