Game of Thrones and Tourist Traps: A First-Timer's Dubrovnik Wake-Up Call

The MSC Grandiosa pulled into Dubrovnik harbor at 7 AM, and I was already dressed, coffee in hand, staring at the Old Town's terracotta roofs glowing in the early morning sun. My husband was still asleep. I'd watched Game of Thrones three times specifically to prepare for this port, highlighted my guidebook, and downloaded three different walking tour apps. I was ready. Or so I thought. By 9 AM, I'd made it through the ship's atrium—past the buffet lines and excited families grabbing last-minute snacks—and descended the gangway with about two hundred other passengers. The sky was impossibly blue, the kind of blue that makes you understand why people fight over Mediterranean real estate. I could already see crowds forming near the Pile Gate entrance to the Old Town, and I felt that small thrill of accomplishment for getting an early start. I'd heard about the crowds, sure. Everyone on the Grandiosa's forums mentioned it. But I figured if I got there early, I'd beat the rush. I'd walk the city walls first—the famous ones where they filmed King's Landing—then hit the main streets before lunch. Solid plan. Efficient. I even had a reservation at what TripAdvisor said was an "authentic…