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My DH and I prefer Celebrity when we cruise alone, but when we take the kids and grands (11 of us total with 5 kids from 11-22) for our yearly family vacation, we now prefer RCCL. We did Disney once when the kids were little. Your grands are all really good ages for Disney (except the 17 year old) and I think it would be a great option. The main advantage to Disney (IMHO) is that the night time is still fun for the grands. On Disney the shows are fabulous but still kid friendly, and they even had a dueling piano "bar" that was super fun and very kid friendly. On RCCL, you'll most of the time either send the kids to the kid club (excellent and lots of fun for the kids) or pay for babysitting.

On RCCL, we love the Freedom class. There is plenty to do and the kids love all the sporty things. We'd love to try Oasis or Allure, but the cost is so much more per person that I just can't make myself do it. (the extra couple of hundred dollars per person really adds up for 11 of us.)

As for cabins, one year, we were all in inside cabins and one year we had three connecting balconies (and one inside for the 3 boys). It is a bit challenging to find a cabin for 3 close to cabins for 2. Because our grands are old enough to stay in their own cabin (so long as connected to parents) we prefer to get the extra cabin. It doesn't cost all that much more than trying to cram 4 into a cabin and you get an extra bathroom.

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time!

Its been a few years, but we sailed on the Zuiderdam and thought it was a fine ship with a very friendly crew. We usually think HAL edges out Celebrity in friendliness, but we like the ambiance, food, and promotions on Celebrity. We've done a Med cruise on both lines and had a great time on each one. HAL might run a bit older crowd, so you should consider that too if that matters. The longer the cruise, the older the crowd (younger peeps can't get that much time off!) But, even though we were much younger than the average age on our first HAL cruise (several years ago :-) we still had a lovely time.

also - we pick something that our travel agent will not provide. For example, we've been able to get gratuities provided by the travel agent, which allows us to pick the drink package and OBC from Celebrity.

really enjoyed this review/overview - lots of clearly stated facts. Thanks very much for taking the time - and can I just say that when I grow up I want to cruise like you do! :p

We travel with a scooter and I think it would be easier to have the scooter delivered to the ship. If the scooter is delivered to the hotel, you then have to arrange for special transportation to the ship. Traveling with the scooter is fine, but I always get tripped up with taxis. You may be able to get a regular taxi, but only if you don't have much luggage and you can take apart the scooter. Some taxi drivers are very hesitant when they see the scooter and will not take us. If you have to pay for a special transfer, it can add to the cost.

If you get it delivered, at the airport you can get a sky cap who will push you in a WC.

How about electric doors to cabins. Swipe your key card and the door opens automatically.

Celebrity accessible rooms have automatic openings. All you do is insert your sea pass and the door (wider than normal) swings wide open. My DH loves them for his scooter.

My DH takes his mobility scooter because he is about 90% dependent on it. He loves the Celebrity cabins because they have widened the doors, and put an automatic opening on them. With the wider doors, there is usually room to bring the scooter straight into the room (no need to try to wiggle it into some nook.) We always bring our own extension cord so I can't remember if he could plug right in or not.

I have not been in that particular cabin, but we have cruised the Silhouette with a scooter and were quite pleased. Of course, there is always the problem with elevator space, but otherwise, my DH was happy.

we were there last month and on Celebrity you could get off the ship quite early. we left the port about 9:15 and made our 12:15 flight, but I wouldn't want to have any less time. Like the others have said, FCO can be chaotic. If you have an 11:15 flight I'd try to have my driver pick you up by 7.

We upgraded last month to the premium, mostly for better wine choices and ended up being really disappointed with the poor options before dinner. You could only get premium wine in the dining rooms. If we wanted wine before dinner - we got Beringer - the only red wine available in the bars.

I tried a bunch of the different Martinis because we upgraded (I paid for them so wanted to get my money's worth!), but I don't really like them, so I think I'll stay with the classic on our trip in September.

A shuttle will not help you. The longest part of the walk into town was the port itself and that cannot be shortened by a driver (no cars allowed on the pier part).

We literally were docked right in town. Same as in Calgiari Sardinia - docked right in town.

My DH actually took his mobility scooter and drove right in to Ajaccio and all around. There are several roads made of cobblestones which makes for a somewhat bumpy ride, but he was able to get around quite well.

For me this would be an easy decision because of where you are cruising. I vote Equinox because a med cruise is usually very port intensive and you spend very little time exploring the ship. If this was the Caribbean, I'd vote the Harmony.

For Med cruises, you get up in the morning, grab breakfast, go explore some lovely city in a different country and don't come back until time to dress for dinner. You might wander around for a drink or two and catch some entertainment, and then hit the bed because you've got an 8 hour excursion planned for the next day. That's why the Equinox would be my vote. It's demographic will fit your age group (30th anniversary - congrats - we are at 38), think the food and dining experience is much better than RCCL, the drink package is quite nice, and the ship is lovely (just disembarked in Rome on Thursday.)

I've not cruised on the Oasis class, but have been on the Freedom and Liberty with my grandkids. We love those ships with the kids. The crowd is more family oriented, the shows and movies are more geared to families, and there is soooo much to do. But, in the Med, you'd really have trouble taking advantage of the things the ship has to offer unless your cruise had a large number of sea days.

Personally, I think the large fun ships are best for the Caribbean where you have time and the inclination to enjoy the ship. In the Med, I prefer the elegant hotel feel of the Celebrity line.

But - you can't go wrong with either!

I think you could easily do the two rooms (1 adult and 1 child in each) and then all stay in the one cabin. But, for muster drill you'll most likely have different stations.

Also, don't forget the port charges, taxes etc. We've booked two rooms before instead of fitting 4 into a balcony room when we took our grandkids and it was almost as cheap as putting 4 in a room, except the additional port charges. (We ended up actually using the extra room with 1 adult and 1 kid and it was nice to have an extra bathroom.)

I second the votes for Royal instead of Celebrity with teens. When we cruise alone, my husband and I usually go on Celebrity, but we always take the teen grandkids on Royal. (When they were younger, Disney and Carnival worked fine too, but I like RCCL for teens.) The teen clubs on any ship can be hit or miss as teens hate to be in uncomfortable situations, but if the cruise peeps can get them working together, they can be lots of fun.

Celebrity is too boring for teens. The music is usually aimed at the older crowd (40-80), the movies are aimed at adults, and the nightly shows are too. I can't imagine a teen sitting through some of the shows on Celebrity. But, on RCCL, the entertainment is geared toward a younger crowd. There will be more rock music, more family friendly movies etc.

And, I also agree that the week you've chosen will have less kids - however, I think there will be more on an RCCL than a Celebrity.

We did a tour of the Amalfi coast and thought Salerno was just as good for that as doing one from Naples. I think the driving time was similar, or even better from Salerno because you end up back at port and don't have to have a drive back to Naples at the end of the day.

We got out of the shipyard early, (8:00 a.m.) but there was evidently a big back-up later that morning and several folks were delayed trying to get out. I heard one say that they were delayed almost one hour.

Otherwise, the Salerno port is much more industrial. In Naples, you could walk off right into town - not so in Salerno. I think they offered a shuttle bus that took you into town, but we did not use it.

We thought Murano was best and then Tuscan. Silk Harvest was good, but I'd rather have Qsine on the ship.

For those cruising on a ship that alters the configuration of the room (from bed close to the door or bed close to the window) - in a non-handicapped room we could not get the scooter into the room past the bed when the bed was close to the door. That meant, that we could not open the bathroom door if the scooter was in the cabin. thankfully, the cruise line was able to switch our cabin. A scooter in a non-handicapped room is a tight fit but it works if the bed is not close to the door.

Also - a couple of years ago we rented on a cruise to Europe and were quite happy. At the time, DH wasn't as scooter dependent and he really mostly needed it for nights on the ship. We did not try to disembark with the scooter at all. The scooter was in our room when we arrived and we were able to leave it behind when we left. We were quite happy with the service.

While I agree that it would be a hassle to have to provide a Doctor's note justifying the need for the cabin - we would happily provide one. Especially since that is one of the only ways we could help the cruise ship keep the cabins for those who really need them.

I don't understand the resistance to providing documentation of your disability. To me its no different than having to put up the handicapped placard on the car when parking in a disabled space.

Hi Betty ,for as the name suggests it would be a section for all disabled cruisers whilst crusing in Europe to pick up info, tips etc;that are different to the existing disabled section that primary covers the U.S. market and vise versa(but still retaining it).It was meant as a suggestion to give extra and wider help to all disabled cruisers.Thanks

totally agree! My DH is more and more scooter dependent. We are doing our 4th Med cruise and I think a European section would be quite helpful.

Agree with several of the commenters. we've travelled with a group of 9 and a group of 11. The eleven (mulit-generation family) was definitely a challenge because the large tables are for 10 - but we agreed to squeeze into a table for 10 and they accommodated us.

I think the thing that made it doable was that we agreed to a set time for select dining every night. When we were going to be late we warned them in advance. We also had the same servers every night.

We find early dining is too early - and late dining too late. We like a time right in the middle and anytime dining affords us that opportunity. It does make it a bit harder to make it to the shows as they are geared to fit into the scheduled dining times.

Not sure either is better, but because of the position of the sun, the starboard side (right side) will probably get more sunlight as the ship goes east. And the port side more as the ship goes West.

Depending on your ports, there might be some advantages to one side or the other, but, it depends on whether you hit the port going eastbound or westbound. Some ports, like Stockholm, are great from both sides as you sail through the beautiful islands on your way to the city.

we've had varying success with regular rooms - one on RCCL had the bed placed close to the door and the scooter could not get around the bed - so it was parked in front of the closet and the bathroom! Thankfully, they were able to move us to a different room.

We now do our best to get an accessible room and my husband loves the Celebrity ones because the doors are automatic and the doorway is huge!

Yes, it costs a bit more, but for him it was worth it.

We were on the Equinox in February and had a similar experience. The music in the Martini Bar was terribly loud techno stuff and we could hardly talk to each other even in the curtained alcoves. And - service was not consistent. Sometimes pretty good, other times you wondered if you'd become invisible. We had used the Martini Bar as a pre-dinner meeting place, but it got so bad we started going elsewhere. The good news is that we did more exploring! :p

Katie

We've done Barcelona to Venice twice, an Adriatic, and a Baltic and all were quite port intensive (the Adriatic only had one sea day.) I'm healthy and active in my 50s, but my husband's health isn't as good, so we have to plan carefully.

My husband picks a port every three to four days that he isn't as interested in so he can sleep in and take it easy. I can handle marching around all day, everyday, but, I have to agree with several of the other posters that it gets exhausting, the churches all start to look alike, and you miss out on some of those special moments that don't happen when you are on a large tour.

So, along with the other hints, if your tour includes "one hour to shop" instead of marching around, I recommend sitting in a cafe and people watching. If the tour includes a tour of the perfume factory (or rug factory etc.) don't go inside. Take a short stroll around the area or sit somewhere and catch your breath. Those stops are usually sales events - and you probably need a breather more than you need perfume or another rug.

Nowadays we also go with open schedule dining (select) so that we can go when it works for us, but I agree with the other posters that if you are exhausted the MDR is a decent option, as is room service.

We also bring pre-filled envelopes for tips for each tour. That habit started in Russia where they required a fairly large amount of US cash for our two day tour. It worked so well that I try to do it for all tours.

And finally - even if you are hurrying from one spot to the next - try to remember to take some moments and let it sink it. Enjoy where you are and what you are doing. Don't get stuck in looking ahead for the "next" thing to see.

We love Med cruises and are doing Barcelona to Rome in May. I know you'll have a wonderful time.

Hi all,

 

Trying to get through this thread, so I sincerely apologize if this question has been asked before. We will have the Premium package on the an upcoming Summit cruise. First time with the package, second time on Summit. Anyway, I understand that you cannot order two alcoholic beverages at the same time on your card and have it apply to the package, but let's say you are having dinner and you want to have a Pellegrino and also a glass of wine. Another example may be that we go enjoy the martini bar, but like to stay hydrated, so ask for a bottle of Evian with the martini. How do they handle these issues? Do they charge you for the water or do they let it go since it is a different type of beverage?

 

Thanks,

John

We've had the drink packages (classic and premium a couple of times) and the bartenders are usually only going to be able to give you one drink at a time. So if you want your martini, you'd have to order that, have your card swiped and then a minute or two later ask for the Evian. At dinner, once our bar steward got to know us she would just bring our drinks (frequently multiples) all at once. For example, i always wanted a glass of wine and a bottle of Pellegrino. She brought them out together. And, if I wanted a bellini, she'd bring that too. I didn't have to wait in between or drink my drink first.

we loved having the drink package and it is one of the reasons our last two cruises have been on Celebrity.

No, That wouldn't have been me. I get it about the safety thing that day, I really do. I wasn't a last minute booking though and I never had any advance warning that there may not be a boat. I will tell you this, I think one of your reviews on this site was what finally convinced me to book with him. That's the thing with me, really. I did a lot of research. If I had been armed with a little more info, I could have avoided the situation. Maybe not fair to expect him to contact customers coming in on a ship as email would reach very few. But a "check with me" type of policy especially on the added boat could have changed things dramatically for us that day. I sincerely hope he will think about that in the future. Put a note in the reservation that if the weather looks questionable, call this number kind of thing. Even if it were just for the smaller boat. Really, how many calls would he need to flag? If I had known to do that, and called and found out in advance, problem solved. We would only have been disappointed to have missed his trip. But, we would very likely have been able to book something else. That is probably what the rest of the people were upset about. I think the situation could be avoided, that has been my main point.

 

We have other factors going on here that I don't hold Captain Bob responsible for, but are part of the whole picture. My wife has limited mobility on her right side. It was a bit of a challenge to get to the marina that morning. We researched in advance, looked at the map provided with booking, etc. We decided it was do-able, and it was. Trying to rush back to port was WAY worse and she was terribly worn out. Now add to that, this was our first stop. She had been of the opinion that cruise passengers should stick to ship sponsored excursions. I convinced her otherwise in order to book Captain Bob. So here we are, back at port, no available excursions other than "winging it" which we did...With her already worn out and understandably upset. As I said, these things were not his fault, but are part of our picture that day. And the situation could have been avoided....that's it.

 

Don't be so quick to dismiss negative reviews on here. They can be very helpful. I would hope they could sometimes be as helpful to the tour operators as the cruisers. As I said, I do plenty of research, here and elsewhere. I think you'll find that most people that are actually reading this stuff can pick and choose what is nitpicking and what could be a legitimate concern for them. I have read this entire thread. We had our own experience that we consider less than a positive one, but I can still say that this appears to be a top notch option IF you get to go. But I would also urge passengers that if they pull into port and find any kind of questionable weather, find a way to contact him and confirm your reservation, because it really really sucks to lead your group into a dead end with no excursion options. Fair enough? Cheers!

I have never been with Captain Bob - but - I want to thanks all the posters who share their experience. I for one, am very happy to hear the positive and the negative. If this was simply an opportunity to give rave reviews it would have less value to me.

In the CC forums there seems to be a tendency to attack posters who didn't drink the Kool-aid (whether you don't like a vendor or complain about the cruise line). But, I hope that fair and honest reviews keep coming despite that.

So, my thanks to all who post their experience!