April 17, 2011 change!!!!!

[Bigdogwon]

Just in from Regent, Tunisia has been dropped from the cruise, replaced :rolleyes:by Trapani, Italy.

[Michael@ssrp]

We are disappointed, but not surprised. What do you know of Trapani?? I think there is a NATO air base there, on Sicily, involved in the Libya action...Any word on excursions??

[poss]

Just to say that we did Trapani last summer on Mariner. We enjoyed the Erice excursion very much-- gorgeous views and interesting little town. Tunisia we did not much like.

[cruiseluv]

Agree with Poss on both counts. This was my second time in Tunisia and I didn't like it any better than the first.

[ptiprof]

Thanks for the update. From your TA? How did you hear? I'm disappointed but not at all surprised. I was optimistic until the recent action in Libya. I will start researching Trapani.

[ptiprof]

Regent website was just updated to reflect the change. Previous shore excursions are shown but you can't select them yet. Does anyone have any info on when they will become available? Do we just check the website compulsively?

[Hambagahle]

it is really a shame to miss the Bardo and Carthage...

[tizwiz]

Such a shame that they have dropped Tunis. Carthage was on our 'to do' list and one of the attractions of taking this cruise. We have already been to Trapani and seen the famous temple so unless they are offering something else interesting we will be staying on board. Trapani itself was not attractive - well the part we saw anyway.

[dfb]

Are you talking about the temple at Segesta? Erice is well worth a visit. The salt pans are interesting combined with either Marsala wines or olive oil. I don't see an excursion listed, but there are some beautiful beaches around there too.

[fluckey]

Carthage is a big nothing.

[cruiseluv]

Carthage is a big nothing.

LOL!, tell us how you really feel about it! Seriously, I'm glad I'm not the only one to feel that way. I thought maybe I was being shallow and not cultured enough to appreciate it. The museum with the old mosaics was mildly interesting. Other than that , it was a very loong day with a very pushy tour guide (this was a Regent tour).

[Michael@ssrp]

Interesting thoughts re; Tunis/Carthage, but we leave in a couple weeks and it is Trapani instead. Although no new excursions are yet formally listed for Trapani, the Regent site overview as well as comments here indicate that the choices are either the cable car to Erice (sp?) for a half day tour to a village there, or a full day trip starting at the salt flats and ending with a tour/buffet at an olive oil farm. Would be great to hear from those who have been or know for suggestions...The plan in Tunis was clear, Trapani less so...DW leans towards olive oil tour, I to a "sea day" given the port intensive nature of the cruise...

[ptiprof]

I have been researching Trapani/Erice on the Cruise Critic Italy board and other sites online. It looks like an adorable hilltop town, complete with castle--much like St. Paul de Vence in France which I loved. As for the other options, my friend and I lived in Bordeaux, France for a year as students so (hope this doesn't sound too jaded) we've got wineries covered. We decided to opt for cute medieval town over olive oil and salt flats, but that's just our take. In any event, we are disappointed to miss Tunisia (one of the main attractions of the trip for us), but appreciate Regent's concern for safety.

[ptiprof]

I just called Regent to see if they had any information about when shore excursions might be available for booking. They have no idea, but I was pleased that they said so instead of giving me incorrect information. Our "sea day" will be Olbia--Erice looks more interesting to us. Michael--maybe we can compare notes at the "meet and greet" that edu-sense is arranging.

[Michael@ssrp]

Ptiprof, appreciate your efforts/info. Agree we should compare notes, both here and there. This may turn into a tough choice between an adorable village vs. the prospect of olive oil ice cream....in perspective a rather pleasant dilemna!!

[poss]

We liked Erice much more than Olbia (though Olbia has some absolutely stunning coast-- the views are tremendous). I wouldn't call Erice at all "adorable," but it is quite handsome and interesting. But it's nothing at all (imo) like St Paul de Vence. St Paul is outstanding, truly memorable (imo); Erice is very nice, but not one of the "greats." St Paul has much more sophistication (not to mention the ART!). St Paul de Vence seems almost "perfect" (some may think TOO picturesque and charming). Erice seems much more "real" (but, finally, not nearly as interesting-- at least not to us). In short, for someone who knows and loves St Paul de Vence, you'll be disappointed, I think, if you go to Erice imagining same. But we did like Erice very much in its own right.
(The Costa Smeralda excursion was mainly a big shopping trip-- which we have zero interest in-- in a very fancy shopping center. One is surrounded by humungous yachts, fancy houses, tres tres chic-- not our cup of tea. But the coast really is handsome....)

[ptiprof]

Thanks for the port information, Poss. I do love St. Paul de Vence, but I'll happily take even a less-picturesque medieval town. We are also going to see Eze (by public bus) from Monte Carlo, and take a day trip to Orvieto (by train) out of Rome since we are coming in several days early. I also feel better about our decision to make a "sea day" out of Olbia. After I read the description, I figured I could see something like that in fancy areas of our California coast--not my cup of tea either. The views would be nice, but by that time, we figure we'll need a "time out" to recharge.

[poss]

Talk about views! There is NOTHING more impressive than the views from Eze (imho). Like St Paul de Vence (and unlike Erice) Eze is somewhat touristy-- but oh, what a place! Wait'll you see some of the little hotels hanging from the cliffs! Btw, we like Orvieto a lot. And Costa Smeralda--and especially that fancy-pancy shopping center-- looks almost EXACTLY like places in CA.
Happy sails! (We're doing Celtic Charms this summer and I'm half regretting that we're not going back to the sunny Med.)

[Hambagahle]

Personally I think St Paul de Vence - with the exception of the Fondation Maecht - is a total tourist trap! I much prefer Tourettes-sur-Loup which is not far away but less on the tourist route.