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Get to the Cruise the day before - Part 1

javaCruiser14

By javaCruiser14,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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javaCruiser14

javaCruiser14

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I thought it would be nice to share the experience explaining why it is good to fly in the day before cruise. You can imagine what is going to happen, but maybe it helps someone else.

 

First of all, in may defense, our plan included enough time. We booked the cruise and then booked our own flight. We also got on cruise critic and made arrangements to reserve private excursions.

 

The cruise was booked. Mediterrean cruise Barcelona/Barcelona 7 days with stops at Monte Carlo, Litmoro-Florence/Pisa, Chetivecia-Rome, Naples , Palma whatever. NCL Jade

 

The first flight was good, putting us in DallasFortWorth, everything on time. Then AmericanAirlines decided to add some excitement to our trip.

 

We loaded up, and then the wait started. The pilot announced that a strap was missing from one of the "jump" seats and that it was manditory item, and they would have to go to mantenance facility as it wasn't at airport. Luckily AA has a maintenance facility at FT Worth. Three(3) hours wait, sitting in plane, and we had the part and off we go. DFW to Madrid straight through, but the won't make up any time, and my "time cushion" is being depleted.

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javaCruiser14

javaCruiser14

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My wife gave me a AMBIUM. She later said that they showed three movies on the flight. The first was "Blind Side", I didn't see the last two, and I only saw the first portion of "Blind Side".

 

When we arrived at Madrid, Spain we have missed our connecting flight, but I assure my wife that we can still make it. We have to gather our luggage, go thru customs, then book another flight to Barcelona. You would think that AA would try to expidite arrangements, but we have been handed off to their European Partner - Iberia.

 

We make arrangements to fly to Barcelona on next available. We have done our best, and surely there are others. We adjust timetable and tell ourselves that we might make it. In retrospect, we should have seen it coming.An unusual thing happens in Spain in the afternoon, it is called Siesta, and everybody takes a break. I believe that this phenomenon also cost us valuable time. As we set waiting for the next flight, the time cushion calculations became terribly thin. Three (3) hours lost at DFW, Two (2) more in Madrid. But we had Six (6) hours cushion.

 

I assured my wife that we had trip insurance, and the worst that could happen, was it would cause delay, for which we would be reimbursed.

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javaCruiser14

javaCruiser14

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Another thing that should have occurred to us, was that the Cruise ship must submit a list to government port authorities about 1-2 hours before departure. I know that now as I have watch the cruise shows on TV.

 

But this was our second cruise. First was San Juan/San Juan 7 day on Carnival Victory. A nice itenerary.

 

But I digress, ok it was November 2010, and we are heading for Med Cruise.

 

When we catch our flight to Barcelona, I calculate that it's going to be close. We prepare our plans, get gate number for luggage, grab luggage, get taxi and get to pier.

 

There is so many thing wrong with the above. First of all, our original plan called for us to get to Barcelona about 10:30 and the ship leaves at 5:00.

Now thats 6.5 hours, so that should be enough. Recalcuting.....3 hours lost at DFW, 2 more in Madrid, have to be on boat 2 hours before departure, so we are actually down about .5 hours- No Chance, but we don't know that yet....and this is where things really start boiling.

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Moondawgie

Moondawgie

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OMG. My heart is beating very fast as I read this ... continue.

 

I actually flew the same day to Barcelona and made it to the Splendour in time.

 

Then a different trip, I flew to LA (1 hr flight) and missed the ship due to American (Alaska) Airlines. What an adventure that was!! I had to catch it in Puerta Vallarta 3 days later.:confused::rolleyes:

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SuiteCruisin14

SuiteCruisin14

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Another thing that should have occurred to us, was that the Cruise ship must submit a list to government port authorities about 1-2 hours before departure. I know that now as I have watch the cruise shows on TV.

 

But this was our second cruise. First was San Juan/San Juan 7 day on Carnival Victory. A nice itenerary.

 

But I digress, ok it was November 2010, and we are heading for Med Cruise.

 

When we catch our flight to Barcelona, I calculate that it's going to be close. We prepare our plans, get gate number for luggage, grab luggage, get taxi and get to pier.

 

There is so many thing wrong with the above. First of all, our original plan called for us to get to Barcelona about 10:30 and the ship leaves at 5:00.

Now thats 6.5 hours, so that should be enough. Recalcuting.....3 hours lost at DFW, 2 more in Madrid, have to be on boat 2 hours before departure, so we are actually down about .5 hours- No Chance, but we don't know that yet....and this is where things really start boiling.

 

Can't wait to hear the rest. I have done that cruise and airport and cruise port are a little bit of a difference apart.

 

Lynda

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javaCruiser14

javaCruiser14

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In Barcelona, we get off plane as fast as we can, check with Iberia official and find the carousel number of our flight. She asks where we came from and we tell her DFW, she gives us Number. Maybe we should have gotten the number for Madrid also, but the mistakes were starting to accumulate, so what difference will one more make.

 

Yes it was the wrong one, now it's almost funny, but it wasn't then. When we find the right carousel, it was actually a lot closer to our arrival gate, who would have guessed!

 

We grab a taxi and off we go. We explained our predicament to the cab driver, and when we crossed the bridge, he exclaimed, "She is still at the pier"! I retorted that's and RCCL ship, our is NCL,the one that is underway.

 

On a good day I could've hit it with a rock, close but no cigar.

 

It is not a good place to be:

sitting on a cruise ship peir when the baots are all gone or have buttoned-up , all ready to leave. All those cruise personnel that check you in are long gone-returning home after a days work. Did I mention Barcelona, Spain, and neither speak Spanish. Oh sure, we both had some classes, but that was decades ago!

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javaCruiser14

javaCruiser14

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Barcelona pier - NCL Jade has departed - Cruise area has been cleared of all English speaking personnel. Yeah it's funny now!

 

We make the cab driver wait while we try to figure this out. But most of the other cab drivers just shrug when we explain. I know they had a good laugh after we left. I admit, I actually watch when we leave a port, just to get a glimpse of those racing for the deperting cruise ship.

 

We have missed the Boat, so what do you do. I am here to tell you that you are pretty much on your own, or least that was my experience. The cruise line does not employ anyone to stay back and help these stagglers.

 

So I've been handed a lemon, I am in Spain, speak no spanish, and actually have Euros, only because I had converted some for the excursions. Where does one go to catch a cruise ship?

 

Back to the Barcelona airport. Gotta catch a flight to Monte Carlo....

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javaCruiser14

javaCruiser14

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Barcelona Airport- information desk..

 

Tough to get help. We explain our problem, (I know that this gives them one to tell when they get home). We find one little Spanish guy that is helpful. He finds a flight to Nice the next day at 10:00. The boat gets to Monte Carlo at 8:00 and I want to be waiting at the dock.

 

He tells us to fly to Milan, catch train to Monte Carlo, BINGO!

 

We book and pay in Euros for our flight on Italino Air. The credit card companies have stopped charges cause we didn't call them and tell them that we were going to make purchases in Europe. I wasn't planning on it, so why call, but things are a changing!

 

Flight to Milan ON TIME ! Hey things are looking up. I start looking at the map in the seat and realize that Nice would have been much closer, Milan is in the middle top of the Italy boot. All announcements are in Italian, and I can just about understand, but they repeat in English, although it's not very good English.

 

Do you know what the call someone who speaks three languages?

.....

....

...

.

Tri-lingual

 

 

 

 

 

Do you know what the call someone who speaks two languages?

.....

....

...

.

Bi-lingual

 

 

 

 

Do you know what the call someone who speaks one language?

.....

....

...

.

American

 

Next stop Milan

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javaCruiser14

javaCruiser14

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hey it's tough to remember what number I'm on...I guess 7 is correct. forgive me if I repeat a number.

 

Milan Italy----Did I mention they speak Italian? and they take Euros too!!

 

We ask information at the Hert Rental desk, cause they speak a little English. After we explain our situation, she assures us that we will not be able to catch a train to Monte Carlo at this hour. She is probably correct cause now it's about 10:00, but I am on a mission.

 

Grab a Taxi.... We want to go to the train station first to check schedules, then get a hotel nearby, so that we can catch boat.

 

During the ride the Taxi driver get's the story, he tells us that there will be no train tonight. He asks where we were going. When I say Monte Carlo, Monaco, he says "Germany?". He must have thought Munich, maybe my accent. Finally I spell it and his GPS on dash displays Monte Carlo, I said, "There!". He said "Oh, Casino, France". It is not France, but who wants to argue and it's getting late.

 

Somehow during the ride I through out the suggestion " How about you driving us to Monte Carlo?" What would the cost be?

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petesweet

petesweet

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No disrespect to OP but I don't think flying directly to a cruise departing the US is a good idea but one with an international flight is totally insane. Way too many variables as your story is unfolding.

 

I believe that is the point OP is making.

 

Kathy

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javaCruiser14

javaCruiser14

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sorry for typing errors, I am trying to hurry

 

Taxi- Milan to Monte Carlo 400 euros, at that time it was @ $600 american.

 

It is apprximately 300 kilometers give or take, check google. It is very pretty countryside, or that is what I've been told, as it happened by between the hours of 10:00 and 2:00 or thereabouts. We were just sitting in the back of the taxi, wife crying, probably from lack of sleep, and myself concentrating on the GPS, making sure the cab stayed on the given route. He was driving pretty fast and we went through a lot of tunnels. He stopped for an expresso about halfway then we really stated moving.

 

So where do go when you get to Monte Carl at 2:00. It is really a pretty town, built on the side of a cliff. Take us to the pier. But the driver, does know his way around Monte Carlo. So he stops on some hill, and asks a taxi going the other direction. Italian speaking cab driver getting directions from French Taxi driver. Motorcyle pulls allongside and says follow me. How do I know what he said, but I guess. I tell him to go to the Big Casino, where else does a tourist go.

 

When we see the casino, I rememebr something in travel guide that you must pay to go inside, either that or wear a tux. Doesn't matter I'm not up for either.

 

Take me to the nearest hotel.

 

We go to the nearest and it is NICE! I get out, ask the Hotel Concierge if he speaks English. When he answers, I pay the Italian Cab and send him on his way.

 

I tell the Concierge my story (short version) and tell him that he has a really nice Hotel, I would like to lay my head down, but I getting on the Boat at 8:00. He tell that the Hotel rooms cost 400 per night (euros) but that he knows of a cheaper, but nice Hotel up the hill that the send others. His suggestion sounds good to me, he calls us a cab, and up we go!

 

Hotel room was very small, bed and bathroom and not much romms between. Smallest elevator that I've ever been in, closet size, and small closet.

 

Slept till 9:00, then off to boat. Taxi driver was a french gal, and when we got to pier, they told her, where she could/coldn't park. I learned a few choice French words.

 

Got to boat...checked in. I felt like a salmon that day. Wife and I were dragging all our luggage to get on the ship, just as the masses were exiting the ship to tour Monte Carlo.

 

ok so we are on the ship..I will continue , tomorrow

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