Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Med cruise shore excursions with kids

23 replies

Ash19 · 28/10/2023 11:53

I have a med cruise booked for may half term. We will be stopping at Palma, Naples, Rome and Florence. I'm trying to decide on shore excursions. We are going with royal carribean. Any suggestions for palma or naples would be much appreciated. The transfers for Rome and Florence are quite long so was thinking of just staying around where ship docs but not sure. We have done cruises before but this is our first with our 7 year old daughter. Any advise on excursions would be really aporeciated. .

OP posts:
MrsMoggy · 28/10/2023 12:00

We are on the same cruise right now (last day sea day). We used the ship shuttles for 10 euros return to Palma and just got off the bus near the cathedral and had a wander round. We got off at La Spezia and took the train to Pisa to see the tower, this was 22 euros return per adult and 17 euros return for our 11 year old. Bought tickets at the station at ticket office. It’s about a half hour walk from the station to the Leaning Tower.

We stayed on ship for the Marseille and Rome days. Yesterday we arrived at Naples and took the royal Caribbean Pompeii transfer for 25 dollars each return. Only took half an hour. We then paid 18 euros per adult to get in to Pompeii, under 12s are free.

MissAmbrosia · 28/10/2023 12:03

Herculaneum would be a good one as it's bit more manageable in size.

Original poster
Ash19 · 28/10/2023 17:24

Yes was looking at pompeii and herculaneum. Think it's sn excursion our daughter would enjoy. Had read herculaneum is smaller alright.

The cruise shuttle is an idea for palma. Was thinking of doing aquarium ourselves or getting a ship excursion to drach caves.

OP posts:
Doggymummar · 28/10/2023 17:27

We did that trip about 5 years ago. The Rome excursion was something ridiculous like £500 for the day we stayed on board ship and it was lovely as most people were on for the Rome trip. All the others we took the tender and did our own thing much cheaper and less crowded.

delfttulipvase · 28/10/2023 17:57

I've not been on this cruise, but been on other cruises.

I always google the name of the cruise line/ship and the port and you can usually find out lots about things close to the port, local transport etc.

We often do our own thing in port, and cruise operators are a bit variable in the info they give over and above their own excursions - understandable, I suppose, as they want to sell their excursions.

Cruise critic forums and a site called 'what's in port' have both been useful, and often contain info like how far it is to walk into the town or city, whether there is local shuttle transport in port and so on.

Have a great trip!

BurbleBumleBleep · 28/10/2023 21:48

I did this cruise years ago. Drach caves are great and a bit different and it’s cool even on hot days.
I did Pompeii and it was really special. It’s an ideal trip as it’s unlikely you’d go for a holiday there as you would Rome or Florence. Skipped Rome and Florence. Walked round Livorno port as it had a lovely market and my DS got a proper Italian haircut in the barbers.

dicedicebaby · 28/10/2023 21:50

It's easy enough to get the train into Rome, we walked to the station from the port gates (think they had a shuttle bus to the gate). It would be a massive waste to go to Rome and not go sightseeing.

Original poster
Ash19 · 28/10/2023 23:20

Thanks to everyone for replies. Myself and my husband have been to Rome twice before and we have been to Florence so that's why I was thinking staying around where we dock those days.

OP posts:
Dressinginmygown · 28/10/2023 23:35

On a different cruise, we took taxis to palmanova to from Palma and had a beach day. We went into Palma later in the afternoon / evening and looked around the city.

Original poster
Ash19 · 29/10/2023 08:14

Was it easy get taxi in palma port.

OP posts:
Smurfmurf · 29/10/2023 16:14

I’ve not been yet but DH and I have said we will spend the day in Civvatavechia next time. It looks like quite a decent place to have a wander around. We too have done rome a few times.

Dressinginmygown · 29/10/2023 20:12

Ash19 · 29/10/2023 08:14

Was it easy get taxi in palma port.

Yes, from just outside the port there's a taxi bay and taxis kept turning up there. It was about €20.

WhatHaveIDone21 · 29/10/2023 20:43

We did that cruise this year and went to Herculaneum with DD1 who was 11 at the time. We really enjoyed it but it was very hot the day we went. We were off the ship for about 4 hours and were all ready to get back aboard by the end of it.

Original poster
Ash19 · 29/10/2023 21:40

Great info everyone thanks. Cannot wait. Hoping our daughter likes cruising as much as we do.

OP posts:
Mumaway · 29/10/2023 21:42

Pompeii/Herculaneum. Kids love it as do adults

LightsOutAndAwayWeGooooo · 29/10/2023 21:44

MrsMoggy · 28/10/2023 12:00

We are on the same cruise right now (last day sea day). We used the ship shuttles for 10 euros return to Palma and just got off the bus near the cathedral and had a wander round. We got off at La Spezia and took the train to Pisa to see the tower, this was 22 euros return per adult and 17 euros return for our 11 year old. Bought tickets at the station at ticket office. It’s about a half hour walk from the station to the Leaning Tower.

We stayed on ship for the Marseille and Rome days. Yesterday we arrived at Naples and took the royal Caribbean Pompeii transfer for 25 dollars each return. Only took half an hour. We then paid 18 euros per adult to get in to Pompeii, under 12s are free.

We got off last week assuming you're on Symphony?

I second everything @MrsMoggy says :)

MrsMoggy · 29/10/2023 21:57

@LightsOutAndAwayWeGooooo yes we disembarked Symphony this morning and now back in the grey U.K 😩

LightsOutAndAwayWeGooooo · 29/10/2023 22:16

MrsMoggy · 29/10/2023 21:57

@LightsOutAndAwayWeGooooo yes we disembarked Symphony this morning and now back in the grey U.K 😩

She's a beautiful ship! Think Central Park has to be my favourite area onboard!

What was your highlight of your trip?

JustLurkingAway · 29/10/2023 22:21

We did the "Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii by Land and Sea" trip in august, was a good day but so long. Capri was lovely and Pompeii was so interesting but obviously boiling hot, so I'd imagine it'd be much better to do in may!

Anna2111 · 24/04/2026 20:35

JustLurkingAway · 29/10/2023 22:21

We did the "Capri, Sorrento & Pompeii by Land and Sea" trip in august, was a good day but so long. Capri was lovely and Pompeii was so interesting but obviously boiling hot, so I'd imagine it'd be much better to do in may!

We are doing the same ports in July ( harmony of the seas. It looks like Italy will be crowded and super hot in July. Was capri worth going to or was it too crowded? I’d be grateful for any cruise / port tips . Never cruised before. Thank you !

Original poster
Ash19 · 25/04/2026 08:32

We didnt do capri sorry. We did pompei for that stop.

Would highy recommend the cinque terre. We did this ourselves. The little village were so beautiful.

OP posts:
Anna2111 · 25/04/2026 10:15

Ash19 · 25/04/2026 08:32

We didnt do capri sorry. We did pompei for that stop.

Would highy recommend the cinque terre. We did this ourselves. The little village were so beautiful.

Thank you. We are thinking of getting the train - heat and crowds permitting. Maybe just one village.

Original poster
Ash19 · 25/04/2026 10:18

It was May when we went. Crowds were ok. We worked backwards. So went to the village furthest away first and worked our way back. Was so fabulous.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page