Charismatic Mediterranean port options if we are not interested in shore excursions?

[Oceaniacruiser2023]

I know there are a lot of ports on this cruise but overall (if possible to answer without getting too detailed) what are options for getting around and seeing a bit of the areas without excursions? We have only done caribbean cruises in the past and were content with getting off the ship and spending an hour or 2 walking around. (We are not big on group sightseeing.) A few of the ports are Taormina, Sicily, Argostoli Greece, Kotor Montenegro and Split. Are taxis avail close to ports in the bigger ports like Rome and Postiano? I realize this may be complex to answer and I thank you in advance for any advice you may have!

[cruisemom42]

6 minutes ago, Oceaniacruiser2023 said:

A few of the ports are Taormina, Sicily, Argostoli Greece, Kotor Montenegro and Split. Are taxis avail close to ports in the bigger ports like Rome and Postiano?

 

Taormina is not close to a port and there are several ports used that cruise lines call "Taormina". Oceania, having small ships probably uses Giardini Naxos. There is not much there, but taxis are readily available to take you to Taormina which is a charming small town easy to explore on your own.

 

Kotor -- ships either dock (limited space) or tender, but tender passengers are landed about the same place where ships dock. It is a very short walk (like down the pier and across the street) and you'll be at the gates of the old town. From there it is easy to wander as much as you want. If feeling energetic there is a climb to a castle.

 

Split -- ships dock close to the old walled city, which was once the palace of a Roman emperor (Diocletian) who was a local boy and "retired" to Split after giving up the imperial purple. Split is fascinating. Once you enter the city it's quite compact. A small admission and you can enter the basements of the palace, a church that was once the tomb of Diocletian, and a small but beautiful Roman temple. Lots of shops and eateries with good views both inside the walls and along the oceanfront esplanade in front of them.

 

Haven't been to Argostoli yet.

 

Rome is about 75 minutes from the cruise port of Civitavecchia. You can take the local train, a taxi, or arrange a private driver/car. Generally the private driver option works out cheaper than a taxi for the whole day. It's a good idea to plan in advance -- Rome is a big city and it takes time to get around. Advance tickets are needed for either the Colosseum or the Vatican museums.

 

Positano is not a big city -- it's quite small. If the ship is tendering there, you'll be dropped off right in the middle of the lower part of the town and can explore freely. The whole area is situated on a steep slope, so be prepared for significant hills if walking around.

 

 

 

[Torquer]

I can speak to Kotor.  It is a beautiful old city and you can just walk around the town or walk up the hill (really a small mountain) overlooking the town.  There is no need for a shore excursion. 

 

In Civitavecchia, if you plan on going to Rome you do need careful planning.  I know some people have taken the train, but I think you will waste a lot of time getting to the sites and of course there is a risk due to the long distance from the port.  I would not count on finding a taxi to take you to Rome.  So I would recommend a shore excursion here.  You don't necessarily have to use O's excursions.  There are several good private excursion companies.  Just do some research.

[Vineyard View]

Agree about Kotor. We loved our day there earlier this year. No need whatsoever IMO to hire a guide.

Tamorina is definitely worth going to. It is also a great place to wander and spend the day. If you have a chance take a walk uphill to the amphitheater. It’s a really good place to just sit for a bit and enjoy the energy and view. 

[alcpa1]

Oceancruiser2023,

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Scroll down the home page and you will find a Ports of Call/Destinations forum for Europe.or the Mediterranean.  Many of your questions can be researched there.

A sister site that will be helpful is Trip Advisor.

If you booked with Simply More reconsider taking a tour to Rome. The one day tours, while long, will hit the high spots. Logistically this is the optimum way to get a taste of Rome. Rome is not a wandering city for a day.

I have not been to Argostoli so I can't help there.

All the other towns are easily walkable if you can manage the terrain.

Please join the ROLL CALL for your sailing. There will be other passengers who may put together small group excursions. 

[LSuzQ]

If making your way to Rome is daunting, taking the shuttle into Civitavecchia itself may be an option. There is helpful information on the site WhatsInPort.com. Lovely itinerary!
 

[Oceaniacruiser2023]

Thank you all so very much for taking time to answer! This is very helpful!!

[Hlitner]

A few comments aimed at the OP :).  We have been cruising (extensively) for about 50 years and also routinely do independent land travel.  When it comes to Europe we seldom book excursions and generally rely on our own independent plans.  We do sometimes book private tours (or cruise line excursions) when there are things, we want to do that cannot possibly be done on our own.

 

All of your ports can be handled, independently but the whether that happens is a very personal thing.  For those of us who like to be on our own, have some spirit of adventure, and lots of "travel sense," we can and do handle these ports without tours.  So, the quick answer to your question is yes, you can do this without excursions or tours.  The question is are you willing to put in the pre-cruise homework and will you be comfortable doing things on your own in countries where there are some language challenges.  

 

You can get lots of help right here on Cruise Critic by simply going to the appropriate "Port of Call" blogs and reading/searching for your specific ports.  You can also post any questions or doubts and there are quite a few folks who will be able to answer your questions and give you the details you might need to do stuff on your own (oft referred to as DIY).

 

Some of your ports are easier to handle than others.  For example, Kotor is a very easy DIY port for folks that simply plan on exploring that town (and not venturing too far from the port).  Rome (a fabulous but huge city) is somewhat more difficult because of the distance from the port (more than an hour) and the size of the city.  But plenty of cruisers do Rome on their own (we have done this dozens of times).   If your cruise embarks or debarks at Rome we strongly recommend adding a few extra days to your trip and staying in Rome!  

 

Hank

 

 

[Tsunami74]

We have been to many ports.

Kotor is one of the best.  You can easily walk around with beautiful vistas, a walk of the walls, good shopping.

However, we took a private tour which pointed out some sites we might  have missed, and included a boat trip to the beautiful island with a church that  you would have passed by on your way there. 

It was beautiful and interesting.  On the way back, in a boat  -  way smaller than our cruise ship  - with local music playing, we cruised back thru that incredible fjord  and we experienced  "wow - this is the life!!!"

[curmudgeon98]

Argostoli might be one of the more challenging ports from your list.  There's nothing really wrong with it, it's not an industrial zone or anything, but...  The whole island was badly leveled by earthquake in 1953, lost 2/3 of it's population, and was rebuilt on a more utilitarian model, so it doesn't have the charm of the walkable "old towns" you find in many Greek/Croatian ports.  We took a ship excursion while there, but it was a lot of time sitting in a bus grinding up and over the steep mountains for sights that were only moderately interesting (most of the other excursions were similar).  If we were to go there again by cruise ship, I might lean towards a private guide with car, or renting a car, or looking into doing a beach day.

 

Most of the other small ports we have visited in the area are great for visiting on your own on foot; sometimes with a shuttle bus to town, sometimes walking straight from the pier.   

[Vineyard View]

19 hours ago, Tsunami74 said:

We have been to many ports.

Kotor is one of the best.  You can easily walk around with beautiful vistas, a walk of the walls, good shopping.

However, we took a private tour which pointed out some sites we might  have missed, and included a boat trip to the beautiful island with a church that  you would have passed by on your way there. 

It was beautiful and interesting.  On the way back, in a boat  -  way smaller than our cruise ship  - with local music playing, we cruised back thru that incredible fjord  and we experienced  "wow - this is the life!!!"

Do you remember the name of the private tour guide information, and the length of this?  It sounds like a great option on our next visit to Kotor. 

[Tsunami74]

24 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Do you remember the name of the private tour guide information, and the length of this?  It sounds like a great option on our next visit to Kotor. 

It was a tours by locals Kotor,  Perast private tour with speed boat.  We had a group of 6 and did not do the longer tour that included lunch (but that would probably ave been nice)

We had a male guide (not sure of his name, maybe Ivan?) Hope this helps.

[APH17]

I have also been to Argostoli. The town is small but there are lots of shops in a street just back from the waterfront. There are also lovely bakeries and tavernas on the water front. There is a small lagoon to walk around where you might see turtles. It is a short taxi ride to nearby beaches and you can also visit the memorial to the Italian solders slain in WW2 (subject of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin). 

[Vineyard View]

5 hours ago, Tsunami74 said:

It was a tours by locals Kotor,  Perast private tour with speed boat.  We had a group of 6 and did not do the longer tour that included lunch (but that would probably ave been nice)

We had a male guide (not sure of his name, maybe Ivan?) Hope this helps.

Thank you!  Great info to have. 

[sanger727]

Just food for thought. If you opt to do another med cruise, the greek islands are wonderful for getting off and wandering around. Santorini, mykonos, rhodes, etc. 

[curmudgeon98]

Looking at what I think is the itinerary for OP,  it looks like it includes Marseille and Igoumenitsa.  I haven't visited those myself, but I don't think either would be good "get off the ship and wander" ports.  The area around the docks in Marseille doesn't have a good reputation.  I think I'd make plans for someplace away from the city, maybe Cassis or some of the Provence countryside, whether by ship excursion, local guide, or group arranged in the roll call.  In a slightly different vein, Igoumenitsa doesn't seem to have much to do in walking distance; arranging a trip to Ioanina looks like it might be a good option for that port.  

[MEFIowa]

On 11/17/2023 at 6:56 PM, Oceaniacruiser2023 said:

... I realize this may be complex to answer....

Having just come from 20 nights on a B2B cruise on Riveria from Triest to Split to Bari to Kotor...to Messina (Taormina area) to Rome and so many more...

 

I must be missing something, but the issue isn't really "complex", it really is tied to:

 

(1) what are you willing to pay/can afford,

(2) what do you want to see or do in the area, and

(3) how willing or able are you to do your own trip/excursion planning/execution.

 

The O excursions can actually be quite expensive for what you actually do or see BUT they are convenient, since O puts it together. We did the O excursion to Taormina, but did hire our own private driver with tour guide for Rome from the cruise port of Civitavecchia. We just walked off the ship and walked around Kotor and up the hill to the top to see the views from the St. John Fortress.

 

Wife and I did our own research to learn how to use the local transportation systems in Athens, Barcelona and Istanbul. Cheap and got us exactly where we wanted to go, but many don't have the time or inclination to want to do this.

[PelicanLvr]

ROME- When the ship port is far from the city (ie Rome) we often book the ships "transfer" which is bus transportation only with about 5-6 hours of free time in the city to explore as you wish.  You are told a time to return to the bus location for the ride back to the ship. No guided tour involved.

 

Just did O's transfer to Granada from Motril earlier this month and it worked out fine.