Which of these ports do I absolutely need an excursion for?

[nerdboyrockstar]

Have a cruise booked with visits to these spots... ALL new to me. Which of these ports should I absolutely expect to book an excursion on because, well, otherwise there just ain't much going on without one?

I tend to prefer to explore on my own. Personally not a fan of the 7am theater-meetups, the shuffle to a bus, not seeing the ship for another 8 hours, the school field trip feeling without receiving any academic credit, etc.. Sorry!

BUT.. I am open to excursions in each port if I must because once-in-a-lifetime and such. Help!

• VENICE (TRIESTE) [Embarkation]
• VENICE (RAVENNA)
• SPLIT
• DUBROVNIK
• CORFU
• SANTORINI ISLAND
• KUSADASI
• ISTANBUL
• MYKONOS
• PIRAEUS ATHENS [Disembarkation]

 

[goofyintoronto]

For Dubrovnik and Split, i really dont think you need an excursion there. Sorry im not much help for the other ports. Great itinerary btw.

 

[MrMagoo]

Am sorry I just found you question as I don't frequent the Royal board much.
I hope I have responded before you have sailed!

We recommend private tours as much as you can.

Venus, Santorini, and Athens definitely do private.
For Venice we used Liv Italy Tours and had a great private half day tour.
You could do Venice on your own but you would need Google Maps on your phone to get around.
You really just walk around Venice but the sidewalks/streets are so narrow and winding it is EASY to get lost without maps on you phone!

Santorini is a must for a private tour because there is one spot you want to see for the blue domes and it gets VERY
busy. A private guide will be able to get you there before the tour groups. They also know the good places for great food! We used Tours by Locals here with Efthymia P as our guide.
You may have to wait till the group tours have left the ship before you are able to leave.

I really recommend a private guide for Athens as well, especially for seeing the Acropolis. There will be LONG lines for the Acropolis and if you are just a small group you will be able to get around SO much better!

We wished afterwards we had found a private guide for Mykonos as our guide through Disney was TERRIBLE!!!! On Delos Island it seemed all she wanted to talk about was the mythical part of the island. She lost track of time and we had to RUN to catch the boat to leave!!

Private tours give you so much more leeway on time and what to see. You also receive one on one interaction with your guide making it SO much easier to ask questions.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Thank you so much for the info!

 

[Lesverts]

I think it might be a bit based on your interest and travel time. If you are in Trieste and Ravenna and want to actually go to Venice, tours from the ship might be a good idea. Distances are actually a couple hours each way. So there is safety there as well on getting onto the ship. Split, Dubrovnik, Corfu and Santorini for me I know exactly what I would want to see and would just hire a car and do my own thing. Kusadasi might require a tour either through the ship or booked separately to do what you want to do. Istanbul would depend on if you are overnighting or not. And since Athens is your last port, my personal taste would be to stay a few extra days and explore.