Differences between Mediterranean and Caribbean cruises

[smile44]

Are there any differences cruising with NCL in the Mediterranean over the Caribbean? We're looking at doing our first Mediterranean and first NCL cruise this summer. I've been on RCCL once and we've both been on carnival many times. Can we still take on wine, soda, etc. in Barcelona and is the dress code the same? I've visited Europe enough times to know they're more formal over there, so want to make sure I'll be ok showing up in the dining room with jeans and a nice shirt. Thanks :)

[Demonyte]

Yep, everything is exactly the same but there are a lot more Europeans (usually over half of passengers, or even consiredably more during European vacation season) and also at least last summer they didn't enforce dress codes in aft MDR as tightly as they do on other cruises because some of the Southern European passengers wouldn't dress up as needed anyway.

Edited January 25, 2014 by Demonyte

[em-sk]

Are there any differences cruising with NCL in the Mediterranean over the Caribbean? We're looking at doing our first Mediterranean and first NCL cruise this summer. I've been on RCCL once and we've both been on carnival many times. Can we still take on wine, soda, etc. in Barcelona and is the dress code the same? I've visited Europe enough times to know they're more formal over there, so want to make sure I'll be ok showing up in the dining room with jeans and a nice shirt. Thanks :)

 

The official rules I think are the same between NCL in the Caribbean and Europe.

 

In Barcelona post security check (x-ray machines) there is a duty free shop before getting on the ship.

[JohnIreland]

Only difference is the passenger mix.

[smile44]

Cool, thank you. Duty free shop in Barcelona explains another post I read. It said there was a bottle stop and then after that their bottles were taken away. Thought it was referring to wine, but now I realize it was probably liqueur purchased at the duty free.

[cowtowngals]

We have done both Caribbean and Mediterranean with NCL. The ship rules are the same for both except for drinking age - where in the Mediterranean passengers who are 18 can drink without a waiver being signed by their parents.

If you go during European summer vacation the majority of passengers will be European. Announcements will be done in about four different languages and make sure you book your excursions in English (if you book them) as there will the same excursion offered in English, Italian and German.

Deck chair hogging is a premium we have found in the Mediterranean. People go at the crack of dawn and reserve chairs and they will be untouched at noon. Our last cruise on The Jade they were actually putting the dots on chairs and removing people's stuff to aid this problem.

The shows are different and more European oriented. There is no Second City and if there is a comedian they will be British.

The only other difference was we noticed the dining venues are busy much later. We would go for dinner between 7 and 8 pm and waltz in with no issue. After 8 there were waits for tables.

[susan0000]

When we went on the jade last march I was surprised at how little was different.

 

 

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