IWantToLiveOverTheSea

We got off in May around 8:30 and there was no queue, plus we only needed one regular-sized taxi. I believe there was only one other ship in port with us that day. But we were on Oceania Sirena, which is a small ship. But I don't remember waiting much when we disembarked in Barcelona before. However, I would imagine wait time can vary due to factors such as when you need a taxi, how many people are on your ship, whether you dock along the long pier in Barcelona or another one, what day of the week it is, etc. But we've found Barcelona port to be very efficient for disembarkation.

Oh dear. I use a lanyard on board - a nice one from Etsy. But I seldom have pockets, don't like having to carry around the card or case with card, and don't need to have anything much with me while on the ship. And I don't leave it anywhere or lose it, and it's easy to just hold out for scanning when I go off the ship. Sorry if I look like a Carnival or Princess passenger. I thought the best way to identify those people was by watching for people who served themselves on the Terrace. On Sirena in May, we were given the usual faux leather card holder.

I walked out with no luggage in about 5 minutes, possibly 10 in May, but that was without luggage, and just to sightsee, not disembark. And I was walking fairly fast and just taking the escalators down, down, down. Then it took another 5 minutes to get out because my key card didn't work and another 5 minutes to figure out where I was once I got outside. Coming back in was a lot easier. But other people have wondered where disembarkation ends up when you are catching a cab. Is it underground? Is there any signage, either for passengers or for cab drivers? Is it in the basement of Galataport or somewhere outside?

Thank you edinburgher and marazul for the helpful replies. I was making an incorrect assumption in terms of where the upper level of the bridge meets Porto. It is actually more or less on the same level as Sao Bento railway station with its tiles, and there is a Metro stop not far from the railway station. Those things are on maps, so it's easier to get to the bridge than I thought - at least from that elevated part of the city. So yes, if you walk "down" (or just "on"?) a few streets from Sao Bento, you can see the walkway for the bridge not too terribly far away. And on the way there, you pass a metro stop. As for the funicular at the waterfront (Ribeira area - which is lower than Sao Bento, Se cathedral, etc.) it goes up to a good level, and then there is a little bit of a walk "over" to where you can get on the walkway for the bridge walk. And from what I learned, you can also take steps that start near the funicular with the same being true - then have to make your way "over" to the walkway for the bridge. And then I believe if you are in Gaia, you can reach the bridge from a couple different ways, though I'd prefer not to use the somewhat expensive gondola for that. And there are no steps on the bridge itself to go up or down on the two levels, so you can't just plan on doing that! Much of this was made clear to me by asking for help on Trip Advisor in the Forums (Europe, "Mediterranean - Other" section (though I don't consider Portugal part of the Med, but whatever!)) And once I got a better idea of where to look, I was able to find street views on Google that helped show things better. So if anyone wants more info on reaching the bridge from the Porto side, reading that thread will help. It's confusing to see Porto portrayed on a google map, and I was really struggling to figure out how to do both the funicular (when open), bridge walk, and some other things in Porto and Gaia. And no, marazul, unfortunately I'm not staying in Porto, which is why I'm trying to get things figured out ahead of time! Cruising often makes you do that. Thanks again.

Well, I would hope that most drivers. including taxi drivers, would know where cruise ships are docking these days. But of course you can't count on that, and even if you see the ship across the way that doesn't mean it's smooth sailing once you get over the right area. What I'm not sure of is where drivers should pick up passengers at Galataport. The port building ("Galataport") has an underground area where cabs and coaches come, but I don't know if drivers are being directed there or not. And we embarked our cruise there, but disembarked in a different city. Our cab driver from the Istanbul hotel to the port was directed to go underground, but then he struggled to find where he should drop us. There was little signage, and only a few people walking around down there. I believe they were crew members and being helpful, and they pointed over to a door. It was a door that opened but from what I could tell it was only set up for people with key cards -- in other words, people who had already checked in/embarked. We had to wait until someone from the port came by, and we flagged them down. It was a mess, but of course, that was for embarking not disembarking, and was in May. Maybe things will be different for you. But I'd definitely make it known to any car service that you'll be leaving the ship, with luggage, and need to know where to meet a driver. You can get ON and OFF the ship through the above-ground entrance to the building, but I don't know what that entry is used for - just walkers with key cards coming from the ship to go in and out, or coming to enbark, or both. You may want to email Efendi Travel or other service to ask them where they pick up at Galataport when you're leaving the ship with luggage. And you're probably wise to use a car service, as I doubt by now all cabdrivers in a huge city like Istanbul know that Galataport is not like the previous cruise terminal building, where you could drive to a particular ship and not have to go underground. I guess if things still aren't clear, you could pick a location very close to Galataport to meet. And if you're going to a hotel, you could also ask at the hotel if they have any drivers they've dealt with. We stayed in a small, modest hotel and found they were quite knowledgeable about things we needed like Covid tests & restaurants.

Posque, yes, I have paid attention to where ships moor/dock in Istanbul. It's where they moored several years before and only the terminal (Galataport) is new, not the location. I was curious about the new terminal, so looked at where ships moored on Marine Traffic before and after our May cruise. Big and small, it was always along the water at Galataport (Salipazari berth, as someone mentions). If you're going to have someone drop you off, just make sure they know how that goes for passengers boarding a cruise ship. I believe the cab driver will be directed to one side of the building, and go down to the basement. But after that, I can't really help other than to caution you to make sure he can find the proper place to drop you. We (well, mostly he, cab driver) had trouble in May, but maybe there is signage now to help. And unless you're on a tiny cruise ship I believe you can plan on being assigned to the Salapazari berth. (For a tiny ship, who knows? Oceania small ships and Azamara ships are small, but not tiny.) We have now stayed twice in Sultanahmet before\after a cruise (once pre-Galataport and more recently in May) and found it to be a good place for sightseeing, especially if you're planning to use public transportation and/or your feet to get around. Getting from the airport wasn't terribly bad, though in May it took forever because it was the end of Ramadan week and the traffic was worse than usual. But we were bogged down with luggage and didn't feel we could manage anything but taxi. (We used Efendi, prepaid, for airport pickup.) Getting to the port from Sultanahmet was reasonably easy & fast (maybe 20 minutes by cab).

I've read a lot about the walk over the Dom Luis bridge in Porto, Portugal. However, I'm having trouble figuring out exactly where to go in Porto (and perhaps in Gaia too, on the other side) to get on the bridge. I looked at Google and figured out where to get on the bridge down at the Ribeira section of Porto, on a street named R. da Ribeira Negra Near there I see stairs with railings that appear to be going up fairly steeply. I think they are called Escadas Barredo. Is that where I go to get up to the upper level of the bridge? I want to walk on the top level And the funicular (Guidais Ascensor) is down on the Ribeira waterfront next to the place where I saw the stairs. I know that funicular, when running, goes up top to a different part of Porto. But is the funicular any help in avoiding the steep climb to the upper level of the bridge? If anyone has walked across the top level of the bridge, especially from the Porto side, not Gaia, I'd love to hear about it. Thanks & obrigada.

Bus is simply called the Aerobus. Haven't taken it, however. I love using local transportation also, but taxis in Lisbon are inexpensive, so that's what we used before and will probably use again. And I hear Uber is popular in Lisbon.

I'm late to post, but just wanted to pop on here and say that I absolutely LOVED Aalesund...so, so beautiful.

Viking Ocean's ships dock there, too. They're larger and with more passengers than Azamara. It was great docking there, especially if a person wanted to take a boat trip to Vigur Island or somewhere else. It was about a block long walk to the little pier for that. If you want to see ships docked in Isafjordur (and the little pier I'm talking about), there's a great webcam that shows where they dock.

I'm not an expert on Lisbon, but I've researched it quite a bit. I haven't been to the Aurea but I would think that would be walkable, since there are no hills down there by the water. I asked google how long it would take to walk from it to the cruise terminal and Google returned an answer of 4 minutes. Of course, that may not be precisely to the ship or to the cruise terminal, but it's probably close. It doesn't look like the most fabulous location in terms of surroundings, or romance, or anything like that. But that doesn't mean it's not in a decent location. But if you're looking for something closer to Alfama but still not terribly far from where cruise ships line up, you may want to look at the Memmo Hotel, if not too expensive or too far from the port. I've read that it's a good place, though for when I wanted to go (early May, and with a refundable reservation), I found it a little pricey. You may also want to look at an apartment rental (may be a 2 night minimum, however - not sure) called On/Set Alfama Cinema Apartments. They have a website and are also listed in TripAdvisor and Booking.com. But it's right in the middle of Alfama, a little bit off the beaten track, so there will definitely be cobblestones and narrow streets around there. I believe you must walk a half block from where taxis can drop you, so it's not for everyone. And you'd definitely need an Ubur, or Tuk Tuk or taxi for a short ride to the port. But taxis are inexpensive in Lisbon..... Hope that helps a tiny bit.

Tons of transportation in Lisbon, including Uber, plus inexpensive taxis (slight surcharge for luggage, and for night if it's after a certain time, but still inexpensive. But that last suggestion, city bus, sounds good to me, too, assuming you have some euro coins if they're needed.

Eminonu is a great place for photography - so much going on. And walking over the bridge is fun. Take some pictures of the city from the bridge, or with the city and bridge. Or eat at one of the fish boats at Eminonu. Or take a ferry from there to Asia - so much to do and see. Buy an Istanbulkart or buy several tram tickets at a time so you don't have to wait in lines. Unless you're an anti-masker, take a mask for the trams and bridge - both can be very crowded.

Thank you, that's very helpful. I've been to Lisbon before, but it was for disembarkation, so there wasn't a shuttle. But if the shuttle goes to Restauradores area, that will be very helpful with lots of options for getting elsewhere. And just about any cruise ship that has visited Lisbon for the past few months has docked in the same place, beneath Alfama or in the case of Sirena recently (3 ships in that day), stretching up north a little more. So I'm familiar with that area. And yes, I love the sail in views from the ship, especially in early morning light. Lisbon is a beautiful city. If you happen to remember any information about where the shuttles in Gijon or Portimao dropped/picked up, I'd love to hear about it.

Ouch. But thank you for the info.

I always choose unusual hotels, so you may not be interested in any I've got my eye on. However, I CAN tell you that it's very likely you'll dock in front of the Alfama area. I may have a photo. There were 3 cruise ships there recently, all lined up, but in same area (I believe what's called Tabac, but can't remember for sure.) Oceania's Sirena was nestled between 2 others. The Military Museum, Fado Museum, etc. are there. There is a good amount of public transportation there, plus when we docked there before (on Oceania) there were cabs as well. And I hear Uber is big in Lisbon, so that's another option. When I was in Lisbon before, to board a cruise, I stayed in the Baixa area. It's a good area for getting just about anywhere in the city. For next spring I'm thinking of staying in Alfama, although there is less great transportation, plus many more steps to climb, so I may regret it later. Or I may decide on Baixa again, probably at FLH Tempo. It's not the least cushy, but is in a good location for touring, and inexpensive. The place in Alfama is On/Set Cinema and it's an apartment that has a website, and is listed on Booking.com. It looks to be quite nice, and a little bit of an "experience" - hopefully the real Alfama, not a sanitized hotel. This is one studio: https://onsetalfama.com/o-castelo/ Both of these places, however, may not be right for you, as they're modern, and inexpensive. In Lisbon, I've lusted over MEMMO in Alfama, but find it too expensive for me. But others might like it. Also in Alfama are FLH Urbano (inexpensive) and Solar do Castelo (more expensive). I would book something central that appeals to you rather than staying near the port. But unless it's just for a quick stay, I look for something in an area I like, and not necessarily near the port.

No, but I'm wondering if it's at the commercial port of Fusina/Maghera, which Viking Cruises used a bit before they switched to other locations farther away. Fusina is a bus ride from Venice, but from what I read, not exactly a short bus ride. I really don't know where the lagoon starts and ends, so it's hard for me to speculate! And the above IS all speculation on my part.

Oceania just announced on their Facebook page that they've received permission for Sirena and Nautica to dock on the western shore of the lagoon in Venice. This will make a LOT of people happy. Here's the announcement: We’re excited to announce that our 650 guest Sirena and Nautica will be returning to Venice in 2023 and 2024. Docking on the western shore of the Venetian Lagoon, travelers will be just a short shuttle bus ride from all the magnificent history and sites of the fabled city of Venice. #OceaniaCruises

Hi. Just in case you have been to the following cities on your cruise, I'd love to know if a shuttle to center city was offered by Oceania or the port: In Portugal, Lisbon (if you had a full day there, not embarking/disembarking). I know public transportation is nearby, and have taken it before (easy) but would love to know if a shuttle is offered, and is so, where it went. Also in Portugal: Leixoes (port for Porto), Vilagarcia (port for Santiago de Compostela), and Portimao. Spain: Gijon, Santander, Bilbao. France - St-Jean-de-Luz (Biarritz area). And I know there's a separate thread on CC for shuttles, but nobody has reported info for the cities I've listed, except perhaps for Lisbon..... Thank you!

Based on my cruise in April on Sirena, I would NOT wait to book one of those solo rooms if you want it. Our cruise is still almost 6 months out, and there are a grand total of 3 rooms to be booked, plus one Oceanview category (C-1) is showing GTY. All other categories are wait listed. I don't know which rooms are available for solo, but at one point I saw a separate line listing for those. Right now only there's only one D category room open - 3009 is vacant. Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if that's a solo room? (This is on Sirena, "R" ship). The solo rooms are smaller than the inside rooms, but they don't look all that different than the F inside rooms that my spouse and I love.

We stayed in Sultanahmet for a few days pre-cruise. The taxi ride wasn't long or expensive, but of course it got bogged down a bit in Istanbul traffic, especially crossing the Galata Bridge. We used the tram and ferry to sightsee and get us around, only using a taxi for the trip to Galataport. It was the week after Ramadan and the city was extra-packed with extra bad traffic. From the airport to Sultanahmet was a nightmare, but I don't know if that's normally the case or not. We used a pre-paid trip for that. I forget the name of the company, but can find it if anyone wants it. It worked well, other than the horrendous traffic jams. Our hotel, a small one, also offered us the option to purchase a ride through a cab company they used. Prices were similar. You my want to ask your hotel about transportation. To get to Galataport we just had our hotel call for a taxi. Make sure taxi driver knows where to take you. Ours knew where to go to get into the underground building that is Galataport, but once in there, signage was poor, with nobody to direct him, and he dropped us off at a door that's for people being dropped off without luggage and with Oceania world cards (card you get after checking in at disembarkation. We don't speak Turkish & person at gate behind door didn't speak English, so it was difficult. Once we did embarkation check in (which was pretty efficient) we thought we were almost on the ship. But there were two long sloping ramps up to the ship doors. Ships are very well protected at Galataport! Getting off the ship and back out into the commercial area of Galataport was easier (and you don't go through the basement!), but of course my World Card didn't work so that was a (minor) hassle. I went out, find the Tophane tram stop nearby, and did a little sightseeing before getting back on the ship. There are a couple hotels, newish I believe, around Galataport. I have no idea if they're nice or not, but I saw a couple listed on the Galataport website, so it may be worthwhile to take a look. The neighborhood is decent, and the tram could be used to get you to many places tourists want to go. As for other ways to get to the port, I can't think of any other than taxi, pre-paid voucher for taxi, or tram. But I'd rule out the tram - crowded, and likely very difficult with luggage.

Thanks. That's helpful. I'm really looking forward to Bordeaux now!

Probably Istanbul, partly because going there a few days early might help a tiny bit in catching up to the time change (jetlag recovery!), assuming you're flying from North America. But of course Athens is a wonderful city, too. So it's a hard choice....

I'm very independent, plus not very particular about the actual hotel, as long as it's in a great location and not very expensive. So I booked my own hotel and just planned what we would do to explore the city. But this was our second trip to Istanbul before or after a cruise, plus I love planning, and often don't want to do what everyone else does. And we're not adverse to using public transportation, either, although in Istanbul it can be very crowded. So it's rare now, after 15 cruises on Oceania, that we go for any of Oceania's hotels or pre/post cruise activities. It's not, however, because I don't feel they are good, although we've done few of them over he years. But for being a huge city, I have found it's not terribly hard to do things on your own, especially since many of the things most first time visitors want to see are located in the same general area (Sultanahmet) and fairly accessible by tram or taxi. But certainly something arranged by Oceania for touring would make it a lot easier than trying to navigate by yourself, even with a good online map. (I used maps.me app).

I think I probably read this here, but if not: It's my understanding that on at least one Nowegian cruise, a shuttle was offered to Soulac sur Mer for a reasonable amount of money, though I forget exact amount. We're on a cruise on Oceania next year and the ship docks in Le Verdon for 3 hours until the tides around there are favorable for passage. I would love to go see two lighthouses not terribly far from there, but so far haven't found anything that works, at least not for 3 hours only. But if I read anything more, I'll try to come back on here and post. And in addition to the website Edinburgher mentioned, I usually find cruisecrocodile helpful. But Verdon? Sounds difficult.