SouthernUSAGal

On 1/31/2024 at 7:47 PM, Pookie2u said:

I sailed the Epic in October and had some of those ports.  It was the most amazing trip and honestly there is so much to do you almost can't go wrong.  They know how to tour in Europe and you will see the most amazing sights... sigh....

Oh yes, so I booked a mix of ship tours and a small group company called ItalyTours.EU. 

 

Corfu - My favorite, it really took me by surprise.  I booked my tour with NCL - Timeless Villages and Scenic Drive as a random pick because I was overwhelmed making decisions.  It was nice and relaxed bus ride with a great story teller of a tour guide.  We stopped for the most amazing fresh food at a family restaurant - I think called The Old School and we were served family style by a real family including a young boy who was so smart and so kind, teaching us about Corfu traditions.  It poured rain but the island was so charming.  I so long to go back for more sofrito.

 

Sicily - Our port was changed from Messina to Catania but you may have a similar choice.  I booked Discover Mt Etna & The Vineyard Of San Michele Estate through NCL  - AMAZING!  The luncheon the vineyard served was divine!

 

Naples- Italy Tours - Pompeii, Sorrento, and The Almalfi Coast.  The small group tour allowed us to see all three and not feel rushed, impossible with a big bus cruise ship tour.  Well worth every penny and more.

 

Livorno - Italy Tours - Florence and Pisa - These places were so much more beautiful than I ever imagined.  Pisa was laid back free time to wander the square, a perfect was to spend the time.  The Florence walking tour was good but the sites so amazing I barely listened.  I opted to not see the real David and used my free time to wander Florence alone.  I located a perfect osteria for some heavenly pasta and tiramisu.

 

Civitavecchia - I skipped Rome fearing crowds and inability to get tickets to the major attractions due to limits and booked through NCL - Off The Beaten Path- Hilltop Towns.  It was a perfect.  The medieval towns were not crowded and absolutely beautiful.  I swear I crossed the Grand Canyon on a footbridge to get to one of the cities 😄  I even saw a real mummy!  I have no regrets skipping Rome, but shall return off-season

 

Honestly, what made my trip completely over the top was the Epic's Thermal Suites.  After a long day of hiking cobblestones, mind-blowing sights, and crazy delicious food, I'd unwind in the therapy and whirlpool, then relax on the heated lounger and reflect on my day and look through pictures.

I'm already booked to go back next year 😄 

 

No matter what your choose, have a fantastic cruise!  And welcome to Cruise Critic!

Reading through your experience has me so excited.  Thank you for your feedback 🙂

On 1/31/2024 at 6:11 PM, Joanne G. said:

There is no “best” excursion in any port. We all have different interests, budgets, and energy levels.   But I’ll share what a friend and I did in some of the ports you’ll be visiting. We were on Celebrity, but it’s likely NCL will offer similar excursions.  

 

We explored Mykonos without an excursion. We just walked around the main town, shopped, had lunch in a waterfront restaurant, and had wine later in another waterfront restaurant.   A relaxing day.  But if I visit again, I think I would take an excursion to Delos.  
 

For Naples, our travel agent told us not to miss the Amalfi coast, and my friend wanted to see Pompeii. So we picked a long, full day excursion that went to both places. It was a memorable, if somewhat tiring, day.  Lunch at a lovely restaurant on the coast was included.

 

Santorini can be challenging, due to the tendering and the potential overcrowding if several ships are in port.  We took an enjoyable excursion to Oia and a winery, and it ended in Fira with time on our own before returning to the ship, taking the cable car down to the tender dock.  We had no problem as our ship was the only one in port that day.  Based on recent reports with multiple ships in port, the wait for the cable cars can be very long.  Read up a lot on this port before deciding on what to do.

 

From Messina, we took an excursion to Taormina that was transportation only, and we had several hours on our own to walk around the very picturesque town.  
 

Check out the ports of call boards and ask questions there.  Do some research beyond Cruise Critic, such as the Rick Steves Guide to Mediterranean ports. He usually promotes making individual plans rather than ship excursions, but his guidebooks have useful information about the main attractions that can help you decide what looks most interesting to you.  NCL likely offers excursions to the most popular sites in all the ports.  General guidebooks, meaning not cruise related, can also provide good information.  I check out everything my local library has on places I plan to visit.  
 

I can’t help with the other ports.  Have a great cruise, and do plan on some time in Rome before or after.  

Great advice!!  I appreciate your feedback.

On 1/30/2024 at 2:47 PM, DCGuy64 said:

We did a very similar itinerary last November on the Breakaway. When is your cruise, BTW? We ended up having to skip Athens and Livorno due to bad weather, so just keep in mind that rough seas might come into play (there were lines of furious passengers at Guest Services). We did an excellent excursion in Malta that featured ancient ruins, which my wife is a huge fan of. I can't comment on the other ports, since either we missed them or we had privately-booked excursions instead. Have a great cruise!

Our cruise is first week of June.  Appreciate your feedback! 🙂

Hello all. This is our first time out of the country on a cruise. I really need advice on which shore excursions are a must, preferably through the cruise line, and which ports you would recommend not doing an excursion.  There are just too many to pick from, and they seem to have limited reviews posted online. 

Any advice/recommendation would be appreciated.  Thank you!

Below is our itinerary: