Venice to Barcelona question about tenders

[DianeLikesToTravel]

I'll be on the Venice to Barcelona sailing in September. I'm wondering if tendering was needed at any of the ports. If tendering not needed, how easy/difficult was it to get from the ship to towns? At this point, I am not signed up for any of the ship's excursions and, based on feedback on CC, I probably will not sign up for any of them. Being in the lowly cabin category V1, I can't sign up until I board anyway.

 

As an independent traveler, how difficult was it to exit the ship? If hiring an outside company for tours, will we be able to get off the ship in a timely manner?

 

As long as I'm asking questions, how are people managing with the lack of storage space in the smaller cabins? I bought some suction cup hangers, but that doesn't help with a lack of drawer space. Where are people putting things that can't be hung on a hanger?

 

Thanks to all who have been keeping us updated. Even with all the problems, I'm looking forward to my cruise.

[id4elizabeth]

It's all beginning to be a blur, but I don't remember any tenders on that leg. That's at this point my favorite leg BTW. The MAJOR problems were being solved, it was before the Internet became ridiculous and before the Press Corps and other Special VIPS started parading through. And the ports we're good. So here's what I remember and others can correct me.

 

Venice - on the main island - walk to People Mover - from Roma Square, vaporette into San Marco etc - easy to do on own.

 

Split - easy flat 1/4 mile-ish into town right in front of Diocletian's Palace - Rick Steve's walking tour very easy to follow on own

 

Dubrovnik - too far to walk into town - take free shuttle bus (here was one of my problems with Viking - shuttle was supposed to run continuously, but bus driver sat and read his paper for 30 minutes AFTER we got on bus) - once on shuttle bus easy to do on own - shuttle drops you right at old wall gate

 

Corfu - far walk to town - need to take a port shuttle - once in Corfu town, small town to get around in but not a whole lot there

 

Naples - huge port - not walkable from dock to town - we did Viking tours to Pompeii and Herculaneum so don't know how you'd get to Naples except by taxi but maybe others can tell you more

 

Livorno - HUGE port - glad we weren't boarding here as I'd never be able to find the ship - we went to Pisa & Lucca - not sure what you'd do in Livorno itself

 

Toulon - not a huge walk

 

Monaco - not too far a walk into town at all- Hop-on-Hop-off bus stop very close to ship - easy walk to old part of town on top of hill to Palace - very long walk to Casino area - we did HOHO bus to Casino

 

Barcelona - easy to do on own - take free port shuttle to Columbus Monument at beginning of Los Ramblas - to get to Gaudi sights, try to get tickets online ahead of time - Gaudi sights too far to walk but either public transports or taxis available

 

Hope that helps

[LadyVol1]

Naples is very walkable from the port to town. On that Sunday my husband and I walked all around the part of Naples near the port and wandered its shopping streets that were full of locals. We ate pizza for lunch and then we walked back to the ship before going on the included 3-hour bus tour. The bus tour probably covered 15 miles from the port but there was a lot to see right at the port. There was a fortress or castle, too, right there but we didn't pay to go in it. We could have also paid to go in a theatre to see its architecture but didn't. So, there is lots to do within easy walking distance of the port of Naples if you don't want to buy a tour.

[id4elizabeth]

Exiting ship - forgot to address this

 

As long as you're not tendering and as long as the ship is not late getting into port it's not too bad. You just walk off. If the ship is late getting into port and the tours are late departing, this can become an issue. My advice here is that you just meld into a group that's leaving. I would not put a sign around my neck or otherwise announce "I'm an Independent Traveler" - just kind of go with the group flow. If you ask, you might be held back until the early tours depart, so my advice is not to ask, just walk off with a group.

 

This will probably not be an issue for your cruise, but the worst time I've experienced trying to get off is when they are embarking the Press Corps, Special Visitors or the VIPs. This has been an occasional issue from London and I'm hoping it goes away soon.

 

When the ship gets into port ahead of schedule, as it did today in Aalborg, being an Independent Traveler has meant you actually get off ahead of everyone else.

[DianeLikesToTravel]

Thanks to responding to my question about tenders. It puts my mind to rest.