edinburgher

Thanks for acknowledging as not everyone does. We thought we were doing the right thing trying to arrange a tour with pick up from the port, something we have done a number of times over the years in different countries. It was one of the very rare times we have been let down by a tour operator, but it turned out well enough and we had the bonus of being only two plus driver, not part of a big group. Had we taken a shuttle we would still have had to look for a tour once at the Plaza. The taxi driver took us directly to the tour boats from the ship and we only went with him into Paracas town after the boat trip, when he asked if we would like that short visit before heading into the Nat. Park. It being our decision, had we said no to his suggestion he would not have taken us there as private touring offers flexibility.

Hi all, i see the main attraction is going on tour to Alhambra. We are not to keen on 2 hour bus tours. Motril and Malaga are the two port stops which offer tours to Granada/Alhambra and of those, Motril is the closest with a driving time of approx 1 hour. Shorex coaches will transfer you there from the ship .On arrival, you will exit your coach and most likely go to the Alhambra complex in time for the pre-arranged tour. At that point, the larger groups are divided into smaller groups for the actual tour. As all of your time at the Alhambra complex and gardens will be on foot before you reboard the coach for the journey back to Motril, it is far more than "a two hour bus tour". Think of the drives as being not so much an actual tour, but the means of transporting you between point A and point B and back again to point A. Motril itself offers little as it is really a "gateway port" for easy access to Granada/Alhambra although my understanding is that there are beaches in or close to town. Suggest you google something like "Motril beaches" and read results, although April is still early season and the water likel to be very cold. As Motril is a working town rather than a resort catering almost exclusively to tourists,, restaurants, cafes and bars in the town itself should be open during normal working days/hours even if local beaches offer little. The info you find on beaches might also include the facilities to be found on each, which might include snack bar, cafe or restaurant info.

Did you do something fun in General San Martin? Any suggestions either positive or negative? Apologies for this rather long post. We were both unlucky and lucky at our port stop here. before leaving home, had tried to organise for us to be picked up at the port and taken to the area where the boat trips leave for the Ballestas islands followed by a tour of the Paracas National Park.. It was a frustrating effort as most were minibus tours out of Pisco,but eventually a company based in Pisco arranged to meet us at the dock to join their tour. On the day we were amongst the first off the ship and we waited, and waited until way past the arranged pick-up time. There were a few taxis at the dock and eventually one of the drivers kindly phoned the Pisco company only to be told they were not coming for us. No idea why not. He offered us the tour we wanted so we went with him. We speak no spanish and he had no english but we communicated as best we all could. He took us first to the where the boat trips left from, got our tickets and got us on to one of them. We passed both the ship and the huge Candelabra geoglyph on the way to the islands. As no landings are allowed in this protected area,we saw literally hundreds of sea lions and their pups from the boat but from really close to the shore as the boats go as close as they dare. The sea lions were on shore and all around the boat. It was both very noisy and very smelly! Returned to shore where the driver was waiting for us. He took us into Paracas for a short walkabout, although there isn't a great deal to see there, then we headed to the Paracas National Park where he gave us a tour of some of the highlights there. This was beyond our expectations and absolutely beautiful. The contrasting colours where the desert meets the ocean were especially beautiful. Returned to the ship, we paid the driver what was for us a very reasonable price for the several hours we had spent with him so we tipped generously. We reboarded on a high as the day had far exceeded our expectations and we decided this had been one of our best days in S. America, but several passengers told us it was the worst for them as they only went into Paracas and thought the day a complete waste of time. They had absolutely no idea the amazing natural wonders they had missed, so it definitely pays to do advance research. The area attracts thousands of tourists from around the world who arrive to visit both the Islands and the National Park and I suggest you do something similar if you can. Although this was some years ago, there may still be some taxis to be found at the dock and you can negotiate directly. Perhaps some more recent pax can advise if they saw any. Lack of a common language was no barrier as the Nat.Park sights were self explanatory, as was the boat trip and the short walk around town needed no translation either. Ask the driver to show you the highlights of the park as the drivers will be local and should know it well. Some points to note. There may be some but not too many taxis at the dock so leave the ship early. Boat tickets will be payable separately. The boat trips are weather reliant as they cannot run if the winds are too strong. The boat ride out to and back from the islands was VERY windy. My hair was really stiff with salt when we got off to the extent a brush would not go through it. Once there be prepared for loud noise and strong smells. The National Park had minimal road surfaces, and as we mostly drove on barely visible tracks iIt was a bumpy ride and would have been more suited to a 4x4 than a car but the car functioned.

AJ, Correct me if i am wrong, but you have asked almost identical questions about your Motril options and thoughts,(also the Alhambra) several times in recent months., getting almost the same answers each time. You were also advised that Motril had little to offer and is really only a "gateway port" as a stop for excursions to Granada and the Alhambra, but it was suggested that you read websites with tourist info about Motril to see if the town offered anything at all which would interest you enough you to keep you there for your day in port. Perhaps it is time to refresh your memory of the advice and suggestions given on the previous threads, so that you may make a final decision, in part as time is ticking away for places should you decide on an Alhambra shorex. Here are some of your previous threads to get you started. Tthere may be others in addition which you can search for.. https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2895712-has-anyone-taken-alpujarras-mountain-drive-excursion-out-of-motril-spain/#comment-64352902 https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2893364-granadaalhambra-from-motril-excursion-question/#comment-64293127 https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2893517-motril-excursion-nazari-gardens-winery-visit-anyone-taken-this/#comment-64297228

We tendered right into the heart of Syracuse close to the bridge which leads to the Ortigia area. Being mostly flat, Syracuse itself and Ortigia are very walkable and we initially followed the walkway all along the outside of the Ortigia area with the sea on one side before heading in to wander the small narrow streets. Also explored some of the modern town. Had thought we might visit some of the archaeological area but ran out of energy. It was a very pleasant day and there is certaibly more than enough to occupy you for a day even at a slower pace. A couple of hours in Taormina might be enough to see the main highlights, really mostly the Theatre, the main street and the views of Mt Etna from the gardens. Should you have a lunch break, that would eat into your available time as would getting from the coach parking up into the old town, and getting back to the coach again as the parking area is not in the old town itself, consequently your optimistic couple of hours could be less than that. Can only suggest you look at tourist/travel info websites such as Tripadvisor for info and pictures of both, and see which appeals to you most before deciding.

Blue skies! Friends in Glasgow could not believe our good fortune. How lovely for you being able to see the city looking at its best as the weather here is also unpredictable no matter the time of year. You must have had all fingers-and toes- crossed on that occasion too, so hoping you will be equally lucky at the time of your visit to Norway.

Sorry but we did not do the Gondola as I am pretty sure it didn't exist at the time of our visit. We did do a shorex up the Troll Road (one of the most famous routes in Norway, and perhaps even in Europe)and it was spectacular, although just like the gondola reviews you mention, a clear weather day is the best time to do it. We crossed fingers, hoped for the best and got it. On the same trip we were also lucky at Geirangerfjord as we had booked the Mt Dalsnibba shorex where once again, a clear day is preferable for best views. As we rarely do shorex( preferring to DIY) we were incredibly lucky to get 2/2 as that was more than we could have hoped for. Whether you decide on the gondola or the Troll Road, on a good weather day you are unlikely to be disappointed. Decide which appeals to you most, but unfortunately it is a case of finger crossing (and maybe toes too!) for clear weather on the day.

Thanks for the explanation. Makes total sense now- but still worth checking.

Edinburgher- My apologies if you felt "flamed." That was never my intention. In the past 30+ years we too have been caught in strikes twice. The first time was on a train strike between Milan and Venice. That was before the labor agreement that set the rules for striking rights. The second time, it was on the Cinqueterre trains. They were posted, but we never checked. Our fault, but not a problem because the ferries were running. Yes, it is a lot worse if you are caught, but, like cruisemom says, it is an urban myth that there are spontaneous strikes all the time. Happy holidays to you. And please keep posting. Your contributions are thoughtful and appreciated. Thank you Marazul. I am sorry I somehow gave the impression that train strikes were "spontaneous" and "all the time", the reason I advised checking the website ahead of time so that alternative plans could be made ahead of, rather than unexpectedly on, the day itself. You were fortunate that the ferries were running at Cinqueterre, as without them, your day could have been a non-starter with you left standing there trying to conjure up a Plan B on the spot. I was trying to help others avoid a similar scenario. We cancelled overnight in Florence as on day #1 we were only arriving into Livorno around mid or late morning(could have been around (1100) and it would have been around mid- afternoon before we could arrive into Florence itself, reach our hotel and be checked in and ready to venture out. And on day #2 we were sailing at around 5pm ish so we would have had to be back on board by around 4pm or thereabouts for peace of mind. As the travel alternatives between Florence and Livorno would have taken quite a bit longer than the train, we would have wanted to leave Florence by 1pm latest, again for peace of mind, and as our available time in the city was being slowly nibbled away, we reluctantly decided to cancel and instead take a land trip at a different time and lengthen our stay by a few days, as we are not big fans of spending omly 1 or 2 night in a city, as if too short a visit, more is being left out than can be included.. We never really go away for a city break weekend, as our usual minimum city stay would be 5 nights for a smaller one (such as Florence or Prague), and 6 or 7 nights for larger cities such as Berlin,, Barcelona and Madrid. Happy holidays to you. And please keep posting. Your contributions are thoughtful and appreciated. Thank you, but I think in future i will be aiming for more factual than thoughtful.

I do not think it was anyone's tent to "flame". To me, all the responses were quite polite. Simply disagreeing or clarifying is not "flaming". Apologies if you felt that was the case. I did actually feel that was the case as I had only suggested that folks check the train strike info as part of their advance port research if they intended to use trains when in port as I thought (apparently wrongly) that train strikes were actually quite a common occurance in italy. It worked for us,.as would have been in trouble had we turned up at the station in Florence only to find no trains were running to get us back to Livorno and with the only option at that point being an expensive taxi ride. Unfortunately there is a quite pervasive "urban myth" that the train system in Italy is unreliable. It comes to light frequently on this board and other boards on CC (and not only here).... So perhaps those of us with a lot of travel experience in Italy are just anxious to correct that misperception. If strikes so infrequently go ahead, what reason do you think there could be for that "urban myth?" Even if they are "infrequent "in some regions, with strikes being listed in various regions across Italy, one could find oneself unlucky and in the wrong place at the wrong time on land trips or on short 2 or 3 day pre or post cruise mini trips, the latter being popular with cruise pax. All the best to you as well in this holiday season and in the future. Thank you. I hope you are not being impacted by the appalling weather in N. America which we are seeing on our news channels.

I think we're both trying to find the balance here of making sure our fellow cruisers are well informed, without scaring them Had no intentionof scaring anyone, and didn't think anything I wrote above was particularly scary either, was only advising that checking train travel should be part of the usual sightseeing research for any port call in Italy and I even gave directions on how to do that. It is not "infrequent" that strikes are scheduled. It is "infrequent" that they actually take place. Whether "infrequently" actually taking place or not, WE got caught out therefore others may be too, hence the warning (which I thought was a friendly one.) And without the benefit of a management training course, I had also not known that some of the words I used should not be used " as they are open to interpretation and therefore unclear". As i didn't expect to be" flamed" I will certainly take that lesson onboard in any future posts, although I have learned from this thread that nothing should be volunteered if it is not asked for, regardless if it would have been of interest or helpful to others or not. SEASONS GREETINGS TO ALL and please practise kindness to others in 2023.

I used the word "common" thinking that folks would be encouraged to use the website above to check their travel date if they thought there was more chance of hitting a strike date.. I looked a few moments ago and on the first page alone, SEVEN of the FIFTEEN strike dates listed there are listed as train strikes, and those only up to a date NEXT MONTH. I checked no further pages but 7 out of 15 strikes would indicate something more than "infrequent" would it not? Having no need to, I did not check which regions were to be affected. And as cruisemom42 has said above, not every region will have train strikes on every date which is the reason for essential careful checking of not only the dates but the regions affected. Readers should also be aware that the train line between Civi and Rome can also be subject to strikes and it is worth checking the Trenitalia website info for trains which are guaranteed to run during both strikes and national holidays as agreed with unions. One good thing is that they are listed well ahead of time although that raises the possibility that more dates could be added last minute, or some dates called off last minute. In recent years, some of the cruiselines have chartered their own private trains for shorex to Rome from Civi. Have wondered if these private entire train charters were as a result of uncertainty over the running of regular trains which could be impacted, as prior to then, they would book for their shorex a number of private coaches on regular trains. We DIYers always need to have a backup plan in mind, just in case. Absolutely! Happy Days.

I posted this a couple of days ago, but in error on the thread re" car services from Livorno station to the port" rather than this one as intended. Thinking it might be important enough info to post again but on this thread as more people might see it and be aware of the possibility it could happen to them. Be aware that transport strikes in Italy are a common occurance, (especially train strikes)which is the reason for a website (in Italian) which details strikes ahead of time. Commisione di Garanzia Sciopera It is also possible to find out which trains and routes are guaranteed to run even on strike dates and this info can be found on the Trenitalia web site. You could try googling something like "Italian trains guaranteed to run on strike dates" Our last visit to Livorno was an overnight and as we planned to stay the night in Florence we booked a hotel and planned our sightseeing for the approx 1 and 1/2 days and the evening we would have there. As we knew about the potential for strikes through online research, we checked the website quite regularly, and on one of these times we discovered that the day we planned to return to Livorno to rejoin the ship had been added to strike dates for the train companies running that route.. Although there were alternative means of travel between Florence and Livorno, (had contacted Tourist Info Offices in both Florence and Livorno for guidance)we decided they would be extra busy and too circuitous and risky, so we reluctantly cancelled our hotel booking,fortunately in good enough time to get a full refund.but were left very disappointed.that a much anticipated visit to Florence did not happen. SCIOPERA (strike) is unfortunately one of those Italian words you really do not want to have in your vocabulary! Only wanting to add for anyone reading this, that even if only planning to travel by train to Florence for one day it might be a good idea to check ahead that trains will be running on the date you want to travel as, if not, forewarned you would have time to make alternative sightseeing plans.

Well, that's a bummer. What does one do in Montevideo on a Sunday? Guess I'll do some more research. Church and a nice walk on the quiet city streets might be in order. Or maybe this would be the time to look at shorex? Instead of opting to stay in town that day (it was a Saturday)many of the pax on our sailing opted for a shorex which was visiting a gaucho ranch. which included a BBQ. I don't know what else they did there, but they did seem to enjoy it.

would like advice as to what clothing to take for the excursions we have booked! Not clothing and maybe not ideal for excursions, but would suggest you consider taking insulated mugs with you, the ones with lids. We have found them ideal for viewing from outside decks, even a balcony should you have one, as you can put in hot drinks which stay quite hot for ages, and they are a much easier and safer way to carry hot drinks from one area of the ship to another with no chance of spillage. As a bonus, they can be used for hot weather sailing too, only substituting cold drinks for hot. They will stay cold or chilled for ages.

to maybe catch a train to visit something a bit further away, a castle or another small town nearby? This very recent thread also asked for easy out-of town trip suggestions and might help you decide: https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2896693-tours-from-lisbon/#comment-64378604 A few days ago I had replied to this thread of yours with that post which also included other links which covered "strategic accommodation locations" as you requested ( which had also been quite recently discussed), but the post has disappeared and I am at a loss as to why it would have been removed as there was much useful info to be found on the links in it, the very reason I had posted them.

Too late to edit the above, only wanting to add for anyone reading this, that even if only planning to travel by train to Florence for one day it might be a good idea to check ahead that trains will be running on the date you want to travel as, if not, you would have time to make alternative sightseeing plans.

Be aware that transport strikes in Italy are a common occurance, (especially train strikes)which is the reason for a website (in Italian) which details strikes ahead of time. Commisione di Garanzia Sciopera It is also possible to find out which trains and routes are guaranteed to run even on strike dates and this info can be found on the Trenitalia web site. You could try googling something like "Italian trains guaranteed to run on strike dates" Our last visit to Livorno was an overnight and as we planned to stay the night in Florence we booked a hotel and planned our sightseeing for the approx 1 and 1/2 days and the evening we would have there. As we knew about the potential for strikes through online research, we checked the website quite regularly, and on one of these times we discovered that the day we planned to return to Livorno to rejoin the ship had been added to strike dates for the train companies running that route.. Although there were alternative means of travel between Florence and Livorno, (had contacted Tourist Info Offices in both Florence and Livorno for guidance)we decided they would be extra busy and too circuitous and risky, so we reluctantly cancelled our hotel booking,fortunately in good enough time to get a full refund.but were left very disappointed.that a much anticipated visit to Florence did not happen. SCIOPERA (strike) is unfortunately one of those Italian words you really do not want to have in your vocabulary!

I hear there is a shuttle bus? Aplogies. My DH has advised that on our most recent visit to Malaga, the port shuttle went further than the gates, dropping us at a very central plaza a couple of minutes drive further into town from the gates. The port shuttle is a "for fee" shuttle but reasonably priced.

Why don't people like to eat at a specialty restaurant on the first night? Surprised nobody has yet suggested that one reason may be due to FATIGUE. We usually favour fly cruises and that means flights, some of which can leave as early as 0600, meaning we need to be at our local airport by 0300 or 0400. And if longer haul, that often necessitates a connection with hours of waiting along the way. All in all, by the time we reach whichever port it is and check in, we may have been on the go for a good 12 or more hours having had little sleep the previous night. And it is even worse if it is a longer journey and there is also a time difference with jetlag kicking in.Longer haul trips to Asia and S. America had our journeys lasting a minimum of 18-24 hours and we did quite a number of these. We have on occasion been so exhausted that we have had to force ourselves to head to the buffet for a simple bowl of soup and small single dish before showering and falling into bed and sometimes we could barely manage that small amount. Unpacking is left for the next day. The thought of speciality dining does not even enter our heads.

I hear there is a shuttle bus? Happy to be corrected by others who have visited more recently, pre-Covid on our visits, the only shuttle buses we could use were the port shuttle buses which ran between ships and the port gate, but that may vary depending on where you ship is docked (some are quite a distance from the gates) and whether or not your line offers shuttles into town as some of them may but others not. The port entrance/exit gates are very central.

Sorry but I cannot remember the name.The port shuttle bus dropped us either there or very close to it. I THINK it was near a piazza but that is all, so can only suggest you try googling something like Cagliari Bus Route Map or something similar as it was a bus route map where we found it.

Also adding my own thanks Kaisatsu as you have given us some additional ideas should we ever return to Oslo for a 4th visit. I definitely wouldn't consider them "erotic" as they are mostly just humans doing normal human things -- albeit nude, as they are meant to be a timeless portrait of humanity. I guess the one on the bridge with the woman being embraced by the lizardy-fish-looking thing could maybe be considered erotic? But I wouldn't use that term for most of the work. Especially not the ones involving children. We did not consider them "erotic" either, seeing them only as naked human figures, both adults and children, but perhaps Europeans who have have been viewing nudity in many art forms for centuries have a different idea of what constitutes "eroticism" than some other cultures? I do not know.

been told the Bygdoy area is worth some time? Well, that depends on whether or not you want to visit any of the museums located there. These include the Kon Tiki, The Viking Ship and The Fram, although there are others. We also spent some time at the open air folk museum which has over 100 buildings and exhibits, but I don't think you would have time for that. You should look again at info on the museums located there and decide if any or none interest you, then you will know if the area is worth some time or not. The Ski Jump (the name of which I have forgotten) is actually truly massive and there are panoramic views of the city from there. It takes a little time to reach it.We took a suburban train and walked up the short distance from the closest station. It is actually quite famous and is used in winter competitions, such as the Olympic Games. Standing up there looking down its length and height is quite terrifying and the thought of leaping down brings a whole new respect for the sheer bravery of the competitors. A little surprised that nobody else has commented on restaurant and/or alcohol prices in Norway, or suggested restaurants for a meal. Are we Brits the only ones who were shocked at Norway prices?

Suggesting that you look at the visitoslo website, also tripadvisor, (and any others you find) both with many suggestions for visitors as there are many possible options to consider for the short time you have and you will want to prioritise the sights which appeal most to yourselves, not to others. We have visited three times. First time we visited the fortress as we were docked alongside, took the local train up to the ski jump area and visited the Vigeland(?)Sculpture Park, which was probably our favourite. Visit #2 we bought day passes at the kiosk beside the dock and focused on museums, several of which are located on an island/peninsula? Used buses and the ferry to get around. Visit#3 was mostly spent walking around the central area, looking at the palace exterior,visiting a couple more museums which were not on the island/peninsula, also the Nobel Centre and took a tour of Oslo City Hall, both of which were located close to the dock,. Your time will be short and careful planning will be needed to make the most of it. As it will be an afternoon and evening, you will also need to work around opening hours. though we are 'foodies' so appreciate a good meal In that case, hoping you have deep pocket! Check restaurant reviews on Tripadvisor, and the individual menus of any restaurants you want to consider as Norwegian prices are very high, and you should be especially careful when ordering anything alcoholic as the cost of alcohol in Norway could make your eyes water as much as it did ours!