Port advice

[Mateybubbles]

Hi folks, we are sailing on a 7nt cruise on 8th June on the Azura.

 

Some of our ports of call are Cherbourg, la Coruna and Oporto.

 

Can anyone offer any tips on things to see and do in these ports? We tend not to book excursions and prefer to have a wander about etc and grebe a drink and maybe a bite to eat.

 

Does anyone know if it's walking distance into these towns from the port?

 

Any help would be most appreciated.

 

Thanks

[BritishCruiser101]

Hi Mateybubbles,

 

The wife and me were actually looking at this cruise as well; the itinerary worked perfectly (apart from Cherbourg) with the price as well for our 14 yo and 11 yo kids included.

 

From my perspective, as a parent, Cherbourg is an absolute waste of time. Don't even bother getting off if you have kids. You will never get that time back from the time you spent in Cherbourg, it's worth more to relax by the pool. If you can muster enough tolerance to get off, you'll be back on board in about 20 minutes. We found cafe's to be very expensive for what they offer, but they have some FANTASTIC chocolate and sweet shops!!!

 

Oporto = you have to go in with an open mind to enjoy this port. And enjoy wine of course. That's all there really is to Oporto, apart from exploring the extremely hilly landscape. Luckily for me, I like a nice glass of Port on the balcony with the wife:D:p. This port, like Cherbourg, does most certainly not go down well with kids.

 

Guernsey = I know that this itinerary includes Guernsey. With Guernsey you have to tender on a lifeboat. Guernsey felt a bit to me like I was at home. It's a part of the British isles, so maybe it will feel a bit like home for you.

 

La Coruña = Lovely part of spain. It is quite an easy place to explore by foot, and has some lovely beaches well worth visiting. So that's all we did in La Coruña, sorry I can't help you much with this port.

 

 

 

Hope I helped :)

 

BritishCruiser101

[Mateybubbles]

Hi Mateybubbles,

 

The wife and me were actually looking at this cruise as well; the itinerary worked perfectly (apart from Cherbourg) with the price as well for our 14 yo and 11 yo kids included.

 

From my perspective, as a parent, Cherbourg is an absolute waste of time. Don't even bother getting off if you have kids. You will never get that time back from the time you spent in Cherbourg, it's worth more to relax by the pool. If you can muster enough tolerance to get off, you'll be back on board in about 20 minutes. We found cafe's to be very expensive for what they offer, but they have some FANTASTIC chocolate and sweet shops!!!

 

Oporto = you have to go in with an open mind to enjoy this port. And enjoy wine of course. That's all there really is to Oporto, apart from exploring the extremely hilly landscape. Luckily for me, I like a nice glass of Port on the balcony with the wife:D:p. This port, like Cherbourg, does most certainly not go down well with kids.

 

Guernsey = I know that this itinerary includes Guernsey. With Guernsey you have to tender on a lifeboat. Guernsey felt a bit to me like I was at home. It's a part of the British isles, so maybe it will feel a bit like home for you.

 

La Coruña = Lovely part of spain. It is quite an easy place to explore by foot, and has some lovely beaches well worth visiting. So that's all we did in La Coruña, sorry I can't help you much with this port.

 

 

 

Hope I helped :)

 

BritishCruiser101

 

Thanks BritishCruiser101 for your reply!

 

We are in our 30s and don't have kids so usually have a wander about and go for a coffee/wine etc.

 

We ended up booking this cruise a few days ago because of the price drop and the fact we can get our first balcony for the same price as an inside so hope the weather is nice enough to use it!

 

We stopped at Guernsey last year and thought it was nice, however it was raining so will wait and see.

 

Thanks again for your help :D

[BritishCruiser101]

Thanks BritishCruiser101 for your reply!

 

We are in our 30s and don't have kids so usually have a wander about and go for a coffee/wine etc.

 

We ended up booking this cruise a few days ago because of the price drop and the fact we can get our first balcony for the same price as an inside so hope the weather is nice enough to use it!

 

We stopped at Guernsey last year and thought it was nice, however it was raining so will wait and see.

 

Thanks again for your help :D

 

It's fine, happy to help! Just remember to disembark at every port you want to with an open mind. I had read reviews of some parts of the Caribbean being dirty and dangerous before I left, I think I would have had a nicer time if I would have gone into port with an open mind, so just relax and take everything as it comes, and most importantly, enjoy the experience of a balcony!

 

I'm sure you'll love it.

 

Take lots of pictures and post a review here on the Cruise Critic Forums!!!

[travelnap]

If you like history, when in La Coruna, take a side trip to Santiago, and tour the old Cathedral, Santiago De Compastella. Very impressive and quite a bit of history involved with the pilgrimages from Rome to Santiago, that still happen today.

[frawnsay]

Former French teacher here! If you choose to disembark and visit Cherbourg, there is plenty to choose from, so do your research! Here's just a quick list off the top of my head:

Liberation Museum (military, WWII)

the fortress (great views!)

Redoutable (fr.) (submarine museum)

City center/square & gardens/parks

 

Agree that it's not a kid hot spot, but there's still some *French* to be seen!

 

Also, I don't know how much time you have, but a little over an hour drive from Cherbourg is Mont St. Michel...MAGNIFICENT!

[Mary Ellen]

There is a ''Ports of Call' section here that actually deals with cruise ports (imagine that ;) ). It is divided into different areas, such as Europe, and then into smaller areas. That would be a place to research. Good luck. :)

[nmg85]

In Cherbourg there is a exhibition right next to the port which when we visited included an aquarium, submarine, titanic exhibition and more. You could easily spend half a day there and was worth the entry fee. We saw people of all ages visiting u think half the ship were there but didn't seem crowded.

[jocap]

A Coruna is on a peninsula, and you can walk round the promenade....or cut straight through the town to the beach. There's a bus near the port which will take you to the tower of Hercules.

If you use Google street, you can follow the promenade round to the hotels and beaches.

[Mateybubbles]

There is a ''Ports of Call' section here that actually deals with cruise ports (imagine that ;) ). It is divided into different areas, such as Europe, and then into smaller areas. That would be a place to research. Good luck. :)

 

 

Hi Mary Ellen, yes I normally start off at the ports of call section on here, however couldn't seem to find any info on the ports I was looking for.

 

Anyway, lots of kind people have replied so I now have lots of information on the ports and possible things to do. :)