edinburgher

Lucky you. A delightful port of call with the added bonus of Portofino which can be reached on foot, by taxi or bus, or the wonderful short ferry ride.There have been a number of previous threads about Santa Margherita and Portofino as these ports have become more popular. The two are often linked as there is such a short distance between them and both are attractive and easily explored without a tour. They are also mentioned in threads relating to la Spezia. It is easy to pull up all the previous threads, but I suggest you search for both SM and P (and maybe also la Spezia)as there are usually mentions of both in threads of one or the other. If you do not know how to use the SEARCH tool, go to the general ITALY BOARDS forum,(not any individual thread) insert the name of one or the other in the empty search box under your username, then hit the little spy glass and all previous threads containing that name will appear ready for you to read and much info will be found by doing that. This is one example: https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2909465-portofino/#comment-64693292 This is another when someone was asking about side trips from la Spezia but both SM and Portofino are mentioned in various posts. Find others using the search tool. https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2911139-la-spezia-anything-to-do-within-a-short-drive/#comment-64724921 You should also look at tourist information websites for SM and P, also Tripadvisor and any others for info and images which might tempt you to explore both without thinking you need to take a tour.

Have you looked at Hurtigruten for Norway?. They have expedition ships which go to more unusual destinations such as Antarctica, but have several which run up and down the Norwegian Coast serving local communities and these are primarily ferries which take passengers. And the onboard experience is typically Norwegian, including meals.

How do your recommendations above hold up for later in the year? Would you change anything? I suggest you research Dubrovnik options and decide how you would like to spend your day, then check opening hours. Obviously in November, a lazy day at the beach area of Lapad is unlikely to be a fun thing to do and much of the charm of Cavtat would also be lost. That said, I believe the wall walking is still possible (check opening hours) and the city will be much the same as usual and easily explored on foot. There may be fewer organised walks for you to join, but self guided walks are usually easily enough found online, as are GOT locations. This because you visit is into November, and many sights across the Med and Adriatic begin to wind down at the end of October. Some will close entirely, others may be open but have reduced hours and public transport will usually switch from a summer to a winter timetable with a reduced service. And you may also find that some shop,restaurants, cafes and bars may also close as the owners take a well deserved rest after a busy tourist season. And weather is likely to be unpredictable with the long, hot/very hot days of summer gone to be replaced with more wet and windy weather so be prepared. So, check carefully what you plan to do with your day. Is this the start or the end of your itinerary??because if you have more ports of call after Dubrovnik, the same criteria would probably apply there too.

Is anyone familiar with the HOHO in Mallorca or know how easy/difficult it is to get to one of the HOHO stops to do the bus tour? Perhaps the DIY Palma sticky at the top of the page would be a good place to ask, although you may not need to ask if it has already been asked and answered on that thread. https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2697012-palma-de-mallorca-diy-new/

I not a fan of long flights and cruising allows us a more relaxed travel experience . In that case, and noting that you are UK based, I would also suggest you take geography and long flights into account. For our first S. America cruise we booked the middle leg of a possible three leg itinerary and the long flights and journey door-to-door were a totally exhausting experience. And on that first journey, the near 2 hour drive from Santiago airport to the port at Valparaiso (before the move to S. Antonio), was the last thing we needed at that point. Once onboard we discovered many many of the pax were doing either two of the legs b2b, or were onboard for the full 3 leg S. America circumnavigation. A couple of years later when we found ourselves flying back out to S. America for a different leg, we were once again kicking ourselves for not having done either 2 or 3 legs the first time, instead of only one as we now had a seond journey to make. It would also have been much more low cost had we only needed one return flight each instead of two. We did learn from it though and when we booked Asian itineraries, we booked 2 btobs so that we were onboard for a month each time and only had two long flights each time, one out, one back. And on changeover days it was wonderful to feel good and sympathise with those boarding, as we could relate to the journeys they had endured to get there and were relieved we had not had to do them ourselves as we had planned better those times. I think you should do as we did, and write down a list of all the places you would like to visit, then break the list down by geographical area. From that point you can search which lines have these places on their itineraries, then look at the line, the ship and the onboard facilities and services. Any previous experience with cruiselines and ships will help you decide which might suit you best for a longer trip. I personally would not stress about every little detail on a particular ship if you are going for the itinerary (are you?) so I do think that as long as it is "acceptable" you can forget the little things, simply avoid the onboard things you do not care for and embrace the new.

Where would we go to try to find such a boat? Cassis? The Old Port? Depending on the time of year, there are boat trips offered to the calanques from both the Vieux Port Marseille and from the waterfront at Cassis. You should be able to pull up online websites belonging to the operators with all the info you need..

Clothes for a cruise ex Boston to Iceland/Greenland / Canada You might want to consider taking a head net with you to wear in Icelandic and Greenlandic ports if the flies are out in force. They don't bite but can be a nuisance. Several discussions about them on this earlier thread which you might find helpful to read. It doesn't start off that way, but stick with it for helpful info. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2812546-qaqortoq-greenland/#comments

that would depend on your cruiseline.

There have been a couple of extra posts on an earlier similar thread, so could be helpful to look at that one too. https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2914113-calanques-national-park-marseille/#comment-65121335

October is still very much inside hurricane season so "expect the unexpected" is what to bear in mind, and maybe go with an open mind in the expectation that your itinerary may have to be tweaked if weather conditions change. Sailings in that period are often less expensive, but they are less expensive for a reason.

Could also consider small yacht cruises, for example those which run along the Croatian coasts and islands, also Greek coasts and islands. We have on occasion seen one or two docked at Dubrovnik which cruise the coasts and islands, and Croatia is very scenic. Might be worth researching yacht as opposed to ship itineraries. Or maybe flotilla sailing ?Turkish coasts would be an option. Maybe Hurtigruten would be a good fit as it is really a line which runs several Norwegian coastal ferries but also carries cruise pax Or small expedition ships?

Yes; I took a bus there. For anyone looking for info in the future, which area did you take a bus to?(Marseille or Cassis)

Valencia wil be our embarkation and disembarkation point. Is the bus that you are referring to Bus No. 4? We used the #4 to reach the plaza at the town Hall (Ayuntamiento) then explored the historic area before taking a different bus back from the opposite end of the historic area from a stop beside one of the towers. it returned us to the port but on a different route, this time passing the futuristic area. But if you are both embarking and disembarking at Valencia, you will have luggage and I suggest that you would be better taking a taxi each time as public buses and luggage are rarely a good mix. if you do take a public bus, choose whichever stop is best located for you, as it will make no difference where you get on as the bus will stop at all the stops on its route, unless of course it is full in which case it won't stop unless passengers are getting off. And on busier buses you will maybe have to stand.This are two reasons why you would be better with a taxi door-to-door. But if you are embarking and disemaarking there, perhaps your cruiseline will have shuttles organised to/from a central location.

Is the Rua Santa Maria (with the painted doors) an easy walk, or is it uphill from the port? Sorry, but we didn't do that so cannot answer the question. Would online reviews give an indication should nobody here be able to reply?

Depoends on your plans for the day. If taking the chairlift or bus up to Monte for the views, gardens and toboggan run, then exploring the centre of town including the market and promenade with a meal or snack somewhere along the way, (not forgetting Blandy's wine lodge and Rua Santa Maria mentioned above), you may not need it, or even have time for it.. It is a personal choice, but reading online HOHO reviews could help you decide.

Have replied to your other thread with this: Valencia you would probably want a local bus or taxi to take you to and from the historic area which is quite compact and flat with sights in close proximity to each other so easily walked.. The official Valencia Tourist Info website has much info on it and you should include looking at it as part of your research. If taking a taxi, you could ask to be routed past the futuristic area en route to the historic area as Valencia is a city of two parts.

You should also do some online and CC research as you should have some idea of where you want to go in each location. One reason is that some of these port towns/cities are restricted to pedestrians only in the historic areas so taxis cannot drive you around, and the HOHOs cannot enter either, mostly running around only the exteriors and modern areas.. And some are very easily explored on foot. Cadiz, you only need cross the road from the port and walk a couple of minutes to find yourself in the historic area. Malaga city you will already be in when you exit the port gates. Valencia you would probably want a local bus or taxi to take you to and from the historic area which is quite compact and flat with sights in close proximity to each other so easily walked.. The official Valencia Tourist Info website has much info on it and you should include looking at it as part of your research. There is a very detailed DIY Palma Majorca sticky at the top of the Spain Ports forum. https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2697012-palma-de-mallorca-diy-new/page/14/#comment-65041188 And all of these ports have been frequently asked about, so do use the SEARCH tool to bring up previous threads and replies which you can read for much info to get you started.

We tried to do exactly that, and had overnight accommodation booked, but there was a train strike scheduled and we had to cancel the overnight. As a precaution, book accommodation which can be cancelled and refunded if you cannot make it, also check the Italian train strike website info for any potential strikes which may affect your plans. They don't always go ahead, but sometimes they do and you should be aware of that possibility. Here is a current thread with strike website info: https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2927366-venice-to-trieste-possible-train-strike-options/#comment-65110826

Does anyone have a tour company they liked for a tour to the Medoc area from Bordeaux? And do also check out the office City of Bordeaux Tourist Info website as there are a number of tour options listed on it. Top right to select your preferred lnguage,and along the top of the home page for vineyard and wine tours.

Sounds good, but with only a few hours there we missed it, but still enjoyed the time we had.

how to get there and back. Could anyone help us out? Thank you. We took a RER train and the end station was only a very short walk from the entrance. You may need to take a metro to get you to a station served by that line unless your closest line is good.. Remember to validate your train ticket before boarding or you risk a fine. It is a HUGE complex and can be a tiring but worthwhile day. We used the little train to access some of the gardens and buildings in the grounds and I recommend you consider doing the same..

can we expect plenty of shuttle busses and taxis around regardless of where NCL docks us? The shuttle buses were (I think) cruiseline buses. Didnn't notice if there were taxis or not as we used the shuttle both ways.

Nice picture! It is the sort of picture we saw pre-cruise which tempted us to visit. I don't know why more cruise pax don't go there.

is getting around Zadar near the ships port easy? Have just now posted this on your other Zadar thread. We had expected to be docked in Zadar town almost next to the Sea Organ, but instead found ourselves at an out of town cruise terminal with shuttle buses to get us into town. I don't know if that is the norm or was a one off for a particular reason, but that is where we were. Shuttles dropped off and picked up from that same location very close to the Sea Organ and promenade, no more than 5 minutes on foot from the centre of town. There will be enough in town to fill in those extra hours, and you may all be tired from your shorex and wanting to relax onboard instead of venturing out. The kids (and adults too) will love the Sea Organ. We thought it the best sight in town.

It is what we would do but you must choose which is best for you. And the promenade and historic centre of Split is an easy max 15 minute flat walk from the dock. We had expected to be docked in Zadar town almost next to the Sea Organ, but instead found ourselves at an out of town cruise terminal with shuttle buses to get us into town. They dropped off and picked up from that same location very close to the Sea Organ and promenade, no more than 5 minutes on foot from the centre of town.