Dubrovnik Transportation (To/From Port) - Royal Caribbean

[Mr305]

We will be on Rhapsody of The Seas in July, will only have about 6 hours in port due to a delayed departure from Venice.  For those that have cruised with Royal in the past, does the cruise line offer bus service to/from the Old City or are you at the mercy of the taxi line?  Also, have been reading that the Cable Car company is currently not operating?  Is this still true?  If yes, can a taxi be used to achieve the same and if so, how much has that cost you in the past?

[2BACRUISER]

We recently visited Dubrovnik on Marella Explorer 2 Splendours of the Adriatic.

Friday 17^th May Dubrovnik  11am-5pm

After leaving Messina late the times for this stop were adjusted and became 1pm-8pm as the Captain had Ex2 flat out to make up the lost 2hrs in Naples and the other lost 2hrs in Messina. We sailed in beautiful Dubrovnik in glorious sunshine. This was a stop we had decided to self-guide using Rick Steve’s Med guide book. We had changed some pounds into Kunas (k)the local currency in the UK. We found whilst taxi drivers would take euros the shops and attractions wouldn’t. Taxi prices are on a board as you dock. We paid 13 euros for a taxi into town which dropped us just outside the Pile Gate. We paid 200K each to walk the wall which took about an hour and half (lots of oriental tourists holding up the job with their selfie sticks lol) then walked the main street and had a gelato 12k each which was gorgeous. I bought a couple of souvenir tea towels 40k each. We like Dubrovnik and the good weather sure helped. We got another taxi back to the ship this time paying 90k as wanted to use up some kunas. Nice sail away with a beer on deck. The cable car we were told was going to be out of action all of May. You could do a panoramic trip for 50 euros in a taxi not sure how long it was for. HTH

Edited May 30, 2019 by 2BACRUISER

[PelicanLvr]

Buses to Old City - Sailed on Celebrity a few years ago to Dubrovnik.  Yes, they had buses lined up to transfer you to Pile gate of the old town.  Bus back to the ship left from same location as drop off (bus parking lot near Pile Gate).  Very easy.

 

Yes I understand that a taxi can bring you up to the top of the cable car but do not know the cost.  

[roupa]

• Just back from Celebrity Constellation cruise with a stop at Dubrovnik.   At excursion desk, bought tix for ship's shuttle to Pile Gate where we also picked up return shuttle.   Easily done both ways.....just don't miss the last shuttle back! Tickets were never collected so perhaps shuttle was free!?
• yes, bring KUNA for shopping and wall walk....a awesome !

[vkb2751]

37 minutes ago, roupa said:

• Just back from Celebrity Constellation cruise with a stop at Dubrovnik.   At excursion desk, bought tix for ship's shuttle to Pile Gate where we also picked up return shuttle.   Easily done both ways.....just don't miss the last shuttle back! Tickets were never collected so perhaps shuttle was free!?
• yes, bring KUNA for shopping and wall walk....a awesome !

 

How much did the round trip shuttle cost? $ or euro? Thank you

[roupa]

I  think it was $12... applied to my sea-pass card

[edinburgher]

Just back. Taxis to Pile were costing fixed price E13. You could share with others if you are only two.

 

Public buses (on the road just outside the port) were only K12 each way if bought ahead of boarding. K15 if bought from the driver. Buses pass every few minutes. If buying before boarding a bus, exit the port gate and immediately turn right into the bus station. Look for the little kiosk with the red roof on your left. It is inside the bus station, but only just. You can exit to the main road and the bus stop from it. You can buy tickets for each way at the same time. You only need to validate your tickets onboard the bus as you use them.

 

Bus info online, including all buses which go from Gruz to Pile and the reverse.

[chipmaster]

Just off the NCL Star, we were going to do the bus with NCL ( $49 USD/person ),  lucky we didn't.   We just walked off and secured a taxi ( four of us ); 13Euro to old town, 50 euros for a tour ( bridge, top of cable car, old town ), or 40 Euros ( top of cable car and old down ).    We opted for 40 euro, took us to the top of the cable car on a narrow road, beautiful views of the old town from the top, then down to the entrance of the old town.  

 

Highly recommend you do the taxi if the schedule works.   For us we were off early, as later the narrow road to the cable car top was clogged with taxis and mini-vans trying to navigate the one way both ways ( lots of backing up and yielding on our way down ),   We got to old town around 10am, and by 11am the crowds seemed like 3x more crowded, this was with only two ships in ports.  Heard from the taxi driver there can be as many as 4 ships, plan accordingly.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by chipmaster

[MMsteffey]

Just Back from HA  Veendam.  HA charged $16/pp for bus from/to port.  3 ships in port, 2 mega ships plus us, took over 1 HOUR to go from port to fort -  missed my independent tour but was able to make the best of it.  Solid traffic through the narrow pass, people asking bus driver to let them off so they could walk.   Pandemonium at the drop off /pick up point as pax from 3 different cruise lines tried to find their line for their bus, no where for the lines to go, plus people trying to find/enter/exit smaller vehicles for tours. So my advice : Check to see what else will be in port that day and plan accordingly  I sure wish I had !   https://www.croatiatraveller.com/southern_dalmatia/Dubrovnik/cruise-schedule.html

[chipmaster]

3 hours ago, MMsteffey said:

Just Back from HA  Veendam.  HA charged $16/pp for bus from/to port.  3 ships in port, 2 mega ships plus us, took over 1 HOUR to go from port to fort -  missed my independent tour but was able to make the best of it.  Solid traffic through the narrow pass, people asking bus driver to let them off so they could walk.   Pandemonium at the drop off /pick up point as pax from 3 different cruise lines tried to find their line for their bus, no where for the lines to go, plus people trying to find/enter/exit smaller vehicles for tours. So my advice : Check to see what else will be in port that day and plan accordingly  I sure wish I had !   https://www.croatiatraveller.com/southern_dalmatia/Dubrovnik/cruise-schedule.html

 

Agreed there is no avoiding the tourist congestion and when you get 8-10K cruise ship tourist all coming with-in hours.   

 

There seems to be just "one"  one lane route into the main old-town entrance.  We were cursing our early arrival into port 7:30 and departure at 1:30, but that forced us to get off the ship by 8am, into town 9:30ish.  This was lucky of sorts as the perimeter old wall and city got progressively more crowded to the point we were too happy to be leaving as the masses descended and when we were leaving at 12:00 OMG the place ( both the city, entrance ) roads were totally mess with the taxi line 50 people long, line cutting and just plain frustration from many, plan accordingly!

 

While on the old wall plan to be squeezed together on some pretty narrow and un-even stairs in some pretty dicey areas that I'm amazed some of the less able could be at risk for slip/falls, so again plan that part carefully.  

 

Edited July 5, 2019 by chipmaster

[Cavtatlady]

The crowds will only become more massive in July and August, it will very slowly become slightly less in September.  Reason I no longer visit Dubrovnik until the end of October.  Do your best to enjoy our cultural and historical sites...