Just back, Epic western med, 6/1-6/8 review in parts

[flarad]

First off, let me say, we LOVED this cruise. This review is notes that I took along the way. I'm sure there are people on the same cruise whose experience will be far different than mine. These are my thoughts and opinions. I'll be glad to answer any questions along the way. I don't take a lot of ship pics so don't expect that from me. I do record lots of tips though... I will also write a formal review of this ship soon.

Sunday and Monday

Background information, couple, in our early fifties, traveling alone. Celebrating 30th anniversary. DH has never been to Europe, I have traveled twice with school groups but never cruised the med. We've been on a number of cruises (see signature). We are not really partial to any line and believe each ship has things it does better than any other, as well as things that we might change if it were our personal yacht :) We loved all our cruises, and believe the adage, a day at sea is better than a day on land. Our most recent cruise was on RCI's Freedom and therefore I will make some direct comparisons. These observations are just that, my personal observations and opinions. Now let's get started.

Love Barcelona, one day was just too short. We arrived on Saturday at 9:30 am, direct from Miami. Customs was a bit of a wait, very busy, and then we waited at least thirty minutes for our luggage. Now, I read many things before cruising about how to get the bus, taxi, transfer. For simplicities sake, and because I couldn't imagine dragging suitcases all over Spain, we took a taxi. The que is just off baggage claim and we hopped right into a taxi. I heeded the advice I'd read on here and handed the driver our hotel name and address, written out. Good thing we had it. The driver spoke no English, but with the address, none was necessary. Taxi to hotel near Plaza Cataluna, 35€, three suitcases, port fee and tip. For more information about our experience in Barcelona I will post to the Spain boards. I found that sort of information to be difficult to find before our trip. We did stay in the Hotel indigo. It was a nice little hotel in a perfect location. I will say one more thing, before our trip I read many things about pick pockets and trouble in barcelona. We saw no evidence of any of it, not to say it's not there we just didn't see it, and we tried to travel smart. I hounded DH about wearing his money belt and being careful with his passport. We did the hoho bus while here and enjoyed our day. Great overview of the city.

Hotel to port, quick call for taxi, loaded and at port in fifteen minutes. LOTS of traffic, five ships in port, Celebrity, Liberty, two others. Taxi driver spoke good English. Gave us good advice for disembarking. He said that que is 30-45 minutes at peak disembarking time (9:30) and add another hour to get to airport due to traffic during peak season.

We arrived at port at 10:45, quite a que for taxis leaving at that time. Taxi drivers know exactly what ship is where, no worries about what terminal. Cost from hotel (plaza Cataluna) 23€ I tipped to 25€.

Processing went very quickly, within five minutes we were through security, signed in and waiting to board. We were given boarding group three. They began calling about 11:15 and we were onboard before 11:30. DH and I agree NCL is the absolute best at embarkation and disembarkation. We are gold lattitudes but I don't think this made a difference at all.

(Quite a contrast to freedom last June, we waited in line 90 minutes.)

On board - nice entry, nothing dramatic, like the atriums on other ships, but staff was friendly. We quickly made our way to the Garden cafe and enjoyed a nice relaxing lunch. There were many different stations and good choices. At this time it was not crowded and we had a nice table overlooking the stern. There are also burgers, chicken, and hotdogs available poolside and at Spice H2o. From here we made our way to our cabin a deck ten mini-suite, to drop our bags. It was about this time, maybe 12:30, that the stateroom announcement was made.

Stateroom - loved our mini-suite, the tub, curve, and balcony. There is more storage than I could ever imagine on a ship. Every surface holds a cabinet or drawer. Bed, very comfortable. DH requires a firm mattress and it was perfect. OK, this is where I comment on the infamous bathroom configuration. Please skip this part if you are an NCL cheerleader, or flame away... But seriously, what idiot designed that?!! The cabin door is between the toilet and the tub/shower! I couldn't stop laughing. I hope that person was fired. Did he sit down and think, "I know let's enter through the bathroom?" Now, before you flame me, please know that it didn't effect my ability to enjoy my cruise, nor would it keep me from booking the Epic, but I would not share my cabin with a family, especially teenagers. Awkward in the extreme. I also really liked the small sink area, it does not splash out and provides a nice location for makeup, etc. our bed was by the balcony which gave us plenty of room to get around. After seeing inside balcony I appreciate the extra room of the mini. I've read posts where others say they wouldn't pay for it. Well in our view it was well worth the price!

Back to on board - we did a bit of exploring. The elevators are right next to our cabin, no noise at all and very convenient. One aside here for NCL aficionados, can I say how much I miss the little fish on the carpet?! It's so hard to figure which way I'm going, forward or back, stern or bow? At least they have red on port and blue on starboard or I'd really be in a season of Lost at sea. So far the only time there has been elevator congestion was after the drill, and seriously, with all the food and drink I think I can take the stairs a few times. We discovered Spice H2O, I really like both the area, the bar and the chairs. The pools are nice, and the slides look like a blast. Sea day tomorrow so I can tell you lots more after that. Before you ask, we did not get any of the drink packages, for us they are just not worth it. We did prebook most of our shows and paid for our excursions and dining ahead. BEWARE, everything you purchase on board is subject to an extra 10% VAT tax that goes to the EU. Anything you purchase pre-cruise, from the USA, is not subject to this tax. As if the exchange rate isn't enough for us Americans, ugh! Oh also, they will exchange your $ to euros on board bunnies $10'per transaction and the rate is awful. I figured ahead how many euro we would need and exchanged at home.

I do want to say that I read about secret stairs at the back of the ship. I tried to use them and was stopped and redirected by a staff member. They are "For emergencies only."

Before our trip I read that the Epic was designed from the inside out. I have heard DH say that several times today. It really is. It REALLY is not about the sea. If you want to see the ocean, experience sea breezes, view sunsets, this is not the ship for you. DH and I wandered out on deck seven today, you know, where many ships put a promenade and view. Nope, you get a great view of lifeboats while you jog :) it's about the venues inside, and there are many. More about that in a minute, back to design. For sail away we wandered up, where we expected the best views to be. It was at this point that I discovered the second big design flaw of this ship, (I consider the bathroom to be the first) there is nowhere to view the front of the ship, nowhere. Oh wait, you can go to the back of the ship and watch the front of the ship, on the big screen, lol. The decks are very well protected by tinted glass, which if you are 5'4" tall makes it difficult to see clearly, and today the glass was incredibly dirty. I'm hoping the cleaning crews hit it soon. Anyway, if you want to see the sea, book a different ship. Or at least be sure you have a balcony. I discovered mid cruise that most of the restaurants have great window views and if you go in early, before sail away you will have a great view. Other than that don't look for views.

Back to the venues, If you want an amazing amount of entertainment book the Epic. DH and I were quite surprised by how many things were going on, in all different venues, all through this evening. We attended the Graffiti Classics, which is violins and comedy, actually quite an entertaining mix. People were also in karaoke, the jazz club, the atrium - where another group was performing, and at a piano bar. Later we made it to "Howl at the moon" and loved this. Yes, they make tips, yes, you have to pay to hear your song, but that's the point of it and they are amazing at what they do. A couple of observations about this cruise. It is a very interesting and unique mix of nationalities. We've met Canadians, Scottish, Japanese, and can hear many different languages including Chinese, Arabic, German, and who knows what else. Unlike on a typically American sailing the dining rooms were not busy at six pm (we walked right in to Manhattan tonight) but wow, we peeked in at ten thirty and were amazed. Also, people might complain about the extra cost of freestyle dining (not me, it's one of the things I love about ncl) but when we checked the boards tonight, those extra, for a fee restaurants, were all full. Obviously people like them.

I expect questions about the Manhattan, we liked it. Food was very good. We liked the choices and of course fabulous desserts. Service was good. Our waiters were quiet and unobtrusive. This is a nice area to watch during sail away as there are very large windows out the back of the ship. The other large windows on the ship are located on the edges of parts of the Casino and in the internet lounge. Very interesting designing...

Will add more in a little while. And will try photos.

.bar barcelona, hoho bus.

view from hotel room

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[nadeki]

Please keep writing, I am getting on board in less than 2 weeks:)

[flarad]

Sea day, Monday,

We slept in today, up to garden cafe at 9:00, it of course was crazy busy. Heeded the advice from these boards and went downstairs to la cucucina. Still busy but manageable. Limited hot and cold choices but awesome view and service. Coffee is ok, worst I've had at sea I think. Tea, lemonade, Arnold Palmer is DHs favorite. Other juices are available, fresh squeezed is available for a fee.

Pool time, it was breezy and cool today so chairs were available everywhere. We settled at Spice h2o which I like. By about noon I could have sold my chair. This was because it was a totally protected, windless venue and delightful. I still am frustrated that I can't just standup and go lookout at the ocean, the blue glass is just annoying to a short person like me. DH thinks I'm being dumb but he's taller and can see over. The good side of this is no one could ever fall off. They'd have to be a giant.

We had a late lunch at O'Sheehans. Food was delicious and atmosphere is fun. All places are busy today but there are many different activities all over the ship. Elevators are full but I don't think there's really a problem with a wait. I would love to give a lesson in elevator etiquette and seriously, the people who hop on to go up one flight just annoy me.

Hint, be sure you make reservations for your entertainment early in the cruise or beforehand, there are kiosks on deck 7 and they will give you a highlighted schedule of what you've booked. Hint #2, if you want to use the iconcierge ap load it before you travel. Otherwise you have to pay for the wifi to get the ap. The wifi is incredibly slow, and that's an understatement. It's only useful very early in the am or when everyone else is in port. This was going to be a live review but way too frustrating wifi. I did discover that I can login wifi, logout and continue to send iMessages. The wifi doesn't disconnect.

We did the early Cirque show tonight. Show was fun and worth it. The food, well it was good, not great. IMHO it is worth paying for the premium seats. These enable you to chose between the panorama view above or interactive floor seats. Later in the evening we had reservations for the soul satisfaction show. It was excellent, DH says it's the best show he's been to in a long time and he's picky.

The casino on this ship extends over most of deck 7. DH says he smells stale smoke whenever we're around it. I haven't noticed it much, anyway I would not consider it a problem. It's odd the way you have to walk through it to navigate but I find navigating this ship extremely easy, when I can figure out what's forward and what's back.

 

Tuesday, Naples

We booked all ship excursions for this cruise. We just didn't want to worry about any planning detail. Plus I like being able to pay In dollars ahead of time and not worry about managing large amounts of cash in euros.

So, today we were up at breakfast, garden cafe at 7:30. Of course it was crazy as everyone was leaving early. Food was hot, choices extensive, and coffee...yuk. We tend to walk a circle find a table and then take turns going for food. This seemed to work today. People are moving in and out quickly so finding a table is not that difficult.

We met our tour group in the epic theatre. It was full of people from different excursions but well organized and we were out and off the ship quickly and on time. There were 240 people signed up for our tour, Pompeii excavations. They divided us into six buses, each with our own guide. No problems. After a thirty minute drive we arrived at Pompeii, did the requisite bath room stop and cameo tour. This was kind of lame but not a bad spot to get everyone organized. Each member of our tour was given a headset so we could hear our tour guide. Pompeii was extremely busy today, there were four large ships in port. The headsets work well though and our guide was fabulous! She gave so much information and was both animated and interesting. I don't see how being in a small group would be that advantageous. The place was just crowded regardless. The tour ended at a little tourist stop with gelato, tacky souvenirs, and limoncello. I had lemon gelato and it was really good. The limoncello was also a treat but me and bottles don't mix well when traveling. We chose to do a short day tour today because our next two days will be ten plus hours. We were back on ship about 1pm and had lunch in the garden cafe. Love the ship with everyone else in port. We relaxed this afternoon at H2O and the pool. It is a perfect weather day, bright sun and warm but not too hot yet.

Tuesday evening we had reservations for LeBistro. This is DH's favorite restaurant and it did not disappoint. The food and service were both exceptional. The waiter brought us much more than we ordered, I ordered salad and he insisted that I try the soup. For dessert we ordered chocolate fondue and he delivered creme brûlée too. This restaurant was well worth the extra money.

This evening we went to the Legends show. The legends were Shakira, Diana Ross, and Prince. Shakira was OK, I'm not really a fan, I mean her target audience is not fifty year old white women, lol, but besides that the singer was just not that good. Diana Ross was excellent and Prince was amazing (I'm not a prince fan either) the singer looked just like him and had a great voice. The back up band was terrific too.

To bed kind of early because Rome tomorrow will be an early day. One note here our cabin is very quiet. We never hear people in the hallway or in adjacent cabins.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[flarad]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Susie51]

Thank you for your review and pics.

[TSUmom]

Enjoying your review and pictures. We have to wait nearly a year to experience this cruise so I have plenty of time to pick up tips. We embark in Rome. Thank you for posting!!

[www3traveler]

Who were your Senior Officers? Did anyone stand out to you (Vacation hero)?

[flarad]

I don't remember the names of the officers. The hotel manager was an American. There is no meet the officers and we missed the Q & A time on sea day. As far as heroes we loved our room steward. He was terrific and so genuinely caring. We had some encounters with wait staff that were good but I wouldn't say they were going above or beyond.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report! Glad youhad such a good time!

[ShannonSC2]

Love your review so far. Can't wait to read more especially Rome & the remaining ports. Sad to know that us short people (I am 5'4" also) don't have a good view of the ocean. One of my favorite things to watch! And the sunset at night.

 

We leave on Sunday for the Epic.

[Lilystar]

Enjoying the review and tips. I board the Epic for the same cruise in August!

[flarad]

Love your review so far. Can't wait to read more especially Rome & the remaining ports. Sad to know that us short people (I am 5'4" also) don't have a good view of the ocean. One of my favorite things to watch! And the sunset at night.

 

 

 

We leave on Sunday for the Epic.

 

 

Shannon, you'll find a spot and love it. It's possible, just not as plentiful as other ships. Way up top above the pool is the best. Have a great time!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[flarad]

Wednesday, Rome, up at 6:30 to meet our tour at 7:30. Breakfast in La Cucina, same food as every am. Good, not great. Nice and quiet though. Great view.

Once again the excursion experience was very organized and well run. We did the Rome and Coliseum tour. Long day, lots of walking. The coliseum was all that we anticipated. Amazing. The forum was also interesting. We had lunch at a restaurant with our group and were pleasantly surprised at the quality of it. The day ended at St Peter's Basilica. We took pics but did not go in. We found this area to be one big tourist trap. We loved our experience in Rome but honestly, the city is packed with tourists. All in all Rome is amazingly full of history and I'm glad we did what we did. It would Not be first on my list to revisit. I much preferred Barcelona! We did have kind of a major problem on this excursion, our tour guide left us at the coliseum! We had a misunderstanding and could not find the group when it was time to leave. She did not count or check her roster and some people we met explained she didn't even Notice we weren't there. After a few minutes of panic, during which we searched and searched, we were finally able to locate another NCL group. Their leader was waving a flag In a very public place to get their group together, and took attendance at each stop. He was terrific, he helped us catch up to our group and even offered us to stay with them (they had a much more interesting guide but we went back to our group.) Our leader didn't apologize or make any comment at all. Several people, mentioned we should complain to NCL about this but we normally don't like to do this.

When we returned to the ship we had a prime rib special in O'Sheehans. Food was good, service good but the noise of the bowling alley is kind of annoying in the background. I can see that if you are bowling, it would be great.

This might be a good place to mention that DH has said to me several times that this is the friendliest crew he's ever encountered. The officers are very visible on the ship. Wait staff, room steward, everyone is super friendly. I will admit to you that DH's favorite cruise is always the cruise he's on.

 

Thursday, Pisa and Tuscany

So today we got to sleep a little later. We met for our Pisa and Tuscany tour. Again, a ship's excursions, and again we were pleased. Pisa was a nice stop. We had some free time for pics and wandering in the square and the town. We chose not to climb the tower. I don't like tiny little spaces and again, there were people everywhere. After Pisa we boarded our bus for a short drive in beautiful Tuscany to a winery, we had a short talk about wine making and then a tasting. The tasting included five different wines, bread, meats, cheeses and pasta. Plenty of food and drink and all of our group had a terrific time. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a slower, more relaxing day after Rome. Some of our group bought wine to bring back. There is either a $15 fee for corkage on board or they could leave the wine and pick it up on the final night.

We were back at the ship by 4:30. DH and I decided to try Taste tonight. Food was very good, service excellent. Our waiters were much more personable than we experienced in Manhattans. We arrived early so that we could get our window for sail away. We have managed this every time. But then, many of the Europeans eat much later. They were offering the same shows tonight so we had a little time in the casino (neither of us really gamble but we enjoy watching) and then we were done for the day.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[flarad]

Friday, Cannes and Nice

Let me say here that given the opportunity to do this cruise again I would book our excursions the same way, we liked the ships excursions and loved that all the details were handled. I really liked that we were able to pay ahead in dollars, which made expensive excursions more affordable and we didn't have to worry about paying for excursions in euros (cash) everyday. Today we were up and headed to Nice, and a little train ride. We were tendered. Because we were an excursion, we were first off and on our way quickly. If you go on your own you must preorder tender tickets. It's easily done on board. You could easily walk into Cannes and enjoy the day on your own.

Our bus took us around Cannes and then to Nice. The tour guide was great, with lots of interesting information, we boarded our little train on the promenade in Nice and headed around the city. One of the highlights of this tour was the panoramic view from the top of a hill in Nice. Well the ironic thing is, by the time we got to the top of the hill everyone needed to use the restroom. So, during our ten minute break to take pictures we're all standing in line for the toilets :) ha, big waste of time. The lesson learned is plan ahead, oh and always have some euros handy, you never know when you'll need to pay for a potty.

Nice is a beautiful city with shops and the flower market. We enjoyed our free time and picked up a few tourist trinkets here. This was the best place we encountered for shopping on our excursions. The excursion ended on the promenade for pics and walking around. We returned to Cannes and had some time on our own to wander the beach area. The return to ship was easy on the tenders. As the days are getting progressively hotter this week (still beautiful) we appreciate the water and cold cloths that the ships crew hands out. While Cannes and Nice are gorgeous cities the beaches aren't really any nicer, or even as nice, as what we have here in FL. We didn't travel to uninhibited beaches, obviously. But, just an observation. The Caribbean is also just as lovely.

This evening we had reservations at Teppenyaki. We loved this experience. My shrimp and filet were delicious and of course, the service was exceptional. This restaurant is far better than any Japanese steakhouses we have at home. After dinner we went to the Soul Satisfaction show again and then to the Beatles group in the Fat Cats. They were quite entertaining. Tonight was the white hot party at Spice H20 but for some reason we were very tired. Maybe the progression of the port intensive itinerary. Also, we are not really partying people. Each evening late, we manage to find an interesting movie on TV. There's not much else on tv though. British news and lots of Nickelodeon. If you are taking kids there seems to be lots for them to do, the pool alone is fantastic with its slides and the rock climbing looks great. A really high wall.

Saturday, our last day, Palma de Mallorca

We started the day at the garden cafe (like every day). It is usually crazy busy and tables are at a premium. Important tip here - get your food in the cafe and head to the stairs at the far end, La Cucina. There are plenty of tables (by the window) and it is quiet! There is a buffet here and coffee. We liked the selections from upstairs and just went down stairs to eat.

If I had to choose favorite ports and cities on this route Palma would be at the top with Barcelona a close second. This is when you need to know we are from south Florida and love beautiful, clean, manicured cities. Palma is just that. We took a panoramic tour that included a winery. The views were amazing and the wine tour so interesting, there were also local products including olive oil, flavored salts, and vinegars. I bought several things here to take home. The excursion ended at the promenade area of the city and we could walk around the beautiful cathedral and city. The shuttle service is very centrally located and easy to get back to the ship. The shuttle is free if you've booked an excursion. This would be another port you could easily do on your own. I think the shuttle was 12 Euros per person.

We noticed again here how visible the ships's officers are. They are around during disembarking and embarking at every port and are quite visible in the evenings. I really believe this sets a tone of friendliness on this ship. They seem to manage guest relations well too. I had to go down twice at the beginning of the cruise for key card problems. They have officers trouble shooting the line to try to handle issues. The girl who helped me actually offered to go to my cabin with me to try to figure out the problem.

This evening we did DH's favorite, Cagneys. This was a terrific experience and the food was very good. I had filet mignon and DH had a steak. Both were good. Desserts were great, and of course, the view from the window at sail away was the best. We had to change our reservation for this venue yesterday because of a really tight return time from port. This was done easily at the reservations desk near the garden cafe. Reservations for shows are made on deck seven and this is easy to do also. If you don't have a reservation there is a standby option and we were able to get in to some shows we wanted this way. Some one asked about the prepaid dining package. We figured that if we had do we this we would have saved a few dollars. We did specialty dining every night but two. Don't forget to make your reservations and prepay from the states. It saves on that vat tax.

It is on Saturday that you need to choose a time to disembark. You then go to the guest services area and choose a colored tag to go with the time you've chosen, it could not get any easier than this! We have chosen to walk our baggage off in the am, so no tag for us.

Either we're getting old or six different cities in seven days had gotten to us because we were packed, and in bed very early tonight.

 

 

Sunday departure

We were up by 6 am. The ship ports very early and the lights outside were shining in our curtain. Up and away. We skipped breakfast and were ready to walk off at 6:45. Very easy, grabbed the elevator down to seven, up to the front and off we went. Straight out through the building to the taxi stand. No stairs, an easy escalator and no problem wheeling off bags. The luggage area looked very organized with bags waiting and a carousel going. We walked up to a taxi and were at the airport in thirty minutes. We believe that NCL is truly the best at this. Our taxis held three good size suitcases but they wouldn't be able to take much more. There are some larger size cabs available. Be sure to check what terminal your airline leaves from, this is very helpful to your taxi driver as the terminals are not close to each other. We paid 43 euros for taxi, including tip. There is a port fee, an airport fee and a fee per bag but this was cheaper than the cruise transfer and way more convenient. We were at the airport, checked in by 8:15. Our flight was an 11:20 so we were there in plenty of time. In our family you are late if you're not early :) If you walk off early you could easily make an earlier flight, security was a breeze. This is the quietest airport ever. We stopped at a coffee shop for the first really good coffee we'd had all week. Wait, the coffee at Carlos cafe was good for about the price of a Starbucks. I happen to think the coffee in the cafe and pool area of the Epic was not very good, and I am not a coffee connoisseur.

In summary, we had an amazing time on our Epic adventure. We liked the ship and loved the itinerary. We could go back and do the same trip with all different tours again. Would I book the Epic again? Probably. To us it's pluses include the entertainment and the laid back free style dinners for a port intensive itinerary. We loved our minisuite, even with the hilarious bathroom. In fact it's probably one of the best cabins we've ever had. On the minus side, I found I really miss seeing the sea. This is just a personal preference. DH does not feel this way. The inward design of this ship could be a deal breaker on future cruises for me, personally. In fact, I foresee some real family debate when it comes to future cruises. I also like some kind of an atrium but this ship is extremely easy to navigate, as long as you can figure front and back. Because of the timing of our trip there were very few school age children on board. There were College students with large families and babies. We met people,from many different countries and really enjoyed this. The weather was perfect. We missed the rain from earlier in May and beat most of the heat. I can imagine in July and August this itinerary could be incredibly hot. All in all, after 19 hours of travel,yesterday we are recovering, and wishing we were back on the ship tonight.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[kmurph22]

Thank you so much for posting! Good tip about reserving/paying for dining in advance to avoid the VAT. We sail in a few weeks, can't wait!

[karoo]

Great review. I'll be on the cruise in less than 3 weeks.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[The 4 of Us]

Can you tell approximately what time you arrived at your hotel in Barcelona from the airport? Our flight arrives about the same time as yours and was wondering how long it will take to get thru customs, get our luggage and get to our hotel which is close to where yours was located. We have transfers booked thru NCL to the hotel so that is taken care of already.

Thanks!

[flarad]

We got to the hotel right about 11:00. Customs is pretty quick, it looks like long lines but they just stamp your passport before you get your baggage. It was the baggage that took a long time. We waited at least thirty minutes at that point. The taxi stand is just out the door and we did not have to wait at all. I would assume this is close to where the transfer will be. There were people with signs for the Disney ships. The biggest issue for me was when we arrived at the hotel. It was too early to check in and there were a number of flights all arriving at once. They checked our bags and locked them up until we returned later. We just had to make sure we had what we needed with us for the afternoon. My concern was I really wanted to lock my passport up in a safe and was unable to do that. I carried both passports in a money belt, cross body, under my jacket.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[jaz2411]

Great review, thankyou.

We sail a week on Sunday with 2 nights in Barcelona prior to sailing.

Can I ask...is the H2O spice area adults only ?

We are a couple in our 30s with no kids and would like to find a quiet area on deck.

Thanks

[flarad]

Yes, H2O is adults only until 6 pm. Then they show more family type movies and have parties there in the evening. It was exactly that, nice and quiet. There is an area of shade and sun. Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Deb and Jack]

Thanks so much for this review. I am also from south Florida and am flying out tomorrow for a cruise on Sunday. So so excited.

 

Sent from my KFJWI using Forums mobile app

[flwinejunkie]

Hi!

 

DH and I are thinking about taking NCL's Pisa and a Taste of Tuscany tour this fall. You mentioned a bus, so I'm curious how many people were on the tour. Can you please provide an estimate? DH is concerned that it will be too many people at the winery to be able to ask questions during the tour and enjoy the sit down tasting.

 

Thanks so much for posting your review! I'm eagerly waiting for this cruise!

[flarad]

Hi!

 

 

 

DH and I are thinking about taking NCL's Pisa and a Taste of Tuscany tour this fall. You mentioned a bus, so I'm curious how many people were on the tour. Can you please provide an estimate? DH is concerned that it will be too many people at the winery to be able to ask questions during the tour and enjoy the sit down tasting.

 

 

 

Thanks so much for posting your review! I'm eagerly waiting for this cruise!

 

 

There were about twenty to thirty on our bus. There were two other buses but they apparently went to other vineyards. The tour was not much of a tour really. She showed us the wooden wine vats and the newer metal and that's about it. The winery tour we took in Palma Mallorca was much more informative and a better tour. We loved the tasting in Tuscany though. It was very relaxed and there was plenty of time to enjoy the wine and food in a quaint environment. The vineyard was more of a family business compared to Palma where it is a big business. We enjoyed both tours for different reasons.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Deb and Jack]

Can you tell me the name of your tour to Nice? I see two that seem to fit. Leaving this afternoon for Barcelona, boarding Sunday.

 

Thanks again

Debbie

 

Sent from my KFJWI using Forums mobile app

[flarad]

Can you tell me the name of your tour to Nice? I see two that seem to fit. Leaving this afternoon for Barcelona, boarding Sunday.

 

Thanks again

Debbie

 

Sent from my KFJWI using Forums mobile app

 

 

I believe it was called Nice and Little Train. There is also a train in Cannes. Have a great time! Bon voyage.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk