Fines

Has anyone ever taken a cruise throughout Europe/Mediterranean? I am thinking about it and wanted to know if it is worth it. Did you have enough time to see and get to your desired attractions? Did you always have to purchase an excursion to see the sights because the port was too far away? I am leaning towards an itinerary consisting mainly of Greece and Italy with a few others thrown in.

R

I have a friend who cruised on a smaller ship to the Baltics and somewhere else. He said the great thing about the smaller liner was that they had the advantage of cruising up to ports where the big ships can't go. Once there, they got into a smaller boat and walked right in to life in the village - one not accustomed to hoards of tourists. He and his wife are seasoned European travelers (13 qality trips). As he told about these experiences with the smaller cruise boat, I could see the twinkle in his eye like you would expect from a first-time traveler. I'm sorry I don't remember the cruise-line.

Diane

Fines,<BR><BR>I have very little to offer except to say I worked as a performer many years ago on a cruise ship and felt, at the time, that the vacation was about the cruise itself and the excursions were more a case of being able to say, &quot;been there, done that&quot;.<BR><BR>The ship I was on toured Greece, Turkey and Italy. Most of the passenger's time was spent on board.<BR><BR>Don't know if it's different now almost 20 years later.<BR><BR>If you enjoy cruising, it might be just the ticket for you.<BR><BR>If you're interested in the countries themselves, this may not be the best way to visit them.

mpprh

Hi<BR><BR>I can see the attractions in cruising, and organised tours.<BR><BR>In europe, I'm afraid you will only ever experience the tourist coastal areas.<BR><BR>Better than nothing, but not a view of Europe.<BR><BR>Best of luck with your day trip to Geneva !<BR><BR>Peter<BR>http://tlp.netfirms.com

Carol

I usually just lurk and read but I have to post on this one!<BR><BR>After reading a great book about Venice, we had a chance to take a European Cruise which embarked at Venice - traveled around Italy, making stops there and a few more destinations before crossing the ocean to NYC. It was discounted almost 70% and we just went for it. I think that it may have been because we had never been to Venice and we thought that would be a once in a lifetime way to see it. Well, we left the states early to have extra time in Venice and by the time we sailed away, we had fallen in love with Venice (and Italy). The cruise was wonderful. We found a newsgroup which was available to cruise members (this was the Golden Princess) and we began to post back and forth and get acquainted. By the time we got on the ship, we had 3 tours planned with drivers picking us up at the ship. We had groups of 4, 6, and 8 for 3 different 8-10 hour tours and then did the others on our own. We never considered a ship excursion - they were 2 to 3 times as expensive and are just not our cup of tea. Now, because of that cruise, we are RETURNING to Italy in March to spend 2 weeks! It is more difficult as now I have had to plan all the transportation, hotels, etc etc, (and we are in our 60's with the inevitable aches and pains) but just as enjoyable as a cruise. Cruise prices - believe it or not - are so cheap right now (if you find the right one) - that it's almost cheaper to do it that way. But we felt as if we wanted to go at our own pace in March. The best part may have been sailing back to NYC and not having to FLY! <BR>(Sorry this was so long.)

David

I've done land tours as well as four cruises in Europe (one Baltin, 3 Mediterranean) and both are great. I have enjoyed the cruises because I get a &quot;taste&quot; of the ports we visited. Rarely have a felt I missed that much by having to sail out that evening. Several places I've decided I wanted to return to and have done so (Rome, Barcelona). I think it is great to unpack once, go to interesting ports and then travel at night while you are sleeping. Usually we make our own shore arrangments because the organized tours tend to be ripoffs. For example, we have gone by train from the port to Rome, rented a car in Cannes to explore the Riviera, etc. We love the smaller ships like the Windsurf or Song of Flower.

Surlok

I cruised the Mediterranean many times, and, in my experience, cruising is great for samples, and the only way to go to see the Greek Islands, for example. I wouldn't fly to Santorini, or Rhodes, or Crete, for instance, nor would go by ferry. I also wouldn't stay longer in these places, although I very much enjoyed being there for eight hours or so. SAme for islands like Elba, Corsica, and even Sardegna. Also, the Adriatic coast is wonderful for cruising, at least to me, because I loved the possibility of visiting, although I wouldn't stay longer in Corfu or Dubrovnik either. On the other hand, some ports like Venice and Civitavecchia, for Rome, are only worth for starting or ending a cruise, otherwise, it would be frustrating to visit both for only a few hours. I never did, nor I would make a tour from Livorno to Florence.. Too far, a too long bus ride, and only a few hours to see so much. However, the French Riviera, which would make an ideal coast for cruising is also not worth, IMO, for the opposite reason: everything is so close to everything that a land trip, based in a central village or town would make much more sense.<BR><BR>Of course, what I said is based in my own taste, preferences and travel experience, as I've made also many land trips to Europe.<BR><BR>I hope it helps.<BR><BR>Regards,<BR><BR>S<BR>