MED Euro Cruise options and questions

[fountain44]

We are a late 30s couple and looking for a trip for my 40th and we always wanted to do a med cruise and looked it up and was kind of shocked at the price being as good as it was and flights are easy to be had.  Started looking at information and figured would get some more info from any with experience.

 

We are seasoned cruisers in the Caribbean and have been with all the major carriers and understand how that all works down there.  We are fine with sticking with the big brands and not paying a fortune.   With that said here  are our questions.  We would be looking to go most likely in July of next year,  back up would be April.  Assume summer there is just the like US, busy.  But dont really see April being that much better, and not that we are looking for 90 degree weather but not interested in going when weather is potential sweatshirt weather either.

 

1.  Aside from Carnival, Royal Carib, Princess, any brands to consider in the same price range

 

2. We get along with all crowds, and something like this we figure the age group is probably a little older.  By nature would also assume kids would be sparser on these things but maybe not.  Anyways we would want avoid anything thats tremendously full of kids and older people, sorry no offense to anybody.  Any advice

 

3.  Ive seen some of the popular stops, Rome, Venice, santorini, barcelona, etc.  We like to  hit beach's, little shopping, food and drink, and while anything in the med would be great we do like more of the exotic locals on cruises and not overly commercialized.  Any stops that are a must or anything that's just a waste of time and don't bother.  For example for us the southern Caribbean is much better then the northern half,  places like the Bahamas is worthless and even St Thomas, st martins of the world get  long in the tooth.  But keep in mind the MED would be our first time so we would have the newness factor

 

4.  We would plan to fly in the day before maybe two,  assume CC is taking in lots of places,  dont know if we would need plan to get euros or the USD is take

 

Maybe more would come to me, but any info would be helpful. 

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

April will be the better weather, according to your definitions, and certainly less crowded and fewer kids. The problem could be how many of the common cruise lines are there at that time...usually they start moving their ships to Europe in April. 

 

I would also look at Holland America. 

 

Beaches in the Med are not anywhere near the concepts of beaches in the Caribbean. Both in atmosphere,  and usually much lower quality,  very rocky. But most don't cruise the Med for beaches. They cruise the Med for history, scenery, culture, and architecture. 

 

Fly in at least a day before,  preferably several days. Several of the cities you might fly into deserve days of exploring. Yes you will need some euros...get them at an ATM in country.  Credit cards...Visa and Mastercard,  are widely accepted. 

 

Check out the Europe boards here on Cruise Critic. 

[Markanddonna]

You might like the Mediterranean cruises more in the off season. Keep in mind that many med locations are very hot, super crowded, and much more expensive in the summer. We were recently in northern Europe in May and it was delightful. We've been in the Med mostly in October through early December during their "rainy season" which is a minor inconvenience. Most of our days were sunny and 70. We've also been to the Med in May and it was delightful. I imagine April would be great but consider not traveling around Easter in Rome.

 

MSC is another cruise line to consider. We've been on MSC five times and it has an Italian flair and a young, international crowd. You will be in the minority as Americans in the Med. You will also see more children onboard MSC. NCL is another line to consider. We have generally had very good experiences with them.

 

If you want to avoid children, stay away from summer and spring breaks (which are anywhere from mid Feb to mid April.)  I sympathize with your desire to have fewer kids, but truly have never had a problem with any children on any cruise (and I am a former "strict" elementary teacher.)  The issue for me is that a heavy kid count makes for a much more crowded ship as more cabins will have more than two people.

 

I would avoid Holland HAL which tends to have an older population. Most other cruise lines in Europe have a pretty well balanced age group range and most of the older people are pretty fit and active (that includes my husband and myself.)  These cruisers tend to find more interesting itineraries since they are well traveled. 

 

We aren't beach people, so others will have to answer some of your queries. The beaches are fine sand like you will find in the Caribbean.  Generally, it seems like a more eastern route with some Greek and Cyprus ports might be great. We found Spain to be wonderful. Our interests are more in historical and ancient sites. 

 

As far as getting Euros, it never hurts to have a few beforehand, but you can easily get them at any ATM machine in Europe. As you tour some places in the Med, you will find you need some Euro coins for the use of a bathroom. I would suggest getting some Rick Steves books or go to his website Ricksteves.com to learn how to travel in a smart and savvy manner. We've been followers of his for over thirty years. Also, remember that most Europeans tend to use public transportation on a regular basis. Learning to do so has made for a much more intimate and real experience. I abhor those large bus excursions offered by cruise lines. Some people worry about missing the ship at port... We don't. Just plan well and don't get intoxicated...

 

So, in summary. I think your best plan would be May or September through Oct in the Med. This is shoulder season- a much better time to travel unless you enjoy standing in crowds all hot and sweaty.  Remember that in Europe, ice cubes are often not a normal part of a glass of water...

 

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by Markanddonna

[fountain44]

5 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

You might like the Mediterranean cruises more in the off season. Keep in mind that many med locations are very hot, super crowded, and much more expensive in the summer. We were recently in northern Europe in May and it was delightful. We've been in the Med mostly in October through early December during their "rainy season" which is a minor inconvenience. Most of our days were sunny and 70. We've also been to the Med in May and it was delightful. I imagine April would be great but consider not traveling around Easter in Rome.

 

MSC is another cruise line to consider. We've been on MSC five times and it has an Italian flair and a young, international crowd. You will be in the minority as Americans in the Med. You will also see more children onboard MSC. NCL is another line to consider. We have generally had very good experiences with them.

 

If you want to avoid children, stay away from summer and spring breaks (which are anywhere from mid Feb to mid April.)  I sympathize with your desire to have fewer kids, but truly have never had a problem with any children on any cruise (and I am a former "strict" elementary teacher.)  The issue for me is that a heavy kid count makes for a much more crowded ship as more cabins will have more than two people.

 

I would avoid Holland HAL which tends to have an older population. Most other cruise lines in Europe have a pretty well balanced age group range and most of the older people are pretty fit and active (that includes my husband and myself.)  These cruisers tend to find more interesting itineraries since they are well traveled. 

 

We aren't beach people, so others will have to answer some of your queries. Generally, it seems like a more eastern route with some Greek and Cyprus ports might be great. We found Spain to be wonderful. Our interests are more in historical and ancient sites. 

 

As far as getting Euros, it never hurts to have a few beforehand, but you can easily get them at any ATM machine in Europe. I would suggest getting some Rick Steves books or go to his website Ricksteves.com to learn how to travel in a smart and savvy manner. We've been followers of his for over thirty years. Also, remember that most Europeans tend to use public transportation on a regular basis. Learning to do so has made for a much more intimate and real experience. I abhor those large bus excursions offered by cruise lines. Some people worry about missing the ship at port... We don't. Just plan well and don't get intoxicated...

 

So, in summary. I think your best plan would be May or September through Oct in the Med. This is shoulder season- a much better time to travel unless you enjoy standing in crowds all hot and sweaty.  Remember that in Europe, ice cubes are often not a normal part of a glass of water...

 

 

 

Thank you for the info it was helpful.   We are pretty well traveled in the states, canada, mexico and I was in the military and been overseas some, a lot of it tends to be the same gist just different area.

 

We dont expect to get away from kids totally usually in mexico we do the all adult to avoid that.  Just don't want to obviously hop on a Disney cruise.  And thanks for the Holland tip,  IVe heard its an older crowd.

 

Unfortunately due to work and our own kids(lol) we are stuck with July,  Mid FEB, or April for spring break.  Which the sounds of it FEB or April might be the least busiest.  Only problem with Feb is we are probably getting a little close in the planning cycle to make that one happen. 

[Markanddonna]

I can sympathize. As a teacher, I also had those vacation parameters. Look for a cruise that just finished its transatlantic sailing to Europe. Most arrive in April.

[cruizergal70]

OP, I don't understand. What attracts you to the Mediterranean? Surely your main interests are not solely beaches. 

[Hlitner]

Certainly add Celebrity to the mix.  In July, all the mass market lines will have plenty of families with kids/teens.  April is a good time to travel in Europe but you it will obviously not be nearly as hot as you experience in July.  The summer will often find a large High Pressure system over the Med which gets you hot weather with very little rain.  

 

US Dollars are almost worthless in Europe in that they are seldom accepted by anyone.  You will want some Euros and they are easily obtained through ATMs.  We strongly suggest sticking to bank ATMs as the privately owned ATMs often charge extra fees and do not give the best exchange rates.  Major credit cards (primarily Visa/MC) are widely accepted and routinely used.  Be sure to notify your ATM bank and credit card companies of your itinerary (some credit cards no longer ask for this).

 

I always suggest that folks consider a cruise that begins and ends at different cities and that you consider extending the trip at both ends to get some quality land time.  You can usually find cruises between places like Barcelona and Civitavecchia (Rome) which is a good option and there are numerous other itineraries.  Also pay particular attention to how long the ship is scheduled to be in each port.  A few cruise lines seem to cut short various port visits which is never a good thing.

 

Hank

[fountain44]

11 minutes ago, cruizergal70 said:

OP, I don't understand. What attracts you to the Mediterranean? Surely your main interests are not solely beaches. 

 

Europe, the sites, the culture, buildings etc.  Personally dont need to sit on a beach everyday, but there are some cool beaches we have seen in Croatia, Greece etc.

 

Really our bucket list is to do Europe some day by land probably a 3-4 week trip, but that will have to wait until kids are out etc.  This should fill in as a nice option for now. 

Edited June 24, 2022 by fountain44

[wowzz]

April every time for a Med cruise.

July is too hot and too crowded.

Consider a cruise on a line such as Princess, where you board in Barcelona and disembark in Athens. 

And beaches should be bottom of your wish list for a Med cruise,  especially in  April.

[fountain44]

22 minutes ago, wowzz said:

April every time for a Med cruise.

July is too hot and too crowded.

Consider a cruise on a line such as Princess, where you board in Barcelona and disembark in Athens. 

And beaches should be bottom of your wish list for a Med cruise,  especially in  April.

 

Its not at the top but something we might like to do.  Whats the weather in April, like I said I dont really want sweatshirt weather and rain coats.  

 

Also looking at the options of cruises I think eastern might be eastern,  the western ones seem to hit all stops in italy or mainly stick to france spain and italy.

[wowzz]

14 minutes ago, fountain44 said:

 

Its not at the top but something we might like to do.  Whats the weather in April, like I said I dont really want sweatshirt weather and rain coats.  

 

Also looking at the options of cruises I think eastern might be eastern,  the western ones seem to hit all stops in italy or mainly stick to france spain and italy.

We lived in Spain for quite a few years, and April was one of our favourite months. Warm enough for shorts (if you are a tourist) but not overwhelmed with visitors. Far more pleasant for sightseeing than the 80/90F heat of July (and no crowds)

If you choose a cruise that begins and ends in different ports, over 14 days you can see some of both East and West Med.

On our recent Princess cruise from Barcelona we stopped at ports in Gib, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey.

[fountain44]

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

We lived in Spain for quite a few years, and April was one of our favourite months. Warm enough for shorts (if you are a tourist) but not overwhelmed with visitors. Far more pleasant for sightseeing than the 80/90F heat of July (and no crowds)

If you choose a cruise that begins and ends in different ports, over 14 days you can see some of both East and West Med.

On our recent Princess cruise from Barcelona we stopped at ports in Gib, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey.

 most likely going to be a 7 day cruise with a day extra on land at the front and or back.  Looking for 70/80s really dont want to play around with 60s and 50s

[SbbquilterUT]

I would add to the idea of looking at Celebrity as well.  Also in Europe I choose a smaller ship to make exiting the ship easier.  Any chance of adding Sept as a possible time to travel. - it can be a lovely month with plenty of residual warm weather.  For us sailing in the Med the ship is just a moving hotel (grant it a wonderful way to move around) as we are worn out after long days of exploring.

[fountain44]

38 minutes ago, SbbquilterUT said:

I would add to the idea of looking at Celebrity as well.  Also in Europe I choose a smaller ship to make exiting the ship easier.  Any chance of adding Sept as a possible time to travel. - it can be a lovely month with plenty of residual warm weather.  For us sailing in the Med the ship is just a moving hotel (grant it a wonderful way to move around) as we are worn out after long days of exploring.

Thanks.  As stated its July, with a possible April.  FEB is to late in the planning cycle and we worry about mediocre weather at that point

[cruisemom42]

April, April, April.

 

It's hard to conceive, without actually experiencing it, how crowded it gets in the Med in July and August particularly. Think shoulder-to-shoulder people walking around that quaint walled city in Croatia (Dubrovnik) or trendy Greek isle (Mykonos).

 

The larger cruise ships do not in general call on the smaller, less touristy islands. Not a terrible thing if it is your first Med cruise but keep in mind that no place is going to be uncrowded, even in April. 

 

I have taken two Med cruises in April and they have been two of my favorites. I don't recall ever needing a sweatshirt or sweater, except possibly at night on board ship when the ship is underway.  Capris, tee-shirts are generally fine. Keep in mind that churches in Greece and Rome tend to require that shoulders be covered -- so if you want to duck into that cute little chapel, wear a shirt or dress with at least some sleeve or carry a scarf or wrap.

 

Finally, my thoughts regarding ships are that Princess has some of the best "beginner" itineraries, hitting a lot of the popular ports in a reasonable time frame. Seven days seems short. If you're going to fly to Europe (airfares now are quite high compared to years past), make it worth your while and try to stretch for a 10-day cruise minimum with a couple of days at either end (look for a cruise with different start and end ports).

 

MSC and Costa are well known to have shorter port times than most other ships. You wouldn't think a couple of hours makes difference, but it does when you need to get from the port to the actual place where you want to "sightsee" -- for example Livorno (the port) is 90 minutes from Florence (the city).

 

Count me as another that's not a beach fan. It shouldn't be a compelling reason for the cruise, though I understand the desire to at least stick your toes in the water. A lot of beaches are rocks or pebbles, some have wood walkways, many have hotels where you can rent a sun lounger. Just be sure to do your research so you're not disappointed.

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by cruisemom42

[mom says]

Feb,  with its rain, short daylight hours, cool weather, and far fewer cruises available is still under consideration? Forget February. July will give you HOT weather, often humid, massive crowds, and higher prices. April gives mild weather, fewer crowds, and usually more moderate prices. It's all up to you, but listen to Cruisemom's advice. It's spot on. Look at the average monthly historical weather for your ports. It's easily available. And read Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise guidebook. Good descriptions of what's in the ports as well as good advice for European newbies. And PLEASE do yourself a favor and plan pre and post cruise stays of at least a couple of days. You'll be glad you did.

[fountain44]

Thanks for the info thus far and will check in some of the advice given.  But in order to stay on track and not keep offering alternate advice,  we can only go in July or April, nothing else but sounds like April gets everybodys vote.  Due to life its a 7 day cruise with a possible extra day on each end in port.  The beach was  merely an item on the list and by far isnt number one.  TBH to see europe properly a cruise ship really isnt it, based off the time in port and the fact out of 7-10 days half the time is on a boat in the ocean , but for us due to cost, vacation, work, kids its the best scenario.   Down the road as mentioned we plan on taking a real trip 2-3 weeks to Europe.  So mainly looking to get the best bang for our buck and with these cruises costing the same as Caribbean cruises with only  a few more bucks on flights, its a no brainer

 

Looks like we got some of the basic admin info out of the way,  and kind more interested in what stops are just mehh and which ones you have to do considering its a 7 day cruise on a larger big box brand ship.  For example we can leave from rome or is it better to leave from venice and see rome.  Things like that.

 

Also guess there is a lot of Euros on the these trips,  are pools topless,  the boss likes to indulge when she can. 

Edited June 24, 2022 by fountain44

[ldubs]

10 minutes ago, fountain44 said:

Thanks for the info thus far and will check in some of the advice given.  But in order to stay on track and not keep offering alternate advice,  we can only go in July or April, nothing else but sounds like April gets everybodys vote.  Due to life its a 7 day cruise with a possible extra day on each end in port. 

 

In the spirit of these forums,  I'm going to suggest August, a minimum of 10 days, and 3 days at each end.  😃

 

Whatever you decide, enjoy!  

[Hlitner]

23 minutes ago, fountain44 said:

Thanks for the info thus far and will check in some of the advice given.  But in order to stay on track and not keep offering alternate advice,  we can only go in July or April, nothing else but sounds like April gets everybodys vote.  Due to life its a 7 day cruise with a possible extra day on each end in port.  The beach was  merely an item on the list and by far isnt number one.  TBH to see europe properly a cruise ship really isnt it, based off the time in port and the fact out of 7-10 days half the time is on a boat in the ocean , but for us due to cost, vacation, work, kids its the best scenario.   Down the road as mentioned we plan on taking a real trip 2-3 weeks to Europe.  So mainly looking to get the best bang for our buck and with these cruises costing the same as Caribbean cruises with only  a few more bucks on flights, its a no brainer

 

Looks like we got some of the basic admin info out of the way,  and kind more interested in what stops are just mehh and which ones you have to do considering its a 7 day cruise on a larger big box brand ship.  For example we can leave from rome or is it better to leave from venice and see rome.  Things like that.

 

Also guess there is a lot of Euros on the these trips,  are pools topless,  the boss likes to indulge when she can. 

In April you can just about rule out beaches unless your itinerary includes one of the Greek Islands and you get a lucky warm spell.  We also prefer the shoulder seasons (April, May, Sept, Oct).  

 

As to topless, while it does exist in Europe it is not as common as one might expect.  You are generally free to go topless on most French beaches although you can still expect to attract enough stares to make some uncomfortable.  We have also seen plenty of ladies go sans tops on Greek beaches.  Just keep in mind that there is no law to stop other tourists from taking pictures as there is no right to privacy.

 

Hank

[pris993]

We have cruised the Mediterranean off season many times, basically spring and fall.  Based on your experience in Spain, I think you can expect similar weather in April anywhere.    Given you are interested in doing a 7 day cruise I would suggest you check out cruises on an on line travel sites where you can put in the length of the cruise and the desired month April and see what is available.  Go from there in making your choice.

 

The ship is less important in the Mediterranean because cruises are very port intensive.  We have gone on Princess, HAL, Cunard, Celebrity, NCL, Crystal, and a couple of lines that are not around anymore.    Most cruises are more than 7 days.

 

We have cruised out of Barcelona, Venice, Athens, Rome and and Istanbul, never did a 7 day, generally 11 day or more.    I recall some 7 day cruises offered out of Barcelona a few years back.  Would guess there are 7 day cruises out of Athens too.   Hard to give advice on  ports unless knew what ports you are considering.  We have probably gone to Mediterranean 10 times, seen many ports, can't recall any we did not like.  

 

Cruising has also changed given the pandemic.  Cruise lines are still trying to get back to normal.  

 

I would encourage to seek out some cruise options and come back and ask some more questions more specific to cruises you are considering.

 

Ref cost, we did our first Mediterranean cruise in l989, 12 day from Venice to London.  I remember we got a limited view cabin for $7000 for two, not including air.  At the time it seemed expensive.   It was fantastic, we were never sorry we went and kept going at least a 12 times afterwards.   Today cruise ships are larger and you get a lot more cabin for your money.   Just pick one and go, you will not be sorry. 

[pris993]

One last suggestion, avoid Easter week, before and after if you can, since you are going in April.   Easter is different each year, always crowded and some places closed in Christian areas.

[wcook]

Just my 2 cents, with slightly different opinions than many of the other posters:

 

If one of your favorite pastimes is laying in the sun, July is the better month. Perfect weather for that. Of course, it’s lousy weather for exploring old ruins, it’s crowded, and flights are their most expensive. The only cruise lines I know that offer topless sunbathing on the ship are German lines. AIDA for instance has a special, isolated adults only area just for that.  
 

While July more crowded than April, the big sights (Rome, Venice) are jam packed crowded in April too.

 

To put things in Caribbean terms, the Nassau/San Juan/St Thomas route is Barcelona/Rome/etc. Of course, Rome is about a million times more interesting than St Thomas (IMO) but it’s still packed with people wearing cruise tour stickers and guides holding up paddles. Also, know that many of the most famous European ports, like Rome, are no where near where the ships dock.
 

If you want more off the beaten crowd, the Adriatic/Ionian is a great choice. Including much better beaches (IMO) But you are talking older, smaller ships usually. MSC has a lot of good options. And will likely be cheapest. But while the ship has everything in English (and other languages) most of your fellow passengers will not be native English speakers. 
 

Another factor with Mediterranean cruises is they have more port days and fewer sea days. If not every port appeals to you, take a ship-in-port day or two. 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, fountain44 said:

Also guess there is a lot of Euros on the these trips,  are pools topless, 

On cruise ships, no. 

On beaches, absolutely. 

[ldubs]

2 hours ago, fountain44 said:

 

Also guess there is a lot of Euros on the these trips,  are pools topless,  the boss likes to indulge when she can. 

 

Yes, most, but not all, of the guys are generally topless.   

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, fountain44 said:

Looks like we got some of the basic admin info out of the way,  and kind more interested in what stops are just mehh and which ones you have to do considering its a 7 day cruise on a larger big box brand ship

Whilst you are seasoned cruisers, you have never been to Europe,  and therefore have never experienced proper jet lag  !

So, the first two days of your vacation will be a blur. By day three you will be just about be in the right time zone. And, just as you are adjusted, you will fly back to the US. 

So, if you  cannot take at least fourteen days holiday, go when it is cheapest,  when it is less busy,  and when the weather is comfortable.  So, April !

You have never mentioned your budget.  You should perhaps look at premium lines, such as  Viking, which may go to smaller ports.