If you've been on any of these... which would you recommend for 10 year anniversary??

We are very active 34 year olds from NY (living in FL)... I haven't been to any of these places, hubby has been to Italy and Spain once with family over 10 years ago. What would you recommend for our 10-year anniversary cruise? We are looking for 2016 so all itineraries aren't even out yet, but we already narrowed it down to these:

1. Alaska/Seattle (7 night Alaskan cruise & 3 nights in Seattle)

2. Europe/Venice (7 night Greek Isles cruise & 3 nights in Italy)

3. Europe/Barcelona (7 night Spain/France/Italy cruise & 3 nights in Spain)

The last time we were away for 12 days was our honeymoon in '06 and after this anniversary vacation it'll probably be another 10! So, if you've been on any of these cruises can you tell me which ship? Did you like it, love it?

Would you recommend a total land vacation instead of cruising at any of these places?

We are (obviously) completely undecided at this point.

In reverse order, we've looked at doing #3, but decided that we'd rather do a land vacation to those places (in Europe) than get to spend so little time during a port stop in such great cities, generally. We are currently considering #2 for our next cruise, and are thinking it would be a nice way to see Venice (always wanted to), and get in a cruise. Friends of ours enjoyed their Alaska cruise, and it sounds like it's a good way to get a taste of things there. A land vacation in Alaska could be an entirely different trip, perhaps for another time.

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I can highly recommend Alaska cruising. Alaska is my favorite of 30 cruises. Have done round trip from Seattle and Northbound Vancouver to Seward with five-day DIY land tour. Unbelievable!!

I would recommend the Alaska cruise. We loved the one we took, and even on the sea days you can literally spend all day sitting on your balcony watching the fabulous Inside Passage scenery.

We have never done a European cruise. Both my wife and I lived there for five years and we prefer a land vacation there as a better way to experience the cities and different countries.

We have lived in Europe and cruised there. We have cruised from/into Seattle and Vancouver. Have not yet had the pleasure of a western Med cruise. Based on our experience, I would recommend Option 2. If you have a couple of days, side trips to Florence and Milan would be a great idea. Venice is a magical City and there is no sail away that can beat sailing down the Canale Della Giudecca. And the days of that sailaway are numbered [although I understand the changes have been delayed]. To top it off, what screams romantic more than an evening gondola ride for two? Definitely Option 2.

DH and I did the Barcelona trip for our 10th anniversary (were docked in Naples on our anniversary). It was a fantastic trip.

But...what time of year are you planning to travel? To me May in Alaska is too cold, but August in Europe is to crowded.

I would recommend #2. Venice is a magical place especially at night in St. Mark's Square. We did a 12 Med cruise for our 25th. The ship was docked overnight in Venice.

We haven't cruised in Europe yet, so I can't comment on that. However, we have been on two Alaska cruises.

They both were in August on different cruise lines and had slightly different itineraries. Our first was on the Star Princess round trip Seattle with three ports of call.

Our second was the one we enjoyed more. It was the southbound Alaska cruise from Seward to Vancouver on the beautiful Radiance of the Seas. I highly recommend it. It had four ports of call and included viewing Hubbard Glacier. Fantastic!!

Happy planning and smooth sailing!

We have been fortunate to do (1) and (3) of your cruise choices and have spent up to 10 days on land in Italy. So for a cruise I would pick (2) because I haven't been to the Greek Isles and I love Venice about a million more times than I like Barcelona.

I think that the Seattle round trip is the worst Alaska itinerary out there. The usual RCI itinerary skips Ketchikan (Princess visits there but cuts the Victoria stop to 5 hours, from 7pm to midnight). If I were doing Alaska, I would look for R/T from Vancouver (on another line unless RCI starts doing those again) or the one way between Vancouver and Anchorage/Seward/Whittier. From the Left Coast, the air isn't too eyepopping at the moment, but it's much longer trek for you.

You can fly nonstop to Milan from Miami, take the train to Lake Como for a couple of days (you might even have a George Clooney sighting as an added bonus), then take the train to Venice for your cruise.

We have always done Alaska in the shoulder season - May and September - and have had decent luck with the weather. I kind of expect it to be cold, and it usually is, but that's why the scenery is so outstanding.:) Come to think of it, we've done Europe that way as well. It's warmer in Spain and Italy, but can be rainy during those months. Living in a warm weather climate (So Cal), I find it exotic.;)

We've done similar itineraries to all three cruises that you listed above within the last few years and all were great, but totally different in terms of vacation and relaxation. Leaving aside the question of cost (Alaska would be way cheaper than Europe just from airfare alone) it really comes down to what you want to do and what you like.

Alaska typically has only three (or four including embarkation) ports for the 7 days, and you dock mostly right at the town so there is more time to relax and enjoy the ship. The cruise itself is more on scenery and the excursions on physical activities (hiking, fishing). You will still be in the US, so no culture shock.

Europe cruises tend to be port-intensive - we did back-to-back Western Med and Greek Isles cruises last year and each segment had 10 ports and only two sea days so it was a lot more 'rushed' and we barely had time to enjoy the ship. Most of the major sites were nowhere near the port so to maximize time, we booked private excursions by limo and many days were off the ship @ 7:30 and did not return until late afternoon just before the ship left. Enough people spoke English and we often had a guide, so getting around wasn't an issue plus we enjoy different cultures and trying different foods.

So if you were looking for a short relaxing romantic getaway, I would say Alaska, but if you're into a more more active experience, Europe for sure - Western Med. is a lot more cosmopolitan while the Greek Isles is more rustic. If you could swing it, a slightly longer cruise - say Barcelona to Venice would get you most of (2) and (3) of your choices. 2016 itineraries are not out yet but if you can get a month off, a back-to-back like what we did would be a great experience. We spent 2 days in Barcelona pre-cruise, then did a 12 day Western Med (Barcelona to Venice), a 12 day Greek Isles (Venice to Rome) and two days in Rome before flying home. Because to the back-to-back we got 3 days in Venice with the Ruby Princess as our 'hotel' which was fantastic. My wife loved it so much that we are looking to do a similar cruise in late 2015.

We are very active 34 year olds from NY (living in FL)... I haven't been to any of these places, hubby has been to Italy and Spain once with family over 10 years ago. What would you recommend for our 10-year anniversary cruise? We are looking for 2016 so all itineraries aren't even out yet, but we already narrowed it down to these:

 

1. Alaska/Seattle (7 night Alaskan cruise & 3 nights in Seattle)

2. Europe/Venice (7 night Greek Isles cruise & 3 nights in Italy)

3. Europe/Barcelona (7 night Spain/France/Italy cruise & 3 nights in Spain)

 

The last time we were away for 12 days was our honeymoon in '06 and after this anniversary vacation it'll probably be another 10! So, if you've been on any of these cruises can you tell me which ship? Did you like it, love it?

 

Would you recommend a total land vacation instead of cruising at any of these places?

 

We are (obviously) completely undecided at this point.

I would vote for #2. We absolutely loved our Greek / Italian cruise!

I vote for the Venice/Greek cruise. Venice is so romantic, perfect for an anniversary. We did a 12 night Meditterranean for our 25th and it overnight end in Venice. We did an evening gondola ride. Very, very special.

Thank you everyone! This is very helpful and I can't wait to show the hubby all of your advice!

We would be sailing in May or June 2016, our anniversary is in June but are willing to sail in May or even July if prices are better. We live in HOT sunny Florida so colder weather on vacation isn't a deal breaker. :)

My husband and I did a 12-night Med cruise with 3 days pre-cruise in Barcelona for our 10 year anniversary. We loved it! To me, Europe is very romantic.

We haven't sailed from Venice yet, although we had an overnight cruise stop there. Venice is fabulous! Greek Isles are also wonderful.

I've been to Alaska, and although we enjoyed it, Alaska says "adventure and activity" to me, not romantic strolls.

I would probably choose #2 as my first choice just because I would like to stay in Venice for a few days. Option #3 would be a very close second. I'd have to know the full itineraries to really decide.

Sorry, but Alaska would not be on the radar for an anniversary cruise.

We have been to all three spots and I think the Venice option would be great for an anniversary cruise. If possible try and spend a day or two extra in Venice. Get a vapparetto pass and just explore the islands. Make sure you get to Murano and Burano. They are not to be missed.

Haven't personally done an Alaska cruise, so really can't say for sure on that one, but my preference would be option 2 for an anniversary cruise. Especially if you want to have an active vacation.

We did a med cruise from Rome a few years ago and would love to do it again. Great way to get a feel for Europe. We did also add on some land trips before and after so didn't feel we rushed through too much.

We are very active 34 year olds from NY (living in FL)... I haven't been to any of these places, hubby has been to Italy and Spain once with family over 10 years ago. What would you recommend for our 10-year anniversary cruise? We are looking for 2016 so all itineraries aren't even out yet, but we already narrowed it down to these:

 

1. Alaska/Seattle (7 night Alaskan cruise & 3 nights in Seattle)

2. Europe/Venice (7 night Greek Isles cruise & 3 nights in Italy)

3. Europe/Barcelona (7 night Spain/France/Italy cruise & 3 nights in Spain)

 

The last time we were away for 12 days was our honeymoon in '06 and after this anniversary vacation it'll probably be another 10! So, if you've been on any of these cruises can you tell me which ship? Did you like it, love it?

 

Would you recommend a total land vacation instead of cruising at any of these places?

 

We are (obviously) completely undecided at this point.

You mention that you are very active, so have you considered a more active adventure cruise? If you are looking for something special, you should look into the Celebrity Xpedition to the Galapagos. We did it last year and it is absolutely amazing. There are more and more restrictions being placed there because too many tourists are now going. It might be a good time to see it while you can

I haven't done any of these but I am voting #2. Romantic and exotic...

We've done Alaska and the Med. I loved both, but for an anniversary I would choose Venice/Greek Islands.

Keep in mind when choosing your dates airfare will generally be less expensive in May than June when kids are out of school and vacations begin. We did Alaska in July and the Med in October and the fall airfare was only about $150 more to fly to Rome than to Vancouver. You are fortunate to be located by a major airport - that will help keep the cost down too.

What ever you choose have a wonderful time. And if you choose Venice remember you must kiss your love every time your Gondola goes under a bridge. :D