edinburgher

Should you decide against Florence, there are a number of past threads re la Spezia which you could read for ideas. This is a good one to start with. Ignore the driving reference as it very quickly morphs into ideas and suggestions. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2911139-la-spezia-anything-to-do-within-a-short-drive/#comment-64723978

WHAT a busy day in Santorini! the local authorities really should reduce ther number of ships, or have a passenger limit for each day. I would say that the tendering is issue #1, the cable car lines issue #2 and for me, issue #3 would be the most impactful because that number of cruise ship pax exploring both Fira and Oia is going to make both locations extremely crowded, perhaps even uncomfortably so as both are small, have narrow streets and at peak times when the majority of pax from all ships are likely to be ashore, will probably create a less than happy experience. I think you are correct in thinking you should pay extra for the private transfer, but remember that issue #3 will likely still impact your time in both towns. Have you found any online images of Fira and/or Oia when busy? Should you decide to stay onboard, with such a late sailing, you should in be able to watch the sunset from your ship, weather permitting of course, so not all would be lost.😀

Have you checked with fellow pax on your Roll Call? It may be that some have already arranged private whale watching (or other) tours and are looking for fellow pax like yourselves to join them. If you have not already joined any RC for your sailing and would like to, go to the main "Board/Forums", page, then the Roll Call section for your cruiseline, from there choose your ship and check if your sail date is listed. You mentioned Carnival. Here are the Carnival Roll Calls; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/91-carnival-roll-calls/ Now you only need choose your ship and search for your sail date.😀 Note that to access (even to read) any RCs, you must be logged in.

It means "tickets sold by a commercial agency." It means a business, such as a newspaper kiosk, convenience store or shop, that is licensed to sell tickets. (Much like lottery tickets are sold in the US.) And they are indeed sold in the same way in many European countries, usually from bars, cafes, newspaper/tobacco kiosks etc, but there is no mention of these possibilities on the MC Bus website, nor even a mention of availability to buy anywhere the logo is displayed and both these omissions are more unusual and a generic "agence commercial" isn't overly helpful. This is why I recommended that cruizin 1616 contact the bus company to ask for clarification, and I also suggested that should a day ticket prove to be too complicated, they have the option of purchasing tickets individually. Thaks for explaining that marazul as I am not familiar with that method and actually missed that on the website as I didn't explore every part of it, only some. It used to be so simple" back in the old days" pre-Covid. Board the bus, ask for a day pass, pay in cash. Job done! Not everyone enjoys porting for a day in MC, but we have visited three times and always found ways to spend our day to suit our own interests. The last time was definitely the most challenging due to the noise created by the removal of all things F1 as these are mostly of steel construction, plus the several road closures in place that day and the multitude of large trucks to haul it all away.. Debated going to Nice but ended up in town with peaceful activities and sights which were mostly new to us so our plans worked well.

Apologies as I had thought you were the OP coming back for more info and replied accordingly, instead you are a member with a new question, piggy backing on the earlier questions.😀 There are only a few past threads containing the words P V but there may be some useful info in a few of them. Here https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=porto vecchio&quick=1

I think there was some confusion as you didn't initially make it clear that the rollator would only be used as an aid ashore on an excursion, ie a sort of accessory, and not be needed by you to actually get off or on the tenders.

Oceania or maybe Viking Ocean?

I am unsure about that, as it says on the website Titres vendus en agence commerciale et par internet and day tickets are listed in that section. I do not know what they mean by "agence commercial", ie whether there are multiple locations(although "agence" is singular not plural) where they can be bought or whether it is only the bus company office. The section indicated by Plafond maximal journalier 1,50 € prélevé par validation à hauteur d'un montant de 5,50 € maximum sur une journée d'exploitation bus (6h00>4h00). I THINK means that you can only have up to 3 single journeys on a day ticket, which can be paid for by bank card, which really doesn't make a lot of sense because a "day ticket" anywhere usually means unlimited use within the time period, normally that day or within eg 24 hours of first use. Perhaps once you have confirmation, you would consider updating this thread with the info as it would be helpful for others on future visits. They have e-mail contact on their website. For complete clarification why don't you e-mail and ask? It will be easier that way as your reply should be in English, and would avoid any confusion when boarding a bus on the day when the driver may only have limited english language knowledge. You only really need to know where you can buy a day ticket and how many journeys you can you take with it, and how can you pay on the day without an account. Realistically, how many buses will you be likely to use, and if not that many and you can pay single tickets with cash on the bus that may be the easier way to go. Cash payments for many goods and services in multiple countries changed during lockdowns and in the months following, as more and more payments were only accepted using contactless methods or via online accounts.

I wrote the post from memory and local knowledge. Sorry for the Monty Python ommision which I didn't remember as it was so long ago, actually a few decades. The historic and interesting village of Culross and Falkland Palace were also used for some scenes in Outlander, but I didn't mention them as I thought that from Greenock the ones I listed were already more than enough and more suited for inclusion in Outlander private tours from S. Queensferry or Rosyth. There are also a small number of minor locations in Edinburgh itself.

In Cassis especially in high season, vehicles must use the parking area at the top of the town close to the train station. I expect you then transfer to the little tourist train. I hope it would take pax back up to the train station to the coach for the return, otherwise it is quite a long uphill walk, or a public bus or a taxi from the harbour area, which is quite flat..Cassis itself isn't an awfully interesting small town with visitors mostly going there for boat trips of the calanques. I personally would choose Aix which offers much more.

If you have not already found enough ideas with your earlier searches, try Tripadvisor, YouTube, guide books (can you borrow from your library?) the official PV Tourist info website and anything Rick Steves which has PV included. Doing as suggested means you get to find sights/attractions/activities which suit your personal interests.😀

We buy day passes almost everywhere we go as having one means not having to look for change or machines each time boarding whichever form of transport it is, and with a day ticket a single validation is usually all that is required when using for the first time. Monaco buses are very easy to use and routes and numbers are available to view online. Do take the one which terminates up at the viewing area next to the Jardin Exotique if only for the views of the principality spread out below. and check if the boat bus/bateau Bus still accepts them as the short ride through the harbour is worth doing and is a fun little thing to do. You will find that Monaco/MC is actually much hillier than you might have expected, and they are steep hills, not gradual inclines, hence the free elevators. Again, Google to find them as you might want to use at least a couple of them on a first visit.

Then rather sadly no different from many other locations in Europe nowadays.!!

In addition to JB' s suggestions above, If you enjoyed the Outlander series, within a short drive of the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies, there are some locations including Linlithgow Palace, Blackness Castle, Doune Castle and Midhope Castle (Midhope was "Lallybroch", the ancestral family home of Jamie) which could be combined into a private tour. Yes, we have many castles in Scotland and they are all different).😀 For GOT fans, note that Doune Castle was also a setting for some scenes and could be combined with Stirling Castle...

Did you not even take a tiny peek at the view during your walk-through?

I don't think I would say that the views from the Upper Barrakka Gardens are the #1 sight in Valletta, but they are astonishing and surely in the top 3 or so. Visitors go there, not so much for the gardens themselves, but for the views. For anyone on a cruise ship down on the waterfront, the chances are high that some passengers (even those on a private or taxi tour) will at some point find themselves uphill in the city centre and want to either get up there from the waterfront or go down from there to the waterfront, and the lift is both easy, inexpensive and practical, also within the gardens meaning the viewpoints could not be easier to access. As a bonus, Valletta can become extremely hot, and small as they are, the gardens do offer some shade and a few places to sit and rest, but the views are the main attraction..

cruzin 1616 I had a senior moment when I posted the above thread and instead of "quoting" yourself, I Inadvertantly quoted a different member, which meant you would not receive a CC alert to a new post. which you should now have😀.

Past threads with info on suggestions from Anchorage here. Choose which to read. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q="seward highway"&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=33&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy

Also anything you recommend we for sure check out? Monaco/Monte Carlo has some lovely gardens, any of which could be a pleasant spot for a picnic, unless there are any rules against that. Our most recent visit was the day after the F1 races ended and the town was a total mess and very noisy due to all the large trucks removing steel barriers, stands etc, and with some road closures to facilitate their removals. We had expected that and planned to avoid the mess and noise so did things differently on that occasion. Our "peaceful day" was spent exploring areas we had not previously visited. We walked the Fontvieille sculpture path which also passes through and/or alongside a few public gardens, including the Princess Grace Rose Garden and others we had not known existed. Not on that route, we visited the Japanese Garden, wandered the tiny Old Town area near the Palace (which we thought a little underwhelming). Changing of the guard at the Palace daily around noon, I think, check. Walked around the "rocher" which was enjoyable, exiting it at the Cathedral where you can see the tombs of Princess Grace and her husband Prince Rainier. This is also where they married. The Oceanographic Museum is definitely worth a visit and close to the Cathedral. And even should you have no interest in the "Jardin Exotique", take the bus up to the terminus next to the terrace outside the entrance for fabulous views across the entire principlality lying below. I suggest you consider buying a day ticket for the buses to avoid steep streets. It could also be used on the bus boat/bateau bus at that time. Info on routes is easily found online, but you must buy your day ticket from the bus driver with cash.. And if planning to look at the area around the casino, consider taking the "boat bus/Bateau bus" across the harbour from near the cruise ship docking area past the super yachts one or both ways. Tickets were only 2 or 3 euros pp each way but may have increased. All of the above suggestions can be checked online, the usual Tripadvisor, YouTube, guidebooks etc, but we have found that the official Monaco/Monte Carlo Tourist Information website(visit monaco) is an excellent starting point. There is actually quite a lot to see and do there, you only need do your reading homework to find which sights would suit your personal interests. And do use the free elevators when you can to avoid steep uphill walks. Google is your best friend.😀

Try googling instead. "Tuk tuk food tour Lisbon" or similar should bring you results.😀

There is a steep uphill walk from the waterfront to Valletta itself, so ideally you would want to be dropped off in a central uphill area. If you only have time for one thing in Valletta, make it the Barrakka Gardens for the incredible views across the Grand Harbour. if you have extra time, exiting the gardens means you are in the heart of the city with a number of sights within minutes of walking.. There is a cannon fired at 12 noon and again at 1600 from the gardens if that would interest you. Read the usual Tourist informatuon websites, Tripadvisor, Youtube and others for additional sights you might want to prioritise to suit your own interests and your available time. From the Gardens you can either walk down to your ship, or take the lift down. It is free going down, only 1 euro to go up. If you are visiting the city first and want to take the lift up from the harbour, at the port exit, turn right and walk along a few hundred yards on the flat road until you see the lift access across the street. And do plan to be up on deck a little under an hour before arrival into the Grand Harbour as it is one of the most scenic arrivals of anywhere in the world. Forward or starboard facing for the best views. Local boat trips of the GH are available although you will already see it twice when arriving and departing.

We visited once on a port stop but were unlucky with very heavy rain that day. We had plans which included using a local bus one way and following a scenic coastal walk but had to change due to weather. That part of the Costa Brava is really quite scenic and Palamos is actually famous for "gambas"/prawns should you want to lunch ashore and try them. There have only been a few past threads for Palamos, some of which have information in them and I think it would be worthwhile you reading them for ideas. Here; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=palamos&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465 And even should you not want to book one. you could also look at the shorex being offered by your cruiseline for ideas.

Messina itself is very low key with few sights, the best of which is at noon when the Astronomical clock on the Cathedral chimes with lots of movement and sounds on different levels, even a lion which roars. It is actually quite a famous clock with much info about it to be found online, and visitors gather in the square to watch it. It is only a 5 minute walk from where ships usually dock. That aside, we have never found much else to interest us there (on FOUR visits) but it is a base for visiting pretty Taormina and/or Mount Etna which we did. We also took a shorex one time which visited three "Godfather Villages", not so much to see where some scenes from the movies were shot, more for the drive and the villages themselves. The drive was heart-in-the-mouth stuff, climbing ever higher on extremely steep narrow and twisting roads with dramatic scenery. You could read about Messina on the usual websites such as Tripadvisor, YouTube, Tourist Information websites etc, to see if there might be something of interest to you in messina itself, otherwise I think you might only spend a couple of hours strolling around and watching the clock. There are nearby beaches and trams go there. There are tram stops a couple of minutes from the port exit gates. There have beena small number of past threads you might want to read, but for a first visit I think most would choose either Taormina or a Taormina/Mt Etna combo. On a clear day there are good views of Mt Etna from Taormina. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q="godfather villages"&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy

I totally agree with the above recommendation to take one of the White Pass train/bus combos ideally travelling up into the Canadian Yukon to Emerald Lake through some stunning scenery. kgarroutte, this is not an overly expensive trip, and is definitely a "one off", even better should you have some knowledge of the history which you can relate to. Our guide was a college student spending summer in Ketchikan and on the section by bus, he.recited some of the Alaskan themed poems by Robert Sargent along the way. Listening to the words, looking out at the landscape and imagining the terrible hardships in winter gave our trip extra meaning. Before taking that trip, I recommend folks read a few of his poems, although there are works by other poets also available to read.