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LIVE! * EPIC * Oct 6 – 17, 2024 * Greek Isles


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🚢 😍 🚢. FINALLY! Our twice cancelled 30th Anniversary celebration cruise of the Greek Isles is happening. 🤞 🙏. Our first attempt to cruise the Med was supposed to be on the Breakaway in 2021. It got cancelled due to…YUP...  COVID. Our second attempt was supposed to take place in 2022 on the Escape BUT that one was cancelled because the ship had to go into dry dock after running aground in Puerto Plata. 🤦‍♀️. Just our luck!

 

I hope I don’t jinx anything by saying this, but it looks like we will finally be able to cruise the Greek Isles (Med) and celebrate what now will be our 34th year anniversary. 😂  This time on the Epic. Of course, all of the cancellations racked up some nice FCCs and discounts which now allows us to cruise in the Haven. From what I hear the Epic Haven is, well, EPIC. Right?

Oh, also, we will be staying in Rome for a few days after the cruise. I will then fly to Athens to meet my DD in oder to jump on ANOTHER twice cancelled cruise (is it me?) on the VV Scarlet Lady.  Yeh, so that cruise was originally a NYE family cruise on the Brilliant Lady Mermaiden Voyage which was supposed to happen a few years back. That cruise was cancelled because the ship was not finished. We then booked a different Med 7-day cruise, but that was cancelled just because it was 🤷‍♀️,  and they offered to put us on the 11-day “Ancient Aegean to The Modern Med” renamed to “A Scarlet Fright Voyage” cruise at no extra cost and LOTS of bar tab and OBC. Did I mention that I am now retired? Of course I jumped at that offer! More on the VV cruise when the time comes. 

 

Back to NCL -
 

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Our itinerary is as follows:

 

Oct 4th – Fly from LA to London then onto Rome. Arrive on October 5th so an overnight flight. Luckily my doc prescribed Ambien to help me sleep.


We are flying British Air and I have a question for those in the BA know:

Why do we keep getting notices from BA to update our information by providing an address of where we are staying in the USA? Ummm we LIVE in the USA. Every time we enter our home address the system tells us that there is an issue. WTH? What address do they want?  Any insight on what the issue is? 

 

Oct 5th – Stay at the Civitavecchia Port at the La Marina B&B. We plan on staying in Rome for 4 days after the cruise, so we thought we’d just stay at the port until we board.

 

Oct 6th – Board the EPIC!

 

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Excursions:

 

We booked mostly ship excursions because I am a wimp when traveling abroad AND because I know that NCL is notorious for switching/cancelling ports. I just did not want the hassle. I did book a Viator tour of Pompeii because the NCL ones did not strike my fancy -  they had all of these additional shop stops. I just want to see the Pompeii ruins and spend time on our own. I have no desire to make a stop at a glass factory, chocolate factory or the tour guides sister's shop. 

 

Our NCL tours that probably include sister's shop stop: 

 

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First Contact:

 

In May we received our first contact email from NCL/Haven let ting us know how to contact the pre-cruise concierge. Then, about a month ago we got our luggage tags and welcome letter in the mail. I love that NCL does that! 

 

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We also received emails regarding tendering procedures and one about Mosquitoes! Guess we are brining bug spray!

 

 IMG_5804.thumb.jpeg.e5ddd1fdd30efdf039aa53622a63faad.jpeg

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3 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

I think some 🐀 went on this cruise last year - any recommendations wither with regards to the Epic or places to go? @Sailing12Away @CptBoatface @oteixeira You guys have been on the Epic, right? 

Yup, this Marchish?  My months/years are running together.  It's a fine haven, although I prefer the Away-Plus Haven to it.  The biggest complaint we had was the bartenders being....let's just call it odd....about making us certain things.  I would think you wont have the same ones, so you should be fine.

I found the outside dinning area to be the best of the Haven Restaurants I have been on.  Most of the rest of the ship feels like an upsized Jewel class ship, lots of the same spaces and styling IMHO.  Also, do you like escalators?  I think it's the only NCL ship with one.  I rode it just to say I did.  LOL  

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3 minutes ago, oteixeira said:

The biggest complaint we had was the bartenders being....let's just call it odd....about making us certain things.  I would think you wont have the same ones, so you should be fine.

 

I wonder if this new More at Sea thing will improve the wine selections at all? Is Veuve coming back? 🙏🙏 I know it doesn’t start yet but perhaps they will be prepping for it? 

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14 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

 

I wonder if this new More at Sea thing will improve the wine selections at all? Is Veuve coming back? 🙏🙏 I know it doesn’t start yet but perhaps they will be prepping for it? 

They pulled all the good bubbly off the premier plus or whatever they call it this week.  Started with Moet being pulled, then the Veuve, it's a shame, what are they supposed to put in my Mimosa???  

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Packing:

 

So this has been an issue for me. I’ll be in the Med for a whole month so I’m trying to bring clothes for warm and cooler weather while also trying to save space. I run cold so no shorts for me. Long pants/jeans, short and long sleeve shirts, rain coat, sweatshirt and sweater are my must haves. I know I get a bag of laundry free, which will definitely help. Also, I do not want to schlep a lot of luggage around and want to stay under the weight limits. Any tips? 

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4 minutes ago, oteixeira said:

They pulled all the good bubbly off the premier plus or whatever they call it this week.  Started with Moet being pulled, then the Veuve, it's a shame, what are they supposed to put in my Mimosa???  

WHAT? Even the Moet?? Say it ain’t so! I guess we could buy a bottle with the discount but jeez! Does Bistro still carry Veuve? 

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3 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

WHAT? Even the Moet?? Say it ain’t so! I guess we could buy a bottle with the discount but jeez! Does Bistro still carry Veuve? 

Oh yea, the Moet was gone first.  On the Panama cruise we did we could get Veuve but it was the first cruise that Moet was not allowed and it caused a big to-do with some of our new found friends.  Bistro still carries and pushed Veuve, and Cagney's still pushed Moet.  They just want you to pay, no matter the package you get (which I find to be kind of wrong, you pay a lot extra to get the premier plus beverage package, and it does not include most of the things I would associate as premier plus level).   The only bubbly on the Premier Plus last I checked was a pink one (Pommery Brut Rose)....no thanks, I'm good.  

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1 hour ago, HBCcruiser said:

I think some 🐀 went on this cruise last year - any recommendations wither with regards to the Epic or places to go? @Sailing12Away @CptBoatface @oteixeira @ChiefMateJRK You guys have been on the Epic, right? 

Sounds like a lot of fun!!  I've only been on the Epic twice in the Caribbean, so don't have much to share.

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1 hour ago, oteixeira said:

Oh yea, the Moet was gone first.  On the Panama cruise we did we could get Veuve but it was the first cruise that Moet was not allowed and it caused a big to-do with some of our new found friends.  Bistro still carries and pushed Veuve, and Cagney's still pushed Moet.  They just want you to pay, no matter the package you get (which I find to be kind of wrong, you pay a lot extra to get the premier plus beverage package, and it does not include most of the things I would associate as premier plus level).   The only bubbly on the Premier Plus last I checked was a pink one (Pommery Brut Rose)....no thanks, I'm good.  

We were able to get Veuve at Bistro at no cost last December. I hope we can at least do that! Yeh I’m not good with Pommery either. Royal Caribbean still provides Moet on their package… NCL needs to compete! 

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Has anyone heard from @Sailing12Away? I miss her. I know her family suffered a loss. I just lost my mom unexpectedly in July and have been in a weird funk ever since. It’s even been hard to get excited for this cruise. I can’t explain it. I’m hoping this next month helps to pull me out. Hopefully she is just busy with her new job. 🙏

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13 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

Has anyone heard from @Sailing12Away? I miss her. I know her family suffered a loss. I just lost my mom unexpectedly in July and have been in a weird funk ever since. It’s even been hard to get excited for this cruise. I can’t explain it. I’m hoping this next month helps to pull me out. Hopefully she is just busy with her new job. 🙏

She has posted in the past week on that social media site.  I think she may be in full on baseball mode as her team is in the hunt??  I don't follow it so I am not sure.  

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43 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

We were able to get Veuve at Bistro at no cost last December. I hope we can at least do that! Yeh I’m not good with Pommery either. Royal Caribbean still provides Moet on their package… NCL needs to compete! 

Cool.  I'll try this fancy Veuve stuff when it's free.  I read a LOT about it.  DD and DW might be excited about it.  For me, it's just filler until the Brewhouse opens and the Guinness and Black Label are flowing.😎

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6 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Cool.  I'll try this fancy Veuve stuff when it's free.  I read a LOT about it.  DD and DW might be excited about it.  For me, it's just filler until the Brewhouse opens and the Guinness and Black Label are flowing.😎

You and my DH Mike like the same things. He puts up with my wine snobbery 😁

Edited by HBCcruiser
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7 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Cool.  I'll try this fancy Veuve stuff when it's free.  I read a LOT about it.  DD and DW might be excited about it.  For me, it's just filler until the Brewhouse opens and the Guinness and Black Label are flowing.😎

No brewhouse on Epic.....

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