My husband & I are planning to book a 12day europe/ Mediterranean Cruise at NCL by Jan to Feb 2010. Since this will be our first time to cruise, can anyone help me decide about Shore excursions? We will be given 2 days to explore Egypt, is it best to go on our own or to book a tour package?It'll be 9 hours stop in Piraeus Athens & Ephesus Izmir Turkey. We will be staying at barcelona one day before embarkation & planning to stay 6 days more in Spain after the cruise, what are the best places to visit?

Thanks in advance.

A lot of people are intimidated by Egypt, but it's fairly easy to book a tour on your own. However, it might not be that much cheaper if you want a guided tour with transportation. There's good and frequent train service from Alexandria into Cairo, less good transportation from Port Said, so it really depends a lot on where you're docking. Once in Cairo, most people will want to have a guided tour with a driver, and that can still be fairly costly if you are just two people, though I certainly think it's the best way to go. You can do Cairo in a day-trip from either port and get back in time for a late dinner, and then you can spend the second day doing some sightseeing in Alexandria.

Athens is very doable on your own. I prefer the Metro for transportation because it's generally faster and much cheaper than taxis, but others want a guided experience there. Athens is really easy to navigate, and you can easily get to the Acropolis on your own (requires a change of trains, though).

I haven't visited Ephesus, but it's doable on your own. I suspect Izmir is a separate stop, and I don't know much about it. Just expect the possibility of rain, which might dampen your spirits. But it could also be cool and clear.

Thank you Doug_Satallings for the fast & helpful reply. Ship will be docking at Alexandria port, I've read it is 3hours travel to cairo..I guess you are right, guided tour is better.

dear ycelle,
as doug_stallings mentioned, Ephesus Area (Izmir) might possibly be rainy in January. But don't worry cause we hardly get cats and dogs down in here. And the good thing about Ephesus Ruins are more dramatic when they get a bit wet, if you are a bit into the ancient art and ancient world, you will surely more than in the summer time which get about 100 + F
I highly advise you to arrange a private tour on your own, with a company who hires qualified tour guides, becuase I rather suggest people no to expect something like one might see in other parts of Europe(Spain,Greece,Italy) regarding the Greco-Roman Ruins, cause Ephesus is something way different, and requires a lot more updated information explicibly presented with a greater sense of humor than one can get from a book,internet information, our even an auido guide.

You can check out several trustworthy service providers. Googling them will give you more of an idea. But rater than choosing the companies from Izmir, Kusadasi companies seem always a bit more experienced and reliable. ephesusport.net works quite efficiently about giving sidelight information about Turkey in detail.

We did the same cruise last year. It was wonderful. We took the two day excursion in Cairo that was offered by NCL. The tour guide was awesome, the hotel was beautiful and we were able to see a lot of sites. I would highly recommend the excursion. Have fun on your trip!