excursions sold out / Florence IT + Rome IT / NCL Escape

[eileeshb]

ItalyTours will take signups directly with them, but you need to say it on your roll call that you are booking with them so people know it’s available to book. Unfortunately on my cruise it was just after the Covid resumption and there just weren’t enough people so they had to cancel the tour. Also at the time Italian authorities weren’t letting guests off the ships unless they were taking a cruise line excursion. I happened to be embarking/disembarking at Rome so I had tried to arrange the tour for disembarkation day. 

[Panhandle Couple]

We got off the Escape this morning. RT Barcelona.

We found the "take a selfie" tour in Rome and Majorca to be just as involved and a lot cheaper than the other listed tours.

Rome is mass confusion of tourists anyway. My frustration level was off the charts due to the crowds and having to keep 27 other people together.  We didn't get many selfies, unless you count the 12 other random tourists in the shot with us.

 

Our best tour was Pisa and wine tasting.  Pisa is much smaller, and while crowded, the area surrounding the tower is wide,and much smoother to walk on.  The town area is small, maybe 4 square blocks.

The wine tasting was 30 minutes away on a hill side farm. They had ok food, and very good wine. 3 red and 3 white.  They stocked the bottles on the tables and you got to drink as much as you wanted. 3rds and 4ths were common.

 

Pickpockets are everywhere, and cell phones seem to be the main target. We know 3 that had one stolen.  Get a wrist strap for your phone. Get a zippered purse/ bag with over your head shoulder strap.

Wear comfortable walking shoes and socks.

Get used to feeling like you are on a subway station for 90 % of the time you are off the bus.

 

[Gabs300]

Help to book excursions for NCL Escape Barcelona to Trieste, Italy Dept June 23rd 2024.  I'm overwhelmed not finding a reasonable hotel in Barcelona too. We are arriving 6/21 and need to rooms as it's my mom and 2 teens. Is there anything for $250/ng in a good spot? I'm reading the forum for the Excursions. I saw one of the companies recommended but each excursion is like $400/pp Rome Cabs. If you can share private Excursions for the locations of this cruise. Greatly appreciated. 

[Rib Jig]

14 minutes ago, Gabs300 said:

...not finding a reasonable hotel in Barcelona too.

Barcelona is popular & hotels know they will be sold out;

Tried one of the Acta hotels?

To get better pricing, may have to stay outside ideal areas;

Holiday Inn Express nearest airport was available 2 weeks ago...

If one has credit card points-miles, they can lower costs...

 

[debenson0723]

31 minutes ago, Gabs300 said:

Help to book excursions for NCL Escape Barcelona to Trieste, Italy Dept June 23rd 2024.  I'm overwhelmed not finding a reasonable hotel in Barcelona too. We are arriving 6/21 and need to rooms as it's my mom and 2 teens. Is there anything for $250/ng in a good spot? I'm reading the forum for the Excursions. I saw one of the companies recommended but each excursion is like $400/pp Rome Cabs. If you can share private Excursions for the locations of this cruise. Greatly appreciated. 

You posted in your Roll Call, which is a good place to look for others to share excursions but you need to check the ports of call forum on this site. Here is the link to both Italy and Spain. Trying to find hotels at the height of tourist season 20 days out is not going to leave you much to deal with. Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/464-italy-ports/

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/465-spain-and-portugal-ports/

[Gabs300]

2 hours ago, Rib Jig said:

Barcelona is popular & hotels know they will be sold out;

Tried one of the Acta hotels?

To get better pricing, may have to stay outside ideal areas;

Holiday Inn Express nearest airport was available 2 weeks ago...

If one has credit card points-miles, they can lower costs...

 

Thanks for your reply. I was able to book this one through Chase with points. Can cancel free thru June 21st which is the day of. Barcelona Airport Hotel. It's by the airport, not in the main city, but I'll see if I can get one of those hop on hop off busses. Unfortunately, they don't have an airport shuttle being so close. I did see this pass for transportation from the airport and getting around at Hola Barcelona.

[BartoA]

6 hours ago, Gabs300 said:

Help to book excursions for NCL Escape Barcelona to Trieste, Italy Dept June 23rd 2024.  I'm overwhelmed not finding a reasonable hotel in Barcelona too. We are arriving 6/21 and need to rooms as it's my mom and 2 teens. Is there anything for $250/ng in a good spot? I'm reading the forum for the Excursions. I saw one of the companies recommended but each excursion is like $400/pp Rome Cabs. If you can share private Excursions for the locations of this cruise. Greatly appreciated. 

We go to Barcelona a couple of times a year and use the Motel One at Cuitadella Park. Nice hotel, clean and comfortable rooms, many with rooms over looking the park and a nice roof terrace. It's a really good location, a stones throw from the Arc de Triomf. It's a chain I use a lot in Europe as they always have really nice communal areas  and the rooms are comfortable. It's about $230 per room the night you're looking for. If you go ahead with it, download and use the Motel One app, they allow early check in and often upgrade you for free if you use the App for some reason.

[Catchum]

7 hours ago, Gabs300 said:

Help to book excursions for NCL Escape Barcelona to Trieste, Italy Dept June 23rd 2024.  I'm overwhelmed not finding a reasonable hotel in Barcelona too. We are arriving 6/21 and need to rooms as it's my mom and 2 teens. Is there anything for $250/ng in a good spot? I'm reading the forum for the Excursions. I saw one of the companies recommended but each excursion is like $400/pp Rome Cabs. If you can share private Excursions for the locations of this cruise. Greatly appreciated. 

We always use this hotel for ships out of Barcelona  Sallés Hotel Ciutat del Prat  https://www.hotelciutatdelprat.com/step1?lang=en&idtokenprovider=59908055# They do a package with airport pick up, breakfast and cruise port drop off. It is a 15 minute walk to the metro to see the city center. Having been to Barcelona many times they suit us very well.

[lujack]

Just returned from Rome to Rome cruise on Escape.  Taxi in Barcelona very easy to get for transport to city.  Livorno, no taxis.  Only way to leave port is shuttle to Livorno City center (about 35 min walk to train).  OR excursion where shuttles meet you right at the port.  Plan accordingly.  Enjoy!

[Rib Jig]

lujack thanks for info !!
anyone, if willing
how frequent is shuttle from port to Livorno City center?

and later from city center back to port?
are there multiple shuttles with short lines or the opposite;

no taxis & no uber, too, at port

we will make (2) visits to Pisa-Livorno during our Jun-Jul B2B rt Escape...

[BartoA]

9 hours ago, Rib Jig said:

lujack thanks for info !!
anyone, if willing
how frequent is shuttle from port to Livorno City center?

and later from city center back to port?
are there multiple shuttles with short lines or the opposite;

no taxis & no uber, too, at port

we will make (2) visits to Pisa-Livorno during our Jun-Jul B2B rt Escape...

Have to say, of all of the ports I've stopped at, Livorno is the least attractive of all. We stop there in a few weeks and have arranged a third party excursion to Florence. There are plenty of the shuttle busses that come right to the ship. The bus fills and leaves and another one quickly arrives, and drips you at a square in the town where many excursions leave from. This is a considerable distance from the train station on foot. There is no walking allowed in the port so the €7 per person shuttle is compulsory. It's the one port that I don't think I'd do a DIY trip from again as even just going to Pisa is a bit of a pain getting on and off different forms of transport. If you're not looking at heading out to Pisa, Lucca, Florence etc, Livorno itself doesn't have enough for me to justify even getting off the ship.