Must Have-Med

[jenn6743]

My husband and I are frequent cruiser, but so far we have only cruise in the caribbean. This will also be our first cruise on NCL. My question is what are your must have idems for a Med. cruise. We have about a month before we leave and I am trying to get some idea of what this cruise will be like. All of our exclusion are really early, and seem to be long days.

 

Does anyone have any useful tips or suggestions of things to bring.

 

Thanks Soooo Much :D

[rochelle_s]

My husband and I are frequent cruiser, but so far we have only cruise in the caribbean. This will also be our first cruise on NCL. My question is what are your must have idems for a Med. cruise. We have about a month before we leave and I am trying to get some idea of what this cruise will be like. All of our exclusion are really early, and seem to be long days.

 

Does anyone have any useful tips or suggestions of things to bring.

 

Thanks Soooo Much :D

 

Really good walking shoes and your camera with lots of battery life!!

 

On Europe cruises it is all about the itinerary so save your energy for the ports rather than trying to keep up with activities on the ship. You can catch a lot of that stuff on the TV in your stateroom during down time.

 

You will have a fabulous time!! Enjoy.

 

 

Rochelle

[cb at sea]

Pack what you would for any "warm weather" area. Plenty of sunscreen, swim suit....and that's about all the "special" stuff you'll need!

 

The Caribbean is very laid-back and easygoing. You really don't need anything special, just because of where you're going!

Edited April 15, 2015 by cb at sea

[badtwin]

We found zip off pants very useful because some churches do not allow shorts but we didn't want to wear long pants all day. (Skirts are fine for women but not too short) You also need to be able to cover bare shoulders in some churches.

 

Hats for sun protection.

 

A money belt or clothes with zippered pockets are good crowded venues. We witnessed a couple of pick pocket victims.

 

Repeat - good walking shoes

 

Phrase books if you want to try to communicate in the local language.

[b_cruise]

Take a couple memory cards for the camera just in case the camera goes missing, lol...get a cross shoulder bag , and money belt for DH. Sunscreen, conditioner, if u going yo venice...mosquito spray, lotion,euros!!

Lots of movies on iPad for plane and pillow, headset .

 

 

Best time every!! Enjoy!!

[zqvol]

What to leave at home:

 

Money belts

Zip off pants

Phrase books - everyone speaks English

 

 

What to take:

Camera with appropriate memory cards and accessories

Comfortable shoes

Lightweight pants for men

The same items you would use anyplace to avoid exposure to too much sun

 

In other words, take the same stuff you would take for any vacation.

[insidecabin]

€ for most ports

 

A clues to the itinerary would help there are 3 ship in the Med.

[badtwin]

What to leave at home:

 

Money belts

Zip off pants

Phrase books - everyone speaks English

 

 

What to take:

Camera with appropriate memory cards and accessories

Comfortable shoes

Lightweight pants for men

The same items you would use anyplace to avoid exposure to too much sun

 

In other words, take the same stuff you would take for any vacation.

 

Actually, we found if you got off the beaten path everyone did not speak English. And we further found the locals did not like the ugly American tendency to just speak English louder. A phrase book (or a phrase app) is useful and we found our efforts were appreciated.

 

The zip off pants are geeky and label you an American tourist. But they are an alternative if anyone in your party otherwise must wear shorts. Besides, they will know you are an American tourist the second you open your mouth, even with the phrase book.

 

Not using a money belt or secure alternative is just silly, wherever you vacation.

[HarpHarp]

1. Euros & chip enabled credit cards if you intend on shopping. Getting Euros from the atm on the ship is usually the most costly.

2. Some method of safeguarding your valuables, travel purse, money belt etc.

Take only what you need out of the safe for the day, & carry a different credit card than your companion. Some people use the prepaid credit cards.

3. Many European hotels do not provide wash cloths. take a couple of cheap ones with you if you are staying before or after your cruise.

4. Copies of your passports & the contact #'s for your CC companies. The contact #'s may be different if you are out of the U.S.

5. Clothes that cover shoulders & knees if you are planning on the Vatican or many of the other churches that have a dress code.

6. Change for the public toilets.

7. good walking shoes & the blister cover band aids like these

http://www.americanscreeningcorp.com/Band-Aid-Advanced-Healing-P6218.aspx?utm_source=GoogleShopping&utm_medium=organic&gclid=CMzZqYy_-MQCFQsvaQodwa4Anw

[ellis101]

Barcelona and Rome are two of the worst cities in Europe for pick pockets - zip able pockets or a money belt type thing is advisable.

 

Depending on what weather you are used too, best to have layers available! May will be warm/sunny but can have some off days so layers advisable. Also if you plan to visit cathedrals/Vatican long trousers and long sleeves are a must.

 

The ports are not as 'cruise ship' orientated as they are in the Caribbean. Most tourist areas will speak English, but if you head to less tourist places they may not speak English.

 

Don't forget to learn about the immersive culture in Europe and each of the ports you will visit. The variety is astounding and will be a highlight I am sure. The history alone could keep you enthralled for days!

 

Enjoy and relax :-)

[SteveH2508]

A proper sun hat - a panama is good - NOT a baseball cap!;)

[bluesea777]

Really good walking shoes and your camera with lots of battery life!!

 

On Europe cruises it is all about the itinerary so save your energy for the ports rather than trying to keep up with activities on the ship. You can catch a lot of that stuff on the TV in your stateroom during down time.

 

You will have a fabulous time!! Enjoy.

 

 

Rochelle

 

I have a story to tell!!

 

In 2008 we booked Jade's 14 day Holiday Eastern Med cruise out of Barcelona and it was a cruise of our dreams (yeah, it still is). I bought a new camera esp for the trip. It runs on rechargeable battery so I made sure to buy an extra one.

 

The first port of call was Rome, and we got Rome-in-limo to take us on the full day tour to Rome. I used the camera a lot - left, centre, right, zoom out, zoom in, etc.

 

After lunch the driver/guide dropped us off at Vatican and we made arrangements for him to collect us at a certain time at a certain spot. We left our bags with him.

 

Before I continue with the story, it was the first time I was using the new camera out in the field all day.

 

We got into Vatican at the north entrance and went thru many rooms, etc before Sistine Chapel. I aahed and awed at the beautiful artwork along the way and snapped away.

 

The camera wasn't showing the battery indicator .... and my heart sank when camera displayed Out of Battery!!! I immediately closed it. When we got to Sistine Chapel, I opened the camera and managed to take ONE sneaky shot before closing it.

 

We carried on thru the Vatican - with hurt heart - and when we got to St. Peter's Basilica I opened the camera again and managed to take one last shot.

 

I was so disheartened and told the family to call for the driver back so I could get the spare battery. We did so, got the battery but were not able to get back into St. Peter's Basilica without joining the long queue.

 

So we gave up, vowing we'd return to Vatican next time we return to Rome.

 

So .... since the time I ALWAYS carry the spare battery in my pants pockets - long pants, shorts, capris - every time we get off ship in port!!!

 

NEVER AGAIN!!!

[quercus alba]

Open a Capital One Money Market account. The ATM card will let you make cash withdrawals (in Euros) just about everywhere. Capital One has the advantage of not adding a transaction surcharge, so you get a very good rate. Just know what the daily limit is so you don't end up short to pay for your private excursions. I also opened a Capital One Visa which has no foreign transaction fees. It really served us well--never a problem getting it accepted.

 

Also: if you do the money market/ATM thing, make sure you do it more than 30 days before you need it as they do have a 2 week hold on deposits in the first 30 days. I almost missed that window!

 

We bought Euros from Wells Fargo before leaving ($500 worth, but in retrospect would've taken less). 100 EU would've been plenty enough to cover croissant & coffee at transfer airport & cab fare to hotel.

 

Also--notify each credit card company of your travel plans a couple of weeks ahead of time. It will prevent you from having blocks or delays on transactions due to security concerns.

 

Beyond that, bring an open attitude and a good sense of humor. It will go far!

 

(Also--realize I replied to your thread about the Epic, but the link I gave you was only for the first post of my review: Here's a link to the whole thread, with more detailed experiences by port, and which includes links to pictures toward the end: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=29279885#post29279885

Edited April 16, 2015 by quercus alba

[Reebster]

My husband and I are frequent cruiser, but so far we have only cruise in the caribbean. This will also be our first cruise on NCL. My question is what are your must have idems for a Med. cruise. We have about a month before we leave and I am trying to get some idea of what this cruise will be like. All of our exclusion are really early, and seem to be long days.

 

Which ports will you visit?

[insidecabin]

Looks like Epic May 17.

 

Sun May 17 Barcelona, Spain 6:00pm

Mon May 18 At Sea

Tue May 19 Naples (Capri), Italy 7:00am 7:00pm

Wed May 20 Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy 6:00am 7:00pm

Thu May 21 Florence / Pisa (Livorno), Italy 7:00am 7:00pm

Fri May 22 Cannes, France 8:00am 6:00pm

Sat May 23 Palma de Mallorca, Spain 1:00pm 8:00pm

Sun May 24 Barcelona, Spain

[Reebster]

This should be an excellent time to visit, before it gets too hot. Be watchful of your purse in Barcelona and Rome. We were on a group tour in Rome last November and a group of women tried to pick the pocket of one of the men on our tour. Luckily he figured out what was going on and made enough of a scene to scare the women away. But it could have ruined an excellent day.

[Nightengale31]

Enjoy your cruise !! Hubby and I are booked on the Epic next year for a Western Med cruise except we do Sardinia and Sicily instead of Cannes and Palma. This too will be our first European cruise, but I have been to Italy in the past.

 

The pick pocket issue is pretty bad especially in Barcelona and Naples. There are several good youtube videos on pick pocket awareness, and the one that details this problem in the Las Ramblas area of Barcelona is especially good as the techniques these crooks use are pretty creative.

 

Also, consider things that will increase your comfort for a long transatlantic flight. Wear comfortable clothes, bring an inflatable neck pillow and sleep mask which will help with trying to sleep on the flight. Plane air is dry, so have on hand chapstick, hand cream, and face lotion to stay moisturized. If you have a tendency towards leg swelling wear compression stockings, and be sure to get up periodically to circulate the blood in your legs. Bring a sweater or shawl as you will get chilly during your flight.

 

Be sure to check what the carry on restrictions are especially the weight limits of the airline you are flying on. European carriers have much stricter weight limits than US carriers, so know this in advance as you may have to gate check your carry on if it is over the weight limit.

 

Although it is a little late for you to do this now, hubby and I just applied for a TSA pre screen number, and will also apply for Global Entry in the near future. We should have done Global Entry 1st because that includes the TSA pre screen, but what having these authorization do is TSA pre screen expedites you through flight check-in, and Global Entry expedites you through customs. If interested in these for the future you can find more about them online.

 

Wish you a safe and enjoyable cruise.