Which port would you skip the excursion?

[MaiTaiMary]

Hmm... I wasn't quite sure how to title this thread. ;)

 

We are going on a Med cruise. 7 days with 5 ports. I don't want to do 5 full days in port, but rather take it easy one of those days, and maybe spend a good chunk of the day enjoying our beautiful new ship.

 

So my question is, out of the following ports, which one would be the best to just wander around for a couple of hours on your own; maybe grab a drink and people watch a bit, then head back on board the ship.

 

The ports are:

Cagliari, Sardina

Naples (Capri & Pompeii)

Rome

Livorno (Florence & Pisa)

Marseille (Provence)

 

 

(ETA: I realize these aren't all in Italy. I just wasn't sure where else to post this.)

[euro cruiser]

Cagliari or Marseille.

[cruisemom42]

Cagliari, without a doubt.

[Hlitner]

Agree, Cagliari,

 

Hank

[marylizcat]

Yes, we enjoyed just having a wander around Cagliari.

 

Marseille is fine for a half day too, with its little road trains to take you around, but you do have to take the shuttle bus into the city which adds quite a bit to the time off the ship.

[Carolyn R]

Capri on your own is a good option too. I've never been to Cagliari though.

[LondonTowner]

We spent three days in Marseille this spring and loved it. The only one of those ports I haven't visited is Cagliari, but Sardinia has never been on one of my must see places to visit.

 

 

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[Keith1010]

Of the five, it would be Cagilari.

 

Keith

[ljandgb]

I'll defer. I really liked Cagliari, but was completely unimpressed with Marseille.

 

In Sardinia, we did a private tour up into the hills, had lunch at a local farm that made cheese, then stopped at a small pocket beach with nothing but locals on the way back to the ship. It was a very nice day and got us out of the tourist areas.

 

Marseille itself was not super. The old port area is ok, but it is lined with tourist shops all selling knick knacks and soap. Perhaps an excursion further inland would make the port worthwhile.

[cruisemom42]

I'll defer. I really liked Cagliari, but was completely unimpressed with Marseille.

 

In Sardinia, we did a private tour up into the hills, had lunch at a local farm that made cheese, then stopped at a small pocket beach with nothing but locals on the way back to the ship. It was a very nice day and got us out of the tourist areas.

 

Marseille itself was not super. The old port area is ok, but it is lined with tourist shops all selling knick knacks and soap. Perhaps an excursion further inland would make the port worthwhile.

 

My reasoning is that Marseille is a jumping off spot for all kinds of good options (if one doesn't like the idea of staying in Marseille), including Avignon, Aix-in-Provence, etc.

 

Whereas Cagliari, while nice, is just a sort of laid-back place. They are looking for one port stop to chill, which is easily done here.

 

Fair warning, I'm not much of a beach/natural views person.... I've been on nine Med cruises and so far, not one beach.

[marazul]

Cagliari - there are some interesting things in town and there is a very large beach (Poetto beach) near the port. So it can be an easy relaxing day without excursions. http://www.cagliariturismo.it/en

 

There is too much to see and do outside Marseille. It is the gateway to some of the most beautiful cities and areas of France. Don't waste it by staying on board.

[Hlitner]

Lets keep in mind that Marseille is also a Gateway Port to the Provence area....which is one of our favorite parts of France. One need not spend a port day in Marseille. In fact, it is quite easy to get up to Aix en Provence via train or bus...for those that just want to explore a Provencial City. But there are also lots of other wonderful places to go....such as Les Baux, Avignon, Arels, Nimes, the smaller towns of Provence, lavender fields, Pont du Gard, etc.

 

Hank

[kgm0612]

Of all the ports we have visited, Caribbean & Med, we did not like Marseille at all and after reading the above responses, we will be sure to skip Cagliari the next time.

 

Karen

[marazul]

The OP is visiting five ports. One is a destination port, one is an added minor port and three are gateway ports.

 

Destination port: Barcelona (everything you hope to see is at the port)

Added minor port: Cagliari (Really pleasant, but for your fifth trip to the Med)

Gateway ports:

• Civitavecchia (Rome is one hour away)
  
• Livorno (Florence is two hours away)
  
• Marseille (Aix, Avignon, Les Baux, Arles, Nimes are anywhere between one and two hours away. Marseille has been fixed up in recent years, but it does not compare to the other places.)
  

Unlike the Caribbean where any port is a destination port or within a very short distance of main attractions, Mediterranean gateway ports are usually one or two hours away from the main attractions. Many people book these cruises expecting to have an A+ experience at each port. Quite often, cruisers are on a budget and do not want to spend for the excursions away from the gateway ports, or expect to have a great experience at the gateway port. They are often disappointed because the gateway port is not what they hoped for and they consider the cruise not to be "value for money." Some gateway ports are more disappointing than others. In the OP's itinerary, Civitavecchia is a D, Livorno is a C and Marseille is a B-. They simply do not compare to the main attractions in their areas.

 

Cruisers should back their expectations with some research. If they have no desire or the means to take excursions away from the gateway ports, they should look for itineraries that have mostly destination ports, like in the Greek islands or the Adriatic. If they book a cruise where the main destination is in parenthesis, for example, "Livorno (Pisa and Florence)" or "Marseille (Provence)," they should look in a map to see where they are going and be prepared to spend money in excursions or independent travel to the main attraction.

 

Fortunately, the OP only wants to have one easy day in port. Cagliari is the answer. Hopefully, the OP will take some excursions outside Marseille or he/she may be underwhelmed and miss out on some truly wonderful places.

Edited September 29, 2017 by marazul

[b_cruise]

The ports are:

Cagliari, Sardina .. I have never been to this port -must add it on my too do list lol

Naples (Capri & Pompeii)- If you are wanting to see capri and Pompei you may need a tour but if you just want to go to capri, it is very easy on your own. My recommendation at this port (and I have stayed in the area 2 years in row now in Sorrento) would be to go to Sorrento and Positano with lunch at La Taglianno (this is through italytoursharing.com or Joe Banana Limos for a private tour)

Rome- Definite tour, So much to see although one year I used Smart tours and just caught their bus there and back and walked around. Saved a lot of Money but also felt I missed sights but I had already seen the sights the years prior as I have done a couple tours through Joe Bananas and got to see everything. So it really depends on what you want to see (how much). One year I even took the train but being a first time, it can be confusing.

Livorno (Florence & Pisa)- Tour- Get a tour that you are in Pisa for a photo op and then spend most of your time in Florence IMO. The Florence, Tuscany wine tour w/stop at Pisa was great.

Marseille (Provence)- easily walkable. We walked around and ate at a wonderful lunch stop in the older part. Very lovely.

[marylizcat]

Of all the ports we have visited, Caribbean & Med, we did not like Marseille at all and after reading the above responses, we will be sure to skip Cagliari the next time.

 

Karen

That is rather an extreme response! Nobody has said that Cagliari is an unpleasant place! Merely that it is suitable for a more leisurely half-day wandering around, as a respite from the tiring full day excursion ports.

[cruisemom42]

Of all the ports we have visited, Caribbean & Med, we did not like Marseille at all and after reading the above responses, we will be sure to skip Cagliari the next time.

 

Karen

 

That is rather an extreme response! Nobody has said that Cagliari is an unpleasant place! Merely that it is suitable for a more leisurely half-day wandering around, as a respite from the tiring full day excursion ports.

 

 

Exactly!

 

I don't think anyone meant to denigrate Cagliari. It just fits the category of what the OP asked for -- one place where it is easy to mooch around and have an easy day.

 

(Also, I think Marseille is fine. But then I like older cities with rich history that haven't yet been fully sanitized/Disneyfied for tourists....)

[ollienbertsmum]

 

Fair warning, I'm not much of a beach/natural views person.... I've been on nine Med cruises and so far, not one beach.

 

Cruisemom - I have only done 6 cruises - but have found beaches and bathing opportunities on all of them. We rarely swim on the ship because we hate being so cramped. Maybe it will be too cool on our upcoming cruise, but we usually do take a dip.

 

We have been in Valencia, Barcelona, Palma, Sorrento, Capri, Cinque Terre, Cannes, Ajaccio - and my husband has even swum on the way back from the train station in Civitavecchia, but getting over the rocks was a bit of a mission.

 

We visited Cagliari and it is wonderful port for a stroll and shopping opportunities. I think the best beach in Cagliari is Il Poetta which is a short bus ride away. I seem to recall buses at the port area ready to take people. I cannot recall us finding a beach that day.

 

I wish NCL included Corsica and Sardinia on their itinerary.

[marazul]

Poetto beach is one of the largest sandy beaches in the Med (and there are many sandy beaches in Sardinia). There are lots of restaurants and facilities and it is a short distance from Cagliari. http://www.sardinianbeaches.com/beaches-of-sardinia/south/cagliari/poetto-beach/

I posted a link above to tourist sites in Cagliari for things to do in town. http://www.cagliariturismo.it/en

The cathedral is well worth seeing. The museum is interesting too since Sardinia has a very long history.

 

As may have pointed out, this is a minor port for many cruises. If you are expecting to see a city like Rome or Florence, Cagliari will not do the trick. If you are looking for a pleasant day or a really good beach, this is it.

Edited September 30, 2017 by marazul

[George C]

I know I would not want to miss Rome, Naples and Liverno, the highlight of our cruise last year was tour by Papillion of Pisa then Florence and then a wine tasting in a vineyard , have done hundreds of shore excursions none better than this one