Posts by Sables67

Good evening Laurence,

I’m writing to you following your post from last year.

I’m traveling from Lisbon to Venice on September 25th, and before the cruise, I’ll spend 2 days in Venice.

Is it easy to get to the Terminal? When should I leave my hotel?

2 questions: In Kotor, which you visited by hop-on hop-off bus, are there other ways to get around? Tuk-tuks? Local buses to explore the old town?

Corfu.

So, is it unnecessary to take the bus provided by MSC? You can just leave the ship with the tender and explore everything on foot.

This is my second cruise, and I’m sailing on the Armonia with some really lovely stops, plus Venice.

Thank you, and thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Have a good evening.

Françoise

We’re back from a wonderful cruise on the LIRICA with so many amazing things to discover. I’ll give you a "little" summary and remain available—along with anyone else who’s interested—for more details via PM. I can even send you the travel journal I prepared for the group: there were 12 of us, including 2 teens (16 years old) and a couple in their 80s—which explains some of our sightseeing choices.

Day 1 - VENICE: The port is very easy to find. We had reserved a parking spot for 8 days = 145 €. Baggage drop-off is on the ground floor of the cruise terminal—everything is signposted for MSC—and check-in is upstairs. You reach the Lirica by tender. It takes about 15/20 minutes. Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 2 - KOTOR: Head to the deck by 1 PM to watch the ship sail into the Bay of Kotor. It’s truly stunning! Two hours of breathtaking scenery. As soon as we arrived at the port, we took a red hop-on hop-off bus. A 1-hour tour covering the history and environment of the Bay. It costs 28 € and includes a visit to the old town. However, we preferred to explore the city on our own after the bus tour. It’s very pretty, and we discovered, among other things, a beautiful Orthodox church. Suggested evening attire: 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Note: The ship anchors offshore, so you’ll need to take tenders to reach the port—about 15 minutes. You’ll need to get a ticket in advance for each passenger. Tip: Go as soon as ticket distribution starts (8:30 AM for us) because the higher your number, the later you’ll disembark, which means less time to explore.

Due to bad weather in Mykonos, we were rerouted to Corfu on the third day.

Day 3 - CORFU: We arrived at 12 PM and disembarked quickly to make the most of the stop. However, there was a letdown: MSC provides a bus to leave the port for 12 € per person! Actually, it’s very doable on foot for those who enjoy walking (about 30 minutes to the city). Like the day before, we chose to take a red hop-on hop-off bus. A 1-hour ride that dropped us off in the heart of the city. From there, we wandered through the pedestrian streets and alleys. Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 4 – At sea: Since the Lirica is much smaller than the cruise ships we’d taken before, there weren’t too many activities for this sea day. If you’re looking for a quiet outdoor spot: head to the stern of the ship, either on deck 11 (at the end of the buffet restaurant) or on the lower decks—10, 9, 8... There are lounge chairs and hardly anyone around. Suggested evening attire: Elegant (Gala)

Day 5 – SANTORINI: Since the Fira cable car was still under maintenance due to earthquakes, we disembarked at the Athinios port. (Note: The ship anchors offshore, so you’ll need to take tenders to reach the port—about 15 minutes. You’ll need to get a ticket in advance for each passenger. Tip: Go as soon as ticket distribution starts (6:30 AM for us) because the higher your number, the later you’ll disembark, which means less time to explore.) Once at the port, dozens of free MSC buses were waiting to take passengers to Fira by road. About a 20-minute ride through the Santorini countryside. In Fira, at the large parking lot where the bus dropped us off, we took a bus to Oia (2 € per person), which takes you to the heart of the town—about 15 minutes. OIA: It’s truly enchanting, like stepping into a postcard. We spent a few hours exploring before taking a bus back to Fira. FIRA: We wandered through the town, discovering monuments we’d only seen from afar. And of course, some shopping! Around 4 PM, we took an MSC bus back down to the port to catch the tender and return to the ship. Suggested evening attire: White

Day 6 – At sea: Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 7 – ANCONA: A discovery of a beautiful Italian city in the Marche region. Everything here breathes Italy! The 19th-century buildings, the ancient ruins, etc. At the port exit, city maps are handed out with different routes to follow. We chose "From the sea to the sea" and walked up the city’s long pedestrian street to reach the monument dedicated to World War I. From there, we climbed to the cathedral overlooking the city. A lovely walk, but quite steep. On the way back, we took an elevator that brought us quickly down to sea level, about 500 meters from the port. Suggested evening attire: Casual

Day 8 – VENICE: We had to leave our cabin by 7:30 AM at the latest. We disembarked at 9:20 AM. We picked up our luggage at the exit of the Lirica and took an MSC-provided bus to the Venice cruise terminal parking lot (no tender this time). We chose to stay in Venice on Saturday and return to France on Sunday. From the port parking lot, we walked to the People Mover—a kind of elevated tram (1.5 € per person)—which took us to Piazzale Roma. From there, we bought day passes for the Vaporetto (25 € per person) and traveled up the Grand Canal to our accommodations. A magical day in Venice under beautiful sunshine and warm summer weather.

I hope this information is helpful. Happy cruise preparations!

Hello,

09/27 - sables67 / MSC ARMONIA / 8 days / Mediterranean / Venice

Thanks.

Françoise

Hi Karl,

Thanks so much for the link and for answering my question.

I’ll check out that link right away for my transfer.

Have a great day!

Françoise

Hello! I’m going on my very first cruise in September 2025.

Departure from Civitavecchia—

Mykonos - Santorini - Kusadasi...

A few questions: Apart from Ephesus, Naples, and Pompeii, I’m pretty much heading into the unknown for Santorini and Mykonos. I’ve been following some of your posts about Santorini—thank you for those! What do you recommend for Mykonos? I’ll be spending 3 days in Rome before the cruise. At the end of the cruise, I don’t plan to return to Rome. Could you tell me what transport to take from Civitavecchia to Fiumicino Airport? Thanks so much! 🙂 Françoise

Hi there, Here’s my cruise: 26/09-sables67 / MSC DIVINA / 8 days / Mediterranean / Civitavecchia Thanks, Françoise

Good evening Catherine, Thanks for this summary—it’s really helpful for the different stops! Especially for Santorini.

Hi Francis, Thanks for the welcome message. I feel a little less alone with my first cruise 🙂 And for your quick reply. It’s true that I’ve started gathering info on this forum—it’s a real goldmine! Of course, I’ll do a trip report on the cruise. I’m sailing with MSC Divina. The only thing I’m worried about is the unlikely scenario that there won’t be transportation from the port of Civitavecchia to the airport. I don’t think all passengers will head to Rome by taking the bus or train. I’m open to any great tips for this cruise, which runs from September 26 to October 3. Thanks again, Have a great day, Françoise

Hello! I’m going on my very first cruise in September—Mykonos, Santorini, and Kusadasi. A few questions: Apart from Ephesus, Naples, and Pompeii, I’m pretty unfamiliar with Santorini and Mykonos. I’ve been following your posts about Santorini (thanks for those!). Any recommendations for Mykonos? I’ll be spending 3 days in Rome before the cruise. At the end of the cruise, I don’t plan to return to Rome. Could you tell me what transport to take from Civitavecchia to Fiumicino Airport? Thanks so much! Françoise