edinburgher

We have enjoyed a number of cruiseline charter flights over the years, usually with UK cruiselines, but back in the day we had a Princess one from a local airport which flew us to Quebec for a Canada/New England itinerary. Whatever happened to these charters?

and a day to help with jet lag, as even although much easier flying west it still takes a couple of days. A very good start to the trip..😁

We enjoyed the naval museum on the waterfront more than we had expected to with DH especially enjoying it. You could check sightseeing suggestions and reviews for Canakkale on Tripadvisor and other online resources. We did actually take the little ferry across to Kilitbahir but didn't stay there very long as parts of it were closed. It was only minutes from the ferry dock so an easy little trip if you check ferry timings. We paid for our tickets onboard in Turkish lira. Otherwise we strolled around town and bought a bottle of raki in the supermarket to take back onboard with us.

I think for most embarking passengers there is too much of a "might be lucky, might be unlucky" risk when leaving it to the last possible minute and hoping for the best, when it could be a worst case scenario and refused boarding without the option of catching up at the next port.. Arriving a day or two ahead is by far the safest and most stress free option..

Picasso was actually born in Malaga and the museum there is the Picasso BIRTHPLACE museum, so Malaga probably has more Picasso connections than other Spanish cities or towns.

Spilied for choice in Malaga as there is much to see and do within the city, but it is also possible to visit out-of-town locations such as Mijas and Ronda or, in the opposite direction, the Caves of Nerja and Frigiliana, one of the prettiest white villages, although Mijas isn't too far behind). It all depends how adventurous and confident you are using public transport and/or hiring a car for those out-of-town locations although Mijas and Ronda can be quite easily reached with public transport. I would caution you to be wary of being tempted by a tour to the Alhambra at Granada as this distance is quite far from Malaga and timed entry tickets can sell out months in advance. This is one you would be wise to book as a shorex if it is offered. Within the city itself you can DIY independently on foot and "self guided walking tours of Malaga" are easily found online, but this is a sizeable city and with too much to offer for a single port day, you will need to read about what the city offers, and decide which of these sights and/or attractions are of interest to you personally then plan your day accordingly. And although I know from your Sardinia thread that you do not like the idea of websites such as the Malaga Tourist Information website , or Tripadvisor, or YouTube or any similar websites which you might have to Google, these are where you can fill in the gaps which are not covered in past threads such as opening days of the week, opening hours, addresses, entry costs, whether or not to pre-book entry etc. There are times when Google really is your best friend. There are a multitude of past threads with much info and suggestions within them. If you have not already searched for and read some, choose from these https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=malaga&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465

It appears that you, like me, think it is an issue with the manifest. I asked in my post #18 if anyone could clarify, but although so far nobady has, it appears that you are of the same opinion as me so perhaps that is indeed the answer so thank you for mentioning it in your post.

Ordinarily they would have moved it themselves had it been a "standalone" country , but with Italy also mentioned in the same thread and you were already on the Italy board, they could not move the full thread. My apologies for not realising that. There will be Michelin starred restaurants in both Aix and Marseille should the authentic (and not inexpensive) bouillabaisse option in Marseille not appeal.

This is not the first time you have asked the same question in recent days. Members responded to the first one here https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3012997-naples-livorno-and-marseille-port-excursion-advice/#comment-67500756 The info may date back a few months, but as none of it has changed it should still be current.

And remember that the more connections you have on your journey, the more opportunities therre are for your luggage, or some of it, to go astray somewhere along the way, as luggage also needs good connecting times .

sorry Hank. I have now noticed I had not "quoted" you in the above added post so wanted to alert you to it- despite it not being important.

That is exactly what I gave you on the link in my post #2 above. The reference to Googling was because I thought you might want to (or need to as it is November) consider some possible indoor sights or activities as the majority of ships will visit in hotter summer months when pax are more interested in beaches. Have you joined any Roll Call for your sailing as that would be an opportunity to ask what fellow passengers plan to do, also to find out if any have arranged a private tour and are looking for others like yourself to join.

I am sure that others on CC will have more knowledge about the actual rules for embarkation, but I THINK it is something to do with the complete manifest having to be given to the authorities and approved by them before the ship can sail, hence the 2 hour pre-sail cutoff time which I believe is common to most cruiselines. Being on the manifest at the point of departure is I THINK mandatory, but if a pax or several miss a ship on a port call part way through the itinerary, it is less important as there is more leeway about re- joining at the next port. Perhaps someone who actually KNOWS could kindly comment and clarify the situation as my own memory of what I must have read or heard sometime in the past may be totally wrong, plus "enquiring minds, would like to know"😀

I think most people would do exactly that, and I suspect that the OP would be very much in the minority in choosing to fly in with such a short time available to arrive at the ship.

Totally agree.We did exactly the same first time. Lucca first then Pisa. We also got off at that little second train station as we could see on an online map that it was only a few steps away from the Tower. We returned from Central Station and it was quite a bit further to walk.On our second more leisurely visit to Lucca we went directly there and back, as we had already visited Pisa and didn't feel tempted by a rushed visit to Florence. realnice46, should you decide against including Florence, consider the Lucca and Pisa option. Info and images of Lucca will be easily found online, but I have never heard anyone say they "didn't like Lucca" or that "Lucca was a waste of time".

It would have been helpful had you named the port as cruise ships visit a few ports in Sardinia including Olbia, Cagliari and Alghero. Assuming it could be Cagliari, have you already searched for and read some of the past threads as they may have info and/or suggestions useful to you?. If not, choose from these https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=cagliari&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464 If it is Olbia, choose from these. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=olbia&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464 And check the usual Tourist Information websites, Tripadvisor, Youtube etc for suggestions, and any others which appear in results when you internet search "(name of town) tourist information" or similar. We have also always found good DIY self guided walking tours of (name of town), simply play around with the search wording.

I didn't suggest that there would be a traffic jam, only mentioned that roads could be busier than usual, but whatever it has cost you to change flights is IMHO worth it for peace of mind alone. And you have learned from this, that flying in the day before is always less of a risk than flying in only 3 hours before check-in closes.

Agree. We have been three times and enjoyed lunch sitting around the harbour after the peninsula walk watching the activity on the superyachts although with a number now impounded there may be fewer of them. Have you walked the peninsula? If not I strongly advise that you do so. It is our #1 reason for going there as it avoids the crowds in Dubrovnik, is a flat walk unless you go up to the cemetery for the views, and is quite shaded in places with some seating along the way. And much of it borders the seashore and bathing areas.Enjoy. Apologies to the OP curlerguy for temporarily highjacking his thread.

According to uour profile you will board on June 23rd? If that is correct, roads could be much busier than usual for a Sunday as that is one of the dates that Taylor Swift will play a sell out concert at Wembley, London, which I think will make the chances of getting an Uber to Southampton even slimmer as tens of thousands of fans will be making their way to the venue from all around the London area..

It is true. Learn something new every day! 😀

Hank, you could perhaps consider the Lapad area of Dubrovnik. This is where beaches are to be found, hotels, many restaurants and a nice coastal walk. And quite a lot of it is pedestrianised which is a bonus. It is also well connected to the Old Town by public buses, and I assume, also by taxis. We only visited one time from Gruz but spent a lovely few hours there and adjoining Babin Kuk We went by direct bus from Gruz, but as these are less frequent, when returning , rather than wait in the heat we took a bus to Dubrovnik proper (but not Pile) before switching to another for Gruz. I cannot remember the name of the stop where we switched for Gruz, but if looking at the Dubrovnik bus route map, it is the stop where many bus lines meet 9before Pile0)as it is an interchange stop. I don't know if there has been a change post pandemic and Croatia also switching to euros, but it used to be that if a bus ticket was bought from the driver it was good for only one ride, if bought from a kiosk or other outlet, a change to a second different bus could be made on the same ticket at no extra charge, but that you would need to check. Or you could consider staying in pretty Cavtat which is really close to the airport, and with direct buses to the bus station at Gruz next to the cruise terminal, that would be an easy transfer with luggage.

Should you decide on staying in Marseille and doing very easy and diverse sightseeing there, do come back and ask as there is lots of info on past threads about how to DIY very easily without having to wander very far from the shuttle bus drop off/pick up point which is usually next to either the Vieux port, Fort St Jean or MUCEM. This is an example. Posts numbers 5/6 and 7 on this thread and use the link on post #6 for the easy sightseeing option. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3012386-excursions-scarlet-lady-irresistible-med-and-rome/#comment-67492412 And note that taxi drivers are not usually tour guides and may or may not speak limited english, so it may only be a costly drive.

As Aix and Cassis lie in opposite directions from Marseille, this will take time, lots of it, so expect any taxi to cost you $$$s as taxi and driver will be with you throughout. the many hours this will take, including when you are lunching.. You could compromise and drop Cassis as an example, and consider booking a shorex if one is offered such as "Aix on your own" which is really only a costly shuttle to get you there and back to the ship with free time in Aix to do what you choose with your time there, including booking an upmarket restaurant for lunch. Or Cassis, but unless you plan to take a boat trip around the calanques, it is not a town which is special in any other way,actually quite unremarkable, although quite attractive around the waterfront. Or head into Marseille, sightsee, and book a super special Bouillabaisse lunch in a bouillabaisse recommended restaurant, not one of the "tourist bouillabaisse" restaurants. which are generally not high quality and may be poor value for money.

I think the issue was one of two things, possibly three.. The member who replied didn't "quote" you so no notification. You forgot or didn't know you could "follow" your thread. Without either, you need to keep an eye on it by checking for any replies.😀

Are you sure? Only asking as it appears to me that it was replied to a mere 16 minutes after you posted it. Check the timings here https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3012500-ncl-prima-embarkation-qs/#comment-67487259