Just back from the Adriatic Explorer

Hi guys

At last I have time to write my review!

Well I dragged my reluctant hubby onto his first cruise and he loved it.Already booked for next year...

The ports of call:-

Koper

As we disembarked at the Passenger Terminal we were met at the port exit by a 'Welcome to Slovenia' group- a guy playing an accordian, gift stalls, leaflets were handed out about excursions, taxis stood by,tasting of wine & olive oil, a market, etc.

The town as seen from the quayside had a lot of Italian style buildings.We headed for the coach as we had booked to go on the 'Piran & Portoroz - Little Italy' trip with Thomsons.

(The 'Countryside' trip which I had planned to go on was not offered in the excursion guide)

It was a short and scenic journey to Piran which is bursting with Italian charm.We got off the coach and walked in a group to the main square (this used to be the harbour but was filled in to create a lovely square).The guide told us lots of interesting historical information and we then walked along the coast to the lighthouse where we had 30mins for coffee (I was asked if I wanted a large or small cappucino-I made the mistake of asking for small, thinking i would get a small cup- oh no it was a teeny cup-barely a mouthful lol).

We walked back to the main square where our guide showed us a shop selling the local speciality- chocolate covered salt! Then we walked through the narrow passageways to the original square which had interesting architecture and the rainwater was collected in a reservoir beneath the square for residents use.

Soon it was back to the bus and onward to Portoroz where we had over an hour freetime.We made our way to the seafront which was still 'under constuction' - man-made beaches with dozens of sun umbrellas, new jetties and roads etc.But the promenade was complete and there were lots of low walls to sit and watch the world go by in glorious sunshine on the huge bay, bars and cafes to have a meal or just a drink.We were too far from the main beach- time constraints.

The coach route back took us to see the old salt pans, and we turned homewards just before the border and travelled back though beautiful scenery.We were back at the ship soon after 1.15.

A lovely trip- everyone enjoyed seeing other parts of Slovenia.

Venice

My previous advice to get on deck for the sail into Venice was marred by thick fog.It was bright and sunny as we passed Venice Lido beach but then as we entered the main canal the fog descended- the captain later repoerted that it was one of his worst experiences but having committed the ship into the canal he had to keep going.Happily the sun soon burned off the fog and we had a clear sunny day, with a superb sailaway with stupendous views over the city from the higher decks.

We got the 'Venice on your own 4 hour' Thomson trip.We boarded a privately chartered launch right next to the ship and the guide pointed out lots of landmarks on our route to St Marks Square.

It was long enough for us, as we have been to Venice a number of times before, so we saw the main sights again and bought some Murano glass jewellery (who can resist) and by 1.30 Venice was becoming increasingly hot and crowded.

I will add more reviews tomorrow but duty calls.....

Flopsy

I am "doing" this cruise in July so look forward to reading the rest of your review!

:)

Hi guys

 

At last I have time to write my review!

 

Well I dragged my reluctant hubby onto his first cruise and he loved it.Already booked for next year...

 

The ports of call:-

 

Koper

As we disembarked at the Passenger Terminal we were met at the port exit by a 'Welcome to Slovenia' group- a guy playing an accordian, gift stalls, leaflets were handed out about excursions, taxis stood by,tasting of wine & olive oil, a market, etc.

 

The town as seen from the quayside had a lot of Italian style buildings.We headed for the coach as we had booked to go on the 'Piran & Portoroz - Little Italy' trip with Thomsons.

 

(The 'Countryside' trip which I had planned to go on was not offered in the excursion guide)

 

It was a short and scenic journey to Piran which is bursting with Italian charm.We got off the coach and walked in a group to the main square (this used to be the harbour but was filled in to create a lovely square).The guide told us lots of interesting historical information and we then walked along the coast to the lighthouse where we had 30mins for coffee (I was asked if I wanted a large or small cappucino-I made the mistake of asking for small, thinking i would get a small cup- oh no it was a teeny cup-barely a mouthful lol).

 

We walked back to the main square where our guide showed us a shop selling the local speciality- chocolate covered salt! Then we walked through the narrow passageways to the original square which had interesting architecture and the rainwater was collected in a reservoir beneath the square for residents use.

 

Soon it was back to the bus and onward to Portoroz where we had over an hour freetime.We made our way to the seafront which was still 'under constuction' - man-made beaches with dozens of sun umbrellas, new jetties and roads etc.But the promenade was complete and there were lots of low walls to sit and watch the world go by in glorious sunshine on the huge bay, bars and cafes to have a meal or just a drink.We were too far from the main beach- time constraints.

 

The coach route back took us to see the old salt pans, and we turned homewards just before the border and travelled back though beautiful scenery.We were back at the ship soon after 1.15.

 

A lovely trip- everyone enjoyed seeing other parts of Slovenia.

 

Venice

My previous advice to get on deck for the sail into Venice was marred by thick fog.It was bright and sunny as we passed Venice Lido beach but then as we entered the main canal the fog descended- the captain later repoerted that it was one of his worst experiences but having committed the ship into the canal he had to keep going.Happily the sun soon burned off the fog and we had a clear sunny day, with a superb sailaway with stupendous views over the city from the higher decks.

 

We got the 'Venice on your own 4 hour' Thomson trip.We boarded a privately chartered launch right next to the ship and the guide pointed out lots of landmarks on our route to St Marks Square.

 

It was long enough for us, as we have been to Venice a number of times before, so we saw the main sights again and bought some Murano glass jewellery (who can resist) and by 1.30 Venice was becoming increasingly hot and crowded.

 

I will add more reviews tomorrow but duty calls.....

 

Flopsy

:D Thanks and looking forward to second chapter

Bob

Thank Flopsy,

Good to hear that you enjoyed yourself and that your hubby did too! I habve been worried about my suprise for hubby as he told a friend recently that a cruise would be his last choice of holiday.....oops!! So good to hear that your hubby had fun :)

Look forward to the next instalment. Where have you booked for next year?

Louise :D

Glad to hear that you had a great holiday Flopsy looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip. did you have any problems with the staff changeover as i heard that some people said were a few problems the week before you went?

Adriatic Explorer review continued....

Split,Croatia (NB Croatia requires that you carry photo ID, eg, take your passport)

Before going ashore we exchanged £20 into Croatian currency-7kuna to the £.

This was the first tender port.Three tenders provided a continuos shuttle from the ship anchored in the bay to the quayside.Trips went first,then others, who had to collect a coloured coded ticket from a desk near reception- a huge queue!Each colour was called in turn to descend to deck 2 to catch the tender.It worked quite well.

On the quayside a local firm offered sightseeing tours around Split at 70kuna (£10).

We did our own thing and explored Split.If you turn right at the quayside you come to an interesting local market where the veg, fruit and flower displayed provides a colourful feast for the eyes- well worth a visit.

Dubrovnik,Croatia (Take your passport!)

Another tender port however this was poorly organised and chaos ensued as hundreds of people filled the stairs! Hopefully the staff have learned from their mistake by the time you go! But we all got ashore eventually -the tender drops you at the quayside near the New Bridge.It's a 3mile walk, a local bus (you need kuna), or a taxi (10 euro), to Dubrovnik Old Town.Go through Customs before you get a taxi! The taxis alongside the tender are 40euros- so wait till you get through Customs and get in one outside that building- they charge only 10euros- same as last year!

The taxi drops you at Pile Gate which is one entrance into the old walled town.Wander the ancient streets,explore the old churches, walk the walls if you are feeling energetic (hundreds of steps) - there is a charge around 7euro/50kuna I believe - some gates insist on kuna-easily obtained at the cashpoint.Then wander out onto the harbour where you can get a boat trip for 10euros, to see the outer walls.

The taxi rank to return to the tender point is just accross the road from Pile Gate.

Don't miss the evening sailaway from Dubrovnik- a beautiful sunset in a gorgeous setting.A memorable sight.

Flopsy

Heres the rest....

Kotor, Montenegro (it's euros here)

This destination has to be the most stunning port of call on this cruise!

I was blown away by the journey though this amazing fiord- steep mountains loomed up all around as the ship glided quite a way inland to reach Kotor.This place is steeped in history and is so unspoilt.Although the ship had meandered to this destination at a slow pace of 5 knots, as it was the ship's first visit to this port the captain took us on a tour of the bay before docking.This unfortunately delayed our arrival by almost an hour and the knock on effect on trips was a bit calamitous as everybody tried to disembark at the same time, but lets not worry about that!

We went on the 'Kotor,Heritage & Budva' trip.I recommend this trip- it was a wonderful mixture of experiences.

The coach took us to Perast- a Unesco protected small town nestling on the waters edge surrounded by mountains.There we got a boat to the manmade island just offshore 'Lady of the rock'.We had a conducted tour of the beautiful tiny church and museum.(There is one toilet and a lengthy queue but take this chance- our young guide allowed for very few 'toilet stops'!) But make sure you keep sight of your group as another three boats docked at this tiny island after us and hundreds of people were milling about.We arrived on one side of the island but left from the other side- on a different boat! So don't just go back to the spot where you landed in the expectation that that is where you will leave from!

Back ashore we walked to the museum and then contued on the coach through dranmatic scenery to the drive on ferry across the mouth of the bay to pick up the road to Budva.This is a beautiful resort and the guide takes you into the old walled town to see another church.We asked to give this a miss and instead went for lunch at a beach cafe as time was limited.The journey back to Kotor was only about 20mins.Then a conducted tour of Kotor would finish off this interesting trip.The ship was an hour late leaving because of the trips.This is the beauty of Thomson trips- the ship won't sail without you! Consequently our voyage down to Corfu was at 17 knots!

Be on deck for the sail out of Kotor -it's stunning.Montenegro is the hidden jewel.

Corfu Town

As we had a late flight we booked the 'Bella Vista' trip.Wow the views on this trip are amazing- don't miss this one.

First stop was a visit to a small monastry.Cover your shoulders and knees or you will be asked to put on a skirt (several piled on a table) so that the monks won't be attracted to you lol.

Then it's back on the coach for the journey to a beautiful bay where you can take an optional boat ride to see some caves where the water is of diffrent hues -this costs around 7euros.Or you can just sit and have a coffee.

Then it's a toe curling climb in the coach through narrow hillside villages and to reach the high point known as Bella Vista where you can see for miles- you can even see our ship in the distance! There is a cafe where you can buy delicious home made cakes and coffee.

Then its back to the coach for the scenic ride back to the ship about 1pm.This trip is well worth the money.

I hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we did.Treasured memories!

Flopsy:)

Thank Flopsy,

 

Good to hear that you enjoyed yourself and that your hubby did too! I habve been worried about my suprise for hubby as he told a friend recently that a cruise would be his last choice of holiday.....oops!! So good to hear that your hubby had fun :)

 

Look forward to the next instalment. Where have you booked for next year?

 

Louise :D

Hi Louise

I spent months worrying whether hubby would like this cruise but within two days he was hooked and admitted that he had been a fool to refuse to go on a cruise for so many years.He now thinks this is the best type of holiday and can't wait to go again!

we have booked Med Discovery on the Island Escape next May 1010.

Relax- my hubby told people he was 'only going to please me' and like your hubby he 'couldn't think of a worse type of holiday'- till he tried it lol!!!!

Flopsy

Glad to hear that you had a great holiday Flopsy looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip. did you have any problems with the staff changeover as i heard that some people said were a few problems the week before you went?

Hi Aligarter

Yes we got talking to the barstaff in Hemingways Bar on the Celebration and they told us that many Fillipinos had been sent home the month before to allow Greeks to take jobs on board.

They said that Greece had brought in legislation to say that Greeks must be allowed to take jobs on ships cruising round Greece.

The Greek in charge of the Hemingways bar, Dimitrious, was a hairdresser till he joined the ship.He was clearly struggling at the start of our week but by the end of our trip he had come on in leaps and bounds.The existing staff were being quite helpful showing him how to operate the till etc and he was such a lovely guy you wanted it all to work out for him!

We saw very few Greeks actually-two in Hemingways, Dimitrious and Papa.They had been given 6month contacts whereas the Fillipinos were on 10month contracts with two months back home.As the cruise ships only do Greece over the Summer months I guess this was understandable.

Flopsy

Thanks Flopsy!

Loved reading your very informative review of the Adriatic Explorer and glad to hear you had a good time!

Did this last year with slightly different ports of call, Rovinj (Croatia), Trieste (Italy), Venice, Zadar (Croatia) and finally Dubrovnik before sailing on to Corfu.

Visited Slovenia from Trieste which was lovely, Sailing out of Venice memorable, Dubrovnik a treasure.

reading your review just wants me to do it again, Split and Montenegro look enticing.

Hi Aligarter

 

Yes we got talking to the barstaff in Hemingways Bar on the Celebration and they told us that many Fillipinos had been sent home the month before to allow Greeks to take jobs on board.

 

They said that Greece had brought in legislation to say that Greeks must be allowed to take jobs on ships cruising round Greece.

 

The Greek in charge of the Hemingways bar, Dimitrious, was a hairdresser till he joined the ship.He was clearly struggling at the start of our week but by the end of our trip he had come on in leaps and bounds.The existing staff were being quite helpful showing him how to operate the till etc and he was such a lovely guy you wanted it all to work out for him!

 

We saw very few Greeks actually-two in Hemingways, Dimitrious and Papa.They had been given 6month contacts whereas the Fillipinos were on 10month contracts with two months back home.As the cruise ships only do Greece over the Summer months I guess this was understandable.

 

Flopsy

Thank you for all the wonderfull information Flopsy, I am bit puzzled on all the tenders to shore as the brochure only says tender for montenegro. Did the £20 last you for your day's in croatia as will give us some idea how much money to change up....

Allison Evening not long now, hope your all packed.

Just been out for a meal getting used to eating out lol

I got 500kunas for 63 pound in marks and spencers

better than 7 to the pound that flopsy said the ship gives you

Thank you for all the wonderfull information Flopsy, I am bit puzzled on all the tenders to shore as the brochure only says tender for montenegro. Did the £20 last you for your day's in croatia as will give us some idea how much money to change up....

Hi Aligarter

Yes my info re tenders is correct.

Split was transfer by tender.

Last year we docked at Dubrovnik but this year another ship was in there so we anchored in the bay and transfer was by tender.

So both Croatian ports were by tender.

At Kotor in Montenegro we docked- no tender there despite what the brochure may say lol.

Well did the £20 worth of kunas last all day? In Split we only used kuna to buy a beer, then we went into the market where my hubby got talked into buying a sunhat for which he handed over kuna- it worked out at £13 so he regretted that silly move, and never wore the hat anyway lol!

In Dubrovnik we paid for the taxi in euro(e10 each way) and used euros in the souvenir shops in Dubrovnik Old Town.We just used kuna to buy a drink.The market took euros or kuna and showed dual pricing on the products- lavendar bags etc so I used euro.

It depends whether you intend to have a meal ashore I guess.

Flopsy

Thanks for all the info Flopsy, We are now all packed and waiting to go, just have to double check things in the morning.

Bob If you log in again before you leave hope to bump into you onboard...

Alison

Flopsy has written an excellent and very comprehensive description of the ports of call, so I won't go over that which she has already reported but I'll add a little more about different excursions/experiences of the destinations.

Koper:

As it is Sunday when you visit here, it is very quiet with not much open (apart from a few souvenir shops/cafes). It's a pretty place - but small so it might be worth considering an excursion here. As Flopsy said, there was some very useful info given out by the tourist office on arrival. This included bus times and directions to get to Piran independently which I think we'd try another time.

We did the Thomson half day trip to Lubljana which we thoroughly enjoyed. There was a walking tour (not strenuous) for about an hour then around an hour and a quarter free time. Although the big shops were closed, the town was bustling with street traders (local crafts and flea market stalls) and there is a real cafe culture here with lots of cafes along the river side where we had a coffee and people watched for a while.

When we got back to Koper, we had plenty of time to wander around - there is an old town and water frontage. A small train picks up in the square and does a circular tour around the old town (free). You can hop on and off at any point - but an hour or two is probably plenty of time to see Koper.

Venice:

Flopsy certainly didn't exaggerate the pea-souper as we sailed into Venice - you couldn't see the banks of the canal as we approached the port!!! We did a DiY approach here. At the end of the dock area (about a 5 minute walk) there is a vaporetto stop. It cost 6E each way to take you into St Mark's. Be warned though, this isn't the service which goes via the Grand Canal so you would be disappointed if you were hoping to approach this way. (We caught the service back to port from the same stop we were dropped off at and that DID go back via the Grand Canal - good to travel under the Rialto Bridge and see the sights from the water. I think this was Line 1, but check when you buy your ticket. The ticket is the same price, 6E, but it drops you off at LaRoma Station and it's not that clear how to get to the port from there. You have to turn right onto a major road and carry on walking over the fly-over then turn left down into the port, bearing left at the bottom. It's about a 15 minute walk.)

We went up the Campanile (8E each) then visited St Mark's (free) and sought out San Stephano Square where I'd read there were very good ice-creams to be had. They were and at 2E not a rip-off either! We later had a coffee at the same cafe and just soaked up the wonderful atmosphere of Venice.

Split:

Like Flopsy we just did our own thing here and explored Diocletian's Palace (free). we also tried to find the beach around the headland but it wasn't really a beach at all - just a concrete area where people sat and entered the water. It was very shallow here. There are some lovely cafes along the waterfront for coffees/beers etc. just in front of where the tenders drop you.

Dubrovnik:

Yes, it is 50 Kuna to walk the walls and it's advisable to have the correct currency. We got off early and were really pleased we did as it was quite tiring and took quite a long time. I wouldn't have wanted to be doing this walk later in the day as it was very hot and exhausting. But it was worth it!!! What fantastic views and interesting sites looking down into gardens, winding pathways etc. Whilst on the walls we spotted a cafe down below us hugging the cliff side with a terrace overlokking the sea. After exploring the town once we got off the walls, we set out to find this cafe and by following some wooden signs for 'Cold drinks' and 'Best views' came across it. What a spot!!!! Only cold drinks available and a camping-style loo, but well worth finding for the setting.

Kotor:

What a gem! Flopsy has described the glorious sail-in and the town itself is charming. It's a walled town and you can (for 2E) climb to the fortress which overlooks the town. This is not for the feint hearted! We approached from the right of the town and the steps were big, rough and uneven. The approach from the left of the town is much better under foot. We met some fellow travellers who fortunately told us that their path up wasn't too bad so we went down that way as I didn't fancy going down the way we'd gone up. Now, before you get too impressed with our intrepid expedition - we stopped at the small church about a third of the way up - as did most of the other passengers we met. (We had set out in the hope of getting to the fort but it was too much for me!) It was hard going - but really worth it for the view, especially seeing the Celebration moored down below us in the Fjord.

Back in the town, we had a drink in the main square and felt the atmosphere of this little town was great. The ship berths right in the town so it was lovely to just walk off into Kotor.

During our sail down the Fjord (beautiful, very reminiscent of Norway) the Capt said he was checking out a docking area half way down the Fjord as a possibility for the 2011 season. I REALLY hope Thomson berth in Kotor, not this alternative: for one thing you'd miss the superb sail-in down the further reaches of the Fjord (probably best part of an hour) and also, you'd then have to take an excursion into Kotor instead of just being able to walk off the ship and enjoy it. PLEASE Thomson, don't change the current arrangement - as Flopsy said, it's a fantastic destination.

Corfu Town:

We also did the Bella Vista trip and enjoyed it very much. It was good to say 'hello' to Flopsy too - I spotted the red flower she said she'd be wearing! The trip was good value for money we thought and the cafe at Bella Vista does have the most fabulous views to enjoy whilst having a coffee and some of their delicious home-made Baklava and walnut cake. Be warned though - this doesn't come cheap. Two capuccinos and a one Baklava and one walnut cake came to 16E! They were enormous portions though! (As if we needed more to eat - but they were very memorable.)

In the afternoon we walked into Corfu Old Town which has a loads of shops and character. The following week when we were travelling home we went in again to visit the Old Fortress which was interesting - 4E admission.

Well, I think that's all I can add. It was a fabulous itinerary and I'm sure anyone going on it won't be disappointed. Enjoy!

Thanks for two more well written and very informative reviews Flopsy and Kruzseeka.:)

I love Split and Dubrovnik and Kotor also sounds like a charming place.

On our recent Royal Caribbean cruise, we hired a private taxi in Corfu town which only cost 70 euros betweeen four of us. Spiro, our guide, took us on an island tour which lasted three hours, with an hour's stop at the lovely bay in Paleocastritsa to swim and have a coffee. It was very good value and left us with a couple of hours to wander round Corfu town (where there is a Marks & Spencers!) before returning to our ship, Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas.

I am going to this area in about two months. Were you able to use Euro in all the ports, or did you actually have to get the local currency in countries that are not officially on the Euro? Do you have any idea how the dollar is looked upon?

Euros were widely accepted everywhere including Dubrovnik and Split although I have read that sometimes they will only accept Kuna for walking the walls in Dubrovnik. We took £20 of Kuna to cover this cost and for a drink. Mostly prices are displayed in Kuna and Euro. We used Euro for everything else - I'm sure Dollars would be accepted too but perhaps not as good an exchange rate.

Enjoy your trip it's fabulous. :)

This is great. I love this kind of practical information. We like to sight see on our own, so any helpful hints are appreciated.

Hi

Thank you for the great review :o Think we are going on this cruise next summer. When will the ship leave Corfu? Is there time to take a walk after bording?

Hi

Thank you for the great review :o Think we are going on this cruise next summer. When will the ship leave Corfu? Is there time to take a walk after bording?

It leaves Corfu when all the flights from the UK are landed. If all to schedule that's about 10pm. Whether you have time to explore Corfu depends on when your flight arrives - some are before mid-day in which case you'd have plenty of time to get into Old Corfu (the interesting/attractive part). This is a good half-hour walk and I'd recommend sticking to the coastal road which brings you out at the Fortress. If your flight arrives later (we weren't on board until about 7pm) then you will probably have a later flight home (we didn't need to leave the ship until 4pm for our return flights) so then you would have plenty of time to go into Corfu after breakfast on your last day and since you will have had to vacate your cabin by then, you might as well go off the ship and explore the area.

It's a great itinerary!

Oops Kruseeka has already answered.....

Flopsy

hi hun fab review, we r going on this trip in may, how was the embarkation and disembarkation, we have a late flight, were u hanging around waiting for the airport transfer? thanks hun x

hi hun fab review, we r going on this trip in may, how was the embarkation and disembarkation, we have a late flight, were u hanging around waiting for the airport transfer? thanks hun x

Hi there

I'm not sure what you want to know but on arrival we were sent out to a waiting coach as soon as we came through the baggage collection.The only delay is in the baggage retrieval area which has only two carousels.It is then only a short journey to the port where you register a credit card, and have your photo taken for the boarding passs in the port building,then a short walk to the ship and we were soon on board having a welcome drink..

On the last day we didn't leave the ship till 6pm so we treated it as an extra day and went on a trip.

Corfu Airport is the problem-it can't handle the numbers going through as it is only small.Consequently when we got off the coach for our flight home we had to stand in a queue outside the terminal building for about half an hour.The smokers didn't mind!

But nobody explains why you are left outside as others walk straight in, so I am trying to explain that each flight is called into the terminal building in turn, as the space inside is so limited and the security process is so thorough!

We were glad that we were not stood outside in the hot sun! So if you have an evening flight be thankful!

Flopsy;)

Reply to old posts- but just to say thanks to all above who commented and especially to flopsy whose initial post helped us decide this would be our cruise choice this year. Have a happy and safe holiday all wherever you decide :)