Dubrovnik Questions (merged)

[Cosmic Rays]

Forgot to ask too - how many ships are in port that day - 15th October?

[CraftyEC]

Cruisett lists three ships in port, the Queen Elizabeth, MSC Musica and Costa Favolosa, with a total of 8885 passengers, on 15th October.

 

Thought I'd try to give the tireless Dubrovnik Travel Lady a rest :cool:

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Cruisett lists three ships in port, the Queen Elizabeth, MSC Musica and Costa Favolosa, with a total of 8885 passengers, on 15th October.

 

Thought I'd try to give the tireless Dubrovnik Travel Lady a rest :cool:

Thank you crafty, this forum is part of my early morning coffee ritual. Make coffee, let the puppy out and sit down and read questions. I enjoy doing this as I want to be sure that questions are answered properly. So many guests see Dubrovnik, but never find any of the hidden gems. They walk the wall, buy a gelato and return to the ship, never have experienced the wonders of this art piece which is named Dubrovnik. This forum was also my inspiration to begin the blog about my adopted home, which is a love affair that began for me in 1971. Dubrovnik has always been Europe's best kept secret, now it's been "discovered." I must admit it does give me a chuckle when I read some posts, especially from many which are guests who've never seen the inside of any of our historical and cultural sites. I've always wanted an assistant, again thank you for your post.

[Jon93405]

My fiance and I are planning to take the boat to Lokrum for a few hours during our visit to Dubrovnik. I've read that the boat taxi leaves from the Old Town port. Do we need to buy tickets somewhere in town or do we pay at the dock? On the boat? Once we arrive?

 

I've read about the Visia Dubrovnik 5D Theatrum. Is this something worth doing to learn about Dubrovnik or should we just spend the time actually seeing Dubrovnik?

 

Our current plan is to do the coastal section of the wall in the morning, then look for the Rupe Museum and pharmacy and explore the town before it gets too crowded. (We're coming on the Magic on the morning of 9/4 and I believe there will be 5 ships at port with more than 10,000 people arriving by noon.) At that point we thought we'd get lunch before we head to Lokrum for some swimming and hiking while it's hot and crowded in town.

 

Is there anything we're missing that's a "must-do?"

[sonic]

Dubrovnik Travel Lady,

 

In reading your recent posts you say that Dubrovnik closes for winter at the end of October.

We will not arrive until 22nd November! Is it still worth getting off the ship when you've all left? Will there be anything still open?

 

Many Thanks,

 

Sonic.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

My fiance and I are planning to take the boat to Lokrum for a few hours during our visit to Dubrovnik. I've read that the boat taxi leaves from the Old Town port. Do we need to buy tickets somewhere in town or do we pay at the dock? On the boat? Once we arrive?

 

I've read about the Visia Dubrovnik 5D Theatrum. Is this something worth doing to learn about Dubrovnik or should we just spend the time actually seeing Dubrovnik?

 

Our current plan is to do the coastal section of the wall in the morning, then look for the Rupe Museum and pharmacy and explore the town before it gets too crowded. (We're coming on the Magic on the morning of 9/4 and I believe there will be 5 ships at port with more than 10,000 people arriving by noon.) At that point we thought we'd get lunch before we head to Lokrum for some swimming and hiking while it's hot and crowded in town.

 

Is there anything we're missing that's a "must-do?"

Buy your tickets for the wall first, then go to the Franciscan Monastery and the pharmacy, a few steps from the wall entrance. Walk the sea side of the wall and go down at the Maritime Museum or Ploce exit.

Tickets for the Lokrum ferry are purchased on the old pier next to the boat. Fee is 50 Kuna per person, local currency only. A lovely place to spend several hours, you can swim or wander the path around the island.

Why spend time inside a theater when you have the real town, it's so much nicer than any 3D movie. I have not been and doubt if I will bother, the town is so much fun to wander and find shops, foods and historical sites and churches.

You may want to find time to locate the cable car to the top of Mr. Srd for the breathtaking view of the town and surrounding areas. There is a museum up there which is a tribute to our fallen during the 1991 Homeland War.

Enjoy you time here, don't just see the town, experience the hidden gems and the essence of what makes Dubrovnik so special.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Dubrovnik Travel Lady,

 

In reading your recent posts you say that Dubrovnik closes for winter at the end of October.

We will not arrive until 22nd November! Is it still worth getting off the ship when you've all left? Will there be anything still open?

 

Many Thanks,

 

Sonic.

Dubrovnik does not close down entirely, the wall is open to walk as well as our historical sites, with limited hours. Sunset will be about 4:30pm at that time and it's always fun to see the old town come alive with the lights.

Many, but not all of our outdoor restaurants close down on 31 October. We still have many indoor cafes for a drink or espresso, lunch or supper. Some of the restaurants put up heavy duty plastic covering around a small amount of tables and they are serving meals all year, not all but a few.

At the end of October I will spend the day with good friends who will be closing down their small konaba. We will finish off all the baby squid, mussels and drink lots of very good red wine. It's a very good thing I don't drive here, but will use my bus pass to get home late that evening. It's a fun way to end the season and we will begin to look forward to quiet times in the old town again.

Please do not stay on the ship, come to the old town and enjoy the many sites which are open to guests. We don't leave town in November, we all come back to the quiet streets and enjoy our home again. We will begin to think about the upcoming holidays but the Christmas decorations may not be up yet. Christmas doesn't begin here as early as it does in the USA. However the big tree on the Stradun may be up and decorated and our small children will begin to gather around the tree dreaming of Santa. Enjoy the town, it's magical at any time of the year.

[jpg1747]

Thanks for all the information. Carnival Magic will be in Dubrovnik on October 22, along with 2 other ships. We are a group of 12 that plans to do the Wall walk and a self-guided tour. We'll have lunch and probably do some shopping. Do you have a best guess estimate of how much cash we should get from an ATM before we start our day? I already have a copy of the map you posted, but here's a link to the walking tour. Are we missing anything important? We are in port from 7 am to 7 pm but don't plan to start our day until 9:30, getting back to the ship around 6:00, giving us 8-1/2 hours.

 

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/dubrovnik/3280010008.html

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Thanks for all the information. Carnival Magic will be in Dubrovnik on October 22, along with 2 other ships. We are a group of 12 that plans to do the Wall walk and a self-guided tour. We'll have lunch and probably do some shopping. Do you have a best guess estimate of how much cash we should get from an ATM before we start our day? I already have a copy of the map you posted, but here's a link to the walking tour. Are we missing anything important? We are in port from 7 am to 7 pm but don't plan to start our day until 9:30, getting back to the ship around 6:00, giving us 8-1/2 hours.

 

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/dubrovnik/3280010008.html

On 22 October, Carnival Magic will be one of the SIX ships in town, over 12,000 cruise passengers arriving. MSC arrives the same time as Carnival, 3 others at 8am, the rest at 9 and 10am. It's going to be a very busy day in the old town and you may have enough time to visit many sites, but I doubt you will make them all. The wall walk should be decided upon that morning, weather depending. October can be the beginning of our rainy season and it may be warm and sunny, who knows.

Almost every site has a small fee, some are 20 or 30 Kuna and the wall is 70 Kuna. These are all per person and you should do more research and figure a total of what you think will cover the entrance fees, lunch or coffee or water or wine.

We have many ATM machines all over the old town, you can get as little as 200 Kuna and a maximum of 2,000. Easy rate to use for conversion is 5 kuna = $1.00. Credit cards are accepted at some restaurants, not all. Keep your Euros for other countries, it's best to use Croatian Kuna here.

[hjk99900]

Hi Dubrovniktravelady,

1. I'm travelling on ms rotterdam (holland america) and will be in Dubrovnik on sunday, 16th october, 2011. Do you know how many other ships will be in port and where we actually dock?

2. i'm interested in the cabriobus city tour. can i buy a ticket for cabriobus at (or anywhere close to) Gruz Harbor ? can i pay in euros or credit cards ?

3. any reduced price for senior people over 60 ( cable car, city wall walk, cabriobus city tour...) ?

Thanks.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Hi Dubrovniktravelady,

1. I'm travelling on ms rotterdam (holland america) and will be in Dubrovnik on sunday, 16th october, 2011. Do you know how many other ships will be in port and where we actually dock?

2. i'm interested in the cabriobus city tour. can i buy a ticket for cabriobus at (or anywhere close to) Gruz Harbor ? can i pay in euros or credit cards ?

3. any reduced price for senior people over 60 ( cable car, city wall walk, cabriobus city tour...) ?

Thanks.

Sunday will be a very good day in town for you, only Costa is here and she departs at 1300 from anchor in the old port. Rotterdam is docked in the Gruz harbor and you will either need to transfer into the old town by taxi or shuttle bus. Taxi cost is 75 Kuna or 10 Euros, yes drivers will accept Euros.

Payment for the Cabrio bus is on board the bus, 90 Kuna and I believe this year they began to accept Euros, but it's not guaranteed - NO credit cards. Do be prepared the Cabrio bus only runs if weather is good. October can be sunny and warm and also cold and wet.

There are no senior discounts for entrance fees to our historical sites. The only discount I've ever seen is for our local bus pass and it begins at the age of 65.

Enjoy your day here.

[hjk99900]

Sunday will be a very good day in town for you, only Costa is here and she departs at 1300 from anchor in the old port. Rotterdam is docked in the Gruz harbor and you will either need to transfer into the old town by taxi or shuttle bus. Taxi cost is 75 Kuna or 10 Euros, yes drivers will accept Euros.

Payment for the Cabrio bus is on board the bus, 90 Kuna and I believe this year they began to accept Euros, but it's not guaranteed - NO credit cards. Do be prepared the Cabrio bus only runs if weather is good. October can be sunny and warm and also cold and wet.

There are no senior discounts for entrance fees to our historical sites. The only discount I've ever seen is for our local bus pass and it begins at the age of 65.

Enjoy your day here.

 

 

Thanks a billion!

[llou85]

Do you know how much the shuttle to town is and do they take euros?

 

Thanks so much

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Do you know how much the shuttle to town is and do they take euros?

 

Thanks so much

Shuttle buses are contracted by the cruise lines. I have no information about their services nor costs. Please do contact your cruise line directly for accurate data.

A private taxi will cost 75 Croatian Kuna or 10 Euros, one way. There will be a line of them waiting at the dock, if you prefer faster service into the old town.

Edited August 22, 2011 by Dubrovniktravelady

[Lair Bear]

We are booked to arrive in Dubrovnik on Thursday, May 10, on the Windsurf. I have a couple questions:

 

1. Is May kind of early for the typical 'cruise ship crowds'? What would the weather be like at that time of the year?

 

2. If it is not too crowded, we would probably dock at the main cruise ship terminal??? Or we could still end up tendering into the little harbor (I hope).

 

3. In either case, I thought it might be good to do the tram to the top of Mt. Srd first, get a total view of the city and bay, and then see the Old Town (and perhaps beat the crows, if any).

 

4. How far is it to go from the typical 'drop-off' point for shuttles from the cruise ship terminal to the tram station?

 

5. Is the entrance near Svet Luka closer to the tram, and would that be a good start to see the city and wall (backwards, albeit)?

 

To do all of that and going to the island of Lokrum might be too much, do you agree? Or any other suggestions along this line of thought would be highly appreciated.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

We are booked to arrive in Dubrovnik on Thursday, May 10, on the Windsurf. I have a couple questions:

 

1. Is May kind of early for the typical 'cruise ship crowds'? What would the weather be like at that time of the year?

 

2. If it is not too crowded, we would probably dock at the main cruise ship terminal??? Or we could still end up tendering into the little harbor (I hope).

 

3. In either case, I thought it might be good to do the tram to the top of Mt. Srd first, get a total view of the city and bay, and then see the Old Town (and perhaps beat the crows, if any).

 

4. How far is it to go from the typical 'drop-off' point for shuttles from the cruise ship terminal to the tram station?

 

5. Is the entrance near Svet Luka closer to the tram, and would that be a good start to see the city and wall (backwards, albeit)?

 

To do all of that and going to the island of Lokrum might be too much, do you agree? Or any other suggestions along this line of thought would be highly appreciated.

Dubrovnik port authority has not yet published it's schedule for 2012, but usually Windsurf is at anchor next to Lokrum in the old port. The listing should be available by next February for a definitive answer. This year we had 127,000 cruisers arriving in May, yes it's crowded but nothing compared to August, September & October.

Weather in May can be sunny and warm or cool and wet, who knows these days. Tender or dock all depends on the winds, if they are high all ships are diverted to the Gruz harbor.

The cable car is located closer to the Ploce entrance to town and shuttle buses will drop passengers from Gruz at the Pile, the opposite side of town.

Sveti Luka is a small church near Fort Lovrijenac and I assume you are asking about the city wall entrance which is called Sveti Ivan (St. John). Beginning at that point does mean you will walk the land side first, which I know is the most difficult. Beginning at the main entrance adjacent to Pile will allow you to walk the sea side first and go down at Sveti Ivan, next to the Maritime Museum. It takes a good 2 hours to walk the entire wall, only doing half will cut your time up there. Just depends on what you can and want to do during the rest of your day.

Will you make it to Lokrum also, perhaps again what amount of time will you spend visiting our historical sites.

Website for the map of town is shown below, do download it so you can get some idea of where and what we have you may wish to visit.

 

http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/data/1198052158_49_mala_Plan%20Grada_2008.pdf

[Lair Bear]

Thank you for clarifying the location of the cable car. I was under the impression that it was further east. Assuming for the time being that we tender into the little harbor, it might be better to do the sea side of the wall first and then decide to go to the cable car, return to Old Town and go from there.

 

You are most helpful, and keep up the great work. I may have more questions later, but we are looking forward to a nice visit to your famous city.

[Dubrovniktravelady]

Thank you for clarifying the location of the cable car. I was under the impression that it was further east. Assuming for the time being that we tender into the little harbor, it might be better to do the sea side of the wall first and then decide to go to the cable car, return to Old Town and go from there.

 

You are most helpful, and keep up the great work. I may have more questions later, but we are looking forward to a nice visit to your famous city.

Check the map, it shows all 3 entrances to the wall. The main Pile entrance is the best for doing the sea side only, you can then stroll the old town making stops at the Franciscan Monastery, Sponza Palace and Dominican Monastery. They will all be on the walk to reach the cable car.

The tourist map still has not been updated with the cable car entrance, it is above Ploce just a bit. Hopefully by next year, they will have the map locations shown, but often things don't happen very quickly here. On the other hand, many sites change fees and hours without any notice at the drop of a hat.

Want to know more about my adopted home, then do read my blog. It is my stories of many sites and some colorful people I've met in the last few years.

[Lair Bear]

Want to know more about my adopted home, then do read my blog. It is my stories of many sites and some colorful people I've met in the last few years.

 

I had seen this web site before, but did not realize it was yours until now. I certainly will have to spend some time reading all your stories and suggestions about places, restaurants, etc. The story of how your parents met is great. Thanks again.

 

I did find an interesting map of Dubrovnik and I am sure you have seen it, but maybe it might be of interest to others. It consists of several sections and you can zoom in on detailed parts.

http://www.dubrovnik-online.com/maps/old_town.php?l=en

Edited August 24, 2011 by Lair Bear

[Dubrovniktravelady]

I had seen this web site before, but did not realize it was yours until now. I certainly will have to spend some time reading all your stories and suggestions about places, restaurants, etc. The story of how your parents met is great. Thanks again.

 

I did find an interesting map of Dubrovnik and I am sure you have seen it, but maybe it might be of interest to others. It consists of several sections and you can zoom in on detailed parts.

http://www.dubrovnik-online.com/maps/old_town.php?l=en

The story about my parents is rather an amazing story, it's a family favorite and one of many. My father was in the Austrian Hungarian navy at the start of WWI, his ship was in Constantinople and it took them 31 days to sail up to Pula. He did not allow us to utter the name Istanbul...

I've seen that map, but it does not show enough detail for my old eyes. Perhaps I've been looking at the other and it's just more familiar.

Thank you for the lovely comments, the blog is a total labor of love...

[Lair Bear]

I am sure this question has been raised before, but for a one day visit is it necessary to convert some money into kunas? I understand that the ferry to Lokrum requires local currency, but what about the tram and entrance fees? Can we use euros?

[Dubrovniktravelady]

I am sure this question has been raised before, but for a one day visit is it necessary to convert some money into kunas? I understand that the ferry to Lokrum requires local currency, but what about the tram and entrance fees? Can we use euros?

Cable car and the wall do not accept Euros, but you can use a credit card. Other entrance fees such as the Franciscan and Dominican Monasteries only accept Croatian Kuna. You will need to have some Kuna, a ATM withdrawal is the best resource here. I still maintain my California bank account and only use the "slot machine" (local name for ATM machines).

[CTCruisers]

This is a great thread and I enjoy the blog.

 

I just came across this website with information on Dubrovnik:

 

http://carols-cruise-port-itineraries.com/DUBROVNIK-History-Geography-Currency.htm

 

At the bottom of each page, you can click to go to the next topic on the city.

[banditoo]

This is a great thread and I enjoy the blog.

 

I just came across this website with information on Dubrovnik:

 

http://carols-cruise-port-itineraries.com/DUBROVNIK-History-Geography-Currency.htm

 

At the bottom of each page, you can click to go to the next topic on the city.

What a fantastic website! It is like a lovely book with description, practical info and fabulous pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[Dubrovniktravelady]

This is a great thread and I enjoy the blog.

 

I just came across this website with information on Dubrovnik:

 

http://carols-cruise-port-itineraries.com/DUBROVNIK-History-Geography-Currency.htm

 

At the bottom of each page, you can click to go to the next topic on the city.

Website is good, but the prices quoted for sites, buses, taxis are off. Remember that with each season the price does increase here. ATM machines is the best exchange rate, do not use private exchange houses or waste waiting time inside the banks.