Love cruising; love Europe; would we like Europe cruise?

[odiesam]

We love cruising and love visiting Europe (land vacations only) so wondering if we would like a Mediterranean cruise.

 

For those of you that have sailed a Med cruise, did you feel rushed? Did you regret missing the evenings in the wonderful European cities since you had to get back on the ship?

 

We only have 10 days total this time so are looking at a 2017 Equinox cruise from Barcelona to Athens. A 10 day land vacation in Europe will not get you to very many places while the cruise will give us the opportunity to visit more places in a short amount of time.

 

Would love everyone's advice. Thanks,

[daniels5759]

You would love it.I am am totally hooked on Med cruises. My first was in 2013 and we will be on our 3rd in Sept. after many caribbean cruises. We love the history.

[mickeysgal]

Been on three Med cruises and loved them. A Med cruise gives you a good sample...a taste of what's out there so you can possibly schedule a trip back to spend time on the ground there. There are definitely pros and cons and yes, in certain ports we felt rushed. And we did miss walking certain cities at night, lingering over dinner. Our first cruise, we had a port stop in Rome. One day in Rome just isn't enough and we were very frustrated. So the next time we made sure the cruise started there and we visited for three days prior so we had plenty of time to linger, wander, absorb. So...go on that Med cruise, but make sure you pick one that has a start/end in a place you REALLY want to see.

A perfect scenario is a cruise that starts/ends in different cities so you can see a bit before and after the cruise. But, if you're like us, we can't do too much as we have only so much vacation time and funds. So perhaps 3 days prior and a 7 day cruise. Perfect combination.

[Jerzy Traveler]

We too enjoy land vacations in Europe. Normally we would see two cities in 10 days, enough time to really see a city. Last year we sailed on the Reflection out of Civitivecchia. Stops in Sicily, Greece and Turkey, then Naples where we had a private tour down the Amalfi coast. You are right about not being able to enjoy nights in the cities. Mykonos is a party island. On the side we loved the cruise. We had plenty of time at each port and each was different than the last.

If you do decide to take the cruise, I would suggest private tours or sharing guides and drivers with others on the cruise. We shared with people we met on Cruise Critic and it was so much better than the cruises offerings.

[Tommy3putts]

Highly recommend a med cruise. We did the 11 night on Reflection in 2014. Would love to do it again!

[Host Jazzbeau]

I think the advice should be tempered by your previous visits to Europe. If you have already done a land tour to a place [say Italy], a cruise stop may either be a nice refresher or it could be an annoying tease [what good is a few hours in Rome if you have already spent two weeks there!] But if your earlier cruising hasn't covered this area, then the above comments are right on: you will get a nice taste of a bunch of different places in several different countries, which may help you choose the location for your next land vacation. Or you may discover that adding the delights of a cruise to the ability to visit a continuing kaleidoscope of places makes European cruising the best idea for your future plans! Even if a future cruise repeats some of the ports, the menu of shore excursions will allow you to do something different. Happy cruising!

[DrivesLikeMario]

I think cruising is a good way to get a taste of an area. If you find that you missed out on doing a lot in a port or see an area you really want to come back to, you can another time.

 

Sometimes you end up going to places you wouldn't ordinarily go to - for example, for me, Tunisia was an awe-inspiring pleasant surprise. I am so glad I had the opportunity to go there.

 

For comparison's sake, if you've done a river cruise, a Med. cruise isn't as exhausting as that. It'll keep you busy but you'll have those wonderful sea days once in awhile that allow you to recuperate. (I can't tell you how many times we said we wished we had a sea day on our river cruise and we were on the younger side of the demographics!)

 

With a cruise, you'll see a lot of amazing places in a short amount of time and only have to unpack once. What could be better given your time constraints?

[Redtravel]

Europe has lots of interesting ports. I have cruised in the Med many times. As far as wanting to spend more time in a port, some cruises are now doing 2-3 day stays in some ports. On the Silhouette, I stayed in Israel for 3 days. On Azamara Journey, stayed in Bordeaux for 3 days. Also, I usually stay longer in the embarkation and/or disembarkation ports. Most cruises start and stop near major airports. For example, last year I cruised with extra nights in Rome and Paris. This summer I am cruising with extra nights stay in Amsterdam and Edinburgh. Cruising is an easy way to get a taste for a port. Of course, visiting a port has limited time. If you like it, you can plan a trip that includes those places.

[Can'tstopcruising]

We love cruising and love visiting Europe (land vacations only) so wondering if we would like a Mediterranean cruise.

 

For those of you that have sailed a Med cruise, did you feel rushed? Did you regret missing the evenings in the wonderful European cities since you had to get back on the ship?

 

We only have 10 days total this time so are looking at a 2017 Equinox cruise from Barcelona to Athens. A 10 day land vacation in Europe will not get you to very many places while the cruise will give us the opportunity to visit more places in a short amount of time.

 

Would love everyone's advice. Thanks,

 

The difference is spending a short time in a lot of places and spending a lot of time in a few places.

 

I prefer cruising in the Caribbean which is very relaxing.

 

In Europe, I liked the Adriatic cruise because in each port, we were close to the town. I don't like the idea of driving two hours to get to Rome or Florence.

 

In Copenhagen, for example, there is a new port that is in the middle of nowhere. We had to pay for the shuttle and to make matters worse, we had to wait 45 minutes for the bus. Nobody was happy.

 

Fabulous for a cruise, would be the Norwegian Fjords. That's the way to see them!

[chemmo]

Lots of interesting points...we have enjoyed both land vacations and cruises in Europe.

 

A few hints I would offer on how best to enjoy a cruise in Europe include....

 

-Different start and finish points (example, Barcelona to Venice) meaning you can add two city breaks to you cruise vacation.

-Choose an itinerary where what you want to see is where the ship docks or a very short shuttle ride away (example, Valletta, Split...).

-Look for stops in exiting unique places (example, Santorini where you are actually tendering in an ancient caldera).

-Don't try to fit in too much, especially on port intensive cruises where the temptation is to have a series of exhausting tours.

-Research your ports and be creative in what you choose to do (example, booking lunch in a local restaurant with stunning views).

 

 

Hope you find a cruise you enjoy!

[4cats4me]

We love cruising and love visiting Europe (land vacations only) so wondering if we would like a Mediterranean cruise.

 

 

 

For those of you that have sailed a Med cruise, did you feel rushed? Did you regret missing the evenings in the wonderful European cities since you had to get back on the ship?

 

 

 

We only have 10 days total this time so are looking at a 2017 Equinox cruise from Barcelona to Athens. A 10 day land vacation in Europe will not get you to very many places while the cruise will give us the opportunity to visit more places in a short amount of time.

 

 

 

Would love everyone's advice. Thanks,

 

 

I will make this brief. We did not have enough time in ANY port and you will need to think of a MEDITERRANEAN cruise in different terms than a land trip. Think of it as a sampler and nothing more. The trick is in cramming as much as you can into one day and not feeling rushed.

We were on the go, so much so, that I lost 10 pounds in Oct on our cruise due to the frenetic pace that we were running around the continent. Lol. We enjoyed every moment, but we would have loved more time in all ports

[wales4ever]

Only one way to find out.....

[chemmo]

Only one way to find out.....

 

Nice comment! Always a good reason to cruise in a different destination!

[villauk]

Agree with Chemmo, choosing a cruise with a different disembarkation port to your embarkation means you can spend extra days, if possible, at either end.

 

Many of the new itineraries actually now include an overnight stop. You'll enjoy some ports more than others, just like the Caribbean, and pre planning is a must to ensure you maximise your time. You need the sea days to recuperate :).

 

Don't travel in high summer season if at all possible (July & August), shoulder months will be cooler and less busy.

 

We've been on a few Med cruises and continue to return ;).

[TMLAalum]

10 days is a short amount of time to fly over the pond and back as well as fit in a Med cruise...unless there is one with just a 7 or 8 day itinerary.

 

Celebrity typically provides around 10 hours give or take in European ports, which is enough time to visit a key site or two and have a relaxing lunch.

 

Our first European cruise was to the Baltic. Calling at so many ports including overnight in St. P-burg hooked us on cruising as a way to tour the continent.

Previously we'd only visited via land as DIYers.

 

We do add-on land stays to our cruises because we have the time to do so. Hungary after the Baltic, Auvergne after the Med, Tuscany prior to the Adriatic, Iceland & Paris pre & England post the Fjords out of Southampton, etc.

 

Love that cruising is a home base that gives a bit of a break from all the planning (hotels, restaurants, transportation) a land trip entails.

[diesel1973]

First 4 times to Europe we did land tours which were great. Since we have cruised Med. 3 times,Baltic once and Adriatic once. All trips were memorable and probably will not return soon. Cruises have been 12+ days with extra days spent before or after depending on city. We try to spend max. time there as the flights are too long to only spend 7 days there. We will probably do more land tours or river cruises in the future if we do return.

[fozzybear1980]

I dunno about Med cruises. I must admit, I've never actually done one. I'm doing the Transatlantic from Rome to Miami on the Reflection in October and it visits some amazing ports in Europe (Marseille, Nice, Barcelona, Tenerife, etc). I've done a lot of travelling in my life, and I will say that in Europe in particular, the best places to visit are not on the ocean, and quite a distance away from the port (Rome, London, Paris, Madrid, Milan, Florence, etc). I'd rather just go to those places and tour myself outside of a cruise. Also, Europe is known for their unbelievable food. I'd feel a bit cheated by knowing I've paid for food on a cruise in some places where the food is most certainly better than the offerings onboard. Just something to think about.

[2theship]

We try to allow several days before and/or after the cruise to enjoy a city in depth and look for different places to go each visit.

 

The best part of cruising Europe is that you get to see a lot of places but you don't have to keep packing and unpacking. Be sure to take advantage of the roll call for whatever cruise you choose. It seems that in every port, someone will put together a private tour to maximize your time. Or, put together your own and ask other people to join you.

 

Rick Steves wrote a book about Mediterranean cruising. He was not a fan of the concept until he actually took one and then he got it. Look for Tom Sheridan's port guides. He's someone who loves to cruise and puts together useful information for every port he's visited. They're free and downloadable.

 

We're about to leave for our sixth cruise in the Mediterranean so we really enjoy them. There is always something else to do in every port we visit so we have to go back.

[CapeCodCruiser]

After 9 European land vacations I can't ever imagine a Med cruise - to little time in each place - all you get the tourist stuff and never a real feel for a place. I enjoy stopping at wine o'clock or Beer thirty as I please and not feeling like I need to constantly moving to see as much as I can in the few short hours there - plus the place is loaded with cruise passengers! I would plan a 3 city 3 night land trip or 5 & 5 depending the cities.

 

Hoe many of the ports on the cruise are places you really want to see or have already gone?

[Lastdance]

We love cruising and love visiting Europe (land vacations only) so wondering if we would like a Mediterranean cruise.

 

For those of you that have sailed a Med cruise, did you feel rushed? Did you regret missing the evenings in the wonderful European cities since you had to get back on the ship?

 

We only have 10 days total this time so are looking at a 2017 Equinox cruise from Barcelona to Athens. A 10 day land vacation in Europe will not get you to very many places while the cruise will give us the opportunity to visit more places in a short amount of time. Did I always want more time? Of course, so I returned to those places.

 

Would love everyone's advice. Thanks,

 

I do cruises and land tours together, as I really enjoy seeing things by land and by sea. My DH loves for his bed and food to go with him, so a cruise is perfect. To me, cruising in Europe is the best, much better IMO than the Caribbean, Alaska or Hawaii, but again my opinion. I believe you will thoroughly love your cruise, especially since it is your floating hotel Sometimes you want in-depth and sometimes you don't. Again, cruise and land is perfect, but there is nothing wrong with just a cruise!!!!

Edited May 13, 2016 by Lastdance

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I think Med cruises are wonderful. Your hotel goes with you. Yes, you will not get to see "everything," but you can put together some private excursions and do some quality sightseeing. As others have pointed out, you have the opportunity to spend time pre or post cruise in interesting cities. Be sure to spend several days in Barcelona--fascinating place!

[TxnAquarian]

European cruises are our favorite and do them at least once a year. We aim for cruises that have a couple of overnight port visits - our Med cruise next summer has 5 overnights on a 12-day cruise. We really love spending the day touring, coming back to the ship in the afternoon and then heading back out into port for dinner. We avoid Celebrity for Europe cruises, because we can generally find much longer port timings on other cruise lines. You'll love the Med - it's spectacular.

[chemmo]

After 9 European land vacations I can't ever imagine a Med cruise - to little time in each place - all you get the tourist stuff and never a real feel for a place. I enjoy stopping at wine o'clock or Beer thirty as I please and not feeling like I need to constantly moving to see as much as I can in the few short hours there - plus the place is loaded with cruise passengers! I would plan a 3 city 3 night land trip or 5 & 5 depending the cities.

 

Hoe many of the ports on the cruise are places you really want to see or have already gone?

 

 

Like you, we have land toured throughout Europe and the US (and other areas of the world too). We have enjoyed the sight seeing, the dining, the freedom that land travel can give.

 

This does not mean, however, that I can not see the real value and enjoyment that a Mediterranean cruise can offer...

 

-Firstly it is genuinely a very easy way to get a real taste of a range of countries and cultures.

-If you have limited holiday time you can pack a lot in.

-Cruising itself has many delights, I love those relaxing sea days between ports!

-Even if you have visited a port before, next time you visit just travel in the opposite direction!

 

Land tours can be great but so can cruises, they should not be compared but seen as complementary ways to see the world.

[wendychloecruiser]

6 million passengers cannot be wrong.

 

http://hrcak.srce.hr/file/182051

[GUT2407]

Can't see any reason you wouldn't love it.