Med Cruisers...Let's Discuss Planning!(Updated Tour Info, Links & BCN Info on Page 1)

[Cousin Orville]

I am bummed about your experience because I was thinking the exact same thing you were when you booked it. We won't have to worry about missing the ship and can do our own thing walking around Rome. Who would you have hired if you could do it again?

We've hired Rome in Limo twice for Rome. They were excellent both times and got us back to the ship in plenty of time. We customized both trips with them and saw exactly what we wanted to see. They make it easy and stress free. I wouldn't do Rome on a cruise any other way.

 

[bearsgirl]

I have heard a lot of good things about Rome in Limo. Thank you!

 

[Cjjoncas]

The shore trips will have to be released soon, concierge can book then at 120 days and in fact can request from shoreside concierge from 150 days pre cruise. My late July cruise books at the end of a March. If anyone is going to Rhodes please look at going to Lindos it's a fantastic and beautiful place a great day out, an hour by coach, bus or taxi from Rhodes town.

We are also scheduled on late July cruise. Our sail dat is 7/26. We may be on the same cruise.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

https://www.papillonservice.com/tours-from-la-spezia-port.php

We are using papillon for Cinque Terre I have got a good price and they took me to Florence last time.

Any chance you would mind sharing what your your tour cost?

I found a little more info on another page it's says an average of €70 per person.

 

[Ana~n~Joseph]

For anyone that has done this before, has anyone visited Villefranche? is there anything to see/do? I hear it's a cute little town just curious if it was worth visiting. I'm well aware that Nice/Canes/Monaco are all close by but was interested in hearing about the Port town itself. Thanks in advance!

 

[gatorfreud]

We are going to train into Nice I think - but I heard from a couple people that Villefranche has a nice beach area right by the ship.

 

[gatorfreud]

http://stumblingintoparadise.com/2012/10/21/top-travel-tip-villefranche-sur-mer-french-riviera/

 

[linetbo]

Did someone do this one before with DCL?

 

[woody73]

I posted this on my cruise meets thread, and thought others might find it helpful. The flight mentioned was a domestic flight on American Airlines.

We typically travel with just carry-ons, including cruises.

For those thinking of packing light, here's a heads up. Check the size of your carry-on and make sure it meets your airlines' carry-on limits.

Yesterday my DW had a flight on American Airlines out of LAX. At the gate, the agents were having each passenger place their carry-on in the bag sizer. If it didn't fit, or if it fit but stuck out above the rim, the passenger was denied boarding and had to return to the ticket counter to check their carry-on (and pay the baggage fee). There were some very upset passengers.

Woody

 

[kaseyC]

I posted this on my cruise meets thread, and thought others might find it helpful. The flight mentioned was a domestic flight on American Airlines.

We typically travel with just carry-ons, including cruises.

For those thinking of packing light, here's a heads up. Check the size of your carry-on and make sure it meets your airlines' carry-on limits.

Yesterday my DW had a flight on American Airlines out of LAX. At the gate, the agents were having each passenger place their carry-on in the bag sizer. If it didn't fit, or if it fit but stuck out above the rim, the passenger was denied boarding and had to return to the ticket counter to check their carry-on (and pay the baggage fee). There were some very upset passengers.

Woody

United will be doing the same starting today.

 

[ranidayz]

I posted this on my cruise meets thread, and thought others might find it helpful. The flight mentioned was a domestic flight on American Airlines. We typically travel with just carry-ons, including cruises. For those thinking of packing light, here's a heads up. Check the size of your carry-on and make sure it meets your airlines' carry-on limits. Yesterday my DW had a flight on American Airlines out of LAX. At the gate, the agents were having each passenger place their carry-on in the bag sizer. If it didn't fit, or if it fit but stuck out above the rim, the passenger was denied boarding and had to return to the ticket counter to check their carry-on (and pay the baggage fee). There were some very upset passengers. Woody

If you take a duffle bag and don't fill it completely - so that it's able to squish down - will that be ok?

 

[jellybelly3]

Hi lilpooh,

Thanks for the links! Very comprehensive.

I've booked the 5N Med cruise departing Barcelona on 11 Aug 2014. I'm not sure if shore excursions are doable with my 5 year old, i'd love to go for the full day ones to see rome/florence but looks like i may only go for short cinque terre tour off the la spezia port. Tempted to just lug the stroller along just to let her sit in when she gets tired but i've read that the light travel friendly strollers do not do so well on cobblestone streets.

We're planning to take it easy and just walk around the little towns where we're docked. Any families here have taken the free and easy route to explore the ports on their own at villefranche, la spezia and civitavecchia?

Thanks,
mel

 

[debsters41]

Hi lilpooh,

Thanks for the links! Very comprehensive.

I've booked the 5N Med cruise departing Barcelona on 11 Aug 2014. I'm not sure if shore excursions are doable with my 5 year old, i'd love to go for the full day ones to see rome/florence but looks like i may only go for short cinque terre tour off the la spezia port. Tempted to just lug the stroller along just to let her sit in when she gets tired but i've read that the light travel friendly strollers do not do so well on cobblestone streets.

We're planning to take it easy and just walk around the little towns where we're docked. Any families here have taken the free and easy route to explore the ports on their own at villefranche, la spezia and civitavecchia?

Thanks,
mel

my recap posted on the first page of this page shows how we did some things cheap and easy

 

[MsJiminyCricket]

Can anyone tell me if there is a lot to do around the port of Epheseus? If we don't do an excursion there, will we still be able to get a taste of the culture and foods?

thanks!

 

[pxlbarrel]

Can anyone tell me if there is a lot to do around the port of Epheseus? If we don't do an excursion there, will we still be able to get a taste of the culture and foods?

thanks!

We did an excursion but at the end of the excursion, they let us off near the port and there was a bazaar (ugh...the people were desparately trying to get us to go into their shops), and some cafes (including .. Starbucks. LOL).

Hopefully somebody who actually explored the area can answer you better. I'd just stay clear of some of those shops.

 

[MsJiminyCricket]

We did an excursion but at the end of the excursion, they let us off near the port and there was a bazaar (ugh...the people were desparately trying to get us to go into their shops), and some cafes (including .. Starbucks. LOL).

Hopefully somebody who actually explored the area can answer you better. I'd just stay clear of some of those shops.

Thanks. I was reading about some of the shops in Rick Steves' book and thought it actually looked like a fun way to get some inexpensive souvenirs. Thanks for your information.

 

[JimmyJackJunior]

Thanks. I was reading about some of the shops in Rick Steves' book and thought it actually looked like a fun way to get some inexpensive souvenirs. Thanks for your information.

Last year my wife and I dropped the kids back at the ship after Ephasus and went shopping at the bazaar in Kudasai. The shop owners were aggressive by our standards but I never felt threatened. I let my hair grow to shoulder length for the first time in my life last summer. When we got to the top of the bazaar a barber started shouting at me that I needed a haircut right there and then. I said no and he started chasing me down the street with his scissors and shaving knife. My wife couldn't stop laughing. Really one of my favorite vacation memories ever. But we did pick up some cheap souveniers and a beautiful scarf for my daughter.

 

[LyndaC]

I have another suggestion for a Rome Excursion. Last year, my husband and I did the Rome by Segway excursion http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/cr...ome-by-segway/ We'd been to Rome previously and this was perfect for us. Train to and from the ship, a couple of hours hitting the highlights of Rome by Segway, the rest of the day on our own. We walked back to the Vatican and then back to the ship by train.

 

[woody73]

Can anyone tell me if there is a lot to do around the port of Epheseus? If we don't do an excursion there, will we still be able to get a taste of the culture and foods?

We've been to Kusadasi twice. Near the port, there are plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes. You could easily spend hours visiting the bazaar, trinket and carpet shops, and trying the local cuisine.

Woody

 

[MsJiminyCricket]

We've been to Kusadasi twice. Near the port, there are plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes. You could easily spend hours visiting the bazaar, trinket and carpet shops, and trying the local cuisine. Woody

Awesome. That's the affirmation I was hoping for. But Il also let my kids know they need haircuts before the cruise...