Just booked first European Cruise - Jewel of the Seas

And I reserved an aft balcony - so I'm very excited!

First time ever travelling to Europe. First time on Jewel.

We are going September 9, 2018 on the Italy/Greek Islands 9 night. Any advice? Recommendations?

And I reserved an aft balcony - so I'm very excited!

First time ever travelling to Europe. First time on Jewel.

We are going September 9, 2018 on the Italy/Greek Islands 9 night. Any advice? Recommendations?

Well, Sorry I don't have any advice. My DW and I just started talking this weekend that we want to book a European/Mediterranean cruise for our 25th Anniversary in August 2019. But those itineraries are not opened up yet!!!

So, like you, I'm waiting to see some reviews and chatter about these itineraries... I'm following ;p

Great itinerary you have chosen! Enjoy.

Well, Sorry I don't have any advice. My DW and I just started talking this weekend that we want to book a European/Mediterranean cruise for our 25th Anniversary in August 2019. But those itineraries are not opened up yet!!!

 

So, like you, I'm waiting to see some reviews and chatter about these itineraries... I'm following ;p

I was originally shooting for 2019, but I was browsing today and this was too good to pass up. Still it's a long, long way off. This is all very exciting and there's plenty of time to research and learn! Best of luck to you and your DW in your plans!

I was originally shooting for 2019, but I was browsing today and this was too good to pass up. Still it's a long, long way off. This is all very exciting and there's plenty of time to research and learn! Best of luck to you and your DW in your plans!

Thanks. We just got off Anthem on March 12th. I had booked that cruise on Cyber Monday of 2015 (461 days out) and that felt like an eternity. I can just imagine what this one is going to feel like. Maybe we'll just have to try and squeeze another one in between... maybe just a small one(yn)

Thanks. We just got off Anthem on March 12th. I had booked that cruise on Cyber Monday of 2015 (461 days out) and that felt like an eternity. I can just imagine what this one is going to feel like. Maybe we'll just have to try and squeeze another one in between... maybe just a small one(yn)

Oh - I have a cruise coming up this December on Adventure! With all my excitement, I forgot to mention -- so I do have that "squeezed" in cruise... I've booked cruises the last several years way ahead of time for good prices -- it is an ETERNITY. I just cross my fingers life doesn't throw any curve balls. This year, unfortunately, it did, but we still got to cruise - just wasn't as fun as it should have/could have been. So, definitely plan that in-between cruise -- I'm sure you won't have any problems finding one....

Hi, birdlord. You're going to love your Mediterranean cruise! My only suggestion (besides always cruising with a good attitude) is that you give serious consideration to using your Roll Call to set up or join a private tour, or tours, for your ports of call.

I can tell you from my experience doing an eastern Med. cruise twice (2012 and 2013) that our private tours were fantastic. For example, we put together a little group of 12-14 (I forget exact number) through our Roll Call for a private tour in Athens. Did the same thing when we visited the Roman ruins in Ephesus, Turkey.

For less than what the cruiseline charged for a tour we had a private van (small bus) and a private driver and guide who led us around and gave us important historical information and such. That made everything more enjoyable. It was COMFORTABLE.

We were done with our tour of the Parthenon and coming down the steps when hundreds of cruisers who used the cruise line's tour were pouring out of big busses. They didn't know what a great opportunity they had missed by not booking a private tour with follow passengers through the Roll Call.

You can see how we put our tours together if you search for posts by me. Probably about 5 or 6 pages into my history of posts but easy enough to find. Enjoy your cruise!.

I can tell you from my experience doing an eastern Med. cruise twice (2012 and 2013) that our private tours were fantastic. For example, we put together a little group of 12-14 (I forget exact number) through our Roll Call for a private tour in Athens. Did the same thing when we visited the Roman ruins in Ephesus, Turkey.

This is excellent advice... I do not think this would have ever occurred to me. This is MUCH more appealing to me than the ship's excursions. Wonderful. Thank you!

If you're sailing from Venice and you have a cabin with a porthole or a balcony, get one on the port side. You'll see a lot of the highlights of Venice as you sail out (you can go up on deck and see, but it gets really crowded on the port side so that's why I prefer my balcony on sail away).

If you're going to Rhodes or Santorini - I loved the cafes there and was able to get a nice coffee and some baklava at a reasonable price. In Santorini find a café that looks out over the water (the town is at the top of a huge cliff).

I've sailed to this region in September and it can still get quite hot - they don't have the sort of temperature let down that we get here in North America in September.

Most of all - enjoy - you'll have an amazing time!!

We're doing a back-to-back on Jewel this August, two 7-nighters, Greek Isles and Western Med. My suggestion is to use the Ports of Call boards here on CC. They contain a WEALTH of information, with cruisers from other lines as well as on RCCL. You will find lots of different viewpoints, and there are certain cruisers who always are ready with a reply to a question or problem. I've been compiling a Word document with tips and ideas for our cruise, and looking at it (and it's still ongoing) I can't believe what I've found out.

Enjoy your cruise, and I also second the idea of joining/creating a Roll Call.

Pat

My sister and I have also booked the Jewel for September 9th. Have always wanted to visit the Greek Isles, so we are very excited as well.

...give serious consideration to using your Roll Call to set up or join a private tour, or tours, for your ports of call.

The above advice is the best ever. 150 million percent I advise the same :D

If you're sailing from Venice and you have a cabin with a porthole or a balcony, get one on the port side.

Unless you are mobility challenged or injured, I disagree with the above. I feel that you need to be out on deck in my humble opinion. Viewing through a porthole??? Here's your port side porthole view.... No way!

Even in a balcony you can only see an approximate 180 degree view from left to right, and only either incoming or sailing away, not both being stuck on one side of the ship. Below are two viewpoints from elsewhere other than a balcony.

From deck 11 on Serenade just in front of the gym, and above the bridge on the most forward deck... entering Venice, you'd need to be on the Starboard side

From dead center of the Helipad on Serenade exiting Venice... leaving Venice, St Mark's is on the port side

We're doing a back-to-back on Jewel this August, two 7-nighters, Greek Isles and Western Med.

Hey vistapat. What weeks are you sailing (note my signature)? :D

Hi, birdlord. You're going to love your Mediterranean cruise! My only suggestion (besides always cruising with a good attitude) is that you give serious consideration to using your Roll Call to set up or join a private tour, or tours, for your ports of call...

That is a great plan. I would totally be on board with that. That is going in my Notes.

dp

P.S. Be sure to take vistapat's advice to study the Ports of Call section for Europe to get up-to-date info on reliable tour operators. These boards are a tremendous resource for cruising and planning the best cruise vacations.

dp

I just noticed your signature ....

"Yeah baby yeah!!" lmao!!! ;p

One last item from me for birdlord. If you want to get a feel for how we set up our private tours through the Roll Call check out our Roll Call from back in 2012, around March, I think is when we got started seriously researching and planning a private tour. The thread is kind of long -- fair number of cruisers participating -- but if you look through it you'll probably feel quite comfortable when planning the private tour(s) through your Roll Call. Here is the link to that thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1415469&page=7

Hoopster - we are on the August 13 and 20, 2017 legs. From your signature, we'll be leaving just when you arrive. We'll keep her nice and clean for you!

Pat

Enjoy your cruise.

I agree with the private tours. Read the boards for suggestions on private tour guides in Italy. We did the RCCL tours in Greece and they were good, but in Italy you will want a private guide! Have fun!! You are going to love it!

And I reserved an aft balcony - so I'm very excited!

First time ever travelling to Europe. First time on Jewel.

We are going September 9, 2018 on the Italy/Greek Islands 9 night. Any advice? Recommendations?

DH and I are on the Jewel May 6, 2017 out of Rome (Italy/Greece.) We have many members of our CC group who have set up assorted private tours in most ports. (Our cruise did include Ephesus but RC cancelled it about a moth ago and replaced it with Rhodes - we all went scrambling to find excursions.) One of our members also set up a google spread sheet which does seem to be more "user friendly" (easier to read thru for private excursions than our CC roll call - especially since CC no longer has "headers". ) You can look at our roll call and get an idea of some of the private excursions and companies we are using.

And I reserved an aft balcony - so I'm very excited!

First time ever travelling to Europe. First time on Jewel.

We are going September 9, 2018 on the Italy/Greek Islands 9 night. Any advice? Recommendations?

We did the Eastern Med in Sept. 2015, on the Splendour. It was our first time in Europe also.

We are planning the western 9 day in Oct 2018.

My advice would be to plan for tours using TripAdvisor or your roll call. We had great success going that route. We booked a private tour of our chosen spots on Santorini with a wonderful guide, expensive but worth it.

Have a great cruise!

And I reserved an aft balcony - so I'm very excited!

First time ever travelling to Europe. First time on Jewel.

We are going September 9, 2018 on the Italy/Greek Islands 9 night. Any advice? Recommendations?

We sailed the Mediterranean four years ago on Holland for our 10 year wedding anniversary. That region of the world is absolutely beautiful!! Enjoy!!! Main advice is research what you'd like to see in port and either book an excursion (what we did) or hire a cab to take you to these sites (one lady we met did this). Book excursions early as the good ones fill up. There's lots to see so get organized so you know what is where and you'll want to experience as much as you can. Example- cruise line had excursions that made me choose if I wanted to see the Amalfi coast or Mount Vesuvius. They were both must do activities. I wanted to see them both so I looked and found a ground tour (not associated with cruise line) that allowed me to see them both. This port is still one of our favorite memories of the trip! If you have an overnight pre or post cruise in Venice, stay at the Molina Stucky. It looks so beautiful and I opted against staying there but wish we had. Wander through the streets of Venice and be okay with getting lost. That's the only way to explore Venice. RELAX on your sea days because those port heavy European itineraries are exciting and tiring. You'll have a blast! Excited for you!!

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Just booked our 3rd Med cruise on the Jewel May 30, 2018. We have visited Rome, Athens, Messina, and Naples previously so if you have any questions, I will be happy to help in any way I can.

I just noticed your signature ....

"Yeah baby yeah!!" lmao!!! ;p

Thanks (y) When we boarded Anthem last week, I had modified the Luggage tags that stated Gold Member on them with the Goldmember movie title and Austin Powers on it... Sadly Nobody noticed :')

The Austin Powers car phone ringtone is also what I use on my cell phone. I know... I Know...:rolleyes:

dp

My sister and I have also booked the Jewel for September 9th. Have always wanted to visit the Greek Isles, so we are very excited as well.

Yay! So exciting!