Mediterranean cruise

Some time ago I saw a newspaper article about a line that cruised the
Mediterranean in a fashion that appeals to me. The ship was mainly a
means of travel and a place to sleep. It docked or dropped anchor in
the morning allowing day trips before returning to the ship in the
evening . It sailed at night and you had the opportunity to do the
same thing at another location the following day.

I am new to cruising. Perhaps this is more common that I am lead to
believe. While I want a comfortable journey I am not into opulence or
glitz. A smaller vessel with fewer people mobbing the day's area would
be great.

I am thinking September. Italy would be nice. Anybody have
suggestions or recommendations? Thanks for any help.

Randy

This is the web site http://www.easycruise.com/ for the company I think
you're looking for. There was a discussion here about it a while back. It
appealed to some of us, others said "no way". This has very little in common
with what we have come to think of a cruising.

There are some reviews around, now that you have the line's name you can do
some searching and find them.

Marsha

wrote in message
oups.com...
Some time ago I saw a newspaper article about a line that cruised the
Mediterranean in a fashion that appeals to me. The ship was mainly a
means of travel and a place to sleep. It docked or dropped anchor in
the morning allowing day trips before returning to the ship in the
evening . It sailed at night and you had the opportunity to do the
same thing at another location the following day.

I am new to cruising. Perhaps this is more common that I am lead to
believe. While I want a comfortable journey I am not into opulence or
glitz. A smaller vessel with fewer people mobbing the day's area would
be great.

I am thinking September. Italy would be nice. Anybody have
suggestions or recommendations? Thanks for any help.

Randy

"Marsha L" :

This is the web site http://www.easycruise.com/ for the company I think
you're looking for. There was a discussion here about it a while back. It
appealed to some of us, others said "no way". This has very little in
common
with what we have come to think of a cruising.

There are some reviews around, now that you have the line's name you can do

some searching and find them.

This will get you the newsgroup messages:
http://groups.google.ca/groups?q=easycruise&hl=en

As for reviews try:
http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/article.cfm?ID=112
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=264396

Warning this is my idea of fun, I only kept the positive reviews. There are
at least two reviews when one reviewer who was being paid to do the ship
would have left early but for the paycheck. And another who found the boat
too noisy going late into the night (loved the stops - hated the boat).

Read as many reviews as possible before making up your mind, but notice to
the people who loved it they got what they could never get on other cruise
lines unless they chartered the boat.

Earl Colby Pottinger

--
Cruising, building a Catamaran, Rebuilding Cabin, New Peroxide Still Design,
Writting SF, Programming FOSS - What happened to the time?

Thanks to you both, Earl and Marsha. Yes, I am sure that EasyCruise
was the line that I had read about, but after rereading the account I
don't think it will work for us. I was hoping for more of an Italian
intinerary. We will be able to travel after the summer tourist rush.
The floating night train idea appealed to us. It made planning easier
because transportation and accommodations would be rolled into one.

We don't want to drive in Italy. I don't want to plan a tight
itinerary with advance hotel reservations. A bus tour certainly does
not appeal to us. What to do, what to do.?

Again thanks for the quick responses with the information I was
seeking.

Randy

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks to you both, Earl and Marsha. Yes, I am sure that EasyCruise
was the line that I had read about, but after rereading the account I
don't think it will work for us. I was hoping for more of an Italian
intinerary. We will be able to travel after the summer tourist rush.
The floating night train idea appealed to us. It made planning easier
because transportation and accommodations would be rolled into one.

We don't want to drive in Italy. I don't want to plan a tight
itinerary with advance hotel reservations. A bus tour certainly does
not appeal to us. What to do, what to do.?

All ships pretty much do the exact same thing. You don't need to do
something different like EasyCruise. All ships dock in the morning, giving
you a full day in port, and leaving in the evening. Check the Celebrity
Cruises ship Galaxy doing it's sailing from Rome to Naples, the South of
France and the Greek Isles. That might be of interest.

Royal Caribbean has Voyager of the Seas there - I think she sails from
Barcelona. Princess has a number of ships there as well.

Celebrity, Princess and Royal Caribbean would be good places to start
looking.

--Tom

"Tom K" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks to you both, Earl and Marsha. Yes, I am sure that EasyCruise
was the line that I had read about, but after rereading the account I
don't think it will work for us. I was hoping for more of an Italian
intinerary. We will be able to travel after the summer tourist rush.
The floating night train idea appealed to us. It made planning easier
because transportation and accommodations would be rolled into one.

We don't want to drive in Italy. I don't want to plan a tight
itinerary with advance hotel reservations. A bus tour certainly does
not appeal to us. What to do, what to do.?

All ships pretty much do the exact same thing. You don't need to do
something different like EasyCruise. All ships dock in the morning,
giving
you a full day in port, and leaving in the evening.

The downsides of the mainsteam cruise lines, and maybe cruising in general
in the Med a

1) "full day in port" is highly debatable. Sometimes the full day means
leaving at 4 in the afternoon. Sometimes it means 7pm. Seldom does it mean
late enough to enjoy dinner, which is served late in Italy and France. I
find touring the Mediterranean without including dinners every evening on
the piazzas is missing a big part of the experience.

2) Many of the "ports" aren't all that close to the cities. Rome is inland,
Florence is inland. Even Naples is a long bus ride to Positano, and a long
ferry ride to Capri.

Upside of Italy, the trains are very convienent. Especially in the off
season buying train tickets just before you get on the train gives you lots
of flexibility. You can take a train to say, Florence. Stay there until
you get tired of it. Taking day trips on the train to Sienna or Tuscan
towns or Pisa. Then when you tire of that take the train to Rome or Venice
and start hanging out again.

But then again, I also don't mind touring Italy by car either. You can stay
outside the cities in villas, and take the train into big cities, but take
day trips to smaller cities. One trip we picked up a car in Florence,
stayed outside Florence in Pion de Sco. Took day trips to Florence, Sienna,
Pisa, San Gimano, and then drove up to Lake Garda. Stayed there for another
week doing day trips (including ferry trips on the lake) and then moved on
to Venice where we turned the car in, stayed a few more day and hopped onto
a cruise ship. At that point we the kids were happy to see pancakes for
breakfast, and we were ready for early dinners. (Though once you've been
spoiled by the Italian cuisine, even HAL food was underwhelming. ) Another
trip we started in Rome for a week, then picked up a car on the outskirts of
town as we headed to a villa outside of Sorrento, and then toured that area
for a week.

"Cathy Kearns" wrote in message
. com...
|
|
| All ships pretty much do the exact same thing. You don't need to do
| something different like EasyCruise. All ships dock in the morning,
| giving
| you a full day in port, and leaving in the evening.
|
| The downsides of the mainsteam cruise lines, and maybe cruising in general
| in the Med a
|
| 1) "full day in port" is highly debatable. Sometimes the full day means
| leaving at 4 in the afternoon. Sometimes it means 7pm. Seldom does it
mean
| late enough to enjoy dinner, which is served late in Italy and France. I
| find touring the Mediterranean without including dinners every evening on
| the piazzas is missing a big part of the experience.
|
| 2) Many of the "ports" aren't all that close to the cities. Rome is
inland,
| Florence is inland. Even Naples is a long bus ride to Positano, and a
long
| ferry ride to Capri.
|
| Upside of Italy, the trains are very convienent. Especially in the off
| season buying train tickets just before you get on the train gives you
lots
| of flexibility. You can take a train to say, Florence. Stay there until
| you get tired of it. Taking day trips on the train to Sienna or Tuscan
| towns or Pisa. Then when you tire of that take the train to Rome or
Venice
| and start hanging out again.
|
|

I agree with Cathy. Most cruises don't spend enough time in the ports and
the ports are usually in the least desirable areas so you have to take
transportation to the sites.

We loved the 64 passenger ship in Italy as we spent large amounts of time in
smaller ports. But, the down side is the price. Face it. The megamonsters
are affordable but have to dock in large industrial areas in many places.
They can't get into Capri, or dock off of Amalfi and tender in.

Diane

:

Thanks to you both, Earl and Marsha. Yes, I am sure that EasyCruise
was the line that I had read about, but after rereading the account I
don't think it will work for us. I was hoping for more of an Italian
intinerary. We will be able to travel after the summer tourist rush.
The floating night train idea appealed to us. It made planning easier
because transportation and accommodations would be rolled into one.

We don't want to drive in Italy. I don't want to plan a tight
itinerary with advance hotel reservations. A bus tour certainly does
not appeal to us. What to do, what to do.?

Again thanks for the quick responses with the information I was
seeking.

Well, if you have the money - chartering a boat is still an option.

Then your stuff stays onboard with no packing/unpacking needed, you can
direct the skipper to only go to the ports you desire and when to go there
and how long to stay. The prices are not too bad if you have 4-6 people in
your party. Only two people can be a bit expensive per person but then you
have *TOTAL* control!

Earl Colby Pottinger

--
Cruising, building a Catamaran, Rebuilding Cabin, New Peroxide Still Design,
Writting SF, Programming FOSS - What happened to the time?

Perhaps if my "ship comes in" I will be able to afford a trip like
this. Interesting idea!

Randy