NCL Spirit Grand Med Barcelona to Venice May 19-31, 2015 Review

[Loving My Life]

Day 3: Paris (Continued)

 

Next, we jumped on the batobus (a water taxi) for a spin on the Seine River. It was cool to see the major sights from the water.

 

Notre Dame is much more stunning from the water than from the street!

 

 

 

 

More pictures from the water.

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 3: Paris (Continued)

 

After some unexpectedly great weather while on the batobus, it really started raining hard around 4pm, so we decided it would be a good time to visit the Orsay Museum, a great impressionist museum. The Orsay is housed in the city’s former train station, and let me tell you, the building is as stunning as the art!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a couple of hours in the museum, we went in search of food. We found yet another little café with a fantastic menu and enjoyed a wonderful dinner with wine and dessert.

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 3: Paris (Continued)

 

After dinner, we wanted to take some night time pictures of the Eiffel Tower and the pyramid at the Louvre, but it wasn't dark yet, so we hung around for a while.

 

***Side note: It gets dark really LATE in Paris at this time of year. Even at 10:30pm, it wasn't completely dark.

 

 

We took a taxi (the HOHO bus and batobus were no longer running) to the Eiffel Tower so we could get there in time for the light show at 11pm, but underestimated the time it would take to drive there, so we barely made it.

 

The Eiffel Tower lit up at night:

 

 

 

The Eiffel Tower during the light show (hard to capture, but it glitters):

 

 

 

After spending time at the Eiffel Tower, we took a taxi to the Louvre so we could take night time pictures there too.

 

 

 

 

 

There is something truly magical about being at the Louvre at night. The pyramid is stunning and it is so quiet, especially after the noise of tens of thousands of tourists during the day. We walked around and soaked up the ambiance for over an hour. Around midnight we realized we were exhausted so we walked back to our apartment. Of course, we had to Face Time with the kids for a while. By the time we fell asleep it was after 1am.

 

 

[Loving My Life]

OK, I'm going to have to take a break now so I can get some work done, but I'll try to post days 4 and 5 tonight so that tomorrow I can get to the cruise part of the trip.

[OpenMind]

Dear Carolyn,

 

You're an amazing writer and storyteller...and you pictures are superb!!!! You should write the book and publish it!!!!...bravo and thank you!!!!!

 

Rachel

[Loving My Life]

Dear Carolyn,

 

You're an amazing writer and storyteller...and you pictures are superb!!!! You should write the book and publish it!!!!...bravo and thank you!!!!!

 

Rachel

 

Awww, thank you! You are so kind.

[juanita1767]

Can't wait to read more, we are considering this cruise in September 2016

[Saraphine]

I am loving your review! This is the exact cruise my family and I are wanting to take in the summer of 2017. Hopefully that itinerary is still being offered then! We are currently eagerly awaiting NCL to release their schedules for that time period. We will also be spending a few days in Paris prior to the cruise. The children (15 and 11) actually voted that they wanted to do Paris/Med cruise rather than Disneyworld! Thank you for the pictures...please post away as many as you see fit! They are all beautiful and we will live vicariously through your review until we will be able to see the sights live. I am curious as to how you traveled from Paris to the port, so I hope you cover that in detail once you reach that part!

 

Thanks again!

[Loving My Life]

Can't wait to read more, we are considering this cruise in September 2016

 

If you have the opportunity to take this cruise, do it! You will not be disappointed. Although I know we will go back to many of the places we visited on this vacation, it truly was a once-in-a-lifetime trip!

[Loving My Life]

I am loving your review! This is the exact cruise my family and I are wanting to take in the summer of 2017. Hopefully that itinerary is still being offered then! We are currently eagerly awaiting NCL to release their schedules for that time period. We will also be spending a few days in Paris prior to the cruise. The children (15 and 11) actually voted that they wanted to do Paris/Med cruise rather than Disneyworld! Thank you for the pictures...please post away as many as you see fit! They are all beautiful and we will live vicariously through your review until we will be able to see the sights live. I am curious as to how you traveled from Paris to the port, so I hope you cover that in detail once you reach that part!

 

Thanks again!

 

I hope they still offer it in 2017. I don't think we could have found a better itinerary! And yes, I will cover transportation from Paris to Barcelona in tonight's posts.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Loving My Life

[aussie cruzer]

Nice photos and interesting review....look forward to reading more about your travels.

[umpy10]

We did the Barcelona to Venice cruise 2 summers ago, loved the cruise loved the Spirit even more. So much so that we're planning on going again in the fall next year with a twist : Barcelona - Venice, Venice - Barcelona, then home via Transatlantic on the .... yes, the Spirit to Port Canaveral. 12 days + 12 days + 16 days.

Why ? because those who have done the 12 Day Grand Med know just how port intensive it is, so why not take it easy and spend more time @ the sites we wanted to see more of and also spend time @ those sites we couldn't get to because of time restraints ( getting back to the ship in time before it leaves without us :eek:)

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review so we can compare notes.

 

cheers...the Ump...:D

[Loving My Life]

We did the Barcelona to Venice cruise 2 summers ago, loved the cruise loved the Spirit even more. So much so that we're planning on going again in the fall next year with a twist : Barcelona - Venice, Venice - Barcelona, then home via Transatlantic on the .... yes, the Spirit to Port Canaveral. 12 days + 12 days + 16 days.

Why ? because those who have done the 12 Day Grand Med know just how port intensive it is, so why not take it easy and spend more time @ the sites we wanted to see more of and also spend time @ those sites we couldn't get to because of time restraints ( getting back to the ship in time before it leaves without us :eek:)

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review so we can compare notes.

 

cheers...the Ump...:D

 

Ump, that sounds absolutely amazing!! Someday, when we retire, we will be able to vacation for more than 21 days at a time, but that is our limit for now. Have a fabulous time on your trip next year!

[wanderingoz]

I hope they still offer it in 2017. I don't think we could have found a better itinerary! And yes, I will cover transportation from Paris to Barcelona in tonight's posts.

 

Carolyn,

Thank you for a wonderful job already. Your photos are great.. do you do this professionally?

 

We are doing this same cruise on July 6th and are also flying in to Paris for a few days prior. We found a nice apartment on Air BNB at a fraction of hotel costs. This could be a mirror of our trip :p

 

The apartment had to tiniest shower I have ever seen. It was 28 inches by 28 inches, I kid you not. It was almost impossible to raise my arms over my head to wash my hair, and when I tried to wash my body, I kept hitting the temperature knob and would either scald or freeze myself. We got many laughs out of this shower. ☺

I love your attitude. A lot of the reviews I have read would have complained bitterly about something like this :rolleyes:

 

Cheers

[Loving My Life]

Carolyn,

Thank you for a wonderful job already. Your photos are great.. do you do this professionally?

 

We are doing this same cruise on July 6th and are also flying in to Paris for a few days prior. We found a nice apartment on Air BNB at a fraction of hotel costs. This could be a mirror of our trip :p

 

 

I love your attitude. A lot of the reviews I have read would have complained bitterly about something like this :rolleyes:

 

Cheers

 

Thank you! No, I am not a photographer but I do enjoy taking pictures. I used either my iPhone 6 camera or my Canon DSLR. We brought the kit lens, a telephoto lens, and a wide angle lens.

 

Life is too short to complain bitterly over something like a tiny shower. LOL. After all, I was on a 3 week vacation in Paris and the Mediterranean.

 

Enjoy your upcoming cruise. You will love it!

[Loving My Life]

Day 4: Travel to Barcelona

 

After getting to bed so late last night, we slept until 10am! After that, I felt completely caught up on sleep and over the jetlag. The plan for our last day in Paris was to take the Metro to Rue Cler, shop for picnic foods (bread, cheese, fruit, wine, etc) and enjoy our lunch on the lawn of the Eiffel Tower, called Champ de Mars. Unfortunately, the day before, we discovered that the entire Champ de Mars was roped off with police tape as the city’s Parks and Recreations department prepared the lawn, trees, shrubs, and flowers for the summer season. That was a bit of a disappointment, but it gives us something to look forward to the next time we are in Paris. ☺

 

Anyway, it was a beautiful day, we slept late, and dh went hunting for breakfast again. This time there was no street market, but the neighborhood had a number of bakeries and pastry shops to choose from. Dh came back with coffee and some French version of apple turnovers, which were very good.

 

By the time we ate, showered, packed, talked with our kids, and checked out of the apartment, it was about 1:30pm. We retraced our path from the apartment to CDG airport (except no shuttle was needed as the terminal for the flight to Barcelona happened to be the same one that housed the RER), taking in our last views of Paris.

 

 

 

 

 

***Side note: There are two main ways to get from Paris to Barcelona (if you don’t want to rent a car and drive). One is to fly and the other is to take the high-speed train. A flight on EasyJet takes 1.5 hours and costs €65 per person. The high-speed train takes 6.5 hours and costs approximately €150 per person (at the time). It should come as no surprise, then, that we opted for the flight. For €65, we each got priority boarding, 1 free checked bag weighing 20 kg or less, and 1 personal item with no weight limit.

 

We got to the airport a little early so we had dinner before dropping off our checked bags and going through security. The flight was uneventful and we landed in Barcelona at about 8:15pm.

[Loving My Life]

Day 4: Barcelona (Continued)

 

***Side note: I love to see cool things from the air when I fly, like the Pentagon (last year) or the Vegas strip (in February), or Cape Cod (just a few days ago). So I was really excited to spot the Eiffel Tower as we left CDG airport!

 

Not a great picture, but its what I got.

 

 

 

 

Anyway, after we landed in Barcelona, we claimed our luggage and jumped in a taxi to head to our hotel. Hotel Montecarlo is located at the top of La Rambla, a vibrant and energetic street in the center of the city that is lined with shops and restaurants. As we approached La Rambla, however, we found out that the street had been blocked off to traffic, so we had to get out of the taxi and walk about a mile to the hotel with our luggage in tow. It was a beautiful night, so it wasn’t bad at all.

 

 

 

 

We checked into the hotel and made our way to the room. After the tiny studio apartment in Paris, the bedroom – and especially the bathroom – seemed absolutely palatial! The bathroom had a toilet, a bidet, a large sink with plenty of counter space, and a deep soaking tub with a shower. Everything was neat as a pin and the reception staff was exceptional friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this hotel, which was only €124 a night.

 

We asked for a recommendation for tapas and the desk clerk said, “There are many places right on the Rambla that are popular with tourists, but if you want an authentic meal where the locals eat, head to Ciudad Condal, a few blocks from the hotel.” That sounded good to us, so off we went to find the restaurant. There was a 15 minute wait for a table, but we happily passed the time with a pitcher of sangria. ☺

 

Picture of the restaurant - we ate at the outdoor seating area across the street:

 

 

 

 

The entire menu was in Spanish but dh’s high school Spanish was not cutting it. The waiter spoke very little English so we really had no idea what we were ordering, but it was all delicious! We had a tomato and mozzarella salad, a bowtie pasta, avocado, and ham salad, goat cheese on a toasted baguette, fried artichokes, hash browns with a cheese sauce (so good!), an eggplant and red pepper dish, and fried calamari…and a full pitcher of sangria. All this for €43! With full bellies, we walked back to our hotel, talked to the kids, and went to bed.

 

***Side note: La Rambla was blocked off because Barcelona had just won the football (soccer to us) championship. La Rambla was closed to traffic as the entire city came out to celebrate. There were fireworks, and demonstrations, and chanting, and singing. Everyone wore team jerseys and had a grand time. There was a large police presence, complete with riot gear, but although the people were exuberant, they remained polite and respectful. The party atmosphere went on until the wee hours of the morning, but it was quiet as can be in our hotel room.

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2015 by Loving My Life

[Loving My Life]

Day 5: Barcelona

 

Today we had a tour booked with Barcelona Day Tours for the City and Montserrat tour. This tour company has excellent reviews on both TripAdvisor and CruiseCritic. Our pick up location was a 5 minute walk from the hotel. We arrived about 10 minutes early and found another couple taking the tour, so we chatted with them for a bit. When the tour van/bus pulled up, they were only looking to pick up the other couple. We had booked this tour with another couple from our roll call and we were meeting them in person for the first time on this tour. I noticed that the tour guide had our friends on her list but not us. I presented my paperwork, which clearly stated we were touring with our friends, so the guide called the main office and was told that we were on two separate tours and because they were all full, there was no way we could be on the same tour. We were disappointed (and a little frustrated), but decided to let it go and enjoy the tour.

 

Our tour guide’s name was Elizabeth and she was extremely knowledgeable. Our first stop was at La Sagrada Familia, a large Roman Catholic Church designed by Gaudi. The construction began in the 1800s and it is still not complete. Construction continues to this day. We spent about 30 minutes here. We walked around all four sides of the church but did not go inside.

 

 

 

 

 

After La Sagrada Familia, we headed to a scenic overlook with views of the city of Barcelona.

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 5: Barcelona (Continued)

 

Next up was Montserrat, a monastery built into the side of a mountain. The ride up to Montserrat was full of twists and turns. I took Bonine that morning, and I still got extremely nauseous during this 45 minute ride. The views and the monastery itself were amazing, however, which made it worth it.

 

On the way up:

 

 

 

 

 

At the monastery:

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 5: Barcelona (Continued)

 

One more just because...

 

 

 

The inside of the monastery:

 

 

 

Our tour guide timed it just right for us to hear the boys choir sing. This is a must-do even though it is very crowded.

 

The view from the top was just stunning!!

 

 

 

At this point, I went to the cafeteria to grab lunch while dh hiked out to the cross.

 

 

 

By the time dh got back, I had made it through the LONG line and was just sitting down to eat, so he joined me. The food was only...edible...so keep your expectations low. ;) There is really good gelato at the exit of the cafeteria so we indulged a mint chocolate cone.

 

 

Edited June 5, 2015 by Loving My Life

[Loving My Life]

Day 5: Barcelona (Continued)

 

After we finished at the monastery, we drove the 45 minute winding, twisting road back down the mountain. At this point, I was so nauseous, I thought I was going to be sick. Our next stop was Park Guell, designed by Gaudi. I was too sick to hike the park, so I found a seat in the shade and listened to a man play the guitar for tips. He was surprisingly good and had CDs for sale. Dh went on the hour-long hike through the park and met up with me when he was done.

 

Park Guell:

 

 

 

 

 

[Tyskie]

Day 5: Barcelona (Continued)

 

After we finished at the monastery, we drove the 45 minute winding, twisting road back down the mountain. At this point, I was so nauseous, I thought I was going to be sick.

 

 

Do you generally get car sick? That is one thing I'm fearing in Europe with the narrow winding roads. Doubt they would let me drive, lol, ("kidding"). I'll be prepared but hate taking rx daily:thumbdown:

[Loving My Life]

Day 5: Barcelona (Continued)

 

The final stops on the tour were at Casa Mila, another home/apartment building designed by Gaudi...

 

 

 

...and an overlook of the port.

 

 

 

When the tour was finished, we were dropped off near our hotel, and I quickly headed back to our room to get ready for our evening. We were going for dinner and a Flamenco show at Tablao Cordobes with our new cruise critic friends, Pete and Nancy, which we also booked through Barcelona Day Tours. Tablao Cordobes is located at the bottom of the Rambla so it was only a 5-10 minute walk.

 

I wasn't sure what to expect from dinner and the show, although I knew they had good reviews on Trip Advisor, but it was well worth the money (€77 per person). The food was served buffet style and was varied, plentiful, and delicious. The meal also included unlimited red and white wine and sangria (I believe). After dinner, we moved into another room for the show. Because we had booked dinner and the show, we were seated in the front row - the most perfect seats in the showroom.

 

I can't say enough about this Flamenco show. The passion was palpable and the dancing was mesmerizing. The dancers moved their feet so fast, I couldn't even keep up! We are still talking about it 3 weeks later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the show, we said good night to our no-longer-new friends, walked back to the hotel, chatted with our kids, and went to bed.

 

 

Next up: Embarkation Day!!!!!

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Do you generally get car sick? That is one thing I'm fearing in Europe with the narrow winding roads. Doubt they would let me drive, lol, ("kidding"). I'll be prepared but hate taking rx daily:thumbdown:

 

Yes, I do get carsick regularly, which is why I do all the driving at home. I took Bonine twice a day, once in the AM and once in the PM, every single day of this trip (except the first day, until I figured out why I was so nauseous). It helped tremendously, but I still felt queasy a few times, with this tour being the worst. I also felt it a little in Naples and in Athens, but it was manageable. I took ginger ale with me everywhere and closed my eyes when to roads were particularly bad.

[Lucinarei]

Yes, I do get carsick regularly, which is why I do all the driving at home. I took Bonine twice a day, once in the AM and once in the PM, every single day of this trip (except the first day, until I figured out why I was so nauseous). It helped tremendously, but I still felt queasy a few times, with this tour being the worst. I also felt it a little in Naples and in Athens, but it was manageable. I took ginger ale with me everywhere and closed my eyes when to roads were particularly bad.

 

Thanks for the heads up! I also get very carsick and plan to take Bonine morning and night during our trip. This is good to know so that I can start taking it immediately, instead of waiting to feel sick. :)

 

Great review so far! So thoroughly enjoying it! :D