edinburgher

I suggest that instead of taking the vaporetto from your hotel near the train station to St Marks, that you walk it instead. The vaporetto you would really want to take is the one which runs the length of the Grand Canal passing the palazzos and other attractive buildings along the way. For most visitors this is #1 on their "Venice must do" list. Check lines 1 and 2 as these were the ones which used to run the route, and be aware that any vaporettos running the Grand Canal route will be crowded 24/7. Venice is really a walking city and a delight to wander with something new and picturesque round every corner. . As it is also quite small you may not need to take any other vaporetto to get around especially if you are not intending to visit either Murano or Burano. it reads as if this will be your first visit. Have you already browsed the highly recommended and very informative website https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/ On it you should be able to find all the info and suggestions you would need to make your stay a good one, including info about the vaporettos, their lines and how to use them. The more you look into that website the more you will find.

We didn't see any large chunks on any of our Alaska itineraries, mostly only little bittyy bits which had come off calvings. If you want BIIIG bits of ice, actually huge icebergs, you need to consider Greenland, Newfoundland or Labrador. Glacier Bay is considered #1 for scenic cruising. The White Horse and Yukon railroad/bus combo out of Skagway is also highly recommended. There is lots to see and do in Alaska without going anywhere near a tourist store, but you would need to read more about Alaska to learn what these are. Eagles, especially bald eagles are usually fairly common to see, but for salmon and bears you would need to check on the best seasons to see them as they are not present throughout the summer months. Same with whale spotting, although there are some very good whale watching boat trips available from Juneau. Deciding WHEN to visit Alaska is quite tricky and you should rely on your own reading/research to help you decide which dates might give you the best opportunities to match your personal "wish list". There is also a huge amount of Alaska information on this board to help you get started. There is lots of info and suggestions waiting to be found on current and past threads.

Good luck with the Indian and Chinese visas. Over the years we had Indian visas twice and a Chinese visa once and the processes for both were such a challenge that we never visited again. I think that since then, there may be a possibility of e-visas if you can comply with the rules, but at the time ours had to be full tourist visas. Check the entry requirements for both countries very carefully to learn which visa type you will need. Also check visa requirements for other ports and countries on your itinerary. (which actually sounds wonderful) as having the correct documents throughout is your own responsibility.

Probably not with such little time available, but some others reading this thread might want to consider the idea. Instead of spending another week in Barcelona, on our most recent visit we split the week between Sitges and Tarragona, both of which were new to us, only venturing into Barcelona once from Sitges. and we travelled to Sitges using the coach transfer from El Prat. There are also coach transfers between El Prat and Tarragona, but these take longer as Tarragona is further from Barcelona than Sitges, and there is less frequency.

There is actually a "pinned" thread at the very top of this Spain and Portugal Ports forum which is dedicated to the FAQs concerning Barcelona hotels and you might want to give that a try should none of the suggestions already given on this thread meet your requirements. This one .https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2902493-barcelona-hotels/page/11/#comment-66553826 And the historic areas of Barcelona are best explored on foot as there are traffic restrictions. Many visitors will use a combination of walking, public transport (very good), the HOHOS, and taxis, (of which there are many). to get to and from or to get between their chosen sights/attractions, the ones which best suit your personal interests. Remember to check which sights require advance timed booked entry, the main one of course being la Sagrada Familia.

There are direct coaches on a frequent timetable which run direct from T1 at EL Prat to Sitges. There are also trains but these take longer as a station change is needed. To venture into the city, trains from Sitges to Barcelona take around 30 minutes.

The beach resort of Sitges would be a much nicer place to stay than an airport hotel😀

Not usually a good idea to arrive on the day of departure as any delays along the way could cause you to miss your ship departure. You could consider a less risky option of arriving even one day ahead of time and staying elsewhere, but close to Barcelona, somewhere like Sitges eg as it has good and frequent connections to Barcelona.

They won't! Carry an umbrella?😉

I expect cruise ships will be the next target. Some cruiselines have already switched from Barcelona to Tarragona not only as a port of call, but also for changeovers.And la Spezia is much more used now than it used to be, I think because Livorno was too busy. and Princess have been voluntarily dropping Santorini on some sailings this summer due to the number of ships there in any one day and the disappointing and somewhat negative experience this brings to passengers. I personally think there are too many cruise ships chasing the same ports. This follows very recent protests in Malaga, Palma Mallorca and Tenerife. I think the biggest issue for locals in Barcelona is that the number of licensed short term tourist apartments such as Airbnb, VRBO etc currently stands at around 10,000 which means an acute shortage of affordable longer term rentals for locals especially those who work in the city. The mayor is to revoke ALL short term licences in the coming years. I posted about this a few days ago and advised booking only a hotel "just in case" Here is the post. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3014935-caution-advised-if-booking-accommodation-in-barcelona-in-the-near-future/

Why not enjoy ALL THREE of the options offered, and at your own pace, by dismissing the idea of a shorex entirely and opting instead to visit Bruges independently? It is very small but offers a lot for a one day visit and you could try, experience and taste the lot.😁😁 There are a number of past threads describing how to do this Choose from these There are more as these are only the threads with Bruges in the subject line. Use the search tool to find others should you need them. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=bruges&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=148&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_in=titles .

Descriptions of hotels should include basic information such as the availability (or not) of an elevator. You could check hotel descriptions on some of the hotel booking websites, and more importantly on the individual websites of each hotel in which you may have an interest. Should there be one of particular interest to you and it is unclear whether or not they have an elevator, contact them directly and ask.

As most cruise pax head to Ephesus, 9and on a second visit further afield eg to Selcuk) a hamman won't be the #1 priority, so should responses here be disappointing,for more recent reviews and/or experiences, I would look somewhere like Tripadvisor. A good place to look in any case as hamman experiences can vary and you want to be as assured as you can be of what you will experience and importantly that it will be of a high standard. If you decide to do this and it will be your first experience of a hamman, before going,do search online for the proper "hamman etiquette" to give you an understanding of what to expect.😁

Choices will vary but probably the most helpful way to decide is to look at your international flight options before anything else, comparing overall travel time, number of airport changes along the way and cost too as prices can vary depending on the carrier and the time of year. Taking these factors into account, once you know your best options, you will have a better idea of which ports would be the most practical for you.

Apologies as I had intended to add the thread link and only now noticed that I had not. This one https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2739131-find-it-here-santorini-firá-and-oia-q-a/page/11/#comment-67313942 And thanks for acknowledging as many don't.😀

Do try to do the longer excursion up into the Yukon as the shorter round trip train journey is only part of the route. Ship shorex offer this and the trip is memorable.😁

You could each consider crossposting on your respective cruiseline forums (HAL and Celebrity) where pax who already took this shorex will be more likely to see your question and reply. HAL https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/103-holland-america-line/ Celebrity https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/16-celebrity-cruises/

We had considered either a Kenai Fjords boat trip or heading to Exit Glacier, but unfortunately experienced torrential rain which never really went off, so headed for shelter indoors at the Seward Sealife Center which we really enjoyed. Strolling back to the ship in the rain, we spotted a small number of seals in the harbour. It was a good enough day, just not how we thought it would be. Lots of info on Seward attractions online. Try Tripadvisor and others. Maybe plan for both outside and inside attractions just in case?

In that case you will need to search for info on where to find the bus stop at Ward Cove and my understanding is that there is only one an hour. You might be lucky to get on at Ward Cove if there are any spaces left, but if a bus fills downtown with pax from any other ships in port that day it likely won't even stop, leaving you with a long wait for the next one, which itself may or may not have spaces. Next option would be to take the NCL shuttle to downtown and catch the public bus there, in which instance you would drive past Ward Cove on the way to Totem Bight. Might a taxi be worth considering? And did none of the past threads linked above mention buses or taxis from Ward Cove to Totem Bight? If not, you could try googling the question. There have been a number of mentions this year of how poor NCL is in Alaska. These included short port times, too early or too late arrivals/departures, using Ward Cove instead of Ketchikan itself, and few if any NCL ships scenic sailing Glacier Bay, a very special Alaska day which for many is #1 in Alaska.

I don''t remember la Pallice port being on an island but it may be if you say so. It is certainly a few kilometers out of town. We used taxis shated with others to and from the main square but these are few in number. Since our visits, there is apparently a public bus stop outside the port and the bus runs to the main square and bus station, and the afternoon or evening before arrival your ship will probably announce a (for fee) shuttle bus which will run to that same square. Lovely town. Enjoy.

There is also a "pinned" thread at the very top of this Greece Ports forum. "Pinned" threads do not move up or down the board, statying "pinned" in the same location as a handy reference tool as they are full of useful info and frequently asked Qs and As. The thread is very long, so you might want to try using the search tool on it.

The two parks are indeed next door to each other and the public bus stops right outside.Totem Bight is a State Park with entry at $5pp. The bus ride from downtown Ketchikan is $2pp each way, $1pp for seniors.It is a popular independent sightseeing trip with cruise pax in part due to the ease of getting there and the low cost. Having said that, if sailing with NCL it is unlikely you will dock "downtown", instead, they usually dock out of town at Ward Cove which is actually on the road to Totem Bight. Info and images for both Totem Bight and Potlach can be found on eg Tripadvisor. If you have not already used the search tool here on CC to find past threads, here are some. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=totem bight&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=33

That does seem odd. As it is an island, you would probably get there by ferry, the usual mode of transport in that part of the world.. Have you tried internet searching "ferries to Ko Lan?" or something similar as it could be worth a try

And once you know the size and model you need, you could ask taxi companies if they supply as standard when required by passengers. If considering taxis in any of your other ports, be aware that as far as I am aware, every country in the EU has child seat requirements, but you could check that as there may be variations in the requirements..

JB, as it is Turkey, , more than likely carpets!😁