Epic May 6-13 Western Mediterranean sailing with pictures

[naturefly]

I really enjoy reading your review. Did you say that they serve Lobster for dinner on embarkation night (Barcelona)? I thought I read somewhere that there 's no Lobster and no formal night on the Epic. It would be a bummer if no lobster is served on our August Epic cruise.:(

[canadagiveaways]

Thanks for the detailed review! I am sailing some of the same ports in September so was very interested to hear how you did Rome and it sounds like something we might be able to manage as well. With 7 ports we need to cut out the tours on some at least to keep costs down.

[SSAA33]

Hello again Attila!

 

Sorry I keep coming to you with so many questions but your reviews/answers are so helpful since we're trying to DIY most ports as well.

 

Our plan for Rome is similar to what you did expect we're thinking about skipping the Vatican Museums this time so we can make it to St. Peter's & the Colosseum.

 

Questions:

I'm having trouble deciding which train to take back from Termini to Civitevecchia. The 24-hour BIRG for 9 euro is such a great deal and I really want to take the regional train back in order to take advantage of the unlimited fair. I want to aim for the 4:42 train like you did and make it back with just enough time. There is also a 4:59 Frecciabianca "fast train" that would get to Civitevecchia at 5:41 but we would have to pay for separate tickets for it. I am thinking that one can be our back-up option in case we miss the 4:42. Do you remember seeing any signs for this Frecciabianca train? (I'm wondering if the track for it is in the same area.)

 

My husband however thinks that if we want to stick to the regional train, we should take the 4:11 that gets to Civitevecchia at 5:11 to be safe. I would hate to have to leave Rome so early though! I know you said getting there at 6pm was cutting it close but would you recommend it as a fairly safe option??

 

Also, do you remember around what time you got on the train from Civitevecchia in the morning? Our ship is supposed to dock at 7:00 and I am hoping we can catch the 8:02 that will get us to Roma S. Pietro by 9. (The next train doesn't leave Civitevecchia until 8:41.)

 

Thank you so much for your help!

[AttilaTheFun]

I really enjoy reading your review. Did you say that they serve Lobster for dinner on embarkation night (Barcelona)? I thought I read somewhere that there 's no Lobster and no formal night on the Epic. It would be a bummer if no lobster is served on our August Epic cruise.:(

 

Lobster was served on first day (embarkation) in Barcelona. If you're boarding in Rome, you'll have to wait until the Barcelona day to get your lobster. It wasn't bad.

[AttilaTheFun]

Hello again Attila!

 

Sorry I keep coming to you with so many questions but your reviews/answers are so helpful since we're trying to DIY most ports as well.

 

Our plan for Rome is similar to what you did expect we're thinking about skipping the Vatican Museums this time so we can make it to St. Peter's & the Colosseum.

 

Questions:

I'm having trouble deciding which train to take back from Termini to Civitevecchia. The 24-hour BIRG for 9 euro is such a great deal and I really want to take the regional train back in order to take advantage of the unlimited fair. I want to aim for the 4:42 train like you did and make it back with just enough time. There is also a 4:59 Frecciabianca "fast train" that would get to Civitevecchia at 5:41 but we would have to pay for separate tickets for it. I am thinking that one can be our back-up option in case we miss the 4:42. Do you remember seeing any signs for this Frecciabianca train? (I'm wondering if the track for it is in the same area.)

 

My husband however thinks that if we want to stick to the regional train, we should take the 4:11 that gets to Civitevecchia at 5:11 to be safe. I would hate to have to leave Rome so early though! I know you said getting there at 6pm was cutting it close but would you recommend it as a fairly safe option??

 

Also, do you remember around what time you got on the train from Civitevecchia in the morning? Our ship is supposed to dock at 7:00 and I am hoping we can catch the 8:02 that will get us to Roma S. Pietro by 9. (The next train doesn't leave Civitevecchia until 8:41.)

 

Thank you so much for your help!

 

Sorry for the extreme delay in response - work has been crazy.

 

For Rome trains, you really need to give yourself a big buffer of time to avoid stress and the possibility of missing the ship! When we went in June, we got on the 3rd to last train of the day at Termini and it was so full by the second station that people at subsequent stations couldn't even get on! As long as you're boarding in Termini and get there early, you shouldn't have trouble getting ON the train, but keep in mind that it could be delayed or anything else, which is why I don't recommend taking the last possible train.

 

I don't recall seeing anything about a fast train, but note that the BIRG ticket has gone up in price to 12 euros per person, but is still a great deal. I don't remember what time train we got in the morning, but just have a schedule printed of the first 4-5 trains available and speed-walk to the station. Even if you think you missed a train, sometimes they are delayed, so try to get there as fast as possible. You can buy BIRG tickets from a newsstand as soon as you exit the port area, but if there is a line, you can also buy it at the Civitavecchia train station. Don't try to use the automated ticket machines though - you need to wait for the ticket counter to buy BIRG tickets. Hope that helps!

[SSAA33]

No problem at all! It must be hard keeping up with all the questions you get.

 

Although it was tempting to take the later train to allow more time in Rome, we decided it would be safer to aim for the one that reaches Civi at 5:11 so we still have a one train buffer. Glad you recommend the same!

 

After going back and forth a lot, we decided we will start by going to the Colosseum in the morning and then end the day with St. Peter's so we will have to take the train back from Roma St Pietro (2 stops after Termini!). I have been concerned about how full the train might get by this station. I really hope it's not too had in early-Sept. I can live with having to stand but I really hope we're not left off the train altogether!

 

According to the cruisetimetables site, there's only one other cruise ship in the Civitavecchia port that day so I hope that means there won't be too many people heading back.

 

Thanks for all your help!!

[AttilaTheFun]

After going back and forth a lot, we decided we will start by going to the Colosseum in the morning and then end the day with St. Peter's so we will have to take the train back from Roma St Pietro (2 stops after Termini!). I have been concerned about how full the train might get by this station. I really hope it's not too had in early-Sept. I can live with having to stand but I really hope we're not left off the train altogether!

 

According to the cruisetimetables site, there's only one other cruise ship in the Civitavecchia port that day so I hope that means there won't be too many people heading back.

 

Thanks for all your help!!

 

Ah, if you're going in early September, it's probably less busy than the height of summer and will hopefully be okay. We had 3-4 ships in port the day we were there, which added to the massive number of people on the train back.

[SSAA33]

Ah, if you're going in early September, it's probably less busy than the height of summer and will hopefully be okay. We had 3-4 ships in port the day we were there, which added to the massive number of people on the train back.

 

I guess we'll hope for the best and rely on our buffer train in case there's no room on the first. We were thinking about starting in Vatican City and ending at the colosseum so we could catch the train from Ostiense or Termini. But it seems that St Peter's is usually less busy in the afternoon so we reversed our route.

 

Thanks again for all your help with the questions! Reading about your DIY experiences really helps too.

[monakayk]

Attila,

 

Thanks so much for your great review and photos. I am saving this thread for future reference....along with your other Med-cruise review.

[AttilaTheFun]

Attila,

 

Thanks so much for your great review and photos. I am saving this thread for future reference....along with your other Med-cruise review.

 

Glad you found it helpful! :)

[SunSandSkySea]

Great review!!:)

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your review.

[beachboy123]

Hi AttilaThe Fun,

I have enjoyed reading all your posts regarding your experiences on the Norwegian Epic. You definitely have a gift for travel writing. You have provided so much valuable insight for those of us who are doing our first Mediterranean cruise. I will be doing a roundtrip on the Epic this summer from Rome. Like you, I will be travelling with my mother and my sister. This will be our first cruise on Norwegian. I've previously cruised with Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Holland America. I especially appreciate the info you provided on each of the ports. The ports we will be visiting from Rome are: 1. Florence, 2. Marseille, 3. Mallorca, 4. Barcelona, 5. Naples. We plan to spend two nights in Rome at the end of the cruise before returning to the U.S. In Rome, we plan to see the famous Ancient Rome sights during Day 1 and Vatican City sights on Day 2. To me, this seemed like a logical way to organize our time in Rome. I'm still trying to decide if in Rome I want to do a half day guided walking tour each day, or use the hop on hop off buses on our own, or use the metro to get to the sights we want to see. I'd really like to do a guided tour because of all the insight we would get from a tour guide as we visit the famous sights. However, my mother is almost 80 and walking from site to site on cobblestone streets in June might be problematic. What are your thoughts? The only other tour I'm planning to do is the self guided Florence on Your Own, which is offered by CruisingExcursions.com. I'll be doing this tour alone. I had thought about doing a guided tour, but none of the excursions I looked at covered all the sights I wanted to see. At all the other ports, I'll be doing my own thing. I've read several posts in various forums regarding safety concerns in Naples and Marseille. I may visit an Archaeological Museum in Naples and a cathedral in Marseille. Otherwise, I plan to stick close to the port area during these two stops. Because I've spent a week in Barcelona before, I just plan to walk around the Old Town and Las Ramblas and go see La Sagrada Familia cathedral once again. In Mallorca, there doesn't seem to be much there that interests me. So, I plan to just walk around the main town. I do have some questions for you regarding the ship itself, but I'll save those for another post. Again, thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us. Until next time, take care!

[meh56]

We are sailing the Epic roundtrip from Marseille in May 2013...I have not been able to get information on time for embarkation and how they handle passengers who are exiting the ship in Marseille...Do you know if they disembarked with the passenger that are touring? Do you know if there were alot of taxis available in Marseille?

[gelo7]

Nice review and pics.

[AttilaTheFun]

Hi AttilaThe Fun,

I have enjoyed reading all your posts regarding your experiences on the Norwegian Epic. You definitely have a gift for travel writing. You have provided so much valuable insight for those of us who are doing our first Mediterranean cruise. I will be doing a roundtrip on the Epic this summer from Rome. Like you, I will be travelling with my mother and my sister. This will be our first cruise on Norwegian. I've previously cruised with Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Holland America. I especially appreciate the info you provided on each of the ports. The ports we will be visiting from Rome are: 1. Florence, 2. Marseille, 3. Mallorca, 4. Barcelona, 5. Naples. We plan to spend two nights in Rome at the end of the cruise before returning to the U.S. In Rome, we plan to see the famous Ancient Rome sights during Day 1 and Vatican City sights on Day 2. To me, this seemed like a logical way to organize our time in Rome. I'm still trying to decide if in Rome I want to do a half day guided walking tour each day, or use the hop on hop off buses on our own, or use the metro to get to the sights we want to see. I'd really like to do a guided tour because of all the insight we would get from a tour guide as we visit the famous sights. However, my mother is almost 80 and walking from site to site on cobblestone streets in June might be problematic. What are your thoughts? The only other tour I'm planning to do is the self guided Florence on Your Own, which is offered by CruisingExcursions.com. I'll be doing this tour alone. I had thought about doing a guided tour, but none of the excursions I looked at covered all the sights I wanted to see. At all the other ports, I'll be doing my own thing. I've read several posts in various forums regarding safety concerns in Naples and Marseille. I may visit an Archaeological Museum in Naples and a cathedral in Marseille. Otherwise, I plan to stick close to the port area during these two stops. Because I've spent a week in Barcelona before, I just plan to walk around the Old Town and Las Ramblas and go see La Sagrada Familia cathedral once again. In Mallorca, there doesn't seem to be much there that interests me. So, I plan to just walk around the main town. I do have some questions for you regarding the ship itself, but I'll save those for another post. Again, thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us. Until next time, take care!

 

Glad the review helped! We used the subway in Rome with no issues, but some of the sites can still be a good walk from the subway stops, like the Vatican. If you decide not to hire a guide, I recommend downloading some free Rick Steves audio tours from iTunes, which are very helpful. He has ones for the Roman Forum, Colosseum, and the Sistine Chapel, among others. Rome also has an efficient bus system that we used a couple times - it can just be a bit overwhelming to understand. We asked for help from locals and they were very kind in pointing out which bus to take. You can also sometimes stop in hotels nearby and the concierge or front desk can usually speak English and assist you.

 

Florence (Livorno) is the one port where I highly recommend using a guide/driver, such as Rome in Limo. You would be able to fit in Pisa and our driver was very open to tailoring the day to our interests. For example, our group didn't want to stop at the museums, so he took us on a detour of an olive oil plant between Pisa and Florence.

 

I've read similar concerns about safety in Naples and Marseille. We felt much safer using the PacSafe bag and a money pouch necklace that hangs under our clothes to keep our valuables safe. Naples is a really disgusting city, so unless you are planning on venturing from there to visit Pompeii, Capri, or the Amalfi Coast, I think sticking close to port is a good idea. My sister and I visited Sorrento from Naples on a subsequent cruise, but didn't feel it merited all the effort to get there. We didn't go into Marseille at all, so can't advise anything there, sorry.

 

If you still have questions about the ship, ask away!

[beachboy123]

Hi AttilaThe Fun,

Thank you for responding so quickly. It sounds like no matter which mode of transportation we use, we will be doing a lot of walking in Rome. I'll just need to let my mother decide how she would prefer to get around. I actually have already purchased Rick Steves' Mediterannean Cruise Ports which references his app which contains his audio tours. The apps are downloaded on my iPhone and ready to go. There are audio tours for both Rome and Florence. I was thinking of taking the Hop On Hop Off, as opposed to the subway on Day 1, because the Hop On Hop Off would allow us to see more of Ancient Rome as we go from stop to stop. Of course, the subway would be much cheaper at 4 euro for a one full day pass. For day 2, I definitely plan to take a guided tour at the Vatican. To get there, I was planning to take the subway to the stop closest to the Vatican, which per Rick Steves is Ottaviano, and then either take a taxi or walk. I've read that it's only a 10 minute walk from the Ottaviano metro stop to the Vatican. Again, I'll leave it up to my mother, if she decides to do the Vatican tour. Regarding Florence, I will be the only one in my family touring Florence. My mother and sister have decided not to tour Florence. They are die hard cruisers and prefer to spend most of the cruise enjoying the ship and all it has to offer. They prefer to wait until we get to Rome at the end of the cruise to do their touring. Rome in Limo would be too expensive for me alone. I would need to find a group of people who want to visit the same sights that I do. I know exactly what I want to see. However, I would prefer to visit Florence with a group. We'll see what happens. As you recommended, I definitely plan to purchase a PacSafe bag and either a money pouch necklace or a money belt for this trip. I have advised my mom and sister to do the same. In Naples, the only specific tourist site I am thinking of visiting is the Archaeological Museum, From what I've read, it is incredible and is the only thing worth seeing in Naples. I do have a few questions for you regarding the ship:

 

1. Did you go to any of the LGBT/FOD get togethers? If so, in which ship venue were the meetings held? How were they? How was the turnout? Did you go to the White Party? I guess I'm wondering what the nightlife on the Norwegian Epic will be like from a gay perspective? Since both my mom and sister are early birds and do not drink, and I am a night person who does drink, I will be going out by myself at night. Are there bars and clubs on the ship that you would recommend?

 

2. Are irons available for guests to use on the ship? I know that you are not allowed to bring your own iron. The Carnival Breeze had a laundry room on several of the floors which contained washers and dryers and an iron and ironing board. On another cruise ship, guests could call and have an iron brought to their rooms. I've read that there are no self laundry rooms on the ship, but I was hoping that the ship would provide irons for those of us who hate wrinkled clothes. Well, I guess that's it for now. I look forward to hearing from you. Take care. :)

[AttilaTheFun]

Hi AttilaThe Fun,

Thank you for responding so quickly. It sounds like no matter which mode of transportation we use, we will be doing a lot of walking in Rome. I'll just need to let my mother decide how she would prefer to get around. I actually have already purchased Rick Steves' Mediterannean Cruise Ports which references his app which contains his audio tours. The apps are downloaded on my iPhone and ready to go. There are audio tours for both Rome and Florence. I was thinking of taking the Hop On Hop Off, as opposed to the subway on Day 1, because the Hop On Hop Off would allow us to see more of Ancient Rome as we go from stop to stop. Of course, the subway would be much cheaper at 4 euro for a one full day pass. For day 2, I definitely plan to take a guided tour at the Vatican. To get there, I was planning to take the subway to the stop closest to the Vatican, which per Rick Steves is Ottaviano, and then either take a taxi or walk. I've read that it's only a 10 minute walk from the Ottaviano metro stop to the Vatican. Again, I'll leave it up to my mother, if she decides to do the Vatican tour. Regarding Florence, I will be the only one in my family touring Florence. My mother and sister have decided not to tour Florence. They are die hard cruisers and prefer to spend most of the cruise enjoying the ship and all it has to offer. They prefer to wait until we get to Rome at the end of the cruise to do their touring. Rome in Limo would be too expensive for me alone. I would need to find a group of people who want to visit the same sights that I do. I know exactly what I want to see. However, I would prefer to visit Florence with a group. We'll see what happens. As you recommended, I definitely plan to purchase a PacSafe bag and either a money pouch necklace or a money belt for this trip. I have advised my mom and sister to do the same. In Naples, the only specific tourist site I am thinking of visiting is the Archaeological Museum, From what I've read, it is incredible and is the only thing worth seeing in Naples. I do have a few questions for you regarding the ship:

 

1. Did you go to any of the LGBT/FOD get togethers? If so, in which ship venue were the meetings held? How were they? How was the turnout? Did you go to the White Party? I guess I'm wondering what the nightlife on the Norwegian Epic will be like from a gay perspective? Since both my mom and sister are early birds and do not drink, and I am a night person who does drink, I will be going out by myself at night. Are there bars and clubs on the ship that you would recommend?

 

2. Are irons available for guests to use on the ship? I know that you are not allowed to bring your own iron. The Carnival Breeze had a laundry room on several of the floors which contained washers and dryers and an iron and ironing board. On another cruise ship, guests could call and have an iron brought to their rooms. I've read that there are no self laundry rooms on the ship, but I was hoping that the ship would provide irons for those of us who hate wrinkled clothes. Well, I guess that's it for now. I look forward to hearing from you. Take care. :)

 

I would recommend joining your roll call and listing out exactly what places you want to see in Florence and see if anyone else is interested in joining if you start a Rome in Limo group.

 

For the Naples Archeological Museum, be sure to check what days of the week it is open. I've had friends who tried to go and found out it was closed once they got there.

 

I attended the FOD/LGBT gatherings on Epic and they're usually held in Shaker's Martini Lounge, which is not the best location as the seating is for groups of 4-6 mainly, so you end up with people standing or having to re-arrange all the furniture. The turnout wasn't that great on my cruise - I think most people are too exhausted to do much after a long day of touring. The time could also have been inconvenient as it's usually pretty close to normal dinner time. Because people are so tired, the nightlife on a Europe cruise can be hit-or-miss as well. The usual places to check are Spice H20 (if they have an event) or Bliss. Those are really the only organized parties each night unless you just want a quiet drink at one of the many other bars onboard. I wouldn't expect much in the way of nightlife on your cruise, but you may get lucky.

 

There are irons and ironing boards - just call housekeeping or ask your room steward. You're right that NCL doesn't have any public laundry facilities, but they are happy to give you an iron/ironing board and you just call back when you're done with it or they might ask you to leave it in the hall.

 

My recommendation would be that if you love Epic, definitely try booking a Caribbean cruise on her another time. This is what I did and found myself blown away on the Caribbean cruise because I actually had the time to explore and enjoy the ship. The European cruise felt so rushed and stressful because I was traveling with family and trying to cram everything in at each city. I enjoyed Epic much more on the Caribbean cruise.

 

Hope that helps and have a great trip!

[Haynecourt]

Thank you for this detailed well written review.

 

I'm taking my husband and two kids on the epic in may 2014, yet as early as now i have pretty much detailed our plans, call that extreme OCD, lol

 

Your review and pics gives me confidence in the plans that I've been cooking up... Thanks so much

 

Our plans, pre cruise 2 nights rome to do ancient and Vatican, 3 nights florence to visit florence and the major museums, during the cruise go DIY in Naples to pompei directly, DIY Barcelona, join ncl tour to cinque terre from Livorno.

 

Cannes and Mallorca will make them easy days, just a look around, some ice cream and back to ship.

 

Hope all goes well... Im a walker but I don't want to drain my hubby and kids, trying to leave enough time to enjoy the ship amenities as well

[AttilaTheFun]

Thank you for this detailed well written review.

 

I'm taking my husband and two kids on the epic in may 2014, yet as early as now i have pretty much detailed our plans, call that extreme OCD, lol

 

Your review and pics gives me confidence in the plans that I've been cooking up... Thanks so much

 

Our plans, pre cruise 2 nights rome to do ancient and Vatican, 3 nights florence to visit florence and the major museums, during the cruise go DIY in Naples to pompei directly, DIY Barcelona, join ncl tour to cinque terre from Livorno.

 

Cannes and Mallorca will make them easy days, just a look around, some ice cream and back to ship.

 

Hope all goes well... Im a walker but I don't want to drain my hubby and kids, trying to leave enough time to enjoy the ship amenities as well

 

Sounds like a wonderful trip! Your pre-trip stays should be a nice way to see those cities - none of the rushing around of only having a few hours when coming from the cruise ship.