10 Night Italy & Croatia

[sasset]

With this itinerary for September 19-29:

 

VENICE, ITALY

AT SEA

CATANIA,SICILY,ITALY

AMALFI COAST (SALERNO),ITALY

ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA), ITALY

FLORENCE/PISA(LIVORNO),ITALY

AT SEA

AT SEA

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

VENICE, ITALY

 

would you recommend port or starboard?

 

Thanks

[TLCOhio]

With this itinerary for September 19-29:

VENICE, ITALY

AT SEA

CATANIA,SICILY,ITALY

AMALFI COAST (SALERNO),ITALY

ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA), ITALY

FLORENCE/PISA(LIVORNO),ITALY

AT SEA

AT SEA

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

VENICE, ITALY

would you recommend port or starboard? Thanks

 

You have a very impressive and excellent upcoming cruise schedule. Lots to love and do in these various ports. Since the ship gets out to the open sea fairly quickly AND you are going down and back, I do not think that it matters that much for port versus starboard. In some ports where the sights are good, you might want to be up on top of the ship to be able to see interesting sights on both side of the ship.

 

Below are a couple of my links for Venice and Dubrovnik. Both amazing locations with such great history, character and architecture. Will this be your first visit to both of these places, plus the other stops in Italy? Can share more, if needed on Rome the Amalfi Coast, around Florence/Tuscany, etc..

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 32,226 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 60,925 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[Michidoeme]

Port side is nice for sailing out of venice. Even better if you can get out on helipad ! Going back in you might stll be asleep :cool:

Edited July 1, 2016 by Michidoeme

[iancal]

Does not matter. Get outside on deck when you are departing Venice.

 

It is great if you are overnighting in Dubrovnik. It is wonderful when day cruises have left. The city empties out to a much nicer environment.

 

Last time we were there we rented a car from Sixt, just outside the gate, in the Hilton Hotel. Drove down the coast to Kotor and back. Wonderful day.

[sasset]

Thanks for all of your responses.

 

Terry, this will be our first time in Sicily and Croatia, and several years since Amalfi and Venice. Iancal, thanks for the note on Sixt.

 

My wife thought that she read starboard for Dubrovnik but I couldn't find anything on that. Right now we are port, but a starboard equivalent just opened up today so now it's a point of discussion.

 

Thanks again

[iancal]

It depends if you are docked or tendered in Dubrovnik. As I recall, if you are tendered you will have a view of the walled city. Not so if you dock just outside by the bridge and will take a short bus ride to arrive at the city gate. I don not think that it makes any difference port or starboard.

 

Not sure what your plans are for Catania. The market is interesting. You can also go to Taormina on your own. There is a bus that starts at the airport, stops just outside the port area, that goes to Taormina. The takes about 20 minutes. We took it from the airport. Every hour I believe. If you rent a car it is a straight drive, no issues whatsoever.

Edited July 2, 2016 by iancal

[Essiesmom]

I think only very small ships tender into the old port at Dubrovnik. Both times we have been there the ship turns and docks with starboard side to dock. But there is great scenery from port side, too. EM

[realnice46]

With this itinerary for September 19-29:

 

VENICE, ITALY

AT SEA

CATANIA,SICILY,ITALY

AMALFI COAST (SALERNO),ITALY

ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA), ITALY

FLORENCE/PISA(LIVORNO),ITALY

AT SEA

AT SEA

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

VENICE, ITALY

 

would you recommend port or starboard?

 

Thanks

 

It seems like we always choose the Starboard side on deck 10 no matter our itinerary. We choose starboard because the smoking section is on the port side of pool deck on Solstice class ships. I suppose if you shoes a lower deck it might not be a problem.

[DavyJoneses]

Does not matter. Get outside on deck when you are departing Venice.

 

It is great if you are overnighting in Dubrovnik. It is wonderful when day cruises have left. The city empties out to a much nicer environment.

 

Last time we were there we rented a car from Sixt, just outside the gate, in the Hilton Hotel. Drove down the coast to Kotor and back. Wonderful day.

 

You are absolutely right about overnighting in Dubrovnik. Great idea to drive to Kotor - a very interesting place to visit.

[TLCOhio]

Thanks for all of your responses. Terry, this will be our first time in Sicily and Croatia, and several years since Amalfi and Venice. My wife thought that she read starboard for Dubrovnik but I couldn't find anything on that. Right now we are port, but a starboard equivalent just opened up today so now it's a point of discussion.

 

Essiesmom: think only very small ships tender into the old port at Dubrovnik. Both times we have been there the ship turns and docks with starboard side to dock. But there is great scenery from port side' date=' too. [/quote']

 

DavyJoneses: You are absolutely right about overnighting in Dubrovnik. Great idea to drive to Kotor - a very interesting place to visit.

 

Appreciate these added details. Glad that our original poster has had some experience in Venice and the Amalfi coast areas. Excellent suggestion for your Dubrovnik time to consider some options for Kotor. Below is some info about Kotor and what is nearby to here. Plus a few visuals sample below.

 

Yes' date=' on larger ships, such as with Celebrity, you will not be docked or tendered at the older, historic port. The ship would be in the larger, commercial, newer port area, called Port Gruz, about 2.5 km northwest of the walled old town. Nice, newer bridge there and a few other sights for the sailing in and/or sailing out. See picture below for the larger ship docking area. BUT, the sights for entering and departing this part are not what might be called "spectacular" as happens in places such as Kotor, Venice.

 

[b']Wonderful Kotor[/b] and nearby Montenegro? Check these postings. Have had over 29,273 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and commented.:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 147,070 views for this posting.

 

 

We started in Dubrovnik with a local cab driver who gave us a “panoramic tour”, including crossing this unique bridge near the main cruise ship docking area. He called this bridge their “Golden Gate” like in San Francisco. It is fourteen years old. You can see the Celebrity Solstice docked to the right side and other newer housing around this bay NW of the historic walled city.:

 

 

 

Here’s our bus driver going to up, back and forth, through twenty-seven serpentine twists and turns to rise up the 4000’ high mountain above Kotor as we headed to the old Royal Capital of Cetinje. You can see our cruise ship down below tendered in the scenic harbor.:

 

[floralscent]

Port side is nice for sailing out of venice. Even better if you can get out on helipad ! Going back in you might stll be asleep :cool:

 

There are amazing views to be had of Venice from the port side at the start of the cruise. It's almost magical in my book. We had a port side balcony with this same itinerary and the views were just unreal for the entire trip. The only downside is when you return to Venice the view is not the best IMO but I was probably comparing to what I saw at the start of the vacation. I would travel this itinerary port side.

[iancal]

We have enjoyed our day trips from Dubrovnik as much as our days inside the city.

 

One of our favourites is to pick up a rental car, drive to Kotor. But we stop at Perast for breakfast at a waterside restaurant. Then take the short boat ride over to the church...Our Lady of the Rocks I think. Then down to Kotor. Makes for a very nice day and you can easily return by 3, or later if your schedule permits.

 

Far better than any crowded ship tour with the added benefit of much less expensive.

Edited July 3, 2016 by iancal