edinburgher

I should have mentioned that unless you are travelling with only hand luggage, you will need to wait for your luggage at baggage reclaim, probably have to go through Immigration, plus make the journey from the airport to the port which is quite large, and depending on how many ships are in that day, yours may be berthed further from the entrance.

No tour is actually need for Warnemunde unless you want to travel quite a distance away to a sight which appeals to you personally. At Warnemunde ships dock next to the small train station which you only need walk through, cross the little bridge and you are there. Warnemunde is actually the seaside suburb of Rostock, and many passengers will choose to visit the historic centre of Rostock in the morning and stroll pretty little Warnemunde in the afternoon. Past threads about Warnemunde can be found here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=warnemunde&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=116 Without coming across as rude, with such a large number of ports on your itinerary, if you do not already know how to, I suggest that you learn how to use the quick and easy search tool as you can bring up past threads in seconds and choose which to read for information and suggestions. Go to the correct georgraphc forum,which in your case will be mostly the N Europe and Baltic Sea forum Do not go to an individual thread, simply stay on the main forum. In the empty SEARCH BOX under your username, input the name of each of your ports in turn. The dropdown next to the empty section should read "this forum", then hit the little spy glass. Within seconds, all past threads containing that name will appear ready for you to choose which to read. And with as many ports as you have, there is no way that anyone could retain that amount of info in their heads, so I suggest you have a document for each as you can "copy/paste" and add information as you go along, deleting what you do not need at the end, whilst keeping what you do need. I would also suggest that to avoid confusion, as you have so many, you only research one port at a time, only moving on to the next once you have finished the one before. And for each, also look for images and info on the usual websites, ie, local Tourist Information websites, Tripadvisor, YouTube, Frommer's, Fodors, Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, and any others which appear when you search "( name of port town) Tourist Information" to help you decide which options in each location appeal to you personally. There is also a very extensive "pinned" thread at the top of the forum which has an enormous amount of content about the Norwegian Fjords and that would also be a good research source.Again, you can use the search tool within that one thread. By self researching, you can plan each port call to suit your own interests and save $$$$ at the same time. On such a busy itinerary you can probably save $$$$!😁 Despite the amount of planning homework you will need to do, it reads like an amazing itinerary 😀

All of these ports can be easily explored independently unless there is something very special which appeals to your interests which would require a tour of some description. You have some really scenic ports on your list, with the possible exception of Zadar which for us personally was a little underwhelming. Lucky to have Rovinj listed as not so many lines call there It is super pretty and we absolutely loved it. From Dubrovnik, you could visit Cavtat on your second day. Reading past threads about each would be helpful and I suggest you do that if you have not already done so. I suggest you learn how to use the fast and easy search tool as it is a an amazing research source. To get you started I have done it for you as I assumed from your questions that you had not already done so.. Choose which to read from the following results. Hvar https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=hvar&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 Zadar https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=zadar&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 Rovinj https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=rovinj&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 Korkula https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=korcula&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 Piran (most visit from Koper) https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=piran&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 Dubrovnik. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=dubrovnik&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 Cavtat https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=cavtat&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149

I would also recommend a small amount of cash. Depending on the countries you will visit, if you have euros, you could spend them in every country which has them as its currency.

if you have not already done so, reading past threads should help with info and ideas for sightseeing. Choose which of these past threads to read https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=ravenna&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=464

I suggest you cross post your question on the MSC forum, as MSC passengers will know what the latest embarkation time might be, because with some lines it is a minimum of two hours before sailing as the manifest (and any other necessary paperwork) needs to be notified to the relevant authorities. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/49-msc-cruises/ FWIW, I personally would stress about cutting it as fine as that, because any delay for any reason along the way might cause you to miss your sailing. I think it would be prudent to have a "plan B" and you could ask MSC if you missed the ship in Athens, would you be permitted to board at the next port, wherever that may be. Note that this option may or may not be possible.

In addition to the Olympic Torch arrival event, I should have added that Marseille will host a number of OLYMPIC SAILING events between JULY 28 and AUGUST 8, also several OLYMPIC FOOTBALL matches between JULY 26 and AUGUST 6. I cannot advise if these multiple events will impact on port calls, but it may be prudent to be cautious with private tour bookings just in case.

And for most cruise passengers, no city tour is really needed as there are so many varied activities and sights in close proximity to the cruise shuttle drop off point.

Should your itinerary include St Kitts, you could buy Caribelle Batik, hand made locally. You can visit on site to watch some being crafted, and on the day of our visit there were highly coloured and patterned items hanging out to dry on lines in the very pretty gardens. It is not inexpensive, but genuinely local and handmade. Their items can probably be found in retail outlets elsewhere in the Caribbean.

not nougats, but calissons d'Aix, the local speciality of Aix,easily identified by their diamond shape but also widely available across the region. You could buy calissons in Aix in the morning and buy nougats in the afternoon.😀😀

Marseille will welcome the arrival of the Olympic Torch from Greece on May 8th and I had previously advised of the potential for some tourism disruption due to preparations for this major event. One member has reported a switch to an alternative port and another has reported a shorex cancellation.https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3001165-unrest-in-marsailles/#comment-67205374 There is a description of the event and therefore more knowledge of the advance preparations which will need to be made on post # 9 of this thread, so calls to Marseille in the lead up to the date and for a few days afterwards may not go ahead exactly as expected and those booking private tours should be especially aware. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2973730-olympic-torch-route-2024-could-impact-french-port-calls/#comment-67146871

NorwayIceland itineraries are not usually as popular with families as other itineraries which offer more in the way of sunshine, beaches, and other ONSHORE activities. . And the number of children onboard would also depend on when you intend to travel as there would be fewer onboard during school term times. I suggest you consider cross posting on the NCL forum as some of your questions are NCL specific, eg the "kids room opening hours" (especially should there be very few children onboard)and any other child related questions you might have as pastCC members who travelled as part of a family group would be more likely to see it there. And maybe the "family cruising" forum too.

Another point to consider. Are all children in the group in their teens or are there any younger than 12 years, because car seats are a legal requirement in Italy for that age group and would need to be pre-ordered.

It is a bit of a walk to the actual town although there may be a public bus or a taxi, But the island is very scenic, more so than the town. Difficulty will probably be that taxi drivers may not want such a short trip and would prefer those wanting a longer island tour as taxi tours on Corfu are really popular. If interested in a tour, (and one is worth doing) would definitely pre-arrange one because that way you know where you will go, the type of vehicle, the cost, and should have an english speaking driver. Arranging a tour at the port could find you with none of these. As we were only two, we shared with others on our Roll Call and ended up with three taxis for our group which eventually totalled 12. We travelled in convoy, followed the same route and had the same stops along the way. It was a very good day and the company we booked through was professional throughout. When you google "Corfu Taxi tours" or "Taxi Tours Corfu" or similar, there should be a few results. I cannot remember the name of the company, but the owner had several quality vehicles. He also had red hair, somewhat unusual in Greece,so finding him should be easier. I expect your ship will offer an island tour as a shorex, so even should you not want to book one, looking at the description would give you an idea of what you might see, as will reading the websites of taxi companies which offer tours.

Cruiselines do love to list "headline" ports on their itineraries to boost their sales. It is what they do with Paris which is hours away from the port in le Havre, Seville, when the port is Cadiz, Venice, Rome and many others. There would be no real need to visit Bordeaux unless you found info online which makes it a "must-do" for you personally as la Rochelle is actually an attractive town in its own right and no tour is needed as it is an easy DIY port. Most of what a tourist here might want to do/see is within a relatively small area of the town and it is flat not hilly at all .What you choose to do and see there depends on your own interests and if you have not already done so, reading past threads might help you decide Here they are https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=la rochelle&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=462 In addition to reading past threads, you should also read about la Rochelle online where you will find descriptions and images to help you decide. Browse eg Tripadvisor, Frommer's, Fodors, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet and others which appear when you google eg "la Rochelle Tourist Information" and I think you will be pleasantly surprised with your findings. Google really is your best friend.😀

As nobody has yet replied, you might want to simply google "Roissybus to CDG reviews" or even only "Roissybus reviews"and see what pops up in the results as there is usually something to be found.

Having already looked at Tripadvisor, have you thought of googling something like "best beaches near Ibiza town" or similar? This because, although tripadvisor will have reviews for beaches, internet search results may give distances and directions from the port, also descriptions of facilities available, costs, and any recommended advance booking requirements. Or maybe even better, consider contacting the official Ibiza Tourist Information Office as staff there will be local and should be able to advise on beaches which meet your criteria and how to get there and back..

It would be helpful to other families cruising with such small children in the future, if you were to kindly post about any minimum age requirement on tours with italytours.eu, (assuming there is one) also if they can supply the mandatory car seats.

i think you are worrying unnecessarily. Is there any major city anywhere in the world which has neither poverty nor crime?

Nothing current that I can find online in French or english, but perhaps it is somehow connected to preparations for the Olympic Games this summer, as Marseille will host 10 football matches and many sailing events and some essential preparations will need to be undertaken which will almost certainly cause some disruption. As an example, this year, the Stade de France in Paris could not be the host stadium for the Six Nations Rugby Championship in Feb and March as the stadium was undergoing preparation for the Games in a few months time, and all three French based matches were instead played in Marseille, Lille and Lyon.. If their cancelled shorex was to be mid or near the end of April, it could be connected to the planned major event taking place on May 8th around the Vieux Port when the Olympic flame will arrive from Greece. I recently posted an update on the event once timings were known. One CC member has had their port call moved from Marseille to Toulon as a result. .This one; https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2973730-olympic-torch-route-2024-could-impact-french-port-calls/#comment-66420677

Ponant is also French,😀 (and sail under a French flag)one of the reasons I suggested it alongside CroisiEurope.

For an even more intensive French experience, you could begin by researching and reading reviews of Ponant and CroisiEurope lines and their river boats.😀.

There are beaches in all of these cities. Perhaps the best way to decide which will be your beach day, is to reseach your ports for sightseeing options to suit all of your personal interests, and plan a beach day in the one which offers the least. Looking at your list, I would personally select Ibiza, but avoiding those beaches where clubbing is the main attraction, unless of course your family is old enough to be enthusiastic about a day time clubbing vibe?. At the very top of the Spain Ports forum there is a pinned thread for Palma Majorca and requests for beach info are also quite common questions in the general forum. Reading this very recent thread might be useful.CC member roger b who lives there has often recommended it, but there may be others which appeal more to be found on the "pinned thread". https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2996830-looking-for-beach-day-pretty-water-ibiza-or-mallorca/#comment-67113854 Noting that you are US based (I think)and your mention of "family friendly", just wanting to remind you that topless bathing and sunbathing for women is very much the norm on most European beaches, private and public, although nudist beaches are signposted so you should not stray onto one in error.

Croatia is a full member of the EU, but as Montenegro is not, a call there would meet the criteria to allow the sale of duty free onboard unless there has been a very recent rule change. It is different from the cabotage laws explained by marazul, so yes, there are two issues, not one..

And I should have also listed this one for post #2. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2831952-cagliari-sardinia/#comment-62669621