marbleski

KOPER UPDATE - SKOCJAN CAVES

I forgot to mention that the caves our group of six visited while in Koper was the Skocjan Caves. The larger and more popular caves are the Postojna Caves (these caves have the train ride).

The Skocjan caves are about a 3 km walk. I don't think NCL had shore excursions to the Skocjan Caves but I stand to be corrected. Both caves are excellent, but ........ be sure you visit the caves that suit your needs. One has the train ride and the other has the roaring gorge/under ground river.

Call me Al

Found these photos too........... Here are the views similar to those you enjoyed from the restaurant

Found another photo of the restaurant taken while climbing the steps to the Fortress

From earlier in your review, this picture of Dubrovnik - we ate at the restaurant that is marked with the arrow. It was right on the way towards the fortress. Restaurant Orhan, a family owned and operated place.

 

 

 

The food was great, service was very nice as well, view was AMAZING. My wife raved about how amazing the sauce was in the mussels she ordered. We spoke to the waiter about his acting role in Game of Thrones.

 

I'm really enjoying your review and pictures. Its really bringing great memories back and I wish to be on the Spirit again!

Call me Al - nice post. Pictures sure bring back memories. I remember your restaurant. Maybe there will be a next time for me and if so I will be sure to make a point of eating there. Thanks for the tip. Great views indeed.

Al I looked over my photos and here are a few more showing your restaurant.

To get to Call me Al's recommended restaurant...... After you walk the wall exit the old city and cross the moat at Pile Gate. Turn right, down the steps and under the moat as seen in the photo. Walk to the small beach where they rent kayaks. Follow the walkway toward the fortress and you will pass the restaurant.

To the right as seen in this photo take the walkway below the wall. Restaurant is in the far right of picture. Pass the restaurant is where you take the steps up to the Fortress.

Restaurant is on the left next to this inclined walkway.

and above this boat and wall.

Thanks for the details! We are doing this cruise in Sept. Any chance you can post any of the dailies?

 

Dan

Dan,

I did not keep any. Next time I will take pictures of the dailies for those who are interested.

Enjoy your cruise. The water will warm by September .......enjoy a few hours at some of the beaches.

We are doing an 11 night cruise on Spirit in October, so far the same ports you’ve reviewed. I am copying the info. So glad I found this thread. Love your pictures. More excited than I was before. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Thanks for following. Glad to be of help.

These ports are fantanstic and the Spirit is such a great ship. If you have any questions send them along.

Medieval alleyways

More alleyways with shops and restaurants

Exit/Entry at rear of Palace for those entering from the port/water side. This entrance was the front when it was built as the port side entrance was surrounded by water.

The cellars

Open area between the cellars

The waterfront

Split

Another DIY day with our Australian friends. We walked to Diocletian's Palace and purchased tickets to climb the bell-tower at the Cathedral of St. Domnius. Make this your first stop to enjoy the 360 degree view up top. There are plenty of interesting things to see, so take your time and study the detail in everything below. The top of the tower also provides a great visual of the area you will explore throughout your day. The metal stairwell is open so there are no walls to hide the gain in elevation. I found it a little queasy, but I have a fear of heights. Keep a close eye on your young children when climbing the stairwell.

After the bell tower we explored the meandering medieval alleyways, purchased a few local goods, and picked up some sweets at the candy shop. We exited the old town at the back wall and strolled around the streets outside the wall. We took a refreshment break to sample the local beer and fresh juice. We used the break and free WiFi to check in with family back home. We did more walkabouts and at the end of the day we did the underground DIY tour of the sub structures of Diocletian's Palace. It was interesting but after a while one room looked like the other. It would have been much more interesting visiting with one of the local walking tours. We purposely kept this site for the end of the day as it was our last stop on the way back to the ship. The cool temperatures were also nice at mid afternoon,as were the sparse crowds.

You could easily do a ½ day activity elsewhere nearby and spend your last few hours at Diocletian's Palace before walking back to your ship.

Photos of Split. Up next Corfu, another DIY day.

View of Spirit from the Bell Tower. You can see the walking distance from the ship.

Another Bell Tower view

One more Bell Tower View

Stairway to the top. Steep and open.

View of the Tower at the Exit

Koper

Since I had great success organizing private tours through our roll call on two previous European cruises, I gave it a go once more. Koper was one of three ports I identified as needing a local tour operator.

Istranka Shore Excursions and Tours was my tour operator of choice. I contacted them several months prior to our cruise and after a number of emails with Tour Director Ivan we put together a tour to suit our needs. With the itinerary and cost finalized I posted the details on our roll call. We got a couple of hits and our tour was confirmed.

TIP - join your roll call and jump right in. Either organize or join an organized tour. Don’t hesitate joining tours posted by your ship mates. The good tours will book fast. You’ll soon realize those organizing or joining private tours are just like you …. that’s why they are on CC too.

We paid for our tour in cash (Euros) at the Istranka kiosk on the pier. By 8:10 am or so our guide Goran had us in his 8-passenger van and on the highway to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It was about 19 degrees and sunny when we left port but shortly before arriving in Ljubljana it began to rain. Goran showed us the radar on his phone as we got hit with a burst of heavy rain. Timing sure sucked. Goran gave each couple an umbrella and off we went.

Goran was very knowledgeable and great to converse with. The heavy rain put a damper on our spirits. Ivan was quick to react and with our small group he moved us swiftly between inside sites. The rain stopped within the hour but it remained overcast for the remaining time we spent in the Capital City.

Four of us took the optional funicular (4 euros return) up to Ljubljana Castle. With limited time we did not tour inside the castle. Goran showed us around the castle courtyard, St. Georges Chapel and the prison cells inside the tiny penitentiary. We took the last 30 minutes of our time in Ljubljana as free time. We used it to wander about the bridges while the other couples did their own thing.

With Goran’s help we purchased a fresh made to order sandwich of meats and cheeses. With food in hand we departed Ljubljana at 11:50 am for the 45-minute drive to the caves. Our tour time was 1:00 pm. This was best option for us. Those travelling in peak season will have more departure times to choose from which might provide you the opportunity to either visit Lake Bled or take a side trip to see Predjama Castle.

Goran purchased our tickets, pointed out the washrooms and brought us to visit the small museum downstairs (included in ticket). The museum provided information on the early cave explorers. Take time for a short visit and break from the sun which was now making an appearance.

Since onsite guides were provided for the tour Goran waited for us in the van. The 1 pm tour was divided into three groups. We were in the first group which consisted about 30 people or so. There were stops along the way where our guide would gather us together and provide brief but interesting commentary.

The number on tour could swell in peak season. Have no fear as there is very little commentary and tour size should not matter much. Goran gave us the heads up when the tour was about to start so we would be among the first in line. At first, we were behind the guide but part way through we moved to the very end. This provided more time to take it all in and we would scurry along when needing to catch up to hear the commentary at each stopping point along the way.

This highly anticipated cave tour exceeded our expectations. It was our number one cruise highlight. All the Disney imagineers in the world could not dream up such a spectacular natural underground wonder. Truly amazing walking high among the narrow cliff side path with the roar from the gorge/river flowing deep below. This UNESCO heritage site ranks among the most important caves in the world. Note - photos inside are not allowed. You can take them at the end of the tour as you exit the cave. TIP: once you arrive at the cave entrance be sure to get in the first group. This will get you out quicker and provide more time at the other end where we took the short walk for the view of the river flowing underground into the gorge.

We departed the caves shortly after 3:00 pm and returned to the ship via the port city of Trieste Italy. We were dropped next to our ship around 4:15 pm.

I would highly recommend Ivan with Istranka tours. His correspondence was excellent. He delivered what he promised.

Koper Photos ....... up next Split

Awesome pictures!

 

We did a Med cruise on Spirit in 2014 and really enjoy it. Your review make me want to go back soon. I'm taking notes! :D

Thanks for the comments. Happy to be able to provide a tip or two to a fellow CC member.

Get your notebook ready and take some notes from our day in Koper. With the exception of Venice this 11 day cruise had completely different ports than the 12 day Grand Med cruise offered on the NCL Spirit a few years back ......... before they dropped both Istanbul and Ephesus from their ports of call.

Venice Day 2

Our Australian friends joined us today. We took the people mover to Piazzale Roma and caught the vaporetto to St. Mark’s Square. We took the slow moving vaporetto, on purpose, as it stopped at every bus stop on the route. It was a little overcast and we caught a few rain drops along the way.

During our journey along the Grand Canal I listened to Rick Steve’s audio tour on my phone. It was interesting as he pointed out the sights along the route. We got off at S. Zaccaria, one stop past St. Mark’s Square. We walked toward St. Mark’s Squares stopping to view the Bridge of Sighs along the way.

We walked around the square then explored the maze of streets and canals of Venice. Late morning both couples split for some free time LOL. We agreed to meet again at 2:30 pm at the Rialto Bridge. Wanting one more ride along the Grand Canal we made our way back to St. Mark’s Square and took the vaporetto, getting off a few stops past the Rialto Bridge.

After getting lost a few times we made it on time to meet our ship mates at the bridge. The remainder of our time in Venice was spent wandering the streets in the direction of Piazzale Roma, where we caught the people mover back to the port.

Some pics from Venice. Up next our small group tour in Koper.

This is great! I am taking notes and I love your pictures. I am looking forward to reading more as we will be on the Spirit on 7/29 for the 11 day cruise. This will be our 3rd time on the Spirit as it is one of our favorite ships.

Spirit third time ......... nice. Our favourite ship too. At this rate I hope to be finish my review of the remaining ports before you leave. lol. If you have any questions send them along.

Venice Day 1 Burano

The bus to Burano took about 20 minutes. We stood up the entire way, leaning on the rail behind the captain and his mates. Having done very little research on Burano it was a pleasant surprise. It was stunning. Very colourful with well-kept homes and shops. We shopped, ate gelato and explored quaint residential side streets. For some reason I was expecting a small canal with a handful of colourful homes but there is canal upon canal of them.

Getting a wee bit tired we decided to make our way back to the Spirit. Our luck of perfect timed connections ran out.We arrived at the bus stop just missing the bus. Looking at the schedule we had a 20 minute wait. As the departure time neared people seemed to come from everywhere. Where did they all come from?

There was a staff person at the stop and we were among the first in line. We were sure we were in the right line when all of sudden the attendant said the bus to Venice was on the other side of the bus stop. By now there had to be a hundred or two people squeezed in. Most everyone turned around moving to the opposite side. In the meantime, we found out we were at the right stop after all and missed our bus.

Next bus was scheduled in 30 minutes, so we were told by the attendant. About 10 minutes later another bus came by and the attendant said take this bus to Venice. Not sure why it came early but we were happy to hop on and grab a couple of seats for the return. Being tired and ready to call it a day the return trip seemed to take forever. The excitement from riding the vaporetto's earlier in the day waned a wee bit. We had one transfer which went smoothly and back to people mover we went.

Tip – when you get off the bus in Burano take the time to look at the return times and plan you day accordingly. It was close to 8:00 pm when we arrived back at the ship. We had hoped to make a return into town to ride the vaporetto's at night. But the long day got the better of us and we ate on board and called it a night. Looks like a third trip to Venice is in our future.

Arriving in Burano

A nice place to rest the feet and enjoy a gelato in the late afernoon sun.

Lots of interesting windows and doors to photograph while the spouse enjoys shopping

Colourful curtains across every front door

Always one more bridge to cross to have peek at the other side

Everyone has a boat or two outside their home. Dinner time, everyone must be home

We rented a car from Diaz Travel. Cost was minimal- I think around 25 euro for the day. They are located at the port as you exit. They gave us a map and instructions to just follow the tour busses. Easy drive to Olympia. Peaceful beautiful place with a nice museum. One can read up/watch some YouTube videos in advance to get the feel for the history. Definitely worth the easy drive. GPS on our phones worked fine for return. We stopped at San Andres beach right near the port and had a swim and some lunch prior to returning the car. Diaz Travel also sold tickets upon arrival for bus to Olympia but we wanted to hit the beach too so went with the car rental.

 

Op- thanks for your review. Throughly enjoying the details.

Renting a car is a great option. From my observations is should be fairly easy drive. A few hours on the beach would be a great idea in the summer heat.

Venice Day 1 - Murano

Once we had our vaporetto pass in hand we asked the ticket agent which bus to Murano. She pointed left and said stop F. Sure glad we asked as it was the furthest stop after A, B, C …. you get the picture. Not far, but it would have taken some time to stop at all the bus platforms and look over the routes and times. Once we found our bus stop it took a few minutes to figure out the routes, stops and timetable. Lucky, we figured it out in a hurry as our vaporetto arrived shortly thereafter.

One of my Venice highlights was riding the vaporetto’s. Endless photo opportunities. It was pure joy riding the canals watching the private boats, water taxis, ambulances, couriers, gondolas, supply boats, architecture, bridges, people and so on. The atmosphere of Venice portrayed in the movies was spot on. Although this was my second visit to Venice, I still had to pinch myself and say WOW I’m really riding the canals in Venice.

First, we stopped at Murano, the closest of the two islands. We got off at the Colonna stop and leisurely walked the canals, crossed bridges and browsed the endless number of glass blowing shops. After awhile all the shops looked the same.

We noticed signs pointing to a vaporetto stop. Once we found this stop we looked at the posted route map and figured out the fastest option to Burano. We went a stop or two and transferred to the bus for Burano. So far so good with our bus connections.

Some photos from Murano.

Up Next Burano.

Thanks for the advice. We hadn't planned to take a tour to Olympia as we've been to Ephesus, Athens, Pompeii, etc and have heard that you really need a good guide and strong imagination to get a lot out of Olympia. We had planned instead to take the tourist train to the beach / winery and have a more relaxed beachy/port/shopping day like we had in Mykonos on our last cruise on the Spirit.

 

I am the most puzzled by Koper to be honest. I just have no idea what to see / do there!! For Malta we might take the bus to Mdina or do a beach day. The blue lagoon looks awesome but might be horribly crowded.

 

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review!

In Koper I put together a small group tour of six thought Istranka tours. We visited the capital Lubjania, toured Skocjan Caves and drove through Trieste Italy on the return to the Spirit. The caves were our trip highlight and should not be missed.

In Olympia I put together a group of 8 and we visited the Monastery, Agricultural Co-op and toured the Olympic Site and Museum. We used Travel Insiders. This was a close second trip highlight. Olympia was fascinating, we ensured we hired the best guide to show us around. Her name is Saskia and she is unbelievable. She is the best guide we have had in all our travels. She made the site come alive. If you are fan of sports and the Olympics this guided tour is a must. More details and pics to come on these tours.

Highly recommend both tour companies.

Here are a few photos to go with the Venice Arrival. Also a correction, after looking through my photos I noticed a ship in port upon arrival. There was a RCCL ship in port when we arrived. By the time we returned to the ship early in the evening it was gone.

Notice the RCCL Ship docked in the background,

Thanks for the review! It seems no one reviews the Spirit. We just returned from the 10 day May 17th Greek Islands from Rome. The ship is beautiful. All the main areas are clean and cozy. The rooms need updating but on a port intensive cruise you aren’t there much. Very few kids on the ship at all. We went right to the Epic for a second cruise and were able to compare a lot. The food on the Epic was far better.

 

 

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A post of the differences in ships would be interesting read.

Next up Venice............Arrival, People Mover and 24 Hour Vaporetto Pass

This was a return port for us and another DIY port. Last trip we followed the boys. They figure out public transit systems with ease. This time we were on our own. Using our memory and limited pre-trip planning we figured it out. Riding the canals is the fun part of this destination. Knowing we had 29 hours before departure, there was no stress of getting back to our ship on time. Back to our arrival….

Our arrival time was 1:00 pm, very convenient, allowing for a relaxing morning. We decided to seek out a spot up front to watch the grand arrival. By the time we arrived at the top deck the prime real estate at the bow was taken. We secured a rail spot close to the front on the starboard side. Within minutes the entire side was full. The right side provides views of St. Mark’s Square during arrival. TIP: to experience the full buzz of your arrival make your way to the highest open deck on your ship and get a rail spot at the front or right side. Go early, about an hour before arrival.

With two gangways open there was no line-up getting off the ship. When you exit get a map from the hop on hop off bus people. They were at the exit just outside the terminal we were docked at. They had a couple of mobile carts located near our ship. No need to wait in the line-up with everyone purchasing tickets, just walk by and ask for the map as they have them on the side of their mobile carts for the taking. Use this info with caution, as we were the only ship in town –if you arrive on busy ship day they may be elsewhere or closer the main port exit gate..

Not sure how often the hop on hop off bus system runs or where it stops but it might be worth looking into before leaving home. Since we had a plan we did not bother to spend time looking into the service.

We took the people mover to Plaza De Roma. It is easy to find, and you can see the walkway route from your upper decks. The walk took longer than anticipated, you don’t walk a straight line. We were also docked at the furthest berth which adds a few more minutes walking compared to our last visit.

People mover tickets cost 1.5 euros and can be purchased from the ticket machine. I believe there were two machines. There were three or four people ahead of us. Hit the English directions and read along. It was very straight forward. If not, ask one of your fellow ship mates for help, sure to be some of them around. Pay in euros or credit card. We purchased four tickets and kept two for the return trip. No need to line up a second time.

Once you have your ticket turn around and you will see a couple of entry turnstiles. Scan you ticket walk through and up the steps to the people mover. The departure time of the next tram is clearly visible at the platform. Within a few minutes you will arrive at Plaza De Roma.

After exiting the people mover station we stayed to the left and crossed the street at the stop light near the buses parked in the Plaza. Once we crossed the street we purchased our 24-hour vaporetto pass just down over the steps to your left. We anticipated purchasing them from a kiosk but there were no customers at the ticket office. Ask for a schedule or route map. We did not ask.They may or may not have them, but no harm in asking. If I recall, the pass was 24 euros. The cost of a one ride pass is 7.5 euros.

Next up our afternoon in Murano and Burano

We are doing this cruise July 8th! Thanks for your review and your photos, they are beautiful. I am writing down your tips as I read. :)

Thanks to the last few posters for following. Will get to Venice soon. Lots of pics on my camera and both our iPhones to look through. Been busy with house renos that we thought would be completed when we left May lst. Something keeps coming up to get in the way of my review.......

Enjoy preparing for your cruise. I would recommend organizing tours in Olympia and Koper. Maybe Malta too. I organized tours in these three ports with fellow CC members. I will eventually get to these ports.

More Dubrovnik photos.

Narrow streets along the wall

Inside Pile Gate looking up at the Pile Gate wall entrance/exit. Fill your water bottle in the fountain.

Narrow and steep lane ways inside the walled city

View along the waterfront between Pile Gate and the Fortress

Small beach below the Fortress. Great place for a refreshing dip.

Inside the Fortress

Dubrovnik

We met up with our Australian friends for a leisurely DIY day. Shortly before 8 am we walked down to the gangway and off the ship. We were in the first taxi to leave the pier. Taxi fares are set at 13 euros per car and the price is clearly posted dockside. A one hour taxi tour well set you back 50 euros.

The taxi dropped us off at the Pile Gate entrance. When we entered the walled City it was eerily quiet. We were surprised that the length of the main street (Stradun) was so short.

We purchased our tickets to walk the wall (135 Kuna- they take visa) and climbed the steep stairs to the top of the wall. Temperatures were great this time of day and there were very few others on the wall. TIP - facing the Lovrijenac Fortress on your right you will notice the rising sun behind you, making for great early morning photos of the fortress.

The wall walk is not very strenuous, but then again we did it at a very slow pace as we stopped to enjoy the views of the both the coastline and city architecture. It took us about 2 plus hours to walk the wall. Speed walkers can do it in less than half that time. You will see a number of small cafes along your walk serving food and refreshments. TIP – there is a free bathroom about half way around, near the old port area.

The heat intensified as we made the last turn on the downward side of the wall. The wall was heating up by now. Temperature peaked around 26 degrees at mid-day. I’m sure it was much hotter than that on the wall.

Around the three quarter mark we noticed an increase in number of people passing us. The crowds picked up and you had to be quick snapping photos.

After walking the wall we sat in the shade by the fountain, filled up our water bottles and our friends took out Kuna’s from the bank machine. We strolled around the streets and about three quarters of the way down Stradun we turned left. The streets on this side are steep and interesting. At the top we exited the walled city to view the wall from the outside. The entrance to the cable car is near here.We found a quiet restaurant, ordered pizza and sampled the local beer. Since our Tim’s Sim was not working we appreciated the free wifi to check in on the boys and dog back home. We ate outside under the shade of some large trees. Food was good and the beer cold.

After lunch both couples split to browse shop and explore for a couple hours. We agreed to meet 2:30 pm at the fountain to check out the fortress before calling it a day. TIP the wall entrance ticket also includes entrance to the fortress. Knowing very few venture over to the fortress we headed there next.

The walk along the waterfront between the city wall and fortress is striking. Sea level provides a different perspective of the city wall, fortress and harbour. By mid afternoon the stairs leading from the waterfront to the fortress are shaded. A great place to sit, rest and take it all in. Magical indeed.

Be sure to wander to the right and left near the fortress entrance. The views are stunning. In the summer heat be sure to take your swim wear and hop in the refreshing water on the small beach area below the fortress (on the right side when facing the fortress).

TIP – visit the fortress as late as possible for best views and photos. As the day advances the sun appears behind you for the majestic views of the walled city. To be honest there is not a lot to see inside the fortress but we went to soak up the views and get away from the crowds.

After the fortress,we walked back along the waterfront to the Pile Gate entrance and took a taxi back to the ship. You can also walk back to Pile Gate through the interesting streets instead of the waterfront. We purchased an hour of internet for 3 euros at the large café next to our ship. We spent about 30 minutes or so touching base with family back home. Overall a great day. The cable car ride was on our list but ………we decided next time. Dubrovnik,we hope to return some day.

Here are some of my photos....... Next up is Venice

View down Stradun from the wall near Pile Gate

View of Fortress from top of the wall

View of the wall from top of the Fortress

View of the wall taken from beside the Fortress

About one third way around the wall. This photo shows a long section of the wall with just one person in sight. Go early and beat the crowds ....... and the heat.

View through the wall overlooking the old port area. The wall is very thick.

Enjoying your excellent review- thank you for sharing!!

Thanks to those for following. The reviews provides a good reason to look over my photos.

A few more items we ate .............

Cagney's Hockey pucks ......

My steak was much better ...

Enjoying the dining room view at Windows Restaurant as we departed Venice. Great meal, service and views as we passed St. Marks Square.

Excellent meal at Le Bistro. Both of us really enjoyed this evening. Food tasted much better than it looks my picture. OH had seafood.

The last meal was a great one. There were 9 in total for this meal. Restaurant seats 10 and they have four 1.5 hour settings per night. Service is fast but tasty and entertaining. I have a shellfish allergy so my food was cooked in Cagney's kitchen.

Next up our ports of call. Dubrovnik was our first port. We had a DIY day. I'll provide some insight in my next post.