Adriatic Explorer and Grecian Shores, any trip or beach advice?

[sweby]

I have been trying to pick up tips for our cruise. We are off on Friday, and would appreciate any ideas for best places to visit, and best beaches.so if anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated.

Sweby.

[jenny wren]

It helps if you give a list of your ports!!!:)

[sweby]

Thanks for that. The ports of call are:

Koper

Split

Corfu

Kefalonia

Crete (Agios Nicolas)

Cesme

Thira

Kalamata

 

Venice (I think we need info on water taxi, and we want to explore back sheets. Have been before and did several of the main attractions)

 

Dubrovnik(which we have visited before but would like to know if there is a shuttle bus, or would we need a taxi into the old part)

 

Athens (we have been before and did Acropolis, museum, Plaka, and changing of guard, and would probably do the same again unless anyone has any recommendations)

Ports are not in order.

Sweby

[sweby]

Thanks for that. The ports of call are:

Koper

Split

Corfu

Kefalonia

Crete (Agios Nicolas)

Cesme

Thira

Kalamata

 

Venice (I think we need info on water taxi, and we want to explore back sheets. Have been before and did several of the main attractions)

 

Dubrovnik(which we have visited before but would like to know if there is a shuttle bus, or would we need a taxi into the old part)

 

Athens (we have been before and did Acropolis, museum, Plaka, and changing of guard, and would probably do the same again unless anyone has any recommendations)

Ports are not in order.

Sweby

[kruzseeka]

From Koper we love to head out to Piran which has a bit more of a buzz to it. If you go early you will have time to spend a few hours in Koper later. We've always done it on the local bus (tourist desk at port gave us info on where the bus stops and we picked up the timetable from the Internet beforehand) . It's a nice run too going through Portoroz on the way. I understand there is now a hoho type service which people have found good so that's perhaps a better option.

 

Split we found interesting in its own right. Diocletian's Palace is worth exploring (free) and if you follow the headland round past the harbour (to the right as you face the town with the sea behind you) there is a bay where you can swim although it's not a beach. It's like a wide concrete platform which shelves gently into the sea - but not a typical beach so perhaps not what you're looking for.

 

Corfu we just like to catch the local bus from just outside the port to Kanoni where Mouse Island is located in the water just at the end of the airport runway! Interesting having a drink at the elevated cafes watching the planes come in. Then we like to have a wander around the old town which has a lot of character, tourist shops and cafés. There is a fort there on the waterfront too which you can visit.

 

Ag Nik I would recommend the trip to Spinalonga which we found really interesting. When we went there was an included tapas style lunch at a waterfront cafe in Elounda too which was very nice. You can do it yourself but we thought it more convenient to go with the organised trip and of course we had the benefit of a guide who brought the island's history to life for us.

 

Thira is a difficult one to judge. It depends a bit on how many ships are there. My recommendation would be to go to Oia if you've never been before. It's easy to DiY on the local bus BUT you have to be tendered off then get up the cable car to get into Thira and from there walk to the bus station. It's only a 20 minute journey to Oia and you can stay there for two or three hours before having a look round Thira then getting the cable car down to the tender point. However the cable car is the bottleneck and there can be very long queues to get up and down again. (Please don't use the donkeys or try walking up or down the steps along with the donkeys - apart from the animal welfare issues we've heard of and seen people really coming to grief on those steps.) So it is a bit critical how busy the port is - if it's your first time it might be worth booking at half day trip to Oia to make sure you get there as you get priority tender transfer to a small port on the Caldera and buses pick you up there so you by-pass the cable car to start your trip. They drop you in Thira at the end with a cable car ticket to return when you've had a bit of a look round.

 

Is Kephalonia Argostoli? If so we were glad we'd done a trip there as we didn't feel there was too much in Argostoli itself. We did a half day excursion called the Natural Wonders trip to Myrtos Beach, Assos then to Fiskardo which was very pretty. We really enjoyed it.

 

Athens if you want to do the area you explored before, I suggest you try the X80 express bus from the port to the city. It drops you more or less where the Athens on Your Own excursion does and at fraction of the price.

 

Not done Cesme or Kalamata so can't help with those.

 

Have a great time whatever you decide to do - great itinerary.

[Flopsy]

At last I have time to write my review!

 

Well I dragged my reluctant hubby onto his first cruise and he loved it.Already booked for next year...

 

The ports of call:-

 

Koper

As we disembarked at the Passenger Terminal we were met at the port exit by a 'Welcome to Slovenia' group- a guy playing an accordian, gift stalls, leaflets were handed out about excursions, taxis stood by,tasting of wine & olive oil, a market, etc.

 

The town as seen from the quayside had a lot of Italian style buildings.We headed for the coach as we had booked to go on the 'Piran & Portoroz - Little Italy' trip with Thomsons.

 

(The 'Countryside' trip which I had planned to go on was not offered in the excursion guide)

 

It was a short and scenic journey to Piran which is bursting with Italian charm.We got off the coach and walked in a group to the main square (this used to be the harbour but was filled in to create a lovely square).The guide told us lots of interesting historical information and we then walked along the coast to the lighthouse where we had 30mins for coffee (I was asked if I wanted a large or small cappucino-I made the mistake of asking for small, thinking i would get a small cup- oh no it was a teeny cup-barely a mouthful lol).

 

We walked back to the main square where our guide showed us a shop selling the local speciality- chocolate covered salt! Then we walked through the narrow passageways to the original square which had interesting architecture and the rainwater was collected in a reservoir beneath the square for residents use.

 

Soon it was back to the bus and onward to Portoroz where we had over an hour freetime.We made our way to the seafront which was still 'under constuction' - man-made beaches with dozens of sun umbrellas, new jetties and roads etc.But the promenade was complete and there were lots of low walls to sit and watch the world go by in glorious sunshine on the huge bay, bars and cafes to have a meal or just a drink.We were too far from the main beach- time constraints.

 

The coach route back took us to see the old salt pans, and we turned homewards just before the border and travelled back though beautiful scenery.We were back at the ship soon after 1.15.

 

A lovely trip- everyone enjoyed seeing other parts of Slovenia.

 

Venice

My previous advice to get on deck for the sail into Venice was marred by thick fog.It was bright and sunny as we passed Venice Lido beach but then as we entered the main canal the fog descended- the captain later repoerted that it was one of his worst experiences but having committed the ship into the canal he had to keep going.Happily the sun soon burned off the fog and we had a clear sunny day, with a superb sailaway with stupendous views over the city from the higher decks.

 

We got the 'Venice on your own 4 hour' Thomson trip.We boarded a privately chartered launch right next to the ship and the guide pointed out lots of landmarks on our route to St Marks Square.

 

It was long enough for us, as we have been to Venice a number of times before, so we saw the main sights again and bought some Murano glass jewellery (who can resist) and by 1.30 Venice was becoming increasingly hot and crowded.

 

I will add more reviews tomorrow but duty calls.....Adriatic Explorer review continued....

 

Split,Croatia (NB Croatia requires that you carry photo ID, eg, take your passport)

 

Before going ashore we exchanged £20 into Croatian currency-7kuna to the £.

 

This was the first tender port.Three tenders provided a continuos shuttle from the ship anchored in the bay to the quayside.Trips went first,then others, who had to collect a coloured coded ticket from a desk near reception- a huge queue!Each colour was called in turn to descend to deck 2 to catch the tender.It worked quite well.

 

On the quayside a local firm offered sightseeing tours around Split at 70kuna (£10).

 

We did our own thing and explored Split.If you turn right at the quayside you come to an interesting local market where the veg, fruit and flower displayed provides a colourful feast for the eyes- well worth a visit.

 

Dubrovnik,Croatia (Take your passport!)

 

Another tender port however this was poorly organised and chaos ensued as hundreds of people filled the stairs! Hopefully the staff have learned from their mistake by the time you go! But we all got ashore eventually -the tender drops you at the quayside near the New Bridge.It's a 3mile walk, a local bus (you need kuna), or a taxi (10 euro), to Dubrovnik Old Town.Go through Customs before you get a taxi! The taxis alongside the tender are 40euros- so wait till you get through Customs and get in one outside that building- they charge only 10euros- same as last year!

 

The taxi drops you at Pile Gate which is one entrance into the old walled town.Wander the ancient streets,explore the old churches, walk the walls if you are feeling energetic (hundreds of steps) - there is a charge around 7euro/50kuna I believe - some gates insist on kuna-easily obtained at the cashpoint.Then wander out onto the harbour where you can get a boat trip for 10euros, to see the outer walls.

 

The taxi rank to return to the tender point is just accross the road from Pile Gate.

 

Don't miss the evening sailaway from Dubrovnik- a beautiful sunset in a gorgeous setting.A memorable sight.

 

Flopsy

Edited July 31, 2016 by Flopsy

[Pensioncruiser]

Doesn't sound like the Adriatic cruise we went on, tender at Dubrovnik? 40 Euros for taxi? But you are right its a beautiful cruise.

[kate52]

Hi, we were on an Adriatic cruise in May/June this year and called at

KOPER- took the local excursion bus from dockside to Piran. Think it was 20 euros. 2 hours free time in Piran which was beautiful, lovely photo stop, and drive through another resort on way back. We had to go in the afternoon as all the morning trips were booked up, so had a look round Koper first.

 

VENICE- so many ships in port! We've been a couple of times before so had a plan to get to piazza Roma, take the number 1 vaporetto to C'a Rezzonica, a museum in palace on the Grand Canal. After finding ourselves on wrong water bus (!) consulted map, hopped off at Zattere and meandered our way there through quiet streets and canal sides. Found the museum very pleasant- several Canalettos, beautiful sculpture, some period furnishing. Best of all- a quiet little café with Grand Canal terrace! We then walked to St Mark's which was far too crowded to be at all enjoyable. Battled our way to the Christmas shop, had a quick visit to Rick's bar, and took the vaporetto straight back to the ship.

 

Kruzseeka has given excellent advice for the other ports, more or less what we did. One time we called at Corfu we took the ship's tour to Paleokastritsa, which was really good.

Edited July 31, 2016 by kate52
correction

[kruzseeka]

Doesn't sound like the Adriatic cruise we went on, tender at Dubrovnik? 40 Euros for taxi? But you are right its a beautiful cruise.

 

We've never needed to but yes they do sometimes tender at Dubrovnik -I think there are different positions for ships to anchor. Some anchor beyond the harbour and tender into the harbour in the Old Town. Obviously it was a different anchorage on Flopsy's cruise as it sounds as though they tendered into the port.

 

They wouldn't be tendering of course if it's the home port for the season so Thomson shouldn't need to tender.

Edited July 31, 2016 by kruzseeka

[sweby]

Thank you for all the advice. It is much appreciated.

Only 4days to go now

Sweby

[jenny wren]

As Kruzeeka says it is really worth going to Oia at Santorini.....we get the ships tender into the little harbour and there is a boat right there (get a ticket from kiosk) that takes you along the coast to another little harbour....there will be a bus waiting to take you up to the town of Oia....which in our opinion is far nicer than Thira......then a bus will take you back to Thira.... it's all included in the boat ticket price (which was 10 Euros each for us in September) so you get a boat trip, a visit to a less busy town, and a drive across the island back to Thira ....then time to look around Thira before you go down for the ships tender.......we always walk down about half an hour but it is often slippy and smelly, and donkeys have the right of way! So do take care! The alternative is the cable car....not my favourite Mode of transport!

 

Venice ........we get the people mover monorail train into Piazzale Roma from outside the port gate....walk to the left out of the exit and there are vaporetto stops there.....you can print off the routes if you Google it.....a bit like underground maps....a day ticket is a good idea if you want to go to Murano or elsewhere.....if you just want to stay in the centre of Venice then it is walkable from the exit of the monorail head right across the square and keep walking in that general direction....there are directions written up on the corners of the buildings...but half the joy of Venice is getting lost!!!

 

Corfu....the old town is about half an hour's walk but there is a bus from the terminal...follow the crowd! I can also recommend a trip to Paleokastritsa if it's on offer....north east of the island and beautiful.

AghiosNikolos.......there is a little tourist train here.....easy walk to a beach on the left....or straight round the harbour to shops and an inner harbour/lake with cafes round it....very nice!

 

Argostoli, Kefalonia,.........nice town to wander, left off the jetty is the town, right off the jetty is nothing much but a pleasant walk.....look out for the turtles swimming here....we saw them off the jetty! There is a museum in town giving the history which we found really interesting.

 

If you want a trip in Split I can recommend a trip to the Krka waterfalls....superb full day including boat trip down river.....

 

I'm sure you will love it all!:)

[kruzseeka]

Good tip for getting to Oia jenny wren - we've never done it that way but it would definitely be my choice another time. You miss the cable car hassle and still get to Oia without needing to get to the bus station and the bus queue etc. When we stopped in Thira on a land based holiday we walked down to the harbour below Oia which was lovely but had to get a taxi from there as it was a tidy pull up to Oia itself. So your solution sounds perfect. Was it their bus which took you back to Thira at a set time or did you use the local bus to get back?

I'll remember this one for the future! Thanks! :)

Edited August 1, 2016 by kruzseeka

[dronnygirl]

Argostoli - not sure if you like to hire a car but we did this and had a wonderful day (booked in advance and was waiting for us). Early start but saw a lot of the island and stopped in some lovely places for a drink or lunch. If not, worth the walk to the bridge - you can walk along there and see turtles swimming. Some nice cafes along the way. Cephalonia is a really beautiful island.

Ag Nik - Not sure whether you will actually dock here as it's usually very windy, but good luck. We couldn't and they took us to Heraklion which turned out to be a nice town to walk round. Lots of shops and cafes and a small fish harbour.

Thira - again very windy and it's a tender. The tender ships come from the shore and are quite large. Take the cable car if you can, we walked down as the queue was massive. However, took us half an hour and we were slipping and sliding on the very slippy cobbles (not to mention the donkey muck)

Cesme - we loved it. A very small place but lovely and clean. Lots of cafes and a tiny beach at the end. There's also a fort that is well worth visiting, there's lots of steps but worth it for the view. Cost was 8TL but they do take credit cards.

Kalamata - We docked right in the town. You can walk into the town with plenty of cafes and shoe shops. There's also a park where they store old railway engines, there was a flower show when we were there and it was lovely. Near the ship there are cafes and a little further there's a small beach, great for a paddle.

Enjoy your cruise - we had poor weather but still had a good time.

[jenny wren]

Good tip for getting to Oia jenny wren - we've never done it that way but it would definitely be my choice another time. You miss the cable car hassle and still get to Oia without needing to get to the bus station and the bus queue etc. When we stopped in Thira on a land based holiday we walked down to the harbour below Oia which was lovely but had to get a taxi from there as it was a tidy pull up to Oia itself. So your solution sounds perfect. Was it their bus which took you back to Thira at a set time or did you use the local bus to get back?

I'll remember this one for the future! Thanks! :)

 

Yes it was their bus....left on the hour if I remember correctly but they tell you when you're on the bus up from the harbour. We were really pleased with the whole package....think it might be more expensive in August but even if it was 20 Euros per person still good value!

[sweby]

A big thanks to everyone. It is really helpful. The more info we have then we can make better choices and get more out on the cruise.

I will give you some feedback when we get home.

Sweby

[elmsliebev]

we were on the Celebration last month - this is from my review

"we were overnight in Dubrovnik so went into town after dinner for a couple of hours, well worth doing. The taxis by the ship are 13euros, by the bus station 2 mins away they are 10euros and the bus (that is on the road outside the bus station) its 150Kuna - get the 1a or 1b to Pile. You use the same stop at Pile to return which is only 3 mins from the Gate into the old town. "