Venice, simply magnificent. From the ship to San Marco requires a little effort, either a 20 minute walk to Piazzale Roma and a Vaporetto down the Grand Canal, or there is a Ferry near the ship. Get going early as that vaporetto at Piazzale Roma is insanely busy by 10.

But once you overcome this small hurdle you are among the world's most beautiful city. Our tip - get away from San Marco and the crowds as soon as possible. Pick a random church, gelato shop or cafe somewhere in the middle, and head there. At ever turn you will be delighted by canals, houses, shops and churches, or a random plaza. A spellbinding place that is far far better than anything you ever dreamed of.

Not much to see here. This is mainly a ferry port, and the ship only seems to stop here as an entry to the 2 hour trip to San Marino. We asked around the town, saw the church and Duomo and stopped for a drink. A pleasant few hours but not recommended.

Stunning, but very hot and very crowded. Game of Thrones has made this the must see visit, and crowds here were insane. But the walk, and view from the city walls was magnificent (albeit, with 700 steps on a baking hot day and no shade), and you could lose the crowds by diverting off into small side alleys. The cable car was a great view, though terrible service. We also took a 1 hour boat ride along the wall and out to sea to see the city from the other side. A magnificent stop, and just a short, free bus ride from the port.

An absolute gems and without the crowds of Dubrovnik. A stunning arrival down a long fjord, and the ship either docks alongside the old city, or is a short tender ride away. The small old city was wonderful to walk around, and without the prices or crowds or overtly touristy feel of Dubrovnik. The hop on hop off bus was a great bargain - it took us to Perast to see the Roman ruins, and to the boat for the short ride out to the church in the middle of the bay. A wonderful surprise.

Another stunning surprise. From the ship there is literally a 5 minute walk to the city walls, and then you find yourself within this labyrinth of winding streets, wonderful shopping and incredible history. Again, a place we knew little about before we came, but a wonderful day out. And the easiest of the lot do solo - walk off ship, and you're in the town. Wonderful.

Another wonderful surprise. There seemed little point to this visit until we arrived, but what a gem it turned out to be. Taxis were waiting at the port, hustling for fares, and for a very decent price our driver delivered us first to the cave of St John, then the town and monastery higher up the hill and finally back to port for a swim and meal on the beach. This was pretty much all there was to do here, but it made the perfect day trip ashore.