Advice on smaller Med cruises for my in-laws

[Lizap]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

Is Oceania inclusive of alcohol? Or do you need to buy a package?

‘Simply More’ inclusive pricing now includes premium wines, champagne, and beers with lunch and dinner.

[kwong7]

Thanks for the extra things to consider. My father-in-law feels fancy with a glass of wine but isn't a heavy drinker; my mother-in-law is a lightweight and gets tipsy after half a glass! Generally I think the all-inclusive drink options are profit-center for the cruise company but makes the experience for the traveler a lot more carefree. I'll ask them if they want to do that with Windstar, which I believe includes WiFi...of course they go to port each day so I'm not sure how useful WiFi really is.

So I'm looking at Windstar's two options for the Greek Isles both are 7 day trips round-trip out of Athens and includes one day anchored out at sea to use the ship's watersports platform (my mother-in-law will love that). The Wind Star ship leaves on May 18th at 5pm while the Wind Spirit leaves the following day on May 19th and is $300 less per person. I'll have to call to see what the difference is between the ships; I hear the Wind Star is due for a refit next year.

My in-laws will be relieved of childcare duties on May 17th when their daughter's maternity leave will begin, so I'm thinking the May 19th trip on the Wind Spirit might be best for everyone so they can have an extra day to travel and relax in Athens.

https://www.windstarcruises.com/find-cruise/

I'll mull it over with them and then start chatting with WindStar about the details and excursion options.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by kwong7

My parents-in-law would like to take a cruise around the Greece, Italy, or Turkey area of the Med in late May before the birth of a future grandkid. They've done a few inexpensive large volume cruises along the California coast and Gulf of Mexico, but we thought they might enjoy something more cultural (excursion tours) and something a little more laid back.

I'm aware of Windstar and Viking Cruises and was wondering what people's opinions of these and/or if there are other small ship cruise lines that are recommended. Thanks in advance.

Windstar & Seabourn are my two favorite cruise lines. And coincidentally, my wife and I took a Mediterranean cruise out of Athens a little over a year ago in the fall of 2022 on a Windstar ship that used to belong to Seabourn (Star Legend). It was nine nights and went to a few Greek islands before heading to Messina, Trapani, and Sardinia, before dropping us off in Barcelona. It was a port-intensive cruise with only one sea day to get us from Sardinia to Barcelona.

(Just as an aside, we first sailed on this ship 25+ years ago on its inaugural cruise as the Seabourn Legend when Seabourn first purchased it from now-defunct Royal Viking. At the time, it only carried ~200 passengers, but it has since been refitted and now carries 312. If you've ever seen the movie Speed 2: Cruise Control, that's the ship that Sandra Bullock is trapped on.)

Although the Star Legend is a sentimental favorite of ours, our actual favorite Windstar ships are the smaller 4-masted sailing ships with only 74 staterooms and 148 passengers. But I don't think that you can go wrong booking any of their ships.

[Lillie767]

Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda

Windstar & Seabourn are my two favorite cruise lines. And coincidentally, my wife and I took a Mediterranean cruise out of Athens a little over a year ago in the fall of 2022 on a Windstar ship that used to belong to Seabourn (Star Legend). It was nine nights and went to a few Greek islands before heading to Messina, Trapani, and Sardinia, before dropping us off in Barcelona. It was a port-intensive cruise with only one sea day to get us from Sardinia to Barcelona.

(Just as an aside, we first sailed on this ship 25+ years ago on its inaugural cruise as the Seabourn Legend when Seabourn first purchased it from now-defunct Royal Viking. At the time, it only carried ~200 passengers, but it has since been refitted and now carries 312. If you've ever seen the movie Speed 2: Cruise Control, that's the ship that Sandra Bullock is trapped on.)

Although the Star Legend is a sentimental favorite of ours, our actual favorite Windstar ships are the smaller 4-masted sailing ships with only 74 staterooms and 148 passengers. But I don't think that you can go wrong booking any of their ships.

I loved the Seabourn "Little Sisters" with only 100 passenger cabins each. Perfect size for small harbors and great shore excursions.

Attentive crew, no crowds, and no queues.