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1st time cruisers - 12 day Grand Med (Regal)

Aussie@Sea

By Aussie@Sea,
in Princess Cruises

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VanCanKroozer

VanCanKroozer

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Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is a MUST DO, both inside and outside. In Barcelona I found a tour company that picked us up from the port with our luggage, did a 4 hour tour and then dropped us at the hotel with our luggage, so a great service and would definitely recommend it. The tour gave you your city bearings, plus ticked a few of the must see sights, and also allowed us to get good info from the tour leader about what we must see/do while in Barcelona, and it wasn't much more expensive than a taxi, and as you are off the boat very early in the morning, it fills in your first morning with your luggage. Get your tickets for Sagrada online before you leave home, the queue was miles long the day we went, it is beyond awesome inside.

Pat

 

Hi Pat, just wondering if you have the info on this tour company? We are on the same cruise as the OP and disembark in Barcelona really early.

 

Thanks!

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Aussie@Sea

Aussie@Sea

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We arrive on my birthday (hooray) and have early check in privliges with Hilton so we've arranged to relax that day and do a long lunch and shopping. Then we have the basketball World Cup semi final that night. The next day we've arranged the HOHO and just purchased our Sagrada Familia tickets online (thanks everyone!)

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HRPro

HRPro

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You won't regret getting tickets to see La Sagrada Familia--it's spectacular and unique from any cathedral I've seen! You'll be so glad you decided to go inside. I haven't climbed one of the towers, but I hope to do so the next time we're in Barcelona. Don't miss Parc Guell--spectacular Gaudi architecture and design and fabulous views.

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downsmead

downsmead

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Hi

We did the Med cruise (in reverse to yours I think) in July on the Regal Princess. Looking back, it was an itinerary to die for :D. When I got back and told people the places we had called into and visited, they were amazed - Barcelona, we stayed on board in Toulon, Pisa (many also visited Florence as well), Rome, Pompei (or Capri / Sorrento / Amalfi coast), Mykonos, Istanbul, Kudasi (for Ephesus - not to be missed), Athens and Venice. I know you are calling into Dubrovnik instead, but either way, we felt it was almost a trip of a lifetime.

We had visited Barcelona previously but still made sure we had an extra couple of nights there as there is so much to see. Do go inside the Sagrada Famila, you will miss so much by not doing so. The Parc Guell is also worth a visit, as are the other Gaudi buildings.

We did private tours for Rome, Athens and Ephesus. We took local transport to Pisa and Pompei (the walk through Naples to the train station was great fun, many shops with great bargains:)). Wandered around Mykonos and Istanbul, having taken the ship shuttle to the towns.

Don't miss the sail out of Venice, our sail into Venice was one of the higlights and you see sights that you just don't get any other way. One of my great regrets was that I wanted to get a picture of the Regal sailing out of Venice (we stayed in the city for a few days after the cruise) but we missed her sailing by an hour :( and I saw her in the distance from the top of the Campanile.

If you have a look on the Princess Patters thread, I have just posted our Princess Patters from our cruise which will give you an idea of what is to come.

Have a great cruise, we loved it at the time, and as I said, it was only when we came back that we realised what a special itinerary we had experienced.

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Colo Cruiser

Colo Cruiser

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Hi

We did the Med cruise (in reverse to yours I think) in July on the Regal Princess. Looking back, it was an itinerary to die for :D. When I got back and told people the places we had called into and visited, they were amazed - Barcelona, we stayed on board in Toulon, Pisa (many also visited Florence as well), Rome, Pompei (or Capri / Sorrento / Amalfi coast), Mykonos, Istanbul, Kudasi (for Ephesus - not to be missed), Athens and Venice. I know you are calling into Dubrovnik instead, but either way, we felt it was almost a trip of a lifetime.

We had visited Barcelona previously but still made sure we had an extra couple of nights there as there is so much to see. Do go inside the Sagrada Famila, you will miss so much by not doing so. The Parc Guell is also worth a visit, as are the other Gaudi buildings.

We did private tours for Rome, Athens and Ephesus. We took local transport to Pisa and Pompei (the walk through Naples to the train station was great fun, many shops with great bargains:)). Wandered around Mykonos and Istanbul, having taken the ship shuttle to the towns.

Don't miss the sail out of Venice, our sail into Venice was one of the higlights and you see sights that you just don't get any other way. One of my great regrets was that I wanted to get a picture of the Regal sailing out of Venice (we stayed in the city for a few days after the cruise) but we missed her sailing by an hour :( and I saw her in the distance from the top of the Campanile.

If you have a look on the Princess Patters thread, I have just posted our Princess Patters from our cruise which will give you an idea of what is to come.

Have a great cruise, we loved it at the time, and as I said, it was only when we came back that we realised what a special itinerary we had experienced.

 

 

Never mind I saw that you just posted them !

Edited by Colo Cruiser
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BrandiGreg

BrandiGreg

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We spend our port day in Naples getting on the hydrofoil to Capri, took a boat to the Blue Grotto, then took hydrofoil to Sorrento, then train to Pompeii, then train to Naples station where we walked to the ship. Pompeii would, to me, be the must-see of any Naples stop. In Barcelona, we enjoyed a free tour (guide accepts tips though) for a couple hours of the old part of town. I think this was thru UrbanAdventures. Venice is our favorite city in the world, easy to do on your own, safe, and you can't get lost. Mykanos is easy on foot as well, and not that far of a walk from the dock. Have fun!

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G&T Cruisers

G&T Cruisers

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We just did this cruise and we were very happy with the ship and the cruise tours that we booked,we felt it was a safe way to go knowing that the ship would not leave without us.We did do some ports on our own and one with a private tour company(which was very disappointing)and we used Rich Steve's Mediterranean cruise ports book which was very helpful.This is a full itinerary and will have you tired by the end of each day but it is so worth it.:D Enjoy.

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UpcountryTravelers

UpcountryTravelers

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Hi Aussie@Sea..again!!

 

If you are wine drinkers, you might like Vines on board ship.

 

It took a few cruises to find out about Vines. Vines Bar is usually Plaza Deck near the Piazza (Atrium) You can do wine flights or individual glasses of wine and also be served tapas (not sure if sushi is always served). If you purchase a bottle of wine you can leave it at Vines and return when ever. There is usually music or "something" going on in the Piazza for entertainment.

 

Also during the cruise, at Vines, there is a Stammtisch. An informal gathering. The wine steward at Vines will give a wine tasting (whites, reds, or champagne) and a "lesson" or "talk" about the wines involved. Tapas is served, but with champagne it is Godiva chocolates!! Only 10/12 people at a time and only 3 or 4 times during the cruise. You sign up at the Vines for any one you are interested in. Remember limited seating. Cost abt $20pp.

 

It took a few cruises before we found out about Vines and now after a dozen Princess cruises, we can be found there frequently. We did three Stammtisch on our Grand Med Cruise :)

 

EXCELLENT advice. We did the Stammtisch on the royal Princess last year and will definitely do it again on the Regal later this month! See you there (we're on the same cruise as you)!

Edited by UpcountryTravelers
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traveling1969

traveling1969

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Mykonos is a definite stroll and get lost kind of place; each street more interesting than the next.

 

For our first time in Naples, we caught the bus to the Circumvesuviana train station then bought day tickets. Hopped off at Pompeii, toured the ruins, hopped back on the train and stopped in Sorrento for lunch and shopping then took the train back to Naples. Could have stopped at Herculaneum on the way back but didn't want to push it.

 

Your plan for Naples sounds good too. It's nice to be able to wander without a plan and Naples has a lot to offer. Do be careful though. Some neighborhoods can be a bit rough.

 

Ours was a bit more demanding but we wanted to see as much as we could and still stay on budget. The ship's tours did as much but were way more expensive.

 

Whatever you decide, have a great cruise and a great vacation.

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Geoffa30

Geoffa30

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My partner and I will be on the same cruise and it will also be our first. Cannot wait. 17 days to go. Will be staying in Barcelona for 5 days post cruise. Have been reading Cruise Critic everyday since the day that we booked and have since booked a further two cruises. So hope that we like this one. Definitely looks like we will based on the posts in this thread :D

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BRANDEE

BRANDEE

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My partner and I will be on the same cruise and it will also be our first. Cannot wait. 17 days to go. Will be staying in Barcelona for 5 days post cruise. Have been reading Cruise Critic everyday since the day that we booked and have since booked a further two cruises. So hope that we like this one. Definitely looks like we will based on the posts in this thread :D

 

Hi Geoffa30...If you are looking for some rest and relaxation after touring Barcelona, we spent an morning at the beach. We went to the beach in Barceloneta right next to Port Olimpic. It was very clean, had facilities and places to sit and have lunch. We took a taxi from our hotel in L'Eixample. It cost about 10 Euros for four. We had no problem getting a return ride at the beach. We loved Barcelona!

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p0240

p0240

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Hi Pat, just wondering if you have the info on this tour company? We are on the same cruise as the OP and disembark in Barcelona really early.

 

Thanks!

 

Hi VanCanKroozer

I used Barcelona Day Tours for this half day city tour, which collected us from the port, did 4 hr city tour and dropped us off at our hotel. I booked them, and then put it on cc and others joined in, which brought the cost down. We had 10 people in the end, a few groups all staying at different hotels which was not an issue. They were waiting outside the port when we arrived in a big coach, placed all our luggage in a locked area, and had amazing tour guide who gave us heaps of helpful tips for our few days in Barcelona. Fantastic, would really recommend it. http://www.barcelonadaytours.com there website has heaps of info. They responded quickly on email, and we had to pay deposit and balance in cash on the tour.

Travel safe and enjoy

Pat

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skrodle

skrodle

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just want to throw in my 2 cents on your cruise...

 

we did this one 4 years ago and was amazing. In Naples, since you are on your own, we did the same. Its a very short walk to the train station, we googled the information and found a great resource online that showed us how to get there (train station) picture by picture actually... took the train to Pompeii and Herculaneum, if you do not want to do Pompeii, definitely do Herculaneum, its much closer of a train ride and much smaller than Pompeii but so much better preserved and the history there is fantastic....

 

for Dubrovnik, we did the cruise tour of the Jeep 4x4 tour, and if this is still an option.. BOOK IT!!!! They take you out about 50 km into the Croatian countryside, you learn all about the war, see bombed out houses, great views of the Adriatic, and you end up at this olive farm that has been in operation for 500 years where the family cooks and serves you lunch. 8 cruises and tons of ports, this had been my favorite port and excursion by far....

 

have an awesome cruise!!!

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MessyCat

MessyCat

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Venice - we love & have got lost many times. Very busy. We get the People Mover (close by) for a few euros which takes you to a quiet part and then a longish walk to St Marks'.

 

Windy Mykonos we love. We normally get the pay for shuttle to the centre as road busy & narrow but lots of lovely winding streets & boutiques!

 

Dubrovnik - absolutely great for a wander round. Trips on your next time.

 

Naples - easy walk into centre. Be careful with your belongings. Again we love it but different from other ports. The Galleria has expensive shops but a lovely cake shop (if you can manage to eat anything else)

 

Livorno - The half day exc to Lucca is very enjoyable. Beautiful town.

 

The ship will wait for any delayed exc (travel hold ups etc) but not other passengers. We ensure that we are on ship's time and get back in plenty of time.

 

Envious - we had to cancel our Regal & Emerald cruises for personal reasons. So enjoy & don't miss the entertainment in the ship's Piazza.

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Colo Cruiser

Colo Cruiser

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for Dubrovnik, we did the cruise tour of the Jeep 4x4 tour, and if this is still an option.. BOOK IT!!!! They take you out about 50 km into the Croatian countryside, you learn all about the war, see bombed out houses, great views of the Adriatic, and you end up at this olive farm that has been in operation for 500 years where the family cooks and serves you lunch. 8 cruises and tons of ports, this had been my favorite port and excursion by far....

 

What was this tour called? Just looked at the 8 that are available for our cruise and I don't see a jeep tour.

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