This is part two of three posts to help you decide on which unique european cruise ports to put on your cruise list. Oct 01, 2015 when taking advantage of a mediterranean cruise sale, know before setting sail that transportation from the port into town is not always included in your cruise fare at some european cruise destinations, ports are far off from town, and some ports do not have easy walking paths into the cities. I hope you find this post useful in planning your own mediterranean cruise. Learn all you need to know before visiting the ports of call on your next cruise.
Oct 04, 2018 mediterranean cruise ports are invariably busy with touts offering overpriced tours and unlicensed taxis, so be on your guard, especially with taxi rates for longer transfers and waiting time on. On a mediterranean voyage, ports of call are a fundamental part of the. Doityourself family shore excursions along the mediterranean skip a cruise ships organized shore excursions and go off your own. Cruises november mediterranean cruise hi to all savy cruisers. Eastern cruises visit places like cyprus, turkey and egypt, whilst western cruises travel around spain, france and italy. Now, my mission is to pass on my knowledge on to you and empower you in deciding how to best spend your day in port according to your affinities and your budget. Aug 09, 2017 ive been reading rick steves mediterranean cruise ports for my cruise next summer.
Book now pre and post cruise hotels near cruise ports in the mediterranean, southern europe and canary islands. The 10 best cruise ports in the mediterranean gretas travels. Shore excursions take passengers to cannes, nice or monte carlo, or you can easily visit these riviera gems on your own via train. In barcelona, a cheap shuttle bus goes directly from the port to the bottom of the ramblas, the lively pedestrian drag that runs through the heart of the old city. How much would it cost and how long does it take to get there. Mediterranean cruise, ports where we dont need to book. The truth about cruise ship excursions in europe are they. Explore mediterranean cruise ports with ease, find the best mediterranean cruises destinations, getting around europe cruises ports, what to see on your. Sep 04, 2012 rick steves mediterranean cruise ports explains how to get into town from the cruise terminal, shares sightseeing tips, and includes selfguided walks and tours. If your ship docks, take the ships shuttle bus, not the public bus, to town center. Is there a bus that goes there or best to negotiate a taxi.
Most large ships offer a florence and pisa on your own tour that has a local. Jeff, id suggest having a look at the rick steves mediterranean cruise ports guidebook that you mentioned, as it provides information on touring independently while on cruises. This special tour includes spain, france, monte carlo, italy, greece and the wonderful island of malta. Heres what you need to consider when choosing an excursion.
Relax and stay a few nights before or after your cruise. The truth about cruise ship excursions in europe are. We did the mediterranean adventurer on the sapphire princess round trip from southampton last year and loved it a good variety of ports and sea days plus we did ship tours which i felt were good value at each of the ports visited except one where we did our own touring. There is so little of the top spots left off it is almost the perfect mediterranean land tour and cruise this is the best itinerary we have ever offered, all at a great. From his advice, i will probably take a train or bus to monaco on my own and do pompeii on my own so much cheaper than dcl. What to do in florence in one day on a mediterranean cruise. Cameron hewitt cruise ships include plenty of free entertainment, including lounging by the pool and enjoying the scenery. While the cruise lines themselves offer lots to choose from, you. Doityourself family shore excursions along the mediterranean. And upon arriving at each port, shore excursions are the primary way to explore.
Mediterranean countries are those that surround the mediterranean sea. Its a great way to leave the sheltered vibe of a ship and pretend youre independent travelers not bound by a rigid schedule. Yes, ricks mediterranean cruise ports is very helpful, because he gives stepbystep directions on exactly what you have to do to see ports on your own. Whether for their historical beauty or natural landscapes, they are the destinations that in my opinion cant miss from a mediterranean cruise. Get the latest deals for kotor cruises on cruise critic. Firsttimers guide to shore excursions cruise critic. When taking advantage of a mediterranean cruise sale, know before setting sail that transportation from the port into town is not always included in your cruise fare at some european cruise destinations, ports are far off from town, and some ports do. Cruising the mediterranean on a budget by rick steves. If youre planning to go on a mediterranean cruise, these are some of the. Three nottobemissed eastern mediterranean cruise ports. Oct 22, 2019 these are my personal favourite cruise harbours that i visited on my various cruises in the mediterranean. We are going on our first cruise next year, a west mediterranean cruise, so i got this excited to read about the port cities we would be visiting. When we learn of critical changes to the information in our mediterranean cruise ports guidebook, we post them here. Explore the sights, sounds and flavours of different cultures all on your own terms.
Of course, its still smart to reconfirm critical transportation and sightseeing details locally. Find the cruise port guides for the mediterranean here. For example, in barcelona, nice, dubrovnik, venice, and istanbul, the cruise ports are so close to town that you can easily reach the major sights on your own. Most travellers should feel confident about organising their own excursions in many ports, though with cities or regional. Mediterranean ports shore excursions, cruise excursions on your own for the eastern mediterranean ports greece italy cyprus israel turkey, rhodes cruise. Mediterranean cruises cruise the mediterranean direct. Check out a museum in the city and maybe grab some lunch. The public bus does not have the capacity to handle all the people returning to the ship at the same time in the afternoon. The western med is probably one of the easiest itineraries to do on your own. Western mediterranean, eastern mediterranean and northern europe. A western mediterranean itinerary usually includes stops in barcelona and monaco, as well as ports in italy. Ephesus on your own other mediterranean ports cruise.
After disembarking in cannes, travel to nearby grasse, where the french perfume industry originated. Western mediterranean cruises also depart from uk ports, such. Mediterranean cruise excursions on your own ports in italy. The dome of the florence cathedral takes up the skyline view of florence. You should be able to find a copy at your local library or larger bookstores. There is so little of the top spots left off it is almost the perfect mediterranean land tour and cruise this is the best itinerary we have ever offered, all at a great price cruise ships normally just hit locations near each other. When taking advantage of a mediterranean cruise sale, know before setting sail that transportation from the port into town is not always included in your cruise fare at some european cruise destinations, ports are far off from town, and some ports do not have easy walking paths into the cities. I was sad to discover that only one of our seven ports are in this book. Every moment and every port on a mediterranean cruise is incredibly special. Mediterranean cruise ports rick steves travel talks. Your biggest difficulty planning a european cruise is narrowing down where you want to go.
Armed with a rick steves guidebook and these latebreaking updates, youre set for a great trip. How to plan a western mediterranean cruise telegraph. Theres a wide variety of ways to explore your ports of call. The truth about cruise ship excursions in europe are they really. Villefranche is set on a wooded hillside overlooking the cote dazur. Then we just walked around the city and enjoyed ourselves for the day. Thanks to martina and her wonderfully informative website, i have learned lots of useful tips about venice, and dubrovnik three of our ports of call. A mediterranean cruise is the whitmans sampler of journeys. Designed specifically for cruise ship passengers, cruiseportinsider provides all the info you need to know on each port, plus maps, port schedules, detailed shore excursion descriptions, on your own tips, videos and more. Rick steves mediterranean cruise ports explains how to get into town from the cruise terminal, shares sightseeing tips, and includes selfguided walks and tours. You pay no booking fees when making a reservation, there is free cancellation on most rooms. You can then decide if you want to do this, or go with a tour. Obviously booking through the ship is quite expensive so wondering what other options there are or were buses easily accessible from the ports. The focus is on shore excursions at both transit ports those ports that ships visit on regular sailings and embarkation ports those ports from which you embark on your cruise vacations.
Mediterranean cruises, mediterranean cruise port guide. Rick steves guidebook coauthor cameron hewitt shares a portbyport rundown of the top. Of the schedule below, are any of these ports of call close to the city and would not require a booked excursion. Mediterranean cruise port guides by cruise crocodile. Going it on your own how you spend your time in port can make the difference between a great cruise experience and a big fat disappointment. Mediterranean cruise guidebook updates from rick steves. Rick steves mediterranean cruise ports rick steves travel. Cruises tend to be divided into eastern and western mediterranean. If youve been these places via cruise ship, did you tour on your own or book the excursion. Toms port guides, mediterranean save money on cruise. The first article, part 1, explains the three regions for european cruising. A european cruise is an especially good fit for travelers who want to see the history, art, and natural beauty of europe without having to navigate the roads and train stations or spend a lot of time planning where to stay and where to dine. In planning excursions from the ship be sure to provide a safety margin to allow for transportation difficulties, which can happen in italy. Jun 23, 2017 an independent agent offering a wide choice of tours in most mediterranean ports, cruising excursions.
If your mediterranean cruise in 2021 departs from rome, we know youll want to arrive early so you can experience this magical city before your vacation even officially begins. Discover the 10 best cruise harbours in the mediterranean ranked by. Mediterranean cruise ports are invariably busy with touts offering overpriced tours and unlicensed taxis, so be on your guard, especially with taxi rates for longer transfers and waiting time on. The voice of mediterranean cruise ports easy is that of a friendly travel agent.
Youll learn which destinations are best for an excursionand which you can confidently visit on your own. Although there are more than twenty, for simplicity sake cruise lines divide their itineraries into an eastern region and a western region with italy being somewhat of a dividing line. Whether youre a parent looking for outdoor family entertainment, a foodie out to explore local dishes and wines, or a history aficionado, we have a mediterranean cruise excursion tailored to your interests. Mediterranean ports shore excursions rhodes private tours. Youll find that most of the information about shore excursions comes from my own personal experiences in the destinations featured. From port to port, make the most of a mediterranean cruise. In venice, cruise ships dock near the city, making it a cinch to get into town on your own without paying for a pricey excursion. An independent agent offering a wide choice of tours in most mediterranean ports, cruising excursions. In the mediterranean cruise port guides you will find free maps, docking location, port information, transportation options and lots more. We had a great day and it was easy to do on your own.
There is no better way to experience the sunny and gorgeous mediterranean than on a norwegian cruise. A guide to doing your own shore excursions on cruises. Cruise forums i have read focus more on which cruise to choose, how to make most of the cruise, prepost activities, and ship provided shore excursions vs. Mar 18, 2018 this is part two of three posts to help you decide on which unique european cruise ports to put on your cruise list. Oct, 2010 the focus is on shore excursions at both transit ports those ports that ships visit on regular sailings and embarkation ports those ports from which you embark on your cruise vacations. In it, he details whats involved in seeing each port on your own, so you can decide if you want that, want the ships tour, or want to arrange a tour on your own. Toms port guides, mediterranean save money on cruise port.
Mediterranean cruise, ports where we dont need to book shore. For detailed instructions and selfguided walks and tours in each destination, see the rick steves mediterranean cruise ports guidebook. Visit a wide variety of ports from glorious rome, to glamorous cannes, all whilst enjoying the flexibility of freestyle cruising. All the articles on the mediterranean cruise ports easy are the product of the firsthand experience in helping cruise guests get around the destinations. Ive been reading rick steves mediterranean cruise ports for my cruise next summer. Dubrovnik own tour other mediterranean ports cruise. Lose yourself in thousands of years of civilization touring the coliseum, or stand in awe at some of the most celebrated masterworks of art in human history at the. Luxury mediterranean cruises the ritzcarlton yacht collection. With 24hour insuite dining, you can begin your day dining on your own private terrace or with other guests in one of our highly rated onboard restaurants. Hi i am looking at shore excursions that people have taken while on a mediterranean cruise. Mediterranean cruise port cheat sheet this roundup shows which major mediterranean ports are best by excursion or by hiring your own private guide, and which are doable on your own. These are my personal favourite cruise harbours that i visited on my various cruises in the mediterranean. The 25 best cruises to kotor 2020 with prices cruise critic. And if your cruise includes a stop at livorno, italy, dont miss the chance to visit florence for the day.
In venice, cruise ships dock near the city, making it a cinch to get into town on your own without paying for. Guests aboard a luxury mediterranean cruise awaken in luxurious linen to complimentary coffees and teas insuite. Some ports are easier to navigate on your own with hop on hop off buses but many ports in europe are far away from the. If you want a rick steves approach to cruising the mediterranean, get his book rick steves mediterranean cruise ports. You can also take a boat tour around the walled city to see the city walls from a different perspective. On the cruise critic website, find the roll call for your sailing. November mediterranean cruise fodors travel talk forums. Find and plan your next cruise to kotor with cabin price comparison, variety of departure ports and dates to.
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