
We were very disappointed not to dock in Naples itself, as we had planned our time in Naples around this.  We ended up docking in Salerno.  The port of Salerno is an industrial port (you are not allowed to walk around the port) and you are required to take a free shuttle to Salerno town (they leave every 20mins so you may have to wait for the shuttle).  Salerno does however have a train station which enables you to get to Pompei, Naples, Ercolano and the Amalfi Coast and there are ferries available to take you to Capri although both the trains and the ferries are limited so be sure to check the return times.  If getting the train once you have purchased your tickets you need to make sure that you get them validated in the yellow boxes at the station otherwise you can be thrown off the trains and fined.  The train from Salerno to Pompei (costs €2.20 each per trip) stops in Pompei town, not outside the site of Pompei itself.  Get a taxi to the site (you may have to share), local bus (€1.10 each per trip) or alternatively walk around 2-3km.  We purchased a plan of Pompei from the bookshop rather than hire the audio guides, as someone had said the numbers for the audio guide were difficult to find.  Make sure that you visit the large amphitheatre at the back of the site and the Teatro area.  We were shocked at the size of Pompei and only covered half of it in half a day.  Unfortunately as we had docked in Salerno we didn't have time to undertake any other trips especially as the queue for the return shuttle for the ship was huge. 

Naples

To make the most of your time on the island ensure you queue for the tender trip in plenty of time. We began queuing at 10 and would have been on the tender trip at 3pm. The queue for the funicular was horrendous (we found out that evening that some people queued for 2 hours) so we walked up the cliff to Fira. If doing this ensure to have some water with you. Be aware of the donkeys taking the widest route round the corners and watch out as they stampede down the hill. We took the local bus (€1.60 each per trip) to Oia to see the picturesque blue domed churches and white buildings and nearly missed the last tender back as there is a 2 hour gap in the return bus timetable. The return funicular trip cost €4 each. 



Santorini

We had planned to take the metro to the centre but due to recent strikes in Athens we took the hop on hop off bus tour to Athens centre. If you want a private tour of Athens there are several taxi drivers at the port who will do this. Prices vary, so negotiate. 
Our first stop was of course the Acropolis. There was hardly a queue for the tickets (€12 each but this included 6 other sites too) but the queue to get in was horrific. We waited about 45 minutes just to get into the grounds. Truthfully it was a bit of a scrum and even those on guided tours were queuing. Once inside there was again a scrum to get up to the Acropolis but once at the top it was definitely worth it. We would recommend going as early in the morning as possible. It is not possible to see the Theater of Dionysus from the Acropolis but there is an entrance for this site (included in the Acropolis ticket) to the left of the exit of the Acropolis and this is definitely worth a visit as this theatre has not been renovated. 
The other sites we visited were the Monument of Lysicrates, Hadrians Arch, Temple of Zeus (also included in the Acropolis ticket), the Panatheian Stadium, National Gardens and Syntagma Square. We didn’t stay very long in the square due to the recent strike action in Athens but we were able to see the Parliament Building, the guards in their uniforms and the tomb of the unknown soldier. 



Athens (Piraeus)

Here we took the local tram (located just to the right outside the port) to the old town for 1.75TL each and it only took 10-15mins. We arrived at the Hippodrome and were slightly disappointed as there is no evidence that the site was a former racecourse or amphitheatre. Only the obelisk and fountain made the identification of the site easy. From here we went into the Blue Mosque which was beautiful but very busy, but, we think this was because it was close to prayer time and the mosque closes during this time. The walls and ceilings are so intricately decorated. 
As you leave the Blue Mosque ahead of you is the Hagia Sofia but before you reach this on the left hand side is the entrance to the Basilica Cistern. This is an underground water chamber which was amazing and we think is missed by many. Make sure you see the Medusa heads at the rear of the site. 
You can spend hours in both Hagia Sofia (a museum; it is simple but interesting; an audio guide may be of use) and Topaki Palace (a museum; be sure to look at the map on the right hand side as you enter the main part; not all sections are open all the time). In the former make sure you make your wish at the weeping column on the ground floor and venture upstairs to see the mosaics. In the later be sure to visit the council chamber and head to sections 3 or 4 for views over the river. We didn’t have time nor the energy to visit the harem! 
A short trip to the Grand Bazaar finished us off as we aren’t big shoppers and goods were even described as ‘genuine fakes!’. 
On the second day we didn’t find there was much time to do anything substantial so just visited Takesim Square and went for a few drinks to take in the views. Be sure to be in the Sunset Bar when the ship leaves the port for fantastic views of the city. 



Istanbul

Kusadasi is a small town which has a harbour, shops and a small castle grounds. There are plenty of taxis around if you want to arrange your own visit to Ephesus (around 20mins in a taxi) but be very wary of taking the first taxi you come across (we were quoted €160) and ensure that the taxi driver will take you there, pick you up from the other end and bring you back to port. We would recommend not paying the driver until you are back at the port. Walk into town a little to get a better taxi price and expect to pay between €50 and €60 for the taxi. You can get the local bus for 5TL each per trip but there is around 2km walk to/from the site from/to the bus stop. We would suggest having a visit for 1.5 – 2 hours for the main site and longer if you want to visit the terraced houses. The terraced houses are an additional cost but well worth it to get an idea of life at the time albeit they were very humid as they are covered. Our taxi driver was trying to get us to visit carpet factory and a shopping outlet but this was one main reason for not taking an organised tour and we headed back to the port for a wander. 



Kusadasi

The $10 return ship shuttle was a bit of a waste of money as the route can easily be walked (turn right out of the port) or it is possible to get a local bus just outside the port for €1.60 each per trip. There isn’t anything major to do here but it was lovely to walk around without too much site seeing (there are a few windmills on the hill and an area called Little Venice), being able to paddle in the sea (or more if you are brave and take your swim wear with you) and have a few quite drinks while watching the hustle and bustle around you. There are a few shops around if this takes your fancy. 



Mykonos

We were very disappointed not to dock in Naples itself, as we had planned our time in Naples around this.  We ended up docking in Salerno.  The port of Salerno is an industrial port (you are not allowed to walk around the port) and you are required to take a free shuttle to Salerno town (they leave every 20mins so you may have to wait for the shuttle).  Salerno does however have a train station which enables you to get to Pompei, Naples, Ercolano and the Amalfi Coast and there are ferries available to take you to Capri although both the trains and the ferries are limited so be sure to check the return times.  If getting the train once you have purchased your tickets you need to make sure that you get them validated in the yellow boxes at the station otherwise you can be thrown off the trains and fined.  The train from Salerno to Pompei (costs €2.20 each per trip) stops in Pompei town, not outside the site of Pompei itself.  Get a taxi to the site (you may have to share), local bus (€1.10 each per trip) or alternatively walk around 2-3km.  We purchased a plan of Pompei from the bookshop rather than hire the audio guides, as someone had said the numbers for the audio guide were difficult to find.  Make sure that you visit the large amphitheatre at the back of the site and the Teatro area.  We were shocked at the size of Pompei and only covered half of it in half a day.  Unfortunately as we had docked in Salerno we didn’t have time to undertake any other trips especially as the queue for the return shuttle for the ship was huge.

In the main dining room the left hand menu is constant throughout the trip but the right hand menu changes daily.Make sure you go to the brunch in the main dining room - there is only one per trip.

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