Europe 2016

Good morning!

My husband and I just recently came back from our first one week cruise to Bermuda and I think we might be hooked!

We are thinking about traveling to Europe July 2016. There are two boats that cruise during those times, Constellation and Equinox. We were just on the Summit which I hear is very similar to the Constellation. Has anyone been on both? Thoughts on the two?

I really want to see Italy, but with that being said any favorite itineraries?

Thanks!

Welcome to Cruise Critic! You will find a wealth of information here!

Having sailed on both classes of ship, I strongly encourage you to try one of the S Class ships, Solstice, Eclipse, Equinox, Silhouette, Reflection. The latter four usually spend the summers in and around Europe. The ships are gorgeous and a wonderful home to come back to in the evenings after a long day of touring.

Stamdard state rooms are 194 square feet and very comfortable, especially the bathrooms which are very well-designed. We've tried every class of cabin, but our favorite is a standard balcony cabin midship, making it easy to get everywhere. Just as an FYI, there are only two sets of elevators/stairs on these ships, as opposed to the three sets you experienced on Summit, which is why we prefer being close to the main set in the middle.

Happy sailing!

We've sailed on both of these ships, and each has its own plus + minuses. I would chose the ship based on itinerary. Constellation has some great itineraries next summer out of Venice - both Italy and the Adriatic.

How did you enjoy Summit? I think ship wise, I would prefer Equinox but unless it was an unusual Itinerary, Constellation takes the prize there and if you liked Summit, you'll be fine on Constellation. Just be warned, July in Italy is going to be hot and packed.

I really want to see Italy, but with that being said any favorite itineraries?

Thanks!

We were on Equinox this year, and we enjoyed the Med cruise very much. We are looking at doing a B2B in July in 2016. Equinox is a great ship. There are roll calls started for July 9th and 23rd if you want to check them out. :)

We were on Equinox this year, and we enjoyed the Med cruise very much. We are looking at doing a B2B in July in 2016. Equinox is a great ship. There are roll calls started for July 9th and 23rd if you want to check them out. :)

Equinox does 7-day cruises in mid-summer, so B2B would almost be a must. The itinerary beginning 23 July for a B2B does look excellent.

Equinox does 7-day cruises in mid-summer, so B2B would almost be a must. The itinerary beginning 23 July for a B2B does look excellent.

Wine-O,

Thanks for your input. I agree, too far to fly for 7 days. We would LOVE to do a B2B2B. ;)

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I did the Adriatic 10 day trip on the Constellation. It was a wonderful trip with many interesting ports, esp Montenegro and Croatia. The ship is fine, a little smaller and older than the S class but has been updated. We enjoyed the dining room and the Bistro on five.

We had the classic drink package and found the included water bottles were one of the best parts. We took a bottle each time we went off and no having to sign and wait. Since I get

cocktails in the Elite lounge I didn't need the included alcohol. Truly one of the most outstanding trips of my more than 30 cruises.

The best way to see Italy is on a land tour. The main cities that you want to see are Rome, Florence and Venice. You could also include the Naples area in that depending on how much time you have.

If you take a cruise, except for pre-cruise time, you will only have one day (actually a fraction of a day) in those cities.

Take 10 or 14 days, fly into Rome, spend about 5 days there, then down to Naples to see Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri and the Amalfi Coast (that is another 2-3 days), then back up to Florence for 3-4 days and end in Venice for 2-3 days.

If you take a cruise. Take one that starts in either Rome or Venice. Do a pre and post cruise stay in both.

Good morning!

 

My husband and I just recently came back from our first one week cruise to Bermuda and I think we might be hooked!

 

We are thinking about traveling to Europe July 2016. There are two boats that cruise during those times, Constellation and Equinox. We were just on the Summit which I hear is very similar to the Constellation. Has anyone been on both? Thoughts on the two?

 

I really want to see Italy, but with that being said any favorite itineraries?

 

Thanks!

I've done several cruise on BOTH classes of Celebrity ships...Both are excellent--Hard to say that one is better except the S-Class (Equinox) is newer...But both have a lot of simnilarities--very uncrowded, comfortable, etc.

We'll be on the Constellation again next July--for the "Running of the Bulls" cruise...round trip out of Barcelona, July 1...

As to Italy cruises, the best one we've done was a couple of summers ago on Silhouette...

It was a 13 night Venice to Rome--via Koper, Slovenia...Ravenna, Italy...Split, Croatia...Kotor, Montenegro...Dubrovnik, Croatia...Bari, Italy...Corfu, Greece...Malta...Catania, Sicily...Salerno, Italy...

We flew in to Milan about a week early and rented a car...Stayed a night in Milan, then drove into the Alps via Lake Como and St. Moritz to Merano, Italy...then down to Verona for a couple of nights...then to Padua...then to Venice to board the cruise. After the cruise, we rented another car in Civitavecchia and drove up to Florence for a couple of nights, then back to Rome for a couple of nights before flying home...

Great trip all the way around...We got to see pretty much all parts of Italy--from the Alps to Sicily...Got a lot of time on land...and on the ship...

That would be my recommendation: Find a cruise that does the Adriatic and starts and ends in Venice and/or Rome...and tack on a few days on either end...

Flying in early helps you catch up with travel fatigue, jet lag and time zone changes...and gives you a chance to see your embarkation city...Staying after allows you to see your disembarkation city...If you add more time, you can add those side trips...

That Adriatic itinerary is great--the Croatian/Montenegran stops are really outstanding...and Malta is breathtaking...

Good luck...

You must either start or end in Venice which means choosing a ship small enough to enter. We went on Connie this year, but, hand on heart, we prefered the S class.

Spoilt by the Silhouette!

Go to Venice at least 4 days before and have a wonderful experience. Rome the same. In both cities you can rent a flat and live like an Italian:D

Would be off in a flash . .

How did you enjoy Summit? I think ship wise, I would prefer Equinox but unless it was an unusual Itinerary, Constellation takes the prize there and if you liked Summit, you'll be fine on Constellation. Just be warned, July in Italy is going to be hot and packed.

We loved the Summit! Again it was our very first cruise and booked at last minute (6 days before it set sail!) so I don't have much to compare it to. We did have a few complaints, but nothing major.

Good morning!

 

My husband and I just recently came back from our first one week cruise to Bermuda and I think we might be hooked!

 

We are thinking about traveling to Europe July 2016. There are two boats that cruise during those times, Constellation and Equinox. We were just on the Summit which I hear is very similar to the Constellation. Has anyone been on both? Thoughts on the two?

 

I really want to see Italy, but with that being said any favorite itineraries?

 

Thanks!

What about Celebrity Reflection? It's newest S class ship and it has 2 great itineraries - 10 and 11 days in July 2016

To the OP, in choosing which cruise, I'd go by itinerary & time of year, not ship. I prefer to start or end in Rome so that you can get some good land time there pre or post cruise.

Is there a reason you're looking at a July trip? If you can avoid June thru September you'll miss the really bad heat, & crowds. :)

May & October are great times to go as you have plenty of daylight, great weather, & everything is open.

We've also made a few late November/Early December trips, you can run into bad weather, & some places will have many restaurants/bars not running at full speed or closed altogether.... still my favorite time to go though! Zero crowds, gorgeous Christmas decorations, but you can have bad weather & missed ports.

Have fun planning your trip, & prepare to go hopefully go back again & again. :)

I thought I'd give you something else to consider on selecting your cruise. If you embark, disembark or stop in Spain, you will be charged a high VAT tax. There have been many threads about it.

Different purchases are taxed at different rates. The VAT on bar sales and specialty restaurant cover charges is 8%, while the tax on items bought from retail shops on the ship is 18% and spa treatments can be taxed at either 8% or 18%, depending on the item.

Cruises that do a roundtrip itinerary from a Spanish port must charge the tax. Ships making a port of call in Spain are supposed to charge the tax while they are in port or in Spanish waters.

Last fall when we included Spain ports, which were just before ending in Lisbon, any charges on board the sea day were charged an additional Spanish VAT tax until we actually got off the ship in Lisbon. If you start in Spain, you'll pay the VAT tax on the entire cruise.

There is a further wrinkle. If the cruise visits a non-EU destination, such as Gibraltar or Tangier, the tax no longer applies.

That's a simple overview but if you plan on spending money on board, and the cost of things is important to you, you should understand how their VAT may affect your costs.

Two of my favorite cruises ever - Adriatic 2013 November Rome RT, and 2015 October Constellation Holy Land cruise from Istanbul. Would happily do the Adriatic again even though prices have about doubled from what I paid. And I am going back to Istanbul and Israel on the Holy Land cruise again next October, assuming things do not get too crazy over there.

You could not drag me to the Mediterranean in the summer. my friends just came back from a cruise there and said it was 100+ every day with huge crowds and mosquitos everywhere. So I would advise to go in off season if you possibly can as it is so much nicer, cool weather and less crowded by far. I remember the first time I saw Venice was in July and I never wanted to return. Until I went back one year in April...what a difference! Now it is one of my favorite cities.

As for the ships, I enjoyed both Silhouette as well as Connie. Each has its pluses and minuses depending on what you are looking for. I liked the smaller Connie but the ship is not as glitzy and I am not crazy about the layout of the Oceanview Cafe. Silhouette is one of my favorite ships but is about 1/3 larger so more passengers. But it still never feels crowded for some reason.

I've got to jump back in here on this issue that some keep bringing up about not going to the Med in Summer...

I have traveled to the Med--by cruise and otherwise--a great many times...and most of the time it has been during the summer--largely because my wife works for the school district and that is the only time she can go on a long vacation...

Reports of it being undesirable are largely exaggerated...

First of all, in all of our trips, it has rarely been "over 100 every day"...Yes, it can be warm...and we have experienced a couple of instances of 100+ weather--most memorably one port visit to Seville from Cadiz. Seville is considerably inland. Temperatures on the water and near the coast are much more temperate. The climate in most of the Med is very similar to what we have at home in Southern California...IOW, hot, but dry--with very little humidity in the summer months...and, virtually no rain. Skies are blue and your photos come out beautifully...

As to Mosquitoes (??), I have NEVER seen them in all of my many trips. Mosquitos tend to breed in muggy weather in pools of standing water...Not exactly your standard Mediterranean landscape or climate...

As to crowds, yes, some places can be a little crowded...but it's not at all unbearable...It's never like the crowds you will find at Disney World or Disneyland...There are people there because people love to vacation in this part of the world in the summer...But, there are lots of places to go--Yes, you may find a line at the Vatican or at San Marco in Venice...but there are also lots of places to visit off the beaten track...and we've never been deterred from sites due to lines...In fact, if you do the Vatican with a tour or a tour guide, they can bypass the lines for you...

Just always remember--dress appropriately, wear sunscreen, bring a hat...and a bottle of water (If it's really hot, I will often pack an insulated bottle with ice before I leave the ship...also remember, it is civilization--you can always stop into a cafe for a cold drink)...

Yes, if you can get away in May, you likely get smaller crowds and a little cooler weather...You also get some lower prices...But, not everyone can get away in May...

I will take the hottest July cruising the Med over staying home every time...

I've got to jump back in here on this issue that some keep bringing up about not going to the Med in Summer...

 

I have traveled to the Med--by cruise and otherwise--a great many times...and most of the time it has been during the summer--largely because my wife works for the school district and that is the only time she can go on a long vacation...

 

Reports of it being undesirable are largely exaggerated...

First of all, in all of our trips, it has rarely been "over 100 every day"...Yes, it can be warm...and we have experienced a couple of instances of 100+ weather--most memorably one port visit to Seville from Cadiz. Seville is considerably inland. Temperatures on the water and near the coast are much more temperate. The climate in most of the Med is very similar to what we have at home in Southern California...IOW, hot, but dry--with very little humidity in the summer months...and, virtually no rain. Skies are blue and your photos come out beautifully...

As to Mosquitoes (??), I have NEVER seen them in all of my many trips. Mosquitos tend to breed in muggy weather in pools of standing water...Not exactly your standard Mediterranean landscape or climate...

 

As to crowds, yes, some places can be a little crowded...but it's not at all unbearable...It's never like the crowds you will find at Disney World or Disneyland...There are people there because people love to vacation in this part of the world in the summer...But, there are lots of places to go--Yes, you may find a line at the Vatican or at San Marco in Venice...but there are also lots of places to visit off the beaten track...and we've never been deterred from sites due to lines...In fact, if you do the Vatican with a tour or a tour guide, they can bypass the lines for you...

 

Just always remember--dress appropriately, wear sunscreen, bring a hat...and a bottle of water (If it's really hot, I will often pack an insulated bottle with ice before I leave the ship...also remember, it is civilization--you can always stop into a cafe for a cold drink)...

 

Yes, if you can get away in May, you likely get smaller crowds and a little cooler weather...You also get some lower prices...But, not everyone can get away in May...

 

I will take the hottest July cruising the Med over staying home every time...

Steve, I like your attitude. We are Southerners and going to the MED in Summer is like going home. More shorts to wear, but you have to wash more, since one day is about all you get out of a set of clothes. Not like going to Scandinavia.