Thanks! Maybe I'll try to convince Sue to try that size ship again. BTW in all your travels have you found a genie with a magic lamp you could lend me. :S-

Have cruised the Med twice - once on RCL and once on Celebrity - both were excellent. To save $$$ you may want an inside cabin, but in the Med I would invest in the view!!

We have been religious CruiseCritic.com members for years and have found that by being on a forum with fellow cruisers is great for banding together for private shore excursions. You can often choose your own itinerary for the day, see more, not be hampered by a large group on a tour bus, and usually save $$$!!!

All of the large cruise lines have restaurants that are independent of the mass dining - generally about $30 for dinner.......and awesome menus to choose from!! Most are trending towards "as you wish" dining for those that do not subscribe to dining on a regular schedule. The downside to that might be that you dine either alone or with different folks every night. (Don't make any lasting friendships that way.........and over the 25+ cruises we have taken we have made some really good, lasting friends at our various dinner tables.)

I agree with an earlier poster - you may want to consider May or September for cruising. On our last Med cruise we were in Santorini in May and we melted....hot, hot, hot!! Most ships dock in Fira, Santorini. Very much a tourist trap. If you have an opportunity, take a bus to Oia (pronounced EE-A) that's where the famous blue-roofed church is. Very quaint little town and not so touristy. We loved it!!

Also, in agreement with a poster.........take more than a week, and leave for Europe at least one day early so that you don't mess up your first day by being jet lagged. A bonus to that is that you will get to explore the port city before the ship sails!!

Happy, happy cruising.

Have cruised the Med twice - once on RCL and once on Celebrity - both were excellent. To save $$$ you may want an inside cabin, but in the Med I would invest in the view!!

We have been religious CruiseCritic.com members for years and have found that by being on a forum with fellow cruisers is great for banding together for private shore excursions. You can often choose your own itinerary for the day, see more, not be hampered by a large group on a tour bus, and usually save $$$!!!

All of the large cruise lines have restaurants that are independent of the mass dining - generally about $30 for dinner.......and awesome menus to choose from!! Most are trending towards "as you wish" dining for those that do not subscribe to dining on a regular schedule. The downside to that might be that you dine either alone or with different folks every night. (Don't make any lasting friendships that way.........and over the 25+ cruises we have taken we have made some really good, lasting friends at our various dinner tables.)

I agree with an earlier poster - you may want to consider May or September for cruising. On our last Med cruise we were in Santorini in May and we melted....hot, hot, hot!! Most ships dock in Fira, Santorini. Very much a tourist trap. If you have an opportunity, take a bus to Oia (pronounced EE-A) that's where the famous blue-roofed church is. Very quaint little town and not so touristy. We loved it!!

Also, in agreement with a poster.........take more than a week, and leave for Europe at least one day early so that you don't mess up your first day by being jet lagged. A bonus to that is that you will get to explore the port city before the ship sails!!

Happy, happy cruising.

Hm. Interesting points, all.
I should mention, I'm a teacher so my vacation time is limited by my school schedule. I can take a week off in March, a long weekend in October, or a longer period either in late May/early June OR late June, July or early August (depending on which summer classes I teach) September is right out, sadly. I would miss too many classes.

The NCL Jade has a 7 day cruise out of Venice going to Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos and Olympia on 7/23. Perhaps you do this and go a few days early to see Venice. You can also check out MSC and Costa for more choices though generally speaking thses two are rated below the other mass market lines. However if its a destination you want you may find something there.