edinburgher

We have found in italy on occasion, that although many shops may be closed on a Sunday morning, some of them slowly begin opening around lunchtime/early afternoon.

Portofino is expensive no matter the time of year, as it is geared towards the rich, so even a block or two back with no view will probably be pricey. As a general rule in Europe, the prettier and higher the view, the higher the cost. You can check menus and prices for different restaurants online as doing that might help you decide. From Portofino will you travel the short distance to Santa Margherita? There you will find a bigger selection of restaurants and lower, but not necessarily low as it will be peak season, prices. Should you go there, do try to take the ferry (15/20 mins) at least one way if not both as it is a really scenic way to arrive or leave. Past threads for Portofino https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=portofino&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464 and for Santa Margherita https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=santa margherita&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464 As they are so close to each other, some posts for SM will mention P and some for P will mention SM. By coincidence, this thread currently just below yours. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3005377-restaurant-recommendations-for-santa-margherita-ligure/#comment-67300181

Based on only our two 14 night itineraries onboard HAL ships, Holland America and Princess usually have the best docking locations, or had pre-pandemic, but maybe things have changed since then?

Honningsvag. Your best option is the North Cape, the reason for the stop here, You might want to take at tour for this.. ALESUND is a super easy DIY port stop. I posted this some time ago but it would be helpful for you to read Alesund, a favourite with cruise pax, partly as you dock in the centre of town, partly because there are a number of sightseeing options and partly because they are easy to do on your own. You would find it helpful to read this thread which has a number of posts which would help you decide. And Norway is expensive so a saving in at least one or two ports is better than no saving at all. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2963492-alesund-excursions/#comment-66098932 Ttromso is another port where it is almost as easy to explore independently, even easier if you dock in the centre of town rather than out by the botanical garden, from where we used the publiuc bus outside the terminal to get into the town centre). There is quite a lot to see and do in Tromso, your decision as to which sights, museums etc appeal most to you personally. We have visited 3 times and found things to see and do each time. Many previous threads about Tromso. Here they some ready for you to decide which to read. As a number of threads digress from the original subject line topic or from the original question, don't dismiss some without first reading. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=tromso&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=116 If you have not already read past threads for all your ports, do learn how to use the quick and easy SEARCH tool under your username as it is an invaluable resource. Results will usually appear in seconds. You mention "a nice pub". If this your first visit to Norway, be preparted for price shocks for everything as Norway is very expensive , but especially for any alcohol. To avoid an unwelcome shock, best to check pricing of any alcohol before ordering.

I don't know if my suggestion will be helpful or not, but when we visited Kiel we did quite extensive research on how to spend our day there and Laboe was one of our options.. We didn't go to Laboe in the end, actually went in the opposite direction to the observation deck at the lock there before exploring Kiel itself, but in the course of researching our options, we came across references to a ferry from Kiel city to Laboe and it was a properly timetabled regular ferry, not a "one a day" ferry. That was pre-pandemic and there have been many changes since then, but some online research into a possible ferry might be worth trying. Kiel itself is a busy and quite large working city and although we didn't look for one, there must be taxis to be found. Try googling? As for one to return from Laboe, perhaps you could make enquiries directly with the museum via their website.. You could also arrange for whichever taxi you take there to return for you at a certain time, but that option carries an element of risk for cruise passenhers..

There have been many many recommendations for Ehpesus tours in the past, and it might be helpful for you to read at least some of the past threads for ideas and information. Choose from these: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=ephesus&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 There may also be more under Kusadasi, so choose from these: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=kusadasi&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 And you could check your Roll Call in case some fellow passengers have already booked a tour and are looking for others like yourself to join the small group. And are you aware that Viator is not a tour operator, but a middleman which books you on to tours run by other companies, so you won't actually know which company you will tour with.

Should you actually want a beach excursion then sign up for it. Chania is quite small but has a small number of sights including a couple of museums and a lovely harbour area perfect for people watching from one of the cafes, bars or restaurants. It is also perfect for strolling the little streets as it is mostly on level ground. On our second visit we ventured a little further to Rethymnon using the local bus and enjoyed visiting there too, especially the older area around the Venetian harbour, with a brief stroll through Chania on return... Again, tourist info and images can be found online. Looking at "tourist information Chania" results should give you an idea of possible options in Chania itself, also the usual Ttripadvisor Chania and other sumilar websites. And Tripadvisor will also have images to help you decide. Here are some past threads about Chania, some of which might be helpful to you. Choose which to read from these https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=chania&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=463 And for Rethymnon (only 2 so far, 3 including this one) https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=rethymnon&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=463

All of the "tempting offers" described above are more than likely variations of the same theme, so wise of you to simply pass.

You probably will be , so tyour plan now makes more sense. Now you only need deep pockets for an onshore (?) dinner and nightclub. Enjoy.

longer haul flights heading west and are one of the rare folks who never suffered jetlag? Only realised my rather obvious senior moment error hours later. The above should of course have read EAST not WEST.

Have you frequently flown on longer haul flights heading west and are one of the rare folks who never suffered jetlag? And your mother? If you have not, jetlag may come as an unwelcome surprise for either or both of you on your first 2 or 3 days, and for many, a casual unplanned day 1 is their choice, not a full-on busy day which even includes a rental to venture out of town to see "stuff". (even driving part of the Golden Circle will take a few hours) Perhaps you could consider dropping some of your ideas, but keep the Sky Lagoon which sounds like the perfect antidote to jetlag and enjoy strolling central Reykjavik which is quite compact, followed by dinner and an early night.

It sounds as if it icould be a slightly different take on this offer which was widely debated last year. A few who went along described what happened, although yours is different. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2942745-travel-and-cruise-showcase-2023-scam/#comment-65512418

You will have no difficulty finding countefeit items in the market, as they will be found on most stalls, but you asked about this a few days ago and were advised that importation of counterfeit goods is illegal in many countries and you run the risk of having items confiscated and possibly receiving a fine..That aside, by buying counterfeit items you are supporting criminal activity and possibly forced labour in addition to defrauding legitimate companies. Even knowing that, many shoppers will be happy to buy. I guess it is your personal conscience which will help you decide.

Good that you looked into it more and found that it was relatively eassy to do with buses or taxis, or evn walking should you have to. I know that dolphin watching is big off Gib but there are in a different direction from where ships arrive and depart, which we discovered too late, but it did explain why we saw none on our sails in and out when we were on deck hoping to spot some. I hope your visit goes well however you decide to spend it.😀

The links given in my posts #4 and #5 explain how to get the best out of this really quite attractive (and VERY steep) town, its beaches and flamingo viewing. We did catch a glimpse of a green coloured mini bus type single deckerl HOHO, but not in the historic centre and especially not in the Castello district at the top. We think we remember seeing it on the road alongside the beach.