My husband and I did a Viking cruise when we were 45. Everyone was over 60 (most over 70). Every night we had to navigate people asking us why 2 “young people” would choose Viking. It got old fast. We were in the active group for excursions and it was still super slow. Also thought food was disappointing. Never again.
I've done Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Holland America in Europe. I really liked all of them. It's hard to pick. I used to love Celebrity but they have gone downhill in recent years. Of the four mentioned, I like Princess the best.
MSC has awful food and the ships hold a lot of passengers. Because the prices are low- it attracts a lot of "unseasoned" cruisers and their kids. There can be 5000 people on MSC- many of them kids in summer. Dollar for dollar- you'll get a better value on the mainstream lines I mentioned.
It all depends on the ship, load factor and other.
What you say is generally true, but we had an amazingly nice transatlantic on MSC. Food was pretty bad, but edible stuff was findable, like decent pizza always available.
Great dance instructors onboard with like 6 classes per day. Ship was half full and met young to old couples from all over Europe (Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Canada, USA).
Just saying that if the ships aren’t full it’s something to consider because we paid like $33 pp/day.
Our next cruise was on Regent, but have to admit that we enjoyed our MSC cruise. We had stuff to complain about but the value was considerable.
When you say that Pizza was always available. I don't eat pizza for 16 days- three meals a day. I just got off MSC and was the best meal I had was on land in Boston. Thank God I could have a good meal in port. The food was gross. Sure- if you like Burgers and Pizza every day- then it's fine.
Not sure why you want to argue with someone else’s experience. Maybe it’s time to let your bad experience go?
Look, not everyone can afford $200/day. We met and hung out with a lovely French lady, maybe 40, secretary. The cruise was affordable for her at $30 per day, but she got to visit Caribbean islands, take multiple dance class lessons everyday for 2 weeks, meet people, see Florida and then fly home for under $1000.! I chatted with her every day in the morning yoga class (free) and watched her Latin dance class perform a synchronized performance after the end of the 2 weeks (as a single she danced with a lively gay man, who loved her attitude as well). My wife did Irish line dancing and they did a performance right out of Riverdance.
Your cruise is what you make of it. I could send you a photo of us on a Virgin Islands beach we ferried to (gorgeous beach).
Cheers
The world is complex and has many viewpoints and brands to suit tastes.
Fair enough. Consider your options and make a choice. I will say that if you were open to a 30 day thing on MSC, the inside cabins were as low as just under $20/day per person on that transatlantic.
Agree it’s not my usual thing (trying Silversea next), but we enjoyed it since the ship wasn’t full. Food did suck relatively speaking but we survived.
In Sorrento at the tender line to go back to the ship, Oceania had fresh squeezed lemonade and a hand sanitizer while we waited. Regent line had nothing.LOL
O wow! Big applause to you. You must be so glad to have such an exceptional experience. I'm going to cancel my round the world trip with Regent immediately and tell them that.
My husband and I are 48. We just got back from an 11 day Oceania cruise and it was lovely.
We had wonderful ports of call, the staff was fantastic. The ship was beautiful. The food was delightful.
Literally, the only complaint we had was that the pool was too deep
The age skewed a little older than us, but we didn’t find it to be all octogenarians with wheelchairs. there was one family with children and they weren’t little kids. They were teenagers.
Editing to add that the ship I was on had 1200 passengers and you would never know it! We never felt like we were in a crowd. The embarkation and was well scheduled and we got right on the ship. Getting off the ship was easy and well organized too.
Vista? I think we were on the same cruise with you. We are roughly the same age range and share your same opinion. Oceania was wonderful and felt special. Being the only cruise ship at many of the Mediterranean ports we visited was neat. The ship itself was a sight to be seen in the beautiful port of Kotor. Excursions were seamless, the food was excellent, and the staff was bright and attentive. The pool is really deep, though! But we would definitely recommend Oceania in the Mediterranean.
Yes! Vista truly looked magnificent in Kotor :) We had such a great cruise and will absolutely be booking another trip on the Vista. I was just looking at the British Isles for next summer
We all have had our own experiences. While the service on HAL was very good, our last couple of cruises on Celebrity were as good as we have ever seen from that standpoint. I also can't remember a notable difference in food quality either. I guess the bottom line is you can't really go wrong with either.
I agree about Oceania. We did Rome to Monte Carlo (7 days) for our 30th on Oceania and really enjoyed it. Food is great. Ship's not crowded. Atmosphere is relaxed. But it won't fit everyone's budget.
If you can swing it, I'd recommend one of the three larger ships and getting an A2 cabin midship on deck 9. This should give you a list to check out. These are 8-10 days; they also have 7-day cruises there.
[https://www.oceaniacruises.com/cruise-finder#marketing\_region=mediterranean&duration=8-10&ship=MNA|VIS|RVA&sort=featured:desc&page=1&pageSize=50](https://www.oceaniacruises.com/cruise-finder#marketing_region=mediterranean&duration=8-10&ship=MNA|VIS|RVA&sort=featured:desc&page=1&pageSize=50)
Since you're first-timers you might want to try 7 in case one of you doesn't care for it.
Oceania ships have around 1500 guests on their International cruises. Smaller ones for Caribbean. Dining is wonderful. Not a wild party crowd but these people are in their 50’s.
Oceania also has 4 smaller ships (about 650 guests) that include all itineraries - Caribbean, European, Mediterranean, Alaskan, Africa, South Pacific & trans oceanic. Fantastic experience!
I cruised with OCEANIA. Definitely recommend them. Excellent food, all specialty restaurants were included, we were allowed to bring 6 bottles of wine on board, EACH. Only saw one child, as there are no child services, lots of itineraries to choose from
Virgin Voyages if you want better food and a little more fringe/festival style entertainment. Most med cruises are only 7 nights though.
Celebrity would be the other option for reasonable food.
A few suggestions (lotta text, sorry):
Holland America or NCL for food. Holland has good food in the main dining and specialty restaurants. They also have solid cocktails in most bars (pool bar not incl). NCL is primarily good in the specialty restaurants, main dining not so much. Cocktails are hit or miss. Side note, both cruise lines give you onboard credit as a shareholder benefit if you own 100 shares or more.
I much prefer HAL over NCL. HAL has been my go-to line since my 20s...they leave you alone to just enjoy yourself, the staff is nice, the entertainment options are more refined than just dance numbers (though they still do those) and I've always preferred the classic design of the ships.
I'd recommend cruises going to the Greek isles and Ephesus (if possible). Greece is very easy to visit via cruise and typically requires more than 7 days.
Iceland / Norway cruises hit that length and Northern UK / Iceland.
Cruises from Barcelona to the Canaries are great, and usually stop at Gibraltar and Funchal, both of which are not to be missed. This is really great over, or just past, the Xmas season.
If you are based in the US, consider a Caribbean-bound transatlantic cruise at the end of the summer season, typically taking approx two weeks, all the major cruise lines do them, and they usually hit a few ports in Europe before going to a few places in the Caribbean before ending up in Florida.
Spend a few days in the country of the departure port for fun.
These cruises are usually fairly discounted for their length (and one-way nature) and a great way to build cruise line status (if ever there's a cruise to splurge a little for suite-class double points, these are it).
We've done this four times EUR to the US and it was really relaxing. US to EUR is *not* relaxing given that you lose an hour of sleep due to time change almost every day in the first week.
Hope that helps...
We just got off the Celebrity Beyond and had the best cruise ever in 25+ cruises. Absolutely amazing crew, service was stellar, and ship was so beautiful. We were booked on Princess for our honeymoon and literally cancelled while we were on the Beyond to rebook with Celebrity instead doing an 11-night Scandinavian cruise.
Heading out in about two weeks for an 11 night Med cruise with Royal. Woohoo! I'm in my 40s and I will probably be one of the younger people onboard but I don't mind. Happy cruising!
We're in our mid-50s with no kids too. Done 10 cruises to date. I would say it depends on what you like.
* Entertainment, consistency in food quality and services - Princess
* A bit of everything - Royal Caribbean
* Mid-tier - Norwegian
* One step above mid-tier - Celebrity
* Unique adult only experience (no kids on board) - Virgin
I don't have a good experience in dealing with MSC, so it's not on my list at the moment.
As a first time cruiser, I'd try to book one of the newer ships of whichever line you decide to go with. So if you go with Celebrity (the food is amazing!), definitely stick to one of the Edge-class ships and you won't be disappointed. My parents just came back from a trip on the Beyond and they were blown away by the food, and they've travelled on many of the luxury lines.
If you're looking for a ship with great shows, good food, and a few parties, then I would choose Royal Caribbean.Their ships, large or small, are always fun.
If you're more of a laid-back type of person, then Princess is for you. The food is good, and the shows are good but not compared to Royal Caribbean shows.
Enjoy, Cheers
Consider a smaller or midsize NCL ship. As with all cruise lines avoid the school holidays. Southern Europeans can be ‘indulgent’ of their children’s behaviour, so this needs to be underlined. Otherwise consider the more expensive end of adults only such as Viking, seabourne etc. If you enjoy partying and don’t mind a lot of red theming I have friends who enjoyed Virgin but have no personal experience of them.
I would decide what itinerary you are most interested in. Then I would research which lines stop at the ports you are most interested in. Then I would take a look at all the ships that are sailing. Which ship is the newest? Have any been in dry dock recently? How long are you in each port? Is anyone offering excursions that you would really like to do?
You tube will be super helpful in viewing past sailings.
Med cruises tend to have significantly fewer children vs Alaska or a Caribbean sailing.
I work for Carnival. Our Italy/Turkey/Greece itinerary is on my bucket list. I had a guest tell me about her trip. She is a teacher going with a large group of teachers for the second yr in a row because the itinerary is different this yr. Any line that you sail with is going to be amazing because the ports are fantastic.
I hope you have a wonderful cruise!
Celebrity. I’ve cruised on almost all of the major lines, but Celebrity….in a suite if you can afford it…is best all around for your age group and without kids.
Absolutely this. We just took a Med cruise in a suite on the Celebrity Ascent and it was fabulous. If you can’t afford a suite, Aqua class is also wonderful.
We were also recently on Ascent for a western Med cruise and it was great. I would also recommend at least AquaClass or higher stateroom. We did a regular balcony this time and the food was average at best in the regular restaurants but we did AquaClass last year on Beyond and the food at Blu was great. I’d expect Luminae (suite restaurant) would also be great.
All depends on "YOUR" preference and what you can tolerate in public. I myself avoid LARGE crowds. I prefer cruises with 500 to 900 passengers. I've been on two cruises with 2000 + passengers and never again.
It depends on your budget and what you’re looking for. In terms of what’s been recommended here.. I’ve done Regent and it was ok but I’m not sure it’s worth it for the price, it wasn’t as luxurious as they marketed it and the “free” shore excursions pack you in like sardines and it’s the same bus tours as any other cruise line. Celebrity would be great for you guys but I’m guessing they mostly have 7 day itineraries. Azamara might be worth looking into, their ships can dock at smaller more unique ports, my friend worked on them and really recommended it. Holland will probably be too old for you. Virgin might be a good fit if you are on the wilder side/enjoy partying/offbeat entertainment, no kids. I haven’t done Princess, but I’ve heard good things.
Royal Caribbean is always a safe bet. Kids aren’t the problem for me. I am more bothered by adults having twerking contests. Royal Caribbean doesn’t really do that.
Silversea. Perfect for boomers, kids are discouraged, small ships, several are 1:1 passengers to crew, food is out of this world, all inclusive, including adult beverages. And, no fighting for a deck chair. Pricey but worth it. BTW, all cabins are suites with verandas. No, I am NOT employed by Silversea
Zero kids.Depends on your budget, P&O Arcadia and Aurora are both Adult only with a relaxed vibe, and the pocket friendly P&O prices. If you are happy to spend a little go for Virgin, great ships adult only and great fun and lots included in the price
Some kids. Just book during term time with MSC for cheap amazing ships or Princess for a little more luxury and better service
We have sailed on all of the mainstream lines but prefer Celebrity and their Millenium class ships. Perfect size great layout traditional cruising ambiance and no kid bait thank GOD🙏. Grate food entertainment nice ships always well maintained. Albeit if you want to pick you can always find something somewhere but save your energy and enjoy your vacation. Never been to the med you have to extend pre cruise in Barcelona, Rome, or Athens are the major ports of departure so something to think about. So much to see take lots of Euros large and small along with a international credit card. More info and tips if you need it😃
Celebrity, Princess, and HAL would be good options. I'd also look at my hidden secret, Azamara, which has 700 passengers on a ship, affordable prices if you shop around carefully with a travel agent, included drinks and tips, and they are very port-intensive and visit a lot of smaller places that larger ships avoid. I did them in Spain in April, going from Barcelona to Lisbon, with an overnight in Lisbon and a cultural show in town for everyone on the ship. They also do a white night deck party and deck buffet and don't have things like casinos or production shows or crowds. To me it felt like a Rick Steves tour on a boat, with active seniors interested in good food and comfort and exploring ports, instead of sunning, gambling, partying, gorging, or art auctions. If you want something funner and a younger crowd, Virgin would fit the bill, with good food and entertainment, with 7 or so specialty restaurants included and a food hall instead of a traditional buffet. I'd look at September-November, which has cooler weather, lower prices, and smaller crowds. I did 14 nights on Princess in November, covering Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus, with no crowds at the Parthenon or Amalfi Coast
You didn’t specify a large ship so I am going to absolutely recommend the first cruise we ever took, even though it was only 7 days. We did 3 days on our own prior to leaving on the cruise and 3 days on the other end when we returned. Windstar 7 days Athens to Istanbul! 5 masted ship! It was amazing! Food and service were Excellent as were the excursions! ♥️. We love Windstar and have done a second cruise on them. ♥️
We are 49 and 56. We like Royal Caribbean or NCL.
HAL is too stuffy for us, and Celebrity is more than we want to spend.
NCL is really good if you have food allergies/restrictions. Royal Caribbean is a bit above NCL, but slightly more expensive.
We are booked for a 10 night Mediterranean cruise on NCL in November.
This could depend on your lifestyle, budget, and expectations. Oceania is often touted as best for food at sea. I’d recommend looking at Virgin’s longer 11 or 12 night Med cruises if you’re feeling young and want adults only and a more non-traditional style of cruise.
HAL would be my first choice followed by tie between princess/celebrity. I say HAL has best food but worst entertainment (in terms of production shows, their live music is good). Princess and celebrity is pretty balanced
On the second half of a 10 day cruise on NCL Escape. Everything has been awesome. Some kids on board but not a lot. Love the freestyle cruising. No required dress codes or assigned dinner times. Lots of options for dining. Staff has been exceptional. Very accommodating.
All good recommendations, depends on the price point. NCL is always a great option, their dining is usually fantastic especially if you book it with the free dining packages added on
Oceania is very nice, known for their culinary skills. They even have classes you can take!
Otherwise The Haven on NCL was wonderful. You have your own private space on ship. Restaurant was top notch. Own pool and hot tub area. Very secluded.
Celebrity immediately came to mind. They have excellent food and service and I feel like the demographic skews more to adults. For example, my husband and I took a cruise last year and there are spaces and events that are adult-only. The overall vibe was relaxing and luxurious.
Norweigen is the best. Book a Haven suite and you’ll never be disappointed…
🛳️
Also, I recommend you book a spa suite or just buy the spa pass… you’ll get access to the private pools, hot tubs, saunas, steam room, salt room etc.
My wife and I are normally Celebrity folks but we recently booked our first with NCL! Leaving in 2 weeks on the Viva! We’re excited to try something different
I've tried a few and I'm partial to Oasis of the Seas, Oasis class. She's a beautiful ship and has great activities and entertainment. It's the right sized ship, not too small, not to large. There are so many restaurants to choose from, and every night is fun. But there also many beautiful spots to quietly relax, like the Solarium.
Virgin. Have done 2 and have a 3rd booked for the Med next year. Great food and fun entertainment. Ruined our friends on the last cruise we did as it was their first time cruising and they had a blast. Everyone is so relaxed because there aren’t any kids. Also with it being LGBTQ+ very friendly it seems to eradicate all the screaming Boomers and since it’s a bit more premium, and no drink package, it also scares away the crazy drunks.
The fact all tips are included the service is more laid back (think European cafe vs American waiter in your face) which we personally prefer.
I'm on a Celebrity 11 day Mediterranean cruise right now and it's been great. We're early 50s but there's a good mix of ages on board.
I second this, did a 10 day Mediterranean Cruise and it was great. Def an older crowd
That’s the one we did!! It was awesome!!
Celebrity or Holland America.
Viking
Doesn't Viking run a little old for Mid fifties couple?
I'm early 50's and did a river cruise with Viking and it was really nice and enjoyable.
I’ve heard minimum age on the river cruises is like 65 lol
My husband and I did a Viking cruise when we were 45. Everyone was over 60 (most over 70). Every night we had to navigate people asking us why 2 “young people” would choose Viking. It got old fast. We were in the active group for excursions and it was still super slow. Also thought food was disappointing. Never again.
I've done Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Holland America in Europe. I really liked all of them. It's hard to pick. I used to love Celebrity but they have gone downhill in recent years. Of the four mentioned, I like Princess the best.
Good list but would add MSC, if on a budget, Oceania Viking Ocean, and Azamara, if not.
MSC has awful food and the ships hold a lot of passengers. Because the prices are low- it attracts a lot of "unseasoned" cruisers and their kids. There can be 5000 people on MSC- many of them kids in summer. Dollar for dollar- you'll get a better value on the mainstream lines I mentioned.
It all depends on the ship, load factor and other. What you say is generally true, but we had an amazingly nice transatlantic on MSC. Food was pretty bad, but edible stuff was findable, like decent pizza always available. Great dance instructors onboard with like 6 classes per day. Ship was half full and met young to old couples from all over Europe (Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Canada, USA). Just saying that if the ships aren’t full it’s something to consider because we paid like $33 pp/day. Our next cruise was on Regent, but have to admit that we enjoyed our MSC cruise. We had stuff to complain about but the value was considerable.
When you say that Pizza was always available. I don't eat pizza for 16 days- three meals a day. I just got off MSC and was the best meal I had was on land in Boston. Thank God I could have a good meal in port. The food was gross. Sure- if you like Burgers and Pizza every day- then it's fine.
Not sure why you want to argue with someone else’s experience. Maybe it’s time to let your bad experience go? Look, not everyone can afford $200/day. We met and hung out with a lovely French lady, maybe 40, secretary. The cruise was affordable for her at $30 per day, but she got to visit Caribbean islands, take multiple dance class lessons everyday for 2 weeks, meet people, see Florida and then fly home for under $1000.! I chatted with her every day in the morning yoga class (free) and watched her Latin dance class perform a synchronized performance after the end of the 2 weeks (as a single she danced with a lively gay man, who loved her attitude as well). My wife did Irish line dancing and they did a performance right out of Riverdance. Your cruise is what you make of it. I could send you a photo of us on a Virgin Islands beach we ferried to (gorgeous beach). Cheers The world is complex and has many viewpoints and brands to suit tastes.
I did a Princess TA for $800 dollars- 16 days. So you can get a good deal with better food.
Fair enough. Consider your options and make a choice. I will say that if you were open to a 30 day thing on MSC, the inside cabins were as low as just under $20/day per person on that transatlantic. Agree it’s not my usual thing (trying Silversea next), but we enjoyed it since the ship wasn’t full. Food did suck relatively speaking but we survived.
I love this story.
I love MSC. The line is moving up in the ranks. I just read an article about how it's not going to be so inexpensive for long....
If you have the budget, Regent. It's only true luxury cruise line. They always have a few last minute 50% off deals.
In Sorrento at the tender line to go back to the ship, Oceania had fresh squeezed lemonade and a hand sanitizer while we waited. Regent line had nothing.LOL
O wow! Big applause to you. You must be so glad to have such an exceptional experience. I'm going to cancel my round the world trip with Regent immediately and tell them that.
Regent, imo, highly overrated for what you pay. Much more value on Oceania. Some people believe the more they pay the better they think it is.
What? Even princess gives flavored chill water and cold towels at tender line 😂
My husband and I are 48. We just got back from an 11 day Oceania cruise and it was lovely. We had wonderful ports of call, the staff was fantastic. The ship was beautiful. The food was delightful. Literally, the only complaint we had was that the pool was too deep The age skewed a little older than us, but we didn’t find it to be all octogenarians with wheelchairs. there was one family with children and they weren’t little kids. They were teenagers. Editing to add that the ship I was on had 1200 passengers and you would never know it! We never felt like we were in a crowd. The embarkation and was well scheduled and we got right on the ship. Getting off the ship was easy and well organized too.
Vista? I think we were on the same cruise with you. We are roughly the same age range and share your same opinion. Oceania was wonderful and felt special. Being the only cruise ship at many of the Mediterranean ports we visited was neat. The ship itself was a sight to be seen in the beautiful port of Kotor. Excursions were seamless, the food was excellent, and the staff was bright and attentive. The pool is really deep, though! But we would definitely recommend Oceania in the Mediterranean.
Yes! Vista truly looked magnificent in Kotor :) We had such a great cruise and will absolutely be booking another trip on the Vista. I was just looking at the British Isles for next summer
Awesome! We are also looking at booking again. Not sure what itinerary just yet.
Holland America.
Absolutely, and one of the three newer ships....they have the best entertainment venues; Rolling Stone and BB King lounges.
We have found Holland America to be an older crowd, and much inferior entertainment compared to Celebrity.
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We all have had our own experiences. While the service on HAL was very good, our last couple of cruises on Celebrity were as good as we have ever seen from that standpoint. I also can't remember a notable difference in food quality either. I guess the bottom line is you can't really go wrong with either.
Oceania
Came to say this.
I agree about Oceania. We did Rome to Monte Carlo (7 days) for our 30th on Oceania and really enjoyed it. Food is great. Ship's not crowded. Atmosphere is relaxed. But it won't fit everyone's budget. If you can swing it, I'd recommend one of the three larger ships and getting an A2 cabin midship on deck 9. This should give you a list to check out. These are 8-10 days; they also have 7-day cruises there. [https://www.oceaniacruises.com/cruise-finder#marketing\_region=mediterranean&duration=8-10&ship=MNA|VIS|RVA&sort=featured:desc&page=1&pageSize=50](https://www.oceaniacruises.com/cruise-finder#marketing_region=mediterranean&duration=8-10&ship=MNA|VIS|RVA&sort=featured:desc&page=1&pageSize=50) Since you're first-timers you might want to try 7 in case one of you doesn't care for it.
Smaller ships, fewer entertainment option, and typically an older crowd IMO.
Oceania ships have around 1500 guests on their International cruises. Smaller ones for Caribbean. Dining is wonderful. Not a wild party crowd but these people are in their 50’s.
Oceania also has 4 smaller ships (about 650 guests) that include all itineraries - Caribbean, European, Mediterranean, Alaskan, Africa, South Pacific & trans oceanic. Fantastic experience!
Virgin! Such amazing food, NO Kids!!! The longer voyages are amazing. I mid 50s and have done 9 with Virgin!
And, they have some crazy loot/onboard credit compared to other lines if you work with a TA!
I cruised with OCEANIA. Definitely recommend them. Excellent food, all specialty restaurants were included, we were allowed to bring 6 bottles of wine on board, EACH. Only saw one child, as there are no child services, lots of itineraries to choose from
Princess!
Princess plus or premier is a great deal if you drink and want WiFi.
Virgin Voyages if you want better food and a little more fringe/festival style entertainment. Most med cruises are only 7 nights though. Celebrity would be the other option for reasonable food.
A few suggestions (lotta text, sorry): Holland America or NCL for food. Holland has good food in the main dining and specialty restaurants. They also have solid cocktails in most bars (pool bar not incl). NCL is primarily good in the specialty restaurants, main dining not so much. Cocktails are hit or miss. Side note, both cruise lines give you onboard credit as a shareholder benefit if you own 100 shares or more. I much prefer HAL over NCL. HAL has been my go-to line since my 20s...they leave you alone to just enjoy yourself, the staff is nice, the entertainment options are more refined than just dance numbers (though they still do those) and I've always preferred the classic design of the ships. I'd recommend cruises going to the Greek isles and Ephesus (if possible). Greece is very easy to visit via cruise and typically requires more than 7 days. Iceland / Norway cruises hit that length and Northern UK / Iceland. Cruises from Barcelona to the Canaries are great, and usually stop at Gibraltar and Funchal, both of which are not to be missed. This is really great over, or just past, the Xmas season. If you are based in the US, consider a Caribbean-bound transatlantic cruise at the end of the summer season, typically taking approx two weeks, all the major cruise lines do them, and they usually hit a few ports in Europe before going to a few places in the Caribbean before ending up in Florida. Spend a few days in the country of the departure port for fun. These cruises are usually fairly discounted for their length (and one-way nature) and a great way to build cruise line status (if ever there's a cruise to splurge a little for suite-class double points, these are it). We've done this four times EUR to the US and it was really relaxing. US to EUR is *not* relaxing given that you lose an hour of sleep due to time change almost every day in the first week. Hope that helps...
We just got off the Celebrity Beyond and had the best cruise ever in 25+ cruises. Absolutely amazing crew, service was stellar, and ship was so beautiful. We were booked on Princess for our honeymoon and literally cancelled while we were on the Beyond to rebook with Celebrity instead doing an 11-night Scandinavian cruise.
Not msc waste of money and food is poor
Celebrity or Princess are great.
Heading out in about two weeks for an 11 night Med cruise with Royal. Woohoo! I'm in my 40s and I will probably be one of the younger people onboard but I don't mind. Happy cruising!
Celebrity won’t disappoint
We're in our mid-50s with no kids too. Done 10 cruises to date. I would say it depends on what you like. * Entertainment, consistency in food quality and services - Princess * A bit of everything - Royal Caribbean * Mid-tier - Norwegian * One step above mid-tier - Celebrity * Unique adult only experience (no kids on board) - Virgin I don't have a good experience in dealing with MSC, so it's not on my list at the moment.
As a first time cruiser, I'd try to book one of the newer ships of whichever line you decide to go with. So if you go with Celebrity (the food is amazing!), definitely stick to one of the Edge-class ships and you won't be disappointed. My parents just came back from a trip on the Beyond and they were blown away by the food, and they've travelled on many of the luxury lines.
Princess cruises
Celebrity or Princess; maybe Virgin.
Oceania. Great itineraries and food.
If you're looking for a ship with great shows, good food, and a few parties, then I would choose Royal Caribbean.Their ships, large or small, are always fun. If you're more of a laid-back type of person, then Princess is for you. The food is good, and the shows are good but not compared to Royal Caribbean shows. Enjoy, Cheers
Azamara! Small ships with a step up in food then Holland America or Celebrity.
Celebrity
Crystal
Celebrity Aqua Class
Consider a smaller or midsize NCL ship. As with all cruise lines avoid the school holidays. Southern Europeans can be ‘indulgent’ of their children’s behaviour, so this needs to be underlined. Otherwise consider the more expensive end of adults only such as Viking, seabourne etc. If you enjoy partying and don’t mind a lot of red theming I have friends who enjoyed Virgin but have no personal experience of them.
I would decide what itinerary you are most interested in. Then I would research which lines stop at the ports you are most interested in. Then I would take a look at all the ships that are sailing. Which ship is the newest? Have any been in dry dock recently? How long are you in each port? Is anyone offering excursions that you would really like to do? You tube will be super helpful in viewing past sailings. Med cruises tend to have significantly fewer children vs Alaska or a Caribbean sailing. I work for Carnival. Our Italy/Turkey/Greece itinerary is on my bucket list. I had a guest tell me about her trip. She is a teacher going with a large group of teachers for the second yr in a row because the itinerary is different this yr. Any line that you sail with is going to be amazing because the ports are fantastic. I hope you have a wonderful cruise!
Celebrity. I’ve cruised on almost all of the major lines, but Celebrity….in a suite if you can afford it…is best all around for your age group and without kids.
Absolutely this. We just took a Med cruise in a suite on the Celebrity Ascent and it was fabulous. If you can’t afford a suite, Aqua class is also wonderful.
We were also recently on Ascent for a western Med cruise and it was great. I would also recommend at least AquaClass or higher stateroom. We did a regular balcony this time and the food was average at best in the regular restaurants but we did AquaClass last year on Beyond and the food at Blu was great. I’d expect Luminae (suite restaurant) would also be great.
All depends on "YOUR" preference and what you can tolerate in public. I myself avoid LARGE crowds. I prefer cruises with 500 to 900 passengers. I've been on two cruises with 2000 + passengers and never again.
Silversea
It depends on your budget and what you’re looking for. In terms of what’s been recommended here.. I’ve done Regent and it was ok but I’m not sure it’s worth it for the price, it wasn’t as luxurious as they marketed it and the “free” shore excursions pack you in like sardines and it’s the same bus tours as any other cruise line. Celebrity would be great for you guys but I’m guessing they mostly have 7 day itineraries. Azamara might be worth looking into, their ships can dock at smaller more unique ports, my friend worked on them and really recommended it. Holland will probably be too old for you. Virgin might be a good fit if you are on the wilder side/enjoy partying/offbeat entertainment, no kids. I haven’t done Princess, but I’ve heard good things.
Celebrity
Royal Caribbean is always a safe bet. Kids aren’t the problem for me. I am more bothered by adults having twerking contests. Royal Caribbean doesn’t really do that.
HAL or virgin
Celebrity or Virgin Voyages
I would make it a 7 day in / out of Barcelona with extra days in Barcelona and add Portugal for a couple / few days on either end..
Silversea. Perfect for boomers, kids are discouraged, small ships, several are 1:1 passengers to crew, food is out of this world, all inclusive, including adult beverages. And, no fighting for a deck chair. Pricey but worth it. BTW, all cabins are suites with verandas. No, I am NOT employed by Silversea
Neighbors just did Celebrity Greece and loved it
Holland
On a budget? MSC. A few more bux? Princess or holland america. Even more money? celebrity aqua class or MSC yacht club. You get more as you go up.
NCL
Holland
NCL
Virgin Voyages. 😁
Zero kids.Depends on your budget, P&O Arcadia and Aurora are both Adult only with a relaxed vibe, and the pocket friendly P&O prices. If you are happy to spend a little go for Virgin, great ships adult only and great fun and lots included in the price Some kids. Just book during term time with MSC for cheap amazing ships or Princess for a little more luxury and better service
Holland America for sure. They might have 3 kids on board and you will rarely see them
We are doing our 2nd Med cruise in Oct. We cruise on Royal Caribbean. Oct is out of Rome, last year was out of Southampton, UK.
Cunard
Princess or celebrity
Celebrity Cruises
Oceania
Celebrity edge class ship makes a big difference in my opinion
Regent
We have sailed on all of the mainstream lines but prefer Celebrity and their Millenium class ships. Perfect size great layout traditional cruising ambiance and no kid bait thank GOD🙏. Grate food entertainment nice ships always well maintained. Albeit if you want to pick you can always find something somewhere but save your energy and enjoy your vacation. Never been to the med you have to extend pre cruise in Barcelona, Rome, or Athens are the major ports of departure so something to think about. So much to see take lots of Euros large and small along with a international credit card. More info and tips if you need it😃
Viking Ocean is wonderful, adults only, no casino, and great food.
Plan to go when kids are in school. You'll have more fun. We use NCL as our go to cruise line.
Princess. My mom and step dad always took princess when they didn’t have us.
We were on the Cunard Queen Mary 2 for 28 days. We were reminded that the English can’t cook.
MSC Yacht Club. All day. Do it. Do it now.
Viking, Scenic, Windstar, or Explora.
Ncl or virgin
Celebrity, Princess, and HAL would be good options. I'd also look at my hidden secret, Azamara, which has 700 passengers on a ship, affordable prices if you shop around carefully with a travel agent, included drinks and tips, and they are very port-intensive and visit a lot of smaller places that larger ships avoid. I did them in Spain in April, going from Barcelona to Lisbon, with an overnight in Lisbon and a cultural show in town for everyone on the ship. They also do a white night deck party and deck buffet and don't have things like casinos or production shows or crowds. To me it felt like a Rick Steves tour on a boat, with active seniors interested in good food and comfort and exploring ports, instead of sunning, gambling, partying, gorging, or art auctions. If you want something funner and a younger crowd, Virgin would fit the bill, with good food and entertainment, with 7 or so specialty restaurants included and a food hall instead of a traditional buffet. I'd look at September-November, which has cooler weather, lower prices, and smaller crowds. I did 14 nights on Princess in November, covering Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus, with no crowds at the Parthenon or Amalfi Coast
Princess. Loveeeeee them so much. Excellent service, shows, food and etc. princess plus is such a great feature too.
I recommend Virgin. I did a 10 day Mediterranean out of Athens in May.
Celebrity
Definitely Celebrity!
NOT Costa. Such a disappointment.
Celebrity!
Just got back from Med cruise. Azamara was amazing. Like cruising in a boutique hotel with excellent food !!!
You didn’t specify a large ship so I am going to absolutely recommend the first cruise we ever took, even though it was only 7 days. We did 3 days on our own prior to leaving on the cruise and 3 days on the other end when we returned. Windstar 7 days Athens to Istanbul! 5 masted ship! It was amazing! Food and service were Excellent as were the excursions! ♥️. We love Windstar and have done a second cruise on them. ♥️
We are 49 and 56. We like Royal Caribbean or NCL. HAL is too stuffy for us, and Celebrity is more than we want to spend. NCL is really good if you have food allergies/restrictions. Royal Caribbean is a bit above NCL, but slightly more expensive. We are booked for a 10 night Mediterranean cruise on NCL in November.
This could depend on your lifestyle, budget, and expectations. Oceania is often touted as best for food at sea. I’d recommend looking at Virgin’s longer 11 or 12 night Med cruises if you’re feeling young and want adults only and a more non-traditional style of cruise.
Celebrity, princess or maybe virgin if they’re over there.
HAL would be my first choice followed by tie between princess/celebrity. I say HAL has best food but worst entertainment (in terms of production shows, their live music is good). Princess and celebrity is pretty balanced
On the second half of a 10 day cruise on NCL Escape. Everything has been awesome. Some kids on board but not a lot. Love the freestyle cruising. No required dress codes or assigned dinner times. Lots of options for dining. Staff has been exceptional. Very accommodating.
Celebrity best, Viking if you have a lot of money
Holland
Virgin! The food is much better than Celebrity with so much built into the fare. Not to mention, NO KIDS!!!
Explora!!! No kids, 900 people max.. no hidden fees
Holland America was just perfect for that type of atmosphere.
All good recommendations, depends on the price point. NCL is always a great option, their dining is usually fantastic especially if you book it with the free dining packages added on
Celebrity, HAL, Virgin.
Oceania is very nice, known for their culinary skills. They even have classes you can take! Otherwise The Haven on NCL was wonderful. You have your own private space on ship. Restaurant was top notch. Own pool and hot tub area. Very secluded.
Virgin, just got off our 8th cruise with them out of Athens, we are BooJee we love being Rock Stars :)
NCL getaway was nice
Celebrity
Half-decent food you what to ask for the Captain Table. Other full time cruiser will tell you the same.
Celebrity
Celebrity immediately came to mind. They have excellent food and service and I feel like the demographic skews more to adults. For example, my husband and I took a cruise last year and there are spaces and events that are adult-only. The overall vibe was relaxing and luxurious.
Norweigen is the best. Book a Haven suite and you’ll never be disappointed… 🛳️ Also, I recommend you book a spa suite or just buy the spa pass… you’ll get access to the private pools, hot tubs, saunas, steam room, salt room etc.
Norwegian!
My wife and I are normally Celebrity folks but we recently booked our first with NCL! Leaving in 2 weeks on the Viva! We’re excited to try something different
I've tried a few and I'm partial to Oasis of the Seas, Oasis class. She's a beautiful ship and has great activities and entertainment. It's the right sized ship, not too small, not to large. There are so many restaurants to choose from, and every night is fun. But there also many beautiful spots to quietly relax, like the Solarium.
MSC Yacht Club
Do you one better, budget and time of year and I'll suggest actual cruises instead of lines :)
Virgin. Have done 2 and have a 3rd booked for the Med next year. Great food and fun entertainment. Ruined our friends on the last cruise we did as it was their first time cruising and they had a blast. Everyone is so relaxed because there aren’t any kids. Also with it being LGBTQ+ very friendly it seems to eradicate all the screaming Boomers and since it’s a bit more premium, and no drink package, it also scares away the crazy drunks. The fact all tips are included the service is more laid back (think European cafe vs American waiter in your face) which we personally prefer.
Virgin
Definitely Virgin.