Planning our first cruise to Europe and need some advice!

[Jen516]

Hi all -- my husband and I are planning our 10 year anniversary trip. We are looking to go on a Med. cruise (preferably to Greece/Turkey area) for 7 nights next June. (It will be our first "real" trip away from our two young sons!)

 

There are a number of cruise lines to choose from (RCCL, Norweigan, Costa, Windstar, etc) and a number of ports -- none that I know about.

 

Any advice on ships to avoid or to look into? How about great ports? We would love a mix of relaxation and sightseeing but mostly just want to enjoy being together and seeing a new part of the world. (We have never been to this area before; however are experienced travelers and cruisers in other parts of the world; ie Caribbean, Hawaii, etc) We do NOT want a "cheesy" ship loaded with kids.

 

Thanks for any advice!

 

Jen

[cherylakers]

We are going on the Star Princess in 2010 to the Greeks Isles/Turkey. It is a 12 day though so not sure if that is what you are looking for.

 

IMO, Princess is a great cruise line, along with RCI too. I have never been on Celebrity so can't comment on them.

 

We have been on Norwegian and we really don't like the anytime type of dining. Lots of people do though. We prefer late seating at a set time with the same waiters every night. They get to know you and your tastes, etc.

 

I haven't been on Costa either so can't comment.

 

No matter which line you choose, it will be a great cruise. Rome is a wonderful start to any cruise and so is Venice. It's so romantic in Venice.

 

Have a great cruise

 

Cheryl

[CintiPam]

We did our first-ever cruise last September on Oceania's Nautica, from Istanbul Athens, with overnight on board in Istanbul, and ports at Kusadasi (Ephesus), Rhodes, Santorini, Delos/Mykonos, Katakolon (Olympia), Corfu, Dubrovnik, and overnight on board in Athens before disembarkation. It was great: 684 passengers (so no lines), no formal nights, open dining whenever you want (plus two speciality restaurants you make reservations for, one steak/seafood, one Italian), great beds, great people. Check it out!

[fpat]

I would look at Azamara or Oceana.

 

This Azamara is one that I am looking at for either next year or 2011 it has an over night on the first day and the last which you would not need to stay in a hotel on either end. I know it is 10 vs 7 days but even if you do a 7 day you will need to stay in a hotel the night before most likely. what ever you decide best of luck.

 

Thu, Jun 10

Athens (Piraeus), Greece Fri, Jun 11

Athens (Piraeus), Greece Docked Depart 6:00 PM Sat, Jun 12

Nauplion, Greece Tendered Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 6:00 PM Sun, Jun 13

Mykonos, Greece Tendered Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 10:00 PM Mon, Jun 14

Santorini, Greece Tendered Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 10:00 PM Tue, Jun 15

Rhodes, Greece Docked Arrive 9:00 AM Depart 6:00 PM Wed, Jun 16

Bodrum, Turkey Docked Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 10:00 PM Thu, Jun 17

Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey Docked Arrive 7:00 AM Depart 11:00 PM Fri, Jun 18

At Sea Sat, Jun 19

Istanbul, Turkey Docked Arrive 7:00 AM Sun, Jun 20

Istanbul, Turkey

[chipmaster]

Hi all -- my husband and I are planning our 10 year anniversary trip. We are looking to go on a Med. cruise (preferably to Greece/Turkey area) for 7 nights next June. (It will be our first "real" trip away from our two young sons!)

 

There are a number of cruise lines to choose from (RCCL, Norweigan, Costa, Windstar, etc) and a number of ports -- none that I know about.

 

Any advice on ships to avoid or to look into? How about great ports? We would love a mix of relaxation and sightseeing but mostly just want to enjoy being together and seeing a new part of the world. (We have never been to this area before; however are experienced travelers and cruisers in other parts of the world; ie Caribbean, Hawaii, etc) We do NOT want a "cheesy" ship loaded with kids.

 

Thanks for any advice!

 

Jen

 

 

Not sure what your definition of Cheesy ships loaded with kids are.

 

I'd say start looking at cruises like Celebrity, Seabourn or such. All the mainstream lines, you'll find plenty of kids for sure

[thinfool]

Hi all -- my husband and I are planning our 10 year anniversary trip. We are looking to go on a Med. cruise (preferably to Greece/Turkey area) for 7 nights next June. (It will be our first "real" trip away from our two young sons!)

 

There are a number of cruise lines to choose from (RCCL, Norweigan, Costa, Windstar, etc) and a number of ports -- none that I know about.

 

Any advice on ships to avoid or to look into? How about great ports? We would love a mix of relaxation and sightseeing but mostly just want to enjoy being together and seeing a new part of the world. (We have never been to this area before; however are experienced travelers and cruisers in other parts of the world; ie Caribbean, Hawaii, etc) We do NOT want a "cheesy" ship loaded with kids.

 

Thanks for any advice!

 

Jen

 

Go on Princess after school starts in the US. The weather is wonderful in the Med at that time.

 

Visit Rome, Venice and Istanbul....and any others that strike your fancy.

 

You will want to go again.

[GSPLover]

(1) Look at the itinerary for a possible cruise. You might start by looking at several cruises and start a spread sheet listing all of the ports. (2) Take a look at each of the ports and what there is there that may be of interest to you. There is a wealth of information available on the internet. Make Google your best friend. (3) As you go along, start assigning a point value to every port (maybe 1-5 or 1-10) (4) After you have gone through all the possible ports, rank them by your point value (best to worst). (5) With the port ranking established, go back and start to look at all the cruise lines that offer cruises that match your selection. You will find that your choice has been narrowed considerably. (6) Now you can start to think about ships and cruise lines. This is both a personal prefernce and a budgetary thing.

 

By the time you reach step (5) or (6) you should established a relationship with a cruise specialist. You don't want to be talking to cruise lines as they are really not going to be of assistance. Yes, they will book your cruise and maybe airport to port transfers (if they sell them). Beyond that, nada. You want to talk with somebody who knows, somebody who has been there, somebody that can tell you about all the options for getting to/from port.

 

Planning a cruise is fun. Experience can be a great help to you.

[chipmaster]

Go on Princess after school starts in the US. The weather is wonderful in the Med at that time.

 

Visit Rome, Venice and Istanbul....and any others that strike your fancy.

 

You will want to go again.

 

Make sure you avoid any European holiday as well, as our ship had lots of European kids too, maybe more then cheesy Americans kids:D

[StarTrkGeek]

Hi all -- my husband and I are planning our 10 year anniversary trip. We are looking to go on a Med. cruise (preferably to Greece/Turkey area) for 7 nights next June. (It will be our first "real" trip away from our two young sons!)

 

There are a number of cruise lines to choose from (RCCL, Norweigan, Costa, Windstar, etc) and a number of ports -- none that I know about.

 

Any advice on ships to avoid or to look into? How about great ports? We would love a mix of relaxation and sightseeing but mostly just want to enjoy being together and seeing a new part of the world. (We have never been to this area before; however are experienced travelers and cruisers in other parts of the world; ie Caribbean, Hawaii, etc) We do NOT want a "cheesy" ship loaded with kids.

 

Thanks for any advice!

 

Jen

Hi Jen,

 

There has been a lot of good advice offered her. I would sum it up like this:

 

1. Choose your itinerary first. It is far more important than the ship you select.
   
2. There are basically four categories of cruise lines: 1) Luxury; 2) Premium; 3) Mainstream; and 4) Economical
   
3. Decide what your priorities are. Do you want a luxury ship that pampers you constantly? If so, be prepared to pay 3 times the price of mainstream cruise lines. Luxury lines include: Crystal, Seven Seas, Seabourn, and Silversea.
   
4. In the Premium category, you have Azamara (the upscale division of Celebrity) and Oceania. Oceania serves the best food, even when compared to the luxury lines.
   
5. If you are looking for lots of activities and high quality entertainment (Las Vegas-style shows or Broadway-style shows), then you should consider one of the mainstream cruiselines, especially Disney (they have the best shows of any cruise line), Royal Caribbean (RCL), or Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). For RCL and NCL, always pick one of their new ships (built within the last 10 years).
   
6. In the mainstream category, the best food and service can be found on Celebrity. Holland America and Princess also offer a very good product.
   
7. More families tend to sail on Carnival, RCL, Disney, and NCL. Thus, you will find more children on these cruise lines, especially when school is out.
   
8. In the economical category, you will find Carnival, Costa, and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). Both Costa and MSC are European cruise lines that cater to Europeans -- who tend to smoke alot more than Americans.
   

For a 10th anniversary in Europe, I would suggest one of Celebrity's newest ships, either the Solstice or the Equinox (which will have its maiden voyage in Europe this Autumn).

 

Regarding the ports, are you looking for beaches or are you looking for architecture, history, culture, etc.? For architecture, history, and culture, you can't beat Rome and Athens. For beaches, try the Greek islands.

 

Have a great trip.

Alan

[texancruzer]

As you can see by my signature - we WERE die-hard Royal Caribbean fans. But also by my signature you can see we JUST got back from our first Celebrity cruise. We began in Rome, Santorini, Mykonos, Istanbul (overnight) Kusadasi (Ephesus), Athens, Naples and Rome.

 

Altho this was not a 7 nighter - but an 11 nighter it was a wonderful itinerary.

 

We sailed the brand new Solstice and the ship is gorgeous and very well designed. Altho there were 2800 passengers onboard - it did not feel like it. They have split up the areas in such a way as there were small groups of people and we loved it ! Up on top at the back there were a few times we went back there and we were the only two watching the sea go by....nice chairs and chaises up there too.

 

I think the more research you do - the better idea you will have of the right fit as far as cruiseline and itinerary. Do try to go a little "off" season as this will alleviate the "kid" problem and also it tends to be a bit cheaper. Have fun planning as it is half the fun of the trip !

[freelist]

I'm going on both my first cruise and my first trip to Europe in just under two weeks now (yay! :D) so I haven't yet had any experience to judge from. But I can go through a couple of things that we looked at to help narrow down the choices.

1. One thing that I made sure to watch for was the amount of time in each port. The cruise that we ended up picking has 7AM to 7PM stops in every single port we visit, which means that we actually get to SEE each location. (Although I feel like you can never have enough time in a place like Florence...) But some of the other cruises that we didn't end up picking looked great on the surface since they stopped at a ton of different places, but some of the port stops were only ~5hrs, which hardly seemed like enough time to see anything.

2. The other thing we paid attention to was the start/end port(s). The cruise that we eventually chose was one of the relatively rare ones with different start/end ports, as we start in Barcelona and end in Rome. This was one of the major drawing points for us because we can spend a little extra time in both Barcelona/Rome before/after the cruise and get a chance to see more.

I hope this helps... I'll make sure to come report back after my cruise if I discover in hindsight that our criteria were all wrong! :eek:

[aylesbury]

Celebrity offer a really good itinerary but 10 or 11 nights with good food and few kids. Star Clippers are a great experience and really worth looking at and also have a good itinerary. Ports that you should try to include - Venice, Istanbul, Dubrovnik, Santorini (Thira) are really very special and would always top my list of places you should see.

[Jen516]

Thanks everyone for the excellent information.

 

Alan, your post was especially helpful. I basically know the "mainstream" cruise lines and will definitely check into some of the other lines you mentioned.

 

One of the main parameters for us will be length (can only go on a 7 day cruise -- parents will only babysit that long!) and time of year (can only go in late June through early August -- the time my parents will be off work to babysit). Hey-- free babysitting, I have to work in those requirements! ;)

 

As for ports -- my husband and I have already been to Europe on a 6 week trip and of those spent 2 weeks in Italy (Venice, Rome, etc) but have never been to Greece or Turkey. We both LOVED Venice but don't need to run back to Rome any time soon. I would love a combo of beach/historical ports but if I have to choose one it would be beaches/beauty. I think the Greek Islands appeal to me more than Athens, though I would certainly love to see that as well.

 

So all -- what are your favorite ports of call in this part of the world? I think the best thing for me to do would be to first figure out our preferred ports and pick an itinerary and go from there.

 

Thanks again for all the help!

 

Jen

[Fafos]

I suggest a 7 days cruise with Cristal:

 

Fri - Piraeus, Greece 17:00

Sat - Istanbul, Turkey 15:00

Sun - Istanbul, Turkey 18:00

Mon - Mykonos, Greece 15:00 23:59

Tue - Patmos, Greece 07:00 10:30

Tue - Kusadasi, Turkey 14:30 20:30

Wed - Rhodes, Greece 07:00 18:00

Thu - Crete (Agios Nikolaos), Greece 07:00 12:00

Thu - Santorini,Greece 17:00 21:00

Fri -Piraeus, Greece 06:00

 

 

http://www.louiscruises.com/itinerary.html?CRS=CS07090529&CRSLST=CS07090529,CS07090605,CS07090612,CS07090619,CS07090626,CS07090703,CS07090710,CS07090717,CS07090724,CS07090731,CS07090807,CS07090814,CS07090821,CS07090828,CS07090904,CS07090911,CS07090918,CS07090925,CS07091002,CS07091009,CS07091016,CS07091023

[Jen516]

ps. Anyone know anything about Windstar?

 

And Fafos -- never heard of Cristal. Is it a European line?

[RachelG]

I would recommend you consider Regent. It is all-inclusive, and you will truly be pampered. Even air fare is included if you want. When you look at what all is included, it really doesn't cost much more than the mainline ships. Plus you will never encounter big lines or crowds and very few kids. You don't have to pay for anything once you board unless you want spa treatments or really expensive bottles of wine. The food is generally top-notch. Almost all cabins (all on Voyager and Mariner and most on Navigator) have balconies and the cabins are all large.

[Fafos]

ps. Anyone know anything about Windstar?

 

And Fafos -- never heard of Cristal. Is it a European line?

 

Louis Cruises is a greek - cyprus company with many ships.. Cristal is their best ship.. is for 1100-1200 passengers and with good prices (special with "smart prices")

 

http://www.louiscruises.com/vesselsspecs.html?CRS=CS07090724&CRSLST=CS07090529,CS07090605,CS07090612,CS07090619,CS07090626,CS07090703,CS07090710,CS07090717,CS07090724,CS07090731,CS07090807,CS07090814,CS07090821,CS07090828,CS07090904,CS07090911,CS07090918,CS07090925,CS07091002,CS07091009,CS07091016,CS07091023&txtFrom=|&txtDestin=|&txtMonth=|&txtDurat=0|&SHP=CS

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I agree. If you're considering Windstar, by all means consider Regent. Great ships, wonderful service and food, amazing cabins. Expensive, but worth it.

[StarTrkGeek]

ps. Anyone know anything about Windstar?

 

And Fafos -- never heard of Cristal. Is it a European line?

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is one of the Luxury cruise lines I mentioned in a previous post.

 

Windstar should probably be in the Premium category. They are not quite at the level of Crystal, Seabourn, SeaDream, SeaCloud, Regent, or SilverSea. If you are interested in luxury cruises, probably the best-of-the-best is the Europa (Hapag-Lloyd Cruise Line). These ships are all 4-5 times the price of the mainstream cruise lines. However, as a previous poster mentioned, many of the luxury cruise lines are all-inclusive (alcohol, soda, tips, and excursions are included). Even so, it is still A LOT more expensive than the mainstream cruise lines.

 

I have never heard of Louis cruises.

[dhmjdds]

I think I may have found the perfect cruise for you. I'm not a TA or anything, but I have been on most of the lines being discussed, and in your exact situation. For an adult experience even in the summer, definitely Crystal is a fabulous choice. Look at their cruise June 18-25, 2010. Athens to Venice with stops in Mykonos, Kusadasi, Corfu, and Split with an overnight in Venice.

 

Crystal is great for food, but what is truly outstanding is the service. Also, not to be a snob (too much), but the people you meet on Crystal are very widely-traveled and -read, and friendly. Crystal always seemed to do a great job matching tables at dinner.

 

You should beg the grandparents for a couple extra days so you can see Athens and to sleep off the jetlag.

 

Diane

[Jen516]

Thanks again, everyone.

 

Diane, that Crystal one is definitely on my radar. So far these are the ones I have narrowed it down to:

 

Crystal Jun. 18 - 25, 2010 Athens/Piraeus, Greece, Kuşadasi, Turkey, Split, Croatia, Mykonos, Greece, Corfu, Greece, Venice, Italy

 

Seven Seas Jun 21-29, 2010 Athens, Greece, Delos, Greece, Mykonos, Greece, Santorini, Greece, Crete, Greece, Rhodes, Greece, Kusadasi, Turkey, Istanbul, Turkey

 

Seabourn June 26-July 3 Venice, Sibenik, Croatia, Bari, Italy, Fiskardho, Greece, Olympia, Greece, Gythion, Greece, Mykonos, Greece, Athens, Greece

 

Silversea June 26-July 3 Istanbul, Sea, Kusadasi, Turkey, Patmos, Greece, Rhodes, Greece, Mykonos, Greece, Santorini, Greece, Athens, Greece

 

RCCL June 28-July 5 Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Messina (Sicily), Italy; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Iraklion (Heraklion), Crete; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

 

RCCL June 27-July 4 Venice, Italy; Split, Croatia; Corfu, Greece; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Mykonos, Greece; Katakolon, Greece; Venice, Italy

 

I know the RCCL ones are in a much different category, but I want to include a lower priced option should we want to go that route (though I know those ships are older and not as ideal, and I also know there will be more kids)

 

I think at this point I need to study these ports some more. If anyone has any input on these let me know! Thanks again for all of this wonderful help!

[StarTrkGeek]

I know the RCCL ones are in a much different category, but I want to include a lower priced option should we want to go that route (though I know those ships are older and not as ideal, and I also know there will be more kids)

 

I think at this point I need to study these ports some more. If anyone has any input on these let me know! Thanks again for all of this wonderful help!

If you are looking for a lower-cost option, I would not choose RCCL -- unless you want lots of families with children and teenagers.

 

Here is an alternative to RCCL for a less expensive cruise:

 

1. Ship: ms Nieuw Amsterdam (It's a brand new ship)
   Ports of Call: Venice, Italy; Katakolon, Greece; Corfu, Greece; Kotor, Croatia; Split, Croatia; Ravenna Italy
   Departure Port: Venice, Italy
   Departure Dates: Jul 07, 2010
   

[dhmjdds]

Jen--

 

I think the Seven Seas one is actually Regent. That would be a good choice too (we did Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia--wonderful!).

 

I am assuming that you are about 35 years old? If I am fairly close, I would stay away from Silverseas and Seabourn; much older demographic.

 

If you can afford Crystal/Regent/Silverseas/Seabourn definitely avoid RCCL for just your husband and yourself; after you go you'll want to go back with your kids and if you decide to go on a cruise you'll look at RCCL/Celebrity/Princess, but not for this trip! IMHO, of course. I'm not you, maybe you like belly flop competitions.... Perhaps that's just in the Caribbean, though.

 

As far as the ports go, you've been to Venice and know how great that is. Athens is...interesting...but everyone should go there and spend 2-3 days to see the sights, and to hear the Greeks complain about the crappy treatment they have received from the Romans/Italians (and the Brits) for the past 2000+ years.

 

Santorini is absolutely stunning. I haven't been to the other Greek islands, but you can bet they are beautiful with just enough historical interest to give you something to do besides sit on the beach. Istanbul was a different world; the palaces are so over the top that I just gawked; the history and the Islamic flavor of the city are fascinating to me. Haven't been to Kusadasi/Ephesus yet, but my reading tells me I have to go there.

 

Sicily was my favorite place of all (we docked at Taormina). There is so much to do there.

 

Any cruise is a good cruise, but a great cruise will change your life (or just the way you vacation).

 

Diane

 

Thanks again, everyone.

 

Diane, that Crystal one is definitely on my radar. So far these are the ones I have narrowed it down to:

 

Crystal Jun. 18 - 25, 2010 Athens/Piraeus, Greece, Kuşadasi, Turkey, Split, Croatia, Mykonos, Greece, Corfu, Greece, Venice, Italy

 

Seven Seas Jun 21-29, 2010 Athens, Greece, Delos, Greece, Mykonos, Greece, Santorini, Greece, Crete, Greece, Rhodes, Greece, Kusadasi, Turkey, Istanbul, Turkey

 

Seabourn June 26-July 3 Venice, Sibenik, Croatia, Bari, Italy, Fiskardho, Greece, Olympia, Greece, Gythion, Greece, Mykonos, Greece, Athens, Greece

 

Silversea June 26-July 3 Istanbul, Sea, Kusadasi, Turkey, Patmos, Greece, Rhodes, Greece, Mykonos, Greece, Santorini, Greece, Athens, Greece

 

RCCL June 28-July 5 Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy; Messina (Sicily), Italy; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Iraklion (Heraklion), Crete; Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

 

RCCL June 27-July 4 Venice, Italy; Split, Croatia; Corfu, Greece; Piraeus (Athens), Greece; Mykonos, Greece; Katakolon, Greece; Venice, Italy

[StarTrkGeek]

If you are looking for a lower-cost option, I would not choose RCCL -- unless you want lots of families with children and teenagers.

 

Here is an alternative to RCCL for a less expensive cruise:

 

1. Ship: ms Nieuw Amsterdam (It's a brand new ship)
   Ports of Call: Venice, Italy; Katakolon, Greece; Corfu, Greece; Kotor, Croatia; Split, Croatia; Ravenna Italy
   Departure Port: Venice, Italy
   Departure Dates: Jul 07, 2010
   

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the ms Nieuw Amsterdam is a Holland America ship.

[Jen516]

Alan, thank you so much for pointing out that Holland America one. I missed it somehow and the itinerary looks good! I don't know much about Holland America. Is it a good line? Have you sailed it before?

 

And Diane, yes, you are right! We are 34 and definitely would love to travel with some other people in our age group. That is great feedback about trying to stay away from Seaborurn and Silver Sea for that reason.

 

So right now my focus is on Regent Jun 21-29, 2010 Athens, Greece, Delos, Greece, Mykonos, Greece, Santorini, Greece, Crete, Greece, Rhodes, Greece, Kusadasi, Turkey, Istanbul, Turkey

 

And Holland America ms Nieuw Amsterdam July 7th.

 

Going to compare/find out more now. Any other info is appreciated!