Going to the boot

If you would provide a LOT more information you will get more informed answers. Your destination, when are you traveling, have you booked a cruise yet, etc.

Kimberly, I agree with Charlie - it would really help to have more information on your plans and what you're most interested in seeing there. As it's your first trip to Europe, are you only planning to see Italy? A cruise may not be the best way to "see more" (IMO). While you'll visit multiple ports, you'll generally only have a partial day to tour each one so you really won't see a lot in any of them. For a first trip to Europe, a cruise would not be my first choice. In order to "see more" there are a couple of other options you could consider: 1.) Travel on your own so that you can have more time in the destinations you visit, in order to "see more". There's a very well travelled group here, and I'm sure they'd be able to help you work out the details. 2.) Take a RS Best of Europe (or other) tour. That would not only give you short glimpse of several countries, but would also provide you with some skills and confidence to travel independently on future trips. The My Way tours are less expensive, so may fit your budget better. Although they don't include local tours, you could easily work that out on your own, according to what you want to see in each location visited. If you decide to travel with either of these options, I'd recommend reading Europe Through The Back Door prior to your trip, as it provides a lot of good information on "how" to travel well in Europe. Good luck with your planning!

I just got off a ship last week, and we've lost count of the number of cruises we've been on. They're for sure a bargain in travel. That said, touring from a cruise ship is often a little overwhelming. The biggest Mediterranean cruise port is Barcelona, and ships go all over the region from there. Unfortunately you have not said what cruise line or price range you're interested in. I suggest you go to VacationsToGo.com for itineraries on every cruise in the world.
You could go a few days before a cruise and see the city of departure. If you can find a cruise ending in another city, you could spend a few days at the other end. Then you could fly open jaw (multi city) into one city and out of another.

I suggest you buy the Rick Steves Italy book. Read it, and then you can come back here with more specific questions.

Hi, thanks everyone for your suggestions. I normally start planning for a trip by visiting the library and checking out books on the state or destination. After watching RS shows I thought I'd try a different approach. I normally plan a vacation for a family of six, so this is a little different, because it will just be the husband and myself. Travel time is planned for summer of 2014. How fast do I need to move on this to plan the trip? Again Thank you. Kimberly P.S. We want to visit Italy and the Mediterranean for starters.

Your timing is good for planning a vacation for summer of 2014. As for your broader question, this reminds me of that old cliche from cop movies: "We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way." Trying to piece together information and recommendations from random strangers on a travel board is the hard way. For example, I really enjoyed spending an entire day in Rome visiting 10 churches that had excellent examples of early Christian mosaics. For someone else, that would be their idea of hell. I really can't recommend the RS books highly enough, esp. for someone going to Europe for the first time. Coming to a travel board and asking a broad question like "Where should we go?" is the equivalent of trying to take a sip of water from a fire hose. You will soon be absolutely inundated with information. The beauty of the RS books is you get to benefit from the experience of a traveler who has been to Europe more than anyone on this board who hasn't lived there, and always with an eye to helping other travelers. His books are not designed to be comprehensive but instead give you his opinions as to the most interesting places to visit and things to do. And they're constantly vetted by others, unlike the random opinions you'll get on a travel board. But it is your vacation, and you're certainly free to plan it whatever way you want. Good luck and happy travels.

Sounds like a copy of Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports should be on your shopping list! His books are great for things such as suggested walks, how to maximise your time without rushing etc.

I haven't done it yet, but am considering a 12 night med cruise on Norwegian cruise line that starts in Barcelona and ends in Venice (or the reverse), with stops in France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. I've taken cruises on NCL to Alaska and Hawaii, and really liked their relaxed atmosphere.

I like cruising ( 15, 3 of which were european cruises), and I like roadtrips, did both this summer. In our experience the ship is a less intense experience. Somehow when you are exploring a city and staying in a family hotel, it's more real- easier to notice more cultural differences, easier to find local cuisine ( we eat sausage every day in Germany and would never do that at home!), more interesting to read a map and take public transportation.
I feel cruising is an easy trip, and sometimes that's what you want. Sailing into Stockholm is very lovely.