Royal Carribean Cruise - excursions yes or no?

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TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

I did a 12 day Royal Caribbean cruise departing from Barcelona and with port stops in Nice, Luverno (Florenc/Pisa), Rome, Naples, Athens, Ephesus, Santorini and Mykonos. From your description of your cruise I am not sure it its the same one. But here's what I recommend.

First, you do not need to do ships tours in Santorini or Mykonos as you can tour both places on your own. Nice/Monte Carlo in my opinion was an OK stop but not one where there are MUST SEE things. In Naples you will want to see Pompeii and you can probably arrange a tour for yourself online (http://www.italyguides.it/us/napoli/naples.htm ). In Athens you will likely want to see the Acropolis and it is a good distance from the cruise port so you will need a ship's tour or arrange your own (http://www.greece-athens.com/ ). If you are going to Turkey with a port stop in Kusadari (Ephesus) you will need a tour to get to the Biblical city of Ephesus and my advice is arrange it with the cruise line.

In Luverno you can probably arrange your own tours (http://www.italyguides.it/us/florence/florence_italy.htm ). You cannot just walk off the ship and walk to Florence or Pisa; a tour is necessary.

Rome is the one port stop where I highly recommend that you do a ship's tour. The port stop in Civiteveccia is a good hour by car, bus or train from Rome. And you do not want to be late getting back to the ship due to a traffic jam or accident because the ship will leave you. But here are some web sites to explore doing Rome on your own. http://www.vatican-tours.com/?gclid=COCtmsrz1owCFQ0gSgodBlK4gg and http://www.limousineserviceinromeitaly.com/

Elle

Yes Yes Yes! Cruise ship shore excursions are worth it just for the safety and peace of mind you get from them. All shore excursions have been inspected by the cruise line for safety to make sure you don't have to worry about getting hurt. They provide all your transportation and sometimes even your drinks and food, all tested and safe.

The excursions that you can get for less off the ship are not inspected, and are not garenteed in any way. Not a good idea especially in places like egypt.

I'm not sure if you've ever been to places like egypt before, but it's not America there. You can't just call 9-1-1 if something goes wrong. Safety is VERY important.

If you are on a shore excursion that is running a bit late, the ship will not leave without you.

You will not get scammed.

You get to do really fun stuff that you wouldn't normally get to do just getting of the ship and looking around.

Pay the money. It's completely worth it.

Andy

If you're interested in exploring the port cities, then you do not need an excursion, just plan ahead to make sure you see the sites. If you plan to travel some distance from the ship (going to a beach, a remote village, archeological sites etc) that require transportation, then you should probably book the excursion through the ship. Here's the main reason why; if you book a tour locally, and for any reason your mode of transportation breaks down, or if because of traffic, weather etc., you do not arrive back to the ship on time, the ship will leave without you. You are then responsible for flying to the next port of call to get back onboard. If you book through the ship, it will not sail without you if you are late, or if they do leave (ships must pay not only the docking fees but a time fee as well) they will arrange transportation to the next port. Have a great time, I love cruising.

mandy b

i just got back from a cruise with RCI and even though we didn't go anywhere extreme like that we did go through them for the excursions, and i thoroughly enjoyed myself. it is definately your safest bet, as many theives and schemers try everything they can to get anything out of unknowing tourists.

OH MY GOD! ITS KRISTY

bahamas--yes, i would atleast do 1...do the dolphin experience. my husband and i felt stupid for not doing an excursion. we took a bus around the city for $1 a person, but saw the other people on video at the dolphin swim and felt stupid. plus, the huge museum in the pink building on pleasure island is a must as well.

cherry

the excursions you buy from the cruise line are the EXACT same as the ones off shore... it's just twice as much and way easier....

So if you can afford it.. I'd say go for it, but if not, you get the same excursion for less if you book once you are off the boat. Also, you can usually book them ahead of time, through the actual company as well...

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