Cruises and Cruising Forums. News, Reviews & Tips

I have read in a few of your messages that booking your excursions through the ship can be quite pricey. Just wondering best way to sightsee.Travelling to the Canaries in April. Tips on what and where to visit would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Georgiegirl.

Love the Canaries. You dont say which Islands you are visiting? Let us know and we will try and point you in the right direction. Carol.

Certainly on my list of places I want to cruise to in 2011, not sure I can squeeze that one in this year. Normally they are about 10 nights Canaries cruises, so will watch this thread with interest to get some hints and tips

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2010 Cruises: MSC Magnifica(Feb), Celebrity Eclipse (Apr x2), Queen Mary 2 (Jul+Nov)

We travel from Southamton to Madeira then on to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote Vigo spain and then back to England.

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Many places, indeed most places... can be done DIY
but there are the odd spots where personal safety, cultural issues or time/distance factors
seem to point logically towards taking a ship's tour.

Don't scrimp to the point where you're inconveniencing yourself.
The clever traveller consoles himself with the view that
if he can successfully DIY tours ashore 90-95% of the time
then the odd ship's tour here and there -as pragmatism dictates- has already been paid for!


Just bear in mind that nothing absolutely nothing is more expensive
both to the wallet and to the psyche
(crying wife beating and berating husband,dockside!)
than missing your ship!



See those gulls? They're not called Laughing Gulls for nothing..
and they're laughing at you, because you just missed your ship!
.

Common sense often tells me that we should make the effort to do DIY or privately organised tours - but half the time it's just so much easier and safer to book via the ship. I have to say there have been few disappointments on ship-booked tours.

I have to agree with Bosscat. We are not adventurous enough to do other than ship excursions. But! Madeira, Second highest sea cliff in the world, well worth a visit, but not if you suffer from vertigo. Blandy's wine lodge. Within walking distance. You have just got to go there and sample one or two or even three of the great Madeira wines. Buying a bottle to bring home is a must. There are many who do these visits and more under their own steam. They will tell you more. Tenerife. You dock on the North side of the Island. Tends to be more cloudt and rainy there. But there are trips to Loro Park. A great day out. Mount Teide if you are reasonably fit. Shopping also, a short walk from the ship. Gran Canaria. You can walk into the main shopping area no problem. In just a few minutes you are at the beach. We did a ships tour to a zoo come nature reserve once. Enjoyed that. Also a submarine dive, but dont bother with that. There was nothing under the sea but a few fish. No Coral it was just black volcanic rock. Lanzarote, now we loved that. The camel ride and the mountains of fire. Forgot the name of the underground lava tunnels with the white crabs and the cactus gardens. But good. Not too far to go into Arrecife, but not a lot to see or do. Vigo! We have only ever walked into town and bought a few souveniers. You will get better informed choices from others I am sure. But that's what we have done. Enjoy. Carol

Thankyou to all for your replies. It seems to be most peoples advice to stick to the ships tours. The last thing I want is to be waving at the ship leaving the port and us left stranded

Got some very good advice from a seasoned traveller on this forum - ALWAYS leave your passport in the safe on board but ALWAYS carry a photocopy of the relevant page so that if you have to take an onward journey to catch up, at least you have the necessary info.
Mal

I've always followed this 'rule' but have lately wondered - with the kind of security in place at airports these days, would they actually allow you to travel with only a photocopy of your passport?