mapleleaves

We boarded in Barcelona too. LOVED that city! I didn't pre-purchase; only because I didn't know what time our little group would be ready to go. (we were traveling with people I'd never travelled with before). When we got to the Civi train station there were 7-8 people in line at the ticket machine, but I noticed the little shop next door was selling tickets so we just bought them there! same price, and we were in time for the Express Train so it worked out well. If I knew I would be on a specific train, I'd pre-purchase. Especially because you can buy tickets that include the 6E bus fare from the ship directly to the Civi train station. (on the trenitalia site, choose your starting point as Civitavecchia Porto.) What time do you dock in Civi? While the Express train is comfortable and not crowded, it's limiting in that there's only 1 departure each way. You may want to take an earlier train in order to extend your time in Rome. Hope this helps.

For our port day in Rome, we used the train, the Civitavecchia Express, about 1 hr each way. Easy, comfortable and so inexpensive. We bought a RT ticket to Roma Ostiense for 15E, but disembarked early at S Pietro so we could stop at the Vatican. After that we walked or took taxis to visit places of interest, then boarded at Ostiense for our return to the ship. Highly recommend this service if it works with your port times. The only downfall is ...one departure in each direction, so you leave Civi around 9am and you leave Rome around 4:30pm. Civitavecchia Express: non-stop train for cruise passengers | Port Mobility Civitavecchia

All 3 itineraries look great ! The choice will come down to YOUR interests and priorities. For me the NCL cruise stands out by far; I actually considered this itinerary for 2024 but it got bumped by a land trip. It visits places I want to see or have enjoyed in the past, and I'd love to have a couple of days in Istanbul post cruise. (my cruise last Sept missed Kotor due to rough seas and I'd love to get there. I was so disappointed but luckily Dubrovnik surpassed expectations which lessened the sting). As for Santorini, our port time was 2p-10p, with only 1 other ship in port ( 8-5). In theory, it looked easy. And my original plan would have worked perfectly .... take the NCL excursion "Charming Oia Village" to avoid the cable cars, in Oia inform the guide that we were leaving the group, then explore Oia on our own, take a bus/taxi to Fira, return to the ship by cable car for the sunset around 7pm. HOWEVER, the OIA excursions were sold out. ( I didn't book the cruise until 6 weeks prior). We stood in the cable car line for 2 hrs, so it was 4pm by the time we got up to Fira. We wandered around for an hr, took some photos, all the while watching for a taxi to Oia. By then it was 5pm so walked to the taxi stand; no taxis and no bus at the bus station. Then we debated whether we should skip Oia; what if we couldn't find a taxi to bring us back to Fira, or the bus was full. So we hung around Fira for another hour and about 6:30/7pm went to the cable car expecting another long line. There was NO ONE !! The views from the ship were wonderful; we watched the lights coming on all along the cliff and a very brief sunset due to clouds. So ..... if I was to visit Santorini again, I'd take the NCL excursion, OR, the water taxi. We considered the water taxi; it sat at the dock for an hr waiting for additional pax but we didn't expect that we'd be in line another hr for the cable car. Good luck with your choice! It will be a tough one, but nice to know you can't go wrong !

Keep in mind that the Pearl won't actually depart from Venice. NCL usually uses Trieste as it's Venice port. It's an easy 2 hr ride from Venice to Trieste, by train or flixbus (10-15E) or NCL transfer (60-70). I think you'll get more feedback if you post links to each cruise. People will want to see which ports are included, and the port times.

A couple of private transfer companies have been mentioned in previous posts; NCC VIM Transfer and VQ Travel are the only names I've noted. Very pricey though, around 400E. Is your xtra luggage worth this expense? Perhaps you can find others on your Roll Call to share the cost.

The boat company runs a bus from Oia to Fira every 30 minutes. Be mindful of the timing for the last bus. There is also a public bus that goes between Oia and Fira. Or a taxi. But as the PP stated, once you get to Fira you either take the cable cars or trail back to the tender.

When I was in Santorini last Oct, the boat service was 30E. It was a large boat, carrying about 80-100 pax. It sat at the dock for an hour, waiting for more pax before it would leave. ( But that was better than than our 2 hr wait in the cable car line.)

there are guide books specific to Med cruises, ie Rick Steves has Mediterranean Cruise Ports. The books provide info on the history of each port, sights, activities, tours, DIY options and how to get around. Borrow from the library or buy on amazon. Be sure to involve your teens so that you get their input and buy-in.

Learn about the ports in order to determine what YOU want to see and do. Some people want to see ruins, others want beach time or a sailing adventure. There are travel books specific to Mediterranean cruises, ie Rick Steves "Mediterranean Cruise Ports". The books provide information on sights, activities, excursions, restaurants, and DIY options. Borrow from your library or order from Amazon. Santorini can be a mess due to the cable car fiasco. And if your trip is in August, you will want to avoid waiting an hour or 2 in the blazing sun. Read the Santorini thread at the top of the Greece Forum for details. This is a port where the ships excursion can be very helpful in that you will avoid the cable car going up, but sadly still have to deal with it going down. (Google to find out how many ships are in port with you; their arrival/departure times and # pax. Tha info will help you determine a less busy time for the return trip.)

Positano is very small; hardly enough there to see and do for a full day. Perhaps hop on a ferry and visit Amalfi as well ? Highly recommend the ferry for great views ( Travelmar ferry) We did a private tour; we considered Pompeii plus Amalfi Coast but ultimately decided that the coast was our priority. We visited Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. It was a full day. There are many companies who provide group and private tours. These companies have been mentioned in past trip reports; Rome in Limo, Joe Banana Limousine, Aldo Limo, Italy Tour Sharing, Taxi Mistr Cab Driver, Carmines Amalfi Coast. If you use the Search function and search in this forum only for the word Amalfi, I'm sure you'll find other companies as well.

Cruisetours are quite expensive. I can't imagine paying that kind of price without knowing all the details. But, your money, your choice. Have you looked at the Alaska forum and read thru past trip reports ? The reports are usually detailed and are a great resource. If you at least know your destination each night and you're sure that ALL travel is being done by train, it is relatively easy to understand your day. There is only ONE departure each day on the Alaska Railroad, so just use their schedule to determine the arrival and departure times for each location. For instance if your itinerary is Anc - Talkeetna - Denali, you will leave Anc at 8:20am and arrive Talkeeetna at 11am. So you will have the afternoon and evening plus a few hrs the next morning to explore Talkeetna. Denali is where it gets dicey. Be sure you have 2 nights here, otherwise you may not have enough time to do a bus tour thru the park to see the wildlife and scenery, as well as enjoy the exhibits, activities, trails, and surroundings. Train Schedules | Alaska Railroad If you would prefer more time at specific locations, the Alaska Railroad provides several different travel packages.They make the arrangements for lodging and travel. Summer Travel Packages | Alaska Railroad Or, this company runs the main bus line in Alaska ( Seward, Anc, Talkeetna, Denali) and they also work with the railroad to provide packages by train, by bus, or bus and train combo. Again, they make the arrangements for hotels and travel. Best Alaska Vacation Packages 2024 | Top Alaskan Vacations | AlaskaTravel.com

Another good resource is to read thru past yrs Trip Reports. In the blue banner at the top of the page you'll find LIVE CRUISE REPORTS. The heading for each report usually indicates the itinerary, so you can easily pick out the reports that will have similar ports.

Difficult to answer since we don't know your interests and physical ability. I recommend that you buy a guidebook and read up on each port to determine what YOU want to see and do. There are guidebooks specific to Med cruises, such as Rick Steves 'Med Cruise Ports' and Ann Vipond 'Med by Cruise Ship'. Borrow from your library or buy an older edition on Amazon. Also, go to the Ports of Call forum here on cruisecritic for Italy and Greece ; lots of good info. Italy Ports - Cruise Critic Community I'm a budget traveler so DIY is the usual option. MYKONOS is a lovely picturesque town. DIY ..we just wandered thru the alleys, enjoyed the white washed homes, visited Little Venice, walked to the windmills. SANTORINI - Do an NCL excursion here in order to avoid the cable car fiasco! I had heard about the problem so I tried to book Charming Oia Village but it was sold out. It would have taken us by bus to Oia ( avoiding the cable car mess), then on to Fira to take the cable car back to the tender. We stood in the sun for 2 hrs in the cable car line on arrival. No wait for the return trip. But the 2 hr wait ruined our visit..... we were unable to visit Oia. You can read about the cable car fiasco on the Ports of CAll , Greece forum. Greece Ports - Cruise Critic Community FLORENCE - I assume you port in Livorno. We took the train to Pisa for a quick photo of the Leaning Tower then another train to Florence where we spent time at the Market and walked around the outside of the Duomo NAPLES - we wanted to do the Amalfi Coast and see Pompeii but there wasn't time for both. Amalfi Coast won so we did a private tour, visiting Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. ATHENS - walked to the subway then visited the Acropolis, watched the changing of the guard at the Parliament Bldg, wandered around the Plaka.

both times in Mykonos we were supposed to tender but docked instead. If you tender, the free shuttle goes to Mykonos Old Port which puts you at the edge of town; about a 10 minute walk to Little Venice, and another 5 minutes further gets you to the windmills. If you dock, you can take the free shuttle to Old Port. Or walk a block and take the SeaBus to Old Port for 2E.

The rooms were very economical so I booked a room with a view. Not that I took advantage; a peek when I arrived and before I went to bed! There's a small rooftop terrace with the same view. (BTW, had a lovely dinner in their dining room, but hopefully you'll still be exploring in Venice at dinner time) There are a few other hotels by the airport, including a Marriott if you have points to use. But I would certainly recommend the Antony; clean quiet convenient and economical. Venice Airport Hotels | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) Agree with PP's advice; head into Venice asap, hop on a vaporetto and travel down the Grand Canal to St Marks. The quickest way to Venice is by cab; about 35e/ 15 minutes. But ask about the hotel shuttle; I think it was 5E pp. The local bus is a 3-4 block walk from the hotel, 1.2 E/ 25-30 minutes. All options drop you at Piazzale Roma, which is a block from the Grand Canal. When you get to the Canal there's a vaporetto station on your left to buy a ticket and board. Be sure to validate your ticket ! The views are magic !! I've been to Venice several times and it still takes my breath away. This is an easy quick view at dusk from the bridge at Piazzale Roma looking down the Canal.

You will choose a time frame, but it's not really enforced unless you're trying to force your way on board before 9am. We flew into Venice, overnighted, then boarded in Trieste. I chose a 12-1pm checkin based on our train schedule. The train left around 10am, arrived Trieste around 12:15pm, then a 15 minute walk to the pier. Sadly, it was pouring down rain so we had an hr wait for a taxi !

Given your frequent visits to Rome, staying in Civi sounds like a perfectly reasonable option. The 2nd attachment in your post provided the names of 2 lovely B&B's (La Casa Sul Mare, Casa Bel Sole) plus things to do and restaurants. That balcony with a sea view at La Casa Sul Mare sounds pretty relaxing to me, but I assume you prefer a hotel......

how early is your flight ? Mine was 6:20am so I stayed near the airport. The Antony Hotel was 120E, an 8 minute drive to the airport. I'd stay there again; very clean, quiet and comfortable. I left at 4:45am, so too early for their included bfast and too early for the free airport shuttle. They sell tickets for the local bus into Venice, 1.2 E and they also have a shuttle, not sure of the fee. If your flight is later, like 11am, you could stay at the Piazzale Roma area of Venice. This is the last point of travel in Venice so it's where taxis and airport buses pick up/drop off pax. A cab is about 45E and the ATVO xpress bus is 10E pp; both take 20 minutes. It's also a block from the Grand Canal so you can hop on a water bus and start sightseeing. You pay for this convenience tho. This listing is P Roma hotels; the 1 bridge is very small 'How Many Bridges?' hotel listings for Piazzale Roma | Venice for Visitors (europeforvisitors.com) The advantage to my early flight was no lines at 5am. My past departures from VCE have been pretty chaotic, which is why they suggest arriving 3 hrs prior.

Yes, but you still have to use the cable cars to get back down to the dock for your tender. The water taxi takes you to Oia and provides a bus back to Fira, but in Fira you either use the cable car or the donkey steps to get to the tender. The OP is looking for a way to avoid the cable cars. (and the video fails to mention that the water taxi doesn't leave until it's full. You might sit there for an hour waiting for enough pax. )

Disagree! We waited TWO hrs for the cable cars going up. Had ZERO wait going down. As PP stated, it all depends on how many ships are in port with you and their arrival/departure times.

In the past the NCL transfer to Trieste was only available to those flying in on cruise day. Using NCL Air wasn't a requirement. The workaround was to provide NCL a legitimate flight # for a flight that arrives that morning, then get yourself to the airport from Venice. ( it's a 20 minute drive, around 40E for 2 pax). IIRC the transfer to Trieste was $75pp and the last one was at noon. I took the train to Trieste last yr. I had read several reports that the train from Venice S Lucia station was often packed, with only single seats available, and/or no room for luggage so it sat on your lap for 2 hrs. So I chose to travel from the Mestre station where I could board a Frecci train, book Business Class, and choose my seat. I chose a seat at the end of the carriage next to the luggage storage. A 2 hr trip, about 18E. Our carriage was just about empty so we ended up moving the luggage to our 4 seater table since there was only 2 of us. ( Mestre is the last town on the mainland before you cross the causeway into Venice, 2e and 10 minutes by bus or train, maybe 20E cab) After the cruise I took FlixBus from Trieste to VCE. About 25e but only because I didn't book in advance. The downfall to the train or flixbus is that the stations are about a 15 minute walk to the pier. A flat easy walk on a nice day. But we arrived during a heavy downpour and had to wait an hr for a cab. I didn't hear any reports this summer about crowded trains from Venice to Trieste so perhaps it was only an issue last summer. Regardless, I would probably do the same and take a Frecci train from Mestre in order to choose my seat and Bsns Class was quite nice.

BTW, I saw your other post about taking a 1pm flight out of Trieste. I'd do that! Most definitely! When I cruised last Oct, NCL offered a shuttle to Trieste Airport from the ship. For pax with flights leaving prior to 12:30pm, the shuttle left at 7am. So you wouldn't have any problem with a 1pm flight. And even if NCL didn't offer the shuttle, you could reserve a cab or driver to take you to the airport. It's only a 30 minute drive from the pier to airport.

I stayed at the Hotel Antony last Oct when I had a 6:20am flight. I chose a superior room to enjoy a view of Venice across the lagoon. The rooftop deck also has that view. It was very reasonable, around 120e for the night. The room was very clean, quiet, comfortable; minimalist style so the concrete floors seemed odd. Their restaurant was very good for dinner. I left too early to get the included bfast. I'd definitely stay there again. They have a free shuttle to the airport but it didn't start until 6 or 7am; too late for me, so they reserved a cab. As a nice touch, they asked if I would like to share a cab with another hotel guest and share the cost. Sure! An 8 minute drive. (the benefit to an early flight from VCE was that the airport was quiet, not the usual chaos. I arrived at 4:55 and was at the gate by 5:30 !)

There was a trip report in mid October where someone took a 'taxi boat' from OIA to the tender dock below Fira. They kinda stumbled upon this service by accident. It wasn't the same ferry that goes from the tender dock to Oia; those boats are quite large, maybe 75-100 pax, cost 30E and include a bus ticket to Fira. This was a different operation.... hopefully an enterprising group who realized money could be made by providing the return trip, especially when people want to avoid the cable car wait to their tender. The trip report stated that they took the cable car up to Fira, had lunch, then ubered to Oia. After awhile they decided to take the staircase at Oia down to the water. They saw a small boat with a TAXI sign and it was taking pax back to the tender dock below Fira! The cost was 20E. These boats were much smaller than the other company; only 15-20 pax. And they took reservations. Hopefully this will become a regular service! It would be such a relief for cruiseship pax. But, like the other ferry boat, this boat doesn't appear to have a company name or phone number, so there's no way to know if it's running on any given day. I guess if you took the ferry from Fira to Oia you'd see if the small boat was at the dock and could make arrangements for a return trip. OR, you could walk down the staircase while you're in Oia and be prepared to walk back up if there's no service available. Anyway, just thought I'd pass along what could be an interesting development.

Sandras looks to be a broked; similar to Viator in that they don't DO the tour themselves, they contract out to local tour operators to lead the tour. So your tour will be as good as the tour operator, and you won't know who that operator is.