edinburgher

.Kotor No need for a shuttle here as you will either dock or be tendered into a spot across the street from the old town. Be up on deck very early for the beautiful approach and sail-in. (Replied to your Zakynthos question on that thread)

Do begin looking for a driver and guide sooner rather than later, although if you are not travelling until next spring, now may be a little too early. Reason I mention it, is because I remembered seeing a fairly recent thread (January this year also for Istanbul)which had this comment which may be of interest to you. I found it and it was this one Looking to get a private tour guide for the day that can provide highlights in the morning and then check out some breweries in the area. This requires a guide with a car. Have found lots of walking guides, but not driving ones. There is a different forum which you could consider posting your own thread on as others with mobility issues may have suggestions. You could always firstly search that forum with the word Istanbul to pull up previous threads specific to the city without having to back page. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/775-europe-disabled-cruising/

So there is a lot to do in Normandy with or without visiting the landing beaches, And not forgetting Mont-St-Michel and Monet's Garden at Giverny. We visited some of the above mentioned, including Rouen, verry easy by train, but on our 4th visit we took the public bus along the Alabaster Coast to Etretat, a pleasant town with good walking along the white cliffsand the sea .on a fine day, although we ran out of time to reach Fecamp. That little trip would not be high on anyones first or second trip, but it was our fourth and we enjoyed it more than we had expected to, although the good weather that day made the difference. ncidentally, to be pedantic, Normandy is one of the administrative regions of France, made up of several departments. My bad, but I do find "Departements" and "Regions" confusing without referencing, which I did not do this time.

Until Brexit, Spain and Portugal were the cheapest iff you have a port call along the way in one or the other and a good selection of wines and spirits.

Normandy doesn't interest us. Quite a surprise to read that for a first overseas trip, there is nowhere in the whole of Normandy which interests you as it is a quite large Departement with diverse sights/sites, a number of which can be reached from le Havre without too much difficulty. For a first overseas visit which is both easy and inexpensive, also an introduction to one of the prettiest historic towns in France, a visit to charming Honfleur might suit you. it is a fabourite with many cruisers as it has been for centuries with artists from several countries, whose works hang in galleries around the world..(of whom MONET was one) There will be many images and much online info to be found if you search for it, and I think what you find will tempt you to visit. You could also search for the multiple previous threads and replies about Honfleur as it is a FAQ. ON THE FRANCE BOARDS FORUM, use the SEARCH tool under your username to find them. This is a good one to start you off https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2929792-le-havre-and-getting-to-honfleur/#comment-65176081

Other suggestions of what not to miss is greatly appreciated. It is not so much a case of "what not to miss", but more "what you are able to do". You will need to work closely with whichever company you choose, to tailor a tour specific to your abilities. (you don't for example say if you can manage stairs or inclines or how far you can walk, and a tour planner would need to know these details) Will the others in your "small group" agree with those decisions or have different priorities and would a tour for only the two of you be a better decision for you all?

Can you recommend any must see cities that we could get/fly to prior to our cruise POST #4 Well Lisbon has flights to most major European cities and most of them are within 2 or 3 hours so take your pick. Absolutely spot on. Europe is tiny compared to the US so a relatively short journey can bring a huge amount of diversity in terms of language, culture, architecture, food, weather and everything else you can think of. Three points you did not mention and if you add them now, readers could reply more specifically Firstly, Which month of the year? Secondly, did you have a specific country in mind? and Thirdly, how many days will you have?This because some capitals in particular require more than 2 or 3 days, for others that would suffice. And an afterthought. Wheret would be your preferred European flight destination? (helpful as a starting point)

Would like to point out that you will have the same time constraints in Barcelona as you say you only have two nights there, and maybe some of that time will be taken up by travelling between Madrid and Barcelona, you do not say. If these will be first time visits to both cities, if it isn't too late(and you would not lose too much financially) perhaps you might consider spending all four nights in only ONE of the two cities, which would make for a more relaxed and comprehensive visit. Our first visit to Barcelona was for 7 nights, same as for Madrid, and as even that number of days meant we didn't see everything we wanted to, subsequent visits on cruise calls meant we could fill in the gaps.

I would vote for Lucca. On a direct train line so a very easy and quite short train journey with no changes needed.. And Lucca station is only across the street and a few yards from one of the entrances into the walled town. It is "a Tuscan Gem" and a delight to explore. Over the years we went there twice and the second visit was as enjoyable as the first. There will be much info and many images online to tempt you, you only need to look for it all.

Thanks for posting as I am sure many cruise pax will find it helpful

Which of these ports don't really need an excursion? Bilbao and Oporto are easy DIYs if you do some homework pre-trip. Bilbao there should be ship shuttles which would drop off at the start of the historic area, and a not long walk to the riverside and the Guggenheim. Either from a Coruna or from Vigo, I would recommend a shorex or train to Santiago de Compostela. it is closer to A Coruna than to Vigo, but it depends which city you would prefer to explore should you not take an excursion.. Oporto you will need to take transport into the centre, but I recommend you take it to the Vila Nova de Gaia area for the waterfront, boat trips, views of the immpressive bridge and for visits to port houses. There are many previous threads about all of your ports and very easy to find and read them for info if you use the SEARCH tool under your user name. Note you must be on the correct board as your ports are a mix of France, Spain, Belgium and Portugal. And read information on each of your ports to help you decide in which you would want an excursion and which you would be happy to explore independently. From le Havre, for a first visit, I would also recommend Honfleur and there is no need for a shorex to do that. Only a couple of threads down on the French ports forum, there is this very helpful guide on how to reach it. https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2929793-le-havre-to-honfleur-an-easy-day-visit/

So I guess the area to stay in would be near Royal Palce, Temple of Debob, and Plaza De España then. Not at all. Our stay was much longer than yours so we had the luxury of time and our priorities were very different from what yours will be. With only 2 nights in Madrid you will have only 1 or 1 and 1/2 days there (with jetlag?) and will need to maximize your time as it is far from an ideal amount of time for a European city, and a capital at that. You said this what area should I stay in? I’ve never been to Madrid You need to spend some time reading about Madrid sights and decide which interest you most and their locations and opening days. There are many websites which can help you with information, including Tripadvisor, and once you know which you would like to visit and their locations, you can look for accommodation in the most convenient location, as your time is going to be really restricted and you want to be able to step out of your accommodation and reach your chosen spots in the least amount of time possible. We found Madrid to be an easily walkable city and used public transport for only two one-way journeys during our stay as we walked everywhere else. City stays do involve lots of personal research to suit your interests and with such time restraints, nobody can help you with that. Perhaps the HOHO might suit you best and would give you an overview of the city in a relatively short space of time.

You can then walk to nearby Portoroz, about 30-40 mins walk We passed through Portoroz both going to Piran and returning from Piran to Koper on the public bus which serves that route. it looked to be a quite pretty little seaside town but we didn't get off the bus there. The bus does mean that it could be a viable stop before or after Piran on the way to or from Koper, so options now include walking as suggested above, taxi or public bus. As I have no idea if the bus ticket for the journey between Koper andPpiran allows a stop off at Portoroz then reboarding to finish the journey, maybe better to buy two separate bus tickets if planning to spend some time there.

Not a bad swap despite the initial disappointment of the cancelled cruise back in the dark days of 2020. Can see why you were tempted. With many cruiselines calling into Kusadasi, you may get there sometime soon albeit on a different line..

but there’s not many recommendations here on CC for Madrid We stayed for 7 nights in Suites Viena, a Sercotel group aparthotel (not a hotel) and were very comfortable. Also found it convenient for getting around mostly on foot as it is close to the Royal Palce, Temple of Debob and Plaza de Espana, a good transport hub to arrive from the airport. They also offered a breakfast options but there are two supermarkets less than 5 minutes walk from the building. We enjoyed having a sitting area and the small kitchen. Note that stay was pre-pandemic so you should check more recent reviews We returned to the airport by taxi as there was a fixed price fare if within a certain distance, which we were. i don't know if that is still available or not..

Or perhaps a guide would suggest meeting you in Sultanahmet in which case you would still need to get there from the cruise teminal and back by tram (recommended) or walking or taxi. Topkapi is only a few minutes downhill walk from the main sights in Sultanahmet, and also worth a visit although you would likely spend at least a couple of hours there and you may not have time for that. We bought a combo ticket which included the Harem, but note that at that time it had different opening hours and you would need to check. Have also visited the Archaeology Museum ( again quite close by) and where we spent a good 3 or more hours, but we were on a land trip and had time to do that. Enjoy your research deciding which sights are the most interesting to you as Istanbul is a fascinating city with much to offer and you won't have time to see everything in one day.

Transfer time from the port to the airport will be around 45 or 50 minutes but you may want to double check that online. We had booked a taxi to pick up at the port but it didn't turn up at the agreed time so ship staff arranged another but that caused a delay.. We did get there on time, but later than we had expected and it was all a bit rushed (and expensive!). I agree that the airport was small and well organised.

Alesund. I was thinking to take the Land of Trolls but it says it takes 3 hours to get there That is a looong drive. The other port it is offered from is Aldasnes, which is much closer but unfortunately not on your itinerary. And it isn't clear if that 3 hour drive each way is to the top of the road and the viewing point where you would have the opportunity to get off the bus, or if that is only to the start of the road. If only to the start, that would be an even longer drive. And as you would hope for a good weather day ( which you would not know until the day itself) it is a bit of a gamble. There are past threads and replies which you could bring up using the SEARCH facility under your username and you could read these to help you decide. There are also images and descriptions of the Troll Road to be found online if you look. Should you decide against the shorex, Alesund itself is a lovely port call ( and a favourite of many cruise pax) as the town has quite a bit to offer and it is very easy to DIY there with no need for any shorex. Again, many past threads and replies to be found using the SEARCH tool. This example is worth reading. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2826391-alesund-norway/#comment-62526938 As is this one https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2860877-alesund-in-7-hours-help/#comment-63424351

This thread just below yours has a reply which might help: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2929215-my-cruise-stops-in-piraeus-is-visiting-aegina-too-ambitious/

Anyone have any recommendations for a private day tour in Istanbul? Will you actually need a private tour? Istanbul is a very easy DIY as you only need take a tram from the port terminal area to Sultanahmet where many of the sights are located in very close proximity to each other and easily walkable. There is actually more than enough there to occupy you for a day, especially if on a first visit, and you would simply pay any entrance tickets at the doors. All you would need with you is online or paper notes on what you are visiting, or a guide book.. As your question is a FAQ, there have been many many previous threads and replies about the ease of Istanbul sightseeing. from the cruise terminals. (Perhaps this is why there have been few suggestions from CCers)You could use the SEARCH tool under your username to pull them up and read the replies. I am thinking that a private tour guide is unlikely to pick you up and drive you around as traffic in Istanbul is notoriously slow and often gridlocked, and with parking in the Sultanahmet area tricky, I am guessing that your guide would be on foot with you, and use the trams to get you from and back to the cruise teriminal,as walking or using trams are the preferred modes of transport (and it is a looong walk and partly uphill to Sultanahmet from the cruise ships.) Info and guides to using Istanbul trams should be very easily found online. Tripadvisor Istanbul and others for info and images of the potential sites/sights you could visit. And even an online map of Sultanahmet would show you just how close the main Sultanahmet sights/sites are to each other. Perhaps others would have experience of a driver picking up at the cruise terminal and driving around and parking in Sultanahmet as it is not something we ourselves have done. Perhaps you could tweak the wording of your thread to ask? Or do a little homework/research yourselves and DIY should there be no good suggestions made.

I just booked the ship excursion. I just don't want to risk missing the ship in Turkey. I think you are doing the right thing for peace of mind, worth quite a bit IMHO. I think your difficulty is actually with the Virgin style of cruising, which, (just recently,having watched a tv docuseries about Virgin Cruises) I believe has more focus on " fun" activities and ports which are different from the mainstream lines, but if I am wrong about that, I am sure others will correct that. If you have an interest in historical sights/sites which can be found in many countries across the Med, and Europe in general,maybe for your next cruise you could consider switching cruselines for an itinerary which more suits your interests?

Wishing you luck with that. The terrace houses have fabulous wall decorations as these houses belonged to the most well off citizens.

Can anyone recommend a private wine tasting excursion in Bordeaux? As nobody has yet replied, have you looked at the official Bordeaux Tourist Information website for possibilities? Top right to choose your preferred language, along the top for private tours also wine and vineyard tours where you might find something.

for a return back to the cruise port from baia camara do lobos Reading reviews on egTripadvisor might be helpful if others mentioned getting there or back by taxi. There are no trains on Madeira, but have you checked to see if there are any public buses serving that route? or a HOHO?

Distance is likely to be a good 2 hours each way, hence the length of the shorex. And yes, the pros and cons of shorex v DIY or small private tour are already obvious to you. Does the shorex description specifically mention the terrace houses? I would be a little surprised if it did as we paid a separate entry fee at the entrance to the terrace houses. It would be more usual to enter only the main site, but if the description mentions the terrace houses then it should be part of the site visit. Otherwise you would need to find a private tour operator then try to find others to share the cost with you. Have you checked your Roll Call? That is where you would try to find others to share, or perhaps someone has already organised a private tour and is looking for pax like you to join them. May be more difficult to find a tour, and others to share, given the long distance as not everyone would want so much driving in one day, and not everyone would want to venture as far on a private tour due to concerns about returning on time, preferring to have a shorex where the ship is guaranteed to wait for any late returns.