Which cruise line?

Which cruise line is better for a cruise to Italy?

Chevy or Ford?

McDonalds or Burger King?

ABC, NBC or CBS?

 

There is no right answer here. It is totally subjective. Ask 10 people, you will get at least 17 different (and not wrong) answers.

 

What cruise lines have you been on, and liked? That should give you a start. Be aware Med cruises are VERY port intensive, so some will say, (and not be wrong) that the ship doesn't matter as much.

Which cruise line is better for a cruise to Italy?

 

Look at Cunard and P&O, but agree the Med is port intensive, but sailing from the UK these two have many sea days to relax after your shore adventures.

" Better " in what way?

Everyone has different interests and priorities so there is no BEST cruise line.

 

You need to do what the rest of us have done .... RESEARCH and find the best cruiseline AND ship for YOU.

 

There are books specific to Med cruises ... Rick Steves has one and so does Ann Vipond "Mediterranean by Cruiseship". The books discuss cruiselines, ships, itineraries, excursions, DIY options, etc. Maybe you can borrow them from your library. They are a great resource, not just for the cruise but for port activities also.

 

I knew that I wanted a one-week cruise, departing from Venice so that was my starting point. After that I looked at each itinerary to see which ports interested me the most. Then I looked at how long the ship was in port because I wanted to ensure I had enough time to accomplish my activities. I read MANY reviews on the MEMBERS CRUISE forum.

 

Good luck with your research .. planning is half the fun !!

Thanks for the info. I've cruised on Priness, Carnival and celebrity. Never been on a European cruise before.

 

Thanks for the info. I've cruised on Priness, Carnival and celebrity. Never been on a European cruise before.

If you've never been to Europe, I'd recommend the Princess Grand Med itinerary that sails between Barcelona and Venice. The itinerary makes port calls in France, Greece, Turkey and Italy.

 

Plan to arrive in your embarkation city a few days prior to the cruise to shake off jet lag, become acclimated to Europe and explore the city. Stay a few days after you disembark to enjoy that city also.

 

Lew

My advice is to go to a travel agency search engine so you can look at all itineraries and then nRrow it down from there.

 

Do not limit yourself to the cruise lines that are posted here as most people likely have only cruised a couple of lines in Italy.

 

Keith

Look at the shore excursions each line offers for each port even if you plan for mostly private tours. Years ago we took a cruise that stopped at a port that enabled you to go to the Bordeaux area but the cruise line did not offer an excursion and a private tour was too expensive.

Check when the sea days are. On a port intensive cruise you look foward to that break.

Which cruise line is better for a cruise to Italy?

 

For Denise, there are lots of great options in the Med. Keith, Lew, etc., have made good suggestions. I would encourage making your departure and return port to be a key factor to consider. Why?

 

We did Barcelona. Worked super. Their airport (unlike for Rome) is close to both the downtown and port/boarding area. And, there are lots of flights options to get to Barcelona without too many plane changes/hassles. See more on that celebrity cruise and what we did in super wonderful Italy. Also, I would have a cruise with overnight time in Venice. That is a must-have. See more connected on Venice below.

 

WARNING: With Italy, you'll want to come back again soon and just one-day port stops are not enough time in areas such as Tuscany/Florence, Rome and Naples/Amalfi Coast. You'll need to consider carefully your port priorities and options.

 

Added questions, info needs?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 183,784 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture. This posting is now at 42,006 views and I appreciate those who have dropped by and tuned in.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

I choose my cruiseline by the itinerary. I actually cancelled my first western Med. cruise that I booked when I realized that I was going to wonderful ports but that I wouldn't be there long enough to book a full day excursion with a private tour. I changed cruiselines and went with a line that also had wonderful ports and the time in port was long enough to have a full 8 hour tour. Even that is a short time in Europe but it was definitely worth every penny. Just so happens the ship was excellent too so it was good all around. Now I'm going again this time Greek Isles out of Venice. Picked the ship by the ports. Never cruised NCL before but it's taking me where I want to go. Can't wait. The ship is my floating hotel.