OK, we're already planning 2019 summer doing a luxury Mediterranean cruise. Will be Jennie, me, and Mia (she'll be 12 then). 10-14 days luxury. requirements to hit Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. we want trip to be more about what we experience each country and port vs. the cruise part. all ideas welcome, thanks!
well, for day offshore fishing I do take medication. never got sick a cruise yet. I will be prepared though.
On AWE recently they highlighted a Mediterranean cruise, I believe it was / is season 4 , Sovereign. I'm not a fan of cruises, too confining imo, but this one looked more engaging .
My kids love cruises, we just got back from a Western Caribbean Celebrity cruise and everyone throughly enjoyed themselves! That said, if you are interested in Europe's culture, art, nightlife, and food, I don't recommend a cruise. My wife and I took a Med sailing cruise some years back, and I'll never forget looking at Monte Carlo from the boat, waiting till 10 am to get the tender to shore, and having to be back on board at 5. Not ideal. The next stop was Portofino, we disembarked early, checked into the Splendido for one of the most expensive hotel rooms I've ever booked, and enjoyed the rest of our vacation on land Your mileage may vary
Regent, Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal will cater to the higher end of the cruise market. My mother booked an Oceania sailing from Barcelona to Venice this October, it looks pretty nice too. We're more into the activities and ship amenities than ports, so we've become fans of bigger, innovative ships (Royal Caribbean Oasis-class) My only suggestion would be to look for an itinerary that allows you a two-day port call so that you can enjoy a full dinner on land without being rushed to get back to the ship.
I've done 2 Mediterranean cruises and loved them both. One on Crystal and one on Regent. The high end cruises are definitely worth the extra money since everything is included. All of the excursions are included in the cruise price as are drinks and the upscale restaurants. I recently did a S America cruise on Princess and by the time I was done with all the extras on the ship it came out to the same price as the all inclusive cruises. The Crystal cruise started in Athens went all the through the Mediterranean with overnight stop in Israel. It came back through Malta , Sicily and Naples ending in Rome. It was 12 days and absolutely perfect. The Regent started in Barcelona, went all through Southern France, Italy, Croatia and ended in Venice. It was also 12 days and was fantastic. Look for cruises with as few sea days as possible, especially in the Mediterranean, since all the ports are fairly close you don't want to waste a day at sea. On these higher end cruises you will also find that the excursions are much less crowded and much better run. Our day at the Vatican included numerous shortcuts and line jumping since we were part of this upscale trip. It's all worth it.
We're doing Silveseas in June. Athens to Rome, something over a week. I've been pleased with them in the past. They have good twin beds with pull-out sofas for three people in one cabin. Matt
We are going on Oceania next Month. We start in Barcelona, stop in Spain and Portugal and go to the Canary Islands. They probably have the best food of any Cruise Line. Joe
We did a 14 day Cunard trip in the Med for our honeymoon many years ago: Istanbul, Ephesus, Venice, and Rome were the highlights for us. We've found the Vista/Penthouse Suites on Princess offer better value for us than the PH suites on Regent. For a full port itinerary like the Med, it's less about the boat and more about the ports. Not to mention, whatever keeps your daughter happy - the luxury lines have minimal kid options.
After researching, I will recommend SilverSeas also. Looks 1st. class all the way and a lot of friends have said nothing but great things about that cruise company. https://www.silversea.com/
Never been on a cruise myself BUT have helped some friends and acquaintances on their Baltic Sea cruises by arranging local (trustworthy) residents at some ports to whisk them away and show places "official" tours don't offer, everything from great small out of the way restaurants, private car collections/garages/shops and even private homes of the guides or their friends, trendy nightclubs, etc. Some of these "private tours" have involved transportation by everthing from helicopters and vintage boats/cars to local public transportation and even just walking, etc. Everyone has always reported having enjoyed these more than "official" tours in most other ports. This is what I've always recommended for anyone traveling to far away destinations, even if by air. Try to find & pre-arrange some local resident(s) to show you around. Usually much more interesting and insightful to local culture and customs. Just like you would show your own home town to some one visiting there first time.
Almost all aforementioned, unofficial guided tours I've helped arrange, were provided by local individuals doing a voluntary favor to me or someone I know in the area. On couple of occasions, additional (costly) outside services, like a use of a helicopter or off-duty, professionally driven minibus/taxi, were requested as a "surprise" gift by someone not part of the traveling group, the requestor paid the costs. I've also "volunteered" myself as a tour guide in California and surrounding States on few occasions to internationally traveling friends or their friends and always found it a rewarding experience.
