2 choices - Which would you pick?

#1 would be our choice! :D

I'm going to mention a couple of potential issues that you should look into prior to deciding which of these cruises to take:

 

Definitely check out hotel prices in Venice so you know what you are getting yourself into - the hotels IN Venice are very expensive, to say the least and everything in Venice is expensive. You can stay outside of Venice, at a more reasonable price, but think about what you want to do and what you want your experience of Venice to be. If you don't mind being a daytripper, then you can do this for a reasonable price. The other thing is the flight schedule which can be off-putting for people flying from the US to Venice. You may wish to fly into Rome and take the train to Venice just to have a more convenient and shorter flight schedule. Flight schedules from Barcelona are great, so that won't be a concern. But Venice Marco Polo - not so much. However, if you are flying from the UK, this might not be an issue.

Thanks for the thoughts, for the hotel i am booking with points so it should be free. As far as flights i am trying to book through points but cannot see that far ahead.

I appreciate everyone's responses, we are leaning towards med cruise as well on the Spirit.

Hi Everyone,

 

I am in a dilemma, and looking for some advice from those that have travelled through the mediterranean before. Which choice would you recommend

 

I have 2 choices:

 

Choice 1 is to take a 12 day cruise on the Norwegian Spirt, from Venice (Ports: Piraeus, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Mykonos, Naples, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Toulon, Barcelona), this was considerably less expensive than Princess, HAL and RCCL

 

Choice 2 is to spend 1 week in Rome, and then get on the Norwegian Epic for a 7 day cruise roundtrip. (Ports: Livorno, Cannes, Palma, Barcelona, Naples)

 

In choice 2 we would not get to see Venice, to those who have been here would that be a disservice to not see Venice after going all the way to the region?

 

A little about us - neither of us has ever been to this region, and are both in our early 30s.

I like the 1 week in Rome, choice #2

I'd choose #1 and want to arrive early in Venice--at least two days before the cruise--and stay a few days in Barcelona.

If that is possible, it is what I would do.

What about flying into Rome a couple or three days early, hit all the high spots, then take the train to Venice and pick up the cruise there. You can then do a leisurely excursion into Rome on your cruise day.

DEFINITELY #1!!! Venice is a must see .... if possible fly in a couple of days early so you can do justice to the magical city of Venice.

Also, if you have any interest at all in archeology and ancient history, you must visit Ephesus when your ship is in Kusadasi. The ruins there are amazing.

I found Istanbul intriguing, and there is much to see there. A few hours at the Grand Bazaar is fun too.

On Mykonos, we wandered the waterfront, took some photos of the windmills, and had a great lunch in a waterfront cafe. Very relaxing!

#1 for sure.

Venice is a superior city to Rome imho.

#1 for sure.

Venice is a superior city to Rome imho.

Of course, that's highly subjective. For someone like me who is interested in ancient Rome, Venice is nice but no comparison to Rome.

We were facing the same dilemma as you, and we decided on the Spirit cruise, with 2 days in Paris and 2 days in Barcelona pre cruise, and 2 days in Venice post cruise. I think it will be an amazing vacation!

Definitely choice# 1

We did a 12 day Med last year and it gave us a very nice overview of some amazing ports of call.

You simply can't beat the ease of unpacking once and waking up in a new port ready to start your day.

The itinerary is fabulous. Make sure you book private tours to save dollars and get a much better experience. I highly recommend Rome in Limo and Ephesus Shuttle.

Let us know what you decide.

Thanks everyone for your input and suggestions. We were going to do choice 1.

Can someone tell me if there is an issue with canceling a cruise from one agent and booking with another company who is giving a better deal. Would it still be considered a new reservation and does it lead to any issues if the original travel agent does not match the offer?