Live from the Spirit - Grand Med 1st Aug

[meatball_nyc]

Cheers, Keith. Following along especially for the fact that it's "live from".

Safe travels to you and your family.

 

~Robin

[flapbreaker]

Awesome. Thanks for the review. We will be taking this cruise one year from tomorrow. How have the crowds and heat been? When planning my cruise we didn't have much option other than the summer months and I've read a lot of people advising to go when it's cooler and less crowded. Were going regardless but I was just curious.

[KeithJenner]

Awesome. Thanks for the review. We will be taking this cruise one year from tomorrow. How have the crowds and heat been? When planning my cruise we didn't have much option other than the summer months and I've read a lot of people advising to go when it's cooler and less crowded. Were going regardless but I was just curious.

 

 

It is pretty hot and busy. We prefer to go during the Spring (late May usually), but can only do a two week trip during July/August.

 

Having said that, I hate it when it's really hot, and don't find it as bad as I feared. Just drink lots of water and take a few rests.

 

I heard that Rome was extremely busy, and St Marks in Venice looked really crowded when we passed by. Overall it's busy, but manageable.

 

Basically, earlier or later in the year would be preferable, but I wouldn't let the heat or crowds in August put you off.

[fabnfortysomething]

you said you were a bit late docking in Venice

 

We will have to leave ship early to catch a 11.30 plane from Venice back home

We will have priority disembarkation being platinum but what time were people starting to leave the ship?

[fabnfortysomething]

Thanks.

 

Once again, I'm posting after having a few drinks, and will probably regret this in the morning, so I'll apologise now for posting it. It goes without saying that none of this is directed at the post I quoted.

 

This thread is about two weeks old now. This forum is, in my opinion, about helping people to enjoy their cruises and for people to share what they have learned. It should be an enjoyable place to be, to post, to help people get more from their cruises and for people to get advice on how to make the most of their holidays. That is what I have found it to be over the dozen or so years I have posted here.

 

I believe this is post 100 on this thread, many of which are from me. If I had just started a thread saying "OMG, NCL are charging for lots of things these days", we would have passed the 100 post mark in a couple of hours.

 

Cruise Critic really need to look at these forums and think about whether this is what they are after. I will continue to post threads like this, as I hope people do take something away from it (and this really isn't just me asking for people to acknowledge that they are reading, I know you are and I really hope it helps), but the garbage that is posted here must put people off. Please let's try to make this a place to help each other.

 

Sorry for lowering the tone, but I want to like cruise critic, but I really can't at the moment.

 

haha I believe we had a similar conversation in person on board the Jade last year!

 

I look at the number of views a review is getting rather than how many people have posted to it-whilst it's nice to have positive comments and thank yous so many reviews have page after page of comments but not relevant questions about the cruise. I want to be able to find the actual review!

 

great job on this review

 

Lyn

Edited August 13, 2015 by fabnfortysomething

[KeithJenner]

you said you were a bit late docking in Venice

 

 

 

We will have to leave ship early to catch a 11.30 plane from Venice back home

 

We will have priority disembarkation being platinum but what time were people starting to leave the ship?

 

 

Remember that the ship arrives in Venice at 2pm the day before disembarkation, so it shouldn't affect your plans for the morning. We actually docked at 3pm.

 

We got to Marco Polo at about 9.45am, without rushing at all (we used the People Mover and Bus) so you shouldn't have any trouble.

 

I will be posting about the disembarkation later, as there were a lot of questions beforehand that I can answer now.

[fabnfortysomething]

Remember that the ship arrives in Venice at 2pm the day before disembarkation, so it shouldn't affect your plans for the morning. We actually docked at 3pm.

 

We got to Marco Polo at about 9.45am, without rushing at all (we used the People Mover and Bus) so you shouldn't have any trouble.

 

I will be posting about the disembarkation later, as there were a lot of questions beforehand that I can answer now.

 

Just checked and the itinery next year is slightly different and is 14 day instead of 12 and we arrive Venice 8am on last day.

Thanks for that reassurance though

 

Lyn

[KeithJenner]

Just checked and the itinery next year is slightly different and is 14 day instead of 12 and we arrive Venice 8am on last day.

 

Thanks for that reassurance though

 

 

 

Lyn

 

 

That's interesting. It does mean that what I'm about to post many not be as relevant to some people as I thought it would be. It should apply to people on the Barcelona to Venice let this year though.

 

During the cruise there was lots of debate about how people would get to the Airport today. Some had prearranged taxis, but a lot of people were looking for guidance, and nobody was sure what the situation would be regarding taxis at the port.

 

As we had a while before our flight (we're leaving at 1.35pm and you can't drop your bags off at Marco Polo more than 3 hours before the flight), we did the same as last year and took the People Mover to Piazzala Roma for €1.50 each and then the shuttle bus from there for €8. It saved us about €20 compared to the taxi, but we mainly do it that way to kill some time. As it was, it took just 45 minutes from leaving the ship to arriving at the airport.

 

Regarding taxis, there were lots of people around yesterday afternoon taking reservations for taxis this morning, and quite a few people signed up for them. I understand the cost was €45 so it really makes sense if there are four people. Obviously it is easier than the bus, but neither are too hard.

 

I didn't see any taxis this morning for people without reservations,but we saw some friends at the airport who said that they had just grabbed a taxi, so they obviously are available. You may have to wait though.

 

Obviously, if you are arriving in Venice in the morning then the opportunity to book a taxi the day before is removed, so it is probably worth prearranging if you have an early flight.

[KeithJenner]

Just checked and the itinery next year is slightly different and is 14 day instead of 12 and we arrive Venice 8am on last day.

 

Thanks for that reassurance though

 

 

 

Lyn

 

 

That would be similar timing to the Jade last year wouldn't it? We used the people mover/bus then as well. How did you do it last time?

[mypleasure]

 

 

I believe this is post 100 on this thread, many of which are from me. If I had just started a thread saying "OMG, NCL are charging for lots of things these days", we would have passed the 100 post mark in a couple of hours.

 

Cruise Critic really need to look at these forums and think about whether this is what they are after. I will continue to post threads like this, as I hope people do take something away from it (and this really isn't just me asking for people to acknowledge that they are reading, I know you are and I really hope it helps), but the garbage that is posted here must put people off. Please let's try to make this a place to help each other.

 

Sorry for lowering the tone, but I want to like cruise critic, but I really can't at the moment.

 

I read this and was , with every word I read, thinking this is what I want to say too.

 

I am happy that you all enjoyed the Spirit once again. I enjoyed my recent cruises on Jade and Star but the Spirit will always feel like "home" to me and like yourselves, having done the Grand Med itinerary multiple times, I feel it is the best itinerary NCL has for those who want to come to Europe and see all of the main archaelogy sites with a nice mix of other cities to visit too.

 

Safe journey home

[fabnfortysomething]

That would be similar timing to the Jade last year wouldn't it? We used the people mover/bus then as well. How did you do it last time?

 

last time we were staying on in Venice for a couple of days, actually stayed at Hotel Molino Stucky

 

We stayed on board until they kicked us off lol

 

By 10am there were no taxis around and we headed for Alilaguna pier.There were a lot of cruise ships in that day and the queue was long.Because we weren't in a hurry it wasn't an issue but think will look into pre booking a taxi

[hdowney]

Just checked and the itinery next year is slightly different and is 14 day instead of 12 and we arrive Venice 8am on last day.

Thanks for that reassurance though

 

Lyn

 

Interesting. When are. Sailing? We are doing the Barca - Venice leaving on the 24th October 2016 and ours is a 12day arriving in Venice the day before for an overnight.

 

We are going to stay in Venice for a few days post cruise as we feel at home there.

[fabnfortysomething]

Interesting. When are. Sailing? We are doing the Barca - Venice leaving on the 24th October 2016 and ours is a 12day arriving in Venice the day before for an overnight.

 

We are going to stay in Venice for a few days post cruise as we feel at home there.

 

this is 18th July 2016 leaving Barcelona and arrives 8am Venice on 1st August so a 14 night

It's a unique itinery as rest of season is the regular 12 night

 

It means we get 2 extra ports of Kotor and Dubrovnik

[hdowney]

this is 18th July 2016 leaving Barcelona and arrives 8am Venice on 1st August so a 14 night

It's a unique itinery as rest of season is the regular 12 night

 

It means we get 2 extra ports of Kotor and Dubrovnik

 

So jealous. Enjoy it. I can't wait for our grand med. I hope we meet some wonderful people like yourselves on the cruise :)

[Educators2]

Thanks so much for your review. You have helped a lot of future cruisers on this itinerary. I am looking forward to our October trip.

Susan

[Carlaclaw]

Keith,

 

What were your thoughts on the food? Any recommendations on what we must try? Are the specialty restaurants worth the price? We don't have UDP so we would pay out of pocket. This is our first time cruising NCL so I'm curious.

 

I just wanted to say a giant thank you for all the info. I know you are giving up your vacation time for the good of others. It has been very helpful for me since we are doing the same itinerary in September. We even set up our meeting on roll call based on your suggestion to Linda. So thanks again!

 

Carolyn

[KeithJenner]

Keith,

 

 

 

What were your thoughts on the food? Any recommendations on what we must try? Are the specialty restaurants worth the price? We don't have UDP so we would pay out of pocket. This is our first time cruising NCL so I'm curious.

 

 

I like all the food on NCL. I don't see dining as being a massively important part of a cruise, but I like to go to the different places and my wife and I like the fact that we can have a couple of nice meals whilst our son is in the kids club (we very rarely get chance to eat out by ourselves at home), and we usually enjoy them.

 

I think you are doing right not to get the UDP. There are only four options on the Spirit which are covered by the plan, so you can end up eating at the same places over again. Our friends had it and they seemed to get fed up with it. Those of us who ate mainly in the free places with the occasional speciality seemed to have a more enjoyable dining experience.

 

As we have our son with us, we use the buffet a lot, and always find plenty of choice. It's a great option if you don't want anything formal. On lazy days we just tend to pick from there rather than eat a main meal.

 

The main dining rooms are pretty good, in my opinion. I always find a few dishes there that appeal and I've never had one that I don't like. I would have no trouble eating in the free places all cruise if necessary.

 

There is also shogun, which I've mentioned a few times already. This is probably my favourite food place onboard, and is free (although there are a la carte sushi options on the menu). I'd really recommend it.

 

Of the ones you pay extra for, our favourite is Cagneys (our problems there this time were because neither of us had any appetite that night for some reason). We always go there at least once on a cruise and highly recommend it.

 

I also like Le Bistro. We get a free meal for two each there, so go twice on the Spirit (other ships have other options we often use for our free meal instead). I've always really enjoyed my meals there.

 

I haven't tried Teppenyaki on the Spirit, but did enjoy it the time I went there on the Breakaway. One person who I was talking to this time didn't enjoy Teppenyaki, but I got the impression it was personal taste. It's worth doing once for the show, if you don't have a similar restaurant near you at home. There is only one table though, as bookings can fill up quickly.

 

Finally, La Trattoria is one that often gets very mixed reviews. The venue isn't great (it's a divided off part of the buffet). We ate there on aour previous Spirit cruise, and we've also eaten in the Italian place on another ship. I've enjoyed both my meals without thinking they were envy thing too great, but my wife didn't enjoy it either time. I also heard bad reports from others on the cruise. You can get decent (but basic) pasta in the main dining rooms and buffet, so it's not one we are likely to bother with again.

 

Talking about pasta, keep an eye out at the area near Raffles bar out the back of the buffet, where they cook up pasta dishes many evenings. Some of them were very good, but you could easily miss them if you just went into the buffet without checking out the back.

[Ilikebigboats]

Thanks Keith for your informative and entertaining review!

 

I just booked the Spirit for next June, leaving out of Venice. I am basically in charge of 12 people who have never cruised/ been out of the country before. I am feeling a little overwhelmed because I will have 3 seniors who are not in the best of health and I was wondering if you had any tips or insights on the best way to plan this vacation. So far I have booked cabins very close to the elevator, and reserved a Venice hotel room on the canal so we can take a water taxi from the airport. I guess I should arrange private tours for most of the ports? Yikes, at the rate that I'm going this trip is gonna be very expensive. But it is trip of a lifetime and I am very excited!

Thanks again and I am so happy that you had a fabulous trip!

[KeithJenner]

Thanks Keith for your informative and entertaining review!

 

 

 

I just booked the Spirit for next June, leaving out of Venice. I am basically in charge of 12 people who have never cruised/ been out of the country before. I am feeling a little overwhelmed because I will have 3 seniors who are not in the best of health and I was wondering if you had any tips or insights on the best way to plan this vacation. So far I have booked cabins very close to the elevator, and reserved a Venice hotel room on the canal so we can take a water taxi from the airport. I guess I should arrange private tours for most of the ports? Yikes, at the rate that I'm going this trip is gonna be very expensive. But it is trip of a lifetime and I am very excited!

 

Thanks again and I am so happy that you had a fabulous trip!

 

 

I have never had the issues to deal with that you will have, but I have to say that a few of the ports on this trip do require a bit of work. In Venice, there are lots of bridges with steps and using the water taxis will obviously involve having to get on and off boats. I've never used them, so I don't know how easy that is.

 

The other three Italian ports involve quite a bit of travel to get to the Rome and Florence, as is the case in Athens. Also, many of the places to see are not all that accessible. We saw quite a few people slipping on the roads in Ephesus for example.

 

Having said that, there is also a lot to see and do that will be much easier to access. I will talk a bit later about the overall itinerary and how it can be too busy for many people. I think this is an itinerary where you have to make decisions as to what you want to do, as you just can't do everything that you would like due to lack of time. You will just have another factor to take into account.

 

For example, in Rome you may not be able to go around the Colosseum, but you can see it from the outside and could use the time you save to see some other areas that people don't usually see because they are inside these places.

 

I would certainly advice contacting a private tour company and speaking to them about the levels of activity that will be appropriate. I'm sure they will be able to tailor things to take that into account.

 

It will certainly be a challenge to get the level of activity right (many people fail with that when just deciding for themselves), but I think it should be possible to put together a plan that will work for you. Just remember to prioritise to make sure you get to see the things that everyone really wants and be prepared to compromise with what is possible. It's better to do a smaller number of things well than to have everyone so tired by half way that they miss other things totally.

[KeithJenner]

Just another coulple of points. Firstly, the Spirit should be a good ship for you due to its size.

 

Secondly, shop around for your companies. Given the size of your group it will still be expensive overall, but I'd have thought you could arrange private tours of the main ports for a reasonable price, and a lot less than NCL will charge. Unfortunately, I don't have the experience to offer much specific advice.

[Carlaclaw]

Thanks Keith for your informative and entertaining review!

 

I just booked the Spirit for next June, leaving out of Venice. I am basically in charge of 12 people who have never cruised/ been out of the country before. I am feeling a little overwhelmed because I will have 3 seniors who are not in the best of health and I was wondering if you had any tips or insights on the best way to plan this vacation. So far I have booked cabins very close to the elevator, and reserved a Venice hotel room on the canal so we can take a water taxi from the airport. I guess I should arrange private tours for most of the ports? Yikes, at the rate that I'm going this trip is gonna be very expensive. But it is trip of a lifetime and I am very excited!

Thanks again and I am so happy that you had a fabulous trip!

 

I just wanted to add that I felt overwhelmed planning for just two people so I think that's normal. It's a lot of ports but you still have tons of time so don't stress. Having 12 people in your group is actually a good thing because it'll give you the option to book private tours without needing to find others to join/share. Then you can have the tour companies adjust itinerary/pacing depending on the needs of the people in your group and not be stuck trying to keep up with a preset schedule. You may also have the option of splitting into two groups of six if some people want to do more active itineraries at some ports.

 

We formed groups in our roll call with private tour companies and the cost is reasonable for the service you are getting. Yes it adds up with a lot of ports but it's still significantly lower than doing them through NCL and you will have more flexibility for your group needs.

 

We haven't even left yet haha so I don't have any info about what to do or what not to do. I just wanted to post to say it's normal to be overwhelmed planning and I could relate to that.

[Carlaclaw]

I like all the food on NCL. I don't see dining as being a massively important part of a cruise, but I like to go to the different places and my wife and I like the fact that we can have a couple of nice meals whilst our son is in the kids club (we very rarely get chance to eat out by ourselves at home), and we usually enjoy them.

 

I think you are doing right not to get the UDP. There are only four options on the Spirit which are covered by the plan, so you can end up eating at the same places over again. Our friends had it and they seemed to get fed up with it. Those of us who ate mainly in the free places with the occasional speciality seemed to have a more enjoyable dining experience.

 

As we have our son with us, we use the buffet a lot, and always find plenty of choice. It's a great option if you don't want anything formal. On lazy days we just tend to pick from there rather than eat a main meal.

 

The main dining rooms are pretty good, in my opinion. I always find a few dishes there that appeal and I've never had one that I don't like. I would have no trouble eating in the free places all cruise if necessary.

 

There is also shogun, which I've mentioned a few times already. This is probably my favourite food place onboard, and is free (although there are a la carte sushi options on the menu). I'd really recommend it.

 

Of the ones you pay extra for, our favourite is Cagneys (our problems there this time were because neither of us had any appetite that night for some reason). We always go there at least once on a cruise and highly recommend it.

 

I also like Le Bistro. We get a free meal for two each there, so go twice on the Spirit (other ships have other options we often use for our free meal instead). I've always really enjoyed my meals there.

 

I haven't tried Teppenyaki on the Spirit, but did enjoy it the time I went there on the Breakaway. One person who I was talking to this time didn't enjoy Teppenyaki, but I got the impression it was personal taste. It's worth doing once for the show, if you don't have a similar restaurant near you at home. There is only one table though, as bookings can fill up quickly.

 

Finally, La Trattoria is one that often gets very mixed reviews. The venue isn't great (it's a divided off part of the buffet). We ate there on aour previous Spirit cruise, and we've also eaten in the Italian place on another ship. I've enjoyed both my meals without thinking they were envy thing too great, but my wife didn't enjoy it either time. I also heard bad reports from others on the cruise. You can get decent (but basic) pasta in the main dining rooms and buffet, so it's not one we are likely to bother with again.

 

Talking about pasta, keep an eye out at the area near Raffles bar out the back of the buffet, where they cook up pasta dishes many evenings. Some of them were very good, but you could easily miss them if you just went into the buffet without checking out the back.

 

Wow Keith that post went above and beyond. Thank you so much!!!

 

Just curious how much time do you think you spent posting during the cruise? How slow is the internet onboard? I hope you still had lots of time to spend with your family and to relax. I have learned so much from this thread and others like it on cruise critic. It is very much appreciated!

 

Carolyn

[cruisenfreak]

Thank you for taking the time to post this.

 

We will be on the Spirit for 4 weeks in the Caribbean during Dec and Jan and having been to all the ports before, we will probably just stay on board many days. Did you find anything going on during those days you did not get off the ship while in port? We enjoy the quiet ship, enjoy sitting on the balcony, enjoy going to the buffet with no crowds, etc. so we really don't care if there is nothing happening on board, but if you found something interesting, we would check it out too.

 

Although we also are Platinum, this will be our first time on the Spirit.

 

Mary Jane

[lovescakes]

I really would like to know what times the shows were so I can schedule meals ahead of time. I heard from several sites 7/9 and 7:30/9:30. Do you remember our did they change from night to night?

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[Ilikebigboats]

Thanks guys for your replies. Good point about the private tours, I can set the agenda and the cost might not be to bad since 3 families will be splitting the cost.

Hopefully everyone will want to do their own thing while on the ship, (I'm assuming the ship is pretty easy to get around). Of course I'll plan dinners/ shows together, but man I would sure like to enjoy the casino and my drink package without my mother in law judging me! Ha!

 

It looks like the ship departs at 11 pm, does anyone know when the muster drill will be? Normally I would board the ship and drop off luggage and go back out to explore Venice but I think this would not work with my group. I wonder if a lot of people miss muster because of the late departure.

 

I guess my next step is booking flights for everyone. I've read that the best time to buy airfare for this trip would be at the end of this month(9 months in advance). Does this sound right? Can anyone tell me how far in advance they buy their airline tickets?

When you look at this incredible itinerary as a whole it can be intimidating to try and plan and see everything. But I will break it down by each port, and thankfully I have ten months to get everything in order.:)