CM2J2R2S Posted April 15, 2012 #1 Share Posted April 15, 2012 We are planning a cruise for our 25th Anniversary and need some help! We have cruised the Caribbean before and are not new to cruising. I have been to Rome and Florence but my dh has not and would love to show him some of the sights. He would really like to see Venice and I have not been there yet. We went to Corfu for our Honeymoon and think that Greece has a nostalgic appeal and we did not see any sights in Athens whatsoever. Santorini is on our list of want to visit places. Beaches have a strong appeal (Crotia) because we both need a little down time and the sun and sand is a draw, for sure. We also looked at the cruise out of Puerto Rico - but could not decide on any one thing - maybe decide is wrong, maybe 'agree' is a better word. Nah, decide works. Any insights would be much appreciated. So, we are trying to choose.... 7 Night Eastern Mediterranean Navigator of the Seas Ports of Call: Day 1: Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy Day 2: Messina, Sicily Day 3: At Sea Day 4: Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey Day 5: Piraeus (Athens), Greece Day 6: Souda (Chania), Crete Day 7: At Sea Day 8: Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy ______________________________ 7 Night Adriatic/Greece/Turkey Norwegian Jade Ports of Call: Day 1: Venice, Italy Day 2: Dubrovnik, Croatia Day 3: At Sea Day 4: Piraeus (Athens), Greece Day 5: Izmir, Turkey Day 6: At Sea Day 7: Split, Croatia Day 8: Venice, Italy ________________________ 7 Night Greek Isles Norwegian Jade Ports of Call: Day 1: Venice, Italy Day 2: At Sea Day 3: Corfu, Greece Day 4: Santorini, Greece Day 5: Mykonos, Greece Day 6: Katakolon (Olympia), Greece Day 7: At Sea Day 8: Venice, Italy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tralynn Posted April 15, 2012 #2 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I personally would choose RCI over NCL. (I just think it's a better product.) Also I love that it offers Sicily! Happy Cruising and Happy Anniversary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CM2J2R2S Posted April 15, 2012 Author #3 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Thanks for the response, every little bit helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Friend100 Posted April 15, 2012 #4 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I don't have a recommendation as I have never done a Med cruise and I will be happy to cruise any of those. You may want to do some research on the Italy board the pros and cons of Venice vs Civitavecchia as a embarkation and debarkation port, transportation to/from the airport, and if you have other land-based plan pros and cons for each of them. Also consider the amount of time the ship staying at each port. To me, a 9pm departure is a big plus vs other ship that may leave at 5pm, for instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GORDONCHICK Posted April 15, 2012 #5 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Venice isn't on the 1st one, so that one shouldn't even be on the table since he'd like to go and you haven't been either. Not everyone would agree that RCCL is a better product over NCL - I don't think so at this point. But when in the Med, the itinerary should be your #1 criteria. Then a line that has flexible dining (which both do, but I think NCL does better job). Lastly, if you are going to book a suite (and you didn't say, but thought this was worth saying), hands down, NCL has the best suite perks afloat of mass-marketed lines. If you're not booking a suite, all other things are comparable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dolittle Posted April 15, 2012 #6 Share Posted April 15, 2012 The Med. is all about the ports not the ship or line. We have been to many of these ports and would pick #2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jocap Posted April 15, 2012 #7 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I've a great fondness for Jade, and have travelled on her twice.... You're not too far from the airport in Venice, instead of an hour plus away from Rome in Civi, so it's not much of a problem reaching the ship. The sail in/out of Venice is one of the great cruising experiences to be had- as is the sail into Santorini's caldera. Dubrovnik isn't one of the best places for beaches, unless you're hiring a car-Corfu and Mykonos have good options.....even Santorini's lava beaches are only a few miles away from Fira by car or bus, with all the usual Med holiday resort amenities. Take the bus from the Cathedral square, or a taxi-or hire a car/quad bike. I'd be looking at the 2nd Jade trip for the things you enjoy. You don't need all the bells and whistles of a larger ship with such an itinerary, and it's good to come back after a tiring day out and not feel rushed into dining . Enjoy choosing!;) Jo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starry Eyes Posted April 15, 2012 #8 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Have you only seven days time and budget? I did a back to back for a total of 14 nights...excellent. adding a land tour to the first one might help...maybe Venice, fly to Florence, head to Rome the port? aren't there one way cruises to or from Venice, maybe 12 nights or so. those would be sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karysa Posted April 16, 2012 #9 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I agree pick the itinerary first. I am a sucker for nostalgia so I would be favoring Greece. I love hearing about couples planning a special anniversary together. I hope that your trip is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taxguy77 Posted April 16, 2012 #10 Share Posted April 16, 2012 If you want beach, Forida, Texas and California are hard to beat. Hawaii does!:D Foreign ports; Venice. Dubrovnic. Cruises start and end in Venice, a wonderful place to see before it ends up underwater. :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CM2J2R2S Posted April 18, 2012 Author #11 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Thanks to everyone for their help and input. We booked the Greek Isles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jocap Posted April 18, 2012 #12 Share Posted April 18, 2012 I'm glad you made a decision.....we saw Jade leaving Venice last summer, with people crowding the decks for that amazing ride down past St Mark's Square.... it really is an incredible experience. You know Corfu, so probably can find your own beaches....just a hint- there's a car hire place in the cruise terminal there, and another one just across the road. Have a wonderful time! :cool: Jo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CM2J2R2S Posted April 18, 2012 Author #13 Share Posted April 18, 2012 I'm glad you made a decision.....we saw Jade leaving Venice last summer, with people crowding the decks for that amazing ride down past St Mark's Square.... it really is an incredible experience.You know Corfu, so probably can find your own beaches....just a hint- there's a car hire place in the cruise terminal there, and another one just across the road. Have a wonderful time! :cool: Jo. Thanks, Jo, we are pretty excited now that it is finally booked. We have been trying to decide on ANYTHING for over a year and could never find something that fit both of us until now and we are both super pumped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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