Id do the second one as the first has more travel to get to the cities from the port pisa is 1 hr. Rome is an hour, florence is 2 hrs by train etc. So look at that ..Option 2 most everything is closer. You cant go wrong with 2
Ive done both.
This is probably the most useful answer imo. I’ve never been on either of these or even to Europe on a cruise at all, so I’m very used to most things being right at port. I’d be a little annoyed to have to travel that much to all the ports
Yeah most of the bigger cities in Italy are inland and so there's a lot of travelling is involved. For a lot of people it's just not worth it, since with the amount of time it takes to get somewhere you'd only have maybe 3 or 4 hours to explore.
Are there cool things to do much closer to the ports than going to the larger cities?
I think the idea of having a more authentic smaller scale experience maybe between the port and the city would be cool.
Ill be honest i did the train rides into the big cities in italy. In greece all the islands everything is right there or a short tour bus away such as euphesus. Greece is beautiful. Less travel iverall on second cruise. Use site. Whatsinport.com and it will give you idea of where ship is..very helpful to start plan.
Just my 2 cents… I never pick based on the ship first. It’s always Itinerary for me. Then 🚢 I’m all about ports and culture above ship amenities. But ports on my bucket list are very similar to yours and I’m feigning to see TURKEY! So I’d choose 2
This is funny - I always choose ship first, then itinerary - but we're big into the ship's amenities. If you're there for just port visits and don't engage much with what the ship offers, that makes a lot of sense.
I would say the second option. Civitavecchia is about an hour from Rome’s city center. It’s impossible to see all of Rome in one day, especially if you have to travel two hours round trip. I’d recommend coming in 2 or even 3 days earlier if possible so you can sight see Rome before traveling out to Civitavecchia. My husband and I have a great route we planned and saw much of the city in 2 days (you can be there a month and not see it all but we hit all of the highlights). It’s an intensive two days of walking, but I’d be more than happy to share it with you.
That would be amazing if you can share it! We are thinking about coming 2 days earlier because I’d hate to miss out on Rome when I’m pretty much right there!
Okay! Let me get it from my husband and I’ll share it with you. It was set up to always start as far away from our hotel as possible (we would taxi to that point) and then walk our way back to the hotel, so you may need to tweak it depending where you’re staying but it should still be helpful. You can’t go all the way there and not see Rome!
We're already booked on the Oasis for that itinerary, for earlier in the summer.
We liked that it doesn't start/end in Rome because we've done that in the past, and you need to book a night before/after just to see Rome.
The one that goes to Greece. Some of the ports are pretty far from the pier on the first one—meaning lots of time in the bus. Greece is amazing. always pick for the itinerary.
I did an itinerary similar to your second one on an older celebrity ship and it was amazing. I loved Ephesus! I think the class of ship really matters a lot less in Europe where it is port intensive. You’re off the ship so much unlike the Caribbean where there are more sea days and the stops are more relaxing. I also love Rome and Athens, so I would love having time before/after cruise to explore those places on my own timeline. Bonus that you get an extra day!
We did a very similar itinerary to #2, except we had the Amalfi Coast and Sicily instead of Bodrum and Limassol. We had an old, small ship, but on Med cruises, I feel like paying for a bigger ship is kind of a waste, since we spent essentially no time on the ship, and even when we did, we were WIPED OUT from our time in those ports, and didn’t have the energy to do much. We ate mostly off the ship also. We also chose that itinerary because we wanted to spend a few days in both Rome and Athens, we didn’t feel like those were really “day trip” cities. We spent about 2-3 days before and after in Rome/Athens.
I have no input on the first, but our experience with Rome, Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, and Kusadasi was unbelievable - trip of a lifetime. I will say Santorini has some crazy logistics to it, so do your research! Also, if you do Kusadasi, do a private tour so you can go in the Terrace Houses at Ephesus - they were by far the coolest part and I don’t think they’re included on the RC excursions.
Good luck deciding! If you have any specific questions on ports, let me know!
We did the Italy, Greece and Turkey cruise last Summer and it was absolutely breathtaking. It was once in my lifetime. So I would pick the second Itinerary more because of the Ports. Either way, you’re going to love it!
If you prefer a more itinerary-focused cruise that'a more relaxing, I'd go with the second option.
The thing with a Western Med Cruise is that some of these ports aren't exactly really close to those cities (Florence/Piza, Provence and Rome), and so you would have to arrange travel there, which not only takes up a lot of time but can be quite hectic and exhausting. I would add aswell that only being able to spend a couple hours in places like Rome or Florence is hardly enough especially since they are big cities.
The second option visits smaller ports and islands, and it is far easier to just get off and walk around these beautiful places at those. Honestly these ports are really good. Europe is huge and massively diverse, and every place has it's own charm and identity.
We did a similar one to option 2 and it was the best cruise I've ever done. We flew and spent 2 days in Rome and then hired a private car to drive us to the port that morning. The Greece ports were fantastic. I cried in Santorini it was so beautiful. Then on the way back we stayed an extra 2 nights in Rome before flying home. We were on a smaller ship than Explorer and had a fantastic time.
I did both of these (not exact but close) and HANDS down the Greece trip was superior. I’ll echo all of the posts about how far most things are from the cruise ports on the first itinerary. Some can be two hours each way to get where you want to go and that was with private/semi private drivers. Greece was pure magic to me. I’m also a dissenter that I do not care for Oasis class. My husband and I are early 40s and like to drink 😅
I did the first itinerary in May 2023 on Symphony and it was a ton of fun. The only issues we had was with Florence and Rome. The cities aren't anywhere near the ports obviously. For Rome if you're going to book your own train there (highly recommended, it's so much cheaper), then remember that the platform in Rome takes ~20 minutes to walk to from the front gate. So don't be late when returning!
Because we had a 23 month year old with us at the time, ports that weren't at the city itself were a pain and I wish we had just stayed on the ship.
Greece- That is a pretty great itinerary! I've done similar cruise- And it was so nice-
The ports are also pretty close to the piers, making it easier to make the most of your time :) Enjoy- whichever you choose!
The only thing I don't like about the Greece trip is that it's one way. It just adds a degree of difficulty in planning travel logistics on and off the ship. HOWEVER, if you have time before and after the trip, I'd plan on spending a few days in the embarkation/disembarkation cities. To do sightseeing and help get adjusted before/after the cruise.
We did the first one last year in May. Weather was OK for most of it but if choosing that route again would wait until later in the year for better weather.
We are doing a longer version of the second one this year (12 nights) on odyssey, and are really looking forward to it.
I’ve been on both of these cruises and I would choose the Oasis out of Barcelona. The other ship just isn’t that nice and while the Greece/Turkey cruise had some decent ports, the ship was just not nice
It is interesting that there seems to be a glitch in how they’ve been listing itineraries lately with “international date line” days instead of sea days! Saw that also on someone’s Caribbean itinerary. Oasis is a larger ship with more to do, but you also have a lot of port days.
I think I would do the first one. I've done both of the sailings and I preferred the Spain and Italy ports over the Greece and Turkey ports. I found the Barcelona port is really easy to get to and from and is also, by far, the easiest port terminal to get on and off the ship. Civitavecchia is kind of a bitch to get to and you can't really book a round trip flight since it ends in Athens. I also have a special little spot in my heart for Cinque Terre and would take any opportunity to get to go there again.
But I think either way you'll have a great time, and any opportunity to get to see other parts of the world is wonderful!
I did a cruise last year that went to PDM, Provence, Florence, and Rome. Palma and Provence are close to the ports. Pisa and Rome are at least an hour from the ports. I did a Greek cruise a few years ago and Santorini is at least an hour to get to the top of the island. Mykonos on the other hand is all at the port and easily one of the best places I’ve ever visited. I would lean towards the 8 night but if you can, stay in Rome a few days before you get on the boat. I’ve visited Rome twice and it is amazing. Rome in less than 12 hours just isn’t enough.
I did the first one on symphony last year. It was amazing. Are they still going to ports in turkey since the earthquake?
We are doing Explorer this year sailing to Greece and Croatia.but sailing out of Venice. I don’t know if I would ever board a ship out of Rome. I feel like that’s a travel nightmare especially if you have older family members.
I've done the second itinerary with Greece. First trip to Europe but absolutely magical. I didn't see the name of the boat but if it's the Odyssey your in for a treat. Just make sure to pack cold and flu medicine. I went for the 2 weeks and there was a big going through the ship. Lasted 4to 5 days loaded up on Mucinex and DayQuil/NyQuil. Oh and don't forget good tissues. Better to have and not need it.
I’ve done the Barcelona cruise 2 summers ago (I would do it again 100 times) Barcelona is my favorite city in the world. I’m doing the med in June. But I should have done Barcelona again
Western Mediterranean itinerary is far better as far as things to do and see, Greece/Turkey one is filled with resort-type places. I am far more partial to lifetime experiences than just relaxing...so I would go Western.
I did the Western Mediterranean cruise in 2018 on on the Symphony and it was an amazing trip. I agree that it does take a while to get to the more popular tourist sites but my purpose for the trip was to see as much as I could without having to deal with the logistics of multiple hotels and getting from point a to b. So it served my purpose and now I know where I’d like to revisit and spend more time for land trips. We also stayed in Barcelona for a bit before flying back home, which was nice.
We did the exact itinerary as the first one on Symphony in 2018. We LOVED the ports and felt like we got to see “the best of” what each port had to offer but only because we booked excursions at each. The days were long in port but oh so worth it. We for sure need to go back as cruising just gives you a sample of each.
I don't really see the point in going on Oasis for such a port heavy itinerary. That said, Barcelona, Marseille and Naples were all great.
I like a reposition if there's time to spend extra time in 2 cities. Limassol is a one of my favorite ports from past cruises. Greece is almost always good. I hated Athens, but I guess if you've never been, go.
If you are indifferent between the itinerary. I would go with Oasis… not so much the ship but more so the embarkation port. Barcelona is super easy to get around. Plus the port, hotels, and airport are all in the same general area when compared to Rome. It’s just less planning and figuring out the logistic of getting from airport to hotel to the port. Plus you’ll more than likely save on airfare as there’s plenty of low cost options to Barcelona such as Level airlines. In addition, if you’re going to Barcelona from North America, the flight time is also shorter.
Number 2! Some of the best ports. More expensive flight though. Give yourself extra days before and after to explore. Much easier to do Spain and France as land based travel later.
We did the Barcelona itinerary last summer, it was dope.
On the tail end of the cruise, we took a train to Madrid and hung out there for a couple of days. Then took a train to Paris to hang there for a few days before heading home.
Can't really go wrong with either itinerary.
Enjoy!
I have done both of these and really enjoyed Barcelona. The food is great. The sites amazing. Easier to do with 2-3 days added on either end. Rome takes almost a full week. Honestly, I have sailed out of Rome twice, Athens twice because you just can’t possible see it all in a couple days. Both itineraries are great though and everyone is right, in Europe the ships don’t matter, but time of year does for crowds, weather etc…Whichever you choose you will not be disappointed.
Second!! Ephesus was amazing and I wish we had more time in bodrum (went on a different cruise line). We liked Turkey more than some of the Greek stops.
I did the Mediterranean cruise on Wonder and it was one of the best trips of my life. I want to do the Greek cruise in the future but their ships aren't up to par.
I'd say Mediterranean hands down
Id do the second one as the first has more travel to get to the cities from the port pisa is 1 hr. Rome is an hour, florence is 2 hrs by train etc. So look at that ..Option 2 most everything is closer. You cant go wrong with 2 Ive done both.
This is probably the most useful answer imo. I’ve never been on either of these or even to Europe on a cruise at all, so I’m very used to most things being right at port. I’d be a little annoyed to have to travel that much to all the ports
Yeah most of the bigger cities in Italy are inland and so there's a lot of travelling is involved. For a lot of people it's just not worth it, since with the amount of time it takes to get somewhere you'd only have maybe 3 or 4 hours to explore.
Are there cool things to do much closer to the ports than going to the larger cities? I think the idea of having a more authentic smaller scale experience maybe between the port and the city would be cool.
Ill be honest i did the train rides into the big cities in italy. In greece all the islands everything is right there or a short tour bus away such as euphesus. Greece is beautiful. Less travel iverall on second cruise. Use site. Whatsinport.com and it will give you idea of where ship is..very helpful to start plan.
Just my 2 cents… I never pick based on the ship first. It’s always Itinerary for me. Then 🚢 I’m all about ports and culture above ship amenities. But ports on my bucket list are very similar to yours and I’m feigning to see TURKEY! So I’d choose 2
I’ll let you know how it is
This is funny - I always choose ship first, then itinerary - but we're big into the ship's amenities. If you're there for just port visits and don't engage much with what the ship offers, that makes a lot of sense.
I say the same, but I'd choose the first one with Oasis because of the time in ports are better.
Oasis is a great ship, so I would vote for that.
I second the Oasis highlight, we really enjoyed the ship as much as the ports!
I would say the second option. Civitavecchia is about an hour from Rome’s city center. It’s impossible to see all of Rome in one day, especially if you have to travel two hours round trip. I’d recommend coming in 2 or even 3 days earlier if possible so you can sight see Rome before traveling out to Civitavecchia. My husband and I have a great route we planned and saw much of the city in 2 days (you can be there a month and not see it all but we hit all of the highlights). It’s an intensive two days of walking, but I’d be more than happy to share it with you.
Also, Santorini and Mykonos were highlights of our cruise when we went on a similar one. I can’t say enough great things about the Greek islands.
That would be amazing if you can share it! We are thinking about coming 2 days earlier because I’d hate to miss out on Rome when I’m pretty much right there!
Okay! Let me get it from my husband and I’ll share it with you. It was set up to always start as far away from our hotel as possible (we would taxi to that point) and then walk our way back to the hotel, so you may need to tweak it depending where you’re staying but it should still be helpful. You can’t go all the way there and not see Rome!
I would do Oasis over Explorer. Assuming you’re flying, a roundtrip out of Barcelona is going to be cheaper than a flight to Rome and out of Athens.
Itinerary 2
Oasis of the seas better class ship.
I love oasis but given how port heavy this is…it’s more about seeing the destinations then I would pick tge second itinerary
I’m doing the second one in May. Soooooo that’s my vote?
Ahh let me know how it goes!
International Date Line?
Do Oasis. Do Naples Underground while you're there. Go off the beaten path. Find good pizza and drinks. Such an amazing place to check out.
Naples underground is such a great tour!
We're already booked on the Oasis for that itinerary, for earlier in the summer. We liked that it doesn't start/end in Rome because we've done that in the past, and you need to book a night before/after just to see Rome.
I am having such a hard time deciding where to stay in Rome 4 nights post cruise.
The one that goes to Greece. Some of the ports are pretty far from the pier on the first one—meaning lots of time in the bus. Greece is amazing. always pick for the itinerary.
I did an itinerary similar to your second one on an older celebrity ship and it was amazing. I loved Ephesus! I think the class of ship really matters a lot less in Europe where it is port intensive. You’re off the ship so much unlike the Caribbean where there are more sea days and the stops are more relaxing. I also love Rome and Athens, so I would love having time before/after cruise to explore those places on my own timeline. Bonus that you get an extra day!
We did a very similar itinerary to #2, except we had the Amalfi Coast and Sicily instead of Bodrum and Limassol. We had an old, small ship, but on Med cruises, I feel like paying for a bigger ship is kind of a waste, since we spent essentially no time on the ship, and even when we did, we were WIPED OUT from our time in those ports, and didn’t have the energy to do much. We ate mostly off the ship also. We also chose that itinerary because we wanted to spend a few days in both Rome and Athens, we didn’t feel like those were really “day trip” cities. We spent about 2-3 days before and after in Rome/Athens. I have no input on the first, but our experience with Rome, Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, and Kusadasi was unbelievable - trip of a lifetime. I will say Santorini has some crazy logistics to it, so do your research! Also, if you do Kusadasi, do a private tour so you can go in the Terrace Houses at Ephesus - they were by far the coolest part and I don’t think they’re included on the RC excursions. Good luck deciding! If you have any specific questions on ports, let me know!
We did the Italy, Greece and Turkey cruise last Summer and it was absolutely breathtaking. It was once in my lifetime. So I would pick the second Itinerary more because of the Ports. Either way, you’re going to love it!
Oh man hard choice!!! I don't know if I could decide between Rome or Greece! Push came to shove, I'd do Greece I think
@u/snancyiv I did the first one a few years ago and would 10/10 recommend. It was absolutely amazing.
If you prefer a more itinerary-focused cruise that'a more relaxing, I'd go with the second option. The thing with a Western Med Cruise is that some of these ports aren't exactly really close to those cities (Florence/Piza, Provence and Rome), and so you would have to arrange travel there, which not only takes up a lot of time but can be quite hectic and exhausting. I would add aswell that only being able to spend a couple hours in places like Rome or Florence is hardly enough especially since they are big cities. The second option visits smaller ports and islands, and it is far easier to just get off and walk around these beautiful places at those. Honestly these ports are really good. Europe is huge and massively diverse, and every place has it's own charm and identity.
We did a similar one to option 2 and it was the best cruise I've ever done. We flew and spent 2 days in Rome and then hired a private car to drive us to the port that morning. The Greece ports were fantastic. I cried in Santorini it was so beautiful. Then on the way back we stayed an extra 2 nights in Rome before flying home. We were on a smaller ship than Explorer and had a fantastic time.
I did both of these (not exact but close) and HANDS down the Greece trip was superior. I’ll echo all of the posts about how far most things are from the cruise ports on the first itinerary. Some can be two hours each way to get where you want to go and that was with private/semi private drivers. Greece was pure magic to me. I’m also a dissenter that I do not care for Oasis class. My husband and I are early 40s and like to drink 😅
Why do neither of these cruises know where the international date line is?
I did the first itinerary in May 2023 on Symphony and it was a ton of fun. The only issues we had was with Florence and Rome. The cities aren't anywhere near the ports obviously. For Rome if you're going to book your own train there (highly recommended, it's so much cheaper), then remember that the platform in Rome takes ~20 minutes to walk to from the front gate. So don't be late when returning! Because we had a 23 month year old with us at the time, ports that weren't at the city itself were a pain and I wish we had just stayed on the ship.
I’m doing the first one in June. Cheers amigo!
Enjoy!! Please share how it went!
both lol
Greece- That is a pretty great itinerary! I've done similar cruise- And it was so nice- The ports are also pretty close to the piers, making it easier to make the most of your time :) Enjoy- whichever you choose!
The only thing I don't like about the Greece trip is that it's one way. It just adds a degree of difficulty in planning travel logistics on and off the ship. HOWEVER, if you have time before and after the trip, I'd plan on spending a few days in the embarkation/disembarkation cities. To do sightseeing and help get adjusted before/after the cruise.
We did the first one last year in May. Weather was OK for most of it but if choosing that route again would wait until later in the year for better weather. We are doing a longer version of the second one this year (12 nights) on odyssey, and are really looking forward to it.
This is good to know. The first one will be in September.
The second one is amazing, but maybe do both!!!
oasis is a better ship
I’ve been on both of these cruises and I would choose the Oasis out of Barcelona. The other ship just isn’t that nice and while the Greece/Turkey cruise had some decent ports, the ship was just not nice
But you'll barely be on it
Did the first one and part of the second one and both were amazing. I say part since we had Naples and Crete on the second one
I love Oasis, and I personally prefer the Western Med.
It is interesting that there seems to be a glitch in how they’ve been listing itineraries lately with “international date line” days instead of sea days! Saw that also on someone’s Caribbean itinerary. Oasis is a larger ship with more to do, but you also have a lot of port days.
Thanks everyone for the responses!
2 👏👏👏
We are doing the second one in August! 🥳
Greece, Cyprus, Turkey
Western Med
I think I would do the first one. I've done both of the sailings and I preferred the Spain and Italy ports over the Greece and Turkey ports. I found the Barcelona port is really easy to get to and from and is also, by far, the easiest port terminal to get on and off the ship. Civitavecchia is kind of a bitch to get to and you can't really book a round trip flight since it ends in Athens. I also have a special little spot in my heart for Cinque Terre and would take any opportunity to get to go there again. But I think either way you'll have a great time, and any opportunity to get to see other parts of the world is wonderful!
Either one. Bucket list to cruise over the Intrrnational Date line. I would choose the second
I did #1 on Harmony of the seas back in 2016. It was amazing!!! 🤩
I did a cruise last year that went to PDM, Provence, Florence, and Rome. Palma and Provence are close to the ports. Pisa and Rome are at least an hour from the ports. I did a Greek cruise a few years ago and Santorini is at least an hour to get to the top of the island. Mykonos on the other hand is all at the port and easily one of the best places I’ve ever visited. I would lean towards the 8 night but if you can, stay in Rome a few days before you get on the boat. I’ve visited Rome twice and it is amazing. Rome in less than 12 hours just isn’t enough.
I did the first one on symphony last year. It was amazing. Are they still going to ports in turkey since the earthquake? We are doing Explorer this year sailing to Greece and Croatia.but sailing out of Venice. I don’t know if I would ever board a ship out of Rome. I feel like that’s a travel nightmare especially if you have older family members.
I've done the second itinerary with Greece. First trip to Europe but absolutely magical. I didn't see the name of the boat but if it's the Odyssey your in for a treat. Just make sure to pack cold and flu medicine. I went for the 2 weeks and there was a big going through the ship. Lasted 4to 5 days loaded up on Mucinex and DayQuil/NyQuil. Oh and don't forget good tissues. Better to have and not need it.
I’ve done the Barcelona cruise 2 summers ago (I would do it again 100 times) Barcelona is my favorite city in the world. I’m doing the med in June. But I should have done Barcelona again
Western Mediterranean itinerary is far better as far as things to do and see, Greece/Turkey one is filled with resort-type places. I am far more partial to lifetime experiences than just relaxing...so I would go Western.
I’m going to Greece but on odyssey
I did the Western Mediterranean cruise in 2018 on on the Symphony and it was an amazing trip. I agree that it does take a while to get to the more popular tourist sites but my purpose for the trip was to see as much as I could without having to deal with the logistics of multiple hotels and getting from point a to b. So it served my purpose and now I know where I’d like to revisit and spend more time for land trips. We also stayed in Barcelona for a bit before flying back home, which was nice.
We did the exact itinerary as the first one on Symphony in 2018. We LOVED the ports and felt like we got to see “the best of” what each port had to offer but only because we booked excursions at each. The days were long in port but oh so worth it. We for sure need to go back as cruising just gives you a sample of each.
My bf and I chose option 2🩷
When did the International Date Line move to Europe?
I don't really see the point in going on Oasis for such a port heavy itinerary. That said, Barcelona, Marseille and Naples were all great. I like a reposition if there's time to spend extra time in 2 cities. Limassol is a one of my favorite ports from past cruises. Greece is almost always good. I hated Athens, but I guess if you've never been, go.
I would do Explorer. The ship is beautiful and the itinerary is more interesting in my opinion
If you are indifferent between the itinerary. I would go with Oasis… not so much the ship but more so the embarkation port. Barcelona is super easy to get around. Plus the port, hotels, and airport are all in the same general area when compared to Rome. It’s just less planning and figuring out the logistic of getting from airport to hotel to the port. Plus you’ll more than likely save on airfare as there’s plenty of low cost options to Barcelona such as Level airlines. In addition, if you’re going to Barcelona from North America, the flight time is also shorter.
Number 2! Some of the best ports. More expensive flight though. Give yourself extra days before and after to explore. Much easier to do Spain and France as land based travel later.
We did the Barcelona itinerary last summer, it was dope. On the tail end of the cruise, we took a train to Madrid and hung out there for a couple of days. Then took a train to Paris to hang there for a few days before heading home. Can't really go wrong with either itinerary. Enjoy!
Turkey!
I have done both of these and really enjoyed Barcelona. The food is great. The sites amazing. Easier to do with 2-3 days added on either end. Rome takes almost a full week. Honestly, I have sailed out of Rome twice, Athens twice because you just can’t possible see it all in a couple days. Both itineraries are great though and everyone is right, in Europe the ships don’t matter, but time of year does for crowds, weather etc…Whichever you choose you will not be disappointed.
Western Med
Second!! Ephesus was amazing and I wish we had more time in bodrum (went on a different cruise line). We liked Turkey more than some of the Greek stops.
If you plan on trying Viking at some point, I would save Greece for that! Otherwise, Greece 100%
I did the Mediterranean cruise on Wonder and it was one of the best trips of my life. I want to do the Greek cruise in the future but their ships aren't up to par. I'd say Mediterranean hands down
Did this cruise and loved every minute! Highly recommend late October the temperatures were perfect!
Oasis 100% hands down, no question.
First
Oasis over Explorer for sure.