edinburgher

7 hours ago, mozfoz said:

My questions are will the shops be open this late in the season and it being a Sunday,

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.

3 hours ago, DaMom said:

A block or two off the main drag could be good as we're going in peak season.

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?

On 4/22/2024 at 6:56 PM, nunuc2000 said:

We typically enjoy walking around ports that have interesting culture, a nice pub or coffee shop, museums or scenic walkability. 

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.

On 4/23/2024 at 1:40 PM, greg898 said:

Or is there a better option? Public transit seemed a bit slow and indirect on Google maps.

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..

21 hours ago, getawaygirl said:

Or any recommendations for other tours? Thanks for any info.

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.

20 hours ago, Globaler said:

There is a beach excursion. Should we sign up, walk around town or something else?

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

8 hours ago, Ebony & Ivory said:

I read that all, thank you. Much of it sounded very similar! That's going to be a pass from us! 🙂

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

4 hours ago, yoolykeme said:

I assume that we will be adjusted to time by then.

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.

7 hours ago, yoolykeme said:

I'm thinking that I rent a car from Blue or whatever is local to the port, check in at a hotel downtown, spend a couple of hours at Sky Lagoon, drive around in whatever route makes sense to see stuff, have dinner and maaayyyyybe try to search for the northern lights that night, sleep.

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.

19 minutes ago, Ebony & Ivory said:

I'm not comfortable and don't feel like it's legit.

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

11 hours ago, Jayhoaps said:

I wondering if anyone knows if they have genuine fakes/knock off bags and how were the prices?

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.

20 hours ago, tring said:

You are right getting there looks easy enough and could even be walkable back to Casements Square if any problems arose, though not an attractive walk and pavements are narrow, so not a preference of ours.  DH has managed to find up to date bus timetables, though as we are there on a Sunday, buses would only be about every half hour or so for us. 

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.😀

2 hours ago, Panhandle Couple said:

Maybe just a walk around town or the HOHO bus.

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.

5 hours ago, phillygwm said:

I'd be too panicked if I were travelling that distance on my own

You should dock right next to the small train station.  Warnemunde to Rostock Centre is around 15/20 minutes journey time, close enough surely to venture  without a tour, and easy to get a taxi back if you really had to, but we also spotted signage in Rostock for a boat/ferry ride to Warnemunde which we didn't use, but we saw signage at the landing point for it only a few yards from the ship.

This means you would have three options to return.Train, taxi or boat (and possibly a fourth  by public bus too,although you would need to access that information yourself as we used the trains). As previously mentioned, Rostock is not a town a long way away as Warnemunde is one of its suburbs.

As for Warnemunde itself, you only need disembark, walk through the little train station, cross the short bridge and you are there--  count maybe 5-7 minutes on foot from the gangway. A charming little seaside resort, popular with Rostock residents at weekends and with others on short breaks. It would be difficult to get lost there.  

1 hour ago, mavie said:

Still debating whether it’s worth the hassle, lol

As you will know, Berlin is actually a very spread out city without an actual "centre" which means that once you arrive there, you will most likely have to travel around again to whichever attractions there may be time for.  We spent a week there which included time in  Potsdam, and despite careful planning I don't think we ever visited another city where were were constantly using public transport to get around.

Warnemunde is actually a really easy DIY port which offers a variety of sighsteeing options   It is actually the seaside suburb of Rostock. Ships dock next to the small train station and a short ride to central Rostock, which has an attractive historic centre well worth visiting. As did others, we took the train to Rostock in the morning, then returned to Warnemunde where we spent a very pleasant afternoon strolling the beaches and this pretty town.  Super easy, inexpensive and not tiring.

There should be lots of info and images on both Rostock and Warnemunde online to tempt you

There are also past threads you could browse and choose which to read .

Warnemunde

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=warnemunde&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=116

Rostock

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=rostock&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=116

On 4/14/2024 at 11:15 AM, tring said:

Just wondering what is the best way to get there?  Are there regular buses from Casements Square, or would we be better getting a taxi? 

tring, as nobody has replied and you yourself give so much info to others,  I googled  "Casements Square to Catalan Bay" and many results appeared.  I didn't look into any of them, but noted from the titles that the distance is short and that there should be buses and taxis, but I would check that the bus route numbers are still current, and you would need an idea of the timetables depending on which day of the week you will be there, so the Gibraltar Bus company website would be the one for you. If the buses are still current, you would have the option of buses both ways or taxi one way and bus the other.

We have only visited Gibraltar twice, but might struggle with options were we to visit a third time.

9 minutes ago, travellovers2 said:

Does anyone know of a local company that you can hire a car with a private driver to drive you around the island? 

My post #3 above has a link to past threads about Valletta,  and I suggest you look at the subject lines  because it is almost certain that some of these past threads will be asking about private tours and you can read the replies which should have recommendations in them.

4 hours ago, vav said:

Florence/Pisa. Have previously visited both but felt rushed in each location.

You would be even more rushed this time around were you to include both in one day, also you would need to pre-book entry times for some of the top attractions in Florence should you want to visit and that would restrict your movements even more.

As an alternative, you could consider pretty Lucca, part way between Pisa and  Florence with much shorter travel times.( I think only a half hour or so on the train from Pisa to Lucca) Many cruise pssengers will combine Pisa and Lucca on a single day as they are also on the same train line and easily explored independently. Or you could consider Lucca alone as it would be new to you..  After such a long (and tiring?) day 1 at CT, you might welcome a slower paced day 2 with time for a sit down meal or gelato,and some people watching alongside sightseeing, instead of another even  faster paced and tiring day.

Lucca is a bit of a Tuscan gem.  Info and images to tempt you will be easily found online.

14 hours ago, sbnuggie said:

maybe find a guided boat tour up to shipwreck beach (i know they cant land anymore) and the caves,

I would not expect you to find such a boat tour next to the dock on the day, so advise instead that you pre-arrange one before you travel.

Google will be your best friend for this, and should you need others to share with you, you could ask on your Roll Call, or check it to see if any of your fellow passengers has already arranged one and is looking for others like yourselves to share.

20 hours ago, Bluestar01 said:

How easy or difficult it is to find transportation and drivers who speak English.

Should  you not rent a car and the shuttle buses not work for you, taxi drivers will be used to transferring visitors to the garden and should easily understand the english version "The garden of Claud Monet" easily enough.  Same for the return.  The train station should also be easily understood,   Vernon train station please, but you could write down(or be able to access)  the equivalent in french should you prefer to show a driver.

Le jardin de Claude Monet à Giverny svp.

la gare du Verdon svp,

or to avoid any doubt,

la Gare SNCF  du Vernon svp.(as including  the phrase "gare SNCF" makes it clear  that it  is the train station you want to go to). The bus station is" la gare routiere"😀 

Should there be both a bus and a train station in Verdon, asking for "la gare" would likely have the driver ask for clarification which of the two you want to go to.

22 hours ago, Anna1111 said:

We stop in Antalya (8 to 16h) and would like to walk it

It isn't clear what you mean by "walk it".  Do you mean walk AROUND Antalya or walk TO Antalya?  I ask as the cruise terminal is several miles from the older part of town, (includes the sea front and old harbour and probably the area you would find the most attractive). This would not be a comfortable walk at the best of times, more so on a hot day and should not really be attempted..

If your ship has no shuttle bus, you might want to consider a taxi, and you may be able to find others to share with you either from your Roll Call or at the dock as you all disembark for your day there. You could also check on your Roll Call if any fellow passengers have arranged a private tour which might interest you, and are looking for others to share.

If you have not already read past threads, there are only a very very few  containing the word Antalya, but one or two might be helpful to read.  These

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=antalya&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149

You could also check eg Tripadvisor and others which appear when you google "Antalya Tourist Information" or "side trips from Antalya"  or "beaches of Antalya" or similar, depending on your interests. and to learn more about the cruise terminal and its location, try googling eg "port of Antalya".

19 hours ago, Montanagirlalways said:

Trying to find information on the port area and points of interest and shopping. 

Past threads about Cartagena which you can browse for information, also the usual official local Tourism website which has already been given above, Tripadvisor, YouTube, Frommer's, Fodors, Lonely Planet, Rick Steves and anything else which appears when you google eg "Cartagena Spain tourist information" (include SPAIN as there is more than one Cartagena in the world) Check opening times and days for sights/attractions which interest you on their own websites.

You dock opposite the town centre so you only need cross the road and you are there. Very easy to walk around as most of it is even ground, although wear good walking shoes as there is a lot of marble which can get slippery..

Cartagena is a working town in addition to being a tourist town so it won't close entirely at the end of the season, so Spanish shopping hours should be what they would normally be in  Spain.  Google is your best friend.😀

Past threads

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=cartagena&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=465

The OP was given all of the above information first time around, including links to past threads for EVERY port  (post #6) and a recommendation to join any RC

.https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2995576-island-princess-cruise-aug-152024-help/#comment-67031727

I added the last paragraph on this thread post #4 to reflect that, and also said

 All you had to do was read them. Asking again will bring the same advice, nothing different or new.