Favorite Med cruise excursions/PAs? Please share!

[EllinK]

We have booked the Med cruise in 2020, 2021 and now 2022. I'm feeling good about the cruise actually happening so want to start thinking about excursions or DCL PAs. Please share which ones you've enjoyed most.
We will be starting in Rome and going to:
• Palermo (Sicily), Italy
• Santorini, Greece
• Piraeus (Athens), Greece
• Mykonos, Greece
• Naples (Pompeii), Italy
• Livorno (Florence, Pisa), Italy
• Villefranche (Monte Carlo, Nice), France • Marseilles, France

 

[EllinK]

Last time, this Mykonos PA sold out immediately. Has anyone taken it?

Mykonos Exclusive Catamaran Sailing, Swim, Snorkel & Lunch – Small Group (MY32)

 

[Pens Fan]

We visited many of those ports in 2019. We did not use any cruise line excursions, preferring to go our own way. Not everyone is comfortable with that for many valid reasons, but in case you or anyone reading this is, here is what we did:

Santorini - We booked a private tour through https://santorini-private-guide.com/ . It included a great tour of the island, a nice long stop in Oia, a fabulous lunch at a beach front restaurant in the middle of nowhere, and we ended the night watching the famous Santorini sunset from a winery while doing a wine tasting.

Athens - We booked a private tour through https://www.taxigreece.com/tour/acropolis-athens-city-sites-plaka/ (recommended by Rick Steves). We saw all the highlights of Athens. Our guide was terrific. I highly recommend this company!

Mykonos - this was the one stop on our cruise where we didn't book anything. We were on a 14 day cruise with only one sea day (day one) and we felt this was a good "wing it" day. It was a great choice. We had a wonderful morning just wandering the old town which is lovely. We did some shopping and had a nice lunch overlooking the sea. It was a national holiday in Greece, so there was a huge festival going on. It began to get really crowded, so after taking a lot of it in, we headed back to the ship and napped on our balcony .

Naples - We booked a private tour with this company https://www.lovelyamalfitours.com/pompeii-amalfi-coast. We toured the Amalfi coast, Positano, Sorrento, and Pompeii. We did spring for the extra cost of an extra guide for Pompeii which I highly recommend. Italy and Greece have some very strict laws regarding guides vs drivers. While most every "driver" we had was really a great guide, they are not allowed to go into the sights with you. They did a great job preparing us and giving us good information, but sometimes you need someone with you. Pompeii is one of those places.

Livorno - most people head to Florence here and rightly so. For us, it was the last night of our cruise. We felt after 13 straight days of ports we needed a bit of a break from the culture overload. Someone in our Cruise Critic roll call group organized a wine tasting tour through Tuscany, with a short stop in Pisa to take the obligatory picture next to the tower. It was the perfect way to end our cruise and we still order wine from one of the places we toured. The company they used was https://www.guidos-tours.com/.

Hope this helps!!

 

[JulieODC]

Following as we’ll be on this cruise in 2022!

 

[Ladybugx87]

We visited many of those ports in 2019. We did not use any cruise line excursions, preferring to go our own way. Not everyone is comfortable with that for many valid reasons, but in case you or anyone reading this is, here is what we did:

Santorini - We booked a private tour through https://santorini-private-guide.com/ . It included a great tour of the island, a nice long stop in Oia, a fabulous lunch at a beach front restaurant in the middle of nowhere, and we ended the night watching the famous Santorini sunset from a winery while doing a wine tasting.

Athens - We booked a private tour through https://www.taxigreece.com/tour/acropolis-athens-city-sites-plaka/ (recommended by Rick Steves). We saw all the highlights of Athens. Our guide was terrific. I highly recommend this company!

Mykonos - this was the one stop on our cruise where we didn't book anything. We were on a 14 day cruise with only one sea day (day one) and we felt this was a good "wing it" day. It was a great choice. We had a wonderful morning just wandering the old town which is lovely. We did some shopping and had a nice lunch overlooking the sea. It was a national holiday in Greece, so there was a huge festival going on. It began to get really crowded, so after taking a lot of it in, we headed back to the ship and napped on our balcony .

Naples - We booked a private tour with this company https://www.lovelyamalfitours.com/pompeii-amalfi-coast. We toured the Amalfi coast, Positano, Sorrento, and Pompeii. We did spring for the extra cost of an extra guide for Pompeii which I highly recommend. Italy and Greece have some very strict laws regarding guides vs drivers. While most every "driver" we had was really a great guide, they are not allowed to go into the sights with you. They did a great job preparing us and giving us good information, but sometimes you need someone with you. Pompeii is one of those places.

Livorno - most people head to Florence here and rightly so. For us, it was the last night of our cruise. We felt after 13 straight days of ports we needed a bit of a break from the culture overload. Someone in our Cruise Critic roll call group organized a wine tasting tour through Tuscany, with a short stop in Pisa to take the obligatory picture next to the tower. It was the perfect way to end our cruise and we still order wine from one of the places we toured. The company they used was https://www.guidos-tours.com/.

Hope this helps!!

Do you recall how long you were in port in Naples? I am usually good with doing tours on our own but the distance makes me worry a bit about doing amalfi coast on our own/private.

 

[JulieODC]

Do you recall how long you were in port in Naples? I am usually good with doing tours on our own but the distance makes me worry a bit about doing amalfi coast on our own/private.

we are having the same worry! I’d love to do an Amalfi tour, and think I can get a less expensive, tailored tour on our own - but worry about the time!

 

[Pens Fan]

Do you recall how long you were in port in Naples? I am usually good with doing tours on our own but the distance makes me worry a bit about doing amalfi coast on our own/private.

Our ship was docked from 6:30 AM to 5:00 PM. I just checked the confirmation email from the tour company and it seems we met our guide around 7:30 AM. It was a full day, for sure.

Edited to add: Pretty much every tour company we've ever used scheduled to get us back an hour before we were due on board. Only once several years ago did we cut in close. We were in Halifax and ran into two separate traffic jams. We still made it back a good 30 minutes or so before sailaway, but we did stress a bit. Booking away from the cruise line isn't for everyone. For us, the tiny risk of getting back late is far outweighed by the fabulous experiences we've had and the money we've saved taking private tours. But it's not for everyone. You're on vacation. Do what makes you happy!

 

[Ladybugx87]

Our ship was docked from 6:30 AM to 5:00 PM. I just checked the confirmation email from the tour company and it seems we met our guide around 7:30 AM. It was a full day, for sure.

Edited to add: Pretty much every tour company we've ever used scheduled to get us back an hour before we were due on board. Only once several years ago did we cut in close. We were in Halifax and ran into two separate traffic jams. We still made it back a good 30 minutes or so before sailaway, but we did stress a bit. Booking away from the cruise line isn't for everyone. For us, the tiny risk of getting back late is far outweighed by the fabulous experiences we've had and the money we've saved taking private tours. But it's not for everyone. You're on vacation. Do what makes you happy!

Thanks for the response. In Helsinki - we had a slight scare because our driver went to wrong port and there was royalty in town blocking some roads so it took an extra 45 minutes. We were still fine but glad we didn’t cut it closer.

 

[EllinK]

We visited many of those ports in 2019. We did not use any cruise line excursions, preferring to go our own way. Not everyone is comfortable with that for many valid reasons, but in case you or anyone reading this is, here is what we did:

Thanks PensFan! Yes, we typically book private tours because we like touring with a smaller group. Thanks for the recs!

 

[ShuckyDarn1955]

Following...also sched for the 2022 Barcelona/Italy cruise....fingers crossed!

 

[hippiechicken]

In 2019, on our Med cruise, we loved all of our PA except one.
• Naples (Pompeii), Italy
We did the DCL Amalfi Coast by Boat & Pompeii (NP74) in Naples. Amalfi Coast was amazing. I tasted Limoncello and now I get it everywhere! Also, I am glad I have been to Pompeii now, but next time, I'll spend more time in Amalfi, and also enjoy Naples.
• Livorno (Florence, Pisa), Italy
We did the DCL Florence On Your Own. It was perfect for us because I just wanted to get to Florence to climb the Duomo. It took longer to get there than I anticipated, so we missed our tour at 10:15, but were able to go to the Duomo still. We had an amazing lunch al fresco, then followed the Rick Steve's audio tour, Rick Steves Duomo to Ponte Vecchio. I plan to do more "On your own" tours in the future.

We didn't land in Villefranche, but maybe Cannes.. We did DCL Nice & Monaco – Adult Departure Only (CN15), and it was good. I'm glad I went to Monaco, but next time, I'll spend more time in Nice, enjoying the markets and the beach.

 

[Intr3pid]

Naples has three big attractions that you can't do all of in one cruise stop due to their locations. You will have to choose. And these are:
- Capri
- Amalfi Coast
- Pompeii

We stayed in Italy post cruise to do Naples and all its attractions separately.

As a family, we enjoyed Capri the most, very closely followed by the Amalfi Coast, where we did both the drive and the boat sail. If you are visiting Pompeii in the sweltering summer heat, you and your kids will have to truly appreciate its history. There is very little shade in the ruins! We visited late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds and the unforgiving sun.

If you want a DCL excursion and are traveling with younger kids, pick one for Capri or Amalfi Coast.

 

[closetmickey]

Naples has three big attractions that you can't do all of in one cruise stop due to their locations. You will have to choose. And these are:
- Capri
- Amalfi Coast
- Pompeii

We stayed in Italy post cruise to do Naples and all its attractions separately.

As a family, we enjoyed Capri the most, very closely followed by the Amalfi Coast, where we did both the drive and the boat sail. If you are visiting Pompeii in the sweltering summer heat, you and your kids will have to truly appreciate its history. There is very little shade in the ruins! We visited late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds and the unforgiving sun.

If you want a DCL excursion and are traveling with younger kids, pick one for Capri or Amalfi Coast.

Would you please tell me more about the sail vs drive option for the Amalfi coast? I would like to see the coast from the water but would like to have enough time to visit Positano and Sorrento. Not sure if the sail takes extra time. Would love to hear any details you are able to share! Thank you.

 

[Intr3pid]

Would you please tell me more about the sail vs drive option for the Amalfi coast? I would like to see the coast from the water but would like to have enough time to visit Positano and Sorrento. Not sure if the sail takes extra time. Would love to hear any details you are able to share! Thank you.

If you want the Amalfi coast on your own schedule, there are ferries running between the ports. They are an excellent option because they stop in the major towns and are cost effective. Because they run all day, you can kind of hop on/hop off - you pay for the fare between the ports. For example, you can board one in the town of Amalfi, stop in Positano, and board one again for Sorrento or Capri.

There are many ferry operators, such as:
https://www.travelmar.it/en/indexhttps://www.livesalerno.com/amalfi-coast-ferry
If you have arranged a private car, have them drop you off in Minori or Amalfi town and pick you up in Positano (or Sorrento) - or vice versa. The best part IMO is between Minori and Positano - but the entire coast is breathtaking. You can also do the coast and a Capri visit both in one day.

If you have a large party, see if a private boat makes sense. Use anyone with a good rating on TripAdvisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attracti...malfi_Coast_Province_of_Salerno_Campania.html
Disney offers a sailing excursion too, and that will be the most convenient if you are doing it on a cruise stop.

 

[closetmickey]

If you want the Amalfi coast on your own schedule, there are ferries running between the ports. They are an excellent option because they stop in the major towns and are cost effective. Because they run all day, you can kind of hop on/hop off - you pay for the fare between the ports. For example, you can board one in the town of Amalfi, stop in Positano, and board one again for Sorrento or Capri.

There are many ferry operators, such as:
https://www.travelmar.it/en/indexhttps://www.livesalerno.com/amalfi-coast-ferry
If you have arranged a private car, have them drop you off in Minori or Amalfi town and pick you up in Positano (or Sorrento) - or vice versa. The best part IMO is between Minori and Positano - but the entire coast is breathtaking. You can also do the coast and a Capri visit both in one day.

If you have a large party, see if a private boat makes sense. Use anyone with a good rating on TripAdvisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attracti...malfi_Coast_Province_of_Salerno_Campania.html
Disney offers a sailing excursion too, and that will be the most convenient if you are doing it on a cruise stop.

Thank you for this information! Much appreciated

 

[ninergrl6]

Naples -- Pompeii is worth seeing if you've never been, but I prefer the coastal towns like Sorento and Amalfi. I'd do a PA that combines Pompeii with something else if you're up for a long day, and Pompeii can be *very* hot in the afternoon.

Livorno -- Florence is worth seeing if you've never been, but personally I don't love Florence. In 2016 I did a Cinque Terre PA from Livorno and it was one of the best days I've ever had on a cruise. Beautiful views from the water along the coast, stopped in two towns for sightseeing and lunch, so relaxing. It was like a cruise within a cruise.

Villefranche -- Monacco/Monte Carlo is worth seeing if you've never been. Last time I had a not great local guide, so I feel like we didn't get the most out of that PA, but I had been there on a prior cruise about 10 years earlier and loved it. One thing to be mindful about is timing -- the Grand Casino in Monte Carlo (one of the main attractions) doesn't open until the afternoon, so if you're there in the morning, you can't go inside.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

For Naples, we arranged the following tour with Italy Car Service:

We will leave port at 8 to go straight to Pompeii where we will meet up with a private tour guide (included in price) who will give us a two hour tour of the site. Then we will leave Pompeii (hopefully just as all the crowds start to pile in) to go to the Amalfi Coast, where we will do a coastal drive with stops in Positano and Sorrento. 4 course lunch at La Tagliata locating on a cliff overlooking the water.

This was an amazing tour! Highly recommend!

In Athens, we toured on our own using public transit. We started at the Acropolis and beat all the tours there. This was amazing because we have photos of the Parthenon with absolutely no one in the photos. Then we went to the Ancient Agora and the Roman Agora, Hadrian’s Library, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Panathenaic Stadium, and finished up at the National Archaeological Museum. It was super easy (and cheap) to do on our own.

We did Florence after the cruise, so we had multiple days there. One day we drove out and did Pisa on our own. Another day, we took a tour of Florence because it included skip the line access to both the Uffizi and the Galleria. This was worth its weight in gold! It also included a stop outside the city at an overlook and a walking tour of the city including the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza Santa Croce, Baptistery of San Giovanni, etc. It also included a delicious Italian lunch. It was a Viator tour, so I’ll link it. I would highly recommend this for your Florence day over Pisa.
https://www.viator.com/tours/Floren...-Sightseeing-Tour/d519-24281AGROUP?mcid=56757

 

[DisneyParkLover]

I forgot to add Mykonos. In Mykonos, everything was very walkable, so we just walked around the town and up to the windmills. It was a very relaxing port day.