Best Line For Western Mediteranean

[JDSTURTZ]

DW and I are beginning research for a Western Mediteranean cruise in 2007 and are looking for advice. We have sailed Celebrity twice and Carnival twice. Celebrity without children, Carnival with. We are looking at Holland America and Princess in addition to Celebrity Millenium.

 

It appears you can do a similar itinerary on all; 12-14 days, include Italy/Greece/Turkey. Any pro's and con's of either?

 

Appreciate any advice/info.

 

Thanks

Don

[Bruin Steve]

DW and I are beginning research for a Western Mediteranean cruise in 2007 and are looking for advice. We have sailed Celebrity twice and Carnival twice. Celebrity without children, Carnival with. We are looking at Holland America and Princess in addition to Celebrity Millenium.

 

It appears you can do a similar itinerary on all; 12-14 days, include Italy/Greece/Turkey. Any pro's and con's of either?

Don, I ABSOLUTELY loved the Celebrity Millennium for the Mediterranean...Best cruise I've ever taken...My only experience with Princess in Europe was very disappointing--but, of course, that doesn't mean yours would be...I'm next trying Oceania for the Mediterranean as they offer a somewhat different itinerary and I've heard mostly good things about them...

 

One thing to consider is an in-depth breakdown of the itineraries--not only which ports but how many hours in port...We found the Millennium itinerary superior in that it gave us long hours and late nights in some of the ports that others cut short...

 

Good luck...

[4 cruisers]

We've been on the HAL Rotterdam, the Splendour of the Seas and the Crown Odyssey (Orient Lines then...NCL now) to the Mediterranean within the past 6 years... you really need to look at itineraries and make that a main deciding point (in my opinion). For a port a day, Barcelona RT, Splendour was really the best "deal." Rotterdam's itinerary was amazing, but it was a 12 day vs. 7 day. That one took us to Venice, Turkey, GReece, France, Italy, Malta and ended in Barcelona! More expensive, but WOW what an itinerary! I think Princess does this itinerary now, but we've never done Princess. I am of the school that when you are in a port a day...the cheaper cabin is the best way to go! We have "sprung" for the better cabins (a royal suite:rolleyes: ) twice for the Caribbean, but for the Mediterranean....anywhere on the ship would actually do!!! No matter what you choose, believe me, you will find a way to go back!!! The Mediterranean is truly addictive!

[Susan-M]

We chose Millennium (Barcelona to Venice) based itinerary first and ship second, for our Sept/05 cruise. It was absolutely amazing - 12 days & 10 ports ... and all of the ports were very interesting. They've dropped Mykonnos for next year which gives 3 sea days instead of 2 for the Barcelona-Venice trip. Celebrity's service, food and entertainment were all top notch.

 

If you are trying to decide on cabin type....I thought that the balcony was well worth it for the Med. The ports are all very crowded and it was so nice at the end of the day, and on sea days, to enjoy the peace and beautiful scenery from our balcony. Our patio door was rarely closed during the 12 days (other than when we were out of the cabin).

 

We did most of the ports on our own as we like to venture off on our own...I wrote a review based on this: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=240792

 

A few others wrote reviews following their Med cruises this year, so let me know if you want me to post other links. Another area to read reviews if you are having a hard time deciding on which ship, is in the Reviews section "Member Reviews".

 

Good luck with your plans!

[JDSTURTZ]

Thanks for the advice.

 

 

Obviously, I meant to say Eastern Mediteranean, not Western

 

 

 

Don

[Deb2006]

I am going throug the same decision process. For us it is choosing between the Millie on a Venice to Barcelona or the Noordam Rome to Rome. We are leaning toward the HAL Noordam because the Millie is only on Rome from 7 - 7 which I figure would give us 8 to 9 hours in Rome. I don't think that is enough. I know most cruises seem to only port in Rome for the day, do most of you think you had enough time there?

[Bruin Steve]

I am going throug the same decision process. For us it is choosing between the Millie on a Venice to Barcelona or the Noordam Rome to Rome. We are leaning toward the HAL Noordam because the Millie is only on Rome from 7 - 7 which I figure would give us 8 to 9 hours in Rome. I don't think that is enough. I know most cruises seem to only port in Rome for the day, do most of you think you had enough time there?

There's NEVER enough time in Rome, no matter what you do...

But, neither is there enough time in Venice or Livorno or Barcelona or any of a number of other places...

 

One way to counter this if you take the Millie is to merely fly into Rome rather than Venice, maybe about 5-7 days early...Spend a few days in Rome, then take the train up to Venice (it's really not that far away), spend a couple of days in Venice, then get on the ship...

 

I've been to Rome a few times, so, when I went on the Millie, it wasn't that critical that I got more than the one day in Rome...We took a shore excursion that did a pretty nice tour of the Vatican and also visited the Trevi, Piazza Navona and Pantheon...and included a nice lunch--very sufficient in my book as an enjoyable day in Rome...If I had never been before, yes, it would have been nice to also visit the Coliseum, the Forum, the Spanish Steps, the Catacombs, etc....

 

But I sort of understand that I will NEVER get around to seeing EVERYTHING there is to see in Europe...and I've, thus far in my life, taken 7 or 8 vacations there totalling somewhere in excess of about 6 months combined...There is simply too much to see and experience...

 

My next Med cruise doesn't even visit Rome at all (it only goes to Venice, Amalfi and Taormina in Italy)...and I'm actually okay with that...

 

Whatever cruise and itinerary tou take, there will always be quite enough to fill whatever days alotted with wondrous things...

 

Have fun...

[phdiva]

We did an 11-night eastern Med on Celebrity Galaxy last September and it was fantastic. Exhausting, but wonderful. When we weren't in port, I was either on deck sacked out in a chair or in the dining room having a nice assistant waiter bring me coffee. We're inside-cabin types, so I can't honestly comment on whether a balcony would be worth it.

 

My two-cents on cruising the Med is to pace yourself. By the time we reached Athens, I had total "old rock" fatigue (after a very full day of touring Ephesus, Miletus, and Didyma from Kusadasai). Fortunately, we were touring on our own that day so we spent most of the day in the superb (and air-conditioned) National museum.

 

Enjoy!