Just back from Western Med.

[arf2005]

Flew into Rome on September 8/9 via JFK on Delta. The flight was excellent if you can call that long a flight excellent. They certainly go out of their way with food, drink, and entertainment (movies,etc) to make the time pass as easily as possible. We had reservations with romeinlimo to pick us up at the airport and as soon as we had exchanged some money and collected our luggage we found them waiting for us directly outside the baggage claim. They took us directly to our hotel, Al Viminale Hill Inn and Hotel located in downtown Rome passing many landmarks along the way. Our driver was very knowledgeable about the history of his city and it was so exciting to get an overview on the way to the hotel.

 

Our room was large by European standards, but nothing to write home about. Would we stay there again? Yes. The location was great and the price was right as well as the room being clean. Also, the bathrooms were newly remodeled and the showers were wonderful! The hotel is in what they called a 19th century remodeled palace. I don't know if that's true, but the hotel did have character, from the old fashioned "lift" to the beautiful doors on all the rooms. If booking here one must keep in mind that there isn't a desk clerk on duty after 8 pm.

 

Our time in Rome:

 

Vatican - Tomb of St. Peter - Great tour - but you must arrange it through the Vatican ahead of time. You have to walk to the far side of the Vatican to the excavation office. We got to meet some of the Swiss guards up close and personal. They greet you with bonjourno! Yes, they actually speak to you!

 

With that tour you get to enter the bascillica directly afterwards past all the lines. Amazing - just amazing - the tour of the tombs and the church afterwards. The tombs are extremely humid but unbelievable what has been uncovered. The tour ends with the tomb of St. Peter.

 

Had lunch at one of the sidewalk cafes there directly across from the church. Had tickets for 1:00 for the Sistine chapel and Vatican museums but they allowed us in early. The artwork is, of course, amazing. Walked through the Sistine chapel. Again amazing. Very small. Was surprised at how many were taking pictures when specifically asked not to.

 

Walked this on our own. Several large tour groups thought nothing of taking up the entire space and not allowing others to go through in a timely manner. That was the only negative. They should either limit the size of tour groups or have separate areas for them, or they should periodically move to the side to let singles move past them.

 

All of the streets in Rome that we walked on were brick and very uneven. This makes walking difficult for even the most fit. Good shoes are a must! Interesting seeing smart cars and scooters parked several deep at many sites. Also interesting seeing men in suits driving the scooters all around!

 

Don't hesitate to ask directions when walking somewhere. We had to several times and found the shopkeepers very friendly and more than willing to help. More than a few had delightful senses of humor!

 

The Trevi fountain was packed as were the Spanish steps. We had tickets for the mass viewing with the pope on Wednesday morning but decided not to go after seeing how large the crowds had been the day before. Just thought we might be late for our transportation that was scheduled for the trip to the port and didn't want to risk it. A bit bummed about missing it but knew it was a chance going in. A reason to go back! Also knew it would give us some extra time on the ship while others were in the city.

 

Found out on our last train ride (of course) that you can change the language from Italian to English when buying your ticket by clicking on (I think) the green ticket. It cost 1 euro plus 50 cents euro to ride the subway around Rome (single ride). You can also buy a day pass but I don't know what that cost. I'm sure we should have done it! Again, don't hesitate to ask if you are unclear as to which line you should be on. They were very helpful.

 

Went to dinner a few blocks from our hotel at a place called alessio ristorante, http://www.ristorantealessio.it. This was a place where you walked in and immediately down a flight of steps. Almost like an old 50's or 60's jazz club. The initial dining room held about 30 people and a back room sat a few more. The food was excellent and the prices very reasonable. Two of us had the lasagne, one the ravioli and one a seafood pasta dish. They got very busy after we arrived and were late bringing us our check, so they brought all our of us a very large shot of limoncello (along with some for another table). They also said they have another location in Rome. The web address for it is http://www.anticocaffedelmoro.net. I would highly recommend this place.

 

We then walked down from the hotel for gelato! Awesome! The amount of flavors was mindblowing. 2 euros for a small heaping dish - which was more than enough. (There were two places close to the hotel and we found they weren't created equal-walking an extra block was worth it for choices in flavors and taste!)

 

More on our hotel. Advertised as having a/c. This is misleading. Only had it on the second level (we had what was called a loft room). It turned out to be ok as it cooled down in the evening but it was quite humid during the day and if we had been in the room then it would have been miserable in the room during this time. The bathroom shower was amazing - rain shower type head. Also had fish tank mirror over the sink with real fish in it. The bed on the first level was ok, the one on the second level was better. The first level bed was actually a sofa bed. The big draw of this hotel was price and location. Very close to transportation hubs as well as centrally located and fairly close to most points of interest. People who worked here were very kind and helpful. Our key didn't work on several occasions and they would have to come help us! Btw, the keys are the old fashioned kind - really cool and unique. They don't have 24 hour desk service so you also get a key to the massive front door. This hotel is in what they call a 19th century palace - and it looks it from the front door! They advertise digital safes but we didn't see them - but also didn't ask. I would stay here again. More in a bit

[arf2005]

Used Rome in limo for transportation to the port. A little pricy but well worth the door to door service and the valuable information you get along the way. The trip took about an hour and 15 minutes. When we arrived our driver unloaded our luggage directly to a porter who took it inside. We never had to touch it! Check in was the quickest and easiest of any cruise I've been on. Took maybe five minutes. Filled out the health paper. Moved on to the desk for credit card info and we were moving towards the ship! We were told our rooms wouldn't be ready until 1 so we went upstairs to eat lunch. It was about 11:30. We then explored the ship a little and decided to see if the room was ready early and it was! Not too long after our luggage arrived. We spent the rest of the day getting to know the ship, hanging out in the hot tubs on the back of the ship and just relaxing! Th Epic is a beautiful ship and as we found out throughout the week it holds thousands of people without anyone feeling crowded.

 

As those who went into Rome began to return a common theme became apparent - we had made an excellent decision to start our cruise in Rome and spend several days there. No one who went on an excursion from the ship (that we spoke to) seemed to have enjoyed it. Just too much to see and do in one day. Roman death march is a good term for this day if you are going in from the cruise ship for just the day!

 

Thursday, Cinque Terre - 5 towns on the Italian Rivera. Up ready to leave at 7:15 and left my good camera - kind of a bad start to the day! Really excited about this tour. It's received 5 star reviews. About an hour and one half bus ride from Livorno but well worth it. We decided to skip Pisa and Florence and do this instead. We did get to see the Leaning tower from a distance and really - getting to say I say it was enough for me. The Cinque Terre lived up to all the reviews - one of the most beautiful, picturesque places I've ever seen. The tour is pricey but well worth every penny. The only downside was having to wait on the train and then being packed into the train (reminded me of pictures I've seen of India). But it was for a short distance so no big deal really. We ate literally, the best seafood ever in one of the little seaside cafes there and got to taste the local wine. Just a wonderful day!

White hot party was that evening. Fun party especially for the younger crowd but even the older folks were enjoying themselves. It was a little cool outside once the ship started moving so you really needed a jacket. Not everyone was dressed in white so don't let that concern you if you don't have an all white outfit.

 

Marseilles, France. Arrived about 7/8 am. Our tour wasn't until the afternoon so we just hung out on the ship during the morning. Actually laid out for awhile. Several played on the water slides. Took a bus tour of the city that was to last 4 hours. Having never been here we wanted to see the major points of interest. We went to the basilica on the hill, the old port - each place allowing about 45 minutes of "free time" and then drove by the palais de long champ. I am glad I got to see this old and quite beautiful city, but I would choose a different way of doing it next time - over half of our time was spent on the bus in bumper to bumper traffic just trying to get from one point to another. I understand traffic is always a problem. If thats the case then this tour should never have been scheduled on a Friday afternoon during rush hour. Very poor planning.

 

Friday evening. Ate at Manhattans. Food was ok, service was not ok. Our waiter was not very personable. We are use to waiters on our cruises who are very friendly - this one was not at all. It took forever to get our food and then the order was wrong on one order. Since it had taken so long we decided to just go with it. A manager did come over at that point and sent a round of drinks to the table.

 

The food at the buffet is ok, just doesn't seem to be as much variety as I've seen before. I think they really want you to spend your money in the specialty restaurants and there are certainly plenty of them to chose from. I'm very old school when it comes to this. I've already paid for my cruise - food included and I'm not willing to pay for my food again.

 

Went to Dancing with the Stars. Very cute. Entertaining.

 

A note on the very thorough hand cleansing routine followed on this line. There are stations literally everywhere for you to use. They are taking this very seriously. Hand sanitizer on either side of the doors to eating establishments as well as most public venues. They also have a person standing there with a bottle to squirt into your hand. I've never been on a ship that took it this seriously (it's been 14 months since my last cruise) but if people are washing their hands on top of the sanitizers, this should make a huge difference.

 

Bowling. We bowled the first day on board. Five dollars per person per game. The lanes were a little weird feeling. All of our scores were silly low. But it was fun and weird to think you were bowling on a cruise ship!

 

Mallorca, Spain. Arrival 1pm on Saturday. Could tell early that morning that we had come south because it was much warmer on the balcony. The shuttle for unlimited trips in to the old town from the port was 12 dollars so we did that. Walked around the town and looked at the church, the old Town, laid out on the beach for awhile and then returned to the ship. If you have children with you just be aware that the beach is a clothing optional beach. Purchased a few pieces of name art from a local vendor that painted them as we watched for our grandchildren. They are beautiful.

 

Went to Taste for dinner. Difference in night and day between Manhattan the night before. Food and service was wonderful. Sunset was absolutely beautiful but missed getting pictures because we were still at dinner. We were able to enjoy it through the windows though.

 

Up early Sunday morning for our tour in Barcelona. Did Monserrat and Barcelona highlights. Started with a beautiful park with unbelievable architecture and tiling. Moved on to the monastery where traffic and crowds were horrific. Probably should have started here. One of my goals was to hear the children's choir. No luck. The church is beyond beautiful but our time was limited due to the crowds. The drive up to and down from the monastery was gorgeous Back to town to see the basilica and the Olympic stadium as well as Barcelona as a whole. What a beautiful city. Love all the balconies. Didn't have time for any food or shopping which was a bit disappointing but stuff happens. Did get to have a glass of sangria in Spain. Bought some biscotti at Monserrat and it was stale. Would suggest staying away from the packaged food in the gift shops!

 

Last day in Naples. Our scheduled tour was for Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri. Rather pricy but we thought it would be worth it. Had to be at the Epic theatre at 7 am. Couldn't believe the large number that booked this tour considering the price -at least 3 bus fulls. Pompeii was nothing short of amazing - I need to find a new word. We also went into a cameo factory. Would have loved to have purchased one but the prices - ouch! Found out on the way to Sorrento that due to rough seas our trip to Capri was cancelled. Very disappointing. The drive to Sorrento was one of the most beautiful ever. Had lunch in town as part of the tour and then time on our own. Then more beautiful scenery as we returned to Naples. We actually saw what appeared to be the world's smallest island (tiny piece of land with one little palm tree growing out of it). Hoped to have time to walk around and maybe shop but once again hit rush hour traffic. You would think these tour operators would have done this enough to be able to avoid these situations. So, we saw a few sights in Naples and then back to the ship. Wish we had cut the Sorrento part a little shorter to avoid traffic in order to have more time in Naples - what an interesting city. As we sat in traffic I watched cars and scooters use the lane next to us to go both ways. Amazing, just amazing! You can definitely tell

you are in the old world when you are in this part of the Italy. Oh, and the fashion is Unbelievable!

[arf2005]

Just a few observations/comparisons...

 

I've sailed on 3 cruise lines (Carnival, MSC and NCL). Since most don't use MSC I will make my comparisons between Carnival and NCL.

 

Carnival has NCL beat hands down on desserts. And in many ways I prefer the food on Carnival. That may in part be due to the fact NCL was catering to a more European crowd on this cruise. But overall I wasn't that impressed with the food. It may also have something to do with the fact that NCL has a ton of specialty restaurants and would really like for you to spend your money there. So for me Carnival wins in the food category - at least the food that is included in your cruise fare.

 

Carnival hands out seasick pills for free. NCL doesn't even keep the medical office open full time. This one goes to Carnival.

 

All lines hit you up initially to buy drinks but NCL backs off after the first day so they win in that category. Carnival is annoying in hitting you up the entire cruise.

 

NCL seems to make fewer announcements throughout the day. The cruise director and staff seemed very good at their jobs on the Epic. Fewer announcements is a good thing so I give NCL the nod in this area.

 

NCL has more nightclubs for adults that is appealing to all ages of adults so believe it or not the Fun Ships lose out to NCL on the nighttime entertainment.

 

NCL charges for room service between midnight and 6am (maybe its 5am) while on Carnival it's free so Carnival takes this category.

 

The wireless service actually works fairly quickly throughout the ship and on Carnival it was horrible - so NCL wins the wireless category.

 

NCL has getting off the ship for excursions down to a fine science - it's practically painless. Carnival could and should take lessons from them. NCL wins this one.

 

NCL welcomes you back to the ships with damp cloths and water or lemonade while playing music - making it a festive atmosphere. Again, Carnival could learn a thing or two from them. MSC also used this technique.

 

The embarkation process was a breeze with NCL although the last time we sailed with Carnival it was fairly easy as well. I think they are all learning to streamline this process. For now a slight edge to NCL but only slight.

 

Freestyle cruising - NCL wins hands down

Formal nights - Carnival wins hands down

 

All of the ship lines have employees that are friendly and helpful. A tie on this one.

 

The beds are an odd shape on the Epic and if you are tall you may find them on the short side - even if you are 5'7 or taller you may at times find your feet hanging off the bed depending on what positions you tend to sleep in. I don't know if other ships have the same odd shaped bed. If so then I would have to say Carnival gets the nod here. If not then it's a tie, because both have comfortable beds.

 

Best hair dryer I've ever used on a cruise ship on the NCL Epic!

 

Storage is tremendous on NCL. While not bad on Carnival NCL has them beat.

 

Entertainment as far as I know is still free on Carnival while NCL has a number of shows you now have to pay for - so Carnival wins this one.

 

NCL balconies are huge! They win the balcony contest!

 

NCL also wins the shower contest. It didn't leak the entire week!

 

Carnival wins for lobster and steak night. I've never heard of having it on embarkation day and in fact think that is just stupid. Carnival usually ties theirs in with one of their "dress-up" nights.

 

If I didn't compare something just ask and I will try and answer.

 

 

Do NOT go to the casino and pay slots on the Epic. The tightest machines ever! Just save yourself the money and buy a few extra drinks! I actually asked for a list of jackpot winners for the week and they refused to give it to me. They advertise on the tv that they pay out over 5 million each week. I think it's a flat out lie. In fact when I told them I was including this as what I considered a lie in a review for cruise critic and when speaking to clients they had no response for me - none - it was if they had never been called on the issue before and now that they were they didn't know what to say or do. Finally they said they would check again and get back to me but I decided at that point that I pretty much knew the answer and wasn't going to persue it and waste any more of my time on the issue.

 

Be careful and don't add gratuities to your drinks as they are already added. NCL is not doing themselves a favor in this as they are getting more and more people requesting the daily tips be taken off because they see everything they purchase has a service charge added. They should really rethink this.

 

They will not open balcony dividers any longer as its considered a fire hazard. Balconies on the Epic seem larger than on other ships.

 

Warning to those going to Europe for the first time...I fried a fan

and a hair curler (with my hair in it) even though we had European adapters. Be extremely careful using anything made for use in the USA and if possible avoid using electronic devices until on the ship. From someone who had to go for a week with fried hair on my cruise and will have to live with it now for weeks afterwards( for those of you with naturally curly hair you will sympathize) I'm telling you first hand - do without for a few days until you get to the ship if at all possible!

 

Another warning - especially for those going to Europe the first time, but really for everyone on this cruise. This is a port intensive cruise. There is only one sea day. For those of us who were European virgins we wanted to pack as much as possible in to each day and I don't regret for one moment doing that. However, I would recommend doing what we did and joining the cruise in Rome instead of Barcelona. Barcelona is the actual "official" beginning of the cruise week for this cruise which is on a Sunday. The problem with that is the very next day, Monday, is the only sea day. When you join the cruise in Rome on Wednesday, by Monday, you really NEED that sea day! This is the first time I've been on a cruise where people got on and off at multiple stops, and it went very smoothly. Hardly noticed at all.

 

Europeans are so much more accepting of some things than Americans. We saw more openly gay couples during this week than probably our entire lifetime. Also interesting to see the fashions in Europe - seemed very 80's in many ways. Oh and why am I just now finding out that the most gorgeous men in the world live in Spain! Holy cow! To be 20 again and know that men looked like that in Spain! Seriously women - they are to die for!

 

 

Had reservations for blue man group but let time get away from us and didn't get there in time for the show. Did hear from some of the other passengers that were from England and Australia that they didn't particularly enjoy the show so I wasn't too disappointed when we missed it. One member of our group went to the Legends concert and said it was just ok. We refused to pay for any of the shows. Ncl seems to be leaning in the direction of putting most of their time and effort towards the supper clubs and shows that bring in extra revenue at the expense of those that are "free" or included in the base price of the cruise fare. I think they may want to rethink this stance (of course if they are making money from it they won't be listening to little ole me!).

 

The dueling pianos was a lot of fun as was the Beatles revue and the nat king cole tribute. Since I'm not a music reviewer I can't say how good they actually were, but they were fun. The ABBA night was a lot of fun on Tuesday night. Lots of energy. On Monday night it was a Latin party. Not as much my thing, but fun as well. Karaoke every night in the Bliss lounge at 9pm.

 

Liberty of the seas was in dock in Barcelona when we were. Almost as large a ship as the epic at first glance. Celebrity had a ship in dock next to us in Naples. Think it was the solstice but couldn't see the name.

 

In reading cruise critic it was my understanding that steak and lobster night was the sea day of this cruise which would make sense as it was the first "dress up" day after most people embarked in Barcelona. That information proved to be wrong. The lobster night was actually Sunday or the first day of the cruise - very odd if you ask me but then no one did! Anyhow, we wound up missing it as we had an excursion and were exhausted - plus had no idea until the following day!

 

Apparently if you are a US citizen you can get a refund on part of the taxes you pay for purchases on ship. We will see if this happens. Tax runs about 21 percent! Problem is I couldn't find where this place was in the airport. Supposedly it's there but I didn't find it.

 

We had room 12178...family members had the room next door...12180... The set up of ours was much better. The bed was next to the balcony doors whereas their bed was next to the bathroom. Ours was just more functional. If booking on this ship definitely ask for a room with a bed next to the balcony. Some have complained about the bathroom setup on this ship. It actually didn't bother me at all. In fact I kind of liked it. The shower is on one side of the room as you walk in and the toilet on the other with a curtain that divides this area from the rest of the room. The only problem I could foresee would be if you are traveling with someone other than family. Then it might be uncomfortable. Tons and tons of storage space in your cabin. You will not run out of places to put your things.

 

People are definitely dressing down from ten years ago when I took my first cruise We still saw a few men in suits and even one or two in tuxes but overall most had on just dress slacks and nice shirts with some doing a jacket. More women dressed up but again fewer than in the past and certainly very few in floor length gowns. I'm sure in part it's due to the planes charging now for luggage.

[arf2005]

Walked up to the viewing area for the bridge on deck 13. Wish I had thought to do this on a sea day, but glad I remembered to do it at all. So interesting to see the bridge and the view from there.

 

The cruise director is very visible around the ship and does a good job. The person who really stands out in my opinion is the assistant cruise director. He has that charisma and energy that draws people to him and is quite funny in addition. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he has his own ship shortly.

 

NCL has a great system for setting up and organizing their portraits. If other ships lines have not adopted something similar yet, they need to do so. I know Carnival had not the last time we sailed with them about 14 months ago. NCL still displays your pictures (at least some of them), but they have a library of hard plastic file folders, one for each cabin, and all you have to do is pull that folder and all of your printed pictures are in the folder. In addition, you can put your room key into a kiosk and your pictures will come up on the computer. They use face recognition to identify who you are. They also have some packaged deals which we have asked for in the past and could never get. for example you can get all of your pictures on a cd for ( I think) $249 - and for an additional $100 get all the photos they printed for your cabin. Now that sounds like a lot - and is - but there were cruises when we had our two granddaughters and probably spent close to that between myself and my daughter - so this would be a huge deal for us - and other families as well, I would think.

 

Talked to a few people who helped me realize why what we do as travel agents is still so very important. They purchased their plane tickets off a major online site thinking they were getting the best deal. Problem was they each had 3 stops both directions and actually paid more than what we would have been able to do for them with just one stop. I didn't ask about their cruise fare but the fact is, when traveling, especially abroad, it's always a good idea to have the expertise of a travel agent backing you.

 

We all have our brand favorites, yet I can't say I prefer NCL over Carnival or vice versa. I've tried to be even handed in giving the positives and negatives of each as I see them - knowing that this could change tomorrow. One thing I didn't mention because we didn't use it, was the fact that infrequently NCL will run a special where children sail for free or $99. Carnival never does that - and I think they should. Msc has been allowing children to sail for free for years now and it's the way they get people to try them. I know we did. We weren't terribly impressed, but if the itinerary were right we would very possibly go back for the very reason that kids sail free.

 

Bottom line - there's nothing like sitting on your balcony watching the waves as the sun goes down in a sky lit by beautiful reds and oranges!

[.manu.]

Thank you for your detailed review!! We will board the Epic in two weeks in Barcelona. I can't wait for it!!

 

The bridge viewing room, that's something I have to keep in mind. Thank you!!

[arf2005]

Thank you for your detailed review!! We will board the Epic in two weeks in Barcelona. I can't wait for it!!

 

The bridge viewing room, that's something I have to keep in mind. Thank you!!

 

If you are boarding in Barcelona and have time beforehand there's a place called Obama's on La Rambla. We didn't have time since it was just a stop for us but I'm told they have the best bloody mary's in the world!

[jdvmd]

Thanks for your comments!

[Bocadude85]

I've never been on the Epic but have been on a few NCL cruises and every time I have played the slots in the casino I have won money. Last time I won $550 and only played $20, the time before that I won $650 and only played $50.

[arf2005]

I've never been on the Epic but have been on a few NCL cruises and every time I have played the slots in the casino I have won money. Last time I won $550 and only played $20, the time before that I won $650 and only played $50.

 

Well then you are quite lucky! But I would also say you are the exception and not the rule.

[meltingmoments]

Thank-you for the super review! Brought back happy memories of our trip last year! Glad you enjoyed your trip. :)

[TSUmom]

We are curently booked on the 11 day Jade out of Rome but not until 2015. I am watching for the summer 2015 because we would like to change to the 7 day - still leaving from Rome - because of limited vacation days at work.

 

Anyway, I love the Epic and I was curious how it would be boarding mid-cruise. You answered that, it seems easy. We too would rather spend a few days touring Rome than having just a single port day there.

 

Thank you for your review.

[arf2005]

We are curently booked on the 11 day Jade out of Rome but not until 2015. I am watching for the summer 2015 because we would like to change to the 7 day - still leaving from Rome - because of limited vacation days at work.

 

Anyway, I love the Epic and I was curious how it would be boarding mid-cruise. You answered that, it seems easy. We too would rather spend a few days touring Rome than having just a single port day there.

 

Thank you for your review.

 

There were a number of us who boarded in Rome and I would highly recommend it if Rome is the city you are most interested in spending time in. Good luck in finding the trip that fits best for you.

[bg&bg]

Thanks for the detailed review - it brought back so many memories, most of them good.

 

Our first European cruise (three years ago next month, on the NCL Jade) began in Barcelona. We arrived a couple days early and had time to see a lot at our own pace (as you did in Rome) and enjoyed every minute - couldn't wait to go back.

By the time we got to Rome for the "death march" we were glad that we'd paid $$ for a tour with a small group. The pace was brisk, our guide amazing, the sights incredible... And we were so exhausted at the end of the day that we thought we would never go back to Rome!

Fortunately a year later we began & ended our Eastern Med. Cruise in Rome and had time to enjoy it on our own - and we've been back several times (going again next month!) but both times we've done the Grand Med. cruise we just stayed on the ship on the Rome port call day and relaxed.

 

We are looking forward to our first voyage on the Epic - next month from Barcelona to Miami.

[arf2005]

Thanks for the detailed review - it brought back so many memories, most of them good.

 

Our first European cruise (three years ago next month, on the NCL Jade) began in Barcelona. We arrived a couple days early and had time to see a lot at our own pace (as you did in Rome) and enjoyed every minute - couldn't wait to go back.

By the time we got to Rome for the "death march" we were glad that we'd paid $$ for a tour with a small group. The pace was brisk, our guide amazing, the sights incredible... And we were so exhausted at the end of the day that we thought we would never go back to Rome!

Fortunately a year later we began & ended our Eastern Med. Cruise in Rome and had time to enjoy it on our own - and we've been back several times (going again next month!) but both times we've done the Grand Med. cruise we just stayed on the ship on the Rome port call day and relaxed.

 

We are looking forward to our first voyage on the Epic - next month from Barcelona to Miami.

 

Enjoy your trip - I'm quite jealous!

[FL Cruise Guy]

Well then you are quite lucky! But I would also say you are the exception and not the rule.

 

That would be true of any casino... the house always wins!

[cabincop]

Thank you for your review, just wanted to let you know some things. I have done this cruise 10x's both out of Barcelona and Rome. The tax refund you talk of is called a VAT tax which only occurs if you leave out of Spain. Also no matter what time you drive in Italy traffic is horrendous, but it is part of the charm, lol.. This is my favorite port crazy cruise, so glad you enjoyed it.

[arf2005]

That would be true of any casino... the house always wins!

 

But of course...

[arf2005]

Thank you for your review, just wanted to let you know some things. I have done this cruise 10x's both out of Barcelona and Rome. The tax refund you talk of is called a VAT tax which only occurs if you leave out of Spain. Also no matter what time you drive in Italy traffic is horrendous, but it is part of the charm, lol.. This is my favorite port crazy cruise, so glad you enjoyed it.

 

Thanks for the clarification. It would be nice if the ship employees were clear on this but in the end we aren't talking a great deal of money.

 

I literally sat at the back of the bus one trip in Naples and took pictures of the cars and scooters using the lane next to us to go both directions. It was the most amazing scene. It certainly helped pass the time!