Need opinions on Med cruise!

[Infi]

We are considering a Med cruise for this summer and are stuck between three itineraries. This will be my daughter's first time in Europe and I want her to get a nice overview of the main ports. We enjoy sailing both Princess and Celebrity, and have sailed both of these ships. The Century itinerary is about $400 cheaper pp than the Ruby...it would be nice to save some money there, considering the airfare to get to Europe in the first place.

 

 

Century, 12 nights, RT Barcelona:

Barcelona, Nice (Provence/Cannes), Florence(Pisa), Rome (Civitavecchia), Messina, Mykonos, Ephesus, Athens, Naples

3 sea days

 

Century, 12 nights, RT Barcelona:

Barcelona, Nice (Villefranche), Florence, Rome (Civitavecchia), Dubrovnik, Venice (overnight), Split, Naples

3 sea days

 

Ruby Princess, 12 nights, Barcelona to Venice:

Monte Carlo, Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples/Capri, Mykonos, Istanbul, Kusadasi (Ephesus), Athens (Piraeus), Venice

2 sea days

 

 

Of course, I prefer the Century ones and she prefers the Ruby, so now we need some input from those who have been there.

Which one do you think would be best for a first Med cruise?

[Essiesmom]

Take the one that stays overnight in Venice!!!!! And I understand Dubrovnik is a most underrated port. Otherwise, if Ruby overnights in Venice at the end of the cruise, I would do it for Istanbul. EM

[cruisemom42]

The Ruby Princess hits most of the "biggies" (and I believe that itinerary does overnight in Venice at the end of the cruise......).

 

However, a lot depends on the ports YOU want to see. I prefer the Eastern Med (more interested in the history in ports like Athens, Istanbul, Kusadasi). But if your family prefers more Western ports then the second Celebrity itinerary might be better for you.

[eandj]

Whichever you choose, (I'd personally lean to the second itinereary)....You MUST stay in Barcelona a min. of 2 full days to appreciate what a fantastic, fun city it is. Your daughter will LOVE it.

 

Dubrovnnik IS a great port of call. Very different from the italian ports.

[Travelcat2]

Have to vote for the Ruby Princess for 3 reasons:

 

1. Istanbul is one of my favorite places in the world.

2. Mykonos is really a beautiful island - definitely worth seeing.

3. Monte Carlo may be the most beautiful harbor I've seen. Stunning sights in Monte Carlo.

 

Just my opinion, but, I can't see any port on the Century itineraries that exceed these three.

[kestrel]

Pick the ones that include Venice. It's my daughter's favorite port.

[Essiesmom]

I agree that Monte Carlo is a beautiful port, but there is not much to really DO there...If you want to do the biggies, it would be Rome, Venice, Istanbul...EM

[cruiselover57]

We are considering a Med cruise for this summer and are stuck between three itineraries. This will be my daughter's first time in Europe and I want her to get a nice overview of the main ports. We enjoy sailing both Princess and Celebrity, and have sailed both of these ships. The Century itinerary is about $400 cheaper pp than the Ruby...it would be nice to save some money there, considering the airfare to get to Europe in the first place.

 

 

Century, 12 nights, RT Barcelona:

Barcelona, Nice (Provence/Cannes), Florence(Pisa), Rome (Civitavecchia), Messina, Mykonos, Ephesus, Athens, Naples

3 sea days

 

Century, 12 nights, RT Barcelona:

Barcelona, Nice (Villefranche), Florence, Rome (Civitavecchia), Dubrovnik, Venice (overnight), Split, Naples

3 sea days

 

Ruby Princess, 12 nights, Barcelona to Venice:

Monte Carlo, Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples/Capri, Mykonos, Istanbul, Kusadasi (Ephesus), Athens (Piraeus), Venice

2 sea days

 

 

Of course, I prefer the Century ones and she prefers the Ruby, so now we need some input from those who have been there.

Which one do you think would be best for a first Med cruise?

 

I would go on the Ruby Princess - main reason - newer ship! I don't know how old the Century is but you can look it up on the Celebrity website. We sailed on it to the Caribbean in 1996 so my guess is that it's about 15 years old and hopefully it's been taken care of!

[jocap]

There's not much on the 1st 2 itineraries to compare to Venice and Istanbul. Even the sail-ins are amazing.

Mind, I'd be tempted to the middle one with both Dubrovnic and Split. If you want to save some money, that's a close 2nd, and you get a night in Venice....jocap.

[chipmaster]

We are considering a Med cruise for this summer and are stuck between three itineraries. This will be my daughter's first time in Europe and I want her to get a nice overview of the main ports. We enjoy sailing both Princess and Celebrity, and have sailed both of these ships. The Century itinerary is about $400 cheaper pp than the Ruby...it would be nice to save some money there, considering the airfare to get to Europe in the first place.

 

 

Century, 12 nights, RT Barcelona:

Barcelona, Nice (Provence/Cannes), Florence(Pisa), Rome (Civitavecchia), Messina, Mykonos, Ephesus, Athens, Naples

3 sea days

 

Century, 12 nights, RT Barcelona:

Barcelona, Nice (Villefranche), Florence, Rome (Civitavecchia), Dubrovnik, Venice (overnight), Split, Naples

3 sea days

 

Ruby Princess, 12 nights, Barcelona to Venice:

Monte Carlo, Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Rome (Civitavecchia), Naples/Capri, Mykonos, Istanbul, Kusadasi (Ephesus), Athens (Piraeus), Venice

2 sea days

 

 

Of course, I prefer the Century ones and she prefers the Ruby, so now we need some input from those who have been there.

Which one do you think would be best for a first Med cruise?

 

For Europe its all about the ports, which one has the lineup you want most?

 

IMHO the Princess Grand Med has an advantage with versus either Century sailing of an extra very special city that is missing from the other options. That extra ciy is just too much of port advantage, but that is my historical interest versus what might be different for you ;) Another biggie is you embarkation and dismebarkation are in two different cities, a big plus for extendeded touring in two places versus just one for the Century sailing. As you can see by my signature I had an open schedule in 2008 for any sail date in the summer and the after much bouncing back and forth the Princess sailing just couldn't be beat.

 

What are the cities that come to mind when you think Europe? Rome, Florence, Venice, Istanbul, Athens and then you got Barcelona, Naples ( Amalfi/Pompeii ), Kusadasi ( Ephesus ), and of course Monte Carlo and Mykonos as side attractions to the main course!

 

Good luck planning, no matter what you choose it'll be good, sometimes having too much choice is a bad thing

[kimanjo]

I took my DD for her high school graduation on this Azamara Itinerary:

 

Rome

Sorrento

sea

Valletta, Malta

Tunis, Tunisia

sea

Barcelona (overnight)

Sete, France

Marseille, France

Monte Carlo

Portofinono Italy

Florence (overnight)

Rome

 

What I learned. Loved Barcelona! Loved Portofino, Malta and Tunisia. OK, loved it all. Granted, it was a small semi-luxury ship, but DD is a "geezer" at heart and loved the quiet, small ship atomosphere. AND to us, one of the best features is the limited smoking policy that Azamara/Celebrity has.

 

It will be a tough choice. Shes been to Venice before, liked it, but now wants to see Greece..

 

You will have a fantastic time, all things being totally equal, I would choose Celebrity for the restrictive smoking policy.

 

Thats just my two cents...

[Mtn2Sea]

When we booked our first Med cruise 5 years ago, I wondered why we would want to go to Kusadasi. We've now done Med 4 cruises, starting in Venice, Rome, Athens and Lisbon. Turkey has become my favorite spot (because of the Greek & Roman history, particularly Kusadasi). Venice & Rome are also favorites. You'll enjoy any of the cruises, but the stops made by Princess would be my choice, without doubt.

[fann1sh]

Ruby Princess is very close to a dream itinerary for me, an art+history+archeology+ruins nut.

 

The only ports without heavy duty touring would be Monte Carlo and Mykonos. Both are such wonderful light hearted places to visit. They add leaven to the mix (along with sea days).

 

I'd add on stays in pre/post cruise in Barcelona and Venice, if $$ possible.

[Grannycb]

I'd do the Ruby Princess itinerary in a heartbeat. We've done the Med. and Greek Isles cruises. The Ruby has the best of both, plus beautiful Venice. Actually, I may talk to DH about booking that cruise. It looks terrific!

[hubofhockey]

Ruby Princess is very close to a dream itinerary for me, an art+history+archeology+ruins nut.

 

The only ports without heavy duty touring would be Monte Carlo and Mykonos. Both are such wonderful light hearted places to visit. They add leaven to the mix (along with sea days).

 

I'd add on stays in pre/post cruise in Barcelona and Venice, if $$ possible.

 

I am doing the Ruby Princess itinerary this summer and can't wait. Mykonos is our beach day and we'll go to Nice when we dock at Monte Carlo. Every stop on this itinerary has great appeal to me.

[yorkshirephil]

Having done all the ports some several times I would definitely go for Ruby. I feel it has a wider range of ports, both eastern and western Europe. Considerable culture differences with both historic and archeological interests. If a stay in Venice is available tag that on too.

[Infi]

Thanks so much for the great input, everyone! You all are really tempting us to go with the Ruby...you all have expensive taste, LOL. Yes, pre-cruise stays in Barcelona and Venice are musts for us. Why go all that way and not spend some extra time in such great cities?

 

Interesting to see so much support for Venice, that's the port DD is most excited about (mine is Barcelona). Neither of us is that enthused about Turkey, but I saw quite a few here love Istanbul. Would you mind sharing why?

[cruisemom42]

Interesting to see so much support for Venice, that's the port DD is most excited about (mine is Barcelona). Neither of us is that enthused about Turkey, but I saw quite a few here love Istanbul. Would you mind sharing why?

 

Istanbul is both exotic and European at the same time. It's like nowhere else. It has the history (having been the eastern capital of the Roman empire for around a thousand years), the stunning location, and very friendly people. Good shopping and good food also.

 

The sights are also world-class: Haghia Sophia (originally built by the Roman-Byzantine Emperor as a Christian basilica), the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace (where you can see both the stunning jewels of the Sultan, including the Topkapi dagger, and the private harem quarters) for starters. The Grand Bazaar is famous for its shopping. (Everyone will try to sell you a rug; just ignore them -- unless you want a rug. ;))

 

Istanbul is also quite easy to do on your own, if you do a little reading over on the Mediterranean Ports board.

[GlendaleCruiser]

I just couldn't get enough of Florence/Pisa. I would go back in a heartbeat. There is so much to see in Florence and you need to travel a good distance to get to Pisa.

 

Same for Venice. I would take one of the tours that gives you the overnight in Venice so that you can tour Murano and Burano, too. Or the one that ends there and stay a day or two. We didn't get enough time around the main island.

 

Monaco was a cute place and lots of fun, but we booked a tour and next time I will just take a cab to the Royal Palace and walk around the casino and shops. Only extra thing we got out of it besides transportation was directions to the church were Prince Rainier and Princess Grace are entombed. Don't waste your money. The cab driver can show you that.

 

Can I go with you?

[Grannycb]

Interesting to see so much support for Venice, that's the port DD is most excited about (mine is Barcelona). Neither of us is that enthused about Turkey, but I saw quite a few here love Istanbul. Would you mind sharing why?

 

We've only been to Kusadasi, not Istanbul, but it is one port that stands out in my memory as an OMG experience. Ephesus was by far more interesting than almost any other stop on the itinerary. There is so much history there. Stories of events that happened there in Biblical times were awesome. The Terrace Houses are a must see! We were there in the spring when the wild flowers were blooming. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Then there is Kusadasi. What a great experience that was! We shopped and bargained with the shop owners. The people were so warm and friendly. Some at our table went to the shop owner's homes to meet their families and shared lunch. Kusadasi is unlike any place else we've ever been. I'm glad you mentioned Turkey as it has brought back so many wonderful memories of our visit.

[chipmaster]

I took my DD for her high school graduation on this Azamara Itinerary:

 

Rome

Sorrento

sea

Valletta, Malta

Tunis, Tunisia

sea

Barcelona (overnight)

Sete, France

Marseille, France

Monte Carlo

Portofinono Italy

Florence (overnight)

Rome

 

What I learned. Loved Barcelona! Loved Portofino, Malta and Tunisia. OK, loved it all. Granted, it was a small semi-luxury ship, but DD is a "geezer" at heart and loved the quiet, small ship atomosphere. AND to us, one of the best features is the limited smoking policy that Azamara/Celebrity has.

 

It will be a tough choice. Shes been to Venice before, liked it, but now wants to see Greece..

 

You will have a fantastic time, all things being totally equal, I would choose Celebrity for the restrictive smoking policy.

 

Thats just my two cents...

 

 

Ports or smoking? Sorry I'd take the ports with smokers anyday as the port lineups are different to ;)

[chipmaster]

Thanks so much for the great input, everyone! You all are really tempting us to go with the Ruby...you all have expensive taste, LOL. Yes, pre-cruise stays in Barcelona and Venice are musts for us. Why go all that way and not spend some extra time in such great cities?

 

Interesting to see so much support for Venice, that's the port DD is most excited about (mine is Barcelona). Neither of us is that enthused about Turkey, but I saw quite a few here love Istanbul. Would you mind sharing why?

 

Historically signficance of Istanbul is huge. Wasn't thinking it was going to be a highlight, but in hindsight really glad I came this way. Everyone thinks of Rome or such when visiting Europe, me included. I really wished I had done more research on Istanbul and paid more attention in my Western History class :D Topkapi Palace, the historical treasures there are amazing as is the achitecture and history of the Blue Mosque, St. Sophia, grand bazar and spice market... more i wished I had seen there than in Rome, Florence or Venice :mad:

 

Also Kusadasi / Ephesus was a huge surpise to us. Again either thru western cultural / history bias most in our party enjoyed this port as much as we did Pompeii and the other famous ruins in other ports.

 

I agree Barcelona has some really cool things too. Thus the grand Med is "the" choice right ;)

[Travelcat2]

Neither of us is that enthused about Turkey, but I saw quite a few here love Istanbul. Would you mind sharing why?

 

Others have mentioned the spots that most tourists visit. We did a lot of walking around (and taking taxi's) in Istanbul. Our ship docked near the bridge (it's famous and I cannot think of the name of it). Not sure if larger ships dock there. Anyway, we walked across the bridge where men were fishing (lots of men from one end of the bridge to the other). No one bothers you -- in fact, people in Istanbul are friendly and want to help. We took the tram up to the top of the hill where the Blue Mosque is. This is a very touristy area, however, we found it fascinating. We did go to the Grand Bazaar -- early in the morning. The shops seem to go on forever -- lots of interesting things to see.

 

For me, the bottom line was being in the middle of a culture that I had no understanding of. At first, when I saw only men working in stores -- only men and boys fishing -- no women. . . . I felt uncomfortable. It is easy for American's to be a bit afraid of Muslim countries. I ended up learning so much from these lovely people. We ate in a restaurant that was actually a backyard of a home. After dinner, they went with us outside to make sure we found a taxi to take us back. They were caring and warm.

 

I better stop as I can go on and on about my feelings for Istanbul. The politics of our countries, in most cases, have nothing to do how the people get along. If you go there with acceptance rather than judgement, you will love it.

[carlmm]

If you like both lines and ships, my vote goes to one of the Century cruises if only for the three seadays. Allmost all of the ports are full of history and sights, thus you will be out and experiencing the cities for many hours. Seadays will allow you to appreciate all the new impressions better (do some reading about what to come, reflect, or just relax ...)

 

Which of the two? I would base the decision upon which of the two major cities you want you daughter to get to know: Athens or Venice. Personally I would do no 2, as it is the more coherent itinerary (and leave Athens for another Greece cruise or vacation :) )

[maryann ns]

You will love Turkey for all the reasons mentioned above. Our cruise with Azamara in November stopped in five ports in Turkey. They were all fantastic. What a great country. It has scenery, history, wonderful people and great shopping.