I like vacation Posted June 26 #1 Share Posted June 26 We are on a HAL cruise that stops in Portofino on Monday, July 29th. We are scheduled to be there from 0800 to 2100 hours. I have never experienced this before but HAL does not have any shore excursions listed for this port. All the other ports have had shore excursions available for months to book. Is there anything to do in town on our own? Thanks, Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bull Posted June 26 #2 Share Posted June 26 I think the reason why there are no excursions is because Portofino is for Portofino - if you get my drift. It's a little remote, nowhere nearby that's particularly interesting - people go to Portofino, not from Portofino. Portofino is a small harbour for soaking up the atmosphere and chilling-out - if not too crowded which sadly it often is. But a ten minute walk will give you some great views. Try a walk up to Castello Brown - the place is frequently closed for private functions, but worth the walk just for the views. JB 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted June 26 #3 Share Posted June 26 (edited) 9 hours ago, I like vacation said: I have never experienced this before but HAL does not have any shore excursions listed for this port Portofino is a tender port and as sea conditions are not always suitable for tendering there is a possibility that should this happen, you could instead tender to Santa Margherita or even head to Genoa instead. Uncertainty may be the reason why HAL is not offering shorex. It might be wise to plan independent sightseeing rather than a private tour here. When reading past threads you might want to consider having a PLAN B just in case you find yourselves in Santa Margherita or Genoa as you will know what your options are. .Portofino is teeny tiny and expensive as it caters to the wealthy. A couple of hours would be about all it would take to explore, so from there you could consider a visit to the Cinque Terre, even if only to one or two of the villages. Or you could visit Santa Margherita, a very pleasant and attractive resort town only a few minutes away. Much larger and with more sights and a much bigger selection of restaurants at more affordable prices. You can get there by taxi, by public bus, by walking, or I would highly recommend the short ferry trip (15/20 mins) which offers amazing views of both Portofino and Santa Margherita.Should you not want to do the ferry both ways you could take it at least one way. Lots of past threads for both Portofino and Santa Margherita (Ligure). If you have not already searched for and read some, choose from these. Portofino https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=portofino&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464 Santa Margherita. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=santa margherita&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464 Genoa https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=genoa&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464 We had a lovely day visiting both. Info on both on the usual websites, Tripadvisor(will also have images) YouTube, Frommer's, Fodors and any others which appear when you internet search eg "(Portofino or Santa Margheria Ligure) Tourist Information" NB when internet searching note that you should search Santa Margherita Ligure as there is more than one Santa Margherita in the world.😀 Edited June 26 by edinburgher 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CCJack Posted June 26 #4 Share Posted June 26 I agree. No need for excursion. Spend 1 or 2 hours walking in Portofino, then either return to ship or head to S.M. for some more exploration. No worries about missing ship as you have a long port day and will never be that far away from the ship. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I like vacation Posted June 26 Author #5 Share Posted June 26 Thanks for all the replies and great suggestions. It appears that HAL is already factoring in a deviation for this port and is saving itself the headache of refunding cancelled shorex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted June 26 #6 Share Posted June 26 (edited) 40 minutes ago, I like vacation said: It appears that HAL is already factoring in a deviation for this port Maybe, maybe not. I do not actually know and was only making an educated guess. At least the info above might help you whichever of the three you find yourselves in. Edited June 26 by edinburgher 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted June 27 #7 Share Posted June 27 16 hours ago, edinburgher said: It appears that HAL is already factoring in a deviation for this port Perhaps you would be kind enough to report back after your trip? It would be helpful to future cruisers to understand that tendering into Portofino can be "iffy" and the possible reasoin for the lack of shorex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I like vacation Posted June 29 Author #8 Share Posted June 29 On 6/27/2024 at 9:31 AM, edinburgher said: Perhaps you would be kind enough to report back after your trip? It would be helpful to future cruisers to understand that tendering into Portofino can be "iffy" and the possible reasoin for the lack of shorex. Yes indeed. I will let everyone know what happens. Stay tuned. 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmb4567 Posted June 30 #9 Share Posted June 30 Hope you're luckier that we were. HAL skipped Portofino last week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted June 30 #10 Share Posted June 30 23 hours ago, I like vacation said: will let everyone know what happens. Stay tuned. hmmm. doesn't bode well does it? At least you already have all the info you need to pre-plan a plan B which you can switch into as soon as you know where you are and not have to scramble around at the last minute as some of your fellow passengers may have to do.. You could have a really pleasant day splitting it between Santa Margherita and Portofino which would also be relaxing and very easy to DIY. Genoa I know nothing about having never visited there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I like vacation Posted June 30 Author #11 Share Posted June 30 5 hours ago, kmb4567 said: Hope you're luckier that we were. HAL skipped Portofino last week. Did HAL offer any shore excursions for Portofino? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euro cruiser Posted June 30 #12 Share Posted June 30 I hope the weather holds for you and you get to stop in Portofino as planned but, just in case, here is some reading on Genova: Home | Visitgenoa 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I like vacation Posted July 23 Author #13 Share Posted July 23 UPDATE: HAL posted 7 excursions for Portofino about 3 or 4 days ago. I think we will go on our own and use some of the previous suggestions. Thanks. SHORE EXCURSION JUL 29 0 Ratings Genoa On Your Own Make the most out of your time at shore and visit Genoa on this excursion from Portofino. Board your motorboat at ... Time: 8:45 am Duration: 7.25 hours Activity Level: Moderate $169.95 per adult QUICK SHOP DETAILS SHORE EXCURSION JUL 29 0 Ratings Cinque Terre Get ready for a daylong journey exploring a famous portion of the Italian coast. The Cinque Terre is a rugged ... Time: 8:30 am Duration: 8 hours Activity Level: Moderate $299.95 per adult QUICK SHOP DETAILS SHORE EXCURSION JUL 29 0 Ratings Portofino, Santa Margherita & Rapallo Explore the beauty of three Ligurian villages: Portofino, Santa Margherita and Rapallo. You will have a guided ... Time: 9:15 am Duration: 4.25 hours Activity Level: Moderate $249.95 per adult QUICK SHOP DETAILS SHORE EXCURSION JUL 29 0 Ratings Camogli Cruising Board a private boat and set out to explore the history and culture of this region of the Italian coast. Your ... Time: 8:30 am Duration: 3.5 hours Activity Level: Moderate $199.95 per adult QUICK SHOP DETAILS SHORE EXCURSION JUL 29 0 Ratings Hike to Santa Margherita Ligure Begin your hike from the pier, passing through the town of Santa Margherita Ligure with your guide and viewing the ... Time: 8:45 am Duration: 3.75 hours Activity Level: Moderate $129.95 per adult QUICK SHOP DETAILS SHORE EXCURSION JUL 29 0 Ratings Olive Oil Tasting at Villa Esedra Enjoy a custom designed private olive oil tasting at Villa Esedra overlooking the Gulf of Tigullio and the ... Time: 9:00 am Duration: 4.5 hours Activity Level: Moderate $249.95 per adult QUICK SHOP DETAILS SHORE EXCURSION JUL 29 0 Ratings Genoa - San Lorenzo Cathedral & Chiesa del Gesu Get ready for an exciting journey to one of the grandest cities in all of Italy. Board your motorboat at the pier ... Time: 8:45 am Duration: 5 hours Activity Level: Moderate $149.95 per adult QUICK SHOP DETAILS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hummingbird33 Posted July 28 #14 Share Posted July 28 We were in Portofino a couple of weeks ago. There were excursions offered by Royal Caribbean, but we just explored on our own. We walked up to Castello Brown (5 euro) and to the lighthouse. Absolutely beautiful views. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted July 28 #15 Share Posted July 28 (edited) This may be too late for you but a few weeks ago we tendered in to Portofino from Celebrity Constellation. We were on the first tender so walked around Portofino while it was still very quiet. We then got the local bus to Santa Margherita which cost €5.00 each. (Buy the tickets from the self service machine at the bus stop.) We spent a few hours walking, shopping and eating then got the ferry back to Portofino which cost €9.00 each. (We bought our tickets at the Tourist Information Office on the waterfront when we got off the bus). When we arrived back at Portofino it was very busy and we walked up to Castello Brown for fabulous views. Entry cost €5.00 each. Edited July 28 by PurpleTraveller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmcrn Posted August 24 #16 Share Posted August 24 (edited) We will be in Santa Margherita in a few weeks on Celebrity, and we're thinking of taking the ferry roundtrip to Portofino. @PurpleTraveller - was it steady or was it rocking? One of us is mobility challenged, so would be good to know as far as getting on and off the ferry as well. Since it sounds very crowded and hot in Portofino, would it be worthwhile just taking the ferry over and back without getting off? We could go back to Santa Margherita to shop and eat a late lunch. Edited August 24 by hmcrn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinburgher Posted August 24 #17 Share Posted August 24 (edited) 6 hours ago, hmcrn said: ince it sounds very crowded and hot in Portofino, post #15 mentions tendering into Portofino from Celebrity Constellation, so that partly explains the mention of "crowding" as Portofino is teeny tiny and having a few thousand pax dropping in would certainly be noticeable. And if you visit Southern Europe in the warmer summer months, then yes, you can expect heat. You could check if there are any ships scheduled to tender into Portofino on the date you will tender into Santa Margherita. you said Was it steady or was it rocking? One of us is mobility challenged, so would be good to know as far as getting on and off the ferry as well. if the" mobility challenged one of us" can manage to get on and off a ship tender, the ferry is certainly doable and probably easier. And there are seats onboard so no need to stand. We spent a very pleasant day in both Portofino and Santa Margheria, (and used the ferry both ways and very scenic it is.) and I expect you will too. Edited August 24 by edinburgher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTraveller Posted August 24 #18 Share Posted August 24 8 hours ago, hmcrn said: We will be in Santa Margherita in a few weeks on Celebrity, and we're thinking of taking the ferry roundtrip to Portofino. @PurpleTraveller - was it steady or was it rocking? One of us is mobility challenged, so would be good to know as far as getting on and off the ferry as well. Since it sounds very crowded and hot in Portofino, would it be worthwhile just taking the ferry over and back without getting off? We could go back to Santa Margherita to shop and eat a late lunch. To get on the ferry in Santa Margherita we had to walk up a narrow gangway that was on a bit of an upward slope. Once on board there were plenty of seats and we went up the stairs to sit upstairs at the front. The ferry ride itself was a little rocky but nowhere near as rocky as the tender returning to the ship. Even though the ferry rocked a little it didn't matter as we were seated. To get off the ferry at Portofino it was easy and fairly flat. It would depend on the tides as to how much of a slope you would have to get on and off the ferry. If one can manage a tender then the ferry should be manageable. You could look at the ferries at the dock before you buy ferry tickets to see if you think it would be manageable to get on and off. We were fortunate to be on a very early tender to Portofino and the town was almost deserted. We were able to walk around the town with almost no-one around which was wonderful. When we returned on the ferry at 12.30pm, Portofino was jam packed with both land visitors and cruise passengers. I would think that because we tendered directly into Portofino it was far more crowded than if no ship was tendering there and only tourists coming by car, bus or ferry were visiting. Portofino is tiny so any extra people is noticeable as to how crowded it is. The ferry ride is lovely and it would still be enjoyable to go both ways and not visit Portofino. You could check to see if there is any ship tendering to Portofino on the day you are at Santa Margherita and then decide on the day whether to visit Portofino. We could see from the ferry how crowded Portofino was before we got off. I don't know whether you can simply stay on the ferry or if you would have to get off and then join the line to get back on again. We really enjoyed Santa Margherita. There are lovely shops, cafes and restaurants as well as a lovely waterfront. If you are interested I did a review after my cruise. The posts on Portofino and Santa Margherita are on page 2 and are posts #42 to #46. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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