Are we good candidates for a cruise?
 

Seasoned, adventurous travelers have a 25th wedding anniversary.....cruise idea for Italy-Greece seems intersting but having spent real time in some of the classic ports...will it feel like all going to and no being there?
My first love is just hanging in a place and poking around, local markets,funky shops...but I love the idea of being near [on?] the water.
And how luxurious is luxurious on a boat. I can't really figure out what I should look at...
thanks

My husband and I had never cruised before-- had always resisted it-- but finally did the Baltics last year on Voyager Seven Seas (Regent line now) Absolutely superb in every way. Voyager does several Italy-Greece cruises and I strongly suggest your looking into that line. Very luxurious without being at all stuffy. We had plenty of time for "poking around," etc.
You might want to check the website "Cruise Critic"-- very very good and highly detailed on all the separate cruise lines and itineraries. We were inceredibly wowed by that Voyager boat-- can't imagine anything better (maybe Seabourn?..)
Good luck, happy anniversary, bon voyage.

What about a luxury cruise on the Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia? Believe me it is luxurious without having to be dressed up. Your on or by some of the most beautiful waters and islands in the world. You can certainly get a sense of the place without spending a lot of time on any one island. We don't tend to repeat trips, but we went back for a second time in February. Feel free to ask me questions at [email protected].

For nearly 2 decades we took land based vacations and I had the same questions about cruises you do. Now I don't forsee a vacation on land for quite a while. Give cruising a try. Even if you choose not to do it again I think you will get your moneys worth. How luxurious is it? The public areas are like 5* hotels. Cabins are small unless you shell out alot for a suite but OTOH you won't spend much time there. If you want to do Italy/Greece check out availability according to the time you want to go. A Yahoo! search on their travel site can do this for you. Then go to: www.cruisecritic.com to see both professional and passenger reviews of the ships that interest you. You will find a ton of useful info there. Congratulations and vbest of luck for a suitable choice. :-) Larry

Like you, I've been trying to research to see if we are good candidates for a Med cruise. I have been on one cruise and enjoyed it but realized that there are probably better options in choosing a cruiseline with a better "fit" for us.

I've been reading mounds of brochures (have even posted my own question about finding the right cruiseline for us here on Fodors). Of course the brochures make ALL of them sound the best but be careful. After reading postings here and also on cruisecritic.com I'm learning that there is a world of difference between the various ships and cruiselines. Some will have ridiculously low fares jut to get you onboard in a tiny inside cabin and then make all their profit once you're on board charging for everything including necessities like bottled water. We don't need lots of luxury but want something comfortable with very good food and a good value for the price charged. So far the two lines that seem to be a good "fit" for us are Regent (all cabins are large with balconies) and Windstar (few passengers). Not sure just what your taste is so these lines may or may not meet your criteria.

We also resisted a cruise until one day about 5 years ago when we realized our heads would blow up - and soon - if we didn't have a week break. 96 hours later we were in the middle of the Caribbean, having a fine time sitting on the balcony of our cabin, eating when we felt like it (24h room service) and going ashore only to rent a car for a day and drive to the other side of whatever island the ship was visiting. No booze cruise, no canned "excursions," never lost a sou in the casino (well, okay, not many sous.) "Hey, that's not so bad."

Next year, one-way cruise from Hawaii to Mexico. Same idea, except this time with six days on the drink with no land in sight. Relaxed isn't a fair description. Boneless, more like it.

Two years ago, Med cruise, Rome - Barcelona. Same concern as yours - how do you manage your time when "if it's Tuesday this must be Sorrento" is the order of the day?

Easy answer - take it for what it is, not what it isn't. What it is, is a 4-star all inclusive hotel that's quite reasonably priced. Actually, it's a steal if you figure what a waterfront/view hotel room would cost. Plus they throw transportation into the deal. Harvard Expeditions or Abercrombie and Kent it's not. But you sail past the backside of islands that you could never visit easily on your own, you can check off places from your life list (or add places to the must-return-soon list.) Plus, you can spend time before and after the cruise at the start/end points.

Most cabins are smaller than typical hotel rooms (except Parisian ones) and are usually Marriott-ish or Hilton-ish (not Four Seasons-ish) in amenity. On a Med itinerary I would definitely go for a balcony.

Our Med cruise was on Oceania, and I think that might be worth looking at given (what little we know about) your tastes etc. No formal nights, upscale without being hyperexpensive, port-intensive itineraries with smaller places for ports of call (smaller ships than the big guys, so they can get into smaller harbors.)

One drawback is that you arrive in the morning and leave before dinnertime, so shoreside dinners under the stars mean you've missed the boat. The other people may or may not be to your liking. But most ships have plenty of options for hiding out, or escaping the cheesy bits, and hey, it's only for a week or two.

It's worth a try IMO - we did and haven't regretted it.

That said, our <i>first</i> cruise wasn't on a cruise ship at all. Freighter across the Pacific. If you have more time and <i>really</i> love the sea and visiting ports, that's the ticket. Cheap too.

The public market in Suva, Fiji, is a 5-minute walk from the freighter piers. Way cool place.

Gardyloo: Did you try the kava when you were in Fiji? :S-

Kava's for sissys.

Thanks!
Went to bed last nite with cruiseless dreams but now...well thinking twice. Btw we do like black tie and dressing for dinner but the company at dinner seems overwhelming for my husband [an introvert]. Can you do small table an then sit with others some nites?
thanks

Gardyloo: Then you haven't tried it.

Good for you! Once you select a table size thats it I'm afraid. You can request a small table and always use either room service or another dining venue if you choose. Also, depending on the line you choose there are usually premium restaurants with a surcharge, about $15.00-$20.00 pp or thereabouts. You can also talk to the head waiter to make changes if you need them. Bon voyage. I'll bet it won't be your last cruise. Larry :-)

Re cruising, I like it fine on certain lines and also enjoy land vacations.

If I am planning a trip to a destination I really love, I prefer to fly. I do not like to miss out on the early morning local food markets, late afternoon happy hours with magnificent views, etc.

For a Med cruise, I would suggest Regent first and Oceania second. The smaller ships are much more about luxury and personal service. Regent is more inclusive than Oceania and their cabins are significantly larger. It is my first choice and yes, very luxurious.

Both of these lines offer open dining which means you can opt for a table for 2 or a table for 6 whenever you chose.

I would strongly suggest a small ship for the Med.

Enjoy!

Hi Realtor 7, As several others have mentioned I think Regent would work well for you and they do have formal night on the Mediterranean cruises. You can easily get a table for two any time you want or if you meet people you click with you can eat at larger tables as well. The choice of when, where, with whom you dine with is up to you. There is no charge for eating in any of the specialty restaurants. RSSC ships are practically all inclusive now and by the end of December they will be 100% all inclusive. Cabins are quite large by cruise standards and the service is amazing. The ships carry fewer passengers so you don't need to worry about crowds or long lines yet they have nightly entertainment, activities, cocktail lounges, dancing to live music, a casino if this interest you. This is my favorite cruise line and I've been on many.

I think you should give cruising a try! Good luck in whatever you decide.

jacketwatch, it wasn't our first time in Fiji. I think kava is like drinking mud, and I do not find it especially mood-altering, aside from the mood one gets into by drinking mud.

In the Suva market the whole second floor of the main market building (concrete box) is given over to sellers of &quot;grog&quot; and it's quite a scene. Lots of guys standing in front of piles of kava roots. I presume the experienced buyer of kava can tell one bundle of sticks from another, but to us it looked like leftovers from spring cleaning in our garden.

Taveuni Island is struggling with junk cars imported as new by &quot;kava kings&quot; who then drive them off into the jungle or onto the rocks then abandon them. Sudden wealth I guess.

We cruised from Athens to Barcelona on the Windstar last October and loved every minute. It was so nice to see a new port everyday but not to have to pack and unpack constantly.

Windstar is a sailing yacht that accomodates about 150 passengers. There are several other ships in the Windstar line that also sail the Med.

They don't have &quot;balconies&quot; and some other amenities of a huge cruise ship. The upside is that this is more like sailing on your own private yacht. There are no &quot;seatings&quot; for any meal, which means you can dine anytime the restaurant is open, as a couple, or with others as is your choice. The food was excellent in our opinion.

There are small hot tubs, a small exercise room, a small casino, a nightly music duo in the lounge,a ship board MD, 24 hour room service, and very personalized service. My husband took a resort scuba certification course through their water sports program which thrilled him.

Cabins were nice, plenty of room for my taste. If possible, get the owners suite on the Windstar which has a lounge area and more room.

The smaller ship allows you to visit smaller ports at times, although our favorite was Monte Carlo. You normally have from 8 am in the morning until late afternoon in port. The Monte Carlo stop was overnight, so those who wanted to visit the casino or eat in town could do so.

I loved this cruise and cruise line and highly recommend the small ship experience. There are usually some good &quot;last minute&quot; prices on cruises out there on the internet. By cruising back to back, though, we got a really good price on the second week. Buy your airfare on your own, since you will be able to get better connections. Arrive the day before you need to leave port.

For those of you interested in kava here is a link to provide info if you would like to see more. Its from the root of a certain pepper plant, is supposed to be a moderate stimulant and is widely used in Fifi and the south Pacific ceremonially as well as casually. I tried it and found it to be mild to moderate in effect and short lived. Gardyloo if you tried it and it had no effect I suppose its not surprising. Cheers. :-)
http://kavaroot.com/

thanks for all the input...
The Windstar and sister ships have intrigued us and back to back might be interesting. Trying it is not the worst thing we could do and if we love it then we know....
of course multi port shopping, sunset on the water every nite, no repacking and omnipresent but invisible staff could be addictive!

Not to mention the deck barbeque while the ship cruises around the volcanically active Stromboli. I don't think you can put a price on experiences like that!

update:
We found a Windstar Athens to Rome...[our first choice was Greek islands] everything else was sold out and we are going to try it...this October.
There will be many more questions I am sure but I know many of you will have the answers:-)!
thanks...
It is curious thing that I can pack and take off for a rural town in Korea with less concern...