Who is going to the Mediterranean and mostly doing non-NCL excursions?

[Professor Aronnax]

We've had enough of cruise excursions run by the ship where you feel like cattle riding on buses and moving at a snails pace.  Also, in many cases we can do a private tour for the price of an NCL tour. Are you doing something on your own? What are you most excited about?

[1025cruise]

For non-cruise excursions please check out the ports of call boards.

[Jldevlin]

We always book off the ship except for Rome. We use NCL bus on your own so they pick us up at the end of the day and we dont have to worry about getting back late... everyone has their own comfort level.For every other port we book our own.

[geleisen]

For Med, I don't find the need to book excursions. The public transport is generally high quality and affordable enough, so we just usually go see the places/things we want to see on our own. We always plan to get back to ship 60-90 minutes early to ensure we have enough padding in case of some delay.  

[Rick&Jeannie]

For our cruise in 2 weeks we have a mix of ship and private tours.  Private is always more expensive but we have never been disappointed with the private tours we have done.  Some have been direct with the tour operator...some with Viator.

[Gingerclerg]

I am planning a cruise with a family member who has accesibility issues. I can book adventures privately that we can all enjoy, including Barcelona and Rome. 

[AZYAYA]

Upcoming Escape cruise on 5/21/22.  Nine ports and five non NCL excursions booked.  One is a private tour and the other four are semi-private with only 6-8 people in a luxury mini van.  First trip to Europe too.  All of these have "back to port on-time" guarantees or they will pay to get you to your next port.

[Professor Aronnax]

AZYAYA, we are on the same cruise and doing 2 NCL excursions, 2 with Viator, and 4 private. When we get on the boat in Rome, we are doing 2 semi-private excursions of the Colosseum and the Vatican. 

[the_scarecrow_in_oz]

On 4/25/2022 at 8:45 PM, geleisen said:

For Med, I don't find the need to book excursions. The public transport is generally high quality and affordable enough, so we just usually go see the places/things we want to see on our own. We always plan to get back to ship 60-90 minutes early to ensure we have enough padding in case of some delay.  

My wife and I did the same on our Med cruise. Never felt unsafe. Rick Steves has a great book (Mediterranean Cruise Ports) where he gives advice about getting around on your own, or, if you prefer he has suggestions for reliable local tour operators.

 

We were in Naples on the first Sunday of the month when entrance to the ruins of Pompeii and the Archaeological Museum are FREE. Had we not known this from reading Steves's book, we would have probably spent a lot of money on a ship-board excursion. As it turned out we used the local subway and rail service to get to Pompeii, then back to the Archaeological Museum, and enjoyed a pleasant walk back to the port - all for a fraction of the cost of what those on the excursions to these venues paid.

 

[nolatravelgirl]

I did all privately booked excursions for my 12-day/10 port Mediterranean cruise. Every reputable tour operator knows that they need to get you back to the port on time. The best part of taking private tours is you are usually in a small van or SUV and those vehicles get much closer to the main attractions. There were several times we saw ship tour buses parking way further away and walking people to the attraction from the outskirt position. Also, realize that ship tours move at the pace of the slowest person in the group. Time is money in my opinion and I don't enjoy waiting on others. I did have one time in Belize where our private excursion van broke down and they were immediately on the phone arranging alternate transportation back for us and we still got back in plenty of time.  

 

some folks will try to scare folks into saying if you get stuck in traffic then the ship will not wait. Do you think ship tour buses have magic powers that never get stuck in traffic. I can almost guarantee if your private van is stuck in traffic then any ship buses are stuck in that same traffic jam. The majority of people who miss the ship are those that are just walking around town on their own and lose track of time in bars/restaurants. The point of a private guide is to keep you on time. Every private tour I have ever been on the first thing that they confirm with you is the all aboard time and they plan to get you back with time to spare. Their reputation is on the line and they don't want a review saying anyone missed the ship. Do some research on your own and see if you can find stories of people on private excursions who missed the ship because of the tour operator. 

[Gingerclerg]

We are doing a Transatlantic next year to Rome from New York City.  I am doing a mixture. I have booked NCL excursions fir ports that often get skipped due to weather.  I am also booking NCL for things that take you away from host city i.e. Gibraltar from Malaga. Also cities I have experienced before I know what I want to spend more time doing. NCL does not offer a tour that goes into Sagrada Familia. I want to see the interior. 

[Sue Do-Over]

Can't say enough good about RomeInLimo.   We have booked vans for groups of 8 and cars for just the 4 of us, and gotten discounts when booking for multiple ports - they have units in all the major cities.

 

Last trip we booked a van to pick up our 4, and used Roll Call to find 4 others to fill the remaining seats, saving us all $$.  Customized our route to drop a few off at the Vatican museum while the rest saw other local sites, then joined back up for the Coliseum.

After the cruise, they picked up just our family at the pier in a touring car (extended to give more leg room in the back seat), and we drove down to Pompeii and the Amalfi coast for the day, dropping us at our hotel for the night.  We got the same driver both days. RiL also booked us a guide for Pompeii, whom we paid cash that day.  You can also pick up a guide at the sites, although quality may vary!

 

Don't be afraid to ask (ahead of time!) for a more custom route -- i.e. that you do/don't want to spend time shopping, that you do/don't want to sit at a restaurant to eat, etc.  "No shopping, eat on the go, no winery, lots of architecture, and gelato, please!"

 

**Most important advice**  order tickets ahead for the Vatican museum, Coliseum, etc.  Your driver will park at the curb right at the entrance, and swoop you right in at the door.  I'm sure he gives the ticket-collector a few $$, and you'll save HOURS.

 

 

[20YearsBetweenCruises]

On 4/26/2022 at 7:13 PM, AZYAYA said:

Upcoming Escape cruise on 5/21/22.  Nine ports and five non NCL excursions booked.  One is a private tour and the other four are semi-private with only 6-8 people in a luxury mini van.  First trip to Europe too.  All of these have "back to port on-time" guarantees or they will pay to get you to your next port.

 

On 4/27/2022 at 8:52 AM, Professor Aronnax said:

AZYAYA, we are on the same cruise and doing 2 NCL excursions, 2 with Viator, and 4 private. When we get on the boat in Rome, we are doing 2 semi-private excursions of the Colosseum and the Vatican. 

 

I am in the midst of planning our June 30th Escape trip. Do you mind sharing your excursion plans?

 

[Markanddonna]

First, find your roll call. CC people will often arrange private excursions. I have never been disappointed with these.Besides these,  it comes down to doing your research. For example, the sightseeing bus company in Naples has a designated shuttle to Pompeii. Buy your bus ticket online and then Pompeii tickets at the entrance. The port of Naples has a new train stop. Learn to find things on your own and let others who don't enjoy independent travel give the cruise lines their money for their inflated excursions. More irritating are the four people who decide to go to the gift shop at departure time while everyone else is waiting for them on the bus. I can assure you the cruise companies don't get the cream of the crop excursions.