MicDay Posted September 6, 2019 Report Share Posted September 6, 2019 Mediterranean Cruise May 10, 2020 on Allure Me (48), Hubby(49), DD (21), DD's Boyfriend (21) Me, Hubby and DD have been to England, land trip in 2016 Researching excursions and I'm torn on wether to book thru RCC or 3rd party We are season travelers in the States but very new to Europe but can read a map/sign We have experience using trains/buses/metro but no way experts Researching how far the cities we want to explore from the port makes me hesitate on 3rd party I like the options 3rd party gives vs RCC cattle drive What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tira04 Posted September 6, 2019 Report Share Posted September 6, 2019 It would depend on the port for me. As you say, some of the ports can be far from the cities. It pays to do your research as most places will have public transport options. My last cruise in Scandinavia I noticed a lot of people just paying for the cruise shuttle or excursions into the cities- even when the local buses/trams were across the street and only cost a fraction of the RCL price! What is your itinerary? MicDay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicDay Posted September 6, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2019 LEAVING FROM:Barcelona, Spain onboard Allure of the Seas VISITING:| Palma de Mallorca | Provence (Marseilles) | Florence/Pisa (La Spezia) | Rome (Civitavecchia) | Naples (Capri) | Renae, IRMO12HD, DMLM and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChessE4 Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 2 hours ago, MicDay said: LEAVING FROM:Barcelona, Spain onboard Allure of the Seas VISITING:| Palma de Mallorca | Provence (Marseilles) | Florence/Pisa (La Spezia) | Rome (Civitavecchia) | Naples (Capri) | In Italy I would take excursions through Royal. I can't comment on Spain or France. The tour groups we were in weren't that large, and there can be traffic issues that delay your return. Thus, the peace of mind associated with a Royal excursion might be worth it. That said, in many countries trains are easy to use -- did that in Germany for business trips. I do believe that in Italy the tours in Cruise Planner cover a lot of options. Whatever you choose, have a great cruise. Castle Cruiser and MicDay 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbotr Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 We did an med cruise this summer on the vision. We did all our excursions through the company “Tours by Locals.” With our kids ages 15,13, and 8 yr old twins we didn’t think they would get anything out of the large bus tour groups and being herded through cities. Our tours were all private for often cheaper than RCI and we could customize them for what we wanted MicDay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMLM Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 16 hours ago, MicDay said: LEAVING FROM:Barcelona, Spain onboard Allure of the Seas VISITING:| Palma de Mallorca | Provence (Marseilles) | Florence/Pisa (La Spezia) | Rome (Civitavecchia) | Naples (Capri) | We sailed to Rome and Florence last year and specifically used the cruise excursions in those ports since the sights were far. We were happy we did as the trip in Rome barely got back to the ship in time. Experience was awesome and worth the extra in both cases. D KristiZ, MicDay and Castle Cruiser 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicDay Posted September 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 Thanks Guys! I've got my crew giving me a list (1-3) their top must see's in each port. Once I get that I'll be able to narrow down what excursions fit us. If any of you have gone this route, which excustions did you pick and why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castle Cruiser Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 I will be following with interest as our family is planning to sail this same itinerary in 2020. I'm leaning towards booking RCI excursions as I tend to feel anxious about getting back to the ship on time, and I know that with at least some of the ports, the travel time to sights is more significant. Renae and KristiZ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supergran Posted September 13, 2019 Report Share Posted September 13, 2019 The first time we cruised to Florence and Rome we did the ships excursion called ‘Rome on your own’ and the same to Florence. Basically you are taken into the city and then you wander on your own and meet back at a prearranged time. This is cheaper than a guided tour and you have the security of knowing the ship will wait for any delays. Since then we have caught the train independently and just allowed plenty of time to return. On one cruise the ‘Rome on your own’ passengers were on our train so we knew we were safe. Same with the ferry to Capri. If you catch the same ferry as the tour group, make sure you take the next to last one back as the tours usually catch the last ferry. MicDay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicDay Posted September 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2019 Thank you! I appreciate your feedback, it really helps with the planning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmof Posted November 18, 2019 Report Share Posted November 18, 2019 Has any one used Italytours.eu. I am doing this same trip in August 2020 on Allure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Va4fam Posted November 19, 2019 Report Share Posted November 19, 2019 We did a Med cruise on Freedom of the Seas two summers ago. Booked all of our own tours. In Marseille, we took a cab to Cassis and wandered on our own at the beach and shops. In Nice, we walked from the cruise port to the bus stop, and rode to the beach and shopping, lunch. In Rome, we shared a private group tour with another family and did a Vatican/Colosseum tour. At the La Spezia stop, we did a combo Florence/Pisa private tour with the same company. I'm sure I have the info for the company we used for the Rome and Florence days if you need it. In Naples, we were going to take the train but the workers were on strike. Caught a cab to Pompeii in the morning and did a Vespa tour of Naples in the afternoon. No issues with getting back to the ship. ChessE4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicDay Posted November 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 I'd love to have the company's names, please and thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Va4fam Posted November 24, 2019 Report Share Posted November 24, 2019 We used Italytours.Eu for our tours of Rome and Florence/Pisa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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