Dune Snorkelling & Marseilles port - lots of questions!

[Jade Cruise]

hi, our Epic itinerary for June 2016 has changed and Marseille is now included instead of Palma de Mallorca. Docking is scheduled for 8am. In your experience, how quickly after docking can we get off the ship?

 

We're hoping to do something in port that will engage two teenagers, 16 and 14, and Dune Snorkelling which we saw on Trip Advisor looks promising - has anyone used it? However, it looks like we would need to get there by 9.30am, and we would probably need to leave 30-40 minutes for the journey, so it may not be do-able if there is any delay getting off the ship.

 

Also, is a taxi the best bet to get away quickly from Marseille port? - from other posts here it looks like getting away from port could be time-consuming and taxi fare is quite expensive?

 

Finally, departure is scheduled for 4pm. I've never cruised before - is it ok to be back on the ship at 3.30ish, or is that cutting it too fine?

 

If anyone has any insights or recommendations on any of the above I would be delighted to hear of your experiences. Many thanks for your help.:)

[BaseballMomof4]

hi, our Epic itinerary for June 2016 has changed and Marseille is now included instead of Palma de Mallorca. Docking is scheduled for 8am. In your experience, how quickly after docking can we get off the ship?

 

We're hoping to do something in port that will engage two teenagers, 16 and 14, and Dune Snorkelling which we saw on Trip Advisor looks promising - has anyone used it? However, it looks like we would need to get there by 9.30am, and we would probably need to leave 30-40 minutes for the journey, so it may not be do-able if there is any delay getting off the ship.

 

Also, is a taxi the best bet to get away quickly from Marseille port? - from other posts here it looks like getting away from port could be time-consuming and taxi fare is quite expensive?

 

Finally, departure is scheduled for 4pm. I've never cruised before - is it ok to be back on the ship at 3.30ish, or is that cutting it too fine?

 

If anyone has any insights or recommendations on any of the above I would be delighted to hear of your experiences. Many thanks for your help.:)

 

There are cabs at the port and they are easy to get. Getting back is a bit more difficult as you have to find a cab stand to catch a cab - you don't just flag them down like you would in NYC.

 

If the ship is sailing at 4, they will probably request you be back on the ship by 3.

 

Never did the excursion you are talking about. We just went to the old port. Kids got a kick out of the McDonald's there. Lots of cafes with outdoor seating and good food as well as street performers, a ferry to Chateau d'If, Le Petit Train to Notre Dame de la Garde and tons of wonderful shopping - there is even a 2 story candy shop!

[Hlitner]

Marseille is actually a pretty efficient port. It is likely passengers will be able to start debarking about 20-30 min after docking. There will a taxi queue right outside the small terminal building, but the total number of taxis are limited and, of course, it is first come first serve. One exception is that many of the taxis do not want to take a short haul (cheap fare) such as to the local train station.

 

As to your return, the usual norm is that passengers should be onboard no later than 30 min prior to sailing, which is your case would be 3:30. We cannot help you with the excursion since DW and I seldom to never take any kind of excursion or tour.

 

Hank

[Jade Cruise]

Thanks Baseball Mom and Hank for your help, very useful.:)

[helencw]

Hi, we were in Marseille on the Emerald Princess on Sunday Aug 9. The ship cleared shortly after the scheduled dock time of 7 am.

It was easy to get a taxi at 8 am. My 14 yr old son and another mom and daughter shared a taxi to the vieux port for 23 euros. We got there in about 15 minutes.

We went on a small boat (12 people max) at 9:30 with Turquoise Calanques to see the Calanques and swim. They provided snorkels.

 

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[emarismom]

helencw,

 

How did you like the boat trip with Turquoise Calanque? I was thinking about booking them for next summer. Did you book the tour in advance or did you just show up on that morning? Was the water warm enough to swim? How was the snorkeling?

[helencw]

Hi Michelle,

 

I liked this boat trip. I booked a week in advance, but it is better to book more time in advance. The mom and daughter we met on the roll call tried to book a few days in advance but they were full. Turquoise Calanque responded to me by email in English within a day.

 

http://turquoise-calanques.com/en/trip-boat-marseille-calanques/individual-outings/

 

We got to the Vieux Port early by taxi. There is a lively fish market then.

 

The boat tour was scheduled for 9:30 am- 12:30 pm, and the cost was 40 euros per person. The boat pilot was very friendly and spoke English. There were also in our boat 7 from Madrid (4 adults and 3 young teens) and a young French couple.

 

The Calanques were beautiful! We visited a few, and then stopped at one for a 1/2 hour swim (there is a ladder down from the boat). There were also people jumping off the rocks from shore into the water, and there was a lot of fun and laughter from those in the water and on the boat. The water was very cold, but a great experience.

 

On the way back, it became very windy and the current was rough and against us. Before the pilot let us swim, he warned that we would be 1/2 hr to 45 min late in getting back, and asked everyone if that would be a problem, but everyone was ok with it.

 

My son and I liked this small boat excursion. There are also large ferries at Vieux Port that visit the Calanque without swimming that looked very popular (long lines at the ticket booths).

 

The morning excursion also allows time for exploring Marseille in the afternoon from Vieux Port (many options: you can take bus 60 to Notre Dame de la Garde, take the petite train, take the metro from Vieux Port, or walk around).

 

On our way back to the ship we walked through the Panier area to Place de Joliette and took the free shuttle back to the ship. You could also take tram 55 from Vieux Port to Joliette.

[helencw]

Michelle, about the snorkeling, the water was cold, there were a lot of fish, some very big. The water was a bit choppy and I didn't see coral. But it was a wonderful seeing the beautiful scenary and the fun atmosphere of people jumping off the rocks into the water.

[emarismom]

helencw,

 

Last time we were in Marseille we took the ferry to Chateau D'if. Which we enjoyed a lot. I don't remember the cost. Do you know the cost of the ferry to the calanques? If the water is cold, I am not sure it is worth the extra cost to use Turquoise Calanques? Did you hear any comments from others who used the ferry?

[helencw]

Michelle,

 

Here is the website with schedule and costs for the ferry to the Calanques and If. There are a lot of reviews on tripadvisor.

 

http://www.croisieres-marseille-calanques.com/en/visite-des-calanques-et-du-chateau-dif-horaires-et-tarifs