I am taking a cruise for 14 nights. Alot of excursion are expensives. I have been told alot of places are small and easy to take taxi, bus etc. Any advise on these place - Corfu, Santorini , Mykonos, Katakolon(olympia),Dubrovnik,Athens,Ephesus,Split Croatia.
Posted by
Camarillo, California
3148 posts
If you have less than 8 hours scheduled ashore at any of your stops you should probably take the offered excursion, because to explore on your own will take too much time. For example, on Santorini the excursion-takers are tendered ashore at a port where buses await to take them on a tour of the island. But DIY passengers are tendered ashore to a different port where you have to stand in line to take a cable car up the cliff into the main village of Fira. Depending on how many other ships and passengers are tendered ashore there, all of whom have to use the cable car, a lot of time could be wasted, and if it's a hot summer day you will not be happy. Not only that, but you have to be back at the cable car building at least 1.5 hours before your ship departs for the ride back down the cliff to the tender dock. Food for thought.......
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports book has lots of information on your ports, including how to see them on your own and when it's better to take an excursion (either the ship's, or one you book yourself).
In addition to any replies you get here, be sure to look at Cruise Critic. Here's their Greece Ports forum: http://tinyurl.com/ax6ys4a
Here's their Corfu Port Review; in the middle of that page, you can find links to their other Eastern Mediterranean port reviews: http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=176
And here are their Roll Calls, where you can meet others on your sailing. This way, you can get together your own group to buy a "private" tour, cutting the cost while still having a more customized experience than the ship's tour: http://tinyurl.com/ap7h55m