edinburgher

Thank you, and yes, do look at what they offer as there may be something to tempt you.

Quite the plan for a single day as I think you might find Topkapi more tiring than you expect, especially if you include the additioal harem section, which is not huge but will use some more of your time. And the Archaeological Museum is not one building either, but a few. If taking the tram from the port to either, you would want to get off one stop before Sultanahmet at Gulhane, which will be announced sounding like "goolhanny". Should you miss it for any reason, get off at the next stop which is Sultanahmet and walk back downhill.

Lisbon airport is well served by several transort options. This is a copy/paste of a post I put on very recently in response to an identical question and there may be options you have not yet considered. You chould look at the Lisbon Airport website which has a section on "how to get to/from the airport" (I think almost every international airport in the world has this)listing all the options including taxis, metro, public bus, airport shuttle bus etc. and looking at the options should help you decide.

Have you seriously never heard of Barcelona? Nor read anything about it nor seen it on TV? Nor heard of Gaudi nor the Sagrada Familia? Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in Europe given the number of sights and attractions there so you need to put in some serious reading time to help you decide which sights/attractions appeal to your interests especially if you are not staying over pre or post cruise and have only one short day there. There are a multitude of past threads with info and ideas for Barcelona and you could choose from these: https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/search/?q=barcelona&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465 In addition you could, as suggested above, look at YouTube videos of Barcelona, read guide books (can you borrow from a local library?) look at the Official Barcelona Tourist Information website, Frommer's, Fodors, Tripadvisor and all the usual websites you would check when you internet search "(name of town/city )Tourist information" And not forgetting Rick Steves. And do check the shorex being offered even should you not want to book one as they will give you an idea of the highlights and what might be possible within your port times. And any sight/attraction you think you would like to visit, should it offer pre booked entry times (some will be mandatory, some optional) do be sure to book ahead as Barcelona is one of the busiest and most visited cities in Europe. it is also amazing to visit. Enjoy.

And another point that nobody has yet mentioned. Viator and other middlemen usually require a minimum cancellation period of 24 hours for a refund, which isn't ideally suited to cruise passengers as sometimes things go wrong at much shorter noice than 24 hours, can even not go to plan on the day itself. Before booking I would very carefully check the cancellation/refund Ts and Cs of both the consolidator and the actual tour company itself and compare them, because sometimes it is better to pay a little more for peace of mind, in addition to being able to have direct contact instead of having to go through the middleman with any queries..

You will probably spend more viewing time out on deck or from an Observation Lounge And on some lines, including Holland America on our Alaskan itineraries, the bow area which is nomally closed to passengers can be opened up for additional viewing spaces when it is practical to do so.. Ideally you want to position yourelf on an open deck you can quickly cross to the other side or close to doorways .which have a walk through to the opposite side, because folks are always on the lookout for sealife, and if a call goes out that there are " ??? on the whichever side". and you are on the opposite one, you want to be able to move quickly across. Same for scenery If the opposite side offers better views you might want to move across. As for deck level, always better to choose a stateroom which has staterooms above and below as these tend to be quieter than those under theatres or pool decks( as examples)...

With a late departure you would also be able to watch all of the sunset from the comfort of your ship without the need to travel all the way to OIa and back. And as sunset lasts much longer than a few minutes, you would not need to stress about returning to Fira, the cable car, and tenders. And have you seen images of the crowds who head to Oia to watch the sunsets? Not for the fainthearted and probably not the experience visitors are expecting. Before deciding, I would strongly advise you internet search something like "sunset crowds at Oia" or similar. We have seen these on recent features about "over tourism".

I agree with all of this. For anyone expecting a more typical modern "spa-like" experience, the traditional ones are not the ones to choose but the traditional ones would be more likely to have the original, wonderful architectural features , which are themselves part of the overall experience, and if you want "authentic" this is where to go. Our one and only visit was to the CAGALOGLU hammam in Sultanahmet, but there are others in the area including Cemberlitas, and you could read online reviews for "Sultanahmet hammams" to help you decide which.There are many cafes in the neighbourhood where your husband could wait unless you can persuade him that this is a "one off" experience he should try for himself and one which he will always remember. You should read reviews anyway as you want to be sure that the one you choose has high standards.

There will be issues should you book one in a pedestrian street or area and note that much of the Gothic Quarter is pedestrianised as is la Rambla. A number of CC members have booked and been happy with H10 Placa Catalunya,(have not stayed there, only seen references to it) but with any hotel in a central location you should check vehicle access with them before booking as more and more cities are introducing more pedestrian only areas. Placa Catalunya is mentioned here in posts 2 and 4. But there will be more references to it if you search this Spain and Portugal Board for Placa Catalunya. Or search in the "Barcelona Hotels "sticky" at the top of the board as it is a huge thread and using the search tool will save you time as you won't need to scroll through all the pages looking, although you may find others you prefer moe. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2902493-barcelona-hotels/page/13/#comment-67428538

Carvings by Alaska Native carvers which should be clearly labeled as such. They are not inexpensive but come in various sizes and priced accordingly.. You should be able to see examples of these online if you search something like "Alaska Native Carvings" or similar and doing that you would know ahead of time if these would interest you or not.

Have you considered Holland America? As they do W and E Med cruises of longer than 10 days duration could be worth checking their website.

I didn't read it that way at all, so my bad if it is. You could have answered your own question had you looked at the UK Govt website referenced in post #3 which will also be updated should there be additional info added through time. You could be updated automatically if you do as I suggested in the last paragraph of my post #14 just above.

We only visited one and don't remember any "waiting area". We were both customers and at the end met in the unisex entrance hallway at a pre-arranged time. What you could do, is choose one in a busy area where there are cafes nearby. If you decide to do this and it will be your first experience of a hamman, before going,do search online for the proper "hamman etiquette" to give you an understanding of what to expect.😁

Of course they are, also the three we visited in Berlin, the main reason for our city break to that city. Unfortunately not everyone shares the same passion for archaeology and history, why I made some different suggestions. Topkapi and the Archaeological Museum would be impossible to schedule into a one day port call if other "top sights" were to be prioritised, but could be accommodated on a two day call should anyone be interested and we too highly recommend the Archaeological Museum complex.. On subsequent visits visitors could be looking for something different. The Princes Islands are different from Eyup as the ferry can be used like a HOHO bus as you can choose which islands to come off at and visit before reboarding and heading to the next, but like the buses,where in busy cities getting back on can be tricky, on the most busy days such as holidays and on the most popular islands there could well be lines at the ferry docks .All islands are pedestrian only, so getting around can be by rented bicycle, walking, or by horse drawn carriages. It is also possible to simply stay onboard for the round trip ferry journeyaqnd there are great views of Istanbul from the sea There should be much info and many images online.

Ditto here. Some of us have had to do this multiple times over the years when visiting certain countries and these forms are simply part of the pre-trip paperwork, essential yes, but nothing to stress about or even to overthink. OZ began theirs way back in the mid-90's, the USA started theirs in 2008, so it really isn't a big deal. If anything, the UK and EU have been very slow to implement pre-travel checks. You only need check on OFFICIAL websites from time to time, or better yet, register for updates on the OFFICIAL Government/EU websites and you will automatically receive word of updates as and when they are published..

You could look at their website for directions as most attractions will have a "how to get here" or "how to find us" section.

November and December you can expect more unsettled and cooler weather, also shorter days as sunsets are earlier. Noticing your location in NFL Canada, you should already have suitable clothing! Pack layers, a cozy hat, gloves and scarf, umbrella, and we find the ideal outerwear combo is a fleece jacket for colder, dry days, and an actual fully waterproof jacket with hood for wetter days, ideally one which you can wear your fleece jacket undernesth for weather which is both cold and wet. And footwear with a decent grip.

There are either 4 or 5 possible docking locations along the riverside in Lisbon, and you don't say which one your ship will use. If you do not know you need to find out before looking for a restaurant "close to the port". Or you could play sort of safe and look for one close to Praca Do Comercio which at most will be only a few minutes walk away from at least some of them.. Best suggestion is to go to a site such as Tripadvisor where you can use the various filters to choose location, price, indoor/outdoor, fish restaurants, vegetarian etc etc until you narrow it down to the ones you think you would prefer, also check which days of the week they are open (many restaurants in Portugal in general will close on Sundays and sometimes also on Mondays) and their opening hours, and look at the menus to be sure you will have choices to your taste..

Strange, as there is a vaporetto stop next to Piazzale Roma and another at the train station a very short walk away and you didn't mention this option. Basically you have to weigh up the pros and cons of either being convenient for trains and airport transportation versus somewhere further into the city to which you will need transport, especially should you have luggage with you. A hotel with a private dock for a costly private water taxi or a nearby public vaporetto stop, (and crowded public vaporettos with luggage are not a good mix)unless of course you are using the left luggage option at the train station and only carrying a small bag or backpack with the essentials you need for a short stay. Thereis a huge number of past threads referencing Venice Hotels which you could quickly and easily search for using the SEARCH TOOL if you have not already done so, but this one may be a good starting point. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3016747-venice-hotel/#comment-67600749 .

Bring some with you from home?

As your question is Celebrity specific, consider crossposting on the Celebrity Board where passengers who took this tour would be more likely to see it and respond. This one https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/16-celebrity-cruises/

Hank, very kind of you to acknowledge. It was a suggestion I thought you and others reading this might find useful although it is more likely to appeal to returning visitors rather than first timers. It was an interesting day for us as everything we did and saw was new to us and there wasn't anything we didn't like. It was also really easy to DIY our day and the museum was far more interesting than we had expected it to be.I just now looked and reviews are still very good. There will be online info and images about ferries along the Golden Horn to Eyup, including their location, ticketing and timetables, the museum and Eyup itself including the gondola ticketing, so a little homework required to help your day go smoothly. Sorry about potential jetlag issues, but Istanbul is worth it and the more you explore it the more you find and the city is worth a couple more days of jetlag pain. if you were referencing the Princes Islands and the ferries, again some homework is needed as these ferries leave from closer to the train station (or at least they used to)

As our pricing will be out of date I assume you "quoted" me in error instead of cruisefam38 who used the service only a few weeks ago and would therefore have current info. You need to go to post #16 and "quote" some of cruisefam38s text to alert them to your question.

Hank, I am reminded that we did not walk all the way downhill. We explored some of Eyup Cemetery which is on the hillside before catching the gondola down. There should be online info about Eyup Cemetery, a really quite interesting place to visit, although recommending a short stroll through it is a somewhat strange suggestion. We did that day on a port day, not when on a city break. if you have not yet ferried along the Golden Horn or visited Eyup, I can recommend it. The museum visit would depend on your interests although the exhibits are extremely varied and both inside and outside. There will be info and images of it online. It was very quiet the morning we were there with only a handful of visitors other than ourselves, but we enjoyed it. Lucky lucky Mr Koc to own all these "boy toys".😀

Have you ever sailed the Golden Horn by ferry from Eminonu to Eyup? The ferry journey isn't long and it has a small number of stops on both sides before arriving into Eyup. One of these stops serves the The Rahmi M. Koç Museum, a privately owned museum, owned by one of Turkeys richest men. Mostly transport related, Info can be found online.It has quite a decent cafe where we lunch snacked before reboarding another ferry to Eyup.itself. Eyup is quite fascinating. there should be much info about it online. One of the more conservative religious neighbourhoods. There are a number of Ottoman architectural buildings there and some tombs of important figures whose names I can no longer remember.. Info online. We took the gondola uphill to the top where there are fabulous views of the Golden Horn giving a totally different perspective of Istanbul.There is also a famous cafe at the top. We wandered downhill through an interesting cemetery before exploring the main part of the neighbourhood. We saw many young boys dressed in their "prince" outfits ahead of or following their very special "little boys" operation.😁 Overall we had a really interesting day doing that trip. Or try visiting one or two of the Princes islands by ferry. Or simply stay onboard for the round trip. Or Beylerbei Palace on the Asian side, reached by ferry then public bus or taxi. So many choices, such an amazing city.