first time Med cruise help us decide.

I we have a bucket list of places in the Med and would like to do a cruise so will combine the two. I have been overwhelmed by the options so though I would ask the experts. We are a couple in our 40's and our requirements are

7-10 days must visit Rome and Monte Carlo, would also like Malta and the Balearics if possible.

Flights included from London

travelling either May, june or September

ship:

all inclusive for everything. I would expect to pay a supplement for a top restaurant and spa treatments etc but for nothing else, including no tips.

I want cava or prosecco, house red wine, cocktails and selection of beers included

Adult only pool area at no extra cost

wi-fi

reasonably priced shore trips

good casual dining, don't mind wearing a jacket and trousers but no dinner jackets and I don't own a tie!

Good night life and music for our age group.

Basically if any of you have been to the Sandals Caribbean resorts I wan't that level of food and drink on a ship!

Sorry to be so demanding but I do not want to get it wrong.

Rob

You forgot to list your price requirements.

I would choose may or September to travel. May would be cooler that might be better for sight seeing.

Sounds like your best bet would be to avoid mass market cruise lines & go for the more exclusive lines like Saga, etc.

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Celebrity has some "specials" that include drinks and gratuity. We took the 14 day from Venice to Barcelona that meets some of your requirements. If you get a spa room you can enjoy the Persian Gardens the entire cruise. Good luck!

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Thanks for the info. We are a little young for SAGA yet. Budget £1500-£2000pp. Proplayer that Celebrity cruise ticks most of our boxes.

My wife wants to see the glamour of the south of France, and I wan't to see the history of Rome, and anything in between.

Rob

Look at O for small ship casual elegance. Cannot beat them for excellent food and ports. Alcohol package sometimes included. No dressy clothes necessary. May 11,17 Marina Rome-Barcelona 10N,, no sea days. Or stay on for total of 22 days ending in London. 7-10 days rather short for Med. Sept 29,17. Rivera Venice-MonteCarlo. Several more shorties embark from MonteCarlo. .

Go to http://www.cruisetimetables.com and pull up the Ports of Call list. Click on your 'must visit' ports, choose your time, and it will show you who is calling there, and their itineraries. Azamara Quest May 30 ticks all your itinerary boxes. EM

Look at O for small ship casual elegance. Cannot beat them for excellent food and ports. Alcohol package sometimes included. No dressy clothes necessary. May 11,17 Marina Rome-Barcelona 10N,, no sea days. Or stay on for total of 22 days ending in London. 7-10 days rather short for Med. Sept 29,17. Rivera Venice-MonteCarlo. Several more shorties embark from MonteCarlo. .

O (Oceania) is overpriced in my experience. I paid almost $2000 over price of other cruise lines for my first Med cruise on O. Sure it was all very nice, and the food was very fancy, although very short on fresh fruits and veg for what I prefer. Yeah, sure, you don't have to dress up on O, but you don't really have to dress up on most other lines now either. The ports are mostly the same.

O's big claim to fame is their staff to passenger ratio, but once you realize they have a lot of cabins with butlers hanging around, unless you have a butler, the service is standard. And they also claim their food is a cut above. Well, yes, if like rich sauces, large hunks of meat, and so on. I found the food was from a gentlemen's club in the sixties. Not to mention, everyone on board is old and affluent.

There are other less expensive cruises in the Med than O. And in the Med, you are ashore every day, all the time, if you're doing it right. It's not about the ship in the Med, it's about where you are every day.

We did a 1st class cruise from Barcelona last September on Brilliance of the sea a RCCL ship, you can take the bigger lines , but you pay extra for drinks etc, we both got drink package which is about 50 a day each, on board we had a Grand suite which gives you lots of perks including a really nice restaurant for breakfast and a lounge at night, then we had dinner is a specialty restaurant 8 of the 12 nights at a cost of about 25 per person per night, Our cruise had 9 stops including Monte Carlo and 5 stops in Italy including Rome. Shore excursions are tricky we arranged thru roll call for our cruise for private tours of between 6 and 10 people for most stops. ( We are also a Sandals fan and have done Sandals Whitehouse 3 times in last 5 years and I agree food there is better than most cruises MDR but not as good as specialty restaurants), I would do cruise in May, it was very warm on our September cruise and if you visit places like Vatican you can not wear shorts and it was very hot

Look at O for small ship casual elegance. Cannot beat them for excellent food and ports. Alcohol package sometimes included. No dressy clothes necessary. May 11,17 Marina Rome-Barcelona 10N,, no sea days. Or stay on for total of 22 days ending in London. 7-10 days rather short for Med. Sept 29,17. Rivera Venice-MonteCarlo. Several more shorties embark from MonteCarlo. .

Definitely Oceania. Cabin price includes airfare (or credit), specialty restaurants, wifi and choice of one of alcohol/excursions/OBC. And far better food/service than a Sandals resort.

However, 2000 € or $/person for a 10 day cruise on any premium or luxury line is unrealistic.

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