Mediterranean shore excursions

[amp-qld]

We're experienced cruisers but haven't cruised in the Mediterranean before. My question is whether it's practical to get local tours on the quay in ports such as La Spezia, Cannes, Barcelona, Messina and Naples?

[Keith1010]

You are best to make arrangements ahead of time rather than waiting till you arrive to the ports. At the ports, you will largely see taxi drivers.

 

There are many good sources for your research.

 

1. The European Ports of Call Boards which are subdivided by Spain, Italy and France.

2. You Roll Call to see what others on your cruise are doing.

3. Trip Advisor..

 

Keith

[CruiserBruce]

Keith hits all the points dead on.

 

I absolutely would NOT plan on getting tours at the dock.

[Essiesmom]

Get a copy of Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports and see what you can do on your own. EM

[Hlitner]

If you go to Europe expecting to get private tours on the docks, you will be spending much of your trip being left alone on those same docks. Bottom line is that you should arrange private tours in advance, take a cruise line excursion....or just do things on your own.

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

You can sometimes find taxis at the port who are willing to negotiate for a half-day or full-day "tour" of local sites but keep in mind that their English can be very limited (and the supply of them can also be very limited....)

 

Cruising in the Med requires more research and preparation; it's not really advised to "play it by ear" -- having a plan is the best way to go.

 

In some of the places you mention, it's relatively easy to do things using public transportation, but you have to figure out how to get yourself around and also have some information available about what you want to see or do when you get to a port. The Rick Steves guide mentioned above is excellent if you want to do things on your own in at least some of your ports.

[Hlitner]

Finding a taxi can be real hit or miss. A few years ago we tendered into Cannes on one fine morning and 2 couples were talking to us about where they wanted to go for their day. They had agreed to hire a taxi for the day. When we got ashore about 7:30am there was not a single taxi in the tender pier area (this can happen in France). Not sure what those two couples finally did with their day of if they eventually found a willing taxi. About 20 minutes later as DW and were walking through town towards the train station I stopped at a cafe to get a cafe au lait. Outside were about 10 taxis and all the drivers were inside enjoying their coffee, reading their newspapers, and arguing over football (soccer for we Americans). Those drivers could have cared less about potential clients at the tender pier because nothing was going to interfere with their daily rituals. In other ports there will be enough taxis (for those early off the ship) for most folks. But as has been mentioned, most drivers speak little or no English. Many will happily negotiate a rate for a full day (often around 300 Euros) but you will still have to be your own guide once you leave the car.

 

Hank

Edited June 23, 2015 by Hlitner

[southerngirl8]

We're experienced cruisers but haven't cruised in the Mediterranean before. My question is whether it's practical to get local tours on the quay in ports such as La Spezia, Cannes, Barcelona, Messina and Naples?

While some ports are very easy to DIY and no tour guide required, while others a tour is the way to go. One great tour company for your Naples stop is Rome in Limo. But like others have said check our your particular cruise Roll Call to see if someone else has a tour booked you could join.

[amp-qld]

Thanks for the replies. There are a couple (but only a couple) of options on the roll call and I've started planning a couple of public transport days but the main planning starts now. We were supposed to go to Tunis but the second terrorist attack has put an end to that.

[sweetnessinseattle]

We have received a very good quote from Riviera Premium Tours for Private Tour to Nice, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Eze and Cannes. The tour is for 7 hours, for Aug. 24, 2015. Our ship, MSC Divina, is scheduled to arrive in Cannes at 10:30 am on Aug. 24, 2015.

 

The cost is 440 Euro for 7 hours, for 8 passengers, which is 55Euro per person. I currently have 2 people on hold for this reservation. I have 3 people that have expressed interest but have not yet confirmed and will only join if we can fill the 8 passenger maximum. So I need 3 more. Please reply asap so that we can avail of this exceptional price. Their service is rated 5* from Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic. Please let me know asap. Thanks.

[cruisemom42]

We have received a very good quote from Riviera Premium Tours for Private Tour to Nice, Monaco, Monte Carlo, Eze and Cannes. The tour is for 7 hours, for Aug. 24, 2015. Our ship, MSC Divina, is scheduled to arrive in Cannes at 10:30 am on Aug. 24, 2015.

 

The cost is 440 Euro for 7 hours, for 8 passengers, which is 55Euro per person. I currently have 2 people on hold for this reservation. I have 3 people that have expressed interest but have not yet confirmed and will only join if we can fill the 8 passenger maximum. So I need 3 more. Please reply asap so that we can avail of this exceptional price. Their service is rated 5* from Trip Advisor and Cruise Critic. Please let me know asap. Thanks.

 

No offense meant if this is a legitimate post, but I would see red flags if a poster with only two posts (and one of them apparently removed) was seeking others for a tour. :rolleyes: Likely it's a local agent.

 

That matter aside, it's Cruise Critic's policy to only post requests for others to join private tours on one's own roll call.

[Hlitner]

Thanks for the replies. There are a couple (but only a couple) of options on the roll call and I've started planning a couple of public transport days but the main planning starts now. We were supposed to go to Tunis but the second terrorist attack has put an end to that.

 

There are quite a few here on CC (including moi) willing to spend the time posting very specific DIY information on various Med ports. But to get such help you need to post (and use the search) on the appropriate "Ports of Call" boards here on CC.

 

We noticed that you seem to have an upcoming cruise on MSC and this line does not seem to generate the Roll Call volume we have seen on other lines. My hunch is that MSC cruises in Europe tend to attract a very international passenger base, many of whom do not use cruise critic possibly because of language differences.

 

But there is good news for you since all of your ports are well known here on CC and there is a lot of info already available on the Ports of Calls boards (just use Search). One possible complication is that the Divina does have shorted port days in some ports which means you must carefully evaluate the options given the time constraints.

 

Hank

[John Bull]

I suspect that by now my post is superfluous - you will already be aware that the Med ain't the Caribbean or SE Asia or Pacific islands. ;)

 

Yes, there will normally be taxis available. But as well as the hit-and-miss of the driver's language & whether he is (or is even able to be) helpful, the cost of a tour in a taxi hailed at the pier is likely to be eye-watering. They're useful for a short A-to-B, such as to the town centre or rail station but for most Med ports that's about it.

 

Public transport in Europe is excellent. Trains, buses, trams, metro, ferries, ho-ho buses - different solutions for different ports. That's what we've done at virtually every Med port we've visited.

 

Or a pre-booked tour.

Hank's right that MSC cruises (and Brit cruise lines) don't generate the busy & useful RollCalls of American ships.

And a lot of your fellow-cruisers on MSC out of an Italian port will be Italian, Spanish etc.

So the prospects of finding sharers are a bit slim. Rather than booking an expensive private tour for two, your best bet is to trawl the 'net for local operators offering seat-in-bus shared tours, or even consolidators (booking agencies) like Viator or City Discovery or cruisingexcursions.com

 

If there are insufficient English-speakers on ship's tours, MSC (and the other Italian line Costa) often combine English-speakers with other languages & a multi-lingual guide, which can be a bit tiresome. This as well as the other disadvantages of ships' tours that with your experience you'll already know about.

 

This needs a lot more research than I suspect you've found on previous cruises - but it'll be well worth the effort.

 

Have a good one

 

JB :)

Edited July 14, 2015 by John Bull