Messina, Sardinia, Corsica

[Karen NY]

My husband and I are taking a Med cruise in the middle of October. Three of the stops we will be making are Messina, Sardinia, and Corsica. We read the selection of tours the ship had to offer and they were not exciting! Can anyone give me some idea as to what the best places/activites are. Are there good sightseeing sites/guide books out there?

Thanks

Karen

[Andym]

Which ports, these are big places

[Karen NY]

I wasn't under the impression these were "big" places. We will be docking in Ajaccio, Corsica, Cagliari Sardinia, Messina is the port in Sicily.

[Marie-Claude]

Hi Karen!

 

We will be hitting these same 3 ports on our upcoming cruise on the Rotterdam in May.

 

Here is what I have read from various guides and information I got from these boards:

 

Messina: not much to see there, but you should definitely head for Mt Etna and Taormina for some of the best roman and greek ruins in Sicily. I actually saw a travel show last night that showed fuming Mt Etna and the town of Taormina, certainly looked like worth seeing.

 

Ajaccio: if you're a history buff, Ajaccio is the birth place of Napoleon and you can see his home and there's a museum relating his life etc. I found a website about a tourist train that has 2 circuits you can do in Ajaccio **http://www.petit-train-ajaccio.com** for about 9 Euros. (sorry I think it's only in French but it can give you an idea).

Also, Corsica is renowned for its country side hikes - so again if you're more adventurous you can venture outside of Ajaccio to the country side for some spectacular views.

 

Sardigna: I have not really found much info on this port... so I think we'll wait til we're on board to see what the port experts have to suggest... we'll report once we're back!

 

I hope this will give you a bit of help in your research... good luck

[pooh1bear43113]

We've been on ships that docked in Messina 3 times. Twice we just enjoyed walking thru the town - there is a nice park next to where the ship docks. The last time, we took the ship's transport to Taormina for the day. It was incredibly beautiful. The ruins of the arena are beautiful and from the top of the stadium you can almost see Mt. Etna.

 

The town is on a hill - mostly pedestrian traffic if I remember correctly. One of the highlights of our cruise that year. The ship's transport provided a "guide" to talk on the way up to Taormina - then once we arrived we were on our own.

 

We've been to Sardinia once. We did a ship's tour that included the town and then a long, long, long bus ride up into the mountains - along with a narrative about the history, etc. with some stops along the way. We had lunch and another history lesson with music at a resort in the mountains. It was not spectacular or worth repeating - but I'm glad we did it. Perhaps a day at the beach would be more worthwhile on this stop.

 

Just don't miss Taormina while in Sicily....and keep a watch out for Stromboli as you leave Sicily - especially if you depart after dark - our last cruise, Stromboli was fuming - and sparking - a great sight!

 

Enjoy your time at each of these stops!

[Karen NY]

Hi Marie Claude,

Thanks for the information! We are also going on the Rotterdam to the Med but in October. I bet it is the same cruise. Please let me know what you find out on the ship regarding Sardinia. Have a great time it's a great ship!

Karen

[Queenk2]

WE took a trip in Sradiniato the Costa Smerelda. We visited a port city and did some shopping. They had a wonderful liquor called Lemoncello that thy made there. It was a very pleasant trip.

[Marie-Claude]

Hi Karen NY!!

 

I will definitely post a review when we return... and I'll make sure to bring back as much info as I can!

 

Sounds like you've been on the Rotterdam before? Our only HAL cruise was on the Zuiderdam last fall... I can't wait to cruise on the Rotterdam. Anything special we should know about this ship??

 

Thanks and look for the review in early June!!

[Karen NY]

:) Hi Marie Claude!

Yes, we were on the Rotterdam for a Transatlantic in Sept 04 where we lost power going through the remains of a hurricane in the middle of the Atlantic! We were in 50 foot+ seas before we lost power for 3 hours. It was a little scarry because the ship was rolling at least 45 degrees to each side. We knew people on the 1st passenger deck and their window was in the ocean when the ship rolled to their side - we are talking rough! The interior of the ship was trashed! However, the ship's crew was fantastic both during the power loss and afterward. They were in the hallways handing out food and water and reassuring the passengers that all was well. They cleaned up the damage (which was considerable) after the storm so fast it was unbelievable! It was impressive. I have nothing but positve things to say about this ship. This was our second time on HAL, we were on the Osterdam before on a Baltic cruise. This is a line and ship I will go on again and again even through it is not the newest ship in their fleet. The crew, statroom, and food are great. You will definitely have a good time.

Karen

[Marie-Claude]

Oh my... we were stucked on the Zuiderdam for 2 extra days because of Hurricanes last fall - fortunately, the captain kept us in calm waters well fed and well entertained. But upon our return, I followed your misadventure on the Rotterdam and saw some pictures from this board... that was quite something... !!!

I'm glad that you were all fine, and that HAL was great at keeping everyone safe.

I hope the Rotterdam wasn't too damaged from this. But I'm sure HAL did everything to put her back into shape...

I just can't wait for this cruise - we simply fell in love with the itinerary!