edinburgher

Filled our day the first time, and we didn't even dare climb the hill. Second time we took a public bus to Perast and Our Lady and spent the afternoon in town. We took our time both times and had 2 or 3 stops each time as it was blisteringly hot on both occasions. Be aware of temperatures if you go ahead with the climb, dress appropriately and carry plenty water for frequent stops.

In India do we need individual visas or if we go on a ship’s trip are we covered by a group visa. NO GROUP VISAS. The India visa system is a nightmare. We had to apply for full visas on two occasions when cruising and had to go to the consulate,twice each time,(hand in and collect) which fortunately could be found in our city without the need for additional travel. They also had at that time, a photo cabin which took the correct size photos for the visas (an unusual size) although we had to take the exact amount of coins needed with us. The main reason for needing full visas was due to the ship having a port of call in Port Blair, Andaman Islands. This is a Protected Area AND NOT ONE OF THE PORTS PERMITTED ON AN E-VISA. Not only that, but due to its protected status, in addition to an actual visa, an additional PROTECTED AREA permit had to be applied for. On return it was attached to the passport page alongside the visa. And we had to apply for longer term visas as the entry level one for cruise passengers only allowed entry to India twice, and we had more than two ports the first time. All in all it was a nightmare each time and having done it twice over the years, decided we would never again go on any itinerary which included a call at the Andaman islands or had more than two Indian ports. HAVING SAID THAT YOU REALLY DO NEED TO PERSEVERE, BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE BOARDING IN DUBAI,THE INDIAN VISAS WERE VERY CAREFULLY EXAMINED, AND THOSE WHO HAD A VISA BUT WITHOUT THE EXTRA ANDAMAN ISLANDS PERMIT, AND THOSE WHO HAD NOT REALISED THAT PORT BLAIR WAS AN INDIAN PORT AND HAD NO INDIAN VISA AT ALL, (ON THAT SECOND TRIP IT WAS THE ONE AND ONLY INDIAN PORT OF CALL)WERE GIVEN THE CHOICE OF EITHER NOT BEING BOARDED IN DUBAI, BUT BOARDING IN ANOTHER PORT BEFORE REACHING INDIA BUT^ ONLY ONCE THEY HAD OBTAINED THE CORRECT PEPERWORK, OR BOARDING IN DUBAI, BUT LEAVING IN A PORT IN ANOTHER COUNTRY BEFORE ARRIVAL IN INDIA AND REJOINING AT THE FIRST PORT AFTER INDIA. ALL AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. ONE COUPLE WHO WERE BRITS RESIDENT IN SPAIN WERE VERY LUCKY AS THEY HAD E-MAILED PANDO AND BEEN TOLD THAT NO VISAS WERE NEEDED FOR THAT ITINERARY AND HAD BROUGHT THAT PANDO REPLY WITH THEM, SO PANDO HAD TO ARRANGE THAT FOR THEM BEFORE ARRIVAL IN INDIA AND THEY WERE ALLOWED TO BOARD.. NEITHER OF THESE TWO TRIPS WERE RECENT AND RULES AND REGS MAY WELL HAVE CHANGED SINCE THEN,BUT YOU SHOULD CHECK VERY VERY CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY BEFORE APPLYING AS WE FOUND THAT THE CONSULAR STAFF WERE THEMSELVES VAGUE ON THE RULES SPECIFIC TO CRUISE PASSENGERS, AND SOME PASSENGERS HAD RECEIVED INCONSISTENT INFO FROM PANDO STAFF.. CRUISE PASSENGER INFO WAS DIFFICULT TO FIND ON THE WEBSITE, MAY BE EASIER TO INTERNET SEARCH SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF "INDIAN VISAS (OR EVISAS) FOR CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS". VERY SORRY IF CRITERIA HAVE CHANGED SINCE OUR EXPERIENCES, thereby wasting your time reading the above, but if they are the same, at least you have been alerted to possible pitfalls.

Not a review as such, but we went there and commented on this previous thread,:and you can of course pull up all previous threads containing the word CAGLIARI by using the SEARCH option. Post #3 https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2831952-cagliari-sardinia/#comment-62669621

This sticky at the top of the page might hold the answer, but even if not, you may find other info on it which could help plan your day. .https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2739131-find-it-here-santorini-firá-and-oia-q-a/page/2/#comment-57385709

One of the nicest places we browsed was the Artisan Market right in the city centre which we came across by chance. i should have clarified that this was not tables/stalls set up at a street market, but a craft market/stalls/tables inside a building. I think i remember it had more than one level of craft stalls, but whatever, it was inside a building.

we will be there in a Saturday. Do allow for early closing if they still close at lunchtime on Saturdays and shop before then. Biggest difficulty is choosing from the vast selection of coloured gemstones and minerals which in addition to being sold in natural forms, are also incorporated into many other items such as jewellery, coasters etc. One of the nicest places we browsed was the Artesan Market right in the city centre which we came across by chance.. Some beautiful hand crafted items for sale in there so definitely worth seeking out.

I travel solo, so have no real need for extra space. For those of us who do not travel solo. As we sightsee during the day and usually enjoy a full meal for lunch, (which makes us rest for 60-90 minutes, meaning we can continue sightseeing all afternoon in addition to the morning.) we are usually in the room in the evening. As aparthotels usually offer either a separate sitting area and bedroom or the equivalent of a studio with a seating area incorporated into the large room, it means we have either two comfy armchairs, or a sofa, a low coffee type table, a floor lamp or side table lamps and a tv which can usually be adjusted to be viewed from the bed or from the seating area.. This is the perfect area to relax of an evening, enjoying a couple of drinks, and watching tv news, or reading, or more usually, going over the photos or film we took that day and planning for the next day. By contrast, a hotel room often offers only one armchair-type chair and a tv. And some aparthotels offer a full height dining table and chairs for two or four, meaning the snack we have brought back (having had our main meal earlier that day) can be eaten in comfort as crockery, flatware, glasses and mugs are always supplied. Much better than having to use the glasses from the bathroom in a hotel. And we like having either our own laundry facilities, or access to a communal laundry area if we are there for a week or so. And the kitchen area is very convenient as we can make tea or coffee whenever we want and the fridge keeps wines and beers nicely chilled. I don't have to make my own bed or clean the bathroom. 🤣. I also don't miss cooking Unlike some apartments,In aparthotels we have not once had to make our own beds or clean a bathroom as they are usually fully serviced. As for cooking, we only self serve breakfast, so very easy to do. On arrival we stock up with butter or marg, fruit juice, croissants,a bread loaf or pastries, jam, yoghurts, milk, sugar and fruit from a local supermarket at a cost of around 20-25 euros max.(plus wines and beers) and doing that saves on the cost of two breakfasts a day, every day,and with aparthotel/hotel breakfasts nowadays costing anywhere between Euros15pp and euros 25pp (and some are higher than that) there is quite the saving to be had. More than that though is the convenience. We do not have to wait for both of us to be showered and fully dressed before heading to a breakfast room for that all important first hot drink of the day.. We can take our time in the room but make tea or coffee to be drunk and enjoyed whilst dressing. And are also not restricted to the opening and closing times of a breakfast room as we can eat as early as we choose, or as late, and never have to wait either for a table or to be served. Overall, aparthotels have suited us really well since we switched from hotel rooms. .

I do not know if it is the same now, but when we visited, the local Tourist Office gave out maps of a DIY walking tour around the centre of town. which began at the dock. Had been warned it wasn't the safest place to be due to the risk of pickpocketing, soo advised to leave jewellery onboard and carry only the minimum cash/cards absolutely necessary. As we followed the map of the walk, either the local council or the Tourist Info folks had stationed persons at corners and other strategic points, presumably to keep visitors on track and to keep an eye on them. Visitors could also ask them any questions. I vaguely remember, but cannot be certain, that they were all wearing the same type of coloured bib/tabard and official badges,so they could be easily identified as approachable. We did not feel at all unsafe. We visited on a Saturday, and by the time we were finished sightseeing and browsing stores for purchases, they were either already closed or about to close, so if there on a Saturday do shop before lunchtime. Uruguay is known for the huge selection of coloured minerals and stones found there and there is a vast selection for sale. We only bought a selection of smaller stones due to size and weight issues, but they come in all sizes and weights.. this was not a recent visit, so perhaps others could advise if it was the same or different for them.

I think we will only book hotels with 24 desk service from now on. Aparthotels could be the perfect solution, offering the flexibility of some self catering (breakfast) and more space, but usually having reception desks staffed for longer hours and more security.. In recent years (especially now that we are not able to venture out all day and evenings too!) we have become big fans of aparthotels and now prefer them over hotel rooms.

Thanks for acknowledging as not everyone does.

Hoping that in May, maybeeee the lines will not be as long? IDK tho. Unfortunately might be busier than you expect although it will depend on your date. Two important dates to be avoided if possible.. Every year in the month of May the Cannes Film Festival takes place and Cannes and most of the other towns both inland and coastal are packed out. And Monaco hosts the Monaco Grand Prix every May. Preparatory works will begin at least one week before and the clear up takes several days afterwards. We have visited the day after and Monaco was an incredible mess and super noisy as metal barricades and stands etc were removed and many huge lorries were parked up waiting to be loaded before moving off. Several centrally located roads along the F1 route were closed to traffic. Fortunately we had visited previously and were able to plan our day away from the noisy and closed areas. Best compare dates for both events with yours and hope your day there doesn't fall on either event.

Could you possibly recommend an excursion to a winery, with tastings and a tour? A tour outside of Funchal may not be necessary should you only want to see wine production methods and enioy tastings. Blandy's, one of the best known producers of quality wines on the island have a wine lodge in central Funchal (located on the long pedestrian street whose name escapes me) and offer tours and tastings. There will be info on their website and reviews on Tripadvisor. We walked to the chair lift and went up before taking a toboggan ride down. Passengers are dropped off part way down the hill into town. We walked down to street level and visited the colourful market en route to the most central area of town.. Can recommend a visit inside but read Tripadvisor warnings about the cost of buying fruit. We did and didn't buy any. It has been going on for years now. Strolled along to the pedestrian area and enjoyed wine tastings before heading back to the ship via the waterfront.

LindaS272 Sorry to be cynical, but just imagine if they had a better search engine! 😄🤷‍♀️ As not tech savvy, it is difficult to know where you are going wrong as the above method also works on non geographic forums. As an experiment, a few minutes ago I exited this THREAD but remained on the Viking Ocean FORUM. Entered the word LAUNDRY into the search box and hit the magnifying glass. Less than 10 seconds later 303 results appeared. These were Viking Ocean threads where the word laundry appeared. Tried again, this time using the word WINE and 899 results appeared within seconds, this time, where the word wine appeared in Viking Ocean threads. (is this a reflection of VO passenger interests??!! Can only suggest two options which may help you resolve your issues. Contact the CC tech department for assistance or Perhaps it relates to the settings on your device? I would not know anything about the latter. We used to have a resident in-house tech expert until he moved away some time ago,(!) leaving us struggling at times. Perhaps once your issue is resolved you would be gracious enough to report back on this thread, as others may have had similar issues with this fast and easy search option and would be interested to know how it was resolved. Good luck.

but just imagine if they had a better search engine! 😄🤷‍♀️ Sorry but I have no clue who the "they" is that you are referring to. But if it is CC, why would they need a search engine like Google, Microsoft Bing, Yahoo or any of the other well known search engines used to search the WWW? i am not at all tech savvy but do you mean that an alternative description of a "search engine" is the method used to search the forums in the manner described above?

if you are looking for info on Madeira, which of course is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, you probably aren't likely to look in the "Other Mediterranean Ports" forum, but that's where it is. It is possibly there because Madeira is Portuguese and that is where Portugal is to be found despite Portugal also being on the Atlantic Coast and not on the Med......... And that same forum is also where ports in countries such as Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovakia and Slovenia are to be found, despite them being located on the Adriatic and not on the Med either. On the other hand, just imagine how many additional sub forums would be needed were they all to be in separate geographical forums. Probably easier they way they are as most CCers will be familar with the current set up.

I can’t seem to find Iceland in the Ports of Call forum here on CC for general research and feedback Thanks for adding to comments above, but the OP asked this specific question and I was giving a specific reply, explaining how to find previous threads and feedback as requested. It is actually a really quick and easy way to find them and you don't even need to be logged in. That instruction to log in was the easiest way to explain where to find the relevant search box as the OP didn't seem to know how to search and it works perfectly every time if done correctly. Should take less than one minute from starting to seeing the results. LINDAS272 you said- but I’ve found it hard to find things by searching in CC. You must be doing something wrong. Try the method suggested above.and you won't go wrong again. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Bluebonnettexan, Some of us try to give helpful information but not everyone agrees that what has been given is informative enough, so, in addition to answering what appeared to be your fairly simple question,, and despite not being asked to do so, it appears i was remiss in not advising you on the many other ways to research your destinations excluding here on CC, including guidebooks, Tripadvisor, local Tourist Information websites, Rick Steves, Fromer's,YouTube and all the other websites out there just waiting for you to find them when you internet search"(name of port/town/city) Tourist information". Also look at your cruiselines shorex even if not wanting to buy as they can indicate highlights and main points of interest and what might be possible in the time you have in a particular port. For anything which interests you, you can then research if there is an alternative way instead of booking a shorex. And some Forums have really helpful "stickies" at the top of the main page for Qs and As for some of the most FAQS on certain locations. EG Santorini/Oia etc at the top of the Greece Forums and NORWEGIAN FJORDS on the N. Europe/Baltic Forum. And if you have not already thought of it yourself,, do search the word ICELAND in addition to the names of your individual Icelandic ports as Turtles06 has helpfully suggested.

OOPS. Spotted several typos but only after posting and too late to edit. Should have spell checked before rather than after posting. First senior moment of this week and it is only Monday.......

No need to trawl through many Roll Calls or multiple back paging if you use the CC SEARCH facilty, the easiest and fastest way to find all previous threads which mention your port calls. If you do not know how to use the SEARCH facilty,, Go to the relevant forum for your port of call or country, but I suggest you use the names of ports rather than the names of countries for more results. As an example go to Northern Europe forum but not to any specific thread. Log in. Under your user name there will be an empty box. Insert the name of ONE of your ports in that geographic area, then choose ON THIS FORUM from the drop down next to where you inserted the name. Hit the little magnify8ing glass and all previous threads containing that word will sappear ready for you to read. Do that for each port in turn, enduring you are on the forum for that geographic area.Ggreenlandic and icelandic ports will be on the same N. Europe forum, Canada on the Canada/New England forum. As there are fewer threads about Greenland, i would suggest you search twice, once with each port name in turn AND once again with the word Greenland.

That would be this thread with lots of tips, ideas and inspiration.: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2697012-palma-de-mallorca-diy-new/

Southern Spain ports but it is winter, so layers would work best, also a rain jacket and umbrella and waterproof footwear.

s the view up there worth the taxi ride to that terrace and other sites you mentioned. The pictures look stunning If you have seen photos of the view from the viewpoint, then I think you have already answered your own question. Although I don't know the road route or the length of time a taxi would take, (we walked up) I am guessing it would only take a few minutes as it is above the city, but that is something else you could check ahead of time. A local TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE could probably advise about that, also if tuk tuks are allowed into pedestrianised areas, and you could e-mail them after internet searching for their website and contact info. Over the years we have found such offices very helpful, although less so when they are closed or only operating part time during winter/low season dates. Or contact the tuk tuk tour company and ask about the route a tour would take. And a taxi would be less costly than paying for 4 passengers on a tuk tuk tour would it not? Apart from the cafe/bar and the footpath going further uphill, the only other "point of interest" close to the viewpoint was a gate leading into an old Jewish Cemetery. We didn't go in as it looked very overgrown and dilapidated.

Looks like we'd get to visit the Diocletian Palace (among other things) and then go up for some free time with a great view of the city at Teraca Velidica. AJ, just some (perhaps unwanted) info from me before you book this tour. Having visited Split 3 times, we have a fair idea of the layout of the city and although it sounds like a fun idea, a tuk tuk tour may not be the best way to see it, with the principal reason being that much of central Split is completely pedestrianised, including the often crowded and narrow streets around the Diocletian Palace and the length of the Riva promenade. Both those areas are an easy 10-15 minute walk from the ship and are quite fun and easy to stroll on foot. I would therefore imagine that any motorised tours will be running around the outer areas of the city, where fewer of the main sights are to be found, although it could be that since our most recent visit to Split the local authorities have reopened those narrow streets to motorised vehicles, or perhaps tuk tuks are exempt and can enter the pedestrian areas. You could find that out before booking as i cannot give you a definitive answer on the route a tuk tuk tour would take. Secondly, You say you want to enjoy the views from Teraca Velidica, which is actually the name of a cafe/bar/restaurant located beside the VELEDICA VIEWPOINT part way up Marjan Hill,.which we visited on our 3rd visit to Split. There are several ways to reach it and it appears that your tuk tuk tour might take you up there. We know of two ways to get there on foot, but when we were enjoying cold beers at the Teraca Velidica, we saw not one, but two taxis drop off fares at the viewpoint as there is an actual road from the city which ends right outside.the cafe/bar. From there, further access to higher up Marjan Hill is on foot.following the walkway. You mention free time at the viewpoint, but unless you want to climb further up the hill, there is only the cafe/bar/ restaurant and the view, so perhaps you are planning a lunch there? I would therefore suggest that you rethink the tuk tour of what could well be the perimeter of Split, walk to and explore the historic centre on foot, then the four of you share a taxi ride up to the viewpoint where the views are indeed magnificent and not to be missed. You could have the taxi wait while you take photos or let it go and walk either further up Marjan Hill, or walk down to the city from the viewpoint. Your decision........ Should time allow at that point (and it may not)and should you decide to walk down, you could either use the staircase or meander downhill through the Veli Varos neighbourhood both of which bring you down to sea level. That is the route we took uphill to the viewpoint- but we had the time to do that although on a first visit your interests are likely to be more focused within the historic centre and the Riva. There was a thread about it here. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2855730-split-on-your-own/#comment-63299669 See post #4 and much info if you internet search Veli Varos

Travel options on the website of each airport, but in brief, only frequent airport bus shuttles or taxi or private car between Glasgow Airport and city centre. Edinburgh you have a choice o ffrequent tram, frequent airport bus, taxi or car. If opting for tram or bus and you have luggage , i would choose whichever has a stop closest to your accommodation.Ticket types and cost info on Lothian Buses website also the Edinburgh trams website.

gypsmycity.com

Fátima, Batalha, Nazaré, and Óbidos... Cannot say anything about the other locations on your list as of these, we have only visited Obidos. It is easy to get there without a tour or a rental car as there is an express bus/coach from Lisbon which takes around an hour each way. Do not consider the train which takes at least double that time.You could internet search for the specifics. Car and bus/coach parks are on the edge of the village near the viaduct along with Tourist info, public toilets etc so only a few steps from the village which is pedestrians only. Unfortunately Obidos is super touristy with large crowds to be expected, but it is really pretty with lots of photo ops in the narrow streets. For a tiny place it packs quite a punch as you will see from online images, especially if you go onto some of the back streets off the main street which runs through the heart of the village and where some of the churches are to be found. Do go in if only for a quick peek as one has a tiled interior, another a painted ceiling. And try Ginja, the cherry liqueur which is sold in small tasting size shots in just about every other store, often from an open window. And wander up by the castle for the views across the village. Despite the crowds we enjoyed our day there.