We;re thnking of signing on for a Oceania Cruise to Greece, Turkey, Jerusalem, etc. in October and would like to hear from others who have done this. We've done Grand Circle trips to Egypt and Russia and like their service, but a similar trip on Grand Circle to Greece and Turkey costs about a third more, Comments and descriptions would be very welcome. Joe

We did the holy land last Oct. on Celebrity. Well Oceania is certainly much larger than a river boat so you will have to adjust to that though I think you will really like as they are considered a near top tier cruise line.

This time of year is perfect weather wise as it will not be too warm. In fact a light jacket is a good idea though the further south you go the warmer it is. Israel was ideal in fact.

The sights you will see are among the most amazing in the world, especially inre to religious history. I was awestruck by the entire experience, especially by what we saw in Israel. I highly recommend a private tour guide as the insights you will be exposed are invaluable to appreciate the significance of what you see.

Any specific questions you have please don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers, Larry.

We love Oceania--the size of the ships, the open seating dining, no formal nights, no extra charge for the specialty restaurants, wonderful staff, tourist office reps that get on board at every stop.

At www,cruisecritic.com, you will find an Oceania board, a board for ports, and a board to connect with passengers on your sailing--which is a good way to arrange private tours.

We did the Oceania Roman Revelations from Barcelona to Istanbulin early October two years ago.

It was a wonderful cruise with a 2 day stop in Egypt, 3 days in Israel and 3 days in Turkey. It was our first cruise experience and we were drawn to this because of the itinerary and the length of stays in each destination plus the small ship size.

The cabins were very comfortable and a surprising amount of storage space. We had a balcony cabin concierge level. The food was excellent and the service outstanding. There really is no entertainment to speak of but with the full day tours etc. we didn't miss it.

We have no hesitation in recommending Oceania.

We'll be on the new Riviera in 4 weeks doing the same route. Cannot compare with GCT, but don't forget to factor all the excursion costs to make any comparisons.

We just did the Oceania cruise from Athens to Barcelona and loved the new Riviera. it is beyond gorgeous and as first time cruisers, there were no disappointments. We hope to do it again. The shore excursion fees do add up but some day trips will be tough to do without being on the tour.

I just received a flyer from Oceania and they are advertising second passenger half price, plus free air for both from selected cities. The discount is amazing. If you have not booked yet, ask about the promo. The promo ends on June 30 and cover cruises till end of November. Too bad that we just got back from the Blatic and committed to something else in November already.

Grand Circle is more than Oceania? Who would have thunk it!

I wonder if part of the reason that a tour with GC is more expensive than an O cruise is because, on a cruise, you still have to pay for shore excursions, or private yours, or museum fees and transportation if you tour a port on your own.