EPIC disembark in Barcelona for those that go on in Rome

[tampafish]

We're taking the Epic from Rome RT. When we get to Barcelona most of the passengers will be disembarking. We'll be getting off for the day to explore the city. At what time can we start getting off the ship if we aren't actually "checking out"? I'm trying to figure out timing for La Sangrda Familia but not knowing what time we could be off the ship is making it difficult.

 

Can anyone that has sailed and done this please chime in? Also, what is the process for those just going ashore for the port day - do we have to go through customs? Do we need to take our actual passports with us?

[garycarla]

Somebody with more information will chime in here, but I find things in other countries than U.S. easier. I would GUESS that you can get off with everyone else. Customs is no big deal there that I remember. We stayed in town for one night before going home and remember just leaving.

 

By the way, you would have gotten more repsponses about this if the subject was more to the point. Your question has little to do about the Epic or Rome, but B2B in Barcelona, etc.

 

Not sure if you are taking a taxi or tour to the Familia, but the hop on hop off bus does stop there. Great place to visit.

[bugeater2]

We're taking the Epic from Rome RT. When we get to Barcelona most of the passengers will be disembarking. We'll be getting off for the day to explore the city. At what time can we start getting off the ship if we aren't actually "checking out"? I'm trying to figure out timing for La Sangrda Familia but not knowing what time we could be off the ship is making it difficult.

 

Can anyone that has sailed and done this please chime in? Also, what is the process for those just going ashore for the port day - do we have to go through customs? Do we need to take our actual passports with us?

 

It will be like a normal port stop for you just as Rome will be a normal port for passengers embarking in Barcelona.

 

As for customs and immigration: this cruise never leaves the European Union so it is, in effect, a domestic cruise. There will not be any customs or passport control at all. That is how they are able have multiple embark/disembark points.

 

Don't do anything different with your passport than you would normally do.

[LocardsChild]

We're taking the Epic from Rome RT. When we get to Barcelona most of the passengers will be disembarking. We'll be getting off for the day to explore the city. At what time can we start getting off the ship if we aren't actually "checking out"? I'm trying to figure out timing for La Sangrda Familia but not knowing what time we could be off the ship is making it difficult.

 

Can anyone that has sailed and done this please chime in? Also, what is the process for those just going ashore for the port day - do we have to go through customs? Do we need to take our actual passports with us?

 

We did this last year - it was irritating as all get out. You don't get any of your "just boarded" documents until Barcelona or your Latitudes stuff. The only thing you receive in boarding at Rome is any excursion that occurs before Barcelona (since we DIYed it the whole cruise, nothing then). You also disembark in Barcelona with a bunch of staff saying "Come back soon"... They could have at least had us in a separate line of some sort.

 

Take, carry, but don't wear the "Rome/Civitavecchia" sticker they'll leave in your cabin the night before. It's a glowing tourist sign during the day, but you'll need it to disembark and reboard that evening. As they try to get you to go in the check-in lines as you reboard, just hold up the sticker. It was the single most frustrating day of our cruise, but Barcelona was fantastic.

 

You can be off as early as the earliest walk-offs. We had timed tickets for Sagrada Familia (book them online) for 10 AM. After signing up and using the HOHO bus to get there, we were there by 9:30 AM... Definitely prebook those tickets, because the line was insane by 9:30, but with a timed ticket you walk right in.

 

Happy Cruising!

B

[bugeater2]

Somebody with more information will chime in here, but I find things in other countries than U.S. easier. I would GUESS that you can get off with everyone else. Customs is no big deal there that I remember. We stayed in town for one night before going home and remember just leaving.

 

By the way, you would have gotten more repsponses about this if the subject was more to the point. Your question has little to do about the Epic or Rome, but B2B in Barcelona, etc.

 

Not sure if you are taking a taxi or tour to the Familia, but the hop on hop off bus does stop there. Great place to visit.

 

Actually the question has everything to do with the Epic and Rome as it is the only ship that is doing a 7 day western med itinerary with both Rome and Barcelona as embark/debark ports.

 

This has nothing to do with a B2B and I have no idea were you got the idea they were doing one.

 

It is bad enough to be snarky but it is worse when the snark is misplaced.

[Froggitt]

As for customs and immigration: this cruise never leaves the European Union so it is, in effect, a domestic cruise. There will not be any customs or passport control at all.

For future reference, not leaving the EU doesn't make it a domestic cruise. There is this thing called the Shengen Agreement, which allows borderless entry between countries signed up to it.

 

Not all the countries in the EU are in Shengen. Not all the Shengen countries are in the EU.

 

However all the Club Med countries are, so likely to get customs free entry in each country on the Epic cruise.

[bugeater2]

In effect.... acts like.... Similar to....

 

I was attempting to convey to the OP that they would not be subject to any customs or immigration on thier particular cruise without going into the fine details.

 

The OP just wants to figure out the best time for the Sagrada tickets but thank you for the lesson.

[almondglaze]

We did this last year - it was irritating as all get out. You don't get any of your "just boarded" documents until Barcelona or your Latitudes stuff. The only thing you receive in boarding at Rome is any excursion that occurs before Barcelona (since we DIYed it the whole cruise, nothing then). You also disembark in Barcelona with a bunch of staff saying "Come back soon"... They could have at least had us in a separate line of some sort.

 

Take, carry, but don't wear the "Rome/Civitavecchia" sticker they'll leave in your cabin the night before. It's a glowing tourist sign during the day, but you'll need it to disembark and reboard that evening. As they try to get you to go in the check-in lines as you reboard, just hold up the sticker. It was the single most frustrating day of our cruise, but Barcelona was fantastic.

 

You can be off as early as the earliest walk-offs. We had timed tickets for Sagrada Familia (book them online) for 10 AM. After signing up and using the HOHO bus to get there, we were there by 9:30 AM... Definitely prebook those tickets, because the line was insane by 9:30, but with a timed ticket you walk right in.

 

Happy Cruising!

B

 

Where did you catch the hobo bus? Did you have to take a shuttle into town?

[TSUmom]

We did this last year - it was irritating as all get out. You don't get any of your "just boarded" documents until Barcelona or your Latitudes stuff. The only thing you receive in boarding at Rome is any excursion that occurs before Barcelona (since we DIYed it the whole cruise, nothing then). You also disembark in Barcelona with a bunch of staff saying "Come back soon"... They could have at least had us in a separate line of some sort.

 

Take, carry, but don't wear the "Rome/Civitavecchia" sticker they'll leave in your cabin the night before. It's a glowing tourist sign during the day, but you'll need it to disembark and reboard that evening. As they try to get you to go in the check-in lines as you reboard, just hold up the sticker. It was the single most frustrating day of our cruise, but Barcelona was fantastic.

 

You can be off as early as the earliest walk-offs. We had timed tickets for Sagrada Familia (book them online) for 10 AM. After signing up and using the HOHO bus to get there, we were there by 9:30 AM... Definitely prebook those tickets, because the line was insane by 9:30, but with a timed ticket you walk right in.

 

Happy Cruising!

B

 

Thank you for this useful information - we will be doing the same cruise from Rome next year, May 2015. I too was wondering how it would work and if it would be mass chaos. It does bother me that though that we will not be treated like it is the beginning of our cruise, which it is. NCL should fix this and make our embarkation as special as for those that embark in Barcelona, we should have our latitudes things and our "just boarded" stuff waiting for us. Barcelona is nearly 1/2 way through our cruise....

[TSUmom]

Will they have a sail away party when we leave Rome? These are things I never really thought about when I booked this trip. As the OP stated the majority on ship will begin in Barcelona so will that day be treated like the beginning of the cruise? We always look forward to Sail Away.

[garycarla]

...It is bad enough to be snarky but it is worse when the snark is misplaced.

 

I will work on adjusting snarky control DOWN and the helpful control UP.

 

(going back to my corner now to continue time-out)

[tampafish]

Thank you very much for all the replies! I feel confident in booking a 10:00 am slot at the La Sangrada Familia. I appreciate the info about the stickers. The onboarding info kind of puzzles me! We received an offer to attend the Circque show free on embarkation night since we purchased the UDP. I wonder if that is Rome night or Barcelona night - now I guess I need to call NCL to find out.

 

Again - thanks for the info. I always appreciate the kindness of the people here.

[isdoo]

Embarkation night is always the day you board.

 

There may be another one on your cruise, but that will apply to new passengers embarking.

[bugeater2]

I will work on adjusting snarky control DOWN and the helpful control UP.

 

(going back to my corner now to continue time-out)

 

I apologize for my harshness and need to remember to avoid posting after midnight.

 

Your time out is over and I will now take your place for not being nicer:o

[Daisyduke70]

We too are embarking in Rome, we were not planning on getting off in Barcelona (have spent a lot of time there over the years so just not necessary for us) will we have no choice but have to disembark and then re-embark later? I hope not, we were rather hoping to have the ship more or less to ourselves!! :)

[bugeater2]

We too are embarking in Rome, we were not planning on getting off in Barcelona (have spent a lot of time there over the years so just not necessary for us) will we have no choice but have to disembark and then re-embark later? I hope not, we were rather hoping to have the ship more or less to ourselves!! :)

 

It is just a normal port day for you. Enjoy the empty ship.

[Daisyduke70]

It is just a normal port day for you. Enjoy the empty ship.

 

Lovely - thanks Bugeater.:D

[LPYRCRUISER]

I found this post most interesting. We also are embarking in Rome. I hadn't really thought much about Barcelona and the process there. I love gleaning all this info from the experts!

[LocardsChild]

Where did you catch the hobo bus? Did you have to take a shuttle into town?

 

The port authority runs a shuttle from the piers to the port entrance. The port entrance is on the same plaza as the Columbus statue. I think it was like 4 euro roundtrip for the port shuttle. Might have been 2...

 

The HOHO buses (two different companies) have booth/kiosks set up at the same plaza, facing the statue. Look for their "here's the stop" pillars. I didn't notice much difference between the companies.

[tampafish]

For the HOHO buses - does anyone know the cost? Also, is it the red one that goes to the La Sagarad Familia? Is there a website I can check out?

 

Thanks for the info on the port shuttle - I was wondering how much that would be!

[LocardsChild]

Thank you for this useful information - we will be doing the same cruise from Rome next year, May 2015. I too was wondering how it would work and if it would be mass chaos. It does bother me that though that we will not be treated like it is the beginning of our cruise, which it is. NCL should fix this and make our embarkation as special as for those that embark in Barcelona, we should have our latitudes things and our "just boarded" stuff waiting for us. Barcelona is nearly 1/2 way through our cruise....

 

It bothered us too... We wanted the extra days in Rome more than Barcelona, so that's what we did... But, honestly, I wouldn't do it again. Of course, there is a lot of difference if you go into it KNOWING that's what will happen. Then again, the people boarding in Marseille had it rough too.

 

And this was my in-laws first cruise, as we took them with us for an Anniversary present! Thank goodness they loved it anyway.

[LocardsChild]

Will they have a sail away party when we leave Rome? These are things I never really thought about when I booked this trip. As the OP stated the majority on ship will begin in Barcelona so will that day be treated like the beginning of the cruise? We always look forward to Sail Away.

 

If there was a Sail Away, I never found it. There was also no dining room open for lunch when we boarded. Not just the staff saying so, but all marked as closed in the Daily and when I personally checked they were indeed closed. Your options for lunch at boarding Rome (unless they have since changed) are the buffet or O'Sheehans. Thankfully O'Sheehans was pretty good.

 

I did actually ask about the drastically different treatment later in the trip when I had a chance to talk to the Hotel Director. It's all about money. Barcelona is the base port for that sailing, so more people book roundtrip from there. And there flat out aren't a lot of people on board all day in Rome, so they don't keep anything open.

 

But what is open? The Water slides! And they are empty!! Bring your suit and enjoy having those things to yourself... I even got my dear MIL on all three of them. They'll be packed the rest of the week, so enjoy.

[LocardsChild]

For the HOHO buses - does anyone know the cost? Also, is it the red one that goes to the La Sagarad Familia? Is there a website I can check out?

 

Thanks for the info on the port shuttle - I was wondering how much that would be!

 

This is who we used:

 

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/spain/barcelona.htm

 

Good company, nice commentary (pre-recorded), a little less than 30 euro each. All the companies go to all the same places - their little stop markers are usually right next to each other. And the attendants will keep you from boarding the wrong bus.

 

But, crappy cheap (free) earbuds handed out on the bus. Might be worth bringing a set from home and just plugging them in on board. Headphone plugs seem to be universal.

 

Btw, they mean it about the open top - and that was a cold windy day in May. Maybe take a windbreaker if you're prone to chills.

[TSUmom]

If there was a Sail Away, I never found it. There was also no dining room open for lunch when we boarded. Not just the staff saying so, but all marked as closed in the Daily and when I personally checked they were indeed closed. Your options for lunch at boarding Rome (unless they have since changed) are the buffet or O'Sheehans. Thankfully O'Sheehans was pretty good.

 

I did actually ask about the drastically different treatment later in the trip when I had a chance to talk to the Hotel Director. It's all about money. Barcelona is the base port for that sailing, so more people book roundtrip from there. And there flat out aren't a lot of people on board all day in Rome, so they don't keep anything open.

 

But what is open? The Water slides! And they are empty!! Bring your suit and enjoy having those things to yourself... I even got my dear MIL on all three of them. They'll be packed the rest of the week, so enjoy.

 

We will be staying in the Haven - my guess the benefit of Suite Embarkation will not be necessary. I am also wondering about lunch in the Haven. This will be my first Haven experience and now I am beginning to think it may be less than expected.

[deb63]

We will be staying in the Haven - my guess the benefit of Suite Embarkation will not be necessary. I am also wondering about lunch in the Haven. This will be my first Haven experience and now I am beginning to think it may be less than expected.

 

Interesting. We are also doing our first Haven experience during this itinerary. Wanting more time in Rome, we are doing the Rome to Rome route too but not until November 2015.

 

I'm curious now how it plays out as well.