marazul

Might do so too.

Not really. That was our favorite place in that area.

Just a comment. Los Bellota is under new ownership and we have been told it isn't as good as it used to be. It was our favorite lunch place and I would be interested on your comments since you obviously have been there before.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2962859-acropolis-tickets-official-website-this-is-it/?do=findComment&comment=66080751

No such thing. Go to the official website and buy timed entry tickets. Show up at the time you select and you will be in within a few minutes. The Acropolis is now limiting the number of people that can enter each hour. No need to pay a third party website for supposed skip the line tickets. Again, no such thing.

We just had to cancel a cruise due to a health issue of one of our traveling companions. It is very effective. It also covers flights selected through Seabourn. Any amount not covered by Seabourn Shield results in a credit to be used for a future cruise. Just be aware that it is not enough to select Seabourn Shield at the time of booking. It is not effective until you pay for it.

The 15% seems to apply to their less popular properties. The 5% to the most popular.

Tender. There are no piers for cruise ships.

No, and you cannot buy tickets for the Museum at the Acropolis. There is an Acropolis ticket booth practically across the street from the Museum at the Plaka entrance to the Acropolis.

Yes, that's the official site. The only tickets you might want to get in advance are for Casa Battló. If you are interested in Modernist architecture, do not miss visiting the Hospital de San Pau. It is not a Gaudí work, but it is by his contemporary Lluis Domenech. https://www.introducingbarcelona.com/hospital-de-san-pau

@NCteacherlovescruising I have not taken either excursion but I have visited both cities. I would choose Bologna over Faena. Bologna has been in the news recently with its huge, leaning tower. It is also the seat of the oldest university of the Western world (around 1000 years). However, do not miss seeing the mosaics in Ravenna. At the very least, go to the Basilica of san Vitale to see the 5th Century mosaics. All sites are close together and easy to reach from the port. Search this board for details and google "Ravenna mosaics" for more info. They are magnificent and a top destination by themselves.

@alserrod Well, abuelos and a short port day complicate things... Here is a suggestion: Taxi to Riomaggiore. Explore the town going down to the port. Ferry to Vernazza. Everybody will enjoy the ride and you get the best views of the villages. Explore Vernazza. Pizza? Train to Manarola. Explore Manarola. Train to La Spezia.

Well, part of the family can stay on board and the other part can go sightseeing to all 5 villages. The part that stays on board could maybe go to Porto Venere for a couple of hours to enjoy a similar experience to Cinqueterre. Sometimes (often) it is best to split up so everyone enjoys what they want to do. Especially the kids who probably don't want to be taken on more sightseeing when they would rather be at the pool.

Is that an order of preference or the actual order you will be visit? Planning your visit in that order doesn't make sense because you will be backtracking. If you want to visit all five villages, you should start at the North end with Monterosso, then Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. You can take the train or ferry to Monterosso and then go back South to the other villages either by ferry or train or walking. Corniglia is not on the water, so you would have to take the train or walk there. Another possibility is to take the taxi to Riomaggiore and then the ferry to Monterosso and then back south. Seeing the villages from the water is not to be missed.

We really like thee Hera.

That works. Use the rest of your day to walk around Plaka and have dinner there. Get your tickets to the Acropolis for first admission the next morning.

There will be taxis at the port. You may have to wait if there are too many people waiting, but they keep coming. There will be taxis at the exits of the Acropolis. When you come out of the NAM, cross the street and flag down a taxi to go back in the "right" direction. Buy your tickets for the Acropolis on the official website. You can buy your ticket to NAM right at the museum. No need to prebook.

George's Taxi started out as one taxi driven by George Kokkotos. He became "famous" on various websites when he started giving tours to tourists (us among many). Over the years, his sons expanded the company into a full service transfer/tour company. George retired a few years ago, but his company is going strong. https://www.georgestaxi.com/worldfamous/

We were at that Quai with Seabourn just 5 or 6 years ago. That's why I said smaller ships dock there. Digue usually refers to smaller seawalls, but what they built is really a pier.

"Rade" means harbor. FTV means Fontvieille, the yacht harbor on the west side of Monaco. Maybe you will tender there. I just read the port's website. There is a long "semi-floating" pier (digue) where cruise ships dock in Port Hercule, the main port. So that's what they call the long pier at the port. Smaller cruise ships can dock inside the port. https://www.ports-monaco.com/les-croisieres/ There is the video on that page. Take a look.

If you are willing to do a private excursion, a tour to the Etruscan necropolis in Cerveteri and a visit to the Castello Odescalchi on the shores of Lake Bracciano are a great option. Cerveteri is closed on Mondays. The castle is open daily in the summer. Companies such as Rome cabs offer this option. https://www.romecabs.com/toursinitaly/rome-countryside-tours/

Yes, all taxis have a cc terminal. Ask before you get in because some might tell you it is out of order when you are ready to pay. This is rare.

Look at this thread: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2976917-transport-in-barcelona-taxi-metro-bus-etc-to-the-city-port-and-airport-all-information-and-questions/page/3/#comment-67049034

I checked out the Alexandra. It is indeed a Hilton and within steps of the Passeig de Gracia where two of Gaudi's masterpieces are: Casa Batllo and Casa Mila (La Pedrera). It is located on the Carrer de Mallorca, a cross street between Passeig de Gracia and Rambla de Catalunya. There are lots of good and reasonably priced restaurants in the area, especially along the Rambla de Catalunya. It looks very nice and the location is excellent. You will get a lot more sightseeing done in that area just by walking out the door. This would be important in the morning before you go to the port because you can go out for more sightseeing without worrying about check out or going back and forth to the Hampton Inn. The Hampton is really out of the way. The Alexandra would be great if you can get it with points. If you are using points+cash, you could look at one of the many non-Hilton hotels in that same area. There are many reasonably priced 2 and 3-star hotels around it. You might get it for less cash and save the points. Good luck. Here is the map of that area with all the hotels marked up: https://www.google.com/maps/search/Hotels/@41.3900169,2.1664427,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m4!2m3!5m2!5m1!1s2024-05-13?hl=en&entry=ttu

When you compare itineraries make sure you check how many hours are spent in each port. MSC is notorious for short stops, for example 4 hours in a port instead of 8 or 10. That really shortchanges your ability to do any meaningful sightseeing in that port.