Dayenu

Rhea58 on Sep 6, 10 at 10:43pm
As you can see, Fodorites are against the cruising idea.

Not exactly. It's jut the OP wants to do it for a wrong reason!

Philip

Buffy.....

First of all:
My wife and I have taken Regent cruises several times. However, since I do not consider us cruises, we only take Regent when they can add clear value ~ for example, we have cruised on Regent around Baltic, around French Polynesia (have done FP both ways and cruise wins hands down) and Alaska inside passage (speaks for itself). In our opinion, these destinations are best on a cruise.

Then, let me add that we love Italy. In the past decade, we have gone to Italy every 2 years. Always with friends. In fact, 10 of are leaving for Italy in 3 weeks.

Having said that, I vote with most above, Italy should be done sans cruise. My reasons may be slightly different. We love Italian food and wine. Our group dinners go on for hours. Great friends (or your spouse) in an Italian restaurant is a memory to cherish. Sitting on a patio with a great Brunello, watching a sunset is not to be missed and much harder to duplicate on a cruise.

In any event, you will have a great time but we love being on terra firma enjoying the ambience with Italians and friends.

suze

I'm not necessarily against the "cruising idea" generally speaking. But I don't think it is the most cost effective way to see the major cities of Italy, no.

bobthenavigator

So Buffy, tell us what you think.

nanaof7

Buffy 2010- I did a 12 day Mediterranean Cruise in October 2008 and visited Rome, Pisa, Sorrento, Pompeii, and Venice in Italy as well as Nice,France, Split,Croatia and Malta. This was a fabulous trip. We took excellent tours at the Italian stops and got what I would call an excellent glimpse of Italy but as other posters have said, you do not get the real feel for Italy. That is why I am going back for three weeks on my own this October and hope to really see, hear, taste and smell the Italian culture. But there is far less stress going on a cruise than going on your own. As far as cost, I can't tell you what our final cost will be in comparison at this point but would be glad to discuss this with you after our trip is over. There are many factors that determine cost.

nanaof7

One thing I neglected to say- there is nothing like entering Venice on board a cruise ship. You are up so high and have a wonderful view of the whole city as you arrive and depart. It is spectacular!!!(as long as the sun is shining).

nytraveler

IMHO you can take a cruise - although a very expensive one if that is what you want.

But you won;t be seeing Italy. You will be seeing the boat, buses from the port to the town, bus tour of the town, stop for lunch with a set meal of Americanized "Italian" food, go shopping for tscotkes nobody wants in a place the tour guide gets a cut and see perhaps one sight in each city. You will NOT have seen Italy - or experienced what it is like.

If the $16,000 figure is correct you could do a 5* independent trip and not spend near that unless you do first class airfare. You would see what you want, have real (great) Italian food, visit a host of wonderful sights, see the countryside and wineries as you wish and have the joy of walking home from a leisurely dinner through floodlit piazzas to the music of splashing baroque fountains.