Routes

[brian_uk]

I just posted this thought elsewhere but I think a new thread is worthwhile.

 

I think the Med is the perfect location for Summer Cruises catering to both the USA & Aussies, The Europeans plus of course us Brits.

 

However every time I look at the itineraries on every Cruise Line its the same old, same old routes. I know that Barcelona and Venice are important destinations but when I look to make a reservation and see that 2 days are spent in each I leave it alone. Seems to me that Lines are just saving money by staying in Port at the beginning and end of a cruise.......passengers can easily book an overnight in a hotel if they want to see more.

 

There are so many wonderful Ports, St Tropez, Gibraltar, Mallorca, Malaga or Marbella, Ibiza, Tunis, Malta that are rarely visited by O or Az. They would interest me.

 

For 2008 I just cannot find on O or Az anything but palces I have always visited.

 

Brian

[SkiCruiser44]

Brian -

 

Look at the AZ Sept 13 2009 Journey itinerary it hits a lot of the ports you mentioned in your list. It's the cruise we're doing because of the variety of ports and wanting to stop in Menorca. Come join us on this sailing we have a roll call thread started.

 

 

Kathy

[Literary Lynne]

I felt like you about the same old ports and that is why we moved from Celebrity to Azamara - at least they do offer some different, often smaller, ports.

 

We are sailing on Journey next week and Tunisia, Malta and Monte Carlo are on the cards, as well as Sicily and Sorrento. Yes, Civitavechia for Rome and Livorno for Florence are there too, but so are quite a few smaller and different ports.

 

I think you need to look at Az's itineraries in a bit more detail, as they don't keep going round and round the same routes. I'm looking towards a Black Sea cruise next year, but it only does that particular journey about 3-4 times.

 

Lynne:)

[Jancruz]

Check this out!!!

 

2008 Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards Winners

 

Azamara

Best Itineraries – Azamara Cruises

 

Jancruz1

[Paulchili]

Hi Brian,

I hear you and agree with you.

However, look at the Journey in April 2009 - if you were to do a B2B you would hit ports like Monte Carlo, La Spezia (Cinque Terre), Split, Koper, Ravena, Kotor, Corfu, Delphi - just to name a few. It's the itinerary I am eyeing but I cannot do it till 2010 - I hope they repeat it.

Also, in October 2009 the Discovery is sailing from Alexandria and visiting 3 ports in Lybia (lucky you - you can go, we Yanks can't), then Tunisia, Malta & Sicily among others. Granted, it's not Oceania/Azamara but you have a great variety.

I would not sink as low as to recommend Costa, but they do visit many unusual ports (Morocco, etc)

Then there is the Princess doing a West Africa cruise - talk about different ports!

Good luck!

[critterchick]

I actually like the idea of overnights in ports during the course of the cruise - we're sailing the Quest in May 2009 and we overnight in Sorrento, Ravenna and Venice. I'm so looking forward to having the chance to explore some of those ports in a little more depth than a 9-5 stop would offer - especially dinner on land! Other stops include Sardinia, Sicily and La Spezia, so I'd say that's a reasonably "off the beaten path" group of ports.

 

And remember that AZ has only been around for a year or so. I suspect that they need to have some familiar places to go along with their more exotic locales in order to attract cruisers across the spectrum. And some of the ports are visited by AZ's sister companies, so they may not want to create competition under the corporate umbrella.

[brian_uk]

My apologies for not getting back sooner.

 

 

Critterchick.....overnights at Sorrento etc are great en route but I just do not see the point at the beginning or end, other than to save Az or O or others money in fuel. I am quite capable of arriving a day early or staying in Town at the end. I would sooner be visiting another location.

 

PaulChilli.....you make a valid point but it only works if it fits in my timing. I have actually visited virtually all those points before. And as far as Libya is concerned.....no way Jose !

 

Lynne....you are really only confirming what I said.......so much the same.

 

Jan........It is just one mans opinion and I wonder how many times the Editor has actually travelled the Med..is he just looking at routes on paper.

 

Anyway I have had my say....I wish you all happy cruising.

 

Brian

[critterchick]

My apologies for not getting back sooner.

 

 

Critterchick.....overnights at Sorrento etc are great en route but I just do not see the point at the beginning or end, other than to save Az or O or others money in fuel. I am quite capable of arriving a day early or staying in Town at the end. I would sooner be visiting another location.

 

PaulChilli.....you make a valid point but it only works if it fits in my timing. I have actually visited virtually all those points before. And as far as Libya is concerned.....no way Jose !

 

Lynne....you are really only confirming what I said.......so much the same.

 

Jan........It is just one mans opinion and I wonder how many times the Editor has actually travelled the Med..is he just looking at routes on paper.

 

Anyway I have had my say....I wish you all happy cruising.

 

Brian

 

We embark in Rome, and all 3 of our overnights are en route. Journey has an itinerary that sails under the Tower Bridge and overnights in London - perhaps not all that appealing to you as a local, but wow, how cool is that for a Yank like me (I've been living in LA for too long)?

 

Happy sailing to you, too!:)

[Napi's Mom]

I

 

 

There are so many wonderful Ports, St Tropez, Gibraltar, Mallorca, Malaga or Marbella, Ibiza, Tunis, Malta that are rarely visited by O or Az. They would interest me.

 

For 2008 I just cannot find on O or Az anything but palces I have always visited.

 

Brian

We were on A Renaissance cruise that went from Lisbon to Cadiz to Morocco (2 cities) Gibraltar, Majorca, Menorca ,Almeria (for Grenada instead of Malaga).Barcelona at the end. Was a great cruise.

 

BUT I beg to differ with you on 1 port as a "Great port"...Tunisia Was NOT really a great stop, poor facilities and only a couple things worth seeing,

port is FAR away from Tunis for people who like to "Do it on your own"

 

Also would agree 100% with Valletta Malta, on our last med cruise THE most beautiful port we visited, surely Azamara visits there as it's the home port! The other one mentioned elsewhere on the thread...MENORCA... we did both Islands (Majorca too) and really fell in love with tiny little Menorca and all it's white cities, and ancient historical sites! Never saw so many stone fences! Majorca was just too commercial.

 

On a down note we took the Azamara Panama Canal trip...went to a couple ports not at all ready for visiting!

[shoshona2]

Hi Brian,

 

I know it's not the Med, but we are booked on the Journey for a cruise from Copenhagen to Copenhagen leaving June 6, 2009. It goes to Norway, the Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands, three stops in Iceland, and Scrabster, Scotland. This is a completely new route -- I have been checking out all the ships that go to Iceland for four years now and found this one.

 

Happy cruising!

 

Sheila

[SkiCruiser44]

I was the one who posted about Menorca - I can't wait to go there. My Dad's family sailed to St. Augustine from there in 1768 so I'm looking forward to seeing "where I came from" is there anything you can tell me about what we should do/see while there? We are going to rent a car and venture around on our own.

It was our reason for booking this itinerary and now I'm excited about sailing on Azamara for the first time.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Kathy

[Brian Raine]

brian UK whats wrong with Libya???. We went there with COSTA and had a very good welcome. It is the first time I have been invited to prayers at the mosque by a shopkeeper who was going to prayers.The populace were very friendly no hints of trouble and we saw Ghadafdi's old VW beetle , he used before he became president.

I agree the Med is now saturated and has little to offer form the visited ports you listed, we recently did a P&M cruise which did Toulon-Genoa-Island of Elbe-plus the old faithful Civi-Livorno-Barca. Next year we are doing Cape Town to USA via Namibia- St Helena-Ascension Island-Devils Island itis a long way round but should be enjoyable.

There are adequate cruises doing Iceland and Greenland as well, both destinations worthy of a visit, try a drink with millenia old glacier ice.

[Napi's Mom]

I was the one who posted about Menorca - I can't wait to go there. My Dad's family sailed to St. Augustine from there in 1768 so I'm looking forward to seeing "where I came from" is there anything you can tell me about what we should do/see while there? We are going to rent a car and venture around on our own.

It was our reason for booking this itinerary and now I'm excited about sailing on Azamara for the first time.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Kathy

Menorca is a very small Island really, can see almost everything in one tour. I would guess that there would be trouble finding private tours (but we were there in '99 so might be a change.) We were taken to the highest point on the island that has a large Church/ museum on it, also to an Historical site with several "Standing Stones"...similar to the middle ones at Stonehenge, believe they are thought to be OLDER tho. Think they were called Talus, and can be found all thru some parts of Europe, but it's believed they were on Menorca first.The island has a LOT of stone fences everywhere. Our favorite site was a "White City", (actually rental units mostly,for summer tourists from Spain, France & Germany) local folks live in them the rest of the year. but very picturesque... got lots of great photos there. Just loved the island. Family history must be great..and YOUR family certainly must be considered part of America's first settlers, after the native americans!:)

[brian_uk]

Where I started this thread was my complaint that there is so much repetition in the Med and suggested a number of alternative locations to stop.

 

I realise that there are Baltic Cruises and others in Africa and around Britain but they do not appeal to me. Please bear in mind that the Baltic Highlight is St Petersburg and we can fly there in about 3 hours from London for a long weekend which is what we plan to do in 2009.

 

As for Libya, I think another poster mentions that USA Citizens cannot visit and therefore its really not for me......I like travelling with the Yanks.

 

I still maintain that there are many other locations in the Med and I feel that Az or O could again capture a market for slightly off-beat locations even if they are close to more well known ones ! For example St Tropez rather than Marseilles, the Adriatic Coast Rimini or Riccione which is only 30 miles from San Marino.

 

The one place which we loved was Kotor visited on O about 3 years ago.......the approach taking about 2 hours through the winding river was sensational.

 

A tout a l'heure

 

Brian