edinburgher

referring you to this current thread especially post #13. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3007666-lisbon-hotel-and-sightseeing-questions/#comment-67374818 same reply for you.😀

Public buses run from the main road outside the port and are easy to use. Once you find the line numbers you can check their routes to see which pass close to where you want to go.

Referring you to this current thread, especially post #13 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2998813-porto-lisbon/#comment-67374300 Past threads for Lisbon if you have not already found and browsed some .https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=lisbon&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465

Palma offers all of that and exploring some of the city would easily fill your day. Have you looked at the "pinned thread" at the top of this forum?. All things Palma. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2697012-palma-de-mallorca-diy-new/ and the visitpalma. com website for info and ideas is also a good starting point, also Tripadvisor and others.

also browse the usual official local Tourism websites, Tripadvisor, YouTube, Frommer's, Fodors, Lonely Planet, Rick Steves and anything else which appears when you google " (name of town) tourist info". To ease your workload, your grandson may enjoy helping with this.

Most of these ports are very easy DIY, with some already mentioned in previous replies. Split you can see from your ship. 10/15 minutes slow paced walk past the ferries and the bus station and you are there. Dubrovnik also very easy to DIY. Kotor you will tender into town or dock there. You only need cross the road to enter the historic area. Be up on deck approx. an hour before arrival as the sail-in is beautifully scenic and not to be missed. Malta is also easy DIY as there is plenty to see and do in Valletta itself. Wonderful sail in to the Grand harbour, one of the best sail-ins since Venice is no longer possible. Best views are forward and starboard. Messina doesn't offer much and most on a first visit opt for either Moun Etna or Taormina or a combo. If you have not already read past threads which are full of info and tips, you should do so for all your ports using the fast and easy SEARCH tool. If you do not know how to use it, go to the main page on the correct (according to CC) geographical forum. Do not go to an individual thread. insert the name of one of your ports in the empty search box under your user name then hit the little spy glass. Note that the dropdown should have defaulted to "this forum". All previous threads containing that word should appear in seconds ready for you to decide which to read. (repeat for each port in turn (on the correct geographical forum) You mention Crete but you forgot to say which town and there are a few options.

The port is actually at la Pallice, maybe 4 or 5 miles from la Rochelle. Must you only use a cruise shuttle bus? Cruise lines don't always put them on, and when they do, unless you are on a luxury line expect to pay quite high a price for tickets. My understanding is that there is now a public bus which routes from the road outside the port to the big square in la Rochelle, the best spot from which to begin independent sightseeing and where taxis and any shuttle buses will also drop off/pick up. You would need to check this as I only vaguely remember reading about this bus in a thread some time ago. Perhaps the Tourist Info Office could give you details/info and possibly a link to a timetable, or maybe the port website would have info, but that I do not know. Check for any e-mail contact info on the relevant websites. We shared a taxi with fellow pax but had to wait some time dockside for one as there were none intitially, then a number of them arrived within 5 minutes of each other and our driver explained that taxis are often contracted to take kids to school, and must do that before heading to la Pallice. if you are not there during school term times, it may be different.

My apologies. The website I advised you go to in the post above should have read "visitlisboa. com" and not lisboa.com

As Lisbon can be incredibly steep in places, I recommend you look in some of the flatter streets around eg Rua Augusta, Rua da Prata, Praca do Commercio, Praca Figueras Easy to walk, many transport options available almost on your doortstep including metro stations, buses, trams, taxis tuktuks etc, also a huge selection of restaurants, cafes, bars, shops in the immediate vicinity. Here are some past threads for Rua Augusta which you might want to read. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=rua augusta&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465 And for Lisbon https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=lisbon&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465 And your "go to" website for all things Lisbon should be the official Lisboa.com website which is really excellent and should give you all the info you need for your brief stay.😀

Do you know if you can buy yardage (for quilting), or is it mostly clothing? Sorry, but as I wasn't looking for fabric I didn't notice if they sold fabric by the yard/metre off a roll, or even offcuts. Maybe you could contact them directly (via their website?) and ask?

Much quicker and easier to use the excellent SEARCH tool under your username and you can use it for all of your ports. Go to the main geographical forum for each port, not an individual thread as that won't work In the empty search box under your username insert the name of the port then hit the little spy glass next to the box. Note that the dropdown next to it should have defaulted to THIS FORUM. Within seconds, all previous threads which contain that word should appear ready for you to choose which to read. Athens https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=athens&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=463 Piraeus https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=piraeus&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=463

https://www.cruiseforth.com/content/ship/ is your "go to" website. Find my ship then getting around. This should be a very easy journey should you opt for the express bus X99 from Hawes Pier to the city centre. Express and direct to either St Andrew Square or to a stop on George St very close to it. (Edinburgh roads are subject to quite frequent road closures and diversions so it could be either) As trams to Ocean Terminal for Britannia leave from St Andrew Square there will be minimal walking distance between getting off the bus and boarding a tram. As a bonus your X99 ticket also gives you free use of buses and trams so no need to buy tram tickets.

Zadar we docked in an out of town location at the new cruise terminal and used the 9for fee) ship shuttle to get into and back from town. It dropped off/picked up very close to the Sea Organ on the waterfront, from there only a couple of minutes walk to the centre along the promenade. Split you dock only a 10 minute or so walk from the centre. Walk past the bus station and ferry docks and you are there. You can see the town from your berth. Kotor you will either dock or tender, if the latter the tender point is in the center, as is the dock. You only need cross the main road to enter the old Town through one of the gates. Dubrovnik has public buses which run to the port at GRUZ from Pile Gate . My understanding is that they can run until around midnight, but you can easily check bus timetables and routes online. Given that Dubrovnik is a very busy tourist city, there should also be taxis available from Pile, but I have no knowledge of the working hours of taxi drivers in the late evening, nor do I know the timings of ship shuttle buses in the evenings. As the town can be very hot and crowded, you may find that after a full day sightseeing, you may be ready to return earlier than you might anticipate. As they will contain lots of useful info, have you searched for past threads for each of your ports? if not, choose from these: ZADAR https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=zadar&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 SPLIT https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=split&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 KOTOR https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=kotor&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 DUBROVNIK https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=dubrovnik&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149

Or any of the hotel booking websites as they too show customer reviews.

Sorry about that as I did indeed misunderstand, but given the pp cost of these excursions, you understandably want to get the "best bang for your buck" and hopefully some of the Alaskan members can help you make the best decision. Noting that Ketchikan is another of your port calls, you could consider Totem Bight, a State Historical Park a few miles out of town as it too is ADA compliant and may be more easily navigated than Ketchikan itself, especially if it is a busy tourist day. https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/southeast/totembigshp.htm Past threads for Totem Bight some of which you may want to read. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q="totem bight"&quick=1&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy