seabourn etc still do no supplement?

i paid 8% in 2006, had heard they had stopped going that low

depends whether kid/family wants disney or expedition cruise

Did you hear about Hapag-Lloyd?

MS Europa and MS Europa II are top-rated by Berlitz. Europa II is more casual.
hl-cruises.com

Susposedly a great line with superior professional and cruiser reviews. If there is an issue it's that non-German speaking passengers may have some trouble or feel out of place. Certainly the crew is accommodating and many speak better English than German but then again all announcements are in German and all tours are in German. Interesting that it's not all-inclusive which I kind of look for in a full luxury line especially at the fares charged in the case of Europa/Europa II.

wow. Europa stopped doing "international cruises" (english) now that there is Europa 2

also not seeing Europa's annual 1-2 night michelin chef hamburg event at the moment

Europa is on this season's Mighty Cruise Ships - we watched it last week. I had ordered the brochure a few weeks back - only Europa 2 (from the US website) or expedition ships was available.

I too am dismayed that, at their per diems, they don't provide any alcohol.

You could say - if you're going to pay $10,000 for a cruise, you can spend $200 more for alcohol. I say - if I'm going to pay $10,000 for a cruise, why can't you throw in $200 worth of alcohol:p

The cabin sizes (on europa 2) look really nice! The smallest is 350sf I think? So, add it to the "when I have more money" list ^

Had you asked me that six months ago, I would have totally agreed. One likes the feeling of all-inclusive. However, now that I developed a medical condition that is incompatible with drinking, I really appreciate not having to subsidize drinkers :)

Perhaps a middle-ground is a flat-rate upcharge for those who drink?

Eh, I don't like a lot of the all-inclusive lines that include excursions (Viking, Regent, river cruising in general) because I prefer DIY. Just means I choose a different line. I understand the argument, but the principle remains - the luxury lines are charging a LOT of money - why do some include alcohol and others not? Wouldn't it wash out somehow, given overall cost and what each cruisers takes advantage of per trip?

[I do spreadsheets for potential trips - and alcohol is one of the categories I track - whether it's included in my per diem cost or I add it in by estimating independent bar charges or the company offers a drinks package. I like to compare apples to apples as much as possible...]

They have to set the price-point somewhere, typically that their models predict maximum profit. There is no such thing as it "washing out somewhere."

Some lines' models include alcohol and some don't. Some lines include excursions/tipping/etc, and some don't. The more all-inclusive, the more the aura of getting "free stuff" and not being hassled for the key card at every stop. :)

While we don't particularly care for all-inclusive lines that also include shore tours we do really like not being "hassled" for our key card while in the ship. Luckily neither of us has developed any kind of medical issue that prohibits or limits our alcohol consumption so a few cocktails before dinner, wine with dinner, and a good after dinner cognac or brandy is nice. But it's not just about alcohol but things like specialty coffees to simple bottled water. Once you get used to it and then try a regular non all-inclusive you really feel like you're getting nickeled and dimed to death.

My wife and I are 53, no kids, and want to take a 7-8 day luxury cruise in the Mediterranean next summer.

Cruise History:
Queen Elizabeth II Cruise (Very formal, prefer casual)
Alaska Silver Sea (Food was disappointing but liked small size ship)
Amawaterway Rhine River cruise (Okay overall).

Travel History:
We have been to Venice.
We have never been to Rome so that is a mandatory stop on the front or back end.

Critical Factors:
Money isn't an issue
We really want good food.

Regarding destinations, we can either go East or West from Rome. If we go West, then we could theoretically go as far as Barcelona. Going East to Greece and Croatia sounds interesting but I am a little concerned about the suffering economy (Greece) and totally unfamiliar with Croatia.

Questions:

1) Any feedback on the Eastern itineraries which include Greece & Croatia? Where would you suggest we go (East or West from Rom)?

2) What is the best cruise line for food in the Mediterranean?

3) What time of year would you go?

Thanks in advance.

seadream.com/voyages
rome to venice
athens to rome
athens to venice

regent is different from small(er) expedition (zodiacs) cruise

Having gone on six cruises (72 days) in the Med in the past four years I'd vote for embarking or disembark in either Rome, Venice, or Athens and look for eastern itineraries. We liked Barcelona and would visit there again but the ports between there and Rome are not as interesting to us as the eastern itineraries many of which are fantastic. We've cruised the Med in March, May, and June. I'd recommend May as March was a little cool and June was a little more crowded. Food is subjective and we've been pleased with Silversea while others will recommend Seabourn or Regent for food.

I would look for itineraries that stop in Kusadasi. This was the highlight of my Med cruise a few years ago.

Agree 100%

We really enjoyed our Venice to Rome trip. We went from Venice back and forth down the Adriatic, and circled back to Rome. We had some of the best food in Split (Bajamonti) and a must-do in Malta is Tartarun Seafood Restarurant in Marsaxlokk. (After emailing Tartarun, they had a driver meet us at the ship and transport us to the restaurant, where we feasted. The driver then gave us a bit of a tour before bringing us back to the ship. Fantastic!)

Your choice of where to start and end is best decided on where do you want to spend your jet-lag recovery time and how your flights arrange themselves most efficiently/economically.

Don't know what is the best cruise line food, but we really enjoy Seabourn's food. Not perfect, but nothing on a ship is.

Time of year: Don't do it in the Summer, which can be oppressively hot.

Boy Voyage.

PS: If you decide on Seabourn, and are first-time Seabourn cruisers, PM me and I can get you a $400 OBC as a newbie.