No car (or anything else) to Carcassonne

I along with many others are eagerly anticipating our May 29 cruise on Quest.

One minor disappointment is that we are unable to visit Carcassonne from Port Vendres as our time at this stop is limited and there has been much discussion about this on our roll call

While I note that the website appears to have been amended and is no longer showing Carcassonne in brackets after the port name,I wonder why the itinerary planners selected Port Vendres for our cruise knowing we are unable to get to the most important site in the area.

Can you perhaps shed any light on this Bonnie?

Nevertheless I am sure we will have a great cruise as we always do

16 September Journey has the same issue. We are in port two hours longer but it's not really enough

16 September Journey has the same issue. We are in port two hours longer but it's not really enough

I looked at that September 16 itinerary Ann and thought that it was just about doable. However, it is still not enough time to enjoy such a stunning place properly.

Seems very strange to me

I looked at that September 16 itinerary Ann and thought that it was just about doable. However, it is still not enough time to enjoy such a stunning place properly.

 

Seems very strange to me

We have an 8 hour land discoveries available but given it is a tender port and the time to and from Carcassone its not really going to be worth it. I think we will just head to Perpignan

We have an 8 hour land discoveries available but given it is a tender port and the time to and from Carcassone its not really going to be worth it. I think we will just head to Perpignan

Probably a good choice. The cathedral there is stunning.

The website still shows Port Vendres (Carcassonne) under the Cruise Ports heading "11 Night Classic Mediterranean" and then suggests a 'quick jaunt" to Carcassonne if you click on the day by day itinerary.

The website still shows Port Vendres (Carcassonne) under the Cruise Ports heading "11 Night Classic Mediterranean" and then suggests a 'quick jaunt" to Carcassonne if you click on the day by day itinerary.

I missed that Pam. They really need to get this amended

Would you like to take a quick jaunt with me to Carcassonne when we are in Port Vendres on my spaceship?:D

I am sorry that our time in this port is making reaching Carscassone difficult!

Our 2017 itineraries were planned and published years ago, and that staff is no longer with us...otherwise I'd be able to ask for some insight about the original planning.

I'll be sure to let our website gurus know that "(Carcassonne)" is still showing up on these voyages. Thank you for letting me know.

Bonnie

Bonnie, everyone is really disappointed that we can't get to Carcassonne from Port Vendres. There seems no reason to go to Port Vendres otherwise. I know Mrs Miggins has been trying to get something sorted for a long time.

We have been talking on our roll call and we know that Quest would have to leave PV for Nice at about 3 pm as it's a fair way and the next day is disembark day in Nice, so there is no leeway. However, the day before PV is Barcelona and we don't leave there until 10 pm at night. Could Miami not consider leaving Barcelona earlier? If we could get to PV earlier in the morning....by say 6am that would give us a few hours in Carcassonne. I wouldn't mind getting up very early indeed if we could get to this magnificent medieval city. I know others feel the same. I would even do a ship's tour!

Do you think you could ask Miami whether it would be possible?

Many thanks.

If we could get to PV earlier in the morning....by say 6am that would give us a few hours in Carcassonne. I wouldn't mind getting up very early indeed if we could get to this magnificent medieval city. I know others feel the same. I would even do a ship's tour!

 

Do you think you could ask Miami whether it would be possible?

Many thanks.

Agree that this would be a very positive change to the itinerary.

If we could get to PV earlier in the morning....by say 6am that would give us a few hours in Carcassonne. I wouldn't mind getting up very early indeed if we could get to this magnificent medieval city. I know others feel the same. I would even do a ship's tour!

 

Do you think you could ask Miami whether it would be possible?

Many thanks.

We are on this cruise and would support the change.

Our friends/neighbors who are joining us for this cruise decided to come along specifically because of Carcassonne and were so disappointed to see that it's impossible to see from Port Vendres; they have decided to travel early and spend a couple days there precruise

I really fail to see why any itinerary planner would put Port Vendres on the cruise itinerary if there wasn't enough time to get to Carcassonne. Surely visiting there is the whole point of going to Port Vendres? It doesn't have any other notable attractions as far as I can see.

I really hope that Miami will be able to tweak the timings so we can do it....otherwise there will be quite a few disappointed passengers who don't read Cruise Critic and may not realise the port visit is not long enough to visit the most important and interesting site in the area.

Totally agree Lottie- given all the hype about the 2019 itinerary glad there are new planners in post!

I am sorry that our time in this port is making reaching Carscassone difficult!

 

Our 2017 itineraries were planned and published years ago, and that staff is no longer with us...otherwise I'd be able to ask for some insight about the original planning.

 

I'll be sure to let our website gurus know that "(Carcassonne)" is still showing up on these voyages. Thank you for letting me know.

 

Bonnie

Bonnie, FYI - I emailed Nicole about this issue last week and she was going to pick it up with the itinerary planner and get back to me.

Floris

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This cruise was originally Nice to Istanbul. I imagine the route planners had to find alternative ports rapidly. Is this the first time Azamara have visited Port Vendres? Many of us regular Meditteranean cruisers are delighted to see new destinations added but a little more forethought would also be welcome.

In slight defense of Port-Vendres, we stopped there with another cruise line, and although it was raining, we took a slightly-hokey, but cute tourist train (Le Petit Train) over to the pretty town of Couillure. The train returns to Port-Vendres through the vineyards. It wasn't the highlight of our cruise for sure, but we did enjoy the day.

In slight defense of Port-Vendres, we stopped there with another cruise line, and although it was raining, we took a slightly-hokey, but cute tourist train (Le Petit Train) over to the pretty town of Couillure. The train returns to Port-Vendres through the vineyards. It wasn't the highlight of our cruise for sure, but we did enjoy the day.

That's good to know Snow cat. Thank you. If Miami can't tweak the port timings we had thought of going to Collioure. Can you get off Le Petit Train in Collioure and get a later one back to Port Vendres?

Oh yes definitely. We spent several hours in Couillure as did most of the passengers on the "train".

Don't get me wrong - it wasn't amazing like many other ports, but we had a very enjoyable day regardless.

Oh yes definitely. We spent several hours in Couillure as did most of the passengers on the "train".

 

Don't get me wrong - it wasn't amazing like many other ports, but we had a very enjoyable day regardless.

Thank you. That's a definite option as opposed to a taxi there.

Perpignan is a nice medieval city too (even if not as spectacular as Carcassonne) and much closer to Port Vendres. Collioure is considered as the jewel of the Côte Vermeille and the little train is very pleasant.....but usually operates only in the afternoon in june, hope they change their timetable when a cruiseship is in town. If they don't, you can take the "real" train, it's a few minutes trip. Not sure an early arrival would change anything for Carcassonne because it would be difficult to find a transport in such a little town so early in the morning. Don't forget the distance is 153,5 kms!

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Thanks for the info A154. Unless Miami comes up with a ship's tour and a later time to leave Port Vendres, I think we may just be going to Collioure for a few hours.

This cruise was originally Nice to Istanbul. I imagine the route planners had to find alternative ports rapidly. Is this the first time Azamara have visited Port Vendres? Many of us regular Meditteranean cruisers are delighted to see new destinations added but a little more forethought would also be welcome.

I appreciate that the planners had to tweak the itinerary after the decision to pull out of Istanbul. However there are many more suitable ports between Barcelona and Nice for a short port stop IMO.

The website still shows Port Vendres (Carcassonne) under the Cruise Ports heading "11 Night Classic Mediterranean" and then suggests a 'quick jaunt" to Carcassonne if you click on the day by day itinerary.

This is being corrected by our web managers.

Bonnie, everyone is really disappointed that we can't get to Carcassonne from Port Vendres. There seems no reason to go to Port Vendres otherwise. I know Mrs Miggins has been trying to get something sorted for a long time.

 

We have been talking on our roll call and we know that Quest would have to leave PV for Nice at about 3 pm as it's a fair way and the next day is disembark day in Nice, so there is no leeway. However, the day before PV is Barcelona and we don't leave there until 10 pm at night. Could Miami not consider leaving Barcelona earlier? If we could get to PV earlier in the morning....by say 6am that would give us a few hours in Carcassonne. I wouldn't mind getting up very early indeed if we could get to this magnificent medieval city. I know others feel the same. I would even do a ship's tour!

 

Do you think you could ask Miami whether it would be possible?

Many thanks.

I submitted this suggestion last week. It has been received and is somewhere in the many levels that must consider an itinerary change. I'll let you know when/if I hear anything.