IWantToLiveOverTheSea

We didn't get any lira for our 5 days in Istanbul, Kusadasi and Bozcaada in May. Mostly I used credit cards. But I'm not much of a shopper, so maybe that's why I don't usually worry too much about such things. And I do things on my own, so seldom need money for tips. If I need it, I'll use U.S. notes.

I got a kick out of walking across the airport runway. And the lighthouse at the southern tip was beautiful to look at. I just took public buses to these places.

The ship is very secure at Galataport, which is great, but presents a little bit of a challenge in having people drop you at the ship like in some other ports. I'm not sure if taxis are allowed into the Galataport terminal basement to sit there waiting for passengers. But the port does have a website, and that may give you more info. If not, you can walk out of the building, head toward the main street nearby, and perhaps hail a taxi. When we arrived by taxi from our hotel, the driver was directed to the basement, so that's about all I know about taxis there. I did not see any other taxis, and no signs, but perhaps now that Galataport is getting more ships, things will be better marked and explained. Ships are "attached" to the terminal via ramps and perhaps a causeway thingey). But once you're underground, you can't see your ship. But if you walk out of the terminal at Galataport, you can probably find a taxi on the main street. However, I forget which way you turn to do that, and despite some signs, I first ended up in the crazy retail place right outside the port terminal rather than the street I wanted. But from the terminal to the tram, I'd say it's probably no more than a 5 minute walk. Be forewarned that you need to buy tickets before getting on, and I don't know if the machines that at least should be close to the stop accept credit cards or anything other than Turkish lira. We went to Istanbul early for our cruise and bought a few tickets before we went to the port. And be forewarned the tram can be pretty crowded, though we were there the week of Ramadan, so it was super extra crowded, so......? But if traffic is really slow, especially over the Galata Bridge, it may be faster than taking a taxi. If you take the tram, I'd buy two tickets. Some machines can be very busy. And don't cut your time short if coming back from Sultanahmet if you go by taxi. By tram, I'd guess it's no more than a 10 to 15 minute ride by tram to the closest stop to Blue Mosque. And Eminonu (a favorite place for me), Topkapi, the Bazaar, Basilica Cistern, etc. Take a head covering if you want to go in "real" mosques and be prepared to take off shoes and leave them outside or in a box. I loved Kilic Ali Pasa mosque near the port - quiet, beautiful, no tourists other than me, etc. I probably have more info on where the tram is, what direction you need for Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque, Hafia, etc.) and that kind of thing. Let me know if you do. I just took it down to the big park above Topkapi, and then came back and walked around, exploring two beautiful mosques near the Galataport terminal.

Yes. You can walk out of Galataport and look around. It was a little confusing, though, so you might want to take a map. (I used Maps.me app on my cell phone, after loading maps pre-trip.) If you want, you can walk a block or two to find the tram, which goes to Sultanahment area of the city, although I don't know for sure that there are token machines at that particular stop, and if so, whether credit cards are accepted or if you need Turkish lira. We went to Istanbul a few days early, and I already had an unused tram ticket when we went to the port. Here's some info: https://istanbulclues.com/istanbul-tram-map-t1-line/ You can also walk around the area of Galataport to see a few pretty mosques with few to no tourists (take and wear a head covering), plus a remodeled clock tower and other things. And there are restaurants and shops at Galataport. I imagine you can get a cab from near there, but I simply took the tram to where I wanted to go. I've been to Istanbul twice now, but always for embarkation/disembarkation, and shuttles are seldom offered by Oceania or a port on those days. But if you're up for riding the tram, I'd say the tram to Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, etc.) might take 10 to 15 minutes. You can also get to or close to the Basilica Cistern, Market, Topkapi, and my favorite area, Eminonu. Be forewarned, though, that the tram can be very crowded. But sometimes it's better (faster) than a taxi if traffic is really bad.

https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en is Frankfurt airport's website. I believe they have diagrams of each hall/concourse (A, B, C or Z).

Well, I don't know how many passports they examined and when, but doing that is not unheard of when cruising. I remember we had to do that for one country in the South Pacific, where we lined up and did a face to face. But in Israel we had to turn in our passports to Oceania the evening before, and then got them back the next evening. So apparently Israel looked at them on the first day we were there (in Haifa). But when each one of us went to the terminal, all we had to do was line up for an immigration check (and possibly quick photo, but I forget!) and show them or tell them something, and Oceania took care of any passport inspection requirements. Now that testing isn't required, I don't know what they're doing. But I certainly would expect that they're doing SOMETHING with passports.

I think you'll be fine - see my post!

thanks for reminder!

I didn't look back to see what I was going to say about Israel. But here's how it went. But it's my understanding that about a month or less after we traveled, Israel dropped the onsite PCR testing there for cruisers, so people after that didn't have to worry about losing time there -- unless, of course, Israel decides to make another change. I don't know the current status. We got to Haifa port a little after sunrise on our first day of a three day visit to Israel. Oceania had scheduled us to go at different times into the terminal (about a half city block away) for immigration check and Covid testing. I forget if Oceania took our passports or if we still had them that day. I'd say the whole process in the cruise terminal for the two of us took about 30 minutes. There was a line, but it moved fairly well, first for immigration and then (very close nearby) for testing. PCR testing was thorough and efficient. We were given a little document to keep with us to say we had cleared immigration. We had also, I believe, done an application on an app while on the ship before getting to Israel. Once done, each person went back to the ship. I don't know exactly when the testing was completed, but at some point we all received a text or email which we could identify as being about Covid but couldn't read (unfamiliar characters!) Most or all of us (individually) panicked a bit. A little later the cruise director came over the PA and told us the notice was just a receipt saying that our tests had been received at a lab. Finally at 5 PM we got the "all clear" on the ship from the cruise director, saying testing was complete and we could leave the ship. I don't know if anyone tested positive or not. I never heard, although we did have some people quarantining on the ship at various times. In any case, by 5 most things near by were closed or closing very soon (like the Bahai Gardens) so I doubt many people went off the ship. That evening after dinner, the ship moved to a different dock at Haifa. It was my guess that it was because another cruise ship was arriving soon and needed the terminal to get their passengers cleared. The next morning we took an Oceania excursion to Masada and the Dead Sea. After that first day the ship sailed to Ashdod (at night). From the Ashdod port we took a tour with Guided Tours Israel to Jerusalem & Bethlehem. Both tours were quite good (large people mover van for GTS - a little cramped, but not too bad, and a coach for Oceania. Both O vendor and GTS picked us up right at the ports). Of course, there was a lot of driving to and from the sites, and of course, there were loads of people at each major site. But the experience was pretty incredible, so it was worth it. As for the scheduling, I had alerted GTS that our schedule might be upset due to Israel's testing, so they were on standby. Originally some people on our cruise were planning to do all 3 days with them - northern Israel, Jerusalem, and Masada, though maybe not in that order. GTS contacted me (email or text) a few days before we arrived in Haifa to let me know they (obviously) couldn't do the first day tour. They offered me a Jerusalem/Bethlehem tour on our third day from Ashdod and a northern Israel tour the second day. I had planned to go off on my own the second day, so passed on the northern Israel tour. I then signed up for Masada with Oceania to get to see Msada and the Dead Sea. Questions? Want to see photos? Just ask.

Well, in May it was a mess too. Galataport is nice and new, but not ready for prime time. By May they had only had a few cruise ships since re-opening after the worst of Covid, and you could tell they weren't ready! And you're right - no signage!

I'm jealous. The monasteries are on my bucket list. You didn't go to Crete (Chania) or Paphos (Cyprus), did you? I fell in love with those places in May - very nice surprise!

We had trouble in Istanbul too, back in May, when only a few ships had visited. The taxi driver drove around in the basement having no signage, no people, no help in finding where to drop us. Finally he found 3 guys to ask, but they were (I believe) Oceania crew members returning to the ship, and they told the taxi driver where the closest door was. But it turned out to be the door for people returning to the ship who already had the world cards. We had to trudge up the escalator with our luggage and then find where to go to check in -- not a pleasant or easy experience. I texted the hotel about our experience, telling them to warn cab drivers going to Galataport that they'll need to figure out, or ask at the entrance to the garage, where to go to drop people off at the correct entrance. But once we found and got where we needed to be, the process was pretty normal, except for a rather unusual security process that I had not seen before. But otherwise, the port's contractor or port agent employees or whoever checked us in fairly quickly. And then there was a slog up those ramps to the ship. Galataport was beautiful and clean, but yes, a mess. And then when I tried to go back out of the port the same day, my card didn't work. They had to call Oceania to verify. And of course, as I kind of expected, it didn't work when I came back. Hopefully in time they'll get a lot more experience and the whole process will go easier. But we were the only ship that day, and a small one at that (Sirena, total 700 people or whatever), so who knows how they will do when 3 or 4 huge ships converge at the same time... Anyway, enjoy your cruise. Ours in May was fabulous, with one of those famous port-intensive itineraries. And oh, it felt so good to be out on the seas again.....

If nothing else, Sirena will be in Oporto next month, so that should provide an answer, at least for me. But it doesn't sound like it will be hard to get to Porto, with or without a shuttle. It's apparently only a 10 minute ride. And the port website says taxis are available. Here's new port terminal in Leixoes.

I haven't been to Porto before, but have started doing a little research as I'm on a cruise in April which goes there. I read on a Facebook group for Oceania cruisers (not Oceania's official site) that someone visited Porto (Oporto) this summer. I asked the person if she knew if there was a shuttle to Porto, since cruise ships normally dock in Leixoes, which is a little bit away from Porto. (I'll be on one of the smaller ships (Sirena) and while it's smallish, I don't think it's able to go past there and down the river to Porto. Also, I saw on Marine Traffic that an Azamara ship (same size as Sirena) docked in Leixoes.) The person I asked didn't know specifically where the shuttle dropped, as she took an Oceania excursion rather than go out on her own. However, she was told it was a place near a huge church where people could walk down to the river (Duoro) and walk across the bridge to Gaia. Gaia has wine warehouses, river walk, and apparently a very popular view of Porto. I've identified a likely shuttle location, at least in terms of area. However, if you're doing a tour by a third party person/company, it's my guess that they could simply meet you just outside the port at Leixoes. I looked at whatsinport.com to find out more about Leixoes, and there is some good information on there about how to get from the port terminal (new, modern, beautiful) to the center of Porto (or Oporto). I would probably make sure the vendor knows that you're on an ocean-going cruise ship, and that indications are that you are likely to dock in Leixoes.

First, Edinburgher thanks for the link. It was interesting and probably useful if someone wants a tour to the vineyards from Le Verdon Sur la Mer. I'm still looking for information as follows, just in case someone can help me: In Verdon, is it easy to get a taxi for a short trip up to see a somewhat famous lighthouse (Cordouan) that's not far from the port? And do cruise ships typically offer a shuttle to Soulac or the beach area of Verdon -- or any other place? We'll only be in Verdon for 3 hours but I'm trying to figure out what I can do in that time.

Have only disembarked there on Oceania, but both times it was easy and fast to go to the terminal, get luggage, show passport on way out, and grab a cab with no line. But both times the ship itinerary showed 7 or 8 AM for disembarkation, and that was early enough for me.

We used CI Car on two other Canary Islands - very happy with them.

Ciudad de las Arts e Ciences, although I probably spelled that wrong. It's the City of Arts & Sciences. We could see it in the distance from where we docked. I took a public bus there from not far from the port entrance - loved it more than the old town part of Valencia! Artist is Santiago Calatrava.

https://www.bcncruiseport.com/schedule?fromDate=&toDate=&cruiseLine=af67f6fe-3433-46b4-a07a-cfb2dc54dd61&pageIndex=1&pageSize=10&pageLastDate=undefined gives you info on who's in port for the next week. Haven't found any more than that, but this site IS the official port website, I believe. I put in Azamara to see what turned up.

Some people use cruisemapper dot com. However, I like to just google a port in a city to try to find a port website. If you can find one, it will likely be most accurate of any other sites, and will often give you clues as to where in port you will be assigned to dock. As for Barcelona, I used to have a port website. If I can find it, I'll post.

Please copy and paste the list, and add updates or corrections directly to it. Oceania Shuttles List ================================================================== Free shuttle buses are 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 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 Arrecife (Canary Is.)......free shuttle .............................per Currents 2014 Ashdod Israel .............. Shuttle to Sea Mall ... April/June 2022 Athens (Port of Pireus)...Shuttle to outside port area in Pireus - need tour to Athens (2022) Bangkok ....................... Free shuttle to town Bar Harbour ................. Dock at town so no shuttle Barcelona .................... Free shuttle to town (worldTrade Centre) Basseterre, St. Kitts ..... Dock at town so no shuttle Belfast .......................... Free shuttle to town (near City Hall) Bermuda (Hamilton)....... dock in town ..no shuttle Biarritz (St Jean de Luz) - no shuttle, dock in town Bilbao ............................Free shuttle to town Bordeaux (city) ............ Dock at town so no shuttle Bordeaux (Le Verdon) .... shore excursion required Brisbane (Aus) ............. Free shuttle to town Bozcaada, Turkey........... tender port, and small city. No shuttle needed .... April 2022 Broome (Australia)........ Free shuttle to town Bruges (Zeebruge) ......... free shuttle to port gates ... August 2017 Burnie Tas Aus...............Shuttle to Makers Workshop (meet guides/taxis) and to town......update 2020 Buenes Aires ................. Free shuttle to town / Plaza Hotel .......... update 2020 Cadiz ........................... Dock at town so no shuttle. Need transport to Seville Cairns Aus ................... Dock at town so no shuttle Callao (Lima) ............... Free shuttle to town Canary Islands .............Shuttle to terminal then walk ................ update 2020 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 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 town Corfu ......................... Free shuttle to town Corner Brook ............ Dock at town so no shuttle Crete..........................Shuttle ................update 2020 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 Dubrovnick .............. 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 Eden Aus ................... Tender then shuttle but only short walk Ephesus ..........Quite a drive from Kusadasi - best done by a tour ...........update 2020 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 Fremantle/Perth ........unsure, nearby ferry dock, train station very close to dock..... update Dec 2019 Geirange ................... No shuttle needed - Dock at town Geraldton West Aus ...Shuttle .................Update Dec 2019 Gisbourne NZ ............ Free shuttle to town but short walk Gothenburg ................ Shuttle to City Hall 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 Hobart (aus) ............ Dock at town so no shuttle ... Sep 2017 Holyhead ................ Free shuttle to town (really to end of dock) ... Aug 2017 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 22 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 (Soulacsur Mer) Lerwick .................... Dock at town so no shuttle Lima - .......................Free shuttle to Marriott at Larcomar (Miraflores neighborhood) Mar 2019 Lisbon .................... Free shuttle to town (or dock in town) Liverpool ............... Dock at town so no shuttle ... August 2017 Livorno ................... Free shuttle to town Londonderry Nth Ire .....Shuttle to visitors centre in town..........update 2019 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 Maputo, ...................Free shuttle from pier to City Center (feima market) Jan 2019 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 2019Miami .................... Free shuttle to Bayside Marketplace (*not* as an embarkation day) Mar 2019 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 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 ........................ Free shuttle to town 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 Pireus (Port for Athens)...Shuttle to outside port in Pireus, need tour to Athens (2022) Pisco ......................... Free shuttle to town 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 Portofini ................... No need for shuttlePuerto Limon........... no shuttle, tours by the local taxis & shops on the pier, walk to town Mar 2019 Portland ................... Free shuttle to town Praislin, Seychelles....no shuttle Praislin, .............. .......no shuttle . Jan 2019 Roatan ...................... no shuttle, Oceania docks in Coxen Hole, many port shops etc Mar 2019 Roatan can also dock at Mahogany Bay resort port Rhodes ....................... Dock in town. no shuttle - longish walk to port gates. .April 2022 Richards Bay............... Free shuttle from pier to Boardwalk Mall. (Jan 2019) Rio .............. Free shuttle to town Rome ........................(see Civitavecchia) Safaga,Egypt .............. a 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 San Sebastion de la Gomera ...........None needed ........ update 2020 Santa Cruz De Teneriffe ........Shuttle to terminal ....................update 2019 Santo Tomas, ...... - no shuttle, tours in the terminal, walk into town Mar 2019 Santos ......................... Free shuttle to town - about 6 yrs ago no shuttle to San Paulus 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 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 ........................ Free shuttle to gates of old lower town (main road outside city wall) Tauranga /Rororua.....disembarkation ?? shuttle ..............Dec 2019 Trapani, Sicily .......... no shuttle; docked very near downtown June 2022 Valencia ..................... Free shuttle to town Valletta ..................... Dock below town. Take an elevator up for €1-€2 . Free to go back. update April 2022 Venice ....................... Free shuttle to town (2022 status: Ships now dock in alternate ports; Oceania may or may not provide transportation to Venice) Warnemunde............ walk to town or train (short walk from port) to Rostock 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 2022 Zanzibar................... Free shuttle from pier to Kelele Square (Jan 2019) Zeebruge (for Bruges).... Shuttle to port gates ... Aug 2017

OK, I've figured out, by searching previous questions, that there is little to do in this port, but that cruise lines offer excursions to Bordeaux from it. This goes for certain Oceania itineraries, even though we will be docked only there for 3 hours and then sail down to Bordeaux. We have a good amount of time in Bordeaux, so I'm thinking of perhaps just staying on the ship and enjoying myself rather than going to Bordeaux on that day (and meeting the ship there after an excursion). I'm curious if anyone has done this. I like the idea of a short river cruise, and think it might be fun to do it while on an ocean liner. But I have no idea if this would be scenic or monotonous and boring. Has anyone done this? What did you think? Or is there a way to see maybe a little part of it by taking a ferry somewhere along the river once in Bordeaux? I hear the city is pretty nice, and of course there are chateaus and wine estates/wineries and what not to see. But I really like exploration, photography and scenery a lot, so I'm not sure what to do in this area, and I'm not a wine drinker, so the wine excursions don't interest me as much. On the Le Verdon day, we are scheduled to stop there 8 - 11 and then at some point sail down to Bordeaux, getting there at 4. We'll be overnight in Bordeaux and leave at 5 pm the next day. And does anyone know if there's a way to get closer to the beautiful Courduron {spelling?} Lighthouse near the mouth of the river? Or might it be possible to see it when coming in, though I assume not closeup at all? And if anyone had 3 hours in Verdon, was there a shuttle or other way to get to the town that is apparently fairly nice, about 15 minutes away? Did you enjoy it?

I didn't read previous posts. However, we loved the national park, and rented from Cicar. We loved both. We also drove around the island a bit. Roads were great.

If you're talking Palma, when we were there, there was a shuttle to the cathedral near the middle of the curving waterfront area. It was free for Oceania passengers, but I'm not sure if it is for everyone. There was also a HoHo bus stop not too far away from where we docked. But yes, port is kind of far.

I took a bus that more or less went around the old town perimeter, and went along the sea. I don't remember the number or where I caught the bus, but if you like just kind of exploring and looking, you might like it. It wasn't hard to research or find.