Hi everyone!

I never cruised before and myself and my fiancée are kind of confused between the following two cruises to Europe and the Mediterranean for our honeymoon :

1- 12 Night Mediterranean Greek Isles
Brilliance Of The Seas (Radiance Class)


2- 7 Night Western Mediterranean Cruise
Navigator Of The Seas (Voyager Class)


Which of the above you recommend for first time cruisers and honeymooners ?

Hi Nakkoush, welcome to Cruise-Chat. Congratulations on your up-coming wedding and cruise. As a cruising fanatic, of course, I'd go for the 12 day itinerary. However, there are a lot of questions you need to answer. Which itinerary do you prefer? What about the price? Is time off from work a problem? Etc.

My best advice would be to find a good travel agent that specializes in cruises. They can ask all the right questions to come up with a perfect fit for you.

I hope you will let us know what you decide on. Best wishes!

Thanks for your reply. Well, both itineraries are good and new for us, we haven't been to most of the targeted destinations. The price is not an issue as well the time off from work.

- If you are to choose between Navigator Of The Seas (Voyager Class) and Brilliance Of The Seas (Radiance Class) which one would you choose.
- Would a 12 days cruising be too much and tiring for new cruisers ?
- Honeymooners: whihc of the above ships provide more intimacy for honeymooners in your opinion ?
- We are looking for a breathtaking holiday where we can rest and enjoy it to the limit.

PS: excuse my English.

No problem with the English. Most itineraries are going to be port intensive, which means, there is little rest. I, personally, would want to do the 12 day itinerary, but for 2 reasons: I love cruising, and I want to do Greece, Italy, and Spain. Sea days are your days for rest, but only a little more than port days because there is so much going on. Our resident RCI expert is on his cruise right now. The Radiance Class ships might have a bit more intimate areas than the Voyager, but the Voyager has more to do on board. Hopefully, Dave or Cruise Fanatic or Lisa or Sandy will see this post. They have much more experience with the Royal Caribbean ships. We've only sailed on RCI 3 times and it was a long time ago. I don't want to tell you something that isn't correct.

Nakkoush, I just sailed on the Brilliance in December doing the Mediterranean and Egypt itinerary. I loved the Brilliance. It is a beautiful ship. It is much more intimate than the Navigator, which I also have been on. Keep in mind the number of people on the Navigator compared to the Brilliance. This will make a big difference in getting off the ship for shore excursions.

Thank you all for your replies. We've decided to take the 12 nights cruise ! with a Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony (unobstructed).

How and where should we choose our room ? I assume the higher the deck the better the view is since it is more expensive; any general directions for us at this stage are highly appreciated.
I ve learned that it is very important to book the dining table as early as possible especially if we are going for a table of two.

Are there any alcoholic packages offered on board? if not, are we allowed on RCI or how many bottles of alcohols can each adult carry along from outside to the ship (I guess it should be much cheaper than buying it on board)?

For budgetary purpose; what is a realistic and normal daily expenditure figure per person when cruising (food "if needed", land and shores excursions, beverages and some souvenirs, etc..)

My travel agent sent me the following quotation with its description:

Rate: $**** / Person that includes the following:

Airline Ticket
Airport Tax
Transfers (Airport / Port / Airport)
Accommodation in Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony (D2 - unobstructed)
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner on the Cruise
All Port Taxes during the cruise
All gratuities & tips during the cruise


Based on the above, after reading several posts for first time cruisers, I understood that I will have to pay gratuities to all my drink purchases, and the auto-tips ? am I right ? or my agent's charge would cover all taxes and fees ?

According to the list you provided, your gratuities (auto tips) are already paid to your waiter, assistant waiter, room steward, and a couple of other dining room personnel.

The gratuities to the bar waiters are automatically included in your bill each time you buy a drink. When you buy a drink, the bar waiter will take your room card, which is also your charge card while you're on the ship. When the waiter returns with your drinks, s/he will give you back your room card, and ask you to sign the charge slip. The amount of the charge will already include the price of the drinks and the gratuity.