edinburgher

not nougats, but calissons d'Aix, the local speciality of Aix,easily identified by their diamond shape but also widely available across the region. You could buy calissons in Aix in the morning and buy nougats in the afternoon.😀😀

Marseille will welcome the arrival of the Olympic Torch from Greece on May 8th and I had previously advised of the potential for some tourism disruption due to preparations for this major event. One member has reported a switch to an alternative port and another has reported a shorex cancellation.https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3001165-unrest-in-marsailles/#comment-67205374 There is a description of the event and therefore more knowledge of the advance preparations which will need to be made on post # 9 of this thread, so calls to Marseille in the lead up to the date and for a few days afterwards may not go ahead exactly as expected and those booking private tours should be especially aware. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2973730-olympic-torch-route-2024-could-impact-french-port-calls/#comment-67146871

NorwayIceland itineraries are not usually as popular with families as other itineraries which offer more in the way of sunshine, beaches, and other ONSHORE activities. . And the number of children onboard would also depend on when you intend to travel as there would be fewer onboard during school term times. I suggest you consider cross posting on the NCL forum as some of your questions are NCL specific, eg the "kids room opening hours" (especially should there be very few children onboard)and any other child related questions you might have as pastCC members who travelled as part of a family group would be more likely to see it there. And maybe the "family cruising" forum too.

Another point to consider. Are all children in the group in their teens or are there any younger than 12 years, because car seats are a legal requirement in Italy for that age group and would need to be pre-ordered.

It is a bit of a walk to the actual town although there may be a public bus or a taxi, But the island is very scenic, more so than the town. Difficulty will probably be that taxi drivers may not want such a short trip and would prefer those wanting a longer island tour as taxi tours on Corfu are really popular. If interested in a tour, (and one is worth doing) would definitely pre-arrange one because that way you know where you will go, the type of vehicle, the cost, and should have an english speaking driver. Arranging a tour at the port could find you with none of these. As we were only two, we shared with others on our Roll Call and ended up with three taxis for our group which eventually totalled 12. We travelled in convoy, followed the same route and had the same stops along the way. It was a very good day and the company we booked through was professional throughout. When you google "Corfu Taxi tours" or "Taxi Tours Corfu" or similar, there should be a few results. I cannot remember the name of the company, but the owner had several quality vehicles. He also had red hair, somewhat unusual in Greece,so finding him should be easier. I expect your ship will offer an island tour as a shorex, so even should you not want to book one, looking at the description would give you an idea of what you might see, as will reading the websites of taxi companies which offer tours.

Cruiselines do love to list "headline" ports on their itineraries to boost their sales. It is what they do with Paris which is hours away from the port in le Havre, Seville, when the port is Cadiz, Venice, Rome and many others. There would be no real need to visit Bordeaux unless you found info online which makes it a "must-do" for you personally as la Rochelle is actually an attractive town in its own right and no tour is needed as it is an easy DIY port. Most of what a tourist here might want to do/see is within a relatively small area of the town and it is flat not hilly at all .What you choose to do and see there depends on your own interests and if you have not already done so, reading past threads might help you decide Here they are https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=la rochelle&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=462 In addition to reading past threads, you should also read about la Rochelle online where you will find descriptions and images to help you decide. Browse eg Tripadvisor, Frommer's, Fodors, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet and others which appear when you google eg "la Rochelle Tourist Information" and I think you will be pleasantly surprised with your findings. Google really is your best friend.😀

As nobody has yet replied, you might want to simply google "Roissybus to CDG reviews" or even only "Roissybus reviews"and see what pops up in the results as there is usually something to be found.

Having already looked at Tripadvisor, have you thought of googling something like "best beaches near Ibiza town" or similar? This because, although tripadvisor will have reviews for beaches, internet search results may give distances and directions from the port, also descriptions of facilities available, costs, and any recommended advance booking requirements. Or maybe even better, consider contacting the official Ibiza Tourist Information Office as staff there will be local and should be able to advise on beaches which meet your criteria and how to get there and back..

It would be helpful to other families cruising with such small children in the future, if you were to kindly post about any minimum age requirement on tours with italytours.eu, (assuming there is one) also if they can supply the mandatory car seats.

i think you are worrying unnecessarily. Is there any major city anywhere in the world which has neither poverty nor crime?

Nothing current that I can find online in French or english, but perhaps it is somehow connected to preparations for the Olympic Games this summer, as Marseille will host 10 football matches and many sailing events and some essential preparations will need to be undertaken which will almost certainly cause some disruption. As an example, this year, the Stade de France in Paris could not be the host stadium for the Six Nations Rugby Championship in Feb and March as the stadium was undergoing preparation for the Games in a few months time, and all three French based matches were instead played in Marseille, Lille and Lyon.. If their cancelled shorex was to be mid or near the end of April, it could be connected to the planned major event taking place on May 8th around the Vieux Port when the Olympic flame will arrive from Greece. I recently posted an update on the event once timings were known. One CC member has had their port call moved from Marseille to Toulon as a result. .This one; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2973730-olympic-torch-route-2024-could-impact-french-port-calls/#comment-66420677

Ponant is also French,😀 (and sail under a French flag)one of the reasons I suggested it alongside CroisiEurope.

For an even more intensive French experience, you could begin by researching and reading reviews of Ponant and CroisiEurope lines and their river boats.😀.

There are beaches in all of these cities. Perhaps the best way to decide which will be your beach day, is to reseach your ports for sightseeing options to suit all of your personal interests, and plan a beach day in the one which offers the least. Looking at your list, I would personally select Ibiza, but avoiding those beaches where clubbing is the main attraction, unless of course your family is old enough to be enthusiastic about a day time clubbing vibe?. At the very top of the Spain Ports forum there is a pinned thread for Palma Majorca and requests for beach info are also quite common questions in the general forum. Reading this very recent thread might be useful.CC member roger b who lives there has often recommended it, but there may be others which appeal more to be found on the "pinned thread". https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2996830-looking-for-beach-day-pretty-water-ibiza-or-mallorca/#comment-67113854 Noting that you are US based (I think)and your mention of "family friendly", just wanting to remind you that topless bathing and sunbathing for women is very much the norm on most European beaches, private and public, although nudist beaches are signposted so you should not stray onto one in error.

Croatia is a full member of the EU, but as Montenegro is not, a call there would meet the criteria to allow the sale of duty free onboard unless there has been a very recent rule change. It is different from the cabotage laws explained by marazul, so yes, there are two issues, not one..

And I should have also listed this one for post #2. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2831952-cagliari-sardinia/#comment-62669621

Cagliari itself is an attractive town to explore and the very attractive beach area is easily accessed from the port. The emblem of the town is the flamingo and they are found in large numbers opposite the beach area. You will see many many flamingo themed souvenirs for sale. There have been a few past threads about Cagliari and this one would be worth reading https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2956782-enough-time-for-an-excursion-from-cagliari/#comment-65898779 and this one https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2854829-cagliari-sardinia/#comment-63271686

i agree with the above that this full day tour with crowds and possibly high temperatures would be exhausting for most adults never mind a toddler. And have you checked with any company that there is no minimum age limit, as it is possible that not every company would accept such a young child, especially if the tour included paying customers who are not members of your immediate family. And secondly, there is a legal requirement in Italy that children under 12 years must use a car seat appropriate to their height and weight. Will this be supplied or will you pay extra? There is a possibility that you might, just might, be able to book a tour for only yourselves and your child, together with the mandatory car seat, but expect your day to cost $$$.

I have no idea if this is helpful or not, but it used to be (and I stress USED TO BE) the case that onboard purchses on an EU itinerary could only be made free of taxes if the ship visited a non EU port within that itinerary. Without this, taxes were payable on all onboard purchases. Geographically, a port call in Turkey offers the easiest non EU requirement from Greece. Others may know if this requirement still stands or if it has changed in recent years.

As your question is Viking apecific, you might want to consider cross posting on the Viking Forum where Viking passengers who took this tour would be more likely to see it and respond.😀

Zana711, thank you for taking the time to post the link to your Marseille DIY blog as I am sure others will find it really useful. I have also dipped into the others you posted, found them all very informative and hope that others will take time to read them. I know Marseille quite well from numerous previous land and cruise visits and have long encouraged others to consider spending their port day there due to the ease of DIY sightseeing which offers many varied options to suit most interests within really quite close proximity to the shuttle bus drop off/pick up points. And with no need to have any knowledge of the French language. Some members really dislike the city and encourage others to go anywhere at all, as long as they get away, although some of those who have spent the day in the city have posted that they enjoyed their time. As you mention le Panier district in your blog,as a complement to your own info, I am posting some additional information on it which I had posted on a previous thread as others may find it useful. 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 to the left 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, 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.

When her tour schedule included Edinburgh concerts, hoteliers (and indeed all accommodation providors) were heavily criticised for increasing prices by at least 2 to 3 times- and they still sold. mlbcruiser, If she is indeed performing on your dates, you could struggle to find anything in Amsterdam with pricing closer to the norm.. Won't be easy but I think you may need to decide between location and cost. Could you perhaps consider a nearby town instead? One with easy access to Amsterdam. I am thinking Leiden or Utrecht, both with many trains daily and only a short distance to travel. You could book one close to the train station. Or perhaps one of the Dutch based members could suggest an alternative, although some suggestions have already been made in earlier posts to this thread..

You may find it helpful to read past threads containing the word "Salerno" as i think your question has been asked and answered before. And there should be references to ferries between Salerno and Amalfi, also Salerno and Positano. Choose from these https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=salerno&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464

You may find that the HOHOs are not suited to viewing much of Valencia historic centre as many streets there are either too narrow for buses, or are totally pedestrianised, so I would read HOHO reviews (Tripadvisor?) very carefully before deciding if a HOHO is the best way to visit this wonderful city of two halves, the historic area and the futuristic area. It is flat so easy on the feet and very easy to walk around especially as a number of sights are in close proximity to each other and there are many many restaurants, bars and cafes throughout. Ships dock a few kilometers from the central area, but you could take a taxi or a local bus to Placa Ayuntamiento from where the historic area is easily explored on foot, or to any other location of your choosing. Or go in the opposite direction, again by bus or taxi, to the futuristic area, explore on foot then either take a public bus or taxi to the historic centre to explore there. Should you decide to visit both, a day ticket may be a good option for you. The bus stop near the port is really quite close and across a main road. I have a vague(very vague!) memory of some markings on the ground from the terminal exit, but you should ask. The Tourist Info people at the terminal were very helpful and the official visitvalencia.com website is a wonderful research tool to help you plan your day to suit your own interests and should be the starting point for your research before you arrive there. The more you look into that website, the more you will find. It even used to show bus routes and numbers, fares etc. And of course use other research tools such as Tripadvisor, YouTube, and any guidebooks you could borrow from a library, plus other websites such as Frommer's, Fodors, Rough Guides etc which appear when you google eg "Valencia tourist Information". We have visited twice. Second time we took the public bus to P. Ayuntamiento at one end of the historic centre, walked the historic area and when finished sightseeing at the opposite end of the historic centre, we took a differently numbered bus back from a stop beside an ancient tower to the stop at the cruise terminal. I think you will have a really enjoyable day there as Valencia has much to offer and is the third largest city in Spain after Madrid and Barcelona. We really liked it as it is not entirely given over to tourism and we thought it had a better balance between working city and tourist city..

It is also RCL specific, and cross posting on the RCL forum is where passengers who took this RCL shorex would be more likely to see it and reply.