Confused: is less/more time in port good or bad & weather question

[lstewart123]

This will be our first cruise. We are trying to decide between two roughly weeklong Mediterranean cruises. One is with Seabourn and it is in a different port every day (Athens, a bunch of Greek isles, then Istanbul). The other is on Residensea's The World and is just Athens, Thessaloniki & Istanbul (2-3 days in each port). I can't figure out if being in port longer is a good or bad thing. Obviously, it gives you more time to explore a place, but is it TOO much time and will we be "missing out" on all the other islands? Our main interest isn't so much the beach thing as sightseeing, etc.

 

Also, we can do the Seabourn cruise anytime from late August through October, whereas the World cruise is the last week of October. I'm wondering if the end of October might not be the best time to visit the area?

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[LHT28]

It is a personal choice ..if you like to see a different place everyday & get a taste of the port town then Seabourn would work

 

If you like to get more immersed in the town then go with The World

It just depends on what works best for you

[CruiserBruce]

Agreed. Personal choice. There are a couple of ports I would love to spend many days in. But not many of the ports a cruise ship stops in.

 

You also have to understand ResidenSea is an entirely different kind of cruise ship.

[Keith1010]

If this is your first cruise to the Mediterranean I would go with the port each day to see as many places as you can.

 

I would also go with Seabourn because you will have all of the entertainment and the other amenities that come with a cruise plus you will meet many of your fellow passengers.

 

You may know this already but the Residensea's The World is not your typical cruise line. It is a floating condominium. Many of the rooms are sold and those who sail on the ship either own their room or they have leased it out.

 

For your first cruise I would go with a traditional cruise line and certainly with Seabourn you have picked one of the top ones.

 

Keith

[navychop3]

Got to agree w/above on Residensea. It really isn't a cruise ship at all.

[Tralynn]

Out of these choices, I'd definitely go with Seabourn. I would want the traditional cruise ship experience over a floating apartment complex. I also would want to see as many areas as I could on my first Med. cruise.

 

I'm sure either would be extraordinary, I would just lean to Seabourn myself.

[Hlitner]

You are looking at two very high-end cruise ships...although arguably the Residensea is a ship of condos. On that particular ship most of the cabins are occupied by there wealthy owners and the on-board socialization may not work to many cruisers expectations. The Residensea cabins are quite large, have kitchens, and a lot of the residents keep to themselves or only socialize with a few friends. Seabourn is like cruising on a large yacht and is a great choice for those who want a smaller ship cruise experience on a first class line. As to times in port, that is a personal preference. You will even find that some folks on those ships do not even go ashore in all ports, while others would not miss a minute ashore.

 

Hank

[lstewart123]

Hmm, thanks for the reminder on Residensea being so different. I think that is part of what is holding me up. We have never been on a cruise, so I'm worried that it might not be the best "intro" into the cruising experience. I'm not terribly worried about socializing and having a ton to do on the boat because I feel like we're going for (a) excursions and the experience of seeing something new together (Greece/Mediterranean as it's on our "bucket list") and (b) as parents of elementary aged kids, we love "alone time". However, at 40 & 56 I'm wondering if we're going to have ENOUGH to do on the World. We're both pretty active, and I'm not getting any straight answers on what types of excursions will be offered on the World.

 

I think, hands down, the itinerary of Seabourn's cruises are much more appealing to me. It seems kind of strange to go all the way across the world to the Mediterannean & only see Athens, Thessaloniki, & Istanbul when we've never even been there & could see multiple islands. But, we've been offered the opportunity to rent an owner's cabin on the World for a "friends & family" rate (with food/drink graciously included), that I almost feel crazy for passing it up.

[Hlitner]

I will be very honest and say that if we were offered a good deal on the Residensea we would jump as high and fast as possible to grab the deal. But we have spent more then 2 years on cruises (over 60 differerent ships) are in our 60s, and would love to try a different experience. But the Residensea is a unique kind of operation (I believe there might be one other similar ship) and should not even be considered a "cruise ship" in the true sense of the word. You are not going to find the typical cruise activities onboard that ship. On the other hand, if you content spending your sea days playing Bridge or Chess, or going to an ocassional lecture, you might find it an interesting experience. DW and I spend a lot of sea days on cruises (we take longer cruises) and are quite content to spend a quiet sea day in a comfy chair/lounger with a good book. But others want constant activites such as trivia, culinary classes, Bingo, art auctions, etc. As to "excursions" you might want to consider that there are many cruisers (such as moi) that seldom take "excursions" in most European ports. Many of us are quite content to go off on our own. We have been to both Athens and Istanbul several times and do not use tours in these cities. In Athens it is relatively easy to get from the port (Pireaus) to the city on the cheap train/subway or one can also use a taxi or arrange online to hire a personal car/driver. In Istanbul the ships dock in town (although its usually on the other side of the Galata Bridge). We have sometimes walked from the ship over the bridge and into the heart of town (this is a about a 1 1/4 mile walk) and many others simply grab a local tram (for about $1) from the street near the port across the bridge and into the main part of the city. Many of the main tourist attractions in Istanbul are within walking distance of each other...and there are always inexpensive taxis for those that prefer less walking.

 

Hank