Just back from JADE out of Barcelona- any questions?

[Litehouse9]

I bought a travel vest at an army/navy store that has come in so handy and useful against the pickpocket problem. Used it in Cairo, Egypt in March where the bazaar is very crowded and a pickpocket's paradise. The vest has more than a dozen pockets, most with zippers. All very convenient and I never carried a purse or bag.

Another thing we do is have a special code word if we see something/someone suspicious.

The most important thing is to stay aware of your surroundings.

 

Yes, I agree that "being aware of one's surroundings" is the best advice against crime. DOn't go to dangerous neighborhoods. And when in crowds, always be aware of who is near you. I did zip a few things in a zipper pocket, and then I safety pinned it shut!

 

My big wad of kleenex got "picked" from my front pocket in Barcelona (ha!), and it was when I was preoccupied and browsing through a Gaudi book in a store.... so I was vulnerable at that time... Never just "put things" down in public. If you need to adjust a backpack strap, or put down a purse or whatever, have a partner or friend hold it for you.

 

Beware and you should be fine!

[Eriep]

Did you see a Flamenco show in Barcelona--or were there any on the ship?

[ccktran]

Sorry for this newbie question. I will be on the same cruise (Jade) departing from Barcelona on June-27, and I'm interested in hooking up with other cruise members for sharing excursions. I checked out the Roll Call forum but it seems pretty empty. How should I do this? Thanks!

[sodell]

Sorry for this newbie question. I will be on the same cruise (Jade) departing from Barcelona on June-27, and I'm interested in hooking up with other cruise members for sharing excursions. I checked out the Roll Call forum but it seems pretty empty. How should I do this? Thanks!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1143195

 

Have you tried this thread?

 

Welcome to CC... enjoy & catch up on your reading :)

[Litehouse9]

Sorry for this newbie question. I will be on the same cruise (Jade) departing from Barcelona on June-27, and I'm interested in hooking up with other cruise members for sharing excursions. I checked out the Roll Call forum but it seems pretty empty. How should I do this? Thanks!

 

On our Cruise week's Roll Call board, there was only myself and one other women.. that's it.. for WEEKS that was it! Then suddenly... 2 weeks before the cruise, we had about 5 couples join in.

 

I think because this cruise has many europeans who go on it (and they seem to not be on Cruise Critic), there is a lower than normal CC response.. so don't give up.. keep going on the roll call.

 

If no one is responding, post a message just so you "refresh" the thread and keep it going...

 

Good luck!

[Litehouse9]

Did you see a Flamenco show in Barcelona--or were there any on the ship?

 

I think I read that Flamenco is NOT a specialty of Catalonian Southern Spain (neither is Paella, however a few places had it for "the tourists") ... but we did hear/read about a few places that had it. check it out on the Internet-- I am sure you will find some spots.

 

We did not go. The ship did not have some, as far as I know (waaaayyy too tired at night from the busy tours during the day to go see entertainment-- we hit the sheets!)

[Eriep]

Thanks! We did read about a show in Barcelona, but will check for others as well. I'm pretty sure we won't be doing much in the evening while we're on the ship either. Way too much to do & see during the day.

Thanks also for taking the time to post your review & share tips with those of us who are still planning.

[April7901]

Okay, I have a couple questions :)

 

I saw you used RomeInLimo for both Florence and Rome. My questions are:

 

Did you have to prebook any of the tours/admissions yourself?

 

Which admissions did you have to pay at each port, and when? When you arrived? At the beginning of the day?

[bandman10]

Thank you. I have found this to be some great information. We will be on the June 13th sailing.

[topguy]

Cruisegirl-

 

I've cruised to Rome, Naples and Santiago all heavy with pickpockets. I saw them in action. Luckily I have avoided any losses. One of my friends had her passport and $500 stolen in Santiago out of a fanny pack.

 

I have heard stories. Thieves cutting purses with razor blades, unbuttoning men's shirts on crowded busses and trains, cutting purse and camera straps with scissors and bolting.

 

First, don't keep cash in one place and don't carry much cash. I am a firm believer in the travel belts you wear around your waist and inside your jeans. Those are the hardest to get to. I keep my passport and 90% of my cash in there.

 

I take two cameras. My big SLR with the Paparrazi lens and a point and shoot. In port I only take ONE and it's always around my neck with at least one hand on it at all times. It's a help to wear a jacket or shirt so it can be somewhat concealed. But hold on to it. One lax second and it can be gone. I love to shoot photos on vacation.

 

Just be careful when you are in crowds. Thieves can be aged 8 to 80, men, women, etc.

I've also noticed while traveling in Europe that there are signs posted everywhere especially in tourist areas, "Beware of pickpockets". These scumdogs will use children, well dressed professionals, or the least person that you would expect to lift your wallet. They love to distract you with a commotion of some type. Fortunately, I have always worn the money belt and have not lost anything, but my Uncle and Aunt did lose their passports and money in Spain. Never assume that the innocent looking person near you is just that.

[Eriep]

How difficult will it be to make a 10:40 return flight from Barcelona after the cruise?

[Wingtips56]

Is Jade still featuring it's unique all live production shows, including the British Invasion show, torchy Broadway show and all? We enjoyed it last year and appreciated it was all live, rather than with most if not all of the cast lipsynching to tracks, with the same old, same old routines as all the other ships.

 

It was an experiment Jade was featuring at the time, and we suggested expanding it to their other ships...and not the same shows on every ship for years at a time. (We got tired of the same canned shows on Princess, so we really enjoyed this.)

[Illinitrvlr]

I will make this quick as I don't want to bore all with the details but......the cruise was a great way to see the ports. This was my 9th cruise with NCL and it was fine for what we wanted, but certainly not the most memorable in regards to the food, staff or onboard entertainment. I will throw out our experience with the pickpockets though. When on the subway they are THICK:eek: My husband carried an empty wallet in his buttoned pocket and we caught at least 2 girls (very young) on 2 different occasions with their hands in his pocket! They never got it out, but boy oh boy did they try! Unfortunately on the day we got back in to Barcelona there were 9 of us having lunch at an outdoor cafe just a 1/2 block off Las Ramblas. There was no foot traffic except for the other diners AND one lovely young girl playing the flute. She had her dog with her and then a friend came up to greet her. She stopped at our table to ask for some change for playing her flute and that's all it took. The friend (we didn't actually see it but they were the only ones around) took my daughters camera case that she had under the table by her feet. She is a photography major in college so you can imagine it was not just a point and shoot:mad: Also in her bag was her passport, drivers lic. ATM card and probably the worst, all of her memory cards with the 1000+ pictures she had taken over the course of the 12 days prior. Needless to say she shouldn't have carried it all, shouldn't have set her bag on the ground etc, but it is tough to tell a 20 year old what to do. So, this is much longer than I started out to write but wanted to relay our story. Very sad for my daughter and very costly for us as we had to extend our stay to get her a new passport, not to mention all of the stolen items. Be vigilant, that is the key.

[tiyana4]

Litehouse - thanks so much for the fantastic review! We are sailing the 12-nt itinerary in November and are really looking forward to it. Thanks, too for the tips regarding keeping valuables safe. We don't plan to spend much time in Barcelona (arriving late afternoon day before cruise and not staying in Las Ramblas), but I'm sure the advice will be well heeded in other ports. I'm glad you had such a wonderful trip. Based on one or two other recent reviews you would think the food, service and ship was the worst thing sailing. Thanks again for a great review!

[anothercruiseforJulie]

Thanks so much for all of the great info! My husband and 2 teenagers are going on the July 25 sailing. We are so excited and love to hear about everyone else's experiences.

[Litehouse9]

How difficult will it be to make a 10:40 return flight from Barcelona after the cruise?

 

Okay, obviously on any given day traffic, weather, etc. will vary so no one can say for sure..

 

We had an 11:15am flight out of Barcelona. We left the boat at 7:00am. It only took 10 minutes to walk off (when we left the Spirit in New Orleans, it took 2 hours to exit the boat and go through customs!!!!).

 

by 7:15am, we were in front of the terminal, and got in a taxi. 25 min. later we were at the airport, and then it only took 20 min. or so to go through the ticket counter line.

 

Then by 8:15am, we were through checking in, and had 3 hours to kill before our flight left! So we shopped, ate breakfast at McDonalds (yes there was one in Barcelona airport); chatted with some ship mates we spotted, etc. Airport is nice, and has nice stores, etc.

 

But it seems like you SHOULD have lots of time to make a 10:40. We took a cab, and it was $30 for both of us, total. Took 20 min. Very nice. Teh ship will charge you $30 PER PERSON, and leave WAY WAY EARLY. There are PLENTY of taxis in front of the terminal, dont let the ship scare you.

 

Good luck!

[Litehouse9]

So sorry to hear about the 20 yr. old girls loss of passport, camera, 1,000 photos from the vacation, money, etc. How sad and what a "pain".

 

We were told: NEVER put purses, camera, etc. ON the table tops, DO NOT put them or hang on back of chairs. DO NOT PUT THEM on the Ground at your feet. NO! I carried a small "purse" that had a cut proof cord and was small like a camera case. When I ate at a cafe--- IT HUNG AROUND MY NECK/SHOULDER THE WHOLE TIME. My Money was always in the neck hung bag, UNDER my clothes. You must be so careful.

 

Like I said, a big wad of kleenex from my front pocket was "picked" (no, it wasn't used, it was in case I had a nose bleed, which I sometimes get-- it would have been even funnier if it had been used).. but the guy who picked the kleenex out of my pocket (it was in a big wad, all wrapped up, probably felt like a wad of money)-- was in a SUIT, very nice, 45 yrs. old, looked like a business man. It happened so quick. He "bumped" me in a crowd, grabbed my arm and said "so sorry, Senora", then sped away.

 

RE: Pictures. I bought 3 extra photo memory cards for my camera. So if it got stolen, the other cards would be back at the ship or the hotel and I would not lose ALL my photos.

 

We did NOT take original passports into ports. Forget what the boat tells you. TAKE A Photocopy of it with you, plus drivers license.

[Litehouse9]

Litehouse - thanks so much for the fantastic review! We are sailing the 12-nt itinerary in November and are really looking forward to it. Thanks, too for the tips regarding keeping valuables safe. We don't plan to spend much time in Barcelona (arriving late afternoon day before cruise and not staying in Las Ramblas), but I'm sure the advice will be well heeded in other ports. I'm glad you had such a wonderful trip. Based on one or two other recent reviews you would think the food, service and ship was the worst thing sailing. Thanks again for a great review!

 

LOTS of ports have the pickpocket problem besides Barcelona: Rome, FLorence, Naples, etc. They are ALL bad. So be careful everywhere.

 

Not sure why some people are so negative about thsi cruise. Okay, the food is NOT the utmost best in the world-- is that why you took the cruise? Then NCL is not for you... but the food was good, served to me, and I didnt have to cook it or shop for it! The crew were friendly and helpful. Good service.. the awesome thing was the ship was in great shape, pretty, and the itenerary is excellent.

 

We did NOT see night time entertainment.. too tired. This cruise is all about the daytime in the ports. At night we could have cared less about the entertainment, so I have no idea of the quality or kind.

 

I think it was an awesome cruise, an awesome boat. :cool:

[Litehouse9]

One more idea for keeping a purse or camera case, when you are at a cafe:

 

A freind said he would stick his leg through the shoulder strap, and then bring the strap up to the top of his thigh, and rest the bag on his lap. He felt safe as the strap was attached to his leg, so hard to grab it and run.

this only works if you are wearing pants.

 

But NEVER lay it on a table, put it at your feet, put it on the extra empty chair at your table, or hang it from the back of your chair. NEVER! The thieves are thick and they are sooo sneaky.

 

And YES== "Street performers" (mimes, clowns, flutists, magicians, etc.) are sometimes there to entertain you, distract you, while their comrades steal from you (esp. on Las Ramblas)... so be careful if you stop to watch a street performer.

 

And when you decide to pay a street performer and get out your wallet to do so-- his/her pal then knows where your money is kept, so they can better pick it! :(

 

Keep a few Euro coins in your pocket to pay people like that. If $4 got stolen, so what.... Keep the real money and cards in a safe place, and just a little change in the pocket.

[anothercruiseforJulie]

Litehouse,

 

What was the laundry situation on the jade? Did you use their services? If so, how long did it take? Do you remember if they had a day with the "fill a bag" special?

[Litehouse9]

Litehouse,

 

What was the laundry situation on the jade? Did you use their services? If so, how long did it take? Do you remember if they had a day with the "fill a bag" special?

 

Hi. I had laundry done and it was about a 24 hour turnaround. I think that the "all in one bag for a set fee" was on the second to last day..sorry cannot remember for sure. Having them do the laundry is NOT cheap! But it was worth it to me to have two pairs of pants cleaned.

 

For tops, I brought thin blouses that were easy to hand wash in the sink, then hang to dry in the shower (convenient clothes line in the shower, if you need it).

[Illinitrvlr]

We used the fill the bag laundry special. They picked it up on Wednesday and we had it back on Thursday. It was $24.95 for the bag.

[Eriep]

Are there charges for using the fitness center & the showers that are located there?

--Also, should we be receiving a packet in the mail after printing our e-docs??

 

Thanks again for all your help!

[Cin-Sal]

I'm going on this same cruise in one week!! SOOOO excited! When it comes to pickpockets and things, what would you suggest doing with my camera? I was thinking of carrying it all day, but if you have a better idea, I'd be up for it!(:

When it comes to my family's passports, what would you suggest? My dad was going to put a rubber band around all four of them and keep them in a buttoned short pocket, but I don't think that's all too safe. Thanks so much!! (:

When we were in Costa Rica, they made copies of our passports and told us to carrry those and keep our real ones locked up in our rooms. Better safe than sorry. Make copies of that and your drivers licenses and carry those around instead.

[travelgirl4ever]

Litehouse- Just read your cruise review and enjoyed it very much. Thank you for posting. All your info has been so helpful.

My question--do they do currency exchange onboard? How did you get money?? ATM or exchange? I am also wondering where/how you can get the best exchange rate. With all the talk of pickpockets, etc., I am weary of using an ATM in public. Is the airport a good option?

Another question - we are having private tours and sharing with another couple. What do you think is a fair tip? We are not weathy travelers but want to be fair with our guides.

Thanks.