Mediterranean Excursions

[Meg'n'walt]

Well - it looks like the menus are all there. Thank you everyone who helped!! I am sorry for the overwhelming number of posts. However, to read see them all - this was the way to do it. I now have to go find an old thread to post a picture of the costumes myself and 2 friends wore to the MNSSHP last year.

Thanks again!

Thank you so much for sharing, Padalyn ! Hope the menu's will be as promissing for the Med cruises too...

Just a small question : didn't you take the pics of the menus on board or did you get to take the menus home with you ? They sure would make a great keepsake to take home...

 

[padalyn]

Well - I was VERY lucky that the server I had was willing to look the other way when we left the dining room each night. I have the menus. I have been looking for a way to display them - if you have any ideas please let me know. They are about 26 inches tall and I would like to be able to see the insides when displayed also. HELP!

 

[profdsny]

Since DCL announced the excursions a month ago there has been a lot of talk on all the Med forums. I thought that perhaps we could have one basic forum for this topic, which will allow everyone to share tips, plans, ideas, etc.
I know from the forums that some people are familiar with the areas we are going to visit, and have ideas on how to do things, what to see, where to eat, etc.....
So, here goes.
We are liekly going to do port trips in Italy that will allow us to see the cites of Rome, and Florence, but likely will do one in Naples that takes us outside the city. We've been to Nice, so plan on doing that by ourselves, taking the train into Nice, then back to Monte Carlo before returning to the ship.
Sicily, Sardinia, and Marsilles are pretty much up for grabs.
So, what are other people planing?

 

[MJGirl]

Hi ProfDisney ... Here is my hopeful plans:

I wish to see the sites of Palermo, Rome and Florence.
In Naples, I have to go to Pompeii.
In Marseilles, I plan on sticking to Marseilles, so that I can do a quick side trip to Chateau d'If after the tour (I hope there is enough time!). Someone sent me a link to Chateau d'If excursions ... Here it is if anyone else is interested http://www.plume-noire.com/feature/thecountofmontecristo/chateaudif.html
In La Villefranche, I plan on visiting Monaco.
I'm still not sure what I want to do in Sardinia yet.

 

[profdsny]

Monaco is very pretty. Also expensive. But I recall sitting in a cafe eating ice cream by the bay for a very reasonable price. I'm not sure what the chateau you mention is. But, it could be interesting. Some of these excursions, I've noticed, include a stop for lunch at a pre-aranged place. I'm wondering if people won't do better on their own rather than doing that. I keep thinking about the scene in If it's Tuesday, this must be Belguim, where one of the tourists asks the waiter what the locals eat when they go to that restaurant. The waiter tells her the locals don't go there. That's sort of what I'm afraid of.

 

[konslerg]

I'm so happy to see this topic! DH and I have just about decided on which excursions we want to do. $$$=ouch!! I actually have a private driver arranged for Rome, but the private Vatican tours sound so great that I'm seriously contemplating cancelling the private guy.

...and I think we've decided to skip Florence. I would LOVE to go there, but I think DH may be "churched and monumented out" by the time we finish Rome ...and it's such a LONG bus ride for so little time there. Also would like to do the boat tour of Cinque Terre, but DH doesn't really like smaller boats and you just never know about the weather, so I think we're going to sacrifice and just relax and do the wine tasting in Sarzana. Oh, such a sacrifice LOL!

I read somewhere that we are tendering in two ports. I must have misssed that somewhere, although I expected it might be more. Does anyone know which two ports?

Can't wait to read the rest of the discussions on this topic.

 

[woody73]

Monaco is very pretty. . .

I agree! We enjoyed watching the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace, and the Jacques Cousteau museum/aquarium. Plus the exoctic cars and boats.

Woody

 

[profdsny]

...and I think we've decided to skip Florence. I would LOVE to go there, but I think DH may be "churched and monumented out" by the time we finish Rome ...and it's such a LONG bus ride for so little time there.

I don't know, since I haven't been there, but I've been told that Florence is really one of the must do cities of Europe. I'm really looking forward to there. Not sure what tour we will take.

 

[Deb T.]

I read somewhere that we are tendering in two ports. I must have misssed that somewhere, although I expected it might be more. Does anyone know which two ports?

We tender in La Spezia, Italy, and Villefranche, France.

 

[MJGirl]

One question and one explanation...

Explanation

Profdisney ... Chateau d'If is the Island Prison where the fictitious Count of Monte Cristo was imprisoned, as well as the Man in the Iron Mask and I believe the Marquis de Sade.

Question

What exactly is tendering?? Does that mean we take a boat to the port??

Thanks!

 

[Deb T.]

One question and one explanation...

Question

What exactly is tendering?? Does that mean we take a boat to the port??

Thanks!

Yup, that's exactly right. I've never been at a port where tendering was necessary, so this will be a first for us!

 

[MJGirl]

Thanks Deb

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Hate tendering, and the bottlnecks to get off the ship, DCL has usaully been good at avoidig this I enjoy walking off at Casterway cay, no other ship does this, as they tender in at La Spezia and it is not the closest port to Pisa etc, I would have thought they would have gone to the closer port, which accomdates ships all the time.

 

[Skallywag]

Will be so glad when they post timings for the excursions as this will make the planning much easier.

Are looking at Zingaro Park perhaps for the Palermo Stop and the thermal baths in Ischia at Naples but am thinking perhaps of pricing up car hire as well to do our own thing. Have done Rome so will probably stay on board or just go for a walk and definitely Cinque Terre villages as have visited before but many years ago and they are beautiful. Personally prefer Pisa to Florence but they are both good to see and I think you can once again climb the leaning tower.

Nice to have this forum to help with the planning.

 

[misseulalie]

We will probably spend the day at Florence on the ship. We need one day to re-coup and we didn't care for Florence all that much...

 

[PURTYPAT1]

What about the Barcelona tours. Not happy at all what Disney posted.

 

[Ruth B]

We tender in La Spezia, Italy, and Villefranche, France.

Hi all, sorry but was does tender mean and how does this affect excursions?( sorry to be silly! )

sorry, should have finished reading the thread!!!

 

[Skallywag]

Just means that you have to get a boat ashore as Magic cannot get into the dock.

 

[taysmom]

My DD and I are definately doing: In naplesompei/sorrento/capri (not the one for families). In rome: The Rome Tour that covers all the major sites. In La Spezia: Florence/Pisa. I have only been to france so all of this is new to me and I want to take in everything. People are right..the excursions are so much $$ so I am doing my research on the balance of ports to possible do on our own. I just want to make sure we cover key places. Does anyone know anything key on sardinia or sicily? The chateau sounds cool, since I can't go to the casino in monte carlo! (what to do with dd?! hahaha) We will be in barcelona early so we will just do that on our own. It's just about 5 month away....so excited!
Steph

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

My DD and I are definately doing: In naplesompei/sorrento/capri (not the one for families). In rome: The Rome Tour that covers all the major sites. In La Spezia: Florence/Pisa. I have only been to france so all of this is new to me and I want to take in everything. People are right..the excursions are so much $$ so I am doing my research on the balance of ports to possible do on our own. I just want to make sure we cover key places. Does anyone know anything key on sardinia or sicily? The chateau sounds cool, since I can't go to the casino in monte carlo! (what to do with dd?! hahaha) We will be in barcelona early so we will just do that on our own. It's just about 5 month away....so excited!
Steph

I have booked private trips in five of the seven ports, and I think the price is cheaper than DCL for a familiy of four, now remember I have to convert Pounds>dollars for DCL, but straight to Euros for private trips.

sardinia or sicily

The two places I havent booked trips as even with considerable research the ports are not close to anything major, where you can get to within a day.

Try these;-
Http://www.sicilylife.com/Tours.htm
Http://www.directferries.co.uk/olbia_guide.htm
http://www.sardiniaplus.com/olbia-gallura_mappa.asp?ver=en