Does anyone have advice on mediterranean cruises?

Question

my husband and i want to go on a mediterranean (european) cruise next summer or fall. specifically we would like to see parts of italy and the south of france. who are the best cruise lines to go on for this, and what is the average cost? and are the areas we want to see likely to be visited by a cruise ship or are we better off just visiting the countries themselves? thanks!

Answer 1

We went on our first cruise this past summer and sailed from Barcelona, Spain.  Ports of Call included:

Palermo, Sicily (Italy)

Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento/Isle of Capri (Italy)

Olbia, Sardinia (Italy)

Rome (Italy)

Florence/Pisa

Marseille, France

Monaco/Monte Carlo

We found several cruiseline visit these same ports of call so depending on your schedule and budget, you have a variety of cruises.

We had started our planning back about 20 years ago (a promise I kept) to go to Europe.  But we made our reservations last April, 2006 for our cruise in May, 2007.   Temperatures were great (not cold but warm during the whole two weeks.

We chose the cruise ship route since it was our first time.  Other "new friends" that we met were veteran cruisers and offered advice for future trips such as taking longer shore excursions before and after the cruise.  I felt rushed in Rome (just so much to see...our tour guide said she lived there and still hasn't seen everything she really wants to visit).

Best thing is to do your homework.   Check out www.cruisecritic.com.  This site has professional and personal reviews of good and bad facts about every Cruiseline and every Cruise ship.  The bad facts actually helped us properly prepare for this experience.

Overall, we had the best vacation...just wished we had not waited 25 years to finally go on a cruise.

Good Luck and have fun!

Answer 2

There are several cruise lines and itineraries to choose from for a Mediterranean cruise and also you can chose  4 days, 6  or 7 days, or a longer 12 day, plus some cruises are round trip and others are one-way (i.e., start in Venice and end in Rome).  The cruise lines you can choose from that are pretty much based in the US are Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Norwegian, and Carnival.  Then there are some European based lines like Costa and some high end (i.e., very expensive but exclusive) lines like Regent Seven Seas and Crystal.

A 12 day cruise of the Mediterranian can be had, if you book early (like now for next fall) for about $1500 per person or less on most cruise lines.  The high end lines will cost about double that per person.  Then you have to factor in air fare which for us was about $800 each from the east coast US, and a few hundred for travel insurance.  If you book online you can reserve your cruise on most lines with a deposit of $400 per person and then pay on line in increments of $100.  This is what I do on RC's site and also on Norwegian's.

So you need to know your budget and how much time you will have for the cruise.  Also, it a good idea (and recommended by all good travel agents) to plan to fly to the departure port at least a day early so that you are less likely to miss your cruise due to an airline problem; and also to give yourself time to adjust somewhat to the new time zone.

Its easy to shop the Mediterranean cruises by simply going to the cruise line web sites and clicking on the link that say "destinations" or some such similar, and then select "Europe" or the "Med".  You can also read about the port stops online.  So if you are not sure whether you want to go on  a cruise that stops in Mykonos you can read what the cruise line says about that port stop.  But look at what's available before you look for the right combination for you.

Now, here's my experience:

We did a 12 day Mediterranean cruise in October two years ago. It was a fabulous cruise. We cruised on the Royal Caribbean ship, Brilliance of the Seas. The ship is outstanding, my favorite of all of the Royal Caribbean ships.

The crowd of people on the ship was mixed, mostly folks 30's to 60's and not many kids. The time of year (October) pretty much keeps families with kids from going.   That is also a great time for good weather and fewer tourists and that can be a big plus at the major stops like The Vatican where lines typically wrap around the block to get in.

In the first port stop of Villefranche we did the tour that went to the Medieval city of Eze and then to Monaco and the Monte Carlo casino. The Eze part was OK and so was the Monaco part, but don't pay the $10 per person to go inside the casino. Its not worth it, plus you cannot take pictures inside.

In Florence we did the walking tour of the city and also a stop at Pisa. That was a good tour. In Rome we toured the Vatican City and Sistene Chapel and the went to the Coliseum. All of that was good but the tours take all day because the port is an hour from Rome. I do not recommend trying to do Rome on your own, you may get caught in traffic and miss the ship's departure.

In Naples we toured Pompeii and that as good. In Athens we took a tour to the Acropolis and then through the city of Athens. The Acropolis part I liked best. In Kusudasi we went to the Biblical city of Ephesus and that was awing and outstanding. In Santorini we went on a tour of the island and then to a winery.   Skip the tours there and just go on your own; its a beautiful place to visit.  On Mykonos we did not do a tour, just walked around the town.  I loved Mykonos and will go back there when I get a chance

Since there are a lot of historical sites to see on a Med cruise, it can be very tiring. Many tours last all day and depending on the arrangement of ports stops you can be off the ship all day on consecutive days. But, if you go that far you do not want to miss the historical sights. If you decide to skips ships tours and go on your own its best to do that in Mykonos and Santorini. The other places involve a bus ride to the attractions, or a tour or taxi.

In Barcelona and the cities in Italy you have to watch out for pickpockets and Gypsies. Keep your money and valuables inside your clothes, not just in your pocket. If you give money to one Gypsie, others will show up with their hands out. So even though they look so sad, its an act and just ignore them.

Sometimes the pickpockets will disguise themselves (with a camera hanging around their neck) as tourists. So don't let people who are not in your tour group get close to you.

All of the port stops that this cruise makes, except Turkey right now, use the Euro. So it would be a good idea to buy some Euros before you leave for the trip. You will need some as soon as you get to Europe to pay a taxi to your hotel and/or the ship. Unless you plan to make some big purchases in Turkey, no need to buy that currency. If you decide you want some you can get it on the ship at the purser's desk. The owners of the markets in Kusudasi will come out of their shops to invite you in; very pushy. If you do not plan on spending but a few dollars there you can probably use US dollars or Euros.

I have done almost 20 cruises and Royal Caribbean is my favorite line and I highly recommend it. The Mediterranean cruise is tops on my list of all of the cruises we have been on. You will enjoy it and the ship.

WE will be heading out next week on another Med cruise, called Eastern Mediterranean, which begins and ends in Barcelona, but has stops in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and the Canary Islands.  That's another option and that cruise is on the new Norwegian ship, the Gem.

Use the web sites below to browse.

Answer 3

Check cruise line websites or brochures for cost which depends on cruise line, cabin, itinerary, and length of cruise.

Have a look here for cruise line and ship reviews. http://www.fodors.com/cruise/index.cfm

and join this forum for answers and advice on any questions on cruising

http://www.cruisecritic.com/

Remember that although the cost of the cruise covers food and board while on-board, ships tours, drinks bought on board and tips can increase your cruise cost substantially

A cruise round the Med is usually one day at sea followed by one day in port each day for the rest of the cruise. Not really ideal if you want to spend some time exploring different areas of Europe. Good as a taster experience, if you really like somewhere you can always return for a holiday to explore the area properly.

Answer 4

My husband and I went to Greece this past April and what I can recommend is to take a longer cruise so that the ports of call aren't crammed into each day.  We only had a 4 day cruise to see 6 islands and we were doing 2 a day.  It was too much - we were constantly running about.  Definitely find an extensive cruise where you can enjoy more.