Feasibility of doing your own tour - Med 2015

[AudacesJuvat]

I'm looking for opinions and experiences of others who may have already done this. How practical is it to simply skip both the Princess and private tours, and simply take available transport to and from one of the major ports, Rome, for example, and do your own self-guided/guidebook tour?

 

Frankly, the cost of either the ship or private tours, combined with complexities of arrangements, is the first thing that's really made me reconsider the entire voyage.

 

We are independently-minded travelers with a general abhorrence of the sheeple mindset. We have quite successfully done what I'm describing within a wide variety of cities state-side. The language issue is a point, but I'm working on that. :)

 

I understand the convenience of the pre-packaged tours, but I'm looking at other options.

 

Suggestions and advice welcome.

[sunsetbeachgal]

I would head over to the Europe boards and do your research there, asking specific questions about each port and telling them what your interest areas are: shopping? History? art?. General questions without mentioning your ports of call will be difficult to respond to. There are some very knowledgeable posters on the Europe boards who are happy to help.

 

You can also do your research with travel guide books such as Rick Steves.

 

Some ports are easy to do on your own and close to where the ship docks. Others like Rome (Civitavecchia), Livorno (for Florence) not so much. We usually do private tour, ships tour or ships transfer into town if it is not walkable distance. Call me paranoid, but most of the time I am not willing to risk missing the ship sailing by taking lengthy public transportation into/back from a city.

 

Good luck!

Edited December 10, 2014 by sunsetbeachgal

[paul929207]

Yes, you can do it on your own. We have done many of the ports ourselves. There is a great guide book for DIY. Rick Steves' Med Cruise Ports.

[CruiserBruce]

Done all the time. Just do some research on the Med Ports boards, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=603

 

and perhaps Guide books, like Rick Steves.

[-Lew-]

First, I suggest you join the Roll Call for your particular cruise where you'll meet others cruising with you. You can converse with others who may have experience doing their own thing at various Mediterranean ports. There's usually a shortcut near the top of the Princess Board page, but I don't see it today

 

To find the Roll Call for your cruise: click here, find your cruise line cruise line then click on the [name of your ship] Roll Calls, then search the list for the embarkation date of your cruise. Click on it for your Roll Call.

 

Enjoy your cruise...

 

Lew

[hubofhockey]

Some ports are better than others for doing on your own. The easiest are where transportation is easy and close to ports.

 

For the Med, we have done the following on our own:

 

Rome: train from Civitavecchia and then done local walking tours.

Napels: hyrdofoil to Capri

Monte Carlo: bus to Nice

Mykonos: shuttle to beach resort

 

We have done Florence on our own from Livorno, but used private transportation in a shared van.

 

I like having a guide in Istanbul, Ephesus, and Athens, but I know many who do Athens on their own.

 

We look at each port and all options. Agree that Rick Steves guide to cruising in Europe helps out a lot.

[sammiedawg]

Go to the bookstore and purchase the new Rick Steves cruise guide to the Med, it is invaluable for independent touring. For instance in the port of Rome, which is Civitavecchia, the book drills down to what train track to look for. Some ports are easy on your own while others require more work.

We rarely take a ship excursion but we love the roll call organized private tours. almost always they will be less expensive and far superior to a ship sponsored tour. Definitely get involved in your roll call and join tours. It is wonderful to be whisked around from one attraction to the next in a a small vehicle, Also read and study the port of call section and trip advisor and compile notes for each port. When you have a plan post it and any questions in the port of call section and cruisers will advise on how doable your plan is.

[IECalCruiser]

We DIY very often. On our Baltic cruise last year we did Schwerin, Tallinn, Helsinki and Stockholm on our own. We used a Princess tour in Arrhus to go somewhere we couldn't get to ourselves and we used a private tour in St. Petersburg. With that being said, many of the ports in the Med are far from major attractions. We did the Med this September. A medical emergency at home forced us to cut our cruise short but we were in Livorno, Rome, Naples, Mykonos and Athens. It depends upon what you want to see. If you want to see both Pisa and Florence from Livorno I would strongly recommend a private tour. The same with Rome and Naples, especially if you want to see Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. Driving distances are quite far and I would not like to rely on public transportation in these ports. Many of the sights of Mykonos are close to port and we did that port on our own. We had a overnight layover in Athens on our return home and we felt it was an easy town to DIY. You could probably also DIY to Capri from Naples. Another advantage is we arranged for skip the line admission and our guides walked us through the process so we made the most of our time. That was especially important at the Colosseum. We were is Rome on a Sunday when Vatican attractions were closed so we focused on the Rome of Roman times. We had many Rick Steve's tours loaded on our iPhones and iPads. They provided great additional information. At the Uffizi in Florence we planned to use Rick's tour but when we got there, there was renovation and half of the items weren't where Rick said they would be. As we wondered through we were able to eventually find many of the artworks he had highlighted. IMHO, many Med ports are less friendly for DIY.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[shepp]

Just my take on Rick Steves' books. I find him really useful on nuts-and-bolts information (e.g., which staircase to take as a shortcut to the Forum), on cultural stuff less so. I found his Gee whiz! middle-brow approach to great art to be a bit grating, and if you object to the sheeple thing, let's face it: he'll be guiding you to the places the sheeple go and telling you to look at the same stuff the groups are clustered in front of. You'll just be on your own. Read some of his stuff before buying.

 

My husband and I are independent travelers through and through, having schlepped on our own through places from Syria to Sri Lanka. On my 16 cruises, I've gone on precisely four ship's tours, each disappointing in its way. I actually enjoy making arrangements and setting up schedules for port days, but that's more complex than buying a tour, not less. But hey, why pay Princess $75 to get you to Rome on a train when you can do it by public transport for twelve? Nobody here is going to be able to tell you how comfortable you'll be on your own, though.

[helenb]

It really depends on the port. If it is a port city (such as Naples, Nice, Venice, etc.) then you should have no problem going on your own. However other cities are not close to the ocean, and you are at a small port town simply to get as close as possible. You can always tell this when you see 'for' in the description: 'Livorno for Florence', 'Piraeus for Athens', 'Warnemunde for Berlin', etc. For these ports, you will want to arrange some kind of transportation in advance. Most cruise lines offer 'on your own' transportation-only tours for these ports. Imagine the cruise line putting you on a bus and taking you to Rome, where you will be dropped off centrally and have hours to do as you please on your own, then taking you back to the hip at the end of the day. While these arrangements aren't cheap, they are much better than doing a full tour, or even (in some cases) a private tour.

[shredie]

The roll call usually has a few folk who have arranged private tours you can join and often for less than the ship tours. While I've done my share of free-spirited exploration, I've gotten rather fond of the ship tours in my old age. I know they can be expensive, and I know there is the dreaded "sheeple" aspect, but I like the peace of mind knowing I'm getting back to the ship on time. In countries where I have no experience with the language, I like that guide the ship provides. (I can't imagine trying to do Ephesus on my own, for instance.) OTOH, I've done the "on your own" ship tours a few times, often to places I've already been. Florence is one (and a place I think impossible to see too many times.) Between us, DH and I can muddle along in French, Spanish, Italian and German, so a DIY approach to some tours has been more feasible. Monte Carlo is easily done that way, as is Venice. The key is to do your research. What do you really want to see? Would it be too difficult to do that on your own?

[hubofhockey]

Just my take on Rick Steves' books. I find him really useful on nuts-and-bolts information (e.g., which staircase to take as a shortcut to the Forum), on cultural stuff less so. I found his Gee whiz! middle-brow approach to great art to be a bit grating, and if you object to the sheeple thing, let's face it: he'll be guiding you to the places the sheeple go and telling you to look at the same stuff the groups are clustered in front of. You'll just be on your own. Read some of his stuff before buying.

 

My husband and I are independent travelers through and through, having schlepped on our own through places from Syria to Sri Lanka. On my 16 cruises, I've gone on precisely four ship's tours, each disappointing in its way. I actually enjoy making arrangements and setting up schedules for port days, but that's more complex than buying a tour, not less. But hey, why pay Princess $75 to get you to Rome on a train when you can do it by public transport for twelve? Nobody here is going to be able to tell you how comfortable you'll be on your own, though.

 

Agree, much of Steves' advice isn't that great. It's one resource. Trip Advisor forums and Cruise Critic Ports of Call forums can be better.

[LabGuy64]

I really liked doing some of the private tours, aside from the usual tourist sights they often go to places that are a bit more off the well beaten path. Or if you outline your interests they can often pattern something for your specific interests, as well as handle transfers etc. and if you have 4 or more in your party I found the per person cost fairly compairable. And, as it is private...if you want to stop for a snack, pick up a bottle of wine ...stop at a boutique your wife spotted something she just had to buy..it's no problem.

 

Michael

 

Agree, much of Steves' advice isn't that great. It's one resource. Trip Advisor forums and Cruise Critic Ports of Call forums can be better.

[caribill]

There are many ports that can be done on your own and you still get the best experience.

 

Others really require a knowledgeable guide who can describe what you are seeing along with appropriate background information. There are many tours we have taken that we would not have been able to cover as much or learn as much if we had been doing it on our own.

 

In general, independent tours set up by fellow roll call members provide a better experience than the cruise line tours, mainly because the guides in general (but not always) will be better and the number of people on the tour will be lower. The independent tours can skip, if you wish, the shopping experiences that are a part of most cruise lines tours, giving you more time to see the sights and sites. These independent tours, in general, will cost less than cruise line tours.

[Mississippian]

I'm looking for opinions and experiences of others who may have already done this. How practical is it to simply skip both the Princess and private tours, and simply take available transport to and from one of the major ports, Rome, for example, and do your own self-guided/guidebook tour?

 

Frankly, the cost of either the ship or private tours, combined with complexities of arrangements, is the first thing that's really made me reconsider the entire voyage.

....

I almost never take ship's tours. We took a cruise with my elderly father three years ago and did arrange private tours for all of the ports, but this was because he couldn't get around well.

 

Sometimes Princess offers shuttles from the ship into a central city. These aren't really tours and are a good value. I can't remember if we had to sign up in advance.

 

I would advise either a ship tour or a private to of Ephesus. If you do get a private tour, make them provide you in writing an assurance that you will not be forced to go to a rug shop or leather shop, unless you wish to visit such places and be pressured to buy something.

 

In Athens we got in a cab right off the ship and he offered to show us around for the day. We found this to be a good value, as Athens is hard to navigate on your own.

 

Everywhere else, half the fun is seeing things on your own. Just go to the Ports board and you will find posts with instructions on how to get from the ship to the major sites. You will enjoy the trip more if you don't sign up for tours, unless it is something special that you don't think you can see on your own.

[latunxitom]

The easiest are where transportation is easy and close to ports.

[AudacesJuvat]

I have yet to read any of the Rick Steves books, though I have seen much of the PBS programme. Cultural coverage does seem rather insubstantial; very broad, but shallow. A side effect of the limited time frame, perhaps?

 

I agree with a previous post that he seems more useful as a source for logistics and the mechanics of getting about, and I would likely utilize it in that fashion, probably through the Kindle version of one of his guidebooks (in advance, so I can see just what's in those books). I'll make use of other sources as to what to see and do, as well as the individual port forums on this board.

[Runbarb55]

We have been all over the world and only took one princess tour and it was snorkeling in HA because of a real time crunch and the possibility of being left behind. I learned everything from CC and reading up: what bus to take to what train stuff. Give yourself plenty of time and enjoy the locals. Once on a train to Pompeii we tried to sing with some high school students. We have had lots of fun and people have laughed at us. We even bought DH cool eye wear in Rome. When in doubt hook up with someone else. We have done many private tours with other on CC and enjoyed most of them. Sometimes it is scarey to head out just yourself and DH but it gives a real sense of accomplishment when you finally get back to the ship with good times and stories . If you are out on your own smile and hang on to your stuff, the good people will be very helpful. They want to explain and tell about things, they are proud of where they live. Don't become one of the herd unless you have no other choice.

[LabGuy64]

That's what we found when booing private tours...the guides were very proud of their cities and, if you show your interest and appreciation..they take you to some very cool spots normal tourists don't see...and we really got a taste of what was going on in the city now...was very cool.

 

bye the way....i have not been on CC long and wonder what DH is short for...(please tell me it's not dear heart)...:)

 

Michael

 

 

 

We have been all over the world and only took one princess tour and it was snorkeling in HA because of a real time crunch and the possibility of being left behind. I learned everything from CC and reading up: what bus to take to what train stuff. Give yourself plenty of time and enjoy the locals. Once on a train to Pompeii we tried to sing with some high school students. We have had lots of fun and people have laughed at us. We even bought DH cool eye wear in Rome. When in doubt hook up with someone else. We have done many private tours with other on CC and enjoyed most of them. Sometimes it is scarey to head out just yourself and DH but it gives a real sense of accomplishment when you finally get back to the ship with good times and stories . If you are out on your own smile and hang on to your stuff, the good people will be very helpful. They want to explain and tell about things, they are proud of where they live. Don't become one of the herd unless you have no other choice.

[shredie]

DH=dear husband. Someone recently thought it stood for rhymes with "sick bed." LOL.

[LabGuy64]

Guess that's better than either the "sick bed" or Dear heart" options...lol..of course my wife calls me alot of things but, "dear" isn't usually one of them...:cool:

 

Michael

 

DH=dear husband. Someone recently thought it stood for rhymes with "sick bed." LOL.

[azdmelani]

I'm looking for opinions and experiences of others who may have already done this. How practical is it to simply skip both the Princess and private tours, and simply take available transport to and from one of the major ports, Rome, for example, and do your own self-guided/guidebook tour?

 

Frankly, the cost of either the ship or private tours, combined with complexities of arrangements, is the first thing that's really made me reconsider the entire voyage.

 

We are independently-minded travelers with a general abhorrence of the sheeple mindset. We have quite successfully done what I'm describing within a wide variety of cities state-side. The language issue is a point, but I'm working on that. :)

 

I understand the convenience of the pre-packaged tours, but I'm looking at other options.

 

Suggestions and advice welcome.

 

Did the 12 day cruise from Venice to Barcelona in September. Initially had started out booked on all of the Princess excursions as there were only two of us travelling together and the private excursions for two are very expensive. However, after a few others joined our roll call we opted to join them for private excursions and did zero princess excursions. Except for a lackluster Florence/Pisa excursion I would recommend our tours to anyone, they were fantastic. We saw much more than the Princess trips that had 40+ people crammed together listening to their guide over headsets at some places. The max we had on any tour was 15. If you would like to know specifics, feel free to send me a message. This cruise was my favorite out of the 15+ I have taken, you'll have a fantastic trip!

[goldiemom]

Another good source of information is Toms port guides dot com.

 

DH and I have been to the med a few times on cruises. Many ports we have walked, taken public transportation (taxi,metro, bus), HoHo bus or even rented a car. Some of the most fun times were when we on our own exploring the area like locals.

[LabGuy64]

Yes, it is very possible to do it on your own....there are many things to see in the area around the Colosseum in Rome in walking distance...and if the trip is already breaking the bank this is a very viable option...in my opinion though...if you can afford to do a private tour it is worth the money...they handle transport.....and having done it both ways I think you lose about 30% of the total experience.......

 

 

 

Did the 12 day cruise from Venice to Barcelona in September. Initially had started out booked on all of the Princess excursions as there were only two of us travelling together and the private excursions for two are very expensive. However, after a few others joined our roll call we opted to join them for private excursions and did zero princess excursions. Except for a lackluster Florence/Pisa excursion I would recommend our tours to anyone, they were fantastic. We saw much more than the Princess trips that had 40+ people crammed together listening to their guide over headsets at some places. The max we had on any tour was 15. If you would like to know specifics, feel free to send me a message. This cruise was my favorite out of the 15+ I have taken, you'll have a fantastic trip!

[dfields1814]

IMHO You could see many ports on your own. In fact if on a land trip I would do almost all the cities I visit on my own. Some port ports are easier than others. Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Malta Dublin Cobh Dubrovnic are examples of ports that are easy to do on your own. I would strongly suggest research and buying tickets to attractions on line before leaving.

 

The downside is you have a limited time in a port to see as much as possible. A private guide arranged with others in your roll can be very helpful in that you waste less time getting around and possibly standing in line for tickets. In Istanbul we saw twice as much with a private tour simply because the guide knew traffic pattern and tricks to get us into places quickly. I could have done the same tour but it would be twice as long. Also guide know non touristy places to have lunch. There several other reasons why you should consider private guides.

 

Our last choice is taking a Princess Excursions in Europe. We have had a couple of good ones and one disaster. But in general I believe a private tour with 10 in a van is 100 times better than a bus tour with 60.