Western Med. Cruise Port Questions!

It sounds as if you're a great candidate for purchasing Rick's book on Mediterranean cruise ports--though I don't know that all of your stops are covered.

There's good transportation between Catania and Taormina. Buses should take you right up the hill to Taormina. Trains stop at the Taormina-Giardini station at the bottom of the hill, from which you'd catch a shuttle bus up the hill. I assume taxis are also available at Taormina-Giardini. I'd say this is quite an easy excursion, but I don't know anything about getting from the port in Catania to the train station or the bus station. When I visited Catania in 2015, the ticket offices for the various bus companies were close to each other and to the bus depot itself, but they were not all in the same building, so if you opt for the bus, check the details ahead of time.

Catania itself has a very pretty historic district. As you would expect, it's near the cathedral. If the crowds in Taormina drive you nuts (as they did me), you can spend your extra time in Catania, but you may want to hop a taxi from the train/bus station. It's not terribly far. If the weather is decently clear, you'll be able to see Mt. Etna from Catania.

You said "... but the price of the Costa excursions was not bad, so we questioned the headache...". Yes, excursions can be done independently and many will advise doing so. Doing it on your own will be less expensive than taking an excursion through the cruise line but there may, as you said, be headaches. But if the cruise line's tour prices are not bad, then....

We have cruised extensively. If we are just going to stay in the town where the ship docks and not go too far afield, we do things on our own. But if we want to do anything that involves traveling any distance from the ship we take a ship excursion. If there is a delay returning to the ship and you are on a ship excursion the ship will wait for you . But most will not so if you are off on your own.

In many places on our Mediterranean cruises (including Catania, Naples, Taormina, and Pompeii) there have been delays returning due to bad traffic jams and other problems. On several occasions we have seen people literally running along the pier trying to get back as the ship was pulling away.

Guess it depends on your risk tolerance. Just relating our experience.

Pompeii will, in my opinion, be done in a more timely manner using a tour and guide.

I'm sure there are those who will disagree, but Marseille to me was just so - so. Given the choice I'd head straight to Paris.

If you have enough time after Pompeii you can see Herculaneum. We went to one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.

My two cents: The ships play up the risk factor as a tactic for selling their excursions. I agree to some extent that traveling a distance from the cruise port may be risky. In my experience, however, there is a third option. Local guides will take you the same places for about half the cost of the ship's excursion. You travel with a smaller group. Which means you have better access to the guide. Getting to, in and out of stops is also much more efficient. The guides know when you have to be back at the port. They wouldn't make a living if people missed their boats.

In Belize, as an example, I took a tour to some Mayan ruins (translates to "Sunken Crocodile") from the port. The trip involves a van to a boat, then boat up a river to a lake, lunch on the lake shore then a guided tour of the ruins and reverse getting back to port. Ships excursions stopped running the tours because they were so regularly late getting back. A group of roughly twelve, however, can make the trip and be back in time.

I've been to Monaco and Cinque Terra but not to places between. I liked Monaco, especially the Aquarium/Oceanography museum and garden. I'd say look at the top things to see in each option and decide what appeals most to you.

I haven't been to Marseille because friends who went didn't recommend it. There are lots of things in the area that may appeal, but extra time in Paris is a good thing.

Genoa is nothing like Monaco or Portofino it isn't really a tourist town IMO.

I agree with the comment about the cruise lines playing up the problems with independent tours. We use them quite regularly particularly hiring a private guide. You might also check the Roll Call on Cruise critic for your particular cruise to see if anyone is organizing an independent tour and check under the PORTS section for more advice.