NCL 10-Day Eastern Mediterranean from Rome?

[athe0007]

Hi,

 

I'm new here, but someone recommended asking you all for advice. I have a $4500 credit from NCL that I've used to book a 10-Day Easter Mediterranean (Rome, Olympia, Athens, Ephesus, Istanbul, and Naples) in December. The credit is a long sorted story that I won't trouble you with, but you can read about it here. We have two boys who will 12 & 14 and we hope to make this an educational experience for them, but they're boys and not really interested in tours or museums (they'll just have to suffer ;)). I suppose I will only ask the Italian questions here. Please feel free to answer and quote just one, because there are several.

 

1) Should I just book excursions through the ship or is it wise to do them independently? We just did a cruise in Hawaii and I did both. It seems convenient just to walk off the ship and into the bus. I messed up one zip-line tour and scheduled it so it wouldn't have ended until after the ship left. I know I could have saved $300 off the price of the Kauai Helicopter, but I trusted NCL to pick a safe one (was that wise?).

 

2) Is there anyone here who's done this cruise who could recommend specific excursions? Here they are. (I hope this link works!)

 

3) We will also be spending four days in Rome on our own. If you had four days in Rome and two young teenage boys what would be on your list of the top things to see? Which can we do on our own and which should we do as a tour?

 

4) I've heard that crime is bad in Southern Italy. I suppose we need to have passports with us. What's the best way to carry them? Do I have to worry about grab-and-run thefts of cell phones and camera as I do here in Minnesota?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice or recommendations your can offer!

 

Michael

[cberge]

Hi,

 

I'm new here, but someone recommended asking you all for advice. I have a $4500 credit from NCL that I've used to book a 10-Day Easter Mediterranean (Rome, Olympia, Athens, Ephesus, Istanbul, and Naples) in December. The credit is a long sorted story that I won't trouble you with, but you can read about it here. We have two boys who will 12 & 14 and we hope to make this an educational experience for them, but they're boys and not really interested in tours or museums (they'll just have to suffer ;)). I suppose I will only ask the Italian questions here. Please feel free to answer and quote just one, because there are several.

 

1) Should I just book excursions through the ship or is it wise to do them independently? We just did a cruise in Hawaii and I did both. It seems convenient just to walk off the ship and into the bus. I messed up one zip-line tour and scheduled it so it wouldn't have ended until after the ship left. I know I could have saved $300 off the price of the Kauai Helicopter, but I trusted NCL to pick a safe one (was that wise?).

 

2) Is there anyone here who's done this cruise who could recommend specific excursions? Here they are. (I hope this link works!)

 

3) We will also be spending four days in Rome on our own. If you had four days in Rome and two young teenage boys what would be on your list of the top things to see? Which can we do on our own and which should we do as a tour?

 

4) I've heard that crime is bad in Southern Italy. I suppose we need to have passports with us. What's the best way to carry them? Do I have to worry about grab-and-run thefts of cell phones and camera as I do here in Minnesota?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice or recommendations your can offer!

 

Michael

 

You have asked a lot of questions here for sure....if I were you I would do some reading on this board to get a feel for some of the questions you have asked and any other board you may have posted on as well. Most of all I would check out the NCL board as some may have done this cruise and posted about it. If you do some homework then come back and post questions that have not been answered you may find it easier to sort out.

As to criime in S.Italy it is not any worse than any larger city anywhere...you have to aware of your surrounding and not careless with what you carry....don't make yourself a target.

As to Rome...tons of info on this board,and a guide book from the library would really help with what you may want to see and do.

[euro cruiser]

We travel all our with our kids and have since they were pretty young. As soon as they were old enough to participate in the decision making (by about grade 2 or 3) one of their gifts each year would be a guidebook for each place we were going to. They then had to read though and pick out the things that most interested them; as they got older they were assigned a day each to plan out. At least that way they had to own the outcomes and there was a lot less "I'm bored", or "I don't want to".

 

Which is my long way of saying give your kids some resources and ask them what they'd like to see. At that age ours were keen to see the places they'd studied about in history classes, so the Colosseum and the Roman Forum were big hits.

 

As for excursions, that's more dependent on your personal comfort level. It's easy to get around without speaking a word of Italian, and folks on these boards can provide very specific instructions if you want to try DIY.

[athe0007]

Most of all I would check out the NCL board as some may have done this cruise and posted about it.

 

Thanks for your advice. I did read through the NCL comments for the POA cruise, but given my experience with Norwegian I no longer think I can rely on those comments. I know that on Amazon companies hire shills to promote their products and that some companies censor negative reviews (I've had it happen to me). I also met a computer consultant who told me that there are specific people you can hire to make bad comments go away! :eek: I'll look around as you suggest.

[cynbar]

Have you found your roll call? Especially for European cruises, there are often passengers eager to share private tours which keeps the cost at a reasonable level. We had great luck with that on our NCL Gem Eastern Med cruise, and are doing it again on our Reflection cruise in May. Ephesus is an especially good place to book a private tour because most of the ship tours don't go into the Terrace Houses, a highlight of the site. We used Hello Ephesus when we were there -- great tour and it's only half a day if you don't do the add ons like the House of the Virgin Mary. In Rome, try to book a hotel in a mid city location so you can walk easily to all the sights, and spend as much time as you and your boys are comfortable doing. We'll be staying at Albergo Cesari which comes well reviewed and is close to about everything.

Edited February 11, 2014 by cynbar

[CathyCruises]

Two more pieces of advice: do NOT carry your passports off the ship! Keep them safely in the safe.

 

Consider renting an apartment in Rome. Check out VRBO or airbandb.

 

Also, most but not all of us on these boards are dedicated DIYers. I agree that Ephesus needs a private tour but most of the others are easy to do by using trains or buses, which can add to the experience for your kids.

 

Sorry to read your 'sordid tale'. Hope this works out for you!

[cberge]

Thanks for your advice. I did read through the NCL comments for the POA cruise, but given my experience with Norwegian I no longer think I can rely on those comments. I know that on Amazon companies hire shills to promote their products and that some companies censor negative reviews (I've had it happen to me). I also met a computer consultant who told me that there are specific people you can hire to make bad comments go away! :eek: I'll look around as you suggest.

 

NCL aside...I like to think that the people that post re experiences on the NCL board are truthful,but I would not want to bet the farm.Howerver that being said on THIS board you can take most the the private guides,if you go private tours,for their word especially in Italy.There is such a wealth of great info on this board.On any board there will be those who are unhappy,but I see so little of it here.Good luck with your planning.

[athe0007]

NCL aside...I like to think that the people that post re experiences on the NCL board are truthful,but I would not want to bet the farm.Howerver that being said on THIS board you can take most the the private guides,if you go private tours,for their word especially in Italy.There is such a wealth of great info on this board.On any board there will be those who are unhappy,but I see so little of it here.Good luck with your planning.

 

Thanks, I've been very impressed with the posters on this site. Which is why I came to seek advice in this group. However, even here there are probably a few shills. The cruise lines are crazy if they don't have somebody monitoring these discussions! I've been doing online discussions since 1982. I even met my wife in an online discussion group about movies 22 years ago (I think she was being truthful ;)).

 

It's not that people in the NCL groups are untruthful, it's just that if they delete the worst comments (often companies do so claiming they're inflammatory) then it gives a biased perspective. You never know! Since employees can cruise for huge discounts I'd guess some of them may post.

[athe0007]

Two more pieces of advice: do NOT carry your passports off the ship! Keep them safely in the safe.

 

Consider renting an apartment in Rome. Check out VRBO or airbandb.

 

Also, most but not all of us on these boards are dedicated DIYers. I agree that Ephesus needs a private tour but most of the others are easy to do by using trains or buses, which can add to the experience for your kids.

 

You don't need passport on you? Like a driver's license is good enough to get back on the ship and with local authorities?

 

I feel more secure in a hotel the first time I visit a place, but I'm not an "experienced" traveler.

 

I'll have to check out the DIY angle. Also, whoever suggested letting the kids choose, that's a good idea. I tried to do that with Hawaii, but they weren't all that interested and if I let them choose sometimes they'll not want to do the fun stuff. Like they didn't want to do the surfing lesson, but it was the most fun they had on the trip!

[euro cruiser]

I'll have to check out the DIY angle. Also, whoever suggested letting the kids choose, that's a good idea. I tried to do that with Hawaii, but they weren't all that interested and if I let them choose sometimes they'll not want to do the fun stuff. Like they didn't want to do the surfing lesson, but it was the most fun they had on the trip!

LOL - we don't give up ultimate control to the kids, and when necessary we "guide" their choices (and sometimes flat out reject them). For the most part, however, it has worked out well for us having them make choices.

[cruisemom42]

You don't need passport on you? Like a driver's license is good enough to get back on the ship and with local authorities?

 

I feel more secure in a hotel the first time I visit a place, but I'm not an "experienced" traveler.

 

 

In most Med ports you are not required to have your passport with you. The ship will impart the information to you when you ARE required to have it, so pay attention to the daily events sheets and/or port lectures.

 

Whether or not you want to have it with you is frequently debated. Be aware that pickpocketing is common, especially in crowded touristy areas (e.g., in front of the Colosseum or St. Peter's in Rome) as well as on public transportation. Personally, I leave my passport on the ship unless expressly required to have it on me.

 

You should never carry money or valuables in an accessible location, and leave anything you don't need on the ship. Front pockets are NOT secure for men; I personally know of several colleagues who had their wallets lifted out of front pockets in Barcelona. And no rear-facing backpacks. Best way to carry valuables is in a money belt or pouch under clothing.

[CathyCruises]

Yes, just bring what you really need for the day. If you do bring backpack, no valuables--just jackets, umbrellas, water bottles, etc. I keep everything I need in my pockets (Kleenex, lip gloss) and I have a small pouch that I wear under my clothes for some spending money, one debit card and my seapass.

 

Speaking of seapasses, that's what you need to get off and on the ship. Sometimes the cruiseline will tell you to bring photo id, in which case we bring our DLs, well secured.

[slidergirl]

Glad to see you made it over to the board!

 

Try to find out what your kids will be doing in school that year, history-wise. Maybe that can be a small spark - seeing in person what they have been studying can be mind-blowing for a kid. Heck, it was mind-blowing for me as an adult to stand at some of those places I always read about!!!

The food aspect of a Med cruise can't be overlooked. Build in a gelato tour and a pizza tour for Italy - keep track and have fun discussing which is best.

 

I'm never more worried about my personal safety in Europe than I am at home. Just use common sense and avoid those things that put the obvious "I'm a tourist" target on your back (don't stop and look at your tour book, no camera around your neck, etc.). Walk like you know where you are going, even if you don't...

[epixx]

Looks like a great trip, if the weather holds out for you. We've cruised the Med several times with our preteens/teens, although ours are girls. I think boys would really enjoy the climb up to the top of the dome of St. Peter's in Vatican City. Also, don't miss Istanbul's Basilica Cisterns, where the James Bond movie, From Russia With Love, was filmed. You might also consider a Mt. Vesuvius hike from Naples. I also agree about DIY, since your boys probably won't have the patience for tour guide monologues. Also, DIY is great to teach kids that age about how to get around on public transportation and how people manage on a day to day basis without private cars. We had a really interesting experience on the Istanbul tram with our teens. Although the tram was extremely crowded with local people, when they heard us speaking to each other in English, a large number of them got up off their seats and motioned for us to sit there, even a young woman with a baby!

[dalgirl]

We have cruised the Med/Adriatic/Baltics with NCL around 8 or 10 times (I lose count) on various ships and have relied on the port boards for the best information. As with any board dealing with specific ports of call, etc. your best information is going to come from these port boards - not the specific cruise line boards. That said, if you are seeking advice for specific NCL excursions, the cruise line boards can be very helpful. NCL board advise is as accurate as any other boards I have found. We all have your favorite excursions, tour companies, etc. - what may work well for one group will not work for another. That is why you really should spend some time on these boards looking for specific information about specific sites, etc. - and you can also get good suggestions from your roll call as those on your cruise have most likely done a lot of work already for you;) I find I get ideas for things I never thought to do from the roll calls - you don't have to join if you don't want to, you can "lurk."

 

As for shills, I don't really think there is a lot of that on any of these boards - CC is pretty good at getting rid of that. We have used Romeinlimo a lot for various excursions in Italy and always direct people to them if they are looking for a safe, easy way to see all the sites with very little hassle involved (my Mom loved them). So I guess I could be considered a "shill" for them, but I am really just a satisfied customer wanting to share my happiness:)

 

As others have said, crime is everywhere and if you use common sense, watching your bags and personal space, you should not have a problem.

[athe0007]

- and you can also get good suggestions from your roll call as those on your cruise have most likely done a lot of work already for you;) I find I get ideas for things I never thought to do from the roll calls - you don't have to join if you don't want to, you can "lurk."

 

So I guess I could be considered a "shill" for them, but I am really just a satisfied customer wanting to share my happiness:)

 

Thanks for you advice! I have to confess that I'm total clueless!" :confused: This would be only our third cruise and so far we've just relied on the good will and judgement of the cruise lines (hasn't always seemed to work out :eek:). What's a "roll call" and where do I find it?

 

A "shill" is someone who's PAID to recommend something. ;)

 

Additional question, do you see many families on your Med cruises or is it mostly adults?

 

Thanks,

 

Michael

[dalgirl]

Thanks for you advice! I have to confess that I'm total clueless!" :confused: This would be only our third cruise and so far we've just relied on the good will and judgement of the cruise lines (hasn't always seemed to work out :eek:). What's a "roll call" and where do I find it?

 

A "shill" is someone who's PAID to recommend something. ;)

 

Additional question, do you see many families on your Med cruises or is it mostly adults?

 

Thanks,

 

Michael

 

At the front of the forums is a category called "roll calls" Find Norwegian, then your ship, and then date that you sail. You can also do this from any cruiselines main page - the new, handy drop down lists makes this very easy. Some roll calls are more active than others - our Celebrity cruise to Asia in April 2015 is VERY active, with several private excursions already planned:)

 

And how do you know I wasn't paid???;)

 

I really wasn't, but I do get enthused for some of the great excursions I have had - both private and ship based.

[fluffi]

this will be our 1st cruise 2 barcelonia,italiy we have cruised 30 times but never 2 spain or italiy we don't know if we shoud book our hotel with rccl or on our own, also transfers how far is the pier from the airport

 

fluffi@charter.net

[euro cruiser]

this will be our 1st cruise 2 barcelonia,italiy we have cruised 30 times but never 2 spain or italiy we don't know if we shoud book our hotel with rccl or on our own, also transfers how far is the pier from the airport

Sorry, but I'm not sure I understand what you need to know. Where does your cruise depart from, and where does it end? Are you looking for hotels pre-cruise, post-cruise, or both?

[fluffi]

Sorry, but I'm not sure I understand what you need to know. Where does your cruise depart from, and where does it end? Are you looking for hotels pre-cruise, post-cruise, or both?

 

Barcelona to Barcelona 8 day cruise

[cberge]

Where have you been cruising? Better to understand what you may need.

[euro cruiser]

Barcelona to Barcelona 8 day cruise

Okay, that would actually be better addressed on the Spain port board, but since we're here I'll go ahead and tell you that the cruise port in Barcelona is only about ten miles from the airport. By cab it took us about 25 minutes to get there on a Sunday morning.