mapleleaves

Glad this timing worked for you, but that doesn't mean you cracked the code! 🙂 That wasn't my experience. I think people need to look at the big picture. It's not just HOW MANY ships are in port with you, but also what time they arrive and depart. Their arrival and departure times create the biggest impact. And even then there's no guarantee what your situation will be. For instance, we arrived at 1:30pm, had tender #3. The only ship in port when we arrived was a COSTA from 7am - 4pm with 2800 pax. Realistically we shouldn't have had a long wait for the cable car. The only people ahead of us would be our fellow pax from tenders 2 and 3. The Costa pax wouldn't be standing in a long line when they had to be back onboard in an hr. Yet we waited 2 hrs for the cable car !! Got to Fira at 4pm! We considered the speed boat but it sat there for an hour waiting for more pax. We didn't expect to be waiting another hr for the cable car. So in hindsight we should have taken the boat. Walking the steps wasn't an option. We wandered around Fira for awhile taking photos of the views and churches, then went to the bus station. The bus to Oia leaves every 30 minutes. We had just missed it. Never saw a taxi. We didn't want to get stranded in Oia so we decided to watch the sunset from the ship. Returned to the cable car around 7pm. No one in line! The Costa ship had already left. It was wonderful to watch the lights slowly coming on across the cliffs. The view from the ship was awesome. My original plan for Santorini was to take a basic NCL excursion to Oia, but it was sold out. There was room on the Spanish speaking tour .... should've taken it. Santorini is a tough port. I thought we'd be ok since our only neighbor was Costa and it's hours didn't seem impactful. But geez, were we surprised. My advice is to take ships excursion to get TO Santorini, then be VERY mindful of the departure times of the other ships when you plan your return.

Most towns have a Visitor Information website to promote tourism and local vendors. Most provide a Visitor Guide as well. Just google the towns name with Visitor Information. Rental Cars | Skagway, Alaska If you don't find the exact info you need, call and ask for recommendations.

There are many hotels near the train station that don't require a bridge crossing OR a long walk, so you won't necessarily have to use a Luggage Storage facility. I posted this link for Train Station Hotels earlier in this thread, but here it is again: Venice Railroad Station Hotels | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) ( a canal view sounds good but I found it too noisey. I want a good nights sleep when I travel )

Perhaps you could borrow a few travel books from your library to learn about the various destinations you'll be visiting. There are even books specific to Med cruises; ie by Rick Steves and Ann Vipond. They provide info on the history, sights, activities, etc.

As I planned my first visit to Venice, I just assumed that I would go on a gondola at some point. But once I got there, it didn't really appeal to me anymore. I've visited several more times and still haven't. You'll find out when you get there if it's for you. As for a location to stay, I prefer the Rialto Bridge area, probably on the Rialto Market side but either is fine. Maybe a 10 minute walk to St Marks. How are you getting to Venice? If you're taking the train from Trieste AND taking the train to Rome, it might be easier to stay near the S Lucia station. If your room isn't ready, leave your luggage at Reception then start exploring. The train station is on the Grand Canal, with a vaporetto stop right in front. And directly across the Canal from the station is Piazzale Roma with easy access to airport buses/taxis if you decide to fly to Rome instead of taking the train. Only a 1 hr flight and can cost as low as $70. Venice Railroad Station Hotels | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) When I was in Venice last Sept, it was the busiest I've ever experienced. The water bus in the morning was packed. It was uncomfortable. I couldn't imagine trying to board with luggage, and I pack light, with just a 22" suitcase. Look closely at this photo to see how busy it can be on a vaporetto. Venice Vaporetto Line 1 (Grand Canal to Lido) | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) Venice for Visitors is a great resource as you start your research. Venice for Visitors | In-depth travel advice since 1997 (europeforvisitors.com) Venice is safe. You can feel comfortable wandering around day or night. No violent crime. But be mindful of pickpockets. I took this photo at dusk standing on the bridge between the train station and Piazzale Roma.

According to cruisemapper there are 2 other ships in port with you; MSC is 7am-4pm, Celebrity is 8am-10pm. RCI is 1pm-11pm. By taking the ships excursion you'll avoid the cable car lines so getting to Oia will be much easier. ( I had a 2hr wait ! ). And by the time you reach Oia around 2pm, the MSC pax will already be gone as they needed to get to the cable cars in Fira and return to their ship. Not to say that Oia won't be crowded but at least those few thousand will be gone! Your return to the ship could be a bit tricky though. With 2 ships leaving around the same time, the cable cars will be busy in the evening. BUT, given the heat, you probably aren't going to linger too long in Fira after thee excursion, Maybe return to the ship when you're dropped off; have dinner onboard and enjoy the sunset from there? After getting our photos of the blue domes and beautiful views, we stopped at a cafe/bar for a drink, We then decided to go back to the ship for dinner and enjoy the sunset from the deck. We got to the cable car around 7pm and there was NO line ! Perhaps everyone was sitting in a restaurant waiting for the sunset? I didn't think Fira was particularly hilly as we walked around, but the surfaces are uneven. We saw lots of people with walking sticks. Perhaps buy a pair of trekking poles from your husband ?? Good luck. Have a great cruise !

@fishiecrackers..... Oh my ! And I thought my experience was bad. Sorry to hear this. Did the afternoon excursion make up for the rough start ? Hope so.

you need to google Santorini port schedule to find out how many ships are in port with you, plus their arrival/departure times and # of passengers. That will give you a clue as to how crowded it will be on the way up and on the way down. The only way to avoid the line is to book a ships excursion; just a simple one that provides transportation to Oia for an hr then on to Fira. Otherwise, you can wait for a boat in the harbor, or you can walk up the donkey path.( I couldn't bear to look at the donkeys; just seems so cruel. )

When I was on NCL last yr, the OIA excursion was sold out and wasn't offered again. (The Spanish version was available and I'm sorry I didn't buy it. At least it would have gotten me to Oia.) Our ship arrived at 1:30pm and the boat was running, but it sat at the dock for an hour waiting for more pax . Tthe only other ship in port was a Costa 7a-4p. The cable car line was so long that we didn't get to Fira until 4pm!

So I've been curious about how your day turned out .... what did you do? and how was the cable car return?

I think you'll get more answers if you post this question on TripAdvisor, where there are more locals participating in the forums. (when I visited Athens we walked from the ship to the subway station. The subway got us very close to the Acropolis, and I'm sure subways will be running whether or not there's a marathon)

which airport .... bologna ? venice?

Why not go with the HAL transfer ? It's only a 2hr drive. I remembered this post. See reply #15 for a private car/driver recommendation,

which cruiseline? what time is your flight ? I was on NCL last Sept docking in Trieste. The disembark schedule showed that pax who bought an NCL transfer to VCE could leave starting at 7am. This would have you to VCE 9 - 9:30am.

Great answer from hlitner. I'll just add my experience. We were on NCL Gem last Sept, 1:30pm - 10pm. Costa arrived at 8am. Tender tickets were issued the day before; we arrived 1 hr prior but there were still 40 pax ahead of us. Got tender #3. We stood in the cable car line for 2 hrs! Got to the top at 4pm. I have no idea how there were so many people ahead of us. Perhaps the Costa ship arrived late? or their pax didn't disembark until after lunch? Who knows, but it was a 2 hr wait. I would have walked up the donkey path but my companion wasn't able to, so we waited. I had tried to get the NCL excursion, Charming OIA, but it was sold out except for the Spanish version. Wish I had taken it anyway, just as a way to see Oia. Hopfully our situation was not the norm. You'll probably make the 10am tour, but I'd suggest getting in line for the tender ticket more than 1 hr early. Good luck.

I was in Florence last month. I used booking.com and drilled down to a specific area and budget to get the hotel info I wanted. There are similar sites that will allow you to restrict a search to your specifications. But beyond that it just takes time to research and read reviews.

Go to the Ports of Call Greece forum and read the long thread there. The biggest factor to consider is ....how many ships are in port with you, how many pax, and their arrival/departure times. Google Santorinin port schedule to get this info. I was there last Sept and on Tender 3. It was a 2hr wait for the cable car !! I had tried to get the NCL excursion but it was sold out. Should have taken the Spanish version just to get to Oia quickly. Is the tour company meeting you in Fira ? If so, you can always walk up the donkey path. Give yourself 45 minutes for the walk and bring water; there's no shade and it's very hot. Dont wear sandals due to donkey crap. I avoid cruiseline excursions, but this location is advisable, unless you're ok walking the donkey path.

I used to wonder about a TA. Then on my Med cruise last Sept we had horrible weather; our port on Day 1 was cancelled so it became a sea day. Day 2 was already a scheduled sea day. Stuck on the ship 2 days in a row. I couldn't stand it. So I wonder no more.

Most people prefer the convenience of a cruiseline transfer, with airport to pier service. Around $60pp. If you're willing to put in some effort, the more affordable options are train or FlixBus. But the train and bus depots are a ways from the pier and require a 15-20 minute walk ( or you can wait for a cab). And the train requires a change. This topic is discussed frequently on the Ports of Call, Italy board. You'll find a couple of private transfer companies there if you do a search.

YES. That's what we did. We had RT Ostiense tickets, but we hopped off a SPietro, then returned from Ostiense after visiting the Colosseum. We bought our tickets from a little store at the Civi station. No one checked our tickets, in either direction.

How early is your flight? It's an easy 5-6 minute walk from the Carlton to Piazzale Roma; only 2 small bridges to cross. Assuming you can easily manage your luggage. How are you getting to your hotel? Once you reach P Roma, you can either take the ATVO Airport Bus or a cab to VCE. Both take 20 minutes. A cab is about 45E. For an early morning trip, make a reservation to ensure a cab will be waiting. Taxi Venice and Mestre: Cooperativa Radiotaxi in Venice, the main authorized taxis (radiotaxivenezia.com) ATVO starts at 4:20am and costs 10E pp Linea n. 35 (atvo.it) During the film festival you might not be able to get a water taxi. Check for availability: Booking Water Taxi in Venice is Now Easy - Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia

Which hotel ? Piazzale Roma is the last point of land travel in Venice, so it's where the airport buses, taxis, cars, drop off their pax to explore Venice, AND, it's where you depart in order to return to the airport. I typically stay around the Rialto area, so I take a waterbus up the Canal to PRoma, then the ATVO airport express bus to VCE (20 minutes, 10E). A cab from PRoma to VCE is around 45E. The Aliliguna is an option if you want to travel by water from Venice to VCE. And of course, a private water taxi from your hotel to VCE, which will be around 140E. Depends on where you're staying and your budget.

I cruised from Trieste last Sept. Took the train TO Trieste but post cruise took Flixbus from Trieste to VCE since we had an early flight out the next morning. Non stop, maybe 2 hrs. No complaints ! (they also go to Tronchetto in Venice.) Just be aware that the bus depot is about a 15-20 minute walk from the cruise pier. It's on the same block as the train station.

agree with marazul ...be very mindful of those port times. If you look at LIVE CRUISES in the banner above, there's a current MSC Europa in the works. They boarded in Barcelona so perhaps you can board at multiple ports ??

Which cruiseline? I was on NCL. The first pax off the ship left at 7am; these were pax who bought the NCL transfer and had flights out of VCE before 1pm. It's a 2 hr drive to VCE, so a 12:15pm flight is do-able. Not much wiggle room though. It wouldn't be in my comfort zone. I've always found VCE to be challenging, especially with flights after12 noon since that's when the cruise pax descend. I didn't want to end my trip with stress so I took the easy way out and flew home the following day instead! My flight to London left at 6:20am; got to the airport at 4:50am and was at my gate within 45 minutes.