Med Cruise...what to look for and look out for...any deals for this summer?

Question

I want to take a cruise this summer with my husband to somewhere in the Med, Greece, Spain, Italy.

What is the best way to do this? Is there a site that really has deals as compared to all the hype?

We don't smoke and like to avoid smoke filled places as much as possible...any help on that one?

Anything to watch out for as far as scams?

Any really good ones that you would repeat?

Answer 1

We looked into doing a euro cruise for our honeymoon but decided to do Asia instead. Why? Because, when you take into account the airfare cost, the fact that a lot of the ports are easily 60+ miles from the cities you are visiting and the cost and time wasted in getting there makes it less attractive. For example, the port for Rome is easily 1 hr away from the city by train and if you only have 8 hrs there, well you really only have 5 with the travel time and loading/unloading.

That being said, the greek and turkish isles are incredible as are places like Crete; if you can find a cruise that focuses on smaller ports rather than the large euro cities, it would definitely be worth it. Do the cities on your own afterwords! You should be able to find cruises leaving from Rome, Barcelona or Athens, so you can do a city visit beforehand.

You can find some great deals on travelzoo's website (see below).

Answer 2

I'm a travel agent who has done the Med many times, its one of my favorite itineraries.  The Med cruises are really popular and are fill up quickly.  Space might be difficult to get at this late date.  

Most agents will recommend late May - June and Sept for those sailings.  July and August will be hot in the Med, so be aware of that if you don't like hot weather.

The Greek Islands and Turkey in the Eastern Med are great and an itinerary from Venice to Istanbul or Athens to Istanbul usually include some great ports stops in Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, (all in Greece) Bodrum, and Kusadasi (in Turkey).

If you're doing the Western Med, then something that starts or ends in Barcelona, simply because its an exciting and vibrant port.  Don't know anyone who's been there and hasn't said the same thing.

Be smart when you cruise and include 2 days each in your embarkation and disembarkation ports, otherwise you'll only see these cities on your run between the airport and port. Always good to build in one extra day prior to your cruise at the embarkation city in case you have flight delays due to strikes, weather, equipment problems, etc.  Not fun when you book the cruise and miss the boat because of something you can't control.

I agree that you'll have a better cruise and time on a ship with fewer passengers. Oceania is great and an excellent value.  Their shortest cruise is 10 days and they have some unique itineraries that are different from the usual routes.  Other lines to consider would be Regent, SilverSea, SeaDream, or Seabourn.  These are priced higher than the usual cruises, but unlike the mass market ships such as, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, Holland-America, etc. these ships are all-inclusive, so your gratuities and drinks are included in your price, there are no inside cabins, and all the cabins are suites.  If these don't fit into your budget, then do yourself a favor and find a ship with the smallest capacity doing the itinerary you'd like and don't book an inside cabin.  You're there to see Europe so why would you want to stay in a windowless closet for the cruise?

The best thing you can do is contact a good travel agent, who will be able to answer your questions, make sure you have any visas you might need, find you the best price to meet your budget, and find the best itinerary to meet your needs.

If you don't have an agent, please give me a call at 866-485-8175, and I'll be glad to plan and book a wonderful Med cruise for you.

Answer 3

Can't think of a better way to view the med!!

The cruise lines standardize the rates- so all cruise vendors should be quoting the same price period.  Be leary of vendors offering a substantially reduced rate unless they are offering it from 'group space'.

Since all cruise vendors are held to the same rate they will offer other benefits to entice buyers -earn frequent flier miles, free shore excursion, on board credit.

The european brands like msc, costa will have smoking that is unavoidable.  The american brands princess, celebrity will have smoking in designated open air spaces and adult lounges only.  The rooms are fumigated between sailings and I who hate the smell, have never had the slightest problem.

Oceania is an upper premium class.  You really do get a LOT for your money in the Med with this ship.  I bring them up because of your preference for no smoking.  This is a completely NON smoking ship and they strictly enforce this policy.