Thread: What's the Longest SHORE EXCURSION You've Ever Taken?

Originally Posted by Lanky Lad

It was Alexandria to the pyramids, was about 12 hours.

Did not enjoy the coach ride at high speed, even worse on the way back as it was dark. I would not do it again but I am glad I did it. A nice touch, when we got back to the ship the Captain came out to welcome us home. Also they were hading out water and orange juice as we waited in line to get back onboard. Took quite some planning as there were 40 coachs.

We will have that long coach ride from Port Said to the pyramids this Nov. We decided to do a short tour in Alexandris, sounds like that was a good decision.

In Cozumel we did a the Mayan Ruins tour in Tulum.

Worth it.

Just to think how long that stuff has been there was amazing. I forget how long, but because of the bus ride involved it was an all day event. Only had a short time at the Ruins with our tour guide.

Yes, I would do it again.

Originally Posted by nealberk

In to Paris from La Havre. The bus trip was forever in both directions with very little to do except view generic countryside.

But I am very glad we did it otherwise we would not have had a chance to see Paris.

Forever in both directions?

How can there be a "both directions" if one way is infinite? How are you here? Shouldn't you still be on that bus?

Just Kidding Paris is on my list!

Our longest excursion actually turned out to be our best. It was an 8+ hour excursion in Puerto Vallarta. We got to sail along the coastline for 2 1/2 hours in a refurbished 1930's racing yacht. After that we stopped to snorkel, made another stop for lunch, both were long, leisurely stops, and then another 2 1/2 hour sail back to the port. The open bar on the trip home didn't hurt, but I love sailing, and to get to do so much of it on top of getting to snorkel in beautiful water made for an amazingly perfect experience.

Josh .... Your excursion sounds WONDERFUL to me! Just the sort of thing my DH and I love!

My longest was a week! No kidding. We sailed from Tampa to Playa del Carmen and then to Cozumel, where we got off the ship; did a 7 day shore excursion that was provided by the ship, being driving all around the Yucatan; then re-boarded the ship when it came back to Cozumel and continued on to Key West and back to Tampa. Enjoy it? Oh, yes; it was wonderful!

That was way back in 1983, and I've never seen a similar opportunity since then. I imagine it could be a logistical nightmare for the cruise line as some passengers got off and some continued on with the cruise. Actually, only four of us took advantage of the land excursion, so we essentially had our own private guide.

Originally Posted by LuLu

Our good friends tood a Riverboat Cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg with pre and post stays. They said that if they could have only gone to one it would have been St.Petersburg. Which did you like the better of the two ... or were you able to see any of St.Petersburg?

They are so very different it's hard to compare. Each is wonderful in its own way.

St Petersburg was built as a showpiece, to impress the rest of Europe. Peter had some serious Versailles envy and he wanted to show that Russia could do it bigger and better than the French, with more gold, more murals on the ceilings, more amazing fountains, and more glitz. And he did just that. Moscow, on the other hand, is like the ugly step-child. Moscow is still very cold war-esque, with rows of rectangular Soviet style apartment buildings and bleak gray government buildings. But then there are slick modern shopping malls and coffee shops sprinkled here and there. Seeing capitalism take root in the middle of all this ex-communism is mind boggling, but it's all around you. And in the middle of this wierd contrast is the Kremlin, a walled section of the city with collection of buildings. Some important looking government buildings, and the gorgeous onion dome church St Basils, which is the one you see in all the photos, looking like Christmas ornaments. Also within the Kremlin is an amazing museum which includes Faberge eggs and thrones and crowns of the Czars. Maybe my favorite museum ever. But we also went to the KGB Museum in Moscow, and saw all the spy techniques and devices and methods they used against us during the cold war. FASCINATING stuff! To be honest, if I had to choose between the two places I would go to Moscow, just because it's so different from anything I had ever seen. It made all the history I had learned all my life really come alive and gave me a grasp of what changes those people have gone through.

In other words, St Petersburg is a feast for your eyes. Moscow is a feast for your brain.

Hope that helps explain!