Shore Excursion Dilemna Florence on Gem

[bobbyprez]

I am having a difficult time deciding which shore excursion to take in Florence. On one had, I would love to see The Leaning Tower of Pisa, that excursion is Florence and Pisa but it does not see Michangelo's David. That excursion is Splendor of Florence, but it does not go to Pisa. Any help is appreciated...which is the better choice. Not sure we can do explore on our own. Help!!

[Mooder]

A tough one. I have not been on either excursion but I have been to both places. I suppose it depends a lot on what type of experience you are looking for and what sorts of things impress you the most. For me, while I enjoyed both, if I absolutely had to pick, I would see David. To me, a trip to Florence would not be complete without it. Pisa is lovely but it really looks exactly like the pictures, is very touristy and offers little else. So, in my mind, you will waste some of your valuable time traveling out there, to see a couple of buildings - glorious buildings, but not sure it is worth the time. But if you are not big into sculpture, I can understand going that way.

[geologygeek]

Ciao!

 

It all depends on what time of year you are going. I've only been to Florence and Pisa on a land-based holiday. Florence is simply stunning, but in summer can be overrun with tourists. The queue to l'Accademia to catch a glimpse of David can be over-whelming, the Uffizi the same. Pisa is a nice enough town and is only 20 minutes from Livorno by train. Another 30 minutes from Pisa would get you to the beautiful hill top town of Lucca and there are so many good spots for lunch and a nice bottle of the red stuff:).

 

If you are going mid-summer I'd avoid Florence unless it's on your dream list of places to go. It really warrants more than a couple of hours. JMO.

[gemini g]

Having been both places many times the best choice by far is Florence. Pisa has become a carnival, with many small stands selling everything you can imagine, it is a nightmare to traverse. I thought it was dirty and at times I did not feel secure. I'll leave it at that. I have many relatives in Italy and they won't even go there. If you go back again (trust me you will) you can do Pisa. If you never go back you will miss much more by not going to Florence.

[davejohn]

We did the Splendor of Florence on the GEM last year. It's a LOT of walking, and you actually see all 3 Davids, the original and brass and granite copies as well as lots of other interesting sculptures, churches and some free time to shop. Lunch was a bit of a disappointment, we stopped in an intimate restaurant that had once been a wine cellar and they served us roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, and green beans. Some local Italian dishes would have been nice.

 

We also were able to see David without having to stand in a long line to get in. We came in through a back entrance, but the area around David was still crowded.

 

I would rather see the city and artwork than the tower. If you can afford it, or can arrange with others on your cruise to split the cost, I'd strongly suggest booking a private tour instead of the ship's excursion. We did private tours in Rome and Naples, and the ship's excursion in Florence was no where near as nice. You'll spend less time walking to get there, more time there, and not have to wait around for stragglers to come back.

[mylesf]

If you have never been to either Florence or Pisa I would recommend Florence. Really enjoyed Florence and have been there during the Fall and Summer. The only thing to see in Pisa is the leaning tower and there is a church there that is interesting. However, Florence is a gem and to see the David is awesome. It is one of those cities that is worth seeing several times during your lifetime if you are lucky enough!

[LTC]

We did the Splendor of Florence when we were on the Jade in August. We loved the tour and our guide was fabulous. We didn't have to wait in any lines and felt that we saw alot of Florence and learned an amazing amount of history. The tour (at least to us) was well worth the price.

[cheshiremackat]

We did the "Pisa and Winestasting", which was AWESOME. You don't get to see David, but Pisa was very interesting (go into the Bapistry and wait for the singing demonstration.

 

The wine tasting was in Tuscany, and very much the highlight of our recent med cruise.

[lambchop ray]

Having been to both cities several times, I can say with complete conviction that to not see all you can of Florence would be a waste. I could stay in Florence for a week and not run out of things to do. If you can sneak away for lunch and are near the Duomo, I highly recomend Il Caminetto-excellent ragional food!

[CeleBrat]

Another vote for a private excursion from me. We just returned from the GEM/Med last month, and took a private tour that visited both Florence and Pisa. A great day! Check out the Europe/Western Med board on this site for info about private tour guides.

 

CeleBrat

[cruisenshop]

We planned to take the train to Florence when we were on the Jewel a few years ago. We had planned private drivers for all other ports except Florence and Rome. The trains are clean and reliable and a quick way to avoid traffic.

A cab driver convinced us that for a bit more than the cost of train fare for the 4 of us that he would take us to where ever we wanted to go, and would suggest others. Wow. He was right. We were lucky not to have been "taken". He took us to the plaza over looking the city (where many tours start) took us to the inner city (except for a few places that his permit did not permit) and suggested a place for lunch that was fabulous. We enjoyed the Duomo and museums and had time for a quick stop in Pisa on the return to the ship. (enough time to take one of those crazy photos that looks like you are holding it up).

So, you can do both. I would suggest a driver, ours worked out but you cannot always count on having a lovely cab driver!

We spent a fraction of what the ship tours cost, got to do what we wanted and saw more than most people.

If you pick one, pick Florence, hands down.

Enjoy! Oh, and don't forget a gelato along the way !