Alaska or Mediterranean for those who have sailed both

[missquito]

Decision time and asking cruisers that have done both which would you choose Alaska or Med cruise and why?

[dporter]

following

[cruisequeen4ever]

I've done 6 Alaska cruises for convenience because I live here and 3 Med cruises because it became my favorite region. They're both magical in different ways. Alaska is still US, so you have the conveniences of the language etc. The glaciers are amazing, wildlife extreme, outdoor adventure, and scenery spectacular. It's cold, though. In the Med, you have culture, history, amazing places to tour, and warmth. Basically, I recommend you do both at some point. For your next cruise, figure out your priorities. Airfare is much higher to Europe, but sometimes it's better to travel further while you can because you'll always have the close places to visit. Happy planning!

 

 

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[muffin]

Cruise queen sounds like us! Another consideration is Alaska is an end destination in itself, while the Med can be a dropping off point for a land vacation too, or even save 1/2 theairfare, and do a trans Atlantic run back to the states. Of course, you can do a west coast Canadian trip from the Alaska run too. Oh these tough decisions!!! I would do Med earlier rather than later if you are over 55.....more energy to really get to the top,of every hill! Wherever......enjoy!

[Namelocg]

The problem with doing the Med on Carnival is they only do it the season they bring out a new ship. That being said, they don't do the Med otherwise.

In 2014 we did a TA from Ft Lauderdale to Barcelona followed by a western Med. It was 20 nights total and we had a fabulous time. We did another TA followed by a week in Spain at a friends house in April/May of this year. Another great time, but this time the weather on the TA was not good. Once we hit the Med the weather was great.

We did Alaska in 2016. We were locked in to the second week of the season which was in May because it was my daughter's college graduation present and she started a new job 2 days after we got back. The weather was cold and wet but we didn't let it stop us from having a wonderful time. I would recommend going to Alaska in August or September when the weather is generally good. If you decide on the Med go early in the season (May) or later in September or early October. Summer in the Med is like being home here in Florida where it is hot hot hot. Enjoy whatever you decide and don't hesitate to check out what other cruise lines have to offer.

[missquito]

Thanks this is great information! I plan on doing both and being they are so different it's a tough decision. I am leaning toward the Med, I will be going on my 3rd Caribbean this year on the Sunshine Nov.4th and am ready to have a different type of adventure.

[VolzCruiser]

My humble 2 cents, the two destinations are as far from each other as possible. One is history and a little bit beauty and the other is pure natural beauty and a bit of history. Both are wonderful experiences but they are just different. So ask yourself what are you really looking for in this cruise. We chose the med first and about 5 years later chose Alaska due to saving up between the two. Not knowing your financial situation it might just be a short interval to do both.

[sandinmyshoes]

We have done both and enjoyed them for very different reasons. The time of year makes a huge difference too. We did Alaska in May and it was very cold and sometimes rainy/snowy on our cruise. We lived in Canada at the time and were so glad we had our parkas with us. If you choose Alaska, wait until June thru Sept to go so the ice has thawed enough for your ship to sail up to the glaciers. September is known to be nice temperatures, but also fairly wet so keep that in mind. The scenery is very "national park"-ish and woodsy with the port towns being almost lost in an Old American History time frame. Think panning for gold, old-timer style train rides, quaint shops, etc (although Diamonds Int'l has taken advantage and made their mark too).

 

As for the Med, I would go either in May or Oct-Dec. June, July, and August are hot, humid, and very crowded. Unless you like to be miserably hot and not get to see as much because of the hoards of tourists from all over the world, avoid the summer months. I have been there in May, July, Oct, and end of Nov and I would say October was overall the best time to visit the Med for lack of rain and temperatures in the 50's/60's. You will want a light jacket, but won't need a coat or hat. The culture, history, sites, art, adventure tours, etc are all fascinating to me. The culture is very rich and the food is outstanding. Right now is a very good time to go too because the exchange rate from USD to Euro is in American's favor. The exchange rate can fluctuate so much your trip can double in cost at times; at least for the land portions. The last few it has been good though.

 

Basically, my opinion is Alaska is more about seeing and Europe is more about doing so a Med cruise is not your most relaxing option. Tons and tons of walking, but worth it if you aren't needing to come home completely refreshed and relaxed. Both choices are amazing and you can't go wrong. Just figure out your family's priorities for this vacation and you will have the time of your life. Enjoy!

[riffatsea]

I have a different point of view.

I have done Alaska and I agree that it's about doing and seeing scenery with a little history thrown in. I also agree to try to do it in summer and not May or the end of September.

I have not been on a Med cruise and I won't be going on one because to me the cities of Europe are soooo rich in things to see/do that being there for one day from a cruise is not my thing at all. I highly recommend visiting Europe on land vacations where you can really get to see/feel and enjoy the culture of each country. Pick one that speaks to you and try it!

[Captain Carnival]

I have and you can read my reviews located in my expanded signature line.

[Angiet75]

I have done the Med in 2013 on the Legend and in 2016 on the Vista Inaugural. We loved the Mediterranean and loved the beautiful cities and countries that we went too. Italy is amazing, Greece and all the other countries are also. We have done Alaska on the Miracle in 2014 and just got off the 14 day Alaska Journeys cruise on the Miracle again. Alaska is also amazing. Both are different. If you want scenery and wildlife then i say Alaska. If you want history, art, culture and the most amazing food ever then I say the Mediterranean. Really cannot compare them they are so different. But either one is an amazing experience.

[Brickwood]

The Med hands down for us but as others have said, they are about as far apart as possible. The Med was our favorite cruise out of the dozen we've taken. We're from Washington state so Alaska, while beautiful and a much grander scale, isn't a whole lot different from where we live. Being from Washington, we're usually looking for sun, so again, depends on what you're looking for. Also consider whether you think you'll be able to both somewhere along the way. Do pay attention to the time of year for both - the Med can be really hot and crowded at the very time you'd want to go to Alaska (where weather can be iffy even in the summer). Good luck!

[Budget Queen]

I don't find Carnival a stand out for Alaska, although I have sailed with them, there, multiple times. And it it certainly is not an "end" destination. as Canada is superb and mainland Alaska touring is excellent.

 

I travel to both these areas, multiple times per year. I'm headed back to the med next month. They are very different each with many many touring opportunities, neither is a one time trip in my opinion. You can go over and over and still only touch the surface.

 

If you consider being open to other cruise lines, there are some superior itineraries, many of them cheaper as well. :)

[kidstwo2]

I have and you can read my reviews located in my expanded signature line.

 

I cannot see your pictures in the Vista Mediterranean review. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated - Thanks!

[Essiesmom]

I cannot see your pictures in the Vista Mediterranean review. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated - Thanks!

 

Photobucket is holding his pictures hostage until he pays a hefty fee. It happened to many of us. EM

[Micahs Grandad]

Two outstanding destinations.

 

Carnival is out of the European season sailing business for now so would do it on another cruise line

[luckybecky]

Photobucket is holding his pictures hostage until he pays a hefty fee. It happened to many of us. EM

 

There is a fix for this that seems to work for most people. You have to use Google chrome for your browser. Google "photobucket embed fix", click on the first link that comes up and install the fix from the google store (it's free). If you prefer to use a different browser, you can always just use Google Chrome when this particular issue comes up and use whatever you like the rest of the time. I was so glad to find this fix!

 

Back to OP's original question -- you've gotten some excellent answers already, but I'll chime in with my 2 cents.

 

We have also done both. In Alaska, we did a week on land before boarding our cruise. We loved both vacations, but I have to honestly say that the Mediterranean cruise was just incomparable. After two weeks in AK, I felt that we had gotten a really good feel for it. We had hiked a glacier (and viewed many more), seen tons of wildlife, rafted on a river, gone whale watching etc etc. I am sure many would point out that there are endless things to do, but really, we did think that we had had an excellent opportunity to experience much that the state has to offer.

 

The Med, on the other hand, is absolutely boundless in things to see and do, from history, to art, food, wine, architecture, music, culture, spectacular scenery, everything from quaint towns and bustling cities to gorgeous countryside and so much more. I could spend the rest of my life there and never see everything I want to see. (We did, in fact, go back to Rome a few years after our cruise -- rented an apartment for a month near the Vatican. Even with a month, we couldn't get enough of Rome.)

 

And every port is an opportunity to experience a different culture/food/language -- even if only for a day. Barcelona, Marseilles, Florence, Croatia all were stops on our cruise and each one so unique and amazing.

 

Although we enjoyed AK very much, we may not ever go back, only because there are so many places to see on our bucket list. But with the many different possible itineraries available in the Med, I would do another cruise there in a heartbeat.

 

Hopefully you will be able to do both! Happy travels!

[pe4all]

We have done both Alaska (CCL) and Western Med cruises. (NCL) We loved both! Totally different cruises. We did Alaska one August, and had great weather - it actually hit 80 degrees in Ketchikan! We also did the Med last August. Yes, it was hot and humid, but I loved the idea of seeing many different places in a short period of time. (Pompeii was forever on my bucket list) It was our first cruise out of the Caribbean/Bahamas, and it opened up our eyes to different cultures, food, history, etc. We loved it so much that we are doing a 9 day Baltic cruise this August. Whichever destination you chose, you really can't go wrong. Just research what you want to do in each port so you are prepared.

[riffatsea]

My opinion is that the countries surrounding the Med are soo rich in culture that I'd not do them from a cruise ship that only spends one day in each city.

I'd do them on land OR I'd plan to at least spend some time before/after the cruise on land.

Alaska is another story and can easily be enjoyed from a cruise ship.