marbleski

A few more pics around the ship

Vibe

Adults only area - Benefits of colder weather cruising. One big balcony to share among a few friends. Jacuzzi's, big screen TV and a couple of bartenders included.

One of the few inside photos I took

Margaritaville - More outdoor quiet space.

Next up ports of call.

More Getaway.

As for the food, it was the usual and same as always, no surprises there. I don’t recall the boys saying they were hungry. After 10 days of pre-cruise travelling it was nice to get onboard and not have to figure out where to eat every night. As expected, breakfast on the lido was very busy during port days, as everyone was on a similar schedule with regards to getting off the ship. You had to look around a bit for a table. Due to the nip in the air the outside tables were underutilized.

Despite the crowds I enjoyed the lido breakfast. It is massive but once you get your rhythm down, you will find it offers a great variety. The made to order eggs and omelets are much better than those offered at the restaurants - much faster service too. There were plenty of made to order stations and little or no line-ups.

We enjoyed the vessel, entertainment and service but in reality the ship is not the best fit for the Baltics. There is limited inside public space for cold weather cruising. Many activities take place in the atrium. It was packed and to be fair some folks will find it overwhelming while others will say it’s best kind. It was fine by me, I’m on vacation! TIP: If you need a chair get one from the small conference room across from the library on the atrium side by the internet café. The Million Dollar Quartet is excellent. TIP: Sit to the left of center facing the stage about 8-10 rows back, sit back and watch Gerry Lee Lewis work his magic. He stole the show.

The ABBA night was a hit, playing the evening we departed Sweden, nice touch NCL. It was packed and the band fed of the energy from the crowd. NCL lacks in the comedians and magicians however. For my two cents worth, the Getaway was great but I prefer the layout, size and design of the Spirit. Interestingly,the Getaway GRT is about 3.5 times larger than the first ship we sailed on in 1990 (NCL Seaward).

Mini Golf

Chess

Daily walks

This one is for my mom. Growing up she would say we were driving her up the wall. Today I'am driving her grandchildren up the wall. LOL

And off the Deep End LOL - could not resist the pun

Next up the Getaway. This is largest ship we cruised on. Lots of outside activities but due to the busy cruise and Baltic temperatures there were few passengers to be found outside. (see photos). The boys enjoyed the rock wall, ropes course, mini golf, walking the plank, bowling etc. YS used the treadmill and gym every night and facilities were relatively empty. Staterooms were great but a little tricky accessing the closet space. Bathrooms were a good size. Our room was the same size as the boys but our balcony was larger. We had the forward looking angled balcony which was quite nice.

Balcony view. Standing toward stern. I leaned out to take this.

Balcony view/ Standing looking forward.

Balcony view sitting position. Daytime view.

Balcony view sitting position. Late evening view. Sunsets were great!

Our room from Deck 8.

Angled balcony view, on starboard side.

A few more from Copenhagen.......... Will post some of the Getaway later.

The bridge to Sweden.

Looks like the pics showed up...... a few more in Copenhagen.

Hi fellow Cruisers. Time to pay it forward and share some information on our May 16th to 25th Baltic Cruise. Cruise critic was very helpful to us in both trip planning and finding another family to share tours with on both this cruise and the Barcelona to Venice cruise on the Spirit in 2015. I enjoyed looking at CC photos and they were also helpful in our trip planning.

We travelled with our two university aged sons, YS (18) and OS (21). We left home May 6th and met OS in Krakow. We also visited Prague and Berlin before arriving in Copenhagen early afternoon of the 15th.

We took a cab from the train station to the Generator Hostel. Since we were pleased with our stay we returned for second night on the 25th. Surprisingly, there were other seasoned travellers at the hostel with and without young adults in tow. We had a private room with four beds, shower and bathroom. Location was excellent. Next to Nyhavn, Rosenborg Castle and a 20minute walk to Tivoli Gardens. The hostel provides a big breakfast (extra cost) and laundry which came in handy after 9 days on the road.

Copenhagen is a great city for walking but watch out for the bikers,they are everywhere. YS enjoyed the roller coasters and other rides at Tivoli Gardens. Nyhavn is great both day and night, boat trip around the canals is a must do as is walking across the kissing bridge to the Copenhagen Street Food market.

We took a cab from the hostel both to (178 DKK) and from (190 DKK) port. Arrived about 10:40 am and on the ship about noon. Boarding process went smooth, considering it was the first NCL cruise of the season and the ship was a much larger ship than previous years.

On return we used self-assist for the first time and it worked like a charm. We walked off the ship, waited a few minutes in the taxi queue, and off we went. There were plenty of taxis waiting at the terminal doorstep. As you can see in one of my photos (if I figure out the upload process), there is one that shows the location of the bus stop which should be helpful for those interested.

As forgetting to the airport, we had plenty of time after the 10 am check out to catch our flight so we took a leisurely walk to the nearby underground train.

View of the Port taken from our balcony prior to departure.

Tivoli Gardens and rides. Snapped a few of ys on the rides.

Bikers everywhere

test

You sure can! Anything you purchase before you sail will be charged to your cc in CAD. If you wait till you are on the ship you will be charged in USD.

 

I have 2 cruises booked with NCL and are locked in at an $1.11 exchange rate. Before we go I plan on loading up on OBC to cover any extras we may need/want. I am also planning to cash out some of the OBC in the casino for off ship expenditures. This method is saving me money as well. The casino has a 3% fee to get cash from your on board account but even added to the exchange rate I am locked in at will still be cheaper than the current exchange rate plus the added bank fees for international transaction on a cc or from an atm.

 

It is a win win for us canucks!

Pisenor

We checked with our agent today about purchasing OBC prior to our Spirit cruise in a couple of weeks just in case we decide to purchase a shore excursion or two once onboard the vessel (because of the exchange rate now compared to on the ship). NCL indicated if we don't use the credit we cannot get it back. However we can put it on a gift card and it is good for 13 months.

Cashing in at the Casino would be better than a future gift card. How does it work with regards to cashing in at the Casino. Is it as simple as giving them your stateroom number and keycard and they look up your OBC and give you cash right on spot (minus the 3%).

Also we have a NCL $25 credit for the inside cabin and $75 for the balcony, do they use this $100 first and then our purchased OBC or is all combined as one OBC and not really matter.

Thanks

Just reporting in. Le Bistro was great as usual, and I've had another great evening at Henry's Pub. Lester, the barman is great and there are some fun people to spend the evening with.

 

This is the first cruise that I've had the UBP. It doesn't usually make financial sense, mainly as we would have to buy the soda package for our son, and it's better to buy the Viva Vino package and buckets of beer. We cancelled our original booking this time and rebooked to get the UBP and some OBC thrown in. It's fun to be able to grab a cocktail when we want.

 

I said I'd mention getting into Rome. We have done it a couple of times before using the train. I would recommend to anyone who wants to do it that way to check on the website about booking the fast train. Last year, the problem with that was that the first train was a little later than was ideal, but it was much more comfortable. It is certainly worth booking a return on the fast train, as the worst thing about using the slow train was getting back on a busy train in the heat without a seat. If you book the fast train you get a reserved seat which makes a huge difference and it isn't very expensive.

 

It's worth rebooking whatever you want to do in Rome. I'd recommend the underground tour of the Collisseum which was reasonably priced and takes you both to the floor area and also to the very top level. Again, it was very reasonably priced, but you have top rebook to avoid queues.

 

I was hoping to report back on how our friends got on getting a private your from the port, but we missed them as we were at Le Biatro. Hopefully I will be able to report that tomorrow.

 

We are going to Herculineum tomorrow, but at the moment I'm sitting on the balcony watching the moon rise over the Italian coast. I've had worse days. :)

Keith could you confirm if the trains and buses in Rome are air conditioned. Thanks

Yes, the shop has water but it's expensive (€8 for six big bottles). Again, I would buy it in Barcelona if you want to take any onboard. You can carry on as much water as you want.

Thanks Keith. Another question and this one is about Livorno. We have not set plans for this port but our two boys want to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Our 19 year son also wants to go to Florence as well to see David, Ponte Vecchio and so on. The four of us would like to go Florence but it makes for a long day with so many exciting stops ahead of us.

So the question is are there many local taxis or tour operators dockside offering return transportation in case either all four of us or just our 19 year old decides upon arrival to go to Florence with a stop on the return to Pisa.

One more question, did you dock in Toulon or La Sayne Sur yesterday.

Look forward to you report!

My wife and I are considering this cruise next year September/October time frame.

How about your pre-stay in Barcelona? Where are you staying? Any not to miss Tapa bars or restaurants?

Thanks

We are staying at Casp74 for three nights later this month. Our friends stayed there and they indicated it was great. Reviews are all positive.

Lots of room for our family of four. Quiet area but still close to the main attractions.

I can answer this now, as this will be the fifth time that we've sailed from Barcelona.

 

The terminal changes depending on what other ships are in port on the same day, so the one we sail from won't necessarily be the same one that the Spirit uses on other cruises.

 

However, there has been a duty free shop after check in at every Barcelona terminal I have used. Many people mention it on here as a way of taking wine onboard without paying corkage.

 

It isn't that simple though. It is pot luck whether they have scanners as you enter the ship. I have purchased wine from that shop and had to pay the corkage on a couple of occasions. Be prepared to have to pay it if you do buy some wine from that shop. In my experience they have scanners on boarding more often than not.

 

The real problem is that if they do scan you in boarding and you have to pay the corkage then you will have paid a lot more for your wine than is necessary. The wine I usually buy costs 10 Euros from that shop (maybe even more now). I bought the same wine for €3.70 today from the supermarket on La Ramblas. It is only €5 from a more expensive shop.

Thanks for the information. We have the drink package but might pick up a bottle if they do not have the scanners. Furthermore can you pick up a case of water at the duty free shop and carry it on with you.

Writing this in Barcelona, where we will be boarding the Spirit on Saturday for the Grand Mediterranean cruise to Venice.

 

As I've done a couple of times recently, rather than write a review after the cruise, I've started this thread so I can post any comments as I go along, and also try to answer any questions that anyone may want me to try to answer. I can't promise an answer to everything (questions about the Gym are unlikely to get an answer unless I'm looking for something to pass the time at some point and make a special trip there for example), but I'll have a go.

 

Any questions then ask away. I'll report back when I get chance.

We are taking the same cruise on September 25th. Looking forward to reading about your trip. Which terminal are you departing from and could you let us know if there is a duty free shop either before or after check in.