Arie Anne Posted August 2, 2022 Report Share Posted August 2, 2022 Hello! Looking for recommendations for shore excursions for the Western Mediterranean cruise. Is it worth booking excursions on Royal Caribbean on these ports (embarking in Rome) - Naples, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Provence, Florence? Or should we organise our own? first time cruisers here, Thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChessE4 Posted August 2, 2022 Report Share Posted August 2, 2022 Get to Rome early, and there are plenty of choices there (Don't arrive the day of your cruise.) At Naples we tried a Royal excursion that combined climbing Mt. Vesuvius (walking up a trail) with Pompeii. It was great except for the heat - plan on lots of bottled water during warm weather. The port for Florence (La Spezia, right?) and Pisa is a bit of a bus ride. I'd book an excursion to Florence (we tried Pisa already - not much after you've seen the Leaning Tower). There are "at your leisure" excursions that essentially just provide you transportation and allow you to explore on your own. We hit major traffic returning from Pisa, so that is why I favor Royal over a 3rd party. Others love the 3rd party choices. Are you going to the beach at Palma de Mallorca? Haven't been there. We won't make it to Barcelona until October, but the port isn't too far from tourist sites. There are many ground transportation options. We've known people who were pickpocketed in Rome and Barcelona, so watch your valuables. Other threads address the type of purse, backpack, or money belt you might use. Have a great trip! Try watching a few YouTube videos about your ports. Bradinmississippi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southsider Posted August 9, 2022 Report Share Posted August 9, 2022 On 8/2/2022 at 4:19 PM, ChessE4 said: Get to Rome early, and there are plenty of choices there (Don't arrive the day of your cruise.) At Naples we tried a Royal excursion that combined climbing Mt. Vesuvius (walking up a trail) with Pompeii. It was great except for the heat - plan on lots of bottled water during warm weather. The port for Florence (La Spezia, right?) and Pisa is a bit of a bus ride. I'd book an excursion to Florence (we tried Pisa already - not much after you've seen the Leaning Tower). There are "at your leisure" excursions that essentially just provide you transportation and allow you to explore on your own. We hit major traffic returning from Pisa, so that is why I favor Royal over a 3rd party. Others love the 3rd party choices. Are you going to the beach at Palma de Mallorca? Haven't been there. We won't make it to Barcelona until October, but the port isn't too far from tourist sites. There are many ground transportation options. We've known people who were pickpocketed in Rome and Barcelona, so watch your valuables. Other threads address the type of purse, backpack, or money belt you might use. Have a great trip! Try watching a few YouTube videos about your ports. Most people going Pisa or Florence on there own will use the train Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChessE4 Posted August 10, 2022 Report Share Posted August 10, 2022 14 hours ago, Southsider said: Most people going Pisa or Florence on there own will use the train Yes, but using trains in a foreign country isn't for everyone. It's kind of an adventure of its own. But I agree that once you learn how to navigate ticket machines and track layouts the door is open to new possibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndad Posted August 12, 2022 Report Share Posted August 12, 2022 Im going in a couple of weeks - the two things to recommend are… la spezia- miss out on Florence and three hours in a coach, quick train journey to cinque terre, amazing five towns beaches and views Rome - it’s pretty compact and walkable. Get some pre booked tickets to colisseum and the forum, and get the train - 70ish minutes. See the Vatican but don’t go there it’s too much for a day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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