Mediteranean Questions
 

We are going on 12 day cruise, Splendor of the Seas. <BR> <BR>Leaving in Mid May, Anyone have comments on shore excursions? Good deal or not? Which are the best value? TIA

Dan, <BR>I am not familiar with this ships itinerary, however, if I knew the ports perhaps I could make some recommendations. Most lines will probably be using the same agents in the ports and therefore the same tours. <BR>Marie

Marie, <BR>Do you have any info on Florence/Pisa, Naples, Venice, Marseilles, Villefranche, Rome? Any areas you'd recommend doing on our own instead of the established shore excursion? <BR>Thanks, <BR>Dan

I did this wrong the first time - the ports of call for the trip are Villefanche, Marseilles, Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples. Any suggestions? <BR>Dan

Looks like we're going on the same cruise and have the same questions. Do you have any more suggestions for shore <BR>excursions. The ships seem a bit pricey. On Caribean cruises we have just hired a van, which was much cheaper and more fun.

I find European destinations different than the Caribbean where English and US$ are easily utilized. I, personally, prefer the shore excursions in large cities to roaming around on my own if it is a first visit. You see lots more efficiently and no concern about getting lost missing the highlight of the area. European shore excursions can be expensive compared to the Caribbean, they are not just beach destinations or small towns. Sometimes English is hard to find and US$ needs to be converted to local currency in most cases. You are going to some lovely and historic destinations, some a distance from the actual port, unless you just hate the idea of bus excursions, leave the driving to them and enjoy. <BR>

I went on a Mediterranean Cruise last summer aboard Royal Caribbean's "Legend of the Seas." Three of the ports were the same: Marseilles, Livorno (Florence), and Naples. I took the shore excursion to Aix en Provence when we were in Marseilles; the town was charming and fun to walk. The shore excursion to Florence was one of the highlights of the cruise; it's expensive, but worth it. When ported in Naples, I took the ferry--on my own--and spent the day in Capri. I thoroughly enjoyed the time to myself, but heard positive comments on the shore excursion offered. Depending on the port, venturing out on your own can be fun. If you want structure and perhaps are not well versed in the language, shore excursions can be a great experience.

Villefranche-you can use the local train line, a short walk from where the ship docks, to get to Nice or to Monaco, no reason to do a tour unless you want to see both. You will need a small amount of French francs to buy the ticket for the train. The train stops in Eze as well but the climb up the mountain to Eze is about an hour straight up. If you want to see Eze, you should probably take a tour. <BR> <BR>Rome-the ship will probably dock in Civitavecchia (sp?). It is about an hour train ride to Rome from there, you can get off the train at St. Peter's (San Pietro) or central Rome at Termini Station. If you're not an experienced European traveler, you might want to opt for a shore excursion. If you don't get back in time, the ship will leave without you. The people on our boat liked the tour that included a guided tour of St. Peter's and the Sistene Chapel, which is, of course, the more expensive option. People didn't care for the tour that just sort of drove you by the various sites in Rome. Make sure to ask what you are actually going to be visiting if you take a shore excursion. <BR> <BR>We didn't see any of the other cities on a cruise but I would highly recommend a visit to Pompeii when you dock in Naples and would recommend Florence over Pisa. Try to see the Uffuzi museum in Florence. I don't know where they dock you in Venice, but you can probably do this port on your own. Venice is great for just wandering around and taking in the sites.