anita63

hello!

DH and I will be sailing Silversea on Sept. 25 and we will be visiting: Lisbon, Cadiz (overnight there), Malaga, Barcelona, Marseille and then ending in Nice.

I'm exhausted just looking at all the shore excursions offered by the line! I also hate the fact of having to look at your watch while ashore to be sure that you get back in time for ship departure. We are seriously considering staying on the boat for some of these stops.

Has anyone ever done that? Any regrets? It looks like a huge hassel to get off the boat, get yourself around on shore and high tail it back to the port...not relaxing at all. I'm thinking staying on the ship and enjoying the fact that no one is on it is much more appealing.

(Before you ask, "so why are you going on a cruise"....we hate cruises. Been on Carnival and Royal Carribean and it wasn't our cup of tea. A friend said, "you have to go high end and you will love it". So, we're trying it. If I don't like this cruise, then I will cement the fact that cruising isn't for me.)

doug_stallings

Silversea operates small ships, so it's rarely a hassle to get off the ship. I have to wonder why you are choosing a cruise in Europe, particularly on such an expensive line that offers such good shore excursions, if you want to stay on board the ship. You can go to the Caribbean for that and save thousands of dollars.

From Cadiz, you can reach Seville in a couple of hours. It's a beautiful city with a lot to offer. From Malaga, you can visit the Alhambra Palace, one of the wonders of Europe (though better seen on a ship-organized excursion). Marseille has a lot to offer, though it's a little gritty, and if you wanted to stay on board, this might be the place; still, Provence is nearby. Barcelona ... well, it's Barcelona, so unless you have already been I can't imagine why you'd want to miss it, if even for a few hours. The same would go for Lisbon.

The advantage of sailing on a smaller ship is so that you can get off and on easily. Even if you just leave the ship for half a day, you can explore the immediate area, have a great meal or snack, do a little shopping, see a couple of sights. You don't have to go on an 8-hour excursion in every port. But the ports are why you take a European cruise.

But if you are exhausted, you don't have to do anything but relax.

bratsandbeer

If you go on an excursion sponsored by the ship, if the excursion is late getting back the ship will wait for you.

We will be going on 3 excursions and the rest of the ports we will go on our own. We are sharing a taxi for the day with a couple at one of the ports.

Perhaps you can meet up with another couple to do something at a couple of the ports.

If you go to cruise critics they have a roll call where people try to meet up with others who are on the same cruise.

abram

We go on cruises to see multiple places without having to arrange hotels and transportation or pack and unpack repeatedly. So, yes, we get off at every port--usually as soon as they let us, and we get back on 30 minutes before sailing, which is usually as late as they require.

anita63

Thanks for the opinions, all!

Abram...man, you've got some energy! Do you ever feel rushed while on shore?

Brats...yes, good point about taking an excursion via the boat so they wait for you. I've also been warned about the inconvenience of waiting for that 35th person to get to the meeting place so you can get going back to the boat. THAT would drive me crazy, so we would likely go private. As for meeting other couples...maybe...but we pretty much like to keep to ourselves. Thank you for your suggestion about cruise critic, I did post a roll call

Doug...you see, this is what has me baffled. We go on a cruise to these wonderful ports, yet alot of the cool stuff to see is a 2-3 hour bus ride away. I have NO interest in extending my travel once I arrive in port. I do like your suggestion about seeing what is local and experiencing the food and drink. I think that is bang on advise for us, thank you.

I can see us; exploring Lisbon, first day of Cadiz, staying on boat for second day of Cadiz, day at sea, exploring locally at Malaga, I'm taking a paella cooking class in Barcelona (been there and toured extensively so I don't need to do it again), and we arranged a private tour in marseille to go to Chateauneuf de pape wine tasting.

And, if I change my mind...then I'll stay on the boat! We purposely chose this cruise because of the boat so I won't mind or feel like I'm missing out.

Thanks again, all! Appreciate your points of view.

SusieQQ

I take cruises for the cruise experience and not the ports. If I wanted to see ports, I would fly to them and spend a lot more time there.

anita63

SusieQQ...FINALLY...someone who thinks like me! I said those exact words to my DH last night!

I was just curious about what/why other people do since I've only cruised twice before.

I totally agree with you...I would rather spend more time and getting to know a place than do the 'go,go,go' routine. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just not for me.

Susie, let me ask you this...did you find most people left the boat to visit the ports of call? I would imagine that the boat was heavenly empty?

annieO

We just went on our first cruise and know what you mean. We got off at each port and really didn't want to miss anything but at the end of the week felt like we had overdosed on travel even though we didn't have to pack and unpack.

ParrotMom

We normally do our own thing.. the Alhambra I would definetely take a ships tour... but since Parrot Pop can't walk to well.. we have taken a taxi to Mijas which we love.. last time took a Hop on Hop Off bus..many peoople went to the Picasso Museum from the bus.. This year we are in Alexandria two days.. and have opted to only go off on a private tour the first day.. Lisbon we were there two days.. private tours and it is an absolute delight.. Hook up onCruise Critic to find people on your cruise.. Going to Sintra is lovely and just visiting the Belem and monuments was eye opening to this great port.. We prefer trans-atlantic cruises when you don' feel as rushed and have days at sea..SuzieQQ I agree with you.. it's the experience.. if we went back on another cruise to the Canary Islands, I'd stay on the ship..lol. We did on a cruise to t he Western Caribbean..one port we never got off.. We have been to Barcelona four times.. and just like to wander before getting on the ship..even have our own driver and guide.. Oh yes.. Malaga last time we went to the local dept.store..oh my.. sales people every couple of feet, expensive items..and their gourmet shops were to die for..First time there (we have been there three times) we wandered downtown and found a great little restaurant in an alley, but this time.. there was so much construction going on we didn't bother.. This is btw the reason we do trans-atlantics..the days at sea...to rest and restore o urselves.

chepar

I also take cruises primarily for the cruise itself, and the ports are secondary.

For this reason I tend to choose cruises that go to ports that I am not particularly interested in, or that I think a short 6-8 hour visit would be enough. For example, I would not take a Mediterranean cruise because it would kill me to be in each city for only a few hours and I know I would hate having to return to the ship each day.

However, even though I'm taking a cruise where I may have only a casual interest in the ports, I do get off at each one and try to see some of the highlights, because I don't know if I'll ever be back again.

abram

We don't particularly feel rushed; I've learned how much we can enjoy in a day, and that's what we do.

For me, as the family trip planner, it is relaxing not to have to find hotels and restaurants in each city and to arrange transportation between places.

We've loved most of the cruises we've been on, but we love land vacations, too. We're just as as "go,go, go" on a land vacation--but that's what we like.

We have avoided cruises where the place to see is a long way from the port. For European cruises, we usually arrive at the embarkation port a few days early and stay at the disembarkation port a few days after the cruise--best of both worlds for us.

We don't go on the ship's shore excursions--they never seem to spend the right amount of time and each stop, and I can't stand waiting for 30 people to use the restroom. We either go alone or with a handful of like-minded people.

Dayenu

We get off at each port, at least to walk on a surface that is not moving under our feet In addition to natural curiosity, that is! Once we had a 2 or 3 hours stop at the end of Panama canal, we went off even there.

Yes, some people stay on the ship and like it, we often return early - our legs are not strong enough to carry us around all day. There are ship activities for those who stay on.

We prefer to go off on our own where we feel comfortable (where we feel safe, speak the language) - or buy a tour at the pier. Ship tours are expensive, and not always have the itinerary that we'd like.

anita63

Thanks again, everyone...really appreciate your view points.

Regardless of the way we approach 'cruising' I think we all have a great time and that's all that matters!

bratsandbeer

This will be my first cruise and we have been in many of the ports before. But there is always something we haven't seen so it will be fun to go back to ones we have visited independently and fun to see something of where we haven't been. After the cruise we will fly to Amsterdam for a few days and see more of it as we haven't been there before.

Percy

Your right anita63.......

We all have a good time no matter what are cruising pattern we use

I guess I am the other way around.

The Ports are the most important to me, in all the crusing I have done.

For example , when I did the Baltic Cruise..... I reviewed the cruise itinerary from 4-5 different cruise lines.,

I picked out the Ports I want to see and only then did I decide on which Cruise would take me to most of my Ports.

If a port requires a tour guide , then I book the tour guide ahead of time...and even get him to purchase any tickets that are neeed.

As another example when I went to Livorno and Pisa ( Leaning Tower).

I had a tour guide booked ahead of time. Also on limited days per month ,you can purchase tickets to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa.............

so I told my guide ( via e-mail ) to get the tickets ahead of time.

I try to maximize my time in each port.

But that is me and my pattern of doing thing.

I do a lot of research for each port and know ahead of time what I want to see.

Yes, it cost more money doing what I do , BUT I also see more.

There is no law saying you have to get off the cruise ship when it come to a port ( until the end ).

So everyone , you do what is best for you.

It is your holiday AND your money

Good Night

Debi

It is so interesting to see how different people approach vacations... I've been on a few cruises - and for the most part like them, but I normally only go because of the destinations (exception was the Oasis - loved it loved it loved it). I've always wanted to see a Pyramid, so we're trying Azamara this time - and we book through the cruise lines. We have only once in all our cruises had bad tours (and that was Princess and bad weather), and I just don't have the time or energy to work through that myself - I want it to be as relaxing as a 10 hour tour can be . But - as you said - we all take these vacations for different reasons.... I wouldn't feel at all bad about skipping a stop. It's a vacation!!! For whatever reason we pick a cruise, and whatever we do on it - let's just all hope for calm seas and good weather...

anita63

"There is no law saying you have to get off the cruise ship when it come to a port ( until the end )."

LOL!

Dayenu

Anita, even then you can stay for another back-to-back cruise!

sinverguenza

Traveling in Europe with some regularity since 1962, most recently on a repositioning cruise ending in Barcelona, I can not imagine missing some time ashore in any of your listed ports of call (except perhaps Malaga, and even there I would need a sightseeing stroll through the the town).

On the other hand, I generally classify cruise line tours in the same category as encounters with the Bubonic Plague, worth avoiding in most cases.

Cadiz with a "RON"? I'd certainly try to see a bit of Seville. Lisbon? Too much to see to miss. Marseilles? It's been a long time, but having once spent a night anchored off Marseilles with boating canceled by the weather, keeping me aboard would take physical restraints. Nice? My God, that's the Riviera, and if it were only to enjoy a pastis overlooking the sea, wild horses would not keep me aboard ship.

Then there's Barcelona, in my eyes even and after several visits, still one of the greatest ports of call in the world. If it were nothing but a stroll up Las Ramblas and a ride on one or two of the "Turistic" hop on/hop off busses, to miss Barcelona would be like unto seeing Rome without at least a windshield view of the Coliseum, a crime against nature.

The secret is pre-cruise research, with the Internet as the grandest of encyclopedias, travel guide and source of local maps and landmarks. Join Cruise Critic, and you may find like minded cruisers who organize cheaper, less frenetic or ambitious "tours".

The world is too large and life too short to miss the open buffets of sight and sound laid before you in ports which invoke the magic of history and literature. Just as Vienna is made more exciting by having recently viewed that old film-noir classic, "The Third Man", there are countless books, fiction and non-fiction, plus numberless movies which are the "appetizers" for visits to the ports of Europe.

I suspect that, when the day comes to line up for Charon's ferry across the Styx, he'll ask whether I went on Liberty/Shore Leave in every post I've visited, and were I to answer "no", he would demand extra silver for my fare.

But then, I've stood too many 4-8 (AM) watches, the last watch of a "Duty Day" on the quarterdeck, then rushed below to change into shore-going rig, ready to hit the beach without much sleep, to ever be snug and shipshape aboard again, even in some ports a bit grimmer than those you've listed. After 21 visits to Naples, I'll still be in the first boat ashore next time, and if the ship's snugged to the quay, don't get in my way at the brow, or you'll have cleat marks on your back.

ellen56

percy --

how do you find your personal "tour guides"? i'm new at cruising! thanks,