NCL Epic Shore Excursions -- WHICH ARE THE BEST??

[SouthernUSAGal]

Hello all. This is our first time out of the country on a cruise. I really need advice on which shore excursions are a must, preferably through the cruise line, and which ports you would recommend not doing an excursion.  There are just too many to pick from, and they seem to have limited reviews posted online. 

Any advice/recommendation would be appreciated.  Thank you!

Below is our itinerary:

[DCGuy64]

26 minutes ago, SouthernUSAGal said:

Hello all. This is our first time out of the country on a cruise. I really need advice on which shore excursions are a must, preferably through the cruise line, and which ports you would recommend not doing an excursion.  There are just too many to pick from, and they seem to have limited reviews posted online. 

Any advice/recommendation would be appreciated.  Thank you!

Below is our itinerary:

We did a very similar itinerary last November on the Breakaway. When is your cruise, BTW? We ended up having to skip Athens and Livorno due to bad weather, so just keep in mind that rough seas might come into play (there were lines of furious passengers at Guest Services). We did an excellent excursion in Malta that featured ancient ruins, which my wife is a huge fan of. I can't comment on the other ports, since either we missed them or we had privately-booked excursions instead. Have a great cruise!

[1025cruise]

Best? That's a personal thing. What's best for me might not be best for you.

[Nola26]

We did the small group tour in Naples, Almafi coast including Positano, big excursion does not go there.

 

Florence Pisa - tour of the leaning statue area and on our own in Florence. In Florence the guide walked us to the meet up location, providing narration along the way. We loved having an afternoon on our own in Florence. We shopped, dined at an outdoor cafe (pizza and pasta) and saw some landmarks: David outdoor statue, etc. Fun Fact there's a tiny glove shop in Florence, just off one end of the bridge filled with jewelry shops. The shop is over 100 years old with a great selection of leather gloves that they will fit to your hands. Prices were very fair.

 

 

[Joanne G.]

There is no “best” excursion in any port. We all have different interests, budgets, and energy levels.   But I’ll share what a friend and I did in some of the ports you’ll be visiting. We were on Celebrity, but it’s likely NCL will offer similar excursions.  

 

We explored Mykonos without an excursion. We just walked around the main town, shopped, had lunch in a waterfront restaurant, and had wine later in another waterfront restaurant.   A relaxing day.  But if I visit again, I think I would take an excursion to Delos.  
 

For Naples, our travel agent told us not to miss the Amalfi coast, and my friend wanted to see Pompeii. So we picked a long, full day excursion that went to both places. It was a memorable, if somewhat tiring, day.  Lunch at a lovely restaurant on the coast was included.

 

Santorini can be challenging, due to the tendering and the potential overcrowding if several ships are in port.  We took an enjoyable excursion to Oia and a winery, and it ended in Fira with time on our own before returning to the ship, taking the cable car down to the tender dock.  We had no problem as our ship was the only one in port that day.  Based on recent reports with multiple ships in port, the wait for the cable cars can be very long.  Read up a lot on this port before deciding on what to do.

 

From Messina, we took an excursion to Taormina that was transportation only, and we had several hours on our own to walk around the very picturesque town.  
 

Check out the ports of call boards and ask questions there.  Do some research beyond Cruise Critic, such as the Rick Steves Guide to Mediterranean ports. He usually promotes making individual plans rather than ship excursions, but his guidebooks have useful information about the main attractions that can help you decide what looks most interesting to you.  NCL likely offers excursions to the most popular sites in all the ports.  General guidebooks, meaning not cruise related, can also provide good information.  I check out everything my local library has on places I plan to visit.  
 

I can’t help with the other ports.  Have a great cruise, and do plan on some time in Rome before or after.  

Edited February 1 by Joanne G.

[hoopslover]

On 1/30/2024 at 12:47 PM, DCGuy64 said:

We did a very similar itinerary last November on the Breakaway. When is your cruise, BTW? We ended up having to skip Athens and Livorno due to bad weather, so just keep in mind that rough seas might come into play (there were lines of furious passengers at Guest Services). We did an excellent excursion in Malta that featured ancient ruins, which my wife is a huge fan of. I can't comment on the other ports, since either we missed them or we had privately-booked excursions instead. Have a great cruise!

Did you book the ancient ruins through NCL?  It is not being offered on our cruise as our port times are 1-10 pm.  If you booked private could you please share who you used.  My husband really wants to see the ruins on Malta.  The ones on Viator leave too early for our port times.  Thanks for any help.

 

[Pookie2u]

I sailed the Epic in October and had some of those ports.  It was the most amazing trip and honestly there is so much to do you almost can't go wrong.  They know how to tour in Europe and you will see the most amazing sights... sigh....

Oh yes, so I booked a mix of ship tours and a small group company called ItalyTours.EU. 

 

Corfu - My favorite, it really took me by surprise.  I booked my tour with NCL - Timeless Villages and Scenic Drive as a random pick because I was overwhelmed making decisions.  It was nice and relaxed bus ride with a great story teller of a tour guide.  We stopped for the most amazing fresh food at a family restaurant - I think called The Old School and we were served family style by a real family including a young boy who was so smart and so kind, teaching us about Corfu traditions.  It poured rain but the island was so charming.  I so long to go back for more sofrito.

 

Sicily - Our port was changed from Messina to Catania but you may have a similar choice.  I booked Discover Mt Etna & The Vineyard Of San Michele Estate through NCL  - AMAZING!  The luncheon the vineyard served was divine!

 

Naples- Italy Tours - Pompeii, Sorrento, and The Almalfi Coast.  The small group tour allowed us to see all three and not feel rushed, impossible with a big bus cruise ship tour.  Well worth every penny and more.

 

Livorno - Italy Tours - Florence and Pisa - These places were so much more beautiful than I ever imagined.  Pisa was laid back free time to wander the square, a perfect was to spend the time.  The Florence walking tour was good but the sites so amazing I barely listened.  I opted to not see the real David and used my free time to wander Florence alone.  I located a perfect osteria for some heavenly pasta and tiramisu.

 

Civitavecchia - I skipped Rome fearing crowds and inability to get tickets to the major attractions due to limits and booked through NCL - Off The Beaten Path- Hilltop Towns.  It was a perfect.  The medieval towns were not crowded and absolutely beautiful.  I swear I crossed the Grand Canyon on a footbridge to get to one of the cities 😄  I even saw a real mummy!  I have no regrets skipping Rome, but shall return off-season

 

Honestly, what made my trip completely over the top was the Epic's Thermal Suites.  After a long day of hiking cobblestones, mind-blowing sights, and crazy delicious food, I'd unwind in the therapy and whirlpool, then relax on the heated lounger and reflect on my day and look through pictures.

I'm already booked to go back next year 😄 

 

No matter what your choose, have a fantastic cruise!  And welcome to Cruise Critic!

Edited February 1 by Pookie2u

[DCGuy64]

12 hours ago, hoopslover said:

Did you book the ancient ruins through NCL?  It is not being offered on our cruise as our port times are 1-10 pm.  If you booked private could you please share who you used.  My husband really wants to see the ruins on Malta.  The ones on Viator leave too early for our port times.  Thanks for any help.

 

Hello. Yes, we did book this one through NCL. The name of the tour was Prehistoric Temples and Views. Our guide's name was Charles, and he was excellent. Very informative and friendly, nice sense of humor, and had tons of details to share. Maybe you can find him by looking on TripAdvisor or Viator, in case NCL isn't showing that one. Have you been to Italy before? Do you speak Italian? And what time of the year is your cruise? Last November was my 27th or 28th time to Italy, I've lost count. And I speak Italian fluently. I mention those details as a way of saying that for me, I tend to avoid the more touristy places (at least, ones I haven't been to before, like St Peter's in Rome, the Uffizi galleries in Florence, etc.). Those places are definitely worth visiting, don't get me wrong. But I've seen them plenty of times. I highly recommend Italytours.eu. We did a couple of tours with them last November (specifically the Amalfi coast one). You will get a lot more out of your time in Italy if you know some Italian, especially in smaller towns. When we went to Corfu in 2021 on a cruise, we visited a liqueur distillery and had a great time, as well as going to a restaurant for a touristy, but decent, Greek lunch. We visited Santorini and Mykonos last year, as well. Both highly recommended, they are just beautiful and unique. Santorini can be quite the cluster due to the massive numbers of people who stop there, and the fact there's only one way up (a steep mountain). If you're in decent shape, WALK! The cable cars are quick, but you can easily spend 2 hours waiting in line. You can walk up in 1/2 an hour. But the view from Oia is worth every second in line, trust me. Ask any other questions you like!

[hoopslover]

2 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Hello. Yes, we did book this one through NCL. The name of the tour was Prehistoric Temples and Views. Our guide's name was Charles, and he was excellent. Very informative and friendly, nice sense of humor, and had tons of details to share. Maybe you can find him by looking on TripAdvisor or Viator, in case NCL isn't showing that one. Have you been to Italy before? Do you speak Italian? And what time of the year is your cruise? Last November was my 27th or 28th time to Italy, I've lost count. And I speak Italian fluently. I mention those details as a way of saying that for me, I tend to avoid the more touristy places (at least, ones I haven't been to before, like St Peter's in Rome, the Uffizi galleries in Florence, etc.). Those places are definitely worth visiting, don't get me wrong. But I've seen them plenty of times. I highly recommend Italytours.eu. We did a couple of tours with them last November (specifically the Amalfi coast one). You will get a lot more out of your time in Italy if you know some Italian, especially in smaller towns. When we went to Corfu in 2021 on a cruise, we visited a liqueur distillery and had a great time, as well as going to a restaurant for a touristy, but decent, Greek lunch. We visited Santorini and Mykonos last year, as well. Both highly recommended, they are just beautiful and unique. Santorini can be quite the cluster due to the massive numbers of people who stop there, and the fact there's only one way up (a steep mountain). If you're in decent shape, WALK! The cable cars are quick, but you can easily spend 2 hours waiting in line. You can walk up in 1/2 an hour. But the view from Oia is worth every second in line, trust me. Ask any other questions you like!

Thanks for sharing.  That is the excursion in Malta that we wanted but we don't dock until 1 pm and it isn't listed. I finally found a private guide through Viator and am hoping they show up and take us to the ruins.

[DCGuy64]

4 minutes ago, hoopslover said:

Thanks for sharing.  That is the excursion in Malta that we wanted but we don't dock until 1 pm and it isn't listed. I finally found a private guide through Viator and am hoping they show up and take us to the ruins.

There were other tour groups visiting the same sites as we, so I doubt you'll have any trouble finding a guide who will take you there. Have a great trip!

[schmoopie17]

On 1/30/2024 at 6:14 PM, 1025cruise said:

Best? That's a personal thing. What's best for me might not be best for you.

Agree. Same principle applies when someone asks if something is "worth it". 

[Travelling2Some]

6 hours ago, hoopslover said:

Thanks for sharing.  That is the excursion in Malta that we wanted but we don't dock until 1 pm and it isn't listed. I finally found a private guide through Viator and am hoping they show up and take us to the ruins.

Here is the website for the private guide we used in Malta:  https://www.maltatourguide.com/

We arranged this with two other couples on our Roll Call and she was excellent - both informative and fun.  We toured the Hagar Quim Temple (probably the ruins you are interested in?), the M'dina and the Co-Cathedral.  All are "don't miss" sites.  Also don't miss the sail in/sail out for Valletta as it one of the most beautiful in the world.

[Travelling2Some]

The "trick" in Santorini is to book a ship sponsored excursion so you are able to get off early and be tendered over to Oia rather than have to deal with the cable car line.  Once you get to Oia you can just tell the guide you are going off on your own if you prefer.  Enjoy Oia and then take the public bus back to the main town of Fira (where the cable car is) whenever you are ready.  One of our best travel memories is the dinner we had at sunset at a table perched right on the edge of the caldera overlooking the sea and our ship.  We have been to all these ports a couple of times.  Sounds like you have already done some research (since you knew about the ruins in Malta).  Figure out what interests you most and ask more questions.

[hoopslover]

49 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

Here is the website for the private guide we used in Malta:  https://www.maltatourguide.com/

We arranged this with two other couples on our Roll Call and she was excellent - both informative and fun.  We toured the Hagar Quim Temple (probably the ruins you are interested in?), the M'dina and the Co-Cathedral.  All are "don't miss" sites.  Also don't miss the sail in/sail out for Valletta as it one of the most beautiful in the world.

Thanks. I already contacted them but since we dock so late and the sites close at either 5 or 6 it wasn't possible for them to help.

[SouthernUSAGal]

On 1/30/2024 at 2:47 PM, DCGuy64 said:

We did a very similar itinerary last November on the Breakaway. When is your cruise, BTW? We ended up having to skip Athens and Livorno due to bad weather, so just keep in mind that rough seas might come into play (there were lines of furious passengers at Guest Services). We did an excellent excursion in Malta that featured ancient ruins, which my wife is a huge fan of. I can't comment on the other ports, since either we missed them or we had privately-booked excursions instead. Have a great cruise!

Our cruise is first week of June.  Appreciate your feedback! 🙂

[SouthernUSAGal]

On 1/31/2024 at 6:11 PM, Joanne G. said:

There is no “best” excursion in any port. We all have different interests, budgets, and energy levels.   But I’ll share what a friend and I did in some of the ports you’ll be visiting. We were on Celebrity, but it’s likely NCL will offer similar excursions.  

 

We explored Mykonos without an excursion. We just walked around the main town, shopped, had lunch in a waterfront restaurant, and had wine later in another waterfront restaurant.   A relaxing day.  But if I visit again, I think I would take an excursion to Delos.  
 

For Naples, our travel agent told us not to miss the Amalfi coast, and my friend wanted to see Pompeii. So we picked a long, full day excursion that went to both places. It was a memorable, if somewhat tiring, day.  Lunch at a lovely restaurant on the coast was included.

 

Santorini can be challenging, due to the tendering and the potential overcrowding if several ships are in port.  We took an enjoyable excursion to Oia and a winery, and it ended in Fira with time on our own before returning to the ship, taking the cable car down to the tender dock.  We had no problem as our ship was the only one in port that day.  Based on recent reports with multiple ships in port, the wait for the cable cars can be very long.  Read up a lot on this port before deciding on what to do.

 

From Messina, we took an excursion to Taormina that was transportation only, and we had several hours on our own to walk around the very picturesque town.  
 

Check out the ports of call boards and ask questions there.  Do some research beyond Cruise Critic, such as the Rick Steves Guide to Mediterranean ports. He usually promotes making individual plans rather than ship excursions, but his guidebooks have useful information about the main attractions that can help you decide what looks most interesting to you.  NCL likely offers excursions to the most popular sites in all the ports.  General guidebooks, meaning not cruise related, can also provide good information.  I check out everything my local library has on places I plan to visit.  
 

I can’t help with the other ports.  Have a great cruise, and do plan on some time in Rome before or after.  

Great advice!!  I appreciate your feedback.

[SouthernUSAGal]

On 1/31/2024 at 7:47 PM, Pookie2u said:

I sailed the Epic in October and had some of those ports.  It was the most amazing trip and honestly there is so much to do you almost can't go wrong.  They know how to tour in Europe and you will see the most amazing sights... sigh....

Oh yes, so I booked a mix of ship tours and a small group company called ItalyTours.EU. 

 

Corfu - My favorite, it really took me by surprise.  I booked my tour with NCL - Timeless Villages and Scenic Drive as a random pick because I was overwhelmed making decisions.  It was nice and relaxed bus ride with a great story teller of a tour guide.  We stopped for the most amazing fresh food at a family restaurant - I think called The Old School and we were served family style by a real family including a young boy who was so smart and so kind, teaching us about Corfu traditions.  It poured rain but the island was so charming.  I so long to go back for more sofrito.

 

Sicily - Our port was changed from Messina to Catania but you may have a similar choice.  I booked Discover Mt Etna & The Vineyard Of San Michele Estate through NCL  - AMAZING!  The luncheon the vineyard served was divine!

 

Naples- Italy Tours - Pompeii, Sorrento, and The Almalfi Coast.  The small group tour allowed us to see all three and not feel rushed, impossible with a big bus cruise ship tour.  Well worth every penny and more.

 

Livorno - Italy Tours - Florence and Pisa - These places were so much more beautiful than I ever imagined.  Pisa was laid back free time to wander the square, a perfect was to spend the time.  The Florence walking tour was good but the sites so amazing I barely listened.  I opted to not see the real David and used my free time to wander Florence alone.  I located a perfect osteria for some heavenly pasta and tiramisu.

 

Civitavecchia - I skipped Rome fearing crowds and inability to get tickets to the major attractions due to limits and booked through NCL - Off The Beaten Path- Hilltop Towns.  It was a perfect.  The medieval towns were not crowded and absolutely beautiful.  I swear I crossed the Grand Canyon on a footbridge to get to one of the cities 😄  I even saw a real mummy!  I have no regrets skipping Rome, but shall return off-season

 

Honestly, what made my trip completely over the top was the Epic's Thermal Suites.  After a long day of hiking cobblestones, mind-blowing sights, and crazy delicious food, I'd unwind in the therapy and whirlpool, then relax on the heated lounger and reflect on my day and look through pictures.

I'm already booked to go back next year 😄 

 

No matter what your choose, have a fantastic cruise!  And welcome to Cruise Critic!

Reading through your experience has me so excited.  Thank you for your feedback 🙂

[DCGuy64]

On 2/1/2024 at 6:15 PM, Travelling2Some said:

The "trick" in Santorini is to book a ship sponsored excursion so you are able to get off early and be tendered over to Oia rather than have to deal with the cable car line.  Once you get to Oia you can just tell the guide you are going off on your own if you prefer.  Enjoy Oia and then take the public bus back to the main town of Fira (where the cable car is) whenever you are ready.  One of our best travel memories is the dinner we had at sunset at a table perched right on the edge of the caldera overlooking the sea and our ship.  We have been to all these ports a couple of times.  Sounds like you have already done some research (since you knew about the ruins in Malta).  Figure out what interests you most and ask more questions.

Yes, I had read about that trick on here. Unfortunately, the seas were rough the morning we arrived, so all but one of the ship-sponsored excursions were cancelled, which meant all of those disgruntled passengers were tendered to shore along with the rest of us. You can imagine how long the lines were. I have no doubt that, had those people gone on their excursions as planned, we would not have stood in line for as long as we did.

 

On 2/3/2024 at 9:55 AM, SouthernUSAGal said:

Our cruise is first week of June.  Appreciate your feedback! 🙂

Sounds great, I imagine the weather will be lovely. Take my advice and check out the port schedule for that day. When we were in Santorini, there were 2 other ships there. When a friend of mine went there last July, there were SIX large ships. The line for the cable cars will likely be at least 2 hours. Make sure you get there as early as possible and/or plan to walk up. I highly recommend learning a few expressions in Greek. Why? Because if you have to use the bathroom while waiting in that long line, there are a few restaurants located adjacent to the line. They sometimes won't let you use the bathroom unless you're a paying customer, unless you charm them with a "good morning, how are you? Is there a toilet I can use?"

[DCGuy64]

Looks like the Norwegian Epic doesn't get in until 1 pm, and there will already be 3 other ships docked there. My hope for the OP is that most of those passengers will already be up in town and the line isn't too long for @SouthernUSAGal. Santorini is really gorgeous, especially Oia at sunset. The photos I took there were worth every second waiting in line, without a doubt.