Mediterranean Cruise Expert

Small ship cruise in Santorini

The secret to picking the right Mediterranean cruise is in truly knowing the various ports, what they offer, and how far they are from the places you wish to visit, given the allotted time you have to visit those places.  Because of this, it is absolutely essential that you are planning with someone that knows all of these things inside and out.

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises

Most people looking for popular Med cruises will find the best with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, and I am an absolute expert with regard to these cruises, especially in Europe.

Having lived for YEARS all over Europe makes the difference!

Michael lives in Europe roughly six months per year, and Maggie lives there full-time. We have traveled the vast majority of the continent extensively.  We know the ins and outs of just about anywhere you will go.

Western Mediterranean

Suppose your Mediterranean cruise goes to Rome, and you want to see the Colosseum and the Vatican.  What day of week will your cruise be there, because that matters.  What time will it leave?  Because the port for Rome is over an hour from Rome itself, and that assumes no traffic.  Add that the colosseum and the Vatican are in different parts of the city, how do you get from one to the other?

You can rely on the excursions the cruise sells, but in order for them to do what they do, they have to rush you like mad in huge busloads of people.  Is that what you want?

We can tell you the best way to actually experience these things with the least amount of travel time in traffic, and the fewest crowds possible, which will vary based on time of year, time of day and day of week.  Depending on all of these factors, I will have a different way of arranging your day.

Or perhaps you are not looking to do Rome, and want to hike to some hidden Etruscan ruins where you will not find a soul?  Or you want to go to a breathtaking villa in the rolling hills and do an Italian cooking class, while learning to make ricotta cheese from a local shepherd?  Or perhaps you prefer to have a wonderful lunch at a small, family run winery and olive oil mill in the hills of Umbria?  Those ruins are just a few miles from my home.  That villa is my home, and that winery and olive oil mill are dear friends of mine.  The list is endless.

Consider Florence: All of the cruises that claim “Florence” as a stop are actually stopping in the ports of La Spezia or Livorno.  Both are far from the city, and all of the same conditions, variables, etc. come into play there.

Naples, Barcelona, Marseille, Cartagena, Alicante, Lisbon, Porto, Mallorca, Sicily, Amalfi, and on and on… each of these places have their complications that require someone that has true expertise.

Eastern Mediterranean

Suppose you are on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise that Stops in Santorini, Greece.  Yes, it is beautiful!  But you are going to stop in Thera, and this is likely not where you will want to be.  Just about every picture of Santorini you have seen was taken in Oia.  Depending on the time of year and day of week, there are certain times to make sure you are in certain places.  Furthermore, do you want to eat at a touristy place with a view, or do you want the best and authentic greek food on the island?  I’ll give you those options from personal experience and friends that actually live there.  Most want to see the sunset, and there is a certain place where it is best viewed.  But what is the best way to get back to the ship in time?  This is the kind of detail I deal with.

Perhaps your Eastern Mediterranean cruise stops in Kusadasi, which is close to Ephesus.  Naturally there will be no shortage of cruise excursions that go there, but how about making sure you are visiting at the best time of day with few crowds, and a lunch in a wonderful non touristy Turkish cafe, followed by a visit to the House of Virgin Mary before returning to the ship?

Starting and Ending at Mediterranean Ports

Imagine you are on a cruise that ends in Rome, and you decide to spend a few nights in Rome before you go home.  You are staying at a fabulous boutique hotel in the heart of the city, and all the sudden the night before you are scheduled to leave, you find out that there is a transportation strike.  This has been the nightmare of thousands.  Never with us.  Send us a text, and within 15 minutes, we will have a car scheduled to pick you up.

This is what we do, and we do it every day, and we never charge a fee.

We have the connections across the board, because these are the places we frequent, and as the an experiential luxury tour operator in Europe, we have all of the best connections that go far beyond the cruise itself.

Of course, if you want to simply take the cruise and the excursions it offers, we would never advise against it, and will help you every step of the way.  But even then, the experience of someone that knows these places inside out is priceless.