Mediterranean Odyssey - Viking Venus

[mkerner]

We will be doing the Mediterranean Odyssey in October 2021.  Any input from those that have done this itinerary, suggested optionql tours, quality of the included yours,etc. would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Michael

[Peregrina651]

5 hours ago, mkerner said:

We will be doing the Mediterranean Odyssey in October 2021.  Any input from those that have done this itinerary, suggested optionql tours, quality of the included yours,etc. would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Michael

 

It would be helpful for us if you would tell us which ports are on your itinerary.  We may have been to some of the ports you are interested in but not necessarily on the same itinerary.

[_alan_]

My only advice having been on this cruise in 2019, is that it is easy to overload on the itineraries.  We did private tours in Florence which I would highly recommend.  Rome is a mess in my opinion around the Vatican.  Just an absolute mob scene and hard to not be separated from your group due to other cruise lines crowds maybe not being as considerate as Viking.  I would skip Pisa as it is a 2 minute postcard shot.  

 

I have created a link to our "best of" pictures from this cruise.  We had extraordinary luck with getting a free upgrade into the owners suite.  So some of the pictures include benefits of some of the perks that go along with being in the owner's suite.  The ability to view these pictures will expire in two weeks.  If they show to be popular, I will extend the time.

 

Each picture is "tagged" with the location and date.  Should should give you a good idea.  

 

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aq4rUjg8OFtAovESxSQn0GsNvJjQ6A?e=VCTb53

 

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by flashfearless
better

[mkerner]

Pereingina651:  The ports are Barcelona, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Florance/Pisa, Rome, Naples, Corfu, Dubrovniuk, Split, and Venice.  Hope this helps.

 

Flashfearless:  Thanks for the advice and the pictures are great!

 

Michael

[Peregrina651]

Okay! I can comment on the first part of your trip Barcelona to Naples. Just keep in mind that we were traveling around New Year's and not in the summer.

 

Do not over plan your days or you will need a vacation from your vacation.

 

Barcelona: Arrive early if you can. There is so much to see and do in this city that even an extra night or two will only scratch the surface. Decide in advance what is most important to you to see. Some people come here to focus on the Gaudi architecture. Others come for the museums. Others come for the good food. The number one attraction in the city is Sagrada Familia Basilica and it will be crowded whenever you go. Advanced tickets or a paid tour are a must. (Do the tower only if you have good knees since it is elevator up and walk down).

 

While we have not taken it, the included tour gives a good introduction to the city and covers the high points. IMHO, take the included tour and leave the tour during the walking portion (just make sure that you tell the guide you are leaving the group and will make you own way back to the ship. From there, grab a cab (and you might do better getting it on Calle Laietana, a main street at the edge of the Old Quarter) to Sagrada Familia to see the inside of the church and then take a cab back to the ship. (Try to get on the first tour of the day; if you can't, try showing up at that time and see if there is space for you. They will accommodate you if they can).

 

Marseille:  We did the Aix-en-Provence OYO which was part walking tour and part time to explore on your own. We enjoyed it. We had a quiet morning on the ship, finally catching up with the jet lag and then did this tour in the afternoon. We never did get into Marseille.

 

Monte Carlo: We did not do any of the Viking tours here. We were here on New Year's Day and had little interest in seeing Monte Carlo. Even if was January 1 and all the museums were closed, our goal was Nice. We took the local 100 Menton-Nice bus, which plies a very scenic route along the ocean into the city and just wondered around for a few hours. We walked along the ocean and ended up in the Old City and a Christmas market. Then found a seat in a cafe for tea before heading back. The bus ride was fantastic and if you don't want to go all the way to Nice, you can jump off at any stop along the way. Some advanced research may help you find a restaurant with an ocean view.

 

Florence: We had an overnight in Florence. We took the train to Florence on first day and were back in time for a late dinner. We had been to Florence before but we did visit the Uffizi on this trip (bought tickets in advance; it was very crowded). Two ways to get to the train station. Taxi from the port--share the cab with another couple or two to reduce the cost. Or take the shuttle into town and then a cab from there. Coming back from the train station,  again try to car pool with folks heading back to the ship. The run to the station and back is a flat fee (ask before you get in); the more in the cab, the cheaper per person.

 

(The cab driver may offer his services for a day trip to Florence. He will drive you there and back for a flat fee but is not necessarily a guide. It also may be that he is not permitted to drive in the restricted area of the city and that he will drop on the edge of the historic area and then pick you up at the same place).

 

Day 2 in Florence we did the Lucca on your own tour. As you can tell by now, we enjoy wandering aimless around cities and towns. We usually pick a thing or two we want to see and then take our time seeing what there is between the two places.

 

Rome: We have now been there twice with Viking (and once previously on our own where we saw quite a lot of the city). The first time we went, we decided not to go into Rome. We decided that we wanted to see the Old Roman seaport at Ostia and the Etruscan necropolises in Tarquina. Both Viking tours were excellent -- and both are a lot of walking. Our second time around, we decided to take the included tour into Rome. We knew that we would be jet-lagged and tired at this point (and I did sleep the entire ride to and fro) and that just being driven around was the thing to so. But this was not our first time in Rome and we had seen the Vatican, so it was a good choice for us. In fact, when we got to the Vatican at the end and had time on our own, we actual chose to walk along the river away from the crowds --and not stand in line hoping that we got into St. Peter's.

 

Naples: We have been here twice with Viking. The first time, we chose to go to Herculaneum with the Viking tour. Personally, having already done the big spread out town of Ostia, we liked that everything in Herculaneum was so close together. Our second time, we were there it was once again, January 1 and everything was closed. So we slept in -- like the rest of the city -- and then headed off in the afternoon to explore on our own. I can't remember what if anything Viking was offering for tours that day. BUT, then it was decided that our next port would be cancelled because of weather and so we remained in Naples overnight with a 1 pm departure. Viking gave us all a free tour of the National Archeology Museum-- and it was absolutely amazing.  SO, IMHO, this is one city where you should hire a guide who will take you to Herculaneum first thing in the morning (Viking's tour is in the afternoon) and then take you/drop you at the Archeology where you can spend the rest of the day until it is time to head back to the ship.

 

 

 

[lackcreativity]

Peregrina,

 

We will be in Naples with Viking on a cruise this fall and I have been debating between Pompeii and Herculaneum. Have you been to Pompeii? Any advice about choosing between them?

 

Thanks, as always.

[_alan_]

11 minutes ago, lackcreativity said:

Peregrina,

 

We will be in Naples with Viking on a cruise this fall and I have been debating between Pompeii and Herculaneum. Have you been to Pompeii? Any advice about choosing between them?

 

Thanks, as always.

 

In my opinion, Herculaneum is the one with more original tile work in tact.  And less traveled.  We did it with a private guide who was phenomenal.  Check out my pictures 

 

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Aq4rUjg8OFtAovESxSQn0GsNvJjQ6A?e=VCTb53

 

from there taken early in the morning before the bulk of the tours arrived.   You will find them in the folder 20190531Naples

 

 

[Squawkman]

We did Herculaneum with Viking. Excellent guide, small group - well worth $69 per person. 

[mkerner]

Thanks everyone.  All of the information is appreciated and helpful.

[Peregrina651]

5 hours ago, lackcreativity said:

Peregrina,

 

We will be in Naples with Viking on a cruise this fall and I have been debating between Pompeii and Herculaneum. Have you been to Pompeii? Any advice about choosing between them?

 

Thanks, as always.

 

I went to Pompeii in High School with the Latin Society of Philadelphia.  We went to both Ostia and Pompeii.  To a certain extent, they are similar in that they are spread out over a wide area. They take a lot of time to cover well.  They are also both a distance from the ship.  

 

Herculaneum and Pompeii are similar in that they were both well preserved in the ash and lava of Vesuvius.  I lean toward Herculaneum because it is closer to the ship and it is more compact and thus less walking -- although not handicapped accessible in the least. 

 

More later tonight.  

[Peregrina651]

5 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

I went to Pompeii in High School with the Latin Society of Philadelphia.  We went to both Ostia and Pompeii.  To a certain extent, they are similar in that they are spread out over a wide area. They take a lot of time to cover well.  They are also both a distance from the ship.  

 

Herculaneum and Pompeii are similar in that they were both well preserved in the ash and lava of Vesuvius.  I lean toward Herculaneum because it is closer to the ship and it is more compact and thus less walking -- although not handicapped accessible in the least. 

 

More later tonight.  

 

Okay, sorry. I was writing during intermission and it was time to turn off my phone.

 

I personally lean toward choosing Herculaneum over Pompeii because it is 1) closer to the ship,  2) more densely packed into a smaller area (2 city blocks square, if that), 3) takes less time to see more. If you look at Flash's pictures, especially #6, he is standing on one side of the excavation and you can easily see the wall that separates it from the modern housing on the other side of the excavation and you can just about see where that wall turns the corner.

 

Pompeii is the more popular because it is the more well-known and even in the fall, it will be crowded. I saw Pompeii over 50 years ago. I was an ignorant, untraveled kid at that point. I am sure that in the intervening years a lot more work has been done excavating it and studying it in that time -- and creating a visitor-friendly yet still historically accurate archeological park. I also expect that it is fairly similar to what we saw in Ostia in terms of building design and the mix of buildings (private, business, civic, religious, etc.). And I think these are reasons why I wanted to see Herculaneum rather than Pompeii.

 

If you are on a ruin hunt -- and this is a good itinerary for ruin hunting --  skip Rome altogether and see the Etruscan necropolises and museum in Tarquina and Ancient Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber while at Civitavecchia and Herculaneum  and The Archeological Museum while in Naples.

 

What you might see at the NAM:

 

 

Museum is open 9 am - 7:30 pm every day except Tuesday (and some holidays). See the museum website to learn more.

 

[lackcreativity]

Peregrina,

Thanks for the detailed reply. I am drawn to the beautiful tile work in Herculaneum, and perhaps the museum in Naples afterwards if energy permits. The impressive size of Pompeii would be amazing to see, but navigating it would be a challenge, so smaller and more up close and personal in Herculaneum sounds like the way to go. We will be in Ephesus and Athens on this cruise, so I will have plenty of opportunities to see old stuff!

Edited January 27, 2020 by lackcreativity

[Peregrina651]

20 minutes ago, lackcreativity said:

Peregrina,

Thanks for the detailed reply. I am drawn to the beautiful tile work in Herculaneum, and perhaps the museum in Naples afterwards if energy permits. The impressive size of Pompeii would be amazing to see, but navigating it would be a challenge, so smaller and more up close and personal in Herculaneum sounds like the way to go. We will be in Ephesus and Athens on this cruise, so I will have plenty of opportunities to see old stuff!

 

Definitely a ruin hunt -- and you will be seeing some of the finest!

[CCWineLover]

Just now, Peregrina651 said:

 

Definitely a ruin hunt -- and you will be seeing some of the finest!

 

Thank you so much for all the tips, Peregrina -

We are on the Rome to Miami Viking Sky this October and plan to visit/stay in Sorrento for many days and Rome a couple ahead of time.  We planned to see Pompeii from Sorrento (some friends did that) but now am thinking that Herculaneum might actually be better (we hate massive crowds!).  Maybe we should even skip Rome or cut the days down.  I hear it is a mass of tourists!

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

 

Thank you so much for all the tips, Peregrina -

We are on the Rome to Miami Viking Sky this October and plan to visit/stay in Sorrento for many days and Rome a couple ahead of time.  We planned to see Pompeii from Sorrento (some friends did that) but now am thinking that Herculaneum might actually be better (we hate massive crowds!).  Maybe we should even skip Rome or cut the days down.  I hear it is a mass of tourists!

 

 

Wow, I just looked at your itinerary and Viking has taken us to a number of places that you will be going --and they are keeping you busy and then giving you a sea crossing to recuperate.  We just did Cartagena and Malaga (Granada is not a port city and is an hour and 45 minutes away). See 

Live: Iberian Explorer Jan 3 - 10

where I babble on about our adventures in both towns and tell all. In truth, the only port we have not done on your itinerary between Rome and Malaga is Sete and I have commented on them all.

 

But,  back to Rome vs not Rome. There is more to the area than the city of Rome. Just as you are doing Sorrento instead of Naples, why not look into staying in the Civitavecchia area instead of Rome. I have already mentioned Tarquina and Ostia for ruins but there are other things to see in the area. On the other hand, you are traveling in November and Rome is not going to be as crowded with tourists and families as it in the summer or even a few weeks later when the Christmas holiday travel begins--and so maybe is a good time for you to see Rome. It is probably a good time to get into the Vatican and the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel.  Decisions. Decisions.

[Liz Masterson]

As I have posted before here... and also in other places... If you have an evening in Venice I always recommend and "After Hours Tour of St. Mark's Basilica".  After the last mass of the day the doors are locked... but opened to let about 6 groups of 10-12 people in. The Basilica is large enough that you will feel like your group is the only one in there. It's not inexpensive but we felt it was worth every penny. We paired our tour with a tour of the Doge's Palace. It was a LONG evening but we did enjoy both tours. If we had to do it again we would split the tours up. If we had to choose between the Basilica or the Palace we would choose the Basliica. I don't think Viking offers this so you would need to google it. There are a few companies offing it.  Everyone I know who has taken this tour on my advice has confirmed my enthusiasm.  Have a great trip!

[mkerner]

Liz - Can you share the name of the tour group you used and any contact information?

 

Thank you.

[KellyCz]

On 1/25/2020 at 10:30 PM, flashfearless said:

 I would skip Pisa as it is a 2 minute postcard shot.  

 

 

I couldn't disagree more!  I spent a very full (and very enjoyable) day in Pisa last October. It is a wonderful city if you slow down and enjoy it. While at the Field of Miracles, buy a ticket to climb to the top of the bell tower (the famous Leaning Tower). You'll likely have to wait for your assigned entry time, which gives you an hour or so to explore the other buildings on the campus. Note that you're not allowed to take any bags/backpacks into the tower, but they have a secure storage area which is included in your ticket price. You can take your phone/camera with you. It's a somewhat disorienting climb up the worn, winding steps inside the tower. It's worth it just to reach the massive bell with its gorgeous patina. But of course, the 360 degree views are wonderful as well. After that, wander the city, take advantage of the outdoor cafe seating at a restaurant or two. Eat some meats and cheeses. Drink a glass of wine. Eat some gelato! Pisa is definitely worth considering.

[DaveSJ711]

On 1/27/2020 at 7:34 AM, CCWineLover said:

 

Thank you so much for all the tips, Peregrina -

We are on the Rome to Miami Viking Sky this October and plan to visit/stay in Sorrento for many days and Rome a couple ahead of time.  We planned to see Pompeii from Sorrento (some friends did that) but now am thinking that Herculaneum might actually be better (we hate massive crowds!).  Maybe we should even skip Rome or cut the days down.  I hear it is a mass of tourists!

 

We're also spending 7 days in Sorrento in October (not connected to a cruise, traveling on our own).  When are you going to be there?  Perhaps we could get together if our travel dates overlap.

This thread is illuminating.  We've been to Pompeii once before, and I assumed we'd visit again later this year.  But now I'm motivated to research Herculaneum.  Thanks to all for your thoughts.

[Liz Masterson]

On 1/28/2020 at 2:46 PM, mkerner said:

Liz - Can you share the name of the tour group you used and any contact information?

 

Thank you.

I don’t remember but if you google “after hours tour of St. Mark’s Basilica” you’ll find them. It’s really luck of the draw who you get that day as your guide. They all seemed good. Great experience!