Need some advice on Mediterranean cruises

[SaskAries]

Hi all!

 

I am looking at booking at 10-14 day cruise in the Med next year for my parents, my husband, my daughter (7) and myself. Any advice on what a good itinerary would be? East or West Med which is better for inexperienced cruisers? I don't even know where to start other than it has to have a casino for Grampa and a cool waterpark for daughter & Grampa lol

 

We just came off a 7 day Disney Fantasy cruise to the East Caribbean and are hoping to find a cruise that is going to be even more impressive than that one (service wise)

 

 

Thanks everyone for any suggestions you may have for me!!

[paul929207]

There is really no right answer to where to go. Eastern and western Med are both great. Does anyone in your group have an interest in an area? It could be where ancestors came from or just an interest from reading about the area. For us, we just love the eastern Med. Cannot go there enough times.

 

Most of the cruises are port intensive, so the amenities on the ship are of less importance.

[Keith1010]

Either region is fine. There is so much to see.

 

If you can take the time off I would recommend a 12 day cruise so you can see more places.

 

Keith

[kitty9]

If you're on a port intensive Med cruise, which most are, the most important thing is choosing the itinerary that most interests you. Take a look at the ports for both the Eastern and Western and decide what ports are most interesting for you. Then find a ship that does that itinerary. You probably won't be spending a lot of time on the ship, as you'll be off touring a lot.

 

Not sure what you mean by a big waterpark, but I don't think the ships that do the Med have the big water features. The Oasis and Allure of the Seas have the great water features, but they don't go to the Med. As you know, Disney doesn't have casinos, so avoid that. Most other cruise lines have casinos.

 

Another thing I would recommend is not to cruise the Med in August. It's terribly hot and humid and with a young child, it's a tough time to cruise.

Good luck.

Edited November 10, 2013 by kitty9

[SaskAries]

That's the thing, we want to see so many different places. My husband has been to a lot of these countries and wants to take us to Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal and France. We were considering the West Mediterranean, but the East looks just as awesome especially from a cultural point of view. The history in each of these countries is phenomenal. Which is making the decision of where to go so difficult.

 

As for amenities on the ship my Dad won't want to do much in the way of port excursions as his knees are not that great for walking so he will more than likely stay put on the ship unless it's a can't miss excursion.

 

Is there a preferred cruise line for Med cruises? We would do a Disney in a heart beat if it was just the 3 of us, but my parents won't be so enthusiastic to jump onboard lol so we have to balance everyone's wishes.

 

Time of year? Any preferred time to go? Parents are retired and we are self employed so are pretty flexible with time off, other than daughter missing school we can go for as long as we want.

 

Is it better to book your own flights? Or go through an agent for everything? We want to fly over to Paris and spend 3 or 4 days there first. Good idea? Or too much?

[Tatka]

As for the time of the year I believe May, begining of June and September are good. Kids are in schools. Worst is August. Whole Europe goes on vacation at once. As for the lines... there are tons of choices and no clear best.

 

I would pick best price available for a number of days and definitely some sea days between the ports as it can be tireing even for younger folks. We were dead tired at 31 after Barcelona, Marseilles, Monaco, Livorno, Chivitaveccia and Naples. Actually by Naples we could not see anymore ruins and museums, so all we could do just sail to Capri and around and we missed Pompeii.

 

I would also look at private tours where available. Small van and flexible schedule.

Good luck.

[Scrapnana]

You said you want to see a little of everything - how about something like this. If you fly into Paris it is not hard to get to Amsterdam. You will see some of the Eastern and the Western Med. The Constellation does not have a water park but it does have a couple of pools. She is a nice size ship - not to large or too small with plenty to do (if you are not too tired from the ports).

 

[Eileen G]

Choosing a Med cruise can be overwhelming. It's best to see if anyone has any must see ports. For me on our first Med cruise it was Venice and Santorini. We have now done 9 Med cruises and we loved each one. I really couldn't say which was my favorite. Try to find a 12 day with only 2 sea days. You don't have to tour all day every day. We always pick a port or two and just hang out in the port town.

Read a lot of reviews to see what people did in each port to try to narrow your search. If Grandpa stays on the ship in port the casino will not be open and there is not usually much to do on board. There will always be other passengers who stay on board too.

[griffy116]

Went on our first Med cruise last summer and we will go again with a different itinerary this June. We prefer to go when school is out, so we go in June. We are going on Liberty of the Seas with RCCL. It has the flow-rider, rock wall, mini-golf, basketball court and a great kid's club for your daughter to check out. It also has an adult only pool (Solarium) that's quiet and tranquil and a great way to spend a day when you don't want to explore the town or take an excursion, plus the Promenade which is great for people watching, grabbing a snack and shopping. The ship also has a nice casino. We loved having a balcony cabin. We have loads of photos taken from our balcony of some pretty amazing sights (Stromboli with curls of smoke). We used private tours with Bob's Limo which made it easy for two of us who had some walking issues. This particular cruise lets you start in either Barcelona or Civitavecchia (Rome). We opted to book a few days in Rome pre and post cruise. We will be visiting Italy, Spain and France. Last summer we visited Italy, Greece and Turkey.

[jmf123]

SaskAries, these Cruise Critic articles might help you narrow the many options down a bit:

 

Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Basics - Eastern Mediterranean ...

Get helpful tips for planning an Eastern Mediterranean cruise. This region is one of the most popular in Europe, with a fantastic array of holiday options.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?id=1351

 

Western Mediterranean Cruise Basics - Western Mediterranean ...

The following offers some helpful tips and hints for use in planning your own Western Mediterranean cruise. You can also learn more in our Insiders' Guide to ...

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?id=1354

 

You can peruse the Mediterranean (Eastern and Western) Ports of Call forum here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=19.

Also, you may want to consult with a cruise-only travel agent to assist you with planning and to book your Med cruise- including pre hotel stays, etc. There are some that can book private tours for you, etc. and are invaluable for you to have a great family cruise vacation. :)

[Essiesmom]

The only ship I know of in the Med. in summer with a water park is NCL Epic, and she is only doing 7 day Western Med. cruises from Barcelona or Civitavecchia. Disney is out, as they do not have a casino. Carnival will not have any ships in Europe next year. But I would look for a ship with an Eastern itinerary, that includes Venice. The proposal that limits the size of ships entering Venice after Nov. 2014 will eliminate the availability of some of the ships with the most facilities. So next year might be the year to go there. EM

[boulders]

Disney has the best service of the mainstream cruise lines. Was there something about Disney that you weren't happy with? What did you like and what didn't you like about your Disney cruise?

 

Having great service and a waterpark are pretty much mutually exclusive unfortunately.

 

HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam does an eastern and western Med itinerary. It's 24 nights. I did this cruise with my kids, including a 7 year old, last year. We were pretty exhausted afterwards, but we saw some amazing history.

[hansolosmom]

This is how we picked our Med cruise

1) we all came up with a list of places we didn't want to miss & I mean all of us including my boys 15 & 17

2) after we had our list I looked up Med cruises which included the most ports

3) had a family meeting where we discussed & voted on one

 

Our biggest thing was we wanted to spend more than a few hours in Rome. That in & of itself limited our choices more than I thought it would. We ended up on the Celebrity Reflection since it also went to Ephesus & Istanbul. We flew into Venice about a week before the cruise and worked our way down to Rome stopping in some of the cities the cruise didn't. It worked perfectly for us although for us the ship amenities weren't as important as they may be for you.

 

Someone mentioned Liberty of the Seas that sounds like the kind of amenities you're looking for.

[pris993]

Just pick one and go. We did our first Western Mediterranean from Venice to London in l989. Have lost count on how many we have done over the years. We have done both western and eastern and transatlantics back and forth to Europe to and from Florida and New York. We have cruised from Istanbul, Venice, Rome and Barcelona and to Barcelona, Rome and London. My point each and every port is amazing... you can't go wrong and I would guess if you are anything like us you will go again and again.

 

We are booked on the NAmsterdam from Florida to Barcelona next April and on the Silhouette out of Rome to east in October. It never gets old.

 

Just remember you can't do and see it all. Don't even try -enjoy what you can and plan to return again.

[Lerin]

Up to 2 week cruise...in the Med...with a waterpark and casino...similar to Disney...but not Disney.

Sorry, you're not going to find all that in the mass market lines.

Any line that has the same service and quality as Disney would be a more upscale or luxury cruise. Those however are not going to have the water features and appeal for a 7 year old.

 

Maybe do a b2b on the Epic?

Or perhaps look at a European line: Thompson, Aida or Costa?

 

Good luck, let us know what you decide upon.

[Essiesmom]

Up to 2 week cruise...in the Med...with a waterpark and casino...similar to Disney...but not Disney.

Sorry, you're not going to find all that in the mass market lines.

Any line that has the same service and quality as Disney would be a more upscale or luxury cruise. Those however are not going to have the water features and appeal for a 7 year old.

 

Maybe do a b2b on the Epic?

Or perhaps look at a European line: Thompson, Aida or Costa?

 

Good luck, let us know what you decide upon.

 

A B2B on Epic doesn't work, unless you want to see the same ports twice. Every week is the same.

 

And as I said before, they can't do Disney again because Grampa wants a casino. EM

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

 

If this helps, I second Scrapana's cruise suggestion. Amsterdam is a truly great port city...one of the best airports in the world, accomodations in all price ranges, easy to get around and lots to see.

 

And the itinerary gives you a very nice range of places to see.

[SaskAries]

Disney has the best service of the mainstream cruise lines. Was there something about Disney that you weren't happy with? What did you like and what didn't you like about your Disney cruise?

 

Having great service and a waterpark are pretty much mutually exclusive unfortunately.

 

HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam does an eastern and western Med itinerary. It's 24 nights. I did this cruise with my kids, including a 7 year old, last year. We were pretty exhausted afterwards, but we saw some amazing history.

 

 

Boulders : We loved Disney, for our first cruise we couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience. Going with my parents to the Med so Disney won't be a good fit with them...no casino for Grampa being the big one. Disney right from the start does all it can to make sure you have an unforgettable experience, we are going to book another Disney Fantasy cruise after we book this one.

 

I'm not familiar with the other cruise lines other than Disney from our recent cruise and then RCL as a few friends have done the Caribbean which is why I need help. I have a lot of info now to read up on!

 

Waterpark area isn't a necessity a good kids activity area would be sufficient.

 

Thanks for your input!

[SaskAries]

You said you want to see a little of everything - how about something like this. If you fly into Paris it is not hard to get to Amsterdam. You will see some of the Eastern and the Western Med. The Constellation does not have a water park but it does have a couple of pools. She is a nice size ship - not to large or too small with plenty to do (if you are not too tired from the ports).

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion. This would cover a lot of the want to see areas. Gives me a great starting point to work with!

[SaskAries]

Just pick one and go. We did our first Western Mediterranean from Venice to London in l989. Have lost count on how many we have done over the years. We have done both western and eastern and transatlantics back and forth to Europe to and from Florida and New York. We have cruised from Istanbul, Venice, Rome and Barcelona and to Barcelona, Rome and London. My point each and every port is amazing... you can't go wrong and I would guess if you are anything like us you will go again and again.

 

We are booked on the NAmsterdam from Florida to Barcelona next April and on the Silhouette out of Rome to east in October. It never gets old.

 

Just remember you can't do and see it all. Don't even try -enjoy what you can and plan to return again.

 

I am beginning to see that a return Med cruise will be in our future. I'm going to get my mom to list her must sees and I know ours. See what we come up with.

 

Thanks!

[SaskAries]

The only ship I know of in the Med. in summer with a water park is NCL Epic, and she is only doing 7 day Western Med. cruises from Barcelona or Civitavecchia. Disney is out, as they do not have a casino. Carnival will not have any ships in Europe next year. But I would look for a ship with an Eastern itinerary, that includes Venice. The proposal that limits the size of ships entering Venice after Nov. 2014 will eliminate the availability of some of the ships with the most facilities. So next year might be the year to go there. EM

 

We were considering either March or Oct of next year. Venice would be one of the must sees. Will see what I find. So much to consider. We may have other family members coming along if the timings are right. Hopefully they are less picky than my parents and myself lol

[SaskAries]

There is really no right answer to where to go. Eastern and western Med are both great. Does anyone in your group have an interest in an area? It could be where ancestors came from or just an interest from reading about the area. For us, we just love the eastern Med. Cannot go there enough times.

 

Most of the cruises are port intensive, so the amenities on the ship are of less importance.

 

Both areas are full of history and we would like to see them both, I'm thinking right now to start with one and then do a repeat cruise to the other!

 

Thanks for your input!

[buggins0402]

I am beginning to see that a return Med cruise will be in our future. I'm going to get my mom to list her must sees and I know ours. See what we come up with.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Once you get your list, find an online TA website that has a robust cruise search that allows you to put in all the ports as selection criteria. Keep in mind that if you think you can't do a city in a day - use that for an embarkation port. Or, as others have mentioned, it's easy to fly into a must see city and then travel to an embarkation port.

 

As for keeping costs down - there is chance of catching decent flight prices, prior to June and after September.

[boulders]

We were considering either March or Oct of next year. Venice would be one of the must sees. Will see what I find. So much to consider. We may have other family members coming along if the timings are right. Hopefully they are less picky than my parents and myself lol

 

There are not many cruise lines that are in the Med in March. Norwegian and MSC are the only kid friendly cruise lines that sail then. Quite a few ships, especially the kid friendly ones, leave at the beginning of October or late September.

[SaskAries]

There are not many cruise lines that are in the Med in March. Norwegian and MSC are the only kid friendly cruise lines that sail then. Quite a few ships, especially the kid friendly ones, leave at the beginning of October or late September.

 

Thanks Boulders. I was checking out the MSC site and there are a few that may be of interest. We are off to see my parents in Florida for Christmas so over the holidays we will review all that I have found and then make a decision, Hubby wants to go in Oct as it is our anniversary and his birthday.