Independent trips

[Amy-Catherine]

Hi everyone

 

Have just found this forum and am finding it useful being a recent cruise convert!

 

In July we went on all the MSC trips but they seemed very expensive so might book our own this summer. We are visiting Bari, Katakolon, Santorini, Piraeus, Corfu and Montenegro.

 

Can anyone recommend how to go about booking trips independently?

 

Thanks x

[tomvet]

Hi everyone

 

Have just found this forum and am finding it useful being a recent cruise convert!

 

In July we went on all the MSC trips but they seemed very expensive so might book our own this summer. We are visiting Bari, Katakolon, Santorini, Piraeus, Corfu and Montenegro.

 

Can anyone recommend how to go about booking trips independently?

 

Thanks x

 

Katakolon - there is really only one thing to do in this port and that is visit Olympia. Try this company - we are using them on our Costa cruise in April

 

http://www.katakolon-express.com/

 

They also may provide a solution for you in Athens (Piraeus) and Santorini.

 

We will be going to Corfu and Kotor in April also.

 

In Piraeus, it is a 20 min walk to the subway station (Metro) with direct link to Athens Monastriki Station - right in the Plaka and short walk to the Acropolis.

 

I would recommend a ships tour in Santorini especially if there are a lot of ships in port and your time in port is short. Santorini is a tender port and by the time you get a tender (the tours have priority) and then a cable car up to Thira the best part of your time may be gone and you may see nothing!!!

 

Not been to Bari but if I was I would try to get to Alberello - by ships excursion or private operator.

 

BTW MSC's excursion prices are quite reasonable compared to the US cruise line prices

[Amy-Catherine]

Many thanks Tomvet, that's really useful x

[AmoMondo]

Go to the ports of call section on here and then to the Med section. Search y port and you'll find plenty of threads on how to DIY with public transport and local shored providers. I almost always do ports on my own.

 

You can just walk around Bari yourself. An alternative to Olympus if you e already seen it is a wee road train trip that goes to a winery and a beach with some ices emery in between.

 

Athens can become by public transport. Santorini you can just queue up to get the cable car but if there are several ships in port, you need to get a tender ticket for an earlier boat otherwise the queues are horrendous. They were selling tickets on the quayside last time I was there for about€20 for a boat around the island, then on to a bus up to Oia and then bus back to Fira where you got the cable car back down. Some people I spoke to thought it was food and well organised.

[Amy-Catherine]

Thanks for the info- will book Santorini with MSC then as that day is our wedding anniversary so want a nice trip without queues if possible! Xx

[Iluvcruising2]

Hi everyone

 

Have just found this forum and am finding it useful being a recent cruise convert!

 

In July we went on all the MSC trips but they seemed very expensive so might book our own this summer. We are visiting Bari, Katakolon, Santorini, Piraeus, Corfu and Montenegro.

 

Can anyone recommend how to go about booking trips independently?

 

Thanks x

 

Indeed, cruise critic forum has helped us do almost all our trips independently. Of the ports you have listed, we have been to Katakolon, Piareus, Corfu and Montenegro.

 

Katakolon for Olympia - this is what we did. See the link.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2140938

 

Athens (Piraeus) - this port was really awesome.

http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/2014/12/athens-greece-port-of-piraeus-ncl-jade.html

 

[YOUTUBE]bfABTgvEFRY[/YOUTUBE]

 

Corfu - http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/2013/12/corfu-greece-port-of-call.html

 

Montenegro - http://guitar123foodandtravel.blogspot.sg/2013/12/kotor-montenegro-port-of-call.html

 

Hope the above are useful. Have a wonderful cruise!

[Amy-Catherine]

Thanks iluvcruising- you write really comprehensive reviews which are really useful!

 

Do you live in Singapore? Are you from there or an expat? I grew up there and went to UWC on Dover Rd, in fact i just went back in August for a week for our 20 yr school reunion. Singapore is my favourite place in the world :-)

[Iluvcruising2]

Thanks iluvcruising- you write really comprehensive reviews which are really useful!

 

Do you live in Singapore? Are you from there or an expat? I grew up there and went to UWC on Dover Rd, in fact i just went back in August for a week for our 20 yr school reunion. Singapore is my favourite place in the world :-)

 

Dear Amy,

 

Wow, what a small world! Guess what, I drive past UWC on Dover Rd almost every day during school term, because I drop off my kids at school before going off to work! I'm born and bred Singaporean. Thanks for shouting out for Singapore.

 

I take it that you live in the UK? We have a strong affinity for the UK because both my wife and I studied there. In fact, we keep going back to London (in 2015 alone, we went there twice, with our kids in tow).

 

Perhaps we can continue this conversation offline. My email is in my signature. Do contact me if you wish. Cheers and have a great cruise!:)

[Amy-Catherine]

I couldn't get to sleep last night so was thinking about this cruise.... and i thought of a problem. Last year my kids chose to stay on the ship with the kids club and i think you can only do that if you book the trips with the ship. Is that right?

[Iluvcruising2]

I couldn't get to sleep last night so was thinking about this cruise.... and i thought of a problem. Last year my kids chose to stay on the ship with the kids club and i think you can only do that if you book the trips with the ship. Is that right?

 

Oh! Good question. I don't know the answer because my kids did not use the kids club on the MSC Preziosa at all.

[AmoMondo]

I couldn't get to sleep last night so was thinking about this cruise.... and i thought of a problem. Last year my kids chose to stay on the ship with the kids club and i think you can only do that if you book the trips with the ship. Is that right?

 

It was the case when I last sailed with them but they may have changed their rules.

 

Their reason was that with their tour you definitely get back in time, even if the ship has to wait for a late tour bus. With independent touring, you may not get back before the ship sails and they don't want Te responsibility of having to look after children until,parents can make it back onboard at another port.

Edited January 2, 2016 by AmoMondo

[Iluvcruising2]

It was the case when I last sailed with them but they may have changed their rules.

 

Their reason was that with their tour you definitely get back in time, even if the ship has to wait for a late tour bus. With independent touring, you may not get back before the ship sails and they don't want Te responsibility of having to look after children until,parents can make it back onboard at another port.

 

Thanks for the info. Perhaps it is true, with independent touring, bring your kids along with you?

[Amy-Catherine]

I really want to take them off the ship but I give them the choice everyday and they chose the kids club every time. The Thomson cruise we are doing in Feb is just us (kids staying with grandparents... Yay!) So we will go independent then.

 

Iluvcruising- I'd like to do a cruise in July 17 for our 15th wedding anniversary in South East Asia. Any cruise liner recommendations?

[Iluvcruising2]

I really want to take them off the ship but I give them the choice everyday and they chose the kids club every time. The Thomson cruise we are doing in Feb is just us (kids staying with grandparents... Yay!) So we will go independent then.

 

Iluvcruising- I'd like to do a cruise in July 17 for our 15th wedding anniversary in South East Asia. Any cruise liner recommendations?

 

Hi Amy,

 

Great that you are considering to cruise in South East Asia! Cruise out of Singapore!

 

The ironic thing with my family's cruising history is that we have done more cruises out of other parts of the world, compared to out of Singapore. In recent years, we have only sailed out of Singapore three times and I wrote some cruise critic reviews of these cruises. For your ease of reference, here are the links.

 

Voyager of the Seas Singapore to Shanghai 2012

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1656116

 

Legend of the Seas Borneo Cruise 2013

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1813495

 

Compared to the busy ports in Europe and the USA, the cruise industry is still relatively undeveloped in this region, though it has improved in recent years.

 

For mainstream lines with larger ships, Royal Caribbean sails out of Singapore, so does Celebrity and Princess. If you want a more exclusive and luxurious experience, maybe try Azamara - I keep hearing good things about them but I have yet to try.

 

Our kids really enjoyed the above Royal Caribbean cruises because of the kids' club. So I remember that they spent a lot of time in the kids' club, especially on the larger ships like the Voyager of the Seas, giving us adults a good break!!

Edited January 3, 2016 by Iluvcruising2

[Amy-Catherine]

 

Great that you are considering to cruise in South East Asia! Cruise out of Singapore!

 

 

 

Legend of the Seas Borneo Cruise 2013

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1813495

 

 

 

Our kids really enjoyed the above Royal Caribbean cruises because of the kids' club. So I remember that they spent a lot of time in the kids' club, especially on the larger ships like the Voyager of the Seas, giving us adults a good break!!

 

I would love to bring my kids to Singapore (i came on my own in August) and definitely fancy Borneo stops as we lived in Brunei before Singapore so would love to go back. Will check out Royal Caribbean, thanks xx