We are (unfortunately) cruising for a week
For part of our vacation. Not by choice but out of necessity of cost. So... To make the most of it I want to plan some great day trips at the ports of call. I would love some feedback on things to do in Ephesus Turkey and in Messina Sicily. Has anyone booked a day trip to Mt.Etna?? We have been to Taormina before. We are travelling with three teenagers. Our vacation starts with a week in Rome and Florence, then a week on the cruise. At 18,16,14 I'm afraid they will be bored of ruins and museums by the time we get to the cruise.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23661 posts
Why unfortunately? Cruises are a great way to go and can be very economical. Just get good guide books for those areas and pretend you are arriving via train if arriving by a boat bothers you. Of course, in Ephesus you have the great Roman ruins which should be high on any list of not to miss and can take a good half day if not more to see. Let the kids plan what they want to see so if they are bored then they are responsible.
Posted by
NY, USA
500 posts
With a party of 5 you should prebook private tours or you will pay more to be piled on a bus with 40 or 50 others on a ship excursion. Rick has a Mediterranean Cruise port book you should check out. I have spent about a month on the ground in Italy in 2 trips the past two years. This year I am doing a Mediterranean cruise too as I wanted to take it a bit easier this summer. The sites are generally not near the ports, in Athens you can use public transportation but in Ephesus and probably Messina you should look into tours. I am planning on visiting a few beaches at smaller ports, renting an ATV in Santorini and doing a day at a high end hotel pool and beach in Mykonos.
Posted by
Seattle (occasionally)
102 posts
While living in Germany for 3 years we did lots of travel, including a few cruises. It was a great way to see things otherwise out of reach (St. Petersburg for example), but also frustrating with short shore times (Istanbuhl was challenging with a day). No regrets however. We did Ephesus by tour company during a stop in Izmir Turkey with our then 16 and 19 year old boys. We all enjoyed the site/tour, and the boys had already seen lots of Europe (Rome, Venice, etc.). If we had walked it on our own rather than doing the tour I think they would have been less impressed - the tour really brought it to life. In Italy, just keep feeding them pizza and they shouldn't complain about histroy overload (worked for my boys anyway).
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15798 posts
Have the teens been on a cruise before? They may like the ship so much (no ruins, lots of activities, unlimited junk food) that they may be happy to stay on board ship and let you soak in the ruins on your own. Plan for the adults and let the teens decide if they want to join you or not.