Mt. Etna Question

[enidgirl]

What is your experience at Mt. Etna? Is visiting Mt. Etna through the ship's tour (Brilliance) worthwhile? Based on the description I really can't tell.

[enidgirl]

Does somebody have an opinion about Mt. Etna?

[WeBeCruisin']

We took the Mt. Etna ship's tour when we were on the Legend of the Seas in 2001. It was only a few months after some major eruptions, and the lava blocked the road before you could get to the top. We climbed to the edge of one of the craters. It was a pretty steep climb, but there were other more serpentine trails which wouldn't have been as bad. If it's a windy day, make sure you have a handkerchief or something to put over your nose and mouth so you won't inhale the volcanic ash which will be swirling all around you. There was also a gift shop where the road stopped where you could buy videos of the eruption and knick-knacks made from volcanic ash. We enjoyed the tour very much.

 

Allen

[lindberg]

I took a Mt Etna tour from the Crown Odessey in 2002. Very disappointing. I slept on the bus up, got off went to a tourist shack, walked to an area where the rocks were still very hot, slept on the bus back to the ship. I wish I had looked at the ruins instead.:confused:

[ClaudiaF]

Go to Taormina.. it is a really neat town.. ;-)

[supernaturalblonde]

There's a tour that includes both Taormina and Mt Etna. What about kids? Is it an unusual enough looking area so that you *know* you're at the top of a volcano? I'm not thinking that this will be my favorite site, but I thought this would be an unusual chance to see a volcano up close and personal. (I can see my kids getting tired of seeing "just ruins"). Am I mistaken?

[Andym]

We didn't go to Taormina, but went to Etna and then explored the area around where the ship docks. Etna was great, quite a long ride to get there, perhaps thats why lindberg slept, but the volcano was quite active at the time, and it has just had another blow, so it is changing all the time. The café etc had all been taken out by the lava flow when we were there so toilets etc were somewhat limited, but the experience was well worth it.

 

Back at the port there was not a lot to see, but don't miss the church bell tower, across the road and up a couple of blocks, and try to get there on the hour to hear it chime

 

I have some photos here

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/andym888

[High C's]

Whatever you do, make sure you go to Taormina. Of all of the ports on our cruise last year, that was by far my favourite. We didn't go to Mt. Etna, but others at our dinner table did, and they seemed to enjoy it (they did the combined Taormina/Mt. Etna tour). We did the volcano/hot springs swim tour in Santorini. DO NOT DO THAT TOUR!!! The volcano was just a bunch of black rubble with what appeared to be a "dug out hole" at the top. And the hot springs water was so orange from the sulphur, all of our bathing suits were permanently stained from it!

[enidgirl]

We will do Taormina for sure. Mt. Etna sounds like a long ride, a minimally interesting stop and a long ride back.....I think we'll skip it.