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

[Loving My Life]

Day 6: Embarkation

 

When we went to bed the night before, we had a plan. I like plans. We were going to get up at 8am, shower and pack, have breakfast at the hotel, and arrive at the port at 11am. Dh set the alarm the night before and we fell asleep in our pitch-black room. Can you guess where this is going?

 

As I laid in bed this morning, drifting lazily between wake and sleep, I was thinking, “Wow, I’m so caught up on sleep that I woke up before the alarm. This is great.” So I laid in bed for the next 15 minutes, thinking about our trip thus far and boarding the Spirit in a few hours. Then I thought, “You know, I should check the time just in case something went wrong with the alarm.” Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was 10:15am. I don’t think either one of us has slept that late in years!

 

I woke dh by yelling, “Get up! Its 10:15am!” He looked at me groggily, not quite understanding or believing me. He jumped out of bed, checked the alarm, and found that he set it for 8PM, not AM.

 

Check out was at noon, so we quickly showered, packed, organized our NCL paperwork, called for a taxi, skipped breakfast, checked out, ran next door to buy our kids Barcelona football team t-shirts (since the won the championship the night before), and headed to the pier.

 

 

 

 

The port was busy when we got there. I think EVERYONE was trying to board at 12:15pm. We dropped our luggage with the porters and got in line to check in. Unfortunately for us, there was a large group of people (maybe 50-60) ahead of us that was traveling together. When they got to the counter to check in, the line came to a grinding halt…for over an hour…as all 50 of them descended on the counter at once. There were about 15 agents working behind the counter and it was utter chaos! They huddled in large groups of 5-8 at each agent’s station, but then they kept moving around to so the NCL employees had no idea who or where the people they were attempting to check in were.

 

Anyway, an hour and a half later, dh and I finally got to the counter and guess what? It took us exactly 7 minutes to hand over our paperwork, relinquish our passports, provide a credit card for our account, and get our ship cards, which correctly had our UBP and UDP stickers on them.

 

***Side note: If you are not yet aware, NCL collects everyone’s passports at check in so the ship can clear customs as easily as possible each morning. They will provide you with a copy of your passport if you do not already have one (which we did). You then pick up your passport the day before disembarkation. This process was very easy and we had no problems at all.

 

Before we got to the gangway to board the ship, there was a Dining Table set up in the terminal. We stopped to change a couple of our dining times (once you make reservations online, you cannot make any changes until you are on board) and link our reservations with our friends’ reservations so we could sit together at dinner. As soon as I said we’d like to link our reservations with another cabin’s reservations, she said, “Are you with the Brewers?” Huh, why yes we are. She said that Nancy had already made all the changes and linked the reservations. Well, that was easy. (Thanks Nancy!!)

 

 

[David22703]

Great reviews, my family and I were on the same cruise and I am looking forward to more... :-)

We were at the first meet and greet but didn't get our invitations to the official one after Naples, my sister and I searched the ship but to no avail :-( and there were some people we met at the unofficial meet and greet we wanted to see... other than that the Cruise was amazing but not unlike a marathon! We never stopped.

[Loving My Life]

Day 6: Embarkation (Continued)

 

So, on to the gangway we went and in seconds, we were on the Spirit! YAY!! We went directly to Windows for lunch since we had skipped breakfast. I ordered nachos (and a mojito) and dh ordered a beer and…a burger?? On my menu, it was listed as a beef burger and on dh’s menu, it was listed as pulled pork – so strange! Since he likes both, he ordered it, and waited to see what would be delivered. Turns out they were both right – it was a burger with pulled pork on top. My nachos were not very good (soggy and flavorless). Dh’s burger/pulled pork sandwich was overcooked (he asked for medium) but flavorful.

 

PS - I am not editing my food pics. They will all be posted as is.

 

 

Apparently I did not get a picture of dh's sandwich.

 

 

After lunch, we headed to our cabin to find that our luggage had already been delivered (it was probably around 2:30pm).

 

 

 

We were surprised to find wine and fresh fruit in our cabin, compliments of Armando, the hotel director, when we arrived, but we didn't question it.

 

 

 

We spent some time unpacking and organizing our cabin. For the first time, I packed an over the door shoe organizer because I read that NCL does not have much shelf space in the bathroom. Boy, am I glad it did that! It kept our cabin clean and organized at all times. Won’t ever cruise without one again!

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 6: Embarkation (Continued)

 

After unpacking, we had some time before the muster drill, so we explored the ship for a bit.

 

Windows Dining Room

 

 

Pool Deck

 

 

 

 

Then it was time for the muster drill, which took place at 4:30pm. Now, keep in mind that I am used to Carnival. Usually when they start announcing the muster drill, everyone waits to arrive at their station about 30 minutes after the first announcement. Why? Because otherwise, you stand…and stand… and stand…and stand in the heat, waiting for everyone else to get there. So, on NCL, they announce that the MD will start in 30 minutes…20 minutes…15 minutes…10 minutes…5 minutes. At this point, we make our way from our cabin to our station (Z2). As soon as we get to the stairs, they announce that the MD has started. By the time we get down to the correct deck, NCL employees tell us the drill is over and to go back to our cabin. What? It only lasted 2 minutes?? Apparently it did and we missed it. Nobody seemed to care and we were not asked to attend it the next day.

 

On our roll call, we had scheduled and "unofficial" Meet & Greet for immediately following the muster drill because the "official" M&G wasn't scheduled until our first sea day - a full 6 days into our cruise. We met in the aft area of decks 10, 11, and 12, where there is covered seating and a bar. This turned out to be a great meeting location because it was drizzly when we met.

 

Our roll call group:

 

 

 

 

 

It was really nice to put faces with names after "talking" online for so long! We had a lively and friendly group and we all became fast friends!

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 6: Embarkation (Continued)

 

We stayed at the unofficial M&G for far longer than we had anticipated. Having a bar nearby kept the drinks…and the conversation…flowing. ☺

 

Since we had the Unlimited Dining Package, we made reservations in Cagney’s for dinner the first night. This was our first chance to really get to know Nancy and Pete, our roll call friends. Nancy and I spent a lot of time talking, organizing, and planning on our roll call, and we scheduled most of our dinners and tours together. Our plan was to have dinner and then go to the Welcome Aboard Variety Show at 9:30pm (only one show this night). But you know what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men…

 

We ended up staying in Cagney’s for 3.5 hours talking with Pete and Nancy…and drinking wine…until they closed the restaurant! This became a theme for the first few nights. ☺

 

I had a short rib app and sea bass, and both were delicious! Dh had a salad of some sort and filet with gorgonzola, also delish. As the evening wore on, I wasn’t feeling well, so we skipped dessert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After we shut down Cagney’s, we headed to our cabin, read for a bit, and then went to bed. Only I couldn’t fall asleep. My stomach was really bothering me. I tossed and turned for a couple of hours, and it got so bad that I took a prescription Zofran (anti-emetic) I had brought on the cruise. After that I fell asleep and woke up feeling fine the next morning.

 

I forgot to mention that when we returned to the cabin after dinner, we had chocolate covered strawberries waiting for us, this time compliments of the Concierge, Karin. We also had a letter from Karin, letting us know that we were invited to have breakfast and lunch in Cagney's throughout the cruise. Hmmm, we started to wonder if these little gifts/perks were because I organized the M&G, which turned out to be case.

Edited June 5, 2015 by Loving My Life

[Loving My Life]

Great reviews, my family and I were on the same cruise and I am looking forward to more... :-)

We were at the first meet and greet but didn't get our invitations to the official one after Naples, my sister and I searched the ship but to no avail :-( and there were some people we met at the unofficial meet and greet we wanted to see... other than that the Cruise was amazing but not unlike a marathon! We never stopped.

 

It was nice to meet you and your family at the informal M&G! I'm so sorry if you didn't get an invitation. My dh hand delivered all of the invites pretty late the night before. I apologize if you didn't receive one. I had you listed as being in cabin #s 10622 and 10626. Was this correct? If you had called or stopped by guest services on deck 7, they would have told you the location of the M&G. Someone else found us that way. I also posted the location, date, and time on the roll call a few days before the cruise. In any event, I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise! Like you, we were super busy too.

Edited June 5, 2015 by Loving My Life

[nanabananainaz]

Hi - I've heard they do not allow hair dryers - can you tell me if you were able to plug one in and use it? How about flat irons?

 

Loving your review btw!

[Loving My Life]

Hi - I've heard they do not allow hair dryers - can you tell me if you were able to plug one in and use it? How about flat irons?

 

Loving your review btw!

 

I brought on a hair dryer and a flat iron. There was a note on the one outlet in the cabin to not use it for hair dryers, but obviously I did without any issues.

 

What I didn't mention in my review was that despite bringing and using an adapter to the apartment in Paris, the first time I used my flat iron, it shorted out and died! Gasp! I have have thick, wavy hair and use my flat iron, ON HIGH, every. single. day. So I went to buy one in Paris (for a mere €150) only to realize that I wouldn't be able to use it in the US without an adapter, so I didn't buy it. I struggled with my hair throughout the cruise, often wearing a hat or putting it up. Oh well, we still had a great time!

[paulajj]

thank you so much for this wonderful review! I especially like when you're able to put in some prices. Gives me an idea of how much I will need for excursions.

[nanabananainaz]

Do you have any photos of the bathroom space/storage? Thanks!!

[jeffregpuck]

We are planning to take train to Rome also, could you please give more details on what happen. Maybe we can learn from what happened to you! :eek:

 

You will just want to make sure that you leave yourself at least 2-2.5 hours to get back to the ship. The train is a little hard to find in Termini, so if you can figure out how to board the train at one of the other stations (not sure how accessible they are), then you might have an easier time of it. The train leaves every 30-40 minutes if I remember correctly. The afternoon trains make a lot of stops, and there is a longer time for loading and unloading. Plus, once you get back to the train station, you will have to get to the busses from Civatavecchia back to the ship.

[wanderingoz]

I brought on a hair dryer and a flat iron. There was a note on the one outlet in the cabin to not use it for hair dryers, but obviously I did without any issues.

 

What a great review. Thanks again.

Is there not a hair dryer provided in the cabin? Even a low power one?

[Loving My Life]

Day 7: Toulon, France

 

At breakfast in Windows this morning, a number of people were talking about how rough the sea was the night before and how sick they had been. I was relieved that my nausea appeared to be seasickness. I took a Bonine at breakfast because I knew I would be a passenger…in a large van…for 6+ hours…through the winding roads of southern France.

 

For breakfast, I had a Belgium waffle, bacon, hash browns, and OJ. Dh had grapefruit, pancakes, bacon, OJ, and coffee. None of it was very good, but it was edible, warm, and filling.

 

Today we had a tour with Provence Wine Tours scheduled.

 

Website: http://www.provencewinetours.com

 

Wine Tour of Cassis and Bandol (Option 2):

Through the outstanding landscapes of Bandol & Cassis wine regions, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, visit some typical wineries and their vineyards planted on terraces. Discover the characteristics of these areas and enjoy each tasting, from the Cassis white wines to the Bandol rose and red wines, widely praised by connoisseurs. Don't miss the breathtaking views from Cape Canaille and free time for lunch in the charming fishermen town of Cassis!

 

Price: €99 per person (excluding lunch), paid via credit card 2 months prior to the tour (mid-March for us).

 

We arrived in what we thought was Toulon at 9am. It turns out that because the sea was so rough, we docked in La Spezia (I think? Someone jump in if this is incorrect). We were supposed to meet our tour guide on the dock at 9:30am, so everyone on the tour met at Henry’s Pub at 9:15am and got in line to get off the ship together.

 

***Side note: Henry’s Pub is a great place for tour groups to meet if you all want to leave the ship and find the tour guide together. The line starts on the outside deck, right in front of Henry’s Pub. There are also public restrooms nearby if you want to use them before getting off the ship. Most mornings, it was fine to get in line about 15-20 minutes before the time the ship was supposed to dock.

 

So, in our group today, we had 8 people in our group - dh and I, Nancy and Pete, Dave and Denise, and Curtis and Katie, all from our roll call. A local tour guide on the pier was kind enough to call our tour company to let them know of the change in docking location. About 15 minutes later, our tour guide arrived to pick us up and we were off!

 

The first stop was Chateau de Pibarnon in Bandol. After a 30 minute ride, we arrived at this beautiful vineyard, with stunning 360 degree views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

What a great review. Thanks again.

Is there not a hair dryer provided in the cabin? Even a low power one?

 

Yes, there is a hair dryer in the bathroom, but it is so pitiful that it would never work on my thick hair.

[Loving My Life]

Day 7: Toulon, France (Continued)

 

After admiring the grounds of the vineyard and the incredible views, we headed inside for a tour and wine tasting. Our guide – Remy – shared his extensive knowledge of the climate, soil, and grapes, as well as the harvesting and winemaking processes. This vineyard specializes in red wines. We tasted 5 wines – 3 red, 1 rose, and 1 white. We were then given time to make a purchase, use a restroom, and/or admire the views again before it was time to leave.

 

 

 

 

Next, we drove to Cassis, a quaint seaside village, for lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 7: Toulon, France (Continued)

 

Our tour guide Remy recommended Chez Cesar for lunch. This restaurant has a special lunch offering – for €26 per person, you get an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and wine/soda. I got a caprese salad, dorado fish (warning: if you don’t ask for it to be fileted and deboned, you will get the fish whole, head and all), and the BEST pistachio ice cream that I have ever had in my entire life (no exaggeration!). Dh had mussels, steak with gorgonzola sauce, and chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. With bellies full of food and wine, we packed up and headed to the second winery.

 

 

 

Apparently I didn't take pictures of lunch, but I did get pictures of dessert.

 

 

 

 

The second vineyard was Chateau de Fontblanche, located in Cassis. This vineyard specializes in white wines.

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 7: Toulon, France (Continued)

 

Once again, Remy shared his knowledge of white grapes and growing conditions, and then brought us inside for the tasting. We tasted 2 whites, 2 rose, and 1 red. Once again, after the tasting, we were given time to purchase wine, use a restroom, and/or wander the vineyard a little more.

 

 

 

 

 

Once we left the vineyard, we headed back to the port and boarded the Spirit. When we got to our cabin, we found a tray of canapes from the Armando, the Hotel Director. They were surprisingly tasty!

 

Tonight we had reservations for Le Bistro. Once again, the plan was to have dinner and go to the 9:30pm show, The Flamencos (offered at 7:30pm and 9:30pm). However, once the ship started moving again, I became sea sick. I picked at my dinner, did not have dessert, and went back to the cabin. I decided to start taking the Bonine in the morning AND the evening to see if that would help. I have been on 5 other cruises, once during a hurricane, and I have never, ever been sea sick before. Fortunately, once I started taking the Bonine morning and night, I never felt sick again. Nancy and Pete went to the Flamenco show but left after only 10 minutes. Apparently these dancers were nothing like the flamenco dancers in Spain.

 

My swordfish over lentils:

 

 

Dh's lamb chops with vegetables:

 

 

Tonight's towel animal:

 

 

 

[Tyskie]

Day 7: Toulon, France (Continued)

 

 

However, once the ship started moving again, I became sea sick. I picked at my dinner, did not have dessert, and went back to the cabin. I decided to start taking the Bonine in the morning AND the evening to see if that would help. I have been on 5 other cruises, once during a hurricane, and I have never, ever been sea sick before.

 

So sorry to hear that you were seasick.............we've been in heavy seas/bordering on Tropical Storm/Hurricane. We're hoping since I chose the Emerald deck on Princess, being a lower deck, wouldn't encounter movement (not that I have been seasick but.........). Not having experience in the Mediterranean, don't know what to expect compared to the Atlantic & Caribbean.

 

Loved that you did the Provence Tour# 2 - that is exactly what we have booked with our RC group. :)

[BoxerGal]

What a wonderful review. Can't wait to read the rest! We're on the same cruise 8/1/15. Reading your review and seeing your photos make me feel like I'm already there! :)

[Linda the Book Lover]

Pictures of wine and dessert will do every time!:D

[Loving My Life]

Day 8: Cinque Terre (Livorno), Italy

 

We had an early tour this morning, so dh got ready, went to the buffet, and brought breakfast (pastries, fruit, juice, coffee) back to the cabin. I got ready, ate breakfast, and we headed out.

 

Today we were taking a tour to Cinque Terre (pronounced chinka terra) through the cruise line with Nancy and Pete. We had looked into doing a private tour, but we couldn’t find anyone else on our roll call who was interested in visiting this special place.

 

NCL Tour Description:

This very scenic section of the Italian Riviera is characterized by small sandy beaches, high cliffs, caves, and tiny bays. What makes it so unique are the five appealing villages with their pastel houses stacked up the cliff face like an array of colorfully wrapped presents. They are connected to each other only by hiking trails, trains, and an occasional boat. You’ll have the opportunity to explore three of these delightful hamlets on this tour – Manarola, Vernazza, and Monterosso.

 

Price: When we booked this tour, the price was $149 per person, but the price has since increased to $179 per person.

Our tour tickets were delivered to our cabin the previous night. They instructed us to meet in the Stardust Theater at 7:45am so that’s what we did. Every person who booked an NCL tour met in the theater, but it was very organized and we were soon walking off the ship with our group. There were 38 of us if I remember correctly. We boarded a very comfortable bus for the hour-long drive to the first village, Manarola. We stopped to pick up a local guide, who was with us for the rest of the day. We were given headsets so we could hear her clearly, even if we weren’t standing nearby. For some reason, I did not jot down the name of our guide, but she was lovely – so polite, and happy, and helpful, and knowledgeable – a true gem of a guide.

 

So as I said, we went to Manarola first. The bus drove as far as it was allowed, and then we got out and walked down a steep hill toward the village.

 

They grow grapes everywhere, including on hills.

 

 

 

Manarola Pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 8: Cinque Terre (Continued)

 

The guide narrated our walk to Manarola, pointing out a 15th century church, and then gave us instructions on where to meet in an hour to head to the next village, then we had free time to shop, eat, take pictures, etc. We stopped at an outdoor café, ordered water and a pastry, used the bathroom, did a little shopping, and headed to the meeting location.

 

 

 

 

 

We were supposed to travel between the villages via ferry, but the ferries were cancelled due to the wind (didn’t seem windy to me, but…), so we had to take the train between villages. The first train, from Manarola to Vernazza, was a mess. Because the ferries were cancelled, every single person traveling between towns had to take the train. That is a lot of people! We were packed in like sardines, and then the “gypsies” (pick pockets) started moving throughout the car to see what they could steal. Our guide kept yelling “Gypsies! Watch your belongings!” which caused them to move on to another car.

 

In less than 5 minutes, we arrived in Vernazza, where the guide spoke for about 5 minutes, then gave us instructions on where to meet in 45 minutes. The village of Vernazza is not as pretty as Manarola, but its coast is beautiful. We took pictures and wandered the shops for a bit before meeting up at the train station.

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 8: Cinque Terre (Continued)

 

The train ride to Monterosso was much more pleasant than the ride to Vernazza. In Monterosso, we had about 2 hours of free time. We had the option of doing a wine tasting, but we passed on that. Instead, we went to a lovely restaurant for lunch, overlooking the sea.

 

 

 

 

 

You may not know this, but pesto was created here, and OMG, it is soooo much better than the pesto we get in the US!!! Dh had mussels and I had pasta with pesto. It was so relaxing to sit in the shade, listen to the waves as we took in the beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the day, the bus picked us up in Monterosso for the 1+ hour ride back to the port of Livorno. I dosed on and off on the bus, until the guide woke us up for a distant view of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was quite far away, but I can now say that I saw the Tower of Pisa.

 

This was an absolutely delightful day and someday I'd like to spend time on a land vacation in the Cinque Terre!

 

[blan2]

I am so glad I am able to read your review of Cinque Terre. I am very interested in doing this NCL tour if it is still offered next fall.....it is still on my list....looks beautiful!

Edited June 6, 2015 by blan2

[Loving My Life]

Day 8: Cinque Terre (Continued)

 

This evening, we had dinner reservations at La Trattoria, the ship’s Italian restaurant, with Nancy and Pete. Thankfully, my Bonine schedule was working, so I was able to enjoy my dinner (unlike the previous night’s dinner). I had a tomato and mozzarella app, chicken parm (so good), and lemon ricotta cheesecake. Dh had beef carpaccio, meat lasagna, and…something…for dessert.

 

 

 

 

Once again, we closed the restaurant, talking and eating. We really enjoyed our time conversing with our friends. Roses were delivered to our table for Nancy and I, courtesy of Pete, which was a nice touch and very thoughtful.

 

After dinner, we were tired, and we had a big day ahead of us tomorrow (Rome!), so we spent a little time on our balcony with chocolate covered strawberries and wine. We were treated to a lovely rainbow and a beautiful sunset, before going to sleep.

 

 

 

Our towel animal tonight: