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European Cruises - Worth it?


Salem615
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Hello

 

i have contemplating a European cruise for awhile now but was wondering if it is worth the travel and expense?

 

Would we have enough time in port to see all the hot spots?

 

To anyone who has gone could you share your experiences and which cruise line you used.

 

Thank you

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"worth it" is subjective and depends on how much time you wish to spend in each port of call. Which cruise are you contemplating (Mediterranean, Baltic, etcl)?

I cruise because my extended family enjoys the cruise experience. Myself, I prefer to DIY by flying into a destination and then using the train to get around (I like to spend several days or more in some cities). However, cruising is a great introduction to many of the great cities in the world (Rome, Athens, St. Petersburg, etc.) and provides a nice sample of what is on offer - you can always return if you wish.

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We have been to Europe at least a dozen times, including 4 cruises.  The experiences were all different but also all enjoyable.  The first time as semi- impoverished students was walkups, and trains for “$5.00” a day.  Our longest trip as we had time but no money.  On others it was three and four star hotels but less time as work called .  Cruises offer a good sampling but the limited time in port prevents you from really ever seeing “everything “.  A Med cruise would give you a brief sample of multiple cultures and much of history.  The Baltic’s cover an area most Americans may have less familiarity with and at least led us to return for greater depth on land.  I would suggest either of those as a good first choice.  We have also done Norwegian fjords and circle England and while we enjoyed both they would not be my recommendation for your first cruise to Europe.  As to line, we have used Princess but that is because we built up our status enough for elite perks.  For Europe you have many choices and experienced cruisers will all have different favorites for a variety of reasons 

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On 12/27/2018 at 4:13 AM, dogs4fun said:

"worth it" is subjective and depends on how much time you wish to spend in each port of call. Which cruise are you contemplating (Mediterranean, Baltic, etcl)?

I cruise because my extended family enjoys the cruise experience. Myself, I prefer to DIY by flying into a destination and then using the train to get around (I like to spend several days or more in some cities). However, cruising is a great introduction to many of the great cities in the world (Rome, Athens, St. Petersburg, etc.) and provides a nice sample of what is on offer - you can always return if you wish.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. In a perfect world a cruise would spend all the time you needed in an European port. But that would be a significant challenge. So you will have to deal with a limited exposure.

 

Europe is a wonderful place...have been there about 15 times, for 15-30 days each. Absolutely don't regret a minute of it, and am actively planning two future trips. A couple of those trips were  cruises, the rest are do it yourself trips. Worth every penny spent.

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Whether or not it is "worth it" (in terms of opportunity cost) depends on a number of factors.

 

For example, the first European cruise we went on, we were traveling with elementary-school-aged kids and I wanted to visit the Scandinavian capitals for a sampling of the region. A Baltic cruise was the perfect fit: we could visit a lot of different places and only have to unpack once, breakfast and dinner for sometimes-picky eaters was taken care of, etc. No, we did not see everything that there was to see on our limited one-day (or, in St. P., two-day) port stops, but that was okay. It was still an adventure. We still enjoyed what we did see, and there's plenty left to see when we eventually return. I've also done Brit Isles and Med cruises with similar attitudes and similarly enjoyed them.

 

What you need to consider is: who's traveling and what are their needs? (If you're traveling with a mixed group or with kids, a cruise is easy.) Do you want a sampling of different cultures and experiences (cruise), or do you want to experience one place in more depth (land tour)?

 

If you've never been to Europe before, I would recommend doing a cruise (for the ease of it) and spend a few days in your embarkation city beforehand (if only to get over the jetlag).

 

(We've been with both Princess and Celebrity in Europe and enjoyed both. Cruise line matters less than the ports and the time in ports -- look for long days and overnights -- when planning European cruises.)

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On 12/27/2018 at 7:13 AM, dogs4fun said:

Myself, I prefer to DIY by flying into a destination and then using the train to get around (I like to spend several days or more in some cities).

 

Having been to Europe 50+ times, 4 of those on a cruise, we hands down prefer to DIY land. IMO, a cruise in Europe is for those who are more about the onboard experience than the destinations.  The exceptions to this for me is the Baltics and Greek Islands.  We are planning the Baltics in 2020 and are headed to the Greek Islands on Crystal in April, the off season.

River cruising is a different animal and far more culturally immersive than an ocean cruise.  We do enjoy luxury and premium river cruising.

 

 

Edited by caviargal
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It's a great way to introduce yourself to places you'll go back & visit on a land based trip.  It's also nice if you can do pre & post cruise land travel, we'll usually combine a two week cruise with time before & after on land... this works out great as many cruise will start in Rome, & end up in another great city such as Venice or Barcelona.  

 

In May, we'll be doing a 10 day driving trip through Scotland, followed up by a few days in Dublin before we board our British Isles/Iceland cruise...I'm looking forward to both parts, but the cruise part will be so easy & relaxing as we don't have to hassle with luggage, packing, cars, etc. 

 

We did our first Europe cruise in 2009, it was supposed to be our "once in a lifetime"  but it got us hooked.   Been back almost every year since, but not always on a cruise.  

 

Enjoy!

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Like other said, it's up to you and what you're looking for. I had been to Europe 4 times as a kid/teen, all land based. So I had seen several things, and done a bunch of things there. Now that we have our own teenage son, we were trying to figure out what to do. He'd been on a couple of cruises, and he really had a great time, as did we. So we decided to do a N. Europe cruise in 2017. It gave us a chance to see some new things (they were all cities we'd not been to before, except my husband - he'd been to Oslo). And then we also stayed in the England for 6 days after the cruise, doing an overnight on the west coast and then 4 nights in London.

 

Our days in port were very long, giving us a lot of time for things. I mean, people on our cruise went into Paris when we docked in Le Havre, and that's 2 hours by train (we did the Normandy beaches!). But in Bruges, we went into town, spent hours walking around, seeing all sorts of things, and came back to the ship by early evening, because we'd seen enough and we were done. Yet people stayed for another 2-3 hours. I think that's the important part, is seeing what the stops are and how  long you have there. We did Oslo, Hamburg, Bruges, and Le Havre, and all of them were long days.

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Thank you everyone for your input. 

 

It would be myself and my husband on this trip. We are in our early 50's and never been anywhere in Europe. 

 

We are considering the cruise or a guided tour of one region. (Italy or Ireland is tops on our list as well as England)

 

I saw the cruises and they looked interesting but for us newbies I am not sure if the cruise will give us enough time to experience what we want to experience. 

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As others have noted, the cruises do give you a lot of time in port . . . But it sounds like what you want is more time in a single country instead of visiting many, in which case, yes, you'd want a land tour.

 

But are you sure you want a guided tour? It seems to me that you'd lose the main advantage of a land tour over a cruise tour by booking a guided tour: the power to choose your own itinerary and set your own pace. (Don't you want to stop at places that genuinely interest you instead of just the typical tourist "must-sees?" Do you really want to be herded back on a bus when someone else has decided that that's enough time to visit those gardens or that castle?)

 

Italy, Ireland, and England are all easy enough to enjoy on your own (even for first-timers) that a full guided tour is unnecessary. If you don't want to drive, get around by bus/rail and book day tours when necessary. (This is what I do when traveling without my husband.) If you are willing to drive, rent a car and travel wherever you want, whenever you want!

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We have done numerous Med cruises.  We have also done a fair amount of independent land travel throughout Europe. We like both.

 

I think the first thing to consider is your own travel preferences and how comfortable you are with foreign travel.  The advice that we give to friends who are looking at cruises and are able to do land trips is to do a combination.  Plus, decide what you want to see and then look at the cruises that are available.  We feel that a cruise to Italy, for example, is a bit of a waste.  Better to fly into Rome, spend time, then train up to Florence, then Venice and perhaps back through Milan, Cinque Terre, Pisa to Civit. and then board a ship cruising where you want.   Or just go to Rome and spend a week touring Tuscany-Siena, Florence, and the hill towns.

If you plan to see Florence from a ship's tour you will definitely not see the best of Florence and you will spend much of your time commuting.  I think that you need to decide what you want.  Ship time or more time in a local environment.

 

We feel exactly the same about the Greek Island.  Santorin and Mykonos are nice but on a cruise is the worst time to see them.  Too crowded.  Besides, there are many other interesting islands to visit.   When we want to visit the Greek Islands a cruise is definitely not our preference.

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A European cruise will absolutely not give you enough time in most ports (especially larger cities).  At best, you will get a brief overview of your ports.  This is not a bad thing and many folks enjoy the experience.  Personally, we have been on dozens of cruises in Europe and still enjoy the trips.  But we also spend significant time on land where we often rent or lease a car for a few weeks of an independent driving trip.    Visiting places like Florence, Paris, Rome, etc. for a few hours is better then not visiting at all, but leaves much to be desired when compared to staying in these places for multiple days or even weeks.

 

When looking at European cruises also give some consideration of time/distance to the major sites and which day of the week you would be in those places.  Go to Rome on most Sunday's and you will find the Vatican Museums (including the Sistine Chapel) closed.  Go to Paris on a Tuesday and the Louvre is closed.  Speaking of Paris, just going there from the port at Le Havre will take you at least 5 hours round trip.  From Civitavecchia to Rome is a little over an hour each way....and its about the same from Livorno to Florence.  

 

Hank

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Agree with above.  I've been to Europe several times, including 2 cruises.  The upside of cruising is that you unpack once, and the logistics are taken care of for you, especially if you do ship tours.  For those that are not confident in traveling on their own, this is a good way to get a taste for an area.  

 

There are several good companies that do land tours, with varying costs - Rick Steves, Tauck, Gate 1, Road Scholar to name a few.  There are many more.  Some offer full time activities, include all meals, "special" experiences, nicer hotels, luggage service, others are cheaper but offer less amenities. Both have someone else do all the planning.

 

You could consider a river cruise, which offers the chance to keep the same "hotel" room, but gets you more up close and personal with your locations.  I'd look for one which offers as many evenings in port, with late night sailing, as possible.  

 

For myself, I prefer staying in an area for 4-5 days minimum, sitting in cafes, people watching, poking around in out of the way places, but sometimes that's not ideal for my family as a whole.

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Tough question. This truly depends on what you are looking for in your trip. I like cruising because I can see a lot of different places. Unfortunately, you don't ever get to spend enough time in these places. I loved my cruise (we did the Baltic sea). Take a longer cruise if you can, because many times they will spend more than one day in some of the ports. And you will get to see several areas, so you will know where you want to spend more time later. You will get to see more of the area and truly learn about the place you are at. There is some amazingly fascinating history over there. 

I would also recommend in some of the larger European ports, using a tour group. Because of the shorter time you will have in port, they can help you avoid lines, get you where you are going quickly, and take care of any/all paperwork. There are several good companies over there (We used Anastasia's Travel and will use them again for our next trip).

At the end of the day, this was one of my favorite cruises. 

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We have been to Europe multiple times, five times on cruises including a river cruise last summer.  If you want an in depth appreciation of each location and time to wander through museums the cruise experience might not be a match.  However, if you want a quick overview and the chance to see many sights in a short period of time, then the cruise might be the way to go.  We tend not to spend long periods in a single location so cruising in Europe works for us.  We can always go back for a longer stay if we fall in love with a specific destination.  

 

Also, the only places you get to are commuting distance from the port.  For example, we have been to Spain a couple of times to spend more time in Madrid, which is not really accessible on a cruise.

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Having cruised a few coastals, Hawaiian, Alaskan, and Mexican cruises, I had the same thought as you. The cost of the cruises themselves were not that much more (if any) than a Caribbean or North American one. The hotels are similarly priced though smaller than in North America. Coming from the Pacific Northwest it was the airfare that was the only real difference. I can easily say that I don’t regret paying the extra $300-$500 to see parts of Europe .

  I am about to go on my 10th European cruise and each time I see something different in the cities and towns that I’ve already visited. I have always use the ship as a floating BnB and research DIY or inexpensive tours to see the sights that we want to. We always book inside cabins as the cruises are port intensive and you rarely get more than 1 sea day on a 7 day cruise or more than 2-3 on 10-11 day cruises. The first couple of visits we crammed as much as we could in a day but are now much more relaxed and comfortable to enjoy the experience. We always add as many days before and after the cruise as my work allows. We get to enjoy the “cruise hub city” as well as get a taste of the different ports.

Without cruising, I would of never thought of going to places like the Azores, Malta, Dubrovnik, or Ephesus amongst many others. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I vote for the cruise! so comfortable-great service, great food-they do the driving :classic_happy: Stay 1-3 nights at both ends to get more in depth at a couple of cities. When you finish that one, start planning the next...

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I think the key to making the decision, apart from personal preferences, is to do a little research.

 

Understand where the ship will be docking.  Decide in general what you want to see or do.  Then take a look at how long the ship will be in port, the travel time, if any, to the sights that you wish to visit, and add in some time for disembarkation and an hour or two to ensure that you are back on the ship in time if there is travel involved.    

 

Never confuse the port time with how much time you will really have to tour.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have lived in Europe and also done land trips there since 1980.

If you want to do an in-depth tour with European capitals like Rome, Paris, London, Madrid, then a cruise is not your best bet.

The best places to see in Europe with a cruise are as follows:

1) Adriatic and/or Greek Islands.  These cruises visit ports that you can do  in one day.  Ports like Split, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, etc.  Yes, you need more than one day in Athens, but some cruises go out of Athens and you can plan a pre-cruise visit.

2) Norway- A Norwegian Fjords or Arctic Circle cruise is great to see this part of Europe.

3) Baltic- You get a couple of days in St. Petersburg, Russian (no visa is required if you use local tours).

4) British Isles cruise- Great way to see ports in Scotland and Ireland.  Also, you can do a pre-cruise visit of London and England.

 

 

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I guess that depends on you.

 

My mom and I always wanted to go to Italy. She passed away in 2017 and we never made it. I made the decision last year to take the plunge and book! I would have preferred a land tour so I could spend more time in each area but my bf thought this may be our only trip to Europe and so he preferred quantity of countries or time spent in each country - so we booked a cruise.

 

What I can tell you is to plan to spend more than you think you will. :classic_tongue:

Edited by erby2283
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I'll have more to say in a couple of months.  We have done touring ourselves and four European cruises.  This summer we are doing our first bus tour (Spain and Portugal).  We wanted to cruise but could not find the right itinerary when we could get of off work.  We'll see how it works out.

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Found a 12 day Med cruise for $1200 each (OV)--incredible value, so we jumped. None of us (DM75, me 54 & DD22) have ever been to this area (I did spend a week with a family in Nice in high school; closest I get). The cruise allows us a tremendous value to see 9 ports.

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Also giving myself some bragging rights in this thread: I am FreestyleNovice and I permanently live in Europe. :classic_happy:

 

As some of the first replies perfectly stated; a cruise will show you the highlights of each port or country, European cruises are very port intensive (especially if you want maximize your time ashore). With a few days pre and post cruise in a city of your choice (think low cost airlines and land based, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin?) you might get the best of both worlds.

 

A cruise will offer you a great introduction to Europe, especially when taking a Med cruise.

 

And remember, Europe is too big to do it all in one time.. Feel free to ask away!

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