Voyager from Barcelona in October?

[captainx]

Got a question for those who have cruised the Mediterranean. This will be our first time abroad, and my husband and I are wondering if the Voyager will have many English speaking passengers and crew?

 

Forgive me if this is a naive question, but I have been reading on the boards and it seems most of the passengers are European. I know RC has a different clientele than say Costa or MSC, just trying to get a feel...

 

Thanks in advance.

 

And please don't flame me. :o

[TwoTravelin]

CaptainX, when we sailed the Med. it was a mixture of people, and I suppose if i had to estimate, about 60-70% were English-speaking. In Europe, I would say that RC has the most English-speaking clientele when compared to Costa or MSC, who target their marketing more toward their home-based countries.

[madforcruising]

Regarding the passengers you never know from cruise to cruise, but on my European cruises I´ve always had the English speaking guests being in the vast majority.

There shouldn´t be any problem with the crew at all.

[GMoney]

Regarding the passengers you never know from cruise to cruise, but on my European cruises I´ve always had the English speaking guests being in the vast majority.

There shouldn´t be any problem with the crew at all.

 

This was my experience on Brilliance in June.

[captainx]

Thanks! That puts my mind at ease.

 

Has anyone been on this cruise? How was the cruise on the Brilliance?

 

This trip is for my (gasp) 40th birthday and trying to make it very memorable. :eek:

[GMoney]

My B2B on Brilliance was incredible - I found cruising to be a great intro to Europe, and the service on my cruise was the best ever. BCN is a great city; try to spend some time there before or after your cruise. I'm sure you will have a wonderful, memorable time. You can read my review here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=584444

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions. Also check out the Europe port of call board.

[captainx]

What a great review! I'm sure you have heard this before but great documentation, great photos and very useful information!!!!

 

Couple of questions - do you think you could have gone to Pompeii without a tour? What time do you think you need to head to the ship in Barcelona to board for departure? Were you ever nervous that you were going to miss the ship? There is so much to see and do in Rome, that is my real concern.

 

Thanks again and I have just one more question... who watches Emma Rose when you are traveling? Lucky dog!!!!

[In the Pink]

We just disembarked from Voyager this morning, from a Galveston sailing. The crew is all required to speak English. Our head waiter last night told us they are a little concerned to be going to Europe after having been to Texas because 1) we are so friendly and laid back whereas Europeans are not and have higher expectations, so they'll have gotten "relaxed" and then get the European market, and 2) many European pax do not speak English, especially the Germans he said.

 

So, make what you will of that, but that's what we were told.

[Missus Makkem]

We just disembarked from Voyager this morning, from a Galveston sailing. The crew is all required to speak English. Our head waiter last night told us they are a little concerned to be going to Europe after having been to Texas because 1) we are so friendly and laid back whereas Europeans are not and have higher expectations, so they'll have gotten "relaxed" and then get the European market, and 2) many European pax do not speak English, especially the Germans he said.

 

So, make what you will of that, but that's what we were told.

 

wonder what nationality your head waiter was?

 

We Brits are certainly relaxed and friendly ....well whilst on a RCL ship that is and most Europeans learn some English at school and those in tourist places go that extra yard and learn after school too.

We Brits are possibly the worst at learning other languages as we think everyone will speak some English, even those from Texas.;)

[Mac303]

What a great review! I'm sure you have heard this before but great documentation, great photos and very useful information!!!!

 

Couple of questions - do you think you could have gone to Pompeii without a tour? What time do you think you need to head to the ship in Barcelona to board for departure? Were you ever nervous that you were going to miss the ship? There is so much to see and do in Rome, that is my real concern.

 

Thanks again and I have just one more question... who watches Emma Rose when you are traveling? Lucky dog!!!!

 

We did this cruise last Oct. it was great, instead of the ship excursions we hired "romeinlimo" drivers for Florence/Pisa, Rome, and Naples, the cost was about the same as the ships excursions and not riding on a bus with 48 of your closest (new) friends was priceless. In Pompeii you can rent the headsets, that give your a summary of the sites as you walk along.

 

The ship sails at 7PM, from Barcelona, I would not arrive later then 430P, at the dock. This cruise is a very fast paced port intensive cruise, at least the sea day is the last full day so you can recover some.

 

Visit the European boards for more info.

[GMoney]

What a great review! I'm sure you have heard this before but great documentation, great photos and very useful information!!!!

 

Couple of questions - do you think you could have gone to Pompeii without a tour? What time do you think you need to head to the ship in Barcelona to board for departure? Were you ever nervous that you were going to miss the ship? There is so much to see and do in Rome, that is my real concern.

 

Thanks again and I have just one more question... who watches Emma Rose when you are traveling? Lucky dog!!!!

 

Hi - I'm really glad the info was helpful. I've always received lots of great advice form people on the boards, so it's nice to be able to pay that back. :)

 

As far as your questions go:

 

> Pompeii. My understanding is that you can reach Pompeii by local bus / train; however, I'm not sure, as a first time visitor, how manageable that actually would have been. I found Naples to be insane - fast, crowded and not terribly well-signed for tourists. I did plenty of traveling on my own (as you read), but bottom line, I'm glad I had the tour to Pompeii; it got me to where I needed to be.

 

Now, once you get there, it's up to you what you do. Our tour guide was good, but with the site being crowded, it was sometime hard to hear everything we was saying. You could get a private guide or wander through on your own. It just depends on what's important to you.

 

Check Rick Steves on this (http://www.ricksteves.com), or post a thread in the Europe port of call board.

 

> Barcelona. I wouldn't be in a rush to get to the ship, especially if you haven't seen much of the city. I was, but only because I had spent the previous 3 days there, so I'd seen a bit of the area and was ready for the next big thing. :D

 

If possible, at least check out the Mount Juic area (site of the 92 Olympics), Las Ramblas, or ride the cable car between the port and Mount Juic for some great views. BCN is a very walkable city, with a great metro, and the people are very friendly.

 

Bottom line, I would just make sure you get to the ship at least 2 hours before you depart. The port is very modern and well run, and just minutes away from the sites I mentioned. Just remember you cruise from Moll Adossat, not Port Vell, which is the better known port in BCN.

 

> I was always nervous I was going to miss the ship! LOL :) But that's my nature. Just plan accordingly and keep a level head. I always made sure I never got the last train back to the ship. I made sure I had monetary means to get a taxi back if something went wrong with the trains. I went prepared the train schedules as much as possible, and tried to stay updated on any strikes. Consider bringing your passport with you if you are really concerned and you know you can keep it secure.

 

In the end, I was never remotely close to a problem, and I really preferred the independence to get out there and do things on my own. I felt I maximized my port time without getting trapped on ship tours.

 

I have to run for a bit but will come back and answer the Rome question shortly.

[robtulipe]

Couple of questions - do you think you could have gone to Pompeii without a tour?

On our Legend cruise last Nov. we took the train (communter train which goes to Sorrento) to Pompeii for 4.60 Euros each return and the entry fee was 11 Euros each. At the main entrance (Porto Marina which is the one closes to train station) where you buy your entry ticket, there is an information window where you can get an excellent Brief Guide book, information sheet and map of Pompeii for free. These are available in different languages including English and included suggested tours for 2, 4 or 6 hours visit here. We were able to see most of the available site (over 1/2 is not yet excavated) in about 4 1/2 hours. You can also rent an audioguide but we found the above information provide very good directions and information about this site.

We also did Athens (Acropolis area) on our own using subway to get there from the port and went on private tours to Emphesus, Turkey and Cairo, Egypt. All were not only cheaper than ship's excursion but much better from discussions with fellow paxs afterwards. In Mykonos and Rhodes we did walk abouts on our own.

[Paco24]

Hi Captainx,

My husband and I went to the Med last November and most of the people on our ship spoke English and were from the USA. I had heard from friends who have done this cruise on Costa, that there are more Europeans on the Italian based ships, and that RCCL and Celebrity ships had more Americans, and we found that to be true. Don't worry, you will have a ball!!! It was the trip of a lifetime for us- make the best of it!!! And don't be overwhelmed, it is much easier to get around over there then you may think!! Public transportation, trains, buses, part of the European excitement!!! I'm jealous!! Lisa

[In the Pink]

wonder what nationality your head waiter was? You know, I'm not sure, but I'm thinking maybe Filipino?

 

We Brits are certainly relaxed and friendly He really didn't say anything about the Brits, he was speaking more of German and the Mediterranean countries....well whilst on a RCL ship that is and most Europeans learn some English at school and those in tourist places go that extra yard and learn after school too.

We Brits are possibly the worst at learning other languages as we think everyone will speak some English, I think Americans mostly have the same attitude. even those from Texas.;) LOL We have a British priest and we've been trying to teach him "American" for about 10 years now!

 

My responses in red.

[GMoney]

There is so much to see and do in Rome, that is my real concern.

 

Thanks again and I have just one more question... who watches Emma Rose when you are traveling? Lucky dog!!!!

 

> Rome. For some reason, this was the stop I was most concerned about before my cruise. I thought the city would be overwhelming, but it wasn't. Planning is the key here, and just prioritize what's most important for you to see. If I had to do it all over again, I would start at the Colosseum (getting tix at Palantine Hill) and work back to the Vatican.

 

Bottom line, research is the key. Know your ports - what's open, what's not. Have maps, timetables, etc, Ask questions here. RCI is not very helpful once you get onboard - they really focus on shopping - but you can get some info from Guest Relations. As someone mentioned, it's a very intense cruise and you'll be on the go most of the time; be sure to stop and enjoy where you are.

 

Given my nature and the fact that I was traveling solo, the do-it-yourself approach really worked for me. I naturally gravitate away from tours anyway, but I'm sure there are some very good ones.

 

As for Emmy, she has many good friends who love to tend to her! Thank you for asking!

[grneyes]

Just a ? with the high cost of airfare etc.

Any idea if this cruise will be sold out or will the prices go down?

[browneyes7]

Thanks! That puts my mind at ease.

 

Has anyone been on this cruise? How was the cruise on the Brilliance?

 

This trip is for my (gasp) 40th birthday and trying to make it very memorable. :eek:

 

We took a Mediterranean cruise on the Voyager in May. The ship is beautiful, and we had a wonderful time. The ports were Barcelona, Nice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Palermo, Sicily, and then back to Barcelona. You'll have an amazing time!!! Enjoy!:)

[browneyes7]

As someone stated above, go to the European boards. There is a ton of information on it. Also, go to the library and check out travel books for Spain, France, and Italy. There is so much information.

 

My husband and I did all our tours on our own. We rode the local trains, buses, and metros. You, too, can do that if you do your research ahead of time. You will LOVE this cruise. It is so packed with history and amazing sights. Try to go to the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel. It is an unbelievable experience.:)

[browneyes7]

wonder what nationality your head waiter was?

 

We Brits are certainly relaxed and friendly ....well whilst on a RCL ship that is and most Europeans learn some English at school and those in tourist places go that extra yard and learn after school too.

We Brits are possibly the worst at learning other languages as we think everyone will speak some English, even those from Texas.;)

 

All the Brits we have met have been very relaxed and friendly. Yes, we Texans speak our own brand of English.;) I love the way you Brits talk. I love your accent. Some Texans can speak other languages. My husband speaks Spanish, German, a little Italian, and basic phrases in many other languages. He gets the crew members to help him learn their languages. The only other language I can speak a little of, so far, is Spanish. I'm working on learning some French and Italian for our next European cruise. I really wish U.S. schools would teach a foreign language starting in Kindergarten and continue all the way through High School graduation. As it is now, foreign languages are only taught in high school. There is no way to master a language in a year or so in a classroom situation.

 

I'm getting off my soapbox now. Also, my husband and I have been to London several times and loved it. So much HISTORY!!:)

 

browneyes7