Which cruise line would you recommend for Mediterranean cruise

[Pomcoach]

My husband has just surprised me by saying we should take a Mediterranean cruise around October 2015. I've been teaching for 30 years, and we'll be celebrating my retirement and also our 40th Anniversary.

We've sailed Carnival 3 times and will take a short cruise on Norwegian this summer, but we've never ventured to Europe. Rome is on my bucket list, (has been since age 12 or so.) I also took French in college and enjoy hearing the language spoken, so I'd love to visit a French speaking area somewhere.

Our anniversary is in October, but if that's a bad time to cruise, we certainly could plan for another time of year. We also have a daughter we like to visit in Florida, and wouldn't mind sailing from Florida or disembarking in Florida, if that's even possible. Thank you for any help. I'm so excited, even though it's a long way off.

So here's my questions:

1. Which cruise line do you think we should look into? We will both be about 62 at that time.

2. Is October a bad time to cruise in the Mediterranean as far as bad weather or too crowded?

[iancal]

We think spring or fall-first couple of weeks in October, are perfect. It has been our choice for the past several years.

 

I would first determine where you would like to go-east, west Med or both. Perhaps look at the various port stops. Also consider cities of embarkation and debarkation since you may want to spend pre/post cruise days there. Get it narrowed down and then go from there based on what cruise lines/ships meet you itinerary requirements.

Edited May 25, 2014 by iancal

[pris993]

We have been crusing in the Mediterranean since l989 or so, lost count on how many cruises, including Transatlantics with Mediterranean ports. We have done western and eastern Mediterranean and are still going becuase it is all wonderful. We leave on the Celebrity Silhouette in October of this year from Rome.

 

We have done cruises on Princess, Celebrity, Holland American, Crystal, Cunard and NCL over the years plus a few lines that aren't around any longer. Any of these lines offer a great experience.

 

If you like NCL, they offer similar itineraries and are the least expensive if you don't book a suite. We did a cruise on the NCL Jade 1 year ago, had a mini suite, very nice cabin.

 

The most up scale experience we had was on Cunard, found the cabin, food, service and entertainment on the Queen Victoria outstanding. We did a cruise out of Rome on that ship, have done cruises out of Rome on Princess, Celebrity, Crystal and NCL as well. Cunard is the most formal of all the lines, compared to NCL which is the most casual. If you don't mind dressing (men required to wear a jacket and tie) for dinner every night Cunard is a great cruise experience.

 

We have cruised from Barcelona, Athens, Venice and Istanbul as well.

 

Barcelona is the easiest port to go in and out of... airport nearby. Second easiest port is Athens.

 

When we go in or out of Rome, we always use a private car service to get back and forth to the port, which is a 45 minute drive away from the airport. Romecabs.com can be booked on line, excellent service.

 

October is our favorite time to travel in the Mediterranean... weather is nice, less crowded, after summer season. We just came back, from a spring TA to Barcelona, spring time weather is more unpredicatable.

 

The bottom line is Mediterranean cruises are very port intensive, so you will want to pace yourself. Pick tours that you really want to do, allow some down time you will need it. Given this, the ship is not that important, it is basically a floating hotel.

 

Pick a ship, with an itinerary that has ports you are dreaming of seeing, you can't go wrong.

 

If you can, spend a few days before and after your cruise in Europe.

[Pomcoach]

Wow! Thank you both, so much, for the incredible information! I am looking a bit at the repositioning cruises because they have lots of "down time" and are an incredible price. My husband may not be able to take that much time off of work, though, since I will be the only one retired! So much to dream about and research. I am so very thankful for your answers and direction.

[t_car]

If Rome is on your bucket list, and want to end up in Florida, Then the Celebrity Reflection is for you.

Great price for 15 days from Rome to Miami on Oct 17th, no French ports though.

Or take the NCL Epic on Oct 22 for 18 days with French ports.

 

You really should spend a few days in Rome before your cruise. We were there in 2012 for 5 days before our Mariner cruise, and still did not see all the sights.

 

Hopefully your husband will be able to take the time off work for this special trip.

[dorisis]

I like the smaller ships for the Med. Oceania and Azamara. Most ships start leaving the Med in October so September might be a better choice for weather. After you have narrowed your choices you should talk to a travel agent that specializes in cruises.Helpful and they can give you discounts and ship credits.

[maryann ns]

The standard advice is to go by the itinerary. Check port times carefully. Sometimes you get what you pay for when the less expensive cruises have less time in port or go to ports when many museums are closed (Watch that especially in Istanbul.)

 

We cruised the eastern Mediterranean (Rome and points east) in mid to late November and were blessed with great weather.

[cruisemom42]

Based on what you said initially, a Trans-Atlantic cruise that starts in Rome and ends in Florida might work, especially if you can find one with a stop in a French port (however, this is not as likely, since the ships normally head south from Rome to Florida).

 

However, I have to say that I am NOT fond of Trans-Atlantics, as you spend far too much time (5-6 days) crossing the Atlantic and not seeing what you came to see, i.e., the Mediterranean.

 

I think you'd be much better served looking for a Western Mediterranean cruise (these include ports in Italy, France, Spain generally) of about 10 days. Then plan to spend another couple of days in Rome at the start of the cruise. With this schedule and building in flight times, you could have a very nice two-week total.

 

I agree that the ship doesn't matter so much in the Med, but it would matter more if you do decide on a Trans-Atlantic (as you'll have many more sea-days).

Edited May 25, 2014 by cruisemom42

[celebrity]

Lots of great advice here. I have only sailed once to the Med on Equinox . I sailed in Sept but October from all accounts is also good. You'll beat the heat and crowds of the summer.

First thing you need to do is study the various itineraries. In my case, I had it narrowed down to RCI and Celebrity 12 day itineraries. The deciding factor for me was the itinerary.

Honestly, I don't think a TA will give you the experience of a true Med cruise.

I also looked at sailing out of Barcelona due to the close proximity from airport to cruise port.

I had the most incredible time thanks to so many helpful posters here on CC who offered their tips and advice.

Congrats on your retirement and Bon Voyage!

[Dancer Bob]

I agree that for a major port like Rome, Athens, Istanbul, or Barcelona, even 5 days isn't enough time. Pace yourself, don't worry too much about port times, you can't possibly see everything is one stop.

I think October/November is a great time to cruise the Med. Weather is pleasant, not too hot and crowds smaller.

If you're looking for a multi-lingual experience, both Costa and MSC attract European passengers. Costa does re-positionings that end in Miami. But that is probably too much time away for your husband.

Make sure you find a TA that has personal experience in the Mediterranean. Many will try to sell you cruises they're clueless about.

[puppycanducruise]

You've been given lots of great advice and I'll add my 2 cents.

We've only been on one Med cruise (last spring) but here is what we did.

We visited our local travel agent and told her what we wanted - a Med cruise that began or ended in Rome, and she gave us a bunch of lovely glossy brochures. Then, we poured over them, and used the internet to select our cruise.

We flew to Rome 3 days (not enough) before the cruise then cruised. Our cruise included Greek Isles, Athens and Ephesus.

Select a cruise that suits you.

Enjoy.

Get ready to do it again.

:)

[iancal]

Be careful about the ports that you pick. Cruise lines often like to imply that some of their ports are in tourist areas. Places like Rome and Florence and a good distance from the port and are best done on a pre or postcruise land trip unless you want to spent too much of your time and money commuting. We have even seen a cruise line advertise Paris (abeit in brackets) as a cruise stop!

 

Rome might be a good place to start a cruise since you have lots of choice. Eastern med routes to Greek Islands/Istanbul or western Med routes to Barcelona. We did an Adriatic from Rome. Very nice. Stopped in Malta, Sicily, Dubrovnik, and ended in Venice. Lots and lots of choice. Our particular favourite is Eastern to Istanbul with a independent land tour tacked on.

 

For the past two years prices have been low and we booked inside the final payment window. IF you have the flexibility, and if supply/demand is in your favour, this is a great way to go. The more research you do, the more you will truly enjoy the experience and get the most out of it.

Edited May 25, 2014 by iancal

[celebrity]

Be careful about the ports that you pick. Cruise lines often like to imply that some of their ports are in tourist areas. Places like Rome and Florence and a good distance from the port and are best done on a pre or postcruise land trip unless you want to spent too much of your time and money commuting. We have even seen a cruise line advertise Paris (abeit in brackets) as a cruise stop!

 

Rome might be a good place to start a cruise since you have lots of choice. Eastern med routes to Greek Islands/Istanbul or western Med routes to Barcelona. We did an Adriatic from Rome. Very nice. Stopped in Malta, Sicily, Dubrovnik, and ended in Venice. Lots and lots of choice. Our particular favourite is Eastern to Istanbul with a independent land tour tacked on.

 

For the past two years prices have been low and we booked inside the final payment window. IF you have the flexibility, and if supply/demand is in your favour, this is a great way to go. The more research you do, the more you will truly enjoy the experience and get the most out of it.

 

Great advice! In our case we sailed from Barcelona to Rome, Naples, Athens, , Santorini, Mykonos , Malta and Ephesus. It was incredible ! We booked all private excursions so we drove away at 7:30 and beat the crowds at all the sites.

Once you have selected your cruise, sign up on the roll call and you can do tour tour sharing to save big bucks and get a much better experience than any cruise sponsored excursion can offer. Any other questions, ask away.

[iancal]

Unless you are willing to pay dearly for the convenience, don't bother booking any cruise line hotels for pre and post cruise. Our experience is that you will pay double the going rate and may not end up in a centrally located hotel. Do your own research. Same for transfers and of course excursions.

 

I believe that the cruise lines take advantage of North Americans on European cruises simply because some people are concerned about the language issue or because it is 'foreign'. Don't be concerned, don't be intimidated. You will have a great trip. And one more thing....don't even try to dress like the locals do. They will know you are a tourist in five seconds flat no matter how you dress. What's wrong with that? Nothing.

[Ashland]

We did the western med round trip out of Barcelona on RCI's Liberty...amazing !!

[Grannycb]

We've done transatlantic cruises and have flown to Europe to begin and end there. I would suggest flying to Rome for about four days before your cruise. There is so much to see that even that amount of time isn't enough. Perhaps you could stop over on your flight home to visit Paris. If this is your first time in Europe don't waste your valuable time with a transatlantic.

 

I did a quick look at what was available. Hands down I would pick the Celebrity Silhouette. We have done that itinerary and fell it is our favorite of all our cruises. It isn't exactly what you are looking for but might be something to consider.

[griffy116]

I have to agree with Grannycb...fly to Rome for a few days prior to the cruise and book a cruise that embarks from Civitavecchia (near Rome). We did this last year on RCCL. The cruise went to ports in Italy, Greece and Turkey. We didn't think we were interested in Turkey and it turned out to be a favorite. We stayed in a small hotel in Rome and were able to rest up after our flight, enjoy a nice meal and a little wandering around the streets. The next morning we were rested and ready to explore Rome. Day one we devoted to a tour of the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica. Late that afternnon, we went to the Trevi Fountain, and got around to some of the other things on our list. Day Two we did the Coloseum, Palatine Hill, the Forum...all the ancient sites we could find. Day Three, we did "The Mouth of Truth" and some of the other spots on our list. Day four, we had transportation carry us to the port for boarding the ship. After 15 cruises, this was the most FABULOUS cruise we've taken. So fabulous that we are leaving in two weeks for another cruise leaving out of Rome (on RCCL). This cruise will go to Italy, France and Spain. We can't wait.

[Scarlet and grey]

We sailed celebrity equinox last October for 12 night Mediterranean and LoVed it!!! Great ports, great cruise line, easy in/ out of barcelona. This year we are sailing celebrity sillouhette in October for the eastern med/ holy land. We had fabulous weather last October.

[iancal]

Four of our Med cruises over the past two years have been on Celebrity.

 

We liked Celebrity cruises very much, but it was price and itinerary that cinched the deal. Celebrity offered the best value at the time for each...on each cruise.

[zoncom]

All the well cruised folks here agree. Its Celebrity.Try either Reflections or Silhoutte.

[LewesBeach]

Haven't tried Celebrity yet, but we did Princess and sailed out of Venice, and that is really a sight to behold! I believe Celebrity still sails from there as well. Venice put a restriction on large ships over 96000 tons sailing from there, so lines have redeployed some of their medium size ships to Venice. I highly recommend this port as at least one of your stops.

[cruisemom42]

All the well cruised folks here agree. Its Celebrity.Try either Reflections or Silhoutte.

 

Uh, really??

 

I'm pretty well-cruised on a number of lines in the Med and I would strongly advise the original poster to consider itinerary first and ship/line second. The Med is much more about the ports than the ship, given the intensive nature of the cruise.

 

I've cruised the Med on four different lines -- all of them very good and none of them Celebrity (though I've cruised Celebrity twice elsewhere). Personally, I've found Celebrity's itineraries a little limited.

[iancal]

I would put cruise line at the very bottom of my list for a Med cruise.

 

We go with itinerary, price, ship.

 

The Med is port intensive. There really is not a great deal of difference between some of the mass market lines like HAl, Princess, or Celebrity.

 

We had some Celebrity trips. But it could have just as easily been HAL or Princess if their pricing had been in the ballpark at the time we booked.

[skandls]

We sailed the Med on Oceania. Barcelona to Rome. Since your DH is not retired a transatlantic with a Med cruise may take too many vacation days. I like Oceania for the Med because the ships are smaller and can get into some ports closer to the city centers. There is open seating for dinner (don't have to rush back for fixed dinner or wait for anytime dining). The food is better (subjective) than the mass market cruise lines. I don't need big shows as we usually retire early so we can rest up for the next days tour.

 

If you do sail on a mass market ship - consider Celebrity in Aqua Class. Blu is a private restaurant with open seating only for AQ and suites if space available.

 

Since you want to see Rome you might want a cruise that starts or ends in Rome so you have time to explore the city. There will not be a lot of time in Rome unless you stay pre or post cruise or the ship overnights in Rome's port.

[celebrity]

Uh, really??

 

I'm pretty well-cruised on a number of lines in the Med and I would strongly advise the original poster to consider itinerary first and ship/line second. The Med is much more about the ports than the ship, given the intensive nature of the cruise.

 

I've cruised the Med on four different lines -- all of them very good and none of them Celebrity (though I've cruised Celebrity twice elsewhere). Personally, I've found Celebrity's itineraries a little limited.

 

You consider Barcelona, Rome, Naples, Athens, Mykonos, Santorini. Ephesus and Malta limited?

Loved it and would return in a blink.