hawkshoe

My first cruise we booked utilizing the ships excursions.  After that, I started booking on my own. I have found that not only are the excursions booked independently less expensive, but they are also much more enjoyable.  You don't have to wait around for 40 other people to come back to the bus, you are not taken to vendors who are just trying to sell you something (like watching rugs being made), and you have the ability to to adjust the trip to your interests. 

Check out Castel Sant'Angelo or the Domas Aurea (need advance tickets). I also recommend just walking around and seeing what you come upon. My mom and I came upon sone interesting sites that way.

Do you have a link to this tour?  If you do the bike tour, I would love to hear about your experience with it as this is something my son and I might enjoy.

We opted to tour Istanbul on our own. It was extremely easy to do. They have a tram that goes from the cruise ship area directly to the points of interest. We went to Topkapia Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the underground cistern, the spice market and a few other spots. We were able to do it at a nice leisurely pace and still get back to the ship in plenty of time.

We too questioned the need for a guide at the Vatican. In the end we opted to do it (split between a group of 6 it wasn't bad). We are so glad we did. The Vatican was very crowded (the most crowded place we visited). We would never have been able to navigate it and see half as much without the help of our guide. She was wonderful.

We used Rome in Limo. They were wonderful. We had a small group of 6 and the cost was quite reasonable. We toured Pisa and Florence. I highly recommend them.

When we were Italy I was very vigilant as I had heard much about pick pockets and bag snatchers. I used a running belt that is concealed under my clothes to carry cash and credit cards. I also had a camera bag which is about the size of an average purse. In that, I kept a very small amount of cash. I had no problems. In fact, my friend (who carried a cross body bag) and I did not notice any pick pocketing although a fellow traveler did mention someone tried to take something out of his pocket and he stopped them.

We were there in September and the line for pre purchased tickets took under 5 minutes.

We spent the day exploring Toulon. The Marine Museum is actually quite good and worth an hour or two of your time. Additionally, the cable car is quite enjoyable and the views from atop are quite beautiful. There is also a museum there but we did not go inside as we were limited on time. Toulon itself is a quaint town with some interesting shops and nice places to grab a bite to eat or drink.

I don't know if you are set on using a guide or open to other options. We chose to do Istanbul on our own. With some pre-planning we found it very easy to navigate and were able to see everything we wanted to with plenty of time to spare.

We used Rome-in-Limo for a 1 day tour of Rome and the Vatican. They were wonderful. I highly recommend using them and having them book a private guide of the Vatican. I don't think we could have seen half as much had we not had the guide.

We used Rome-in-limo for a tour to Mt. Vesuvius, Sorrento and Pompeii. They were great. I will say that if I had it to do over again, I would opt out of Mt. Vesuvius. I found it to be disappointing. I would rather have had the extra time in Pompeii.

We did Vesuvius and Pompeii (along with Sorrento). Personally, I would skip Vesuvius. In my opinion, it just wasn't worth it. Since you said your wife might have problems climbing, I would definitely skip it (although you can pay to get a ride in a vehicle to the top). Our time would have been better spent utilizing more time to see Pompeii.

I recommend Rome-in-limo. We used them and they were great. I am sure they would be able to accommodate your request. We did Mt. Vesuvius, Sorrento and Pompeii. If I had it to do over again, I would spend most of my time in Pompeii. It is amazing.

Another vote for just doing Ephesus and the terrace houses. Skip the House of the Virgin Mary (unless you are very religious) and go enjoy a nice Turkish lunch.

We stayed at the Hotel Papadopoli. It was a great location with the need to only cross one foot bridge which is nice when you are carrying your own luggage. The room was nice and the bed very comfortable. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was decent but not great. I would stay there again.

Book now if you can. I have done both cruise line tours and private tours. I personally like the private tours better. You can get info on them on the boards or on trip advisor.

I had the same problem with booking Cagney's. It didn't appear online. I had to call NCL and got a customer service representative who was able to book it for me.

I just don't like the idea of penned up rays with barbs removed, but that's just me.

 

There are different types of rays. The one which killed Steve Irwin was a huge one and he approached it from the rear and grabbed on for a ride on its back. The Ray was startled and flipped it's tail ( with barb ) up into his chest. More of a freak accident than the ray trying to harm him.

 

The Sand Bar Rays are pretty small. The sandbar is about knee or thigh deep so you feel very comfortable in the water. The fishing boats used to stop here to clean their catch and the Rays became accustomed to coming there to feed. Now the tours bring the food, and you get to hand it out. They do eat out of your hands and you can stroke and pet them as much as you want, they don't mind at all. You just need to be mindful of where you place your hands and to not step backwards as they are all anxious to get a turn. The guides help you hold one up by the wings in front of you and they take a picture you can purchase.

 

It is not often that you get the chance to interact with wild creatures in their own habitat rather than in a pen or enclosure in captivity. I hope you get the chance to do this someday.

Not sure if the sand bar and Sting Ray City are the same. We did Sting Ray City and the sting rays are huge. My son was scared to death and wouldn't go in the water. The water was neck high where we anchored. I have to say it was a little unnerving getting off the boat with them all around. I was afraid of the barbs as well. Once in and I was able to get to where it was about chest high, I felt a lot better.

When we went to Grand Cayman, I did a tour with my younger son and some others that went to Sting Ray City. It was awesome. My husband and older son did the wave runners, which also included a visit to Sting Ray City. They said it was a blast. FYI, our tours were not done through the cruise line. Check the island tour offerings and you can likely do both things you are hoping to do.

It's not a foreign transaction fee. RIL itself charges the fee if you pay with a credit card instead of with cash. At least, I've read they do so at the time of the tour. Possibly they have a different arrangement for prepayment.

You are correct that RIL charges the 5% fee. We are using them and thought about prepaying as well, but once we discovered the added fee, we decided not to.

Check out Cayman in a Nutshell. They were awesome.

Over $500 for possibly 6 hours in Disney is not worth it as far as I am concerned.

With the age of your son, I would recommend trip to the police officer hall of fame in Titusville; http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14390. (it is located just outside of the Kennedy Space center).

. . . Cagney's appears as a reserveable dining option.

 

I previously made reservaton by phone since Cagney's wasnt' a listed option.

I had to call to reserve Cagney's as well because it was not showing up as an option on the site. Good to know they fixed that.

I have done this for all 3 cruises I have been on and had no problem (2 left from Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and one from Puerto Rico). Of course, I can't guarantee anything, but I do think you will be fine..