dsmmj

Wow!

Re: Palermo - We were just in Sicily for 10 days in April, doing our own touring and driving. I spent a lot of time planning and got a lot of help from the TripAdvisor forum experts. I would say that the highlights are the Capella Palatina (in Palermo itself) and the Cathedral of Monreale, in the hills above Palermo - both are covered in spectacular mosaics (one of them has a website with 360 views - I don't remember which of the 2). The Puppet Museum near the port is fascinating. There are a number of beautiful churches in the city.

 

Palermo is gritty and crowded, but we did not feel unsafe. We walked everywhere except to Monreale, but at night only in the area near our hotel which was relatively OK. But once we ended up down deserted streets and it felt uncomfortable in the darkness, so we quickly returned to busier streets. However, we were warned of pickpockets being very active on the bus to Monreale. It was recommended that we hire a driver which we did. Not the cheapest option, but very well worth it terms of convenience.

 

We had a stop in Livorno on a previous cruise and took the train to Lucca for the day - a wonderful day trip. However, we had previously been to Florence for many days, and Pisa. Florence is too ambitious for day trip sprint, IMHO.

 

Dubrovnik can easily be done on your own - be sure to walk the walls as others have suggested.

 

Most of all, have a great time!

So appreciate your help.Thank you!

Last time in Marseille, Riviera docked far (about 45 minute ride) from the city. There were no cabs available, but Oceania ran a shuttle into Marseille. There's a nice 'tourist train' in Marseille that will take you up the hill to Notre Dame de la Garde which is worth a visit, and the town is pleasant to walk around. We took the ship excursion to Aix which was a nice town to visit. Avignon is wonderful.

 

You will be in walking distance to most sights in Monte Carlo (palace/old town/aquarium). The casino is too far to walk, take a cab (it's also not a lot of fun, but most folks want to see it). If you've been to Monte Carlo, St Paul de Vence and Eze are both nice to visit.

 

In Livorno, it is quite a distance to the train station (cab needed) and I never felt confident enough to take it for a single day in port. We did the Lucca shore excursion once, and it was a scenic little town. We took the "Florence on you Own" excursion last time, and had a wonderful day. The cost of that shore excursion was less than taking private transportation for just the two of us.

 

As others have said, Kotor and Dubrovnik are wonderful places to wander on your own. You will sail through a magnificent fjord to reach Kotor, so make sure you make time to enjoy the views from the ship on the way.

 

In Venice, it's easy to take public transportation to Murano. But unless you have spent a lot of time touring Venice and want to buy expensive glassware, I'd skip it. There is so much to see in Venice and it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world to simply walk around and enjoy. Here's a nice article:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/free-things-to-do-in-venice/

 

Have a fabulous cruise!

Thank you.This is very helpful.

Agree here as we spent a day there, with a nice lunch. We did buy a one of kind vase. There were many of the same things over and over in the shops, but we were looking for something unique.

 

Don't worry about taking it home, they've got the shipping down to a science. Of course you do pay for it

all.

Great info.Thank you.

I'm lurking on this Oceania Forum as I'll be sailing for the first time on O in March, I'd like to offer some visual help if you're interested... I do many ports on my own and I've done photo reviews with narrative & tips/hints. I hope these could be of help to you. :)

 

Venice - overnight DIY

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44387619&highlight=venice#post44387619

 

Kotor - Perast in the morning, old town and mist see/do (if able to do so) climb up the fort in the afternoon

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44377718&highlight=first+look+at+Perast#post44377718

 

Dubrovnik - Old town and must see/do Mount Srd

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=44452500&highlight=dubrovnik#post44452500

Very helpful! Thank you.

We will be on the September 18 sailing on the Riviera with you! I have been researching extensively. It seems overwhelming, as this is our first trip to Europe. We fly into Barcelona two days before the cruise, and will stay an extra night in Venice at the end. We plan to explore both of those ports on our own. We will also do Dubrovnik, Palamos, and Palermo on our own.

I discovered (with the help of many experienced Cruise Critic individuals) that most all of the ports for this itinerary have good bus and train options to go beyond the cities on your own. It just takes lots of research and planning. I also recommend Rick Steves "Mediterranean Cruise Ports" guide, Toms port guides, etc. mentioned in earlier posts as great places to start.

That being said, we have opted for private small group tours in Marseille, Livorno, Civitaveccia, Kotor, and Monte Carlo. We wanted to get outside those cities to see more, but we're not brave enough to do everything on our own (yet, haha!) So we split the ports in half - five tours and five going it on our own.

 

Check out the roll call for our sailing. That's how we connected with others on our sailing to book our group excursions. Much cheaper than the Oceania tours.

Looking forward to meeting you!

Karen

Thank you Karen and I hope to meet you on our ship. We are starting with a Provence Ama Waterways trip followed by 4 nights in Barcelona. Just trying to plan our stops.Thank you so much for your input!

I don't know Palamos, but from your list the port in Marseille is quite a ways from the center city or the Provence region, where I prefer to go in this area. I would get a private guide here, perhaps a group tour with some on your Roll Call. Livorno is the gateway to Florence, Pisa Lucca and much of the Tuscany region. If you're comfortable with public transportation and trains then you can do this on your own, depending on what you want to do. I've taken some great tours in this area, Sienna, Lucca, San Gimignano, Florence, Cinque Terre, and others. Lot's of great places to go from here, but from what I've heard and seen not much really at Livorno.

 

Monte Carlo, Dubrovnik, Kotor(absolutely stunning sail in) & Venice are all very doable on your own, depending on your mobility. If you're up for it a climb up to the fort on the top of the hill in Kotor is a great way to spend the day, fabulous views from the top, but not for anyone with any type of physical challenges.

 

In Palermo we walked around the city, we were supposed to do a free walking tour but the guides never showed up. It was a crowded noisy town. If I had it to do over again I'd probably take a tour to somewhere there. Perhaps someone with a better experience there might chime in.

Your favorite place to visit from Livorno?

Venice is ideal to do on your own. We had a long weekend there a year or so back - a lovely city (in the historic centre) and very walkable. You'll easily find online self guided walks

Is it easy to do the Murano Glass factory on your own?

We visited Marseille, Livorno, and Dubrovnik by ourselves. Of course when on our own we take notice of our surroundings, etc. to have a safe visit.

Does Oceania offer shuttles in to town or is close enough to walk in Marseilles and Dubrovnik? Probably will do an excursion in Livorno. Just trying to decide which one. Thinking Cinque Terre? Has anyone been?

Planning excursions for the September 18 sailing of the Riviera and wondering which ports are good to do on your own.We visit Palamos, Marseille, Monte Carlo,Livorno, Palermo, Kotor, Dubrovnik and Venice. Also any recommendations of good Oceania excursions.

How do you book excursions on line?