Review: Carnival Mediterranean 12-Night Cruise

[Lovetwocruz2009]

LoveTwoCruz2009,thanks so much for reading along! I'm so glad you enjoyed the trip report!

 

We were so glad we visited in September. We had really beautiful weather the entire time (well, except that one day in Barcelona), and the crowds are prices were a bit more manageable than the middle of summer!

 

Will you be going on a Carnival ship?

 

Have a wonderful time planning! That's half the fun!

 

Yes, I am open to taking a Carnival ship. But the only cruise line that has their rates out for sept 2014 is NCL. The NCL Epic looks good. But I will wait for Carnival and RCL to post their sailings.

 

I only can take two weeks off. So I am hoping for a 9 day cruise

 

Thanks again for all of your help.

[Excited7]

Hi,

 

I read your inspiration review and love your writing and pics....so i came over to read this one....but i can't see the pictures? Is it on my end, it must be cause everyone keeps saying they are great pictures! Love the review so far....even without the pics :)

[sailawaybellaluna]

Hi,

 

I read your inspiration review and love your writing and pics....so i came over to read this one....but i can't see the pictures? Is it on my end, it must be cause everyone keeps saying they are great pictures! Love the review so far....even without the pics

 

Hi Excited7,

 

Thanks for checking out both of my reviews!

 

I'm so sorry you're not able to see the photos. I'm not sure why that is? I just checked, and they all seem to be there and I'm not over my storage limits on PhotoBucket so I'm not sure what it might be? Perhaps someone can chime in and offer some help!

 

:)

[fouremmetts]

Your review was fantastic! I am trying to get my DH to do a cruise in Europe since my cruise in '08 with my mom and sis.

 

When we were in Venice, my sis and I ate in the restaurant that is in your picture (the one with the green awning). It was very good and the staff was excellent.

 

Your pictures brought to me to tears as I relived my cruise through them - my mom has passed recently and I am so grateful she was able to go there.

 

Your little boy is ADORABLE!! But I am kind of prejudiced as he could be a twin to my 5 yo grandson (except for the blue eyes). So cute - he will have a wonderful life of the traveler!

[sailawaybellaluna]

Your review was fantastic! I am trying to get my DH to do a cruise in Europe since my cruise in '08 with my mom and sis.

 

When we were in Venice, my sis and I ate in the restaurant that is in your picture (the one with the green awning). It was very good and the staff was excellent.

 

Your pictures brought to me to tears as I relived my cruise through them - my mom has passed recently and I am so grateful she was able to go there.

 

Your little boy is ADORABLE!! But I am kind of prejudiced as he could be a twin to my 5 yo grandson (except for the blue eyes). So cute - he will have a wonderful life of the traveler!

 

Hello fouremmetts,

 

Thanks so much for reading along!

 

I'm so sorry for the loss of your mom, but I'm sure you're all the more thankful you got to build these wonderful memories with her on your trip.

 

And small world that you ate at that restaurant in Venice!

 

Thank you for the compliment on my little boy. He's quite a little ham! Sounds like you have a little ham yourself! Mine will be 4 this summer. Can't believe how quickly time is flying by. :)

[raceyrocks00]

This is my first ever post so hopefully I am doing this right. :)

 

Thank you for your great review and pictures. My husband and I just booked the Sunshine in May and we are so excited to visit many of the same ports.

 

I have a girly question for you... I see that in most of your pictures you are just wearing flip flops. Did you find that those were comfortable all day on cobblestone streets? I am a San Diego girl and live in flip flops most of the year so I have been searching everywhere for a decent looking pair of walking shoes. Did you find that flip flops were sufficient?

[sailawaybellaluna]

This is my first ever post so hopefully I am doing this right.

 

Thank you for your great review and pictures. My husband and I just booked the Sunshine in May and we are so excited to visit many of the same ports.

 

I have a girly question for you... I see that in most of your pictures you are just wearing flip flops. Did you find that those were comfortable all day on cobblestone streets? I am a San Diego girl and live in flip flops most of the year so I have been searching everywhere for a decent looking pair of walking shoes. Did you find that flip flops were sufficient?

 

Hi raceyrocks00!

 

Thanks for reading along! How exciting that you guys just booked the Sunshine for May!!!

 

I did just wear flip flops much of the time. I'm used to walking a lot, and for the most part, I was really comfortable. I didn't take new flip flops - I made sure they were really broken in before hand! I also took a lot of wedges and dressy sandals but only wore those on board the ship or to dinner, etc.

 

A friend of mine did a Med cruise a few months before I did and bought some of the athletic walking Mary Jane shoes and loved them! I checked them out too, but fashion wise, I wasn't a big fan. I wore lots of sun dresses during our trip, and the flip flops just matched better. :D

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[Out of Iowa]

I've got a lot of unanswered questions about the differences between a Caribbean cruise (which we have done a few now, and like them) and the Mediterranean (92 more days!). Aside from the obvious,

 

did you leave your passports in the cabin safe while on shore?

 

what was your experience with pickpockets? Five of our destinations (including London) are in the worldwide Top 10 for pickpockets...

 

experience with ATMs vs. Traveller's Cheques vs. cash on shore? Does the ATM on the ship dispense Euros, US $ or something else?

 

was the menu standard Carnival MDR fare? was there Ribena/squash (a drink)? skim milk?

 

Differences you noticed when Carnival is cruising in Europe vs. cruising nearer the US?

 

Suggestions for items to pack..

 

thanks!

[sailawaybellaluna]

I've got a lot of unanswered questions about the differences between a Caribbean cruise (which we have done a few now, and like them) and the Mediterranean (92 more days!). Aside from the obvious,

 

did you leave your passports in the cabin safe while on shore?

 

what was your experience with pickpockets? Five of our destinations (including London) are in the worldwide Top 10 for pickpockets...

 

experience with ATMs vs. Traveller's Cheques vs. cash on shore? Does the ATM on the ship dispense Euros, US $ or something else?

 

was the menu standard Carnival MDR fare? was there Ribena/squash (a drink)? skim milk?

 

Differences you noticed when Carnival is cruising in Europe vs. cruising nearer the US?

 

Suggestions for items to pack..

 

thanks!

 

Hi Out of Iowa!

 

All great questions!!

 

I'm just putting my toddler down for a nap, and then I'll get back online and respond! :-)

[sailawaybellaluna]

I've got a lot of unanswered questions about the differences between a Caribbean cruise (which we have done a few now, and like them) and the Mediterranean (92 more days!). Aside from the obvious,

 

did you leave your passports in the cabin safe while on shore?

 

what was your experience with pickpockets? Five of our destinations (including London) are in the worldwide Top 10 for pickpockets...

 

experience with ATMs vs. Traveller's Cheques vs. cash on shore? Does the ATM on the ship dispense Euros, US $ or something else?

 

was the menu standard Carnival MDR fare? was there Ribena/squash (a drink)? skim milk?

 

Differences you noticed when Carnival is cruising in Europe vs. cruising nearer the US?

 

Suggestions for items to pack..

 

thanks!

 

Yay! the countdown is on for your Europe cruise!

 

To answer your questions:

 

*Yes, for the most part I left our passports in the safe, but I took my son's since he's only 3 and didn't have any other picture ID. We took our driver's license with us and tried to keep copies of our passports in my purse.

 

*In terms of pickpockets, You just have to be smart and aware at all times. I typically keep my money in two sections in my purse. One in my wallet (which is small bill Euros and change), and another in an envelope inside the inner section of my purse (which is larger bills). In the event I was to get robbed, I have my wallet ready to hand over - with money in it - but I know it's not all my money. Of course, if they snatch your purse, it's a lose lose situation. In Italy, keep an eye out for the mopeds that may drive too close to you - they may take your entire purse! That being said, I lived in Europe a couple of years and studied abroad in Rome (as a teenager!), and never had any issues with pick pockets. In the train stations in Italy I did have some of the poor Roma children trying to reach in my pocket, but it was very obvious what they were trying to do. Just be cautious of anyone asking you the time or trying to give you a flower "as a free gift". Both of these are potential ways to take money from you. Definitely take a zipper topped purse (or if you're male), don't put your wallet in your back pocket. Maybe your jacket pocket or as my husband does, his front pocket.

 

*In terms of the MDR, there was much of the standard fare. Since it was a 12-night cruise we did, of course, we had much more variety. They did have skim milk, 2% and chocolate milk available. I didn't see any Ribena.

 

*Differences I noticed: Probably the primary difference was the clientele. The Carnival cruises I've taken from US ports attracted more budget travelers or families with small children. On the European itinerary, Americans are not the majority - there are lots of other Europeans, Brits and Russians. They aren't necessarily the "budget traveler" type that you might find in Long Beach or Miami. (No snobbery there - I'm quick to jump on a budget cruise from Long Beach or Miami any day!). Just a noted difference. People definitely made the effort to dress up for dinner, especially on the elegant nights, which I really enjoyed. Another different I noticed was the cost of excursions. They are much more expensive on the Europe itineraries than the US/Caribbean cruises.

 

*What to pack: definitely lots of changes of clothes and shoes. Good walking shoes that still look nice if you want to visit a nice restaurant or something. I'm not sure about your family or if you have children travelling with you? Or if you're into photographs? I took a lot of photo equipment as well as extra memory cards and my laptop to download photos each day. During a trip to Egypt a few years ago, my memory card malfunctioned and I lost EVERYTHING. Luckily, I was only a few days into a month-long trip, but it was still devastating! I'd take lots of $1 or 1E notes/coins to tip - both room service on the ship and taxi's, etc., outside of the ship.

 

Let me know if I can help answer any more questions!

 

Have fun planning! :)

[mrsnowka]

Any chance you could post a picture of the pottery you purchased in Taromina?

[sailawaybellaluna]

Any chance you could post a picture of the pottery you purchased in Taromina?

 

Hi Mrsnowka,

 

I'm just now seeing your message! I will definitely go and take some pics of my pottery and upload them later today...!

 

Thanks for reading along! :)

[TravelingDiva1]

I enjoyed your review. Heading to the Med next month on the Legend! Your pictures are awesome! :)

[mj]

Loved the review and you do take some beautiful pictures.

[sailawaybellaluna]

I enjoyed your review. Heading to the Med next month on the Legend! Your pictures are awesome!

__________________

 

Thank you TravelingDiva1! Have a wonderful time on the Legend!!! :)

[sailawaybellaluna]

Any chance you could post a picture of the pottery you purchased in Taromina?

 

Hi mrsnowka! I finally got the pics of my Sicilian pottery uploaded! Here you go!

 

 

 

 

[Julia’s Journey’s]

I enjoyed your review. Heading to the Med next month on the Legend! Your pictures are awesome! :)

 

Us too, which date do you sail??

[TravelingDiva1]

Us too, which date do you sail??

 

May 4. 12 day Venice to Barcelona. You?

[mrsnowka]

Beautiful pottery! Thank you! I am so excited!

[wannabecruising77]

We're going on the Sunshine in July for a 12 day Mediterranean cruise. It's our first Carnival cruise and we didn't know what to expect. I was getting really concerned with all the bad news recently and wondered many times if we should switch to Royal Caribbean but we didn't. I am so glad that I found your review. The pictures are gorgeous and your write-ups were very informative. I'm really looking forward to seeing all those beautiful ports in person now. Thanks for sharing ! BTW, your little boy is sooo cute !

[sailawaybellaluna]

We're going on the Sunshine in July for a 12 day Mediterranean cruise. It's our first Carnival cruise and we didn't know what to expect. I was getting really concerned with all the bad news recently and wondered many times if we should switch to Royal Caribbean but we didn't. I am so glad that I found your review. The pictures are gorgeous and your write-ups were very informative. I'm really looking forward to seeing all those beautiful ports in person now. Thanks for sharing ! BTW, your little boy is sooo cute !

 

I'm so glad it helped to ease your mind! I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time!!!

 

And thanks so much for your compliments on my little guy. He's such a ham. :D

[Michellelhs]

I wanted to thank you again for your review. especially foor including barcelona in there. we edde up booking the wine and cava day trip off viator as well. i am thrilled for barcelona and our cruise on the sunshine in a few weeks!!

[Jazzzy]

Great review. Thank you for sharing your Beautiful photos.

[sailawaybellaluna]

I wanted to thank you again for your review. especially foor including barcelona in there. we edde up booking the wine and cava day trip off viator as well. i am thrilled for barcelona and our cruise on the sunshine in a few weeks!!

 

So glad you ended up booking the wine & cava tour! You will love it!

 

Looking forward o hearing about the Sunshine!

[WildWind]

Hi sailawaybellaluna,

thank you for the review!

We will be on the Sunshine soon for a very similar itinerary and I am curently compiling information for DIY tours. Messina is a concern to me. It seems that public transportation is not very reliable there. I am wondering what you did in this port. I am thinking to go to Taormina with my husband and two kids (11 and 9 years old). Is the tour offered by Carnival a best option?

Thanks!

Thank you!

We recently completed the 12-night Mediterranean itinerary on the Carnival Breeze. Because CruiseCritic was such a huge help for me in planning our trip, I wanted to write a review of our vacation in case it might be of help to others. :)

 

I'm planning on showing several photos of the Breeze and am happy to answer any questions about my experience on this ship. I realize it is no longer sailing in Europe, but the Caribbean, but I believe Carnival's new Sunshine ship as well as the Legend will be doing a similar itinerary to what I did. So I'll also try to touch on each of the ports and how we chose to spend our time there.

 

Our cruise itinerary was as follows:

 

1 Barcelona, Spain --- 5:00 p.m.

2 Monte Carlo, Monaco 9:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m.

3 Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy 7:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

4 Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy 7:00 a.m. 9:00 p.m.

5 Olbia, Sardinia 7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

6 At Sea --- ---

7 Dubrovnik, Croatia 7:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.

8 Venice, Italy 2:00 p.m. ---

9 Venice, Italy --- 7:00 p.m.

10 At Sea --- ---

11 Messina, Sicily 7:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

12 At Sea --- ---

13 Barcelona, Spain