QE2 Mediterranean excursions

[Morgans]

Can excursions on the QE2 be booked in advance or must you book on board? Any recommendations for the following: Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon and Palma? Any to avoid like the plague? We have visited several times but would still like opinions and are open to suggestions. Many thanks in advance.

 

Marge M

[KarenR_UK]

Can excursions on the QE2 be booked in advance or must you book on board?

 

I am on Mediterranean Magic in three weeks and have just got my shore excursions booklet - it looks like generally you cannot book in advance and have to wait for boarding - there are exceptions when there will be an insert in the booklet to fill in and post.

 

The only one of your ports also on mine is Lisbon.

Been to several of the others but with a different line so I might be able to answer general questions, but not about specific Cunard Tours.

 

I believe most of the excursions are listed on the US web site (all mine were)

go to "Destinations", select "Mediterranean" (or click on the map), and open the "Shore Excursions" on the left-edge menu and pick a port. (note Lisbon is under 'Europe')

 

Karen

[whylion]

You used to be able to book ahead, but now you do it after you board. Last year, we booked a few excursions and didn't get the tickets for a few days, because they wait to see how many book, and add buses etc as needed, so don't panic if you don't get a booking right away.

-- Don't go on the Vatican excursion -- they take you to the end of the really long line, and even when you get into the museum its so crowded that you can't see anything (and not air conditioned either)

--We did the Gaudi tour in Barcelona, which was good, but its also easy just to walk around there.

Have a great cruise!

[juliecat]

Little trick. As soon as you get onboard, fill out the excursions form in your cabin and drop it in the box at the Shore Excursions office. No lines to worry about and I've always gotten my first choice excursions when booking this way.

 

Cheers,

Julia

[BettyBoop3850]

Hi May I assume that their is a form in your room on QM2 for Med excurtions. I am on the July 24th TA and Med cruise

 

Thanks

Michelle

[pepperrn]

-- Don't go on the Vatican excursion -- they take you to the end of the really long line, and even when you get into the museum its so crowded that you can't see anything (and not air conditioned either)

!

 

Sorry you had that experience at the Vatican. It's true about the line, I was staying in Rome with friends. We were up and awake really early and after breakfast made our way to the Museum as soon as possible. The line/queue was already huge but we stuck with it. After an hour or so in the hot summer sun (take lots of water) we got in. Ok the first few rooms were crowded but (except for a certain chapel where everyone was looking at the ceiling) the rest seemed quiet and empty. It's so HUGE that it swallows crowds. We had lunch there (fish, it was a Friday). Be aware that they close the doors lunchtime (as it takes the rest of the afternoon to go around). We then went into St Peters itself. I have to say that seeing certain rooms and the interior of St Peters was an experience that I shall remember forever. WOW. If I went again (and I will) I would always go when I wanted to and never with a tour that arrived too late in the morning.

 

Not sure how they'd put air-conditioning into an historic building, and it was really bad of them not to have invented it 500 years ago.

[pnhmrk]

Can excursions on the QE2 be booked in advance or must you book on board? Any recommendations for the following: Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon and Palma?

 

Marge - most of the excursions are freely available. It's only if you're wanting something with limited places (for example a jeep safari) that it's necessary to book quickly. Think very carefully before booking an organises tour - you can do a lot of them by taxi for less money than you'll pay for the tour (I know that I'm anti tour, but they are very expensive and not good value).

 

I've never been to Rome or Palma so I can't comment on them, but for:

 

Barcelona - If it's your first time then the Sagrada Familiar is worth seeing, however it is open all day. The cathedral and most of the things in town close for lunch and don't reopen until mid afternoon. Take the shuttle bus into Barcelona, spend your morning wandering around the centre and then visit the Sagrada Familiar in the afternoon.

 

Lisbon - Take the shuttle bus into the centre and then walk to the castle (it is a fair distance and quite steep). The castle is well worth it for the views. Then catch tram #28 through Baixa as far as the botanical gardens. From there take another tram to the shuttle bus or a taxi back to the ship.

 

I think that it's worth buying a guidebook for each port - Rough guides do a directions series that's pocket sized and just gives details for the place you're visiting. They do one for Barcelona and one for Lisbon, I'd thing they'd do one for Rome, I don't know about Palma.

[Morgans]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I do agree that excursions can definitely be a rip off and that you have to choose carefully i.e. perhaps only doing the ones that would be tricky to do on your own. We do have one or two in mind (the Gaudi being one of them.)

 

Have a lovely cruise Karen, - would love to hear how it goes.

 

Marge M

[KarenR_UK]

I do agree that excursions can definitely be a rip off and that you have to choose carefully i.e. perhaps only doing the ones that would be tricky to do on your own.

Well I am travelling on my own, so the chances are I will be taking Cunard Tours at each port (though I haven't added it all up yet - might change my mind then:D )

 

Have a lovely cruise Karen, - would love to hear how it goes.

Thank you, you too when its your turn. I will try and review it - I always have good intentions, but time passes and still not done - might be the photo issue - I still haven't had all the films from last year developed yet:eek: perhaps the new digital camera will help:D

 

Karen

[SSNORWAY]

Can excursions on the QE2 be booked in advance or must you book on board? Any recommendations for the following: Rome, Barcelona, Lisbon and Palma? Any to avoid like the plague? We have visited several times but would still like opinions and are open to suggestions. Many thanks in advance.

 

Marge M

they are all wonderful destinations, Barcelona is such a fabulous city, if you have a late departure or overnight stay (sorry I have have not seen your itinerary) you have got to see the magic fountains up montjuic, get off the metro at Plaza Espania you are in a big square, when you look infront of you there is the palace (now the art museum) half way up the mountain, it has five beams of light radiating from its central dome at night, infront of it as you climb towards it there is the enormous fountain (there are escalators to take you up) every half hour after 8pm there is a 15 minute spectacular show, difficult to explain how breathtaking it is, it will bring a tear to the coldest persons eyes.

 

The open top buses are much better than doing a ship excursion, they are cheap and you can get on and off wherever you like.

 

I think you should start at the sea front by Cristopher Columbus's column, ask a taxi for "puerto circa La rambla" (harbour near La Rambla) you can climb it if you are feeling energetic, he is pointing in the direction of America (for obvious reasons, although it is now doubted whether he did actually sail from there) as you walk away from the sea you will enter La Rambla, no one should go to Barcelona and not walk along here their at their own pace, it has an atmosphere and sensation you will not experience anywhere else in the world, you wouldn't want to be hurded up there with a gaggle of other people. If you look at the website www DOT liceubarcelona DOT com (sorry cant put proper web addresses in here) you can pre book a tour of the opera house called el liceu, it is absolutley astounding, it burnt down about six years ago and was completely rebuilt, if you dont fancy the tour they have a much better gift shop than the shops on the street. If you turn right somewhere around here you will be walking around the antique quarter and see all the narrow streets and it gives a proper feeleing of the old city (it can be a bit dirty and smelly but is safe) the old cathedral will be found around here, you cant miss it, all the streets seem to end up there. Get back to the Ramblas and carry on up, if you are hungry the paella in Plaza Mayor is good and the food is generally much better than on La Rambla, it is touristy but it is OK, the view is nice (fountain and palm trees) and not overpriced. When you get to the top of La Rambla you are in Plaza Catalunya, here is a good place to get the sightseeing bus, it will take you everywhere you need to see, you will see all the major Gaudi buildings, If you get off half way up Paseo de Gracia (they will anounce La Pedrera - a Gaudi block of apartments) you can go inside La Pedrera and there is a very good Gaudi museum on the top floor, you can also go on the roof where ther are some amazing chimney pots in the shape of Easter Island people and a great view of the city, the other good museum is in La Sagrada Familia DO NOT MISS THIS WHATEVER YOU DO. it is the cathedral with the eight sharp towers, the interior columns are in the shapes of trees, the branches support the roof, and all made out of five different colours of granite.

 

Unless you are very interested in sport I would leave out the Olympic village etc, its up the top of a mountain and will waste valuable time you could be soaking up the vitality of the city with. The only things that you will not see on this tour are the Park Guell (gaudi park), palace of music, picasso museum all are great but you need to be there for more than a day to see everything.

 

sorry that was very log-winded, but I hope it helps

 

Have a great time

[Morgans]

Many thanks - the Opera House tour sounds very tempting. We will look into this. This is just the sort of information I was hoping for.

 

Marge

[SSNORWAY]

The only place I would book an excursion would be Rome as Civitavecchia is at least an hour away by coach. The vatican is great and mostly quite accessible, personally although fantastic I think with only one day you should not consider the museum part of the vatican as the queues / lines are mammouth after 8.00am, there is too much to see to spend it in a queue. Try to get on the roof of the cathedral, you can stand next to the huge statues of the apolstles overlooking the square (you get the view the pope gets from his balcony, just a bit higher) this level is accessible by elevator, you can also climb up the top of the cupola which is also very worthwhile if you are feeling energetic, insidently there is also a shop staffed by nuns up here with rosaries (supposedly) blessed by himself if you like that sort of thing.

 

The other highlights are obvious and the tour would certainly include Colloseum, Spanish steps, trevvi fountain etc, however while you are near the trevvi if you are able to explore a bit there is a huge column (I forget the name sorry) which is lovely and there is a cast of it in the British Museum in London, but not to be missed is the Parthenon, you cannot believe it is so old (over 2000 years) it is one of the most important buildings in the world as It pioneered the art of creating a huge domed space, it has a huge portico entrance and a wonderful gold mosaic ceiling, theres a nice square for coffee outside too!

 

My other recommendation which I really think should not be missed while you are in Palma is my favourite bar in the world, It is well known there if you need to ask for directions, it is called "abacco" which means below or behind i think in Spanish. it is quite easy to find from the harbour, walk away from the cathedral, there is the old city wall which surrounds the bario antiguo (old town) you go through the second gate (I think) there is a maze of old streets but somehow just as I feel lost, I always seem to be stood outside the bar, It is amazing, if you want to know why, I will give you a description., just ask!

 

By the way you mentioned seeing Gaudi while in Barcelona, the cathedral in Palma was significantly modified by Gaudi although not particularly in the style you associate with him.

 

Bon Vovage Mark

[Morgans]

Many thanks Mark - our touring plans are beginning to take shape. It's very kind of you to be so helpful.

 

 

Marge