Advice please: HAL western med with seniors

[daisydriver]

I am sailing on Noordam October 6 (western med) with my mom (85) and mom-in-law (80) -- booked a deluxe verandah suite so we could have room to move around... I have booked private tours (in Livorno,Monaco and Naples) where it looked like the HAL offerings would be too ambitious for them re walking. Doing HAL tours in Barcelona, Mallorca and Palermo. Have not yet chosen an excursion for Tunis; wondering which site(s) if any we should try to see there. I am concerned about their stamina and safety issues as well. Any advice from anyone with similar experiences would be most appreciated. We are relatively new to cruising: we did Alaska together on Zaandam in June 2007 (also in a deluxe verandah suite) and loved it. HAL staff was kind and considerate. The "moms" are great ladies and we all get along beautifully -- I am blessed. I want this trip to be a wonderful memory and stress-free experience for them (and for me!) -- All advice/insights gratefully accepted! Thank you, all!

[Travelcat2]

I hope this link will take you to the Tunisia thread in the "Ports" section of CC. There seems to be quite a few suggestions there. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=13952797

[xxoocruiser]

I am sailing on Noordam October 6 (western med) with my mom (85) and mom-in-law (80) -- booked a deluxe verandah suite so we could have room to move around... I have booked private tours (in Livorno,Monaco and Naples) where it looked like the HAL offerings would be too ambitious for them re walking. Doing HAL tours in Barcelona, Mallorca and Palermo. Have not yet chosen an excursion for Tunis; wondering which site(s) if any we should try to see there. I am concerned about their stamina and safety issues as well. Any advice from anyone with similar experiences would be most appreciated. We are relatively new to cruising: we did Alaska together on Zaandam in June 2007 (also in a deluxe verandah suite) and loved it. HAL staff was kind and considerate. The "moms" are great ladies and we all get along beautifully -- I am blessed. I want this trip to be a wonderful memory and stress-free experience for them (and for me!) -- All advice/insights gratefully accepted! Thank you, all!

 

Took similar cruise route on Hal 4 years ago. Though I did not travel with seniors, I have MS therefore relate to the stamia issue.

 

Re: Malloca - Word to the wise . There are many gypsies around the catheral . They look like very inocent old world spanish women. But they are clever theives and work in groups. They'll try giving you a flower while another is picking your pocket or stealing your purse. Just keep moving and don't stop. You tour guide will also tell you this. Otherwise Mallorca is beautifull. I alway recommned never carrying purses war money belts under your blouse in stead that can be tuck in side your pants.

The area around the catheral is large and much walking but there are places to rest. Most of the good tour guides take into consideration the dynamics of the group and will allow free time so if your mother and M-I-L have to rest they can do so. But for the most part the Hal tour is very easy.

 

RE: Livorno - Not much really to see in that town. It's the portal to Florence and Pisa. If the port day is a Sunday, the stores are pretty much shut down . Particularly in Florence It's avery long drive ( there is a train available from Livorna). Strongly suggest driving to Pisa. The plus of having a private driver is the car actually fits through the entrance to the ancient fortress and you can get extremely close with Miminal walking to the major sites such as the tower. Tour buses are too large and have to park a distance outside the fort and tourists have quite a long walk. There also several outside cafesonce inside the fort to sit and relax. I found that if I treated the Driver to a cold drink and/or gelato they want out of their way to stop in the other little towns along the way. It was one of the highlights of my trip.

 

RE: Naples - just be carefull if you decide to walk around the town. Crossing the streets is a nightmare. The cars pretty much have the right away. Or at least they think they do . So again it's a plus that you booked a private tour.

 

RE: Monaco - The main town center around the Palace does not allow cars. But it's reasonalbly workable for walking. You'll find places to sit and rest. Hope your private driver will take you up through the hills for a drive. The views are wonderfull and drive is just so nice.

 

Re: Tunis - Suggest you take the standard basic HAL tour. It will tour you around the major areas and stop at the larger shopping bazzar. It's a maize of tiny walkways and shops. So this is where stamia comes into play. There are many cafes. What I did was let the tour guide know in advance that I would probaly have to fall out of the walking tour at some point and just people watch from one of the cafes. I arranged a time and place to meet back up with the tour. Just make certain you are there before the group is.

 

Been on lots of cruises and have traveled the world for business, but I have to say this was one of my favorite trips ever.

 

Hope this helps.

[daisydriver]

Thanks so much -- this is great advice -- glad you enjoyed your cruise -- will follow your lead on how to navigate the sights -- I had been thinking of inviting our driver to join us for lunch wherever we go; it seems like the decent thing to do and also will give me an extra pair of eyes and arms to help me with the moms! xoxo daisydriver