ajtraveler66

We will be in Cannes on April 24, but we won't be there for long.  

We are trying to decide on just doing Cannes on our own or taking a scenic bus excursion into the Nice area (with selective stops).

I look forward to your input.  Thanks.

I hope my information is wrong from NCL, but I was told by an NCL employee that their Venice Walking Tour with Gondola Ride does not include a tour of the INSIDE of St. Mark's Basilica.  Since some of our excursions are unavailable for purchasing at this time (this one in particular), I am hoping that this person is incorrect.  Because that is exactly the excursion that we are looking for (something that includes the inside of St. Mark's ... along with a gondola ride).

That said, if indeed NCL does not provide this excursion for us, are there any RELIABLE & reasonably priced options out there for us?  I know we could probably do all of this on our own, but the convenience of someone buying the tickets for us and setting things up for us is why we are seeking an excursion.  The last thing we want to do in Venice is to stand in a line.

Thanks.

We're in the process of making reservations for the 'must do' excursions for our NCL Star April cruise.  (Venice, Rome, Naples, Florence, Sicily, Florence).  We will do these excursions come rain or come shine unless they are cancelled for some reason.

However,  there are other days at port in which the 'to do list' is not necessarily a top priority... and I'll use this as an example:  One of our ports of call is Split, Croatia.  We really look forward to seeing Split and we want to...but not in a big way if it looks as though the weather forecast is calling for undesirable conditions.

That said ... should we see on the day before that the weather is going to be good on the day we are in Split, will we have trouble finding excursions 'at the last minute' ... excursions that would 'bus us around town' to some of the local hot spots.  These could be with the ship or possibly even independent of the ship.

I realize we could arrange for private tours in advance...but we feel that it just wouldn't be worth it if the weather was inclement .. (and then it would be too late to cancel).

I look forward to your tips/suggestions.

FYI:  Our other ports of call include Kotor, Slovenia; Cannes, France; Ibiza, Spain; Cadiz, Spain; Portimao, Portugal  (We will probably venture out in Cannes and Cadiz ... even if the weathy is a bit unpleasant).

We are thinking that we can do Venice without an excursion.  To me, it appears that the highlights are St. Mark's Square and taking in a gondola ride.  

Some friends of ours took an excursion to a 'glass blowing' establishment.  They enjoyed it ... but it just doesn't sound that appealing to me.  I'd rather just take the city in with my own eyes...the canals, the architecture .... and then take time out to enjoy a nice restaurant (this would be our 'excursion expenditure' for the day).

What do you all think?  Is a guided tour of the city worth it?  Anything that you think we really should include in our day?  FYI... I don't think we'll be dealing with any time-crunch issues.

We will be on the NCL Star in April.  Two of our ports are Cadiz & Motril.

I think we have just about decided to skip the excursions in Cadiz and just enjoy the city of Cadiz itself.  I've just read too many positive comments about it for me to change my mind.

The city of Motril, on the other hand, has me a bit stumped.  It just doesn't appear to have much of a draw in and of itself.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

We will probably hold off on making the Motril decision until we are midway through our cruise. (It's Day #13 of our 15-Day Mediterranean Cruise (Apr 15-30)).  I know that there are excursions to Granada/Alhambra.  But if Motril has a lot to offer, we may just opt to spend our day there.  I have a feeling we are going to be very tired at that point any way.  Ibiza is Day #12, and I think we plan to lay back and just take it easy that day for sure.

While I've got you....we do Portimao, Portugal on Day #14.  Feel free to comment if you've been there.

On 12/24/2022 at 1:51 PM, 9tee2Sea said:

There may be other options, but for me, the only way to do a tour in any port that is at least 1 hour away from city center is thru the cruise line.  I would rather pay more, and be stress free that the ship won't leave if I come back late due to any unforeseen issues.  Just my opinion.

"Stress-Free". THE KEY WORDS!!!  YES!  We will be doing an NCL excursion, and we'll probably splurge with the Exclusive based on what I've been reading here.  Thanks, everyone!  

Seeing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is the one thing we ABSOLUTELY want to do.  Since there are tickets involved, we prefer using an organized tour as opposed to doing it "On Our Own".  Were tickets not a big factor, we probably would have been tempted to choose the "On Your Own" excursion.  That's what we're going to do in Sicily --  "Taormina On Your Own".

Other than "Exclusive Rome and the Vatican" being $80.00 more expensive, what is the major difference between the two excursions listed in the title?  

The only thought I'd like to mention here is that we're not all that excitied about losing time going into the interior of the Colosseum...when we could see other things instead.    Some in our party have already been to the interior ... and the rest are not all that excited about being forced to see the interior.

If both excursions do take us inside the Colosseum, then so be it...we'll still have to choose one excursion or the other.

Also ... you do need to know that we prefer doing excursions through the ship ...   Oh yes, we could do a private tour ... but I've been around long enough to know that mishaps do occur every now and then.  That said, we do like knowing that by doing the ship's excursion, we do have the assurance of knowing that we'll get back on the ship.

4 hours ago, edinburgher said:

Looks like we'd get to visit the Diocletian Palace (among other things) and then go up for some free time with a great view of the city at Teraca Velidica.

 

AJ, just some (perhaps unwanted) info from me before you book this tour.

 

Having visited Split 3 times, we have a fair idea of the layout of the city and although it sounds like a fun idea,  a tuk tuk tour may not be the best way to see it, with the principal reason being that much of central Split is completely pedestrianised, including the often crowded and narrow streets around the Diocletian  Palace and the length of the Riva promenade. Both those areas are an easy  10-15 minute walk  from the ship  and are quite fun and easy to stroll on foot.  I would therefore imagine that  any motorised tours will be running around the outer areas of the city, where fewer of the main sights are to be found, although it could be that since our most recent visit to Split the local authorities have reopened those narrow streets to motorised vehicles, or perhaps tuk tuks are exempt and can enter the pedestrian areas.  You could find that out before booking as i cannot give you a definitive answer on the route a tuk tuk tour would take.

 

Secondly,  You say you want to enjoy the views from Teraca Velidica, which is actually the name of a cafe/bar/restaurant located beside the VELEDICA VIEWPOINT part way up Marjan Hill,.which we visited on our 3rd visit to Split.  There are several ways to reach it and it appears that your tuk tuk tour might take you up there.  We know of two ways to get there on foot, but when we were enjoying cold beers at the Teraca Velidica, we saw not one, but two taxis drop off fares at the viewpoint as there is an actual road from the city which ends right outside.the cafe/bar. From there, further access to higher up Marjan Hill is on foot.following the walkway. You mention free time at the viewpoint, but unless you want to climb further up the hill, there is only the cafe/bar/ restaurant  and the view, so perhaps you are planning a lunch there?

 

I would therefore suggest that you rethink the tuk tour of what could well be the perimeter of Split, walk to and explore the historic centre on foot, then the four of you share a taxi ride up to the viewpoint where the views are indeed magnificent and not to be missed.  You could have the taxi wait while you take photos or let it go and walk either further up Marjan Hill, or walk down to the city from the viewpoint. Your decision........

 

Should time allow at that point (and it may not)and  should you decide to walk down, you could either use the staircase or meander downhill through the Veli Varos neighbourhood both of which bring you down to sea level.  That is the route we took uphill to the viewpoint- but we had the time to do that although on a first visit your interests are likely to be more focused within the historic centre and the Riva.

 

There was a thread about it here.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2855730-split-on-your-own/#comment-63299669

See post #4 and much info if you internet search Veli Varos

 

This is great advice..... Thanks.   In case you see this, is the view up there worth the taxi ride to that terrace and other sites you mentioned.  The pictures look stunning.  .

 

5 hours ago, lisaatric said:

I’m going to admit I don’t know what a Tuk-Tuk is but I DO know you can walk to the palace from the ship in about 15 minutes.  

Thanks for that info.  It's that view that I'm really interested in.  Walking there might be a stretch.  But it's good to know that neat stuff is near the port.  Thanks.  If we don't do that Tuk-Tuk (or equivalent) we'll probably just do the palace, etc. on our own.  Thanks again.

This 2 1/2 hour tour looks very good to me.  Our group is about to 'go for it'.  (Tuk-Tuk is open-air....very similar to a golf cart)

Looks like we'd get to visit the Diocletian Palace (among other things) and then go up for some free time with a great view of the city at Teraca Velidica.  And since it's such a short excursion that is a big plus to us because we would then have plenty of time to go out on our own once we return to the port ... maybe sample a little Croatian food (suggestions welcome there)

The only concern I would have is the possibility of riding around in a Tuk-Tuk in inclement weather.  But we always take that risk on these sorts of things.

So.... Has anyone done this Tuk-Tuk tour?  Hopefully so.  Because I look forward to hearing from you.

This 2 1/2 hour tour looks very good to me.  Our group is about to 'go for it'.

Looks like we'd get to visit the Diocletian Palace (among other things) and then go up for some free time with a great view of the city at Teraca Velidica.  And since it's such a short excursion that is a big plus to us because we would then have plenty of time to go out on our own once we return to the port ... maybe sample a little Croatian food (suggestions welcome there)

The only concern I would have is the possibility of riding around in a Tuk-Tuk in inclement weather.  But we always take that risk on these sorts of things.

So.... Has anyone done this Tuk-Tuk tour?  Hopefully so.  Because I look forward to hearing from you.

I know that Alhambra is the big 'go-to' place while in Motril, but several in our party of four do not seem all that interested.  That said, what about the "Alpujarras Mountain Drive" excursion?  It looks both relaxing and interesting.  Or perhaps Motril, itself, has something to offer.  I look forward to your input.

I know that Alhambra is the big 'go-to' place while in Motril, but several in our party of four do not seem all that interested.  That said, what about the "Alpujarras Mountain Drive" excursion?  It looks both relaxing and interesting.  Or perhaps Motril, itself, has something to offer.  I look forward to your input.

Our ship's Rome excursions have yet to be posted for our April cruise.

Two in our party have been to Rome before, and we look forward to seeing the Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain, and Colosseum once again.  However, we did not get to see the Spanish Steps and a few other highlights.

So...we are wondering if there are any reputable private shore excursion companies that could pick us up at the port in Civitechhia and provide tickets to the Vatican for us ... along with allowing us to see some hand-picked sites in Rome (especially those mentioned in the title).  Seeing only the exterior of the Colosseum is adequate.  We could save time by not having to go into the interior. 

We look forward to your input.

Thanks, Cruisemom.  I remember you talking about this  a few months ago.  I just don't think I ever asked about the free time.  The wording on our excursion is a bit different than this one, but surely it hasn't changed that much from your experience.  I'm now hopeful we'll have that free time to enjoy some cannoli or granita.  And doing the tour, we won't have to mess with getting the amphitheater tickets on our own.

We are excited!

For those who have taken the 4 1/2 hour shore excursion "Highlights of Taormina" ... did you have any free time or was it a regimented tour.  (We realize that to-and-fro travel accounts for some of that 4 1/2 hours).

We are trying to decide between "Highlights of Taormina" and "Taormina On Your Own".  I know for certain that we will choose "Highlights" as long as we know we'll have at least a little time on our own.  If not, we'll have to think on it.

Also ... Is "Highlights of Taormina" tour fast-paced, easy-going, or somewhere in between?  One in our group has moderate knee issues.  So we have to consider that as well.

Thanks ...  Regardless of what we choose, we are VERY MUCH looking forward to our 2+ hours in Taormina.  Praying for a beautiful April Day.

For those who have taken the 4 1/2 hour shore excursion "Highlights of Taormina" ... did you have any free time or was it a regimented tour.  (We realize that to-and-fro travel accounts for some of that 4 1/2 hours).

We are trying to decide between "Highlights of Taormina" and "Taormina On Your Own".  I know for certain that we will choose "Highlights" as long as we know we'll have at least a little time on our own.  If not, we'll have to think on it.

Also ... Is "Highlights of Taormina" tour fast-paced, easy-going, or somewhere in between?  One in our group has moderate knee issues.  So we have to consider that as well.

Thanks ...  Regardless of what we choose, we are VERY MUCH looking forward to our 2+ hours in Taormina.  Praying for a beautiful April Day.

We will be at port in Motril, Spain, on April 27, 2023 on the NCL Star.  We realize that seeing Alhambra and Granada are high on the excursion list options.  But we were wondering about the Nazari Garden/Winery excursion that is offered by our ship, NCL Star.  It sounds very relaxing...even without the wine.  🙂 .

Wondering if any of you have ever taken this.  Your input welcome ... or anything else you'd care to suggest for the Motril port.

We will be at port in Motril, Spain, on April 27, 2023.  We realize that seeing Alhambra and Granada are high on the excursion list.  But we were wondering about the Nazari Garden/Winery excursion that is offered by our ship, NCL Star.  It sounds very relaxing...even without the wine.  🙂 

Thanks for your input.  Feel free to offer suggestions other than input on this particular excursion.

While at port in Motril, it looks like some of the interesting excursions are to the Granada/Alhambra area.

This will be day 13 of our 15-day cruise.  We are likely to be very tired because we will have taken in quite a bit of activity up to this point.  So my question is: "Would last-minute excursions to the "Granada/Alhambra" area be easy to obtain?  We'd prefer ship offerings, but we would be willing to do reliable private excursions should we feel up to it.

We would prefer to wait on committing to a reservation until we see how we are feeling as Day 13 approaches.

We will be at port in Motril, Spain on April 27.  Overnight into the next day...at some point we will be passing through the Strait of Gibraltar enroute to Cadiz, Spain.

For those of you who have been on cruises that pass through the Strait, will the ship give you an idea as to the 'precise' time when that 'passing through' will occur?  We are figuring that it may very well be in the middle of the night...and some in our party will be willing to set alarms if such is the case just so we can experience it.

Passing through the "Strait' was one of the reasons we picked this cruise.  Cadiz has lots to offer...and knowing the answer to my Gibraltar question will help us to determine what excursions we might take in Cadiz.  (There is a whale/dolphin watching excursion that goes out into the Strait ... but if we get to see the lights of Africa from the ship as we pass through the Strait....we'll probably opt to select another excursion).

The "Scenic Barcelona" excursion looks very good.  The last 'to-see' item of that excursion is to go to the Gothic area.

Here's my question:  "Can it be arranged for us to end the excursion there...and not return to the ship with the group?"  We might want to linger around in that area a while longer and then make our own way back to the cruise ship via taxi, walking, or whatever.  (We're thinking tapa time, etc. 😀  )

I know some will suggest that we do the entire day all 'on our own', but some members of our party do have knee problems...so we try to limit extensive walking as much as possible.  This "Scenic Barcelona" allows us to see quite a bit.

Thanks for the info.  Good to know about the shuttle in case we ARE a good distance away from the main area of Zadar.

37 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

Are you quite certain you will tender as i think that might be a little unusual?  Is Zadar indicated in any way (either with a little anchor or with the words tender or tender port) on your itinerary or on any other documentation you might already have from when you booked?

The current itinerary that I copied and pasted off the reservation ... lists it as a tender.  I do hope that you are right ... but if that's the case, we still will need to know if we need some form of transportation into Old Zadar.

Our full set of available excursions has yet to be posted.  They've only given us 37 options for 15 days up to this point ... most of them not really the ones that a person would be looking for.  I'm sure there's a valid reason for the delay.  (A whole host of excursions is listed through the main NCL website, but we can ony purchase from these 37 listed ones at this time).  I've called NCL ... only to be told that more will come.  

We don't have special plans for Zadar, but we do want to see the highlights that they have.