cruiselove87

46 minutes ago, Knolmom said:

When you say you traveled between the cities* by boat* was that a ferry or a launch type boat. While I have little trouble walking, I am not great at getting up or down from a large step. I have one knee that doesn’t bend. I did Ok In Venice, in Santorini and in the ferries in the Caribbean but just recently I could not get up from or down into a smaller type sightseeing * boat* ( boat with a canvas top holding about10  people.. a tuallyit was aglass bottom boat.

It was a small ferry with a walkway across to get on and off the boat so now big steps had to be taken from what I remember. Which tour are you doing though? The walk through Manarola was downhill but very steep and I pulled a calf muscle toward the end of the excursion. 

On 5/9/2019 at 9:23 AM, 2KentuckyCats said:

NCL Jade. June 9

Ncl had a taormina tour option where they drove you to from taormina and cruise port and let explore taormina on your own for a few hours. It was a lot less money than the guided taormina tour in case you are interested. I had not seen that option online, only once on the ship it was listed as a shore excursion. You could see my etna in the distance clearly. Taormina was beautiful. Loved it  

6 minutes ago, 2KentuckyCats said:

Any suggestions on a tour for Taormina and Mt Etna. We would like to join a private tour and share cost. 

 

What cruise line are you going on?

3 hours ago, alpineapa said:

Thanks. We are still not sure best way to get around, ie is a taxi that difficult to find?

 

what is less hastle re relying on bus schedules or renting a car and is renting a car easy for parking/driving around?

 

 

Our cruise told us there are only around 20 taxis or so on the island I think. Sorry cant help with regard to renting a car. Does your cruise offer any excursion to a beach? 

25 minutes ago, mydaysss said:

If you have to choose betwenn 2 Of the 5, which do you choose?

I like manarola the best, then vernazza.

1 hour ago, mydaysss said:

NCL Jade doesn’t have with the Guide, only “on your own”

Hmm I wonder if it is sold out? Maybe try calling and asking?

The description on ncl for the one  you weretalking about sounds like it drives you to 2 of the towns and you'll have free time in each of those 2 towns. 

We went to vernazza on ours but not riomaggiore. We also did manarola and monterosso. We did a bus to manarola, guide led us through the town then had free time then boat between that and vernazza then free time there  and boat from there to monterosso with free time there then train for a few minute ride to meet the bus which drove us back to ship. 

Ok. I just was in mykonos a few weeks ago so the water wasn't warm enough for swimming. You will love mykonos. The town is fun to explore. There are so many walkways. It truly is a maze. 

We ate at a restaurant facing the water that had good chicken gyro souvlaki etc

It is lined up with the other restaurants along the waterfront. The restaurant is called the music port. 

On 4/26/2019 at 9:13 AM, alpineapa said:

Thanks for the great information!

 

We are "tendering", is little venice a short walking distance from that area, i.e. let's say we do some shopping around for an hour and then head to little venice for a beverage and lunch.....in terms of bus, would it be easy to catch one from little venice to platys gialos and then back to tender area? Where would I find bus schedule and stops?

 

Thanks again for the help! 

how long do you plan to spend at the beach?

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 3:00 PM, mydaysss said:

Did anyone do the CINQUE TERRE ON YOUR OWN from NCL Jade?

I really need to know how this tour works. It's gonna departure from Livorno Port.

hi I did the other cinque terre one. called the cinque terre.

are you set on doing this one?

Delos*

On 4/28/2019 at 1:18 AM, taylortime05 said:

Hi,

 

I am comparing 2 excursion thru Celebrity on Mykonos listed below.  Usually our excursions are private excursions with others from our roll call.  And I know many say that some of these ports such as Mykonos and Santorini can be done without an excursion.  Since it's our first time to Europe I prefer to have planned excursions.  On a 2nd visit I'd be more likely to do my own touring.  For the 2 tender ports of Mykonos and Santorini I'm choosing the ship's excursions to get us started earlier and in Santorini to avoid the cable cars.  

 

So I'm comparing 2 excursions thru Celebrity.  Please let me know if you have done either of these excursions and if you enjoyed them.  The 1st excursion is lot longer for 35 more PP and includes lunch and a show.  But it will use up all of our time in the port so we will not have any time left to tour on our own.   

 

Celebrity Discovery Collection: Best of Mykonos - 8 hours 15 min - 135 PP

•  At the pier in Mykonos, board a local ferry for the trip to the breathtaking island of Delos. Located at the center of the Cyclades Islands, Delos was perfectly positioned to become an important trade center in the Mediterranean. Once a hub of activity and considered one of Greece's most sacred places, today the island is uninhabited. According to Greek mythology, Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto, was born here. In the early 19th century, artifacts, mosaics, statues, and buildings were uncovered during a historic excavation. Visit Ano Mera at the center of the island, home to the venerable Panagia Tourliani Monastery, circa 1542. Admire its whitewashed exterior and impressive dome. After a full morning of touring, relax over lunch, a variety of salads (cheese and hot peppers, fava beans, eggplant and Greek) and of meats (pork and chicken souvlaki, lamb intestines-kokoretsi, meatballs), served with baby potatoes, bread, and seasonal fruits. Sip wine as you watch a folkloric show. Return to Mykonos, a picturesque town of winding lanes, alabaster houses built in Cycladic style, and red-roofed churches. Taste an iconic almond cookie accompanied by mastic liqueur, then continue sightseeing on your own or return to the ship by shuttle.

 

Ancient Delos - 3 hours 30 min - 99 PP

• Board the boat of a local captain and skid across calm waters to the uninhabited island of Delos. On this stark and lonely landscape, discover the ruins of an ancient settlement that once bustled with the sounds of trade and commerce. Legend has it this was the birthplace of Apollo, son of Zeus. Hear the tale while standing before the remnants of the Great Temple of Apollo. Pass through the classical Theater, where over 5,000 citizens once cheered epic performances. Marvel at Hellenistic mansions adorned with elaborate mosaics crafted thousands of years ago. Look out upon the greens and blues of the archipelago from the Terrace of the Foreign Gods and visit the lost Sacred Lake, where it’s said the swans and geese of Apollo once frolicked. Time on Delos is forever frozen and this tour offers the rare opportunity to literally stroll in the footsteps of the ancients.

 

Thanks!

Hi are you set on going to delis? If not what other excursion options are they offering? I did a scenic tour through ncl that stopped at that town with the monastery and a few photo stops along coast/beach. Ot was around 3 hours or so. It gave us plenty of time to enjoy mykonos town have lunch and explore on our own after the tour. I felt like it was a good mix. 

On ‎3‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 6:57 PM, Travel To Be Free said:

We're in Naples 7-9 (a part of 4) and would like a private boat or small group boat tour with time spent in Sorrento, Amalfi and Positano.  

 

Most trips start in Sorrento and are 8 hours, however, they include swimming.  Instead of swimming, we would love time in Sorrento to be included.  That way we could have dinner there and shop around Sorrento.  

 

Would LOVE SUGGESTIONS!!!

what cruiseline are you on? we just did Norwegian and they had a tour that drove us to salerno from naples port. took a boat to Amalfi for a little free time there, boat back to salerno. bus to sorrento with a stop at limoncello factory on the way. lunch and some free time in sorrento and then bus back to ship. it took about 9 hours. 

On ‎2‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 9:18 AM, cooljay said:

Taking a 9 day cruise on RCL Jewel of the Seas from May 20th thru May 29th. Will be arriving in Rome on May 18th so will have 2 days in Rome. Need recommendations as to whether to stay in Rome or a Hotel near the port and which hotel? Would like to do sightseeing during the 2 days that we are there (family of 4 all adults) so recommendations on places and tour company will be great. Also my cruise arrives back on May 29th at 5 am and our flight is at 12:45 Pm from Rome–Fiumicino International Airport . Looking for recommendations on transfers going to the Port from the airport and coming back to the airport from the port. My itinerary is below.

 

Also open to suggestions on things to do while on the below ports of call.

 

 

05/20/2019	Rome/Civitavecchia	--	05:00 PM
05/21/2019	Messina	11:00 AM	08:00 PM
05/22/2019	Valletta	08:00 AM	05:00 PM
05/23/2019	Cruising	--	--
05/24/2019	Mykonos	07:00 AM	05:00 PM
05/25/2019	Thira/Santorini	07:00 AM	06:00 PM
05/26/2019	Athens/Piraeus	06:00 AM	06:00 PM
05/27/2019	Cruising	--	--
05/28/2019	Naples	07:00 AM	06:00 PM
05/29/2019	Rome/Civitavecchia	05:00 AM	--

just did a similar itinerary. feel free to ask any specific questions for the ports. do you have any excursions booked already. we liked taormina a lot in sicily. valleta was a really nice city and did a tour of the island. wish we had more time in the city. Mykonos was amazing. Athens we did just a sightseeing tour. naples.. we did an excursion including Amalfi coast and sorrento which was beautiful. 

On ‎4‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 5:03 AM, Truluv said:

Sorry if this has been asked before - I haven't gotten through the whole thread yet.  I pre-arranged for a car service from our hotel in Rome to the port.  I'm reading the Rick Steves Mediteranean Cruise book, which mentioned that cabs drop passengers at the main port gate and then free shuttle buses take them to their ship.  Are cabs and car services able to transport passengers directly to the ship's pier like in the US, or does everyone take shuttle buses?    (RCL Jewel cruise)

 

Also -- if there's a shuttle bus, do you tip the shuttle bus driver?  Please give me your thoughts on tipping the driver of the car service?  I've seen varying suggestions from 0 to 10%. 

 

 

 

I heard that they need a special permit to drop you off directly vs the area where you have to wait for shuttle. We used Autolineroma and were very happy with them for to and from the port. They brought up right to where they take the luggage and head to check in. When getting off the ship, the driver was waiting holding a sign with our name on it.

12 hours ago, viranpooja said:

We are in port from 7:00am to 4:00pm 

Thoughts on things to do while we are on port? Recommendations for private tour companies?

Is Mount Etna worth visiting? Taormina? 

Our group loves culture, food and scenery as well as adventure! 

we visited Taormina and loved it. beautiful views and lots of nice shops, cafes, etc. one of my favorite little towns we visited.

4 hours ago, mh5678 said:

If you walk off with your bags do you need to leave in the first group?  I want to book a transfer for around 9:30. My flight isn’t until 1:30. Would I be able to keep my bags and leave the ship around 8:45 to meet up with my transfer?

which cruiseline are you on?

15 hours ago, mom07 said:

Are there taxis in port to take you to the beach in Mykanos?  or/and Rhodes?

I think mykonos has very few taxis hut maybe you could arrange something ahead of time. In Rhodes, we had one person try to offer us a taxi tour. Rhodes old town is really cool and mykonos town is really nice too. If you decide to just walk around. 

11 minutes ago, dronnygirl said:

It was a bus from the ship but there were also taxis etc st the port. You would need to check it's the car park very near to the Acropolis. Good luck

Thank you. You booked it ahead through your cruiseline?

3 hours ago, dronnygirl said:

Pireaus we took a bus to Athens that allowed us time on our own. It dropped us at a car park very near the Acropolis. We went up to the Parthenon but even if you can't manage that just seeing it from the path is a amazing. The path goes down to the Plaka where there are lots of cafes where you could sit awhile and there is also street entertainers on the path so lots of people just sat on the wall watching and enjoying the atmosphere. The main thing is to check which car park they drop you off.

Hi, was this a tour bus or public bus or hop on hop off bus?

Thann you. 

On 3/23/2019 at 9:15 AM, HG2018 said:

We are looking for an easy way to get from Messina to Taormina for our group (including a toddler).  I have found the company Shore Emotion and they sound great but I'm having a hard time finding any reviews about their company.  I can only find reviews on their FB page which I'm sure they closely monitor so only favorable reviews get posted.  Can any one offer their insight into this company? They also seem to have other tours in different ports. 

 

Cheers! 

Hi when are you going there? I'm looking for the same thing. I found on viator an option that is a shuttle to and from messina and taormina with an option To do hop on hop off tour of Messina.

Hi.

  Is there anywhere that you ate at that is easy to get to from the cruise port (preferably walkable if possible) that had great pizza or Italian food?

Thank you.

1 hour ago, BarneyCat said:

We have a Quest, but mostly as it was reduced on an Amazon Prime deal!

 

We’ve done two cruises with it mosty in spain and Portugal. If you end up in Marrakesh don’t take the buggy off the ship - much easier with a sling instead. Other than that our usual hangout is the acquarium in most ports. We loved the one in lisbon. Barcelona was a bit disappointing. 

ok thank you.

On 3/25/2019 at 9:44 PM, Baletrina said:

I was also worried when we did Italy, Greece, Croatia, Albania about cobblestones, large curbs and stairs. Turns out I had nothing to worry about! We used our Joovy Groove with a detachable Buggy Board. Worked great! I love the Joovy because it is easy to maneuver, lays almost flat, has lots of storage and has taken quite a beating from lots of flights and dusty roads. Still works like new. 

 

I also brought a Lillebaby carrier but didn’t use it much. 

Thank you. Where in Italy and Greece did you go? Any advice on things to do?

15 minutes ago, BarneyCat said:

We used a Maclaren. And will be using a double maclaren in June. 

Thank you. Do you know which maclaren specifically that you used?

Which ports have you been to? Any tips?

11 hours ago, alfie2000 said:

We are sailing on Celebrity Infinity in May/June visiting Mykonos, Piraeus, Santorini and Rhodes but my husband uses an oxygen concentrator so he ok walking but does have to stop and start and we do not want excursions that involve too much walking. Does anyone have any suggestions or experiences that may help us?

The cruise also includes Messina and Malta so any suggestions for those would also be welcome.

There are a couple of Celebrity excursions that look possible as they state they are only mild but at the moment places like Santorini look impossible. Our current plans are so we may do a Celebrity tour for Messina, Mykonos on our own, stay on the ship at Piraeus, I will do Santorini on my own, a tour to do Lindos on our own and hire a taxi at Malta to take us to the sights we want to see.

Have you considered a hop on hop off bus for Athens port but just stay on it for the whole loop?