rnvaniderstine

Sounds like a wonderful cruise! Hopefully by then you will be able to get off ship on your own if you want and not be limited to only shipboard excursions.

When in Rome I would consider hiring a private tour if budget allows.  I have done it both ways, on our own and private tour and I can tell you from experience that a private tour will allow you to learn and see so much more of Rome.  Vatican museum is a must!!  I believe you can buy your tickets ahead of time to avoid the long lines.  Keep in mind that its about an hours drive from Rome proper to the the port so allow time for that on the day you get on ship.  While I have never done it, there is a train from Rome to the port.  Ship mates that we spoke to at the time said that it was fairly easy and cheaper than hiring a a car or taxi. 

Florence is a lovely walkable City.  Lots of shopping and museums.  Like Rome it will take about an hour from port to City center.  If you are museum folks you can also buy those tickets ahead of time to avoid long lines.  Pisa, which is very near Florence, is a quick stop.  Not much there really other than the obvious leaning tower.

Barcelona is one of my favorite cities, second only to London.  The last time we were there (2019) we were on an Azamara cruise and where they dock to Las Ramblas is not really walkable, you will need to get a taxi if you are doing it on your own.  Las Ramblas is a great place to just wander.  Lots of restaurants (tapas are defiantly a must in Barcelona) and vendors for purchases and such.  At the top of Las Ramblas is a square where you pick up the HoHo buses.  La Sagrada Familia is an architectural wonder and while I really loved looking at it from the outside, the inside is a bit underwhelming in my opinion, but worth it if time allows.  A tour guide or some kind of guide book is helpful so that you can understand the significance of certain areas of the outside architecture.

@cruisemom42 My husband and I were on this cruise in 2018 and it is probably in our top 5 of cruises.  There was one excursion in particular that we took in Isafjordur that I can't recommend enough.  It was with Superjeep Adventure Tours, www.ibctravel.is, and we participated in the Svalogar Circle Sightseeing Tour.  This tour is not for the faint of heart, but you will see some of the most breathtaking scenery imaginable!  Also, there will be some heart pounding points where you sure do hope the driver knows what he is doing and has really good tires on the Jeep 😆.

I remember that we had the same issues as you are having in our Greenland ports.  There really wasn't any excursions being offered and there wasn't any private excursions that I could find.  We ended up getting off the ship and just wandering around mostly.  Most of the villages/towns are quite small but most of the time the locals had set up for selling local wares and such.  There was one port that had an open air museum that was worth the price of admission.

Hope this helps!

I'm not sure when you are going, but we are staying at the Amsterdam Marriott in May and we can let you know how that works out and what our recommendation is 😊

We were in one of the obstructed OV cabins on Zuiderdam last year and DH and I decided we wouldn't do it again.  The problem isn't the view or the layout, its the noise.  When you have tender ports they use these lifeboats and if you are one of the unlucky one (like we were) to have the lifeboat just outside your window used for every single tender port (and there were many) it gets a bit tiresome.

DH and I are considering taking a 14 day Norway intense cruise next summer and was wondering if for this area of the world where its daylight for longer hours during the day if it would be better to have an inside cabin rather than balcony or ocean view. Thoughts??

Just off the Spirit last week. Our passports were collected before boarding the ship in Barcelona and were returned to us a day before disembarking in Venice.

Good to know! Embarking on the Spirit on Sunday in Barcelona....good to know what to expect. Thanks! :)

We did like the cabin - and loved the extra space. My parents also had an OV and that little big of space makes a big difference.

 

Negatives???? HMMMMMM - well, being forward you do feel some movement and also some noise when docking - however, these were not huge issues for us. I would book this cabin again.

Excellent! Been a little worried...thank you!!

We were on the Spirit to Bermuda 4 years ago and had 8000. 8000 and 8500, are 225 sq. feet - the are larger that the other OV's.

We will be in cabin 8500, the twin of your 8000. Did you like that cabin? Any negatives?

Thanks for the responses.

 

We are going to both Istanbul and Esphesus. Should I be concerned about what i wear there? (pants or head dress?)

We booked excursions through NCL for both of those places.

 

I don't mind paying good money for a nice hotel room in Venice. Plus I've noticed that all hotel rooms there are a bit pricey. We are going to live up this honeymoon as much as we can!!!

We are definitely taking the gondola ride!! That is on my to do list for sure no matter the cost! Anything else worthy to see in Venice? We will be there 2 days.

If you are going to visit the Blue Mosque don't wear shorts or tank tops. As long as your shoulders and knees are covered your fine. Also women have to wear something to cover their head. I usually just pack a scarf in whatever I'm using as a purse. If you don't have your own they will provide you something, but I'd prefer my own scarf ;)

Hello,

 

We are taking our honeymoon cruise on the Spirit to the Med. in October. I need suggestions on hotels in Venice. We are staying 1 night after the cruise to enjoy venice a bit more. We would like somewhere that isn't hard to get to from the main attractions, the port and the airport. Any other suggestions for this cruise would be great as well (what to see, how to get around, etc). We have cruised on the Spirit before but neither of us have been to Europe.

 

Also anyone been to the Turkey ports, we are very nervous about these so any tips/info would be appreciated!!

 

Thanks!

Try Ca' Doge right at the Piazzale Roma ... basic but very convient. My husband and I stayed there in 2012 and it was fine. About to go on the Spirit in a couple of weeks and opted to stay out by the airport at Annia Park Hotel since we have one of those dreaded 7:00 AM flights and didn't want to be dragging luggage up and over bridges at 4:30 in the morning :eek:.

As for Turkey, I wouldn't worry. We have visited Istanbul multiple times and have never had a problem. Very doable DIY port if you want or private tour companies I've found have been very reasonable. Assuming you are going to Izmir as well. Again shouldn't be a problem and would recommened a tour of Ephesus at the very least. Check your roll call for your cruise. Bet you can hook up with a group for either of these ports. Hope this helps.

Lydia thanks for posting your tips for the Spirit! Will be on her a few weeks and can't wait. It'll be my second time sailing on her and I have to admit she is a favorite. Especially love the tiered back deck overlooking the children's pool area. Wanted to ask about your cabin. Have they been updated at all?

Heard ya'll had snow this morning! Originally from southwestern Ohio so the parents keep me up to date on what's happening with the weather :)

Rhonda

Right now were looking at 14 night Norwegian spirit July 2015. Leaving Barcelona going to Venice with stops in Provence, Florence, Rome, Naples, Mykonos, Athens, Istanbul, kusudasi, Dubrovnik and Kotor. Think it's a good one?

My husband and I did a similar cruise to this and absolutely loved it. Keep in mind July could be really warm. Getting ready for my next one in May ... this time on the Spirit out of Barcelona. Mostly the same ports as yours with a few changes. Not stopping at Dubrovnik (great stop by the way) and Kotor. Ours goes to Naples, Athens and Venice instead. Going with a girlfriend this time and she picked it. Honestly its a great itinerary and will give you a taste of what you would like to go back and see another time. Once you cruise there is always "another time" :)

I was on the Spirit when it was sailing out of NOLA, and really fell in love with it. Nothing else like it in the NCL fleet...it has a charm all its own. No matter what you choose you will enjoy it!

Rhonda

We did the suite life on the Dawn for my bf's and mine first cruise and agree that it was fabulous! One reason I'm afraid to venture from NCL lol. I just wished that they went to the southern caribbean lol

They do, but from what I've found it's on the Getaway out of Miami. HUGE ship, but could be fun depending on what you want to do.

Oh, and it would be a 7 day cruise

When would you want to cruise...spring ... Summer. ? We did a full transit through the Panamal canal from weat to east in May and it was really warm, so take that into account. To reiterate what HokiePoq said the "suite" experience on NCL is really wonderful from what I have seen on these boards, so might be more bang for you buck!

Hi guys.

 

Also going on the Spirit in late May. We have a BA Midships Balcony stateroom. When are you guys sailing???????.

 

Bob from AUSTRALIA.:):)

We are on the May 18th sailing. We are so excited!!! Looking forward to sailing the Spirit again.

My friend and I are going on a Med Cruise this coming May on the Spirit. I've cruised this ship before when she was sailing out of NOLA but had a balcony cabin. Absolutely one of my favorite ships I ever sailed on!! Tiered back deck is the best IMHO. Sorry, got a bit off subject there. This time, since it was available at the time I booked, I opted for one of the large corner ocean view cabins on deck 8...cabin 8000. It's directly above the Maharini's Lounge. I've searched CC and there are a few threads out there that talk about this cabin and its sister 8500, but nothing current. Anyone stayed in this cabin recently? Any issues with noise? Not planning on changing cabins, just want to plan ahead in case I need to bring ear plugs :)

I have AT&T with a smart phone and on my cruise in the British isles last year I set up my plan for international texting. Made the mistake of just setting up for the $10 50 text...went way over...should have done the one with 200... Anyway don't remember having any issues with texting while on the ship at sea and getting charged extra.