Mediterranean on Princess questions

[J13C85]

We are considering a cruise to the Med. Will probably book this thru a TA but have some questions for the group.

 

We noticed pricing was very similar between MSC Yacht Club and entry level Princess Signature Suite. We've done YC on MSC once and suites on Princess twice and both experiences were fabulous.  I know I am in a Princess group but would love to hear your thoughts on doing the Med on MSC and Princess.

 

When is the best time of year to do a Med cruise?

 

Which embarkation port do you recommend (we are coming from the US)?

 

Do you think 2 days pre cruise would be safe (that is what we do on US based cruises)?

 

TiA to all you experts.

[gottagocit]

Would this be your first trip to Europe? 
Not sure what you mean by “would be safe”. 
 

Rome would probably be the starting point I would choose of the most common embarkation ports. Embarkation is actually done at the port city Civitavecchia located about an hour away from Rome. If you’ve never been to Rome, two days wouldn’t be near enough to see much of it. We’ve spent several weeks there and always find new things to experience each time we go. For your first trip there plan on at least 5-6 days if possible. It’s nothing like visiting a port city in the USA given the 2,000+ years of history waiting for you to see and take in.  
If you’re coming from Texas it may not be an issue for you but many visitors to Southern Europe find the heat of mid summer to be a real problem. When to go may depend on your tolerance for humidity and high temps. Be aware that some hotels and air B&B’s may not have A/C so choose your lodging carefully. 

Can’t advice as to MSC vs Princess. 

[nini]

Our very first trip to Europe was a Greece and Italy itinerary. We fell in love with Italy, not so much with Greece. We are very wimpy from the Northwest so we went in October and even then in tended to be a bit warm sometimes. But, we generally had great weather. A friend visited her son in Italy in the month of July and said it was horrid! It may not bother you as you are from Texas.

So, I would suggest April, May, October.

As @gottagocit stated, if you are beginning in Rome, the port is actually Civitavecchia. We flew into the airport in Rome and took a transfer to our Rome hotel and spent 3 nights there which barely scratched the surface. We had a blast and walked everywhere due to the location of out hotel.

We booked a shared transfer to the port and the same back to the airport from the port.

Sorry, I have no experience with MSC.

[LibertyBella]

I am cruising Princess on the Med from Rome to Athens in a few months.  I really enjoy the Princess itineraries and ambience, and I find Celebrity and Holland America to be comparable. All three offer a sophisticated, elegant and more adult-focused experience, although children and families are welcome.  We also sail on Cunard if we really want to dress up and be a bit more formal. We still like the large cruise ship format the best,  as it is full of activities, nightlife, and entertainment.

 

For casual we go NCL, RC and Carnival, especially when other family members with children are involved.  We have no plans to ever sail on MSC, and I have heard that in the Med their cruises are more like a ferry, with people getting on and off constantly at every stop.

 

I am a rarity-- I adore hot weather, and prefer to go to the Med when it is Summer so I can enjoy the beaches and the ship pool after tramping around visiting archaeological sites during the day. Because we like ancient places, we prefer the Western Med with the Greek islands.  However, the Eastern Med going from Barcelona to Rome is also quite nice, as the cruise will introduce you to some of the pretty port cities of Spain, France and Italy. Summer is quite busy in Europe, and prices can be high.

 

Note that Med cruises usually visit a port almost every day, so shore excursion costs can add up quickly, and the schedule can be a bit rigorous if one wishes to sightsee all day every day (yes, that is the way we roll.)

 

We try to always fly in at least three days in advance to Europe to ensure all luggage arrives safely, we recover from jet lag, and we have time to do a bit of sightseeing.  I will admit that we were on a Viking Danube river cruise just last month, and we flew in the same day the cruise was departing, but I never recommend that unless it is absolutely necessary with one's schedule.  Make sure you purchase some reliable travel insurance in case of emergencies (like your return flight from Europe being cancelled at the last minute, which has previously happened to us!). Right now airfares to Europe are quite high.

 

I will say that sailing in the Mediterranean is probably my favorite cruise destination in the world, and I never tire of going there.

 

 

 

 

[caribill]

8 hours ago, J13C85 said:

Do you think 2 days pre cruise would be safe (that is what we do on US based cruises)?

 

Do you mean to fly in and be sure you actually make the cruise? If that is your question, yes. If we are not doing sightseeing in the embarkation city, we usually try to arrive the day before embarkation.

 

If we are doing sightseeing before embarkation, the number of days before embarkation depends on how much sightseeing we want to do.

[PacnGoNow]

For Europe, we go at least 3 days ahead.  Can definitely be airline delays or scheduling issues, especially if you’re connecting. Don’t cut yourself short on a connection.  You may find the EZAir prices much better than booking on your own.  Check out the EZAir 

prices on the Princess website.

 

We love to sail from Rome (Civitavecchia) or Barcelona.  Love both countries and never tire of exploring them.

 

Pick out the most important destinations that you would love to see and let that be your guide.  We like to sightsee every time we go, before and after the cruise if possible. 
 

As far as MSC, I’d pick PCL first, based on the reviews of others. (Friends & family)  
 

Use your TA, they can help you plan. 

[nini]

@LibertyBella brought up the issue of airfare. I will mention that many people use EZAir through Princess and save quite a hefty sum. We have used it a few times and the prices have saved us thousands of dollars.

However, the method is to book your air as soon as it is available on the Princess website, which is about 300 days before the cruise. This provides the opportunity to change if you see you can book for a lesser cost and different flights. This works up to 45 days before the cruise after which time, there would be penalties.

You can even take a look on the site before booking a cruise and do a "mock" booking.

Edited May 1, 2023 by nini
additional words

[PurpleTraveller]

I love cruising in the Mediterranean! We always combine a cruise with land trips on either side but would recommend arriving at least two or three days prior to the cruise to get over jetlag and see some of the city you are starting at. Rome is one of my favourite cities in the world and there is so much to see and do there. If you have the time it is also good to spend a few days after your cruise at your ending city maybe Barcelona or Athens if it is different from where you embarked. We like to cruise in June when it is warm and sunny but the school holidays haven't started so it is slightly less crowded. I haven't sailed with MSC so can't help there but the Mediterranean is my favourite place to cruise as there are so many port days in wonderful places.

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by PurpleTraveller

[DHP1]

We chose Barcelona as departing port because it’s close to the airport and downtown. We selected Athens as our last port for flying home. The airport is about 30 minutes drive. We did not chose Rome as a starting and ending port because the airport is about 90 minutes away (?). 

[nini]

1 hour ago, DHP1 said:

We chose Barcelona as departing port because it’s close to the airport and downtown. We selected Athens as our last port for flying home. The airport is about 30 minutes drive. We did not chose Rome as a starting and ending port because the airport is about 90 minutes away (?). 

We choose Rome as a starting and/or ending port because we like to spend time in Italy pre- cruise. 

[Esprit]

Barcelona is the best port to sail from for ease of transfer from the airport and the city is right next to the port.

I prefer Civitavecchia however as we like eastern Med' cruises more than those on the west. We don't care much for Gibraltar, Marseilles, and Genoa. 

 

[nini]

3 hours ago, Esprit said:

Barcelona is the best port to sail from for ease of transfer from the airport and the city is right next to the port.

I prefer Civitavecchia however as we like eastern Med' cruises more than those on the west. We don't care much for Gibraltar, Marseilles, and Genoa. 

 

 

What are some of your favorite ports?

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

I’ve done a few Med cruises now and visited the Med without a cruise too. Dead easy when you live in the UK!

 

this’ll be a long post, sorry in advance & Good luck if you plan to read it all 😂

 

I absolutely love Barcelona, and would highly recommend visiting for 3-4 days Pre or post cruise. See as much Gaudi art as you can. Fascinating. I’d much rather be in a city by the sea & It’s more open and less stuffy than time we have had in Rome & Florence. But we were in Italy in august and it was over 40C (104F)

i’d recommend avoiding end of July to end of august. School holidays, super busy and very hot. We’ve no choice as we have to go in the holidays with our daughter

equally don’t go in the winter. Temperature variations are massive and it will be much cooler & wetter. Spring or autumn

 

Rome and Florence are gorgeous. Just stunning and yes was still worth the heat but Barcelona is better imo. Civitavecchia is 1 to 1 and a half hrs from Rome too.

 

Naples is an absolute dive. So disappointed there so I’d recommend avoiding it & going to Sorrento or even better imo- soak up the History in Pompeii

 

never interested in the Balearic Islands like Ibiza and menorca but that’s because it has a reputation of being full of idiot Brits boozing & going to night clubs. Probably not fair as parts are very beautiful but yeah. No thanks 😂

 

Cannes France is worth a visit. A Tender port as it’s too small for anything else. Such a strange place. A town of two halves. The very rich & famous, international film festival, mega yachts. But the old town is the complete opposite, but much more ‘approachable’

 

Messina, Sicily your ship practically drops you off in the town centre. Pretty town imo. Lots of culture. Good base for a visit to active volcano Etna

 

We’ve never gotten off the ship in Marseilles! Med cruises are port heavy so that stops always been a chill out on the ship day. I’ve been to france so many times but I shout give S. france more of a chance

Greece- I’ve been to Crete, Zante & Athens. Crete is my favourite as it’s so chilled out. We plan to go on a Greek isle & Croatia cruise in future

Also don’t forget to come to the UK at some point, but then I’m biased 😂 

but sadly you won’t get to see as much of the Med leaving from here. You get Lisbon though & that’s well worth a visit. Or Northern Europe of course. Amsterdam & Bruge are awesome quirky & pretty places  Off to Norway for the first time soon on the sky Princess. Didn’t fancy 40C again this year in the Med 😃 

 

[wowzz]

44 minutes ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

never interested in the Balearic Islands like Ibiza and menorca but that’s because it has a reputation of being full of idiot Brits boozing & going to night clubs

I think you're got your islands wrong. Menorca certainly does not have that reputation. 

I assume you mean Mallorca,  but, apart from a couple of resorts, the rest of the island is quiet with very few clubs.

By your way of thinking, I should never think of going to Brighton as it has a reputation as being full of drunks and druggies. 

Edited May 4, 2023 by wowzz

[Catchum]

We always choose to travel to Southern Europe out of season. Think April / May and October / November. Partly because it is no so hot (and those stone cites bake in the summer) but because the crowds are so much less of a problem. In the height of summer you see much less because you spend so much more time in ques.

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

18 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I think you're got your islands wrong. Menorca certainly does not have that reputation. 

I assume you mean Mallorca,  but, apart from a couple of resorts, the rest of the island is quiet with very few clubs.

By your way of thinking, I should never think of going to Brighton as it has a reputation as being full of drunks and druggies. 

Apologies- yes I meant Mallorca 🤦🏼‍♀️  Palma doesn’t appeal

its a preference to not get off there, when there are so many ports in a Med cruise & I don’t enjoy getting off every stop because I get tired easily.

but no, the reputation doesn’t help. I think I’ve heard too many stories from people I know who have gone. Some deliberately for the clubs, Which is great if you like that but they were upset at some things they saw & experienced too from people there causing massive issues to other holiday goers & locals. They wanted to have fun not behave like idiots.

is it fair that I feel that way. Probably not, no. But I certainly didn’t intend to upset anyone with my post

Incidentally I’m close to Brighton & love it 😊 

Edited May 4, 2023 by JG&Lcruisingnewbies

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

14 minutes ago, Catchum said:

. In the height of summer you see much less because you spend so much more time in ques.

So true. The queue for the La Sagrada Familia in August is nasty for eg

 

so wish we could travel in term time. Another 8 years to go until that can happen 😂 

[wowzz]

12 minutes ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

Incidentally I’m close to Brighton & love it

So it shows you should not go by reputation. 

We have been to the North of Mallorca many times - fantastic area - I can only think that your friends have not travelled very widely when visiting.

[J13C85]

15 hours ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

I’ve done a few Med cruises now and visited the Med without a cruise too. Dead easy when you live in the UK!

 

this’ll be a long post, sorry in advance & Good luck if you plan to read it all 😂

 

I absolutely love Barcelona, and would highly recommend visiting for 3-4 days Pre or post cruise. See as much Gaudi art as you can. Fascinating. I’d much rather be in a city by the sea & It’s more open and less stuffy than time we have had in Rome & Florence. But we were in Italy in august and it was over 40C (104F)

i’d recommend avoiding end of July to end of august. School holidays, super busy and very hot. We’ve no choice as we have to go in the holidays with our daughter

equally don’t go in the winter. Temperature variations are massive and it will be much cooler & wetter. Spring or autumn

 

Rome and Florence are gorgeous. Just stunning and yes was still worth the heat but Barcelona is better imo. Civitavecchia is 1 to 1 and a half hrs from Rome too.

 

Naples is an absolute dive. So disappointed there so I’d recommend avoiding it & going to Sorrento or even better imo- soak up the History in Pompeii

 

never interested in the Balearic Islands like Ibiza and menorca but that’s because it has a reputation of being full of idiot Brits boozing & going to night clubs. Probably not fair as parts are very beautiful but yeah. No thanks 😂

 

Cannes France is worth a visit. A Tender port as it’s too small for anything else. Such a strange place. A town of two halves. The very rich & famous, international film festival, mega yachts. But the old town is the complete opposite, but much more ‘approachable’

 

Messina, Sicily your ship practically drops you off in the town centre. Pretty town imo. Lots of culture. Good base for a visit to active volcano Etna

 

We’ve never gotten off the ship in Marseilles! Med cruises are port heavy so that stops always been a chill out on the ship day. I’ve been to france so many times but I shout give S. france more of a chance

Greece- I’ve been to Crete, Zante & Athens. Crete is my favourite as it’s so chilled out. We plan to go on a Greek isle & Croatia cruise in future

Also don’t forget to come to the UK at some point, but then I’m biased 😂 

but sadly you won’t get to see as much of the Med leaving from here. You get Lisbon though & that’s well worth a visit. Or Northern Europe of course. Amsterdam & Bruge are awesome quirky & pretty places  Off to Norway for the first time soon on the sky Princess. Didn’t fancy 40C again this year in the Med 😃 

 

This is awesome info.  Thank you.

[cruzsnooze]

I'm booked on the Nov 23 Transatlantic which is 14 days of the med and then a crossing to Florida for a total 28 days. I am flying into Rome with EZAIR to arrive the same day as the cruise. With ezair Princess guarantees to get you to the ship and I'm spending extra time in Florida at the end. I've never sailed with MSC but have sailed in Princess full suites. I find Princess full suite amenities are subpar to other mass market cruise lines like RCL or Celebrity. Club Class dining is the same menu with an insignificant added dish in a partitioned portion of the main dining room. The service is elevated and there is no or minimal wait time for seating. The complimentary mini bar is a perk I use for 20 diet cokes. They did away with the nice tote bags, upgraded bathroom amenities, a nice chrome pen, a satin sleep bag with some goodies , complimentary  internet and other goodies long gone. 

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, J13C85 said:

This is awesome info.  Thank you.

But also very opinionated !