Adding On Paris to a Seaview Cruise - Embarkation in Genoa or Marseille?

[OceansOfTravels]

Hello,

 

My grandmother won the free cruise from playing bingo onboard the Divina in August. She is taking me as her additional guest, and we have decided that we would like to do the Seaside's cruise that stops in Marseille, Barcelona, Genoa, Naples, Messina and Valletta. My grandmother has only been to Europe once, in the 90s to Rome, and wishes to add a precruise stay in Paris, a city on her bucket-list. Since the cruise is free, it will not matter where we cruise from. Should we cruise from Genoa or Marseille? Which will be easier and cheaper to get to? We plan on taking a train from Paris the day before the cruise to wherever we decide to embark, and then boarding the following day. I know the route from Paris-Milan in very popular, but will it be easy to continue on to Genoa from there? Will Marseille be expensive?

 

Thank you to anyone in advance who can provide any help, it is greatly appreciated! :)

[DisneyDatknee]

Marseille would be much easier. It's only a 3 1/2 hour train ride from Paris vs a 7 1/2 hour train ride to Genoa from Paris. Besides, Milan to Genoa is another train ride too. Marseille is not expensive. I would much rather take the shorter train ride, 7 1/2 is a long ways.

Edited November 28, 2017 by DisneyDatknee

[jkrislc]

From the US, you'll likely find flying into Paris much cheaper than Genoa. In addition, flights within France are inexpensive and the train is another viable option. We're flying from Paris to Marseille for a cruise on the Meraviglia and then taking the train back.

[Jasalth]

I have to agree with if you have to choose one of the two, choose Marsielle. We are booked out of Genoa ONLY because it is the only port I can get 15007 or 15008 on Magnifica out of. It is actually cheaper for me to fly into any other city that Genoa based on estimations right now, and actually Paris was one of my options pre-cruise on where we might fly into for a week before hand.

 

On a note, the times to fly OUT of Genoa are not that great post cruise also and they all require at least one if not more stops.

 

Since Marseille is only 3 1/2 hours by train to Paris that also leaves that as an option to fly back out of possibly on a note. Oddly enough, for only about $700 more, it seems that instead of flying into Geona from the States for the cruise, I can do 5 days in Europe before hand. Even if you aren't going for awhile, look at the flights leaving out of both Geona and Marseille and possibly even Paris and see what option suits you best also.

[KeywestK]

Absolutely, Marseilles will be easier and cheaper to access than Genoa. I see you are in Annapolis, and flights into Paris (CDG) from Dulles would probably be direct. Once in Paris, you can take a train (trains in Europe are excellent!) to Marseilles, or look at one of the European low-cost air carriers, such as Vueling, Ryanair or Easyjet, and make the trip in short order. I hope you and your grandmother have a great trip!

[jkrislc]

Absolutely, Marseilles will be easier and cheaper to access than Genoa. I see you are in Annapolis, and flights into Paris (CDG) from Dulles would probably be direct. Once in Paris, you can take a train (trains in Europe are excellent!) to Marseilles, or look at one of the European low-cost air carriers, such as Vueling, Ryanair or Easyjet, and make the trip in short order. I hope you and your grandmother have a great trip!

I actually found Air France to be the cheapest with more direct flights. Many of the low cost carriers were either much more expensive or required a connection at least in winter.

[OceansOfTravels]

Thank you all so much for your help! I think that is what we will do. I will actually be in Europe doing some work right before the cruise, so I will fly and meet her in Paris, and she will likely fly from Dulles, Reagan, Baltimore or Philly to Paris and meet me. We will spend 3-4 days in Paris, which is new to her and is my favorite city, and then probably take the train down the day before the cruise to Marseille. Depending on how much money we spend, we may spend a few days in Marseille afterwards to visit Monte Carlo and Nice, but if not, we either take the train back to Paris and fly home from CDG, or we could possibly fly from NCE or MRS.

 

Thank you all for the help again!

[OceansOfTravels]

Absolutely, Marseilles will be easier and cheaper to access than Genoa. I see you are in Annapolis, and flights into Paris (CDG) from Dulles would probably be direct. Once in Paris, you can take a train (trains in Europe are excellent!) to Marseilles, or look at one of the European low-cost air carriers, such as Vueling, Ryanair or Easyjet, and make the trip in short order. I hope you and your grandmother have a great trip!

 

Yes, thank you! I will be working in Spain for about a month before this cruise, so she will have to fly out alone and meet me, but it would likely be easiest for her to dive to my house in Annapolis (she lives in Pennsylvania), and fly from Dulles directly to Paris, and then we can fly back together once it's over. If she doesn't mind changing planes in LHR, which she likely won't, it would be even better to fly BA from BWI on the 787 to LHR. The service is really convenient, usually priced the same as Dulles, and involves an eighth of the hastle Dulles would, because A0 the drive and B) the sheer size. But, it will ultimately come down to whichever is cheapest. But I will definitely take a look at the low-cost carriers, if not to fly from Paris to Marseille, then to fly from Malaga to Paris to meet her. Thanks for your advice!