Galaxy - Med - July 04 - Going it alone on Shore?

[kaidasz]

We are taking our first cruise this summer on the Galaxy. Any advice on the necessity of purchasing shore excursions? We don't like being herded around and would prefer to explore what we want, when we want. However, we know time is limited in some ports and aren't sure how easy it will be to get around. Any suggestions? Thanks! Ports of Call are Mykonos, Santorini, Malta, Naples, Villefranche, Barcelona..

[abbymac]

We were on the Constellation for a Mediterranean cruise last September. We arranged for private guides/cars in the major ports (Rome, Florence, Naples, Nice) and shared the cost with two other couples on the ship. It was the BEST way to see what we wanted, with knowledgable guides, using comfortable air-conditioned cars that could drive everywhere. And the per person cost was much better than the group, bus tours arranged by the ship. We rarely had to wait in lines for anything, decided for ourselves what things we wanted to see and do, and had absolutely wonderful times in all of the cities. If you go to the Europe board on Cruise Critic you'll find lots of info about arranging for private tours. We recommend it HIGHLY.

abby

[MSBYRDY]

Santorini and Barcelona are very easy to do on your own, we had private drivers for the others to get the most out of our limited time there.
Marilyn

[kaidasz]

Thanks for the info. On the boards I found several referrals for private tours and have potentially hooked up with some other passengers to do some small group tours.