The 'extra holiday' bonus of cruising.....

[chemmo]

We have just spent two days on line researching places to stay and things to do in the New Forest area prior to our next Southampton cruise....It really made us reflect on those wonderful 'extra holidays' we add on to our cruises....Those couple of days in Barcelona, revisiting Venice, city breaks in Hong Kong and Singapore....

 

We have just booked a 15th Century Inn in the New Forest with great food reviews! Looking forward to it almost as much as the cruise!

 

So what have been your best pre/post cruise stays?

[kenevenpar]

We like cruises from/to San Juan so we can spend a few days in Puerto Rico. We have had some wonderful times there, beaching, touring, El Yunque, golfing.

[richsea]

We also love cruises from San Juan because we always add on a few pre cruise nights to enjoy Puerto Rico, rather than just adding one night in Florida to insure against air travel.

 

But our best add on was after a trans Atlantic to Rome when we added 4 nights in that beautiful city. The fact that it was our first time to Europe only added to the excitement!

 

Good thread, thanks!

[chemmo]

We like cruises from/to San Juan so we can spend a few days in Puerto Rico. We have had some wonderful times there, beaching, touring, El Yunque, golfing.

 

We have only cruised from here once and arrived shattered and spent the next day by the perfectly fine but uninspiring Embassy Suites pool!

 

Note to self 'Book a San Juan cruise again and add on a quality pre cruise stay'!

[vickykay]

Agreed! We spent five days precruise in Rome before our Med cruise two years ago and just spent six days in Sydney before our Australia/NZ cruise ( amazing city!). And will be spending five days in Florence this November before our first TA. Can't wait.

[chemmo]

We also love cruises from San Juan because we always add on a few pre cruise nights to enjoy Puerto Rico, rather than just adding one night in Florida to insure against air travel.

 

But our best add on was after a trans Atlantic to Rome when we added 4 nights in that beautiful city. The fact that it was our first time to Europe only added to the excitement!

 

Good thread, thanks!

 

Rome is amazing....even better on a second visit when you don't feel you have got to 'squash in' all the sightseeing and actually find some time to 'stand, stare and absorb....'

[chemmo]

Agreed! We spent five days precruise in Rome before our Med cruise two years ago and just spent six days in Sydney before our Australia/NZ cruise ( amazing city!). And will be spending five days in Florence this November before our first TA. Can't wait.

 

We also loved Sydney. We had a sax player each evening busking near our room, superb!

 

We have not visited Florence for many years now....it was a real highlight of an Italian land tour. I can remember buying watermelon from a street vendor with a handcart full of ice with the watermelons perched precariously on the top. We bought some melon and he gave us both a handful of ice, gesturing to put it on our necks to cool down....Thanks for the memories!

[easyboy]

We have always enjoyed a 3-day pre-cruise stay in London even repeatedly on Europe cruises. A lot of places to explore.

 

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[Essiesmom]

A pre-cruise stay in Venice can't be beat. EM

[villauk]

A pre-cruise stay in Venice can't be beat. EM

 

Yes, it's brilliant but then so is: Sydney, Orlando (we have kids :D), Vancouver (post cruise), Hong Kong, Singapore, NY, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Alaska ...... you get my drift ;).

[Kartgv]

Our favorites so far are Sydney and Vancouver. We've done pre- & post-cruise stays in Sydney 3 times, Vancouver 4 times with 2 more coming up. They are both beautiful cities with gorgeous harbors, incredible sail-aways. These stays really enhance the whole vacation experience.

[Tiggertastic]

We loved Amsterdam, Miami beach, Venice, Rome, Barcelona, New York ....we always go early now as its like having 2 holidays in 1

 

 

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[kenevenpar]

We have only cruised from here once and arrived shattered and spent the next day by the perfectly fine but uninspiring Embassy Suites pool!

 

Note to self 'Book a San Juan cruise again and add on a quality pre cruise stay'!

 

Intercontinental and Ritz Carlton are two that we have found good deals on (Ritz regular prices and their restaurants are ridiculously priced).

[chemmo]

Yes, it's brilliant but then so is: Sydney, Orlando (we have kids :D), Vancouver (post cruise), Hong Kong, Singapore, NY, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Alaska ...... you get my drift ;).

 

We are so in tune....even with me in a wheelchair this January we had to spend a week in a villa and get our Orlando theme park refuel.....As a side note could not believe how accessible Universal and Disney were!

 

As you say every pre/post cruise experience is really just a gift! You are paying so much for cruise and flights....an extra couple of hotel nights are nothing but just make the full holiday experience so special.

[chemmo]

A pre-cruise stay in Venice can't be beat. EM

Must be one of those places in the world you just never tire of....would cruise from there again tomorrow if I could....

[chemmo]

We have always enjoyed a 3-day pre-cruise stay in London even repeatedly on Europe cruises. A lot of places to explore.

 

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As UK citizens we have been blessed with visiting our amazing capital on numerous occasions but still feel we haven't touched more than the surface....

[Cruise Junky]

We've done a ton of pre/post cruise stays. I think my favourite was three nights in Positano last year.

[chemmo]

Our favorites so far are Sydney and Vancouver. We've done pre- & post-cruise stays in Sydney 3 times, Vancouver 4 times with 2 more coming up. They are both beautiful cities with gorgeous harbors, incredible sail-aways. These stays really enhance the whole vacation experience.

 

The first time we visited Sydney we just cruised in the second time we cruised in and out. Our butler arranged a sail away for us and the friends we had made on the previous cruise....as it became dusk we went to Tuscan Grill and watched the outskirts of Sydney disappear....Not cruised from Vancouver yet, somewhere else to add to the bucket list!

[chemmo]

Intercontinental and Ritz Carlton are two that we have found good deals on (Ritz regular prices and their restaurants are ridiculously priced).

Sounds like we need to do some research. Ritz Carlton are a brand I don't think we have ever used....So nice to look at different options!

[villauk]

We've done a ton of pre/post cruise stays. I think my favourite was three nights in Positano last year.

 

Love the Amalfi coast - add that to my list above :D. We're fortunate to have mainland Europe just a couple of hours flight time away ;).

[chemmo]

We loved Amsterdam, Miami beach, Venice, Rome, Barcelona, New York ....we always go early now as its like having 2 holidays in 1

 

 

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Totally agree! As I said in my initial post we have been looking at the New Forest area of the UK. Sorry to those of you from Hampshire but it is an area we have never considered visiting in its own right. However, after a little research we now can't wait! These pre/post cruise breaks are amazing in their own right!

[chemmo]

We've done a ton of pre/post cruise stays. I think my favourite was three nights in Positano last year.

Still on our hit list after many years....we do seem over the last few years to have gone for the 'Far flung' places. I think knowing, as Villauk said, we are spoilt by many amazing places being just a short flight away we have focused on the distant and are now back to considering those closer to home!

[dkjretired]

Still on our hit list after many years....we do seem over the last few years to have gone for the 'Far flung' places. I think knowing, as Villauk said, we are spoilt by many amazing places being just a short flight away we have focused on the distant and are now back to considering those closer to home!

 

We love doing extra days especially to somewhere we have never been. On the opposing side, we did three days in Seattle prior to Alaska and would never go back to Seattle.

[herbanrenewal]

Prior to cruise from Venice we flew in to Milan, then stayed a few more days in Varenna, Lake Como. The area is so beautiful I would love to spend more time in the lakes of Northern Italy.

 

This fall we will be spending a week in Auckland before NZ/Australia, then a week after in Sydney area after the cruise.

I've never thought of it as relaxing pre-cruise. I've just thought that it makes sense to get the maximum benefit of airfare dollars.

[hcat]

We always enjoy the pre cruise experiences if we can

 

Barcelona...pre and post cruise...such an excellent city..other than pickpockets

 

San Diego...a few days precruise ...lots to see and do, great restaurants

 

Ft Lauderdale and Miami offer excellent pre cruise options...

 

Seattle..nice pre and post cruise

 

Least fav..San Pedro Ca ....but we make the best of it..