Which is the best cruise line to take to the Eastern Mediterranean?

Question

What are the best ports of call in the Eastern Med and what did you enjoy about them?

Answer 1

We did a 12 day Mediterranean cruise in October two years ago. It was a fabulous cruise. We cruised on the Royal Caribbean ship, Brilliance of the Seas. The ship is outstanding, my favorite of all of the Royal Caribbean ships.

The crowd of people on the ship was mixed, mostly folks 30's to 60's and not many kids. The time of year pretty much keeps families with kids from going.

In the first port stop of Villefranche we did the tour that went to the Medieval city of Eze and then to Monaco and the Monte Carlo casino. The Eze part was OK and so was the Monaco part, but don't pay the $10 per person to go inside the casino. Its not worth it, plus you cannot take pictures inside.

In Florence we did the walking tour of the city and also a stop at Pisa. That was a good tour. In Rome we toured the Vatican City and Sistene Chapel and the went to the Coliseum. All of that was good but the tours take all day because the port is an hour from Rome. I do not recommend trying to do Rome on your own, you may get caught in traffic and miss the ship's departure.

In Naples we toured Pompeii and that as good. In Athens we took a tour to the Acropolis and then through the city of Athens. The Acropolis part I liked best. In Kusudasi we went to the Biblical city of Ephesus and that was awing and outstanding. In Santorini we went on a tour of the island and then to a winery. On Mykonos we did not do a tour , just walked around the town.

I think that all of the stops that we made on this cruise are the ones that I would recommend that everyone include in their Med cruise. There were no stops that I did not like and I do not think that there are others that I would want to do in addition or instead.

You should understand that because of all of the historical sites to see the Med cruise can be very tiring. Many tours last all day and depending on the arrangement of ports stops you can be off the ship all day on consecutive days. But, if you go that far you do not want to miss the historical sights, especially in Rome. If you decide to skips ships tours and go on your own its best to do that in Mykonos and Santorini. The other places involve a bus ride to the attractions, or a tour or taxi.

In Barcelona and the cities in Italy you have to watch out for pickpockets and Gypsies. Keep your money and valuables inside your clothes, not just in your pocket. If you give money to one Gypsie, others will show up with their hands out. So even though they look so sad, its an act and just ignore them.
Sometimes the pickpockets will disguise themselves (with a camera hanging around their neck) as tourists. So don't let people who are not in your tour group get close to you.

All of the port stops that this cruise makes, except Turkey right now, use the Euro. So it would be a good idea to buy some Euros before you leave for the trip. You will need some as soon as you get to Barcelona or whatever city to pay a taxi to the ship. Unless you plan to make some big purchases in Turkey, no need to buy that currency. If you decide you want some you can get it on the ship at the purser's desk. The owners of the markets in Kusudasi will come out of their shops to invite you in; very pushy. If you do not plan on spending but a few dollars there you can probably use US dollars or Euros.

I have done almost 20 cruises and Royal Caribbean is my favorite line and I highly recommend it. The Mediterranean cruise is tops on my list of all of the cruises we have been on. You will enjoy it and the Brilliance is one of my favorite of their ships..

Answer 2

I have been on a Mediterranean cruise with Princess, and it was really great. (probably not the ports that you are interested in)
The ship was good, the food was excellent, the weather was fantastic and the ports of call were really interesting.
The Ports were the reason we picked the cruise.
We sailed from Venice, the day after we arrived, so we had the opportunity to explore Venice by day and night. Fantastic.
We then went to Dubrovnik, Valletta, Messina, Sorrento (Capri), Civitavecchia (Rome), Monte Carlo, Portofino.
Each stop was brilliant, scenery, monuments, beaches and history.
I would go again.

Answer 3

Why would you want to waste your valuable time crossing the Atlantic on a ship to get to Greece. I was on a cruise out of Venice to the eastern Med. this spring. Stopped at 3 Greek ports, 1 in Turkey and 3 in Italy----Fantastic in spring

Answer 4

this site has useful cruise info

http://allcruiselines.info