Help an overwhelmed mom choose a 2027 Mediterranean Cruise

[Anonymous]

I know I’m planning WAY in advance, but I’m a single mom turning 50 in 2027, and I’ve always wanted to take a Mediterranean cruise. My girls will be 13 and 14 at the time, and Celebrity feels like the right line for us. I’ve checked out some cruise forums, but I’m open to any and all thoughts! Here are the three options I’m considering:

1. Italy–Greece–Croatia (10 nights) on Celebrity Ascent - July
https://www.celebritycruises.com/itinerary/10-night-italy-greece-croatia-from-rome-civitavecchia-on-ascent-AT10M397?packageCode=AT10M397&sailDate=2027-07-16
Roundtrip from Rome. Newer ship, but 10 nights might be too long for my kids.

2. Greek Isles & Malta (7 nights) on Celebrity Xcel - June
https://www.celebritycruises.com/itinerary/7-night-greek-isles-malta-from-barcelona-on-xcel-XC07U252?groupId=XC07BCN-1090890497&country=USA&packageCode=XC07U252&sailDate=2027-06-19
Barcelona > Athens. Brand-new ship with a chill, beachy vibe, but less of an “exciting” itinerary.

3. Italian Riviera, France & Spain (9 nights) on Celebrity Equinox - July
https://www.celebritycruises.com/itinerary/9-night-italian-riviera-france-spain-from-rome-civitavecchia-on-equinox-EQ09M334?groupId=EQ09ROM-1710631289&country=USA&packageCode=EQ09M334&sailDate=2027-07-06
Rome > Barcelona. Older ship, but I love the itinerary and the opportunity for a one-way cruise.

Thanks for reading!

[Anonymous]

I would go with the itinerary you prefer. Your daughters will remember the places they’ve seen more than the furnishings on the ship.

Also, sometimes fares are higher on the newest ships so you might be able to get a larger room on an older ship.

[Anonymous]

I am a single mom who just turned 50 and I'm so excited you are doing this! I'd also choose your favorite. Unless you travel a ton with your kids, I think they'd love any of them.

[Anonymous]

Look carefully at those itineraries. Mediterranean schedules are notorious for having the cruise terminal and the interesting sights far, far apart. Your “Rome” port is an hour away from the city. Ditto your “Florence” port. “Nice” is half an hour. Combine that with the limited time in many of those places and you will be racing to do one thing before heading back to the ship (because it may take you a while to disembark, and you have to be on board at least an hour before departure).

If you’re set on a cruise, look into the Caribbean itineraries because all the lines do them well. And there will be more kids in the teen club.

If you’re set on Europe, consider doing a land tour or DIY your schedule to visit 2-3 cities (depending on time and location).

Or talk with yourself and your kids about what you’re hoping to get out of this trip, to make sure your expectations line up with what the trip can deliver. You deserve to have an amazing time!

[Anonymous]

With the huge caveat that I’ve never done a Med cruise but have researched it a bunch….

From those options I would like the first one best. Those are all good ports although as PP said, Rome is not really Rome and it will be a long slog excursion to get to Rome from there. But you’re ending there so can easily add on a hotel for a day or row to see Rome. But Naples is cool and you can easily do Pompeii from there. From Messina you can easily do mt etna or Taormina. The Croatian stops all look cool and have a mix of medieval stuff and active stuff.

I would not want a very Greek heavy tour because it will be so hot and crowded in summer.

And Barcelona has had a lot of protests against cruise ships so who knows what will happen by 2027.

Another option is to look at costa lines which is an Italian cruise line. I did a lot of research and they had some really good itineraries and the basic cruise line food looked much better (it’s not fancy but not fancy like the luxury lines but not fancy Italian is actually much better than non fancy American in my opinion.)

[Anonymous]

We did a European cruise this summer with a teenager and there were tons of kids on board their age to hang with during the sea days.

I say go with the itinerary you like and you can figure out the ports. The cruise lines offer some great tours and you can do it yourself. All of these look amazing and will be a family trip to remember for you and your girls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did a European cruise this summer with a teenager and there were tons of kids on board their age to hang with during the sea days.

I say go with the itinerary you like and you can figure out the ports. The cruise lines offer some great tours and you can do it yourself. All of these look amazing and will be a family trip to remember for you and your girls.

Ooh Thanks! Do you mind sharing what cruise line and itinerary you took?

[Anonymous]

I love the Greek isles, but I don't think that cruise would be as interesting for teens. I think the other cruise itineraries would offer a better mix of beaches, cultural sites, and activities. Also I just didn't care for Athens - the Acropolis is interesting, but as a city, Athens left a lot to be desired, especially as a final destination. I don't know your teens' interests, but I think they would have more fun with itinerary 1 or 3, which includes other major cities + beaches and a chance to see Pompeii.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look carefully at those itineraries. Mediterranean schedules are notorious for having the cruise terminal and the interesting sights far, far apart. Your “Rome” port is an hour away from the city. Ditto your “Florence” port. “Nice” is half an hour. Combine that with the limited time in many of those places and you will be racing to do one thing before heading back to the ship (because it may take you a while to disembark, and you have to be on board at least an hour before departure).

If you’re set on a cruise, look into the Caribbean itineraries because all the lines do them well. And there will be more kids in the teen club.

If you’re set on Europe, consider doing a land tour or DIY your schedule to visit 2-3 cities (depending on time and location).

Or talk with yourself and your kids about what you’re hoping to get out of this trip, to make sure your expectations line up with what the trip can deliver. You deserve to have an amazing time!

We took our four kids on a Mediterranean cruise and it was fine. Yes, your time in the different ports will be short, but this is just a taste. If you can afford it, hire a driver to pick you up at the ports and take you to Florence or Rome. You will see much more than on one of the ship's excursions, which move at a slow pace because of the group. We did much more than "just one thing" in these cities. You can also start or end your time in Europe in one of the locations that you are interested in. I would try to avoid Greece in July. Don't listen to the above poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the Greek isles, but I don't think that cruise would be as interesting for teens. I think the other cruise itineraries would offer a better mix of beaches, cultural sites, and activities. Also I just didn't care for Athens - the Acropolis is interesting, but as a city, Athens left a lot to be desired, especially as a final destination. I don't know your teens' interests, but I think they would have more fun with itinerary 1 or 3, which includes other major cities + beaches and a chance to see Pompeii.

I don't agree with this... but you can't go wrong with either Greece or Italy, as long as the weather is OK. Lots of fun activities in Athens, especially if you spend just a little time learning the Greek myths, etc. and do some investigation of cultural opportunities. The same would be true in Italy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love the Greek isles, but I don't think that cruise would be as interesting for teens. I think the other cruise itineraries would offer a better mix of beaches, cultural sites, and activities. Also I just didn't care for Athens - the Acropolis is interesting, but as a city, Athens left a lot to be desired, especially as a final destination. I don't know your teens' interests, but I think they would have more fun with itinerary 1 or 3, which includes other major cities + beaches and a chance to see Pompeii.

I don't agree with this... but you can't go wrong with either Greece or Italy, as long as the weather is OK. Lots of fun activities in Athens, especially if you spend just a little time learning the Greek myths, etc. and do some investigation of cultural opportunities. The same would be true in Italy.

Such as? In my experience, the best parts of Greece are outside of Athens. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

We had so much fun on an 11 night Med cruise on Celebrity Constellation last summer that we are taking another one.

Remember: the bigger the ship, the bigger the crowds/lines.

You’ll have a blast!

Join some FB groups specific to the ships you are considering and you’ll get the best info there from people who have recently done the same itinerary or ports.

[Anonymous]

I would go on the first one. It won't be too long!

[Anonymous]

We’ve done Mediterranean cruises and 1st one is the best itinerary for ports, variety, and with kids.

Agree that Greece will be way too crowded in summer. Better off season like late spring or September.

[Anonymous]

I enjoy cruising but have avoided the Med cruises because of the distance from the ports to the sights you want to see. Obviously it doesn’t bother some people like PPs but make sure you really understand what you are getting into, especially if you haven’t cruised much.