2023 World Cruise wrap-up + details of independent tours

[Aus Traveller]

54 minutes ago, sewgood said:

Aus Traveller, are the horses and carts still used in Petra?

There were plenty of them in 2019 and only a few golf carts but we were told they were trying to end the era of the donkeys and horses and no " new" horses would be allowed to start working there. But authorities were turning a blind eye to "old" horses not looking the same as they did yesterday.

I only saw one horse and cart and it was in the area near the ampitheatre. The driver wanted the equivalent of US$100 to take me 1.5km to the end of the valley then back to the Treasury (another 2km). Pretty good money if he could get it. If people don't want to walk, transport from the entry gate to the Treasury is by golf cart. From memory it was US$37 for a return trip and US$23 for one-way. Getting a seat to go into the valley didn't involve much waiting, but the queue to go out was 1.5 to 2 hours' long from midday to early afternoon.

 

I noticed that the driver of the golf card had an embroidered logo on his shirt indicating he was a member of the Petra Horse/Cart Association. I cannot remember the exact wording. The horses might have been retired but the drivers haven't been.

[sewgood]

15 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I noticed that the driver of the golf card had an embroidered logo on his shirt indicating he was a member of the Petra Horse/Cart Association. I cannot remember the exact wording. The horses might have been retired but the drivers haven't been.

Thanks for the reply, I'm glad to hear the horses and donkeys have mostly been retired as it was sad to see them working so hard in the conditions.

Some of them were trotting fairly fast.

[Aus Traveller]

Salerno -

It was a beautiful sunny morning. I went on a seven-person tour of the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento. The 40km Amalfi coast road is spectacular as it hugs the cliffs and passes through small villages and towns. The road is barely wide enough for two vehicles and is a constant repetition of curves and bends. They were every 10-20 or 30 metres at the most. Houses are built into the cliffs above and below the road. The other constant is lemon trees - they grow everywhere.

 

The day was hazy, but even so the view of the ocean was spectacular. It was dotted with boats of all different sizes.

 

We got out of the van several times to admire the view. We had an hour at the town of Amalfi where I bought one of the specialties of the area - canoli. This is a square of crispy pastry, folded and filled with lemon custard. Nearly everything has a lemon theme, even some clothes in the shop windows and all sorts of souvenirs from tea towels to carry bags.

 

I won't described the numerous towns we went through or the lovely views. Eventually we reached the town of Sorrento where we had an extensive stop for sightseeing and lunch.

 

We returned to the ship via the Autostrade, passing the site of the Pompeii ruins. We were back on the ship a bit after 3pm.

 

The tour was excellent and our guide was really good. The road is narrow, winding and very congested with traffic. Touring in a small van had the major advantage that the driver could stop in tiny roadside spaces that larger vehicles couldn't. The tour company was 'Lovely Tour in Naples' and it was booked through Viator (product #104089P2). I include these final details to help anyone who is interested in booking this tour.

 

 

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[alibabacruisers]

On 8/21/2023 at 5:58 AM, Aus Traveller said:

We were due to arrive in Colombo at 8am on Tuesday 20th June. On Monday morning we were advised that the ship was experiencing technical difficulties (their catch-all phrase) and that we would not arrive in Colombo until 1.30pm on Tuesday. I had a tour for 60 people (four 15-seater vans) booked for 8.30am. The cost was A$20 for a half day tour.

 

 

This tour wasn't getting off to a good start. Last September I booked with another company and had several email exchanges as the number in the group increased. However, as the time approached, they didn't answer my emails. The week before the cruise I cancelled. After a lot of research, I found a company that would do a similar tour - payment 48 hours prior to the tour.

 

 

When I heard our arrival into Colombo would be delayed, I was worried I had  'done my money'. I emailed the company asking for 2pm pick-up. They answered within a couple of minutes that it was OK. I was extremely relieved. I dropped a note at the relevant cabins with the new start time.

 

 

 

We had to take a free shuttle bus to the wharf gates, a 20 minute drive. Outside, the situation was chaotic with dozens of tuk tuk drivers and guys with cars all trying to get passengers. They were all trying to yell louder than the others. I couldn't see my four 15-seat vans.

 

 

Then relief, I saw someone with a sign with my name on it. My tour group was assembling but with the delay in getting shuttle bus tickets etc we were missing quite a few. We had two 30-seat buses with a driver and guide in each. They were more comfortable than 15-seat vans and had better air-con. I felt these buses were better, but one of the passengers complained that it took too long for people to get on and off the larger bus. Keep in mind that this was a $20 tour. I suppose we can't please everyone!

 

 

The guide in my bus was excellent. We drove past the Galle Face Green, a 5-hectare ocean-front park (lovely), then to Gangaramaya, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Colombo. Many of us went inside here. We went past Colombo's biggest park. A large lake had tiny man-made floating islands that provide habitat for birds, many of them pelicans.

 

 

In our three hours of driving we also saw a gorgeous conference centre (a gift of the Chinese govt). We were supposed to go inside, but the Prime Minister was there so it was closed to visitors. We got out at the Independence Memorial Hall and again at the Lotus Tower (a gift from China). At a few sights we drove past very slowly because there was nowhere to park. One of these was the stunning Red Mosque.

 

 

My overall impression of the city was that there is more wealth than I expected. There are numerous luxury hotels and several high-rise apartment buildings that are obviously very expensive. The traffic is chaotic with thousands of tuk tuks competing with cars and buses for road space. In the area around the Red Mosque (the older area of the city) the streets were teaming with people. The roads were lined with very tiny shops and market stalls.

 

 

Our guide was expecting the tour to go for another couple of hours and he wanted to take us to a hotel for tea (Ceylon being famous for tea). I asked the others and no-one wanted to do this so late in the day. By 5.30 I asked everyone if they had 'had enough'. The consensus was to go back to the ship. We were dropped off at the wharf gates at 5.30 and shuttle buses were waiting.

 

On the wharf beside the ship there were numerous market stalls. No prices were evident. I decided not to look very closely because if I showed any interest in an item, the stall holder would be very persistent. 

 

I felt we had excellent value for money with this tour and saw the highlights of the city. Quite a few other passengers from the ship toured in a tuk tuk. They can be fun, but it was hot and humid so I appreciated the air-con in the bus. We also didn't have to contend with vehicle fumes in the heavy traffic. Some tuk tuk tours cost around US$100 pp for an hour or so, but others where the passengers haggled, cost much less than that.

 

The tour operator I used was Asni Tours. I would rate them as excellent.

 

 

Did you have to get a visa for Sri Lanka (in transit or other)?

[Aus Traveller]

17 minutes ago, alibabacruisers said:

Did you have to get a visa for Sri Lanka (in transit or other)?

Yes. We needed a transit visa for Sri Lanka. We applied on line. Mine took literally a minute or two to come through and it was free.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Do you know what the turnaround time was for Elite laundry?

[Aus Traveller]

22 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Do you know what the turnaround time was for Elite laundry?

Usually four days.

[OzKiwiJJ]

8 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Usually four days.

Thanks, we'll plan accordingly.

[Jacster99]

Thank you for all your help in answering our questions.  You mentioned somewhere that it is important to have Covid cover.  Is that just your recommendation, or is it a requirement of some of the countries we are visiting?  I believe that Princess covers us on the ship, and gives us an FCC if we have to cancel. Any thoughts and advice appreciated.

[Aus Traveller]

8 hours ago, Jacster99 said:

Thank you for all your help in answering our questions.  You mentioned somewhere that it is important to have Covid cover.  Is that just your recommendation, or is it a requirement of some of the countries we are visiting?  I believe that Princess covers us on the ship, and gives us an FCC if we have to cancel. Any thoughts and advice appreciated.

The COVID cover I refer to is with reference to cancellation. A year ago when I checked travel insurance policies, some specifically excluded a pandemic for an insurable reason to cancel.

 

At the moment, if someone contracts COVID on board, they receive free medical treatment and are also compensated for the 'lost' days of their cruise that they are in isolation. It is possible that the FCC for cancellation of a cruise might not continue into the future. It is also possible that credit for lost days won't continue.

 

The only country that I know requires passengers to have travel insurance with COVID coverage, is New Caledonia. There could be others. When I embarked on the World Cruise I was not asked if I had travel insurance with or without COVID cover.

[Aus Traveller]

Rome -

I booked a seven-person tour to Rome from the port of Civitavecchia with the company Rolando's Airport Transfer Day Tours.

 

We walked around the Colosseum. The queues to go inside were probably 1.5 hours long (in the hot sun) and the tour takes 1.5 hours. If we went inside, we could have done very little else in the day. The cost was around AUD$50pp.

 

At the Pantheon, the queue to go inside was probably 1.5 hours long. With our limited time, we just photographed it from the outside.

 

We also saw other important sights. A major advantage of the small van instead of a bus is that our driver could usually dropped us within 20-30 metres of a site. Sometimes he could park there and at other times, he came back at a pre-arranged time.

 

St Peter's Basilica was left until last when the queues would be less. It took us probably 20 minutes to get inside including getting through the security scanners.  I heard from others that earlier in the day, the queue was at least 1.5 hours' long. Passengers who went to Rome by bus had a very long walk to and from St Peter's.

 

We were all very pleased with the tour and can recommend Rolando. This tour is available on line can be booked direct. 

[Aus Traveller]

The island of Elba. I didn't have a tour planned and went ashore with friends. We went ona ride on a tourist 'train' - one of those tractor-driven ones that goes on the street. It leaves from close to where the tender dropped us off. Just walk 20 metres or to so the left, staying on the same side of the road. We had to wait a short while until it started. The cost was 5 euros, payment in cash.

 

We wanted to explore further - up to the fort and Napoleon's house but we felt it would be too far to walk. I later heard from other on the ship that many people turned back part way through the hike to the fort. We enquired at the Visitor Info centre about a taxi. The woman on the desk showed us a picture of a tuk tuk and said it is complimentary. Ii thought maybe she meant the phone call was complimentary, but it was the tuk tuk ride that was free. She said he would be outside the office in 45 secondi. It was one or two minutes. It was a hilarious ride over cobblestones and up narrow alleyways to reach the fort. Glen gave the driver a 5 euro tip which was accepted reluctantly. 

 

We toured Fort Falcone (7 euros pp) - interesting with some good views. Then we waited for the tuk tuk to come back. It was only about 10 minutes. We stopped briefly outside the house where Napoleon lived in exile for 300 days after he was forced to abdicate from the throne of France. The island trades on its connection to Napoleon with numerous restaurants and bars etc named after him.

 

Back down the hill to the dock and onto the tender to return to the ship.

 

Summary - Elba is lovely. The tourist 'train' ride was OK for 5 euros. The free tuk tuk ride to the fort was excellent. There are lovely views from the for, but not any better inside than from the entrance. Adult entry fee is 7 Euros, 4 euros for over 70s. There isn't a lot to see inside.

 

[Aus Traveller]

Marseille  - The tour was for seven people in a Mercedes van.

First, we toured Marseille where we went to the the Cathedral then to highest point that is crowned by the Basilica Notre Dame de la Garde. The view was spectacular.

 

Off into the countryside to the city of Aix-en-Provence. This is a charming city, the former home of the artist Cezanne. We wandered around for an hour and had a snack.

 

40 minutes' drive took us back to the coast and the town of Cassis - a former fishing village, now a tourist town. We went on a small boat to explore the coastal inlets called calanques. 

 

Back in our van, we went to the second highest cliff in Europe (Cap Canaille), overlooking Cassis. It was a great viewThen back to the ship. It was a great tour operated by Laurant Cygler. Some other companies I considered weren't prepared to pick us up at the port, something that I consider is essential.

[Aus Traveller]

Barcelona - We drove to Montserrat (about 90 minutes drive). It is perched high up on a mountain so the access road has numerous curves with steep drop-offs beside the road. 

 

Montserrat is a religious site with a monastery, a boarding school and a sizeable church, the Abbey of our Lady of Montserrat that houses the Black Madonna. The statue sits high above the altar. I also went further up the mountain on the funicular of San Joan. Our guide said that on weekends, Montserrat is exceptionally busy with a lot of locals visiting. 

 

Back in Barcelona we stopped at a lookout with a spectacular view of the city. We had a driving tour of the city, with the guide telling us the history and the architectural features of interesting buildings. They included those designed by the famed architect/engineer Gaudi. 

 

We went to Gaudi's Park Guell where he experimented and developed the building methods he later used for the Sagrada Familia, one of the wonders of Barcelona.

 

Then on to the Sagrada Familia. I went there in 2018 and was keen to see it again. After 135 years it still isn't totally complete. Even so, it is one of the most spectacular buildings in the world.

 

We all felt we had a great tour - two tours in one. The company was Barcelona Day Tours. I can recommend them and also recommend the tour we went on.

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[Aus Traveller]

Malaga - Our next port was the Spanish town of Malaga on the Costa Del Sol ('The Sunny Coast'). 

 

We drove more than an hour to the pretty town of Ronda, perched on the side of a mountain. The highlights are an old stone bridge that spans a gorge more than 100 feet deep and connects two parts of the town. The other highlight was the bullring. The tour was very interesting.

 

After lunch we set off for one of the 'White Villages', Mijas where the buildings are all painted stark white. Flower pots and window flower boxes make the narrow winding streets look very pretty.

 

Our guide spoke perfect English. She was able to give us a lot of historical facts including details of the Muslim occupation of Spain that lasted nearly 800 years. Obviously this has had a lasting impact on both Spain and Portugal.

 

I can recommend this tour and the tour operator, Spain Day Tours.

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[sewgood]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

We drove more than an hour to the pretty town of Ronda

 

I googled Ronda and saw the pictures of it and the bridge and all I can say is wow!

 

Another one for the bucket list.

[Aus Traveller]

35 minutes ago, sewgood said:

 

I googled Ronda and saw the pictures of it and the bridge and all I can say is wow!

 

Another one for the bucket list.

Ronda is gorgeous - the bridge, the bull ring and even the main street was interesting.

[Aus Traveller]

Tangier - I organised a seven-person tour of Tangier (Morocco) with Abu Aboubakre, booked through Viator. A shuttle bus took passengers to the centre of town.

 

We drove through up-market areas of Tangier to Cape Spartel where there were superb views of the Mediterranean and ocean-front walks. We had a "welcome'' cup of mint tea. Then we drove to a lookout where we could see where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean.

 

As we drove along the coast, we could see beaches where many dozens of beach umbrellas were set up in neat rows. There were several camels for people who want to pay for a ride. Our next stop was at Hercules Cave that is open to the Atlantic Ocean. The sea was crashing into an opening on the ocean side of the cave. We had to pay an entry fee here.

 

Next we went back into the centre of the old town for a walk through the Casbah. This was a fort built hundreds of years ago, but now crowded with houses, fronting onto narrow alleyways. The houses are all painted sparkling white and most have doors or window shutters painted bright blue. The whole area is a maze of narrow alleyways and stairs - very hilly. We came across a woman hand washing her clothes in bowls set beside the communal water supply. 

 

We walked to the Medina (souk or market). Part of it is small stalls selling food for the locals and the other section is handicrafts and general goods (clothes, handbags etc). Once again, the alleyways are all sloping, sometimes fairly steeply.

 

It was a very good tour and our guide, Abu, was excellent.

[Aus Traveller]

Lisbon - We arrived around 11.30am. There were seven people on our half day tour. First we headed

to the Belem area. The Cathedral was closed because it was a Monday. Our guide pointed out the 'best' shop to buy traditional Portuguese tarts. They are the size of a cupcake and have very crispy pastry, filled with a custard mixture. Tradition states that they were invented by nuns who used a lot of egg whites to starch the collars of the priests and also to make communion wafers. The tarts were invented to use the left-over egg yolks. The tarts were 1.3 euros (A$2). In the tourist area of Lisbon they were up to 6 euros each.

 

We saw the historic Belem Tower built in 1519 and the much more modern Explorers Monument that commemorates Portuguese explorers and mariners.

 

We headed back into the centre of Lisbon where we had an excellent tour with numerous stops. Our guide told us about the tragic events of 1755 when an earthquake struck, followed by a tsunami that swept right through the centre of the city followed by a disastrous fire.

 

The tour ended with an exploration of the Alfama, the historic old town before we headed back to the ship. I can recommend both the tour operator and the tour. The company was Gold Compass, booked through Viator.

 

On the ship that evening there was a folkloric show of flamenco music and dance.

 

[sewgood]

Really enjoying your tour recap.

A fantastic port Lisbon with the ship being docked right in town.

We wish we had brought more then two tarts when we were there.

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by sewgood

[Aus Traveller]

Thanks for your comments.

 

Holyhead, Wales -

We drove across the Isle of Anglesey and crossed the Britannia Bridge into mainland Wales. Our first stop was the medieval town of Caernarfon and its 13th century castle. It is lovely.

We stopped at Lake Padarn at the foot of Mt Snowdon for a photo stop, then went to the National Slate Museum. This was very interesting and several people commented that they could have spent more time there.

 

A scenic drive though the Snowdonia National Park led to the lovely little village of Betws y Coed where we had lunch.

 

Continuing the drive through Snowdonia, we arrived at the little village with the long name (57 letters). Here there was a tourist shop that sold virtually everything, much of it discounted. 

 

After a great day we arrived back at the ship around 4.30. It was an excellent tour and the guide was superb. Our guide was Carole Startin from Celtic Tours Wales.

 

[Aus Traveller]

Belfast - The night before our arrival, we were advised that we would have to do a face-to-face immigration check before disembarking. It was the fastest immigration check I have ever had.

 

We set off through Belfast, along the coast road to the north, stopping at Carnlough with its picturesque tiny harbour. It was a filming site for the 'Game of Thrones'. We also saw the quarry that was transformed into the Wall in 'Game of Thrones'.

 

Following the stunning coast road we came to a lookout where we could see the Carrick-a-Rede bridge, a rope bridge to a rocky island. We didn't go on the bridge because of time. It now costs 13 GBP (A$25).

 

Next stop was the Giant's Causeway. The walk is a couple of kilometres and on a fair slope. We took the easy way and went by bus (return cost 1.5 GBP, close to A$3). The Giant's Causeway is a collection of large rock pillars that legend says were created by a giant who wanted to construct a causeway across to Scotland.

 

Next was lunch in a nearby small town then a photostop where we could see the ruins of Dunluce Castle and also the stunning cliffs and coastline.

 

There were another couple of Game of Thrones filming sites along the way. It was a good tour with an informative guide. Because someone else booked this tour I don't have details of the company or the tour guide. If anyone is interested, I can find out these details.

Edited September 7, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[Aus Traveller]

Greenock (Glasgow) - Our tour today went into the Scottish Highlands. Our first stop was at Stirling Castle, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. We had a guided tour of some parts of the castle. Most of its history relates to King James I through to King James VI (son of Mary, Queen of Scots).

 

Our next stop was at the Falkirk Wheel. England and Scotland have a network of canals, many with locks so boats can move from one to the other. The Falkirk Wheel was built to replace a series of locks. It lifts boats sitting in what is basically a 'bathtub' of water, 24 metres into the air to the level of the next canal. It was very interesting to watch.  At our next stop we were able to feed Highland cows.

 

The tour was interesting and we saw a lot of the Highland countryside. Our guide was Graeme of Scottish Terrier Tours.

Edited September 7, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[Aus Traveller]

Cobh, Ireland - This is one of the few ports where I didn't plan to go on a tour. I had been to Blarney Castle and other towns in the area pre-COVID so this time I decided to go to the nearby large city, Cork. The railway station is literally beside the ship and the trip takes 25 minutes with a train running every 30 minutes.

 

In Cork, after visiting the Tourist Info Centre I set off for the 400 year-old Elizabeth Fort. Entry was free but there wasn't much to see. Next was St Fin Barre's Cathedral. The outside is spectacular, but I had heard that the interior isn't worth the 7 euro entry fee.

 

Then it was a long walk to the historic old town. The houses are tiny and the lanes are narrow and steep. I made it to St Anne's Church (closed) and then to the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne. The interior is lovely. I went back to the railway station to return to Cobh.

 

The small town of Cobh where the ship docks, celebrates 'Australia Day' when the Australian world cruise calls in. There were Aussie flags and live music in a few places. It was bright and cheerful with ship's passengers and locals having a fun time. The main part of town is only a few hundred metres from the ship. 

 

Summary - I enjoyed my time wandering around Cobh with its lively atmosphere more than my visit to Cork.

Edited September 8, 2023 by Aus Traveller

[Aus Traveller]

Dover - The weather was beautifully fine and reached a maximum of 23 degrees. Our first stop was at the WWII Battle of Britain memorial (free entry). It was very interesting. We drove through lovely countryside to Leeds Castle.

 

We had discounted group entry into the Castle. It was a Norman stronghold more than 1,000 years ago and later was owned by several of Britain's queens. In the 1500s it was the home of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The present interior furnishings date from the 1920s and 1930s. The castle is surrounded by a water-filled moat. The extensive gardens are lovely.

 

Next stop was Canterbury where we had optional entry into the enormous Cathedral. Entry cost 17 GBP. The Cathedral contains the tomb of the Black Prince 1330 – 1376. It is also where Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170. 

 

The old area of Canterbury near the Cathedral is gorgeous with buildings dating back to 1500. Even without the Cathedral, it is worthwhile visiting Canterbury.

 

On the way back to the ship, we stopped for a walk to a lookout over the White Cliffs and Dover harbour. The tour today involved a lot of walking, but it was worth it. I can recommend the tour company, England Plus Tours. They were easy to deal with and the tour was great.

 

 

 

Edited September 9, 2023 by Aus Traveller