Western Med Ports thumbs Up or Down

[BubbaBoat]

We will be sailing on Wonder of the Seas on August 14th out of Barcelona.  First time CRUISING Europe.  The 7 nighter really only offers 1 day at sea (the last day).  We've been to Italy a few times (We've seen Rome, Florence, Pisa, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Capri), We've been to France but never to Marseille.  Researching Marseille (the 2nd largest city in France), nothing has my jaw dropping so any insight would be welcomed and appreciated.  Palma de Mallorca looks fun although there's not a lot of time spent in port.  I was hoping to rent a car and cruise some of the squirrely roads and visit Deia and Soller but honestly, I don't know if there'll be enough time.  For the stop in La Spezia, Italy...We haven't see Cinque Terra (but honestly, all the reviews look great but hoards of people).  Has anyone got off the boat in La Spezia and hit Lucca?  If so, how did you manage it?  We're staying in Spain post cruise.

 

Interested in how you'd rank the ports on a Western Med Cruise.  Which one would you miss?  Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia/Florence/Cinque Terra, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples/Amalfi/Capri.  Thanks for the help Cruisers.

[mskaufman]

I don't like to miss any European port.  Last time to Palma we went to Soller and had a great day.  We are scheduled to be there in August and will probably just wander in the old part of town.  In Marseille we have gone to Provence, also a great day.  Cinque Terra is awesome.  Rome is Rome, I could go every year.  Same for Amalfi Coast.  That said, I would say the weakest is Palma.

[carolyn22]

I did a western Med cruise out of Barcelona several years ago - Toulon (Marseille), Villefranche Sur Mer, Rome, La Spezia, and Naples.  We booked private excursions for all but La Spezia.  There we took the train to Cinque Terra and was able to visit 4 of the towns. We loved it there. My least favorite stop was Toulon, but some of that was our tour guide. We went to Aix En Provence, but didn’t get any time to look around the city and do a little bit of shopping. It was essentially all history. We also went to Marseilles, but the city just didn’t impress me for some reason. Our tour guide also made that stop all history. 
 

We loved every other stop and private excursion that we did. Our cruise also had one sea day at the end, and I can tell you that we were all exhausted by that after day after day of 8 hour excursions. 😂. But everything really was fabulous. I would do the whole cruise again. 

[galfromkazoo]

We were on the Wonder in May. Best cruise ever. But……if I had it to do over again I would have stayed on the ship in Marseilles and Palma. The ship is so big with so much to do and see that one sea day was not enough. I thought about sailing on the Wonder again when it returns to the US but it is so much more expensive and I am sure will be much more crowded so I think I would be disappointed. 
 

We booked this cruise for the itinerary and the Wonder swap ended up being an amazing surprise.  I thought it did not make much sense to go all the way to Europe to stay on the ship but I really regret not spending more time on board. 

[vjmatty]

I wouldn't miss any, especially one I've never been to.  As for Marseilles, I would take a ferry from the pier to the island of Chateau D'If, the inspiration for the Count of Monte Cristo-

 

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chateau-d-if

 

 

[cloud_nine]

I would skip Rome, especially if you've spent time there before. I always stay on board at the Rome port, and the ship is always practically empty. It's great! Palma is the best in my opinion as everything is a lot nearer than the Italy ports and there's so many different things to do there. There's the beaches, the Cathedral, shopping and wandering around Palma itself, but if it's your first time there, I would get the train to Soller, or visit the Caves of Drach.

[little britain]

 

1. Palma fantastic walkable city with wonderful cathedral and tapas! Recommended! 

2. Marseilles - get a trip to Cassis or the Provence villages which are beautiful 
3. Easy to get trip to CT - they are selling them as you leave the port. Well worth it once. 

4. Naples - noisy dirty chaos. 
5. Skip Rome as you’ve been there before and you can’t do it justice on a day.

Edited June 23, 2022 by little britain

[pyrateslife4me84]

2 minutes ago, little britain said:

 

1. Palma fantastic walkable city with wonderful cathedral and tapas! Recommended! 

2. Marseilles - get a trip to Cassis or the Provence villages which are beautiful 
3. Easy to get trip to CT - they are selling them as you leave the port. Well worth it once. 

4. Naples - noisy dirty chaos. 
5. Skip Rome as you’ve been there before and you can’t do it justice on a day.

Noisy dirty chaos feels like nyc. I love nyc. Guess I’m going to love Naples lol. 

[little britain]

Just now, pyrateslife4me84 said:

Noisy dirty chaos feels like nyc. I love nyc. Guess I’m going to love Naples lol. 

Nothing like NYC! Trust me! 

[pyrateslife4me84]

2 minutes ago, little britain said:

Nothing like NYC! Trust me! 

Honestly, we are going to Pompeii most of the day. If there is time, we will explore Napoli a bit and look for pizza. If we don’t like it there, back on the ship for pizza and water slides. 

[little britain]

43 minutes ago, pyrateslife4me84 said:

Honestly, we are going to Pompeii most of the day. If there is time, we will explore Napoli a bit and look for pizza. If we don’t like it there, back on the ship for pizza and water slides. 

The pizza 🍕  is great in Naples !

[vjmatty]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

 

1. Palma fantastic walkable city with wonderful cathedral and tapas! Recommended! 

2. Marseilles - get a trip to Cassis or the Provence villages which are beautiful 
3. Easy to get trip to CT - they are selling them as you leave the port. Well worth it once. 

4. Naples - noisy dirty chaos. 
5. Skip Rome as you’ve been there before and you can’t do it justice on a day.

 

Naples has other places to go such as Capri island, Pompeii, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast.

[George C]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

Nothing like NYC! Trust me! 

I love Naples and New York City both have great pizza.

[pushbutton]

Just got off Wonders sailing this same itinerary.

 

Marseilles was probably the weakest link for us. We took the little train at the port up to the cathedral and had lunch on the waterfront. Pretty touristy in the port, pretty crummy in the older part of town.

 

On a side note, we got delayed coming into Marseilles due to a protest that blocked the port for two hours. If we had not been delayed, we'd probably be wondering what else to do.

 

Palma was great with a very walkable old town, plazas, coffee shops, and restaurants. Very charming.

 

We used a third party (Shore Excursions) for Naples and went to Herculaneum, Pompeii and a great restaurant for pizza and burrata. There were 8 of us so we had our own private van. Honestly I wish we had gone this route for the other excursions. The flexibility was terrific.

 

Rome was tough. So much to see - we were running around and probably tried to do to much.

 

Had to see Pisa and Florence, but again it was a busy day. We went with the RC tour for this one and the included lunch was at a pretty bad/touristy restaurant. Again, we'd probably have been better off going with a third party.

[elaine5]

21 hours ago, BubbaBoat said:

Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia/Florence/Cinque Terra, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples/Amalfi/Capri.

We have been to all except Amalfi. On our cruise, we're likely skipping Rome. Palma is a lovely town and the cathedral is worth a visit. The Moorish influence is interesting to see and we enjoyed walking thru the curved streets. From La Spezia, it's not hard to take a train to at least one of the CT villages--the closest one is 10 minutes away, even if to just have a nice 1/2 day. It's beautiful. Lucca (lovely town, but I'd still pick CT) is a change of trains and at least 1.5 hrs each way--I'd go to CT and have a wonderful lunch. We almost always DIY, but in Marseille--we did a tour to Grasse, and some hill towns and lunch. It was a wonderful splurge. Another time, we went to Aix and Avignon and liked that, but the prior tour was the best.

Edited June 23, 2022 by elaine5

[Bruin Steve]

22 hours ago, BubbaBoat said:

We will be sailing on Wonder of the Seas on August 14th out of Barcelona.  First time CRUISING Europe.  The 7 nighter really only offers 1 day at sea (the last day).  We've been to Italy a few times (We've seen Rome, Florence, Pisa, Naples, Amalfi Coast, Capri), We've been to France but never to Marseille.  Researching Marseille (the 2nd largest city in France), nothing has my jaw dropping so any insight would be welcomed and appreciated.  Palma de Mallorca looks fun although there's not a lot of time spent in port.  I was hoping to rent a car and cruise some of the squirrely roads and visit Deia and Soller but honestly, I don't know if there'll be enough time.  For the stop in La Spezia, Italy...We haven't see Cinque Terra (but honestly, all the reviews look great but hoards of people).  Has anyone got off the boat in La Spezia and hit Lucca?  If so, how did you manage it?  We're staying in Spain post cruise.

 

Interested in how you'd rank the ports on a Western Med Cruise.  Which one would you miss?  Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia/Florence/Cinque Terra, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples/Amalfi/Capri.  Thanks for the help Cruisers.

Ahhh...a subject near and dear to my heart.  We've done 18 Europe cruises thus far with several more booked in the next ten months--including TWO Western Meds put of Barcelona--Vision in August, Symphony of the Seas in April and we've done several "land" trips as well.  Your itinerary sounds identical to our Symphony of the Seas cruise.

 

Personally, I wouldn't "miss" ANY ports.  There is always something new and different to see.  Of course, you can also always adjust by how far from port you go and how long you stay out and tour.

 

Here's my quick take on all of the ports on this one (and we've been to all several times):

 

Palma de Mallorca:   Probably the least to see here--because it is an island.  Last time, we did a tour of town, this next time (August) we're doing a tour up to Valderossa with wine tasting.  In April, we'll end up repeating one or the other unless we can find something really unusual.  Wineries always work for me because it's a relaxing day.

 

Marseille:  Marseille is a big, industrial port city...but there are so many different places to go nearby.  In August we're headed for San Tropez since I haven't been there in a long time and my wife never has...Avignon, Arles, Nimes and other towns have some history and charm.  I keep away from St. Remy-de-Provence as we had our car broken into there outside the Roman ruins...Try getting a local guide or joining a small group to tour you to multiple towns...I'm not sure what we'll do in April.

 

La Spezia/Florence/Cinque Terra:  We specifically booked this one to see the Cinque Terre--but may do it by boat to avoid some of the crowds in August.  Of course, many people use the port to visit towns in Tuscany (You've seen Florence and Pisa...but San Gimignano is a great town though easier to get to from Livorno).  Another shot is Portovenere--real near to La Spezia.  We had three nights planned there that were canceled when Covid first hit.  Even with crowds, though, the Cinque Terre are worth it.

 

Civitavecchia/Rome:  Well, the say "Rome wasn't built in a day"...and it also isn't toured in a day.  No matter how much time you've spent there, I guarantee you haven't seen everything...But, if you bypass Rome itself, try heading up to nearby Tivoli for the Ville d' Este and Villa Adriano.  Or, since you're actually not in Rome but in Civitavecchia, maybe head North/Northeast--Go see the Necropolis at Tarquinia...or, if you have the time, head to either Orvieto or Pitigliano--a couple of the most scenic hill towns anytwhere...

 

Naples/Amalfi/Capri:  Okay, you've seen the "Amalfi Coast"...Better than that, go visit Pompei and/or Herculaneum.

 

Staying in Spain post-cruise?  Where?  Just Barcelona?  If so, a great side trip is to go visit Girona (Game of Thrones/medeival city) and Figueres (Dali).  If you go to Madrid make sure to side-trip to Toledo...

 

Have fun...

Edited June 23, 2022 by Bruin Steve

[tj_shopper]

7 hours ago, pyrateslife4me84 said:

Noisy dirty chaos feels like nyc. I love nyc. Guess I’m going to love Naples lol. 

I LOVED Naples and would go there again in a heartbeat!  Also loved Cinque Terres - ate the best food there and brought home the best pesto!

[Scottee25]

22 hours ago, BubbaBoat said:

Has anyone got off the boat in La Spezia and hit Lucca?  If so, how did you manage it? 

 

We did back in May. We booked the excursion through Royal, mainly because when we booked this cruise, only ship sponsored excursions were allowed. The excursion in question went to Lucca and Pisa. We actually spent the majority of the time in Lucca (part of that was because our Royal "escort" disappeared and our tour guide spent over 30 minutes in Lucca trying to locate her. This caused us to lose some time in Pisa). Lucca was incredible. My girlfriend and I could have spent a week there just wandering around. At this point you can use a third party tour company to tour in Italy and there are several who offer tours to Lucca for cruise passengers.

 

22 hours ago, BubbaBoat said:

Interested in how you'd rank the ports on a Western Med Cruise.  Which one would you miss?  Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, La Spezia/Florence/Cinque Terra, Civitavecchia/Rome, Naples/Amalfi/Capri.  Thanks for the help Cruisers.

 

I wouldn't miss any of them. Palma may have the least number of options but it is still a beautiful island and definitely worth seeing.

 

If you don't feel like going to Rome (we just spent 8 nights there and I would be happy to go back tomorrow if we could), there are other places you could visit. For instance, we we got off of the Odyssey in May, we paid for a transfer service that picked us up from the port and then took us to Orvieto and Civita di Bagnoregio before taking us to our hotel in Rome. It was pricey for the 2 of us (it would definitely be more reasonable if you can split the cost with more people) but WOW, what an experience.

 

Naples of course has Pompeii which should not be missed. Herculaneum is on the way to/from Pompeii from Naples. Also in Naples is the National Archeological museum which has many impressive pieces. As others have suggested, the pizza in Naples is wonderful so be sure to sit down and have some!

[Scottee25]

30 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

Staying in Spain post-cruise?  Where?  Just Barcelona?  If so, a great side trip is to go visit Girona (Game of Thrones/medeival city) and Figueres (Dali).  If you go to Madrid make sure to side-trip to Toledo...

 

We did a tour to Girona when we were in Barcelona back in 2019 that was Game of Thrones themed. Loved getting my geek on!

 

I would also recommend a trip to Monserrat if staying in Barcelona. We had a tour upon disembarking in Barcelona that took all of our luggage and took us to Monserrat and then Cava tasting before finally taking us to our hotel in Barcelona.

[luv2sailAgain]

My mom and I just booked Symphony for a similar itinerary next summer. I was concerned that she booked it much to quickly (which she did) not giving me a chance  to research. Thank you for all your ideas and thoughts.  I feel much better about our adventure next summer and am starting to get very excited.

 

[zap99]

On 6/23/2022 at 4:15 PM, pyrateslife4me84 said:

Noisy dirty chaos feels like nyc. I love nyc. Guess I’m going to love Naples lol. 

Not been to NYC. If it's like Naples, I will probably not bother.

[elaine5]

22 hours ago, luv2sailAgain said:

My mom and I just booked Symphony for a similar itinerary next summer. I was concerned that she booked it much to quickly (which she did) not giving me a chance  to research. Thank you for all your ideas and thoughts.  I feel much better about our adventure next summer and am starting to get very excited.

 

[Host Jacquelyn]

Just came back from this itinerary:

 

Rome: We boarded here and spent a few days in the city. There is so much to do, so many options. Best to take a tour to maximize time if you have never been here before - either through the cruise line or 3rd party

 

Naples: We took a third party excursion to Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi. We have been here in the past, and it is spectacular.

 

Barcelona - We took a cab to Park Guell in the morning, then to Sagrada Familia, and spent the rest of the day exploring the gothic quarter of Barcelona / La Rambla area.

 

Mallorca: We took the ship's excursion to Drach caves. It is really cool if you have never been to see stalagmites and stalactites. There is also an underwater lake, and you get a small boat ride across the lake (a few minutes). There are 3rd parties that offer this trip, but none were picking up at the port on our day. Interestingly, they did other days. It was still worth it, very unique.

 

Marseilles: We took the ship's "shuttle" to Aix en Provence. This was not a guided tour, it dropped us off in the city and we had hours to explore. The ship stops at this port on Tuesday, which is Market day. So amazing to experience the Provencal markets, a must in my opinion. Ship's price was cheaper than a taxi or private excursion.

 

La Spezia: We did a third party excursion to Florence and Pisa. We had almost 4 hours to explore Florence on our own, and an hour in Pisa. It was fabulous. There was an option for a guided tour in Florence, but I have been here before and opted for the drop-off option.

 

Let me know if questions.

[Host Jacquelyn]

Here is a picture inside the cave in Mallorca.

[Nunagoras]

On 6/24/2022 at 12:37 AM, luv2sailAgain said:

My mom and I just booked Symphony for a similar itinerary next summer. I was concerned that she booked it much to quickly (which she did) not giving me a chance  to research. Thank you for all your ideas and thoughts.  I feel much better about our adventure next summer and am starting to get very excited.

 

Don't worry so much. Pretty much every other of these ports are easily doable on your own, except for Rome. If you have never been to Rome, at least book a ship sponsored shore excursion there. Some one and half hour or more driving each way from port to city center requires insurance that only a ship sponsored shore excursion will 100% guarantee.

 

Barcelona: They have at least 2 companies running a HOHO and at least one of them has a stop at the terminals themselves. If you want to go inside Sagrada Família Church, book in advance once they're now using a time scheduled entry system.

 

Marseilles: The best way to do it is by going with the ships sponsored shuttle bus and then use the tourist little train that will lead you to the Cathedral. There is a HOHO as well.

 

La Spezia: I used it for Cinque Terre, once I had been previously to Florence and Pizza. Doable perfectly on your own. Don't forget to validate the train tickets on the validation machines each time you catch a train from village to village.

 

Rome: If it is your first time go for the full day excursion. It's tiring, but it will give you just a small approach to what the city is about!... If it is your 2nd time there; either way go with the smaller 5 hour excursion to at least have a little time at the St. Peter square and just a nice drive in the city, or simply skip the port and make it another sea day.

 

Palma: Pick either way the port shuttle bus or the HOHO and go to the Cathedral and a nice run of the city. Easy.

 

Naples: I went to Pompeii. If historical places are your sort of thing go for it, it is a half a day option. Otherwise the ship docks near the city center, so, another easy place to find something to do.

 

Have a nice day!...