NFam3

4 hours ago, 4774Papa said:

 

Art appreciation is a personal thing and I understand your opinion.  Are you an engineer or mechanic?

I am not a big fan of modern art, but works done by super artists like Michelangelo are awesome, especially in what they show of the history at the time.  There is a message to a work of art that appeals to me quite a lot.

I do appreciate natural beauty and places like Norway, Alaska or even the Everglades should be appreciated as well.

 

I'll bet you love the Air and Space Museum in DC?

You've got me dialed in.  My grandfather was an engineer in several disciplines, my father a carpenter.  I am a retired Marine but have been a woodworker my entire life.  My preferred styles of furniture are mission and shaker style.  I work 2 blocks from the Air and space museum.  It is my favorite museum in the city.  I can deeply appreciate nature for what it is (Iceland may be my favorite place in the world) and machines (a thing with a purpose, especially a simple thing, always appeals).  What most people consider art (paintings, sculpture, pottery, poetry) is lost on me, much to the chagrin of my professional artist grandmother.  I can appreciate the skill it took to create it but it doesn't speak to me.

My son was 20 last year when we visited.  He was just as tired, hot and frustrated as I was.  I am sure if I had the memory of spending that time explaining it and admiring it through a 7 years old's eyes I would have enjoyed it much more.  Still no pictures there and definitely time limits now.

On 6/11/2018 at 10:34 AM, 4774Papa said:

Did you see the incomparable Sistine Chapel on your Vatican visit. If you did, can't believe you didn't mention it. It is probably the most amazing work of art in the World.

We did see it by the point that we did, none of us were impressed anymore.  The effects of being herded through the Vatican had taken their toll.  Additionally, and contrary to most people's opinions I am not a fan of most things that are considered art for the sake of art.  I find more beauty in the simplicity of functionality and utility.  An example would be how much I admire Swiss Army Knives.  Their beauty for me is derived from their utility.

On 6/12/2018 at 6:04 PM, GrammyTSC said:

Did the Epic have Norwegian's Night Out on one evening? Or, a "White Party"? I read just now about them but don't see anything on our itinerary. We're packing now and leave tomorrow.

 

 

Any help appreciated.

 

Theresa

Yes, apologies.  It had the White party but we didn't participate.

We were on the 27 May sailing from Barcelona. They played outdoor movies in Spice H2O most days and indoor movies in the Atrium. Of course you also have movies in your cabin.

Ok, thank you! This is our first time sailing on the Epic so will have to learn where the atrium is!

 

 

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Midships deck 5

Barcelona

This was our first cruise ever and it was a great trip. We flew into Barcelona two days early so wecould readjust to the time zone and get a chance to explore. Impressions of the airport weren’t great, butwe were only there on our way out the door. When we travel we go carry-on for anything up to 15 days, so we didn’thave to wait at the chaotic baggage claim.

Taxis are very well regulated in Barcelona and as you exit the airport you can walk up to a taxi coordinator (yellow vest) who will get you a cab to meet your needs. You can also download an app to see how much your fares will be before you hail a cab from the google play store: AMB TaxiBarcelona app.

During our time in Barcelona we stayed at the SB PlazaEuropa. We arrived very early and the official check in time was 1500; however, when we asked if we could leave our bags and come back later the staff checked and our room was ready so we were able to check in early. We slept that whole day.

On our second day in Barcelona we hiked to the Montjuïc Castle. About an hour walk (mostly uphill) from the hotel. Very interesting site and only € 5 per person to enter. Once we returned to the hotel we enjoyed the rest of the afternoon closer to the hotel and visited the Gran Via 2 shopping mall across the street and watched a Bocce tournament also across the street.

The Ship

The following morning our cruise began. Not knowing what to expect we took a cab to the terminal to check in. The cruise terminal in Barcelona is large, clean and overall well appointed. Our cab driver dropped us right at the door. We arrived at approximately 1100 with the expectation that we would board sometime around noon or later. Check in was fast, we were completely checked in and on board the ship by 1130. As we boarded the ship most guests were shuttled to the forward section of the ship but we were directed aft. This worked great for us. We walked aft and boarded an elevator with no waiting. Boarding early like we did we headed to deck 15 where the pools, water-park and buffet were. Rooms were available by 1400.

Our room was a Balcony Stateroom on deck 13 midships on the starboard side. This location was great. We were only two decks down from deck 15 where most daytime activities occurred, and being mid-ship, we were equidistant from the fore or aft elevators. The aft elevators were usually the easier to catch a ride on. The room was bigger than we expected and we had plenty of space for us and our son (20 yo – on Norwegian at least, you need to be 21 to be considered an adult and all rooms must have one person 21 yo or older). Storage room was plentiful and the balcony was a great place to enjoy the weather and views. While at first the layout of the shower,toilet and wash-basin area seemed odd; it was actually quite efficient. Our steward Andri Patra was amazing the entire trip, he kept us well informed, explained everything on board that we asked about and took great care of our room.

Deck 15 as previously mention is the center for most daytime activity. It has the pools, the waterslides, the mini-golf course, the hot tubs, the adults only area, and the buffet. During the day this is the hub of the ship. In the evenings you find various venues on deck 5, 6 and 7. Deck 5 has the atrium (short evening activities about an hour long, Lester is so entertaining), the excursions desk, guest services, the library, a couple of shops, a couple of restaurants and a couple of entertainment venues. Deck 6 is mostly casino. Deck 7 has the rest of the entertainment venues, the bulk of the shops, more specialty restaurants and the art gallery.

The adults only area was essentially a bar, with a bigscreen and a “pool” which seemed to be a 12x12 square pool that was as warm as the hot tubs. We preferred the main pool area to the adults only area.

We tried dining in the main dining room (Taste) and the Irish pub (O’Sheehan’s; did they misspell Oceans?). In both, the menus were limited and portions were small although the food was delicious. After this we decided the wide variety at the buffets was more welcomed and casual. We found if you went right when a meal started it was crazy crowded. If you waited about an hour it was pleasantly quiet and relaxed. At the buffet area several staff members made our day each time we saw them. Get your omelets in the morning from Rudolfo Quinola for a real treat. Make sure you stop by and say hi to Jennifer Liang Lizhen as you stop to wash your hands before your meals, she will put a smile on your face every time(washy-washy). Byron Brazil was pleasure to talk to as he came by and bussed our tables. He was so friendly each time we saw him.

The Ports

The ports varied in ease of accessibility to activities and excursions. In Naples you walked off thes hip into a large terminal with shopping. Down the stairs and out the door, you exit to the city through a gate that welcomes you to the city and is in front of a very cool looking old fort that protected the harbor. Once through the gate, this is where you can get cabs or meet your excursions (if you went with an outside company).

In Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) you exit the ship board a shuttle that takes you out of the port to a large parking lot where you can get cabs or meet your excursions.

We were wiped out after our day in Rome so we chose to stay on the ship when we pulled in to Livorno.

Out next stop was Cannes. At this port you tender (ride the small boats from the ship to the pier). Once on the pier you can walk right into town, get a cab or meet your excursion.

Our last port before returning to Barcelona was Palma,Mallorca. We met our excursion directly on the pier maybe 200m from where we stepped off of the ship.

Excursions

Excursions hosted directly by Norwegian picked you up on the pier in each case and dropped you off at the gang planks when you were done. The ship guaranteed they would not leave without you if you were on a ship hosted excursion. These were all largely sold out by the time we started planning our trip (we jumped on the opportunity to take the cruise at about 45 days out, pretty late in the game honestly).

We opted to go with a separate company for our shore excursions. The company we chose was CruisingExcursions.com. Prices were about half of what very similar excursions were from Norwegian. They guaranteed that you would be picked up conveniently to the port (see above about each port), that your guide would speak fluent English, and you would be back on time to the ship or they would arrange and pay for everything for you to meet the ship at your next port.

Our first excursion was from the port in Naples - Small Group Tour - Mysteries of Pompeii,Mount Vesuvius, Winery and Lunch. We went to Pompeii on a small group tour. Our guide Leonardo, was amazing and loved his country and what he did. His English was excellent and he had mentioned that he also spoke French and German. Our tour to Pompeii was great and Leonardo’s narration was engaging. After Pompeii we had lunch at a winery on the side of Vesuvius. Six different wines for tasting, appetizers and spaghetti in a family vineyard on the side of one the worlds most infamous volcanoes. What a day. We got back to the ship with hours to spare.

Our next excursion was a whirlwind through Rome - Essential Collection - Rome Sightseeing and Vatican Visit. This is a busy long day. The ride from the port to the city was about an hour and 20 minutes. We got to seethe Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and of course the Vatican museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica and St.Peter’s square. Honestly, I could have done without the Vatican visit. Even with a tour group that skips the entry lines it is an exercise in being herded along among massive crowds in hot passages. It was beautiful, but not being Catholic, it was just like going to a really big museum for us. A very big,crowded, hot museum. We got back to the ship in plenty of time even though we had tour members who could not show up in meeting locations on time several times. Our guide Sarah was very knowledgeable and did everything in her power to make sure that everyone was where they need to be when they should be there. Everyone on the tour except one couple made it to meeting locations on time with no issues. Once we got back to the ship it was straight to the pool for some serious relaxation before dinner. Reports from other cruise guest who took other excursions with other companies or Norwegian all had similar hectic experiences and a similarly tiring day in Rome. Rome is best being a vacation all by itself in our opinion.

As mentioned before we stayed on the ship in Livorno. Cannes was our shopping stop. No excursion, but the city was a lot of fun.

Our final excursion was on Mallorca - EssentialCollection - Caves of Drach. We were picked up directly on the pier and our guide Juan was definitely passionate about his home. The drive from Palma to Manacor, near the locality of Porto Cristo where the caves are, was over an hour and half. We stopped along the way at the Orquidea pearl factory and shop. This was a shopping stop. Pretty self-explanatory. Once we got to the caves it was an exercise in herding. The caves themselves area bout a 20-30 minute walk-through of interest. However, it isn’t quite that easy. Mid-way through the cave you are forced to stop and listen to a chamber orchestra for about 20 minutes. You can’t pass this point if you aren’t interested. Because of this everyone is clustered on top of each other from the time you enter, during the forced concert and until you get out. The temperature in the cave should be around 70 deg F but the press of people who are within inches of each other for the entire time you are in there raises it at least 15 degrees. This excursion was a colossal waste of time and irritating to say the least. Luckily it wasn’t expensive, but I wouldn’t advise going to see this cave unless you are either a geology or mediocre chamber music fan.

Final impressions

This was out first cruise and it was awesome. We have discussed others in the future and we really enjoyed everything about the ship,the staff and the locations. We got to see a lot in a short amount of time and the ship was so comfortable and welcoming. We look forward to future cruises with Norwegian and would welcome another opportunity to cruise on the Epic.