Florence (Carrara)

[geishagirl2]

Anyone have experience with this port near Florence/Pisa?   I am only familiar with Livorno and La Spezia.  Wondering about convenience of shore excursions. 

[cruisemom42]

8 hours ago, geishagirl2 said:

Anyone have experience with this port near Florence/Pisa?   I am only familiar with Livorno and La Spezia.  Wondering about convenience of shore excursions. 

 

It looks like a container port and not very desirable in terms of getting to Florence. WhatsInPort says it is an hour and 45 minute drive to Florence and from the local train station it is 2 hours by train....

 

If you look on the map there is not much nearby; apparently a small town, surrounded by the quarries of Carrara marble (some of the best in the world). There is mention of a nice white-sand beach nearby -- a rarety in this area -- but I doubt many cruisers would see a stop here as a beach day....

[marazul]

Maybe an excursion to La Spezia or to Lucca.

Or, if the OP hasn't booked the cruise yet, look for another one with better ports.

[dogs4fun]

1 hour ago, marazul said:

if the OP hasn't booked the cruise yet, look for another one with better ports

I would be inclined to book another cruise if that was a possibility. Honestly, this is the first time I have heard of using Carrara as a port for cruise ships.

[marazul]

The cruise line must be saving a lot on port fees.  Too bad the passengers' experience  will be shortchanged. 

[edinburgher]

We docked here a couple of years ago.  Unusually for us, we did a shorex which visited both  Santa Margarita and Portofino. Both were lovely to visit, very scenic.  There will be images online if you search for them. It was a short and pretty ferry ride from Santa Margarits to Portofino and back so that too was lovely.

 

We did it as a shorex as we could not get public transport to work for our timings.

 

If time allows and you are happy to walk or hike, there is a walk between Santa Margarita and Portofino.  Of the two we actually preferred Santa Margarita and would have liked more time there and a little less at Portofino which is really tiny, but we assume the ferry timings had to fit with the tour duration and ship departure timigs.

 

If you have this option we would recommend you consider this.

 

 

.From the little we saw of Carrara as we drove through it both times, there wasn't muich there although I think I remember it is possible to do a local tour which visits one of the marble mines.

 

I have a vague idea that I read somewhere that at busier times, some of the busiest ports are having to relocate soime cruise ships to lesser known ports in order to accommodate them all.

 

Hope some of the above helps you decide.

Edited June 23, 2021 by edinburgher

[cruisemom42]

I'm curious what line or lines have scheduled a stop in this port?

[edinburgher]

We were on a Marella ship. 

 

Whatsinport  (there are other sites)is already showing multiple calls by Virgin and  Royal Caribbean with the occasional Crystal for 2022 under Italy/Marina di Carrara. I expect more will follow closer to the time.

 

It is the jumping off point for excursions to various parts of Tuscany, just not as easy to DIY from here.

[ycl]

I see this as a trend for cruises, booking ports that offer little in terms of convenient access to interesting sights or experiences.  The lines pay less in port fees forcing passengers to choose between booking pricey shore excursions or hiring an Italian taxi for a day just to get out of the port.  The shuttles into town are hard to find or they drop you off at a location where a taxi is hard to find because the taxis are all lined up by the ship waiting to book passengers for the day. That was our experience several years ago on Celebrity. The ship anchored in Salerno.  They advertised it as a stop in the Amalfi.  But we could not find a taxi driver willing to take us to the ferry port nearby so that we could explore the Amalfi.  They only wanted to book passenger for the whole day. We were able to make it, because I am tenacious, but it was frustrating and involved  a great deal of walking and running to make the ferry.  I’ve always had a dislike if Italian taxi drivers.  Every trip to Italy only confirms it.  I’m looking at a Virgin cruise that stops at Marina Di Carrara.  The only place I’d visit from there is Lucca. but I’ve been there twice. 

[edinburgher]

 

Posted 1 hour ago

 

I read somewhere that at busier times, some of the busiest ports are having to relocate soime cruise ships to lesser known ports in order to accommodate them all.

 

I see this as a trend for cruises, booking ports that offer little in terms of convenient access to interesting sights or experiences.  The lines pay less in port fees

 

I personally really don't think it is the cruiselines trying to save money on port fees, instead I see it as an  "over tourism"issue, as the number of ships has increased exponentially in recent years and they are getting bigger and bigger. I also don't think this is a problem unique to the port of Livorno, as Barcelona is now  directing some ships to Tarragona, and there are other ports struggling at times too.

 

So would your argument be, that you think the ports which are already too full to accommodate any more ships on a given day, should simply tell the lines to go away completely and relocate instead to a  different port (perhaps in an adjoining country- which is entirely possible in Europe) instead of being in a port further from the main sights?

 

I

Edited April 9, 2022 by edinburgher

[cruisemom42]

37 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

I also don't think this is a problem unique to the port of Livorno, as Barcelona is now  directing some ships to Tarragona, and there are other ports struggling at times too.

 

Tarragona is at least an interesting destination in and of itself with history and sites worth seeing, easily tackled on one's own. Carrara not so much. 

 

I think it is imperative that cruisers do their research before booking a cruise with regards to itineraries. Cruise lines have for years gotten away with this "double naming" system for port stops in Europe that US travelers may not realize is rather duplicitous. Listing a port of call as "Rome (Civitavecchia)" or "Florence (Livorno)" and the like is to my mind false advertising. 

[slidergirl]

Me, being me: I'd rent a car in Marina di Carrara (there are the usual places) and drive myself to Lucca someplace like that.  The rental would be cheaper than an excursion.  Parking is easy in Lucca if you get Rick Steve's book.  

Or, if you want to see how the rich & famous do the beach, head about 30 minutes South to Forti de Marmi, buy a day pass at one of the beach clubs, hang out for awhile, then go window shopping.  

Not a bad drive, either way.  Autostrado to Lucca, and a beautiful Med-side drive to Forti di Marmi.   Did the drive Pisa - La Spezia one morning  because my BFF's hubby left his jacket in the apartment we rented in Vernazza.  Parked in La Spezia and took the train to/back Vernazza.

 

Like I said, me being me.  

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by slidergirl

[edinburgher]

I must apologise as I only now noticed that in post #6 I wrote Santa Margarita instead of the correct spelling of SANTA MARGHERITA.(Liguria) At the time,  I must have been thinking about a cocktail!!!  Whatever, it was a lovely day out and different too, and not one I think we would have been offered from Livorno which we have visited many times over the years.

 

Agree that Tarragona is worth visiting in its own right.  A few years ago, we spent 5 days on a land trip split between Tarragona and Sitges  when we found cheap flights r/t Barcelona but could not face the crowds, traffic and noisiness of Barcelona once again. 

Ate some of the best Spanish food we ever ate in a wee restaurant called la Cuineta  in Tarragona.  Ate there each day of our Tarragona stay.so if anyone finds themselves there, can recommend , although with so many changes in the last couple of years, advise that recent reviews be checked first to be sure it is still there and still highly recommended.

[edinburgher]

So I agree that Tarragona is a good enough substitute for Barcelona for those pax for whom it is a day port call and who have already visited Barcelona,  but not so good for those who really wanted to visit Barcelona, perhaps for the first time.

 

Not so good though, for pax who are starting or finishing their cruise there, as it is an additional hassle getting from and to Barcelona International Airport-and with luggage.  I saw a recent post from someone asking about trains and the amount of luggage each person could take on the train.

 

I think that in that circumstance, Tarragona instead of Barcelona is a poor substitute.  And although the move has been forced upon cruiselines and not to save on port fees,, the switching of ships out of Venice to Trieste and other not so close towns for starting or ending a cruise is another major hassle with luggage.  So pleased we already  "did" Venice several times on the previous route.  I know that we will be looking very carefully at start and end ports on future cruises as we are becoming less able to cope with our luggage despite travelling quite lightly.  Venice aside, we both blame "overtourism" for the changes, something that we were also seeing pre-pandemic here in our own tourist city.

 

I think it is imperative that cruisers do their research before booking a cruise with regards to itineraries. Cruise lines have for years gotten away with this "double naming" system for port stops in Europe that US travelers may not realize is rather duplicitous. Listing a port of call as "Rome (Civitavecchia)" or "Florence (Livorno)" and the like is to my mind false advertising. 

 

Absolutely agree. le Havre (for Paris) is another horror day with long journeys and minimal sightseeing time.  As we can fly to Paris very easily and inexpensively and have done so, we used our several le Havre port stops to visit Normany instead, somewhere much more tricky for us to get to from Scotland otherwise.  Visited Honfleur, Rouen and the lovely Alabaster Coast on different stops.  It was an opportunity  which appealed to us. We also explored le Havre itself, not the most interesting town in Normandy, and we should have chosen a different location that day, although beach lovers would enjoy it more than we did..

 

As for Warnemunde (Berlin). again much travel time/ little sightseeing time.   staying in town instead and exploring Rostock and Warnemunde was a really lovely way to spend a port day an super easy to do. Again it was an opportunity to visit towns we would not have reached as easily without a cruise.

Edited April 10, 2022 by edinburgher

[edinburgher]

I should have perhaps said that visiting smaller, less famous and less  touristy ports of call can sometimes  (but not always) open up interesting and enjoyable options which would not otherwise be accessible, and should therefore be embraced.

Edited April 10, 2022 by edinburgher

[cruisemom42]

39 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

I should have perhaps said that visiting smaller, less famous and less  touristy ports of call can sometimes  (but not always) open up interesting and enjoyable options which would not otherwise be accessible, and should therefore be embraced.

 

Very true and in the main I agree. It all comes down to doing one's research. 

 

But I do feel bad for those for whom this may be a bucket list trip (not a short hop from some parts of the globe) and who don't realize the limitations of being in Carrara when one wants to visit the iconic Florence, for example....

 

 

[slidergirl]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Very true and in the main I agree. It all comes down to doing one's research. 

 

But I do feel bad for those for whom this may be a bucket list trip (not a short hop from some parts of the globe) and who don't realize the limitations of being in Carrara when one wants to visit the iconic Florence, for example....

 

 

It is sad when things change like this for people.  But, we all have to learn to make limoncello out of limones...

[edinburgher]

But I do feel bad for those for whom this may be a bucket list trip (not a short hop from some parts of the globe) and who don't realize the limitations of being in Carrara when one wants to visit the iconic Florence, for example....

 

When sailing more international cruise lines and in areas outwith Europe, we have sometimes been asked by fellow pax (usually N. American) about the merit of doing these Livorno/Florence, Civi/Rome le Havre/Paris, Naples(too many choices here)  itineraries for first timers with a bucket list. 

 

We have always explained the minimal sightseeing time v. the amount of travel time, and suggested that, instead of booking a 14 night "Med cruise" , they instead consider a 14 night land stay, perhaps combining two cities so they get much more "value" sightseeing time. Although hitting two large cities for a week each could be exhausting, there are other possibilities, such as(just one example) combining several days in Rome with a stay of a week or8/9 days somewhere like Sorrento, where they could explore the archaeological sights, beautiful towns and views, and Capri and Ischia at leisure. That sort of mixed stay would also give more flexibility for flights and days off work etc. With Europe being quite tiny in comparison compared to their own countries,and mostly  well linked by train, buses, flights and ferries, the permutations are endless.

 

Odd how few cruise pax had considered that suggestion before we made it.

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by edinburgher

[euro cruiser]

1 hour ago, edinburgher said:

Odd how few cruise pax had considered that suggestion before we made it.

I think it depends on why someone is doing a Med cruise.  If they're there primarily because they'd become bored with Caribbean cruises and were just looking for something different, it's possible that not a lot of thought went into port options.

 

I can understand the argument of a Med cruise as a tasting menu, to see which countries or cities one might want to return to on a land trip.  Beyond that, a cruise is not the way to experience Europe unless you prefer breadth over depth.

[edinburgher]

I can understand the argument of a Med cruise as a tasting menu, to see which countries or cities one might want to return to on a land trip.  Beyond that, a cruise is not the way to experience Europe unless you prefer breadth over depth.

 

Exactly our point.  There are parts of the world where cruising is ideal, but it isn't usually ideal for large areas of Europe, given the travel distance from some ports to major cties.  I think it perhaps works best if doing eg a "Spain intensive" or an "Italy intensive"",  or Greek Islands which are more difficult if having to use ferries, but these are usually on smaller, more expensive ships and not everyone can do that. And they don't usually hit capital cities.

 

I think though, that what surprised us when ansering questions honestly, is that most of the folks asking had only ever thought of cruising the Med, and had never even considered the possibility of a land/cruise combo or land only trips to maximise the sightseeing options on their bucket list cities, usually Paris, Rome, Florence and Barcelona, but still expected to "see Paris/see Rome/see Florence" and"see Barcelona" by only spending 4 or 5 hours in each.

 

Whatever, each to his/her own.  We are prepared to "work" our planning for everywhere we visit, by land or sea, and a lack of local language knowledge has never held us back from using all forms of public transport, ordering meals, snacks and drinks or anything else.  We put the work in before we go and muddle through once we get there.  I think a lot of folks prefer cruising as it is easy and requires only minimal effort.

Edited April 12, 2022 by edinburgher

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, edinburgher said:

Whatever, each to his/her own.  We are prepared to "work" our planning for everywhere we visit, by land or sea, and a lack of local language knowledge has never held us back from using all forms of public transport, ordering meals, snacks and drinks or anything else.  We put the work in before we go and muddle through once we get there.  I think a lot of folks prefer cruising as it is easy and requires only minimal effort.

 

I agree that a fair number of Med/European cruisers from the US are not intensive or particularly adventurous travelers. Many are not that comfortable outside their own country due to lack of experience. (As a mitigating factor, keep in mind how big the US is versus most countries. We can go from state to state with no borders, no passport, same currency and same culture.)  

 

Also in the US there is a tendency not to undertake these "bucket list" ex-US trips until after retiring, when it can be a bit daunting to start traveling independently if you have no experience.

 

That said, I consider myself a pretty intensive traveler, comfortable getting around on my own. Still, I enjoy cruises in addition to land trips. Luckily for me, my major interest is Roman history -- and since the Mediterranean was basically "their sea" it is easy and fun to find new archaeological sites all around the Med basin from the more common ones in Italy, Greece, Spain and France to Turkey, Tunisia and even Syria!

 

For me it's not a "one and done" but for many US travelers there is indeed a sort of check list. I like to call it the speed-dating version of the traditional Grand Tour. 😉

[Dukefan]

On 4/11/2022 at 5:41 AM, edinburgher said:

But I do feel bad for those for whom this may be a bucket list trip (not a short hop from some parts of the globe) and who don't realize the limitations of being in Carrara when one wants to visit the iconic Florence, for example....

 

When sailing more international cruise lines and in areas outwith Europe, we have sometimes been asked by fellow pax (usually N. American) about the merit of doing these Livorno/Florence, Civi/Rome le Havre/Paris, Naples(too many choices here)  itineraries for first timers with a bucket list. 

 

We have always explained the minimal sightseeing time v. the amount of travel time, and suggested that, instead of booking a 14 night "Med cruise" , they instead consider a 14 night land stay, perhaps combining two cities so they get much more "value" sightseeing time. Although hitting two large cities for a week each could be exhausting, there are other possibilities, such as(just one example) combining several days in Rome with a stay of a week or8/9 days somewhere like Sorrento, where they could explore the archaeological sights, beautiful towns and views, and Capri and Ischia at leisure. That sort of mixed stay would also give more flexibility for flights and days off work etc. With Europe being quite tiny in comparison compared to their own countries,and mostly  well linked by train, buses, flights and ferries, the permutations are endless.

 

Odd how few cruise pax had considered that suggestion before we made it.

 

 

One day cruise stays serve two purposes as far as my wife and I are concerned:   1) Give you an overview of a spot you have never been to determine if you would like to come back for a longer stay.  and  2) To provide an opportunity to visit some of your favorite places in port you have visited before.   For example, our fitst cruise visit to Florence told us we wanted to come back for a longer stay.  As a result two years later, we booked a week in Florence on a Tuscany three week vacation.   This year we will be visiting Florence on a cruise for on day to revisit some of our favorite spots. Port cities that we went back to for longer stays after visiting them on cruises include Barcelona, Florence, Rome, Athens, Copenhagen, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, and Oslo.   Cruises are a wonderful way to meet a place and a wonderful way to visit a place you love.

[slidergirl]

I wonder what the percentage is of different types of cruisers in the Med: the "only do excursions to check off a "must see" place:, the "taste-testing for longer land stays" and the "do another quick visit of a favorite spot."  

 

I'm semi-retired and 68 (can't shake my Winter job quite yet).  I totally enjoy travel by myself.  Fortunately, it's not yet daunting nor is my health restrictive yet.  Many of my friends and the condo owners where I work can't believe I do all this myself.  Maybe it's because I traveled for business back in the pre-Internet days where you really did have to have all your travel ducks in a row.  Like Cynthia, I have a thing for antiquities, Roman, Etruscan and a major thing for old churches.  And I have a passion for finding good food (not necessarily fine dining).   My barge trip this summer does have excursions, but since we are a private charter of all women, we've asked that everything have discussions of women in the history of the area, visit women-run ranches, wineries, fisheries.  So, it is not the usual stuff.  That's only 1 week of my month; the rest of the time it's what I want to do, where I want to go, and what I want to eat.  I've already changed plans a few times based on new things I've found that I want to do...  

Maybe someday I'll slow down enough that I'll be happy with the little snippets of a port in the Med.  But, not yet. 

[CPT Trips]

On 4/10/2022 at 1:35 PM, slidergirl said:

It is sad when things change like this for people.  But, we all have to learn to make limoncello out of limones...

I tried that. But, one must be prepared to spend much more on the vodka than on the limones. And don’t forget the bottles . . . 

[cruisemom42]

6 hours ago, slidergirl said:

the rest of the time it's what I want to do, where I want to go, and what I want to eat.

 

That is the best part of traveling solo, for me. No compromises and I get to make all the decisions. 😈