flwinejunkie

Thanks Boschmann & Hawkeyetlse for your insight about the Barcelona port bus. I like the idea of taking the metro to go to Sagrada Familia instead of a cab. I have no sense of direction, so I'll have my husband figure it out. He mastered NY City subways, so I think he can handle this. Besides, I'm doing all the other planning so he needs to get involved.

Thanks again!

Mary Jon

Keith,

Do you know anything about the shuttle from Barcelona port into Barcelona? I know it goes to the Columbus monument. But, I but don't know where to find it once off the ship or when it begins to run and if it runs throughout the day in case people want to return early.

I'm trying to decide if I should take the shuttle to the Columbus monument and then find a taxi to take me to Sagrada Familia or if I should just take a taxi directly there from the port. I'm concerned that cabs won't want to go into town when the majority of the people will go to the airport. I want to buy advance tickets to Sagrada Familia and trying to figure out the specific timed entrance to purchase.

Thanks for any insight you can provide!

Mary Jon

Thanks so much Hank for your response! I really appreciate the time you take to respond to so many people's requests for information on these boards. Your breadth of knowledge is impressive and I'm very jealous of all the traveling you've done and places you've been. My dream is to travel throughout Europe when I retire, so I always enjoy reading your posts.

Thanks again for your willingness to share your knowledge and travel experiences!

Mary Jon

Hi,

We'll be on NCL's Epic cruise that arrives in Barcelona on Sun Jun 5. We board in Rome so we will be getting off the ship for a DIY tour at approximately the same time as a large majority of the cruisers who are disembarking to go home. We already went to Montserrat 2 years ago, so I would like to go to La Sagrada Familia and walk around Ramblas this time.

I know I should get advance tickets for La Sagrada Familia and they are for a specific entrance time. I would love to be there early when they open at 9:00 am to avoid the crowds, but don't know how difficult it will be to find a taxi at the port when so many people will be trying to get taxis to the airport. I've seen conflicting reports here on CC about how long it takes to get a taxi so I'm concerned about missing the entrance time for La Sagrada Familia. Also, will a taxi be unwilling to take me on this short trip instead of the airport?

Does anyone have any advice about what time to get off the ship? I remember that it was relatively easy to walk off if it's not your final destination. Is 8:00 am a reasonable time to get off the ship in order to make a 9:00 entrance time for La Sagrada Familia? Or if I get off at 7:30 and arrive early is there somewhere nearby that we could wait and get a coffee or bite to eat?

Also, how difficult is it to get a taxi from La Sagrada Familia afterwards to go to Placa Catalunya Square on a Sunday around 11:30? We don't need to visit other Gaudi sites.

Does anyone have any suggestions for places to visit or eat along Ramblas? I've read Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Port guide and it mainly talks about eating within La Boqueria market but it will be closed on Sun. We're willing to go down side streets too as long as it's not a long walk. I love having multiple options!

One more question. Will we be able to find a taxi around Columbus Monument to take us back to the ship? If possible, I rather take a taxi instead of trying to find the pick up spot for the ship's shuttle especially since we might return early.

I do all my research here on CC and Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Port guide, so I really appreciate everyone's help from people who have "been there done that".

Thanks again!

Mary Jon

Hi!

Shanghai's menu looks good! There is a note at the bottom of the menu that says coverage charge applies, but ncl website says the restaurant is complimentary. I'm confused. Since you recently went on the cruise, can you offer insight about the cost? THANKS!

In Oct 2014 we used this company for the Pisa and San Gimignano tour with wine tasting. I wish I could remember the guide's name because he was the best one we had during our cruise. We went to a small family owned winery and tasted 5-6 wines paired with bread, cheese, soup and lasagne. Bought wine to bring back on the ship and even shipped a case home.

I posted the info for the tour on our roll call board and quickly found others to join us. Everyone had a great time.

Thanks so much for the train information from Venice to Civitavechia, because we're planning to do this the day of departure on NCL Epic at the beginning of June next year.

But, I'm confused about how to go from the train station to the ship because I've seen conflicting posts. I thought it was only a 10 min walk from the station to the shuttle bus stop, but then I saw something about changes to the shuttle stops which make it sound like more like a 30 min walk.

Does anyone have any insight?

Thanks for sharing how long the walk is from the train station with the construction!

Does anyone have an estimate of how long the walk is without the construction? I'm hoping it will be finished by the time I go on the Epic in early October.

Thanks!

Thanks guys...

 

I checked VRBO for Rome apts with the dates we were going to be there and then filtered by the # of reviews. I booked it 6 months in advance though.

 

Thanks for the info about VRBO. I've never heard about that before so I looked online today and sent some inquiries. The apartments are more reasonable than hotels with the same great locations.

Now I have another question about boarding in Rome. Everything I've seen so far talks about embarking in Barcelona, not Rome. Does anyone know the approximate time the first group is allowed onboard?

Thanks again for taking the time to write this review. I've been eagerly waiting for someone to post about this year's cruise!

 

We only had 1 mediocre meal at a tourist spot. Other than that I researched recommended places and we had some amazing food and wine.

Hi!

Do you remember the names of these restaurants in Rome? My DH and I are really looking forward to some awesome food and wine so we'd love to hear your recommendations.

Also, how did you research apartments? We currently have a hotel near Pantheon but it's alot more expensive than your apartment.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Hi!

DH and I are thinking about taking NCL's Pisa and a Taste of Tuscany tour this fall. You mentioned a bus, so I'm curious how many people were on the tour. Can you please provide an estimate? DH is concerned that it will be too many people at the winery to be able to ask questions during the tour and enjoy the sit down tasting.

Thanks so much for posting your review! I'm eagerly waiting for this cruise!

The sock monkey pics really made me giggle! :D It reminded me of taking Flat Stanley pictures for a friend's son a couple of years ago. We had a lot of fun trying to find places to put him, but I think your pics with the towel animals are the best and most creative! (Google Flat Stanley if you don't know him....he loves to go on adventures.)

We're going on Epic for the mediterranean cruise this fall, so I enjoyed your positive comments about the ship. I was thinking about posh passes, but decided against it since the cruise is so port intensive with only 1 day at sea. I did spring for the extra bucks to get our first balconey, so I can't wait. Unfortunately, Flat Stanley won't be making the trip with us though, but I know he would love it!

Thanks for sharing your experience and pictures!

Can you make a reservation for BMG prior to getting on the ship? If so, how far in advance?

Thanks in advance for your help! I know I've seen the answer before somewhere, but my search skills are limited.

I'd love to see them too....please send to dudemp52@comcast.net. THANKS for the offer!

Our first cruise with Princess is on the Golden out of Seattle in May. Even though we're arriving late the night before, I was planning to get up and go to the terminal early in order to board early.

Based on other threads, it sounds like there are some advantages to boarding early. But, now I'll miss out on all of those because of the new staggered boarding policy. I booked my room months ago but I might have chosen differently if I'd known which decks board earliest. Needless to say, I'm disappointed.

These CC boards advise talking to the Maitre D as soon as you board to get on the waiting list for Chef's table because part of the criteria is first come first serve. At least I felt like I could influence my chance to get selected based on arriving early, but now it doesn't seem fair that donkeys will probably fly before I can attend Chef's table due to late boarding.

My fellow cruisers also rave about having lunch in the MDR on embarkation day. But again, I don't have that opportunity thanks to late boarding because the MDR will be closed before I board. I truly dislike buffet cattle calls, but at least the International Cafe will be open.

Ok, thanks for letting me vent.

So, now I need help determining what to do during the 2+ hours between the hotel kicking me out and boarding. I don't necessarily want to hang out at the hotel because it's at the airport due to late arrival. If we drop off our luggage, is there anything to see or do within walking distance of the pier? We're already spending a few days in Seattle post cruise, so I don't necessarily want to incur 2 more taxi charges to run downtown and back.

Any suggestions? I really appreciate all the advise that people offer on these boards.