auburngirl

On 8/21/2023 at 4:17 PM, singinalot said:

Turkish currency is a lira which equates to about 27 lira per USD.  We paid 260 lira for both of us for the 1.5-2 hour tour. I say 1.5-2 hour because it's listed as 1.5 hours, but when it's all said and done it's about 2 hours.  That's $9USD for 2 people up and down the Bosphorus....I mean...YES!

 

https://turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Sights/Bosphorus/turyol.html

 

This tour was 100% worth it and a major highlight of our trip. Be sure to sit on the left side of the boat and UPSTAIRS! The boats leave on the hour. We got there at about 2:30 so early enough to board and get good seats.

 

A map I found online of the ferry ports:

facing the start of the Galatea bridge from our seat on the ferry 

 

a good view of the Galatea Bridge…here you can see the two level split with the restaurants on the bottom

 

 

 

IMG_0659.mov 53.97 MB · 2 downloads

 

here we are passing the Galata cruise port. 🙂

 

 

IMG_0662.mov 55.57 MB · 2 downloads

 

 

 

What time of the day did you do this?

We are going to be in Istanbul in November at the end of a cruise.  We will only get 1/2 day on Friday and a full day on Saturday.  Would you recommend hiring a tour guide or doing it on our own?  What have been your favorite attractions in order?  Your posts are making me excited about our trip!  Thank you!

We will be on the Norwegian Dawn in November. Looking at excursions for Katakolon/Olympia. The Best of Olympia excursion includes the ancient site in Olympia, the Olympia Archaeological Museum, and Magna Grecia Farm. We get wine and snacks at the farm. Has anyone been on this excursion?  Any recommendations?

On 3/21/2023 at 1:30 PM, dotdo said:

Cruising in July NCL - was hoping to see Ephesus but concerned about the timing on that short a day.  Has anyone done this? Looks like all the tours are for longer periods than we'd have.

If that doesn't work, any recommendations for a short day in Kusadasi? 

Thanks!!

We are cruising NCL in November and currently there aren't any excursions offered.  Called the excursion desk and they gave me the run around

On 6/28/2023 at 7:58 PM, fishiecrackers said:

We just went to Ephesus, and I think we spent about 3 hours there, including the Terrace Houses, so if you can find a tour that works with your schedule restrictions, and can get you there right when it opens, you should be okay. I think it would be worth doing even with a shorter visit.

Who did you book your tour through?

On 7/29/2023 at 11:23 PM, cwistyred said:

Used the HOHO in Athens in April. Found it remarkably convenient as we bought the tickets and caught the bus right outside of the ship.  Went to many areas of the city and then caught the bus back to the ship. I think the system in Athens was very well run.YMMV

Did you buy your ticket there or online before you went on the cruise?  What sites did you enjoy the most and which ones to avoid?  We are going in November.  Thanks!

On 6/13/2022 at 7:21 AM, Znjan said:

I live in Split (Znjan beach) with my British husband. I answered your post because we are planning to take a walk on on the MSC Armonia in October. We take the ferry mainly to Hvar and Brac. Anything else feel free to ask.

How hard is it to go to Klis from the port?  Is Kliss Fortress worth going to see?

On 5/10/2023 at 11:37 PM, cruisemom42 said:

I'm a DIY type, but you do have to be willing to put in the effort to figure out what to see and how to get around.

 

Of the ports listed, you could -- with planning -- do a good enough job without taking tours except for Kusadasi (IMO).  There, the best thing going is to go to the ancient site of Ephesus which requires about a 20-30 minute drive and really benefits from a guided tour through the site as there is little signage. You COULD do it yourself with a taxi and a walk-through with a guide book, but I suspect the experience would be much better with a guide. (Could be a private guide, doesn't have to be a ship tour.)

 

Ravenna is very walkable once you get to the city center from the ship (most ships are running a for-cost shuttle back and forth). The mosaics are the thing to see, in about 5 different locations -- read some info in advance online or in a guidebook. If you want to go to Venice, that's a whole 'nuther thing and given that the drive between Ravenna and Venice is close to three hours, it's not really worth it on a single day stay in Ravenna.

 

Split -- simple here, you should be able to walk to the center of

the old town (former palace of a Roman emperor), and you can find a local english walking tour of the remains of the palace, some include the basements.  There's also a small archaeological museum right there as well as plenty of interesting shops and places to have lunch.

 

Dubrovnik -- get off the ship, get to the city via a shuttle or taxi and walk the walls. Plenty of other things to see in the old city as well, just take a wander. 

 

Corfu -- The town is a bit far to walk but there are local buses and taxis at the ready to take you there (some ships have shuttles as well). The town has a Venetian feel to parts of it, other parts look more medieval. Do a little research into what interests you. There are a couple of interesting churches, an icon museum, archaeology museum, and also (outside the town) there's a fort that can be visited.

 

Santorini -- This port can get very crowded and as it is a tender port (with priority tendering on some ships limiting your options), it could also be a place to consider a shorex as you'll likely get to shore sooner and not get caught up in the scrum for the cable car.

 

If you don't take a shorex, you tender to a different place and then you get up to the top of the cliff by either walking up many steps, riding a donkey or taking the cable car if on your own.  You end up in Fira, which is moderately cute, but you want to get to Oia which is almost sickeningly picturesque. There are local buses that run between the two. 

 

There is one other option if you don't take a tour. When you arrive at the bottom of the cliff via tender, there is a boat service that takes passengers around the island by water to a point near Oia. (Then you have to get up the hill to Oia, and you have to take the bus back to Fira once you're done.). If this all sounds like a logistical nightmare -- it is, LOL. Truthfully, it's not that difficult; you just have to plan in advance how you'll manage it.

 

Istanbul -- You can board the local tram from the major street a few blocks from the port; it will take you to the center of old Istanbul (called Sultanahmet), this is where the main sites are -- Haghia Sofya, Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque, the underground Palace Cistern, the Hippodrome and more -- and it is all walkable from where the tram drops you off. There have been lots of posts here (on the "Other Med Ports" forum) on how to do this, I'm sure I've even viewed YouTube posts showing how it's done.

 

Mykonos -- Very easy, the ship will either dock or tender. If it tenders, the tender will take you right into the charming Mykonos Town. If it docks, you can take the inexpensive shuttle bus OR the water taxi for the short distance. Just walk around the town and enjoy the twisty roads, whitewashed buildings, old windmills, etc. It's one of the more low-key stops. Many enjoy a nice Greek lunch in a restaurant that looks out over the water.

 

Athens -- I recommend staying a couple of days here after disembarking. Find a good hotel near the Plaka and the Acropolis, and use a good DIY source (such as Rick Steves) to walk around and see the sites -- the distances are small and many of the streets in the center are pedestrian only.

In Split, how would you get to Klis fortress?  Is it worth exploring?

On 6/19/2022 at 6:23 AM, VMax1700 said:

X80 bus from outside the terminal. Day Return fare €4.10. Bus every 15/20 minutes.

According to the website, the X80 only runs from May to October.  Our cruise is in November.... What does everyone recommend?

On 5/12/2023 at 9:55 AM, DandDM said:

Back on the ship; another great day! The port today is Split, Croatia, the second largest city in the country with 200,000 inhabitants. 

 

This was a 'private' tour organized by someone on our roll call. We had 16 in the group and were very surprised to have a full size tour bus waiting for us!

 

First stop was an old town on a small island called Trogir. We started at an old Church in the central square, and our very competent tour guide explained the history of the tour and surrounding buildings. Four euro got us access to the Church and the bell tower. I climbed that with 200 steep steps and felt it in my thighs!  Great views.  Some photos to follow of Trogir.

Could you have done Split on your own?  I am reading Rick Steve's walking tour and considering doing it on our own 

We are staying in Venice 2 days pre-cruise.  What is the best transportation from Venice to Trieste?

4 hours ago, DandDM said:

Had lunch under the Rialto bridge. Wanted one more pizza before heading home.

 

Looks yummy  Do you remember the name of the restaurant or any that you ate at that you would recommend?

Think I will get a porter!  Lol

14 hours ago, DandDM said:

Got caught in a rain storm so waiting it out under cover. Here are examples of bridges. This is one of the large ones over the Grand canal. 
 

Sample of the smaller bridges connecting the islands. 

 

 

 

also saw this porter going over a bridge. Porters were available at the exit to the people mover and probably at other busy spots. No idea on the cost. 
 

 

and an example of a water taxi. 

 

15 minutes ago, auburngirl said:

Thanks!  I have been on Trip Advisor for several weeks.  I think I may be over thinking it!  I had back surgery February 2022 (Extremely bad rutured disc - but healed now).  I am now extremely careful with my back.  I may just do laundry on the ship.  We are going on the Norwegian Dawn 11/14/23  It is 10 days (all ports - no sea days).  We will stay 2 days pre-cruise in Venice and 2 days post in Istanbul.  It is primarily a  Greek Isles cruise.

You don't have to check them out...but a few I have found through friends or on tripadvisor are:Hotel Saturnia, Hotel Firenze, Hotel a La Commedia, All'Angelo Art Hotel, Hotel Dona Palace

7 minutes ago, auburngirl said:

Thanks!  I have been on Trip Advisor for several weeks.  I think I may be over thinking it!  I had back surgery February 2022 (Extremely bad rutured disc - but healed now).  I am now extremely careful with my back.  I may just do laundry on the ship.  We are going on the Norwegian Dawn 11/14/23  It is 10 days (all ports - no sea days).  We will stay 2 days pre-cruise in Venice and 2 days post in Istanbul.  It is primarily a  Greek Isles cruise.

I had actually contacted Hotel Antiche Figure a few weeks ago and they mentioned that there were porters at the train station that would take our luggage to the hotel for 5 Euros per bag (extremely reasonable).  I was just concerned about the distance to attractions. My to-do list includes the Basilica di San Marco, the Accademia, Doge's Palace, Rialto Bridge and a Gondola Ride.  Hope these are doable in 2 days.  How is the noice at the hotel?

1 minute ago, mapleleaves said:

 

You mention train station and hotel location ..... is that because you will take the train to Trieste?

 

 

Yes  This cruise leaves from Trieste.  Also, we will be flying into Venice.  Thought the train would be more convenient/economical to get from airport.

19 minutes ago, DandDM said:

Timely question - the tour guide today reported that there are over 240 bridges in Venice, and only four don't have stairs! And some of the stairs are pretty brutal. As I reported, my worst experience in Venice was getting from the bus station to the hotel; and I only had a small bag.

 

That said, the train station is right on the Grand canal (below is a photo I just took out my window of it 🙂) If you wanted to stay at the Antiche Figure, it is literally right across from the station. But the hotel isn't very close to St Marco or Rialto, which are busier (more popular?) parts of town. 

 

I'm certainly not an expert after two days, but have seen a lot of water taxis coming and going from the station. I heard they are not cheap (from the tour guide, she didn't give a figure), but I should think that if the hotel you choose is on the Grand Canal or one of the smaller canals, it would not be an issue to take one of those to your hotel. To clarify what a water taxi is, they operate very similar to vehicle taxis at home. You flag one down, tell them where you want to go, then they drive pretty insanely to the destination. Once near the hotel, very possible that the hotel staff will help with the bags from the water taxi. My guess is that most hotels could provide info on cost and access.

 

I've also wandered by some doors that have 'hotel' signs on them, deep down a narrow winding street. Would advise avoiding those unless you get a really good price!

 

I'm here for two more days; if you have a place you are thinking about, I'd be happy to check it out.

 

Cheers,

Thanks!  I have been on Trip Advisor for several weeks.  I think I may be over thinking it!  I had back surgery February 2022 (Extremely bad rutured disc - but healed now).  I am now extremely careful with my back.  I may just do laundry on the ship.  We are going on the Norwegian Dawn 11/14/23  It is 10 days (all ports - no sea days).  We will stay 2 days pre-cruise in Venice and 2 days post in Istanbul.  It is primarily a  Greek Isles cruise.

31 minutes ago, Kathscof said:

Not who you were asking, but there are many "water bus" stops along the grand canal, so you may not have to go over any steps at all depending on where you select your hotel.  If you wanna splurge you can hire your own water taxi I believe that takes you to your hotel or as close as possible.  Venice is not big, so with a water bus pass you can reach practically anywhere.  I would suggest you seek out the neighborhood atmosphere you are wanting or near a location you expect to be spending a lot of time in.  Pack light and you won't have to worry about heavy luggage! (though after taking a carry on with me all over trains in Italy for 2 weeks I wanted to chuck it out the window hahahah)

Will be on a cruise for 2 weeks.  Hard to pack light.  LOL

On 5/14/2023 at 6:12 AM, DandDM said:

Made it to Venice!  Took two hours fifteen minutes with no bathroom stops…. Luckily a 1 euro toilet by the drop off. 
 

Trip from the terminal to hotel was an adventure. Hotel wasn’t far so tried to walk, but after failed attempts, couldn’t figure out how to get out of the bus area!   Ended up paying 1.5 euros for the ‘people mover’. Once off that, just a couple blocks, but up and down over canals. For folks carrying their luggage, a lot of stairs. 
 

was raining pretty solid and sidewalks had standing water - got my shoes soaked and slipped a few times (but didn’t fall!). Hotel is very nice and my room was ready. will post photos later. 
 

Took 45 minutes to get there, should have taken 10 if I knew what I was doing! 

We are dioing this trip for my 60th birthday in November but on Norwegian.  Flying into Venice 2 days pre-cruise.  I have been warned that it is hard to get from train station to hotel due to steps and heavy luggage.  Any tips on transportation to hotel and/or hotels in Venice.  Trying to decide the area of Venice to stay in to see the sights and a hotel that has easy transportation access.  Any advice would be most appreciated.

On 4/2/2023 at 7:28 AM, seltrin said:

We were a group of 4 adults with large luggage’s and carry ones. We took the vaporetto. It wasn’t a problem. After we got off our hotel was a short walk away, so it was easy to roll the luggage. 
The first time we were in Venice, we chose a hotel and did not think of how to get to the hotel as we had relatives picking us up. We did not realize there were so many steps/ bridges to get to the hotel.

We then chose a hotel in Mestre- 10 minute bus ride into Venice- made travelling into Venice so much easier.

This trip, our friend went on Google Earth and mapped the hotel location so we knew it was a quick walk from the vaporetto.

What hotel did you stay at?  Area?

Leaving in 2 weeks. Would love the dailies

ajcspencer@gmail.com

Thanks!

Thank you so much for the reviews!! Going in October from Rome!! 2 days precruise and 1 day post cruise

I had subscribed to the thread and for some reason, I stopped getting the emails. Didn't know you had posted Aruba photos either. Thanks

Sure. I will scan them into pdf format and post a link to the files, along with the Camp Carnival and Circle C schedules. It will probably be a few days before I can get to it, but I will try sooner.

Just checking to see if you have posted these yet. Your photos are getting me really excited about the cruise.