Excursions or no in Greece/Turkey/Croatia?

[ladavis88@hotmail.com]

My husband and I will be sailing on the Rhapsody of the Seas in September 2016 (5th-16th). This will be our first ever cruise, celebrating our 25th Anniversary. We leave from Venice, and will be in the following ports: Katakolon, Chania, Athens, Thessaloniki, Ephesus, Rhodes, Dubrovnik, and Venice. We have been looking at the excursions that Royal Caribbean offers, and trying to decide which ones we want to book, and which places we think we would enjoy exploring on our own. We have no idea how close to town the ship will dock in each place, so we don't know which places self exploration would be most feasible. I think the only thing we have decided so far is that we will take the excursion in Athens. I would love to get some input from prior travelers to see which locations are an excursion "must", or which ones are a waste of money/time.

[peteukmcr]

My husband and I will be sailing on the Rhapsody of the Seas in September 2016 (5th-16th). This will be our first ever cruise, celebrating our 25th Anniversary. We leave from Venice, and will be in the following ports: Katakolon, Chania, Athens, Thessaloniki, Ephesus, Rhodes, Dubrovnik, and Venice. We have been looking at the excursions that Royal Caribbean offers, and trying to decide which ones we want to book, and which places we think we would enjoy exploring on our own. We have no idea how close to town the ship will dock in each place, so we don't know which places self exploration would be most feasible. I think the only thing we have decided so far is that we will take the excursion in Athens. I would love to get some input from prior travelers to see which locations are an excursion "must", or which ones are a waste of money/time.

The ship should dock near one of the entrances to Rhodes old town and so you can easily walk around exploring the town. Katakolon is a very small town and again very easy to explore.

[peteukmcr]

 

Having lunch in Katakolon

 

 

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[Miryam1234]

Kusadasi/Efesos the ship docks right into the city of Kusadasi. Efesos ruins are abt 30 mins drive from the city. They are worth seeing!

Karakolon city is a little village with nothing much to see. Just 3 parallel streets. People take train trip to ancient Olympos ruins. We just went for a beer (read free wifi for our teenager) and returned to the ship to enjoy the sun.

Dubrovnik city is abt 10 mins cab drive from the port. Take a walking tour on the city walls and anjoy the scenery.

[peteukmcr]

 

 

Old Rhodes Town

 

 

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[ladavis88@hotmail.com]

Thank you! How about the gondola rides in Venice? Our flight to Venice lands around 7:30 am, but the ship doesn't leave until 5:00 pm. Would we have time to drop our luggage at the pier and venture out for a few hours before needing to check in on the ship? And would it be fairly easy to find an available gondola ride without prebooking something? The ship pulls in to port on the 15th at 3:00pm, but we don't disembark until the following morning. Does that mean we will be allowed to get off the ship in Venice for the evening? Sorry for so many questions....

[epixx]

Can you change your arrival date? You leave yourself little time to adjust for flight irregularities if you arrive the day of cruise departure. I suggest arriving at least one day before the cruise departs. Do you have a backup plan to get to the first port if you miss embarkation in Venice?

[ladavis88@hotmail.com]

We went with what the travel agent arranged, and the flights have already been paid for, so I guess we're stuck if something happens. I'll mention the concern with my agent when I talk with her again and find out what our plan would be if we have a flight delay.

[Wanderista]

I have done extensive travel in Croatia.

 

Dubrovnik is very easy to get around in. I remember seeing the cruise ships. If you do need a taxi into the Old Town, it is no big deal. It's a very touristy city and once you get to the gates of the old town, it is very walkable. Be prepared to climb a lot of stairs but you can easily get around on your own, maybe with a good guide book/map.

 

Walking around the tops of the city walls is very cool. There's a main street called Stradun. There are many restaurants and cafes on the streets, all generally very good. I actually had "Mexican"-inspired food there that was very tasty. Coastal Croatia/Dalmatia is known for a lot of seafood, so things like grilled fish with lemon and olive oil are delicious and common. Calamari is common. There's black cuttlefish risotto which is a local delicacy. The local region makes some good wines as well. Expect also to see pastas like tagliatelle which will just be called "green noodles" in an English translation. Oh, Croatians eat a lot of pizza too. There was a local beef dish called Pasticada if someone would rather not have seafood.

 

I really liked the Rector's Palace. I have also ridden the cable car which is cool too. I did this in the evening when they played jazz music. As an alternative, I remember finding a cafe/bar that was built into the city walls as well with a cool view. I went to Cathedral of the Assumption too. There's a nice view of the old city from its steps. I remember eating at the restaurant that is out in front of the main gates too. I don't have any bad memories.

 

I have been to some of the surrounding area but that's a good idea of the city itself.

[Wanderista]

I should add that I myself got to Dubrovnik by a Croatian ferry from the islands/Split so I docked at the pier and I remember walking easily. I think the cruise ships must dock around the same area. If you needed a cab though, it wouldn't be difficult. I have taken a lot of cabs in Croatia with no bad experiences.

[JZ1018]

Have you checked out the Euro ports section on this forum? They have many examples of non-RCL excursions that can be a lot cheaper and cover more things. Also, they can give you ideas on what to do on your own. Trip Advisor does many reviews of excursions on there web site that might give you some ideas too. Do some research. It can be a lot of fun and in the end, save you some money and be more rewarding.

[alfaeric]

On the eastern European port section, I posted a port review of our Rhapsody trip last September.

 

Ephesus, Turkey is not something to miss for any reason if you enjoy history at all. This is a site that was basically abandoned instead of built on over and over again. So while there are ruins like Rome and Athens- the parts were never recycled into new stuff- so it's all still there, and being rebuilt (slowly). If you just want to see one thing on the trip, this is it. And you could even limit Kushadasi to that highlight, too. It's that significant. We found a private tour for this stop.

 

In Katakolon- seeing Olympus is also a major highlight. You can run on the ancient track! Just oozing with history. For here- we got an RCI tour, which did Olympus and a winery. Very fun tour.

 

As suggested- since there are a lot of people sailing to the eastern Med- it's a good idea to go to that area to read up. Lots of people going, but few on Royal Caribbean.

[blueblock]

I have been to all of those ports except Thessaloniki and Rhodes, and all can be done without purchasing an RC tour. I do recommend purchasing a tour in Ephesus to see the ruins (and the terrace houses), but you will get a better price and a smaller group if you gather a crowd from your Roll Call and arrange a private tour with one of the many tour companies in the area. It is easy to get from Katakalon to Olympia on the train. In Athens, you can take the Metro into town or the hop on / hop off bus. And in Chania, Royal will probably provide a shuttle bus into town.

[fragilek]

there is a local bus from the port to the beautiful town of chania- It waits at the terminal and runs every 15-30mins all day - It was only a few euros return

[LeeW]

Athens is actually walkable. The ship will dock in an industrial area southwest of town. Walk along the water until you see a pedestrian overpass, maybe a half mile. The overpass goes to the metro station. Take the metro into town (about 6 stops). You can get an Athens transport card that is good for buses and the metro (but not to the airport) for 4.5 euros for 24 hours. Can buy this at the metro station machine. There is a bus that runs along the waterfront as well - we took that back from the metro to the ship. The shopping area along the west side of the Acropolis is a good place, plus the museum and of course the Parthenon itself.

 

Make sure you do your research for all the ports - have some kind of map and mark it where you want to go.

[jagsfan]

You will be able to catch a Vaporetto from close to the ship to see something of Venice. I'd check in and leave everything in the cabin. When you get back, Vaporetto it again to see Venice at night. Lots of gondolas by St Marks.

Dubrovnik is charming with very friendly people. If you're there on market day, the square will be filled with vendors. The city wall is not to be missed. You may have to ask someone how to get up on it. I loved visiting ancient Olympia. Walking the field where they competed was unforgettable, and there is a museum full of artifacts that were unearthed.

Ephesus is not to be missed. We used a private guide, so we were not hindered by getting on and off a motor coach and walking in a crowd. I never thought I would see where Paul spoke to the Ephesians.

Piraeus is where the ship docks for Athens. The metro takes you right into the middle of everything. The Acropolis is a little steep but for a short distance. The Plaka is a wonderful shopping and dining area.

Like others advised, get active on your Roll Call and see what others are planning. Trip Advisor is a good source for recommendations as is the European ports section on CC.

Do talk to your travel agent about flying a day early. If you are booked through Royal, you might be able to change. If you can't change it, relax and don't worry about it. Your chances of catching up with the ship if you miss it are excellent.

 

 

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[9876]

What a great trip. We did some of those stops on Splendour of the Seas a few years ago.

 

A trip to Ephesus from Kusadasi Turkey is not to be missed. When I first saw that I did not understand why it would be stop until I started researching. You can also go to the Virgin Mary's House too. Do as much as you can but do book independently. Do your research. There are many private tour companies. Just make sure you tell them you do not want to go shopping or to the carpet markets (unless you want to) as they will try to get you to do that. I was persistent with our tour guide and it worked out.

 

For Athens you can take the Metro or Hop on Hop off Bus.

 

Katakalon is the gateway to get to the birthplace of the Olympics. Very cool. There were a lot of options once you get off the ship if you want to go there so no need to prebook. Again, worth the trip and not too expensive.

 

Our ship had transportation from the dock to the city center in Dubrovonik. It was maybe five dollars. Well worth it and very easy to do yourself.

 

Venice is also very easy to do by yourself. Take the people mover in and you are there! Just make sure to allow time to get yourself back. The alley's are very confusing and you could be lost for hours! While that is one of the enchanting things I find about the city it can be challenging.

 

Finally, Rick Steve's has a Mediterranean Cruise Guide that I used and enjoyed a lot on that trip. You might want to check it out. I just tore out the cities that we were going to and brought those with me. He also has some free audio guides for some of the locations you will be visiting.

 

HAVE FUN!!!!!

[themob]

Thank you! How about the gondola rides in Venice? Our flight to Venice lands around 7:30 am, but the ship doesn't leave until 5:00 pm. Would we have time to drop our luggage at the pier and venture out for a few hours before needing to check in on the ship? And would it be fairly easy to find an available gondola ride without prebooking something? The ship pulls in to port on the 15th at 3:00pm, but we don't disembark until the following morning. Does that mean we will be allowed to get off the ship in Venice for the evening? Sorry for so many questions....

You probably will not be able to board ship til around noon,not sure the earliest you can drop off luggage,no need to prebook gondola ride.Yes you can leave ship on the 15th and spend the evening in Venice.I recommend looking at visitorsforvenice.com, has a lot of great info for your cruise.You should consider arriving a day early and spend the night in Venice.I will be glad to help you,been on a cruise from Venice,themob49@gmail.com is my email address,I will be doing almost same cruise in July from VCE and can give you info on tours

Edited April 4, 2016 by themob

[asharp319]

I went to Dobrovnik a few years ago on Princess and booked a morning excursion to an oyster farm through the ship. It remains one of my favorite excursions of all time. The farm was in a beautiful lake and they took us out on a small boat and fed us oysters straight from the lake. They also fed us a platter of fresh seafood on the shore. When they dropped us back at the boat we caught the shuttle and walked around the old town for a few hours.

 

 

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