what gets YOUR vote on best Mediterranean itinerary this year? :)

[NalCruiser]

Just for fun! Was wondering what you would rank as the best itinerary for this year in your opinion!

I know there are 100s of ports of call and tons of ships/companies, but which one do you think nails it best?

 

For simplicity I was looking at the 10-12 night itirenaries

and these are just some examples, but if you have a personal favorite itinerary, post it here :)

 

 

Norwegian: (with overnight in Venice!)

Venice, Athens/Piraeus, Izmir, Istanbul, Mykonos, Naples, Rome/Civitavecchia, Livorno, Toulon, Barcelona

 

Princess: (overnight in Venice!)

Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Rome/Civitavecchia, Naples, Mikonos, Istanbul, Kusadasi, Athens/Piraeus, Venice

 

Carnival: (round trip Barcelona)

Barcelona, Marseille, Livorno, Rome/Civitavecchia, Naples, Dubrovnik, Venice, Messina, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona

 

 

Carnival (maiden Breeze differs from the other summer schedule)

Venice, Dubrovnik, Athens/Piraeus, Izmir, Messina, Olbia, Rome/Civitavecchia, Livorno, Monaco, Marseille, Barcelona

 

Celebrity: (round trip Barcelona)

Barcelona, Rome/Civitavecchia, Naples, Mikonos, Kusadasi, Thira (Santorini), Athens/Piraeus, Valletta/Malta,

 

Royal Caribbean: (round trip Barcelona)

Barcelona, Cannes, Livorno, Rome/Civitavecchia, Athens/Piraeus, Kusadasi, Thira, Naples,

 

Oceana

Lisbon, Gibraltar, Casablanca, Motril, Valencia, Barcelona, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Rome/Civitavecchia

 

I'm sure I didn't list a dozen more, what gets your pick??!

[sunshine nana]

Celebrity Rome to Istanbul and back. Two years ago, Ruby Princess dropped Istanbul after final payment, so we booked Celebrity and it was a great cruise with overnight in Istanbul. We lost faith in Princess after they dropped the most important (to us) port.

[NalCruiser]

that's so interesting, just curious, why is Istanbul the most important port to you?

[Hlitner]

that's so interesting, just curious, why is Istanbul the most important port to you?

 

Can't resist butting in :) IMHO Istanbul is one of the most fantastic cities in the world and a great cruise port for many reasons. Unlike many European cities (Istanbul is actually located in both Europe and Asia) the cruise port for Istanbul is within walking distance to the main part of the city (about a 40 min walk) or easily accessed by the inexpensive tram system. The city has some amazing sites (Topkapi, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, etc etc) and also fun shopping (Grand (or Covered) Bazaar, Spike Market, etc). We were just in Istanbul (4th visit) last month and the city is as fine as ever.

 

Hank

[iancal]

We are huge fans of Istanbul, and of Turkey in general. Last fall we did an eastern Med cruise from Istanbul followed by a few weeks on land travel on our own.

 

We are about to book a Med cruise for this October. Why? Because the prices are the lowest that we have seen in a long time and we want to take advantage of it. Next year, or the year after they may be back to their normal rates.

 

There are lots of great itineraries out there but everyone has their own personal preferences so it is difficult to say which is best. But once we narrowed down on the promotional fares it was fairly simple for us to pick a cruise. The trick is getting air. So we normally hold a cabin for a few hours to determine if we can get air. Surprisingly, we have had very good luck in getting TA air within a month of travel time. Last Sept, we found air to Istanbul cheaper when purchased in August than if we had booked the same flights several months earlier.

[TLCOhio]

Can't resist butting in. IMHO Istanbul is one of the most fantastic cities in the world and a great cruise port for many reasons. Unlike many European cities (Istanbul is actually located in both Europe and Asia) the cruise port for Istanbul is within walking distance to the main part of the city (about a 40 min walk) or easily accessed by the inexpensive tram system. The city has some amazing sites (Topkapi, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, etc etc) and also fun shopping (Grand (or Covered) Bazaar, Spike Market, etc). We were just in Istanbul (4th visit) last month and the city is as fine as ever. Hank

 

Strongly agree with Hank on how super wonderful is Istanbul. Below are a few of pieces of "photo evidence" to prove it and back up that love for this historic and charming city. There are lots of other great places in the Med. Last June, we did a great trip out of Barcelona (a wonderful city from which to cruise) that included an overnight time period in wonderful Venice. Love Dubrovnik, Amalfi Coast, Kotor, etc., etc.

 

Overall for us, it is the combination of the ports, the ship, timing and value/pricing. Fortunately there are many, many cruise ship offerings right now in the Med. BUT, because of slow sales now, they will be cutting back on those options in 2013, 2014, etc.

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

 

More on Kotor and nearby, check these postings:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

 

Since Venice can be one of your key stops, you might look at this earlier posting that I did on the Italy board that shows many options and visual potentials for this city that is so great for "walking around", personally sampling the great history and architecture.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

 

You can check out my earlier post on “Athens Tips, Suggestions, Examples to Enjoy!” for many details, ideas and interesting visuals on this great city. Lots of ideas here from me and others experienced with Athens.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 81,704 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Hagia Sophia, the former patriarchal basilica, later mosque, now a museum in Istanbul. It is a mix of both Christan and Islamic visuals on the inside. It was made into a museum to avoid the question for which religion it should be focused.:

 

 

 

Inside the Spice Market in Istanbul. This fascinating area is much smaller and easier to see and experience than the massive Grand Bazaar.:

 

 

 

One of the many Istanbul outdoor dining places in the historic area. This is Albura in the heart of Akbiyik Caddesi, a mostly-pedestrian street in Sultanahmet's prime boutique hotel, restaurant and cafe district:

 

 

 

Inside the Sultan’s old palace area, here is the famed Topkapi jeweled dagger:

 

 

 

While we had lunch, neighboring diners are overlooking the Bosphorus Strait and we had this great view of the large bridge spanning from Europe to Asia.:

 

 

 

For Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, here is a longer, overall shot of its carpets where people still pray on a daily basis:

 

[zqvol]

that's so interesting, just curious, why is Istanbul the most important port to you?

 

 

Istanbul, properly Constantinople, is the only must see city in the Med. The history tops anything else. Athens is a close second followed by Venice and Rome, the others are all just eye candy.

[chipmaster]

The princee Grand Med line up, what can compare to that :D

 

When I was planning a few years ago what comes close

Rome, Florence, Venice, Athens, Istanbul, plus you get Naples, Kusadasi, Barcelona and two other rest stops ;)

 

Just for fun! Was wondering what you would rank as the best itinerary for this year in your opinion!

I know there are 100s of ports of call and tons of ships/companies, but which one do you think nails it best?

 

For simplicity I was looking at the 10-12 night itirenaries

and these are just some examples, but if you have a personal favorite itinerary, post it here :)

 

 

Norwegian: (with overnight in Venice!)

Venice, Athens/Piraeus, Izmir, Istanbul, Mykonos, Naples, Rome/Civitavecchia, Livorno, Toulon, Barcelona

 

Princess: (overnight in Venice!)

Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Rome/Civitavecchia, Naples, Mikonos, Istanbul, Kusadasi, Athens/Piraeus, Venice

 

Carnival: (round trip Barcelona)

Barcelona, Marseille, Livorno, Rome/Civitavecchia, Naples, Dubrovnik, Venice, Messina, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona

 

 

Carnival (maiden Breeze differs from the other summer schedule)

Venice, Dubrovnik, Athens/Piraeus, Izmir, Messina, Olbia, Rome/Civitavecchia, Livorno, Monaco, Marseille, Barcelona

 

Celebrity: (round trip Barcelona)

Barcelona, Rome/Civitavecchia, Naples, Mikonos, Kusadasi, Thira (Santorini), Athens/Piraeus, Valletta/Malta,

 

Royal Caribbean: (round trip Barcelona)

Barcelona, Cannes, Livorno, Rome/Civitavecchia, Athens/Piraeus, Kusadasi, Thira, Naples,

 

Oceana

Lisbon, Gibraltar, Casablanca, Motril, Valencia, Barcelona, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Livorno, Rome/Civitavecchia

 

I'm sure I didn't list a dozen more, what gets your pick??!

[TMLAalum]

Aside from the ports, it's important that the cruise you chose has long port times (9-12 hours) with enough days at sea for you to relax from all that sightseeing.

[Matcodixon]

Looked at all very carefully.. Booked Princess Grand Mediterranean on Ruby Princess, one of the top 10 rated ships.

[CACruzrs]

Just for fun! Was wondering what you would rank as the best itinerary for this year in your opinion!

I know there are 100s of ports of call and tons of ships/companies, but which one do you think nails it best?

 

For simplicity I was looking at the 10-12 night itineraries....

......but if you have a personal favorite itinerary, post it here :)

 

 

Best overall itinerary for a Med cruise? IMHO, if destinations are the most important thing, nothing beats the itinerary of a 24-day Holland America cruise, 12-day Western Mediterranean back-to-back with a 12-day Eastern Mediterranean. On our 24-day cruise, there were only 3 sea days! Both of these HAL 12-day cruises give you more ports and fewer sea days than the other lines. The 12-day HAL Eastern Med cruise that sails from Venice has an overnight in Istanbul.....and Istanbul is magical after the sun goes down.:) We did the two HAL back-to-back cruises in 2008 and plan to do it again next year. If you have any interest, there's a review of our 2008 cruise at this link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=872740

[Suzieanna]

Another vote here for Istanbul. Its FAB!!, and it was the deciding factor in which ship I chose this time.

[sing]

Best overall itinerary for a Med cruise? IMHO, if destinations are the most important thing, nothing beats the itinerary of a 24-day Holland America cruise, 12-day Western Mediterranean back-to-back with a 12-day Eastern Mediterranean. On our 24-day cruise, there were only 3 sea days! Both of these HAL 12-day cruises give you more ports and fewer sea days than the other lines. The 12-day HAL Eastern Med cruise that sails from Venice has an overnight in Istanbul.....and Istanbul is magical after the sun goes down.:) We did the two HAL back-to-back cruises in 2008 and plan to do it again next year. If you have any interest, there's a review of our 2008 cruise at this link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=872740

 

Just came back from the 24-day HAL itinerary you described on MS Nieuw Amsterdam. It truly was fantastic. It gave us the option of spending some days in Barcelona pre-cruise (and post-cruise days in Venice although we had to fly home on the day of disembarkation), two overnights in Venice, and an overnight in Istanbul. Would do it again in a heart beat if Europe wasn't so far away!

[Turtles06]

Istanbul is definitely on our list, and the comments and photos above really underscore our desire to go there.

 

Meanwhile, I want to put in a plug for Malta, as the Grand Harbor of Valletta is truly one of the most beautiful in the world, and the sail-in and sailaway are simply spectacular experiences:

 

 

 

 

(photos by turtles06)

[TLCOhio]

Istanbul is definitely on our list, and the comments and photos above really underscore our desire to go there. Meanwhile, I want to put in a plug for Malta, as the Grand Harbor of Valletta is truly one of the most beautiful in the world, and the sail-in and sailaway are simply spectacular experiences. (photos by turtles06)

 

Appreciate the plug and pictures from Malta. Haven't been there, yet, but have it on the future "to-do" list.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 81,835 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[kessdarln]

Norwegian: (with overnight in Venice!)

Venice, Athens/Piraeus, Izmir, Istanbul, Mykonos, Naples, Rome/Civitavecchia, Livorno, Toulon, Barcelona

?!

 

I'm doing this one for Halloween this year and overnight in Venice isn't really 2 days, the ship leaves at 1am just after midnight but you do get the entire day you arrive and entire evening up until Midnight or so to explore.

 

I think it also depends on your cruise line choice. I am an NCL fan - I just love freestyle cruising and for me, the rates are much more affordable than other lines. I've decided this is only going to be a taste and one day I'll come back and do a land tour to get more.

[kessdarln]

Can't resist butting in :) IMHO Istanbul is one of the most fantastic cities in the world and a great cruise port for many reasons.... Hank

 

 

Hank, can you recommend a tour for Istanbul? Would the HOHO bus be good? DYI? Thanks!

[kessdarln]

You can check out my earlier post on “Athens Tips, Suggestions, Examples to Enjoy!” for many details, ideas and interesting visuals on this great city. Lots of ideas here from me and others experienced with Athens. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Thanks Terry, really enjoyed your tips and photos!

[marazul]

NalCruiser,

does this mean you are ditching the couple with the baby?

[tartanexile81]

We've cruised the Mediterranean several times and like to avoid the larger ports on the whole so this September we're doing:

Lisbon

Malta

istanbul,

Yalta, Odessa and Constanza (Black Sea)

Rhodes

Athens

Kusadasi

Palma de Majorca

 

My favourite itinerary is always the one we're about to do, but we haven't visited most of these ports before so that makes really does make it the perfect itinerary.

[texancruzer]

 

My favourite itinerary is always the one we're about to do............

 

 

Ha Ha.... how true.