jjones Posted April 27, 2004 #1 Share Posted April 27, 2004 What a wonderful trip! If you like ruins, antiquities and museums, you'll love this. BUT it can be a very strenuous experience - take good shoes. My niece and I did not use any ship excursions - we hired local taxis for more flexibility and less money than Princess offered in 5 ports, plus we had private transfers and hotels on each end of the voyage. Our Venice hotel was less than a block from San Marcos Square and our Rome hotel was less than a block from the Vatican. Venice is small and easily walked IF you have a good map. The water taxis are easy and cheap to use. Dubrovnik - walk the wall - 2 hours slow walking and picture taking - lots of up and down stairs - great views. Corfu - Corfu town is interesting to walk, see both the Old and New Fortresses and the archaeological museum. Katakolon - hire a local taxi to tour Olympia. Don't miss the museum at the site. Katakolon is a charming small village. Athens - we walked to the train station, rode the train, and walked to the Acropolis. There are several other sites besides the Acropolis - one ticket allows entry to all. Mykonos - a walking town. Three museums, all closed as it was too early in the season in April. It is pleasant to wander the winding streets and have a drink in a beachfront cafe. Kusadasi - Hire a local taxi to Ephesus, which is very large. It was old before St. John came there and is very interesting. Rhodes - we hired a local taxi and our driver, Dominic, was exceptional. He loved his island and it was apparent. Lindos has an archaeological site and is also a pleasant town to explore. In Rhodes Town the Fortress of the Knights is interesting but be aware the Palace closes at 3:00 p.m. Santorini - ride the donkeys or cable car to town. Akrotiri (Minoan archaeological site) and the museum are both closed Monday, which is the day we were there and that was disappointing. But the town is charming in the style of Mykonos. Naples - hire a local taxi to Pompeii and/or Herculaneum. Naples also has a large and interesting museum. Traffic in Naples is fierce! Rome - use the local city buses. The bus routes are clearly marked and 4 Euros will buy an all-day bus pass. In all these places, try to obtain a GOOD map. The maps in the Princess port literature are grossly inadequate. Enjoy! solo cruzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprinkles Posted April 27, 2004 #2 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Thanks for the info solo. we leave next Monday for the Royal. Did you take the Princess excursion of the Train from Civitavecchia to Rome? Any other tips about Rome? Tammy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vivienne-j Posted April 27, 2004 #3 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Super advice! In Rome, can you get the bus pass on the bus itself, or do you have to buy it somewhere else? Vivienne 27 July 04 - Princess Star - Mediterranean [img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ff0000&cdt=2004;7;27;12;00;00&timezone=GMT+0100[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisinChris Posted April 27, 2004 #4 Share Posted April 27, 2004 I think in Venice you mean the vaporetto, water bus, is cheap and easy to use. Water taxis, on the other hand, while easy are not cheap. Cruisin' Chris [img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=dc143c&cdt=2004;5;19;17;0;00&timezone=GMT+0000[/img] 5/19/04 Grand Princess Baltic Heritage <center> <a href="http://www.escati.com/counter98/free_time_codes.htm"> [img]http://escati.linkopp.net/logos/time98.gif[/img]</center> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy R Posted April 27, 2004 #5 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Thanks for the review. We're booked on the Grand, Sept. 2005, Venice to Rome. Have some questions, if you would be kind enough to answer... Were you happy with your choice of hotel in Venice? If so, would you share the name and a bit about it. How did you get to Rome after the cruise? I've heard it's at least an hour and a half ride from the dock to the center of Rome. We're staying in Rome a few days, so the ship transfers aren't an option. Would love to find the name of a private transportation company. And, did you stay in Rome? If so, would you share that name, too. Thanks for the input... Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJS Posted April 27, 2004 #6 Share Posted April 27, 2004 <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Venice is small and easily walked IF you have a good map. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Where did you get the map? Will be there 2 extra days before cruise and plan on walking and seeing as much as possible. Future cruises: May 04 Amsterdam Sept. 04 Star Princess x 2 Jan. 05 Diamond Princess July 05 Star Princess Aug. 05 Star Pincess Past cruises: 04 Dawn Princess x 2 03 Grand,Sun,Tahitian, Royal Princess x 2,Island Princess 01 Ryndam x 2 00 Sky Princess 79 Sitmar's Fairwind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjones Posted April 27, 2004 Author #7 Share Posted April 27, 2004 I didn't mean this to be a review so much as a "preview" of the ports, as I found the CC and Princess information too sketchy or nonexistent on some places. My terrific TA from AAA subbed with TravelBound for transfers and hotels and we saved nearly $800 over Pricess offers. In Venice we had private water taxis from airport to hotel and from hotel to ship. In Rome we had private cars from ship to hotel and hotel to airport. Venice hotel was the Kette, old and the room was crowded with furniture - 3 beds, 2 tables, 3 chairs BUT a super bathtub. It was a little shabby, but the public areas were very nice. Rome hotel was the Columbus, again old and the room showed its age but the public rooms were lovely. Both hotels gave us maps. Sprinkles - Rome needs a lot of time, just pick the highlights you want to see. The area by St. Peter's seems to close at 6 p.m., so if you want nightlife, stay closer to the Spanish Steps. The maps are well marked with all kinds of attractions - the Pantheon is the oldest complete structure from the 1st Century A.D. and well worth a visit. Vivienne-j - You can buy the bus pass from machines on the street or in cafes by the bus stops. Ask waiters - they usually speak enough English to help you. Cruisin' Chris - you're right, I did mean the water bus, not taxi. Sorry for the confusion. Loved this itinerary, but again I say it was very strenuous for me, an overweight, out-of-shape 64 year-old female. Wear good shoes - the stones at the Acropolis (and other places) are slippery. In Corfu we took a taxi to the Akhelion (sp?) Palace but I did not mention it originally as I did not feel it was worth the time and money. Just my opinion. Any more questions, I'll be happy to reply. solo cruzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy R Posted April 27, 2004 #8 Share Posted April 27, 2004 Thanks again for the "preview". Would you mind sharing the name and e-mail/website of the private transport company from the ship to Rome... Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjones Posted April 28, 2004 Author #9 Share Posted April 28, 2004 The Rome company was SoMet but everything was arranged by TravelBound and I don't know the e-mail address. Sorry. solo cruzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loves2cruisecouple Posted May 2, 2004 #10 Share Posted May 2, 2004 Thanks for the "preview"![img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] I completely agree with getting a good map! We have been to Venice and Rome and it helps sooo much to have a good map! We were with a tour group at the time but the hotels had the best maps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nidwaldner Posted May 8, 2004 #11 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Hi JJones, I just saw this post and really want to know more about the taxi you took to Olympia from Katakolon. How much was it? How long did it take to get there? How long do you feel is adequate to see the site? Did the taxi driver stay at Olympia and wait for you or did you get a different driver for the ride back to Katakolon? Thanks! Eastern Med/Greek Isles-Star Princess 9/25/04 Alaska-Sun Princess 8/4/03 Western Caribbean-Grand Princess 12/28/03 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjones Posted May 12, 2004 Author #12 Share Posted May 12, 2004 Nidwaldner: The taxi to Olympia cost 40 Euros as I recall, the drive was less than an hour. Our driver waited for us and we spent about 2 hours on the site and museum. We arrived early and had the place pretty much to ourselves for nearly an hour before the bus tours came. Our driver, George, spoke English quite well and was helpful and informative. The museum is excellent and the site is very interesting. solo cruzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodspines Posted May 12, 2004 #13 Share Posted May 12, 2004 Did you book this cruise way in advance, or did you wait until closer to the time? Which way is better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjones Posted May 12, 2004 Author #14 Share Posted May 12, 2004 Woodspines: We booked last June - very far in advance because the itinerary and the date were perfect for us. I don't know which is better because I have not yet booked a "last minute" cruise. I get so much enjoyment looking forward to a known vacation and reading as much about the ports as I can before leaving home. solo cruzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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