Our Epic European Adventure: A Review

Since our cabin wouldn’t be ready for about an hour, we headed over to O’Sheehan’s for some lunch. We loved eating at O’Sheehan’s on our last cruise (on the Dawn), and we were excited to revisit some old favorites. I had the fish and chips (exceptional), and we also split some jerk wings and a hotdog.Yum.

During lunch, my wife and I both experienced an overwhelming feeling of contentment. We always enjoy getting on a cruise, but the start to this cruise had a heightened feeling of familiarity that just felt really nice compared to the previous few days of never knowing where we were going/what we were doing. Experiencing Europe is incredible, but it’s also tiring, so we were very happy to just relax and enjoy some familiar, comforting surroundings.

We finished lunch right as our cabin was ready, so we headed up to check it out. We booked an inside cabin for this cruise, which worked out very well, as the port-intensive itinerary (only one day at sea) meant we spent almost zero time in our cabin. The cabin itself was pretty standard—comfortable, at least for a party of just two. It did have our favorite bathroom layout of any of the ships we’ve experienced, with a separate toilet compartment side on the left side of the cabin and a pretty spaciousshower on the right.

After getting settled, we took a walk around the ship and checked out the various bars and restaurants we’d be frequenting throughout the week. Since it was beautiful out, we sat outside near the pool for a little while, enjoying a frozen drink and listening to the band play jazz. It was kind of funny not to hear reggae music by the pool, but it was certainly enjoyable.

We stopped at the Atrium Bar for a coffee, which was thankfully still Lavazza and not Starbucks—I don’t know how I’m going to cope with that on our cruise on the Escape next year.

Our next stop was at the Epic Theater for the muster drill. Another benefit of boarding in Rome, and one that will again spoil me for future cruises, was being able to sit in the theater for a shorter than average muster.

Feeling very Italian, we set off to find a spritz before dinner. Luckily, the Atrium Bar offered a very tasty Aperol Spritz, which we enjoyed often throughout the week.

Dinner that night was at the Manhattan Room. We were seated at a great table for two next to a window, so we enjoyed watching the ship leave port as we dined. As was the case on both of our previous NCL cruises, the food in the dining room was great. I’ve never had a meal I didn’t enjoy when dining at an NCL main dining room, and that held true on this cruise as well.

Following dinner, we went back to a couple of the bars that were closed earlier in the day and enjoyed a couple post-dinner cocktails. We encountered one of our favorite drinks that first night at Shakers Martini Bar:the Citrus Gem. It tasted like a lemon drop in martini form, and we braved that very crowded bar many times for that drink throughout the cruise.

We finished the night in the Cavern Club, which was my favorite music venue we’ve encountered on a cruise. It had comfortable seating, good drinks, and the sound was great. What made it even better was the incredible rock band, Siglo, that was on board for this cruise. They were, by far, the best band we’ve seen on a cruise, and we watched them rock out at every opportunity.

Because we had an early morning ahead of us, we called it a night after a couple sets of rock and roll. We made our way back to our cabin, comfortably full and pleasantly buzzed.

When we got back to our cabin, we found a surprise: a bottle of Champaign! The letter accompanying the bottle wasn’t exactly clear as to why we were given this nice treat, only that it was part of our Latitudes rewards benefits. I don’t remember ever being given a free bottle of Champaign on any previous cruises, so my only thought is they gave it to us because we reached a new Latitudes tier—though this is a complete guess. In any case, the gesture would have been more welcome had the Champaign been at all chilled. Still, after nearly killing me when removing the cork, my wife and I drank to the start of a wonderful cruise, with many more fun nights to come.

Up next: A “tour” of Florence.

Love the review. Thanks so much!

When we got back to our cabin, we found a surprise: a bottle of Champaign! The letter accompanying the bottle wasn’t exactly clear as to why we were given this nice treat, only that it was part of our Latitudes rewards benefits. I don’t remember ever being given a free bottle of Champaign on any previous cruises, so my only thought is they gave it to us because we reached a new Latitudes tier—though this is a complete guess.

This a now a benefit that every stateroom with a Latitudes member receives as of the program revamp this past February.

This a now a benefit that every stateroom with a Latitudes member receives as of the program revamp this past February.

Thanks, I was not aware of that. It was definitely a nice surprise, though I may start a petition for them to include a bucket of ice:)

Day 6: A Day in Tuscany

Our tour of Florence and Pisa was scheduled to meet at 7:30, so this meant we needed to get out of bed at the ungodly hour of 6:00! On vacation! We grabbed breakfast at the Garden Café, which had a nice little outdoor section set up which was much less busy than inside. There was no line at the outdoor omelet station that early in the morning, and it felt as if we had our own private omelet station at our disposal. Sitting outside also served to wake us up, as we were exposed to a rather cool morning breeze.

We were off the ship and looking for our tour guide by 7:15. We found our guide with little trouble, which is more than I can say for a couple others in our party.

We were in a van of eight, and six of us were present and accounted for at the meeting time of 7:30. The last couple, though, was nowhere to be found. We waited, and we waited, and we waited some more. Our driver was on the phone with his company attempting to find out when we could leave, when the two people showed up—about 40 minutes after the appointed meeting time. Their excuse: “we just assumed the meeting time was 8:00 like all our other tours.” Okay. . .

So this tour didn’t exactly start off on the right foot. Unfortunately, things didn’t improve much as the morning went on. We booked our tour of Florence and Pisa through Can’t Be Missed Tours. The tour was…disorganized—to be charitable. We were supposed to be brought to Florence and introduced to a local guide who would take us around to various sights. Instead, our driver dropped us off with a vague “go that way,” and we were left to mill about, hoping we’d end up with the right person. Eventually, a woman came around to pass out radios and headsets, and we were able to confirm that we were indeed with the right group. Then, a different woman came around to collect money for admission to the Accademia, but we were provided no tickets in return! The woman we presumed was to be our guide had no idea what was going on—she attempted to have us enter even though we were never given tickets—and it took her about half an hour to get it together enough to obtain the tickets and get everyone in line to enter the Accademia. It was chaos.

We eventually made it inside, where we were given a lackluster tour. Of all the tours we took in Italy, this woman was probably the worst guide. Her English was passable, at best, and she talked extremely softly (even with the radio/headset). She also took very little care with regard to keeping the group together/organized, and overall she provided a tour that just felt scattered, rushed, and bland.

That being said, the art in the Accademia was incredible. The highlight, of course, was Michelangelo’s David. The lackluster tour aside, we were glad we had the chance to view such an impressive piece of art history.

The David.

Our mediocre guide then took us on a walk through Florence. We stopped for a look at the outside of the Duomo and Baptistry, which were fantastic. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to enter the Duomo on this tour, but we will assuredly do so on our next visit.

We eventually made it to the Ponte Vecchio, which would have been better had there been room to walk. Of all the places we visited on this trip, Florence was by far the most crowded. Nevertheless, we battled through the throngs of people and took in the wonderful bridge and some great views of the city.

When the tour finally ended, we had about two hours of free time before we were to meet up with our driver. Having read this far in this review, you can probably guess what our priority was for those two hours: finding a bit of local cuisine. We found a nice restaurant not far from the Ponte Vecchio, where we were able to dine outside. We ordered Bistecca di Fiorentina—a simply prepared Porterhouse steak, grilled rare over a wood fire. The quality of the meat was wonderful, and the setting was peaceful. In other words, it was a perfect Tuscan lunch.

The Duomo.

The Ponte Vecchio.

The David.

Hey Paul, really enjoying your review as we are booked on this same cruise next week. Just curious if there are any restrictions on taking photos inside the Accademia? I heard differing feedback on this.

Hey Paul, really enjoying your review as we are booked on this same cruise next week. Just curious if there are any restrictions on taking photos inside the Accademia? I heard differing feedback on this.

We were able to take pictures, so there was definitely not a blanket prohibition like you find in a lot of churches, for example. If I remember correctly, they did prohibit using the flash, as did most of the places we visited in Italy.

Following the thread with great interest as these are all places we have visited on our independent travels.

We were in Florence for 10 days last March when it was a bit less crowded but still fairly busy. Many places advertise bistecca Fiorentina, but the genuine article comes from the Tuscan Chianina cattle, and if it seems too cheap and in a tourist restaurant probably won't be the real thing.

I've seen many postings over the years from Americans coming to Europe andworried about pickpockets. Two come to mind, one from somebody visiting Naples scared they would be mugged between getting off the coach and the entrance to the hotel, and another wnating to know if her husband's concealed carry permit was valid in Europe. We've travelled extensively and independently for many years around Europe through the main tourist destinations. The only time we've had any experience of an attempted theft was on a bus in Tunisia when somebody tried to slip their hand into my wife's bag. When she felt it and looked up he walked calmly to the back of the bus and got off at the next stop.

Be aware, the same as you might in any US city. Best not to wear baseball caps, clothing with the ship's logo or anything else that makes you stand out as an obvious tourist. No flashy jewellery. Don't leave your wallet in your back pocket and hang on tightly to your handbag (purse).

Looking forward to your thoughts on Venice.

I am loving your review. As I probably will never get to do this type of cruise I am glad I found this.

Thanks for taking the time.

Candi

Following the thread with great interest as these are all places we have visited on our independent travels.

 

We were in Florence for 10 days last March when it was a bit less crowded but still fairly busy. Many places advertise bistecca Fiorentina, but the genuine article comes from the Tuscan Chianina cattle, and if it seems too cheap and in a tourist restaurant probably won't be the real thing.

 

I've seen many postings over the years from Americans coming to Europe andworried about pickpockets. Two come to mind, one from somebody visiting Naples scared they would be mugged between getting off the coach and the entrance to the hotel, and another wnating to know if her husband's concealed carry permit was valid in Europe. We've travelled extensively and independently for many years around Europe through the main tourist destinations. The only time we've had any experience of an attempted theft was on a bus in Tunisia when somebody tried to slip their hand into my wife's bag. When she felt it and looked up he walked calmly to the back of the bus and got off at the next stop.

 

Be aware, the same as you might in any US city. Best not to wear baseball caps, clothing with the ship's logo or anything else that makes you stand out as an obvious tourist. No flashy jewellery. Don't leave your wallet in your back pocket and hang on tightly to your handbag (purse).

 

Looking forward to your thoughts on Venice.

Excellent point about the steak. I'm not sure whether this restaurant was touristy or not. It was pretty quiet, and a couple blocks off the nearest major road/square, so I think it was probably not overly-touristy. Unfortunately, we neglected to look up restaurants ahead of time (not knowing how much time we'd have for lunch and where in the city we'd be).

You also make good points re pickpockets. We never felt threatened or unsafe, though like I said, we did take extra care with our belongings. You do see a lot of panic on the subject when you read about traveling to Europe, and while I'm sure it happens, I found the internet's obsession with the issue makes it seem scarier than it is.

And, in short, we absolutely loved Venice. Food was amazing, and I loved the entire concept of a city built on water. It's probably at the top of my wishlist of places to re-visit. More details coming soon.

I am loving your review. As I probably will never get to do this type of cruise I am glad I found this.

 

Thanks for taking the time.

 

Candi

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying my recollections.

And never say never! I couldn't have imagined I'd be able to do this kind of trip only a couple years ago. When there's a will, and all that.

Cheers.

Following the thread with great interest as these are all places we have visited on our independent travels.

 

We were in Florence for 10 days last March when it was a bit less crowded but still fairly busy. Many places advertise bistecca Fiorentina, but the genuine article comes from the Tuscan Chianina cattle, and if it seems too cheap and in a tourist restaurant probably won't be the real thing.

 

I've seen many postings over the years from Americans coming to Europe andworried about pickpockets. Two come to mind, one from somebody visiting Naples scared they would be mugged between getting off the coach and the entrance to the hotel, and another wnating to know if her husband's concealed carry permit was valid in Europe. We've travelled extensively and independently for many years around Europe through the main tourist destinations. The only time we've had any experience of an attempted theft was on a bus in Tunisia when somebody tried to slip their hand into my wife's bag. When she felt it and looked up he walked calmly to the back of the bus and got off at the next stop.

 

Be aware, the same as you might in any US city. Best not to wear baseball caps, clothing with the ship's logo or anything else that makes you stand out as an obvious tourist. No flashy jewellery. Don't leave your wallet in your back pocket and hang on tightly to your handbag (purse).

 

Looking forward to your thoughts on Venice.

Thank you for this. We leave for the Epic tomorrow that leaves Barcelona on Sunday. I am from Chicago, so I am big on being aware of my surroundings and keeping an eye on things. I have also bought a purse that is anti-theft, my mom has one too. I have told my husband please don't have your wallet in your back pocket. The pickpocket thing is brought up a lot on here and also people I speak with. We are taking the precautions, but we won't let it deter our vacation.

Thank you for this. We leave for the Epic tomorrow that leaves Barcelona on Sunday. I am from Chicago, so I am big on being aware of my surroundings and keeping an eye on things. I have also bought a purse that is anti-theft, my mom has one too. I have told my husband please don't have your wallet in your back pocket. The pickpocket thing is brought up a lot on here and also people I speak with. We are taking the precautions, but we won't let it deter our vacation.

are you on our roll call?

looks like we will have a very busy meet and greet

are you on our roll call?

looks like we will have a very busy meet and greet

I have been lingering. I don't think we will do the meet and greet though.

I have been lingering. I don't think we will do the meet and greet though.

no problem-not for everyone

we are having an informal meet at sailaway at Spice H2O if you want to check out anonymous and see if you want to associate with any of these crazy people lol

After lunch, we walked around a bit and purchased a shot glass for my collection (we try to grab one in each city we visit). We also grabbed some tasty looking gelato, though at 10 Euros per serving(!), I’m not sure it was worth it. We eventually met up with our driver and—miracle of miracles—the latecomers from that morning managed to make it to the meeting point on time. On our way out of Florence our driver brought us to an overlook high above the city. We took a few minutes to take some truly memorable photos, and then we were off to Pisa.

The drive to Pisa took about an hour, and my wife and I both dozed a bit, though we were both awake enough to listen to the latecomers make a loud phone call to their adult children. I mean, we’re driving through beautiful Tuscan hills, and this guy makes an international call to make sure his fantasy football team is being managed properly in his absence. Okay…

When we eventually made it to Pisa, we were given about an hour to explore on our own. This was more than was necessary, since we only stopped to check out the Leaning Tower and take some photos. We ended up back at our van with about twenty minutes to spare, and we spent the time just chatting with our driver.

Our driver got us back to port about an hour prior to the ship’s scheduled departure. He did, though, first try to drop us off at the wrong ship. Thankfully, my wife was paying attention, and after pointing out that we were on the NCL Epic, he corrected himself and got us to the right spot. As I said, though, not the most organized of tours.

A bird's-eye view of Tuscany.