Mediterranean Cruise Stops and Private Guides

I'd be worried about getting back too late, and having the ship leave without you. That's not a problem when you take the proprietary excursions. You don't say if all the stops are, say, 7:30 to 5PM, or what. Any chance your cabin class gets you off the ship earlier than others? I think you can make a decent day on your own in Malta and Rhodes, but with 7 people, it helps to have a guide to "herd the cats." Do you mean guides with a mini-bus, or walking only?

I don't doubt that you can enjoy a private guide more. But note that some places, like the Acropolis in Athens, are so heavily booked that only the ships (which each sent ten or more groups there every port day!) can easily get timed tickets to visit.

Thanks Tim,
Yes, all the port stops are early morning to 5pm or later, so we will have a full day in each city. Not worried about missing the boat. We're more interested in walking tours where we can see the main sights and get some good background and history etc.

For Olympia, we paired up with another couple from the cruise and took a taxi from the cruise ship area to the ancient Olympia site. The driver waited for us and took us back to near the ship afterwards. For Rhodes, we were literally the first passengers off the ship and had a wonderful time walking around before the town became crowded. For Ephesus we used a semi-private guide in a van.

I can't answer your questions, but can point you towards 2 resources for port stops.

1. Rick Steve's Guidebook to Mediterranean Cruise Ports

2. Cruise Critic website, Ports of Call forum, Mediterranean subforum: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/8-europe/

Also on Cruise Critic, you can find the Roll Call for your specific Cruise line, ship and sail date. Your fellow cruisers will be discussing port stops and shared private tours. The only time we consider ship excursions are for tours that are some distance from the ship or if time in port is limited.

You can also look at TripAdvisor , which will point you to 3rd party sites like Viator or Get Your Guide. But if you drill down further you can usually find the name of the actual tour company or guide

...the port stops are early morning to 5pm or later...Not worried about missing the boat...

We've taken many, many cruises (including ones in the Med.) that have "long" port days. But rarely is one able to get off the ship for at least an hour (or two) after the arrival time. Your days might not be as long as you think.

In small places such as Malta, and Mykonos, using a private guide or doing something on your own and getting back to the ship on time might not be a big risk. In places such as Athens and Istanbul it is a whole 'nother can of worms altogether. The traffic can be horrible; as well as road construction.

If you are on a ship excursion, the ship will wait for you. Not so if you are on your own or with a private guide. Three or four times we've seen people literally running along the pier as the ship departed. Yes, they do cost a bit more than doing it on your own or with a private guide. But they are a lot cheaper that getting yourself to the next port.Malta, and Mykonos

Our rule of thumb is "Can we get back to the port or tender dock by hoofing it?" Depending on what you plan (and how far afield you go), Malta, and Mykonos can be done on your own or with a guide. If you go to Delos from Mykonos, just be sure to allow plenty of time to get back to Mykonos to catch the tender boat.

Don't mean to sound like Debbie Downer, just offering some thoughts for consideration.