Dude, why are all those Princess passengers wearing iPods?

[mercedes]

Guide-led walking tours are a great way to get to know a city, particularly in Europe where many urban centers are compact and pedestrian friendly. But they can be a drag if you get stuck with a big group. And they don't offer a lot of flexibility. Where the group goes, you go.

Enter Princess Cruises, which is launching do-it-yourself iPod walking tours this summer in more than a dozen European ports.

For $29, passengers will get a detailed map showing the best route between top attractions and an iPod to use for the day loaded with recorded tour information about each site listed on the map. Then they can set off at their own pace.

Princess tested the concept last year in Barcelona. Now it also will be available in Amalfi, Cannes, Capri, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Florence, Lisbon, Monte Carlo, Mykonos, Pisa, Portofino, Rhodes, Rome and Sorrento.

Passengers will collect their iPods at the tour office on board the ship before disembarking and return them at the end of the day. Princess spokeswoman Karen Candy says passengers will need to leave a credit card number as a security deposit when picking up the iPod players, which come with headphones and a lanyard so they can hang around one's neck.

Candy says the maps list everything from historic churches and cathedrals to museums, restaurants and shopping areas. Each site has a number that corresponds with the iPod.

The new iPod tours are among 110 new shore excursions that Princess will offer in Europe this summer, bringing their total number of shore excursions in Europe to 849. The new offerings, announced Tuesday, also include new Personalized Experience tours that will feature smaller groups and more personal interaction with guides. They'll be available in four destinations: Berlin, Florence, Naples and Rome.

[DebbieandJerry]

Not an IPod, but we had cassette players and tapes when we took the Alcatraz Tour.

Okay, so I understand the concept. However, I cannot tolerate earphones and/or earplugs for an length of time. But, if this is the "new" excursion, I will learn to live with the discomfort.

[MarcyandJames]

This is great, being able to go at your own pace. We like to get as much into the day as possible, since you onlyhave one day at most pots. This will help.