What is the best European cruise ship you've been on??

[Monarch523]

I am considering taking a cruise throughout Europe but have NO idea what cruise lines are the most popular. I have only cruised on Carnival and my upcoming cruise will only be my second. I have a wonderful opportunity to travel with friends and we are clueless as to what Cruise line would be the most pleasureable experience. Any suggestions??

[CruiserBruce]

Why do you want to go on the "most popular"? As European cruises are very port intensive, the ship matters a lot less than it may in any other locations. There are many very popular cruise lines in Europe.

 

Second, if nothing else, you should probably go on the cruise line you are comfortable with, or, if you are confident and comfortable, you should go on the one whose itinerary suits you best.

 

In this vein, Carnival doesn't have a large presence in Europe, so your choices will be limited.

 

So, lets start with questions for you. Where in Europe do you want to go? When can you go, and for how long?

Edited May 2, 2014 by CruiserBruce

[LHT28]

Do you want a North American based cruise line, a UK based cruise line European based cruise line

 

Most go to Europe & have a different demographic

Do you want basic, upscale etc..

 

Maybe asking your TA if you use one

[SelectSys]

Since you seem comfortable with Carnival, why not take another similar mass-market style line based out of the USA. I think Celebrity has some good values. I have been on RCCL and was happy with the experience and, since I was always travelling with kids, they enjoyed it as well.

 

As was discussed above, think about the ports and type of cruise you want. We preferred the med over the Baltic, but again that is personal preference. If you do go, I would suggest either a pre- or post-cruise stay on land to get more of an immersive experience than is available simply by going on a cruise.

 

Good luck!

[Grannycb]

The number one best European cruise we've taken was on Pacific Princess. The itinerary was packed with interesting places and the ship was a delight. It's a very small ship. The larger Princess ships are great too. We especially enjoy their port lecturers on those.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The ship is not important to us.

The itinerary is more important.

You all need to sit down and discuss which ports are important to you.

[iancal]

We have done Celebrity Constellation (my favourite cruise), Silhouette, and Equinox.

 

We did not select Celebrity specifically although they were all very good cruises.

 

We narrowed down the itinerary, selected 2 or 3 ships, and then waited until our price hit. We generally book just outside or just inside the final payment date since we are very flexible.

 

Keep in mind that on a port intensive cruise, you will be not be on the ship as often as usual.

[dorisis]

i would choose Oceania. Wonderful ships and itineraries.

[Life is Good Cruising]

The Mediterranean was my favorite cruise of all time, loved it so much booked a similar one the following year and desperately want to go back to the Med. again.

 

As another poster indicated, it is the itinerary/ports of call that matters, not the ship.

 

The ship we were on was Brilliance of the Sea, as pretty as she is with all her glass, the ship had no influence on our decision. It was definitely the ports of call that mattered to us more.

 

Check out several cruise lines, the itineraries/ports of call offered, the prices and look into the shore excursions on some of those cruise lines. All these things may help you make a decision.

 

Also consider airfare, some ports of calls are less money to fly into than others. Example, Barcelona would cost less $ than flying into Rome. Once you fly into Rome, the port is a good hour or more from the airport and you need to factor in transportation to the ship . In Barcelona, the ship is about a 15 min cab ride from the airport.

 

Once you decide on a ship & sail date, it is greatly suggested to fly into your destination at least 1 or possible 2 days before your ship departs as flights can be delayed or cancelled.

 

There's also another forum on cc, called Europe where you made get some ideas of ports to vists from that forum.

Here is the link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19

[SPacificbound]

For us no matter what the destination it's going to be itinerary, itinerary, itinerary. :)

[jocap]

Seeing as you're posting from New York, have a look at air fare prices to parts of the Med you want to see....as suggested, Barcelona may be cheaper, or you might find something which would mean changing at Amsterdam or Zurich for the Med.....flying could be your most expensive bit. You might consider some of the cruises leaving Venice, but I'd not suggest the Italian lines until you've cruised a few more times and are used to foreign speaking ports.

You can always ask a TA for suggestions....they will be able to help with air fares, too.