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Cádiz Assistance


lhsail
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We are stopping in Cádiz late November, 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. My original plan was to do Spain Day Tours to Seville until I learned it includes a 3 hour walking tour with no breaks. My husband has a bad knee and simply can’t do that. Have looked into the NCL excursions, one is transportation only and one has a bit of a tour with free time. But, I’m wondering if we should even bother going to Seville at all. If we stay in Cádiz what are the not to be missed things?  If we never get back there will we feel like we’ve really missed something by not going to Seville?  Thank you in advance. 

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Many, if not most people will tell you to stay in Cadiz and enjoy the lovely port city.  However, having gone to Seville with Spain Day Tours one day in the summer when it was 39 deg C, against the recommendations of others who said it would be too hot, I would say that I definitely would have felt like I really missed something special if we had skipped it. One option would be to go with Spain Day Tours but skip the walking tour.  The guides will inform you when and where to meet the group.  Another simple option is to take the train.  If you do so, you would probably need a taxi from the Seville station to main sights in town.  I am sure you will love either Cadiz or Seville.

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Weather in late November is pleasant in Seville, low to mid 20s C. I don't think that tour is necessary as most attraction are easy to visit. Alcazar and Cathedral are next to each other and Plaza Espana/Maria Luisa park is may be 15 -20 min walk from there. I doubt that guided tour goes anywhere else. Also Alcazar has paid guides and also audio guide.

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13 hours ago, mskaufman said:

Our port day was long enough that we went to Seville and still had time in Cadiz.  The Plaza Espana is one of our favorite places.

 

 

 

 

Mskaufman,

 

How long were you in port?  how did you travel to Seville?

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On 8/29/2019 at 9:46 PM, hkto said:

Weather in late November is pleasant in Seville, low to mid 20s C. I don't think that tour is necessary as most attraction are easy to visit. Alcazar and Cathedral are next to each other and Plaza Espana/Maria Luisa park is may be 15 -20 min walk from there. I doubt that guided tour goes anywhere else. Also Alcazar has paid guides and also audio guide.

I agree with the above.  Get your tickets for the Alcazar and the Cathedral.  Afterwards, take one of the many horse drawn carriages that give you a tour of the city around  the Plaza de España and Maria Luisa Park.  There are carriage stands all over the area between the Alcazar and the Cathedral.  The ride will end at the same carriage stand you started from.

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On ‎8‎/‎30‎/‎2019 at 9:41 PM, majmaj4 said:

Mskaufman,

 

How long were you in port?  how did you travel to Seville?

We were in port 8am - 11pm.

 

Went to Seville via a bus tour.

 

Probably got back to the ship around 5pm, had dinner and then back out into Cadiz.

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I have gone to stay with Spanish friends in Seville every year for the last 40 years and haven’t seen everything, so I’d stay in Cadiz and go to Seville another time to give it the extra time it deserves.

 

there is plenty to see in Cadiz for a day. There is a tourist information office just outside the port gate where you can pick up lots of information. Alternatively, you could visit Jerez and one of the sherry bodegas or the equestrian show.

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Cadiz is a nice port city and we have enjoyed walking through most off the town.  But Seville is special and a terrific place for a port day or several days on a land trip.  We once spent a few days there in a hotel that was connected with a top cooking school and it ranked as one of our two favorite places to stay in Spain (staying at the Parador located inside the Ahlambra azar in Granada was #1). 

 

Hank

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On 8/29/2019 at 6:30 PM, epixx said:

Many, if not most people will tell you to stay in Cadiz and enjoy the lovely port city.  However, having gone to Seville with Spain Day Tours one day in the summer when it was 39 deg C, against the recommendations of others who said it would be too hot, I would say that I definitely would have felt like I really missed something special if we had skipped it. One option would be to go with Spain Day Tours but skip the walking tour.  The guides will inform you when and where to meet the group.  Another simple option is to take the train.  If you do so, you would probably need a taxi from the Seville station to main sights in town.  I am sure you will love either Cadiz or Seville.

I explained to my contact at Spain Day Tours why we would not be going with them and, unfortunately, she did not offer any alternatives. 

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Hmm that is odd, when I asked about the 3 hr walking tour they said I could book just transportation ( for slightly less) . Then the time in Seville would be on my own.

 

 

They also said walk was around 3 km which doesn’t seem very long

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27 minutes ago, majmaj4 said:

Hmm that is odd, when I asked about the 3 hr walking tour they said I could book just transportation ( for slightly less) . Then the time in Seville would be on my own.

 

 

They also said walk was around 3 km which doesn’t seem very long

Interesting. She was anxious for us to cancel when I told her I wasn’t sure it was going to work for us so maybe they have plenty of interest and don’t need our $$. 

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On 8/29/2019 at 7:03 PM, lhsail said:

We are stopping in Cádiz late November, 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. My original plan was to do Spain Day Tours to Seville until I learned it includes a 3 hour walking tour with no breaks. My husband has a bad knee and simply can’t do that. Have looked into the NCL excursions, one is transportation only and one has a bit of a tour with free time. But, I’m wondering if we should even bother going to Seville at all. If we stay in Cádiz what are the not to be missed things?  If we never get back there will we feel like we’ve really missed something by not going to Seville?  Thank you in advance. 

I am having the same problem as your husband.  Was going to book SDT to Seville and found out it was 3 solid hours of walking.  Have been looking for alternatives.  I was also told that if I could not do the 3 hr. walking I could meet tour company at a designated stop.  Were you going to tour the Alcazar? 

 

I am having the same difficulty with Malaga/Granada port stop.  Want to visit Alhambra for a tour but was told same thing about walking.  Hmm, must be a solution..... 

 

Let me know your thoughts. 

Mary 

 

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"I explained to my contact at Spain Day Tours why we would not be going with them and, unfortunately, she did not offer any alternatives."

 

Just another thought - don't forget that these tour companies are in business to make money and they typically have a set # of tour participants and a set itinerary in a certain amount of time.  The only way that you could tailor the itinerary is to book a private guide who would be at your disposal but you would also pay more money for this convenience.

 

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1 hour ago, cruisingmimi said:

"I explained to my contact at Spain Day Tours why we would not be going with them and, unfortunately, she did not offer any alternatives."

 

Just another thought - don't forget that these tour companies are in business to make money and they typically have a set # of tour participants and a set itinerary in a certain amount of time.  The only way that you could tailor the itinerary is to book a private guide who would be at your disposal but you would also pay more money for this convenience.

 

I had no expectations that they would adjust just for us. A private guide is certainly an option, but given the distance I’m sure I’d croak at the price. 

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1 hour ago, cruisingmimi said:

I am having the same problem as your husband.  Was going to book SDT to Seville and found out it was 3 solid hours of walking.  Have been looking for alternatives.  I was also told that if I could not do the 3 hr. walking I could meet tour company at a designated stop.  Were you going to tour the Alcazar? 

 

I am having the same difficulty with Malaga/Granada port stop.  Want to visit Alhambra for a tour but was told same thing about walking.  Hmm, must be a solution..... 

 

Let me know your thoughts. 

Mary 

 

I had thought we would do the Alcazar tour, but hadn’t thoroughly researched it. Interesting that they gave you an option to skip the walking tour. We are leaning more and more to staying in Cadiz. There seem to be many interesting sites and we’ll have the whole day to explore at our pace. There is still much my husband can do, but not for 3 hours. 

 

In Malaga I find the Alcazaba and Castle Gibralfaro of interest. We are in port from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm so lots of time. The HOHO bus gets mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, but looks convenient and a good way to get an overview of the city. 

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Hi Ihsail,

Thanks for your reply.  Those weren't their exact words but that's how I interpreted it.  I was not concerned about the walking tour but more about navigating inside Alhambra, they said lots of steps.  

 

We are docking both Malaga and Cadiz.  What ship are you cruising on?  We are on NCL Star.  

 

I have found several things we can do in Malaga as I don't think it would be worth the 2 hr. trip back and forth and then the uncertainty of not being able to do Alhambra.  We will see..

 

Same with Seville and there are some alternatives for Cadiz.  

 

Take care.

 

Mary

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5 hours ago, lhsail said:

I had thought we would do the Alcazar tour, but hadn’t thoroughly researched it. Interesting that they gave you an option to skip the walking tour. We are leaning more and more to staying in Cadiz. There seem to be many interesting sites and we’ll have the whole day to explore at our pace. There is still much my husband can do, but not for 3 hours. 

 

In Malaga I find the Alcazaba and Castle Gibralfaro of interest. We are in port from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm so lots of time. The HOHO bus gets mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, but looks convenient and a good way to get an overview of the city. 

There is a lot to see in Malaga. Have a look on Tripadvisor and WhatsinPort or information.

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13 hours ago, cruisingmimi said:

Hi Ihsail,

Thanks for your reply.  Those weren't their exact words but that's how I interpreted it.  I was not concerned about the walking tour but more about navigating inside Alhambra, they said lots of steps.  

 

We are docking both Malaga and Cadiz.  What ship are you cruising on?  We are on NCL Star.  

 

I have found several things we can do in Malaga as I don't think it would be worth the 2 hr. trip back and forth and then the uncertainty of not being able to do Alhambra.  We will see..

 

Same with Seville and there are some alternatives for Cadiz.  

 

Take care.

 

Mary

We are on the Epic. Looks like the two ships are traveling a similar course a few days apart. We are now looking at the excursion for the White Villages out of Cadiz. They look beautiful and the excursion leaves fairly early in the AM giving us lots of time to see some of Cadiz. 

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I think you are docking same day we are sailing BCN.  Some of cruisers on your ship are transferring to Star.  

 

Yes, White Villages Cadiz do look lovely and a nice port day.  Are you going to book your own tour or thru the ship?

 

Am thinking about Malaga and Alcazaba as someone told me it's a mini version of one in Seville.  Would satisfy me I guess.  LOL

 

 

 

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49 minutes ago, cruisingmimi said:

I think you are docking same day we are sailing BCN.  Some of cruisers on your ship are transferring to Star.  

 

Yes, White Villages Cadiz do look lovely and a nice port day.  Are you going to book your own tour or thru the ship?

 

Am thinking about Malaga and Alcazaba as someone told me it's a mini version of one in Seville.  Would satisfy me I guess.  LOL

 

 

 

We usually plan our own activities and do independent tours, but this trip we seem to be looking at more ship’s excursions. I have not yet found an independent tour for White Villages, but just started looking. 

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16 minutes ago, lhsail said:

We usually plan our own activities and do independent tours, but this trip we seem to be looking at more ship’s excursions. I have not yet found an independent tour for White Villages, but just started looking. 

Here you go!  Some people are taking this one when we dock Cadiz:

https://www.spaindaytours.com/spain-shore-excursions/cadiz-shore-excursions/cadiz-to-seville-shore-excursion/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiILsBRCGARIsAHKQWLPVc9_QNCrKKezFwYIASIIlZrETE6whybBlI_yGaz_pBsHUDe7p6VgaAizvEALw_wcB

 

Half day Cadiz, Jerez, and Arcos de la Frontera (Spain Day Tours)

Explore the ancient towns of Cadiz, Jerez, and the white village of Arcos de la Frontera.  Travel through beautiful Andalusian countryside and see the historic highlights of Jerez including the city’s castle and cathedral. In Cadiz, one of the oldest cities in Europe, take a guided walking tour through the city center. This small-group excursion is great for those visitors that have been to Seville before. 

 

Description says walking tour if you are looking for a non-walking tour this might not work.

 

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