marazul

You are posting this in every forum. The answer is the same for all euro countries

Ashore you can use credit cards for practically everything. However, you should carry euros for small purchases (like coffee, snacks) or for when a vendor (maybe a taxi) refuses the credit card. Always ask first if they take cards, this is particularly true for taxis and small purchases. Always charge the transaction in euros, never in your currency. In that way you get the lower interbank exchange rate rather than whatever exchange rate the vendor decides to charge you. There are lots of posts on this subject. Search these forums.

2024 or 2025? September 5 this year is on a Thursday; next year it's a Friday. Are you tied to a particular cruise line? If not, you will find plenty of Friday, Saturday or Sunday sailings on other lines. That will give you another day to board your cruise. Or you might want to do a few days of land travel first and maybe board a cruise in Venice a few days later. Why risk missing embarkation or add all that stress to your plans?

Taxi. About 35 euros.

If you are in the foreign country, always charge in the country's currency. If you are making internet purchases from home, you might have the choice of charging in your own currency or in the local currency. If so, go to a website such as https://www.xe.com/ and enter the amount they ask in local currency to check what your own currency amount would be at the current rate. If the amount the vendor offers you in your own currency is more than the official rate, charge in the local currency.

We have used https://www.georgestaxi.com/ many times over the years and we re very pleased with their service.

They are probably national companies that have rental offices in Sicily. Just check them out.

I agree with @Kane. We were caught in the great European travel snafus of June 2022. We got our flights through Flight Ease. We stayed in Lisbon for three days after the cruise. Our flight to the US got canceled repeatedly on the day that we were supposed to leave. Seabourn was out of the picture since we were no longer on the cruise. The airline put us up on a hotel and we got rerouted the next day. We did our own research on new flights and told the airline the flights we preferred. At one point we tried to call Flight Ease, but we had already found good alternative flights on the airlines app. After we returned we also spent months filing claims with the airline and Seabourn Shield. Everything was resolved eventually, but it was not the end of the trip we had envisioned. Just be prepared to fend for yourself.

It seems that the new website will be https://www.colosseo.it/ Unfortunately, it isn't working. At least, I keep getting error messages today.

It is listed under "Other Mediterranean Ports" because so many Med cruises stop in Turkey.

Nothing negative right now. I just checked the local newspaper and there are no news of unrest or closings in Marseille. A group of teachers staged a small protest in Avignon yesterday. They are expecting floodings this week from Avignon to the sea. https://www.lamarseillaise.fr/

You should post in Mediterranean ports. Ephesus is in Turkey. Turkey is not in Africa.

Wrong. Greek ships can choose to make a stop in another country, but they are not required to do it. Non-Greek flag ships MUST make a stop in another country. Greek ships are the only ones allowed to have only Greek ports in their itineraries.

What time do your boarding documents say? It takes about one hour from central Rome to the port, so allow 1.5 hours.

The fastest would be to go to Monterosso by train and then use the ferry between the villages. When you are in Riomaggiore, which is the closest to La Spezia, you can decide whether to return by train or ferry depending on how much time you have. In that way you visit four villages. On a longer day, you could get off the train in Corniglia, then train to Monterosso and ferry back as above. Like that you visit all five villages.

There should be plenty of cabs, but a single cab should take all of you. Spaniards are very accommodating of children and families. Two cabs is your fall back option.

Cabotage laws require ships that have their first and last ports in the same country to make a stop in another country during the trip. (It's complicated, search this forum or google "cabotage law.") The exception is for ships flagged by that country. So f you sail a Greek cruise line like Celestyal, they are allowed to vist only Greek ports. Any foreign flag cruise line, has to make a stop in another country. The most common stops for Greek cruises are Turkey, Cyprus or Italy. You have three options if you don't want to go to Turkey: Pick a cruise that stops in Cyprus or Italy. Pick a Greek cruise line that stays only on Greek ports. Or pick a cruise that starts or ends in another country. The on-board duty free issue mentioned by @edinburgher is a separate issue. Cabotage laws go back centuries and are meant to protect the maritime industry of every country, not only the EU.

You are lucky to get Palermo. It is a wonderful city with much to see. Consider a visit to Palermo and Cefalu to spend the day. It does not have good beaches. IMO, it would be a waste to spend the day by the pool. There may be better places for that on your cruise.

@mgel728 - Are any of the 5 small children? If so, the taxis will likely take them. If all are adults, just take two taxis.

Nice in a 10.5 x 8 ft room? Clean, yes. Ample, not.

Well, the room is tiny. It says 8 sq.meters which is 86 sq. ft. I don't see the shuttle mentioned, but hotels in Rome, especially 3-star hotels, do not have shuttles. They will book you a limo or taxi that you have to pay for. It will be around 50 euros. It also doesn't mention if the room has its own bathroom. Go to the hotel website and look at pictures and descriptions of their various rooms. Look for a single measuring 8 sq. meters and see if you want to book it. By the way, four nights in Rome will let you see the main sites. That is a reasonable length of time for your first trip. For the cookies in the other browser, go into "details" or something like that and select only "essential" cookies. The EU requires all website to offer the choice.

That's a very good rate for four nights. Is it "pay-at-the-hotel and cancellable"? Or at least, refundable? If so, grab it. You have a full year to find something else if you want to. Is this the hotel website or a reservations search engine. If the latter, at some point get confirmation from the hotel that they do have the reservation.

Yes. Little Venice, windmills and the pelican. Search this board for transportation options. It will be a short ride from the port. If you tender, you might also tender into the town.

@jb12 @JerryInIL Just to confirm the website information - The only official website for the Acropolis MUSEUM is: https://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en/plan-your-visit The only official website for the actual Acropolis is the Hellenic Heritage website: https://hhticket.gr/tap_b2c_new/english/tap.exe?PM=P1P&place=000000002 You cannot buy tickets for the other site on each website.

Not at all if you pay whatever they are asking.