Mediterranean ship excursions review

[littlelulu01]

We did a two week med sailing in October/November of 2019 on the Jade.  Had a great time and met some wonderful new friends.  We usually book our shore excursions independently however this sailing had some extra perks and obc which made booking excursions through the cruise line too inexpensive to pass up.  We had done versions of this sailing a few times before so I’ll comment/compare independent excursions we have taken in the past to the NCL shore excursions.  Some were a bust but most had at least something worthwhile and some of NCL’s excursions were down right excellent.  
 

Here’s the itinerary:  Rome(Civitavecchia), Italy; Santorini, Greece; Athens (Piraeus), Greece; Mykonos, Greece; Argostoli, Kefalonia, Greece; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Venice, Italy; Venice, Italy; Kotor, Montenegro; Corfu, Greece; Messina (Sicily), Italy; Naples, Italy; Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy; Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy.  

 

All things equal, I would say independent excursions are generally a much better deal financially and they are often smaller groups, less waiting and just more pleasurable.  A side effect I noted on this sailing – there were a few sick passengers onboard at the beginning of the sailing.  Towards the end of the sailing the tour busses were chock full of coughing, ill passengers.  DIY would avoid this extra layer of exposure.  We got our flu shots a couple weeks prior to sailing and somehow avoided getting sick.  We used the stairs whenever possible to avoid sharing elevators with sick passengers.  We also never visited the buffet. We had great weather starting out the vacation.  Up till the last couple days the weather held out.  

 

When  we booked this sailing almost two years in advance it had some really good perks.  At the time they were offering the “distinctive voyage perk” which is extra shore excursion credits on top of the free at sea perks, ship to shore phone call package and additional internet packages along with a discount on airfare and hotel.  We were gone almost a month and are not retired so husband took full advantage of the ship to shore phone call package to get some work done.  We also upgraded for not much to the unlimited internet.  Husband was able to get some work done in the evenings while at sea.  We passed on the air and hotel credits.  We opted to stay closer to the action in Rome.  NCL also offered us a good chunk of extra obc for booking a suite so I justified a Haven suite on this sailing by using the shore excursions with the ship.  Most excursions were truly free or near free after factoring the lattitude discount and double excursion credits. We had a lot ports on the sailing so it was a great savings using NCL’s excursions.  We also had the luxury of the concierge getting us to the busses.. so we didn’t need to wait in the theater prior to excursions.  Omission of this layer of herding might have made the ship excursions a little more palatable?  

 

For airfare I booked almost a year in advance to get the British Airways Avios (Mileage) flights from Seattle to Heathrow and then Heathrow to Rome.  I was able to snag what appear to be two of only two first class mileage seats for our flights.  We took a stopover on the return in London.  British Airways charges a hefty fee on their award flights through LHR but the first class security, concord room, massage before flight… is pretty slick at Heathrow. if only I could afford this type of travel regularly!   We also used miles for our hotel stay.  We ended up at the Argentina Residence near the Pantheon.  It was a fantastic stay.  Pretty much walking distance to everything.  Clean, a nice quiet room, comfortable bed, great staff and really good breakfast.  The hotel set up pickup at the airport and also a ride to the ship on embarkation day.  50 euro for someone waiting at the airport with a sign was money well spent.  On embarkation day they pulled into the courtyard at the hotel and took us right to the ship for 130 euro.  After the cruise we set up a transfer from port to airport with Romecabs and split the fee with a couple on our roll call.  I think it was 75 euro per couple for door to door service.

[littlelulu01]

There was a grocery store right around the corner from our hotel with yummy stuff and great restaurants everywhere.  I’m crazy about Italian food.  I also love how nice the romans are to tourists.  We had a fantastic time there with each meal better than the last. 

[littlelulu01]

We did a lot of typical touristy Rome things while in Rome.  Top of the list was the Scavi Tour of the Vatican.  I highly recommend this tour underneath St Peter’s Basilica.  I booked this about a year out.  The other couple I had booked this tour with had to cancel at the last min but we picked up a last min replacement couple on our cc roll call to take the extra tickets.  We otherwise spent our days pre cruise adjusting to the time difference, trying some fantastic foods in the Trastevere area of Rome and also near our hotel and just having fun.  I felt very safe and comfortable walking around at night and early morning.  We also rented bikes at Bobli gardens one day and enjoyed the park and neighborhood around the gardens.  Future visits I would be equally happy staying at a hotel in Trastevere or Ludovisi Rome neighborhoods.  Both neighborhoods had a welcoming fun vibe. 

 

Edited January 21, 2020 by littlelulu01

[littlelulu01]

By the time we embarked on the ship the jet lag was gone and we were able to take full advantage of the ship and tighter schedule of touring.  I know many would prefer not to spend the extra $ on a Haven for these port intensive sailings but husband and I really enjoy the quiet and typically empty area of the Haven to return to after long days.  For the prices ncl charges we could do just about any land or sea vacation.  I think ncl knows they are pushing the limits on what they charge for their Haven on some of these Europe sailings so in return they try to deliver a product worth the cost.  I enjoy the specialty venues over the inclusive venues so I purchased an additional specialty package to supplement the FAS  perk and latitudes free diners. We had two meals outside specialty.  One was in Jasmine which was pretty bad and one was in the MDR which was pretty good.  We had one bad specialty meal in La Cucina.  We returned a subsequent night and it was probably the best meal and service we have had at sea to date so go figure.  Our meals in the other specialty venues varied from outstanding to good enough to stay in business as a standalone land based venue. All in all we found food and dining service to be better than years past.  Very appreciative for the return of lobster and jumbo shrimp along with higher quality cuts of meats to the menu.
 

[TSUmom]

I am reliving our cruise with your review!!

[littlelulu01]

Just now, TSUmom said:

I am reliving our cruise with your review!!

Wasn’t this just a fantastic vacation! It was so much fun planning the vacation and meeting you guys. Was the best roll call.  Figures the one time ship excursions made sense was the one time with the independent planners extraordinaire.    

[littlelulu01]

A few more pictures of the Haven area.  We really did enjoy coming back to this after long days.  There was rarely anyone around.  The courtyard butler Renaldo was awesome.  He was happy to serve breakfast or drinks... did a great set up for snacks and grab and go breakfast items.  He also set up the upper deck every day even though it did not seem to get much use. Tepenaki was fun but it’s probably a little too loud for me.  It’s hard for me to enjoy casual conversation with table mates with all the noise. Moderno has an incredible salad bar this time around.  Wasn’t crazy with the sides and the meats but the salad bar was fantastic. 

[littlelulu01]

We did pretty much zero ship shows.  In fact I can’t even tell u who the cruise director was.  I’d usually run into friends when walking past a bar and ended up dining with a few couples we met onboard or with the roll call but with one sea day at the start of the cruise, going to a theater show wasn’t in the cards for us.  Shore excursion staff were really good.  They had been on all excursions and were great at suggesting or getting us on a waiting list... 

 

I am not a fan of the new “just water.” The taste was really off to me.  I REALLY wish they’d come out with a premium plus non alcoholic beverage package for those who don’t drink alcohol. 

[littlelulu01]

So onto the ports – Santorini.  We booked Ancient Akrotiri and wine tasting.  We tendered to the alternative port where the ncl sponsored tour busses load.  Our tour guide was outstanding.  Filled us with fun and educational facts along the way to the winery.  We don’t drink alcohol but appreciated the venue for the peaceful setting and beautiful views.  Then onto Akrotiri for the tour which our guide made come alive.  He then dropped us off in the center of Thira.  Having been a few times before we wandered around a little and then made our way back down to the ship with the provided cable car tickets.  This day had an easy factor of super easy.  No thinking about what when and where.  Just enjoyed being taken around and educated.  In years past we have done Oia diy and via the ship and also booked Alex boat tours full day excursion on our own.  Of all these “Alex boat tour” was more fun but the Akrotiri tour was more educational.  I wouldn’t hesitate to book Alex boat tours again but it was a lot more $ than the ship excursion.  Being one of the last sailings of the season, Santorini had great weather and much lower crowds than in the past.  For a shoulder season visit to Santorini I would also venture a DIY to Oia but not when multiple ships in port and major crowding. 

[littlelulu01]

Some finds from the archeological site like this goat are in Thira.  Other good stuff like the boxer mural we saw later in the archeological museum in Athens. 

 

[littlelulu01]

Athens – We booked the Amazing Athens HOHO bus through the ship.   We had been to Athens a few times before but had yet to visit the Archeological museum. I actually enjoyed the at our own pace touring and taking in the sights and neighborhoods of the city.  The HOHO busses loaded right in port and we were off pretty quickly.   The Archeological museum is probably one of the best museums I have seen to date.  Lots of murals and finds from Akrotiri  and subsequent sights seen on this sailing are housed here.  If you visit don’t forget to hunt down and see the Antikythera mechanism housed here. It’s a computer that dates from the first century B.C.  I had done quite a bit of reading prior to our visit so we skipped a tour guide.  I could have spent days inside this museum.  Had this option cost us $, I would have opted just to take a taxi to sights but since it was no cost with all our credits it was not a bad way to spend the day. 

[littlelulu01]

Mykonos – We booked Delos.  I warmed up to our tour guide as the tour progressed.  The ferry ride over was a little rough but not too bad.  I found it simply amazing that their cisterns from 3rd century BCE still hold water.  Also found it fascinating how they kept peace and control for so long.  From an educational standpoint a 5 star day.  Upon return to Mykonos the town was celebrating Oxi day and getting ready for their parade. I found it strange that we were walking along paths with pottery just sticking out of the ground. 

[littlelulu01]

Argostoli.  Well the good luck with excursions kind of took a turn here.  I didn’t see anything really jump out at me. In hindsight I should have booked the tour to the caves but we did the Robola winery and St Andres Monastery.  The Monastery was pretty and we purchased some good Kefalonian honey at the winery.  We did not partake in the wine tasting but those that did said it was not the best wine.  In addition we stopped in a little town where a dog came out to greet us and some lady had ducks squawking.  It was a pretty comical stop.  Our guide showed us a restaurant that used to be open but the owner got sick so it closed a couple years ago.  I would think this was a stop to at least offer a bathroom break or chance to purchase some souvenirs but no such luck.  To top it off we somehow lost a passenger at this stop.  It was a pretty island and very lush.  I would not mind returning someday but would probably avoid the St. Andres Monastery and Robla Winery shore excursion.  For free I can’t complain.  

 

[littlelulu01]

Dubrovnik – we had also visited here a few times in the past.  Diy is very easy.  I only booked a tour because it was free. We booked the GOT tour.  Got a little spin on the filming of GOT and some actual history thrown in.  We really enjoyed this tour but having walked the walls on our own in the past and also visited the town without a tour, I would say this tour was fun but definitely not necessary.  We somehow got separated from our tour guide at some point in the tour.  We found him sometime later and gave him our headsets.  Purchased some good chocolate and took the bus back to the ship.  Basically if you have a sticker on your shirt just hop on a bus going back to the ship. Just don’t hop on the wrong ship shuttle. The walls have a lot of stairs.  I would not say I am in the best of shape but also not the worst of shape.  I was able to do the stair climb but in the heat of summer it would be a little challenging.

[littlelulu01]

Venice – we overnighted here on Halloween.  NCL had candy set out, pumpkins carved and it was cute to see groups of passengers dressing up a little here and there.  We booked the Venice hoho with Leonardo Da Vinci Museum.  Not recommended even for free.  We did not have a terrible time but there are  much better ways to see Venice.  I had read reviews of this excursion prior to sailing so my expectations were tempered.  We took the boat to Murano, got off, walked around the island and had lunch and then took the boat back to the port.  I had planned to get off at St. Marks Square on the return but it started raining pretty hard so we went back to the ship.  It served a purpose for free so I couldn’t complain.  Had I actually spent $49 pp on this it would have been a waste of $49 pp.  We have also spent time in Venice in the past so had no burning desire to see all there was to see here.  The next day we took the people mover and then got lost wandering around Venice, the Jewish ghetto, did some shopping, had a great lunch somewhere and then found our way back to the ship.  The sail away was fantastic that evening.  It was a national holiday in Italy on November 1stand they had lots of celebrating going on. 

[littlelulu01]

More of Venice and Halloween on the ship.  
 

[littlelulu01]

Kotor – The sail in is as fantastic as they say.  Our first visit.  We did the Tuk Tuk tour.  Highly recommended!  Our guide was a local and was great.  We had fun exploring the island and after the tour  he volunteered to take us to the walled city.  Extremely charming city and all around great tour guide.  Our first visit but I hope not our last.  Long tender ride here.  The princess ship we were tagging along with was anchored much closer to town.  It was a much smaller ship so that may have been why they got such a close in anchor spot. I did hear a little rumbling about wait for tenders.  We had zero wait each way.  Likely because we were on an excursion and also stayed in Kotor till well after dark. 

[littlelulu01]

Corfu – Best of Corfu.  I would not recommend this tour.  Didn’t help that it was pouring rain this day but Cici’s palace has likely not had a dime of investment since the filming of the James Bond movie in the 80’s.  To top it off, this crumbling palace is jam packed with tour busses.  The lunch was in a cute town and the food was good.  After the lunch we got dropped off in Corfu town for a little while and then taken back to the ship.  Fun seeing the pretty island but would definitely pass on Cici’s palace in the future.  One can easily diy here. 
 

[littlelulu01]

Messina – We did the Godfather tour.  HIGHLY  recommend this tour and was happy we booked through the ship.  It was a great day.  Saw some beautiful mountain towns and also some newer seaside towns.  The winding hills and hairpin turns are a bit unnerving - it’s  a showdown coming down the mountain on a large bus with other busses trying to go up the mountains.  If you’re ok with your bus driver backing up the hills around hairpin turns with about an inch clearance then I’d say definitely go for this tour.  The jaw dropping beauty and that classic feel of Italy here.  Of course anything we ate this day was the best ever. 

[littlelulu01]

Naples – Herculaneum through the ship.  Again a fantastic day, fantastic tour guide.  Could not have asked for better with our tour guide.  He was engaging, and educated. He was a fantastic story teller and could not have done any better bringing the city to life.   After this tour ended we walked to a restaurant our Concierge recommended for Pizza.  I had read much about Gritty Naples but I did not concur with what I had read.  It felt safer and nicer there than many cities here in the USA.  We visited Naples on a Tuesday so the museum was closed. Some of the stuff here was in the Archeological museum in Athens. Our guide was on GMA and Samantha Brown.  

[littlelulu01]

And some pictures of Naples.   So much to see here!  I have to return. 

[littlelulu01]

Livorno.  I had booked the jeep marble quarry tour.  Shore excursions said they had not actually had this excursion fill enough to run all season but as luck would have we actually had enough to fill the excursion for the first time.  But then the rain hit and we got canceled at the last minute.  Having spent quite a bit of time in Florence and Pisa in the past, and that it was pouring rain, we took the bus into Livorno, got some supplies, and went back to the ship.  Transfer to the city from the ship was a few euro.  I’ve read complaints on this charge but in all reality the bus ride to the city of Livorno is quite a distance so the charge to me seems justified.

[littlelulu01]

For debarkation we had booked a 7 am 1 hour transfer to the airport. The concierge walked us off the ship and found our driver.  Our friends that we shared the transfer with were flying Luftunsa who was on strike.  They were dropped off at the wrong terminal due to the chaos of the strike but did make their 10:45 am flight.  We were flying British Airways to London.  We had plenty of time to spare.  British Airways has a nice lounge at the Rome airport where we had a nice breakfast and relaxed prior to our flight to London.  We enjoyed ending our trip with a stay in London and our flight home was uneventful.  We have flown business before but this was my first time in first on British Airways out of London.  The security for their first class, massage prior to flight, a nice relaxing meal in the Concord room is pretty dang nice.  Had business been available I would have gone with Business over first class to save on miles but the first class treatment was a real treat and made the end of vacation a breeze … all of which came to a jarring end with a most unpleasant welcome home from Seattle customs and immigration. I have never been in prison but I suspect prison guards might have better manners than Seattle Customs and Immigration staff/agents.     Anyways, I am happy to answer any questions.  We enjoyed our cruise.  Not all was perfect with this vacation - nothing ever is but the positives far outweighed the negatives and we really had a great time. 

[northernrose]

Very informative report

[littlelulu01]

Also wanted to mention we did this trip with carryon only luggage.  No checked bags.  It was difficult packing for warm and cold weather but I managed.  Had to ditch dress up clothing.  It’s pretty freeing to vacation without big luggage. Ncl gave us free laundry for lattitude perk and we took full advantage.  Didn’t need the bag special days.  I think those were around  $20/bag.  Our Latitude Free laundry bags came back day after we turned in both times.  I can’t say it came back with a tide fresh scent or anything but it is the job and I can’t complain.