Seabourn Med Shore Excursions

[SLSD]

We also enjoyed the Victoria's Secrets tour. It included a visit to the Citadel which is an old walled city adjacent to the town of Victoria. The town square of Victoria is very charming with shops around it as well as some purveyors of goods including fish, etc. On the tour (I think it was the same tour), we saw some very ancient temples which are touted to be some of the very earliest buildings yet discovered. There is a very good museum next to the ruins of the temples. At the time we took this tour, a very revered stone bridge on the water's edge had just collapsed, but the tour guide was still taking people to see it---very strange. Hopefully, that stop is off of the tour now. We also visited a beautiful cathedral. The drive around the island was very interesting. It WOULD be possible to just take a taxi into Victoria to the square and from there you could visit the Citadel which is just a couple of blocks walk. You would miss the ancient ruins and the cathedral. I thought it was a very good tour.

 

If you are going to Gozo, I assume you are also going to the other island of Malta Do not miss the tour which takes you to the old capital city Medina. The whole medieval city is a museum and it is fascinating--and was one of the highlights of the things we saw on our cruise.

 

The official language of Malta is English--so if you wanted to take a taxi to Medina from the port, it would not be that difficult. And, as I recall, there is an elevator from the level of the port which you can take up to the city, so that would be easy. It is a longer distance to the ancient city of Medina and you would either need to go on a tour to see it or take a taxi.

Edited April 30, 2018 by SLSD

[SLSD]

We also took the tour which went to Taormina and Castemola. Castemola is a mountaintop village which is very charming. We got there very early in the morning and it was so interesting to walk through the town virtually alone (except for our group). There were also some breathtaking views from this village. After seeing this, our guide took us to Taormina. Except for some perfunctory explanations, he pretty much left us to explore the town on our own. This disappointed some of the people in our group as there were more things he could have shown us. We were given a lot of free time to look around. There are beautiful views from Taormina and a lot of shops. We were not very interested in the shops, so we just walked around taking in some of the lovely town squares with fountains and statues. Once again, you could probably take a taxi into Taormina instead of doing the tour and just walk around. You would miss Castemola.

[SLSD]

JPH814, on our cruise last September, there were no excursions to Capri.

[Bestie098]

Has anyone done the "best of Gozo" tour which is similar to Victoria Secrets?

 

If you wish to understand the essence of Gozo, this tour will help you to grasp the intricate weave of heritage, history and religion that makes up the DNA of this island's tiny population.

Begin your tour today with a drive to the Ggantija Temples in Xaghra, which are one of the most important archaeological sites in the Maltese Islands and are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The well-preserved site consists of two temples dating back to between 3600 and 3200 BC. They are considered to be among the oldest freestanding monuments in the world, predating even Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.

Enter through the newly-constructed Interpretative Center that helps put into context this mysterious civilization. From here, walk with your guide to explore the site via an external pathway that provides visitors with great views of the natural landscape that surrounds Ggantija.

Proceed to Victoria, Gozo's capital city. This town is still called Rabat by the locals. Rabat in Arabic means 'tethered' and it is indeed tethered to the Citadel. The name of Victoria was given to the town in 1887, in honor of Queen Victoria in her jubilee year. Here you can see the Arab and British influence so well interwoven that, to the locals, it appears the norm. Take a brief walking tour with your guide; then, you will have some free time to either visit the Citadel or relax at a local café (at your own expense).

Re-board your coach for a panoramic drive outside of town. Take photos at the basilica of Ta' Pinu -- a center of pilgrimage. The origins of this church date back to 1883, when a peasant woman claimed to have heard the voice of the Virgin Mary talking to her in an old chapel. Later, the site became a shrine. Later still, a larger and more magnificent church was built on the site.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

Your coach will then drive you to the hilltop village of Qala. A short stop here allows you to look out across to Comino and Malta in the distance and admire the picture-perfect views of Gozo. Take a photo of the whole Maltese archipelago, and your ship at anchor, before returning back to your tender boat.

Please note: Wear comfortable walking shoes. Shade is limited; please dress accordingly. Bring a hat and wear sunscreen. At Ta’ Pinu, you will have opportunity to visit the church independently. Modest attire is required for visiting churches or cathedrals; knees, shoulders and midriffs must be covered; shorts are not allowed. Use of an audio headset (included) will enhance your tour experience; each guest is responsible for returning his/her headset after the tour. Missing or damaged headsets incur a €80 fee.

[Bestie098]

We are also on this cruise and have found the comments really helpful. It will be our first time on SB

Much appreciated

 

Another Australian! Which part of Australia are you from? We'll be on the same cruise together :)

[Spree75]

We are also on this cruise and have found the comments really helpful. It will be our first time on SB

 

Could anyone let us know where Seabourn docks in Taormina? Is it at Messina or Naxos and does Seabourn transport you into town or do you need to make your own way?

 

Similarly at Xlendi - is there transport provided to get into town?

 

The cruiseline mentions that they will ensure you get into the centre of towns but it is tricky to know which towns this counts for.

 

Much appreciated

 

For Taormina we tendered in Naxos which was a quick ride away from Taormina. In Xlendi we tendered to Mgarr which kind of makes sense since it's the major port on the island. Everything on Gozo isn't that far away. We ended up stopping in Xlendi for some pictures about midway through the morning on our way to the Blue Hole/Azure Window ruins. From our views of Xlendi Bay I can't remember there being a big enough pier for even the Seabourn tenders to dock... I also don't know if Seabourn offered shuttles to Taormina and Xlendi since we had private arrangements at both ports and our driver was waiting at the right place.

[TCPP]

For Taormina we tendered in Naxos which was a quick ride away from Taormina. In Xlendi we tendered to Mgarr which kind of makes sense since it's the major port on the island. Everything on Gozo isn't that far away. We ended up stopping in Xlendi for some pictures about midway through the morning on our way to the Blue Hole/Azure Window ruins. From our views of Xlendi Bay I can't remember there being a big enough pier for even the Seabourn tenders to dock... I also don't know if Seabourn offered shuttles to Taormina and Xlendi since we had private arrangements at both ports and our driver was waiting at the right place.

 

 

 

Thankyou for the

response!

 

 

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