Mediterranean Cruise-Which Cruise Line?

[vacation fool]

Suggestions as to which cruise line/ship for a Mediterranean Cruise? I see posts comparing Princess and RCCL, but no mention of Celebrity? Anyone out there taken this itinerary with Celebrity or other line? Concerned about cabin size as this is a long trip and want biggest cabin possible. Appreciate all comments.

[Andee]

We've taken two med cruises on Oceania, and we love that line. Smaller ships, great service, all open seating dining, no formal nights, tourist info reps from each port board as soon as you dock.

[nparmelee]

We're now hooked on Oceania as well. Going that far, if you can, spend a little extra time pre- and post-cruise in the different ports. We ended up spending a few days pre and a few days post cruise last June and are doing the same next September. The Med cruises tend to be very port intensive so for a lot of people the ship becomes less important and the itinerary is more important, so find one you like. We find that as long as you don't try to bring a change of clothes for every single day, the standard balcony cabin is large enough for us. With a three week trip we were pretty happy to be able to do a couple of loads of laundry last year and the one issue with Celebrity is their ships don't have self serve laundry so you would have to send it out instead, that may not be a bad thing if you don't like to wash clothes yourself on vacation. Our only experience with Celebrity was the Caribbean and we enjoyed them.

[Junicruiser]

I went on Celebrity to the Mediterranean and loved it. It was my first trip to Europe and I was nervous, but everything went smoothly and the ship was great. I want to go again!

[cavkc]

We sailed on two 12 night cruises earlier this year, one with Celebrity and one with RCI. I wrote a detailed comparison which you may find useful:-

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=392725

[newmexicoNita]

It depends on where you are thinking of going; eastern or western; 7 day, 12 or longer, with or without kids, are you looking for the best rate or do you want to make this a very special vacation? Have you ever tried freestyle or personal choice dining or are your really traditionalists? These are the questions I always ask clients to get a better understanding of what is important. If money isn't a big issue maybe you would enjoy Oceania. It is a great line but boarders on being considered luxury with a price tag to match. Of course Celebrity gets good ratings and yet, overall I think they have gone downhill in the past few years: they live on the reputation more than anything. Whether it is RCI or Celebrity make sure it is one of the newer ships. Princess and NCL both do great itineraries and sail newer ships in Europe and both offer a more relaxed and flexible dining experience.

 

Your best bet is to locate a travel agent specializing in cruises and talk with that person. Of course this is a good way to start as well: asking the CCers what they think. The only problem with this is< most haven't cruised the Med more than once or twice so are giving their advise without anything to compare it with. I can't imagine any med cruise being anything but wonderful unless something really goes wrong.

 

NMNita

[bobconrad]

I agree, it depends on what you are looking for. Norwegian cruise lines offers a great freestyle cruise and has good packages for the Mediterranean. I also like MSC which you rarely hear of but they specialize in the Mediterranean. I spent 7 nights through the Greek Isles and Italy with them 2 years ago and the service was excellent. I alway go through Destination Oceans for booking, they are a pretty knowledgable tour operator and the prices are good.

 

good luck!

 

Bob

[caviargal]

For the Med especially, I really prefer the smaller ships. And I would spring for a balcony cabin as many of the the ports are truly stunning and best enjoyed from a private balcony.

 

Look for extended port times and overnights (offered mostly by luxury lines and smaller ships).

 

I had a great cruise on MSC in the Med (except for too many kids onboard and out of control) and they have smaller ships which is my preference.

 

try to go during the shoulder season for better weather and fewer crowds.

 

Choose a ship with open dining or opt for late so you are not cutting your day short to get back to the ship.

[barbarah33]

I took RCCL to the Med for 12 days and loved it. We compared between RCCL and Princess when making our minds up and opted for RCCL simply because they were offering sailings on the Legend while Princess was on the Grand and we decided we would prefer a smaller ship. We did take two connecting suites with verandahs and had a great time. IT is nice to have that verandah as you're sailing into and out of ports. I don't mind the mammoth ships for a week in the Caribbean but when I am doing a longer cruise I prefer the smaller ships with fewer passengers.

[vacation fool]

Hi Barbarah33, thanks for the input. Wondering what cities you went to and did u feel u had enuf time to do tours, etc to experience where you were? Am going back and forth whether or not to do Medit Cruise or Medit Land Tour with a company. Appreciate your thoughts.

[AWED23]

Suggestions as to which cruise line/ship for a Mediterranean Cruise? I see posts comparing Princess and RCCL, but no mention of Celebrity? Anyone out there taken this itinerary with Celebrity or other line? Concerned about cabin size as this is a long trip and want biggest cabin possible. Appreciate all comments.

We've cruised all over the Med on 4 occasions...The Regent voyager was the most elegant. The Costa ??? was a lot of fun with their Italian crew. After re-reading your post though I suspect that you might find one of Holland Americas ships best suited for you. Largest standard cabins afloat and good service etc.....Just remembered my worst cruise in the Med....1952 aboard the USS New Jersey as an ensign...UGH !!!