IWantToLiveOverTheSea

And as for Saigon, I've only contacted one tour operator, but he mentioned that he thinks we will likely dock at "Hiep Phuoc." I have no idea what that's based on (or where it is!), except that he likely knows much more than I do, so have to go with that in draft form for now.

Thank you for your information! The port is Chan May. Our itinerary is listed as Hue (Chan May). In Oceania speak, the port is in parentheses. I was looking at some excursions and Hoi An seems to be one of the choices of places to visit, hence my reference to that city. And our itinerary calls for Bangkok (Laem Chabang), so the latter city is where we'll be.

I don't see any posts about Vietnam. I'll be going there early next year and am kind of struggling on what to see and do there. We will be going to Nha Trang, Hue (Hoi An) and of course Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). So I'd welcome any info anyone has on possible tour guides (small group preferably, but may consider private), info on where the ports are located, and anything that comes to mind. I've started by getting a few books from the library (we also go to Bangkok, Brunei, Singapore, and Borneo) and started looking at the info on the whatsinport site. But I'd love any info anyone can give me as to what they did, what other sites I might look at, and things like that. I'm familiar with Viator, Trip Advisor, Tours by Locals and Get Your Guide. Thanks.

I don't really know. But I do know that occasionally some vendors will make exceptions to their tour itinerary or pick up time/place if you just write them and ask them. We were on a cruise last month in which someone did that and the vendor did a streamlined tour and picked us up within a block or two of the port. But this was Europe, not Japan, and through Viator I believe. And we did get a group of 6 of us (using Cruise Critic Roll Call) so that was probably a win-win for both the group and for the vendor. It DID show me that it's possible to negotiate with some vendors. So I guess I'd probably suggest starting with asking some vendors what they might be willing to do. I'm thinking of doing that with a couple Get Your Guide vendors. I don't have a huge problem with taking a taxi to a hotel to meet a group, but it just seems like a bit of a hassle. And I'm a little less likely to take that kind of tour as I'm never 100% sure that the time the vendor says they will spend on the tour itself will actually be the real time that's given.

There's lots of good info in the last few posts. I just booked a cruise, so I'm not willing to spend time on updates, and there's no formal "updater" for this thread. But here's a quick summary of how to update list if anyone wants to try it (using a mouse; not sure if same when using phone): -Open a comment block -Go back to latest posted list & place cursor at beginning (I'd use "Please feel free....") -Hold curser down & drag it along whole list before releasing it -After releasing it (with list highlighted), right click on mouse & click on "Copy" -Scroll down to comment block you opened -Right click "Paste" (ignore message you get regarding rich or plain text) -Make changes/additions (helpful to include country name, plus date you traveled) -If want, enter comment somewhere as to what you added -Click "Submit Reply" If you made a mistake, you have a little bit of time to go back and edit. But I'm not sure how long the window for editing is.

Edited by IWantToLiveOverTheSea 6/14/23. Some ports were omitted when I posted a new list (see post 656), so I've added that information back into this list. However, the list may not include all info provided in posts on pages 27 and 28 of this thread. Please feel free to copy and paste the list, and add updates or corrections directly to it. Oceania Shuttles List ================================================================== Free shuttle buses are generally offered when: The ship is docked a long walk from the main thoroughfare Taxis and or public transportation are not easily accessible from the port. . The port is industrial and not pedestrian-friendly. The decision on whether free buses will be offered will be based on the port used and will be made closer to or during the sailing Once on board, a list of ports that will offer a complimentary shuttle into town will be provided / shown in daily Currents ________________________________________________________________________________ Abidjan, Ivory Coast..... Shuttle to city business centre (post 647) ......... April 2023 Acapulco (Mex)............20 min walk to market, lots tours/taxis outside gates -... April 2023 Acajutla, El Salv............Free shuttle to Botanical Gardns half hourly - April 2023 Adelaide Aus................Tram right at port goes to centre city, no shuttle ...Dec 2019 Agios Nikolaos ............Don't need a shuttle as dock near town centre ......update 2020 Airlie Beach (Aust.) .....Tender, then $5AUD pp each way shuttle Akaroa NZ ................... Tender of centre of town. ...... Dec 2019 Alanya (Turkey) ............Taxis take you to the top of the hill . ... update 2020 Albany West Aus ..........Shuttle to town centre ...........Dec 2019 Alesund ........................ Dock at town so no shuttle Alexandria .................... Shuttle to city square Alicante Sp ....................free shuttle .............update 2022 Amalfi .......................... No need for shuttle Antigua...........................dock in town ..no shuttle Antofagasta ................. Free shuttle to town Antwerp ....................... Dock in town - no shuttle needed ... Aug 2017 Aqaba ........................... Shuttle Arica, Chile.................... Shuttle out of port, town opposite port...April 2023 Arrecife (Canary Is.)......free shuttle .............................per Currents 2014 Ashdod Israel .............. Shuttle to Sea Mall ... April/June 2022 Athens (Port of Piraeus)...Shuttle to outside port area in Piraeus - need tour to Athens (2022) Bangkok ....................... Free shuttle to town Banjul, The Gambia.......Shuttle to Royal Albert Market, post 647 recommended tour...April 2023 Bar Harbor ................. Dock at town so no shuttle Barcelona .................... O ships often dock at World Trade Center (Moll de Barcelona). Private company often offers free or paid shuttle from WTC & other terminals to near Drassanes Metro Basseterre, St. Kitts ..... Dock at town so no shuttle Belfast .......................... Free shuttle to town (near City Hall) Bermuda (Hamilton)....... dock in town .no shuttle Bilbao ............................Free shuttles reported Apr/May 2023 from Getxo port to Bio's Plaza del Museo near Guggenheim OR Fine Arts Museum near Old Town Bordeaux (city) ........... Tie up near Bourse Maritime on river, no shuttle, tram close. April 2023 Bordeaux (Le Verdon) ...If ship making technical stop only, need shore excursion in area ending in Bordeaux to leave ship.. Some itineraries offer shuttle to nearby Soulac sur Mer. Stop is due to tides. Brisbane (Aus) ............. Free shuttle to town Bozcaada, Turkey.........Short tender to small city, no shuttle needed .... April 2022 Broome (Australia)........ Free shuttle to town Bruges (Zeebruge) ........Free shuttle to port gates ... August 2017. Also see post 670 May 2023 Burnie Tas Aus...............Shuttle to Makers Workshop (meet guides/taxis) and to town......update 2020 Buenos Aires ................ Free shuttle to town / Plaza Hotel .......... update 2020 Busan............................Free shuttle all day.....April 2023 Cabo Frio, Brazil............Tender, walk to town ......April 2023 Cadiz ........................... Dock at town so no shuttle. Need train/other transport to Seville ..May 2023 Cairns Aus ................... Dock at town so no shuttle Callao (Lima) ............... Free shuttle to town Canary Islands .............Shuttle to terminal then walk ...update 2020 (Tenerife? unreported). Also see Arrecife Capetown..................NO shuttle - walk or cab. (E berth, Terminal, Duncan Rd Jan 2019 Casablanca .............. Free shuttle to town Castries, St Lucia ...... Dock at town so no shuttle Chania (Hania), Crete (Greece) - shuttle to city center April 2022 Civitavecchia (for Rome).. Free shuttle to Civitavecchia Cobh..................... Dock at town so no shuttle Colombo .............. Free from ship to Port Gate 1. (local taxis available there) Jan 2019 Concarneau .........Dock at town so no shuttle Copenhagen .............. Free shuttle to town – however reports of it being difficult see post 301 Coquimbo ................ Free shuttle to a hotel in town...updated April 2023 Corfu ......................... Free shuttle to town Corner Brook ............ Dock at town so no shuttle Cotonou, Benin...........Shuttle to town April 2023 Crete..........................Shuttle ....Update 2020 ...Oceania stops in several places in Crete; see Chania Daka, Senegal............Shuttle to Independence Square......April 2023 Dar es Salaam...........Free shuttle from pier to Hyatt Regency in City Center. Long walk from ship to exit gate. There are several gates which may be confusing. Very busy working port (Jan 2019) Darwin Aus ............... Free shuttle to town Dubai .........................Free shuttle from the port to the Dubai Mall Dublin ...................... Free shuttle to town (kildare St/Merrion Square) ... Aug 2017 Dubrovnik .............. Free shuttle to town Dunedin NZ .............. Free shuttle to town East London, SA ........Free shuttle from pier to the Hemingsway Mall (Jan 2019) Edinburgh (Leith) .......No shuttle - Closest port to town but still a distance to city centre. Multiple ports. Eden Aus ...................Tender then shuttle but only short walk Ensenada Mexico.......20 min. walk into townwith wheelchair, shuttle $4 April 2023. Ephesus ..........Quite a drive from Kusadasi - best done by a tour ...........update 2020 - see Kusadasi Esmeraldas ............. Shuttle to Playa de las Palmas (docked / itinerary said tender) Mar 2019 Exmouth (Aus) ........... Free shuttle to town Flam Norway............... No shuttle needed - dock in town July 2018 Forteleza, Brazil...........Shuttle to downtown hotel opposite beautiful beach....April 2023 Fremantle/Perth ........unsure, nearby ferry dock, train station very close to dock..... update Dec 2019 Gdansk (Gydnia).........Shuttle to Gydnia but Gdansk required excur/transport (date unknown, but old) Geiranger ................... No shuttle needed - Dock at town Geraldton West Aus ...Shuttle .................Update Dec 2019 Gijon SP .....................Shuttle to Rodriquez San Pedro ("Las Letronas"), then 5m walk to old town Gisbourne NZ ............ Free shuttle to town but short walk Gothenburg ................ Shuttle to City Hall Great Stirrup Cay (Bahamas) - tender to island. No shuttle needed. Greenock ................ ..No shuttle needed - Dock at town (15-20 minute walk to train to Glasgow) Haifa .........................shuttle to port entrance only (April 2022) Halifax ................. ....No shuttle needed - Dock at town Halifax pier 31 shuttle to Pier 22 pavillion April 2019 Hamburg ................. Shuttle provided by Port to City Hall ....Aug 2017Harvest Caye........... ferry to mainland *not* operating for independents when there Mar 2019 Havana, Cuba ............ Dock in city. walk off on main street.... April 2017. Helsinki ................... Free shuttle to town/ Shuttle from Westport to terminal near Market Square Hiroshima..................Free shuttle all day......updated April 2023 Hobart (aus) ............ Dock at town so no shuttle ... Sep 2017 Holyhead ................ Free shuttle to town (really to end of dock) ... Aug 2017 Hososhima...............Free shuttle all day.....April 2023 Invergordon ............. Dock at town so no shuttle .... August 2017 Kirkwall (Shetlands Is) .......Shuttle to visitors centre Castle St .... update 2017 Koper ...................... Dock at town so no shuttle Kotor ....................... Dock at town so no shuttle Kristiansand ............ Walking distance to town ...(South coast Norway) August 2017 Kristiansund.............No shuttle - dock in town (West coast of Norway) July 2018 Kusadasi (for Ephesus) - no shuttle, shopping available nearby in city. April 2022 Kyoto/Kobe......... Free shuttle all day......April 2023 La Coruna ............... Dock at town so no shuttle Langkawi.................Free shuttle from pier to Cenang Duty free Mall Jan 2019 La Rochelle ............. Free shuttle to town Le Havre (for Paris) .... Free shuttle to town (Le Havre) .... August 2017 Le Verdon ................. Free shuttle to town (Soulac Sur Mer) sometimes offered. Take excursion if not. Also see Bordeaux above Lerwick ....................Dock at town so no shuttle Lima ...................... Free shuttle to Marriott at Larcomar (Miraflores neighborhood) Mar 2019 Lisbon .................... Free shuttle reported for some cruises; none for others. Dock below Alfama near transportation/walk opportunities (updated Apr 2022) Liverpool ............... Dock at town so no shuttle ... August 2017 Livorno (for Florence) Free shuttle to town but need excursion or transport if going to Florence Londonderry Nth Ire .....Shuttle to visitors centre in town..........update 2019 Luderitz, Namibia.....No shuttle needed - town an easy walk.......April 2023 Male, Maldives.........tender port.... guides waiting + pick up tours there. Walk in town Jan 2019 Mahe, Seychelles........no shuttle . Jan 2019 Malaga ....................Shuttle ..............update 2022 Manta Ecuador ...... Shuttle to main square (longish walk); will drop you at port gate Mar 2109 Manzanillo Mexico...Long walk to shuttle bus cost $3 )see post 647) April 2023 Maputo ...................Free shuttle from pier to City Center (feima market) Jan 2019 Marcello, Brazil.......Shuttle downtown, some shopping, need taxi for interesting places ..April 2023 Marseille ............... Free shuttle to town (Fort Saint John) Melbourne Vic Aus ...Tram 109 is 5-10 min walk from port, buy ticket at convenience store, no shuttle. Trams within City Centre free, no shuttle ...... update Dec 2019 Messina (Italy) - ship docks at City Center; no shuttle needed. Miami .................... Free shuttle to Bayside Marketplace (*not* on embarkation day) Mar 2019 Mindelo, Cape Verde Shuttle to Marina Mindelo (downtown.....April 2023 Mitilini.....................This is tender port near town centre....... update 2020 Monte Carlo ............. Dock at town so no shuttle Murmansk ................ Need to book a tour either O or private for visa Muscat ..................... Free shuttle to the Souk Mykonos.....................No shuttle needed, dock in town ...update 2020 Napier NZ.....................shuttle to ISite info centre on Marine Parade .... update Dec 2019 Nassau, Bahamas ..........dock in town Natal, Brazil ................Shuttle to building with some shops -taxis - NB security see post 647.. Apr 2023 New York .................. no shuttle (Manhattan cruise terminal) Mar 2019 Newcastle .................. Free shuttle to nearest metro station (limited timing) Nosy be, Madagascar...Free shuttle (tender port) from pier to Town Center Market Jan 2019 Oporto (Porto)......... Free shuttle to Parque de Alfandega (riverfront transport parking lot) Apr 2023. Walk left as face water about 10 minutes to get to Ribeira/bridge Oslo ............................. Dock in town so no shuttle .... Aug 2017 Paphos, Cyprus ......... ? no shuttle. About 10 minutes walk to shops etc April 2022 Palma de Mallorca........ Free shuttle to town (cathedral) Paris - see Le Havre Patmos..............Dock in town - no shuttle needed .... update 2020 Perth see Fremantle Phillip Is Vic Aus.........long tender ride in, shuttle to beach /boardwalk, limited car hire/taxis....Dec 2019 Phuket, Thailand........no shuttle Jan 2019 Picton NZ .................... Dock at town so no shuttle Piraeus (Port for Athens)...Shuttle to outside port in Piraeus, need tour to Athens (2022) Pisco ....................... Free shuttle to town Pointe Seraphine..... Walking distance (500 metres) or harbour water taxi to main area town..April 2023 Port Arthur Tas Aus . Tender in to PA Penal Settlement - (no real town so a guess) no shuttle needed updated 2022 Port Elizabeth, South Africa....Free shuttle from pier to the Boardwalk Jan 2019 Port Klang................... Shuttle to Bukit Tinggi Mall. Break from 11:45 - 1:30. Jan 19 Port Stanley (Falklands) Dock at visitors center - 10 min. walk through town...........April 2023 Porto - see Oporto Portofino ................... No need for shuttlePuerto Limon........... No shuttle, tours by the local taxis & shops on the pier, walk to town Mar 2019 Portland UK ................Free shuttle to town Praislin .............. ....... No shuttle . Jan 2019 Puerto Arenas.............Shuttle to Handicraft Market....April 2023 (Is this Puntarenas, Costa Rica?) Puerto Chacabuco......Tender then shuttle to get out of port...April 2023 Puerto Chiapas Mex....$10 RT shuttle or $60 RT for 45 min. drive to town (post 647)...April 2023 Puerto Limon...............No shuttle, tours by local taxis & shops on pier, walk to town.....March 2019 Puerto Montt Chile.......Tender to tours & taxis, suggest early tender (post 647) ..April 2023 Punta del Este.............Tender docks right in centre of town........April 2023 Quetzal, Guatemala.......No shuttle, many tour operators, small souvenir shops.... April 2023 Recife, Brazil...............Shuttle to terminal where many tours/taxis available....April 2023 .. Rhodes ....................... Dock in town. no shuttle - longish walk to port gates. .April 2022Roatan ...................... No shuttle, Oceania docks in Coxen Hole, many port shops etc Mar 2019; can also dock at Mahogany Bay resort port Richards Bay............... Free shuttle from pier to Boardwalk Mall. (Jan 2019) Riga..............................Don't think offered shuttle; easy walk to HoHo bus/Rifleman Statue Rio .............. ?? Free shuttle to town. Terminal has many tours & taxis outside....update 2023 Rome ........................(see Civitavecchia) Safaga ,Egypt .............Shuttle to downtown Saint John NB ........... Dock at town so no shuttle Salalah, Oman ............ shuttle to the Souk Salaverry............. shuttle to Trujillo/or shuttle to port gate - private tours. Tours in Trujillo Mar 2019 Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.....Walk off ship, tours & taxis at terminal....April 2023 San Antonio de Chile.....Shuttle out of port, then 10 min. walk to town (huge market) post 647 Apr 2023 San Sebastion de la Gomera ...........None needed ........ update 2020 Santa Cruz De Teneriffe ........Shuttle to terminal ....................update 2019 Santander SP docked along waterfront Almirante Quay near Botin Center Apr 2023, no shuttle needed Santiago de Compostela SP - see Vilagarcia Santo Tomas, ...... - no shuttle, tours in the terminal, walk into town Mar 2019 Sao Tome & Principe...Tender, shuttle to main square, taxis available....Apr 2023 Santos ......................... Free shuttle to town - about 6 yrs ago no shuttle to San Paulo (1hour drive) Shimizu.........................Free shuttle all day......update 2023 Skagan Denmark............free shuttle to town July 2018 Singapore.......................no shuttle Jan 2019 Sorrento ...................... Free shuttle to town Split ............................. Dock at town so no shuttle Stavanger ....................dock in town July 2018 St Barts ..................... tender to town..no shuttle St. Lucia ................... Castries: Dock at town so no shuttle. Pointe Seraphine: .....walking distance (500 metres) or harbour water taxi to main area town. St Malo ...................... Dock at town so no shuttle St Jean De Luz .......... Dock at town so no shuttle St Petersburg .............. Need to book a tour - either O or private for required visa Sydney N.S. .................Dock at town so no shuttle Sydney Cove/ Circular Quay Aus ...... Free shuttle to Darling Harbour centre ..... 2018 Sydney White Bay dock Aus ...turnaround day . no shuttles, taxis available ..... Dec 2019 Tallinn, Estonia.......... Free shuttle to gates of old lower town (main road outside city wall) Tauranga /Rotorua.....Believe was shuttle to Tauranga city center; Rotorua requires excursion or transport ..............Dec 2019 Trapani, Sicily ..........No shuttle; docked very near downtown June 2022 Ushuaia.................... Shuttle to town (also walkable) see post 647.............April 2023 Valencia .................. Free shuttle to town Valletta ..................... Dock below town. Take elevator up/down RTup for €1-€2k. Update April 2022 Venice ..................... Free shuttle to town (may be outdated; ships not allowed in city May 2023, but may be possible to dock in nearby Fusina, Maghera now or soon?) Vilagarcia (port for Santiago de Compostela) Port authority provided free shuttle Apr 2023 to tourist info center downtown at O Cavadelo (closed at 9 AM). Local buses & cab stand nearby but not much open/few people around. I took cab to train, train to Santiago, walked back to shuttle, shuttle to ship. Walvis Bay, Namibia..Shuttle to Dune Mall (shopping).......April 2023 Warnemunde, Germany.....Short walk to town or to train for Rostock & Berlin July 2018 Wellington NZ............ Free shuttle to several places city centre ...... Dec 2019 Zakynthos, Greece ...Tender port, no shuttle, smallish island. Walk to small town spring 2022 Zanzibar................... Free shuttle from pier to Kelele Square (Jan 2019) Zeebruge (for Bruges).... Shuttle to port gates ... Aug 2017 Zihuatanejo.Mexico........Easy walk off pier & you are in town...............April 2023

I tried to book something with SDT for our cruise last month. However, they did not get the minimum for the tour to be a go, so I had to make other plans. However, I was kind of expecting that, as it was early in the season, my Roll Call wasn't very active, our ship was there a little bit later than was probably ideal, and the ship only held 650 cruise passengers. But at least SDT notified us in time to look for something else. (I ended up taking a ship's excursion.) I haven't been to the Alcazar in Seville. But if I were cruising on a ship that goes all the way up (down?) to Seville (Oceania?), I would likely just pass on the Alcazar and do some other things in Seville. For something different, we once went to the "mushrooms" in Seville (forget what it's called - modern art installation). And for something more traditional, we really enjoyed the Plaza de Espanya. So I vote for the Alhambra but not rush to the Alcazar.

I'm jealous. We were in LeVerdon Sur Mer for 3 hours due to the tides before we continued our trip on the river to Bordeaux. (Did you sail the river, or stop in Le Verdon?) For us there was no shuttle to Soulac, as I was hoping there would be. Your experience in Oporto is interesting, as we were there in late April and the shuttle ran to a location at the waterfront rather than at the clock tower (Clerigos, which I had read was a frequently used shuttle drop location). We also had the "regulatory break" (apparently required by Portugal law; and experienced in the Algarve as well as in Porto!) But at least it was announced in advance so we could work around it! We had no trouble getting on the shuttle coming or going - but maybe the day we were there (late April) and the fact that we were on Sirena (small, though sold out, so not exactly devoid of people!) made a difference. And it was also Portugal's "Freedom Day" holiday, so I was happy to find the shuttle running that day! In Bilbao we didn't have any lines either. But our shuttle dropped us near the Guggenheim, and not near the Old Town part of Bilbao, so again it was a different location. What was problematic in Bilbao was that we disembarked, and there weren't many taxis in the port (Leixoes/Matosinhos). When we did get a taxi, the driver told us there are restrictions on which taxis could enter the port. If we ever disembark in Bilbao again, I'll look for some other means of getting where I'm going (airport, Porto, or whatever). But I loved Bilbao.... Oh well. If I haven't learned anything else from cruising, I've learned that you need to be flexible! Nothing is written in stone, especially when other entities are involved. I always take money for a taxi just in case I need it.

Actually, this question is for Lobbylin on anyone else who knows about the Gardens. I'm just curious, can I assume that the free light shows in Singapore at the Gardens by the Bay are just walk in, no reservations or fuss needed? And is there much of a walk from the closest Metro stop to where they're held? Also, is it possible to go up to the top of the famous hotel in Singapore (Marina Bay Sands) to just take a look? Or what about buying just one expensive drink? And when flying into Singapore, is it easy to see or visit the wonderful "things" in that airport?

I hope you come back here (or somewhere else - a Facebook group, or Ports of Call section?) to report actual location where you docked. We're on Riviera (larger) so may be farther out and may not know where we'll be until the night before. But any info from recent visitors to Bangkok would be helpful. Our itinerary for next year on Riviera states Bangkok (Laem Chabang) for disembarkation, with a day and a half. So that's pretty clear to me - dock in Laem Chabang, 2 hours away! So I'm assuming we won't be able to see a lot of Bangkok given the distance from port to city, but a little is better than none, plus we will likely stay over in Bangkok for a day or two after the cruise. And with an overnight there, at least we don't have to see a little and then ush back to the ship. In any case, I hope those of you traveling earlier than me come back here and report how things went. Any info, even just one person's experience, is helpful for me.

The only ships that can go down the river are river ships (AMA, Viking, etc.) Matosinhos (Leixoes) is the port for Oporto (Porto). We docked in Leixoes in April. A shuttle to Porto was offered. It took about a half hour and dropped off on the waterfront a little ways from the Dom Luis Bridge (Alfandega Transport Center). There were a few tour options for touring there (tourist tram, I think HoHo bus, possibly taxis) or you could just walk along the waterfront to go where you wanted to go. We walked to the bridge and started our exploration there.

This is pretty unusual, even with 2 ships. But unfortunately, Lisbon has just had some widespread strikes which affected many airport and cruise port operations. It sounds like you got caught up in it. Hopefully you disembark in another city, or if Lisbon, that the strikes ae over.

I'd like to know too. There's a little bit of info on the "whatsinport" site, but like you said, it doesn't sound like there is much right there.

I have not been to Asia, but Oceania has some interesting cruises that visit a variety of places. They are more expensive than Celebrity, but if you choose a moderately priced room and go easy on extras, I feel they are worth it. It's a great line and they have fabulous itineraries.

Hi. Hopefully you haven't left yet, as I just saw this. We were on Sirena in Portimao last month. My spouse has a cousin who lives outside Lagos, so we hooked up with her in Portimao and she and her boyfriend drove us to Lagos and around. There isn't much in the port at Portimao. There was a free shuttle offered that took us to what was described as "Avenida Guanare in town." Shuttle ran every 30 minutes starting a half hour after our arrival time, which was 8. Our cousin told us to meet her at the train station in Portimao. We had no idea where the shuttle was, or the train station, but said OK. We took the shuttle, but then had no clue where to go. From what I could tell, on a map it was around the waterfront area called Largo do Dique. There wasn't much around, but we walked around a little, asked the few people we could find who spoke any English, and managed to find a cab stand. If we had loaded Bolt or Uber before getting to Portugal, things would have likely been easier. But we made it to Portimao's small train station (still with a cigarette machine inside!) and met our cousin. Lagos is definitely not far from Portimao (maybe 30 minute drive?), but I'm not sure how often a train or bus may go there. I had originally planned to rent a car in Portimao at one of the car rental places in Praia da Rocha, which is the beach just south of Portimao. But I ended up just forgetting my plans for seeing some places both east and west of Poritmao. Our cousin took us to Lagos, her place, and Ponte da Piedade, where there are cliffs and a lighthouse. If you want to do some exploring on your own outside of the city (i.e., no Oceania excursion) I would definitely arrange something before you arrive in Portimao. It's not exactly a city that seems to be well set up for promoting tourism, or at least not for tourism that takes people OUT of the city! You may want to check Viator, Get Your Guide, shorexcursions, and that kind of site for excursions. For car rental, I think I was looking at Auto Rent, which has a good website and is also very responsive to questions. But of course car rental is not for everyone. The cousin thought I was crazy to consider it. But we've done it in other countries before with no issues, so I was game. I wanted to see the Benegil Cave for one thing; Oceania had an excursion but it was a whole half day and I didn't want to spend that much time. If you happen to be going to Porto or Lisbon or Gijon or Bilbao or up that way in Spain, or Bordeaux, I may have useful info. Our cruise was fabulous. I loved that part of the world, and loved Sirena.

I don't know. I'd call your cruise line and ask them.

Forgot to push "follow" button....doing it now.

We spent one night at the Tempo FLH near Santa Justa Elevator in Baixa (Aurea Street, I believe). It wasn't cushy, just comfortable, fairly modern, very clean and in a very good location for sightseeing and finding dinner. They also had a very good included breakfast. In late April it was around $160 including tax and the nightly city hotel tax, booked on Booking.com. There is another "Tempo FLH" hotel in Lisbon down toward the base of Alfama. It looked nice too, but I think it was a little more expensive. We also spent 2 nights at the OnSet Alfama apartments in Alfama. That was great, but a little more expensive, and also a bit hard to book unless you do it months in advance.

Kind of different, but we stayed "up the hill" at the OnSet Alfama apartments for 2 nights. You would need to walk about the length of a third of a city block to get to where an Uber/Bolt or taxi could pick you up (or the 28 tram, which actually has some seats and stops at same corner). But otherwise we loved the place, although it is not cushy, just well appointed/comfortable. Also, the Concierge is truly available 24/7 and extremely helpful (including providing help with luggage!) And while it's not really near where most ships dock (base of Alfama), it's a short taxi or Uber ride away.

If you take the tram from Galataport, while you're at Galataport I'd buy another ticket for your return trip. I found that some tram ticket machines can be extremely quirky and or possibly out of tickets. With the cost of a tram ticket as reasonable as it is, I'd buy extras so that you only have to go through the process once. Just make sure you know which ticket is the unused one - maybe put in different pockets/places/whatever so you use the correct one coming back. A ticket is a ticket (doesn't matter which direction you're going), but a used one will definitely not work!

On Sirena in April in Spain and Portugal, euros were available for purchase on the ship. But nothing else.

Last month we overnighted in Bordeaux. I didn't stay ashore, but agree with others who say that you need to definitely to let the appropriate people on board the ship know where you'll be. In Bordeaux, Sirena had to move the gangway at one point, due to the tides on the river. For us, it took a half hour or less, occurred around 8 PM at night, and was announced in advanced. It was no big deal. ButI suppose it might have been a little unsettling if someone hadn't gotten the message and came back to the ship while the move was happening. In Easter Island, there was a big storm brewing and the captain had to move the ship around to the other side of the island, and then leave the area completely, later. A few passengers had to be collected, and it was a good thing that Oceania knew how to get a hold of them.

If anyone is looking for something quite modest (NOT cushy) and a little quirky, Casual Arriaga might suit you. I was planning to stay there a night until we changed our plans and didn't need to spend the night in Bilbao. t's in a good location in Old Town and reasonably priced. If you use Booking.com and specify Old Town, you can see other hotels in Casa Viega (Old Town). And one thing I found useful for sightseeing was Tomsportguides.com, Bilbao guide. And google Vizkaya Bridge between Bilbao and where cruise ships dock in Getxo - fascinating!

We flew to Barcelona April 19, spent the night and boarded our ship (Oceania) the next day. Our experience was a little different from yours. However, I'm pretty sure you'd have to go through immigration in the Barcelona airport before being allowed out to get a taxi. I forget how long it took us, but I don't remember it being unusually long compared to other major European cities I've flown into. But of course it may depend upon how many flights land at the same time and things like that. I don't suppose you're in need of a wheelchair, but if so, a wheelchair & pusher can be requested (before flying) and that helps speed things up a little at times. I'm hesitant to say much about a shuttle service for NCL, but if you're paying NCL for what Oceania calls a transfer, I would assume it's just like Oceania. You would look for someone with an NCL sign, or possibly your name, once you get your luggage. They'll be looking for you, too. Put on any luggage tags NCL gives you. The timing sounds a little tight, but if you have NCL transfers, you should be OK. And the airport isn't all that far from the cruise terminal, which helps. I'm thinking it has taken us about a half hour from port to a hotel or the port in Barcelona.. For check in at the port (with contractors hired by cruise line), in Barcelona it was pretty fast and simple. We have gone into and out of Barcelona several times now and they seem to really have their stuff in good order. And Oceania has people select a tentative check in time to try to prevent bottlenecks or lines. But I don't know if NCL does that. But I'm guessing that arriving mid-afternoon, you won't have any problems in that regard. Just keep your boarding pass for NCL (or whatever they give you) handy, as well as passport & credit card. Just for general info, there is pretty good taxi service to and from the port. We just take a taxi from or to the airport, hotel or port. They're reasonably priced and reasonably fast. But I would think that if you pay NCL for a transfer from the airport to the ship, the ship would not leave without you, so that's one reason you MAY want to purchase (in advance) a transfer. No guarantees, though! NCL should give you an ER number for use with travel problems - have that handy! There is a port shuttle from the Columbus statue to all of the port terminals. But given your time schedule, I wouldn't use it. It's nice for people who board early and can go back out for a little while. And I imagine it gets used quite a bit on days when a cruise ship visits. Enjoy your cruise! Questions? Ask me. Need specific info on what NCL does? You may want to ask in the section here on Cruise Critic for NCL cruisers.

If you still need info on Bordeaux, docking on the Garonne River, on Oceania, I can probably answer some questions. We did this in late April (2023) on Sirena. I had a great time in Bordeaux, just doing things on my own. Where Oceania ships have been docking the past year (berth 24 I believe, Quinconces area) is wonderful. I have some photos and info.