JB61

Does anyone have any advice regarding the cruise spa packages? Specifically the hot stone and aroma massage?

We were able to come up with a compromise. We are doing one excursion per island using a Norwegian excursion, and I have a rental car reserved for 1 day on each island where I will be the driver and provide an itinerary based on my knowledge and some  guidebook advice. It seems to have worked out. At least with the Norwegian booked excursions we'll be made  whole and I can cancel my car up to an hour before I pick it up. 

Yeah the ship stays 2 days, one night on Kauai

I've seen them from $125 to $200 a day. Less than the cost of 1 person's excursion price.

I'm going on POA May 2024 with 2 friends from childhood (We're all in our 60s and mobile).  They are pretty set on doing excursions through NCL or at least another tour operator, however I've traveled all the islands on my own with my husband in a rental car and like the freedom of a car and driving. They are not into water sports either. 

Are there any recommendations on external or private tour operators for going to Waimea Canyon on Kauai?  The NCL tour is not appealing.  We also want to go to the Allerton and McBryde Gardens on Kauai.  I would like to just get a rental car and go, but again they prefer to do it through NCL, which has a tour called "Jewels of Hawaii.   Also they area looking at the Paia Town and Twin Falls tour on Maui instead of doing the Road to Hanna, which is too long for them.  We are not shoppers and not sure about sitting around on the Beach in Paia since there are so many nicer ones on Maui and on the dryer side.  I have seen some half way to Hanna tours that look good.     

Does anyone have any reviews of the tours I mentioned, or other tour recommendations?  Also comments about getting a rental car in Maui and/or Kuai? I am a Hertz Gold member and its been a pretty quick turn around to get a rental car. 

I'm going on POA May 2024 with 2 friends from childhood.  They are pretty set on doing excursions through NCL or at least another tour operator, however I've traveled all the islands on my own with my husband and a rental car.  Are there any recommendations on external or private tour operators for going to Waimea Canyon on Kauai?  The NCL tour is not appealing.  We also want to go to the Allerton and McBryde Gardens on Kauai.  I would like to just get a rental car and go, but again they want to do it through NCL, which has a tour called "Jewels of Hawaii.   Also they area looking at the Paia Town and Twin Falls tour.  We are not shoppers and I have seen some half way to Hanna tours that look good.  They are not up to a full Road to Hanna excursion.   

Does anyone have any reviews of these tours or other tour recommendations?

15 hours ago, Reaniel said:

 

Very nice!  I gather you've booked your own air for this?

For our upcoming sailing (Athens to Rome) in a few weeks, we booked with Viking Air and paid for flight deviation.  We'll be flying in to Istanbul (instead of Athens) and stay there for 3 nights.  Take a bus to Thessaloniki and stay there for another 3 nights, take the train to Athens, stay at a hotel for 3 nights before embarkment.

 

And after getting off in Rome, it's 3 more nights in a hotel before taking the train to Venice, for 3 more nights there.  We haven't done this much independent traveling for a long time, and hopefully it'll all go smoothly (fingers crossed).

 

I hope your trip next year will be an enjoyable one!

Yes we book our own flights. Happy Travels! 

25 minutes ago, millybess said:

@Reaniel I think most posters here who have been to Venice will say that it is much better to visit Venice independently rather than by cruise ship.  It really doesn't matter if the ship docks in Chioggia, Fusina or Ravenna, the transportation to and from the ship eats up a lot of time.  It's so much better to go to Venice and stay in Venice for however many days it takes for you to see all you want to see.

 

We spent a lot of time in Venice several years ago.  We visited again this year with Viking and docked in Chioggia.  We had no desire to see Venice again, but wanted to visit Murano and Burano.  We did that excursion with Viking because the transportation was from the ship via boat.  It was a really great excursion and we're glad we did that. 

 

On the way back to the ship, a couple wanted to get off at St. Mark's.  Trying to park the little boat we were on was crazy -- horns beeping everywhere, boats cutting off other boats to take their parking space, crowds of people lined up as far as you could see waiting to take a boat to somewhere. 

 

Really, these days, it's best to do Venice on your own.  Plus, we enjoyed just walking around Chioggia.  It was quite pleasant.  

Thanks to all with wonderful information on the alternate to Venice ports. We're booked on Viking from Venice (?) To Rome in October 2024. We'll fly RT to Rome and do several days there, take train to Florence do a couple days there, train again and end in Venice for a few days. We'll just tour near which ever port city we end up leaving from (Ravenna, Chioggia, Funisia). We use the Rick Steve's guide book for our independent travel information. 

On 2/26/2022 at 3:07 PM, longterm said:

If you're flying into Venice and not doing some touring on your own, Viking will gather you up at the airport, so you'll be squired to the ship without any effort on your part...

If you're traveling independently, just go to Venice Cruise Terminal (Stazione Marittima), and they'll get you to Fusina (I assume).

We're on the cruise from Rome to Athens, so we'll be in Venice on the 11th.

I'd like to get feedback on the Italian Sojourn trip. Is it still porting in Fusina? Trying to decide if its the right cruise for me.