Mediterranean Cruise

[Sky Sweet]

Royal Caribbean now have their Mediterranean itineraries for next year and Celebrity told me its itineraries on Galaxy will be similar to this year. If you liked the itineraries on both would you recommend Celebrity's "Galaxy" or Royal Caribbean's "Brilliance of the Seas"?

[Lois R]

Hi, from everything I have read and heard, I think you are comparing

2 different class of ships.

Though I haven't sailed either one, I know Brilliancee is supposed

to be like the M-Class ships on X.

So if you prefer the bigger, more modern look/feel/size then

Brilliance would probably be a more apt choice.

 

Galaxy is older and smaller. And also has her own following.

 

So I guess it depends what you prefer when you sail.

[Susan-M]

Have you considered Millennium? - very nice itinerary and she gets consistently good reviews for Med cruises. We had a wonderful Med cruise on her in 2005.

 

Have you decided on which month you will take your cruise?

[txerin]

I have to agree with Susan that the Millennium has a wonderful itinerary. We did that cruise in October 2005 and it was fabulous.

 

We are cruising onboard the Galaxy this June as we want to spend time pre & post cruise in Rome.

[Sky Sweet]

Have you considered Millennium? - very nice itinerary and she gets consistently good reviews for Med cruises. We had a wonderful Med cruise on her in 2005.

 

Have you decided on which month you will take your cruise?

 

 

Hi Susan-M :)

 

Thanks for the suggestion, as well as the feedback on your experience. We plan to take our Mediterranean Cruise in June 2008.

[Sky Sweet]

Hi, from everything I have read and heard, I think you are comparing

2 different class of ships.

Though I haven't sailed either one, I know Brilliancee is supposed

to be like the M-Class ships on X.

So if you prefer the bigger, more modern look/feel/size then

Brilliance would probably be a more apt choice.

 

Galaxy is older and smaller. And also has her own following.

 

So I guess it depends what you prefer when you sail.

 

Hi Lois :)

 

Our taste in ships is somewhat eclectic. My two favorite Celebrity ships are Constellation and Century (before it had its major overhaul), even though they are very different. The aspects of cruising that are most important to me is something more intangible such as the chemistry between us and our fellow passengers, as well as the ambiance created by crew who are service oriented.

[goofysmom99]

Of all the ships we've ever sailed, the Radiance-class ships of Royal Caribbean are some of the, if not THE, most beautiful ships afloat. It would be a hard choice for us between the Milliennium and the Brilliance. The Millennium-class ships have rear elevators and stairs, but that centrum on the Brilliance and the glass in Singapore Slim's are breathtaking. We had outstanding crew on both ships. We haven't been on the Galaxy in many years, so can't recommend it either way. Which ever one you choose, you'll have a great cruise!

[Rev22:17]

ruthandmike,

 

Of all the ships we've ever sailed, the Radiance-class ships of Royal Caribbean are some of the, if not THE, most beautiful ships afloat. It would be a hard choice for us between the Milliennium and the Brilliance. The Millennium-class ships have rear elevators and stairs, but that centrum on the Brilliance and the glass in Singapore Slim's are breathtaking. We had outstanding crew on both ships. We haven't been on the Galaxy in many years, so can't recommend it either way. Which ever one you choose, you'll have a great cruise!

 

Yes, the "mainstream" lines are building magnificent ships now. It turns out that the economics of the industry are such that the cost of making a ship beautiful is pretty small relative to the overall cost of construction, and even more insignificant when amortized over the service life of the vessel. The real differentiators between the "mainstream" lines (Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival, etc.) and the "premium" lines (Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, Disney, Oceana) should come in (1) service (much higher standard on the "premium" lines) and (2) additional amenities here and there (like Celebrity's complimentary glass of champagne at the gangway when you come aboard and cold towels when you return to the ship from shore excursions in warmer climates).

 

So now I'm curious -- did you notice a higher standard of service on Celebrity?

 

Norm.

[Susan-M]

Hi Susan-M :)

 

Thanks for the suggestion, as well as the feedback on your experience. We plan to take our Mediterranean Cruise in June 2008.

 

Hi Sky Sweet - That's a nice time to cruise - I really like the long daylight hours at that time of year. But if it is 'out of school' season, then RCCL may have more children on board (which can be good or bad, depending on whether you are travelling with them or not). When we cruised on Millennium in Sept, it was like an 'adults only cruise', with less than 10 children on board.

 

Good luck with your plans .... it's not only an exceptional place to cruise, but I found the planning process very interesting ... lots of great ports to learn about! :)

[rebeccalouise]

I have sailed on Millenium and Galaxy and of the two- Millenium is prettier.

 

But frankly, for a port intensive cruise, I would go with the itinerary over the ship. Especially since Galaxy is less expensive than Millenium. You can use the saved $$ to eat on land, sight see and buy souveniers.

[babylene]

Oh,boy...am I going to get into trouble here!

 

But..for the Mediterranean, why don't you choose one area and go and enjoy it? Why change ports every day and rush back to ship?

 

JMHO!

[rebeccalouise]

I agree with you about Europe. It is so nice to do it on land. I am doing Europe on a ship because my father is hyper and likes to jam as much into a vacation as possible. At the end of the cruise, my son and I are going to Bellagio on Lake Como and just hanging out there for 9 days in a rented apartment. Best of both worlds.

I highly recommend at least three nights in Rome for anyone traveling to Italy. There is so much to see there.

[Susan-M]

But..for the Mediterranean, why don't you choose one area and go and enjoy it? Why change ports every day and rush back to ship?

 

JMHO!

 

We loved the variety of places (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Croatia) that we visited on our Med cruise and we like to be active on our holidays ... so it worked very well for us. But I agree that for some people, staying put, relaxing and getting to know one area well would be more enjoyable. During our cruise, we discovered which areas we want to go back to for a longer visit. Prior to our cruise, we had done 3 land trips in Europe and found the cruise to be a nice alternative.

[Rev22:17]

babylene,

 

Oh,boy...am I going to get into trouble here!

 

But..for the Mediterranean, why don't you choose one area and go and enjoy it? Why change ports every day and rush back to ship?

 

JMHO!

 

Well, there are several compelling reasons to opt for the cruise.

 

>> 1. For people who have never been to Europe before, a cruise is a great way to sample and see the major highlights of ten to twelve destination cities over the course of a couple weeks to get a sense as to where one might really want to spend more time.

 

>> 2. for a person visiting a foreign city for the first time, the guides on the cruise line's shore excursions provide great explanations of local customs that visitors often unknowingly violate and faux pas that unsuspecting visitors tend to commit. Such awareness helps the first time visitor to avoid what could become very awkward situations.

 

>> 3. Even for seasoned travellers, a cruise is a LOT less expensive than European hotels and restaurants of comparable quality and other means of transportation between destination cities for a trip of equal duration.

 

>> 4. On a cruise, you unpack ONCE when you arrive aboard the ship and repack ONCE when you prepare to leave the ship. If you want to divide your time among several cities on a land vacation, you have to repack to move on to the next city and unpack again when you get there. As a result, you lose a fair amount of time to repacking and unpacking with each move.

 

>> 5. And the most important consideration of all your land vacation does not include any time whatsoever at the best destination of all. It's listed as "At Sea" in the cruise itineraries.

 

So the real qeustion is why on earth anybody would choose to do a European land vacation....

 

Norm.

[babylene]

Oh, Norm, how can I match you???!!!

 

I will not list the plusses for a land vacation. But, we LOVE them. We Love to park ourselves in an unknown place and "soak up" the local culture. We love to explore, especially on foot. We love to dawdle and spend lots of time in any given place on any given day and not feel rushed. We love to eat where the locals eat. We love to take a bus or train with "the people". We love to spend as much time as we like at ruins or museums without pressure. I love to shop!!!

 

We really love to visit the Mediterranean area. It's by far my favourite place. Always was.

 

There are hotels and b&b's for every budget.

 

There are restaurants for every budget.

 

You can pack once, stay at one hotel and do day trips. In 2 weeks, you can go to a second hotel, not such a waste of time! You can pack LIGHT. Don't need those formal duds!

 

What faux pas are you talking about? Wear a friendly smile, try to talk the language, and they'll love you, faux pas and all!

 

I agree...at sea is great...but not at European prices! I can do " at sea" in less expensive venues.

 

Having said all that, we just booked a cruise to the fjords for July 2008. But, that, like Alaska, is a scenic cruise. The fjords are breathtaking from the ship.

 

Happy sailing!

[Sky Sweet]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post. We just booked a June 2008 Mediterranean cruise on Royal Caribbean's "Brilliance of the Seas".

[Rev22:17]

babylene,

 

Oh, Norm, how can I match you???!!!

 

I will not list the plusses for a land vacation. But, we LOVE them. We Love to park ourselves in an unknown place and "soak up" the local culture. We love to explore, especially on foot. We love to dawdle and spend lots of time in any given place on any given day and not feel rushed. We love to eat where the locals eat. We love to take a bus or train with "the people". We love to spend as much time as we like at ruins or museums without pressure. I love to shop!!![/i]

 

Of course, you can do all of that during the ports of call and, if you iwish, during a precruise or postcruise stay. The major cruise lines actually make this quite easy by offering shore excursions with names like "Rome on Your Own" and "Athens on Your Own and "Paris on Your Own" that maximize your time on your own in destination cities that are some distance from the respective ports of call. And for those who live to shop, there's a different destination city with a different set of stores every day!

 

And even with the precruise or postcruise stay, you are stll moving only once.

 

We really love to visit the Mediterranean area. It's by far my favourite place. Always was.

 

I actually prefer western/northern Europe, but I have nothing against the Mediterranean.

 

There are hotels and b&b's for every budget.

 

There are restaurants for every budget.

 

Yes, and cruise ships as well.

 

[/quote=You]You can pack once, stay at one hotel and do day trips. In 2 weeks, you can go to a second hotel, not such a waste of time! You can pack LIGHT. Don't need those formal duds!

 

So if you are willing to pack an dmove once, add a precruise or postcruise stay onto your cruise.

 

What faux pas are you talking about? Wear a friendly smile, try to talk the language, and they'll love you, faux pas and all!

 

Well, here's one example. In France, local shopkeepers regard their shops as extensions of their homes. It's expected, when entering a shop, that one greet the shopkeeper and that one say "goodbye" to the shopkeeper when departing. They might not evict you from their shops for failure to do so, but they most assuredly will not be pleased. My former boss, who has a vacation home in France, explained it this way: "If you say 'Bonjour' to the shopkeeper when you enter the shop and 'Merci, au revoir' before leaving, whatever happens in between will be fine." But many "obnoxious Americans" fail to do so -- hence the perception among hte French people....

 

I agree...at sea is great...but not at European prices! I can do " at sea" in less expensive venues.

 

Yes, aren't those transatlantic cruises fabulous? Real bargains, too!

 

Having said all that, we just booked a cruise to the fjords for July 2008. But, that, like Alaska, is a scenic cruise. The fjords are breathtaking from the ship.

 

Another good point in favor of a cruise -- there are some sights that you can't see any other way! Seriously, though, I can tell you from pesonal experience that the Norwegian fjords are even more spectacular when seen from a ship in March. Unfortunately, cruise ships don't go there at that time of year.

 

Now back to figuring out how to get cruise ships to call in Lichtenstein and Andorra.... Hmmm... maybe a couple new canals....

 

Anyway, have a great cuise!

 

Nom.

[Rev22:17]

babylene,

 

Oh, Norm, how can I match you???!!!

 

I will not list the plusses for a land vacation. But, we LOVE them. We Love to park ourselves in an unknown place and "soak up" the local culture. We love to explore, especially on foot. We love to dawdle and spend lots of time in any given place on any given day and not feel rushed. We love to eat where the locals eat. We love to take a bus or train with "the people". We love to spend as much time as we like at ruins or museums without pressure. I love to shop!!!

 

Of course, you can do all of that during the ports of call and, if you iwish, during a precruise or postcruise stay. The major cruise lines actually make this quite easy by offering shore excursions with names like "Rome on Your Own" and "Athens on Your Own and "Paris on Your Own" that maximize your time on your own in destination cities that are some distance from the respective ports of call. And for those who live to shop, there's a different destination city with a different set of stores every day!

 

And even with the precruise or postcruise stay, you are stll moving only once.

 

We really love to visit the Mediterranean area. It's by far my favourite place. Always was.

 

I actually prefer western/northern Europe, but I have nothing against the Mediterranean.

 

There are hotels and b&b's for every budget.

 

There are restaurants for every budget.

 

Yes, and cruise ships for every budget as well.

 

[/quote=You]You can pack once, stay at one hotel and do day trips. In 2 weeks, you can go to a second hotel, not such a waste of time! You can pack LIGHT. Don't need those formal duds!

 

So if you are willing to pack an dmove once, add a precruise or postcruise stay onto your cruise.

 

What faux pas are you talking about? Wear a friendly smile, try to talk the language, and they'll love you, faux pas and all!

 

Well, here's one example. In France, local shopkeepers regard their shops as extensions of their homes. It's expected, when entering a shop, that one greet the shopkeeper and that one say "goodbye" to the shopkeeper when departing. They might not evict you from their shops for failure to do so, but they most assuredly will not be pleased. My former boss, who has a vacation home in France, explained it this way: "If you say 'Bonjour' to the shopkeeper when you enter the shop and 'Merci, au revoir' before leaving, whatever happens in between will be fine." But many "obnoxious Americans" fail to do so -- hence the perception among hte French people....

 

I agree...at sea is great...but not at European prices! I can do " at sea" in less expensive venues.

 

Yes, aren't those transatlantic cruises fabulous? Real bargains, too!

 

Having said all that, we just booked a cruise to the fjords for July 2008. But, that, like Alaska, is a scenic cruise. The fjords are breathtaking from the ship.

 

Another good point in favor of a cruise -- there are some sights that you can't see any other way! Seriously, though, I can tell you from pesonal experience that the Norwegian fjords are even more spectacular when seen from a ship in March. Unfortunately, cruise ships don't go there at that time of year.

 

Now back to figuring out how to get cruise ships to call in Lichtenstein and Andorra.... Hmmm... maybe a couple new canals....

 

Anyway, have a great cuise!

 

Nom.

[babylene]

Norm, you made me laugh! What a good start for a busy day!!!

 

Rome on your own?

Paris on your own?

Athens on your own?

 

Rome: Who wants to travel up to 2 hours to and from the city?

 

Paris: What a shlep from Le Havre!

 

Athens: When we were there in May, we arranged to meet cousins who were on a cruise. The transfer took them so long due to traffic that we were actually worried. Then, they were nervous because they had to meet the bus at a certain time and they didn't want to miss it!

 

Different stores in different cities every day? You are not a woman! We (most of us,that is) are incapable of shopping so fast (much to my DH's chagrin!) We have to visit ALL of the shops and then return to the first one to make our purchase! That could take DAYS!!

 

Your faux pas example...that really surprised me. Maybe because I am a Canadian...but I always say Hello when I enter and I always say Thank You when I leave. It's automatic. I never even thought about it!

 

We have yet to try a transaltlantic. Yes, they are more reasonably priced...and you do get lots of seadays!

 

Canal cruises for inland destinations. I hear from friends that they are wonderful. Definitely on my to-do list...from Lyon to Avignon.

 

March? The fjords? Misty fjords? We want to go away in March next year. For something different, we want to do the Mediterranean area. I have been researching Sicily. Today I checked the weather channel and in the next 10 days, they predict lots of rain. I wouldn't be too happy with that.

 

That's it for travel...now I have to cook!

 

Ciao!

[caviargal]

Hi Sky Sweet - That's a nice time to cruise - I really like the long daylight hours at that time of year. But if it is 'out of school' season, then RCCL may have more children on board (which can be good or bad, depending on whether you are travelling with them or not). When we cruised on Millennium in Sept, it was like an 'adults only cruise', with less than 10 children on board.

 

Good luck with your plans .... it's not only an exceptional place to cruise, but I found the planning process very interesting ... lots of great ports to learn about! :)

 

Hi SkySweet:).

 

Brilliance is a truly gorgeous ship, one of the Radiance class that is amongst the prettiest at sea right now. She has wonderful walls of glass that bring the ocean in and lots of beautiful public spaces.

 

IMO, what you risk is indeed having more kids onboard. You will also have a more casual atmosphere, including in the dining room. Service will not be a formal, nor the linens and china be as nice; wine service is provided by the already overworked waitstaff. Dress codes are pretty much nonexistent as well on RCI, based on a half dozen cruises over the past two years.

 

If the ports are your primary interest, then Brilliance is a stylish way to travel. When in the Med, I prefer to dine on shore as often as possible as the food and wine is far superior to that served on most cruise ships.

 

If you really enjoy the laid back experience on X, however, you may be in for a surprise on RCI. The total focus on the family market is a big negative to me and I find that RCI has modified their product to this market.

 

Now the perks on RCI for frequent guests are heads and tails above anything X offers. If that makes a difference, it may also be a factor.

[Sky Sweet]

Hi SkySweet:).

 

Brilliance is a truly gorgeous ship, one of the Radiance class that is amongst the prettiest at sea right now. She has wonderful walls of glass that bring the ocean in and lots of beautiful public spaces.

 

IMO, what you risk is indeed having more kids onboard. You will also have a more casual atmosphere, including in the dining room. Service will not be a formal, nor the linens and china be as nice; wine service is provided by the already overworked waitstaff. Dress codes are pretty much nonexistent as well on RCI, based on a half dozen cruises over the past two years.

 

If the ports are your primary interest, then Brilliance is a stylish way to travel. When in the Med, I prefer to dine on shore as often as possible as the food and wine is far superior to that served on most cruise ships.

 

If you really enjoy the laid back experience on X, however, you may be in for a surprise on RCI. The total focus on the family market is a big negative to me and I find that RCI has modified their product to this market.

 

Now the perks on RCI for frequent guests are heads and tails above anything X offers. If that makes a difference, it may also be a factor.

 

Hi Caviargal :)

 

It has been a few years since we sailed on a Royal Caribbean Ship so I appreciate your comments about how they differ from Celebrity. We are going with the attitude that the food will not be as good as Celebrity, but that will make it easier for us to justify spending money to eat a few meals in port when food is included in our cruise fare :)

 

Even though Celebrity is our favorite cruise line, we liked this itinerary on Brilliance of the Seas the best because it has a good blend of Western ports, Eastern ports, and sea days. We will be cruising with another couple and were able to get two adjacent aft cabins with large balconies with is also a plus to us. Since we have been on more than ten Celebrity Cruises, we are diamond members of Royal's Crown and Anchor Society which entitles us a discount on our cabin, as well as the privilege of using their Concierge Lounge during the cruise. That was also a factor in our decision.

[Sky Sweet]

Hi Caviargal :)

 

Could you please answer two more questions for me. Am I correct in thinking the D-1 aft cabin that we booked on "Brilliance of the Seas" is similar to an aft Concierge Class cabins on Celebrity's M Class ships, without the Concierge Class Amenities?

 

Since we are diamond members of Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society, we will be entitled to use their concierge lounge on our Meditteranan Cruise. In your opinion, will that offset the lack of Concierge Class amenities?

 

Thanks in advance :)

[ItaliaBella]

I've sailed on the Millennium just last summer and it's the best I've ever been on. I did the Classical Mediterreanen from Barcelona to Venice. The destinations were absolutely wonderful! The Millennium is a beautiful ship and I definitely recommend her. I haven't been on any other cruise lines except for Holland and Carnival so I can't compare Millie to RCL.

 

However, since you are sailing in June, there will be young adults, teenagers and children but they are not bothersome. Weather will be good and the destinations will be fun and exciting. Santorini is absolutely gorgeous during the summer. It's not at all hot but nice and breezy.

 

Services on the Millie was above the line. Food was top notch. Can't say enough wonderful things about Millie. I hope you sail with her soon! It's a trip you'll never forget.