First time to the Med...........

[titicaa8396]

Hi Guys,

 

First time that I'll be doing the MED with DH 14 day Millie Barcelona to Venice.

 

Is it wise to stick to ship tours? I've requested quotes from private tours and they seem so expensive.

 

I'm thinking of doing a few ports on our own Santori, Mykonos, maybe Athens. We generally like to do our own thing at our own pace but the MED seems so buisy that I might just go for ship tours. When we go to the Carib. we get off and then we decide what we want to do. I the MED this dosen't seem doable.

 

Any info anyone can give would be a great help.

 

Thanks,

Liz

[Liv4cruzin]

Liz,

Those prices you've been quoted probably do sound expensive; but touring the Med. cities IS more expensive than what you might be used to elsewhere. You will find a lot of good recommendations on this board for reputable guides in Europe. And I'd also suggest you check the boards at tripadvisor.com. My advice would be to use private guides in those cities that aren't easily walkable & are spread out. For example, Civitavecchia/Rome, Livorno/Florence, the Amalfi Coastal towns, Istanbul. It sounds like there will be just the 2 of you. When a friend & I went a few years ago, we went ahead & booked as if there were going to be 4 of us. By the time we arrived at THOSE cities, we had met a few people onboard who we felt comfortable asking if they wanted to share the expense of the guide/driver. It worked out beautifully. If you're going in the (hot) summer season, you can't beat the luxury of being in a private (air conditioned) vehicle that pulls up right to the door to let you out (as opposed to walking sometimes long distances from the "bus lot"). Your driver/guide can usually prearrange ticket purchases so you can avoid standing in lines. YOU decide how long you get to stay at each place. In our case, we were able to accomplish a lot more in our full day's tours than we could have w/ the ship's excursions. The only real worry is making sure that you get back to the port in plenty of time. They won't wait for you like they would if you were on one of "their" tours. IMO, doing a private tour doesn't usually end up costing more. Maybe it has something to do w/ getting so much more for your money. If you decide to go this route, I can't emphasize enough - BOOK EARLY. The good ones go quickly.

[Bruin Steve]

I've done both ways...Frankly, we've had some VERY GOOD ship's tours...especially when on the Millie...

 

The key to cost on private tours is to find people to split the cost with you...

One couple, you're usually paying a substantial premium (remember to figure in the cost of admissions, meals and other extras--plus the conversion from euros)...

 

Two couples and you're close to the cruise shorex cost...Three couples (with a guide with a van) and you're saving a little money...

 

But, cost is not the reason to go with a private guide...The main reason is that YOU control the itinerary and get more personalized service...

 

Also remember that in Italy, most drivers you see discussed here are NOT officially licensed guides and they cannot give tours WITHIN sites...they are, by law, only allowed to drive you to them (they can give some commentary during the drive)...If you're visiting the Vatican or Pompei, for example, you may have to hire an additional local guide...

 

If you're reluctant to take your chances locating tourmates on these boards and don't have a large group yourself...and you care about budget, you may want to stick with the shore excursions offered by the ship...Again, MOST of the ones I took with Celebrity were actually very good--

 

Mykonos, you can definitely do on your own...Santorini as well...Athens--I would recommend a tour or a private guide (Our full day private guide for a tour of the Pelopennese cost us 250 euros plus tip plus admission charges plus lunch cost)...

[tom_uk]

Liz

 

I went through exactly the same learning curve as you're approaching a couple of years ago when we were planning our cruise. I found a lot of resources to help me.

 

First, this book: "Insight Guide to Mediterranean Cruising" is extremely good. It gives good information about ports of call from Gibralter to Istanbul - where do the ships dock, what's the best way to get to the city centres or to the normal attractions, why do ships call there, what are the best attractions, etc, etc. I found it very valuable.

 

Second I would say that http://www.portreviews.com is also very good - there is a whole section about Mediterannean ports. Illustrated, as well!

 

You can certainly do Santorini & Mykonos on your own - they're both small islands. Indeed on Santorini the main (only?) advantage of doing an excursion, especially a morning one, is that it gives you 'priority disembarkation' - you'll almost certainly be off the ship before any non-excursion passengers. (Santorini is a tender port, of course). As regards Mykonos, this can vary depending on whether or not your ship gets to dock or not - disembarkation is easier if you're docked than if you have to tender. But on Mykonos the main attractions are Mykonos town itself and the beaches, and there are plenty of buses from Mykonos town to them.

 

I don't know about Athens, I haven't been there yet. I understand that there's a very good metro system from Piraeus to the city centre, but I think that you have to walk a good way (almost a mile?) from the port to the metro station at Piraeus. And of course when you get to the old part of Athens, you've then got to organise your own entry to the attractions.

[carlmm]

When we go to the Carib. we get off and then we decide what we want to do.

 

You can easily do just this in Europe, too. Preferably you do some research before and have an idea about what you want to see or do and how to reach your destination. Then you can do most places absolutely on your own without ship tour or local guide.

If you read previous posts or ask about specific ports you will find many tips. E.g.

Athens: Metro from Piraeus (port) to the historic sights of Athens and you are right there

Rome: Train from Civitavecchia to Rome, faster than any bus or car, roundtip € 9, stops e.g. at the St. Peters and the Main Station

Livorno: Train to Pisa or Florence

....

 

The only places for tours are those where no city or village but a landscape is the destination.

E.g.

an island tour covering points of interest in various remote places

 

It is really very easy to visit Europe on your own. Just educate yourself prior to the cruise a little bit and take some decisions about you preferences.

E.g. Naples - What do you want to see?

Naples itself (important museums, churches etc.): Just walk off the ship.

Pompeji (excavations): Just walk off the ship and take the train to Pompeji.

Amalfi drive (scenic drive): Ship tour or private guide needed.

Capri: Just walk off and take the ferry.

[fmax]

I would suggest doing a mixture of both.

 

First, check out to see if there's a roll-call for your particular cruise and if not start one up.

 

On my first med cruise last year, I was able to join up with 4 other cruisers on the roll-call and do private drivers for Rome, Florence/Pisa and 2 other cruisers for Amalfi Coast/Pompei. I know it definitely worked out less expensive than the ship's tours and we had more flexibility in planning our day.

 

However, from these boards I also discovered the ports that were easily accessible and doable on my own: Marseille, Villefranche (monaco, monte carlo and nice).

 

In researching for next years cruise, I know that Venice, Dubrovnik, Mykonos and Santorini are doable on your own, even Athens although some do private tours here.

 

Frances