Mediterranean cruise, ports where we don't need to book shore excursions?

[Bucket List]

Mariano Fiorentino was our driver and he was absolutely wonderful. Very accommodating and great about answering emails. The email I have for him is info@pleasantravel.com. I do believe this is a link for him as well http://www.hiddenitalytours.com/en/index.html. Different email but the same van ( he had just gotten it and was so proud!). Same name in guestbook as well. We had Mariano for Amalfi Coast but his website mentions Florence as well. We did a short ship excursion and spent most of the time shopping!

Alas we did Venice on our own, and all we got to see of Barcelona was the airport on the way home :( If your search the CC boards for the ports of call you are sure to find what you are looking for. I found all of my guides that way and was thrilled with them all. If you can find another couple or two to share, it will cost no more than ship excursion.

 

Have a wondferful time!

 

Thank you so much!!

[topguy]

I went on a Med cruise last January. You can actually take the train from Civitavecchia to Rome. The train station is just a short walk from the pier and I would suggest getting off at Termini Station. There you can catch the subway to the Coloseum and start walking from there. The roundtrip ticket for the train is not that much and it includes all of the transportaion while in Rome. I do suggest that you get a really good map of Rome to help you find everything. It can be tricky without a map, but everything is within walking distance.

[Captain Canuck]

topguy is right...rome is an easy do on your own...some people love having a guide..I prefer doing my own thing.

 

previously posted the link to this useful page

http://www.kenandpene.com/ROME%20ON%20YOUR%20OWN.htm

 

the time you have in rome is limited so you can only pick your top todos. if you want the vatican museum that is going to take most of your day.

 

as to Venice and Barcelona..do a search on these boards for "venice hotel" and "barcelona hotel". lots of good advise. we stayed on the lido which was much cheaper and had a view of St Marks across the lagoon. lots of people stay near the piazzale roma in venice...can reach it by bus from the airport (a few euros as opposed to 70 for a water taxi and I think 12 euro for the vaparetto water bus. you are then right where the people mover to the port is. within walking distance to st marks etc. or get a vaparetto pass for the length of your stay.

 

in barcelona we stayed at the Hotel Oriente on Las Ramblas..old hotel but nice. breakfast included. had triple pane windows or something as the street noise was ok.

 

watch for pickpockets in Barcelona and rome

 

have a great trip

[SpringBreakMom]

Dear In Retirement,

I am also a Michigander. I see that you are an experienced cruiser. I am going on a Mediterranean cruise in June on the Holland American Line. Do you have any specific recommendation for a hotel in Barcelona or Venice? Day tour companies in Rome, Venice, Florence? The roll call for my ship has not had much activity.

Thanks, neg419@gmail.com

If you are lookimng for someone in Rome we were very happy with our guide there as well. We used Stefano from Rome Cabs (www.romecabs.com). For the time we had in Rome we got to see a lot and didn't have to worry about making it back to the ship in time. He provided a detailed itinerary of our day so we could make sure to hit all the places most important to our group. The best part was that he also arranged for a private guide for our Vatican tour. I believe she had a degree in art history. We got SO much more out of our tour using her.

[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

Hi,

 

Do you still have the Florence/Pisa and Naples driver contact info. We are planning a July Mediterrean Cruise from Barcelona and would like to try your way.

 

Thanks,

 

try http://www.shareashoreexcursioninitaly.com they can customize an excursion for you.

[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

I've been reading GREAT advice so far - have a few other ports to ask about hired tours/cruise tours/on your own??? There will be 4 of us.

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Cinque Terre (La Spezia), Italy

Amalfi/Positano, Italy

Taormina (Sicily), Italy

Cofu, Greece

Kotor, Montenegro

 

Obiviously, we're going on a Med cruise the end of April. Already read about our other stops (Rome, Livorno (Florence), Dubrovnik, Croatia & Venice.

 

In advance, thanks for any & all info.

 

try http://www.shareashoreexcursioninitaly.com

[CupKayke]

It is our experience you do NOT need an excursion at the following three ports...

 

Rome/Civitavecchia ~ take the train into Rome ~ easy breezy, just follow the crowd. Once in Rome you can easily do this city on your own, too. You can take a taxi to the Trevi Fountain ~ probably 10 to 15 Euro there and back, max. This is a fantastic area to see in Rome ~ high dollar shopping, cute little wine/cheese shops, Hard Rock Cafe, etc. For some fabulous history, you can take a ride on the red open-air buses ~ they are hop-on, hop-off and a WONDERFUL way to see EVERYTHING (Coliseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, US Embassy, etc) in just a few hours for under 10 Euro per person ~ though I would recommend getting off at/near Vatican City and seeing this area on foot before continuing on with your tour ~ there are many sidewalk cafes, lots of shopping, and lots to do and see in this area. The red buses are fantastic and offer headphones to give you information about what you are seeing. They really take you to some of the outer parts of the city you wouldn't think to do on your own, btw. Just taking the ride and not getting off is well over an hour, FYI. Rome is easily doable on your own and at a fantastic savings in comparison to anything else I've seen available.

 

Barcelona ~ No way do you need an excursion here! Walk down La Rambla and see the sites, watch the entertainers, have some sangria, and enjoy yourself. You can easily walk to the famous market ~ La Boqueria. We took a taxi to see La Grada Familia and it was under 10 Euro, also. A fantastic day seeing sooo much and everything was steps away from where the cruise buses drop you off in Barcelona! This was almost my favorite port! Enjoy!

 

Monaco ~ Easily done on your own. The local buses are 1 Euro ~ that's right ~ ONE EURO ~ and they are super clean and will get you anywhere you want to go. Our tablemates went to see Princess Grace Kelly's mansion and to a real estate office ~ just to check-out the local prices! HA

 

As a further note.. during several of our do-it-yourself excursions we met-up with the ship excursions ~ people who were on someone else's timeline and paying high prices for the same thing we were doing for free. It was a bit surprising. Whatever you do ~ have fun! Sometimes just a little research will save you hundreds, if not thousands!!

[Leni]

Dear In Retirement,

I am also a Michigander. I see that you are an experienced cruiser. I am going on a Mediterranean cruise in June on the Holland American Line. Do you have any specific recommendation for a hotel in Barcelona or Venice? Day tour companies in Rome, Venice, Florence? The roll call for my ship has not had much activity.

Thanks, neg419@gmail.com

Hotel Jazz and Hotel Catedral Barcelona are very close to La Rambla which is central to allthe action in Barcelona. A day tour company that is very reputable is Rome In Limo. I have used Romeinlimo for Rome and Florence. If you post on cruise critic you can get others to join you to save expense. Venice you can do on your own. Just book a Vaporetto ticket on line for the water taxis.Google ACTV Venice vaporetto fares. They have rates for different lengths of time.

[Taxguy77]

My DW took the shp's tour to Rome, as she had not been there and I stayed on ship as I have. She loved it and was lucky enough to see the pope as he walked by about 10 feet from her. She walks well and fast, but was very tired when she returned. We admire folks who do it on their own, even if their Italian is good.

Since I don't walk too well, we stayed off the walls (Everyone says the views are spectacular) in Dubrovnic and spen the day in town. Lucky it was Sunday as we saw a small parade mostly of children in old era garb. DW went into an old Roman Catholic church and came back and said Mass was just beginning, in Latin as she was brought up. I stayed outside and people-watched.

We had lunch, did some shopping and wished we could stay a couple of days. The people are very friendly!

[monakayk]

Thanks for all this great info. DH and I are thinking of doing a Med cruise soon. Keeping for future reference.

[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

It is our experience you do NOT need an excursion at the following three ports...

 

Rome/Civitavecchia ~ take the train into Rome ~ easy breezy, just follow the crowd. Once in Rome you can easily do this city on your own, too. You can take a taxi to the Trevi Fountain ~ probably 10 to 15 Euro there and back, max. This is a fantastic area to see in Rome ~ high dollar shopping, cute little wine/cheese shops, Hard Rock Cafe, etc. For some fabulous history, you can take a ride on the red open-air buses ~ they are hop-on, hop-off and a WONDERFUL way to see EVERYTHING (Coliseum, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, US Embassy, etc) in just a few hours for under 10 Euro per person ~ though I would recommend getting off at/near Vatican City and seeing this area on foot before continuing on with your tour ~ there are many sidewalk cafes, lots of shopping, and lots to do and see in this area. The red buses are fantastic and offer headphones to give you information about what you are seeing. They really take you to some of the outer parts of the city you wouldn't think to do on your own, btw. Just taking the ride and not getting off is well over an hour, FYI. Rome is easily doable on your own and at a fantastic savings in comparison to anything else I've seen available.

 

So the hop on hop off buses drive close to the Vatican? i thought they didn't go that way any more.?

Edited April 14, 2011 by lucyintheskywithdiamonds

[CupKayke]

We were there in Sept/Oct 2009 and they stopped directly in front of the Vatican ~ the red hop-on/hop-offs with the open air tops. You could even take photos of the Vatican from the bus. There was another hop-on/hop-off (green & white) there also.

 

PS ~ Neither one of us know more than a word or two in Italian!

Edited April 14, 2011 by CupKayke

[Nfe5000]

We did an eastern Med cruise two years ago and explored on our own in Santorini, Mykonos and Istanbull (overnight).... there were 4 of us and my older daughter has a built-in GPS as we've always teased her :). In Santorini we took the cable car up and explored the town, it's fascinating with little unexpected flower beds tucked into little corners and behind short stone walls. There are some very neat stores that we explored and everyone we met made us feel welcomed.... just watch where you put your feet when near the donkey paths. :0 Be prepared for lots of "up and down" walking as the town seems to be mainly hills.

 

In Rome we stayed for 3 days post-cruise, and used the hop-on-hop-off bus extensively. For one price you can get on and off at as many stops as you wish and explore to your hearts content. Don't know how that would work with only part of a day though.

 

Enjoy your cruise and all the sightseeing and new experiences.

 

Smiles

 

Marg

Hi! I am going to Rome, Santorini, Mykonos and Istanbul. Any suggestions? Excursions needed? How to get around on our own? What to see?

[In Retirement]

Hi! I am going to Rome, Santorini, Mykonos and Istanbul. Any suggestions? Excursions needed? How to get around on our own? What to see?

 

Can't tell you much about Santorini and for our 12-nidht Barcelona/Venice only Barcelona, Venice (both seen over several days after studying guide books and from well-placed rental units or B & Bs) and Mykonos (only have considered it a walk-around with beautiful harbor) seriously consider, if you have only a day, to join a private van for Rome and Istanbul. Why? Because the more expensive ship's tours both assume you represent the "average" and don't take into account your interests (you do need to read at least one tour book to see what is available!) and second you have 45 people in a bus where you are most likely to drive by rather than walk through almost everything. Hope this makes some sense to you. A private driver or guide plus driver advises and arranges and tells you what is possible -- they have the experience. In Istanbul we added the archeological museum, having the guide with us and the bus where it should be when we finished each location. In Rome (on a Sunday, with the bicycle race as well) we visited the Vatican museum (not on a cruise option) and each couple made individual arrangements for tickets to the Gallerie Borghesi to be our last experience of that day (I followed Bernini and competitor Michelangelo around the city, i.e. we stopped at the Moses, etc.) No way you can be efficient this way by yourself -- if you will be at a location for several days, a completely different story. I can provide some specific advice if your trip is at least weeks/months away and a welcoming private group not in evidence (balticports@yahoo.com).

DJ:)

[Sue Do-Over]

RomeInLimo was excellent in both Rome and Pisa/Florence.

 

They combine groups to fill vans of 8 -- we gathered the group ourselves here on this forum, and got the full-van discount. Booking a second city saved us even more (we shared the discount with our new friends)

 

We often do self-tours on foot, but were ever so pleased with this group. Booking was easy, payment was cash on the day of the tour, and our drivers were very flexible.

 

Our group split -- we dropped 4 seniors at the Vatican (driver took them directly to the front of the line) then took the rest of us to another venue. We picked up the seniors in St. Peters square afterward, and everyone got to see just what they wanted to most. If you want more time, or to skip a venue, just say so!

 

Absolutely, positively, purchase your Coliseum and Vatican tickets online in advance... then your driver can take you right to the entrance, passing HUNDREDS of people queued for tickets.

[Canadian Cruiser98]

That's a great itinerary! We did the western mediterranean portion last summer.

In Naples, you could do the city on your own, but we really enjoyed our tour (Flavors of Sorrento and Pompeii). There is A LOT to see in Naples, and if you want to see everything, you really need a tour.

Civitavecchia is an industrial port, and it's far from anything worth seeing. You could take a bus / train to rome, but it's a pain. We did the Orvieto tour which was great as it was relaxed and quiet.

We did Livorno on our own and took a taxi to Pisa. Don't try to negotiate with the taxis there as they will be very rude. We tried to negotiate down a very high quote that we got and we were yelled at by the rude driver. There is a shopping mall right at the port, so I don't think that you NEED a tour here.

Finally, you can DEFINITELY do Barcelona without a tour. We stayed here before our cruise and it's a great walking city with so much to see. I feel like getting a tour here would just limit what you get to see.

[In Retirement]

That's a great itinerary! We did the western mediterranean portion last summer.

In Naples, you could do the city on your own, but we really enjoyed our tour (Flavors of Sorrento and Pompeii). There is A LOT to see in Naples, and if you want to see everything, you really need a tour.

Civitavecchia is an industrial port, and it's far from anything worth seeing. You could take a bus / train to rome, but it's a pain. We did the Orvieto tour which was great as it was relaxed and quiet.

We did Livorno on our own and took a taxi to Pisa. Don't try to negotiate with the taxis there as they will be very rude. We tried to negotiate down a very high quote that we got and we were yelled at by the rude driver. There is a shopping mall right at the port, so I don't think that you NEED a tour here.

Finally, you can DEFINITELY do Barcelona without a tour. We stayed here before our cruise and it's a great walking city with so much to see. I feel like getting a tour here would just limit what you get to see.

 

It seems that Cruise Critic at least now attracts folks who are familiar with social media and wish to improve their travel experience by learning from others who have either already had the experience in question or have become well-read about the experience (after all, not everyone enjoys reading a travel guide or guides before a vacation). The mistaken assumption is that you either sign on to a cruise-promoted excursion or do it on your own (DIY). In many locations, neither are the best. Since my retirement I will have enjoyed four 12-night European cruises by next July. In each I have determined that private tours (either renting a driver + van, recruiting others from Roll Call; purchase of individual seats from private tour company) represents a 40% to 60% savings over the cruise line. On the other hand, one needs to consider the time lost in a DIY visit -- you can be waylaid by unexpected crowds or transportation strikes. You can plan an itinerary that is not efficient. I remember reading about a (assumed) young couple that bragged that during their 10 hours at Naples they took the train to Positano and sat on the beach. During that same time, we contracted with a driver for a van (with three other couples) to drive the Amalfi coast with stops at Sorento, Positano, and Amalfi, lunch at Ravello, a drive through the mountains towards Naples and 2-3 hours at Pompeii with a university instructor. (At Pompeii we were a group of 16, our driver has a cousin (who doesn't) and the cost of the private guide was shared among 16, not 8. So you see a difference? Another example: yes, Pisa is close to Livorno and you can spend several hours visiting the cathedral, tower, and baptistry. OR, with an experienced guide you can leave a couple of hours at the end of the day for Pisa and first drive to Florence. Planning with the driver before your visit you can work out a reasonable list of what to see and do (and grab a piece of pizza and a drink on the way). This list is approved by the group (maybe at least one or two people read and offer options). I remember we drove to Florence on the highway and returned to Pisa over back roads that took us through fields of grape and olive orchards. Also quite an issue for Rome, Athens, and Istanbul. Luckily these locations have easily found options. A few locations (like Mykonos) may be just short walk-arounds. There are few locations where the cruise line offers the best option: you may want to do a glassbottom boat at Caribbean Island X and find that your cruise line has an exclusive contract with the owner of the only glassbottom boat! So far, I've found that Alaska can also be a hard planning opportunity. This summer we are doing first a river cruise (G-d help us, the river cruise company doesn't communicate) while we have used TripAdvisor and tourism agencies to plan a short trip to Belgium by train, and then we have 12 nights to Norway from Amsterdam (before the ship relocates to the Mediterranean!). Not finding small-group options in Norway, I've actually learned from our 2012 British Isles cruise and leased a coach (44-, 45-seat!) with English-speaking experienced driver for two ports, found an independent tourism website for three ports, and accepted an offer from a local businessman at another port and recruited 36 participants (2 vans) from our 50+ participants. We end the cruise at Norway's two cities, each with some understanding of the individual challenges involved for each.

 

With the above in mind, I have always started by reading about what others have done at each port and started from that base. My notion is once you have paid for airfare and cabin, saving say another $100/day/person by "taking a hike" or experiencing the traffic in Rome, is not a good use of time or effort.

 

Good luck,

DJ:)