edinburgher

No, as we always prefer to wait until the day in case the ship doesn't make it into port for some reason or another, but you must do what works best for you.

Apologies for typos in post above.

We docked at Altona on a Fred ship. It was perfectly located with a bus stop directly outside the port gate, but even better, there was a ferry stop immediately next to the ship. We had two full days there. We went to the tunnel one of the times we were returning to Altona. The tunnel is beside the major traffic hub of Landungsbrücken which you can reach by bus, ferry and ,U-Bahn? We only walked part way through and back as we were quite tired at that point having been out most of the day. You access by lift/elevator and some with bicycles use that too.. It is worth a quick look even if you don't walk the full length both ways.. If you can find a way to reach Landungsbrücken, from there you could travel to anywhere in the city with a choice of transport options. It is itself an interesting and popular spot to enjoy a drink or snack as there was a tremendous amount of activity to watch,including an old style paddle boat and many ferries heading out and back. ( read Tripadvisor and other online reviews) If you want to take a tour of the docks, boat/ferry trips leave from there. We included it as part of our return to the ship, and had taken whatever type of train it was (part underground, part overground on that line) from the large square where the Town Hall is located to Landungsbrücken, explored some of the tunnel, enjoyed a drink whilst watching all the activity, then took the ferry directly back to our ship at Altona. We had bought day tickets when we boarded the public bus outside the dock in the morning. The short ferry trip from Landungsbrücken to Altona is actually quite scenic, as it passes along the waterfront, even passing a docked Russian submarine at the submarine museum. And tours of the docks are really popular given the massive size of the dock area. As we had seen much of the port on our sail-in we didn't do that, but could recommend you consider the short ferry ride between .Landungsbrücken (as you will be there for the tunnel anyway)and Altona, then return to .Landungsbrücken. Timetables and routes for the ferries can be found online. Note that the port tours are not hop on hop off ferries, you are on for the tour duration, but the commuter ones running between Landungsbrücken and Altona are a bit like local buses with stops along the way.

if we had the option to visit Krka from Zadar or Split, would you choose to do it from Zadar to free up other options for Split or VICE VERSA? We have visited Split three times and never struggled to find sightseeing options. OTOH, having visited Zadar only once, we didn't find too much of interest to us for a full day, and should we ever return, would look at out of town excursions. Others may disagree.

isuggestions on where to shop for good locally produced olive oil on rete/Chania in town? It is Greece so local olive oil will be found on sale in a multitude of outlets, everywhere from specialist shops to local supermarkets You can buy from small sizes up to cans holding at least one litre or more, so you should have some idea of how much you are able to carry and transport home before you buy. You will also easily find other local products such as honey, olives, local cheeses and wine. Google is your best friend. Have you tried googling something like "shops (or stores) selling olive oil in Chania"?

If you have not already done so, suggest you look at previous threads and replies about Montevideo. If you do not know how to use the SEARCH tool, go to the general S America Ports Forum (not an individual thread)and input the word MONTEVIDEO into the empty dearch box under your username. Hit the little spy glass at the side and all prervious threads with that word in them will appear ready for you to read. This quite recent thread might be a good starting point and an example of what should appear: https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2898908-montevideo-what-to-do-safe-to-do-it-on-your-own/

Even "normal" streets in Madeiran towns are extremely steep. although much of Funchal centre itself is flat and an easy walk from the docking area. If staying in town, you could take the cable car up to Monte and toboggan part way down. It is pretty up there with views and a botanical garden. Buses go up and down too and the distance is short. In town itself, there is a market, Blandy's wine lodge to visit for tastings (Madeiran wine is high quality)and a pleasant walk along the promenade or around the shopping area. It is an attractive town to visit and would be a good option for a port day.

For what it's worth. Heard from our French friends this morning. They are driving their way home today having had to visit a different city over the weekend for an important family event, and are trying to find fuel to top up their tank while they are on the motorway, as they say motorway filling stations are given priority for refuelling and they could find no fuel at all locally before leaving home on Friday. I mention this only because a shortage off fuel could impact taxis and private tour arrangements. They are expecting strike action in France to get worse but didn't say why. Today it is the turn of Germany to have a general MEGA STRIK which has almost paralysed the country and created travel chaos for millions. And some strike dates have been announced for March and April in Spain. Perhaps cruise pax should consider staying more local to their ships as Plan A, and having travel to towns or cities outside of these ports as a potential Plan B, in the hope that strikes in several European countries will end before their arrival date.

And bear in mind that once a ship arrives into port, local officials still have to "clear" the ship and nobody is allowed off until it is announced that "the ship is now cleared and passengers may disembark".

Perhaps river cruising would suit you better than ocean cruising as there is minimal motion on rivers.

We planned to take a train to Cassis. Are there other options for transportation to get there? there are also public buses, but in the event of a general strike, these too would probably be affected. Otherwise, taxi or rental car would be alternatives. For what reason would you be going to Cassis? Iif it is to take a boat trip around the calanques,depending on the time of year these are also offered from Marseille. There should be info to be found online if you search..

Absolutely. We did it. A little under an hour by train. Main town of Normandy. Lovely historic city with particular reference to St Joan of Arc. We explored the very pretty historic centre, including the church of St Joan of Arc.on foot after takling the little tourist train ride around the centre.to get our bearings. Lots of info and images about Rouen should be easily found online to temp you. If travelling by train, don't forget to validate your train ticket at one of the machines before boarding. or you risk a fine.

at which stop should we do a catamaran tour and which stop should we do a beach day? Which is more important to you, the catamaran tour or the beach? You should be able to search online for catamaran tours out of both locations, but if only one offers catamaran tours, the decision would be made for you. As for beaches, Corfu has a number of highly rated beaches especially on the east coast,and is a popular vacation island, but there may be some near Heraklion too. That I do not know as Heraklion itself isn't known as a beach resort, unlike some other Cretan towns. Google is your best friend. Google really is your best friend. By searching "Heraklion beaches" or "Corfu beaches" you should get information on distance and how to reach them, whether they are sandy or pebbly, family nudist, offer facilities such as sun beds, umbrellas, watersports, or are you looking for more of a beach club experience? Or wlll you want a beachside restaurant or a cafe or bar? These factors are partly why if you search online you should find the one which best matches what you are looking for not the one that some others preferred.. For Corfu, be aware that if you search "Corfu beaches" results will be from across the entire island. If you want closer to Corfu Town then search for Corfu Town beaches.

So we're thinking of taking the train from Marseille to Avignon As Marazul has already stated, the current wave of strikes are affecting daily life in France and transport strikes are currently quite common especially as these are "general" strikes as opposed to only local ones. As the French Govt does not want pension ages to stay the same as they are now, and union members are still protesting, with neither side wanting to concede there is no way of knowing when the strikes will end. Previous French Govts. have tried and failed to bring in the same changes, but Macron doesn't want the plan to fail again and this puts a big question mark over the end date. (but you didn't state YOUR date and it may be very soon or not for ages yet.) Protesters are trying to bring France to a standstill, so a general strike can impact flights, trains, public buses, metros etc. in which case It may be best to have a "Plan B" in place for your date in case there is a strike that day. Maybe you could look at sightseeing within the city as a back up and have a stress free day without worrying about getting back o Marseille. You visited once before but the city is big and there may be other sightseeing options you could explore, including boat trips to the Chateau d'If or to the calanques of Cassis? And check online from time to time for any information on strikes already announced for future dates.

We are going to be in Dubrovnik the 1st week of Sept and looking for a possible tour or is it something you can manage on your own?. If not tendering into the old harbour on a small ship, you will be docking at Gruz.Harbour. Does your itinerary or booking info show whether you are tendering or docking? Choices to reach Pile Gate (closest entry to Old Town) for any transport, is ship shuttle, taxi or public bus from the main road outside the port, NOT from inside the bus station at the port gate. Easily explored on foot with no need for a guided tour unless you would prefer that. On a first visit, most visitors will only walk the walls, have lunch or a snack, and explore the old town, leaving other areas for subsequent visits. Preference will be to walk the walls first, before it gets too hot and/or too crowded, then explore the old town, (which is relatively compact).on foot. Do read tourist Information Dubrovnik websites, also Tripadvisor and others for ideas and information, and/or guide books or any other information source. And you can read many many previous threads and replies about Dubrovnik if you insert the word Dubrovnik into the empty search box under your name, hit the little spy glass and results will appear ready for you to read. A huge amount of info to be gained doing this.Note that you should be on only the general "Other Mediterraneun Ports" Forum, not any individual thread. If into Game of Thrones, it is easy to google" GOT locations in Dubrovnik" without the need for a tour also "self guided walking tours of Dubrovnik"-some with maps- but there will be tours you could join. It can get very hot in Dubrovnik, also very crowded, so carry water and dress appropriately. Croatia has now adopted the euro as its official currency so no longer a need for kuna.

Hi i and my daughters have already done the toboggan runIf you have already experienced a toboggan run, maybe you could ask if you could have a photo of you, plus bab,y sitting on one at the top without actually doing the run. Whether or not you do the actual run, you could still go up to Monte as it is quite pretty up there with views and a botanical garden to visit. You also don't have to take the chair lift both ways as public buses run up there from Funchal.

Visited only once but we docked without any issues.

Can I first of all suggest you online research the distance between these two cities, also how long train journeys and possibly even flights might take to get you to the start of this "day trip to Venice" I think it is around 4 hours each way, possibly faster by high speed train, but would it be worth all that travel time for the very short time you would have in Venice, especially as you say We don't want to come back too late that day. If timings are between 3 and 4 hours each way, you would arrive at Venice train station( or (airport) then to get you back to Rome "not too late". probably have to go to the platform for the return train to Rome without ever leaving Venice train station. IMHO I think your time would be better spent either in Rome itself or on a full or half day trip outside of the city to a location which is much closer than Venice, although others may have a different opinion. Side trips might include Ostia Antica or Tivoli palace and gardens although there are others.

In my planning I have read a few posts that mention taxi tours. Is that something that needs to be pre-arranged or do we grab a taxi by the dock and give the driver a list of what we want to see? Should you decide to venture out of town to visit some of the scenic parts of Corfu, I would recommend you pre-arrange a taxi tour as otherwise you are taking a chance on there bering availability dockside, and there may be none at the time you want. I am unsure how your own list of what you want to see would work. The drivers know where they can comfortably take you which works around your time in port, also opening hours should there be any at certain sights. And would speak english if you request that, and you would know the cost. They were found easily enough by googling "corfu taxi tours" or something similar.. Some may even have websites with itinerary examples but they do lots of taxi tours and can probably make suggestions which you can agree to or make alternative suggestions of your own and they can advise if time would allow for their inclusion. Have you checked if any others on your RC already have a tour arranged and are looking for others like yourselves to share? Alternatively, if you arrange a taxi tour, you could check if any of the others on your RC might want to join your group to share the cost..

We will be in Akureyri, Iceland in July and we are looking for a tour company that will take us on a small group tour It would be worth your time to read this fairly recent thread as several companies and their tours are described in it together with cruise pax recommendations. It doesn't quite start off that way in the first few posted replies, but stick with it to learn all.: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2910739-akureyri-activities/#comment-64715461 And there will be many other previous threads about Akureyri if you search for them.

BoBaby didn't mention that it was a cruise line-booked hotel JB I made an assumption which was probably incorrect. OTOH, if not a cruise line pre- cruise land extension, there is a good chance that the OP could tweak the booking with no penalty as so many hotel reservations can be changed up until 24 or 36 hours before arrival. And if unable to be changed, at least the OP has been warned about travelling across the city and can research and make plans bearing in mind the potential issues which have been highlighted. BoBaby, Istanbul is a fascinating and vibrant city which you will love to explore..

how will they get it down also is the walk back from the end of the toboggan doable with a buggy This is a very specific question, and for an accurate answer, I think you would need to contact the Funchal Tourist Information Office, or, if such a thing exists, would there be some sort of union or Society or official body of some description for the toboggan runners. Should there be, I expect an internet search would find it if you look. When we came off the toboggan part way down the hill, we didn't see any buses or taxis so walked down the rest of the way. That road was extremely steep, (as are many Madeiran roads) and we had to lean slightly backwards most of the way for balance, and when we finally reached the lower street level, our legs were aching. If you left the buggy at the top while you rode down,(unsupervised?) I think you would need to take a taxi back up to the top to retrieve it as it would be a truly awful uphill walk on foot. That should be another question for you to ask. part way downhill we saw several toboggans being loaded onto a trailer to be driven back up to the top . Have you seen online images of the toboggans? They are really only wicker bench type seating with a front space for legs and feet, and the runners stand on a ledge directly behind the seated riders. i don't remember any additional space.There are also no safety belts or other safety measures that are obvious, including brakes. The runners use their feet as brakes. Maybe others reading this have different recollections. which would be more helpful to you.

Great advice, thank you both very much for your replies! I made a mistake with the following comment. There is a tourist train which runs a circular route around the town It is not a TRAIN, it is a BUS.

BoBaby If it's not too late to do so without a big penalty, I suggest you switch to a hotel in the old part of the city - Sultanahmet. JB, thanks for agreeing. Must admit I hesitated to suggest the move if possible but the OP will find they lose a massive amount of time each day simply getting from hotel to Sultanahmet, and back again at the end of the day. And that hilly walk you describe and the walk from the nearest tram station will be worse after a day sightseeing.and walking around- And the traffic so appalling that the only gain from a taxi ride will be that they have seats. If staying in Sultanahmet, a short stay of 2 or 3 days should mean being able to sightsee and dine without any need to leave that area and with it all only a short walk away. Why do cruise lines think it is acceptable to put their pax in inconvenient locations?

Has anyone hired a private boat to go to Gozo or Blue Lagoon? Have you already tried googling something like "boat tours from Valletta to Gozo (or to the Blue Lagoon)? And be aware that a private rental boat for only your own party will most likely be expensive, or even very expensive,so perhaps you might consider a ahared tour to keep the costs down if you are only a small number and the timings work better for your time in port. On the other hand, you were maybe expecting that and prepared to pay whatever the cost, in which case I apologise for suggesting a less costly alternative. And be up on deck early for the wonderful sail-in to The Grand Harbour, one of the best sail-ins anywhere. IMHO.