PLEASE HELP!! - Questions about Mediterranean Cruises

[will773]

My family is thinking about going to Europe next summer after I graduate high school. My sister and me have both been to Paris, and my sister is going again in May, and my dad went to Switzerland, but that was about 20 years ago, if not longer. My sister and I both want to go on a cruise, but my parents aren't so sure, so I have a few questions. Any answers would be very helpful, as we all have only done Caribbean cruises before. Btw, I will be 18 next summer and my sister will be turning 23 at the end of June, 2013, if that gives you any more info to work from.

 

1. Is a cruise the right thing to do? My viewpoint is that we would get to stay on the ship and visit many different countries and just get a taste of what Europe is like, without having to be stuck in one city. My mom seems to think the other way, so we're not so sure what we want to do yet.

 

2. If we don't do a cruise, what cities would you recommend for a family that has never really been to Europe before? We can probably take out Paris, as both me and my sister have been there at least once, but where else should we go? Should we just go to once city and stay there the whole time, or should we go to a couple of different cities?

 

3. If we decide to do a cruise, which would you recommend? Eastern/Western Med, Greek Isles? I personally LOVE the Independence Italian Med itinerary, but that might be a bit too long/expensive for us. There are also several 12 nighters this year that are appealing as well, but I guess I'll have to wait for the next couple of weeks for the itineraries to come out for next summer.

 

4. Is it really all about the ports? I always hear that people say Med cruises are all about the ports and that the ship doesn't really matter. I have only been on Royal's mega ships, and I feel as though I would miss having all of the amenities, but would consider doing a Radiance class ship for the med. Would it really be that big of a deal?

 

5. If it really isn't all about the ships, then would it be a culture shock to try Carnival? They have their itineraries up for next summer and there is an awesome 12 nighter out of Barcelona, but the fact that it's on Carnival makes me shiver a little. My parents have taken a few Carnival cruises, and think it's fine, but even my mom seemed a little disappointed after I told her that it was on Carnival.

 

6. I think I already know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway. Say a cruise leaves from Barcelona or Rome, would most activities take place in Spanish or Italian? I would think no, but just double-checking.

 

7. Kind of similar to the last question; are the activities onboard generally the same as Caribbean sailings? Do they still do things such as Quest and the Love and Marriage show or the belly flop contest. I'm sure they do trivia and things like that, but I honestly have no idea.

 

8. This is a totally random question, but do ships blow their horns in the Mediterranean!? I've watched tons of videos and I can't seem to find any where there are ships blowing their horns! Not like it would be a blow (pardon the pun :p ) to our vacation, but I'm just curious.

 

Sorry for all the writing, but thank you in advance for any answers that I can get!

[marci22]

We did a 12 night Brilliance in 2008 and my teens loved it. (Serenade now does this itinerary) Lots of good ports and easy arrival/departure from Barcelona.

 

This is a tiring itinerary so I wouldn't worry about being bored on Radiance class. I gave my kids curfews when we had a port the next morning but they were still sleeping on some of the bus/cab rides.

 

I would definitely consider Carnival if the itinerary is good (although I have never been on Carnival). If you can save money and do a better itinerary I think it is worth it.

 

I remember announcements being made in several languages, but activities were in English (maybe Spanish as well).

[CruisinGerman]

Greetings from Madrid. We think a cruise is a great idea. Since you probably can't (and shouldn't) arrive the same day of the cruise, make sure to combine the cruise with a pre and or post land stay -- that way you will have the best of both worlds.

 

If you have Civitavecchia in the middle of your cruise as a port of call, it is very difficult and tiresome to do Rome in one day. So if you took a cruise that left from Rome or ended in Rome, you could do a few days there.

 

No, the ship really doesn't matter if your goal is sightseeing in Europe. And a Carnival ship (especially the new ones) is fine in Europe -- it attracts a lot of European families, and not necessarily a Florida party crowd. We've been on the whole lot in Europe -- from Silversea and Crystal, to NCL and Royal Caribbean, to Carnival.

 

Don't hesitate to ask any other questions.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[shareen3]

I'm no expert on Med Cruises, esp since me & my BF (26 & 28 y/o if that helps) will be on our 1st one this May. (even though I have cruised many times in the Caribbean) We are leaving from Barcelona and doing 1 stop in Cannes and 2 stops in Italy (Rome & Florence/Pisa) Its the short 5 day one... because of time off at my job, we had to go with only the 5 day this time. Since you can do a cruise for a longer period of time - do it! 12 days will be fantastic.

 

Carnival is an excellent cruise line & you should have no worries about it because honestly - it is all about the ports. I would not reccommend doing any Greek islands on a cruise, I feel as Greece has so much to see & do you can easily spend a week there alone.

 

Even though we are leaving from Barcelona, everything will be in English so I would assume the same for the Italy port. There are always translators.

[Paulxyz2004]

My family is thinking about going to Europe next summer after I graduate high school. My sister and me have both been to Paris, and my sister is going again in May, and my dad went to Switzerland, but that was about 20 years ago, if not longer. My sister and I both want to go on a cruise, but my parents aren't so sure, so I have a few questions. Any answers would be very helpful, as we all have only done Caribbean cruises before. Btw, I will be 18 next summer and my sister will be turning 23 at the end of June, 2013, if that gives you any more info to work from.

 

1. Is a cruise the right thing to do? My viewpoint is that we would get to stay on the ship and visit many different countries and just get a taste of what Europe is like, without having to be stuck in one city. My mom seems to think the other way, so we're not so sure what we want to do yet.

 

2. If we don't do a cruise, what cities would you recommend for a family that has never really been to Europe before? We can probably take out Paris, as both me and my sister have been there at least once, but where else should we go? Should we just go to once city and stay there the whole time, or should we go to a couple of different cities?

 

3. If we decide to do a cruise, which would you recommend? Eastern/Western Med, Greek Isles? I personally LOVE the Independence Italian Med itinerary, but that might be a bit too long/expensive for us. There are also several 12 nighters this year that are appealing as well, but I guess I'll have to wait for the next couple of weeks for the itineraries to come out for next summer.

 

4. Is it really all about the ports? I always hear that people say Med cruises are all about the ports and that the ship doesn't really matter. I have only been on Royal's mega ships, and I feel as though I would miss having all of the amenities, but would consider doing a Radiance class ship for the med. Would it really be that big of a deal?

 

5. If it really isn't all about the ships, then would it be a culture shock to try Carnival? They have their itineraries up for next summer and there is an awesome 12 nighter out of Barcelona, but the fact that it's on Carnival makes me shiver a little. My parents have taken a few Carnival cruises, and think it's fine, but even my mom seemed a little disappointed after I told her that it was on Carnival.

 

6. I think I already know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway. Say a cruise leaves from Barcelona or Rome, would most activities take place in Spanish or Italian? I would think no, but just double-checking.

 

7. Kind of similar to the last question; are the activities onboard generally the same as Caribbean sailings? Do they still do things such as Quest and the Love and Marriage show or the belly flop contest. I'm sure they do trivia and things like that, but I honestly have no idea.

 

8. This is a totally random question, but do ships blow their horns in the Mediterranean!? I've watched tons of videos and I can't seem to find any where there are ships blowing their horns! Not like it would be a blow (pardon the pun :p ) to our vacation, but I'm just curious.

 

Sorry for all the writing, but thank you in advance for any answers that I can get!

 

1. Both you and your Mom are right. IMO a cruise - regardless of where it goes - will never get you the real experience of a place, but always only a taste of a place you visited. So if you want to get to experience a country, go on a land based trip.

 

2. Again, the longer you stay in one city, the better you will get to know the place. It´s hard to recommend cities, as there are just too many worth visiting.

 

3. I couldn´t really say if I´d prefer eastern or western, but as you´ve only put out the Med. I´d have to throw in some northern itineraries like Blatics and Norwegian Fjords or Brithish Isles. Personally I like the northern ones even better than med.

 

4. I´m not the one to answer this as Radiance is my favourite class and I don´t even use any of the extras anyway. However the more port intensive I´d say the less important are ship amenities.

 

5. Can´t say anything about Carnival other than have never cruised with them for personal opinion not likely to do in the future.

 

6. Not on the ones I´ve been on

 

7. Depends on the CD, but yeah mostly same ol stuff.

 

8. Never paid attention to it, I´d say it depends on Captain and sometimes restrictions of the port authority.

[hubofhockey]

My family is thinking about going to Europe next summer after I graduate high school. My sister and me have both been to Paris, and my sister is going again in May, and my dad went to Switzerland, but that was about 20 years ago, if not longer. My sister and I both want to go on a cruise, but my parents aren't so sure, so I have a few questions. Any answers would be very helpful, as we all have only done Caribbean cruises before. Btw, I will be 18 next summer and my sister will be turning 23 at the end of June, 2013, if that gives you any more info to work from.

 

1. Is a cruise the right thing to do? My viewpoint is that we would get to stay on the ship and visit many different countries and just get a taste of what Europe is like, without having to be stuck in one city. My mom seems to think the other way, so we're not so sure what we want to do yet. I agree with you. We took our kids this summer to get a taste of the Med. They got a chance to see so many great things and places. It gave them a different perspective of the world.

 

2. If we don't do a cruise, what cities would you recommend for a family that has never really been to Europe before? We can probably take out Paris, as both me and my sister have been there at least once, but where else should we go? Should we just go to once city and stay there the whole time, or should we go to a couple of different cities?

 

3. If we decide to do a cruise, which would you recommend? Eastern/Western Med, Greek Isles? I personally LOVE the Independence Italian Med itinerary, but that might be a bit too long/expensive for us. There are also several 12 nighters this year that are appealing as well, but I guess I'll have to wait for the next couple of weeks for the itineraries to come out for next summer. If this is a huge trip, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the brand new Princess ship, the Royal Princess, which is taking over the Ruby Princess' Grand Med itinerary. It starts or ends in Venice and Barcelona. In between, you get a Greek Island (Mykonos), Kusadasi (for Ephesus, Turkey), Istanbul, Athens, Livorno (for Florence), Rome, Naples (for Amalfi Coast/Pompeii or Capri), and a port near Provence, France. You could spend a couple days or more in both Venice and Barcelona. It's an amazing itinerary.

 

4. Is it really all about the ports? I always hear that people say Med cruises are all about the ports and that the ship doesn't really matter. I have only been on Royal's mega ships, and I feel as though I would miss having all of the amenities, but would consider doing a Radiance class ship for the med. Would it really be that big of a deal? You will have sea days and that will depend on the itinerary you choose. The ship is still important. If you do choose RCI (and avoid my advice on the new Royal Princess), I believe the Liberty has a Med itinerary.

 

5. If it really isn't all about the ships, then would it be a culture shock to try Carnival? They have their itineraries up for next summer and there is an awesome 12 nighter out of Barcelona, but the fact that it's on Carnival makes me shiver a little. My parents have taken a few Carnival cruises, and think it's fine, but even my mom seemed a little disappointed after I told her that it was on Carnival. Carnival, starting next year, will be sending older ships to the Med. If it were last year (Magic) or this year (Breeze), I would recommend. But I am not a big fan of their older ships. They are refurbishing the very old Carnival Destiny and rebranding it the Carnival Sunshine. Still . . . . .

 

6. I think I already know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway. Say a cruise leaves from Barcelona or Rome, would most activities take place in Spanish or Italian? I would think no, but just double-checking. English

 

7. Kind of similar to the last question; are the activities onboard generally the same as Caribbean sailings? Do they still do things such as Quest and the Love and Marriage show or the belly flop contest. I'm sure they do trivia and things like that, but I honestly have no idea.

 

8. This is a totally random question, but do ships blow their horns in the Mediterranean!? I've watched tons of videos and I can't seem to find any where there are ships blowing their horns! Not like it would be a blow (pardon the pun :p ) to our vacation, but I'm just curious. don't remember. i doubt they would be crazy about it in venice.

 

Sorry for all the writing, but thank you in advance for any answers that I can get!

 

Have a great time.

[nelblu]

We've done 2 Serenade's cruises out of Barcelona and included Venice as part of the itinerary. We absolutely love this version as it includes an overnite stay in Venice. Seeing this huge ship aproaching the Grand Canal and observing these little ants (people) gathering in St. Mark's Square from our balcony or the Viking Crown Lounge, is absolutely exciting. We are planning on a third one with the same itinerary and as my wife says once the tour(s) is over and you are back on the Ship is like being home again (US).

[will773]

1. I agree with you. We took our kids this summer to get a taste of the Med. They got a chance to see so many great things and places. It gave them a different perspective of the world.

 

3. If this is a huge trip, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the brand new Princess ship, the Royal Princess, which is taking over the Ruby Princess' Grand Med itinerary. It starts or ends in Venice and Barcelona. In between, you get a Greek Island (Mykonos), Kusadasi (for Ephesus, Turkey), Istanbul, Athens, Livorno (for Florence), Rome, Naples (for Amalfi Coast/Pompeii or Capri), and a port near Provence, France. You could spend a couple days or more in both Venice and Barcelona. It's an amazing itinerary.

 

4. You will have sea days and that will depend on the itinerary you choose. The ship is still important. If you do choose RCI (and avoid my advice on the new Royal Princess), I believe the Liberty has a Med itinerary.

 

5. Carnival, starting next year, will be sending older ships to the Med. If it were last year (Magic) or this year (Breeze), I would recommend. But I am not a big fan of their older ships. They are refurbishing the very old Carnival Destiny and rebranding it the Carnival Sunshine. Still . . . . .

 

6. English

 

8. don't remember. i doubt they would be crazy about it in venice.

 

Thank you for your answers!

 

3. This would definitely be a huge trip! And I know that we will enjoy whatever we do! I don't think Princess has released their itineraries yet for next year in the Med. I checked yesterday and it was just Baltics and some ridiculous 40+ day one!

 

4. I would love to go on the Liberty, but I'm not sure if 7 days will be long enough. I know that sounds snotty, but I don't think we want to travel all that way just for another 7 night cruise. That's why I really love the 14 nighters on the Independence. That might be too expensive though! UGH!

 

5. The "revamped" Sunshine is the ship that I would be interested. The itinerary is awesome (in my opinion):

 

Barcelona, Spain

Monaco

Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

Naples, Italy

Fun Day at Sea

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Venice, Italy

Venice, Italy

Fun Day at Sea

Messina (Sicily), Italy

Fun Day at Sea

Barcelona, Spain

 

Thanks again for your responses!

[will773]

1. Both you and your Mom are right. IMO a cruise - regardless of where it goes - will never get you the real experience of a place, but always only a taste of a place you visited. So if you want to get to experience a country, go on a land based trip.

 

2. Again, the longer you stay in one city, the better you will get to know the place. It´s hard to recommend cities, as there are just too many worth visiting.

 

3. I couldn´t really say if I´d prefer eastern or western, but as you´ve only put out the Med. I´d have to throw in some northern itineraries like Blatics and Norwegian Fjords or Brithish Isles. Personally I like the northern ones even better than med.

 

4. I´m not the one to answer this as Radiance is my favourite class and I don´t even use any of the extras anyway. However the more port intensive I´d say the less important are ship amenities.

 

5. Can´t say anything about Carnival other than have never cruised with them for personal opinion not likely to do in the future.

 

6. Not on the ones I´ve been on

 

7. Depends on the CD, but yeah mostly same ol stuff.

 

8. Never paid attention to it, I´d say it depends on Captain and sometimes restrictions of the port authority.

 

1. Yea, I know, but they're still so much fun!

 

2. There are WAY too many places to go! Wish I could just live there!

 

3. The Baltics are definitely intriguing, but I don't think that those itineraries fit our family, at least not yet.

 

4. I would definitely consider doing a Radiance class ship! Haven't heard anything bad about them. I just think I would miss the Promenade. Don't know unless you try it I guess.

 

Thanks for your answers!

[will773]

We did a 12 night Brilliance in 2008 and my teens loved it. (Serenade now does this itinerary) Lots of good ports and easy arrival/departure from Barcelona.

 

This is a tiring itinerary so I wouldn't worry about being bored on Radiance class. I gave my kids curfews when we had a port the next morning but they were still sleeping on some of the bus/cab rides.

 

I would definitely consider Carnival if the itinerary is good (although I have never been on Carnival). If you can save money and do a better itinerary I think it is worth it.

 

I remember announcements being made in several languages, but activities were in English (maybe Spanish as well).

 

Thanks for your answers. Those 12 nighters look awesome! I think that is probably what we would wind up doing. I posted the Carnival itinerary a couple of posts back. I would definitely give a Radiance class ship a try.

[will773]

Greetings from Madrid. We think a cruise is a great idea. Since you probably can't (and shouldn't) arrive the same day of the cruise, make sure to combine the cruise with a pre and or post land stay -- that way you will have the best of both worlds.

 

If you have Civitavecchia in the middle of your cruise as a port of call, it is very difficult and tiresome to do Rome in one day. So if you took a cruise that left from Rome or ended in Rome, you could do a few days there.

 

No, the ship really doesn't matter if your goal is sightseeing in Europe. And a Carnival ship (especially the new ones) is fine in Europe -- it attracts a lot of European families, and not necessarily a Florida party crowd. We've been on the whole lot in Europe -- from Silversea and Crystal, to NCL and Royal Caribbean, to Carnival.

 

Don't hesitate to ask any other questions.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

Thanks for your response. I know that Rome can be difficult, but I think that we might want to do something longer than 7 nights, and those don't go from Rome.

 

I know that the ship isn't the most important thing, but what about sea days? I know that there aren't usually many sea days on Med cruises, but wouldn't it help to be on a bigger ship?

[will773]

We've done 2 Serenade's cruises out of Barcelona and included Venice as part of the itinerary. We absolutely love this version as it includes an overnite stay in Venice. Seeing this huge ship aproaching the Grand Canal and observing these little ants (people) gathering in St. Mark's Square from our balcony or the Viking Crown Lounge, is absolutely exciting. We are planning on a third one with the same itinerary and as my wife says once the tour(s) is over and you are back on the Ship is like being home again (US).

 

I really like these itineraries! I can't wait to see what they have for next summer.

[macrompian1]

My family is thinking about going to Europe next summer after I graduate high school. My sister and me have both been to Paris, and my sister is going again in May, and my dad went to Switzerland, but that was about 20 years ago, if not longer. My sister and I both want to go on a cruise, but my parents aren't so sure, so I have a few questions. Any answers would be very helpful, as we all have only done Caribbean cruises before. Btw, I will be 18 next summer and my sister will be turning 23 at the end of June, 2013, if that gives you any more info to work from.

 

1. Is a cruise the right thing to do? My viewpoint is that we would get to stay on the ship and visit many different countries and just get a taste of what Europe is like, without having to be stuck in one city. My mom seems to think the other way, so we're not so sure what we want to do yet.

 

2. If we don't do a cruise, what cities would you recommend for a family that has never really been to Europe before? We can probably take out Paris, as both me and my sister have been there at least once, but where else should we go? Should we just go to once city and stay there the whole time, or should we go to a couple of different cities?

 

3. If we decide to do a cruise, which would you recommend? Eastern/Western Med, Greek Isles? I personally LOVE the Independence Italian Med itinerary, but that might be a bit too long/expensive for us. There are also several 12 nighters this year that are appealing as well, but I guess I'll have to wait for the next couple of weeks for the itineraries to come out for next summer.

 

4. Is it really all about the ports? I always hear that people say Med cruises are all about the ports and that the ship doesn't really matter. I have only been on Royal's mega ships, and I feel as though I would miss having all of the amenities, but would consider doing a Radiance class ship for the med. Would it really be that big of a deal?

 

5. If it really isn't all about the ships, then would it be a culture shock to try Carnival? They have their itineraries up for next summer and there is an awesome 12 nighter out of Barcelona, but the fact that it's on Carnival makes me shiver a little. My parents have taken a few Carnival cruises, and think it's fine, but even my mom seemed a little disappointed after I told her that it was on Carnival.

 

6. I think I already know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway. Say a cruise leaves from Barcelona or Rome, would most activities take place in Spanish or Italian? I would think no, but just double-checking.

 

7. Kind of similar to the last question; are the activities onboard generally the same as Caribbean sailings? Do they still do things such as Quest and the Love and Marriage show or the belly flop contest. I'm sure they do trivia and things like that, but I honestly have no idea.

 

8. This is a totally random question, but do ships blow their horns in the Mediterranean!? I've watched tons of videos and I can't seem to find any where there are ships blowing their horns! Not like it would be a blow (pardon the pun :p ) to our vacation, but I'm just curious.

 

Sorry for all the writing, but thank you in advance for any answers that I can get!

 

Hi, How about flying into Dublin Ireland for a couple of days,it's great place to start and get over jet lag , then fly into Rome, the flights are fairly inexpensive if you book far enough out and take a 12 night med cruise from there, just a suggestion.:)

[will773]

Hi, How about flying into Dublin Ireland for a couple of days,it's great place to start and get over jet lag , then fly into Rome, the flights are fairly inexpensive if you book far enough out and take a 12 night med cruise from there, just a suggestion.:)

 

I haven't seen any 12 nighters from Rome. Are there any?

[hubofhockey]

The Royal Princess itineraries are up now. The June 23 cruise begins in Barcelona an ends in Venice and has the ports I listed above. I would choose it over Carnival any time. We have done the Princess Grand Med and a Med on Carnival. Princess has a better itinerary, better ship, more to do, better service, and real port lecturers. Of course, it will cost more. We loved the ports on our Carnival cruise. We took the kids (13&11) because of the price and that it was a new ship. We had a good time, but that didn't relate to Carnival. Istanbul is an incredible port and the chance to be on the Acropolis in Athens is pretty special as well. Any cruise that gets you Rome, Venice, Athens, Istanbul, Florence, and Barcelona gets my vote.

 

Crown Princess this year and Ruby next year are 12-nighters from Rome (civitavecchia).

[macrompian1]

I haven't seen any 12 nighters from Rome. Are there any?

 

from Hubofhockeys post.

Crown Princess this year and Ruby next year are 12-nighters from Rome (civitavecchia).

[will773]

The Royal Princess itineraries are up now. The June 23 cruise begins in Barcelona an ends in Venice and has the ports I listed above. I would choose it over Carnival any time. We have done the Princess Grand Med and a Med on Carnival. Princess has a better itinerary, better ship, more to do, better service, and real port lecturers. Of course, it will cost more. We loved the ports on our Carnival cruise. We took the kids (13&11) because of the price and that it was a new ship. We had a good time, but that didn't relate to Carnival. Istanbul is an incredible port and the chance to be on the Acropolis in Athens is pretty special as well. Any cruise that gets you Rome, Venice, Athens, Istanbul, Florence, and Barcelona gets my vote.

 

Crown Princess this year and Ruby next year are 12-nighters from Rome (civitavecchia).

 

Hmm... I'll go look at those now! Thanks for the heads up!

[will773]

from Hubofhockeys post.

Crown Princess this year and Ruby next year are 12-nighters from Rome (civitavecchia).

 

Thanks. I'm gonna go check them out now.

[FreshOffTheBoat]

I did a 13 night last September to the eastern Med. and it was a really great cruise. I saw so many things that I didn't think I would maybe ever see. I am glad I did the cruise I had lots of fun, saw some really cool things and the weather (water temp. in greece were awesoem for swimming as well)was the best in September. I am 26, I went with my Wife and my parents.

 

The countries I saw were, Italy (3 stops, Rome, Naples, and Sicily), Israel (2 stops), Greece (3 stops, Athens, Crete, and Rhodes), and Turkey (1 stop).

[will773]

That is an awesome itinerary! And it's on the new ship!

 

Barcelona, Spain

At sea

Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy

Rome (Civitaveccia), Italy

Naples, Italy (for Capri & Pompeii)

At sea

Mykonos, Greece

Istanbul, Turkey

Kusadasi, Turkey (for Ephesus)

Athens (Piraeus), Greece

At sea

Venice, Italy

Venice, Itay

 

However, starting at $2,300 pp for an inside cabin...it's probably a budget buster. :rolleyes:

[CruisinGerman]

If you are lucky enough to have so many days, why don't you try two cruises -- you need to look very carefully at the itineraries and cruise lines.

 

For example we have done:

 

7 nights roundtrip Venice on NCL Gem, and then 7 nights from Venice to Athens on the Silversea Spirit.

 

12 nights Queen Victoria Venice to Barcelona, then 7 nights NCL Gem roundtrip Barcelona.

 

RCCL Liberty roundtrip Barcelona then Silversea Spirit, etc.

 

That may vary your trip a bit and make it more interesting.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[will773]

If you are lucky enough to have so many days, why don't you try two cruises -- you need to look very carefully at the itineraries and cruise lines.

 

For example we have done:

 

7 nights roundtrip Venice on NCL Gem, and then 7 nights from Venice to Athens on the Silversea Spirit.

 

12 nights Queen Victoria Venice to Barcelona, then 7 nights NCL Gem roundtrip Barcelona.

 

RCCL Liberty roundtrip Barcelona then Silversea Spirit, etc.

 

That may vary your trip a bit and make it more interesting.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

That's a very good suggestion, however, I think we may have 2 weeks max, and would rather just spend that time onboard one ship, or in the same city.

[nyyhoneybee]

If your max is 14 days, I would really recommend flying out 2 or 3 days before the cruise so you can get adjusted to the time difference & enjoy the city your in, a 7 or 12 night cruise and if you do a 7 night cruise, spend a few days in the city after or go to a near by city. This way you combine the cruise with a land base.

 

That is what my husband and I are doing in August. 4 days in Barcelona, 7 day cruise (3 stops in Italy, 2 in France) and then taking the night train to Paris to spend 3 days there.

[will773]

If your max is 14 days, I would really recommend flying out 2 or 3 days before the cruise so you can get adjusted to the time difference & enjoy the city your in, a 7 or 12 night cruise and if you do a 7 night cruise, spend a few days in the city after or go to a near by city. This way you combine the cruise with a land base.

 

That is what my husband and I are doing in August. 4 days in Barcelona, 7 day cruise (3 stops in Italy, 2 in France) and then taking the night train to Paris to spend 3 days there.

 

This sounds great! I think if we can find a good 12 nigher out of Barcelona then that's what we would do! Have a great trip, Paris is awesome!

[nyyhoneybee]

This sounds great! I think if we can find a good 12 nigher out of Barcelona then that's what we would do! Have a great trip, Paris is awesome!

 

NCL has this for a 12 day, and they do it in reverse also. I almost considered it for this year but it will be my husband's first cruise so I figured 7days was better: Barcelona, Spain, Provence (Toulon), France, Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy, Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, Naples, Italy, Mykonos, Greece, Istanbul, Turkey, Ephesus (Izmir), Turkey, Athens (Piraeus), Greece, Venice, Italy

 

Thanks, we are looking forward to it. We will spend our one year anniversary there.

 

Europe is totally new for him and I've only been to Rome so this trip is going to be pretty awesome.