MSC excursions

[Jo and Rob]

Please can anyone tell me if MSC have more excursions available than listed on line. We are going to Tunisia and don't want to be DIY but only four are listed which doesn't seem right. Also if you prebook excursions do you prepay or pay on board.

 

We sail different cruise lines and I can't remember!! Sailing very soon so advice really needed.

[AmoMondo]

They usually have a few more cruises available onboard than those advertised online. We had 5 excursions a few weeks ago for our half day call at Tunis.

 

Don't expect a huge number though. English speakers may only be a hundred or so, depending on the ship and it's size. Not all will book excursions, so that won't allow for loads of exclusively English speaking tours. Sometimes they combine with another language so they can still offer the trip.

 

Anything prebooked online goes onto your onboard account. Of you book them directly with MDC or your TA, they would be added on to your final invoice.

[Jo and Rob]

That is good to know. I wondered whether the language could be the reason. Can you prebook an excursion and then change it when on board? Our last MSC cruise was in the Caribbean so language wasn't an issue. The trouble with the excursions offered is that they all seem really expensive and nothing really grabs me. I certainly don't want to be sold a carpet! (Or waste time getting the hard sell)

 

Did you book an excursion in Tunisia? What was it and would you recommend it? I don't want to leave it and then find all the English speaking places are full. Ahhh!

[AmoMondo]

Sorry Jo, I can't help with your other questions. I almost never do excursions (ships or otherwise) - I just hate organised trips. This was my fourth time in Tunis and the first time I even got off the ship! Just wandered around the modern terminal area and shops. So you see on this, I'm no help at all!

 

They did hVe signs up for fixed price taxi tours in the terminal going to Carthage, Sid Boud and somewhere else.

[ROCruiser]

Hi Jo,

 

Tunis was the only time that we ever used a ship excursion. We debated quite a bit before the cruise but felt that it's a shame not to get off the ship at a port. We booked the ship excursion for safety reasons. After weighing our abilities to solve problems if anything happens there, we decided on the ship excursion. We chose the something history/culture one and happy that we did. Not much shopping except the guide showed us a store in Sid Boud after the visit to the museum. No pressure, no hassle. Son went off on his own to other parts of the area and got some snacks. All in all it was worth the $70 some dollars pp. if I remember correctly. The tour was interesting and the guide was excellent. There were two buses for English speakers and ours was not full. We booked online with MSC and pay with the onboard account.

 

Don't know if I have answered your questions. Let me know if you need further info.

 

Enjoy your trip! The NCL cruise that we will be going on next February already cancelled Tunis. :(

[Jo and Rob]

Hi Jo,

 

Tunis was the only time that we ever used a ship excursion. We debated quite a bit before the cruise but felt that it's a shame not to get off the ship at a port. We booked the ship excursion for safety reasons. After weighing our abilities to solve problems if anything happens there, we decided on the ship excursion. We chose the something history/culture one and happy that we did. Not much shopping except the guide showed us a store in Sid Boud after the visit to the museum. No pressure, no hassle. Son went off on his own to other parts of the area and got some snacks. All in all it was worth the $70 some dollars pp. if I remember correctly. The tour was interesting and the guide was excellent. There were two buses for English speakers and ours was not full. We booked online with MSC and pay with the onboard account.

 

Don't know if I have answered your questions. Let me know if you need further info.

 

Enjoy your trip! The NCL cruise that we will be going on next February already cancelled Tunis. :(

 

Thank you! I have also booked this trip so very pleased to hear it was good for you. I decided that the language could well be an issue so it would be worth prebooking. Did you do the other ports on our itinerary (Naples, Messina, Barcelona and Marseille). I would be very interested to know your experience regarding HOHO buses etc if you have any for these ports.

 

many thanks

[ROCruiser]

Thank you! I have also booked this trip so very pleased to hear it was good for you. I decided that the language could well be an issue so it would be worth prebooking. Did you do the other ports on our itinerary (Naples, Messina, Barcelona and Marseille). I would be very interested to know your experience regarding HOHO buses etc if you have any for these ports.

 

many thanks

 

Out of the four ports you named, we only did Messina and Barcelona. We did the HOHO bus in Barcelona and it was fine. This was our second time there, so we only took one bus route then son decided that he wanted to explore more on foot around the side streets of La Ramblas. It turned out to be quite interesting. Not sure if you have seen the pictures on my blog about Barcelona.

 

In Messina, we hired a taxi at the port and spent a few hours in Taormina and Savoca (God Father country). Details here

 

You will have a great time! Enjoy!

[AmoMondo]

Adding my tuppence worth re the ports....

Barcelona, we made a huge mistake buying HOHO bus tickets because it was a Spanish national holiday the day we were in port with 4 other ships. Waits of over an hour to get back on each time. We ended up getting the Metro from the port to Casa Milan because we just could not get on at the port, so many people so few buses and most already full, almost full. Couldn't get in to the Casa either as the queue was so long. In the end we spent more time bored at bus stops than we did doing anything. (Had I been on my own, I'd have written off the cost of the ticket and reverted to bus, metro and taxi, but my companion would not hear of that). We were only able to get of at Parc Guelph and do the rest of the red route link just sitting on it as we could not risk getting off. HVing said that my cousin had been to Barcelona three times previously for a long weekend and had never encountered the issues we experienced with just too many people for the amount of buses in operation, particularly on the red route.

 

Marseilles, all we did was get the MSC shuttle into the old port. From there we had a short stroll to the waterfront and bought tickets for Le Petit train which takes you up an incredibly steep hill to the basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde. Great views over the bay on the way up and from the church itself. You can get offf there and get back on a later one. It was a bit of a scrum getting back on, you can't politely wait your turn - just have to grab a spot! After that we had lunch at one of the many waterfront restaurants which all seem to have Moules Frotes with a glass of Rose wine as their speciality of the day. Plenty other things too if mussels are not your thing. After that we strolled the old town. There was a convenient yellow line around town you could follow that took you to the things of interest in the backstreet, another smaller basilica and lots of artisans shops.

Naples we did Pompeii and Sorrento by train for around €25 for 2. Got the rein to Pompeii and it's a short walk to the entrance just down the street from the station exit. Then back on the same line up to Sorrento. We spent too long in Pompeii so the second stop was a bit dished. Trains run regularly and it's about 35 minutes from Naples to Pompeii and 30 mins from there onto Sorrento.

 

I've not been to Messina, so can't help with that one.

[ROCruiser]

Adding my tuppence worth re the ports....

Barcelona, we made a huge mistake buying HOHO bus tickets because it was a Spanish national holiday the day we were in port with 4 other ships. Waits of over an hour to get back on each time. We ended up getting the Metro from the port to Casa Milan because we just could not get on at the port, so many people so few buses and most already full, almost full. Couldn't get in to the Casa either as the queue was so long. In the end we spent more time bored at bus stops than we did doing anything. (Had I been on my own, I'd have written off the cost of the ticket and reverted to bus, metro and taxi, but my companion would not hear of that). We were only able to get of at Parc Guelph and do the rest of the red route link just sitting on it as we could not risk getting off. HVing said that my cousin had been to Barcelona three times previously for a long weekend and had never encountered the issues we experienced with just too many people for the amount of buses in operation, particularly on the red route.

 

Marseilles, all we did was get the MSC shuttle into the old port. From there we had a short stroll to the waterfront and bought tickets for Le Petit train which takes you up an incredibly steep hill to the basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde. Great views over the bay on the way up and from the church itself. You can get offf there and get back on a later one. It was a bit of a scrum getting back on, you can't politely wait your turn - just have to grab a spot! After that we had lunch at one of the many waterfront restaurants which all seem to have Moules Frotes with a glass of Rose wine as their speciality of the day. Plenty other things too if mussels are not your thing. After that we strolled the old town. There was a convenient yellow line around town you could follow that took you to the things of interest in the backstreet, another smaller basilica and lots of artisans shops.

Naples we did Pompeii and Sorrento by train for around €25 for 2. Got the rein to Pompeii and it's a short walk to the entrance just down the street from the station exit. Then back on the same line up to Sorrento. We spent too long in Pompeii so the second stop was a bit dished. Trains run regularly and it's about 35 minutes from Naples to Pompeii and 30 mins from there onto Sorrento.

 

I've not been to Messina, so can't help with that one.

 

Hi, AmoMondo,

 

I am curious about Naples. We will be traveling there next February on a b2b, so will be going to Naples twice. Should we plan two separate trips to Pompeii and Sorrento then instead of hitting both places in one day? Thanks!

[ROCruiser]

Adding my tuppence worth re the ports....

Barcelona, we made a huge mistake buying HOHO bus tickets because it was a Spanish national holiday the day we were in port with 4 other ships. Waits of over an hour to get back on each time. We ended up getting the Metro from the port to Casa Milan because we just could not get on at the port, so many people so few buses and most already full, almost full. Couldn't get in to the Casa either as the queue was so long. In the end we spent more time bored at bus stops than we did doing anything. (Had I been on my own, I'd have written off the cost of the ticket and reverted to bus, metro and taxi, but my companion would not hear of that). We were only able to get of at Parc Guelph and do the rest of the red route link just sitting on it as we could not risk getting off. HVing said that my cousin had been to Barcelona three times previously for a long weekend and had never encountered the issues we experienced with just too many people for the amount of buses in operation, particularly on the red route.

 

Marseilles, all we did was get the MSC shuttle into the old port. From there we had a short stroll to the waterfront and bought tickets for Le Petit train which takes you up an incredibly steep hill to the basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde. Great views over the bay on the way up and from the church itself. You can get offf there and get back on a later one. It was a bit of a scrum getting back on, you can't politely wait your turn - just have to grab a spot! After that we had lunch at one of the many waterfront restaurants which all seem to have Moules Frotes with a glass of Rose wine as their speciality of the day. Plenty other things too if mussels are not your thing. After that we strolled the old town. There was a convenient yellow line around town you could follow that took you to the things of interest in the backstreet, another smaller basilica and lots of artisans shops.

Naples we did Pompeii and Sorrento by train for around €25 for 2. Got the rein to Pompeii and it's a short walk to the entrance just down the street from the station exit. Then back on the same line up to Sorrento. We spent too long in Pompeii so the second stop was a bit dished. Trains run regularly and it's about 35 minutes from Naples to Pompeii and 30 mins from there onto Sorrento.

 

I've not been to Messina, so can't help with that one.

 

Hi, AmoMondo,

 

I am curious about Naples. We will be traveling there next February on a b2b, so will be going to Naples twice. Should we plan two separate trips to Pompeii and Sorrento then instead of hitting both places in one day? Thanks!

[AmoMondo]

Hi, AmoMondo,

 

I am curious about Naples. We will be traveling there next February on a b2b, so will be going to Naples twice. Should we plan two separate trips to Pompeii and Sorrento then instead of hitting both places in one day? Thanks!

 

It really depends on how long you have in port. I personally don't think you'd want to spend an entire day in Pompeii. Sorrento can justify a longer trip though. You may also wish to consider a trip over to Capri if you can get the timings of the ferries to work for you

[ROCruiser]

It really depends on how long you have in port. I personally don't think you'd want to spend an entire day in Pompeii. Sorrento can justify a longer trip though. You may also wish to consider a trip over to Capri if you can get the timings of the ferries to work for you

 

Thanks!