marazul

That cruise is mostly on the Atlantic. That should meet your requirements. Do stay in Lisbon for a couple of days at the end

The Villa of the Mysteries for sure. Peaceful Vesuvius standing like a menace over the town.

Well, I thought you were trying to avoid the heat. Quite frankly, we often go to Greece in August. Yes, it is hot, but it is Greece. And we have spent many summers travelling in France, Spain and Italy. If you want hot weather, the Med in August will do it. Heat, architecture, history, food - it has it all.

Well, your parents do have a point... The Norwegian fjords are very different from Alaskan fjords. More dramatic landscapes, no glaciers. Beautiful towns, such as Bergen. Plus you get to visit Copehangen, Oslo and/or Stockholm. The Spain, etc cruise will be just as hot as the Greek cruise if it is all in the Med. If it goes from Spain to Portugal and the Atlantic coast of France, it could be better weather wise.

Thanks. I would be concerned about a river cruise in August. Because of climate change Europe has had severe droughts the past few summers and the rivers are running low. Some cruises have had to bus passengers between ports. I think Spring is a better time for a river cruise. Your idea of land travel in Switzerland and Austria is great.

Well, consider a cruise in northern Europe. It will be perfect then. The Norwegian fjords are wonderful. And go to the Med in mid-September another time.

Breezes only help on the seashore. When the high winds are blowing, tender ports can get canceled. The temps in August are usually in the high 90s. It has frequently been over 100 in the past few years.

Reservations open about 11 months before the flight. I would say to book as soon as reservations open if you are planning to use points or if you need to have your choice of seats. For example, your 6'6" DH might want to make sure he gets bulkhead seats in premium economy on a 2-seat window section.

We took a look at the Iconic this summer and ot looks great. Their restaurants got top honors from Gambero Rosso. Look at the food thread at the top of this board.

The tender port is at the bottom of a cliff. The town on top is Fira. To get up there you either take the cable car or go up a path on a donkey or by foot. Ship excursions tender to the ferry port where there is road (cars, buses) access to the island. Because of local authority deals with merchants, cable car, etc., most ship excursions have to return to the ship by dropping off the pax and then going down to the tender port by cable car or down the donkey path. Some ship excursions are allowed to drive back to the ferry port and tender back from there. My advice is going to SB Square as soon as you board and ask about the options. Also ask about the tender for independent excursions and to which of the two ports it will take you. Santorini is lovely - nice towns, beaches, views, Akrotiri ruins, etc.

Find out how many ships are in port first. If only one or two, do go to the island. I would take a ship excursion that tenders to the ferry port, but find out first if it returns from there. I believe they are the ones catering to those with walking difficulties. Ask at SB Square. An excellent option is to take a boat excursion of the caldera, then you don't have to deal with cable cars or donkeys at all. Best of all is to go before or after the cruise. It is only a 30 minute flight.

Athens to Istanbul. No question. It includes Ephesus. A lot of people want to visit Santorini (Thira), but it is a miserable port stop. If you want to see it, fly there for a couple of days before the cruise. But, depending on how much time you have, do not sacrifice 2 or 3 days in Athens to go to Santorini.

There is only one entrance gate for tours. It is at the side of the Colosseum facing the Roman Forum. As you go in they will point you to where the English tours start. Once you are in the area there are staff members that will tell you where your group starts.

On a long port day you can easily take the train to Monaco and still have time to poke around Cannes when you get back. Search this board for details.

I would suggest one of the free tours of the Gothic quarter with Runner Bean on some othet company. There is no commitment if you don't make it or you can cut it short if you need to. But it is really a nice tour in a beautiful area. No stress and fun.

We were staying in Santorini for a few days in late August into September about four years ago when the Meltemi winds started blowing. No ferries, cruise ships or other boats were able to come to the island. It was wonderful being there without the tourist rush, but sorry for those who did not make it.

https://www.lisbonportugaltourism.com/transportation/taxis.html

Sorry. No idea about trains.

If the tenders take you to where the ships dock, you will be steps from the old town.

Forget it. The traffic is madness. go to street view in Google maps and check out the route. Taxis are not expensive.

Sorry, I don't remember. We booked it on the street, but our friends booked it through the hotel concierge and it was the same we paid. I think it went on their hotel bill. Next question: Tivoli hotel.

We agreed on a price, had a good tour and did not get ripped off.

Take a tuk-tuk tour. It's the best way to see Alfama and the old city areas. Not as expensive as the sidecar tour.

They are fine. Book it. Or look at romecabs.com

That is insane. The year-round population of Santorini is 13,500.