People Still Fall For These 5 Mediterranean Cruise Traps!
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- I explore the 6 Mediterranean cruise traps and blunders that cruise passengers fall into when thinking of cruising in the Mediterranean. Inspired by when a friend of mine wanted to cruise the Mediterranean for the first time and I saw all the mistakes she was about to make.
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#CruiseTips #MediterraneanCruiseTips #MediterraneanCruiseWatchOuts
00:00 Start
00:31 Itinerary Traps
03:10 Length Traps
05:33 Timing Traps
07:57 Ship Size Traps
10:50 Cabin Traps
I just got off the Celebrity Edge 2 weeks ago..Embarked in Civitavecchia Italy with a pre night stay in Rome...cruised to Santorini, Rhodes, Mykonos, Athens and Naples. Hardly any crowds, Temp in the 70's with no rain. The ship holds 3,000 but there were only 1,300 on board. The food, Entertainment and service was remarkable. We had a standard Veranda and loved it. at night we left the veranda door open and all you heard was the ocean, so relaxing. I have been on 24 cruises, This was possibly the best cruise I was ever on. Celebrity did a GREAT JOB.
I grew up in Lebanon and trust me, NO ONE, unless they absolutely don't have a choice, wants to be on the water in July/August. It's hot, humid, crawling with tourists and generally very unpleasant. September/October are fantastic times and in some ports, the fall colors are amazing. What did Winnie wind up doing? We're all now emotionally vested in this...
Lol
You hit a home run on this one Gary. By including the story of Winnie,Your personalized your post making everyone feel like you were talking about them. See why you’re number one in the Cruise vlog category. Kudos
Thanks for watching and great to hear this worked so well :-)
@@tipsfortravellers I think this video contains more helpful information than any other of yours that I have watched, Gary. Thank you.
@DavidWilliams-qf5yi Kudos sounds good but I can’t find any cruise ship that calls in there. Is it near Santorini? ;-) 😉
Yes.. I agree
Inside cabins for us, 99% of the time, we are hardly ever in the room, only to sleep and shower, when we have leisure time we go to like the serenity deck and have a 180 degrees field of views, and I can move around to the left or right side, something you can't do in your balcony, most ports are not attractive and beautiful and you travel at night when it is so dark.
I haven’t cruised but i’d do the same because lodging is just to sleep. Time should be spending outside.
I prefer balcony, just love being able to walk out on a morning with a cuppa, coming back in an afternoon away from the bustle of being by the pools and finally sitting at sunset. Each to their own
We are not too fussed about inside cabins vs outside cabins. We take what is available and cost effective.
@@tedsgirluk736 To us it afford us to do 4 cruises instead of 1 a year.
@@AugustoLugo1983 Oh blimey, we only go P&O You certainly couldn’t get 4 holidays out of the price of our cabin 😂 I can only afford one cruise a year (it’s not just the cabin is it?) and therefore a balcony is worth it for me. Happy sailing!
I got very lucky. This is my first time in Europe. I just got back from my 2 Europe cruises. The weather was perfect and no more than 2 ships in a port. I made 2 mistakes. First I should have walk everyday before my trip. You will walk alot. Second I should have left 2 or 3 days earlier. Coming from California it was a very long flight and jet lag.
I got home safe. I had a great time. Lots of pictures and memory. My friends I met on the ship is amazing.
Thanks for watching and the tips!!!
Over the years I’ve done five Med cruises. They have different beginning and ending ports and loads of different ports for excursions. I’ve done extended stays at Rome, Barcelona, Nice, Athens and Istanbul. It’s very important to pay attention to what you want to see. And realize that you can’t see it all in one cruise. Additionally, it’s incredibly hot in July and August. Walking excursions will exhaust you unless you are fit and in good shape simply due to the heat. I took a hike up a dormant volcano, near Santorini as I remember, and our guide passed out from the heat. I wouldn’t recommend the Med in July or August unless you are acclimated to high temperatures as well as being very fit. I rarely see this issue addressed but it’s an important consideration for us senior travelers.
Thanks for these watch outs! very key!!
Great advice!
Cruises in the Northern Europe is the way to go in July/Aug. Norwegen coast or Baltic Sea. It´s stunning nature and better in the summer.
@@Kaffemosterful Great advice. I did a Baltic cruise in August and it was very chilly. But those were the days when St. Petersburg was on the schedule. An Alaskan cruise in July-Aug is another consideration.
Completely agree. It’s sad that St P is off the schedule as it’s truly the jewel of Baltic cruises. There are many river cruises that will give travelers a break from the heat. We did a Danube trip one July that was so chilly that we bought jeans and jackets. Although we prefer warm weather our next cruise is going to be a Christmas Market.
I had nightmare experience in Greece 10 yrs ago. Was booked on a luxury yacht islands cruise from Piraeus. Instead of advertised yacht was brought to a 1970s college party barge looking boat. The Tugboat instead of the Love Boat. Was a Sunday holiday in Greece so everything booked/busy. Like rats leaving a ship we jumped off w luggage after captain claiming original boat broke down. Ran into road and flagged down a taxi. Found one night at luxury hotel in athens. Travel agent in California woken up and working like crazy found us a suite on resort on Crete, flights, hydrofoil to Santorini, tours. So we missed all the cruise and ports, but had wonderful time on Crete. She also got every dollar refunded. Must be flexible and have a good TA!
Ugh
Try doing that with an online travel agency. Not going to happen!
Would u share the name of your TA? We are looking.
Please share details of TA If you don’t mind
@@malawadhwani2700 sorry. She is retired now. I am now using Jenny Barnette from La Lido Loca.
Just came back from Barcelona, France, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia (2 weeks) and you are right, with only 2 sea days, it was exhausting.
Hi Linda, may I know which cruise u went on for this itinerary?
I always feel "cruise smart" after watching your content. Funny thing is, I've still not been on a cruise. But I can guarantee this your videos are definitely on my syllabus! I will watch until and even after I actually book a cruise! Thank you for always sharing the knowledge.
I watch a lot of the cruising videos too and have never been on a cruise. Not sure if I even want to go actually. But they're interesting to watch.
We went on a 11 day med cruise in October and it was fantastic!!! The weather was absolutely perfect! Crowds were not bad and we got a fantastic deal also we were on NCL and only 2,500 people, wasn’t full and about 10 kids on the entire ship.
How did I get hooked on watching tips on cruising videos, when I'm not a cruiser?
The more I watch these videos, the more I realize that I probably won't ever take a cruise, mainly because, now I would want "Tips For Travellers" to help book my cruise.
We can dream!
If you haven't cruised before , this is incredible advice . 100 % on point
I've never objected to the bus trip from ports into the cities as it gives you a great perspective about rural/semi-rural housing. Most cruise ships ensure there's a guide on each bus, so you also get great info about the next stop as we rarely, if ever go on organised excursions preferring to explore cities on our own. And finally, a balcony is a must - we love our sundowner(s) seated on the balcony watching the ocean glide by. I appreciate you can do the same from the bar and deck topside, but truly it's special when you and your partner watch the sun disappear over the evening horizon sipping your favourite drink in your own outdoor space!!
Yup, you see how they live.
I book trip only to big places... Like Athens because is impossible to see on your own, smaller town we like to walk and explore
What a great friend you were! You covered the little subtleties that few people think of. I couldn't agree more with your advice, after my years and years of cruising the Mediterranean. I wish. I actually only went once, Barcelona to Civitavecchia, and in my first inside stateroom after always balconies. Would spring for at least an oceanview; I did not like needing to get dressed just to see where the heck we were. The unrelenting succession of port days was indeed quite tiring, no matter how much I enjoyed the cities. I was not thrilled with the thought of a 3 hour drive both ways to see a tourist spot for an hour, so I spent the days in the "gateway" cities. I loved the little walk+boat tour in Livorno, a city that the cruise line categorizes as not worth visiting.
I went to the Western Mediterranean cruise and stayed before and 5 days after. Took a few tours and got to see all of Rome! Great info for those that do their due diligence!
Spot on. We did a Mediterranean honeymoon trip. One thing to consider flying from the US…. The flight is long and overnight. You will land early in the morning and you’ll be tired. The jet lag gets worse for me the older I get. So a trick I have learned about that is to stay outside as much as you can the day you arrive, especially if it’s sunny. And don’t take a nap if you can possibly avoid it. I eat a big breakfast, have a lot of coffee, then head to a site somewhere. Try hard not go to bed before 8:00PM, longer if you can stand it. It’s hard but it helps me with the jet lag. And you be ready to go the next day! And yes, Rome airport is not close to the seaport!
Great tips. Thanks for adding these
Great tips!!! And congratulations on your marriage
Yep, I flew back and forth from Europe a few times. I try to change my hours before I fly, so I sleep most of the flight. I live on the East Coast so it’s not to bad. Congratulations!
For me, I need a nap when I arrive and finally get settled in hotel because I can't sleep on the airplane. But I make sure it is just a nap, not a long sleep, and then try to go to bed that night at a normal hour. Good for you for adding time in Barcelona. It's a wonderful city that deserves it.
I’m so very glad I found your videos on Mediterranean cruises. I’ve booked one for October of 2024 and was expecting all the ports to be gorgeous. It’s best to have a reality check ahead of time to plan. My cruise sails out f Barcelona and I plan at least five days there prior to the cruise. Most of the ports are in Spain in cities you’ve said are beautiful. But you’ve given me a heads up to do my research. In the future I’d like to see Greece and Italy. Thank you!
I totally agree with pre and post stays. With length of our flights when going to Europe we like to stay as long as we can, so a 7 day cruise is usually 12-13 days for us.
On our 12 day Mediterranean cruise we had a balcony cabin and loved using it. We went in July so it was hot and crowded so when we returned from our excursions it was nice to sit on the balcony and enjoy a drink away from the crowds. On a sea day after hanging around the ship (and all the people) it was nice to return to the cabin and sit watch the water while sailing to our next port. Having a balcony is a respite from the crowds and I would never sail in any other type of cabin. We sailed with a friend who had an inside cabin and she enjoyed our balcony as well.
We use the money difference for a second cruise.
Always have a balcony then?
We always have a balcony too. I couldn’t go in an inside room. I love the privacy of a balcony and would hate not being able to see outside. I always pop out first thing in the morning and right before bed to listen to the sea too
You mention that travelling in June and August can be very crowded, but if you are on one of the bigger cruise ships they themselves can cause crowding problems. I well remember holidaying in Santorini. When a large cruise ship came in it was complete chaos. It took ages for the passengers to get into town. Then the town was jammed and meal prices doubled! Not a nice experience. If you want big ship ammenities don't visit small towns/Greek Islands. If you do want to visit them, then go on the smallest ship possible.
When cruise ships used to dock at Venice city it was no benefit to the city. None of the passengers spent any money on local eateries or bars. It was just mass sightseeing crowds then back to their ship buffet. That’s why so many ports got rid of them or dock them in the shipyards. These cruise ships use wonderful old cities like a Disney prop.
Love your videos. So many great tips. Getting ready to go on AMA Danube. Have been on Ama before and was very impressed. What I saw, the staff,the food. A fabulous trip. Thanks for all your tips.
This was a great video, Gary. The breakdown of ship and ports is very useful.
Glad you enjoyed it
My first cruise was a Med cruise, from Marseilles on a loop, touching Tunisia, Malta and a number of stops in Italy with MSC. It was AMAZING! The first day was a sea day which was perfect for exploring the ship before calling into a new port every day. Thanks to your advice, Gary, I booked my first SOLO cruise in a studio cabin with Norwegian and will do 10 days around the Greek Isles! Thank you for the advice and inspiration!
What a great informative video!!!!!!!! Thanks!
LOVE THIS!!!!! Thanks for the details.
Very informative. Thanks.
Brilliant, timely, and such helpful advice! You’re a treasure, Gary.
Very good tips! Thank you!
Wonderful information. Thank you for sharing.
Very useful and informative, thank you Gary x
Excellent info and advice. Great job!
I am so glad you told us this!
Great video. Lots of useful info. Thanks, Gary!
Excellent information, thanks
Great info as always.. you think of everything! Thanks 😊
Great tips. I've made plenty of those mistakes! The Med is very hot & crowded in July/August, and the distances from the ports to the attractions can make it a very tiring experience. Sometimes you have to accept that seeing those bucket list sites (Rome, Florence) comes at a cost.
You are correct. That’s why we made a trip by air specifically to Rome and Paris. We spent three-four days in each city.
While the ports are certainly important, I have learned to pick the ship over the ports b/c the ports are never guaranteed
Thank you for the very helpful video
You present a lot of great information. Thanks for your video.
Thank you for these inside tips brother.
this information is brilliant!
Tanks again Gary, you're doing a great job passing to us your wonderful experience.
Thanks for this information. Will save this
Very helpful. Appreciate the low key presentation and the useful information.
Very informative, tks!
Terrific tips Gary-especially about not necessarily needing a balcony on the western Mediterranean cruises! Thank You! 💙
Awesome video. Smart well thought recommendations.❤
While I am not in the market for a Mediterranean cruise, I like how logically that you lay out the options for your cruiser. I wish more travel agents were that articulate.
Thanks, great to hear your feedback!! Agree on the agent point
Excellent.
Thank you for your super informative videos! I am retiring in less than a month and looking forward to more cruising in my future. 🥰
Great and valuable tips! Thanks. I hope to go on a Mediterranean cruise, possibly next year if/when all things COVID seem more manageable. Love all your videos!
Great info Gary! Another great reason to use a travel Agent.
Excellent points Gary, all things that can take people years to learn. I am sure many of your readers will be helped immensely by the finer points you touch on. Thanks for your dedication to helping people learn all about Cruising.
Really enjoying your videos fella , thanks for making the effort to make them …..
Thanks for the info. Heading to an Eastern Mediterranean cruise in a month. So excited!
Excellent tips and recommendations Gary. So enjoy following your videos and great information. Thank you so much for this video!!!
Great advice. We took a week-long island hopping cruise in Greece/Turkey. We had a wonderful time, but you’re so right about some of the challenges. We hit 2 ports on some days, so being physically ready for such busy itinerary is important. Also, our port in Crete was across the island from any real sight-seeing. Because we were either sleeping or off ship most of our cruise, taking a cheaper cruise line with an inside cabin (for daytime sleep between ports) worked for us.
If she is British you have forgotten Marella which may have been what she is looking for. There ships are slightly smaller and they offer a range of itineraries from popular holiday destinations. They are also better value than most of the American lines as their fares are slightly cheaper and the ships all inclusive.
Great tip/ point!
GREAT video, Gary! I was fortunate to be able to do a longer Western Mediterranean cruise this past June, and so much of what you said here rang true for me!
Awesome video, thank you for sharing, greetings from Orlando Florida
Wow, just Wow! Great advice, well-presented, well-thought out. Thank you for this, and thank you for your channel..
This is a brilliant explanation of Mediterranean sea travel.
As usual, the information is very organized; and as usual, it is succinctly and pleasantly given. Thank you again.
Very useful information and we agree with all of your points. Just back from a Celebrity cruise in the Mediterranean which was our first since covid and everything was perfect.
Took the Viking Mediterranean cruise - Barcelona to Rome 2019, totally agree ports were not the greatest, had to travel by bus to cities, I think Monte Carlo was the only one we could actually walk. But oh what a wonderful cruise!! Would do it again
0l9
& Barcelona port too u can walk in to city right?
Thanks for these insights! I’ve always wanted to cruise the Mediterranean and wasn’t sure exactly what to consider. Much appreciated
Gary, without a doubt, your channel is one of the top channels out there for cruising. Fantastic content, as always. Lots of great information. Thanks for your time, effort, and attention to detail in putting this video together.
we have been on many 7 Seas regent cruises, and yes they are expensive. But, it includes business class round trip and one nite at a luxury hotel the nite before. We're going on a cruise in May from Southhampton, and it includes 3 nights at a 5 star London hotel including breakfast all transfers. And I might add, free excursions. So if you back out these goodies, they really aren't that much more than say Oceania or Seabourne.
Excellent content. Professional. Informative. Critical and helpful. Knows the business of traveling. Job well done 👏
Great analysis.
Thanks for sharing.
Great and informative video Gary, thanks! 💕
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching
Such a good point. About window vs balcony. When younger and later with family we did port intensive as our kids aged we did more sea days and splurged on balconies
Always so informative and helpful, thank you Gary 😊
Thanks for watching, and great to hear you find the videos so helpful
We did a 12 night west and east out of Barcelona. Loved it. Busy but so fun
This is one of your best videos. It works really well in a “giving advice” mode.
Turkey is a must! Beautiful with rich culture. Especially Istanbul.
We visited Rome in early december (not a cruise) we had a great time and the crowd was not bad. We still paid attention as pickpockets dont take any time off.
Great points, although my first warning when people ask me about a ‘cruise in a balcony cabin’, I always check with them why they want the balcony. Often, people I speak to don’t realise the size of a cruise ship balcony, and sometimes end up disappointed when they can’t sunbathe/have a meal on their balcony, as they could in a ‘typical’ Spanish hotel.
Great video! :)
good point !!!!!
Fortunately, I don't get claustrophobic. For many years, I lived in a tiny bed-sit (cheap little dive with a great landlord in an expensive neighborhood). However, I do want light, because I generally sleep with the curtains open and wake-up when the sun rises, so I think an ocean view cabin would be fine. I'm glad that you talked about Viking, because it sounds exactly what I want. I love lectures / museums / cultural sites, but I'm not a fan glitz, West End / Broadway productions and don't like nightclubs / going out drinking all that much. I live just outside of Boston, MA. My favorite form of exercise is Avoiding taking the T (public transit), so I walk and walk and walk. I live 1km away from a public transportation hub and 2.5km away from my favorite shopping square. I'm not fussy about the itinerary, but I have to be 'away' for at least 2 weeks (to make it worthwhile for me to get onto CET before flying out of Boston and then dealing with jet lag when I come home.) I'd rather go May/June or September/October, because I know what Paris looks like at the start of summer tourist season...
Check out the Viking Mediterranean Odyssey cruise - we're going in October.
Very informative!! Much to think about.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you sweetheart for a very comprehensive travel experience. Hello from Chicago!
This video is literally perfect for us. We're on NCL epic beginning of September from Rome, Pompeii, caan etc over 7 nights. My in laws first ever cruise. Great job. Thank you
The embarkation and debarkation misconception was such a great tip. It’s typically why we choose a post stay. Not only to see the city but to relax a few days before heading home. I wish the mainstream lines would include pre and post stats like others do (Viking). I know they are more expensive than booking on your own but for the less experienced traveler, it makes it easy and with no worries about missing flights or canceled rooms. 👍
I'm fairly new to cruising, but Norwegian does offer air & hotel, you just have to coordinate directly with them vs online/advertised. They'll include the shuttle transport as well. Not sure for others.
Agree, we like pre stays so we are relaxed. We like post stay to see a city very well. In fact next time we cruise out of London, we will stay a week before sailing. We did that in Rome, it was great. Paris also, before a river cruise. We want small ultra luxury, because we have more in common with those we have dinner with. We like the butler, to bring us exactly what we want in the morning and before dinner. The balcony is critical, as we have many sea days.
Absolutely brilliant tips as usual.
Glad you think so!
This was so incredibly helpful!! I want a travel agent with your knowledge!!
thank you. this gives me alot to think bout. Somethings I am right on target and a few other things, I need to go back and take a look at.
Wonderful video! Great suggestions for the 'practical considerations' for cruising the Mediterranean. Thanks for the tips...Cheers!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love medium sized ships and balcony cabins. And looking at the sea from my balcony is a great view to me! Especially if there is also a full moon!
I spend a great deal of time on my balcony on sea days. I find it quite relaxing.
Such a great, super informative video Gary.
Your videos are always helpful, but this one in particular contains so much value!
Although I could give my customers this advice myself, I’m definitely going to share this on my page. - You explain it all perfectly, and concisely.
Thank you, as always. Keep up the good work. 🙏🏻
Thanks !!! Great to hear
One of the best cruise tip videos I've run across! Thank you Gary!
Thanks!! Great to hear
Thank you! This video has definitely helped me plan a future Mediterranean trip. Your overview of the options available is fantastic!
Glad it was helpful! This is great to hear it was so helpful
I am thinking of taking my first cruise in the spring of 2023 and am so glad I have found you as I absolutely don't have a clue how to go about it . I will be back watching all your videos .:)
We did a western Mediterranean cruise in July. We loved it, but July was so hot. We live in Florida and are use to heat. However, touring the Vatican (with no A/C) was less than desirable. My purse was stolen in Florence. Fortunately, my hubby had my passport and ship card. I was able to cancel the credit card immediately. I just lost all the pictures on my cellphone.
Great information video.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you, Gary. I wouldn’t set sail without checking on your blogs
Easy solution to the pickpocket problem - use an across the shoulder bag and keep your money inside. Its not as 'cute' but very safe. Just got back from a 3 week cruise of the Mediterranean- never had a problem. As to not going in peak season - sometimes that's not possible. As a teacher, I only have July and August. Was it hot? Yes. But so worth it.
Thank you for your insightful, intelligent commentary. It always accords with our cruising experiences.
Glad it was helpful!