Help needed choosing itinerary for Med. cruise

[turquoisestarchild]

Hi there,

 

I have never been to Europe and I'm planning my first Mediterranean cruise for summer of 2011.

 

I would like advice/info from anyone who has visited these ports to help me choose an itinerary. I have it narrowed down to two:

 

1. Celebrity Equinox 11 nights

Rome.....5:00 p.m.

Sea

Santorini....2 p.m.-10 p.m.

Athens......7 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Sea

Istanbul....7 a.m.......

Istanbul ............... 2 p.m.

Ephesus....10 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Mykonos....7 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Sea

Naples.......7 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Rome........ 4:30 a.m.

 

2. RC Brilliance of the Seas 12 nights

Barcelona.......5 p.m.

Nice.............. 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Florence......... 7 a.m.- 7 p.m.

Rome............ 7 a.m.- 7 p.m.

Sea

Sea

Athens.......... 7 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Ephesus......... 8 a.m.- 7 p.m.

Santorini......... 7 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Sea

Naples............7 a.m.- 7 p.m.

Sea

Barcelona......... 6 a.m.

 

I am leaning towards the first one because I am drawn to Istanbul. Many ports are the same. But, it comes down to Mykonos and Istanbul (with an overnight) on Celebrity vs. Barcelona, Nice, and Florence with RC.

 

Thoughts?? Info to consider???:confused:

Thanks in advance:)

[Spursgirl]

Hi,

 

Both itineraries are beautiful if you haven't previously visited Europe. I too would select the Equinox trip because of the overnight in Istanbul.

 

Whichever one you choose you will have a wonderful time.

 

Ciao

 

Hazel

[Keith1010]

Both itineraries are quite good. I also think the first is the better of the two. Both Istanbul and Kusadashi (Ephesus) are great.

 

As you finalize this think through the ease of getting to and from the ports. It should be more economical though with the first itinerary to get a lower r/t airfare to Rome.

 

Be sure that you fly in at least one or more days prior to the cruise to get over the jet lag and to ensure that a flight cancellation/delay does not cause you to miss the ship/

 

The port is located one hour from the airport and 90 minutes from Rome.

 

If you can, arrive three days or at least two days before the cruise to spend time touring Rome.

 

Keith

[rollie]

Keith is right, only I would fly in 2 or 3 days early. Rome is a must see, and you will need at least 2 days to cover the highlights. I also suggest that you do your homework and study the different ports, and try to do private tours. It's much nicer to tour with smaller groups. When you decide on a cruise, check out the Roll Call page for help.

 

Rollie

[CathyCruises]

Boy, that's a REAL toss-up. Istanbul is great, but so is Barcelona. I've been to both twice and it is really hard to say which one I would sacrifice for a third trip. OTOH Equinox is a beautiful new ship, not sure about the RCCL ship. But if it's your first trip to Europe, Nice and especially Florence are really wonderful. If it were me, I think I would go for #2 as an intro trip, then do an eastern Med on my return visit.

[San Diego Ellie]

Another point to consider is that Barcelona airport to cruiseport is much easier (and less expensive) than the Rome airport to Citavecchia (sp?) the cruiseport. From that standpoint, the second cruise would be better.

Ellie

[woodofpine]

Istanbul is a fantastic destination and getting to stay overnight (if that's the case) would enhance it even more. I'd peruse the city one day and do a local Bosphorus cruise or ferry trip the next morning (after a night out).

 

Barcelona is quite nice and interesting mind you; otherwise, the south of France - to me - as accessed by cruise ship (rather than land trip) is not as attractive as Istanbul and the eastern Med. Likewise - 'Florence' - is a misnomer, Livorno is the port and the transit to Florence and back is quite time consuming (Pisa) and other spots are closer. The issue of the embarkation port - airport connection doesn't outweigh that IMHO (tail wagging the dog).

 

IMHO, the X cruise bests the RCCL cruise itinerary; but they're both good.

[franmadre]

We went on the Solstice last year with the exact same itinerary as the first that you have listed. It was our first cruise to the Med. We thoroughly enjoyed all the ports of call. Istanbul was really the highlight of the trip - once in a life time experience, especially the view from the ship as it approached the city was so memorable! We love the Solstice class ships and were so impressed that we booked another cruise on the Equinox for this coming Oct for sailing from Rome across the Atlantic.

We also agree with the previous post that it is a must to spend a couple of days in Rome! So much to see and the food is great! Sign up for the roll call and you can easily find other fellow passengers to share a private shuttle to take you back and forth between the city and the port!

[2menUK]

Since many of the ports are the same I would also look at the differences in the ships. If you are booking in summer there will be alot more kids. This is particularly true on Royal Caribbean. Their ships are primarily geared to familys and children. Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean but it is their more up market brand with usually less children.

[Rellasmith]

I would choose the Equinox. We went on the Ancient Empires tour last year on the Equinox and just loved it. We loved going in/out of Rome. We booked a private taxi/shuttle service that picked us up from airport to hotel, hotel to pier, and pier to airport. At the end of the cruise we shared our ride with two other folks and it made it cheaper for all. Book the shuttle in advance http://www.taxiaroma.com/.

If you hot tub after your visit into town, it will help you relax, restore and get ready for the next day. Enjoy. It will be amazing.

[jg2256]

I have been to all of the ports on both cruises. Missing Barcelona is tough but Istanbul is magical and is one of the neatest cities in the world. You could get to Rome a few days early and really see Rome as mentioned above or even take the train to Florence which is pretty easy to do. Personally I do not think you are missing much bypassing Nice but that opinion is not held by all. Mykonos is really cute and it will be one of your only opportunities to experience a real European beach.

 

I have not been on either ship but have heard really great things about the Sostice class and am sure you will enjoy it. Both are really great itineraries but I would give the strong nod to the Eclipse.