R2daO2daZ

Okay Good People.
I've amassed loads of info for London and Paris thanks to all you kind folks(Yes, janisj I returned the 28incher for a 24 ((-. I am still plowing thru all the info so I may have some follow-up questions but I need to start thinking about the next leg of my journey ...
Which is a 7-day Cruise with (5) ports-of-call plus departure from Barcelona. Would like to avoid the "herd" which would be the off-shore excursions offered by the cruise ship while hitting 1 or 2 major or "off-the-beaten" path attractions. I am open to any suggestions. Each stop has about a 10 hour window. I am not opposed to public transport where practical and efficient. With the limited time I do want to be realistic with the itinerary and not wear myself out. Unless, of course, there is shopping involved. o-;
Thanks in advance.
P.S. Shelld I am still trying to find my exact cruise so that I may peruse the boards on cruisecritic.com. I have not forgotten.

willit

Florence is nowhere near the sea, so the actual port is Livorno. You can take a bus to the station and then a train to Florence (if that is where you wish to go) but it is likely to take you at least two hours each way for the whole journey, so your 10 hours is down to 6. An alternative might be to go to Pisa and/or Lucca as Pisa is only 15 minutes from Livorno, and Lucca a further 20-25 minutes.

Naples is obviously a port, but what do you want to see? Personally I find Naples itself fascination - and an all day transport ticket is very reasonable for getting around. I really enjoy the view from Castel St Elmo, walking down Spaccanapoli and the national archaeology museum. The obvious alternatives would be either Pompeii or Herculaneum, or possibly a train to Caserta to see the palace and gardens.

Dukey1

IMO to maximize your time take a TAXI from the ship to the train station in Livorno and also when you return. yes there are buses and no you don't have a lot of time.

You need to, IMO, decide what is most important to see on that stop; Florence offers more than the others overall but it is harder to reach.

ShellD

In addition to the roll call boards at cruise critic, you can check the ports of call boards there as well. Tons of ideas. Then you can start looking at the suggestions from there as to where different passengers go.

Are you going on the Epic? I would check out their available tours - even if you don't choose any - you can get an idea of what is offered and then see if you can build your own day around those ideas. Either with a private guide, public transportation or even with a shared tour from your roll call.

There are also companies out there that you can join in with other groups - shared excursions. I'd have to go back and look to see what the names of those companies are. But you can find them on cruise critic. Those companies post tours offered on the days you'll be in port (usually small group tours) and then you can join them.

We enjoyed each of those ports - all with private tours. You're going to have a great trip!

Dickie_Gr

Depends on your timing but a lovely day trip from Palma is the antique train over the mountains to Soller.

Failing that., don't move from Palma - lots of interest there.

R2daO2daZ

willit - Thanks for the tips esp. on transport in Naples
And I guess I'll have to brush up on my geography Yes, they call the stop Pisa/Florence I can only assume at this point the offshore excursion will hit Florence as well but the way you put it sounds awfully tight
Dukey1- I have heard that Florence is lovely and seen pics thanks to shelld but did not realize the distance from port I'll check into a train ride if Florence is the gem of this stop
shelld- Yes I will be cruising on the Epic same as you all
I'll check the ports of call boards as well Thanks ever so much!
Dickie_Gr - Palma? I'm sorry Where is this in relation(haven't pulled up a map yet) to these ports A train trips thru the mountains does sound lovely just gotta ensure they hold that boat (-;
Any input on Barcelona or Mallorca?
Thanks a bunch!

R2daO2daZ

Okay Dickie Scratch Palma ignorance Palma is part of Mallorca! Yaaaah! Amore'! Its so many destinations and I am trying to amass so much information I think overload is rapidly approaching *sighs* So now I understand ...
What about the beach area there?

klondike

Did I miss the info: what time of year is this cruise?

cathies

R2da, can you add paragraphs please? Your posts are a bit hard to read without them.

I think Pisa and lucca are a better option than Florence, you will be less rushed and can relax and enjoy the day more.

And yes, you can be at Herculaneum or Pompeii without too much trouble. When are you travelling? I n,y ask because Pompeii can be as hot as Hades in the summer.

willit

r2da - I think any tour of Pisa/Florence would treat pisa as "off the bus, there is the tower, photo of you holding it up, back on the bus". This is a pity because it is actually quite a pleasant town, with a great history. The Piazza Del Duomo is stunning - the cathedral itself is one of my favourites anywhere. Much as I like Pisa, it does suffer when compared to Florence, which is magnificent.

I agree with Dukey, if you wish to avoid the tours, get a taxi. If you can find a small group of like minded people you should be able to share a small minibus (Other travel sites suggest 8 sharing the cost from Livorno to Florence and back worked out at around €40 each)

R2daO2daZ

Dickie- Turns out the Cruise Line has an excursion that includes the train to Soller which *gasp* is actually quite reasonable so thank you for the suggestion. Sounds like a perfect diversion from the other site-heavy walking/standing tour stops.
ShellD - I love Rome Tours. As soon as NCL let's me register(isnt accepting my booking id currently) I will post on the board for others to join in which should bring the cost down from 279 pp to less than 100. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. *bowstoyourtripreportbrillianceonceagain*

stevelyon

Would second the Soller Trip - a delight. If that doesn't happen, Palma (which is in Majorca) is a beautiful City. It has both the architecture and tapas bars to keep you occupied.

Dickie_Gr

Bar Abaco in Palma.

Most out there BA in the world. Like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Huge manor house, with fruit everywhere and parrots flying freely.

spaarne

<i>HELP! Port stops in Barcelona, Naples, Marseille, Florence and Mallorca
Posted by: R2daO2daZ on Aug 20, 13 at 7:09am Posted in: Europe Tagged: France , Italy , Spain Jump to last reply
Okay Good People.
I've amassed loads of info for London and Paris thanks to all you kind folks(Yes, janisj I returned the 28incher for a 24 ((-. I am still plowing thru all the info so I may have some follow-up questions but I need to start thinking about the next leg of my journey ...
Which is a 7-day Cruise with (5) ports-of-call plus departure from Barcelona. Would like to avoid the "herd" which would be the off-shore excursions offered by the cruise ship while hitting 1 or 2 major or "off-the-beaten" path attractions. I am open to any suggestions. Each stop has about a 10 hour window. I am not opposed to public transport where practical and efficient.</i>

Here are a few items to think about. Though you seem uncertain about it, the ship is probably the Norwegian Epic. It does a 7 day cruise from Barcelona. The first night, next day, and next night you are at sea. This gives you plenty of time to spend in the shops and bars and sitting by the pool. Then you "dock" at Naples. This ship is as big as the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. Maybe it can actually dock or maybe they transfer everyone to smaller boats to get to shore. The Epic has capacity for 4,100 (four thousand one hundred) passengers. That's a "herd." That's a small town. They are going to need an armada of about 80 buses to haul everybody to where ever they want to go, or just leave you at the dock. The NCL site gives you up to 10 hours in each of the ports but also says that you should expect two hours between arrival and getting to shore.

I think you should have posted this in the Cruise Forum. There is probably someone there who has been on this cruise, can speak to the logistics, and can give advice. Most of the people on this Europe Forum are do-it-yourselfers who actually get their feet on the ground in Europe. Not that there is anything wrong with going on a party boat, I've done it and had a great time, but I have a hard time reconciling your wish for "off the beaten path attractions" with lounging on a ship at sea.

<i>open to any suggestions</i>.
Fly in to Rome and see the stuff. Take a train to Florence. Same. Take a train to Venice. Same. Actually you should allow two weeks minimum for that itinerary so cut off Venice or Florence. Fly home from last stop. Get a map.

R2daO2daZ

Sorry for the delayed response to all. My wifi at home has been on the blink for over a week so I am just seeing the latter responses.
klondike- the cruise is scheduled for 7Se-15Se on the Norwegian Epic
stevelyon- the Soller train trip excursion was the only one sold out already As suggested I looked at getting to the train station myself but alas the schedule would not allow proper time back to the ship as the excursion group obviously has all the tickets locked up for the necessary times And yes I think that I had resolved myself, since its the last stop, to simply winding down in Palma as the cruise is stop/attraction heavy
Dickie- Thank you so much for the BA bar recommendation. This makes me feel so much better about being knocked out of the Train to Soller excursion.
spaarne- I am new to this site. Thank you for your suggestion on posting on the cruise forum site. I am an on-the-ground person as well but felt this cruise afforded me the best opportunity to see as many places as possible. This will be my first(emphasis on first) visit to the Old World! FYI, I will be in London and Paris before cruising. And yes, shelld and her family just returned from this particular cruise and I have been reading her Trip Report very closely.

Thanks once again to all for your input and help. It is all useful and greatly appreciated.

laurie_ann

If you haven't seen it already Rick Steves guidebooks has a "Mediterranean Cruise Ports" volume. Not everyone is a fan of his series but he does usually offer a lot of practical information. I don't know this particular volume but would think it is worth browsing to see if it suits you.

R2daO2daZ

Alright laurie_ann Thank you I will check out what he has to say as well

R2daO2daZ

I must say the Shore Excursions Link on Cruise Critic provides loads of useful information on each cruise port

theshedman

Depending on the time you arrive in Palma, Mallorca the Soller train trip is doable. You have probably looked at the train times for coming back of which there are few especially in the afternoons. There are however plenty of buses back into Palma, the express one taking only 30 minutes from Soller to Palma, so maybe time after all. Another good one to do in Palma is the HOP ON HOP OFF bus which you can get from the port. Stops at many of the must see places in Palma without all the walking and is good value for money at 15 euros.

R2daO2daZ

Thanks for the great tips Shedman!