fountain44

43 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Hmm.....that Mykonos stop isn't an overnight (leaves at 2:00 am) but it is a generous stay.  However other ports on the same cruise have some pretty short times:  Bari (7am to 1pm) and Kotor (2pm to 8pm) for example.

 

Also bear in mind what's been said about Venice. At best you'll be going out of a nearby industrial port, not Venice with the beautiful sail-in/sail-out of years past. 

I think based off everything so far we would like eastern and due ease and cost flying to Rome then  athens as a second choice is probably our best bet.  Otherwise Barcelona looks easy enough if we go western. 

Right now RC and Celeb really just dont offer a lot.  

Things can change in 9-12 months and we will be out of the winter season, but our other concern is playing the covid games.  Got the wonder elixir vaccines, but I see the standard is a neg covid test 2 days prior which if we leave 2-3 days prior, going to have to figure that one out in another country.  

1 hour ago, love to cruise 2017 said:

Hi 

 

we just came off MSC Grandsioa in Europe, like most it was our first time on them, we heard the goood,  the bad, the OMG why are you sailing with them comment. 

 

we have done over 25 cruises and we were pretty amazed by the standard of service, the food was even good and the shows were ok....but he ship was clean, didn't penny pinch u like some.....only ***** was customer service staff and officers they think they are better than the crew and some passengers.

 

the crew them self....were great!!! 

 

would be go again....Yes we would.... 

Thanks for the info.  I have done RC, Carnival, and princess, and half dozen one half the other, kind of my thing.   Not really concerned with a major cruise line being garbage.  

44 minutes ago, wowzz said:

You seem to be fixated with MSC. 

Why have you discounted Princess, Celebrity,  Oceania, Viking, Regent,  Seaborne etc ? 

Frankly they have the most options and the cost is good.  Viking and small boats dont interest me even if cost wasnt an issue.  Look not paying 2-4k per person. 

I have not discounted RC as there are some listed there and there is one princess out there.  

11 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

I was thinking that flights to  places like Rome, Barcelona, and Athens would be better ports for embarkation and debarkation. They would like be cheaper flights and you would have more to do at these ports. The other cities, would likely be a bit more complicated with more connections.

 

Keep in mind that MSC cruises sometimes are more like ferry stops which is something the other cruise lines usually don't do. It really doesn't affect your experience, especially since you are not looking to meet other passengers. It just seems that each port produces a new batch of clueless rookies onboard.:-)

 

By the way, we love Kusadasi. I was worried about my safety, but compared to our previous stop in Athens, I felt very safe. It was very clean and modern. The vendors are no more aggressive than in the Caribbean.

 

Overall, I say you have a number of great options. This being your first time in on a European cruise, which city is most desirable for a little more time?  I might go with that. If it was my first time, Rome would stand out but Barcelona is so very easy and more affordable.

Yeah ok I was thinking the same thing then with Rome or Athens in terms of (de)embarkation.  Next April I can get to Rome for 550 bucks from NYC which is a 4 hour drive for us or our local airport is like 800.  Either way not bad Id pay 400 just getting to florida.  

36 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

As I posted earlier, check the port hours on the MSC cruise, they often give short hours in port. For example it is not uncommon for ships to give you 12 to 14 hour days in ports such as Livorno, Rome, etc.  MSC sometimes does two ports in one day!

 

I've been on 10 Med cruises and haven't really had a stop I didn't enjoy.  I stress again that you need to do your own research rather than just relying on recommendations from others. Some love Santorini (it's very scenic) and others hate it (it's very crowded and has some pain points regarding getting around the island).  Some love Kusadasi (a stop in Turkey that is gateway to some wonderful ancient ruins) while others hate it (aggressive vendors) or feel nervous visiting Turkey.  And so on...

 

Some ports are destinations in themselves (Dubrovnik, Palermo, Barcelona), others require you to get somewhere else to sightsee (Civitavecchia, Livorno) and others offer a lot of different options -- such as Naples which is a jumping off point for Amalfi Coast tours, Pompeii, Capri, etc. Or Marseilles, with several good daytrip options.

 

I would say some of the more 'secondary' ports (e.g., in importance and number of things to see/do) might be Ancona, Zadar, Brindisi, Bari....

Thank you.  I think due to the limited nature of time on cruises we probably dont want something that means a long jaunt(more than 45mins to an hour) to get somewhere from the port that wastes time.  We also tend to not just get off the ship and stay right there, and also prefer or own adventures vs paid trips.  

Some of the eastern stuff includes Israel which looks great but tbh been in the middle with the military and with periodic unrest just an area of the world that doesnt interest me.  

If we had to pick ports based off initial research, we like mykonos, santarini, split, dubrovnik,  we like the idea of rome but if its no near the port that might cancel that .

MSC actually had really good times from what we have seen most were close to 12 hours, one had an over night stay in mykonos which we have never had an overnight stay, might be cool for night life.

6 minutes ago, Markanddonna said:

I glanced at a few of your selections. I guess you need to decide if the ship is primarily a very nice way to get to some great ports or if you really want a great ship experience. Some of the MSC ships are rated lower than some of the bigger ones we have been on. I've never sailed on a smaller, older, MSC ship. We are more of "the port is more important" sorts.

We love history and culture so you may not be as thrilled as we are to see Rome, Athens, Kusadasi (Ephesus),  or Naples (Pompeii and Herculaneum.)  Maybe you want a mixture of ancient sites and beaches or lovely places like Santorini.

 

Consider the wisdom of flying in and out of more of a major city airport in Europe. Your fares will be lower and more flights will be available. Certainly you can take a train or other ways but that adds time and money.

 

 

Ship is not entirely important.  Some of those ships are new that were listed.  I have been on cruises going back to late 90s early 2000s and those ships I never had a problem with and was on one Princess super ship 6-7 years ago.   We have never searched for a cruise by ship,  were more interested in the stops and dont hang out on the ship unless its a day at sea

I think we want a mix of greece, italy, maybe croatia.  really want to avoid all stops being in italy or one country,

Your last paragraph,  are you talking flying to london for example then flying to the port city?

Looking at few cruises now and these are some that we like.  Lots of different combos basically the same thing but these are kind of the general jist

JULY 23

MSC-Rome/Civitavecchia, Siracusa, Taranto, Thira/Santorini, Mykonos, Rome/Civitavecchia

MSC-Siracusa, Taranto, Thira/Santorini, Mykonos, Rome/Civitavecchia, Siracusa

MSC-Brindisi, Mykonos, Athens/Piraeus, Split, Venice/Italy, Brindisi

RC-Venice (Ravenna), Koper, Messina, Rome/Civitavecchia, Livorno, Cannes, Barcelona

RC-Venice (Ravenna), Koper, Messina, Rome/Civitavecchia, Livorno, Cannes, Barcelona

April 23

MSC-Venice/Italy, Argostolion, Thira/Santorini, Heraklion, Bari, Venice/Italy

MSC-Athens/Piraeus, Zadar, Venice/Italy, Brindisi, Mykonos, Athens/Piraeus

MSC-Ancona, Dubrovnik, Bari, Corfu, Kotor, Trieste, Ancon

MSC- Valencia, Marseille, Genoa, Rome/Civitavecchia, Palermo, Ibiza, Valencia

RC-Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia, Rome/Civitavecchia, Naples, Barcelona

23 minutes ago, iancal said:

Our experience over years of independent travel and cruising is that a little effort in upfront planning and research can greatly enhance your experience as well as reduce the cost of your trip.

 

As per your example, we like San Juan but dislike St. Thomas but would would not recommend that others do nor do not visit either.

 

Two days pre Rome is hardly enough if you want to see the city. 

 

It may take you a day simply to recover from your airline trip. 

 

Lots of airline delays at the moment.   We came home for Portugal two days ago.  Seven hour flight delay on our first flight, two hours  on our second flight.  We spoke to people who flights were cancelled and they waited a day or two days to get on the next flight.

Good points.  We are 9-12 months so hard to guess the flight situation right now but we are planning for it.  Good news on a lot of the ships they dont leave till late afternoon unlike the stuff in the states, so that builds in time.  

Looking at Rome and Athens flight scenarios (which open to others just havent really looked yet) We would most likely get in the morning two days prior so thats day one,  the next day nothing, then the cruise.  We are younger and a day should get us back on our feet.  

Like I said before its a 7 day cruise with 2-3 days on top of that so 10 days total is what on the doable list.  So trying to make the most of it. 

26 minutes ago, iancal said:

Our experience over years of independent travel and cruising is that a little effort in upfront planning and research can greatly enhance your experience as well as reduce the cost of your trip.

 

As per your example, we like San Juan but dislike St. Thomas but would would not recommend that others do nor do not visit either.

 

Two days pre Rome is hardly enough if you want to see the city. 

 

It may take you a day simply to recover from your airline trip. 

 

Lots of airline delays at the moment.   We came home for Portugal two days ago.  Seven hour flight delay on our first flight, two hours  on our second flight.  We spoke to people who flights were cancelled and they waited a day or two days to get on the next flight.

I agree that why we are a year out and asking now.  It's all about matching flights to ports, or what you want to do given budget and timeframe.  When we travel somewhere new I like to figure out some of the ins and outs.

But with said every trip has a budget and a timeline, you can keep adding days or dollars  you do 10 days you should have done 12 or spent 5k you should have spent 7k to do this, kind of can keep going forever with that mentality.  

With the construct of a day cruise and days prior and maybe a day after we have about a 10 day window and  getting some great info here to maximize our experience.  

FYI on St thomas,  we did a trip there this winter and stayed for a week,  we were nervous because we had stopped there 2-3 times on cruises and after the first time it was kind of mehh.  But staying there was a totally different experience, one of our best trips ever and highly recommend it.  

1 minute ago, iancal said:

Are you planning any pre or post travel?

 

If so that may impact you embarkation or your disembarkation port.

 

Airfare can vary greatly depending on what European city you select as a gateway.  Lots of low cost flight options once you are in Europe.

 

What ports we might view as less attractive than others is very subjective.  You should do some research and decide which ports best meet your interests.

 

We plan on two days before.  Thinking Rome or athens will probably provide the best deals.  I know ports are subjective.  Just wondering if there is any that are a waste.  Much like the carribbean, first trip and a cruise hard to complain,  but for me I would still steer people away from bahamas, san juan, and a few others

Ok folks getting good info once again.  Now from what I am hearing is maybe July is better,  due to weather.    If we do go in April it might not be over easter, but might be close or the week following 

But in order to get specific advice below is the potential ports of embarkations and the stops.  What it might come down to is flights in terms of times and cost as well.

Eastern trip in July, and really July looks to have more eastern then Western stuff and a lot of MSC branded trips

Embarkation ports- Rome, Venice, Siracusa, Bari, Triste, Athens.

Ports of Call no order just looking for any thumbs up or down keep in mind first trip to these- Split, Korfu, Masina, Rome, Venice, Mykonos, Satorini, athens, ancona, dubronvik,, Siracusa

Western Trip-

Embarkation ports- Barcelona, Genoa, Palermo, Athens, Marseille,

Ports of call- some of the above plus naples, genoa, Marseille, Palermo, La Goulette, Cannes, Taranto

Lots of MSC cruises seem to be the best deal.  Not going to get into groupings just wondering what places might be a complete waste of time and which ones are good.  Some trips seems to have like all stops in italy or all in croatia, think we are going to lean towards the ones that stop in multiple places

13 hours ago, wowzz said:

Whilst you are seasoned cruisers, you have never been to Europe,  and therefore have never experienced proper jet lag  !

So, the first two days of your vacation will be a blur. By day three you will be just about be in the right time zone. And, just as you are adjusted, you will fly back to the US. 

So, if you  cannot take at least fourteen days holiday, go when it is cheapest,  when it is less busy,  and when the weather is comfortable.  So, April !

You have never mentioned your budget.  You should perhaps look at premium lines, such as  Viking, which may go to smaller ports.

Yeah wife hasnt experienced it but I have with the military with an 8 hour time change,  really never recover from it in a week, but usually a day or so makes a big difference.  Think we plan on arriving two days early to combat that. 

Thanks for the info thus far and will check in some of the advice given.  But in order to stay on track and not keep offering alternate advice,  we can only go in July or April, nothing else but sounds like April gets everybodys vote.  Due to life its a 7 day cruise with a possible extra day on each end in port.  The beach was  merely an item on the list and by far isnt number one.  TBH to see europe properly a cruise ship really isnt it, based off the time in port and the fact out of 7-10 days half the time is on a boat in the ocean , but for us due to cost, vacation, work, kids its the best scenario.   Down the road as mentioned we plan on taking a real trip 2-3 weeks to Europe.  So mainly looking to get the best bang for our buck and with these cruises costing the same as Caribbean cruises with only  a few more bucks on flights, its a no brainer

Looks like we got some of the basic admin info out of the way,  and kind more interested in what stops are just mehh and which ones you have to do considering its a 7 day cruise on a larger big box brand ship.  For example we can leave from rome or is it better to leave from venice and see rome.  Things like that.

Also guess there is a lot of Euros on the these trips,  are pools topless,  the boss likes to indulge when she can. 

38 minutes ago, SbbquilterUT said:

I would add to the idea of looking at Celebrity as well.  Also in Europe I choose a smaller ship to make exiting the ship easier.  Any chance of adding Sept as a possible time to travel. - it can be a lovely month with plenty of residual warm weather.  For us sailing in the Med the ship is just a moving hotel (grant it a wonderful way to move around) as we are worn out after long days of exploring.

Thanks.  As stated its July, with a possible April.  FEB is to late in the planning cycle and we worry about mediocre weather at that point

1 minute ago, donaldsc said:

 

I was one of the suckers who got off the interstate to stop at Walls.  The parking lot was packed.  Just proves that advertising works and a whole lot of advertising works even better.  Also proves that you can consistently fool a whole lot of people for a long time. 

 

DON

I think it just snowballs into its a big joke and people stop because its a joke, and bring their friends into the joke.  Brilliant model to whoever created and owns that place.  

43 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Makes sense when it comes to the second C19 booster shot. However, the CDC does include some special situations other than focusing on folks over 50 years old.

 

nCoV_template_PPT_GEN_PUB (cdc.gov)

 

True there always is the people with conditions etc.  But I was speaking to the masses.  In general we should focus on over 50, therapeutics and how to protect the vulnerable.  Worrying about everybody didnt really work last time, and Im not sure it was worthy thing to do to begin with

3 minutes ago, wowzz said:

We lived in Spain for quite a few years, and April was one of our favourite months. Warm enough for shorts (if you are a tourist) but not overwhelmed with visitors. Far more pleasant for sightseeing than the 80/90F heat of July (and no crowds)

If you choose a cruise that begins and ends in different ports, over 14 days you can see some of both East and West Med.

On our recent Princess cruise from Barcelona we stopped at ports in Gib, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey.

 most likely going to be a 7 day cruise with a day extra on land at the front and or back.  Looking for 70/80s really dont want to play around with 60s and 50s

On 6/19/2022 at 10:51 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

As they say, knowledge is power. For us, as we’re in our late 60s and both retired from the military, the decision to get double vaccinated early on and get all applicable boosters as soon as we’re eligible was a no brainer. But that’s us.
 

If someone still has questions about what benefits the approved vaccines and applicable boosters offer after living through over 2+ years of this pandemic, all I’m saying is there are plenty of C19 articles out there, to include those produced by the CDC and other reputable sources, to gain that additional knowledge. 
 

The problem is when you look at data when you get under 50, specially under 40,  the risk factor severely diminishes and for certain age groups becomes statistically insignificant in terms of covid risk.  And with vaccines at this point not providing a sure bet against not getting it or spreading but really only diminishing your symptoms, its just not a logical thing to dedicate resources to the young.  Over 50 should be the focus

11 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Like just about everyone else, I'm OK if pre-cruise testing goes away.   But I wonder if it isn't in the cruise lines interest to voluntarily retain testing.  Like everything else it isn't foolproof, but it is, at least, a layer of defense.   Seems the last thing the industry needs is a flurry of big outbreaks publicized that cause regulators to clamp down again.   I don't know.  Just a thought.   

Im not really sure it matters anymore.  Whats the difference in a cruise ship and packed 10k person conf.  Testing everybody for cruises kind of defies logic and science right now.  Some form of random testing or at least some type of triage event before testing makes sense.  

Were on the fence for cruising right now because of testing, dont need the last min no go

22 minutes ago, wowzz said:

April every time for a Med cruise.

July is too hot and too crowded.

Consider a cruise on a line such as Princess, where you board in Barcelona and disembark in Athens. 

And beaches should be bottom of your wish list for a Med cruise,  especially in  April.

Its not at the top but something we might like to do.  Whats the weather in April, like I said I dont really want sweatshirt weather and rain coats.  

Also looking at the options of cruises I think eastern might be eastern,  the western ones seem to hit all stops in italy or mainly stick to france spain and italy.

31 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

So Wall Drug is what it is--kind of the ultimate American kitsch--but fun in its own way.  The kids and grandkids really enjoy it--just a testimont to what advertising will do!

 

I love the Alamo, mostly because of the story behind the last stand.  It's also, in my opinion, beautiful and moving.  Love the River Walk too.  

 

Very few things have failed to meet my expectations--well, maybe the La Brea tar pit--but then it is what it says, a tar pit.  Admittedly I haven't seen it in 50 years so maybe there is more to it now.

Lol with wall drug get that free water,  classic americana tourist trap.  Wall drug much like the alamo is a one time deal, or just one of those if you in the area and not make a special trip for.

All sort of worth it but sort of not. 

11 minutes ago, cruizergal70 said:

OP, I don't understand. What attracts you to the Mediterranean? Surely your main interests are not solely beaches. 

Europe, the sites, the culture, buildings etc.  Personally dont need to sit on a beach everyday, but there are some cool beaches we have seen in Croatia, Greece etc.

Really our bucket list is to do Europe some day by land probably a 3-4 week trip, but that will have to wait until kids are out etc.  This should fill in as a nice option for now. 

The dining deal for us, is we like the set times.  We leave the ship during the day and maximize the day doing that.  Prefer to have a time and walk in and not have to deal with lines, reservations etc.  My only issue is kind of with the times,  most of the assigned times is like 6 or 8 and 6 is to early.  Which they would have have a 5 and 7 or 530 and 730

Cruise wise the bahamas,  states wise while San Antonio is a really nice city, the Alamo is not worth a specific stop

Always bring a med kit, tylenol, IB pruf, benedryl, anti squirts, tums, meds.  Usually also bring either solo cups or descent plastic cups from home so we have regular sized glasses in the room.