Tour info Tangier

[opinion2]

We are beginning to plan for a tour of Morocco. Any Recommendations for Companies or specific boats would be really welcome. We will be in Port 8 hours in Tangier. I am considering taking the ship's tour. Has anyone else done this? Good, bad experiences? Thanks!

[alias58]

Tangier Morocco this Port is the gateway to Morocco.a great port and very picturesque, It is basically a fishing and commercial Port. The ship offered a shuttle ($5 each way) to the unattractive town center, where there is a small tourist info booth.

 

our friends joined an extremely irate set of pax in a queue (line) for the return shuttle, one small bus for hundreds of people,. they expected great things from this report, having watched the ship's tour video, but they were disappointed, having taken a short bus ride around the old city; they opted to go to the beach. It was very windy and the beach didn't look all that clean and there was a nasty smell, so they returned to the peace and tranquility of the ship. their money was subsequently refunded, after complaints to the Purser. They received loads of complaints and Passengers didn't''t trust their ground transportation organization, at all.

 

We decided to take our pre-arranged guide Nezha, (good value) at: visitmorocco2@gmail.com Old City Medina, Kasbah Souks Plus Caves of Hercules and outskirts which was a quite attractive run along the Atlantic & Mediterranean coasts. I believe that Some People stayed on the ship to enjoy the sunshine! I would recommend joining an independently pre-arranged taxi / limo, A.C. Van as it Can take a very long time by Public transport. We had a great time and will certainly Tour with Nezha.

 

[luvnorway]

opinion2 - there is some good information on Tangier on this thread starting at post #9

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=382228

 

alias58 - I'm confused - were you describing your experience on a Windstar cruise? You mentioned "one small bus for hundreds of people" which doesn't sound like Windstar. It's my understanding, from the post mentioned above, that Windstar docks quite close to the Medina, and, from what I've read, distance from there to La Ville Nouvelle is less than a kilometre -> no need for a bus unless you don't want to run the gauntlet of the "hustlers" and "guides".

Any clarification would be appreciated.

[luvtojump]

Last year when we were on Windsurf in Tangier, we hired a private guide at the pier. When you disembark, there were 8 or 10 "guides" there wanting to take you for a walking tour. We did part of the tour walking and then had another guide drive us. Our particular walking guide was very knowlegable but quite old. He was very interested in getting us to shop as he got a kick back from our purchases. Tangier did not do much for us. We thought it was like being in Mexico multiplied by 10! (Don't get me wrong, we enjoy Mexico) Many beggers and sales pitches but they would actually come up and physically touch us. Our guide would get into heated arguements with other Morrocans. Not exactly an enjoyable experience. I think we would have more positive feeling towards Tangier had we had a different guide. We usually hire a guide at the pier at most of the ports and have great experiences. Just not this one.

 

Casablanca may be a better choice. Can you take a tour to some of the other cities?

 

We loved our other ports! Ibiza, Malaga, Mallorca, Barcelona....

[openeye]

We were thrilled with our decision to hire a Private tour through Tangier cabs for this spectacular city. Cruise Critic helped us to find Daniel at: tarifatravel@gmail.com Words do not do justice to our Surprise and awe of what Daniel was able to accomplish with us in one day. He offers an unusual combination of assertive high energy and warm patience. The cost for 6 of us was well below the cost of the ship excursion and comparison of experiences with our tablemates who took the ship excursion revealed the true rewards. Daniel maneuvered through traffic like a pro, created parking spaces where there were seemingly none, knew everyone, escorted us to and fro important points, provided us with every bit of pertinent information, then allowed us to wander on our own with clear instructions of where and when we would meet. We never waited in a line, or walked unnecessarily to gain entrance. He created an itinerary for the day that included all the important sites inside the old city and set us up for a tour at the Kasbah/Medina with another extremely competent guide We came back from our day with Daniel on a wave of adrenaline from amazement at what we experienced. His enthusiasm is infectious through and through, so you are offered a true glimpse of this culture. We again relied on the expertise recommendations to find Nezha because we had a particular interest in the art of Morocco and Nezha has a background in art history. She was extremely knowledgeable and Capable in maneuvering through the city. We once again were thrilled to experience a day of touring without lines or confusions. She provided us with an exceptional tour in that we visited some out of the way workshops This was a nice respite from the crowded galleries and offered the best quality shopping of the day. As it turned out, the best art experience was not in the Medina Bazaar, it was just too crowded, but in the Cooperatives and various other sights around the city. We recommend Nezha for a full day experience of Tangier, and I valued her commentary.

[golfergal]

Hmm, I think we have 2 advertising posts here! Not exactly what a real cruiser would post as their first message or two.

 

We just got back from the WindSurf Lisbon to Barecelona and really enjoyed our Tangier tour. We decided to do the ship tour, but I wouldn't hesitate to arrange a private guide. You could use the one posted in the other message or ask the staff on the ship to set one up for you. The only negative comments we heard on the private guides where from people who hired them from the dock and that wasn't all of them.

 

Windstar wasn't offering the shopping excursion anymore, so there was only one tour and it was pretty comprehensive doing the Cape, Hercules cave, and then through the old city. We stopped at a lovely hotel for refreshments. After the tour returned the guides arranged for separate shopping tours and we heard good things about that too.

 

My one negative about how the staff on WindSurf handled Tangier was that they really, really undersold it. They made it sound like the worst place in the world. And if it was that, why would Windstar even stop there. It is a very different culture and some people might be put off by some things. Personally, that is what we enjoyed so much about Tangier. If we didn't want to try different things, we'd stay in Connecticut.

[lovecruisingtoo]

Hmm, I think we have 2 advertising posts here! Not exactly what a real cruiser would post as their first message or two.

 

 

Windstar wasn't offering the shopping excursion anymore, so there was only one tour and it was pretty comprehensive doing the Cape, Hercules cave, and then through the old city. We stopped at a lovely hotel for refreshments. After the tour returned the guides arranged for separate shopping tours and we heard good things about that too.

 

A couple of years ago we were on the Windspirit from Barcelona to Lisbon. We took the same tour that is mentioned above. It was a great tour and gave you a good overall look at the area. However, we were very put off by the separate "shopping tour" that the guide arranged for after the formal tour. They took you to their "favorite" shop where they obviously got a kick-back, and would not take you to see any other shops. We even complained to Windstar about it. Maybe Windstar has taken action the shopping is more "open" now.