HeatherJA

I would hate for you to have your heart set on something and then be disappointed. Better to know in advance. One thing to always check for ports of call is sunset/.sunset times. It really helps with planning. And no, you don't want to risk missing the ship. Maybe next time you will have a cruise that begins or ends in Athens and have the opportunity to spend the night and enjoy this magical view.[ATTACH]323347[/ATTACH]

I agree, Chairsin! I've not thought about sunsets on our past cruises, but since we're cruising in October, it was one of the first things I checked. Also, a lot of our port times are late. For instance, we're in Kotor and Athens until 8 and 8:30, respectively, and Argostoli til 7. Of course, we'd be back on the ship an hour prior to these times, but it will still be getting dark. We'll be on our own in Kotor and Argostoli. Is walking safe at night in these ports?

As lovely as it might be I don't think the OP will have a chance to watch the sunset on the Acroplois from a rooftop bar. By mid Oct the sunsets at 6:47 and I imagine the OP will be headed back to the ship by that time.

Yeah, I guess you're right, Chairsin! I knew the sun would set around 6:30ish but didn't consider when we'd need to return to the ship. As much as I'd love to be relaxing on a rooftop, mesmerized by the sites, it's certainly not worth missing the ship and the rest of the ports of call! :D

Thanks, syesmar! I'm glad you pointed out the closing time of the stadium. I would never have thought about that!

Anyone else? Out of 118 views, surely there are more suggestions? :rolleyes:

I've combed through pages of DIY tours in Athens, reading "get to the Acropolis before everyone else"! Which of course, works wonderfully if you're in port early in the day! Arriving at noon is a different story! We're in port from 12 noon to 8:30 pm. One thing we have going for us: we'll be in Athens late October (less crowds, less heat). This is what we'd like to see: Acropolis, New Acropolis Museum, Mars Hill, Agora, Plaka, Temple of Zeus, Hadrian's Arch, Panathenaic Stadium, Lycabettos Hill.

My first question is, in what order do we take in these sites to avoid crowds? I have to take into consideration that at that time of year, the sun sets around 6:30 pm. I would LOVE to see the Acropolis light up from Lycabettos Hill.

My second question is: how much time should we allow to return to the ship?

My third question is this: if we choose to take a private tour (w/out a guide), what is the advantage of this versus on our own? Are we primarily paying for private transportation and a bit of storytelling/history on the way? If DIYing, we would take the X80 to the Acropolis (use Rick Steves audio guides), metro to Temple of Zeus, and any other public transportation if necessary, and take X80 back to cruise terminal. My MAIN CONCERN is my mother is battling cancer and will be on the trip with us. Before anyone freaks out, she is doing VERY WELL, but her energy wanes and we don't know what she'll be up to doing during the trip. Her comfort is our top priority. We realize that once at the Acropolis we must walk (I've read about the elevator, which is wonderful!). I just wonder if a private tour will save us much walking distance vs public transportation.

Thanks in advance for any advice!!

We are planning on going to the Boatyard while in Barbados (just 9 days away!). My question is this: Can you come and go from the Boatyard? Do they give you wristbands or stamp your hands? Since the ship is so close, we want to eat lunch on the ship (it's already paid for, of course), so that we can save money. So I'd like to leave the Boatyard, eat on the ship, and go back to Boatyard. Anyone know?

Do you have to have your own snorkel gear to go out on a private boat from Carlisle?

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Just back from our Feb 2/13 cruise, and we did enjoy this tour. A real highlight was the main meal that consisted entirely of local cooking.

 

There were toilets at almost every stop, but most required a payment of $1 US.

Thank you for pointing out the bathroom stops. Always a concern with kids in tow!

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I think the children will enjoy the tour.

Cosol is VERY entertaining and he make numerous stop for food, of which it will be like having a feast.

He can also customize the tour like he did for us. If there are things that you want or don't want to do, just ell him.

 

St. Lucia is our favorite caribbean island - and having Cosol show it to us during our first ever visit made it even better.

 

If you are lucky enough to actually have him as your guide, it will be that much better.

Thank you for your reply!

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Considering Cosol for our excursion in St. Lucia. Will this hold the interest of a 14 and 12 year old? They would love to zipline, but I can't afford to pay that much, especially since we will zipline in NC later in the summer for half the cost. So, would Cosol tours be fun for this age?