edinburgher

With luck you should be able to see them in most of that area, although we were there earlier in the season. .Or you could explore each town on foot. They are quite interesting as their way of life is very different The supermarkets are also worth a look. There is one particular past thread which I hope you read.this one; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2812546-qaqortoq-greenland/ And try to check if the Nanortalik authorities are still offering the different displays and events to cruise pax.

An afterthought. Split, Dubrovnik and Kotor offer a lot of sightseeing options, more than enough for a full day, with Hvar being a lot smaller. Unless you plan to tour some of the island, Hvar itself is very small and offers less, so I think this would be the best opportunity to use some of your time ashore for snorkelling.

What a pity they have removed the little shuttle bus, but there have been many changes post Covid everywhere and this appears to be one of them. Unfortunately it is a steep walk without the shuttle as they are located higher up than most. No other suggestions really as we only twice went to Grahams, but each time when waiting for the shuttle to go up (we walked down) we noticed tour groups entering or leaving Sandemans which is on the waterfront and it looked busy busy. I don't know if any others welcome tour groups, but perhaps reading reviews on Tripadvisor might give you a clue? Lunch suggestions, sorry, cannot help with that as we ate up in the old town. Again, Tripadvisor might throw up some suggestions.

We were underwhelmed by Kristiansand and only walked around this fairly nondescript town for a time, although the waterfront area was better than the town itself. Once you research Kristiansand, if you think it would underwhelm you also, consider a tour here. Loved our day in Visby. Pretty little town perfect for walkabout and a few interesting sights.

Of course they have Tourist Information offices and websites, but as nobody on CC has responded, suggesting that you simply try internet searching for information if you have not already done so. Should be quick and easy to google eg "Split (or whichever name) snorkelling" or "best snorkelling at Split" (or whichever name) Google could be your best friend.

In addition to exploring Kotor itself, you could also take a taxi or public bus the short distance to Perast. On the waterfront there are to be found the boatmen who will take you across to "Our Lady of the Rock" which you will pass on both the sail-in and sail-out. Your ship will probably offer shorex to it, but it is easy to DIY. We did this on our second visit having thoroughly explored the town itself the first time, although "thoroughly" didn't include the steep walk up to the Fortress. The Kotor sail-in is beautiful, so do try to be up on deck early to experience it. Same views leaving but the light is very different.

You could try googling the name of the station for access information, or e-mail staff at your hotel if it is close to the station as they may know, or e-mail the official Tourist Information Office in Barcelona to ask. You culd also try googling something like "Barcelona Metro stations with escalators" (or elevators). And be aware that some metros in some cities could have more than one access route, especially if they are located on a large square/place/plaza with entrances/exits on different streets, and maybe one access route would suit your needs better than the others.

Tours are not really essential for Venice as it is quite compact and perfectly suited to walking, and as there are no roads, you cannot be driven around.You would only need some information either with you, or which you could access when you are there.You can also use the vaporetti to get around any longer distances, although nowhere in Venice is far from anywhere else,. but for shorter distances walking is best. You would find info on "walking tours of Venice"online, or even better, try searching for "self guided walking tours of Venice". The absolute best scenic "tour" would be by vaporetto along the Grand Canal, line 1 or 2. Past threads about Venice include the following https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=venice&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464

Best not to fly with an arrival day the same as your ship departure in case of strikes or delays caused by any number of reasons which could cause you to miss the ship. The number of days ahead will depend on the amount of free days you have for the overall trip including travel time, your budget, and also where you will join your ship. If it is a major city which would be new to you and you would like to spend a few days there either before or after the cruise itself, (Rome and Barcelona spring to mind) you should allow for that too. And remember that jetlag will likely impact your first 2 or 3 days in Europe. Probably best if you find an itinerary which appeals to you personally and take into account all the suggestions/advice already made in all the posts in response to your question.

Not that helpful, but I will mention it anyway. I think it most unlikely that you will find a tour which goes only to the Falkirk Wheel from Greenock. I think more likely that you would find it as one element of a longer tour which includes more locations. You could internet search using the words both "sightseeing tours"and "tours" and see if anything appears in the results. You could consider a train from Greenock to Glasgow followed by another train to Falkirk (although Camelon station could be closer if trains stop there) followed by a taxi. I cannot help with any of that, but perhaps another member could, or you could research it online. It is actually closer to Edinburgh, but even closer if you were porting in Rosyth or S. Queensferry.

Apologies for a small number of typos which I was too late to edit in my post directly above..

Looking at the question you asked, I am unsure how much knowledge of Greenland you have from your internet searching or guide book reading, or whether you are only looking at shorex for info or basing your question on past cruising experience in other countries greenland is a country like no other and many things will be different from what you are used to. The icebergs are the biggest difference and beautiful they are. The reason for either no shorex or very few, is because most towns and villages/settlements in Greenland are not connected by road, and the main transport options are by small plane/helicopter or by sea, eg kayak. (And skidoos in winter) And my understanding of public transport is that there is either very little or none at all. I think Nuuk may be the only town with any sort of public bus service or one of a very few as we did see one public bus there on the road which connects the working port where we were docked, and the historic harbour on the opposite side of town. We saw no indications of public buses in any of our other ports,including bo bus stops, nor taxis, again a probable low number of customers means there is too little business to operate, and where would they go anyway? As for private coaches and tour guides and drivers, I think the majority of Greenlandic towns/settlements would not have enough business to support tourism in that way. if you can find a tour and book it, so much the better, but the reality is that your onshore sightseeing will be mootly on foot in the town where you are docked or tendered. The town of Nanortalik used to put on different displays and events for cruise pax, but that was pre-Covid and you would need to check with any Tourist Info Office there if they still offer these. The choir in the church was just lovely to listen to. As for Qaqortoq, it is easily explored on foot and there is a trail you can follow looking for the "Stone and Man carvings. Before planning a walk around the lake, do read the warnings in past threads. in addition to the usual tourist info websites, Youtube could also be a source of info.You might also find it helpful to read past reviews written by others who visited, and threads on both your ports if you have not already searched for and read them. Here are a few to get you started. Qaqortoq. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=Qaqortoq.&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=2705 Nanortalik https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=nanortalik&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=2705 I do hope your ship can sail the stunningly beautiful Prins Christian Sund for a scenic sailing day. Weather and the size of your ship will determine if it will be passable or not as ships cannot turn around and it must be clear of icebergs at both ends before a ship can enter.

Should be an easy alternative as the little tourist train chugs up there (but your cruiseline probably won't have shared that with you) Past threads for Alesund include this informative one with photos: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2826391-alesund-norway/#comment-62526938

Not possible to compare apples and pears as they are very different from each other. The #1 choice for Kusadasi is definitely Ephesus, followed by some shopping in the market if that appeals. Many many past threads for Kusadasi and Ephesus and you would find it helpful to read a few of them. Ephesus: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=ephesus&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 Kusadasi: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=kusadasi&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 Split is totally different and and becoming a favourite with those who visit. Reading some of the past threads would be helpful to you: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=split&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149

you can also visit the area next to Trsat Castle, high above the town. This from a thread last year. A CC member mentioned they walked all the way up, and I responded with this: CC member said Rijeka there was a staircase of 561 steps to get up to Trsat castle. Having travelled up the road, I know that too was very long and extremely steep. These days we avoid such exertions whenever possible.I know you said you are enthusiastic DIYers, as are we, but we took a public bus all the way up and back again when we were ready to leave the area at the top You could also consider a taxi. When we went, there were taxis waiting at the top close to the bus stops, but whether they were available for hire or waiting for pre-booked fares, I do not know. MSK There will be info and images with suggestion for Rijeka sightseeing online eg Tripadvisor.

It was indeed an amusing book to read, but "a Year in Provence" is hardly the same as a few short hours. Anyway,I have given as much info as I can for folks who, for whatever reason, decide to stay in the city, the extras posted only possible due to sports viewing yesterday and today which meant I had free time, as Feb 1 saw us begin attempting to clear "accumulated stuff" as we hope to move house at some point this year.

You might want to consider reversing your plans, as a taxi share is probably the most convenient way to travel to/from Honfleur, and there will most likely be fellow pax at the port who would be willing to share with you, or possibly fellow pax to be found on your Roll Call.. Leaving it until later in the day would possibly reduce the chances of you finding others. For bus routes, have you thought about contacting the Tourist Info office in le Havre or the one in Honfleur and ask them to send you a link to the timetable?

As we don't require "all singing, all dancing mega resort ships" we miss a few things about cruising years ago.

Mainly card use in Scotland, but a small amount of cash is always useful for incidentals such as ice creams, and more importantly, for some public bathrooms.😀

As different cruiselines will make different arrangements in ports, and as your question is specific to Celebrity, you would probably get more accurate information if you ask on the Celebrity board where Celebrity passengers who have used shuttles would be more likely to see it and respond, and it would help others reply were you to name the actual ports you are referring to. Celebrity Board here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/16-celebrity-cruises/

DW and I truly adored the old Marco Polo (especially when she was with Orient Lines). Sadly now all ancient history, although we too have the memories.

new info added in above post.

Hank, you could have done so much more instead. Culture and history. Potentially additional useful information for others. Consider exploring le Panier district. The oldest in the city. There are entrances to it from a block or two behind the Old Port, but the main entrance/exit there is via Rue Poiriers, an incredibly steep street (the handrails are there for a reason) which is best avoided if you value your legs. 😀 An alternative with flat, easy access is next to the Cathedrale de la Major, (when facing the Cathedral, the small entry streets are to the right) barely 5 minutes walk from the Old Port and across from MUCEM , in turn next to the fort St-Jean. (These locations are where the cruise shuttles usually drop off and pick up) Entering from this direction also gives the opportunitiy to visit MUCEM and the Cathedral. Lacking the views enjoyed from the Basilica Notre-Dame-de-la Garde, the Cathedral is nonetheless worth visiting inside and is one of the largest in France. Entry is free. Le Panier offers a few sights, but it is mostly best for strolling the narrow streets. At the top is Place des Moulins, the perfect location for rest and resfreshments, although only two towers of the original windmills mills remain, and these are incorporated into homes. All downhill from there, means you can exit down the steep Rue Poiriers, much better for the legs than going up. The splendid looking Intercontinental Hotel is only a few steps away and has a lovely outdoor terrace with views of ND de la Garde and a little of the old port. Across from it is the "Maison Diamantee" a building with unusual design features. Info on MUCEM, the Cathedral, le Panier, Maison Diamantee, bouillabaisse etc can all be found online. And for history enthusiasts, Marseille, having been founded by the Greeks around 600 BC (or perhaps even earlier) has a rich history, and visting any of the museums which display this gives a new perspective of the city. And if you should want to try the "fish soup"/bouillabaisse recommended by Hank, be wary of where you try it, as there are some "tourist traps" in the city, which charge top prices for poor quality versions. Tthere will of course be info, reviews and recommendations to be found online, but this is a past thread to readt for anyone planning to try this,but this is past thread is a decent starting point. https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2872038-bouillabaisse-in-marseille-recommendations/

Had asked the question in my post #2 in order to give you additional information which you might have found helpful to read. Despite still not understanding what you wrote,suggesting you go to this official site below. Sections "find my ship" (to confirm your tender into S Queensferry has not changed)and "getting around". https://www.cruiseforth.com/ Hoping you enjoy your time in the city.😀 .

The above makes total sense, but what does this mean please? and other ports located outside the port area?