https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 23 Apr 2026 17:29:24 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1122380 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 19:29:00 +0000 Cole 1122380@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted for the 11 day cruise but I was torn between that and the Italy trip. I picked the 11 day over the 10 day because it offers more stops and my thought process would be to squeeze in everything I couldn't do once I was back in the states again so several sea days would not be my favorite option because I could do a cheap cruise in the US and just sit on a boat.</p> <p>I picked the cruise over the Italy trip just because it seems a little easier with a lo to me since you don't have to worry about finding places to eat or getting a place with a kitchen and there isn't as much shuffling around the train station with all of your luggage. Without a toddler I would pick the Italy trip hands down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1122362 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 19:17:07 +0000 MsMamaBear 1122362@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>11 day! I love cruising and when I can afford it, that one (or heck the 10 day one) is on my list! Lucky! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1122361 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 19:16:15 +0000 lawbee11 1122361@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Italy for sure. I'd much rather be able to take my time and really soak everything in vs. rushing around to try and see as much as possible of a city in one day (especially with a LO in tow). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1122355 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 19:12:02 +0000 xInfinity 1122355@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I'd pick the 10 day cruise because I wouldn't want to feel rushed by fitting that many places into 11 days and the 1st choice seems like a lot of hassle with a baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1122346 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 19:04:05 +0000 MrsMac 1122346@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We went on an 11-day cruise with Norwegian for our honeymoon and LOVED IT, so that was my pick :) We did a few extra days in Rome too, and it was a great holiday all around! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121974 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 14:57:37 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1121974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted for the roman holiday.. But cruises aren't my style!</p> <p>My family lives in Trento. I would want to go to Italy for two weeks, then go to Greece for 10. Ha! That wasn't a voting option :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121973 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 14:57:26 +0000 keiki_mama 1121973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>11 days is a long time on a boat even with stops. I vote #1, I'm not a fan of cruises. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121965 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 14:54:22 +0000 lemondrop 1121965@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely do a cruise, for me unpacking once with a kiddo is ideal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121449 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 11:46:25 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1121449@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not a fan of cruises, so I would just do Italy. I also like traveling at my own pace without following someone else's guidelines. There are soo many cities in Italy that are amazing (Rome, Florence, Milan, Pisa, Venice, Cinque Terre, Tuscany...)</p> <p>I feel like the 11 day cruise would be too rushed and tiring, so that would be my last choice. I've done trips like that before and you don't get a chance to fully enjoy each place because you're squeezing it all in on such a short amount of time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121438 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 11:44:04 +0000 Mrs. Blue 1121438@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Yoyo: I probably needed someone like you to tell me where to visit. And, also, some guy literally ran his hands all over my bidness in the middle of the street and followed me for blocks on my first morning there (I was traveling alone), so that *might* have skewed my first impression a little! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121437 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 11:44:04 +0000 heartonastring 1121437@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted Italy, but I think it really depends on your travel style and what you want from this vacation.</p> <p>I find cruises to be a really mediated travel experience, and what I mean by that is that you just get small snippets of a bunch if places without any real immersion in the location/culture. Having said that, you also get a luxurious ship, wonderful meals and built in entertainment.</p> <p>I am more prone to travelling independently so that I can set my own schedule and spend time seeing the things that are of the most interest to me (vs. guided tours, for example). I also love to eat in lots of different restaurants in the place I'm visiting. </p> <p>Cruises aren't for me. I do think they are a great option for a lot of people, just depends on what you're looking for in terms of your experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121396 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 11:31:26 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 1121396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Blue: ditto this! Except the Rome thing. I lived there and loved it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121278 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:56:51 +0000 Adira 1121278@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would do the 11-day cruise to see a LOT of different places. And then in a few years, I'd go BACK and just hit up the places I LOVED that I stopped at on the cruise! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121262 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:52:17 +0000 sunny 1121262@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would do Italy on my own! I prefer travelling at my own pace and you'll have more time in each place. We did Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre and Venice. I'd be happy to provide suggestions if you want! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121235 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:40:52 +0000 Mrs. Blue 1121235@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The 11 day cruise sounds fun, but I love Italy way too much to not vote #1. If it were me, I would split my time between Cinque Terre, Florence, Rome, and Sicily. Gah, I wish I could go to that right now. RIGHT now. :) If you have any questions about Cinque Terre or Florence, I went a couple years ago. I was in Rome, too, but I didn't love it quite as much as the other two places and I spent most of my time seeing the "big" touristy places anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121211 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:31:06 +0000 avivoca 1121211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would choose to go to Italy on my own, just so I could see more of the country and less touristy options if I wanted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121210 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:30:24 +0000 LovelyPlum 1121210@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@loveisstrange: ok, good. Then I say a cruise sounds awesome :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121208 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:29:53 +0000 wheres_c 1121208@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I chose #1. With a cruise you don't get nearly long enough in each place to really get the full experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121159 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:12:35 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1121159@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Cruising is so hassle-free with now worries about food (consistently good) and accomodations (changing hotels). I am tempted to say the 11 day cruise because you will get to see more, but is there something you would like to do in each port stop? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121153 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:10:15 +0000 loveisstrange 1121153@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LovelyPlum: It's Norwegian Cruise Line. lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121146 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:08:16 +0000 LovelyPlum 1121146@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This may sound horrible and snarky, but I would first double check that neither of the cruises are on an Italian cruise line. Too many accidents for my liking!</p> <p>I think they all sound amazing. Rome sounds fantastic, but it also sounds like a bit more work moving places, etc. I would love to do a Med cruise! </p> <p>Have so much fun!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121143 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:07:26 +0000 bushelandapeck 1121143@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>#1 because that's where you said you'd both like to visit most. Also, I'm not a cruise fan either, though those do sound fun! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121125 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:04:43 +0000 deerylou 1121125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Option #1, only because I'm totally not a cruise person, and my family is also from Sicily. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121122 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:03:32 +0000 honeybear 1121122@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Roman holiday! :) I'd also go to some smaller villages in Italy, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121116 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 10:02:24 +0000 nana87 1121116@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would do one of the cruises over traveling in Italy just so you don't have to move hotels each night, with a baby it seems like a huge perk to just have to unpack once (or twice with the extra days in Rome). My in-laws love cruises and that's the main reason, it's just easier logistically rather than moving around </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121060 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 09:46:56 +0000 MapleMoose 1121060@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I voted for the 11 day cruise but seriously, either choice is a total win! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121052 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 09:45:28 +0000 Bookish 1121052@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd do the 11-day, because I've never been to Europe and I'd want to see ALL the things! :) Whatever you end up doing, have fun and post some awesome pics for us to drool over when you get back!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121045 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 09:43:01 +0000 JerricaBenton 1121045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would do the 11 day cruise, but I've done a lot of travel in Italy. I like the stops on the second cruise and I loooove Palermo. Not like you can go wrong with any of those options though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/mediterranean-cruise-or-italian-holiday#post-1121034 Mon, 30 Sep 2013 09:39:35 +0000 loveisstrange 1121034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We move back to the states in May. DH is getting out of the military and has 20 or so days of leave to "use or lose". We want to do one big trip to the continent before we leave.</p> <p>We have a couple options.</p> <p>1. Book a regular vacation to Italy, which is the #1 place we both want to go. We would probably do Rome and maybe travel around a bit, maybe do Sicily too, since thats where DH's family is from.</p> <p>2. 10 day Mediterranean Cruise to Italy, Greece and Turkey. We would start in Rome, get a day each in Olympia, Athens, and Izmir, spend overnight in Istanbul, a day in Naples and then back to Rome. We would probably get a hotel and spend a couple extra days in Rome.</p> <p>3. 11 day Mediterranean round-trip cruise. It also starts in Rome. then you get a day in each of the following: Florence/Pisa, Monte Carlo, Provence, Barcelona, Valencia, Cagliari/Sardinia, Carthage, Palermo/Sicily, Naples and then end in Rome again. We'd also take a couple days in Rome with this one. </p> <p>The 11 day is $200 more expensive per person than the 10 day BUT you get to see more. The trade off being you get to spend longer per place with the 10 day. The cruise line (Norwegian) also offers a military discount and C would be free. With the plain vacation, we'd get to see more of Italy. With the cruises, we still have to pay for flights to Rome.</p> <p>Im sort of leaning the 10 day cruise (Ive already been to Monte Carlo and Provence previously but DH has not), but I wanted to see what others would pick! </p>