MSC shore excursions in Athens ( Piraeus) or outside private booking, which is best?

[pward928]

I am new to MSC and my family and I are sailing the Mediterranean cruise in June '24 on Splendida. We've booked most of the shore excursions through the cruise line, but don't know if we should book a private tour in Athens or if the MSC one is good. I can't find any reviews on their shore excursions and I don't know who to ask questions to. Does MSC do "Skip-the-line" tickets so we'd only have to wait in the queue to enter Acropolis? Their descriptions says "don't let the long lines scare you" or something like that. It worries me that of the 7.5 hour shore excursion, we will be spending half of it in lines.  Also, does the entrance to Acropolis have a guide that enters with you? It says you have to return the headphones at the end of your tour, but I have no idea what that even involves or where we'd even use them. 

 

The other option we have is to book a private tour with "skip-the-line" tickets where it would be just my party. I can't decide if that is better or if the MSC excursion would be better. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

 

thanks!

[mscdivina2016]

59 minutes ago, pward928 said:

I am new to MSC and my family and I are sailing the Mediterranean cruise in June '24 on Splendida. We've booked most of the shore excursions through the cruise line, but don't know if we should book a private tour in Athens or if the MSC one is good. I can't find any reviews on their shore excursions and I don't know who to ask questions to. Does MSC do "Skip-the-line" tickets so we'd only have to wait in the queue to enter Acropolis? Their descriptions says "don't let the long lines scare you" or something like that. It worries me that of the 7.5 hour shore excursion, we will be spending half of it in lines.  Also, does the entrance to Acropolis have a guide that enters with you? It says you have to return the headphones at the end of your tour, but I have no idea what that even involves or where we'd even use them. 

 

The other option we have is to book a private tour with "skip-the-line" tickets where it would be just my party. I can't decide if that is better or if the MSC excursion would be better. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

 

thanks!

Cattle excursions are not our favorite.

 Several months ago with MSC we walked off to the taxi stand and just hired a driver for the day to take us to a list of stops we wrote down in advance.

 We saw everything.

 Lines were a 20 minute wait at the acropolis. Everything else was almost done.

 

[awatt]

We prebooked a taxi tour where the driver took us for the day to several stops, with a wonderful lunch in the Plaka. He took us first to the Acropolis, where the line was not long because it was early. It was a great day! Liked him so much we had him take us on a tour to Corinth on our next trip. Lorenzo Athens Taxi Tour, highly recommend.

[Langoustine]

Price?

[Essiesmom]

Recommend you visit the Ports of Call board here for Athens recommendations.  EM

[awatt]

20 hours ago, Langoustine said:

Price?

It was a couple of hears ago so prices I'm sure have increased, but it was 150€ for the  day.