Guides on the Fly

[roadster08]

We took a cruise in the Carribean several years ago. At each port, there were plenty of tour guides on the dock ready to take passengers all over, doing the same things as the ships tours. Even cab drivers were willing and capable of being guides for a set fee for a set time. We used this several times and always had a good experience.

 

Do they do things that way in the Mediterranean ports? If so, anybody have some exepreince with doing that? Think it would be a good Plan B option if the tours we decide on are sold out.

 

Concerned because we are having some trouble booking hotels for our pre/post Nov 1 Med cruise. A few of the ones mentioned frequently on these boards report no vacancy when checked online.

[Susan-M]

Hi Roadster ... Not sure if you've had a chance to check the Europe/Mediterranean Forum but that's a good place to get recommendations for tour guides and hotels. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=234

 

This question comes up occasionally on the Med forum and the consensus is that it is much different in the Med. I would strongly encourage you to plan your port days in advance ... either with a private guide, by ship's excursion or on your own. We did a similar itinerary 3 years ago and did many of the ports on our own (with a lot of pre-planning) ... we did one "on your own" excursion through the cruise ship, and one tour (Naples) where we joined with fellow CC members from our Roll Call.

 

You'll find taxis available in some ports but negotiating a fair price might be challenging and finding a driver who speaks English could also prove difficult. In particular, Rome, Florence, Naples and Athens will be difficult to do spur-of-the-moment day trips.

 

For hotels, in addition to recommendations on the Med forum, you might find it helpful to check reviews on: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g187497-Barcelona_Catalonia-Hotels.html

We stayed at the Continental Palacete in Barcelona and Sofitel in Venice.

 

Have a great cruise:) .