Excursions in ports
Trips and walks around ports are an integral part of every cruise. Whether you plan to just step off the boat and settle into the nearest café or pub, or you want to really explore the place you are visiting, it is important to realise that a boat holiday has certain specific features, especially with regard to the destinations visited, which cannot be overlooked.
Once again, it is important to remember that you are on a cruise. It is not like a hotel, where a taxi can drop you off right in front of the reception. You are on a huge ship, which is not easy to dock in a harbour. Therefore, you have to take into account the fact that getting into town in some ports and destinations will be a little more complicated. If you are not linguistically proficient and well-travelled, we definitely recommend using cruises with transport and a representative, which will save you a lot of hassle with transport at your destinations and communicating with the locals. Even so, you should still expect to invest in transport in some ports.
Excursions in ports with a representative
Although our representative is presented as a technical representative on the cruise, they will personally visit the destinations with you. We have been organising cruises for over a decade, and with the experience we have gained over the years, we believe we really have something to offer you. During the cruise, you will have the opportunity to discover not only the beauty and culture of the destinations visited, but also the local food and drink.
The employees of RIVIERA TOUR have devoted most of their lives to travelling, and during that time we have gathered a wealth of knowledge about culture and local customs. So if you are interested in what you won't find in guidebooks, books or on the internet – that is, the everyday life of ordinary people in the destinations – a walk around the harbour with a representative is the right choice.nbsp;If you want to go on a tour of the port on your own, the representative will be happy to advise you on which interesting places to visit in the port, which cruise company trip to buy, where to go on foot, and whether to buy a sightseeing bus or taxi.
In most destinations, you will find very beautiful and interesting places, but in some cases they may be further away from the ship. The representative usually knows in advance what places await the group on the cruise and, unless there is a change in the itinerary, can plan the best route in the port to explore the place itself. We also usually know in advance whether the ship will dock directly in the port or whether a tender or shuttle bus will be needed to transport passengers to the city. This information is invaluable and can save you a lot of money. Most clients appreciate the services of the representative and RIVIERA TOUR only after returning from their cruise.
* In selected ports, the representative will participate in optional excursions with MSC Cruises. In cooperation with the cruise company, we also offer optional excursions in destinations in advance, which can make your holiday even more enjoyable. Selected excursions also have the advantage of being accompanied by a Riviera Tour representative, who will provide you with the necessary information during the excursion, which will be particularly appreciated by clients with language barriers. Please note that the representative is not a tour guide. If the excursion is in English, the representative will try to provide you with information as soon as possible (sometimes, if other English-speaking clients are participating, it is not possible to translate the commentary immediately).
You can find the range of excursions with our representative in the cruise profile, or we will send it to you as soon as it is ready. The price quoted is the price at which you can purchase the excursion when signing the travel contract, and our travel agency guarantees this price even if the cruise company increases it. This price includes the pairing fee and taxes. This means that the price of our excursion is always higher than, for example, on the ship or in the port, but our group will always be together with the assistance of our Czech-speaking representative.
Optional excursions with a Czech representative are available only for cruises with transport and a representative. For individual cruises, clients participate in excursions on their own.
Optional excursions with MSC Cruises
During cruises with transport and a representative, as well as individual cruises, you can also take part in other excursions organised by MSC Cruises. The cruise company offers guests a wide range of excursions in all ports – from relaxing afternoons with a cocktail in hand on the beach, to Harley rides, history and nature trips accompanied by knowledgeable guides, to adrenaline-fuelled experiences. Travellers who enjoy discovering new places will definitely find something to suit them.
The prices of excursions range from €40 to €200, depending on the difficulty of the excursion and additional services (lunch, admission to monuments, etc.). Our staff will provide you with the prices of excursions upon request. Please note that excursions take place without the participation of a Czech representative and are usually conducted in one of the world languages. Our travel agency staff will provide you with the current offer of optional excursions for your cruise upon request before departure. Optional excursions can also be purchased on board, but with a 15% surcharge and some of them may be sold out in advance. We therefore recommend purchasing excursions in advance.
For more information about this type of excursion, see the section Optional excursions with the cruise company.
Transfers at the port
In some ports, it is necessary to use boat transfers. These are mainly ports that are located further away from the historic centre. These transfers can only be purchased on the ship and cannot be purchased in advance from a travel agency. The prices of these transfers are approximately €10-18 per person. Children receive a discount on transfers. Transfers can be purchased on board at the Excursion Desk on deck 6 or 7.
The most frequently used ports are suitable for transfers in Marseille, Salerno, Valencia, Barcelona, Mallorca, Ibiza, Brindisi, Copenhagen, Malaga and Dubrovnik. In some ports (Civitavecchia, La Spezia, Salerno), movement around the port is prohibited and you will be transported from the reception gate to the ship by a port transfer - shuttle bus. This service is free of charge. If you are travelling with transport and a representative, your representative will take care of securing tickets for transfers.
Tender
During the voyage, there are ports where the ship cannot dock directly. It will therefore remain anchored in the open sea near the port, and the shipping company will transport you to the mainland free of charge by tender. A tender is transport from the ship to the mainland either by lifeboats or by hired boats in the port. As a rule, when using a tender in the morning before disembarking, it is necessary to obtain a disembarkation number (tender tickets), which determines the order and time of your disembarkation from the ship. If you are travelling with transport and a representative, your representative will take care of obtaining tender tickets.
Warning:
The excursion booking service provided by MSC Cruises CK RIVIERA TOUR is due to the considerable interest in excursions at individual destinations. It often happens that excursions are sold out in advance before clients board the ship. Therefore, CK RIVIERA TOUR has introduced a pre-sale excursion booking service.
Please note that optional excursions are not part of the travel contract, but are only reservations for additional services during your cruise. The cruise company reserves the right to change or cancel excursions due to bad weather, unforeseen circumstances or low interest in the optional excursion. In the event of cancellation, you will be offered an alternative excursion or the excursion will be cancelled. In the event of cancellation, the price already paid for the optional excursion will be refunded to your ship account on board the ship.
If you require a language other than English, it is necessary to make arrangements on the first day on board at the excursion desk. Excursions in languages other than English are possible depending on the cruise company's capabilities. Please inquire on board.
The RIVIERA TOUR travel agency only arranges trip bookings and is not responsible for the programme, composition or content of trips or services presented. All complaints must be addressed immediately on board the ship at the trip counter.