I have been on tons of cruises but only in the caribbean, alaska, bahamas, etc. This will be my first cruise in the Med: Rome, Messina, Piraeus, Kusadasi and Crete. I am interested to know if the menus are different, if attire is different and if anything else would be different.

I've been on a couple of med cruises, one in Jan 2010, and another in Jan 2012. The biggest difference will be you cruise-mates. The number of Americans will be less than what you find in the carib. The announcements will be in several languages, and some of the entertainment may be also. Some of their customs may not be what you expect in as much a making lines and entering and exiting elevators for instance. The men's swimwear sometimes can be

Food seems to be pretty standard cruise fare on board, but quite a bit better in the ports. Have fun!

what ship/line?

the cities are much more interesting in the med....carib is same old for the most part....

This depends a whole lot on the line and ship.

I have done four cruises in that region, all with US based lines. Did not see any difference in menus there or to South America.


need good walking shoes and if there is difficulty in climbing walking, them a walking stick is advisable. $20 at Walgreens.

Royal Caribbean Cruiselines Navigator of the Seas: sailing from Civitaveccia on June 3, 2012. Thanks all. Excited to go.

TacaCopaFlyer is spot on. I also notice a lot more smokers on board. RCI's menu is standard fleet-wide. Have a great time!

Have fun. I would be excited too.

I'd say between $1500 and $2000 in airfare just to start with.

Part of the excitement of cruising in the Med are the different countries. Lots of ancient history and current buzz.

Check out the March CondeNast Traveler re visiting ports: self exploration or a pro itinerary (driver & guide) set up.

Having been fortunate enough to read flyertalk for the last 12 years, I did not pay for my airline tickets. Two award tickets on non stop flights JFK/FCO on AA.
It's what I've learned here on these boards that has allowed me to take various grandchildren on trips. Took my grandson to Israel prior to his Bar Mitzvah 3 years ago.
I have done much research already on the historical sites and have tons of paperwork printed out on how to get from port to city (Athens and Taormina) by train as well as tons of other info thanks to www.cruisecritic.com

Next year I will probably take my other granddaughter to Hawaii for her pre-Bar Mitzvah trip with free air AND free hote (AA/SPG). This is why I love this website.

We did a 12-day Med cruise on the RCCL Brilliance. The primary difference I noted was how TIRED we were in the evenings. The Med cruises are port intensive, and since we were pretty active in every port, we had little energy for much of anything else in the evenings - aside from dinner. We did manage the usual game shows, but in general, evenings were much more low-key activity-wise. Food was basically the same. Dress code was about what you'd expect, although in general, I think people aren't as focused on formal night as they once were. Our fellow passengers were a very friendly and nice mix or people from all over.

This was probably our favorite cruise. Can't wait to do it again, with a different itinerary next time and possibly with Celebrity. You'll have an amazing trip!