edinburgher

You could consider visiting Totem Bight State Park just outside Ketchikan which is popular with cruise pax. Being a State Park, it is ADA compliant for some disabilities. The public bus goes almost to the entrance and is only $2 pp each way, only $1pp each way for seniors so you may not even need a rental should the bus be one which can accommodate a wheelchair but you would need to check that. Park entry is only $5 or $10pp, ( I cannot remember which but you could check that on the website.) and right next door is Potlach Park.

When we were focusing on Asian itineraries (did several) doing our visas we needed to have full tourist visas, wheras now my understanding is that some countries have introduced e-visas which, should they apply to your ports of call would be easier and cheaper. We loved what little we saw of Japan, and Hong Kong is actually one of our favourite cities. We ported there a few times and opted for hotel stays pre and post cruising 3 times. Thailand we did as a land trip and only had a few other ports on cruises. I suggest you might actually get more out of a land trip to Thailand as you would see more of the country and islands than you would on cruises, but others might disagree. China we only visited a small number of places and never returned due to the visa application complications. Having said that, we liked Beijing, couldn't quite believe we walked a tiny bit of the Great Wall, but our favourite was definitely Shanghai as we had 2 full days there and our ship that time was small enough to dock right in the heart of the city, Be aware that bigger ships dock a long way from there. We did independent sightseeing in Shanghai and had an amazing two full days.

You might want to consider cross posting on the "pinned" thread at the top of this Board.. It is "all things Palma" and local resident roger b keeps an eye on it and usually respons quite quickly. As the thread is huge and your question has probably been asked before, you might want to use the SEARCH tool on it to find past car hire threads more easily. This one https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2697012-palma-de-mallorca-diy-new/page/27/#comment-67544634

There are many fascinating countries towns and cities to visit in Asia, but one matter to take into account is VISAS. Some are straightforward, others not only complicated to acquire but also costly and you may find that visa applications and costs are far more daunting than you initially expected. Our personal worst were those for India (twice) and China (once) and we vowed never to return to either because of the faff and additional expenses so check carefully what the visa requirements are for the countries on your preferred itinerary, ideally before booking. You might want to consider cross posting on the ASIA board where your question would be more on topic, although the Mods may move it anyway. This one https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/43-asia/

Again, there have been multiple past threads about transport between Venice and Trieste, even more since many ships had to divert there once the cruise terminal in Venice closed. This is one of the most recent, but there are more to be found. You can find threads about "Trieste" travel by using the search tool under your username. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2988138-trieste/#comment-66828153 And the same for "left luggage in venice". threads. There is one at the train station but there are others as using left luggage in venice is a popular option given the logistical challenges.. You could either search for past threads here on CC or a simple internet search should find them. lots and lots of reading for you to do, but Venice is wonderful if you get the logistics right.

Venice hotels can be challenging due to there being no road access after the train station and Piazzale Roma, and to reach your chosen hotel,the number of bridges to cross on foot with luggage is another challenge as they are mostly stepped. Another option is to leave the bulk of your luggage in a left luggage and only carry with you a small bag with your essentials for a short stay. or hire a porter. There have been numerous past threads explaining the logistics and best locations depending on whether you arrive by train or from the airport and I suggest you read at least some of them to help you decide. this would be a good starting point https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2988138-trieste/#comment-66828153 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2949199-venice-hotels-and-luggage/#comment-65689648 (esp post #2) https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/venice-cruise-terminal-hotels-piazzale-roma.htm And this which describes the number of bridges to hotels. https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/bridges/ Find them all by using the search tool under your username.And do delve into the wonderful europeforvisitors/venice website to find all the info you will need for your first time stay. the more you look the more you will find.

Thanks for acknowledging as not every does. Mondays can be tricky as some museums etc will close, so when deciding which sights/attractions to visit, check opening and closing days in addition to opening hours. BTW, the Baixa District is convenient for the docking locations. And for a first visit, the visitlisboa.com official city website is a great starting point as the more you look into it the more you will find., including how to use public transport. Many others too of course including the usual Tripadvisor, YouTube, Rick Steves, Frommer's and others. And past threads which you can find using the SEARCH tool. As there is way too much to choose from for a single day, you will need to focus only on the sights/attractions, viewpoints, museums etc which appeal to your personal interests- and plan for a return future visit..

Sometimes we do too, and on more than one occasion when travelling we have found ourselves at the stop for the correct line and and number but going in the opposite direction to the one we actually want. Same here in Edinburgh as tourists are often to be found "going in the wrong direction" and common to hear a driver tell a tourist "you need to cross to the other side". Easily done, even by grown ups.☹️

Happy to be educated, but whichever, Cantonese or Mandarin, same advice applies.

A tip you might find useful which we used a number of times.. Have the name and address of your hotel written or on your phone in Mandarin to show a driver where you want to go. Once at the hotel, take one of their business cards from the reception area where they are usually to be found, and carry it with you at all times to show any taxi drivers at any time. Most hotels will have their addresses and business cards in both english and Mandarin, some would also have it showing on their websites. To help before arrival, if you cannot find the name and address in Mandarin on their website, e-mail tham and ask for it to be e-mailed back to you as having it definitely makes life easier.

Absolutely! And NOWHERE else.

Most European cities, towns and regions are well served by public transport making it easy to move around or to venture out of the town or city. These can include buses, trams, ferries, subways,trains etc. and HOHOs are often available too. And depending on the port, self guided independent walking tours are also an option. It really depends on the port. And for some port cities/towns, a paid for ship shuttle can take you to the entrance of a historic town or city, because very often they are pedestrian only anyway, so any shorex9especially a walking tour) you pay for will probably find you on foot walking the same streets that independent pax are walking for free. Aand english is widely spoken, even more so in tourist centred cities and towns meaning language is rarely an issue. Once you decide on an itinerary, there is much info to be found on the Europe/ports of call forums for each country. And if you post your port names, members can advise which are very easy DIY and which might be better suited to a shorex. It is common on European itineraries for pax to "mix and match" and sometimes include private tours into the mix of shorex and independent.. Opting for all "shorex only" touring means you get the "one size fits all" excursion everywhere, doing some independently means you can tailor them to suit your own personal interests and choose how long to spend at each of your stops, and you can decide where you want to lunch or stop for a drink or coffee. And think of the $$$s savings! Costs can very quickly mount as European itineraries are often quite port intensive with few sea days. Shorex everywhere costs for 2 persons might give you quite a shock, but if you are happy to pay, that would be easier to plan than doing pre-trip research would be. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/8-europe/ .

We walked it in, I think , no more than 15 minutes or so. And no hills to climb! Herculaneum is usually less tiring than Pompeii, but you could rest onboard over a leisurely lunch and afterwards see how you feel at that point. Pizza can be found everyhere in Naples. Unless you especially want to dine in one of the historic original pizza restaurants, just buy wherever you think has the tastiest looking, and if busy that is usually a good indication of qualty.😁

As your question is NCL specific, consider cross posting on the NCL forum where passengers who experienced this would be more likely to see it and respond. This one https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/64-norwegian-cruise-line/

They are not mosquitos and do not bite but they can be a nuisance.

We had Iindian visa nightmares on two occasions over the years and vowed never again to return because of these. Our applications also included personal visits to the Indian Consulate here.in Edinburgh, and lucky we were to have it here and not to have to travel to a different city. And the photos which were required were not the usual standard passport size, but a different one and we had great difficulty finding a photo booth where we could get these. Also be aware that if your itinerary includes Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, an additional "protected" (or it may have been "restricted") area permit is also required and is a separate application. Pre-pandemic, at that time, and a fairly new introduction, my understanding is that if cruising into certain named ports in India , an "e-visa" could be applied for instead of a full tourist visa, but you would need to check extremely carefully if that exemption still exists and if so, which ports it applies to I suggest you only use your own government OFFICIAL websites, also OFFICIAL Indian govt websites as it is entirely your own responsibility to be in posession of the correct visas for each country because if not, you could actually be refused boarding for the entire trip (as happened to some Brits trying to board our ship in Dubai who had not known that Port Blair was actually in India and they needed an Indian visa for that one Indian port.. Should you contact any officials either govt or cruiseline by e-mail to double check you have the correct info, I strongly advise you keep copies just in case you were given incorrect information which you relied on. We had similar issues and expense with Chinese visas and once again, never returned. Good Luck with your research as you will need it.!

VV we ported in Lisbon 5 or 6 times before deciding to spend time there on a land trip/city break after deciding it is one of our favourite cities and that here was more sightseeing we could do both in and out of the city without being restricted by ship times. Knowing how very steep many of the streets there are, and with five days there, we wanted somewhere on more level ground which we could easily stroll and settled on the Baixa District which is super convenient for everything including dining and all forms of transport. There is also good public transport to and from the airport including the airport shuttle bus, should you not want a taxi. Anywhere close to Praca da Figueira where much of the transport is located would be perfect for easy DIY sightseeing. Unfortunately I cannot recommend our aparthotel at the P. da Figuiera end of Rua da Prata as it was a victim of the pandemic and has since closed,despite being part of a locally owned hotel group, but the following threads might be a good starting point. which day of the week will you be there? https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2896693-tours-from-lisbon/#comment-65351636 post #7 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2998813-porto-lisbon/#comment-67374209 Posts 13 and 14 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2998813-porto-lisbon/#comment-67374300 posts 11-14

We know the city well. and will do tomorrow. zzzzz😀

You should always let guest services and/or your cabin steward know that you will be away overnight and returning next day. You can visit anywhere you choose en route to Florence, with the two most popular being Pisa and/or Lucca. Same on your return to Livorno. all are well connected by train. As for Florence itself, you could read as much as you can about the city to help you decide which sights would interest you. And note the ones which require pre-booking and timed tickets There are of course some pros and cons about overnighting if you plan to use the trains as your main form of transport. Rail strikes could be problematic.. Some go ahead, but others get called off. There have been a number of past threads about overnighting in Florence from Livorno and you would probably find useful info and advice in at least a few of them. you can choose which to read from these. ..https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=florence overnight&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_and_or=and

And those will be the early ones as some shows begin late evening and others after midnight and even some shows during the night for those with the stamina😁

Unlike in the US where you are located, workers in European countries earn actual wages so "tips" are a bonus not a necessity. Having said that, extras are always welcome and it is a personal decision how much and to whom you choose to tip. For drivers and guides we tip depending on the quality of the guide, but also how demanding the drive has been., on occasion on especially challenging routes such as mountain routes, we have tipped a driver more than we tipped a guide as we appreciated our safe journey and the expertise of the driver. . In cafes, bars etc, it is usual to round up to the nearest euro or whatever the currency is with a few coins. In restaurants a service charge may have already been added so need for anything exra. If there has been no srvice charge added to the bill, maybe 10- 15%% or a little more. No real easy answer!!

Not interested in other similar lines that don't have many fun activities, etc. throughout the day. You said this, which is quite an odd thing for someone visiting "the Med" for the first time to say. Are you planning to stay onboard for significant amounts of each day instead of going ashore? Only asking as it is more common for daytime activities to be of little interest when porting in European cities and towns. If you do plan on taking part in onboard daytime activities, the itinerary itself will not be a priority, the ship will be. Having said that, if I have misunderstood, some of the following suggestions might help you choose. Med cruises can be quite exhausting as distances between ports are short so not uncommon to have multiple days at sea without frequent sea days. And days ashore can be long depending on your port and distance from the "headline" city or town. After a few days of this, evening entertainment can lose some of its appeal, especially if you have returned from an 8 or 9 hour tour or day ashore and have a similar one planned for the following day, and possibly another the day after that. You should look carefully at distances between the "actual" ports and the "headline" ports as longer days ashore are preferable to shorter ones.There are a number of these but the most well known and frequently used in cruiseline marketing, would be le Havre (Paris), Civitavecchia (Rome) and Trieste or Ravenna (Venice) Don't be fooled into thinking you will be able to step ashore in the "headline" city and begin sightseeing. You won't! Compare port arrival and departure times should you have narrowed your choices down to a small number. EG not much point in an early arrival such as 0600 if the departure time is 1300 or 1400. Likewise an arrival of eg 1600 isn't of much interest if the departure time is 2200. And size matters too. Check itineraries carefully for any indications of tender ports. RCCL ships are mostly "big girls" and may have to tender instead of dock, and tendering from and back onboard can use up valuable shore time, as the bigger the ship the longer it usually takes unless you have special status which gives you tender priority.. And try to avoid the hottest months if you can. And expect crowds almost everywhere too as popular European cities and towns/regions have become ever more crowded in recent years with many suffering from "overtourism". You won't be lonely!

You could also consider pretty little Menton, only a skip and a jump from Monaco so very easy to get there and back by train or public bus.😀 Menton info and images will be easily found online.

Thanks for acknowledging as so many don't. Fingers crossed for you that others will have some ideas to contribute, but in the meantime did you try the local Tourist Info website visitnuuk or Tripadvisor or any other websites for ideas? Would also like to mention that Nuuk was the only Greenland port of call where we saw a small number of locals begging, and/or maybe suffering from substance or alcohol abuse. Didn't give us any cause for concern for our personal safety, but we did notice.

Unless your tour is heading off around the island, there is not really any need for a tour in Palma itself as ships dock within the city, albeit on the outskirts, and although a it would be a long hot walk into the historic centre, there are public buses and taxis to take you there. Should you decide against an actual tour, Palma itself is a very attractive city with a number of worthwhile sights, also perfect for strolling. There is actually a huge "pinned" thread at the top of this forum with "all things Palma" info on it. This one, https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2697012-palma-de-mallorca-diy-new/page/27/#comment-67543768