mapleleaves

have you tried a shared transfer ?

Depending on what you want to see and do in Florence, you probably won't have time for Pisa. Make a list and think about the time you need for each location. 7a-7p may sound like a long port day, but when you factor in getting to the train station at each end and getting back to the ship by 6ish, it's pretty tight. We went to both cities (via train), but our sightseeing needs were quite simple ! In Pisa we just wanted a quick photo opp at the Leaning Tower, and in Florence we only wanted to see the Duomo (outside only) plus tour the Market. So it was very easy to accomplish. This was our day .....we took the train to Pisa Centrale, grabbed a cab to the Square of Miracles where we spent 20-30 minutes, then took a cab back to the Pisa station, and caught a train to Florence. The Duomo and the Market are very close to the Florence SMN station (10-15 minute walk) so we wandered around the Market, did some shopping and had lunch, then walked to the Duomo. Tuscany Bus offers a shuttle to Florence and Pisa, leaving from downtown Livorno. When I looked into it, it was an 8hr day so only 1 hour for pisa and 3 or 4hrs for Florence.

When I was on the Epic 3 yrs ago, shuttle tickets were available from the Excursion Desk. Shuttle info was just a brief line posted in the Daily the day before arriving to Livorno. They charged my cabin. You might try asking on an Epic FBook group for current info.

Were the bear photos in sitka taken at Fortress of the Bears ? Looks like you had a very successful whale watching tour in Juneau.

People mentioned Ostiense because you had a conversation going in the CIVI EXPRESS thread. That train only stops at SPietro and Ostiense. But if you take a regional train in order to leave earlier, Termini would most likely be your stop. I think you will find the process much easier once you're there. Please post a report of your day when you return from the cruise. It will be helpful for those folks still in the planning phase.

If you're on the GEM, it looks like you're the first ship to arrive, with 2 other ships arriving at 7am. So if you get an early tender, you might be ok with the cable car. The other ships leave at 6pm and 8pm, way after your departure, so unless those pax are all returning to the ship for lunch, the cable car line might not be too bad. Personally, I'd choose the NCL Oia tour (in any language) and if that wasn't available I'd take the "speed" boat. At least you'd get to Oia. But be prepared to catch the bus or cab back to Fira with plenty of time for the cable car, just in case the line is long.

I had the same issue last Sept when we stopped in Santorini. I wanted to go to Oia but the excursions were sold out, EXCEPT ' Charming Oia village in Spanish'. In hindsight I should have taken it for the sole purpose of quick and easy access to Oia. Needless to say, I didn't get to Oia. The cable car line took 2 hrs so Fira was it for me. So check on the Spanish speaking Oia tour. At least you'd get to Oia. There were a few blue domed churches in Fira, and some amazing views, but Oia just has more. Tender tickets will be distributed the day prior. I think starting at 8am, but go early. We arrived at 7am; there were lots of people ahead of us so we got tender #3. You can wait in line for the cable cars to Fira I think they start operating at 7a. Google Santorini Port Schedule to see what other ships are in port with you; their arrival and departure times. Maybe you'll be lucky and be the first ship to arrive. If the line is too long, you can walk up the donkey trail. At 7am it shouldn't be too hot. Or you can take one of the boats to Amoudi Bay. I think 25E. They don't have a fixed schedule so hard to know when they start. And they don;t leave until they're full. The boat sat for an hr when we were there. The boat takes you to Amoundi Bay, just below Oia, and they have a shuttle to take you up the hill to Oia, then give you a token for a bus to Fira when you're ready to go back to your ship. With a 2pm departure, you'll need to be mindful of the cable car line. Again, the timing of those other ships will impact the line. Good luck !

You have a similar conversation going in the Civi/Rome Train thread at the top of the page and there were a couple of responses with the subway info. This was eurocruisers response: " get off at Roma Ostiense and follow signs for the Piramide metro station (there is an underground passage). Take the metro, Line B, direction Jonio or Rebibbia, for two stops to Colosseo. " (personally, I took the easy option.... taxi )

Coastal Helicopters, TemscoAir and NorthstarTrekking are the primary vendors for dog sledding. Check their web sites for info then email them for further information. Be sure to get specifics on the timing; how much is travel time, how much time on the sled. It gets weathered out frequently, so people often book Skagway for a back up plan.

I think the NonStop you're referring to is the CIVI EXPRESS, which is basically for cruise pax. It only stops in S Pietro and Ostiense. The big issue for most people is that it only runs once per day in each direction, not allowing for enough time in Rome, or, it doesn't meet their port times. leave Civi 9:07am, arrive Ostiense10:10 (with the 6E bus you depart at 8:40am to catch the 9:07) leave Ostiense 4:30pm , arrive Civi 5:20pm. On the trenitalia site, look at Civitavecchia Porto and Roma Ostiense. Civitavecchia Express: non-stop train dedicated to cruise passengers | Port Mobility Civitavecchia If you want to leave earlier and/or return later, look at the other trains.

I would suggest reading up on the various ports to learn as much as possible about each destination. There are books specific to Med cruises, ie Rick Steves has Med Cruise Ports and Ann Vipond has Med by Cruiseship. Both provide info for each port; the history, attractions, sites, tours, how to get around, and DIY options. Personally I find that Med cruises are port intensive and quite exhausting. I can't imagine doing it with stroller and/or carrying a toddler. Especially in the big cities like Rome or Florence where not only are you dealing with crowds but an hour commute getting there from the port. Maybe board in a large city but find an itinerary with more smaller ports like Mykonos, Kotor, Dubrovnik where you dock in town or 10 minutes away. This is where the guide books will help you. There was an interesting family cruise report on the RCI board recently. She hasn't finished it and hopefully will return for the rest. But she had an interesting idea ..... bring a nanny. Good luck with your research. I'm sure you'll find a great itinerary to meet your family's needs. Enchantment of the Seas: Western Med Cruise. June 2nd-June 12th-Pre/Post Cruise trip report - Page 2 - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic Community

I would have gladly paid 6E for a bus to Civi station! well worth it for the time and convenience of ship to Civi station. It's a new option this yr so it wasn't available for us. But if you don't want to pay the 6E, you can do what we did; take the free shuttle to the port entrance then catch a city bus to Civi station for a euro or 2. We ended our day at the Colosseum. Took a cab to the Ostiense station. $10-$15, maybe 10 minutes.. I'm sure we could have found a bus or subway, but again, the time and convenience were important. Plus the comfort! We took 2 or 3 cabs that day, well worthwhile.

We were on the Civi Express. I bought RT Ostiense tickets at the convenience store by the Civi RR station. Ostiense being the furthest stop, I figured we were covered for anything in between. We got off at S Pietro; boarded at Ostiense for the return. The 4 of us sat together both directions. I don't recall it being crowded TO Rome, but I remember there less than a dozen people in our carriage on the return to Civi. (the Regional trains can be packed as they just keep selling tickets, so if you travel during 'commuting times, there may be no seats available. The Civi Express tickets are monitored )

Looks like a water taxi would be close to 100E. Select 'On Line Ticket' for estimate, and add 20E. Booking Water Taxi in Venice is Now Easy - Consorzio Motoscafi Venezia There is an Alilaguna stop at Tronchetto. The blue line goes there from St Marks hourly. Looks to be 8Epp. . Blue Line Timetable | Alilaguna

Hope you see more activity there ! BTW, we did Rome DIY by train. Took the train to SPietro (the Vatican stop), then did a combo of walking and taxis to get around to everything we wanted to see. No time to go inside the sites tho. For the return trip we left from Ostiense. We were a group of 4 who had never travelled together so were unsure how fast we'd move in the morning, therefore we didn't buy the train tickets in advance. We bought them at the little convenience store next to the Civi train station.

Sorry to hear about the condition of your knee. Ouch. That's a lot of surgeries. I'd be very tempted to go for the Oia and Fira combo, but, I understand that you'll have to deal with the steps to the cable car on the return trip, and you're worried about your knee. That's a tough one. Is it refundable if you book now but cancel a few weeks beforehand if your knee isn't up to it? The benefit of going in Feb is that you won't be dealing with the crush of people on the stairs; you can easily take your time and hold onto the railing for support.

Have you tried F book? There will be a group called 'Royal caribbean symphony of the seas', which is public and a few more that are private. It's easy to join these groups. You'll find an equivalent to the cruisecritic roll call which is also easy to join. On our cruise last Sept, the Fbook group was way more active and informative than CC RollCall. Plus pax who had just returned were still posting with their recent experiences which was very helpful.

Well, the good news is.... you're the only ship in port ! (at this point anyway) I'd suggest looking at tripadvisor to see if any locals are on the Santorini forum. (not too many cruisecritic people will have visited during the winter so tripadvisor might have more info) I looked at it briefly; not too much activity when I did a search for "february". The indication is that 95% of shops and restaurants are closed, and the bus schedule is very poor. But this video is quite informative re: winter in Santorini. Santorini in the WINTER (November to March) : worth going ? - YouTube Not to be nosey, but are you having knee replacement surgery? I had mine done 2 months before a Med cruise; walked around Rome and Florence with the best of them! Hopefully your surgery will go as smoothly as mine.

How long is this tour? Just wondering if you could squeeze in a visit to Oia. I was so disappointed that we didn't get to Oia during our stop in Santorini. The photo opps in Fira were good, but it seemed that there were many more opportunities in Oia. Other than at the cable cars, I don't recall many steps as we walked around Fira. Perhaps a location or 2 that required 3-4 steps, but nothing major.

Rest up before your cruise! Med cruises are port intensive and exhausting, but wonderful. Check your ship's roll call to see if there's any activity with your fellow pax. Often you'll find pax who've visited one or all the ports before and can offer advice. Check on fBook as well; sometimes those cruiseline groups are more active.

no. It would be a frightening job to monitor elevator access, given how long people stand in those lines and how short their tempers become !

The $25 charge is for a RT transfer. I don't recall a long wait for a bus on the return. Seemed pretty seamless. Our port time was 7-7 (Epic). We first stopped in Pisa for a quick photo opp. (to maximize our time, we took a cab from the train station to the Leaning Tower, and again when we ret'd to the station). Then we went to Florence. I don't recall the exact time of the train, but probably somewhere around 4ish as the onboard time was 6:30p. (we used the CIVI Express train in Rome, and were pleasantly surprised at how few pax were on board)

Yes, there are stairs to access the cable cars, whether you're going up or down .

IIRC Celebrity is the only cruiseline with an excursion that doesn't return via the cable car. It's not just the number of ships in port with you, but also their arrival/departure times and number of pax that will impact your return. ie if your ship leaves at 21:00 and another leaves at 22:00, the cable car line will probably be long because 5-6000 pax are all leaving around the same time.

Our ship's scheduled arrival time was 1:30pm. We were off the ship shortly after that. The tender ride was longer than I expected, maybe 15-20 minutes b so 2pm-ish when we disembarked. Immediately got in the cable car line. Got to Fira at 4pm. I assume so. We noticed 2 tender boats in the distance that were going in a different direction to us. IIRC, Santorini is a port where NCL can't use it's own tenders. They must use Santorini staff and boats. All part of the game I suppose. The same game that requires 99% of cruise pax to return via the cable car.