Ports of callNice, Rome,Capri,Santorini,Athens,Dubrovnik and Venice

[the bennetts]

It is my first forum ever! please be gentle. We are going on a celebrity summit 12 days med cruise. Myself & husband, tennage daughter 16 and a son 7.

It is also our first cruise as a family, I am a bit worried and would like everything to be perfect.

My main concern is the port days as we don't want to join the excursions from the boat, we will need to find alternative transport, also don't want to do too much to tire the little boy but don't want to miss the unmissable.

We are in Nice, Rome,Capri,Santorini,Athens,Dubrovnik and Venice. Any good tips??.......:)

[ECCruise]

It is my first forum ever! please be gentle. We are going on a celebrity summit 12 days med cruise. Myself & husband, tennage daughter 16 and a son 7.

It is also our first cruise as a family, I am a bit worried and would like everything to be perfect.

My main concern is the port days as we don't want to join the excursions from the boat, we will need to find alternative transport, also don't want to do too much to tire the little boy but don't want to miss the unmissable.

We are in Nice, Rome,Capri,Santorini,Athens,Dubrovnik and Venice. Any good tips??.......:)

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and your first family cruise! You can find lots of information on these boards.

 

A couple of places to look:

 

There is a board area for Europe cruises where you will be able to find tons of info on the ports you are visiting.

 

There likely will be a roll call for your cruise (find it under Roll Calls/Celebrity/Summit) where you will be able to meet fellow cruisers, share ideas and perhaps get hints on doing excursions on your own.

 

Have a great cruise!

[woodofpine]

Welcome to CC; enjoy your cruise.

 

Transit issues in traffic congested Europe can weigh in favor of cruiseline tours, to avoid the unthinkable (missing the ship [the ship will wait for its own excursions but NOT independents]) or to avoid thinking of the unthinkable if bogged down in traffic independently. This is a consideration in Italian ports and Athens in particular. I pretty much never book line excursions in the Caribbean - but they have their merits in Europe.

 

Based on your ports - if you are dead set on Capri - enjoy; otherwise, several lines offer excursions to hike up to the summit caldera of Mount Vesuveus then visit Pompeii. We did this with young kids and they really enjoyed it. Great views of Naples Bay at a cool altitude, a short trip to Pompeii thereafter is more meaningful.

 

Venice is a magical place (day or night, but esp. night) just getting lost and found. If you disembark there I'd urge you to spend an extra couple of days. Venice is fun and romantic for kids of all ages, what with water taxis, bridges, gellato etc. For youngsters, feeding the pidgeons in St. Marks square is as fun and funny as it gets. Take a trip to the top of the tower there.

 

Have a great trip!

[aaklang]

We did a similar itinerary for our first cruise and loved it - you are going to have a blast! Definitely check out the Europe board and your roll call. Here are my recommendations for your ports:

 

Nice - easy to do on your own. You can take taxis or public buses to get from place to place and work at your own pace. Private tours are available but probably not necessary.

 

Rome - we booked a private tour through http://www.benvenutolimos.com. It was fantastic!! Can't recommend them enough. You can book it, then post on your roll call to find other people that want to join you. We had an 8-person van and had an amazing day in Rome.

 

Capri - we didn't go to Capri. We booked a private tour (similar to Rome) of the Amalfi Coast and then went to Pompeii. Pompeii was incredible and your whole family would love it. Don't skip it if you don't have to.

 

Santorini - very easy to do on your own

 

Athens - we did this on our own too. Took a train into the city, went to the Acropolis first and then on to many of the city's other highlights.

 

Dubrovnik - city is tiny and easy to do on your own. You just have to take a taxi or the ship's transportation to the entrance to the old city and then you can walk around independently. Walk the city walls, then head down and walk around the main street.

 

Venice - also very easy to do on your own

 

Have fun!