MedCruise_2022

Thanks again for these wonderful pictures of your shore excursion goodies! Will be on the look out for these gelato when in Split, Dubrovnik, and Corfu.

Thank you very much for this very interesting and detailed information/review. We will also be embarking at Trieste in October (2024) for our Eastern Mediterranean/Adriatic Seas /Greek Isles Cruise on the Dawn. Also staying for one night in Venice-Mestre, and taking the fast train from there to Trieste the day before the cruise. Looking forward to more of your port adventures/reviews. Thanks again and happy sailing! Wishing you fair winds and calm waters!

Thanks for these valuable information. We will be on Mardi Gras this August 31-Sept 8 for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise (Grand Turk, Amber Cove, San Juan PR and St Thomas).

Yes, by Narita Express Train- Tokyo is about an hour away- but we do not take the train because of our luggage. In our case, we take the Limousine bus either from Narita or Haneda to Tokyo/Shinjuku area for convenience-- of having our luggage (1 big luggage, 1 carry-on each) in the bus compartment-- and being dropped right at the Shinjuku Bus Station (and taxi onward to our hotel). Happy travels!

We have flown several times with JAL from DFW-Narita (or sometimes Haneda)-Manila and we have great experience- with their service, food, luggage handling and just about everything. When doing a stop-over in Tokyo for several nights, we choose Haneda International Airport because it is only an hour away by Limousine bus to Tokyo or Shinjuku, compared to Narita which is about 2 hours away by Limousine Bus. We have also flown ANA and it is equally great!

Last March (2024), we had DFW-Narita-Manila through JAL (one ticket). At Narita, we did not go through security check, hence our 2.5 hour connection was more than adequate. We had time to spare for some ramen in one of the airport concessions. We "met" our checked bags in Manila! Great service by JAL.

Coming from DFW, NCL Air Choice (New Program)* has gotten us outbound flight to Venice Marco Polo Airport (DFW-VCE) for our Cruise on Norwegian Dawn in October 2024, starting/embarking from Trieste. * We received an email offering us flight itinerary--more desirable flights 6 months out, with one connection, but with additional cost

Thanks for sharing! This is informative. We will also be on the "Dawn" from October 17 to 27, 2024 from Venice-Trieste to Athens.

Thank you for your kind response. Yes, there is an option in Allianz Travel Insurance Trip Cancellation Limit from $ 2,000-- to increase it--either $5,000; $10,000, or $15,000 with corresponding increase in premium price. We will explore that option too. We will look into my husband's Supplemental Plan (we did not know that...). Thank you again!

Thank you for all these valuable information! All these confirm that we need travel insurance. We are purchasing an annual “AllTrips Premier” with Allianz Travel to cover international travel to Japan this March, a Cruise to Eastern Caribbean in August, and an NCL Cruise to Eastern Mediterranean (with pre-and post-cruise stays) in October – for the period March 2024 to March 2025. Like many of you, we make sure that we are covered for medical and transportation/evacuation emergencies while on international travels. The “AllTrips Premier” with Allianz Travel while providing good coverage for medical and transportation/evacuation emergencies, will only cover $2,000 for Trip Cancellation. Hence, reading from the various inputs in this group, we are inclined to buy the NCL BookSafe Travel Protection—as additional coverage especially for “Enhanced Cancellation Protection” and for any medical needs while on the ship. Or is the NCL Travel Protection still necessary? For context, we are both seniors (H- 72 yo with Medicare and Supplemental Insurance; W- 68 yo with Medicare Advantage Plan with some international health coverage). Thank you for your kind inputs/advice.

Wow! Thanks! That's great info! I will look into it... Travel/cruise planning can be daunting indeed 😍

Thank you again! So good to know... We've taken the fast train and regional train (Venice to Florence; Venice to Padova-Verona) but only with small luggage. Hoping that our Cruise in October embarking from Trieste pushes through! Our original cruise booking from Haifa to Rome--then changed to Athens to Rome in October 2024 was cancelled by NCL just days ago. Thanks!

Thank you! Yes, we plan to do some exploring in Trieste before our Cruise. We plan to take the train from Mestre to Trieste since we are arriving two days before the Cruise. I wonder how doable is it- with 2 small luggage-strollers and 1 big suitcase (we plan to get a Business Class from Mestre to Trieste). Thanks!

Thank you for your reply. Will look into it.

We are also embarking in Trieste for an Eastern Med Cruise (NCL) in October 2024 and doing some initial research on transfer from Venice to Trieste. We plan to stay in Trieste the night before the Cruise. May we know at which Trieste Hotel you stayed at? Thanks! Will greatly appreciate other tips while in Trieste, if you may.

Thanks! Looking forward to our first B2B Cruise in 2025 (still a year and several months from now--but have booked shorter cruises in between, including one that embarks in Haifa, Israel for next year but has been altered by NCL- understandably). Our Iceland 12-day cruise will be followed by 9-day cruise to Northern Europe! So excited to be in these ports of call (Dover-Copenhagen-Berlin-Aarhus - Amsterdam- Brussels- Le Haver (Paris)- Dover).

Carnival has 2025 sailings for Iceland (with Belfast and Scotland ), but not for Norway (which I have been waiting for). Booked a B2B for June 29-July 11, 2025 and July 11-20, 2025 both from Dover. Hoping for the best!

It is likely (although still hoping Carnival would do Norway again in 2025). I think the 2023 Carnival sailing to Norway returned to Dover yesterday-- it covered 8-9 Norway ports!!! Now looking at NCL either May or September 2025 for a 10-day Iceland (3 ports)-Norway (3 ports) plus Brussels and Amsterdam cruise. Still on the fence...

We were in Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel this April 2023 for a 6-day Western Mediterranean Cruise. Costa Maya could have been a wonderful experience--but we arrived at 1:00 pm and went to the port by about 1:30 pm or thereabout, and it was so hot and humid! Likewise, the walk from the ship to the port is a bit far--especially on a warm humid day. If you would arrive in the morning, I think it will be much better. Costa Maya Port in itself is fun--there are several attractions-flamingoes, swin with dolphins, aviary, and and lots of shops as usual; jeeps to rent outside, taxis to take you at nearby town/beach. There are also several "Costa Maya" signs for photo opportunities. The merchandise however is on the pricey side/more expensive than in Cozumel. We have friends on the ship who explored Costa Maya on their own and they said it was very well-going to a nearby beach--with a massage, food, and some shopping. Belize is a tender port. In Belize, we joined a Carnival "shore excursion" and so our tender was a bit organized and "priority" so to speak--on the way to our excursion; but not on our way back. Our excursion "Altun Ha Mayan Ruins with Lunch" was fine (6 hours). We have been to several Mayan ruins--but with Altun Ha, we were able to climb the ruins! It was an amazing experience! The Terminal has several sections--and towards Terminal 1, there are several "Belize" signs for photo opportunities, if you are into that thing (which I am, haha).

Wow! That is so great! Imagine that. We are from Irving, actually! Small world indeed. (My son's first house was in Euless--and for two years I baby-sat our grandson in the afternoon in their home in Euless - love Euless btw).

I am excited for you! In 7 months, you will be cruising such wonderful port-intensive itinerary. Would love to hear your updates.

Thank you very much! I am more than confident now to sail with NCL Epic! Our past cruises (not with NCL) have been based more on the itinerary and not with the ship. This will be our first with NCL-- and so looking forward to it. We are particularly excited about the Greek Isles, and Istanbul/Kusadasi - where we have not yet been to. I have been to Israel decades ago (on a training grant), and would want to re-visit the holy sites I have been to, so we plan to spend 3-4 days pre-cruise. Thank you for your suggestions on tours/excursions. We have done "Amalfi and Pompeii by land and sea"-while on our Mediterranean Cruise and it was amazing. Approaching Amalfi while on a boat was simply breathtaking., but since we were in a big group and time was a constraint-everything was in a hurry. As a side note, we are doing a land/train trip from Venice-Padua/Verona-Florence-Pisa-Cinque Terre this September, to explore more of Italy, hopefully in a leisurely way. Again, thank you for your kind words.

Thanks! There is one sea day- between Athens and Naples. Just thinking that we may not do "shore excursions" for ports that we have already visited ( Naples, and Livorno/Florence); or in Jerusalem-where we intend to do pre-cruise stay.

Thank you for this information. I am somewhat reassured! Yes, after booking, I have read and looked on You tube videos of NCL Epic and the issue about the bathroom was a concern raised by some. My husband and I have booked a Large Balcony on Deck 12 (--and the bathroom may not be an issue). We are excited for this cruise mainly because of it starting in Israel and ending in Rome--which we want to re-visit, and for the many ports of call along its route. Thank you again!