European Cruise Honeymoon- Yeah or Nay?

I’m getting married in June and my fiancé definitely want to go to Europe. I have been to parts of Europe and he never has.

Originally we were planning on touring a little of Spain and maybe Portugal for a couple of weeks.

Then we came across the idea of a cruise in Europe and I thought it might be a fun way to see a bit of Europe in only a couple of weeks.

Neither of us have ever been on a cruise.

Opinions?
Has anyone here ever been on one?

The advantage to the cruise is that you don't have to pack/unpack as you move around.

The downside is you usually pull into a different port each day -- mostly the larger cities, and it's up early, tour, and back. It might work if you're interested in that.

Just completed our first European (Western Europe) cruise this last May. For the Med I would consider another cruise but I doubt we'll be doing it again anytime soon. The obvious plus is as mentoined above, only having to unpack once and getting to visit several countries. Also a cruise can be much cheaper than a land vacation visiting the same ports when you do it on your own - read- lots or research about acquiring taxis and other transportation at each port.

One very big thing that discouraged us is that you only got to spend one day in the city (12 hours when you're lucky) sometimes since you are on the coast you may spend siginficant time traveling to the city (e.g., Rome takes two hours from port). You may feel obligated to eat on the ship since it's already paid for so you could also miss out on some excellent culinary experiences. Also you learn less about the country's culture because you really don't get to spend too much time in one spot. Finally, there's nothing like sleeping in 200+ year old buildings.

Also keep in mind that the cruise cost can easily double or triple when you add on the shore excurions through the ship. I love cruising but do not think it is the best way to see Europe, just mho

My husband & I will be going on our first European cruise in July, on Windstar, which is supposed to be very romantic.

I think a cruise has the best of both worlds: relaxation on the ship, gourmet dinners every night w/o the hassle of finding a good restaurant in a strange place, no logistics to worry about (sometimes traveling to/from eats up the better part of your day...) The tradeoff: you will not get to see much of the cities/ ports. As travelinwifey says, you cannot expect to see a lot when you take a cruise.

That being said, think of a European cruise as an appetizer- you can get a taste of what's to come, and hopefully will go back to sample some more another day.

Hope this helps...

The previous posters have made valid points on all counts so IMO,
it boils down to:
1)A cruise will be an overview of some cities since you will have no time to do more than 1, possibly 2 things in each port.
or if by land 2) More in-depth visits to the places that interest you. If museums, concerts & other cultural items that Europe has to offer is your Main Interest than a Cruise will not
suffice.
Conversely, if your honeymoon priority is to kick back, eat good food
and be entertained, one of the more
upscale lines would fit the billet
nicely.

After being on more than 20 cruises we took our first European cruise this fall and I'd do it again in a heart beat.. A few of the ports and cities disappointed and I wouldn't go back for a week..but some of the others were wonderful and i can't wait to take another cruise...and make sure those areas are included. As for Rome we were there on a Sunday and met some p eople who were going to Tuscany and we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary having lunch in Orvieto... One of the things we discovered along time ago was that we found ports that we went back to for a week. There were two ports that I couldn't wait to get back to the ship..lol..but on the whole it was a cruise that I won't forget.. the good and the disappointing. DO IT!!

Look for my post under the Europe board(search under Spain, or click on my screen name for a listing). We combined both a little time in Spain and Portugal with a Windstar cruise. The time on land gave us a chance to see parts of Spain and Portugal that we wouldn't have seen from the cruise, plus we got to spend a week on the water, which always makes me happy!

My husband and I went on a cruise (Caribbean) for our honeymoon, and we had a fantastic time. I think a Windstar honeymoon would be fantastic!

My husband and I were on our Med. cruise this last Oct. It was very romantic, relaxing, and luxurious. I say do it!

I agree with quick overview of the cities/countries and you can come back with children for more to those you fell in love with.
Good luck!

I would definitely recommend a Windstar cruise for a honeymoon. After 60-plus cruises, I rate our cruise on Wind Surf as the most romantic. We sailed from Lisbon to Barcelona, but you might want to consider the Greek Isles.

Linda
Author, Fodor's The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises

I have done 4 Med cruises and also about 15 land based vacations in Italy.

All in all, I prefer land trips in this area.

Port days are short, and you miss experience the evenings in the places you visit. I do not se cruise food as a plus, no matter how good, as IMO an important part of experiencing a destination is the cuisine.

You are in ports when they are the most busy with tourists, as the MED is a popular cruising ground.

Many of the ports are far from the cities: Livorno from Florence, Civitavecchia for Rome.

I just did this same evalaution for my upcoming honeymoon. WHile we do enjoy cruising, we are opting for a land based trip for all of the above reasons.

And I also find them to be less expensive.

I have to agree with everyone else, the ship is the easiest way to see a LOT of different places. I think it depends on your agenda. If you want to see as much as possible, the cruise is for you. If you really enjoy getting to know a specific area or staying longer if you really like the city, I would not cruise.

My husband and I did the Costa cruise for our honeymoon, my husband had never been to Europe before so he really wanted to see alot. I, however, would have liked to have gone somewhere quaint and spent the week.

I guess it's all about what you want to do! The cruise can be very relaxing, though!

Congrats and best wishes! I hope you have a great time!

I think you should go for a Med cruise with a 2-3 night pre and post stay in both your embarking and disembarking ports (if time and $ allows). This way you really will get a taste of both cities and it will sure help out on the jet lag prior to boarding the ship. For a first timer maybe an itinerary beginning or ending in Barcelona and beginning or ending in Rome might be ideal. The Greek isles is also a fabulous itinerary.

I haven't been on Windsurf but it sounds wonderful. I'd definitely recommend a smaller ship with fewer passengers for the best experience. You don't want to be part of a cattle call on your honeymoon as we felt on a large megaship.

It seems like Jibboo decided to 'walk'