NewCruiser51912

From my experience food on the beach isn't the greatest...

Go to the Suquet hill. There are several family run restaurant where you'll eat better.

 

Regards

Thank you! I've been looking on Trip Advisor and that definitely looks like a good area to go. And it's within walking distance from the port/beach! Do you have any restaurants in particular that you know are good?

I got to choose 2 of those "Free at Sea" promotions when I booked our balcony stateroom. I chose specialty dining and the adult beverage package. I can't find anywhere in the Terms and Conditions if the adult beverage package is different from the ultimate beverage package. When I booked the cruise, the guy I spoke to mentioned the whole $15 per drink maximum but I feel like if they have different names, they are probably different packages. Does anyone have experience with this?

Hubby and I will be in Cannes for one day as part of our West Med cruise on the NCL Epic in early June. We plan to just tender to shore and hit the beach to relax. We'd like to experience some good French food that's near the beach. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I'll be going on my first trip to Europe and first cruise this May/June. My husband and I will be traveling with his family to Ireland in late May for 10 days, followed by a west Med cruise for just hubby and I June 3rd. We're sailing on the NCL Epic out of Barcelona. After that, we have a couple day in Barcelona before we fly home. A total of 20 days. Ireland will be spent with a good amount of hiking and exploring or generally being very active. The cruise will be a mixture of active and relaxation.

I'm trying to figure out how to pack for the different climates/activities and still pack somewhat lightly. Ireland will be in the 50-60 F degree range and rainy while west Med will be much warmer/sunnier.

I'm hoping to get by in Ireland on one pair of jeans. I've seen all of the suggestions for packing light by choosing outfits that you can make work several ways but I'm having trouble figuring out a few essentials that can cross climates so easily. I'm planning on buying a couple capris that I can wear in Ireland and for sites in Italy that require my knees to be covered. I'm also getting a lightweight, waterproof jacket to work in Ireland that will hopefully fold very small. I've bought a pair of shorts for the ship that are a light, soft material so they will fold into almost nothing. I also have thicker thighs so "chub rub" is a very real concern when it comes to shorts.

Does anyone have any specific suggestions (links are appreciated) of clothing I can use to make my suitcase lighter across these climates? I plan to bring a checked bag and a rolling carry-on for this trip.

What about bringing your own small foldup shopping bag? They make some that fold up into themselves or a little bag the size of a cell phone.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Folding-Reusable-Grocery-Bags-Pack/dp/B071G12LP1/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1521827249&sr=8-2&keywords=fold+up+shopping+bag

That is so clever! I'm definitely picking this up! Thank you!

I know a lot of people have given great advice on what types of bags to bring on cruises but my questions is a little bit different. Hubby and I will be sailing west Med out of Barcelona on June 3rd.

On our day in Florence, we have a couple small things planned but mostly want to spend our time shopping. I was looking at getting a smaller cross body bag to help deter pickpockets (I also plan on applying my due diligence in simple situational awareness, but what can I say? I'm a worrier) but I hear that in Europe, most places don't supply you with plastic bags when you purchase items. This is perfectly fine, but I'm debating on how big of a bag I should buy to fit my purchases while also not lugging around a giant satchel and making myself a target and giving myself a backache. Most days, we'll be doing some sight seeing, but I would also like to bring home some souvenirs. I don't plan on purchasing large items, but if I love something, I don't want to pass it up.

What have been your experiences in the past with bringing bags/purses ashore and buying souvenirs? Does anyone have a bag recommendation?

Here are links to the shorts and capris that I've already purchased

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0799XCC1M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B075CY7LHN/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'll be going on my first trip to Europe and first cruise this May/June. My husband and I will be traveling with his family to Ireland in late May for 10 days, followed by a west Med cruise for just hubby and I June 3rd. We're sailing on the NCL Epic out of Barcelona. After that, we have a couple day in Barcelona before we fly home. A total of 20 days. Ireland will be spent with a good amount of hiking and exploring or generally being very active. The cruise will be a mixture of active and relaxation.

I'm trying to figure out how to pack for the different climates/activities and still pack somewhat lightly. Ireland will be in the 50-60 F degree range and rainy while west Med will be much warmer/sunnier.

I'm hoping to get by in Ireland on one pair of jeans. I've seen all of the suggestions for packing light by choosing outfits that you can make work several ways but I'm having trouble figuring out a few essentials that can cross climates so easily. I'm planning on buying a couple capris that I can wear in Ireland and for sites in Italy that require my knees to be covered. I'm also getting a lightweight, waterproof jacket to work in Ireland that will hopefully fold very small. I've bought a pair of shorts for the ship that are a light, soft material so they will fold into almost nothing. I also have thicker thighs so "chub rub" is a very real concern when it comes to shorts.

Does anyone have any specific suggestions (links are appreciated) of clothing I can use to make my suitcase lighter across these climates? I plan to bring a checked bag and a rolling carry-on for this trip.

I just saw someone post this in a different thread I was following about something else. This is super helpful!

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Dining_Guide.pdf

I'll be sailing out of Barcelona on the Epic on June 3rd with my husband. I've been looking to see if there's a Glow or White Hot party on this cruise but I can't find anything. No one on my roll call is sure either. Does anyone know where I can find this information or when they generally have the party? Also, how do I know if it's a Glow or White Hot party? I'm trying to decide if I want to buy something white (I know it's not required but I need new vacation clothes anyway).

I can't find a list of dining places that are open for lunch on the Epic. Can anyone help?

Obviously I know that the buffets are open, but what else? I've searched the forums and can't come up with much.

Here you go!

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/epic

Scroll down to about halfway down the page and you can click on the dining information under the "Experience What's On Board" heading. Good luck!

I'll be going on my first cruise on the NCL Epic sailing out of Barcelona on June 3rd. I'm trying to pack as light as possible (I'm a notorious overpacker) and I'm trying to get by on one or two pairs of shoes other than my sneakers for shore excursions. I'm thinking a pair of sandals for everyday and a pair of flats for nicer events and dinner. Here lies the problem... I have plantar faciitis, which means that I need good support in my arches and heels. I know there are brands of sandals and shoes that cater to this but I was wondering if anyone had any specific brands they liked. Preferably some that wouldn't break the bank.

Thanks!

I'll be going on my first cruise on the NCL Epic sailing out of Barcelona on June 3rd. I'm trying to pack as light as possible (I'm a notorious overpacker) and I'm trying to get by on one or two pairs of shoes other than my sneakers for shore excursions. I'm thinking a pair of sandals for everyday and a pair of flats for nicer events and dinner. Here lies the problem... I have plantar faciitis, which means that I need good support in my arches and heels. I know there are brands of sandals and shoes that cater to this but I was wondering if anyone had any specific brands they liked. Preferably some that wouldn't break the bank.

Thanks!

A quick look around the board would find many threads on the two providers. The key is they are brokers- like Viator, they don't actually provide the tour. They take your money and find a local vendor. As discussed in many of the threads you will find, this frequently means very attractive pricing, but sometimes presents problems when there is changes or customer service problems.

 

Many people (like us) here will say we would rather just deal direct with the provider, rather than through a third party.

 

By the way, more reading here would see MANY negative comments about using the Hop-on Hop-off bus in Rome. It really isn't the best way to see Rome. The streets are too narrow for the buses to get close to many sites, and the buses can be hard to use on a tighter schedule.

Thanks for the advice. I think on future cruises I'll end up going with more local tours. As far as Rome, we mostly plan to use the HOHO bus because none of the other tours offered what we wanted. We have no interest in the Vatican and want to spend most of our time around the Colosseum, Roman Forum, etc. We plan to mostly just use the HOHO as a means to get from the port to Rome and occasionally place to place without walking between the sites that are far apart.

I've booked tours with these 2 groups for our Western Mediterranean out of Barcelona on June 3-10, 2018 on the NCL Epic (first cruise ever for both hubby and I and my first time in Europe). I've been chatting with people in my Roll Call and looking through the forums and as far as I can tell, no one has used them. I picked them because they seem reputable and actually had tours that I wanted to go on. Has anyone else used either of them and does anyone have any reviews?

For reference, we booked:

Naples: Pompeii and Herculaneum through ShoreExcursioneer

Rome: Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour through Shore Excursions Group

Florence: Florence At Your Leisure through Shore Excursion Group

Ok hopefully I'm going to use all of this terminology correctly (first time cruiser)! So forgive me if I'm a little confusing.

We'll be sailing the Western Mediterranean June 3rd- 10th, 2018 on the NCL Epic. We're planning to just do a beach day and want to find something within walking distance. I've found a bunch of beach locations but I'm not sure exactly where the ship tender drops you off. Can anyone clarify? It seems like there's a couple different locations in the port.

I also understand that most of the beaches in the port are private. We wouldn't have much of an issue paying a fee as long as it's not too crazy. Does anyone have a general idea of what it would cost to use a private hotel/resort beach?

My husband and I are first time cruisers sailing out of Barcelona on the Epic on June 3rd, 2018. We've booked our shore excursions through private companies to save some money. I've heard that the lines to disembark the Epic for shore excursions can be quite long. And since we didn't book through NCL, we won't have an assigned time to disembark. How much time should we allow ourselves to get off the ship if we have to meet our shore excursion guides at a specific time (ex: 8:50 am) while also planning to grab breakfast?

There is no need for converter as most modern power supplies are dual voltage. Look at them should say 100-240V 50-60hz. What you need is plug adapter which cost $1-2 at most.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Thank you! I think I must have misspoken. What kind of plug do I need? Will the one in the picture work for Spain? Ireland? I've read something about the prongs not lining up properly in different countries.

I have 2 days in Barcelona after our cruise and I'm not sure what kind of converter to get so I can charge my phone. I've tried looking it up and I seem to get different answers depending on where I look. Could someone please send me a link to the kind of converter that I need? Or is it just better to wait and buy something in Barcelona?

Also, long shot here, but I'll also be spending some time in Ireland. Any idea what I need there? I think it's something different than Spain.

My husband and I have 2 days in Barcelona after our ship docks. We'll be coming off the Norwegian Epic on June 10th. We both love good food and want to experience the authentic recipes and foods as much as we can. We'll be staying Hotel Suizo in the Gothic Quarter. I know there's a ton of restaurants there, but does anyone have recommendations for restaurants or specific dishes that we have to try before we leave the country? Of course we'll ask our hotel front desk/concierge, but I like to gather intel from other people that have traveled.

I live in a very small town in rural Minnesota so authentic, ethnic food is not something I get often and I want to experience as much of it as I can, while I can! :D

Hubby and I were able to save some money by flying back home on a Tuesday instead of the Sunday we get back into port (June 10). We are staying at Hotel Suizo in the Gothic Quarter and are looking for ideas on things to do. These 2 days will come at the end of almost 3 weeks of vacation so we'll probably be in the mood for something low-key and relaxing. We plan to spend some time just walking around and enjoying the sites but there seems to be so many amazing things in the area I don't want to miss something spectacular. I checked out the TripAsvisor forums and found them annoying to navigate so I thought I'd check here. Since the Gothic Quarter is close to the port I thought cruisers would have good ideas. We are also looking for good food recommendations!

No, you are not an idiot. You are doing due diligence in your research of the upcoming cruise.

Nothing really changes. When you checked the two Free at Sea choices that you wanted a service promotion charge was automatically added to the cost of your cruise. That charge covers the tips on the UBP and SDP. You still have the $15 limit per drink though.

 

Here’s a link to the terms and conditons of the Free at Sea promotion. https://www.ncl.com/termsandconditions/promotions Ever since NCL began offering this promotion they’ve had me hooked.

Thank you! I've been trying to find that Terms & Conditions pages for awhile and I've had no luck! I'm debating seeing if I can upgrade to more than 3 meals if the price is right because Hubby and I are really excited for specialty dining.

So I'm an idiot... I was just looking at our summary again and I completely misunderstood what we got (first time cruiser...). We didn't purchase the UBP or the SDP. We got them as part of the choose up to 5 offers free at sea promo. How does that change our situation? It looks like we get 3 specialty dining meals, but does it change anything major?

Here are a couple of picture I took of the drink menu in the Spinnaker Lounge. I’m posting this just to give you an idea of the pricing. These are not the only drinks you can order, this is just a pricing FYI.

 

Thank you! This is very helpful!