Sailing aboard a Disney ship is certainly magical. There's something especially awe-inspiring and certainly exotic about waking up in Africa. As we slept, the ship docked in Tunis, Tunisia on the continent of Africa. Wow.
While the dock isn't breathtaking, there are immediate signs that we are about to disembark in a "whole new world". First, there are camels. And signs in Arabic. And everything looks different. We are excited to step on this continent!
On the previous evening, we returned to our stateroom to find an informational sheet and "landing cards".
1. Tunisia doesn't practice daylight savings time, therefore the time in Tunisia would be one hour earlier than ship time. We were instructed to leave our clocks on ship's time to avoid returning late.
2. Once ashore in Tunis, we would pass through an immigration control area where we would need to present our landing cards and passports to the immigration officers on duty. We had to retain one half of the landing card while ashore and return it to an immigration officer when returning to the ship.
3. We learned that the dress code in Tunisia is mostly conservative. As a predominantly Muslim country, we were advised to respect local customs with appropriate attire. As in Europe, visits to cathedrals or mosques required that shoulders and knees be covered.
4. We were "warned" about the practices of local vendors that might seem pushy to Americans. And how to politely decline entering any shop that was of no interest to us.
All ashore was approximately 8:30 a.m. We met our tour group in the Walt Disney Theatre for our exploration of Carthage and Sidi Bou Said. I'll note here that this is the only port in which we took a Disney Cruise Line tour/Port Adventure. Our family likes to venture on our own and in doing so, we also saved a lot of money. In Tunisia though, we felt safer staying in a group. It worked out well and was a good decision for us.The tour cost $45 for ages 10 and up and $29 for ages 3-9.
The official tour description:
Take an approximate 20-minute drive to Carthage, ruins of Punic and Roman empires where you can see baths, dwellings, temples, shrines and the amazing naval port of the Carthaginians. Upon arrival, enjoy a 90-minute guided walking tour including Punic Ports, the Antonin Baths, the Tophet and the Theater. Drive 15 minutes to the Moorish Village of Sidi Bou Said, perched on the cliffs overlooking the bay of Tunis. With its immaculate white and blue houses, the village has preserved its quiet charm for many centuries. Walk from the coach parking lot to the village on the hilll. Visit the Museum of Dar El Annabi followed by 60 minutes of free time to explore on your own. Drive 20 minutes back to the pier.
The tour was to last 4.5 - 5 hours.
Upon disembarking the Disney Magic, we stepped on land and with smiles looked at each to announce "we are in Africa". It was extremely overwhelming. I again mentioned to my family how grateful I was for this dream vacation.
Walking towards the Immigration building, we were treated to these sights:
Note that Disney Cruise Line is substituting Palermo for Tunis in this summer's cruise itinerary. This change is due to the recent political and social unrest in Tunis which resulted in a travel alert by the U.S. State Department.
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