A Spirited Mediterranean cruise with walking difficulties

Welcome to the latest adventure with 6

If you haven’t read any of my previous reviews a brief explanation on why he is nicknamed 6

Do you remember the 1970s series the 6 million dollar man or the Bionic Man depending on what country you were in. Well the hero Steve Austin was injured and rebuilt better stronger and faster with the aid of bionics costing 6 million dollars

Well my husband has inflammatory arthritis and 2 metal hips costing nearer 6 thousand-hence the nickname. However looks like the cost is escalating

After a visit to his orthopaedic surgeon today about a lump on his hip that has been there for a while but mainly causes problems when he lies on that side it looks like he will need revision surgery as they think his metal on metal replacement has caused this complication.

He has referred 6 to his colleague who specialises in revision surgery ie new replacement with a ceramic or porcelain joint but with the waiting times with the NHS who knows how long before this takes place.

However we had a great cruise and will try to describe our ports of call in degrees of walking difficulty so anyone in similar circumstances can get an idea of whether they could cope[his present walking difficulties are mainly due to his arthritic ankle and if you were on the same cruise you may recall a long haired blond man with a beard and a cane]

The reason for the sartorial elegance of wearing shorts with long socks and boots were to support his ankle and not to start a new fashion trend.

We booked this cruise a year ago when cruising shipmates from USA suggested a repeat in reverse of our Grand Mediterranean cruise on the Spirit in 2012 from Venice to Barcelona. That was a 12 night cruise.

This was 14 nights from Barcelona to Venice with 2 extra ports and as the Turkey ports were cancelled earlier in the year we actually got 4 new ports.

We actually met K and D in 2010 on NCL Sun Baltics cruise and have kept in touch but as we live on separate sides of the Atlantic it has mainly been via email

However we have manage to meet up at 2 yearly intervals last time being 2014 when they did a coach tour of England Scotland and Ireland and came to our house for a few days to recover!

They said it was an interesting experience but having to live out of a suitcase for 2 weeks as it was a new place each day got tiring-the great thing about cruising of course is that you only unpack once.

Just a word of warning I keep the long day by day review anonymous to protect the guilty and use initials not full names and there are no photos for the same reason

We live in the North East of England and for some strange reason our usual low cost airline cancelled Newcastle to Venice flights and the nearest airport for Barcelona is Reus 60 mile South.

Our daughters fiancé works for British Airways and could get 10% friends and family discount so we decided to fly out from London Gatwick which would also give us the opportunity to meet up with her as she lives and works in London.

6 got a disabled persons railcard for £20 a year which gives third off for self and a companion so splurged on first class tickets for a bit more comfort.

We got a lift to the station from our son as payback for all the Mam and Dad taxi services over the years but he wasn’t too keen on helping us lift our luggage into the back of his car-he might damage his guitar playing fingers!

Mind that was practice for getting our cases onto the train and the shoulder height luggage rack[well it’s shoulder height for a short woman and with 6 unable to fully straighten his elbows it was a bit of a struggle. We had a 24 inch suitcase each so just as well tried to pack light and not take any bigger cases.

Darling daughter met us at Kings Cross station and kindly allowed us to buy her lunch and to pass over some designer sunglasses I had decided to treat myself to and which she could get 40% discount.

We had researched the best way to get to Gatwick as the tube is anything but disabled friendly even when you don’t have luggage. We walked over to St Pancras immediately opposite and caught a Thameslink train to Gatwick. There were lifts/elevators and a low platform so found it easier to board the train than Virgin East coast. It was a commuter train so no luggage storage but mid afternoon on a Saturday it was half empty and able to keep our cases next to us

However it had taken 2 ½ hours to get from North East England to London Kings Cross and it took 1 ¼ hours to cover the relatively short distance from St Pancras to Gatwick on this slow train which had frequent stops. Overall though it was relatively easy disability wise.

We had booked into the Hilton Gatwick airport hotel which is at North terminal and the train station is at South. That meant a long walk with the moving walkways not operating and then another long walk from hotel reception to our room in the newest wing of the hotel .By this time 6 had had enough walking for one day and rested his feet up on the bed.

However he revived enough to limp along to the Executive lounge for the aperitifs served between 18.30-20.30.Translate free snacks and booze!

It got very busy and it’s worth upgrading to an executive room for the access even if you don’t drink alcohol as it includes sodas and coffee as well as breakfast the next morning if your flight isn’t too early.

We were booked on the 06.40 flight so an early night and alarm set for 3am-it had been a long day

We live in the North East of England and for some strange reason our usual low cost airline cancelled Newcastle to Venice flights and the nearest airport for Barcelona is Reus 60 mile South.

Our daughters fiancé works for British Airways and could get 10% friends and family discount so we decided to fly out from London Gatwick which would also give us the opportunity to meet up with her as she lives and works in London.

 

6 got a disabled persons railcard for £20 a year which gives third off for self and a companion so splurged on first class tickets for a bit more comfort.

 

We got a lift to the station from our son as payback for all the Mam and Dad taxi services over the years but he wasn’t too keen on helping us lift our luggage into the back of his car-he might damage his guitar playing fingers!

Mind that was practice for getting our cases onto the train and the shoulder height luggage rack[well it’s shoulder height for a short woman and with 6 unable to fully straighten his elbows it was a bit of a struggle. We had a 24 inch suitcase each so just as well tried to pack light and not take any bigger cases.

 

Darling daughter met us at Kings Cross station and kindly allowed us to buy her lunch and to pass over some designer sunglasses I had decided to treat myself to and which she could get 40% discount.

 

We had researched the best way to get to Gatwick as the tube is anything but disabled friendly even when you don’t have luggage. We walked over to St Pancras immediately opposite and caught a Thameslink train to Gatwick. There were lifts/elevators and a low platform so found it easier to board the train than Virgin East coast. It was a commuter train so no luggage storage but mid afternoon on a Saturday it was half empty and able to keep our cases next to us

 

However it had taken 2 ½ hours to get from North East England to London Kings Cross and it took 1 ¼ hours to cover the relatively short distance from St Pancras to Gatwick on this slow train which had frequent stops. Overall though it was relatively easy disability wise.

 

We had booked into the Hilton Gatwick airport hotel which is at North terminal and the train station is at South. That meant a long walk with the moving walkways not operating and then another long walk from hotel reception to our room in the newest wing of the hotel .By this time 6 had had enough walking for one day and rested his feet up on the bed.

 

However he revived enough to limp along to the Executive lounge for the aperitifs served between 18.30-20.30.Translate free snacks and booze!

It got very busy and it’s worth upgrading to an executive room for the access even if you don’t drink alcohol as it includes sodas and coffee as well as breakfast the next morning if your flight isn’t too early.

 

We were booked on the 06.40 flight so an early night and alarm set for 3am-it had been a long day

Looking forward to reading your review....thank you for sharing!

3am off goes the alarm and I find a text on my phone from British Airways that our 6.40 flight has been cancelled!

We had been rebooked onto a 7.35 flight but it was from Heathrow not Gatwick and the shuttles between the 2 even if running at that hour would take a long time.

I rang the number provided and got a young man who had obviously drawn the short straw with that nightshift. I explained we were already at Gatwick so he offered us flights on a partner airline Vueling at 9.40 which is a low cost carrier with lower bag weight limits so just as well we hadn’t prepared for BA more generous weight limit.

There was no point trying to go back to sleep so we decided to head over to the airport anyway-I wanted to double check we were definitely booked on the later flight!

It was a long walk to the South terminal but at least the moving pathways were working and then a shuttle to North terminal where BA flies from.

The BA check in desks were open and still pretty quiet at that time of the morning so explained our situation and she checked and confirmed that we definitely booked on the Vueling flight but because it wasn’t on their system she was unable to check us in and their desk would not be opening until 6am

.

So 4.30 we are sat having a coffee at the very limited refreshment facilities available pre security and front row seats for the fiasco about to unfold

. An announcement comes over that BA apologises for the meltdown of their computer system resulting in very long lines soon snaking across the concourse as more and more people arrive to check in /drop their bags and nothing is moving.

We had pre booked a taxi transfer from airport to hotel so sent an email about the cancellation and our new flight details and hoped they would pick it up at start of their working day.

At 6am lights came on at the Vueling check in desk so we joined another guy who I noticed had NCL tags on his bag. We started chatting whilst waiting for the personnel to arrive and found he was travelling solo and was due to sail out on the Epic that same day.

He hadn’t bothered going to bed but did the 2 hour drive from his home and arrived 2am to find out the flight cancellation. Like us he had been offered the flight from Heathrow but confirmed my suspicion that shuttles don’t start till 4am and that would push it tight with travel time and allowing time for check in and security. He had been talking to other people who had arrived after him and been told flights were now full!

He admired our decision to fly out a day early and said he would definitely do the same in future.

We checked in , got rid of our bags and headed to the wheelchair assistance desk.

At first they were a bit awkward with us saying that 48 hours notice had to be given but when I explained that I had booked this weeks before and told our tale of woe of the cancelled flight they were soon sympathetic.

Funny how even when you are tired and stressed if you smile and ask nicely it works so much better than ranting at them. They did admit they do have to take a lot of abuse from frustrated passengers.

Now in case anyone is wondering when am I going to cut to the chase and start the actual cruise review there is still plenty of drama to relate before we get to that point.

A very nice man called Paul arrived with a wheelchair and to push 6 through the security area .Even though he takes a shortcut you still have to go through the shoes off ,belts off and everything electrical into the grey trays before going through the scanner. Paul also had to put his phone and walkie talky into our tray.

Whilst 6 was getting his usual frisk down after his metal hips set off the alarms[yet again he was disappointed that it was a burly male and not an attractive female doing so]

I was trying to collect all our stuff and repack but you know how congested that can get so Paul lifted the tray out the way and helped me.

Handing 6 bag back to him he noticed Pauls walkie talkie had ended up in his bag and handed it back to him. However later that day he found an extra mobile phone that didn’t belong to either of us-spoiler alert you know where this is going.

Paul dropped us off at our pre booked airport lounge 6.45 and said someone would collect us 8.45 and if no one had arrived by 8.50 to alert the lounge concierge to contact his department .That gave us a well needed couple of hours to relax in comfy chairs and to eat something.

At 8.50 no wheelchair arrived so queried lounge concierge and he said not to worry that the gate hadn’t been announced yet so take seat near announcements board.

8.55 it flashes up gate 52 for our flight and 9.10 showed boarding but still no wheelchair assistance.

At this point we were both a bit stressed and not taking the chance of being overlooked and missing our alternative flight.

We asked the concierge how far was it to the gate. He said 5 mins so we explained we would make our own way and fuelled by an adrenaline surge 6 went from tortoise to hare mode allowing short bursts of speed he would later suffer from.

We got to the gate and they started boarding and as we were queuing saw a woman in a golf buggy whizz past , park up and start talking to the staff. Sure enough I heard our name and confirmed she hadn’t got the message and had turned up at the lounge and we weren’t there.

I explained how we didn’t want to run the risk of missing this flight after our previous cancellation and she visibly relaxed that she hadn’t lost a passenger!

In the end we were 30 mins delayed take off but made up 15 mins on the flight and pre take off I had received an email from our transfer company that they had received note of flight cancellation and noted our new flight details so all good.

In Barcelona wheelchair assistance whisked us through passport control and a short cut through the airport to baggage claim.

However after 15 mins nothing was happening on the baggage carousel .Our wheelchair assistance guy had a message to go help another passenger and would it be all right if his colleague took over.

His colleague turned out to be a pretty young lady who said she would take 6 to the disabled waiting area and to meet them there once I had retrieved our luggage. Well of course 6 looked highly delighted to be wheeled off so would I see him again?

I spotted our friend from this morning who had the Epic to board the same day and he said he was getting a bit nervous and relieved he had booked NCL transfers .

Even so with us waiting nearly an hour for the baggage to be delivered could tell his first act once on board would be to indulge in the included UBP!

Eventually our luggage arrived and I found 6.

The pretty young lady was looking very stressed as an obviously senile lady was demanding to be wheeled outside and proclaiming loudly that “you people are all useless”

I tapped her on the shoulder and thanked her very much but that we could make our own way from there as we could see the exit doors.

There was a sea of people holding up white pieces of paper with names on them and one gormless looking guy holding up a blank i pad

I walked around and failed to spot my name so rang the man at head office I had been emailing and fortunately he spoke good English.

We confirmed we were indeed at the correct meeting place. He rang the driver and a couple of minutes later Mr blank ipad man made his way over to us gesticulating at his i pad which now was displaying my name!.

I tried to explain to him that it was showing a blank page earlier as they do so after a while to save energy but he spoke no English .Just keep to old fashioned technology of pen and paper!

He collected our bags and led us to our taxi and set off for our Hotel Granvia on street Gran Via de les Cort Catalanes at speed and deciding red traffic lights were optional.

He dropped us off outside a place with a sign hotel Granvia and we tried to check in but the receptionist had no record of us

Do you have the correct Hotel Granvia she asked-there are 3 along this road!

This was Hotel Granvia Centro at number 500 something whereas our hotel was at 642.

I have googled Hotel Granvia Barcelona and only our booked hotel came up in the search as a 3 star hotel so how the company found this alternative I do not know!

The taxi driver had already gone and the receptionist was helpful with guiding us where our hotel actually was –a few blocks further so 6 had an adrenaline rush and we walked in the heat pulling our cases and arrived hot and sweaty at the correct hotel and there were our friends K and D to greet us and very bravely gave us a hug!

We were able to check in and freshen up and then the 4 of us spent time on our hotel balcony recounting our day so far and more importantly what else had happened in our lives since we last met.

A few words about Hotel Granvia at 642 Gran via de les Cort Catalanes

It is a former grand house converted into a 3 star hotel with an impressive sweeping staircase in the lobby.It has only 1 small lift enough for 2 people with luggage

Rooms are all different sizes and layouts-K and D room was bigger than ours but we had the advantage of a large balcony overlooking the central enclosed courtyard so we spent a lot of time out there. It had a small bathroom which was similar layout and size to our stateroom on board

The dining/indoor areas are large and attractive and the central courtyard has loungers parasols and cabanas

It has been recently refurbished and we got an advance room only rate for 157 euros a 20% discount, A small tourist tax of about 2 euros per night is payable in cash.

We found a restaurant just off PL Cataluyna just round the corner from the hotel which had locals eating there but also had the menu in English.

Bill came to 62 euros for 4 of us with meal of Roast chicken and vegetables 2 draft beers and a shared jug of Sangria which I thought was reasonable.

There is a small supermarket across the street from the hotel where we bought croissants for breakfast next day and some cheap wine and local beer to finish the evening on our balcony until the sheer exhaustion of being up since 3am overcame our excitement about being there

Time for bed as we cruise tomorrow!

Love your reviews. We met you and 6 on (I think) the Norwegian Fjords cruise May 2015. Your sense of humor and positive outlook are admirable. Awaiting more of your adventures....Barbara

Looking forward to another cracking review. You write really well.

Love your reviews. We met you and 6 on (I think) the Norwegian Fjords cruise May 2015. Your sense of humor and positive outlook are admirable. Awaiting more of your adventures....Barbara

yes it was indeed the May Norway cruise

shall we just say this cruise was a bit warmer

:D

Looking forward to another cracking review. You write really well.

thank you for the compliment

I slept very well but woke up 8am and couldn’t get back to sleep-I’m on holiday yippee!!

6 was still fast asleep which is unusual for him so I took my kindle out onto the balcony till he woke up

It didn’t take long to pack up as our cases just needed a bit of reorganisation as to what we needed to carry on board.6 used the hotel wifi to send an email to Gatwick customer services department explaining that we think we may have picked up Paul from wheelchair assistance mobile phone and as we were about to head off on a 2 week cruise advice on how to return it to him.

We met K and D at 10.30 in the lobby and our 2 24 inch suitcases were dwarfed by theirs so the hotel ordered a large taxi for the 4 of us and our luggage.18 euros to the port[just be sure to specify cruise port[crocero] rather than airport!

By 10.45 we were checking in and getting our keycards

They said they would be keeping all passports as we would be leaving the EU and they would be returned by the end of the cruise.

This took me by surprise as in the past our USA friends had to do so but UK did not

As our passports were our photo ID they photocopied the front page so could comply with the suggestion to carry photo ID ashore at ports.

We had boarding cards 1 and 2 so sat and chatted for a while until embarkation notices began.

There are several shops in the Barcelona terminal selling amongst other things wine water and multiple packs of soda-not much custom from this ship since NCL recent ban on bringing beverages on board.

You could still buy cheap bottles of wine and pay $15 corkage but we all had the Ultimate Beverage Package [uBP]as a perk

11.45 they called groups 1 and 2 to board and off we went.

There is a long covered sloping walkway at Barcelona to board the ship at level 7 which can be a bit of a pull but 6 was feeling energised and keen to start on the UBP so declined wheelchair assistance

The staff were trying to direct us the Raffles buffet but we know better than to join the scrum that is embarkation lunch. We asked which main dining room would be open for lunch and was told Windows would open 12.30

So we headed into the atrium and ordered our first drinks-cruise tradition a glass of prosecco.

The waiter was at pains to point out that Spanish sales tax would be charged on each drink until we were 12 miles out at sea. Not a problem-works out about $1 or$2 depending on drink

We have sailed on both large and small NCL ships [5000 as opposed to 2000 guests] and must admit to a preference for smaller ships like the Spirit with its soaring 6 storey atrium and scenic lifts.

It is due a dry dock at end of year and whilst some of furnishings were a bit worn nothing too drastic.

Apart that is from the plumbing system which seems to be ship wide. Flushing the toilet in your stateroom was a hit or miss affair and if water didn’t immediately appear there would be some strange gurgling noises as an apparent air blockage .One gentleman from the roll call told me their toilet started making that noise in the early hours and wouldn’t stop so they couldn’t sleep!

It was however addressed by maintenance staff.

Throughout the cruise we noticed men with tape measures and ipads obviously assessing changes to be made

Whilst some of the Asian decor is a bit over the top [the ship was originally designed for that market] it would be a shame if they completely removed all that decor in dry dock-will have to see and an excuse to book a further cruise!

12.30 we headed down to Windows for a leisurely lunch of fish and chips

There were more waiters than diners-it still remains a “secret” that you can dine in the main dining room on embarkation as the staff guide you to the buffet unless you query it.

We then headed up to Raffles terrace on deck 12 aft which has an open seating area and bar under canvas so a pleasant place to sit out and where we were meeting for an informal sailaway party with our cruise critic roll callers later.

The 3 of us left 6 to introduce himself to the bar staff and we enjoyed the sun by exploring the top decks .He did say his ankle was hurting after more walking yesterday than he is used to but shall we just say he found an alternative form of pain relief in making the most of the UBP!

2pm I found our cabin 9586 a balcony cabin and one suitcase was already there. Within a few minutes there was a knock on the door and our steward Jerico was there with our other case and to introduce himself.

6 joined me just as I finished unpacking-incredible timing!

We caught a quiz at Champagne Charlies and I indulged in my first Rebellious fish-NCL signature cocktail

After Muster we headed up to Raffles terrace for our informal sailaway party

As the official meet and greet is usually held on the first sea day on this cruise that would be nearly a week into it .Roll callers had signed up for tour shares with people they had yet to meet and needed a way to meet up and identify themselves for the Italy ports .Hence this unofficial party

I had brought along a box of name tags and pens so people could fill them in and suggested people wore mardi gras beads to identify ourselves as a group as it was a public area.

It had been a very active and friendly roll call and there were between 40 -50 people turned up. I am very pleased to have met many of you.

It was nice to see that people made new friendships in this way and often saw the same groups hanging out together throughout the cruise.

For the actual sailaway 7pm we went up on top deck to say goodbye to Barcelona then a quick buffet meal before checking out Champagne Charlies where singer and pianist Patricia was playing. OK but a bit raucous!

We then headed to Henrys pub and checked out Sean a guitarist and singer with more than a passing resemblance to Kenny Rogers

There was a dart board next to his place and he did very well to carry on whilst darts flying past his ear!

We made a note in the suggestions box to close down the darts board when entertainment is in there . Actually it was only used for that purpose a couple of times during the cruise as most times Sean did early set in Charlies followed by Patricia

Our main memory of that night was of a lady who had overindulged on the UBP and imagined herself as a Vegas showgirl singing and dancing and flinging her leg up on the railing.

For some reason we never noticed her again-think her friends escorted her to bed and she was so embarrassed the next day she kept her head down the rest of the cruise!

Got to bed sometime around 1am[i think

Excellent start!

Do you recall what time was muster? I'm on a Mediterranean sailing from Civitavecchia that departs at 7pm also. I'm trying to determine if a 5:30 dining time is doable.

Thank you

Excellent start!

Do you recall what time was muster? I'm on a Mediterranean sailing from Civitavecchia that departs at 7pm also. I'm trying to determine if a 5:30 dining time is doable.

 

Thank you

on our cruise the muster was 5pm and lasted about 30 mins so if you have a 5.30 dining reservation you will be OK as they allow 15 mins before they open your reservation to others

if you can avoid the crowded elevators post muster and use the stairs you will have no problem

anyway they wouldn't allow you to make reservations if they didn't think you could make it

Thanks for posting this interesting review. Just a quick question. Can you get into your cabin, as soon as you get on board, as I was hoping to dump my hand luggage and freshen up a bit, once I got on board? Many thanks.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

Thanks for posting this interesting review. Just a quick question. Can you get into your cabin, as soon as you get on board, as I was hoping to dump my hand luggage and freshen up a bit, once I got on board? Many thanks.

 

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

they will allow you to drop off your hand luggage but as all cabin ready announcements don't usually happen till 1.30 to 2 pm your cabin steward may not have had time to finish all his allotted rooms

So a quick face wash would be OK but a full shower not advisable:D

Woke to glorious blue skies and sun and sent photo to Darling Daughter in London

She responded with blue sky photo of London station on her way to work

UK in middle of a heatwave-enjoy the tube today sweetheart it will be hot and smelly!

I wear a lanyard on board attached to keycard so don’t have to carry around a bag-I bought a pretty silver beaded one on my last cruise and brought it along

Unfortunately the beads were peeling away and I woke to find some embedded in my shoulders

Looking in the bathroom mirror as about to step into the shower I had a moments thought “did I really get so drunk last night I had a belly piercing done and cant remember the process?”

Phew just another bead found its way into my navel!

6 had brought along sandals but as a result of the excess walking[for him] his ankle was giving him grief and so look of the day was shorts, long white sports socks, an ankle support bandage with his beige Velcro fastened suede shoes. He decided to stay on board and I was concerned that by leaving him unescorted I may lose him to one of the throngs of women overcome with lust at the sight of him!

I took the risk that after 30 years of marriage he could protect his own virtue and headed ashore with K and D to explore Toulon

On our last trip 4 years ago on the similar itinerary we had done a wine tasting tour/visit to Cassis with Provencewinetours which was great but we didn’t need to repeat the experience.

Toulon is a military port but has some pretty mountain backdrops and the bay full of sailing boats, ferries, naval ships and a row of restaurants and souvenir shops along the marina front.

Behind that was a local market selling everything from fruit to clothing and that was along a gently uphill road[would have been too much for 6]

We walked along to a residential area where got some good photos across the bay with the ship in the background

This was about 10am and got text from 6 that he was sitting in the atrium and offered a drink from the bar waiter-he declined on basis being a bit early but when he moved to another location was again approached by another waiter. Think he made himself too well known yesterday

We returned to the ship about 1.30 and found 6 resting his foot up on the bed

We headed to Blue Lagoon for light lunch and he had his first beer of the day-well resisted till then!

Then up to Raffles terrace area overlooking the kids pool area with its small slides

There were shouts of joy from the children but it was a much less frenetic atmosphere than around the main Tivoli pool area with its loud music and we spent several days there over the cruise

Today we found a table half in sun half in shade so that kept us both happy[i was in sun btw]and people watched whilst the bar waiters brought round pre prepared cocktails to try

I think I tried Bahama Breeze and a something sunset-nice but not as easy drinking as Rebellious fish

We had intended to shower and change but were joined by K and D and somehow just spent the sailaway and next few hours at Raffles terrace grabbing something from the buffet and having a few drinks

We ended the evening at Champagne Charlies and another late night before collapsing into bed

Last visit we used Rome-car-tours and put together a group of 8 and did Pisa and Florence

This time we used the same company but asked for less time in Florence so time to experience the Tuscan countryside.

Ourselves K and D were joined by 2 lovely girls from the roll call Y and A

It was a bit of a rush getting ready after being awoken by 6 by the romantic gesture of yanking on my foot!

We had arranged to meet 7.45 in the atrium so could all get off together and 8am the announcement came that ship cleared to disembark so we walked off quickly.

We found our guide Maurizio inside the terminal building holding up a sheet of paper with my name on –see low tech works!

It was an 8 seater van so with 6 of us was room to spread out.

We headed to Florence along the motorway but came off 20km beforehand to be able to take scenic back routes with little traffic and great views.

We stopped first at the overlook point of Florence with the green David and lots of tacky souvenir shops.

We also bought 2 half litre bottles of water for 1.5 euro each which we would bring back on the ship empty and refill with tap water and keep in the fridge to keep cool

We don’t really have a problem with the new policy of not bringing beverages on board and would probably buy bottles from NCL for convenience factor but the litre bottles they sell are just too big to carry around

We drove into Florence centre along very narrow streets and were dropped off by Santa Croce church for 40 minute free time. We needed to spend a penny which in this case cost us a euro to use toilets guarded by a man smoking by the entrance.

We split up so the others could explore whilst we sat on the steps outside the church and people watched. The square in front of the church was lined with souvenir stalls and shops and very busy. We watched large groups of ships tours with their stickers on their shirts following a guide with a sign-what fun!

There were also segways, bike tours ,golf carts, pedicabs and even horse and trap.

It seemed to be wall to wall people but Maurizio said it wasn’t a particularly busy day!11.15 we met up again for a drive around the city and dropped off in Duomo area .Maurizio suggested 2 hours free time but after already having 40 mins we thought that would be too long as we just wanted to see highlights and have more time for scenic villages so we agreed 1 ¼ hours to meet back up 1300.

We had a slow walk[or in 6 case limp] around the Duomo and noted the long lines to get in. I thought it would be a good idea to get a gelato but in the 30 degree heat it was melting so fast I ended up covered in chocolate ice cream !

We left 6 in the square near a carousel as he had walked enough and K D and I wandered round a few streets until time to meet up again

Y and A came rushing up carrying a take away pizza-they had intended to eat at a restaurant but service was so slow they had to ask for it to go.

We then drove through spectacular Tuscan countryside to a pretty little village called Greve in Chianti where we had 40 mins free time .It was 30 minutes too long IMO as didn’t want to spend time browsing the souvenir shops lining the square.

We then had short stops in hilltop villages Panzano and Montefioralle with spectacular views .This was the reason didn’t want to spend too much time in Florence.

I noticed Y and A eating their Pizza at one of these stops and thought it must be cold by then!

They told me later when back on the ship that when they were rushing back Maurizio gave them a glare making it clear they were not allowed to eat it in his van!

We set off for Livorno getting back about 5 and on the drive back Rudy the company owner rang to ask how we had enjoyed the day

Not yet knowing about the pizza incident I replied that we had enjoyed the day.

However we did feel Maurizio was OK but not a great guide .4 years ago we had a fantastic guide called Teresa for Florence and Rudy himself for Rome. Great guides you feel you have made a new friend at the end of the day and that just didn’t happen with Maurizio

I was going to let it go but after hearing about the glaring over the pizza not to be eaten in his van I decided to email Rudy on our return and advise him we felt Maurizio was not an asset to his company. We also related this story to subsequent guides in later ports and they all said they would have had no issues allowing eating in the van especially as they had made an effort to get back on time and not make us late by eating it in the restaurant.

The cost was 550 euros for the van and 8-9 hour day which worked out 92 euros each. By comparison the NCL Florence on your own transfer was 122 euros each!

Back on board we ate in Blue Lagoon for a quick meal then time to freshen up.

We sat out on the balcony for a while enjoying the sunshine and watching sailaway. Livorno is not the most picturesque port[big understatement ]

6 then discovered I had forgotten to pack his chinos[in other words he hadn’t put them out on our bed with his other cruising attire for me to cross pack our suitcases]

The shop on board were selling them for $65 and as he has a 29 inch inside leg and the shop length was 32 inch would be too long and wasn’t going to hem them with a small sewing kit!

He had 1 pair dark blue trousers he wore for travelling and 2 pairs lightweight zip off trousers for tours. We sent one of our complimentary laundry bags off with the dirty heavy pair as well as how much we could fit of other laundry into the bag and he would wash the lightest out in the sink when required as they dry quickly. We thought we could go shopping in Civitiveccia the next day but as it happens he managed with above arrangements.

An evening spent in Henrys Pub,Champagne Charlies and then found Maharinis nightclub bar after entertainment finished for the night.1 glass red wine too many in there and had to be escorted to bed!

Love your reviews. We met you and 6 on (I think) the Norwegian Fjords cruise May 2015. Your sense of humor and positive outlook are admirable. Awaiting more of your adventures....Barbara

6 has just been looking through our Norway cruise photos because we can remember talking to you at the latitudes party and seem to remember your husband had some mobility issues

Great review so far. It is kind of like reliving my EPIC/Eurodoam cruises from years past. Boy I miss my TA cruises.

Glad you remember us - my husband had knee replacement - you caught us between having one done and waiting for the other to be done. He's doing fairly well with them. We are going on the Epic 7 day Rome-Rome, so some of your ports will be ours, also. I'm following closely, and loving your reports. You are a great writer - wonderful sense of humor. I shared a few (?!?) glasses of champagne/Prosecco with you at the Latitudes party. Were you on the Flam Railway with us, too? Can't remember. My son and girlfriend, daughter, brother and wife were on the cruise also. We really enjoyed Norway and the fjords. I wish NCL had talks onboard from historians or naturalists (or anyone local to where we're sailing).

Glad you remember us - my husband had knee replacement - you caught us between having one done and waiting for the other to be done. He's doing fairly well with them. We are going on the Epic 7 day Rome-Rome, so some of your ports will be ours, also. I'm following closely, and loving your reports. You are a great writer - wonderful sense of humor. I shared a few (?!?) glasses of champagne/Prosecco with you at the Latitudes party. Were you on the Flam Railway with us, too? Can't remember. My son and girlfriend, daughter, brother and wife were on the cruise also. We really enjoyed Norway and the fjords. I wish NCL had talks onboard from historians or naturalists (or anyone local to where we're sailing).

looks like 6 is in between surgeries too as they may need to replace his metal on metal hip with a ceramic porcelain one .Just waiting to find out when and how many of future plans will be affected[have transatlantic booked in April and he needs to be able to walk our daughter down the aisle next August]

We were on the Flam railway but as there were 2 groups not sure if we were on the same.As spoiler alert Kotor Montenegro is very reminiscent of the Norway fiords but but much warmer!

It looks like Barcelona and Athens are in different time zones. Did the ship adjust their time to local time while in Athens?

It looks like Barcelona and Athens are in different time zones. Did the ship adjust their time to local time while in Athens?

the clocks went back the sea day between Naples Italy and Mykonos Greece and then they changed again when we headed back to Italy

We have visited Rome several times and 4 years ago did a small van tour with D and K and others to Rome with Rome-car-tours where we had the owner Rudy as our fantastic guide.

This time we decided to stay local and D and K got the train to Rome on their own as they still had plenty to see.

We had thought about getting the free shuttle into Civitiveccia but decided to give 6 ankle a rest and stay on ship.

We had a late breakfast at Raffles and used my i phone hot spot to connect to wifi[avoid ships expensive provision]

6 found an email from Gatwick customer services asking to clarify what happened. The original email looked clear to me-what part of “I think I have the guy who was pushing my wheelchair mobile phone” is hard to understand?

Sun deck 13 aft was deserted so I grabbed my costume, sun creamed up and sunbathed for a while.

6 went for a slow limp around the jogging track taking pictures.

12.30 I was feeling a bit hungry so texted 6 “where are you?”

“Shakers bar” was the response

“no such place think you getting ships confused”

It turned out he was in Raffles bar with his new best mate Ciprian the bar waiter.

I had been awarded VIP status which offered breakfast and lunch in Cagneys but hadn’t had time to use yet-woke up too late for breakfast and was off the ship for lunch the previous days

We went down and introduced ourselves to the concierge and after that they knew us instantly by sight.

We had the place to ourselves for lunch

We decided to try the signature cocktail Mr Worldwide which consisted of vodka ,pimms and champagne-very nice

We had chicken soup followed by New York strip steak and truffle fries-very nice but I’m feeling sorry for the masseuse going to be doing my spa treatment later on with my garlic breath!

I had marinated berries and mango for dessert whilst 6 asked for strawberry ice cream which caused a bit of consternation-apparently they are used to people asking for the more exotic desserts on the menu!

The sun was out on our balcony so I sat out there listening to the music coming from the Tivoli pool a few decks above whilst 6 napped on the bed.

I was unable to resist the Spatopia package in the Mandara Spa-OK I didn’t put up any resistance!

$159 + 18% gratuity for 75 mins full body massage ,hand and foot massage, facial and scalp massage

Wonderful and no pressure to purchase the products

I slid out at 6pm and found 6 in Raffles bar-what a surprise!

Sailaway was 7pm and lots of buses are arriving back 6.15 with on board time 6.30-we found a note on the door that D and K had also just got back 6.15 and were showering and would meet us at Champagne Charlies as the band from the previous night Trio Royale were doing the early shift.

We were joined by M and T from the roll call and compared notes on the day

M and T had taken an NCL excursion” off the beaten track” which they recommended .It was a strenuous hike to a hilltop village which was split into 2 years ago by an earthquake.

D and K had taken the train into Rome

The express train wasn’t running so it took over an hour and 8 stops. The platform number also changed last minute and they were alerted by crowds of locals heading to a different train. Total 26 euros for the 2 of them.

There was lots of walking involved including 40 mins between St Peters and the Colosseum

As we had had a 3 course lunch earlier in the day it took a while to get hungry but we all headed up to Raffles terrace and had a quick snack from the buffet. The temperatures were very pleasant out there under the canopy[the air conditioning can get a bit too cold inside so we spent the rest of the night out there chatting with our newfound and established friends.

I headed to bed but 6 headed to Maharinis for a last beer he said he was going to bring back to the room

Mmm didn’t I see something in the freestyle daily about a solo traveller get together there?

My head hit the pillow and I was out so have no idea what time he actually got back!

That sounds like an amazing day. I can imagine it must be lovely to have the entire ship mostly to yourself!

I'm enjoying your review very much. Thanks for sharing it.

That sounds like an amazing day. I can imagine it must be lovely to have the entire ship mostly to yourself!

 

I'm enjoying your review very much. Thanks for sharing it.

glad you're enjoying it

If we have been to a port before it can indeed be lovely to chill out on board on a practically deserted ship

Just saying I love to read your reviews and then I'm going to go and actually read it!