Adriatic Dream

We are sailing in June on Oosterdam, Adriatic Dream, with two other families. I don't see much information on this cruise, but maybe I'm missing it.

We've focused on our arrival and departure ports (Venice and Rome), but need to start plans for everything else. We plan to do private excursions or explore on our own, depending on the port.

Our group includes 6 adults and 5 kids (ages 5, 6, 10, 10, 15).

Is anyone willing to share opinions of which ports we should schedule excursions for vs. explore on our own? Will be very grateful for any thoughts!

Venice

1 - Split, Croatia

2 - Dubrovnik, Croatia

3 - Sarande, Albania

4 - Katakolan (Olympia), Greece

5 - Souda (Chania), Greece

6 - Mykonos, Greece

7 - AT SEA

8 - Valletta, Malta

9 - Valletta, Malta

10 - Palermo (Sicily, Italy)

11 - Naples (Pompeii, Italy)

12 - Civitavecchia (Rome)

Rick Steve's has a travel book - Mediterranean Cruise Ports that may be helpful if you want to do some of these ports on your own - his suggestions for walking around Naples directly from the cruise port are excellent.

Cruise Critic also has a "ports" board where you can also get further ideas. Looks like a very good itinerary. Enjoy.

Thanks for the Rick Steves tip - hadn't purchased that yet.

My suggestions -- adjust for your family's interest and ability to get around on your own:

 

Is anyone willing to share opinions of which ports we should schedule excursions for vs. explore on our own? Will be very grateful for any thoughts!

 

Venice

1 - Split, Croatia -- get into the center of town, which is built into the remains of a Roman emperor's palace. You can arrange for a walking tour once there, in the courtyard in front of the entrance.

2 - Dubrovnik, Croatia -- you can walk around the old town on your own (but if you have a guidebook or a guide you will get more out of it. Walking the walls is a favorite but be sure everyone in your party is up to it.

3 - Sarande, Albania -- the city of Sarande is not charming; take a tour here to get out into the countryside a bit. Butrint, a Roman/Byzantine site is very pretty, not too large and in a parklike setting. Highly recommend it.

4 - Katakolan (Olympia), Greece -- Primary reason to visit here is to take the short trip (30 mins?) to Olympia, the ancient site of the games. Again, you need a guidebook or guide to make sense of the ruins. Kids enjoy being able to line up at the starting line to race in the ancient stadium. Nice museum with good signage. Look on ports of call board for Greece -- several potential ways to get there either by bus, train, car, etc.

5 - Souda (Chania), Greece -- good day to take it easy. Chania is a small picturesque town built around a Venetian harbor. There is a shuttle and a public bus that runs from Souda (the port) to Chania. You can just walk around, shop a bit, have a nice lunch somewhere...

6 - Mykonos, Greece -- ship may dock or tender. If it docks you have to take shuttle or short boat ride into old town. (Tender lands you right in town). Like Chania, the best idea is to wander; alternatively Mykonos has some good beaches. Delos (an ancient site that is a ferry ride away) may be too ambitious.

7 - AT SEA

 

8 - Valletta, Malta -- you can get to and walk around the main area of Valletta on your own. If you're in Valletta for two days you may want to go to Mdina (original capital) and Marsaxxlox (fishing village) by bus or taxi on second day.

9 - Valletta, Malta

 

10 - Palermo (Sicily, Italy) -- Several options here depending on what interests you. There's the wonderful mosaics in the Palatine chapel; also the macabre Capuchin Crypt if your kids are old enough to not get spooked: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catacombe_dei_Cappuccini You can negotiate a van tour just outside the port; someone reported on doing this successfully recently, but I'm not sure if the size van you'd need for your group would be readily available.

11 - Naples (Pompeii, Italy) -- if it's Pompeii you want to do, it's relatively easy to get there from the port via an express bus -- easier than the old and crowded train system. You can negotiate a guided tour at the entrance for your group if desired. Lots of details available on the Italy boards.

12 - Civitavecchia (Rome)

VALETTA MALTA: Highly recommend reading The Siege of Malta - 1565 before visiting Valetta and then walking out the famous sites. This is a gruesome tale but one of undaunting courage and resourcefulness that reverberates today. This original "clash of civilizations" played out all around the old town and its various intricate harbors. And the destruction led to constructing the gorgeous new capital city of Valetta itself. https://www.amazon.com/Great-Siege-Malta-1565/dp/1497637864

I would personally put this on a must do list: Getting up early enough to view coming into Valetta - absolutely glorious if you are arriving while the floodlights are still showcasing the historic buildings and the shimmering pink hues of sunrise are just starting to bathe it all in a mystical glow of lights and shadows. The very prettiest port arrival ever in my experience. All the more haunting if you have read the book and seek out the battlement spots.

There is plenty of information on all of your ports if you simply go to the appropriate Ports of Call Boards and use the search function.

Hank

My suggestions -- adjust for your family's interest and ability to get around on your own:

Thank you for the detailed advice -very helpful!

There is plenty of information on all of your ports if you simply go to the appropriate Ports of Call Boards and use the search function.

 

Hank

Thanks, I'm doing that too. I also value people's opinions when they see the full itinerary, in terms of where to prioritize paying for private excursions.

VALETTA MALTA: Highly recommend reading The Siege of Malta - 1565 before visiting Valetta and then walking out the famous sites. This is a gruesome tale but one of undaunting courage and resourcefulness that reverberates today. This original "clash of civilizations" played out all around the old town and its various intricate harbors. And the destruction led to constructing the gorgeous new capital city of Valetta itself. https://www.amazon.com/Great-Siege-Malta-1565/dp/1497637864

 

I would personally put this on a must do list: Getting up early enough to view coming into Valetta - absolutely glorious if you are arriving while the floodlights are still showcasing the historic buildings and the shimmering pink hues of sunrise are just starting to bathe it all in a mystical glow of lights and shadows. The very prettiest port arrival ever in my experience. All the more haunting if you have read the book and seek out the battlement spots.

Interesting -thanks! I think my husband will be into this idea!

Interesting -thanks! I think my husband will be into this idea!

I had not thought much about the term "galley slave" assuming it meant someone stuck in the kitchen with a load of dirty dishes. Now I know what the term always intended to mean, after reading this rip-roaring book. In fact I could even tell what it felt like to be a galley slave. History brought very much to life in The Siege of Malta - 1565.. (And death)

My husband and I are on this cruise too. I keep looking for a thread on the roll call board but haven’t seen one yet. We are also doing the Rome to Venice portion too, so we will be on a total of 24 nights.

I second the Rick Steves book recommendation. We have his cruise book and are using it to help us plan. Heads up, these ports aren’t in the book - Sarande, Souda, Valletta, and Palermo.

My husband and I are on this cruise too. I keep looking for a thread on the roll call board but haven’t seen one yet. We are also doing the Rome to Venice portion too, so we will be on a total of 24 nights.

 

I second the Rick Steves book recommendation. We have his cruise book and are using it to help us plan. Heads up, these ports aren’t in the book - Sarande, Souda, Valletta, and Palermo.

I just started a roll call thread! :-)

I just started a roll call thread! :-)

Great! I’ll head over and check it out.

That looks like a great itinerary.

I wish I was on that cruise.

Hope you have a great time.

Please come back and tell us all about it!

Great itinerary.

Hope you get more people to join your Roll Call.

We are excited - the more research we do on ports, the more excited we feel! I realized I made an error in the itinerary above.

Day 9 of the cruise is actually Mgarr (Victoria), Gozo, Malta (tender). So, if anyone has thoughts about the Mgarr port, please do share! There isn't much to be found on that topic in other forums/threads.