Port(s) to skip/stay on board in the Mediterranean when traveling with kids!

[trivia addict]

Maybe no coffee makers in rooms but many of the smaller European hotels  have amazing European style included breakfasts. Cheeses, meats, breads, yogurt, pastries, etc. 

My adult children now probably remember those more than some of our excursions!

If you can book one of those you will save quite a bit of time and money in the mornings.

[Catchum]

If you use a TA I would make sure they have travelled to Rome and understand the differences in accommodation vs the US. Also watch out for pickpockets not something to fret over but never put valuables in your backpack.

[WindinmySails]

I can only speak of a few of those ports.  I think one thing to remember is that transportation for your whole family will be quite expensive.  Sometimes just to get from the ship to the actual town is going to cost you.  This was a surprise for me.  

So we opted for public transportation when ever we could.  

I loved Ibiza , the DaltVilla (Old Town), the little narrow, steep winding streets were very unique.  Might I also suggest to download GPS my city.  You can do many walking tours, various lengths with this app.  We used it in many European cities.  You could put your teens in charge of this to keep then motivated and "in charge" of something  Check other GPS city tours.  
I actually was quite fond of Marseilles.  We took the subway to Long Champs.  There are parks and a zoo there as well.  The old port is pretty interesting as well.  

https://tourisme-marseille.com/en/fiche/longchamp-palace-longchamp-park-marseille/

Your children will realize how fortunate they are that you are taking them on such and adventure!  Have fun!

 

 

[trivia addict]

1 hour ago, Catchum said:

If you use a TA I would make sure they have travelled to Rome and understand the differences in accommodation vs the US. Also watch out for pickpockets not something to fret over but never put valuables in your backpack.

Yes, you will  need a TA who is familiar with the countries you are visiting. Very different experiences.

And do watch out for pickpockets. Despite its reputation, I never had a problem in Rome, but a I’m sure a family trying to corral 3 children would be a good target.

i have had two problems in Barcelona. Once had a camera stolen and once my daughter and I were definitely being followed.

BTW, if in Barcelona, I recommend the HopOnHopOff bus. And of course, the Gaudi works of LaPedera and Sagrada Familia are not to be missed.

 

 

 

[kitkat343]

8 hours ago, smilegirl07 said:

thank you for the help and tips!  Is splash academy for all kids ages under 13?  I was reading somewhere and saw that there is a teen club? for kids 13 and up but my girls aren't 13 yet....

 

 

There will be a program for all children aged 3-17.  If your children are on the boarder of being eligible for the teen club, you can try to ask politely if they can be moved up.  That's really up to the people who happen to be working in the kids club.  Sometimes they allow kids to move up or down, and sometimes they don't.  If they are 12, you should also consider how much freedom you want to give them on the ship, including whether to give them sign in/sign out privileges into the kids club.  My 13 year old just spent his last cruise with new friends and they took him to trivia and even a ballroom dancing class (we sailed Cunard).  I saw him about 15 minutes a day even though we shared a room, and he had a wonderful time.

 

Oh I forgot to mention you need to check the cancellation policies for private excursions since some are nonrefundable in Europe in case the ship doesn't dock.  If you are getting private travel insurance it should be covered, but I don't know what NCL insurance covers.

[Keith.W]

If your looking for something fun with kids in Majorca, have a look at Pirates adventure 20 cab from port. Its an award winning dinner show and if you have a late departure from Majorca its something different. Food is midling but the show is amazing even as adults we love it. Id skip Rome its an early start, long day and quite busy and to see in a day is too intense while still being 1.5 hours away

[cabincop]

@smilegirl07 every time I’m in Italy I use Rome In Limo for transportation & excursions. They have vans for more people & are very helpful. They give discounts if you book more than 1 excursion including transportation to & from port or airport. Haven’t used them in four years. I don’t get paid for this, but I truly believe in them.

[crdtrnr]

My vote is for Marseille...shuttle costs $.., not a lot to really do..

[Twolittleboys]

On 3/26/2024 at 6:40 PM, smilegirl07 said:

Hi, y'all!  I am traveling on Viva this coming summer(Aug) for 10 days through the Mediterranean and will be taking our three kids who are pre teens and a little 7 year old.  The itinerary that we chose are VERY port intensive starting from Lisbon - Gibraltar - Cadiz(Seville) - Motril (Granada) - Ibiza - Majorca - Barcelona - Provence(Marseille) - Villefranche - Livorno(Florence/Pisa) and then disembarking in Rome.  It is literally stopping everyday and I have started looking at all excursions and tours, but am not planning to do it every day.  There will be days we are planning to just stay on board and relax or just get off at the port and look around and then hop right back on the ship.  Since this is a trip with the kids, I want to do (and not do) things with them.  I want to hear from fellow cruisers who have recently done the Viva through the Med (or on any other ships, especially with kids?) that which ports were more exciting with kids, what are some excursions that you recommend and what may be some ports that are OK to skip and stay on board or just look around the port under just a few hours.

 

I always get so much information during the booking process/preparing for the cruise on CC and truly appreciate all your help and sharing the info!

 

Thank you so much in advance!

 

 

 

 

I have not been on the Viva but have been on several Med cruises with my two kids at various ages. Med cruises can be exhausting, especially with no sea days (and not just for kids)!

 

Personally, I would probably not skip any ports but would plan some more relaxed activities in most of them. If you go for independent touring you won't be locked into an activity and if it gets too much can just stay on board after all.

 

Here is my recommendation for the ports:

 

Lisbon - Great city - spent several days there (without kids) last year. If you have a couple of days prior to the cruise I recommend a day to Sintra. Looks to be straight out of a fairy tale and may appeal to your kids (depending on tastes)

 

Gibraltar - Not been yet (upcoming in 3 weeks!) but should be fun with kids climbing around on the rock, looking at the monkeys etc.

 

Cadiz - Actually haven't been there yet but will be in a couple of weeks. With kids I would not take a long day tour to Seville (have been) but enjoy Cadiz instead. If you have a horse lover in your family you could consider a trip to Jerez (I am planning to go there) with horse show etc.

 

Motril/Granada - I have been to Granada on a land-based trip years ago and it is very nice. This is the one place I would book a ship excursion if you are interested in seeing the Alhambra (and your kids are likely to be interested)

 

Ibiza - Would just do a beach day there

 

Majorca - Love Majorca! A day trip to Soller and Valldemossa is great fun and easy to do but with kids I would probably split my time between Palma (maybe tour the cathedral) and the beach

 

Barcelona - Lots to see and do there. Would not book an excursion but have several options ready depending on how everyone is holding up. Prebook Sagrada Familia though if you hope to visit!

 

Marseille - Lots of great destinations nearby. With kids I would go to the Calanques or maybe visit Aix-en-Provence

 

Villefranche - One of my favorite ports! Again, no need to preplan. You can hop on the train to go to Monaco (did this on a prior kids with kids and had a great time) or Nice. Or just take a walk around Cap Ferrat and spend some time at the beach

 

Livorno - We took a ship excursion (Florence on your own) and it was great but as it is towards the end of your trip you will likely be worn out and Florence is very crowded. So unless you really want to see Florence I would possibly skip this.

 

After writing all this I just realized that you will be going in August. Unfortunately, it may well be very hot. I did a July cruise recently and it was too hot to do much of anything. 

 

So my recommendation would be to have a possible plan for each destination (or best two different ones) but not pre-book a lot of excursions but stay flexible. Lots of these destinations are great for spending some time at the beach or just hanging out.

 

Hope you have a great time!

 

  

[smilegirl07]

On 4/18/2024 at 9:36 AM, Twolittleboys said:

 

I have not been on the Viva but have been on several Med cruises with my two kids at various ages. Med cruises can be exhausting, especially with no sea days (and not just for kids)!

 

Personally, I would probably not skip any ports but would plan some more relaxed activities in most of them. If you go for independent touring you won't be locked into an activity and if it gets too much can just stay on board after all.

 

Here is my recommendation for the ports:

 

Lisbon - Great city - spent several days there (without kids) last year. If you have a couple of days prior to the cruise I recommend a day to Sintra. Looks to be straight out of a fairy tale and may appeal to your kids (depending on tastes)

 

Gibraltar - Not been yet (upcoming in 3 weeks!) but should be fun with kids climbing around on the rock, looking at the monkeys etc.

 

Cadiz - Actually haven't been there yet but will be in a couple of weeks. With kids I would not take a long day tour to Seville (have been) but enjoy Cadiz instead. If you have a horse lover in your family you could consider a trip to Jerez (I am planning to go there) with horse show etc.

 

Motril/Granada - I have been to Granada on a land-based trip years ago and it is very nice. This is the one place I would book a ship excursion if you are interested in seeing the Alhambra (and your kids are likely to be interested)

 

Ibiza - Would just do a beach day there

 

Majorca - Love Majorca! A day trip to Soller and Valldemossa is great fun and easy to do but with kids I would probably split my time between Palma (maybe tour the cathedral) and the beach

 

Barcelona - Lots to see and do there. Would not book an excursion but have several options ready depending on how everyone is holding up. Prebook Sagrada Familia though if you hope to visit!

 

Marseille - Lots of great destinations nearby. With kids I would go to the Calanques or maybe visit Aix-en-Provence

 

Villefranche - One of my favorite ports! Again, no need to preplan. You can hop on the train to go to Monaco (did this on a prior kids with kids and had a great time) or Nice. Or just take a walk around Cap Ferrat and spend some time at the beach

 

Livorno - We took a ship excursion (Florence on your own) and it was great but as it is towards the end of your trip you will likely be worn out and Florence is very crowded. So unless you really want to see Florence I would possibly skip this.

 

After writing all this I just realized that you will be going in August. Unfortunately, it may well be very hot. I did a July cruise recently and it was too hot to do much of anything. 

 

So my recommendation would be to have a possible plan for each destination (or best two different ones) but not pre-book a lot of excursions but stay flexible. Lots of these destinations are great for spending some time at the beach or just hanging out.

 

Hope you have a great time!

 

  

Thank you for such a detailed info!  Love it!  Would love to hear about your Cadiz experience once you visit in a few weeks!  I agree, with kids and August heat in the Med, I am not going to do a FULL DAY tours.... that will exhaust all of us and may test my patience and sanity with the kiddoes.... We may mix up some more extensive tours along with take it easy in our own, head back to the ship in a few hours kinda stuff.

 

Once again, thank you and have fun in Cadiz!

 

 

 

 

[Twolittleboys]

10 minutes ago, smilegirl07 said:

Thank you for such a detailed info!  Love it!  Would love to hear about your Cadiz experience once you visit in a few weeks!  I agree, with kids and August heat in the Med, I am not going to do a FULL DAY tours.... that will exhaust all of us and may test my patience and sanity with the kiddoes.... We may mix up some more extensive tours along with take it easy in our own, head back to the ship in a few hours kinda stuff.

 

Once again, thank you and have fun in Cadiz!

 

 

 

 

Thank you! Will definitely report back once I return from my cruise.

[COcruise]

On 3/26/2024 at 11:40 AM, smilegirl07 said:

Hi, y'all!  I am traveling on Viva this coming summer(Aug) for 10 days through the Mediterranean and will be taking our three kids who are pre teens and a little 7 year old.  The itinerary that we chose are VERY port intensive starting from Lisbon - Gibraltar - Cadiz(Seville) - Motril (Granada) - Ibiza - Majorca - Barcelona - Provence(Marseille) - Villefranche - Livorno(Florence/Pisa) and then disembarking in Rome.  It is literally stopping everyday and I have started looking at all excursions and tours, but am not planning to do it every day.  There will be days we are planning to just stay on board and relax or just get off at the port and look around and then hop right back on the ship.  Since this is a trip with the kids, I want to do (and not do) things with them.  I want to hear from fellow cruisers who have recently done the Viva through the Med (or on any other ships, especially with kids?) that which ports were more exciting with kids, what are some excursions that you recommend and what may be some ports that are OK to skip and stay on board or just look around the port under just a few hours.

 

I always get so much information during the booking process/preparing for the cruise on CC and truly appreciate all your help and sharing the info!

 

Thank you so much in advance!

 

 

 

We just did almost all ports with a 10 month old on Prima, so a little different than with older kids. Europe is so kid friendly, kids are welcome almost everywhere. We had no days at sea on the 10 day cruise. Get off on all of them 🤪 we did our own stuff each port. Pisa on our own and took the bus to the leaning tower. It was fun to walk around and see it once. We would've climbed to the top but I think no young kids allowed - kids might find this cool, get tickets ahead of time. The town by the port has nothing. The second day we would’ve done Florence by train but there was a train strike the week we were there. Bummer but next time we’ll do it. We spent a bit in Lisbon before the cruise and LOVED it. Ibiza we took a taxi to a kid friendly beach club and rented a day bed beach front. We went in off season but I hear some have blow up water stuff for kids when in season. Barcelona has so much to see, depends on if your kids will hang for sights or not. Sagrada familia is awesome (need tickets in advance) same with park guell and the other guadi sights. La boqueria is awesome (the market) and great food for everyone, just watch your stuff for pick pockets. Marseille was so fun to explore the narrow winding streets up to the castle at the top. Lots of great food. Rome was our favorite, we did all the sights so again if your kids will hang there’s so much to do! Happy to dig up more info, we just went in October and spent almost a month in Europe plus the 10 day cruise. 

[tcmagnum]

On 3/27/2024 at 7:48 AM, smilegirl07 said:

 

All sounds so good!  We are flying in about a week prior to Rome and then will have to fly to Lisbon before the cruise starts.  And then once the cruise is over, we have another 3 days before we fly out.  I have NOT 🙄 worked out the little details where we are staying where we are going, etc before and after the cruise and I am realizing how quickly rooms are being sold out, excursions are being sold out, etc. Thank you for the info, all sounds so good, I am planning to take it easy since we have the kids but one of my daughters def wants to check out the Pisa!

You may want to check out Airbnb for your lodging in Rome.  This way you could get of center city and with more room than a hotel.  Bonus…You may get a place with a washer and possible a dryer.  Just read the reviews carefully.

[Fogfog]

We would do every port for some sort of outing/meal/culture thing- and choose carefully.

They are certainly old enough for this trip. We started traveling with ours at 3ys and 6 mos ...

August you will contend with the heat and a couple of those port stops- have longer bus rides. If you can swing it--choose the smaller bus/van excursions. Bring water bottles. Plan an ice cream budget.

You've got this!!

Edited April 21 by Fogfog

[smilegirl07]

6 hours ago, tcmagnum said:

You may want to check out Airbnb for your lodging in Rome.  This way you could get of center city and with more room than a hotel.  Bonus…You may get a place with a washer and possible a dryer.  Just read the reviews carefully.

All figured out at this time!  And yes, I made sure to get AirBNB that has lots of room for us to spread and washer and dryer is yes a must for family of 5! 🙂. thank you for the tips and info!

[smilegirl07]

10 hours ago, COcruise said:

We just did almost all ports with a 10 month old on Prima, so a little different than with older kids. Europe is so kid friendly, kids are welcome almost everywhere. We had no days at sea on the 10 day cruise. Get off on all of them 🤪 we did our own stuff each port. Pisa on our own and took the bus to the leaning tower. It was fun to walk around and see it once. We would've climbed to the top but I think no young kids allowed - kids might find this cool, get tickets ahead of time. The town by the port has nothing. The second day we would’ve done Florence by train but there was a train strike the week we were there. Bummer but next time we’ll do it. We spent a bit in Lisbon before the cruise and LOVED it. Ibiza we took a taxi to a kid friendly beach club and rented a day bed beach front. We went in off season but I hear some have blow up water stuff for kids when in season. Barcelona has so much to see, depends on if your kids will hang for sights or not. Sagrada familia is awesome (need tickets in advance) same with park guell and the other guadi sights. La boqueria is awesome (the market) and great food for everyone, just watch your stuff for pick pockets. Marseille was so fun to explore the narrow winding streets up to the castle at the top. Lots of great food. Rome was our favorite, we did all the sights so again if your kids will hang there’s so much to do! Happy to dig up more info, we just went in October and spent almost a month in Europe plus the 10 day cruise. 

Thank you so much for sharing the experience!  So helpful!  We are staying total of about 25 days as well, about 10 days prior (we are doing a farm stay in Tuscany and then heading off to Lake Como for some relaxing lake stay.  Then catch the flight to Lisbon from Milan and have about 1.5 days in Lisbon before we hop on Viva, after the cruise we have a few days to spare in Rome before heading back home!). I booked a few fun boating excursions with paddle boarding, snorkeling, water biking stuff at Ibiza and Mallorca and I am planning for just on our own easy stroll around the city stuff at some other ports.

 

Do you think it will be too much to go see Cinque Terre and Pisa in one day during our stop in Livorno?  I booked an excursion that guarantees to be back to the ship on time while we stop in Livorno, I am doing much of Florence while we stay in Tuscany before the cruise so I want to go check out Cinque Terre while the ship stops in Livorno but am not sure if that would be too much.....

 

Once again thank you for all the tips and info very helpful, I will watch out for the pick pocket-ers 😆 wtih a hawk's eyes... 

 

Last Q!  Are there taxis readily available at ports in Ibiza and Mallorca?  I got 3rd party excursions and we have to make it to the meeting points on our own.  We are a family of 5 and I heard taxis are small in Europe so we may have to split in two groups....  Also one more.... how was Gibraltar?  I am thinking to just buy thickets to go up the rock on our own and explore... but wasn't sure if it is far to make it to the cable car area (didn't I just say last Q? 🤣)..

 

Anywayz... it is so awesome to hear all this from someone who stopped at all those ports not too long ago!  

 

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

[smilegirl07]

3 hours ago, Fogfog said:

We would do every port for some sort of outing/meal/culture thing- and choose carefully.

They are certainly old enough for this trip. We started traveling with ours at 3ys and 6 mos ...

August you will contend with the heat and a couple of those port stops- have longer bus rides. If you can swing it--choose the smaller bus/van excursions. Bring water bottles. Plan an ice cream budget.

You've got this!!

Yes, I've got this....!🙌😆. Like you mentioned I think my biggest nemesis will be the August heat but we are from TX 🤣 where it reaches 110 easy during summer, there was a period time last summer where we reached 110 in over 10 consecutive days, so hopefully we are trained for the heat! 

 

Thank you!  Have a great weekend!

[GALSews]

When you debark in Rome, I am assuming that is really Civitivecchia. If so, I'd recommend checking out Daytrip to get you from the port to Rome. We used them and made two stops on the way - Ancient Ostia, which is the port outside on Rome and Necropolis de le Banditaccia, an Etruscan mound burial site that you can walk down into. The driver just drove and waited for us. Entrance fees were not included. 

[COcruise]

19 hours ago, tcmagnum said:

You may want to check out Airbnb for your lodging in Rome.  This way you could get of center city and with more room than a hotel.  Bonus…You may get a place with a washer and possible a dryer.  Just read the reviews carefully.

Yes this! We did an Airbnb in Rome with a washer/dryer and it was amazing. 

[COcruise]

13 hours ago, smilegirl07 said:

Thank you so much for sharing the experience!  So helpful!  We are staying total of about 25 days as well, about 10 days prior (we are doing a farm stay in Tuscany and then heading off to Lake Como for some relaxing lake stay.  Then catch the flight to Lisbon from Milan and have about 1.5 days in Lisbon before we hop on Viva, after the cruise we have a few days to spare in Rome before heading back home!). I booked a few fun boating excursions with paddle boarding, snorkeling, water biking stuff at Ibiza and Mallorca and I am planning for just on our own easy stroll around the city stuff at some other ports.

 

Do you think it will be too much to go see Cinque Terre and Pisa in one day during our stop in Livorno?  I booked an excursion that guarantees to be back to the ship on time while we stop in Livorno, I am doing much of Florence while we stay in Tuscany before the cruise so I want to go check out Cinque Terre while the ship stops in Livorno but am not sure if that would be too much.....

 

Once again thank you for all the tips and info very helpful, I will watch out for the pick pocket-ers 😆 wtih a hawk's eyes... 

 

Last Q!  Are there taxis readily available at ports in Ibiza and Mallorca?  I got 3rd party excursions and we have to make it to the meeting points on our own.  We are a family of 5 and I heard taxis are small in Europe so we may have to split in two groups....  Also one more.... how was Gibraltar?  I am thinking to just buy thickets to go up the rock on our own and explore... but wasn't sure if it is far to make it to the cable car area (didn't I just say last Q? 🤣)..

 

Anywayz... it is so awesome to hear all this from someone who stopped at all those ports not too long ago!  

 

Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

Sounds amazing! Have the best time!! We loved the Prima. 

 

if you disembark from Rome, pre book transportation. The taxis at port were charging $500 (has to be illegal?!!) but ours was much less ($150 for a big van and private driver that was waiting for us). 
 

I think you can do both especially if they guarantee return in time. Might be a long day but you only live once! Pisa was not somewhere I’d want to spend tons of time anyways. 30 min was plenty. Too many people. Get great shoes and get kids walking now to prepare and break in shoes. I made my husband prep lol We work out but 30k+ miles a day….. Ooooooof 😅

 

ibiza and Mallorca had taxis at the port waiting. Many have phone numbers on the side so we’d take a pic for later. We took the bus in Mallorca/walked and taxi back. Ibiza we called a taxi when ready at the beach club. Many text too. Mallorca….. we almost missed the ship because the taxi cue in city centre was INSANE. Like a 40 min wait. We almost ran the miles back. Also tried Uber and they kept cancelling. We got the monthly international cell package through Verizon (cheaper than daily and didn’t deal with SIM cards). Definitely recommend. It was $100 for the month and worked in every country. Also download Uber, bolt and cabify. Some don’t work at the port some do, depends on the region. Otherwise we’d hail a taxi like the old days. Also bounce app is great to safely store stuff if on an excursion or if you want to do something without stuff like the beach (car seat for us!).

 

Gibraltar was the one port we didn’t have 😞

 

 

 

[yakcruiser]

From the cruise port in Ibiza, you can take the city boat to town. It only costs a few euro and takes 10-15 minutes.

Edited April 22 by yakcruiser
edit

[Crazy planning mom]

Palma Majorca also had a very nice aquarium.  We did the aquarium and then went across the street to the beach.

[ppcox]

On 3/26/2024 at 5:40 PM, smilegirl07 said:

Hi, y'all!  I am traveling on Viva this coming summer(Aug) for 10 days through the Mediterranean and will be taking our three kids who are pre teens and a little 7 year old.  The itinerary that we chose are VERY port intensive starting from Lisbon - Gibraltar - Cadiz(Seville) - Motril (Granada) - Ibiza - Majorca - Barcelona - Provence(Marseille) - Villefranche - Livorno(Florence/Pisa) and then disembarking in Rome.  It is literally stopping everyday and I have started looking at all excursions and tours, but am not planning to do it every day.  There will be days we are planning to just stay on board and relax or just get off at the port and look around and then hop right back on the ship.  Since this is a trip with the kids, I want to do (and not do) things with them.  I want to hear from fellow cruisers who have recently done the Viva through the Med (or on any other ships, especially with kids?) that which ports were more exciting with kids, what are some excursions that you recommend and what may be some ports that are OK to skip and stay on board or just look around the port under just a few hours.

 

I always get so much information during the booking process/preparing for the cruise on CC and truly appreciate all your help and sharing the info!

 

Thank you so much in advance!

 

 

 

Marseilles it’s self is an obvious choice as it’s a port city, but if you’re planning to go to Provence that’s different. You could just have a couple of hours in Gibraltar ( kids might enjoy the cheeky Rock apes, that will steal cameras etc) and Cadiz is a lovely walled walking city. I’d skip Majorca it’s a mainly a beach destination although Palma is beautiful to walk around and admire. Rome needs a few days at the end of the cruise if that’s possible. 

[smilegirl07]

14 hours ago, COcruise said:

Sounds amazing! Have the best time!! We loved the Prima. 

 

if you disembark from Rome, pre book transportation. The taxis at port were charging $500 (has to be illegal?!!) but ours was much less ($150 for a big van and private driver that was waiting for us). 
 

I think you can do both especially if they guarantee return in time. Might be a long day but you only live once! Pisa was not somewhere I’d want to spend tons of time anyways. 30 min was plenty. Too many people. Get great shoes and get kids walking now to prepare and break in shoes. I made my husband prep lol We work out but 30k+ miles a day….. Ooooooof 😅

 

ibiza and Mallorca had taxis at the port waiting. Many have phone numbers on the side so we’d take a pic for later. We took the bus in Mallorca/walked and taxi back. Ibiza we called a taxi when ready at the beach club. Many text too. Mallorca….. we almost missed the ship because the taxi cue in city centre was INSANE. Like a 40 min wait. We almost ran the miles back. Also tried Uber and they kept cancelling. We got the monthly international cell package through Verizon (cheaper than daily and didn’t deal with SIM cards). Definitely recommend. It was $100 for the month and worked in every country. Also download Uber, bolt and cabify. Some don’t work at the port some do, depends on the region. Otherwise we’d hail a taxi like the old days. Also bounce app is great to safely store stuff if on an excursion or if you want to do something without stuff like the beach (car seat for us!).

 

Gibraltar was the one port we didn’t have 😞

 

 

 

😱 $500 is absurd amount.  Pre booking things is the key I guess!  and yes my YOLO state of mind pops up when I start planning and looking into details and the budget and relaxing vacation is now out the window... 🤣

 

Thank you, we are so excited!

[smilegirl07]

1 hour ago, ppcox said:

Marseilles it’s self is an obvious choice as it’s a port city, but if you’re planning to go to Provence that’s different. You could just have a couple of hours in Gibraltar ( kids might enjoy the cheeky Rock apes, that will steal cameras etc) and Cadiz is a lovely walled walking city. I’d skip Majorca it’s a mainly a beach destination although Palma is beautiful to walk around and admire. Rome needs a few days at the end of the cruise if that’s possible. 

Thank you for the info!  Besides the pick pocket-ers in big cities, I have to watch out for the apes in Gibraltar....and make sure they don't take my stuff...😅