Awesome Grand Med on Spirit - Review & Photos

[Cruiser Bruiser]

After an already-busy day in Amalfi and along the coast, we hit the autostrada and sped toward Pompeii. I was overwhelmed by the vastness of Pompeii. It goes on for blocks and blocks and is much larger than Ephesus.

 

 

And yes, much of the city has been stripped of frescos and ornamentation so that it can be preserved in museums, but all of the hardscape is still there. Walls, streets, fountains. It's very easy to discern the villas, houses, shops, restaurants and civic spaces, so it's also easy to imagine folks living in them.

 

 

 

The house above had limited entry and it was particularly impressive.

 

 

The eruption of Vesuvius raised the bed of the ocean, so the water that used to reach Pompeii is now several kilometers away. The area behind Dave used to the storehouse for the port. I was thoroughly impressed by this 2,000 year old city.

[Big Chippy]

Someday I'll have to return to Naples to see Naples. We chose the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii excursion through NCL and it was a long day of touring. We liked the excursion a lot and would recommend it. Our guide, Rosanna, was the best of the entire trip. She was informative, lusty, and a lot of fun. Our specialized driver, Luigi, capably steered us along the coastal road.

 

 

I did not anticipate how much movement we would experience inside the motor coach. Definitely a gut-clencher as we went through turn after turn. I could see how some folks wouldn't like it. I had to focus on my breathing to avoid getting car sick.

 

 

You do see a lot from the coach, and there were two photo stops along the way before we stopped for some time to explore the town of Amalfi itself. It's small, charming and exactly what you'd expect. We walked around a bit, took in the sights, and had a super-delicious gelato.

 

 

There was a wedding happening, so the church bells were ringing and the town square took on a festive atmosphere. Just lovely. The town was impossibly steep, as you would imagine, so we definitely had the feeling of being at the bottom of a well. I almost got hit by the electric bus in the photo below. It's very quiet!

 

 

We then had a really nice lunch at a beautiful restaurant on a cliff overlooking the ocean. While we dined in a banquet space to the side (along with a bunch of impossibly-stylish Italians having a business lunch) the main part of the restaurant was packed, so I think I was justified in liking it.

 

 

Between the drive, our brief stop in Amalfi and lunch, we got just enough of a taste of the Amalfi Coast to want to go back. And that was only the first half of the day!

 

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The last two images are of Maiori and remind us of a holiday we had there over 20 years ago, the second last image shows the hotel we stayed in 'The Hotel Residence' fabulous. Thank you for sharing.

[Stu K]

Thanks for posting some great pictures! we booked on the spirit for March any chance of some pics of a beer menu?

 

Happy Cruising

 

Stu K

[Cruiser Bruiser]

The last two images are of Maiori and remind us of a holiday we had there over 20 years ago, the second last image shows the hotel we stayed in 'The Hotel Residence' fabulous. Thank you for sharing.

 

Nice! I'm happy to bring you a nice memory. I'll be thinking about this trip for years to come.

 

Thanks for posting some great pictures! we booked on the spirit for March any chance of some pics of a beer menu?

 

Happy Cruising

 

Stu K

 

I wish I could help, Stu. I've lost 120 lbs. over the past two years, so I don't drink very much anymore. (Except for the occasional white wine, I guess.) I know I saw folks drinking your usual American brands, plus Corona and Heineken. I also want to say that a waiter offered Dave a Guinness. Maybe someone else can pipe in? Cheers.

[helpthejuggler]

I've attached the Beers page from the drinks menu to this post

Beers.pdf

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Rome felt different than any other city on our itinerary. I think it's just the kind of place where several days are required to get a sense of the place rather than several hours. We were there on a Sunday, so traffic was light, but it still takes about 75 minutes by motor coach to get to Rome from Civitavecchia.

 

 

Our first stop in Rome was the Trevi Fountain. We were told by our guide that the fountain is crowded with tourists 365 days a year. There weren't so many that we couldn't get our pictures, but it was surprisingly busy. We had a few minutes to wander around the square, do some shopping and then move on.

 

A word about our young Roman tour guide. She was by far the worst guide we had on the entire cruise, and everyone in our group despised her. It was bad enough that several folks got in arguments with her. She did an awful job of pacing our journey through the Roman Forum and didn't provide general directions so that it was very hard to follow her. End of rant.

 

 

The Forum is vast, much larger than I had imagined. It's also very impressive, much more so when we were told that all of this has been dug out since the middle ages. We saw the temple complex for the vestal virgins, the remains of the site where Caesar was cremated, and an arch commemorating the sacking of Jerusalem.

 

 

At the end of the Forum is the Coliseum. It's huge and very impressive. Several folks who had been there decades earlier said it is much improved (through continuous restoration) and that tourists can access much more of it than ever before.

 

 

It doesn't require too much imagination to feel 80,000 folks screaming along to some form of gladiatorial combat. I was thoroughly impressed.

 

 

I was also impressed with the lunch provided on the tour. We stopped at a restaurant called Casa Nova. They market their own wine, apparently, and Dave and I did the whole bottle of white by ourselves. All of the lunches included on all of our tours were very good.

 

 

Our trip to Rome ended a trip to Vatican City and St. Peter's Basilica. The line was long, but it moved quickly. And unlike the Blue Mosque, St. Peter's maintained a spirit of hushed reverence despite the crowds. I suspect this was a function of the imposing size of the basilica.

 

I've said it before regarding other places on the trip, but in Rome I feel like we barely scratched the surface. We saw some big ticket items, but more than in any other city, I feel like we didn't actually experience Rome. I'm anxious to go back.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I've attached the Beers page from the drinks menu to this post

 

That was quick! Thanks for the assist. :)

[steph7021]

Did you go down into the chambers under the floor of the coliseum? Does that take an extra ticket? Thanks!

[lanceholt]

Thanks for a great trip report....good pictures, good commentary, good everything!

[Stu K]

Wow thanks for that ! the itinerary and ship look stunning!

 

Stu k

[Big Chippy]

I've attached the Beers page from the drinks menu to this post

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=289809&d=1381853049

 

Note the 17% service charge, when did it go up from 15%? :(

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Did you go down into the chambers under the floor of the coliseum? Does that take an extra ticket? Thanks!

 

Thanks for asking that. I should have said that we took NCL's Rome and the Coliseum excursion. Our escort, who was with us from the port and back, was really nice and did her best to be helpful. It was our guide who was perfectly dreadful. I bring this up because someone in our group specifically asked how to go down below, and our guide told us (after asking, because she didn't know) that it does require a special ticket.

 

A big part of the drama on our Roman Forum tour stemmed from the fact that entrance into the Coliseum is very strictly controlled. Tours have a narrow window in which to enter, and if they miss it, the whole tour is turned away.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Florence was a bit like going home, as it reminded me of my home, Portland, Oregon. Obviously Florence is much older, much more charming, and more grand, but both are surrounded by beautiful agricultural lands that inform the culture. It helped that this was our one day of rain on this vacation, and nothing says Portland like rain.

 

 

We did NCL's Florence On Your Own excursion, which included bus transportation and commentary on the bus ride to Florence. Our escort was an older Dutch woman who moved to Italy decades earlier and married an Italian. Her commentary was wickedly insightful, and we took most of her advice on how to see Florence efficiently. Because we were in Florence on a Monday, nearly all the major museums were closed. However, the Palazzo Vecchio was open. It was the first Machiavelli palace, and it now houses centuries-old sculptures, including Donatello's David. I liked this museum a lot and it had just the right amount of stuff and atmosphere for me.

 

 

After the museum, we found the Duomo and waited in line to see inside. The line was long, but it went quickly. The Duomo is massive and ornate on the outside and surprisingly simple on the inside. I challenge you to get the whole building in one picture.

 

 

After visiting the Duomo, we found our way to a department store that has a roof-top terrace café that offers a spectacular view of the Duomo and the Campanile. Just as we sat down, the rain poured down. I grabbed a quick photo and we took our capuccini inside. We felt bad for the very stylish Spanish couple that just sat down to their lunch.

 

 

We then wandered over to the market and the Ponte Vecchio. If you want to buy gold, this is the place. Our guide told us of a restaurant nearby that she said was her favorite. We gave it a try and were very pleased. Dave had a gorgeous boar stew, and I had another small bottle of a local white wine.

 

 

By accident, we found our way to the Piazza della Signoria, where the fake David lives. He has a lot of company, and the square is choked with fantastic sculpture. This square is a must-see.

 

 

Finally we paid our 16 euro to enter the church of Santa Croce, which has become a necropolis for many of the Italian greats. There's also a museum, but we just didn't have time to see it. I did see the tombs of Dante, Machiavelli, Galileo, and Michelangelo.

 

The sun came out in the afternoon, and our escort had the bus take us up the hill for a scenic drive before heading back to the ship. We took in a gorgeous vista of all of Florence that was just spectacular. I don't know why, but I loved Florence just a little more than a lot of the other ports.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

And then there was France. To be fair to Toulon, it looks like a pretty town. The city is apparently working to develop more of a tourist infrastructure and to become a regional draw for the French. Supposedly they are trying to get a TGV line. We might have stayed in town and had a lovely time; in fact there's a Bar La France right next to the port (i.e. a bar honoring the great ocean liner that became the Norway.) I would have liked to have had a drink there. (Our charming French guide, Dominique, is in the picture below, with her back to us.)

 

 

As it is, we did NCL's excursion to Aix en Provence. We had a lovely time. But given that it takes an hour or so to get there, we only had about three hours in Aix. It was a bit like we decided, "hey, let's go have lunch in the south of France today." And we did.

 

 

We got a lot of narration on the bus ride, and then some history of Aix during an hour-long walking tour. Dave and I decided to abandon our guide (with her permission) and set off on our own. Of course we bumped into her a few times!

 

 

It was market day, so all of the squares were filled with vendors. The atmosphere was festive, and the weather couldn't have been better. Gorgeous, golden and warm. In a word, Aix was charming.

 

 

I did some quick, targeted shopping for some French clothes. Otherwise our plan was to find a nice place to settle into and have lunch, which we did.

 

 

I was proud of the fact that I was able to conduct myself entirely in French. I took four years in high school, but that was 28 years ago. Aix has a charming church that was quick to explore.

 

 

So that was it. Some quick exploration, some quick shopping, a longer lunch, and then back to the ship. I feel a little strange that France didn't play a larger role in our vacation, but it was short and sweet. The afternoon made a perfect pool/gym day.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Well, for those of you who have been following along all this time, suddenly it comes to an end. We've arrived in Barcelona and it's time to disembark. Dave and I stayed in an NCL hotel, so we had a transfer included. We left the ship at 9 a.m., gathered our luggage, found the bus and boarded it. Then we all sat and waited until our official departure time of 9:30 a.m., even though everyone was aboard.

 

 

The bus dropped us off a short walking distance from our hotel on Las Ramblas, as the bus couldn't fit all the way down the street. We inquired about checking in, were told we couldn't do so until 2 p.m., and we checked our bags. Total process time was about 15 minutes. So, we were now free to explore Barcelona on foot.

 

 

We explored the Gothic Quarter first, which was the area immediately surrounding our hotel. We saw the cathedral, which was massive, dark, and particularly Spanish in my mind. It was fantastic. I was particularly moved by the chapel of Mary Magdalene.

 

 

After exploring for a while, we decided to find the Sagrada Familia, which we did. The line was hours long, so we took our pictures and gave up any hope of actually going in. Instead, we bought subway tickets and took it to Parc Guell. The subway costs 9.60 euro for ten rides, it's quick, and it's easy to use. I would use it over a HOHO any day.

 

 

Parc Guell was one of the two major highlights of Barcelona for us. We found a shop near the upper entrance that was selling picnic lunches. I bought a sandwich, some fruit, and a bottle of cava. We entered the park and then found a low wall under a tree and settled in. (That's the view in the first picture.) After lunch, we explored the rest of the park, all down hill.)

 

 

We then spent the afternoon listening to street musicians in a charming square in the Gothic Quarter. We settled into an outdoor café, had capucinni, tapas, and a wonderful afternoon. We also had some very expensive drinks back on the Ramblas, but it was a perfect place from which to people watch, so I figure it was worth the price.

 

Barcelona was a lovely place to simply enjoy from a variety of vantage points. We explored, we watched, and we ate. But I guess that's what we did in the majority of our trip. As I said before, it was my best vacation ever. I would do it again tomorrow.

 

If I can answer any questions, I'm happy to try. Thanks for following along. Cheers.

[deb63]

Thank you for taking the time so share your experience. I truly enjoyed the writing and the photos.

[CruiseIreland]

Thanks for the great review. I'm sorry it's over already! Ken

[dalgirl]

Thanks so much for the review. We have cruised to most of the ports you toured, but we still have not seen Istanbul. We are considering sailing on the Spirit in 2015 just to see this wonderful place. Ephesus was fantastic.

 

We were in Aix around the same time that your were there (we were on the Epic) and your photos are similar to mine - we could have been on the same tour:)

 

I am curious why you chose all NCL tours instead of more private tours either with your friend or roll call. The Florence on your own is easily done really on your on by catching the train. Was it for the peace of mind? We used NCL tours for the Cinque Terre and Avignon/Aix because they are not easily reached by other modes of transportation. Just curious on others thought processes regarding this.

 

Again, your beautiful photos brought back wonderful memories of Venice, Athens, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, etc. Thank you.

[rocklinmom]

Thank you Cruiser Bruiser for a fabulous review! I got lots of tips for our same cruise next June. Your photos were also very much appreciated!

[jennifer7]

So glad you enjoyed your grand med cruise. Myself, my husband and our 8 year old daughter did the same cruise 3rd to 15th August this year and I can honestly say it is the best holiday we have ever been on. It was our first cruise but certainly won't be our last. The ship and all the crew were fantastic and Captain Lars was marvellous. We booked for Florida next summer before we went on the cruise and now we're disappointed we have as we'd rather be going back on the Spirit. 2015 hopefully!

[t-and-t]

Thank you so much for posting this awesome review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the cruise! My husband & I are doing this itinerary next year, leaving on the September 27th sailing. Both our birthdays occur during the cruise - we'll be in Mykonos for mine and Florence & Pisa for his. :D We've been to some of the ports before but look forward to see those again and, of course, visiting all the ports we've yet to experience.

 

Thanks so much for sharing! I've been reading this out loud to my husband with each update, and we've very much enjoyed this sneak peek into next year's vacation!

 

Thanks again!

 

~ Tanya (& Trevor)

Edited October 19, 2013 by t-and-t

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Thanks so much for the review. We have cruised to most of the ports you toured, but we still have not seen Istanbul. We are considering sailing on the Spirit in 2015 just to see this wonderful place. Ephesus was fantastic.

 

We were in Aix around the same time that your were there (we were on the Epic) and your photos are similar to mine - we could have been on the same tour:)

 

I am curious why you chose all NCL tours instead of more private tours either with your friend or roll call. The Florence on your own is easily done really on your on by catching the train. Was it for the peace of mind? We used NCL tours for the Cinque Terre and Avignon/Aix because they are not easily reached by other modes of transportation. Just curious on others thought processes regarding this.

 

Again, your beautiful photos brought back wonderful memories of Venice, Athens, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, etc. Thank you.

 

Thanks for the compliments, and I appreciate your question about tour selection. Dave, with whom I was travelling, is an "anxious" traveler. So it was important to have the assurance that the ship wouldn't leave without us. When we were in Athens, two girls only made it back on the ship because someone was being put off with a medical emergency. If it hadn't been for that 25 minute delay, the girls would have been stuck in Greece without passports and probably without many other resources. :eek:

 

As we went along, I did ask myself if we would have been better off having done things more on our own. In places like Rome and Ephesus, definitely not; we made the right choice in taking an NCL tour. But in the case of Florence, for example, I asked myself this: Could we have had a more efficient experience if we had done it on our own? Rather than just getting on a bus, getting a map and advice from someone who knew the area, and sharing the experience with a group, instead we would have taken a shuttle or a taxi (and waited for it) to the train station, then taken a train (and waited for it) to the center of town, and then found our way. And then we'd have to make sure we arrived back at the train station to do it all over again.

 

In the example above, I worry that we would have spent too much time just dealing with and focusing on the logistics of getting from Point A to Point B. Consequently, my fear would have been that we would have had much less time to focus on simply being in Florence. So, I think I would have done the NCL tour again in most cases. But that's just me. I can see where some folks want the challenge and excitement of finding their own way.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

So glad you enjoyed your grand med cruise. Myself, my husband and our 8 year old daughter did the same cruise 3rd to 15th August this year and I can honestly say it is the best holiday we have ever been on. It was our first cruise but certainly won't be our last. The ship and all the crew were fantastic and Captain Lars was marvellous. We booked for Florida next summer before we went on the cruise and now we're disappointed we have as we'd rather be going back on the Spirit. 2015 hopefully!

 

I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed your Grand Mediterranean adventure as much as I did! We had Captain Vanja on our sailing, but Captain Lars was master on a repositioning cruise I took with my mother up the Pacific coast of the U.S. I loved his regular reports from the bridge! His commentary about the toilet system and the "square wheels of government" had me in stitches. :D I hope you enjoy Florida regardless and that you make it back aboard the Spirit soon!

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Thank you so much for posting this awesome review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the cruise! My husband & I are doing this itinerary next year, leaving on the September 27th sailing. Both our birthdays occur during the cruise - we'll be in Mykonos for mine and Florence & Pisa for his. :D We've been to some of the ports before but look forward to see those again and, of course, visiting all the ports we've yet to experience.

 

Thanks so much for sharing! I've been reading this out loud to my husband with each update, and we've very much enjoyed this sneak peek into next year's vacation!

 

Thanks again!

 

~ Tanya (& Trevor)

 

Thanks, Tanya! I hope you and Trevor have a wonderful time on your Grand Mediterranean adventure. Mykonos was just so beautiful and peaceful. I'm desperate to go back, so you'll have to post your photos so I can live vicariously next autumn. Dave was upset we missed Pisa, so you'll have to get a photograph with you holding up the tower just for Dave. :p

 

I just visited your hometown last year during Hurricane Sandy. We were supposed to go to Portland, Maine, but they kept us (Norwegian Dawn) to the north and we had an impromptu day in Halifax. We had a lovely time on the waterfront, at the maritime museum and at the Citadel. Someday I'd like to go back!

[puddles99]

Thank you so much for this review - we're looking at the various European itineraries for either 2015 or 2016 and your pictures and commentary are solidifying my desire to make this happen. THANK YOU again.