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

[Loving My Life]

The ship is docking in Livorno at 8am so what time realistically were you able to leave the ship to go ashore?

 

We got in line to get off the ship at 7:45am outside Henry's Pub and we were off the ship by 8:15-8:20am.

[sapphire2810]

Background:

 

It was just my husband and I on this cruise to celebrate our 17th anniversary. We left our three boys – ages 8, 10, and 12 – home with their grandmothers for this trip, and although they love cruising and wanted to come with us (couldn’t because they were still in school), they had a great time with their grandmothers, who spoiled them rotten.

 

My name is Carolyn (39), dh’s name is Dan (38), and we live in Massachusetts. This was my 6th cruise, his 5th cruise, and our first cruise on NCL (the previous cruises have all been with Carnival). This was our first 12-day cruise. We have done three 7-day cruises, one 5-day cruise, and one 4-day cruise. We went back and forth for months, trying to decide between Alaska or the Mediterranean, but obviously, in the end, the Med won out.

 

We originally booked this cruise in October 2014 in a big inside cabin – #6535 – with no amenities. I was really looking forward to enjoying this spacious cabin, but in January (before final payment), I discovered that a different online travel agency, which we have used in the past, was offering an ocean view cabin with UBP, UDP, and OBC for less than what I was paying for the inside with no amenities, so I cancelled and rebooked under the new promo. Then, about 3 weeks before our cruise, I noticed that the prices had dropped significantly, presumably to fill the ship at the last minute, so we were able to upgrade to a balcony guarantee for the free and keep all of our amenities – YAY!! We were instantly assigned cabin #10632, which was quiet and conveniently located between the aft and mid-ship elevators.

 

We had an active roll call here on cruise critic of about 50 people. Most of us chatted for over 10 months as we planned our cruises, and many of us planned small group excursions together. I ended up keeping an updated list of people who were interested in a Meet & Greet, so it made sense for me to contact NCL to schedule it. We ended up getting a bunch of perks for organizing the M&G which we were not expecting, but greatly appreciated. They definitely enhanced our cruise experience. These perks will be discussed later in the review.

 

We debated whether to get euros before we left Boston or use ATMs once we got to Europe. In the end, we decided to use ATMs because the exchange rate was better than what we could find in the US. This worked really well for us.

 

Our Itinerary:

 

May 14 – Flights to Europe

May 15, 16, & 17 – Paris, France

May 18 & 19 – Barcelona, Spain

May 19 – Spirit embarkation

May 20 – Toulon, France

May 21 – Cinque Terre (from Florence/Pisa)

May 22 – Rome, Italy

May 23 – Naples, Italy

May 24 – Sea Day

May 25 – Mykonos, Greece

May 26 – Istanbul, Turkey

May 27 – Ephesus, Turkey

May 28 – Athens, Greece

May 29 – Sea Day

May 30 – Venice, Italy (overnight)

May 31 – Spirit disembarkation

May 31 – Venice, Italy

June 1 – Flights (and train) home

______________________________________

 

Grand total = 20 days in Europe/Mediterranean

 

Overall Impressions:

 

This was by far our BEST vacation – cruise or land-based – ever!!! It far exceeded our expectations, although admittedly, we spared no expense on our excursions. We did everything we wanted to do regardless of the cost. The perks we received for organizing the M&G had a lot to do with our enjoyment of this cruise, as did the beverage and dining packages and the length of the vacation.

 

There were a few things that didn’t go as planned, but they were so minor that they did not detract from the cruise in any way. I will mention them, however, when appropriate.

 

This review will not be a direct comparison between Carnival and Norwegian, although I will likely make a few comparisons and suggestions.

 

Between the two of us, we took thousands of pictures, some of which I will attempt to include in this review. I won’t specify how many thousands of pictures for fear of sounding like a freak, but trust me, we have a lot to choose from. ☺

 

This is my first time posting a review. I am a full-time grad student (after a mid-life career change), so I will post as quickly as time permits. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I will try to answer them. I know how excited I was to read reviews of the Spirit before our cruise so I hope this will be helpful to those who are planning this cruise sometime in the future and will bring back fond memories for those who have been fortunate enough to sail this itinerary in the past.

Looking forward too reading this review will be going on this cruise September 18-30.

[hrbtaxman42]

Curious, I was told by some "seasoned" travelers to get the euros here in NY. Doesn't ATM's charge you a processing fee? Do you remember your exchange rate for the ATM ?

 

I got my euros at Santander Bank.

[realtrip]

I got half my euros at my bank and got another half in Venice at an ATM ( my bank charged a 4 dollar fee)

[KW_Cruisers]

Thanks for your reviews and follow-up answers, Carolyn.

 

We survived our trip to Costa Rica last week - Funny thing happened, not much rain where we were during their rainy season. No rain back in Houston while we were gone, so grass it getting brown.

 

For next year, we finally made the leap and booked not only the 12 night cruise on Norwegian Spirit, but also the TransAtlantic on the Spirit, so we'll be on her for 26 nights. It leaves from Port Canaveral, FL and has a couple of stops over 14 nights, but mostly sea days. We did get the UDP included and only had to pay tips in advance, so plan to eat in the specialty restaurants every night.

 

Thanks for the tip on getting away early in Mykonos, but from reading, I see where sometimes the ship docks there instead of tendering, so we'll see - should get some preference, as I plan to host the M&G, now keeping in touch with others and updating roll call. I did send a request to NCL, but have not heard anything - How did they contact you before the cruise?

[Loving My Life]

Thanks for your reviews and follow-up answers, Carolyn.

 

We survived our trip to Costa Rica last week - Funny thing happened, not much rain where we were during their rainy season. No rain back in Houston while we were gone, so grass it getting brown.

 

For next year, we finally made the leap and booked not only the 12 night cruise on Norwegian Spirit, but also the TransAtlantic on the Spirit, so we'll be on her for 26 nights. It leaves from Port Canaveral, FL and has a couple of stops over 14 nights, but mostly sea days. We did get the UDP included and only had to pay tips in advance, so plan to eat in the specialty restaurants every night.

 

Thanks for the tip on getting away early in Mykonos, but from reading, I see where sometimes the ship docks there instead of tendering, so we'll see - should get some preference, as I plan to host the M&G, now keeping in touch with others and updating roll call. I did send a request to NCL, but have not heard anything - How did they contact you before the cruise?

 

John, I briefly saw your email but my 8 year old was using my phone and accidentally deleted it, so I'm responding here. I contacted NCL at groupeventspirit@ncl.com about 6-8 weeks before the sail date with an approximate number of roll call participants. I received an email within 48 hours from the event coordinator on the spirit. Then about a week later, she emailed me again with the date, time, and location of the M&G. It was a very easy process. All she asked is that I email her one week prior to the sail date with an updated # of attendees. When we boarded the ship and got to our cabin, there was a letter from the coordinator outlining the details of the M&G. I arrived to Henry's Pub about 1/2 an hour before the start of the M&G as requested and NCL did the rest. They provided a lovely spread of coffee, juice, pastries, and fruit. Also, several senior officers spoke about their respective departments and provided their extension #s for any questions or concerns during the cruise.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!!

Edited July 28, 2015 by Loving My Life

[KW_Cruisers]

Carolyn,

 

Thank you for the information.

 

I'll try to be patient, as it's about 8 or 9 months before we head out.

 

The person wanting to coordinate the TA M&G is not doing a roll call listing like I am doing for the Grand Med on May 7, 2016 & has stated he doesn't want to coordinate any other events, just the M&G, so I might ask about that one before we get too close to sail date in April too - Guess I'll find out if I put in the request. I'll get the numbers together first though, so we have an idea of how many to expect.

 

Thank you very much,

John

[asrivas]

thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review. wonderful balance between ship and port descriptions. kudos

[aquarianne11]

Thanks so much for your wonderful review. Great pictures too! :)

 

Thank you for including the details about your shore excursions. We are in the process of planning our excursions for our trip next summer.

[amindu]

Hi, thanks for the review. In one of your posts you mentioned your friends took a NCL offered shuttle/water taxi from st marks to the cruise port? Do you have more info on this or where they got this info, we have the same itinerary coming up and i am trying to determine our options to get to the cruise port from st marks, without hiring a taxi or using the alliguana if NCL is indeed offering transportation.

 

Thanks

Edited July 29, 2015 by amindu

[Loving My Life]

NCL offered a water shuttle between the ship and St. Marks square. The cost was $25 US per person. We caught the last shuttle out of St. Mark's square at 10:30PM. It appears the cost was worth it considering the aggrivation involved in having to find your way back, in the dark, in a place you are not familiar with.

 

Nick

 

Amindu, see above, posted by Nick from our roll call. He and his wife used this option. I certainly wish I had too!!

 

I believe you purchase it from the shore excursion desk. It sold out so make sure you book it early.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Loving My Life

[Loving My Life]

thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review. wonderful balance between ship and port descriptions. kudos

 

Thanks so much for your wonderful review. Great pictures too! :)

 

Thank you for including the details about your shore excursions. We are in the process of planning our excursions for our trip next summer.

 

Thanks everyone! I loved writing this review and reliving this amazing vacation.

[hdowney]

Just finished your review. I am doing this Itinerary next October 2016. I cannot wait. I loved all the info and pictures and am even looking into some of the vendors and tours you used in the ports :)

Edited August 5, 2015 by hdowney

[Bailey19007]

We are taking this cruise in September can you tell me what the amenities are like, ie shampoo, body wash etc. ? Many thanks.

[Loving My Life]

There was a dispenser in the shower with shampoo and body wash. The body wash was fine, nothing special but usable. The shampoo was not very good at all. Fortunately I brought my own. My husband used it for the whole cruise though, so it might be ok for men. At the sink, there was bar soap that was very drying. That's it for bathroom items. I'd recommend bringing your own if you are even slightly picky.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Loving My Life

[Bailey19007]

Thanks for the info. I think I will take my own!

[hrbtaxman42]

Background:

 

It was just my husband and I on this cruise to celebrate our 17th anniversary. We left our three boys – ages 8, 10, and 12 – home with their grandmothers for this trip, and although they love cruising and wanted to come with us (couldn’t because they were still in school), they had a great time with their grandmothers, who spoiled them rotten.

 

My name is Carolyn (39), dh’s name is Dan (38), and we live in Massachusetts. This was my 6th cruise, his 5th cruise, and our first cruise on NCL (the previous cruises have all been with Carnival). This was our first 12-day cruise. We have done three 7-day cruises, one 5-day cruise, and one 4-day cruise. We went back and forth for months, trying to decide between Alaska or the Mediterranean, but obviously, in the end, the Med won out.

 

We originally booked this cruise in October 2014 in a big inside cabin – #6535 – with no amenities. I was really looking forward to enjoying this spacious cabin, but in January (before final payment), I discovered that a different online travel agency, which we have used in the past, was offering an ocean view cabin with UBP, UDP, and OBC for less than what I was paying for the inside with no amenities, so I cancelled and rebooked under the new promo. Then, about 3 weeks before our cruise, I noticed that the prices had dropped significantly, presumably to fill the ship at the last minute, so we were able to upgrade to a balcony guarantee for the free and keep all of our amenities – YAY!! We were instantly assigned cabin #10632, which was quiet and conveniently located between the aft and mid-ship elevators.

 

We had an active roll call here on cruise critic of about 50 people. Most of us chatted for over 10 months as we planned our cruises, and many of us planned small group excursions together. I ended up keeping an updated list of people who were interested in a Meet & Greet, so it made sense for me to contact NCL to schedule it. We ended up getting a bunch of perks for organizing the M&G which we were not expecting, but greatly appreciated. They definitely enhanced our cruise experience. These perks will be discussed later in the review.

 

We debated whether to get euros before we left Boston or use ATMs once we got to Europe. In the end, we decided to use ATMs because the exchange rate was better than what we could find in the US. This worked really well for us.

 

Our Itinerary:

 

May 14 – Flights to Europe

May 15, 16, & 17 – Paris, France

May 18 & 19 – Barcelona, Spain

May 19 – Spirit embarkation

May 20 – Toulon, France

May 21 – Cinque Terre (from Florence/Pisa)

May 22 – Rome, Italy

May 23 – Naples, Italy

May 24 – Sea Day

May 25 – Mykonos, Greece

May 26 – Istanbul, Turkey

May 27 – Ephesus, Turkey

May 28 – Athens, Greece

May 29 – Sea Day

May 30 – Venice, Italy (overnight)

May 31 – Spirit disembarkation

May 31 – Venice, Italy

June 1 – Flights (and train) home

______________________________________

 

Grand total = 20 days in Europe/Mediterranean

 

Overall Impressions:

 

This was by far our BEST vacation – cruise or land-based – ever!!! It far exceeded our expectations, although admittedly, we spared no expense on our excursions. We did everything we wanted to do regardless of the cost. The perks we received for organizing the M&G had a lot to do with our enjoyment of this cruise, as did the beverage and dining packages and the length of the vacation.

 

There were a few things that didn’t go as planned, but they were so minor that they did not detract from the cruise in any way. I will mention them, however, when appropriate.

 

This review will not be a direct comparison between Carnival and Norwegian, although I will likely make a few comparisons and suggestions.

 

Between the two of us, we took thousands of pictures, some of which I will attempt to include in this review. I won’t specify how many thousands of pictures for fear of sounding like a freak, but trust me, we have a lot to choose from. ☺

 

This is my first time posting a review. I am a full-time grad student (after a mid-life career change), so I will post as quickly as time permits. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I will try to answer them. I know how excited I was to read reviews of the Spirit before our cruise so I hope this will be helpful to those who are planning this cruise sometime in the future and will bring back fond memories for those who have been fortunate enough to sail this itinerary in the past.

 

We go 10/12

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thank you for the wonderful review! We are considering this cruise for the fall of 2017.:)

[KW_Cruisers]

. . . .

Edited March 29, 2016 by KW_Cruisers

[ljgirl]

Thanks so much for the great review. We are sailing on Spirit from Barcelona to Venice in June 2016. Some of the ports are different due to the unrest in Turkey. We will have our kids with us, ages 14 and 17. Were there many kids on board? Thanks!

[The Phoenixx]

Thanks for the review. Considering this itenerary for 2018 50th birthday cruise!

[Manxcruiser]

Thanks for the review. Considering this itenerary for 2018 50th birthday cruise!

 

We are going on this cruise on 19th May..this year for my 50th!

[Loving My Life]

Thanks so much for the great review. We are sailing on Spirit from Barcelona to Venice in June 2016. Some of the ports are different due to the unrest in Turkey. We will have our kids with us, ages 14 and 17. Were there many kids on board? Thanks!

 

There were definitely kids on board. Not a lot of young ones, but some your kids' ages, especially the older one. If your itinerary is as packed with port days as ours was, it may not be as important as a cruise with many sea days.

 

Enjoy!!!

[Loving My Life]

Thanks for the review. Considering this itenerary for 2018 50th birthday cruise!

 

Do it! You won't regret it!! :)

Edited May 23, 2016 by Loving My Life