Grant2000

Have you considered taking a day pass on one of the Hop-on Hop-off bus services in Miami rather than a public transit pass? It's quite a good way to get around Miami and Miami beach and it's quite inexpensive. You didn't mention which hotel your are staying at, but there might be a bus stop near your hotel.

http://miamiflorida.ca/transportation/hop-on-bus.html

Port Canaveral is just near the Kennedy Space Center. It's a fabulous place to visit if you haven't been to this area of Florida before.

http://cruiseports.ca/america/port-canaveral.html

Because the days are so long in August, it's very pleasant just to walk around the downtown area or visit Vigeland Park. It's gorgeous at any time of the day!

http://Oslo-Norway.ca/

You could catch a cab to Palm Beach and enjoy a little sun and sand. There's also a small beach right in Oranjestad near the cruise port. Aruba is such a lovely place! There's lots to see!

http://Aruba-Island.com/

Kotor and Dubrovnik are beautiful cities but they are very busy when cruise ships are in town. Even in early October, there are lots of tourists.

You should check with other cruise lines to see what offerings they have in the fall. We sailed with Royal Caribbean.

http://travel-europe.ca/montenegro/kotor.html

There's plenty to see in and around Miami. There are at least a couple of companies that offer hop-on hop-off tour bus services. We took one that included a harbor cruise, which was very good. The two day passes are quite economical.

http://miamiflorida.ca/transportation/hop-on-bus.html

We were in PV recently and simply caught a local bus from the cruise port to downtown Puerto Vallarta. It's simple and cheap.

http://cruiseports.ca/mexico/puerto-vallarta.html

The cruise port in Tampa is located right downtown. We generally find a hotel near the Tampa Airport that provides a free airport shuttle. We then catch a taxi to the terminal the next morning.

http://tampa-florida.ca/transportation/tampa-cruise-terminal.html

The Marseille Train Station is quite far from the Marseille Cruise Port. It's also a long walk between the Cassis Train Station and the town of Cassis, where you board the Calanques tour boats.

I believe that some Calangue boats leave directly from the Port of Marseilles, but I'm not sure about that. Perhaps others can comment.

http://travel-europe.ca/france/cassis.html

We were in Vietnam last year and took the "Ho Chi Minh City on your Own" excursion from Royal Caribbean. It worked out very well for us. In addition to the coach transfer from the cruise port to the city, the guide provided a good commentary along the way.

It was easy getting around town on our own and a great way to interact the locals.

http://Vietnam-Guide.net/

You might also want to consider Trans-Pacific cruises that sail between Vancouver BC and Tokyo Japan. They are quite inexpensive and make stops in Russia and 2 or 3 places in Japan. Tokyo is a fabulous place to visit.

http://TokyoJapan.ca/

These re-positioning cruises depart in spring and autumn.

There is no problem staying in Cannaregio. It is a district of Venice that is conveniently located near the Venice Santa Lucia Train Station and bus station.

http://veniceitaly.ca/district/cannaregio.html

If you are want to save money, don't waste it on a gondola ride. They are quite expensive. You can easily walk from Cannaregio to the San Marco District, unless you are disabled. It's a very pleasant walk and will tire out your 9 year-old! Enjoy Venice!

The cruise terminal in Bonaire is located right in the center of Kralendijk, the capital city. You can easily walk to the shops.

http://cruiseports.ca/caribbean/bonaire.html

The Valletta Cruise Terminal is located right at the foot of the city. You just need to walk up a rather steep road to get there. If an uphill climb is too much for you, there is an elevator located a short distance away.

http://cruiseports.ca/malta/index.html

Enjoy Malta. It's lovely.

The south coast of France is lovely. The places that we like most are Antibes, Cannes, Juan-les-Pins and Nice. You can catch a local train to any of those places from Monaco.

http://travel-europe.ca/france/antibes.html

You can also purchase a one-day ticket on the local bus and visit the nearby towns (Positano, Sorrento and/or Salerno. It's inexpensive. Keep in mind, however, that the road along the Amalfi Coast is very narrow and traffic is slow. Make sure you allow sufficient time to get back to your ship before it departs.

http://travel-europe.ca/italy/amalfi.html

We were in Tenerife recently and loved it! We bought a ticket on the hop-on hop-off bus that stops just outside the cruise port. It was inexpensive and a good way to see the capital city, Santa Cruz.

http://cruiseports.ca/spain/tenerife-cruise-port.html

We spent 3 days in Kyoto recently and then took the train to the Osaka Airport. It's quite a long trip. The attractions in Kyoto are very spread out. You won't see much if you are only there for a partial day. Transportation in Japan is expensive, so if you take tours, you can expect to pay a good buck. Also, few people speak English.

I'd suggest that you either spend your limited time in Osaka or that you take a tour offered by your cruise company.

http://KyotoJapan.ca/

We were in Cabo on a Princess Cruise this past November. The tendering process was well organised and we were off in 15 minutes or so.

As others have mentioned, it's always good to get off the ship early and make sure that you're back before the ship leaves.

Cabo was beastly hot in November and there wasn't much shade available around the harbor. That's another good reason to catch an early tender!

http://cruiseports.ca/mexico/cabo-san-lucas.html

I'd agree with other members that it is best to stay near Piazzle Roma in the Santa Croce District. Not only are the hotels much cheaper there than in other districts, it is close to the train station, bus station and cruise port. It's a little bit of a walk to San Marco, however, but a beautiful one indeed!

Take the time to learn about Venice before you arrive and spend your limited time wisely:

http://VeniceItaly.ca/

There is no need to take tours or vaporetti (boats) as they can be quite expensive (assuming that you have no difficulties walking).

One last point: It's very easy to get lost in Venice. Take along a GPS-enabled phone or tablet. You can download a Google map to the mobile device and use it to help navigate. You don't require internet access if you download the map.

There's lots to see in Hong Kong and it's easy getting around thanks to the metro and ferry service. You might also want to do a day trip to Macau, which is China's answer to Las Vegas. Enjoy your trip!

http://Hong-Kong.ca/

We were in Key West about 2 years ago and thoroughly loved walking through the town. There's lots of interesting shops and restaurants. Make sure to enjoy a piece of Key Lime Pie.

http://floridacoast.ca/floridakeys/key-west.html

The town of Kotor is within walking distance of the cruise port:

http://kotor.ca/cruiseport/index.html

There's plenty to see in town. If you have the stamina, I'd strongly recommend that you hike up the mountain behind the town. You'll be rewarded with spectacular views of Kotor and region. Enjoy!

I agree that it's a good idea to rent a car in Honolulu and drive to the north island. It's quite a pretty drive and there are some interesting places to visit along the way.

http://OahuHawaii.ca/

We've taken the train from that same train station to Aix. It worked out well for us. You might want to check the schedules for both the bus and train and see which works best for you.

http://aix-en-provence.ca/