Dubrovnik Questions (merged)

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Our ship will be in Dubrovnik on Nov. 6th and I would like to know the hours for the Old Town in the Walled City. I know the hours are shorter this time of year so we want to make sure we have enough time there.

By your date I assume you are on Celebrity, arriving at Noon. Better hurry to old part of town as the walls will normally close at 1500. A nice walk, with photo stops, does normally take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, just depends on often you stop.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Hi Dubrovniktravelady,

This bus looks interesting! Does it go up above the cable car to get a panaramic view? Where exactly do we find the bus? Does it run often?

Where does the bus finish up and drop everyone off? Is the last stop back at the pier? Does the bus accept Euros or credit cards?

How often does it leave from Gruz port? Thank you for answering my questions.:confused:

May I suggest you open the Cabrio site I have posted and print a copy of it. Also I am posting the Dubrovnik tourist bureau Dubrovnik map, one page is of the entire area and the second page is the old town, do print a copy it will help you get your bearings.

Cabrio bus does not go up to the top of Mt Srd, only a private taxi or the actual cable car.

You can find the bus at any of the numbered white dots on the map.

There is only one bus, it begins and ends at Gruz harbor, number one white dot.

No credit cards, no Euros only Croatian Kuna, the legal currency of Croatia.

Bus departs from Gruz main bus station at 0900, 1050, 1240, 1430.

You can board the bus at the harbor, do most of the route and get off at the Pile area of the old town. However you can not get back on the next pass at Pile and use it to return to the harbor.

http://libertasdubrovnik.hr/cabriobus.jpg

http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/data/1198052158_49_mala_Plan%20Grada_2008.pdf

[Mercury]

The Cabrio bus is associated with our local bus company, and it is a 2 hour sightseeing bus. There is only one bus and the route takes 2 hours to complete. It is not a hop on and hop off type of tour, once you get on most people normally do the entire route. No it does not stop at the cable car entrance, only the Libertas #8 does that. Bus station, as show on the map is pickup point number 1, it is located in the Gruz harbor where most ships are docked.

 

Thanks Dubrovniktravelady - that clarifies my questions!

[SF]

By your date I assume you are on Celebrity, arriving at Noon. Better hurry to old part of town as the walls will normally close at 1500. A nice walk, with photo stops, does normally take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, just depends on often you stop.

 

Thank you Dubrovniktravelady,

 

Yes, we will be with Celebrity and docking so how far away from the wall are we? We may not get to the walls until around 12:30pm or 1pm so hopefully we'll get enough time to walk the whole thing. Since we have limited time should we start at the Pile Gate or go to the Ploče Gate? Which entrance would be better in case we do not have enough time to do the complete wall? Also can you walk around Old Town after the gates to the wall close or will we not even have enough time to do that? Not sure when they say it's closing at 13:00 do they mean just walking around the walls or the whole area of Old Town and the buildings?

 

Our ship will be there until 8PM but wondering since it's the end of the season how much we'll actually get to see. How would you suggest we plan our day besides doing the wall first? I was so looking forward to spending the day in Dubrovnik (still am) but now that I realize the hours are shortened not sure how much we'll get to see coming on Nov. 6th. Wondering if it pays to take a ship tour so we'll be guaranteed to see the major sights.

 

Thanks for all your help on the boards....we all appreciate it.

Edited June 24, 2012 by SF

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Thank you Dubrovniktravelady,

 

Yes, we will be with Celebrity and docking so how far away from the wall are we? We may not get to the walls until around 12:30pm or 1pm so hopefully we'll get enough time to walk the whole thing. Since we have limited time should we start at the Pile Gate or go to the Ploče Gate? Which entrance would be better in case we do not have enough time to do the complete wall? Also can you walk around Old Town after the gates to the wall close or will we not even have enough time to do that? Not sure when they say it's closing at 13:00 do they mean just walking around the walls or the whole area of Old Town and the buildings?

 

Our ship will be there until 8PM but wondering since it's the end of the season how much we'll actually get to see. How would you suggest we plan our day besides doing the wall first? I was so looking forward to spending the day in Dubrovnik (still am) but now that I realize the hours are shortened not sure how much we'll get to see coming on Nov. 6th. Wondering if it pays to take a ship tour so we'll be guaranteed to see the major sights.

 

Thanks for all your help on the boards....we all appreciate it.

Celebrity will be docked at our Gruz harbor, about a 10 minute taxi ride to the old part of town - fare is 75 Kuna or 10 Euros. Your ship may provide a shuttle service, but it will take longer until the bus is full, passport checked, etc.

If you only have enough time to walk half the wall, by all means enter at the main entrance which is closest to the Pile entrance, it is the Spas entrance. You can then come down at Ploce exit and still have enough time to see a few of our historical sites. Unfortunately you have chosen November, many of our restaurants and outdoor venues will begin to close down for winter hibernation at the end of October.

The season ends here about 01 November, the wall and most historical sites will close at 1500 (3pm), it will make your time very limited here. The town is open, there are still many indoor cafes and restaurants open. Some, not all shops will also be closed down but shopping here leaves much to be desired.

Sunset for Dubrovnik will begin about 1630 (4:30pm), but the old town during the evening is lovely. This is all based on weather, November this past year was fantastic but the year prior it was very wet and windy, dress in layers.

Here is the website for the tourist bureau map of the town, please do download it and print for help getting your bearings.

http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/data/1198052158_49_mala_Plan%20Grada_2008.pdf

Edited June 24, 2012 by Dubrovniktravelady

[SF]

Dubrovniktravelady,

 

Thank you for the good suggestions. Hopefully we will be lucky and your November weather this year will be nice.

[ksg]

We will be in Dubrovnik for three days in August and I have seen that we may buy tickets to the Summer Festival on line. Can anyone (DubrovnikTravelLady, maybe?) tell me whether they are likely to sell out, and also, I've read that there are half-price tickets with some obstructed views, but I don't see how to buy the half-price ones in advance. We don't care if the views are obstructed at a concert, as long as we can hear. Does anyone know where we can get these tickets?

 

Look forward to hearing back!

 

Kim

[Dubrovniktravelady]

We will be in Dubrovnik for three days in August and I have seen that we may buy tickets to the Summer Festival on line. Can anyone (DubrovnikTravelLady, maybe?) tell me whether they are likely to sell out, and also, I've read that there are half-price tickets with some obstructed views, but I don't see how to buy the half-price ones in advance. We don't care if the views are obstructed at a concert, as long as we can hear. Does anyone know where we can get these tickets?

 

Look forward to hearing back!

 

Kim

All information about our summer festival is located on their website.

 

http://www.dubrovnik-festival.hr/news

[miken]

Friday July 27th, Carnival Breeze -Tried to see how many other ships were due in that day but the Port site kindly suggested by Dubrovniktravelady will not work for me. Can anyone help.

How far from town do the ships dock, is it walking distance or a ship shuttle bus?

Thank you for you patience with these never ending queries.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Friday July 27th, Carnival Breeze -Tried to see how many other ships were due in that day but the Port site kindly suggested by Dubrovniktravelady will not work for me. Can anyone help.

How far from town do the ships dock, is it walking distance or a ship shuttle bus?

Thank you for you patience with these never ending queries.

Not a bad day, 3 total ships in port with a total passenger count of 8,238. The Gruz harbor is not walking distance to the old part of town. Do take the shuttle bus and spend your limited time walking around the town visiting sites and enjoying the history of our lovely town.

Actually I have begun to realize these never ending questions are fun for me when I have my morning coffee. Although I do not really understand why more research is not done by many arriving guests. Guess it is time to write a post about the very interesting history of Dubrovnik.

[ksg]

All information about our summer festival is located on their website.

 

http://www.dubrovnik-festival.hr/news

 

Thank you. I've scoured that site before and no way to buy the half-price tickets. I will email the concierge at the hotel. Perhaps he'll know. If not, we'll go full freight and enjoy it.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Thank you. I've scoured that site before and no way to buy the half-price tickets. I will email the concierge at the hotel. Perhaps he'll know. If not, we'll go full freight and enjoy it.

The only half price tickets sold are those being offered now. The seats at the rear of each venue are half the price of those at the front. Since all events are normally sold out easily and quickly, there is no reason to further discount. I believe you may have misunderstood what was meant by half price.

[ksg]

The only half price tickets sold are those being offered now. The seats at the rear of each venue are half the price of those at the front. Since all events are normally sold out easily and quickly, there is no reason to further discount. I believe you may have misunderstood what was meant by half price.

 

Thanks. I don't believe so, since there are 75 Kuna tickets with obstructed views being sold for the last night, but no way to buy them on line, that I could tell. The other seats go only as low as 200 in the venue I'm looking at for purchase on line.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Thanks. I don't believe so, since there are 75 Kuna tickets with obstructed views being sold for the last night, but no way to buy them on line, that I could tell. The other seats go only as low as 200 in the venue I'm looking at for purchase on line.

I am curious as to where you found discount tickets for sale for the last night. Do you have a website and do you know if it is legitimate? Please post detailed information, I would like to verify the authenticity of these tickets. Thank you

Edited June 28, 2012 by Dubrovniktravelady

[jrzgrl]

I'm sorry to post a redundant question, but this thread is getting so large! If we are arriving at Gruz dock with the Crown Princess, do we need to take a taxi to get to the old town, wall, etc? Is there a tourist office where we can pick up a map once we arrive or should I print something before I leave?

[TLCOhio]

I'm sorry to post a redundant question, but this thread is getting so large! If we are arriving at Gruz dock with the Crown Princess, do we need to take a taxi to get to the old town, wall, etc? Is there a tourist office where we can pick up a map once we arrive or should I print something before I leave?

 

Great, very important question for most all first-time visitors to Dubrovnik. YES, you will need some way to connect from the docking location. Too long and boring to walk. Some use ship buses at a price that is a little high, in my view. We did a taxi. For a basic connection last year, it was ten euro from the dock to the main gate entrance. That's one way for your whole group. Some price by cab back. For four people, that's better than what most ships charge. However, as shown below, we did a "Panoramic Tour" for 50 euro total price that gave the four of us a great overview (from high above the scenic town), introduction, seeing a few other highlights outside of the walled city, getting questions answered, etc. Compared to the cost and time to take the sky tram up and back, this was a great value and time saver for us. Plus, a couple in our group would not have wanted to do such a sky tram.

 

Super loved Dubrovnik!!! See more details and lots of great visual samples/examples at this link. Have had over 7,000 views on this posting and appreciate those who have tuned-in and dropped by.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 93,008 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

We started in Dubrovnik with a local cab driver who gave us a “panoramic tour”, including crossing this unique bridge near the main cruise ship docking area. He called this bridge their “Golden Gate” like in San Francisco. It is nine years old. You can see the Solstice docked to the right side and other newer housing around this bay NW of the historic walled city.:

 

 

 

Then we drove up and up through narrow twisting roads to the high point overlooking Dubrovnik and near the cable car high station. From this point, we could also see part of Bosnia and and Montenegro. The “super star” view was down below with this angle of the harbor and walled city. Beautiful!!!:

 

 

 

This is Dubrovnik’s Pile Gate as the grand western entrance to the walled city.:

 

 

 

Here is the view of the Cable Car going down from the high point over Dubrovnik with interesting areas and islands west of the city shown. This cable car has been re-built since the early 1990’s war years. It’s a dramatic coastline with great views here!:

 

[gerena]

I use the website http://www.cruisetimetables.com. I made a chart so I could plan my activities based on the number there. ie. in Dubrovnik, we oly haveone other ship. Between the two it will be and extra 1000 on the town.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

I'm sorry to post a redundant question, but this thread is getting so large! If we are arriving at Gruz dock with the Crown Princess, do we need to take a taxi to get to the old town, wall, etc? Is there a tourist office where we can pick up a map once we arrive or should I print something before I leave?

Dubrovnik tourist office is located at the Pile Brsalje, the area which shuttle buses and taxis drop cruise passengers. Crown Princess arrives only once in July, one hour earlier than MSC with its massive crowds. You can either take the ship shuttle bus or private taxi, fare is 75 Croatian Kuna or 10 Euros.

By all means, do print the map prior to your departure. It is the same map given out at the tourist bureau office.

http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/data/1198052158_49_mala_Plan%20Grada_2008.pdf

[ksg]

I am curious as to where you found discount tickets for sale for the last night. Do you have a website and do you know if it is legitimate? Please post detailed information, I would like to verify the authenticity of these tickets. Thank you

 

Thanks for your help. But I believe the mystery was solved. The venue I was interested in does not have obstructed views (St. Blaise) but other venues (Rector's Palace) does, and they do sell obstructed view seats for those.

 

In just one month we'll be there!

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Thanks for your help. But I believe the mystery was solved. The venue I was interested in does not have obstructed views (St. Blaise) but other venues (Rector's Palace) does, and they do sell obstructed view seats for those.

 

In just one month we'll be there!

Closing night is always in front of Sveti Vlaho church and could not picture any obstructed views, thus my confusion and concern. Looking at the festival website this morning, I noticed many of the venues are already sold out. I do suggest if you are thinking of attending closing night, you may want to order tickets online. Opening and closing are the two biggest evenings in the old town, the crowds will be massive. I do hope that our weather breaks as the heat has been unbearable this summer, I am not looking forward to August...

[2009 cruiser]

Just wondered if you could tell me the best way to get to Cavtat from

Dubrovnik? I had read to take bus #10, which takes about 25 min.

But is there a better way? A ferry perhaps? Thanks.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Just wondered if you could tell me the best way to get to Cavtat from

Dubrovnik? I had read to take bus #10, which takes about 25 min.

But is there a better way? A ferry perhaps? Thanks.

Yes there is a ferry from the old port which is located close to the eastern entrance of the old town. They have ferries running, weather depending, once an hour. Fare is 50 kuna one way, 80 Kuna round trip and takes about 45 minutes. Lovely views along the way.

[NYRsHOCKEY]

Hello Dubrovniktravelady,

 

Are you able to tell me how many ships will be in port on September 25?

 

Thank you for all of the amazing information you have provided us here on the boards.

[jccruiser]

I am looking for advice on hiking up Mount Srđ - I understand that there is a walking path that takes approx 90-120 mins up, via the old fort?

Where does the path start from in the city?

 

Also, the #10 bus to Cavtat, where does it depart from in Dubrovnik? We were thinking it may be nice to take the ferry there and the bus back to enjoy both sea and land views. Do you know how often the buses run?

 

Sorry if this is already somewhere in the information - there are just so many pages to go through!

 

Many thanks for any information

Jane:)

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Hello Dubrovniktravelady,

 

Are you able to tell me how many ships will be in port on September 25?

 

Thank you for all of the amazing information you have provided us here on the boards.

Appears you have won the lottery, only Windsurf with a mere 300 passengers. Do keep in mind the large amount on your ship. Town will still be busy with European land guests also, but not a bad day. Enjoy your time here.