Norwegian Epic next week

[KeithJenner]

Two last questions -

 

Tipping extra - we have Euros for our trip can we tip in euros for our server etc or does it have to be Dollars?

 

Plug Sockets - Are these USA type plug sockets? just so I know what adaptor to take?

 

thanks

 

 

People will be happy to receive Euros or Dollars. We usually use dollars, but they can spend Euros onshore.

 

The Epic has both Euro and US plugs. I can't remember offhand how many of each they have.

[tel2]

I would suggest you bring an american power strip. There is only one outlet in the room. If you need to charge multiple items, i.e., cameras, ipads, phones etc, it is annoying. If everything you need to charge can be charged thru a USB port, we found this one helpful:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QX83FKK?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_1&smid=ACHP5SF272J3I

 

We usually bring a power strip as well

Terry

[bnorris10]

We bring power strip

[mertziek]

We did this cruise in September and had a wonderful time. The taxi from the airport to the cruise terminal should work just fine for you given your flight is not delayed but get the address and name written down of the port and ship to show to your cab driver just in case his English is not good and your Spanish doesn't exist. 😏 You will need to pay him in euros. You can easily walk around Naples, Cannes and Palma Majorca without organized tours. Look on line for walking tours from the port. Lots to see and do and very close. Cannes is a tender port and you do have to sign up for a tender time in advance if you want to get off the ship early for a tour. We did a tram tour of Cannes (no reservation needed - you just get on it right after you exit the port area and they are there trying to lure people on it so easy peasy) that we got right after we walked out of the port docking area that takes you around and shows you the high points which you can later go back and explore. I think it cost us about 10 euros each for an hour ride and was very nice. In Palma there is a ship shuttle that takes you to the main city area rather than walking the two miles or so to get to see the important things. They charged a few dollars for round trip fare added to our onboard account and very convenient. We got off the ship in Naples and were within walking distance of all of the major sites. I would look at a tour in Livorno since you are a ways from the town. We did the whole day to Florence and Pisa and were able to climb to the top of the leaning tower. A bucket list item for me. It also included seeing Michelangelo's David, another bucket list item. You said you have something set up for Rome and that is good because you dock about 90 minutes away from Rome in Civitavechhia. Just remember if you do set up your own tours and you are late returning to the ship, she will leave without you whereas if you use the NCL tours, which are more expensive, if your tour is late returning to the ship, she will wait for you. There are plenty of stories on here about people missing the ship's departure time and you don't want to be one of those people. There are plenty of places to eat good meals that do not cost extra on the ship so don't worry about good food. Worry about too much food! The specialty restaurants are nice but do cost extra and not sure they are worth it. The Cirque show is fun but a limited venue so if interested in doing that show with included meal, I would book as soon as you get onboard because it does fill up. Teppanyaki is the hibachi style pay restaurant that has limited seating so if interested you should book that early. If you have other questions, just ask. This is a wonderful cruise with beautiful cities to visit so I know you will have a terrific time!

[KeithJenner]

There are plenty of stories on here about people missing the ship's departure time and you don't want to be one of those people.

 

Are there?

 

I read lots about people worrying about this, but in all my time reading cruise critic, I have seen very few (in fact, I can't recall any) first hand stories about people actually missing the ship.

 

If you are on a proper tour then the companies stake their reputations on getting you back on time. It is extremely rare that they fail. Perhaps the most common cause of delays is traffic, and remember if your independent tour is stuck in traffic then it's fairly likely an NCL one will be too, so the ship will be waiting for them.

 

It's more likely to have problems if doing things by yourself, so just give yourselves some leeway in your timings (don't catch the last train back, for example) and keep an eye on the time and you will be fine.

[bnorris10]

Are there?

 

I read lots about people worrying about this, but in all my time reading cruise critic, I have seen very few (in fact, I can't recall any) first hand stories about people actually missing the ship.

 

If you are on a proper tour then the companies stake their reputations on getting you back on time. It is extremely rare that they fail. Perhaps the most common cause of delays is traffic, and remember if your independent tour is stuck in traffic then it's fairly likely an NCL one will be too, so the ship will be waiting for them.

 

It's more likely to have problems if doing things by yourself, so just give yourselves some leeway in your timings (don't catch the last train back, for example) and keep an eye on the time and you will be fine.

 

I like to do private excursions as they are cheaper and i always make sure I am back at least 2 hours ahead of time this way if I have some sort of delay I have a few hours to get it sorted out

[SuiteCruiser]

Hi Colin,

 

I've done 6 cruises on Epic and it's a favourite! Like everyone is saying it should be very straight forward. Use a credit card instead of a debit card at boarding, it will make life easier for you, and they will just charge the daily service charge straight to the account.

 

The Med cruise is action packed, 6 out of 7 days in port, if you've never been to Pompeii, it's out of this world.

 

Enjoy!

[BirdTravels]

Thank you

 

I think ive put a message on the roll call forum.

 

So a taxi is ok from airport, we have a few hours to get from Airport to the ship so it shouldnt be a panic.

 

Do we tip our room cleaners and if so how much. I know we had the option to pre pay tips but my dad didnt think this was a good idea and for us to tip ourselves? not sure that was the right decision but as they arranged the cruise for us I didnt want to interfere too much.

 

We have free food and drink (we dont drink alcohol) included so is all the free food buffet style or are some of the resteraunts on board free aswell?

 

thanks again

 

Colin

 

The taxi from the airport is fine. It is not far to the airport, but make sure you have Euros.

 

The Daily Service Charge (DSC) which includes tips for your cabin steward and restaurant personnel is automatically added to your room bill (if you didn't prepay it). It is a customary charge that you would have to request a refund after the cruise, if you wanted get that money back. So your room cleaner is already tipped through this method, but you are free to give them a bit extra if they do a superior job.

 

Free Food. There are two main dining rooms, The Manhattan Room and Taste. Both are sit down restaurants. the Manhattan Room (the largest dining room on the ship) is open for dinner. Taste is open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. The Garden Cafe and Great Outdoors are the inside and outside buffets and are open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. O'Shehan's is a pub and is open 24 hours a day for a sit down meal. All are very good. If you like Chinese food, Shanghai's Chinese Restaurant and Shanghai's Noodle bar are free dining rooms (open for dinner and lunch on sea days). The hours of operations are published in the Freestyle Daily programme.

Edited November 17, 2015 by BirdTravels

[BirdTravels]

We have a tour booked for Roma so im fairly ok with that but still abit concerned about arriving in countries where I dont speak the language.

 

I understand the ship has pretty much everything and looking from pictures it seems great but its all the 'off the ship' activities that concern me.

 

Does anyone have any tips or advice.

 

If you are a new cruiser or uncertain about going out on your own, book tours through the ship's shore excursion desk. Even if you book a transfer into the city (for example Rome), the ship will take you via motor coach into the city (a 90+ minute drive), drop you off, pick you up, and get you safely back to the ship.

 

If you want to hear a lecture on some of the tours, there will be a Shore Excursion talk on your first sea day. Refer to your Freestyle Daily Programme for times and locations.

 

We were on the Epic 3 weeks ago and she has just completed a major refurbishment and is new and pretty.

 

Enjoy the Epic, we have been on her 4 times in the past.

[technium]

WOW so many great replies thanks alot.

 

We only have Euros so will pay for Taxi, Tips etc in Euros all the way. Have already informed Credit Card company of holiday so will use that as ship deposit so thats sorted.

 

We have a 'cant be missed tours' tour booked around Rome as that was the main place we wanted to fit everything in and I believe we are meeting them at Civitavechhia train station so it looks fairly easy to get to from the dock.

 

Im abit happier now about the taxi from Airport to Port (thanks all) so wont worry about that and you have all put my mind at rest about the food side of things.

 

I think I will look into a few walking tours then so we can get off ship and have a look around.

 

thanks again.

[raining cats and dogs]

Sorry, I just noticed you said your parents would be with you.

 

I always say that it's best to just leave the service charge along and don't worry about having to tip separately. This isn't for any strong opinions about tipping, but just because I really don't see any reason to create the work for yourself.

 

If you have a separate room from your parents and are paying your own expenses then I'd really suggest leaving it alone. That way you can just stay sitting by the pool whilst he is busy sorting that all out. If your Dad is paying then it is up to him, but I'd let him do it.

 

We will be travelling in February and will be paying the US$ 13 per day charge but would like to tip the cabin attendant if the need arises. What is an acceptable tip in either US$ or Euro. We come from South Africa and our exchange rate is pathetic, so what would be an acceptable tip in our currency may be an insult in dollars or euros.

Thanks for any advise

[trfccruiser]

Hi we were on Epic in may and loved it.I would definitely recommend Shanghai's Chinese restaurant.It's free and the food is fabulous in my view better than any land based Chinese restaurant I've visited.It's popular but if they are busy they will give you a buzzer and it will go off when your table is ready and you are free to wander off.We found both the free main dining restaurants to be fine,I just preferred Manhattan felt the service and the room was nicer.

If you like water slides,definitely do them on board,the yellow one with a ring to sit in is just great!

As far as the ports go,what people have said is true you will usually find English speakers to help and there's lots of useful info on here

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=19

Both Pisa & Florence are easy to get to from Livorno.

In Naples there's loads of choice Pompeii,Sorrento,Capri and my favourite Ischia.

Cannes has a nice road train that takes you on a tour of the city that picks up right by where the tender boats drop you off(that's the only stop that doesn't dock).The palais des Festivals(where they have the film festival) is only a few minutes walk and you can see famous film stars autographs and handprints in the pavement.Cannes has a lovely promenade and some very exclusive shops.

Palma you only get half a day we took a taxi from outside the port building to a beach in Palma Nova only 10 minutes in a taxi.

Have great time!

[technium]

Just had another thought / Worry

 

When we visit Florida we need Estas to visit so do I need anything other than my British passport to arrive in Spain etc?

 

Also I have been looking into transfers etc and will need to tell Taxi driver the port address does anyone know what the port address is so I can just show him the printed address?

 

thanks again

 

Colin

[warringtonian]

If you take a taxi from the airport watch out for the scam where you give them a twenty euro and they say that it was a five. Having been caught we try to have all our euros in fives so we can't get caught again.

[trfccruiser]

All the big ships are docked at:

Lugar Moll Adossat, 1, 08039 Barcelona, Spain

All the taxis know Moll Adossat and if you say the ship name they will take you to the right terminal.

You don't need a visa or anything just passport,Spain do ask your airline to provide your passport details in advance so guess you have done that already?

Edited November 17, 2015 by philhar

[technium]

Thanks Phil.

 

Yes already done checkin for flights and ship so think thats us sorted.....

 

Colin

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

It may have been mentioned by someone, but just wanted to let you know that the NCL ships deal in American Dollars no matter where they are. For example, the gambling in the casino at the tables and slots is all dollars. They can exchange some for you or you can charge an amount to your room and get cash.

 

If you do a walking tour in Barcelona (or anywhere really) be extra cautious about purse, wallet, and other personal belongings. There are some areas that are know for pick pockets and that would be a really bad way to start your trip.

 

And another word about the $13 per day for tips that perhaps your dad doesn't understand......Those tips are spread among ALL of the service personnel on board except the Butler and the Concierge - So $13 per day per person is a bargain for sure when you consider it covers the room stewards and wait staff for 3 (or 4) meals per day. Also, there is an 18% service charge added to drinks, which is another automatic tip. All that being said, if your dad wants to tip more, he certainly may.

 

 

Love the Epic. Have fun.

[mertziek]

Are there?

 

I read lots about people worrying about this, but in all my time reading cruise critic, I have seen very few (in fact, I can't recall any) first hand stories about people actually missing the ship.

 

If you are on a proper tour then the companies stake their reputations on getting you back on time. It is extremely rare that they fail. Perhaps the most common cause of delays is traffic, and remember if your independent tour is stuck in traffic then it's fairly likely an NCL one will be too, so the ship will be waiting for them.

 

It's more likely to have problems if doing things by yourself, so just give yourselves some leeway in your timings (don't catch the last train back, for example) and keep an eye on the time and you will be fine.

 

Okay agree maybe not a lot missing the ship departure but I do remember at least three recent posts on here about people missing the ship, not first hand postings but not sure I would post about my own mistake about returning in a timely fashion. Not sure they were late with a tour either or just dawdling and got back late. Most examples were from the Caribbean ports if I recall correctly so it does happen. Your point about traffic affecting both ship sponsored and private tours is valid. The point I was trying to make is that the ship WILL wait for passengers on their own ship sponsored tours. Interestingly on our Epic cruise, at each port we saw the runners getting to the ship late so I guess some people do like to cut it short and do not pay attention to the time. That is the key - plan in advance to return in a timely fashion and you will be fine.

[technium]

Update -

 

Had a pre holiday meeting with parents yesterday and talked dad into leaving the tips as they are so dont need to faff about with that stuff so thats good.

 

We logged onto my ncl and booked a few meals and a few shows and the others we will play it by ear.

 

Still not decided on best options for some of the ports and times running out.

 

Also where do I book the tender to take me to port, can I do that online or do I need to do it when we get on the ship?

 

thanks

Colin

[KeithJenner]

You reserve your place on the tender for Cannes onboard.

 

We have never been in any rush to get off, so have just waited until the time that you can just turn up for the tenders (about 10.30 rings a bell), but if you want to get off earlier then you need to reserve your space.

 

I think you do that at the box office. Keep an eye on the freestyle daily which will have details about when and where to book. From memory, bookings open up a few days before (Rome day j think).

 

Return tenders don't require any reservations.

[Demonyte]

It may have been mentioned by someone, but just wanted to let you know that the NCL ships deal in American Dollars no matter where they are. For example, the gambling in the casino at the tables and slots is all dollars.

 

There are (or at least have been) also some table games with Euros in the casino on ships that cruise in Europe but most of the time I've seen them they have been closed so there is not much demand for those – otherwise very spot on comment.

[BirdTravels]

If you happen to book a shore excursion in Cannes, look at your ticket for instructions. You may meet on the ship and go across on a tender as a group or your yellow shore excursion ticket will serve as your tender ticket if you are meeting on the dock.

[RDianne]

The one thing I want to let you know about especially if you are traveling with your parents - for Italy try to contact AP Tours now for shore excursions in Livorno and in Naples. We used them the end of October and the price was almost 1/2 of what Norwegian was charging for seeing less sites plus the driver's customize the tours to YOUR liking and schedule. You just get off the ship and they are standing there with your name on a sign waiting for you. This was my 5th western Med. cruise and I have to say my BEST excursions. In Barcelona we used Taxitoursbarcelona.....they too will give you a tour of the city for as many hours as you wish and prices are very good also

Edited November 18, 2015 by RDianne

[technium]

Thanks again all.

 

I have a Hard disk camcorder which I use to video but I normally take my laptop with me to download the videos to so I can clear the memory and record more. I dont really want to take my laptop this holiday and wondered if anyone had any solution to back up our pictures and video?

 

thanks

[bnorris10]

Thanks again all.

 

I have a Hard disk camcorder which I use to video but I normally take my laptop with me to download the videos to so I can clear the memory and record more. I dont really want to take my laptop this holiday and wondered if anyone had any solution to back up our pictures and video?

 

thanks

 

You could bring multiple sd cards that is your only option