Excursions

[ama22]

Hi Sea Dreamers! We doing an Istanbul to Rome cruise in Sept 2007. I still have a decision to make regarding shore excursions. In your experiences: do most passengers do ship excursions? How many people are in a group on a ship excursion? I read that crew members lead the ship's shore excursions - is this true? Are there large busses? Have any of you done private guides? Below is what I've been thinking.

 

Istanbul - Doing a precruise with Sea Song (recommended by Sea Dream)

Canakale - ship excursion to Troy

Kusadasi - private guide

Santorini - on our own

Athens - private guide

Itea - ship excursion to Delphi

Amalfi - private guide

Capri - on our own or ship excursion

 

Any thoughts on my thinking. I've done lots of research and read CC every day. My problem is that I'm not sure what Sea Dream excursions are like. Any help CCers.

 

Mary Lou

[ama22]

Wanted to bumb this up to see if I could get some responses. Anyone out there who can help?

 

Mary Lou

[ctbjr1309]

Mary Lou,

 

I believe that I've answered most of your general questions (size of tours, crew members leading tours, etc.) elsewhere on this board so won't repeat. One question that I'm not sure I answered is that in my experience most passengers who tour do so with the ship-sponsored tours rather than with private guides.

 

I can tell you that we've been to all of the ports you listed, except Capri, on SeaDream and have taken the SD excursions in most of them. Specifically, we've taken SD's tours in Canakale, Kusadasi, Santorini, Itea and Amalfi.

 

My specific recollections, comments are as follows:

 

Istanbul - We hired a private guide for 2.5 days. The length of time was just right and we enjoyed the tour very much. The guide we used was referred to us by a friend in Turkey. Turns out the guide also works for Seabourn, SeaDream and other cruise lines when they are in port. The point there is that even though we hired a private guide, we got the same person as a guid that we might have gotten had we gone on a ship-sponsored tour. Of course, we were a much smaller group, had flexibility about where we went (although, not quite flexible enough in my opinion, as I did find myself in a rug shope for most of one afternoon - I was outvoted 3-1 on that one).

 

Canakale - ship excursion to Troy. We did that and are glad that we did. I doubt that I'd do it again as once was really enough but at least there were no rug stores involved.

 

Kusadasi - Went on SD excursion in the afternoon and back again in the evening. We arrived late to Kusadasi so morning tour was rescheduled to afternoon. It was hot as blazes. The evening tour was a "private tour" for SD guests and involved wine and hors douvres at dusk and then a private concert by a small group of musicians. Other cruise lines organize these evening tours when in port. I don't think that you can do that on your own. Knowing what I know now, I'd have skipped the afternoon tour (although we did see much more of Ephesus than in the evening) and just taken the evening tour.

 

Santorini - Last year we did our own thing which involved riding donkeys up to the top of the crater and then wandering around town there. Although there were no rug stores in evidence, there were way too many jewelry stores so I found a nice cafe where I could enjoy the view with a friend while our wives investigated the jewelry stores. This year, we took the ship sponsored tour which took us around the island and we saw an entirely different Santorini. Be sure to do more than just go to the top of the crater to the town there (Fira, I believe) as there is much more to Santorini than that.

 

Athens - This year we disembarked at Piraeus and had a few hours to kill before we needed to be at the airport. We hired in advance a private guide and paid way too much but did get to see the Acropolis and the Parthenon and a few other sights in Athens. I'm glad we did it but won't do it again.

 

Itea - We took the ship excursion to Delphi and enjoyed it.

 

Amalfi - Don't know if we were actually at Amalfi or not but one year we were close. I took ship sponsored tour to Pompeii and my wife took a ship sponsored tour of the Amalfi Drive area. We both very much enjoyed our excursions. If there is a way to combine both with a private guide, that would be very much worth doing in my estimation.

 

Haven't been to Capri so have nothing to report other than that nobody I have spoken with who has been to the Blue Grotto has had any kind words about the experience.

 

That's all I've got to report in response to your shore excursion questions. Hope it's been of some help for your planning purposes.

[ama22]

Thanks a lot! This will help me decide. The tour company Sea Dream suggests for Istanbul is Sea Dream and includes 3night stay at 4 Seasons, 2 1/2 day tours, Bosphorus Cruise and dinner. We are interested in a WhirlingDervish Ceremony and a Belly Dancing Performance. Do you have any info on that type of thing? You have become my Sea Dream expert.

 

I did find out through my TA who had a visit from the SD rep, that my cruise will not be chartered out because its an 11 dayer. I'm glad to have to stop worring about that.

 

Mary Lou

[ctbjr1309]

Glad you found the info to be helpful. I know nothing about the tour company called Sea Song (which is what I think you meant) so you're on your own there.

 

We stayed at the Ciragan Palace in July. I had originally planned to stay at the 4 Seasons but changed because of advice received from others. I'm very glad that we did change. The location of the 4 Seasons isn't the best compared to the Ciragan Palace which is located on the Bosphorus. They are building a new 4 Seasons on the Bosphorous and if the new location will be open for your visit that's an entirely different story.

 

We got a good deal through an internet website on our room at the Ciragan Palace and if you want to email me off line at ctbjr1309atgmaildotcom I'll be happy to give you more details.

 

A Bosphorus cruise is a must. We did one the morning that our cruise began. Seeing Istanbul from the Bosphorus is not to be missed.

 

I have nothing to contribute in regard to Whirling Dervishes or Belly Dancers. Perhaps we missed those due to the extended visit to the rug emporium.

 

I think that your TA is likely correct that an 11 day cruise shouldn't be chartered out from under you but I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's a certainty. Stranger things certainly have happened.

[fgd3]

Hi Sea Dreamers! We doing an Istanbul to Rome cruise in Sept 2007. I still have a decision to make regarding shore excursions. In your experiences: do most passengers do ship excursions? How many people are in a group on a ship excursion? I read that crew members lead the ship's shore excursions - is this true? Are there large busses? Have any of you done private guides? Below is what I've been thinking.

 

Istanbul - Doing a precruise with Sea Song (recommended by Sea Dream)

Canakale - ship excursion to Troy

Kusadasi - private guide

Santorini - on our own

Athens - private guide

Itea - ship excursion to Delphi

Amalfi - private guide

Capri - on our own or ship excursion

 

Any thoughts on my thinking. I've done lots of research and read CC every day. My problem is that I'm not sure what Sea Dream excursions are like. Any help CCers.

 

Mary Lou

 

I just responded to you on the "Corinth Canal" thread in the ask a cruise question. For some reason it doesnt get bumped to the start of the list so you'll have to hunt it down.

Cheers

George

[carlylecat]

Amalfi you shoud hire a driver and go on your own, you can explore teh towns at your leisure, make a nice lunch reservation somwhere, would highly recommend Pallazzo Sasso in Ravello

 

Capri you can do on your own as well unless you want to see the Blue Grotto.

 

If so teh SD excursion is well run and usually will get you in and out before teh large ships who follow behind overwhelm teh place

 

If you just want to see the island, there are open air cars that wait where you disembark, hiring one to tour is easy and fun, having them drop you off in Anacapri for shopping and then walking down the hill (if you are able) is a great way to see the island. You could use the funicular as well but I find it crowded and not very comfortable

[magooatsea]

We stayed at a hotel very near the Four Seasons. There are several clean, boutiquey hotels within blocks of the 4 Seasons. This is very close (2blocks) to the Blue Mosque. So was very convenient. There are 2 whirling dervishes restaurants in this same area. Very easy to find and watch. One was a more open seating area in the old stables. (the stables now sell mostly rugs) In fact there were lots of people sitting on the walls and above the stables watching the show for free. We ate at another restaurant and watched the show.

 

If you're watching pennies, you can also ride the ferry up the Bosphorus it stops several times. The DK eyewitness guide has the itinerary exactly as well as what you are looking at in detail. It leaves at 10:30 last stop in Asia near the Black Sea, have lunch there and leaves at 3:00 back to Istanbul at 5:00. I believe the trip was 3.5 Euros/person. If you have less time definitely take a private boat. The yalis (boat houses) are special there.