KBrote

Thank you. I am hoping if they do a private tour they will have time. The ship is in port from 8:00am - 8:00pm. So if they can be in Rome from 10:00am - 4:00 or 5:00pm they should be able to work it out. Maybe they won't see everything at the Vatican and the Colosseum but will see some.

HI. I am asking this question on behalf of my brother and sister-in-law. They are not confident travels abroad and I have volunteered to get some info for them. They will be on Oceania's Riviera, stopping in Civitavecchia/Rome on Sept. 14. They are currently looking at two ship's excursions at $279 per person for a large group bus tour or $479 for a "small group" tour of max. 16 people. Last year my husband and I did a Greece/Turkey cruise with Oceania but only took one ship's tour as we prefer to arrange our own private tours. We used Tours By Locals and other local guides I found online. I hate for them to spend almost $500 per person for a bus tour. Both of these tours visit the Vatican but they say they will see the "exterior" of the Colosseum. When we went to Rome years ago I arranged a private van from the port and we saw everything in the Vatican as well as the inside of the Colosseum. Can anyone recommend a way to get the most out of their day on Rome? Any specific guides, companies, etc? Would you suggest they avoid the ship's tour? Any advice is welcome!

We finish our cruise Friday, Nov. 3, in Athens. They state disembarkation starts at 8:00am. We have a 1:30 flight to Santorini from Athens airport about an hour away. We had thought about arranging a tour on the way to the airport but now we all feel more comfortable just going straight to the airport. How long can we delay getting off the ship and can we carry our luggage off rather than leave it outside our door the night before? We are fine getting to the airport early but would rather not be there 4 hours early! Would love to arrange our Welcome Pickup for 9:30 am. Is this ok? Thank you.

Thank you. I am also contacting Welcome Pick Ups since they can do a similar tour/transfer. For probably about 200 euros.

I contacted George's Taxi and got a response this morning. They will take us from the port to the airport down along the coast to the Cape and then to the airport. We have about 3 1/2 hours. They are asking 250 Euros for this service for 4 people. What do you think of that price? What would it cost for a regular taxi to take us directly from the port to the airport? Our flight doesn't leave until 1:30pm. Thank you.

Thank you so much. I had contacted this company months ago on another topic. I couldn't remember the name so I appreciate you jogging my memory. We will be able to watch the sunset from our hotel on the caldera of Santorini! What would you suggest on that drive to Sounio? Any places we should not miss? I appreciate your input very much!

We will be disembarking Oceania's Sirena on Friday, Nov. 3, around 8:30 - 9:00am. We are taking a flight to Santorini to spend the last 4 days of our trip before heading home. We need a transfer and possibly a tour the during the morning of disembarkation. Our flight to Santorini is at 1:30pm. We will have had 5 nights in Athens so we will have seen most of the main sites and will have had walking tours and tours of the acropolis so we don't need to see more of Athens. We are hoping to arrange a transfer to the airport that will give a us tour during the 3 hours we have between leaving the ship and arriving at the airport at around 12:00pm. A friend who used to live in Athens suggested a scenic drive south to Souniou and around the southern end of the peninsula and then up to the airport. We could stop for an early lunch somewhere scenic or just see a part of Greece other than Athens. Could anyone suggest a company that might be able to provide this service? In addition and other suggestions for spending our 3 hours between the ship and airport? Thank you!

I have just read through this entire fascinating thread since we will have 2 days in Istanbul next week. We are sailing on Sirena from Istanbul on Oct. 24. We are spending 5 days in Athens before flying to Istanbul. We have the afternoon of Oct. 23, and the morning of Oct. 24 to explore before we board the ship around 3:00pm. I am happy to say we have booked the same tour guide, Kagen and company, for our private guide. We will have another guide, not Kagen or his wife, but I am sure the guide will be wonderful. We plan a half day from 2:30 -7:30 on Monday and 8:30am - 1:30pm on Tuesday. We have a loose itinerary but want to hit the main sites with the help of the guide. Any other tips since you used the same service would be appreciated. We need to find a place for dinner at the end of our afternoon tour and a place for lunch on the half day tour on the 24th. Did you stop for any meals during your private tour and how did you handle that? Did the guide join you or just point out a restaurant to you? We are stying in a hotel in the center of the Old City in the Sultanahmet area. Thank you!

Thank you for the information.

Thank you. I watched a few videos of the terminal. It looked on the videos like the taxis entered an underground area and let you off inside. Is that different than what you experienced? Did the driver know where the Oceania ship terminal was or did you have to wander around looking for it? Thanks for the update.

Thank you. I am hoping we luck out with a knowledgable and experienced cab driver. I also wonder if Oceania does a good job with signage, etc. We will leave plenty of time in case of confusion. But I do appreciate hearing from people who have embarked from this new terminal.

We will be in Rhodes on our cruise this October. We also plan to do this port on our own. We want to walk around the Old Town and see all the recommended sites, but I also read about a Hop On Hop Off bus that has a stop very close to the port. I thought we could take the bus to get an overview of of the area and also see some of the sites not within the walls. And then spend the rest of the time inside the Old Town. Does anyone know about this bus? Can anyone recommend a restaurant for lunch? Thanks you!

Any tips for arriving at this port? We sail on Oceania Sirena on October 24. We have chosen a later boarding time so we can explore Istanbul that morning after staying overnight in the historic area. We will take a taxi from our hotel. Any tips for arriving at the cruise terminal are appreciated.

Thank you. I will bring a scarf.

We will be in Istanbul for 2 days pre cruise in a coupe weeks and plan on taking 2 private walking tours that will take us to the major sites, including a few religious sites. I know head coverings are required. Is this for both men and women? Would a regular wide brimmed hat be considered adequate for women? Or a light sweatshirt with an attached hood pulled up over the head? Or should I plan to bring a large scarf that would completely cover my whole head? And what about men? I appreciate any information.