We are going on an Adriatic and Greece cruise. We are staying a couple of days in Venice before cruising to Dubrovnik, Kotor, Athens, Santorini, Naples, and then a couple days in Rome. Anybody have any advice either on excursions or must-dos or must-sees at any point along the way? I'm really excited.

Isabel Pereira
Do you mind if I ask which company you're going with and if they're pricey?

We are going with Norwegian Cruise Lines. We booked really early and got some good promos but, really, they are all pricey

I go with Norwegian also. Booked our excursions with them. I feel safe, and they are well organized, and enjoyable, and there are choices.

Check out your cruise discussion group on Cruise Critic. We booked many amazing excursions with other like-minded people through there. Can’t Be Missed Tours was amazing in Rome, there is a secret tour of the Doge Palace in Venice, you can do your own walk of the walls in Dubrovnik- phenomenal! There is also a gondola there, I believe.

OK so we went 10 years ago, so trying to recall everything...
Visit Plaka in the heart of Athens. Really cool place to shop unique stores and walk around etc. We just did our own thing, no tour (we were "ruined" out by then so didn't go to the Acropolis but you can see it from Plaka. Just be cautious, it's very easy to get disoriented when walking around, we kind of got lost but had a nice young lady show us the way back to the tram thank goodness. So worried we were going to miss our departure time.
Santorini we just enjoyed walking around in Thira - also called Fira (we rode up in the gondola, please spare the poor donkey's, they have such a tough job!! . The views were amazing. We bought some Olive Oil and had it shipped back home (wasn't as expensive as you would think and it tastes so much better). I read the other reviewer's suggestion to walk to Oia, that would have been great probably too. Santorini is surreal!
Naples we went to Pompeii (wasn't my thing) but the same day trip took us to Sorrento which I LOVED. It was gorgeous. Were supposed to go to Capri also that day but the weather didn't permit us to take the hydrofoils (speedboats). Would have loved to have seen Capri! But Sorrento is a must. I could have skipped Pompeii. Naples didn't seem like a place I would have liked to have seen (our tour bus drove through it from Sorrento to Pompeii). It seemed dirty and sketchy from what we saw driving through.
Rome was amazing. We loved it. We spent 3 days pre-cruise and 3 days post cruise. Pre-cruise we hotelled it in an area called Trastevere but I wouldn't recommend it. Bus service stopped at about 10pm and it was far from most things. Post-cruise we stayed right across the Trevi Fountain and loved this area WAY more. It was easy walking to most places. (Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Shopping district Via Veneto, Trevi Fountain...) Definitely have to do the tour of the coliseum (guided). Loved Rome and even with 6 days total there, I'd still love to go back. Post-cruise hotel was Relais Fontana de Trevi (or something like that). Would recommend it. Great view of Trevi Fountain from the included breakfast room on the roof top. (keep in mind this was 10 years ago so not sure what it's like now).
Loved Venice too. We were in Venice for 2 or 3 days. We visited Murano (where they make the blown glass), Burano (not too much to do there so only go if you have the time), took a gondola ride (touristy but a must in my opinion). I think it was a hotel called Relais we stayed at and it was very nice, right on one of the canals and could hear the gondoliers singing at night. Very cool.
SIDE NOTE: Something I learned on our Mediterranean cruise is, figure out if you're into arts/history or if you're into culture and people stuff. I went into so many ruins and museums etc but found the times I enjoyed WAY more were wandering the streets, eating the local food and experiencing the culture of the places we visited and seeing the natural beauty and uniqueness of each place! For that reason, I'd love to do the exact same cruise but experience it all differently this time!

That sounds like a fantastic trip! Venice is beautiful and pictures don’t do it justice. Only advice would be to find hidden gems off the main tourist areas for restaurants etc. Take the ferry taxi to Murano, Burano as well as touring central Venice. We stayed at a great airbnb in Mestre and took the 10 min train into downtown Venice for the days

I would second straying from San Marco square as well. You get a much better sense of everyday life for a local once you wander off the main path. Burano and Murano are musts. Burano is really pretty. Your ship should be tendering in Fira for Santorini. There is a very scenic walking trail that you can take to get to Oia. It takes a few hours but it's beautiful and not busy. After spending the day in Oia, you can catch a local bus back to Fira. Dubrovnik, you can do a walking tour that meets at the main fountain in the old town. Afterwards, walk the city walls and have late lunch at a restaurant in a small alleyway (less touristy). Naples, you must get to Pompeii if at all possible. You can hire a guide to take you around or download an audio tour from Rick Steves. We did a similar cruise and had a really great time!

Totally agree with Murano and Burano! And yes, wander into the side streets of Venice to find the most amazing restaurants and gelato shops.

For Rome, we booked tours through Walks of Italy, they were fabulous. Google them and see what types of tours they have, and what you want to see and do. We are going on a cruise which includes Greece, so excited also.

Just a note regarding the above, the ship excursions are VERY expensive but you do run the risk of not being able to do anything. We couldn't decide what to do at Kusadasi (Turkey) and when we got of the ship, literally EVERYTHING was booked and we felt a bit unsafe trying to do our own thing. Also, if you tour gets delayed for whatever reason (traffic etc) you run the risk of the ship leaving without you. It can make it extra stressful.

True

We like Rebecca's comment above-- we found the cruise ship prices for excursions too high-- we either book through trip advisor or go to Cruise critic, find your cruise, and check for other like-minded folks who are looking to book excursions-- save $$$$$

Great idea about checking for others who want to do ‘private tours’. Definitely cheaper. Get to meet new people and have a great time.

For Rome, google Walks of Italy for tours, they are fantastic. We used them last year and were not disappointed. We have tours booked with them for end of October, lots of choices, and you can book on line. You will really enjoy Rome.

Definitely do the walk around the wall in old Dubrovnik. Lots of stairs but worth it. Really interesting place.

Santorini is the best place on earth! If you can rent quads you can see the whole island. Check out the black and red beaches for sure. Oia is the best place for the sunset

Do the kayak excursion in Kotor. It was the highlight of our trip. We did a similar cruise last summer.

In Rome you can get a great deal on accommodation near the Vatican and it's a short, nice walk to the colosseum.

In Naples its easy to walk from the pot to the train station and take a train to Pompeii. (I did that on a cruise before) cost me €5 instead of the €150 the ship wanted to charge.

Port not pot

enroll on cruise critic go to roll call put your ship details on. A lot of people who cruise arrange private tours and are always looking for people to share. www.cruisecritic.com it is a fantastic tool. we use it all the time.
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I never book the ship excursions you can book on the dock for 90% off.

Thanks, everyone, for some lovely ideas

We stayed on lido in venice it eas great....Dubrovnik is amazing

your cruise line will tell you about and book excursions too