If you could recommend any "once in a lifetime" cruise to anyone - experienced cruiser or not - what would it be?
Feel free to name all of them, but in order of importance if possible. Here are some of mine --
Holy Land
Med from Istanbul to Barcelona
Queen Mary 2 crossing
Pride of America (7-day islands cruise)
Greek Isles
Alaska small ship
Seine River Cruise
Antarctica
Tahiti Bora Bora
Oasis of the Seas (anywhere)
Russian River Cruise (Moscow to St Petersburg)
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I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
My favorite cruises; so far: In order of "most enjoyed"
1. China/Asia Cruise - China, Korea, Japan
2. Alaska
3. South America - Brasil, Argentina, Uruguay
4. Eastern Mediterranean - Italy, Greece, Turkey, Black Sea
5. Eastern Med - Egypt, Israel, Middle East
6. Western Med - Spain, Portugal, North Africa, France
7. Tahiti/Polynesia
8. Baltic Sea
9. Southern Caribbean - Aruba, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Curacao
10.Western Caribbean
11.Mexican Riviera
12.Eastern Caribbean
Cruises on my "to do" or go back list. In no real order.
1. Australia/New Zealand
2. South America - Around the Horn
3. Southeast Asia - Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore
4. Eastern Med - Italy and Turkey
5. Transatlantic
Take care,
Mike
__________________ Cruisemates Community Leader/Moderator
"There is a great difference between being well traveled and just having been to many places." ~Me
I really want to go to Asia, and I am glad to see you enjoyed it.
This is a little surprise:
4. Eastern Mediterranean - Italy, Greece, Turkey, Black Sea
Did you like the Black Sea? Because I want to see it, but I also wonder if it will be somewhat boring and have the same kind of sameness the Baltic has.
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I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
Must do for me is probably very different from what I'd recommend to other people.
My list that we haven't done would be:
Tahiti
Suez Canal that has to include Jordan
Something with Istanbul and Malta on it
Asia...a Beijing to Singapore would be good.
On the fence about Australia and New Zealand, want to see them, just not sure if a ship is the best way to do it.
The Med. I'd much rather do by land
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Upcoming:
Hawaii By land x 2
Paris and German Christmas Markets
I really want to go to Asia, and I am glad to see you enjoyed it.
This is a little surprise:
4. Eastern Mediterranean - Italy, Greece, Turkey, Black Sea
Did you like the Black Sea? Because I want to see it, but I also wonder if it will be somewhat boring and have the same kind of sameness the Baltic has.
Why would this be a surprise?
The Black Sea is wonderful. The Ukraine ports of Odessa, Svestapol (sp) and Yalta were beautiful and Istanbul is one of the most interesting places you will find. I only spent one day there and really want to go back. We did this a number of years ago on a fourteen day Renaissance cruise that started in Athens. If you like an "Old World" experience then it is a good choice. With Greece and/or Italy included it is a diverse experience.
Perhaps I should have said: Black Sea Cruise instead of Eastern Med.
Take care,
Mike
__________________ Cruisemates Community Leader/Moderator
"There is a great difference between being well traveled and just having been to many places." ~Me
I really want to go to Asia, and I am glad to see you enjoyed it.
This is a little surprise:
4. Eastern Mediterranean - Italy, Greece, Turkey, Black Sea
Did you like the Black Sea? Because I want to see it, but I also wonder if it will be somewhat boring and have the same kind of sameness the Baltic has.
Paul, you might want to look at Seven Seas Mariner 03 Jul 12 sailing to Black Sea; very good mix of ports. Big drawback is that it will be quite hot that time of year. Definitely on my bucket list but far down.
My top ten cruises so far -
1. Norwegian Fjords to Spitzbergen
2. Asia Hong Kong to Singapore (overnights in five ports)
3. Asia from Osaka to Hong Kong
4. French Polynesia
5. Athens to Monte Carlo including three days in Venice
6. Baltic including three days in St Petersburg
7. 19 Night circle caribbean over Christmas and New Years
8. Venice to Rome
9. Panama Canal over New Years
10. Transatlantic
I don't know where my current Sydney to Beijing cruise will land on list.
On my bucket list:
1. Antarctica
2. Circle South America
3. Northwest Passage
4. West Coast Africa
5. East Coast Africa
6. Black Sea
7. Singapore to Dubai (Burma, India)
8. Anchorage to Japan (Kamchatka)
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Marc
"The test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."
F Scott Fitzgerald
Seven Seas Navigator (12nts) - San Francisco - Vancouver - May13
Silversea Silver Explorer (23nts) - Kangerlussuaq, Greenland - Nome, Alaska - Aug 14
My Best are
Panama Canal
Southern Caribbean
Eastern Caribbean
Western Caribbean.
Bucket List
Alaska
Hawaii
Tahiti
Russia
Northern Europe
Mediterranean
New Zealand/Australia
Asia
Iceland
South America
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Women were made to love, money was made to spend. Life is something buddy, you'll never live again.
from the song..."Joe sure knows how to live" by Eddie Raven.
Carribean Princess 07
Carnival Valor 08
Carnival Holiday 08
Carnival Triumph 09
Island Princess 09
Carnival Miracle 10
Norwegian Pearl 11
I've only done two cruises so far...Western Caribbean and Mexican Riviera. The Western Caribbean is the better cruise but I enjoyed myself more on the Mexican Riviera cruise because I did not have my complaining other half along.
I have the Southern Caribbean booked for next year. I want to do Alaska, Panama Canal, Hawaii, and all of the Caribbean itineraries. I feel I'll be able to scrape up the money for these. I've got two on my bucket list that I don't know if the money will ever be there, but I'd really, really love to do them...Norwegian Fjords and New Zealand from Australia.
For those who like the Mediterranean itineraries, I am curious to know what makes them so wonderful.
I think the "wonderful" part is the travel and sightseeing you get along with the cruise. Its about destinations.
The Med cruises are wonderful because you get to see Europe, including the Greek Isles, Istanbul, Ephesus, Athens, parts of Italy (usually Rome, Naples, Florence and Venice), Barcelona, Monte Carlo, and a lot of other great places.
Caribbean cruises are more about the ship for me these days because I have done so many. I don't find the islands all that exciting anymore.
I was only surprised by the Black Sea because I haven't been there and if you compare the popularity of the Baltic to the Black Sea, the Baltic is far more popular. I personally want to go there. I LOVE seeing the old Iron Curtain countries. My Russia River cruise was amazing. I was just surprised because I don't see that many people rave about the Black Sea.
I highly recommend going on a Holy Land cruise that includes the Suez Canal to Jordan. That is how you get to Petra (in Jordan) and also how you get to the middle Nile (stop at Safaga on the Red Sea and take a two-hour bus ride over the desert to the Nile).
Right now I really want to see Asia, but I want to see the modern Asia like Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong. My China trip was not so great.
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I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
Paul, I sense your enthusiasm, and I think it's wonderful. I hope you get to do Asia soon and that you can repeat some of these cruises that you have been on before and enjoyed. If I have enough time and money in the upcoming years I may put some of these cruises on my to do list.
My daughter is a junior in high school. She's planning on studying to be an architect when she goes to college. The place she wants to study offers international study after the third or fourth year (it's a five year program with a two year internship) and the choices are Mexico City and Rome. Well, she wants to go to Rome. Perhaps I'll consider a cruise from Rome if she gets to study there.
I saw the movie Mary, Queen of Scots on tv when I was 11. I thought Mary was a weenie but thought Elizabeth 1 was great. Although I had Rocky and Superman posters on my walls as a teen, my hero was Elizabeth. (Yes, I was/am strange.) I was a history major in college and wanted to teach history at college level, but a chronic illness took that dream away.You can sort of see where my first interest is. I am planning/saving for a long land trip in the UK sometime in the next five years. After that, maybe some of these other places will set me on fire. I may need to win the lotter if they do!
As for the (Caribbean) islands, I can intellectually see where going to the same place over and over might take away some of the charm, but as a newbie it's hard to imagine not enjoying the islands. As I said, I hope you get to do these other places soon and that you enjoy them a lot.
I was only surprised by the Black Sea because I haven't been there and if you compare the popularity of the Baltic to the Black Sea, the Baltic is far more popular. I personally want to go there. I LOVE seeing the old Iron Curtain countries. My Russia River cruise was amazing. I was just surprised because I don't see that many people rave about the Black Sea.
My wife loved the Black Sea cruise! I was more lukewarm about it, but no cruise is a bad cruise!!
FYI: I have done 4 transatlantic cruises - and the only one I would recommend is QM2.
Royal Viking (1982)
Holland America (1993)
QM 2 (2005)
Norwegian Epic (2010)
Paul when you say the only transatlantic worth taking is on QM2, what about the new Queen Victoria; I would assume the two ships would be close in comparison.
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Freedom of the Seas Dec 11
Allure of the Seas: Jan 11
Voyager of the Seas: May 09
Splendour of the Seas: May 07
Explorer of the Seas: Jan 04
Majesty of the Seas Jan 99
Paul when you say the only transatlantic worth taking is on QM2, what about the new Queen Victoria; I would assume the two ships would be close in comparison.
Sorry I didnt get back to you. The new Queen Elizabeth is probably close in experience to the QM2, but she is a smaller ship. There is just somnething special about the QM2 since she is a true ocean liner - she is a very majestic ship on the inside and somehow that whole aura translates to how you feel on the ship.
However - in terms of activities offered; enrichment lectures, music, entertainment, in fact the new Queen Elzabeth has more theater entertainment than even QM2 - so I am sure you would enjoy it for a transatlantic.
__________________
I am the editor, but I also speculate, ask questions and play devil's advocate. I reserve the right to change my mind.
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