Jump to content

Granada - Alhambra tour?


LoonCall
 Share

Recommended Posts

Looking over excursions for Barcelona to Lisbon 5/18 and there is no excursion as of yet offered to The Alhambra. The only offering is a transfer from the port to Granada. Anyone have knowledge of whether Regent had a guided excursion in the past?

This would be difficult to put together since you need timed tickets for entrance and have no control over transportation. Seems incomprehensible that no tour is offered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes - this excursion is typically offered by Regent (it is a Regent Choice Excursion with a cost). You may not learn whether or not this is offered until 240 days (or 180 days - depending upon your suite and Seven Seas Society level).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They definitely have offered a Alhambra tour in the past, but if they just offer a transfer to Granada, you could easily do the tour on your own.

That said, it would be a long day. I would probably just stick closer to port and enjoy things there, unless this is your only possibility of seeing the Alhambra, which is wonderful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did a Regent excursion to the Alhambra from Malaga in 2012 or 2013. My possibly faulty memory is that last year Regent did not offer more than transportation to and from Granada.

 

There are private excursions available from Malaga to visit the Alhambra. Go to the Cruise Critic forum for Spain (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=596) and do a search for Alhambra. There's a lot of information about the tours.

 

 

hope this helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are in Malaga on the Voyager in a couple of weeks. When booking excursions on the phone to Southampton, I was told that this trip is no longer offered as the journey is a long one and getting guaranteed group tour tickets to the Alhambra at set times, not flexible was now restricted.

We have been to the Alhambra on a land tour and to do it justice it needs lots of time and along with the journey and heat in summer , make this impractical to offer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is a long drive. But perhaps worth it if you don't mind being independent for the day. Depending on how long you would have while there, it would mean planning your own day, including the timing of entrance to the Alhambra, and getting there and back from the drop-off place (a taxi, I believe?) But it could give you a chance to see Granada, which is charming, and the Alhambra at your own pace. We did private to just the Alhambra, before Regent had included excursions, and there was some stress since coastal traffic coming back to the ship was awful, and although we had budgeted lots of time, it was still tight to get there before sailaway. (Is the Alhambra a timed entrance for individuals, or just for groups? I can't recall.) If you want to just do the Alhambra, there is at least one charming, small restaurant outside the palace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks all for the responses. As flossie pointed out I do see it's available on upcoming itineraries, so I'm hoping it will surface on next year's. Quite a disappointment if it does not. The schedule currently shows 9am-11pm in port so it would be doable on our own but certainly preferable to have Regent manage the logistics.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LoonCall - I do think that it is worth at least checking about some private or small group tours. Although we ended up cancelling the tour, we found some reputable companies that could do the same tour - in less time and for less money than Regent. Even if it were the same cost, not being in a bus load of other passengers would make all of the difference in the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LoonCall - I do think that it is worth at least checking about some private or small group tours. Although we ended up cancelling the tour, we found some reputable companies that could do the same tour - in less time and for less money than Regent. Even if it were the same cost, not being in a bus load of other passengers would make all of the difference in the world.

Will do, thanks TC2.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LoonCall - I do think that it is worth at least checking about some private or small group tours. Although we ended up cancelling the tour, we found some reputable companies that could do the same tour - in less time and for less money than Regent. Even if it were the same cost, not being in a bus load of other passengers would make all of the difference in the world.

TC could you send me the tour groups you'd recommend for this. Wouldn't mind booking something private if you have a suggestion. Thanks in advance

Link to comment
Share on other sites

TC could you send me the tour groups you'd recommend for this. Wouldn't mind booking something private if you have a suggestion. Thanks in advance

Unfortunately TC cannot give you a tour recommendation since Cruise Critic rules only allow such recommendations when you have personally taken the tour. The best thing to do is to go to the Cruise Critic Spain pages and read about the various tours available. (See: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=596)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dave is correct, however we have had recommendations from the TripAdvisor site (a sister company to Cruise Critic) that we have followed through with and were satisfied. This link https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187443-d1857107-r128144771-Spain_Day_Tours-Seville_Province_of_Seville_Andalucia.html takes you to a couple of older excursions but I have heard very good things about this tour company that are much more recent.

 

Note: It does not appear that Spain Day Tours does this tour anymore - nor does Viator (another tour company that we have used). I'm wondering what this means (note: Viator does another Alhambra tour but does not sound as good).

Edited by Travelcat2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did Regent's Alhambra tour last year on our crossing on the Explorer. We didn't want to do it on our own because it's far and if something happened (traffic, accident, etc) we could get back late and miss departure. It was pricey but worth it. We had a nice tour guide on the way and a very good one at Alhambra. After it, we had lunch at a very nice and beautiful restaurant in Granada. It was a long day but worth it. We had not been back to Alhambra for twenty years and it was good to be back. I recommend the Regent cruise. It took a while before they posted it available.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We did Regent's Alhambra tour last year on our crossing on the Explorer. We didn't want to do it on our own because it's far and if something happened (traffic, accident, etc) we could get back late and miss departure. It was pricey but worth it. We had a nice tour guide on the way and a very good one at Alhambra. After it, we had lunch at a very nice and beautiful restaurant in Granada. It was a long day but worth it. We had not been back to Alhambra for twenty years and it was good to be back. I recommend the Regent cruise. It took a while before they posted it available.

Thanks, this gives me more confidence that Regent will offer it. While organizing a private tour on my own is doable I've been on too many tours with late returns to want to risk a missed departure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In 2014 we were on an Oceania cruise and we used Spain Day Tours. They guarentee that they will get you back to the ship on time and they did. It was a fantastic tour and not to be missed, in my opinion. Here are the details:

 

Spain Day Tours

Top-Day-Tours Group

www.SpainDayTours.com

Tel: +34 931 807 009

Fax:+34 933 728 413

Email: info@SpainDayTours.com

 

 

MALAGA TO GRANADA - FULL DAY SHARED TOUR

- Date: September 19, 2014

- Number of visitors: 4 persons

- Pick-Up: Malaga port

- Cruise Ship: Oceania Marina

- Meeting time: 8:15 am – 8:29 am

- Departure from port: 8:30 am

- Drop-off: Malaga port

- Duration of tour: 7-9 hours subject to the actual arrival and departure times of the ship

- Type of tour: small group sharing (touring with only 10-18 persons at the Alhambra complex)

ITINERARY

- Transfer from Malaga port to Granada/Alhambra in an air-conditioned mini-coach or motor-coach bus

- Split into a small group of only 10-18 persons for a guided walking tour at the Alhambracomplex & Generalife Gardens with an English speaking expert guide (2.5-3 hours)

- Orientation and free time in Granada city center (subject to available time)

- Transfer back from Granada to the cruise ship in Malaga

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The distance between all of those ports in the south of Spain are very close. You could always rent a car and drive to Granada to see the sights there. and drive to Ronda to spend the night in a hotel. See that in the morning before the tour buses appear and than pick up the ship in Gilbraltar You should have plenty of time that afternoon to ditch the car at the port and go see Gilbratar. This is my out of the box thinking, but does cost extra money, but will save some time driving from the ports to the sights.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have just been on to the Regent website to book excursions for a cruise calling in to Malaga next April (2018). The paid excursion to Granada & Alhambra is definitely on offer, so there should be the same excursion offered for your cruise in May 2018 :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Just a quick update which may help.

We are on Voyager, in Malaga today. The Granada Alhambra tour (Regent paid excursion) is operating.

 

We met a couple yesterday who had originally booked and paid for the excursion. Then some months ago, Regent cancelled the booking and made a refund. When they boarded Voyager they found the tour was on offer and managed to re-book it.

So it sounds like there has been some confusion with Regent's tour operator earlier this year which has hopefully now been sorted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Flossie, I’m also on Voyager in Malaga now. I was waitlisted initially for the Alhambra tour a few weeks ago. I went ahead and booked a tour with Amex just last week, since it didn’t look like I was getting on the Regent tour. When I boarded, i was told i had been confirmed for the Alhambra tour, which i cancelled.

 

Arriving back from Alhambra tour now, it was excellent. It was also a little cheaper than the Regent one ($179 Regent vs $157 Amex). Also included private mini van transport to and from.

 

 

Now time to rest after all that walking!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Flossie, I’m also on Voyager in Malaga now. I was waitlisted initially for the Alhambra tour a few weeks ago. I went ahead and booked a tour with Amex just last week, since it didn’t look like I was getting on the Regent tour. When I boarded, i was told i had been confirmed for the Alhambra tour, which i cancelled.

 

Arriving back from Alhambra tour now, it was excellent. It was also a little cheaper than the Regent one ($179 Regent vs $157 Amex). Also included private mini van transport to and from.

 

 

Now time to rest after all that walking!

 

In my opinion, going with Amex was a much better choice than Regent -- not so much based on price but being in a mini van rather than with a hoard of other passengers. Hope that the thread starter reads your post.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...