tendering in Villefranche with small group for tour

Can anyone advise on the process for tendering, timing etc? The last information I found was a few years back. I need to have our group on the same tender to meet our guide.

Thanks in advance.

Celebrity has a pretty normal tender process. Their own tours will get priority and be taken to the tenders in large groups. You then have those in priority categories (like Elite and Elite Plus) who get priority. All the other independent folks will need to go to a specific public lounge and pick up a tender ticket. If your group goes to the lounge at the same time you should be able to get the same tender tickets and stick together.

We have seen instances where a Cruise Director might quietly intervene to help out a private group, but that seems to be rare on Celebrity. But you can sure approach the CD and ask if he/she can help.

Hank

Thank you Hank, I read somewhere that the port operates the tenders so they are very efficient. Appreciate the info on the CD.

We are just back and the tenders were brilliant. They used local boats which were really quick.

Bubbles,

That's great to hear! Can you suggest a gathering place for the group so we can get to the same tender?

Can anyone advise on the process for tendering, timing etc? The last information I found was a few years back. I need to have our group on the same tender to meet our guide. Thanks in advance.

Greetings to our "neighbor" in Central Ohio. Excellent comments from Hank and others. While on a Celebrity ship a few years back, they were good about having added private ships from local sources to aid in the shuttle process. Things worked fairly well. We had a Concierge Class room and that helped also to get a Priority Boarding pass as we went ashore for our hook up with local in doing our exploring here.

Check out my live/blog for added ideas in this lovely area, plus in other key Med locations. Happy to share more and to connect by phone, if that is helpful in doing your planning and prep efforts. I live in Clintonville. What part of Columbus do you live?

Villefranche sur Mer is set in one of the world's most beautiful bays. The original Old Town is at the base of a natural amphitheater of mountains and terraced hills. The views are wonderful and it is easy to see why so many people fall in love with Villefranche. The bay itself is very deep and many of the Mediterranean's largest cruise ships stop in the bay. Nearby are Mount Boron, which looks down over the bay from the west; Nice to the west and St. Jean Cap Ferrat, Beaulieu sur Mer, Eze Village and Eze Bord de Mer to the east.

The vaulted passage is the Rue Obscura, a street about a block in from the seafront that's completely covered for about half its length. Lighted only by white, wire-gridded lamps in the roof, the "obscure" street reminds you of the days when the town's population sheltered here from bombardments. This dark and eerie vaulted passageway has changed little since the Middle Ages Founded in the 14th century by Charles d'Anjou as a duty-free port, Villefranche's steep narrow streets and stacked up dusty-rose, ochre and apricot houses with trompe l'oeil frescoes redefine the term 'picturesque'. One could walk up and down for hours not actually doing anything but enjoying oneself nonetheless.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 202,851 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

The charm, style and beauty of Villefranche are clear in this picture of its harbor area greeting visitors as we arrived via tender from the ship in southern France near Monaco.:

We went through the old areas of Villefranche, seeing the narrow steps where pirates and soldiers would have battled/traveled, flowers, etc.:

Villefranche’s walled fortress or Saint Elme citadel is the “real thing”. It makes the point of how this town’s history was based on its 1500’s coastal/security setting, etc.:

In the Old Town of Villefranche, this is rue Obscure, a dark and eerie vaulted passageway that has changed little since the Middle Ages. This area provided connection and security in times of attack.:

This is the Baroque, Italian-style tower of Villefranche’s Saint Michael Church. It is in the heart of the old town and originally dates from the first part of the 14th Century.:

Hidden among the narrow passages of Villefranche’s Old Town was this artist whose shop produced various etching designs.:

Terry,

Thank you so much for reaching out and posting those beautiful photos, the port is stunning. I noticed several of your very useful post and saw you were a fellow Buckeye.

Terry, Thank you so much for reaching out and posting those beautiful photos, the port is stunning. I noticed several of your very useful post and saw you were a fellow Buckeye.

Appreciate your follow-up and kind comments on my photos. Your early September schedule for being in Barcelona and then doing Marseille/France, Villefranche, Florence/Pisa/Livorno), Rome (Civitavecchia), Valletta/Malta, Mykonos/Greece, Athens, Kusadasi (Ephesus) and Istanbul is spectacular. Wonderful ports and stops. We have been in all of these except for Valletta/Malta.

Let me know any added questions. Below is just a few of my visual samples to help build up your excitement for this great adventure, these great locations.

For Athens, Greece, check out this posting with many ideas, tips and exciting visuals for our visiting there and nearby. There have been over 11,143 views on this posting. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 115,596 views for this posting.

Here was our first view of Istanbul in June 2006 from our just-docking cruise ship as we smelled the sweet blend of this historic Turkish city. YES, you could really smell how “special” is this unique city with so much culture, charm and interest! Istanbul has such a wide variety of history, culture, architecture, people, food, charm, etc. It’s the total experience here that is so amazing.:

Looking downhill towards the library and other ruins from when Ephesus, along the Turkish Coast, was Rome's capital of Asia Minor. The history here is real and totally amazing! This Library of Celsus was built in honor of a Roman Senator and completed in 135 AD by his son, a Roman Consul and powerful official. The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a tomb for his father. The interior of the library and all its books were destroyed by fire in an earthquake in 262 AD. Only the facade survived, but was later destroyed by another earthquake. In a restoration during the 1960's and 1970's, the front was restored and serves as a key example of Roman public architecture.:

Enjoying a bright, sunny day in front of the famed Parthenon in Athens. Dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, considered by the people of Athens as their virgin patron, its construction began in 447 BC. That is when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC. Called the most important surviving building of classical Greece, the Parthenon was the culmination of Doric order development. Its decorative sculptures are rated as some of the high points of Greek art. Notice the Ohio State hat on my head?:

Here’s a sampling of the narrow, flowered street in Mykonos in the Greek Isles with its many shops. The streets were made so narrow in order to fend off pirate attackers. It is an island with lots of history and legend dating back thousands of years, including connections to ancient Greek mythology. Ionians settled on Mykonos in the early part of the 11th century BC. As Delos developed as a sacred center, Mykonos was under the influences of the different people, including Phoenicians, Macedonians and Athenians. With the rise of Alexander the Great, the fate of Mykonos became a commercial center for agriculture and maritime trade. Mykonos flourished with enormous wealth during Roman occupation during the reign of Augustus Caesar. During the Middle Ages, Mykonos fell under the Venetians and later were victimized by the Saracens and latter the Turks. Starting in the 1950’s, its unique architecture, seclusion and hospitality have made it a haven for the rich and famous.: