Our Amazing European Adventure! Navigator of the Seas & Norwegian Epic Review w/pics

[travelplus]

Here is a stump question for an obsessive planner. How many times was your credit card run from the time you planned the trip until the moment you arrived home?

[ShellDil]

Here is a stump question for an obsessive planner. How many times was your credit card run from the time you planned the trip until the moment you arrived home?

 

Oh that's a good one! I'd actually say that most of the credit card charges were before the trip. I tried to prepay for as many of our excursions as possible. Then of course we did have the two cruise on board charges to pay for. But as far as actual expenses while we were on land? I paid for as much as possible in Euros while over there. I used ATMs to take out Euros each day and paid cash. So if you count the ATM as a credit card, then I guess every day a few hundred Euro?

 

Initially I had thought I wanted to pay for the excursions as we went, but in the end, paying for as many before we left worked out much easier. As long as the companies we went with had clear policies that if for any reason we couldn't make it we'd be refunded our money, and we had trip insurance as well. I was ok with that.

[ShellDil]

Loved your review, read it from start to finish over a couple weeks and enjoyed every minute of it. We just got back from the Oasis and are having vacation withdrawals. Hope you can get back out on the oceans soon.

 

Thanks again for your review.

 

Thanks! I'd love to go on the Oasis! How did you like it? Did you find it too big? This has been one cold, snowy winter and I'm right there with you on the vacation withdrawals! Nothing planned yet.....sigh.....

[troyandcarol]

We loved it!! We had been on the Allure in 2012 and loved it as well. This time we went with no kids and last time we took our then 3 year old daughter. 2 totally different trips and we loved them both. Not once did I feel like there were 6ooo people on the ship, we did experience some lines and occasional crowding for the parades but nothing bad in my opinion. Can't wait to go back!! Maybe on the Quantam :)

[Scarlet and grey]

Great review!!

 

We are booked with Bruno food tours in October. What sites did you see on your walk? Did you go into the Pantheon? Trying to figure out our own walking tour for earlier in the day and don't want to miss something or see something twice.

 

Thank you for any help!!! Sounds amazing!

[Buck1949]

Great review!!

 

We are booked with Bruno food tours in October. What sites did you see on your walk? Did you go into the Pantheon? Trying to figure out our own walking tour for earlier in the day and don't want to miss something or see something twice.

 

Thank you for any help!!! Sounds amazing!

 

Hi there,

If you are talking about the food tour in Rome, starting at the San Danielle restaurant, we have booked that for our group of six for June 11 while we are in Rome. It also is conducted by Bruno. The food tour had great reviews so we are hopeful it will be a nice experience.

 

I don't do a large amount of walking, since I've had both of my knees replaced, so we are taking an escorted tour of Rome for the day on the 12th.

[ShellDil]

Great review!!

 

We are booked with Bruno food tours in October. What sites did you see on your walk? Did you go into the Pantheon? Trying to figure out our own walking tour for earlier in the day and don't want to miss something or see something twice.

 

Thank you for any help!!! Sounds amazing!

 

Hi! Thanks for reading! As far as the food tour, it does focus mainly on the food, so any walking tour you do on your own probably wouldn't duplicate what you'll see on Bruno's tour. My review highlights what where we stopped - in the Jewish Ghetto we did a stop at some ruins where he showed us some before and after pictures on his iPad and went over some history. We also saw a synagogue in that area and got some brief history. We walked through Camp di Fiori and he told us some general info, Piazza Navona - again some details about the area along with the statue that was in Angels and Demons! We didn't go into the Pantheon, but we stopped there and he talked about it. I remember stopping in front of a couple of other buildings and some other fountain, but I can't remember exactly which at this point! But I would think of his tour as a general overview, maybe like an introductory tour and then anything you would do on your own maybe would be more in depth.

 

Throughout the evening, Bruno does all kinds of trivia - both about the history of Rome, Italy and food - so you will get a lot out of the night! Not just eating!

 

You'll love it!

[Scarlet and grey]

Hi! Thanks for reading! As far as the food tour, it does focus mainly on the food, so any walking tour you do on your own probably wouldn't duplicate what you'll see on Bruno's tour. My review highlights what where we stopped - in the Jewish Ghetto we did a stop at some ruins where he showed us some before and after pictures on his iPad and went over some history. We also saw a synagogue in that area and got some brief history. We walked through Camp di Fiori and he told us some general info, Piazza Navona - again some details about the area along with the statue that was in Angels and Demons! We didn't go into the Pantheon, but we stopped there and he talked about it. I remember stopping in front of a couple of other buildings and some other fountain, but I can't remember exactly which at this point! But I would think of his tour as a general overview, maybe like an introductory tour and then anything you would do on your own maybe would be more in depth.

 

Throughout the evening, Bruno does all kinds of trivia - both about the history of Rome, Italy and food - so you will get a lot out of the night! Not just eating!

 

You'll love it!

 

thank you, that was very helpful!

[txcruiser121]

Thank you for posting your wonderful vacation!! I will be sailing on the Epic in 2 weeks!!! I can't wait!

 

Did you have any problems with pick pockets in any of the places you visited? Every tour book & website I've read on Italy always talks about the pick pockets.

[ShellDil]

Thank you for posting your wonderful vacation!! I will be sailing on the Epic in 2 weeks!!! I can't wait!

 

Did you have any problems with pick pockets in any of the places you visited? Every tour book & website I've read on Italy always talks about the pick pockets.

 

You're welcome! Have a great trip!

 

We didn't have any problems at all with pick pockets. We tried to just be aware of our belongings. We were probably most cautious on the trains and in train stations. We felt very comfortable in Rome, whether we should have or not :eek:

 

Interestingly the year before we went on this trip, my daughter was on an educational trip where one of her destinations was Paris. She said the pick pocketing there was very prevalent. More than one student in her group was a victim of it. I don't know if they were easy targets, a group of students with day backpacks with only a few chaperons? Or if it's just much worse in Paris.

[txcruiser121]

Thank you!

 

I have book some private tours, so we won't be on any trains this trip.

[ShellDil]

Thank you!

 

I have book some private tours, so we won't be on any trains this trip.

 

Just use street smarts and you'll be fine!

[txcruiser121]

2 more quick questions about using private tours...

1) How much did you tip them after your tour? I've read 5 euros per person is about average.

2) Did the guides each lunch with you or were you able to eat lunch on your own? I know you booked a food tour & some of your tours included lunch.

[ShellDil]

2 more quick questions about using private tours...

1) How much did you tip them after your tour? I've read 5 euros per person is about average.

2) Did the guides each lunch with you or were you able to eat lunch on your own? I know you booked a food tour & some of your tours included lunch.

 

Good questions! It's been awhile, and I'm not really sure exactly what we tipped on some of the tours. Some my husband and I tipped and some my parents tipped. Some we scrambled in the back of the van trying to figure out just what to tip! :eek: But I think on average we did probably do about 5 euros per person most tours. I do remember that our Naples day, we LOVED our guide and wanted to tip him more, but didn't have the cash with us and I felt really bad. He went so out of his way for us that day and was so personable! I would have liked to have given him a bigger tip. None of the guides we had ever seemed to expect a tip at all. On our Tuscany tour day, I don't think we tipped much at all. The "guide" was more just a driver and drove us from place to place - dropped us off and didn't do much talking in the car in between stops.

 

The only place the guides had lunch with us was in Palma. We were at the winery and Kym and her husband joined us while we ate. I don't think they had any of the food, but they each had a glass of wine. They shared stories with us and it was a great time. Oh, in Ephesus, our guide - but not the driver, came to lunch with us. But we invited her. She was fantastic. She asked us where we wanted to eat and we told her a local restaurant and she took us to the place. We asked her to join us at the table. I think she would have just gone back to the van and waited for us if we didn't ask. In all of the other ports, the guides would just tell us a general area to find lunch and give us a place and time to meet them.

[Buck1949]

Not to butt in, but we just got off the Epic and we never had problems at any ports we stopped at - except at the beaches. Our friends were approached and distracted, but luckily did not lose anything. We were heavily warned when we took a private tour in Barcelona - but again no problems.

 

As was said - just be aware..... Keep your wallet in your front pocket or if a lady use a cross body purse - or no purse at all.

 

We did all private tours and tipped between 5% to 10% in total for both of us depending on how well the tour was handled by the guide. 100 euro tour = 5 euros to 10 euros total given.

[txcruiser121]

Not to butt in, but we just got off the Epic and we never had problems at any ports we stopped at - except at the beaches. Our friends were approached and distracted, but luckily did not lose anything. We were heavily warned when we took a private tour in Barcelona - but again no problems.

 

As was said - just be aware..... Keep your wallet in your front pocket or if a lady use a cross body purse - or no purse at all.

 

We did all private tours and tipped between 5% to 10% in total for both of us depending on how well the tour was handled by the guide. 100 euro tour = 5 euros to 10 euros total given.

 

Thank you!

[txcruiser121]

Thanks!

[lindahope]

Your pictures are amazing !!! I will refer to your review often as I research our European cruise next May! BRAVO!!:)

[ShellDil]

Your pictures are amazing !!! I will refer to your review often as I research our European cruise next May! BRAVO!!:)

 

Thank you! I'm glad that I can help out! :D

[Cruisa Loosa]

I read your entire review yesterday and it was well worth the few hours it took me. I learned so much from your comments and photos. Thank you!

 

We are going to Europe for a month next summer...three days in Venice, then 22 day cruise from Venice to Barcelona, then three days in Barcelona. We stop at many of the ports you reviewed so it was great to hear and see what they are like. I have always been a little nervous of private tours...the old fear of not getting back to the boat in time, but your review and many others are giving me the confidence to try it. We hope to DIY in some ports, but after seeing how much you saw and learned with a tour guide I am thinking it is worth the cost. Might be a once in a lifetime trip so need to make the most of it. The ship tours are very pricey and we are not keen on being hauled around in a big bus and waiting in large groups in the heat. I have been to Europe (many years ago) but hubby has not and I want it to be a wonderful and memorable experience.

 

Keep writing reviews. Your writing style is fun and brings it all to life in a realistic way. Happy future cruising!

 

Pat

[ShellDil]

I read your entire review yesterday and it was well worth the few hours it took me. I learned so much from your comments and photos. Thank you!

 

We are going to Europe for a month next summer...three days in Venice, then 22 day cruise from Venice to Barcelona, then three days in Barcelona. We stop at many of the ports you reviewed so it was great to hear and see what they are like. I have always been a little nervous of private tours...the old fear of not getting back to the boat in time, but your review and many others are giving me the confidence to try it. We hope to DIY in some ports, but after seeing how much you saw and learned with a tour guide I am thinking it is worth the cost. Might be a once in a lifetime trip so need to make the most of it. The ship tours are very pricey and we are not keen on being hauled around in a big bus and waiting in large groups in the heat. I have been to Europe (many years ago) but hubby has not and I want it to be a wonderful and memorable experience.

 

Keep writing reviews. Your writing style is fun and brings it all to life in a realistic way. Happy future cruising!

 

Pat

 

Thank you for the compliments on my review! It's great that it's still helping people with their trip planning! I'm glad you got some ideas for your trip. I know that if we didn't do private tours our trip wouldn't have been the same. I think the most important thing is to just do your research and make sure to pick reputable tour companies with great reviews either here or on trip advisor. The tour companies make their living from us, so if they made a habit of letting cruise passengers miss the ship, they wouldn't be in business anymore! At least that's what I'd tell myself when I worried about booking private!

 

Have a great trip! I still miss ours, it truly was a trip of a lifetime....I'm not sure what it's going to take to top it!

 

I'm reviewing our recent cruise on the Celebrity Reflection, and we'll be on the Allure in a few weeks if you want to check out those reviews too!

 

Thanks again for reading along!

[Bimmer09]

Thank you for such a lavish and detailed review-such a lot of work went into it and it took me two days to read and digest.

 

We were on a Med cruise 3 months after you and when we disembarked in Civitavecchia we had Rome in Limo pick us up for an 8 hour tour before dropping us of at Albergo del Senato for a two night stay, so much of your Rome review brought back wonderful memories.

 

Great photographs! I think the photo of Barcelona from on high with the brooding cloudy sky is exceptional and worthy of being poster-size. There were so many great shots though.

 

We ate our best meal in Italy on the beach in Positano- Cova dei Saraceni was the restaurant, seen in some of your beach photos (a long row of windows just above beach level). If you go back you must eat there!

 

Thanks for all the effort you put into this.

 

Norris

[ShellDil]

Thank you for such a lavish and detailed review-such a lot of work went into it and it took me two days to read and digest.

 

We were on a Med cruise 3 months after you and when we disembarked in Civitavecchia we had Rome in Limo pick us up for an 8 hour tour before dropping us of at Albergo del Senato for a two night stay, so much of your Rome review brought back wonderful memories.

 

Great photographs! I think the photo of Barcelona from on high with the brooding cloudy sky is exceptional and worthy of being poster-size. There were so many great shots though.

 

We ate our best meal in Italy on the beach in Positano- Cova dei Saraceni was the restaurant, seen in some of your beach photos (a long row of windows just above beach level). If you go back you must eat there!

 

Thanks for all the effort you put into this.

 

Norris

 

Thank you for taking the time to comment on my review! I love that even after so much time has past, people are still reading it and enjoying it, and others are using it to help them plan their trips! I really loved writing it, so it is wonderful that it still gets bumped up once in awhile!

 

Your trip to Italy sounds like a great one. And your Positano restaurant recommendation will be noted! :D It is a goal to get back there someday!

[Hailzmick]

Wow... Where do I start?

I was instantly drawn into your review after the first page!

I felt like I was right there with you guys, sleeping in the van on the way back from tours, drinking limoncello after meals, endless walking to see beautiful sights!

 

Thank you so much for all the details. We're doing 7 weeks in Europe this April, with inclusion of 21 days on the water, (on Vision of the seas then Splendour). Your review has been so helpful in my decision making process.

My husband wants NOTHING to do with the planning, (fine by me, he he). It will be exciting to say things like, "We have a Segway tour in Madrid tomorrow", etc.

I'm also surprising him by getting a wrap around balcony on our 12 night cruise. He's such a laid back guy- so talking to him about all this might bore him, rather than DOING it all.

 

We're getting apartments everywhere thru the app AirBnB. (WAY cheaper & better than hotels).

Well hopefully I can write a detailed review when we return!

 

Thanks a billion again!

Hailey :-)

[ShellDil]

Wow... Where do I start?

I was instantly drawn into your review after the first page!

I felt like I was right there with you guys, sleeping in the van on the way back from tours, drinking limoncello after meals, endless walking to see beautiful sights!

 

Thank you so much for all the details. We're doing 7 weeks in Europe this April, with inclusion of 21 days on the water, (on Vision of the seas then Splendour). Your review has been so helpful in my decision making process.

My husband wants NOTHING to do with the planning, (fine by me, he he). It will be exciting to say things like, "We have a Segway tour in Madrid tomorrow", etc.

I'm also surprising him by getting a wrap around balcony on our 12 night cruise. He's such a laid back guy- so talking to him about all this might bore him, rather than DOING it all.

 

We're getting apartments everywhere thru the app AirBnB. (WAY cheaper & better than hotels).

Well hopefully I can write a detailed review when we return!

 

Thanks a billion again!

Hailey :-)

 

Thank you SO much for the amazing compliment! I truly love to hear how much my trip report has helped other people with planning their vacations! We had such an amazing trip, and I just love that others enjoy our adventures!

 

How great that you are getting to spend 7 weeks in Europe! Now that's a vacation!! I hope when you get back you write a great review, come back here and post a link to it! I'd love to read about it!

 

Have a great time!