wolfmom1717

hello to everyone we would love to get some great advice for our journey. We fly into Rome on May 4 and go dircttly fo the ship. We will be on the Celeberity Solistice.

On May 6 we will be in Santorini. 2pm to 10pm

May 7 Mykonos 7am to 5pm

May 8 Istunbaul dock 1 pm

May 9 Istunbul Depart 2 pm

May 10 Ephesus 9am to Midnight

May 12 Athens 8am to 6pm

May 14 Naples 7 am to 6 pm

Arrive back in Rome in the May 15 and fly out on May 18

Thank you for all and any advice.

maryanne1

I would like the same advice except I am taking the cruise Sept. 28th. I have read alot on Cruise Critic various ships that visited the same ports for suugestions.
Please post about your trip when you return-Wolfmom1717. especially the things you did in the ports.

abram

We found Mykonos and Santorini very easy to tour on our own. I found walking tours in a guide book, which is something we like to do.

Athens was our disembarkation port, and we hired Spiros from www.athenstaxi.net to pick us up at the ship, take us on a half day tour of Athens and drop us at our hotel.

We were supposed to tender in Amalfi, but docked in Naples instead. We had arranged for Giovanni from www.tourofitaly.com to take us on a tour of the Amalfi coast. It was a wonderful day, but if we had known that we'd be in Naples, we'd probably have gone to Pompeii and to the archeological museum in Naples.

happytotravel

We did a similiar trip last year.

Mykonos we did on our own, we walked to the beach and had a nice lunch in town. My parents hired a taxi and took a tour of the island.

Athens: Definitely try to reserve a car or tour a head of time, unless you are confident with the public transportation. The taxi drivers meeting you at the ship are ruthless. We did hire one, but it was difficult negotiating, don't even bother trying to get one for the posted rates, they won't take you short distances. Try to pre arrange.

Epheses is amazing, we arranged a private tour with ekol tours and it was wonderful. The highlight of our trip, we loved it so much we went back to Turkey a few months later.

Istanbul: We didn't do this as a port, but did it a few months later for a week. You can easily take the tram from the port, get off at the spice market, walk up the hill through the grand bazaar, at the top of the hill is the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The next morning go to one of the palaces.

Naples: we took a bus from the port to the train station and went to Pompeii. You buy your bus ticket from the news stand, but be careful of pickpockets on the bus and train. If you go to Pompeii bring your own water bottle, as fountains are far and few between. The best pizza we had in Italy was from Naples.

My sister and her family took the hydrofoil from near the Naples port and went to Capri, where they rented a boat an
d went around the island, her pictures are gorgeous.

Have a great trip!

route6a

For Naples, I can recommend an excellent driver, Francesco Marrapese, who speaks fluent English and is charming and knowledgeable. We hired him for the day, and chose to visit Pompeii in the morning, followed by an afternoon drive along the Amalfi Coast. Francesco took us to a lovely restaurant for lunch as well. I recommend him without reservation. He drives safely, so you will feel comfortable as you enjoy the breathtaking views. His web site can be googled at francescomarrapese.com
When we hired Francesco, he was driving a sedan, but I see on his web site that he now has a Mercedes van, so he obviously can accommodate a larger group is you wish to have others join you. I do know that Francesco will take you to see whatever you wish, so some research might be in order to identify areas that interest you near Naples. I wish you a wonderful time in the Mediterranean.

patandhank

Well if I had my choice, I would fly in early instead of doing it at the back end. Reason - no risk of missing your ship and having to play catch up and the next port as a couple of posters have reported they have had to do.

Having said that, I agree on arranging something in advance for Athens. We used Paul from [email protected] who was great. We even went out to the Cape. Beat the tour buses to the Acropolis and always stayed 1 step ahead of the major crowds. Much more enjoyable than a ship's tour or public transportation.

Mykonos is very easy to do on your own.

Santorini you can (1) either cab from one town to the another; (2) stay in one area; or (3) do a private tour there too. We opted for a private tour that we shared with other couple and loved it. Went all over the island at our own pace, did lunch at a great restaurant, and went to a small winery.

Ephesus - again private tour. Look at www.ekoltravel.com They have very reasonable prices and were great.

Istanbul is amazing. A lot to see. Ekol does some touring there too.

Any questions - feel free to e-mail me. I'm happy to send you my trip report I've shared with others. We didn't do Naples but you got some good advice on Pompeii which is fascinating.

You'll love this trip.