best time to cruise Mediterranean
Aug 20th, 2010, 08:00 AM
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best time to cruise Mediterranean
We want to take a 14-day cruise in the Mediterranean, mostly around Italy, Greece and southern France. What is the best time of year to go? Of course, we want good weather, fun things to do, and not too many crowds to fight through.
Aug 20th, 2010, 10:34 AM
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Actually there are a few out of Rome or Barcelona in winter. Mostly MSC and Costa, but a few are Royal Caribbean and NCL. One RC leaves from Southampton UK roundtrip thru the Med and back. I wondered if the North Atlantic water would be too rough on that one coming in and out of the UK. Others remain in the Med but I wondered about the water (?rough) and weather (probably not super warm, but maybe in the 60s? until you get to places like Italy, Greece.
Aug 20th, 2010, 02:38 PM
#6
Another one for October !!
Aug 20th, 2010, 06:52 PM
#9
Eschew:
You sound like "Goldilocks".... " not to hot and not to cold."
You sound like "Goldilocks".... " not to hot and not to cold."
Aug 21st, 2010, 08:12 PM
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Percy, You caught me! I guess you are more well read than most. LOL!
We are leaving for East Med / Holyland in 5 weeks. Any last minute tips or suggestions?
Here is the plan so far, and is subject to changes:
Athens - full day at Delphi, 1/2 day at Acropolis, embark
Santorini - winery, Panagia Episkopi Church, Kamari, Fira
Patmos - Grotto of Revelation, Monastery of St. John, Simandris House, Nunnery of Zoodohou Pigi, Chora
Ephrsus - St John's Basilica & Virgin Mary Shrine
Israel (2 days) - Galilee, River Jordan, Mt. Beatitudes, Tabgha, Capermaum, Nazareth, Ashdod - Old Jerusalem, Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations, Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Bethehem. (I wanted to go to Dead Sea and Massada but just don't have enough time)
Egypt (2 days) Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx, Cairo Museum, Alexandria National Museum, Catacombs of Kom El Shugafa (Can I see the light house from the ship at Alexandria?)
Sorrento - Pompeii, Capri/La Piazatta/Gardens of Augusto
Rome - have 3 days after disembark, staying at the Quirinale Hotel, probably just walk around and take the metro everywhere. Hotel is by train station, walking distance to a lot of local attractions (churches, fountains etc). I've not been there for years and this is DW first trip to Rome.
If you think there is anything that we shouldn't miss, please let us know. All suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
I guess you are more well read than most. LOL!We are leaving for East Med / Holyland in 5 weeks. Any last minute tips or suggestions?
Here is the plan so far, and is subject to changes:
Athens - full day at Delphi, 1/2 day at Acropolis, embark
Santorini - winery, Panagia Episkopi Church, Kamari, Fira
Patmos - Grotto of Revelation, Monastery of St. John, Simandris House, Nunnery of Zoodohou Pigi, Chora
Ephrsus - St John's Basilica & Virgin Mary Shrine
Israel (2 days) - Galilee, River Jordan, Mt. Beatitudes, Tabgha, Capermaum, Nazareth, Ashdod - Old Jerusalem, Garden of Gethsemane, Church of All Nations, Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Bethehem. (I wanted to go to Dead Sea and Massada but just don't have enough time)
Egypt (2 days) Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx, Cairo Museum, Alexandria National Museum, Catacombs of Kom El Shugafa (Can I see the light house from the ship at Alexandria?)
Sorrento - Pompeii, Capri/La Piazatta/Gardens of Augusto
Rome - have 3 days after disembark, staying at the Quirinale Hotel, probably just walk around and take the metro everywhere. Hotel is by train station, walking distance to a lot of local attractions (churches, fountains etc). I've not been there for years and this is DW first trip to Rome.
If you think there is anything that we shouldn't miss, please let us know. All suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Aug 25th, 2010, 08:56 AM
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I was on NCL Med cruise last November - I loved it - weather was cool and comfortable, very little crowds. I'm going to add the post from my trip report as pertains to Ephesus.
We had arranged a private tour. When we started out I told the guide I was NOT interested in a tour of the carpet factory - and did not want lunch (we brought snacks and water with us) and we wanted to see all the sights listed in my trip report - then I told him my tip would reflect how much of what I wanted did we get to do. We got it all in and tipped 40% (driver and guide were both with us all day)and still this was cheaper than the ship's excursion.
some cruise photos - http://kathcoll.shutterfly.com/2037#
Port of Call – Izmir, Turkey
We had arranged a private tour for Ephesus in Turkey in order to customize the tour to see the sights. This turned out to be a terrific choice. Our guide, Ali, listened to what we wanted to see and do, and spent the day seeing that we got to enjoy his country.
We left the ship early, before the dancers on the pier started performing. Our guide awaited us with a sign to identify him from all the others waiting.With our driver and BMW ready, we began our tour.
Our primary destination was the archeological site of Ephesus, an ancient Greek city on the west coast of Anatolia, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. Ephesus had a population of more than 250,000 in the 1st century BC, which also made it the second largest city in the world.
An optional addition to the basic tour is Ephesus terrace houses, located on the hill, opposite the Hadrian Temple. DON't miss it!!
Also called "the houses of rich", they give us information about life during the Roman period. From hot and cold water and indoor plumbing to beautiful frescos this is an unforgetable part of the tour. There are six residential units on three terraces at the lower end of the slope of the Bulbul Mountain. The oldest building dates back into the 1C BC and continued in use as residence until the 7th Century AD.
Next on our tour was the Library of Celsus, one of the most beautiful structures in Ephesus, built in 117 A.D. The scrolls of the manuscripts were kept in cupboards in niches on the walls. The capacity of the library was more than 12,000 scrolls.
Symbols obvious today were new and secret- such as signs of the new and forbidden religion of the first century, the fish and cross of Christianity. A common game in the first centuries was played on a pie-shaped surface. Some have lines and codes like the fish, to let others know how to find others of like mind.
Leaving Ephesus archeological site, we went up Bulbul Mountain to see the House of the Virgin Mary. At the time we went there were no lines or buses. Ali knows the schedules for the large tour buses and planned our day to minimize crowds.
Mary was entrusted to John by Jesus, and may have come in the area when he spent several years in the area to spread Christianity. While I anticipated that this would be a destination for Catholics, I was surprised to see Muslims there. Ali explained that the Mother of the Prophet Jesus was also revered by Moslims. Paul VI was the first pope to visit this place in the 1960's. Later, in the 1980's, during his visit, Pope John-Paul II declared the Shrine of Virgin Mary has a pilgrimage place for Christians.
Our final destination was The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Not much remains today , but from the site you can also see the Basilica of St John. Three hundred years after the death of St. John, a small chapel was constructed over the grave. The church of St John was changed into a marvelous basilica during the region of Emperor Justinian (527 -565 AD).We could have continued on to see the Basilica, but were getting tired.
By the way, we had brought packaged snacks and water with us and avoided the usual stops for a meal and for a carpet factory - usually part of these tours. By arranging the deviation from routine in advance we had time to see all the sites on our list. A benefit of the private tour!
information
http://www.ekoltravel.com/turkey/tours/shore_kus.html
We had arranged a private tour. When we started out I told the guide I was NOT interested in a tour of the carpet factory - and did not want lunch (we brought snacks and water with us) and we wanted to see all the sights listed in my trip report - then I told him my tip would reflect how much of what I wanted did we get to do. We got it all in and tipped 40% (driver and guide were both with us all day)and still this was cheaper than the ship's excursion.
some cruise photos - http://kathcoll.shutterfly.com/2037#
Port of Call – Izmir, Turkey
We had arranged a private tour for Ephesus in Turkey in order to customize the tour to see the sights. This turned out to be a terrific choice. Our guide, Ali, listened to what we wanted to see and do, and spent the day seeing that we got to enjoy his country.
We left the ship early, before the dancers on the pier started performing. Our guide awaited us with a sign to identify him from all the others waiting.With our driver and BMW ready, we began our tour.
Our primary destination was the archeological site of Ephesus, an ancient Greek city on the west coast of Anatolia, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. Ephesus had a population of more than 250,000 in the 1st century BC, which also made it the second largest city in the world.
An optional addition to the basic tour is Ephesus terrace houses, located on the hill, opposite the Hadrian Temple. DON't miss it!!
Also called "the houses of rich", they give us information about life during the Roman period. From hot and cold water and indoor plumbing to beautiful frescos this is an unforgetable part of the tour. There are six residential units on three terraces at the lower end of the slope of the Bulbul Mountain. The oldest building dates back into the 1C BC and continued in use as residence until the 7th Century AD.
Next on our tour was the Library of Celsus, one of the most beautiful structures in Ephesus, built in 117 A.D. The scrolls of the manuscripts were kept in cupboards in niches on the walls. The capacity of the library was more than 12,000 scrolls.
Symbols obvious today were new and secret- such as signs of the new and forbidden religion of the first century, the fish and cross of Christianity. A common game in the first centuries was played on a pie-shaped surface. Some have lines and codes like the fish, to let others know how to find others of like mind.
Leaving Ephesus archeological site, we went up Bulbul Mountain to see the House of the Virgin Mary. At the time we went there were no lines or buses. Ali knows the schedules for the large tour buses and planned our day to minimize crowds.
Mary was entrusted to John by Jesus, and may have come in the area when he spent several years in the area to spread Christianity. While I anticipated that this would be a destination for Catholics, I was surprised to see Muslims there. Ali explained that the Mother of the Prophet Jesus was also revered by Moslims. Paul VI was the first pope to visit this place in the 1960's. Later, in the 1980's, during his visit, Pope John-Paul II declared the Shrine of Virgin Mary has a pilgrimage place for Christians.
Our final destination was The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Not much remains today , but from the site you can also see the Basilica of St John. Three hundred years after the death of St. John, a small chapel was constructed over the grave. The church of St John was changed into a marvelous basilica during the region of Emperor Justinian (527 -565 AD).We could have continued on to see the Basilica, but were getting tired.
By the way, we had brought packaged snacks and water with us and avoided the usual stops for a meal and for a carpet factory - usually part of these tours. By arranging the deviation from routine in advance we had time to see all the sites on our list. A benefit of the private tour!
information
http://www.ekoltravel.com/turkey/tours/shore_kus.html
Aug 25th, 2010, 09:56 AM
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I too am headed to Greece (Athens, Santorini) in October. When you say "not too hot, not too cold" we are still hoping to swim at the beach and pool. Will it be in the 70s or possibly 80 degrees F?
thanks!
thanks!
Aug 25th, 2010, 02:12 PM
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Being as unpredictable as the weather, not too hot not too cold refers to not sorching hot (can be up to 100 in July August) and not too cold (50 or below in December January)
With that said, if it doesn't rain, you can expect low to mid 70s. Just remember, it is the weather and there is no guarantee!
With that said, if it doesn't rain, you can expect low to mid 70s. Just remember, it is the weather and there is no guarantee!
