maryann ns

This is heresy, but there is a copy of "David' in the piazza near the Uffizzi, so I wouldn't worry a lot about the Academia.

I once thought what could the difference be between the original and the replicas. When I finally saw the real David I was amazed. It is worth planning ahead to see it.

On the Ports of Call thread you will see posts about the excursion sharing companies. I have not done this, but they get very good reviews, so that is well worth checking out.

March 2015 it was smooth as glass.

It would be pricey but you could hire a private driver or even a taxi to show you some sights. Or you could see if there is a hotel which would take your bags for a price.

There is train service from Milan to Varenna and then it is a short ferry ride to Bellagio. We were staying in Bellagio the other year and did it in reverse taking a daytrip to Milan.

The farmers market (Seaport) is at Pier 21. The ships dock generally at Pier 21 or 22 so you should be OK. You can always leave the tour a few minutes early.

Lira, it would be great if you can report back on the bike tour when you have done it so we can tell others about it. Just come back here with your thoughts.

We camped somewhere in the Mestre area with our kids but that was back in 1992. Check that the campground has a bus into Venice. I would not stay at one out on the Lido because it takes time going back and forth.

There is less expensive accommodation in general in Mestre if money is an issue. There are frequent busses to Venice from early in the morning till late at night. Do a search on Trip Advisor or booking.com or check out hostel sites. Last time we stayed in a hostel but it does not seem to be operating any more.

You do not need to go on the hikes between the towns I think crzrr refers to. You will likely visit four of the five towns. If you go by boat then you have to get off the boat. Then there are steps in some places, the towns have some cobblestones and some pavement.

Keep us posted. I will be interested in how things go.

Check out these links:

https://sites.google.com/site/eagletreevineyardwinetours/example-of-our-day-unique-wine-tour

http://gonorthtours.com/web/ or http://wp.winetoursns.com/

https://www.novascotiawinetours.com/

I have been there but not on a cruise. The driving is easy with little if any traffic and I would not hesitate to rent a car. Your idea sounds great.

If you are at all unsteady on your feet take a collapsible walking pole if your ship does not have them. I found mine handy a few times.

the spectacular Chilean fjords seem like minor sights after the Antarctic peninsula

That was our experience after Antarctica when we took a ferry up the inner passages of western Chile.

I have not read of anyone doing that. A bike would be good for going to Point Pleasant Park.

As far as I know there are no vendor booths at the piers in Halifax, Charlottetown or Sydney. You may find some taxis or vans offering tours when you exit but you have no idea what you are getting. You are better off going on your own (renting a car if necessary) or booking a private tour ahead of time. If you do a search here on the Ports of Call forum for private tours you should find some more information.

Here is a fairly up to date thread which may help: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g154976-i327-k9826510-Arriving_by_cruise_to_Halifax_please_help-Halifax_Halifax_Region_Nova_Scotia.html

Also search online for Toms Port Guides.

Using a credit card in an ATM means you are paying the high interest rate of a cash advance. Debit cards are the way to go. Mine has a chip and PIN but I believe the ones with the strip work as well. I do not know about whether your PIN can start with zero. I found a machine somewhere last week in Italy or France which wanted six numbers but I just put in the four numbers of my PIN and it worked fine.

Check out Rick Steves' website as he has lots of information about money in Europe.

If walking is not a problem then you can have an inexpensive day just walking the Halifax waterfront. You could check out the Harbour Hopper tour for an overview. Check out www.destinationhalifax.com

Or you could rent a car and go to Peggy's Cove and possibly on to Lunenburg.

To help with your research you should be aware of the correct spelling for Saint John, New Brunswick and St. John's, Newfoundland.

You can get more information on the Antarctic Adventures Forum on Trip Advisor: https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowForum-g1-i12337-Antarctic_Adventures.html

Check out Legendary Sicily. We had a great day with Eddy a couple weeks ago. He has great geological knowledge. You get to walk on Lava and see Etna from several places. We took the all day jeep and walking tour. The walking was OK for this senior.

Horrible auto correct!

It is COVE!

I just want to agree with MartinCath. You do not need an interpreter. Perhaps have some photos of whale species (should be on the boat). Enjoy!

Beautiful photos. Isn't the cover part of Peggy's Cover lovely?

Why not rent a car? It would be a lovely drive to Victoria and then to the north shore from Cavendish to Brackley and then back via New Glasgow.

We are in Sicily now on our own. We loved Taormina. Be sure to see the Roman Theatre.

We took a full day jeep tour to Mt. Etna. This was with Legendary Sicily and was fantastic.

We went to the towns in the Godfather tour on our own - meeting at least two tour busses in each town. Savona was pleasant but I would choose Taormina.