Epic Med cruise May 2017

Hi all! I am so very excited to be doing my first Med cruise (in 96 short days!). A little nervous about foreign ports of call, but my excitement will surely override all of that. I have never been to Spain, Italy or France. Anyone care to share any info and/or tips? [emoji3]

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Please do as many xcursions as possible. My favorite was Nice and Monaco and Monte Carlo. It's about $120 pp and lasts bout 8-10 hours. It was so worth it to get a good feel of French Riviera and its rich culture. You get to see the palace that Grace Kelly lived in and the changing of the guards and so much more. I loved that cruise. In Rome we did the Vatican, colleseumand forum. Unbelievable vacation.

Join your roll call. Meet people on your cruise. Get some Euro's before you get to Europe. Use the ATM's or Bancomarts in cities. Don't exchange on ship or airport. I love this cruise. Done this version 7x's. It's amazing. Enjoy it & don't go overboard on excursions

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Follow this link to the European ports of call forums. Excellent resource.

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

It is a great itinerary. We have sailed it twice. The ports are fabulous,,,, but the major cities like Rome are a fair distance from the ports (plan on long days). Mind the advisories for proper dress when going into churches in Italy (ladies need to have their shoulders and legs covered, men too). Lots of street vendors to sell you the overpriced shall to cover up. You are going to large tourist areas, so there will be petty crime (pick pockets more than muggings),,, so always watch your valuables (setting your backpack down to take that perfect photo is likely going to end up with you,,, less your backpack). Spend the money for excursions,,, once in a lifetime trip so see what you always heard of.

Hi all! I am so very excited to be doing my first Med cruise (in 96 short days!). A little nervous about foreign ports of call, but my excitement will surely override all of that. I have never been to Spain, Italy or France. Anyone care to share any info and/or tips? [emoji3]

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Hi, which date are you cruising? We're on the 14/5. We haven't booked excursions yet. Join the roll call, there will be plenty of hints and tips from other passengers

I would skip Pisa to spend as much time as possible in Florence. You may be in Cannes during the film festival. If so, set aside an hour to walk along the harbor to check out the yachtes.

Take a private tour to the Amalfi Coast from Naples. Don't be too scared but be careful about pick-pockets particularly in Barcelona.

The major cities like Rome are a fair distance from the ports (plan on long days). .

Not necessarily long days. I was off the Epic at Civativecchia at 6.00am, walked it to the railway station for the 7.02am train. Into Rome, walked across the city, taking in the sites, back on the train to Civitavecchia, walked it back to the ship and back on board at 1.00pm

Thanks for the replies. We are on the 05/28 sailing...so no film festival for us [emoji17]. To blackburnrovers: what was the cost of the train? And where does it drop you off in Rome?

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Thanks for the replies. We are on the 05/28 sailing...so no film festival for us [emoji17]. To blackburnrovers: what was the cost of the train? And where does it drop you off in Rome?

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Thanks for your quick response!

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We were on the Epic in May of 2015 embarking in Rome. The only things I can add are do not cut corners on excursions whether they are private or thru the ship. It was a trip of a life time for me and I did not feel I had enough time. I wish I would have taken notes, I saw so much and learned so much. The days in port passed by so quickly. As others have said join the roll call. We had a wonderful group and did many private excursions together. We were in Cannes during the film festival, it was amazing. So many yachts and "glitz". I can not think of one bad thing to say!! Enjoy your trip.

The most important thing with this itinerary is to consider what YOU want to do in the ports. Don't let some random stranger on the internet influence you too much. Do some research on the ports and decide what interests you. Don't just do what you think you should do. I've done this itinerary 4 times and have met lots of people who have filled up their days, especially the Italian ports, with very busy excursions, and have not enjoyed it anything like as much as they could have. Three long days of museums, buildings, art galleries etc are great for some people, but they take some stamina.If this is likely to be your only visit then you may have to just decide to go for those long days, but if you are likely to return then consider whether you can miss some things in order to make it a holiday as well.

We, like Blackburnrovers, tend to do these ports by ourselves. Naples and Rome are very easy to do by yourself and that has the advantage of leaving you to decide where to go and how long to spend. It is also a lot cheaper. The downside is that you won't see as much as you can if you are on a tour. Personally, I like it that way, and can go back to Rome whenever I like, for example. That may not be as much of a possibility for you.

If you do decide to take the train to Rome then I would recommend checking the train timetables and considering booking at least your return ticket. We did that last time and really appreciated it. After a day in Rome the return train journey can be very uncomfortable in the heat and maybe having to stand. By booking in advance we had a reserved seat and it was a quicker and much more comfortable return journey.

In Naples there are a number of options, such as Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri and the Amalfi Coast. You can't do them all, even with a guide, so you need to do your research. Capri is doable by using the local ferries, and Pompeii and Sorrento can be accessed by train or boat (for Sorrento). You need to do your research though for getting to the central station, which is a bit more hassle than for Rome. A tour is a lot more expensive, but may be worth it if you aren't confident about using the public transport.

Basically, research, research and then do a bit more research. On this itinerary, more than any other in my opinion, some decent research can be the making or breaking of the whole thing.

Thank you, KeithJenner! Really appreciate your thoughts [emoji3]

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It is a great itinerary. We have sailed it twice. The ports are fabulous,,,, but the major cities like Rome are a fair distance from the ports (plan on long days). Mind the advisories for proper dress when going into churches in Italy (ladies need to have their shoulders and legs covered, men too). Lots of street vendors to sell you the overpriced shall to cover up. You are going to large tourist areas, so there will be petty crime (pick pockets more than muggings),,, so always watch your valuables (setting your backpack down to take that perfect photo is likely going to end up with you,,, less your backpack). Spend the money for excursions,,, once in a lifetime trip so see what you always heard of.

I read on one thread as long as the women's knees are covered there will not be an issue at the Vatican. I am packing long pants but reading this made me wonder. Better to be safe than sorry I am thinking of just sucking it up and wearing long pants. What was your experience?

The most important thing with this itinerary is to consider what YOU want to do in the ports.

Basically, research, research and then do a bit more research. On this itinerary, more than any other in my opinion, some decent research can be the making or breaking of the whole thing.

I have researched from the day we booked our cruise months ago. I also changed my mind several times and finally narrowed down to three independent tours not including Barcelona. I am sure I have made up my mind but I am not pulling the trigger quite yet. Once on the cruise we are going to do two ports on our own and three through an independent tour group. We are staying in Barcelona so part will be on our own and another with an all day tour. I am really happy I researched so much. Wonderful advice!

I read on one thread as long as the women's knees are covered there will not be an issue at the Vatican. I am packing long pants but reading this made me wonder. Better to be safe than sorry I am thinking of just sucking it up and wearing long pants. What was your experience?

there is usually a board with a diagram to show what is acceptable to get round any language issues!

women short sleeve t shirt[not vest top] and skirt to below knees

I actually had an issue at a Greek monastery that my tight fitting trousers were not acceptable and had to wrap a scarf around my waist!

men t shirt and long trousers-the diagram will have a red cross over a male figure wearing below knee shorts!

We actually wore capri pants and short sleeved tops to the Vatican and all of the other churches we visited. I also bought a pashmina in Rome and carried it with me just in case I was sleeveless and we wanted to stop in a church.

there is usually a board with a diagram to show what is acceptable to get round any language issues!

 

women short sleeve t shirt[not vest top] and skirt to below knees

I actually had an issue at a Greek monastery that my tight fitting trousers were not acceptable and had to wrap a scarf around my waist!

 

men t shirt and long trousers-the diagram will have a red cross over a male figure wearing below knee shorts!

Thank you I had planned on a Columbia roll up long-sleeve fishing shirt and capris. I love the scarf/pashmina idea it will also work for a head covering should I not have on my sun hat.

We actually wore capri pants and short sleeved tops to the Vatican and all of the other churches we visited. I also bought a pashmina in Rome and carried it with me just in case I was sleeveless and we wanted to stop in a church.

Thanks also your pashmina idea. I love the scarf/pashmina idea it will also work for a head covering should I not have on my sun hat. My capri pants (LL Bean) come down to past calf.

If you are going to the Vatican museum, then go with a licensed guide. The same for the Coliseum. The lines in May will be brutal - a guide will get you in ahead of the line. Just saying ... we passed a lot of tired folks waiting in a line wrapped around be the block near the Vatican. The Coliseum line was long too.

I would recommend the underground tour of the coliseum. We booked it directly and it takes you to some areas, both in the underground area and also right at the top, that you can't get to with normal access.

The coliseum tickets also include the Forum, so you can walk through that way towards other attractions.

If you choose not to use a guide I recommend Rick Steves guide books. When you are at the Coliseum and the Forum they are helpful with what you are looking at.

If you choose not to use a guide I recommend Rick Steves guide books. When you are at the Coliseum and the Forum they are helpful with what you are looking at.

I love Rick Steves and have his Barcelona book to take around with us. I borrowed Italy, France and Spain from the library and took notes.