edinburgher

Should your interrailing plan not work for any reason, I am suggesting that you take a wee look at 7 night river cruises as a possible alternative. We did a 14 night Budapest to Amsterdam and some of that routing took in several of the places you mention, although obviously excluding the mountains! Our Vienna stop was a two day one, Melk and Durnstein were two others, and Salzburg was a tour option from one stop. And with beautiful scenery the close cruising was a delight.😀

We had held back from booking a flightseeing trip anywhere ahead of time in case of poor weather, but when we docked in Haines the weather was perfect and we went directly to a local flying company and booked a flightseeing trip. We chose one that flew over Glacier Bay and had a wonderful flight

there is actually so little to see in Messina that i am surprised a HOHO even exists. I cannot imagine it taking more than maybe a half hour at most to go around. There used to be a little tourist train which went around so you could check if it still exists. And read any online HOHO reviews to help you decide. The only sight of note is the cathedral mechanical clock which is in motion daily at noon and that is worth a look. People gather in front to watch it.It is no more than a 5 minute flat walk from the port. Most on a first visit will head to pretty Taormina, or to Mt Etna or take a combination tour to both..

There are a number of options from la Spezia and reading past threads might help you decide which appeals most to you. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q="la spezia"&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_in=titles I think this one would be one of the most helpful, although some of the others are also good. You only need ignore the reference to driving in the subject line as it isn't actually that at all. Read here https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2911139-la-spezia-anything-to-do-within-a-short-drive/#comment-64723978

And in Valletta, ships usually sail further in and do a twirl before docking in order to be facing the way out for a faster and easier sail out. (that is what we have experienced on our calls there ) If you were ever privileged to sail into and out of Venice back in the day, you will know the difference between the sail in and the sail out.

Absolutely, especially in the most recent days as we have been inundated with rain causing some flooding closures.

and you could also check the official websites of the individual airports as they usually give lots of info on airport amenities and services.

Longer sleeves and pants legs in lighterweight fabrics can actually keep you cooler as there is less skin exposed to the hot sunshine, and the more skin you expose the hotter you feel. MY DH wears those same lightweight "convertible pants" which are really convenient for travel to countries in the Middle East and others even in Europe where we know we will visit religious sites.etc He/we call them "his zippy legs"😁

Definitely pre-book ahead of time as there are fewer local tour operators in a number of ports and countries in Europe post-pandemic as many in the travel industry had to find alternative work when the world closed down. With fewer companies and individuals offering tours and cruiselinesl sometimes booking them out for their own shorex means little or nothing available even ahead of time never mind at the port. And have you joined any Roll Call for you sailing as it may be that some fellow pax have arranged private tours and are looking for others like yourself to share.

Lots of unclear info here. I don't know which parts of the above are "unclear". I pointed out that GB entry is by advance permit only and that numbers are capped. Also pointed out that rangers must board for commentary and that even "small" ships cannot enter without a permit. I also stated that HAL and Princess have more permits than some other lines. I don't think any of that would be considered "unclear" to most members reading it. Just because I was unable to quote statistics as you did, doesn't IMHO make any of that "unclear" And yes, the OP was correct in saying I was being kind about the statements made by their friends. I had carefully worded the post as I didn't want to actually insult their friends as it wasn't clear at that time that they were not actually close friends at all.

There are past threads about inside/outside passage. you could look for them in the past threads which include the words "inside passage2. These https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=inside passage&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=33&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_and_or=and And you don't need to spend all your time inside staring out from a lounge. Best viewing is usually from the open decks where you have wider views, and some lines will open up bow areas which are usually closed to passengers in especialy scenic areas to give additional viewing opportunities..

Glacier Bay scenic cruising is by permit only and my understanding is that the daily number is limited and pre-arranged well in advance, not issued on the day, but others may be more knowledgeable than me. And local rangers board to give commentary and that too would be pre-arranged as the number of rangers would need to tally with the number of ships. I simply don't understand how a "small ship" could turn up unannounced and expect to enter simply because it is "small". As before, HAL and Princess usually have more allocated permits than some other lines. I think your friends are possibly confused about Glacier bay regulations.😉

No double standards. As above, men must also wear long trousers as a sign of respect. And although you didn't mention it, remember that women must cover their hair, which really isn't a big deal. Carry or wear a scarf or pashmina which you can easily slip over your hair when entering.

"best AND cheapest" are not always one and the same. "Best" might be a private taxi from the port all the way, but most unlikely to be the cheapest. Have you already checked past threads? If not, this one could be a good starting point for you https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3007021-genoa-port-to-portofino-port-transfer/#comment-67342749 Or there may be additional info to be found in some of the other past threads. Choose from these; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=genoa&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464

The presence of seal pups on ice floes will also determine how close a ship can sail to them as there are rules to protect sea and wildlife. Same with whales, can only get to within a certain distance of them no matter whether your ship is large or small. popsy_ cruises I am sure I won't be alone in puzzling over what you meant when you said "small ships have more luck sailing in certain areas" Which areas? And why would that be?

Others will probably disagree, but I personally don't think the size of the ship matters as much as the cruiseline itself, and HAL and Princess have been cruising Alaska for many many years now and have loads of experience. For land extensions, they also own trains and lodges. They really are well established in the region. On our itineraries we noticed that our HAL ships appeared to have better docking locations than some other lines and good arrival and departure times. (eg NCL uses out of town Ward Cove in Ketchikan and sometimes has short hours in ports) and they appear to be allocated more permits for Glacier Bay than some other lines, although you should still check their itineraries to be sure it is included. We would opt for one or the other and should they have a few ships in Alaska, would probably opt for a mid size one.

Both appear to have a blue cave tour on offer by different vendors, but you would need to look at timings and other reviews to see which if either is the best fit for your port time. It would probably have been better had you been visiting one of the smaller islands or ports with less to offer visitors as doing this from one of the two you name mean cutting your time short in either Split or Dubrovnik, both of which have so much to offer and both very easy to DIY. As both are popular with cruise pax it could be a tough decision.

As there is more than one "blue cave" in Croatia, naming the port would be helpful.😀

As your question is Viking specific, consider cross posting on the Viking Ocean forum where those who can currently access the info would be more likely to see it and respond. Or thinking outside the box, if there will be other Viking ships in Tromso before your own, could you possibly consider lurking on a Roll Call for one of these sailings where it may already be under discussion or showing on the list of shorex..

No need to stress as the metro is your other option and it is fairly simple to use. It will take you close to your ship with only a short distance to walk. Re port houses. Do check opening hours and if tours are offered in more than one language at certain times of the day. We twice visited Grahams(one of our preferred brands) which is uphill from the waterfront at Vila Nova da Gaia. On both occasions pre-pandemic they ran a mini shuttle uphill (we walked down) but I think someone posted quite recently that post pandemic the mini shuttle is no more, and without that, it would be a steep uphill walk, although there are views once you get there.. I would check recent reviews for port houses as on both occasions we saw coaches delivering large groups to Sandemans right on the waterfront and you may want fewer people on your visits. It would be a good idea to check some of the port house websites to know which you will visit and at which time if you wanted an english language tour and tasting And for some it may be necessary to pre-book. You get lovely photos of the waterfront and the port houses with their names on the roofs from the Dom Luis bridge.😀

Thanks for acknowledging. We are usually independent tourists wherever we go and have found already planned out walking routes to be either a very good or an excellent way to navigate a busy city although we also look for any sights of special interest to us personally, and if not already included on the walking tour, we look to see where our personal choice could be most easily added to it, hence the occasional "tweak". you could eg include the words "Spanish Quarter" when searching for a self guided walking tour. Naples actually has a lot going for it and you may find some surprises along the way. Do read a few of the past threads linked above and other information sources for ideas to personalise your time there.😀

You could make it easy for yourself by internet searching something like " Naples self guided walking tours" or "self guided walking tour of HISTORIC Naples" We found walking tours on two occasions and simply followed them with a couple of tweaks here and there. When finished we walked down to the main road which runs along towards the port. Following published walks is easier as they often say "turn left or turn right" or whatever. It meant we didn't need to find specific streets which could be tricky in some of the older, narrow and busy pedestrianised areas in the historic area. If you prefer, there is always GYPSmyCity which is another option we have used in a few cities. Any other recommendations concerning street food, outdoor bars, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Naples is a busy bustling city and bars and food can be found everywhere, especially pizza. Whether you have it as "street food" to go or as a sit down restaurant meal is your decision, but there is no bad, or even mediocre pizza in Naples, the city where it was first created. There are also a small number of hustoric pizzerias, each claiming to be the most historic/oldest. Google is your best friend. For outdoor bars I recommend you go with whichever appeals most to you at the time, perhaps in a piazza, a small park or a museum garden where it would be more peacful than sitting at a pavement bar with traffic and people passing and as you won't want to wander too far from your guided walk, look for somewhere pleasant along the route. Past threads containing the word "Naples", some of which you could browse for sightseeing suggestions and/.or info https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=naples&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464 Lots to discover in Naples. Enjoy.😀

That is disappointing to read JB. We rarely travel to either Dover or Southampton although we did fly to Southampton one time and also took the coach to Dover once. The latter we quite enjoyed as we saw districts of London which were new to us and it also diverted into some of Canterbury, also new to us, but just like the frequency, maybe the route has also changed post pandemic.

Another option is to take an express coach. National Express coaches leave from Victoria Bus station, which is very close to the train station, with a frquent service, and once in Dover take a taxi to the ship. It would probably be worth spending a few minutes of your time checking the National Express website.

The main beach is called Poetta. It runs for several miles and isn't far from the port as it is actually part of Cagliari town. Public buses and taxis can get you there easily. As it is so long, there is more than one bus stop serving the beach area. I cannot remember how long, but it wasn't ages or miles and I am guessing maybe only max 15 minutes from getting on the bus, but you need to get to that first. We found it by chance when we were on a bus heading to a flamingo area and saw it from the window. The main road divides the beach from the lagoon/wetlands where the flamingos are to be found. We only had a short walk along the beach as we had spent the morning exploring the historic upper part of Cagliari and had watched flamingos so our time was almost up. There were a number of small beach restaurants and cafes on the section we walked, and chairs and umbrellas could be rented. I do not know if all those miles of beach are called Poetta or if there are differently named sections but you could find that info online You would also find reviews and maybe other nearby beaches if you googled something like " Cagliari beaches"or similar.We easily found bus routes and timetables online and used these to plan our day there. Past threads about Cagliari, choose which to read from these; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=cagliari&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464