Mediterranean cruise suggestions
 

A number of couples in their 40's--about six--are planning a Mediterranean cruise in June next year. We all have kids pre-teen to sixteen years old. What cruise line and/or ship would best cater to adults and teens like our group?

I cruised the Med last summer on the RCL Splendour of the Seas. I've cruised various waters on Carnival, RCL, Norwegian, and Princess. In my opinion, Princess seems to do the best job of keeping the kids busy and very entertained. You might see if Princess is offering a Med cruise next summer.

simpsonc510: We are also considering a Mediterranean cruise next July with our friends and all our children. I did see that RCL has the Splendour of the Sea doing a 7 day. Did you enjoy that cruise?

I did enjoy it very much. I was with a group of 25! We went our separate ways at the ports of call, but dined at about 4 tables in close proximity each evening, and also met in the solarium for coctails and snacks in the late afternoon!

You'll find that the Med is very hot in the summer time. I opted NOT to take a bus into Florence or Pisa or Rome and instead I ventured closer to the dock areas for shopping. It was way toooo hot to be standing in long lines at the various tourist areas.

The ship is quite nice. It's not the nicest one I've been on, but it was very comfortable! It has an outdoor pool where the sunbathers like to spend their time, but we enjoyed the solarium pool with its closed roof. (I'm not sure if the can open it if needed) It was much more peaceful!

RCL offers lots of tours at the various ports. I took a winery tour instead of going to Florence. We were within a distant view of the leaning tower along the highway... not quite like "being there" but we heard the lines were very long and heat was terrific.

I opted to shop near the port in Civittivechia (Rome) instead of taking transportation into the big city. I've been before and didn't need to go again. There are shops near the dock; but in the heat, it was nice to spend more time on board the ship in the solarium where you could take a dip in the pool or hottub.

I enjoyed Malta. BE SURE TO TAKE NOTE of the spectacular color of the Med water near Malta. It's incredible!

I always write travel journals when I travel, if you'd want to ask questions that I might be able to look up in my pages and pages of notes!

To scs,
I forgot to say that I took a horse drawn carriage ride around Valetta rather than going to the rocky (not sandy) beach. The carriage driver dropped me off on the hill overlooking the port, where the main shopping area is located. I bought Mdina glass (a perfume bottle) that is the colors of Malta... the incredible BLUE of the Med and the color of sand which is the color of the buildings on the island!

I just booked a great deal for next summer on the Radisson Diamond. All Mediterranean cruises are 2 for 1 and they gave 1/2 price of that for my kids (ie, 75% off). It's on their website, and I called vacationstogo.com to see if I could get the deal through them as you can't book from Radisson's website. What a deal!

Yes, there are 2 for 1 on the Radisson Diamond but you need to act fast. According to my TA these are only for the first 40 cabins booked on EACH of the 2004 Mediterranean sailings.

Contact 1-800-701-9292 and ask for Ngaire (Ny-ree) this is how I heard about it. What a terrific deal!! We're going on the the Radisson Voyager next month or I'd jump on this deal so fast!

We enjoyed our cruise on the Brilliance this summer. There were many kids and they seemed to be having a lot of fun. Private tours are good choice for families and they are often cheaper than the ship's.

I know I'm not the original poster, but thanks so much for all the info!

I thank you all!!!original poster...gotta do my homework!!

I should have included this website for you as well....this will give all the prices and explain the 2 for 1 on the Diamond. Click on 2004 cruises and you'll see them. That is really a fabulous discount. Good Luck! Marcie

http://www.brownandkeenetravel.com

email me if you have any other questions.

Petlover, I did see your TA's website, and it looks like there are still 2-for-1 special for the remainder of this year. So wouldn't that mean that there should be more than just the first 40 cabins on the 2004 sailings? I've never booked a cruise before, so I don't know how that works.

My wife & I were on the Splendour June '02. Was a great trip. If it's early June, it will not be too hot. With due respect to Simpson, cannot believe anyone would not go into Rome or Florence. Can't begin to describe what was missed! And in Florence you can reserve tickets to museums, so no waiting in lines! So don't make that same mistake.

We took the train in from the ports..I know there's always an on-going debate about doing that vs. the ship's pre-planned (too expensive) land tours, but it worked out great for us.

Let me know if you want more info.

Mitmap, I think the best thing for you is to call a really wonderful travel agent named Ngaire (pronounced Ny-ree) @ 1-800-856-1155. She knows EVERYTHING about Radisson and she's the one who has always gotten us such great deals. She gets such great deals because she's probably the #1 Radisson booking agent in the USA. She loves to help people who are new to cruising and she has all the patience in the world to explain things. She's been on all of those itineraries and can best explain. Your welcome to use my name (petlover = Marcie).

The 2 for 1 is just such a good deal and yes, after the first 40 bookings for each sailing date, they're gone (at least this is my understanding). Good luck. You're welcome to email me if I can help anymore. [email protected]

Ok, I should have said that I've been to Italy several times before the cruise last summer, so didn't feel the need to get into the long lines in the heat!! Sorry I didn't start my reply with that information.

If you've not been there before, you should visit Rome/Florence, Pisa, etc.

I chose to do other things rather than fight the crowds in the heat. Just my opinion!

We did RCCL Granduer three years ago at the end of May with our daughter who is now 12. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

We are going back on Splendor this May and meeting back up with friends from UK we made last time. They always take their grandchildren when they reach a certain age (10-12) so they are bringing a different granddaughter this time and in fact, they are bringing their daughter and her whole family this time (we have since been to England and met the whole family).

We are all looking forward to it. I think RCCL is a great cruiseline for families!