NCL Spirit Grand Med Barcelona to Venice May 19-31, 2015 Review

[Tyskie]

Amazing pictures - can't wait for the next installment. You must NOT be getting anything else done!! But, we all appreciate your review!

[realtrip]

You are making me sooooo excited for my upcoming cruise!

Thanks bunches for all your hard work with this review!!!!

[blueridge20]

You will just want to make sure that you leave yourself at least 2-2.5 hours to get back to the ship. The train is a little hard to find in Termini, so if you can figure out how to board the train at one of the other stations (not sure how accessible they are), then you might have an easier time of it. The train leaves every 30-40 minutes if I remember correctly. The afternoon trains make a lot of stops, and there is a longer time for loading and unloading. Plus, once you get back to the train station, you will have to get to the busses from Civatavecchia back to the ship.

 

Thanks so much, we will be sure to allow time to get back to ship :)

[TheCruisingBrewers]

Loving your review Carolyn, I feel like I was almost there! Wait! I was!

 

I will let you finish and start mine so we do not duplicate all of our side by side photos. Besides I am still getting all mine uploaded into Flickr! Love yours and Dan's photos of Barcelona and CT.

 

One on my favorites is the two of us in line for the Blue Mosque! I am only sorry I did not take a photo of Curtis in his blue "skirt".

 

Loving your review and subscribed...how could I not be?

 

Nancy

[Loving My Life]

Day 9: Rome (Civitivecchia)

 

Like the previous morning, dh grabbed pastries, fruit, yogurt, juice, and coffee from the buffet and brought it back to our cabin, which we ate while getting ready.

 

Today was our highly anticipated tour with Rome In Limo to the Coliseum and the Vatican.

 

Rome In Limo Tour Description:

You will be greeted at the Port of Rome and will make your way to the very historical center of Rome and begin your tour at the National Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II in Piazza Venezia. You will then continue to the splendors of Ancient Rome, which include the vicinity of the Roman and Imperial Forums, the Coliseum, the Capital and Palatine Hills, the Circus Maximus, and the glorious Pantheon. Moving on, you will walk through the famed Piazza Navona, see the glorious Pantheon, stopping at the Spanish Steps, before throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain. After a stop for a traditional Italian lunch, you will head over to the Vatican City where you will spend the duration of your morning enthralled in the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter Bascilica for a couple of hours before making your way back to the port of Rome.

 

Price: For 8 people, the tour was €69 per person, and the Vatican guide was €22 per person.

 

As was our routine, our roll call group of 8 met up at Henry’s Pub at 7:45am to walk off the ship together. Our guide – Michael – met us on the pier right in front of the gangway with a sign with my name on it (I organized the tour). After a short walk to the Mercedes van, we were off to historical Rome.

 

Our first stop was at the Pantheon, where we were given a half-hour to explore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped at the Spanish Steps, but the whole staircase was packed with tourists, so we didn't stay long (and I didn't get any pictures).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 9: Rome (Continued)

 

Next up was the highly anticipated visit to the Coliseum! I was so excited for this stop! We were dropped off across the street from the entrance and enjoyed over an hour inside the Coliseum. We had pre-purchased our admission tickets about 60 days before our trip, so we were able to skip the lines and get right in. Be sure to do this if you are going to the Coliseum - the ticket lines were LONG!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I LOVED the Coliseum! I just kept thinking about how old it was and what and how much had happened here over the centuries. It was truly amazing! When we were done in the Coliseum, Mike picked us up right in front of the exit.

 

 

 

Edited June 7, 2015 by Loving My Life

[Loving My Life]

I'm heading out now, but I'll finish our day in Rome this evening.

[dcipjr]

I'm really enjoying this review -- my wife and I are considering booking this trip for our 5th anniversary next year...probably our "last hurrah" before we take a break from cruising for a few years and start a family.

[Loving My Life]

Loving your review Carolyn, I feel like I was almost there! Wait! I was!

 

I will let you finish and start mine so we do not duplicate all of our side by side photos. Besides I am still getting all mine uploaded into Flickr! Love yours and Dan's photos of Barcelona and CT.

 

One on my favorites is the two of us in line for the Blue Mosque! I am only sorry I did not take a photo of Curtis in his blue "skirt".

 

Loving your review and subscribed...how could I not be?

 

Nancy

 

Hi Nancy! Can't wait to read your review, especially your time in London after the cruise. :)

 

I haven't yet gone through my pictures from Istanbul, but if I don't have the pic of us in our head scarves, maybe you could send it to me.

[Loving My Life]

Day 9: Rome (Continued)

 

Before I leave, a few more pictures from around the Coliseum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Circus Maximus:

 

 

 

OK, now I'm really leaving...:p

 

 

[Linda the Book Lover]

I am so loving your pictures.

[Loving My Life]

Day 9: Rome (Continued)

 

Michael asked us if we wanted a full sit down lunch or “the best pizza you will ever eat” at a counter. Our whole group instantly said, “the best pizza ever!” Michael, now a senior, went to school as a child/adolescent across the street from Pizzeria Angeli e Diavoli (Pizzeria Angels and Demons in English – he claims Dan Brown stole the name from this pizza place!) and ate most of his lunches here. We all agreed that it really was the BEST pizza we have ever had!!! There were dozens of options to choose from. I had caprese pizza and dh had prosciutto and mozzarella pizza.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our delicious lunch, we headed to the fountain. Now, we knew ahead of time that the Trevi fountain was being renovated, so we went to another fountain – Fontana dell’Acqua Paola – “the people’s fountain.”

 

 

 

Across the street from fountain was an overlook of the city of Rome.

 

 

 

 

[Addicted to Sea]

Background:

 

It was just my husband and I on this cruise to celebrate our 17th anniversary. We left our three boys – ages 8, 10, and 12 – home with their grandmothers for this trip, and although they love cruising and wanted to come with us (couldn’t because they were still in school), they had a great time with their grandmothers, who spoiled them rotten.

 

My name is Carolyn (39), dh’s name is Dan (38), and we live in Massachusetts. This was my 6th cruise, his 5th cruise, and our first cruise on NCL (the previous cruises have all been with Carnival). This was our first 12-day cruise. We have done three 7-day cruises, one 5-day cruise, and one 4-day cruise. We went back and forth for months, trying to decide between Alaska or the Mediterranean, but obviously, in the end, the Med won out.

 

We originally booked this cruise in October 2014 in a big inside cabin – #6535 – with no amenities. I was really looking forward to enjoying this spacious cabin, but in January (before final payment), I discovered that a different online travel agency, which we have used in the past, was offering an ocean view cabin with UBP, UDP, and OBC for less than what I was paying for the inside with no amenities, so I cancelled and rebooked under the new promo. Then, about 3 weeks before our cruise, I noticed that the prices had dropped significantly, presumably to fill the ship at the last minute, so we were able to upgrade to a balcony guarantee for the free and keep all of our amenities – YAY!! We were instantly assigned cabin #10632, which was quiet and conveniently located between the aft and mid-ship elevators.

 

We had an active roll call here on cruise critic of about 50 people. Most of us chatted for over 10 months as we planned our cruises, and many of us planned small group excursions together. I ended up keeping an updated list of people who were interested in a Meet & Greet, so it made sense for me to contact NCL to schedule it. We ended up getting a bunch of perks for organizing the M&G which we were not expecting, but greatly appreciated. They definitely enhanced our cruise experience. These perks will be discussed later in the review.

 

We debated whether to get euros before we left Boston or use ATMs once we got to Europe. In the end, we decided to use ATMs because the exchange rate was better than what we could find in the US. This worked really well for us.

 

Our Itinerary:

 

May 14 – Flights to Europe

May 15, 16, & 17 – Paris, France

May 18 & 19 – Barcelona, Spain

May 19 – Spirit embarkation

May 20 – Toulon, France

May 21 – Cinque Terre (from Florence/Pisa)

May 22 – Rome, Italy

May 23 – Naples, Italy

May 24 – Sea Day

May 25 – Mykonos, Greece

May 26 – Istanbul, Turkey

May 27 – Ephesus, Turkey

May 28 – Athens, Greece

May 29 – Sea Day

May 30 – Venice, Italy (overnight)

May 31 – Spirit disembarkation

May 31 – Venice, Italy

June 1 – Flights (and train) home

______________________________________

 

Grand total = 20 days in Europe/Mediterranean

 

Overall Impressions:

 

This was by far our BEST vacation – cruise or land-based – ever!!! It far exceeded our expectations, although admittedly, we spared no expense on our excursions. We did everything we wanted to do regardless of the cost. The perks we received for organizing the M&G had a lot to do with our enjoyment of this cruise, as did the beverage and dining packages and the length of the vacation.

 

There were a few things that didn’t go as planned, but they were so minor that they did not detract from the cruise in any way. I will mention them, however, when appropriate.

 

This review will not be a direct comparison between Carnival and Norwegian, although I will likely make a few comparisons and suggestions.

 

Between the two of us, we took thousands of pictures, some of which I will attempt to include in this review. I won’t specify how many thousands of pictures for fear of sounding like a freak, but trust me, we have a lot to choose from. ☺

 

This is my first time posting a review. I am a full-time grad student (after a mid-life career change), so I will post as quickly as time permits. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I will try to answer them. I know how excited I was to read reviews of the Spirit before our cruise so I hope this will be helpful to those who are planning this cruise sometime in the future and will bring back fond memories for those who have been fortunate enough to sail this itinerary in the past.

 

Thank you for taking your time and sharing your experience with all of us.Were there formal nights?:confused:

[Loving My Life]

Day 9: Rome (Continued)

 

Next up was Vatican City. Rome in Limo arranged a local tour guide for the Vatican; her name was Azura and she was a wonderful guide. She kept our group together, helped us navigate through the crowds, and led us through shortcuts. She used an iPad to show us what we would be seeing in each gallery and chapel. We spent about 2.5 hours in this fascinating museum, including about half an hour in the Sistine Chapel, where you can’t talk or take pictures. It is absolutely beautiful and definitely a religious experience.

 

I won’t bore you with a lot of pictures of paintings, sculptures, and statues. Rather, I will share pictures of the beautiful buildings, which are works of art in and of themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 9: Rome (Continued)

 

More pictures of the Vatican:

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 9: Rome (Continued)

 

At the end of the tour, Michael dropped us off on the pier, right at the gangway, which was really nice after all of the walking we had done on the tour. We had enough time to take showers and freshen up for our 8pm dinner reservations in Le Bistro.

 

Dh had been eyeing the “Bone-In Rib Eye for Two” since our first dinner in Le Bistro, but I don’t eat steak, so he and Pete happily split it this evening. I had seared scallops and a chicken and vegetable entrée (don’t remember what it was called). We finished dinner around 10pm, which means we missed the show once again (tonight’s show was ‘Soul Rockin’ Nights’ at 7:30 and 9:30pm). Also this evening was ‘Karaoke Superstars Round 1’ in Galaxy of the Stars. Although we didn’t attend, Katie, a newlywed from our roll call, participated and won a spot in the karaoke final on the last night of the cruise (this becomes important later in the review). After dinner, we dropped into bed because we had another big day tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight's towel animal:

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 10: Naples

 

Per our usual, dh showered and went to get us breakfast from the buffet while I showered and got ready.

 

Today we had another tour booked with Rome In Limo.

 

Rome In Limo Tour Description:

This excursion is designed for those who wish to enjoy the highlights of Sorrento, Positano, and the archaeological site of Pompeii. You will be greeted at the Port of Naples before making your way to Pompeii, the ancient city whose ruins were preserved by the volcanic eruption that devastated in 79AD. Here you will spend the duration of the morning, before continuing on to the picturesque coastal village of Sorrento for some sightseeing and lunch. The tour continues along the coast of Amalfi to the winding, narrow streets and seaside cafes of Positano. The day will conclude here, after which you will be returned to the Port of Naples.

 

Price: For 8 people, the tour was €69 per person, and the Pompeii guide was €12,50 per person.

 

Also per our usual, our roll call group of 8 met up at Henry’s Pub at 7:45am to walk off the ship together. Our guide - Alessandro - met us at the pier, holding a sign with my name on. It was overcast and misting on and off this morning, but was supposed to clear up and be sunny later in the day, so our guide reversed the order of the itinerary. This meant that we would shop and eat, which is mostly indoors, while it was overcast, and go to Pompeii, which is entirely outdoors, when it was sunny. This worked out really well for us.

 

Alessandro was a personable young man (although not quite as charming as Michael was the day before) and knew the area really well. He drove us to Sorrento and Positano for pictures and shopping, where we had a couple of hours to explore. We got some really great pictures despite (or maybe because of) the stormy clouds.

 

Lighthouse on the way into the port:

 

 

Sorrento:

 

 

 

 

Shopping in Positano:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 10 : Naples (Continued)

 

Alessandro brought us to a restaurant in Positano – Da Costantito Ristorante – for an amazing meal. For €24 per person, you got a multi-course homemade meal that included: red and white wine, bruschetta, caprese salad, personal cheese pizza, handmade linguini with sauce, spinach and ricotta manicotti, Mama’s homemade cake, and lemoncello shots. It was sooo good - definitely worth the price and then some.

 

 

 

Towards the end of the meal, the skies cleared and the sun came out! We got some beautiful pictures from the hilltop restaurant’s open windows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Up: Pompeii

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 10: Naples (Continued)

 

After lunch we headed to Pompeii. Rome In Limo arranged a private tour guide – Lucio – for our time in this beautiful and fascinating site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mount Vesuvius:

 

 

 

 

 

[Loving My Life]

Day 10: Naples (Continued)

 

Lucio was very knowledgeable about Pompeii. It is amazing how ‘advanced’ this ancient city was for the time – the first century AD. They had plumbing, air conditioning, and indoor bathrooms. They created beautiful frescos and mosiac tile floors:

 

 

 

 

They also created lots of pots, jugs, and statues:

 

 

 

Archeologists have uncovered many corpses of adults, children, and animals who died in place when Vesuvius erupted.

 

Adult:

 

 

 

Child:

 

 

 

Dog:

 

 

 

There is also a section of Pompeii that is adults-only. In this area is a brothel with frescos painted on the walls that show sexual acts/positions that could be purchased from the prostitutes. I won't post those pictures here because they are quite graphic.

 

We stayed in Pompeii for about 2 hours, then headed back to the port.

 

[jeffregpuck]

Great review! I wish I had gotten this detailed when I reviewed this cruise!

 

What camera are you using for your pics?? They look fantastic.

[Loving My Life]

Day 10: Naples (Continued)

 

Back on the ship, we once again had enough time to shower and freshen up before a late dinner at Cagney’s. We dined with Pete and Nancy again tonight. I had the iceberg wedge salad, St. Louis ribs (this was the first and only meal in Cagney’s that I did not enjoy – they were very fatty and had very little meat), and an ice cream sandwich. Dh also had the wedge salad, as well as the filet with gorgonzola sauce, and chocolate espresso tort for dessert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once again, we missed the evening show (Oceans Apart, which we heard was really good). We went back to our cabin, enjoyed some chocolate covered strawberries, and read on the balcony for a while before going to bed.

 

 

Our towel animal tonight:

 

 

***Side note: We were instructed to set our clocks ahead one hour tonight.

 

[Loving My Life]

Thank you for taking your time and sharing your experience with all of us.Were there formal nights?:confused:

 

There were two 'Dress Up or Not' nights. I believe they were on the two sea days.

[Loving My Life]

Great review! I wish I had gotten this detailed when I reviewed this cruise!

 

What camera are you using for your pics?? They look fantastic.

 

Thanks! About half of the pictures were taken with my iPhone 6 and half were taken with a Canon Rebel XTI.

[Loving My Life]

Day 11: Sea Day

 

Thank goodness we finally had a sea day!! We were exhausted after 10 jam-packed days, so we really looked forward to a relaxing day. We slept until 8am and decided to take advantage of the perk of having breakfast (and lunch) in Cagney’s. Breakfast in Cagney’s was MUCH better than in Windows, the free dining room. I had French toast with bacon, fruit, and yogurt. Dh had eggs benedict, home fries, bacon, and grapefruit.

 

After breakfast, it was time for our official Meet and Greet. It was held in Henry’s Pub at 10am. NCL provided coffee, juice, pastries, fruit, and meats and cheeses. We could have skipped breakfast this morning and eaten here instead. I thought it was a lovely spread. Gio, the cruise director, attended and introduced the other directors who dropped by – the hotel director, the head chef, head pastry chef, entertainment director, and others I don’t remember. Everyone seemed to mingle and talk to each other. Some of us ended up hanging out until about noontime.

 

 

 

 

After the meet and greet, dh and I headed to Cagney’s for lunch, even though we weren’t really hungry. We split a French dip sandwich (yummy) and skipped dessert.

 

I don’t quite remember what we did in the afternoon on this first sea day. I think we spent a couple of hours reading, though I’m not sure if it was on our balcony or on deck. I think I also took a short nap while dh hung out at the pool.

 

The night before, we received an invitation to the private Captain’s Cocktail Party, but it was at the same time we had reservations at Teppayaki. Teppanyaki’s was booked solid for the entire cruise so we skipped the cocktail party and went to Teppanyaki with Pete and Nancy. In hindsight, I wish we had skipped Teppanyaki and gone to the Captain’s party.

 

We did not have a good experience at Teppanyaki. The chef who cooked tableside seemed tired (or sick). He had no energy and was neither funny nor entertaining. We found the rice to be bland, the chicken was so hard and overcooked that Nancy choked on it and I couldn’t eat it, and the scallops were slimy. Dh did enjoy his beef though. We all had the fruit for dessert, which was nice and light. Overall, if we had paid for this meal, we would have complained, but we had the UDP, so we let it go.

 

 

 

We were celebrating our 17th anniversary on this cruise, and the Teppanyaki staff sang to us and presented us with an anniversary cake to take back to the cabin. Fortunately, the staff members could carry a tune.

 

 

 

We finished dinner early enough to make it to the Newlywed, Not-So-Newlywed Game Show in Galaxy of the Stars at 8:30pm. A bunch of people from our roll call showed up so our seating area got bigger and bigger. ☺ The show was quite funny, but the questions were all the same as we’ve come to expect on our Carnival cruises. After this show, we finally made it to the main show in Stardust Theater – Illusions with Cripton and Renata. This show, offered at 7:30 and 9:30pm, was surprisingly good - little too theatrical and over the top, but fun nonetheless. We stopped for a quick nightcap at Champagne Charlie’s, and then headed to bed. We had to be up early in the morning for our short day in Mykonos.