Port review Jade Med cruise 9/12 to 9/22/2019

[Dar & Bob]

This is just a review of the ports we visited on our September 12^th to 22^nd cruise on NCL Jade.  All of our tours were arraigned with NCL and overall we were very pleasantly surprised.  The tour operators for the most part were very good.  Also one thing to note, on each excursion they give the group a round sticker with the group number to wear.  It was easy to find people from your own group as well as others from the ship.  One of our tour guides told us if we were lost and missed our bus to find another tour if possible, that they would get us back to the ship which was a least a little comforting.

 

SANTORINI –

Charming Oia and Winery –

This is not a winery tour, it is a wine tasting at a wine store.  It starts as a “cattle-drive” to a table with toothpicks (in plastic so you have to unwrap them) to pick up some nibbles then to a line to get a glass of wine.  There is a beautiful view to drink the wine and the wine was pretty good, we did buy one bottle. There were 2 wines, white and red and also a dessert wine to taste.  They did not limit the amount you could drink. However, if you want any information about the wine you need to go into the store to talk to one of the reps.  The tour guide on the trip there did give us a brief novice description of the wines before arriving.  This part of the tour did not live up to our expectations.

On to Charming Oia, it is charming when it comes to architecture and views.  It is not so charming when it comes to trying to walk around and to shop.  The streets are narrow and wall to wall tourists, even inside the shops. Getting a picture of the city entails walking a narrow walkway down to a vantage point and waiting in line.   On our day there were 4 ships in port which from what our tour guide told us is low.  Many times they can have 9 cruise ships in por which I can’t even imagine.  One word of advice, if you see something you want buy, do it immediately, since getting back to the store is almost impossible.   Another suggestion, forgo shopping, find a cliff side restaurant, enjoy the views away from the crowds and take in the sunset if you are late enough.  The line for cable to back down to the ship is long but moves quickly, so don’t let it panic you. 

Overall, liked it but probably would pick another tour.  If you want to see Oia make sure it is on a low cruise ship day.

ATHENS

Acropolis and Leisure

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable but she wasted a lot of time at the Acropolis when we wanted to be taking pictures.  The Acropolis is very difficult to see due to the amount of tourists and tours (no reflection on our guide or the tour)  It is well worth seeing but you need to take it slow and patiently.  We had beautiful weather but this could be a very dangerous and precarious place in inclement weather.

There was a brief stop at the Old Marble Olympic stadium just for photos.  Interesting but we probably would have preferred more time just to shop.

The leisure part was shopping in Plaka, cool city and easy to shop.  The guide gave us good instructions on where to meet and places to shop.

Mykonos.

There is a free bus from the port to the edge of the town so we shopped and explored on our own.  This really was a good choice for us.  The town is on the edge of a cliff so there is a lot of walking through the town that was purposefully built like a maze to be able to evade the pirates.  The town is just beautiful and there is a lot of great shopping.  The jewelry is unique and beautiful.  The resident pelican strolling the streets was quite amusing.  We had a really delicious lunch at a seaside restaurant which completed the perfect day in Mykonos.  I did put my feet in the water, but we are from Florida with the best beaches.  The beach was not sand but small rocks and the water temp only about 78, brrrrrr.  All told I think we may have enjoyed Mykonos better than Santorini.

Crete/Chania

Took the bus, nothing to see at the hours the ship was in port.  The ship arrives at 7 am and we got on the bus about 8 am.  Back onboard time is 11:30, since most shops didn’t open until 10 it was a waste of time to get off.  Chania is mostly a regular city, a few nice buildings to see but I think NCL would be better off just skipping this port.

Malta

A taste of Malta

Our tour took us to a winery, which was a real working winery.  We walked by the vineyards.  Note this is up and down hill and quite a long on dirt road since the bus cannot go down the road.  It was worth the walk.  The tour was through the actual winery where we saw the wine fermentation tanks, wine storage barrels and wine bottling equipment.    Our tour was with one of the premier wine experts in Malta.  He was very engaging and informative, truly a wonderful experience.  We tasted two wines and they passed some dips with crackers which were very good.  We actually didn’t know we could buy the wines until we saw someone with some going back to the bus.

Second was Mdina glass factory.  It was nice and interesting but since we only had 20 minutes time there we didn’t have time to watch the artisans and shop for the right piece.  The glass pieces are reasonably priced, whether you like them or not is up to you.

Next stop was the supposedly beautiful San Anton gardens, which may be beautiful at another time of year.  However, when we were there most of the vegetation was being dug out due to change of seasons.  We walked back to the palace and had way too much time on our own.

Finally, we stopped at the Mosta Dome.  It was a brief stop and very beautiful.  The admission fee was extra 2 EU per person.  Note they were not enforcing a dress code, I was wearing shorts and sleeveless  shirt since there was a note on our excursion tickets that we could not go inside (don’t believe everything you read)

Overall we would still recommend this tour.

Sicily

Taormina, Lava Flow and Wine Tasting.

Taormina was quaint and beautiful with its black lava stone streets.  It was not as crowded as many of the other cities.  Walking was easy and enjoyable, make sure to look at the balconies which are unique and beautiful.  We only saw the Greek Theatre from the outside, there is an additional charge and we were enjoying the many shops.

Next we went to the winery.  The views of the vineyards with Mt. Etna in the background are breathtaking.  The wine tasting was far above many of the others we were on.  We tasted 5 wines including two sparkling.  We did get to see the fermenting tanks, barrel storage and the working line bottling the sparkling wine.  The wines were very good and bread, salame and cheeses were provided and replenished.  Top notch tasting.

On to the Lava Flow which is unique to see how the Lava stopped just before the house.  However, it is very trampled and not what we expected.  They do allow you to take a piece of lava for good luck.

Naples

Flavors of Sorrento and Pompeii

The tour started at the Cameo factory.  The craftmanship was amazing to see, but pieces are quite expensive.  If you like this sort of thing and wanted to buy a piece it wasn’t enough time.  For those who don’t it is still interesting and a potty break.

Next was the ride to Sorrento.  If you can sit on the right side of the bus (facing the front). There is a 5 mile tunnel which was avoided going there taking the scenic route.  So the views are not the same on the way there as on the return trip.  The views are absolutely amazing with straight drops down to the sea.  There are many resorts with their small beaches hundreds of feet down and sea side towns perched on the cliffs. 

Thankfully our tour guide allowed us extra time in Sorrento to shop.  Sorrento did not disappoint.  The streets were comfortable, lots of people but still plenty of room.  Great shopping and great views of sea from the park  the far side of Sorrento.  Sorrento is very charming and really the highlight of the tour,

Next we visited a working farm that produces olive oil and mozzarella.  We were served lunch which started with an antipasto plate of olive spread on bread, salame and prosciutto and two types of cheese.  Second course was a plate of delicious pasta followed by and absolutely fantastic lemon cake.  My husband is not fond of lemon and he loved it!

On to Pompeii, which is a bit of a walk from the bus to the entrance.  Note you can buy water on the way in if you didn’t bring it from the ship.  Our guide was great on pointing out the washrooms as well.  At the entrance looking up you will see a large male statue with a spear, this is the best place to get a picture of the front this statue if you want it.  Even though Pompeii is expansive some areas like the interiors of the buildings get very crowded.  Our guide was very good at asking us if we wanted to wait for 15 to 30 minutes to see certain places or move on to something else.  Obviously since there were other stops on this tour, the Pompeii portion was just the highlights but more than enough for us.

We would recommend this tour.

 

Florence

Florence and Wine Tasting at Tuscan Castle

Our tour started with the Tuscan Castle winetasting.  This part of the tour was the highlight of our trip.  Seeing the Castello del Trebbio was absolutely breathtaking.  We got to see some of the personal living spaces and wine cellars and underground passages.  Our guide, the cousin of the current owner, is a great speaker, informative and engaging.  The ancient castle surrounded by the olive trees and vineyards are just incredible.   If you want to preview it check out www.castellodeltrebbio.com.

We tasted 3 wines plus one dessert wine.  The wines were a white blend and 2 Chiantis.  Actually drinking Chianti in the Chianti region was a true memorable experience.  We were served a delicious plate of Salame, cheese, bread with their own olive oil, bread with olive spread and bruschetta with yummy tomatoes.  I can not say enough about this tour.

We were dropped quite a ways from the Piazza Santa Croce, our drop off and meeting place.  We had a little over 3 hours in Florence which really was not enough time to shop, tour and eat but we made the best of it.  Our tour guide provided us with a map showing the meeting place, and highlights of Florence.  The streets are crowded, filled with tourists, locals, pickpockets, scooters and tripping hazards.  Not a place to be walking with your head in the clouds to be sure.

The Ponte Vecchio (Gold Bridge) is definitely a must see as is the Piazza del Vecchio the square with the replica of David along with many other notable statues.  Florence is known for their gold and leather.  We found both to be quite pricey but they were high quality but we still found some things to buy.  We did enjoy strolling some of the less crowded streets.

This is a very long tour, basically the entire time the ship is docked but we wouldn’t have missed it for the world.  We would recommend this tour. 

I hope these reviews are helpful to someone planning a similar itinerary.  We really enjoyed the ports which made the trip so memorable. 

[ChattTenn]

56 minutes ago, Dar & Bob said:

This is just a review of the ports we visited on our September 12^th to 22^nd cruise on NCL Jade.  All of our tours were arraigned with NCL and overall we were very pleasantly surprised.  The tour operators for the most part were very good.  Also one thing to note, on each excursion they give the group a round sticker with the group number to wear.  It was easy to find people from your own group as well as others from the ship.  One of our tour guides told us if we were lost and missed our bus to find another tour if possible, that they would get us back to the ship which was a least a little comforting.

 

 

 

SANTORINI –

 

Charming Oia and Winery –

 

This is not a winery tour, it is a wine tasting at a wine store.  It starts as a “cattle-drive” to a table with toothpicks (in plastic so you have to unwrap them) to pick up some nibbles then to a line to get a glass of wine.  There is a beautiful view to drink the wine and the wine was pretty good, we did buy one bottle. There were 2 wines, white and red and also a dessert wine to taste.  They did not limit the amount you could drink. However, if you want any information about the wine you need to go into the store to talk to one of the reps.  The tour guide on the trip there did give us a brief novice description of the wines before arriving.  This part of the tour did not live up to our expectations.

 

On to Charming Oia, it is charming when it comes to architecture and views.  It is not so charming when it comes to trying to walk around and to shop.  The streets are narrow and wall to wall tourists, even inside the shops. Getting a picture of the city entails walking a narrow walkway down to a vantage point and waiting in line.   On our day there were 4 ships in port which from what our tour guide told us is low.  Many times they can have 9 cruise ships in por which I can’t even imagine.  One word of advice, if you see something you want buy, do it immediately, since getting back to the store is almost impossible.   Another suggestion, forgo shopping, find a cliff side restaurant, enjoy the views away from the crowds and take in the sunset if you are late enough.  The line for cable to back down to the ship is long but moves quickly, so don’t let it panic you. 

 

Overall, liked it but probably would pick another tour.  If you want to see Oia make sure it is on a low cruise ship day.

 

ATHENS

 

Acropolis and Leisure

 

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable but she wasted a lot of time at the Acropolis when we wanted to be taking pictures.  The Acropolis is very difficult to see due to the amount of tourists and tours (no reflection on our guide or the tour)  It is well worth seeing but you need to take it slow and patiently.  We had beautiful weather but this could be a very dangerous and precarious place in inclement weather.

 

There was a brief stop at the Old Marble Olympic stadium just for photos.  Interesting but we probably would have preferred more time just to shop.

 

The leisure part was shopping in Plaka, cool city and easy to shop.  The guide gave us good instructions on where to meet and places to shop.

 

Mykonos.

 

There is a free bus from the port to the edge of the town so we shopped and explored on our own.  This really was a good choice for us.  The town is on the edge of a cliff so there is a lot of walking through the town that was purposefully built like a maze to be able to evade the pirates.  The town is just beautiful and there is a lot of great shopping.  The jewelry is unique and beautiful.  The resident pelican strolling the streets was quite amusing.  We had a really delicious lunch at a seaside restaurant which completed the perfect day in Mykonos.  I did put my feet in the water, but we are from Florida with the best beaches.  The beach was not sand but small rocks and the water temp only about 78, brrrrrr.  All told I think we may have enjoyed Mykonos better than Santorini.

 

Crete/Chania

 

Took the bus, nothing to see at the hours the ship was in port.  The ship arrives at 7 am and we got on the bus about 8 am.  Back onboard time is 11:30, since most shops didn’t open until 10 it was a waste of time to get off.  Chania is mostly a regular city, a few nice buildings to see but I think NCL would be better off just skipping this port.

 

Malta

 

A taste of Malta

 

Our tour took us to a winery, which was a real working winery.  We walked by the vineyards.  Note this is up and down hill and quite a long on dirt road since the bus cannot go down the road.  It was worth the walk.  The tour was through the actual winery where we saw the wine fermentation tanks, wine storage barrels and wine bottling equipment.    Our tour was with one of the premier wine experts in Malta.  He was very engaging and informative, truly a wonderful experience.  We tasted two wines and they passed some dips with crackers which were very good.  We actually didn’t know we could buy the wines until we saw someone with some going back to the bus.

 

Second was Mdina glass factory.  It was nice and interesting but since we only had 20 minutes time there we didn’t have time to watch the artisans and shop for the right piece.  The glass pieces are reasonably priced, whether you like them or not is up to you.

 

Next stop was the supposedly beautiful San Anton gardens, which may be beautiful at another time of year.  However, when we were there most of the vegetation was being dug out due to change of seasons.  We walked back to the palace and had way too much time on our own.

 

Finally, we stopped at the Mosta Dome.  It was a brief stop and very beautiful.  The admission fee was extra 2 EU per person.  Note they were not enforcing a dress code, I was wearing shorts and sleeveless  shirt since there was a note on our excursion tickets that we could not go inside (don’t believe everything you read)

 

Overall we would still recommend this tour.

 

Sicily

 

Taormina, Lava Flow and Wine Tasting.

 

Taormina was quaint and beautiful with its black lava stone streets.  It was not as crowded as many of the other cities.  Walking was easy and enjoyable, make sure to look at the balconies which are unique and beautiful.  We only saw the Greek Theatre from the outside, there is an additional charge and we were enjoying the many shops.

 

Next we went to the winery.  The views of the vineyards with Mt. Etna in the background are breathtaking.  The wine tasting was far above many of the others we were on.  We tasted 5 wines including two sparkling.  We did get to see the fermenting tanks, barrel storage and the working line bottling the sparkling wine.  The wines were very good and bread, salame and cheeses were provided and replenished.  Top notch tasting.

 

On to the Lava Flow which is unique to see how the Lava stopped just before the house.  However, it is very trampled and not what we expected.  They do allow you to take a piece of lava for good luck.

 

Naples

 

Flavors of Sorrento and Pompeii

 

The tour started at the Cameo factory.  The craftmanship was amazing to see, but pieces are quite expensive.  If you like this sort of thing and wanted to buy a piece it wasn’t enough time.  For those who don’t it is still interesting and a potty break.

 

Next was the ride to Sorrento.  If you can sit on the right side of the bus (facing the front). There is a 5 mile tunnel which was avoided going there taking the scenic route.  So the views are not the same on the way there as on the return trip.  The views are absolutely amazing with straight drops down to the sea.  There are many resorts with their small beaches hundreds of feet down and sea side towns perched on the cliffs. 

 

Thankfully our tour guide allowed us extra time in Sorrento to shop.  Sorrento did not disappoint.  The streets were comfortable, lots of people but still plenty of room.  Great shopping and great views of sea from the park  the far side of Sorrento.  Sorrento is very charming and really the highlight of the tour,

 

Next we visited a working farm that produces olive oil and mozzarella.  We were served lunch which started with an antipasto plate of olive spread on bread, salame and prosciutto and two types of cheese.  Second course was a plate of delicious pasta followed by and absolutely fantastic lemon cake.  My husband is not fond of lemon and he loved it!

 

On to Pompeii, which is a bit of a walk from the bus to the entrance.  Note you can buy water on the way in if you didn’t bring it from the ship.  Our guide was great on pointing out the washrooms as well.  At the entrance looking up you will see a large male statue with a spear, this is the best place to get a picture of the front this statue if you want it.  Even though Pompeii is expansive some areas like the interiors of the buildings get very crowded.  Our guide was very good at asking us if we wanted to wait for 15 to 30 minutes to see certain places or move on to something else.  Obviously since there were other stops on this tour, the Pompeii portion was just the highlights but more than enough for us.

 

We would recommend this tour.

 

 

 

Florence

 

Florence and Wine Tasting at Tuscan Castle

 

Our tour started with the Tuscan Castle winetasting.  This part of the tour was the highlight of our trip.  Seeing the Castello del Trebbio was absolutely breathtaking.  We got to see some of the personal living spaces and wine cellars and underground passages.  Our guide, the cousin of the current owner, is a great speaker, informative and engaging.  The ancient castle surrounded by the olive trees and vineyards are just incredible.   If you want to preview it check out www.castellodeltrebbio.com.

 

We tasted 3 wines plus one dessert wine.  The wines were a white blend and 2 Chiantis.  Actually drinking Chianti in the Chianti region was a true memorable experience.  We were served a delicious plate of Salame, cheese, bread with their own olive oil, bread with olive spread and bruschetta with yummy tomatoes.  I can not say enough about this tour.

 

We were dropped quite a ways from the Piazza Santa Croce, our drop off and meeting place.  We had a little over 3 hours in Florence which really was not enough time to shop, tour and eat but we made the best of it.  Our tour guide provided us with a map showing the meeting place, and highlights of Florence.  The streets are crowded, filled with tourists, locals, pickpockets, scooters and tripping hazards.  Not a place to be walking with your head in the clouds to be sure.

 

The Ponte Vecchio (Gold Bridge) is definitely a must see as is the Piazza del Vecchio the square with the replica of David along with many other notable statues.  Florence is known for their gold and leather.  We found both to be quite pricey but they were high quality but we still found some things to buy.  We did enjoy strolling some of the less crowded streets.

 

This is a very long tour, basically the entire time the ship is docked but we wouldn’t have missed it for the world.  We would recommend this tour. 

 

I hope these reviews are helpful to someone planning a similar itinerary.  We really enjoyed the ports which made the trip so memorable. 

Thanks for a beautiful review.  We are looking forward to see the ports which most we are reserved through NCL.

 

Edited October 3, 2019 by ChattTenn

[littlelulu01]

Thanks so much for your shore excursions reviews!  Perfect timing.  We’re leaving for the Jade 2 week med soon and also doing the ship sponsored excursions this time around. Couldn’t resist with the nice chunk of obc and double shore excursion credit on our 12 port sailing. 

 

Question about the Santorini winery stop.  I’m not really interested in the cattle herding portion of winery or a wine tasting.  I booked the excursion to see the Akatori ruins and it just happens to have the same winery stop attached.  Do you think a person could forgo the tasting aspect and just sneak off to an area for a seat and some views?  

 

How did you like the Jade?  Specialty restaurants?  

[Dar & Bob]

35 minutes ago, littlelulu01 said:

Thanks so much for your shore excursions reviews!  Perfect timing.  We’re leaving for the Jade 2 week med soon and also doing the ship sponsored excursions this time around. Couldn’t resist with the nice chunk of obc and double shore excursion credit on our 12 port sailing. 

 

Question about the Santorini winery stop.  I’m not really interested in the cattle herding portion of winery or a wine tasting.  I booked the excursion to see the Akatori ruins and it just happens to have the same winery stop attached.  Do you think a person could forgo the tasting aspect and just sneak off to an area for a seat and some views?  

 

How did you like the Jade?  Specialty restaurants?  

I think I would still get off the bus, go to the line and grab a glass of the wine and head off to the right where there is a beautiful view of the hillside down to the ocean.  I did buy a bottle to take home and two of the couples bought wine to be shipped home.  The note on that is that it was shipped from Virginia.  Also, if you go in the store they have more wines to taste and people who will actually talk to you about the wines.

 

I am posting a review of the actual ship shortly.  We liked the Jade itself and the service staff is phenomenal.  If you meet Ade the bartender tell him Dar & Bob say hi.  He is at the pool bar on the lower level and at the Martini bar - try the Rum Cake martini as dessert - it is yummy!

 

Note on the shore excursions, if you paid for them in advance you may find you have OBC that is non refundable.  

 I hope you enjoy this trip as much as we did .  If you are flying early into Rome, Hotel Smeraldo is a small hotel in an ideal location.  It has a very helpful staff and a great breakfast, including coffee by a barista included. 

[Dar & Bob]

44 minutes ago, littlelulu01 said:

 

 

How did you like the Jade?  Specialty restaurants?  

Forgot about the specialty restaurants.  We only did Cagney's and from our experience I really don't think it was worth paying the ala carte prices.  My husband ordered the regular size filet and was served two petit filets, one which he sent back because it was way over done.  That doesn't happen at a steak restaurant here in the states.

Two couples had the dining package, one liked Le Bistro a lot and the Brazilian restaurant they bragged about the salad bar. The other said they liked the hibachi which we aren't fans of anyways.  We were travelling with a group of 10 so we mostly ate in the Grand Pacific.  I will say in the evening in the GP the service was quite good.  No one in our group like Alizar at all.  

Also, on this cruise we ate on shore a lot.  In Santorini we found a cliff side restaurant and ended up getting a phenomenal sunset as well as a fantastic meal.  In Taormina we had canolis and pizza both which were terrific.  The food on shore was more what we were looking for so maybe a comparison to the mass produced dining room food is really not fair 🙂

 

[littlelulu01]

59 minutes ago, Dar & Bob said:

Forgot about the specialty restaurants.  We only did Cagney's and from our experience I really don't think it was worth paying the ala carte prices.  My husband ordered the regular size filet and was served two petit filets, one which he sent back because it was way over done.  That doesn't happen at a steak restaurant here in the states.

Two couples had the dining package, one liked Le Bistro a lot and the Brazilian restaurant they bragged about the salad bar. The other said they liked the hibachi which we aren't fans of anyways.  We were travelling with a group of 10 so we mostly ate in the Grand Pacific.  I will say in the evening in the GP the service was quite good.  No one in our group like Alizar at all.  

Also, on this cruise we ate on shore a lot.  In Santorini we found a cliff side restaurant and ended up getting a phenomenal sunset as well as a fantastic meal.  In Taormina we had canolis and pizza both which were terrific.  The food on shore was more what we were looking for so maybe a comparison to the mass produced dining room food is really not fair 🙂

 

Thanks.  Our obc is non refundable.  I reserved, didn’t pay because of all the credits, way back when.  shore excursions desk land side says I’ll be charged onboard for the price the day I booked vs the today prices.  Fingers crossed on that as some excursions have really gone up in price since I booked.  I took screenshots of original prices. From what I’ve been reading it will likely go smoothly with the charge/ncl credits applied after each excursion completed. 

 

I pre purchased specialty dinners so thanks for your take on the specialty venues. Wanted to insulate ourselves from  mediocre mass production meals to some extent - if that’s possible on a cruise ship anymore.   Tough competition in the med when food at a gas station in Italy can be better than many restaurants in the USA. 

[ollienbertsmum]

Thank you for this helpful review.  You seem to have a similar experience to us in terms of crowds.  It really does seem that over-tourism is having a negative impact on the experiences.  

 

In Santorini, in mid September we just walked along the coast road from Fira towards Oia and stopped a little less than half way.  We had pleasant views all the way.  The crowds in Fira looked bad and I heard Oia was worse.  

 

I recall Florence a few years ago being really crowded, now I would go to Lucca and Pisa instead - but probably they are getting a bit too popular.  

 

I am sure that overall your cruise experience was great, but I think we have to start thinking that if we want to see the Greek Islands, Tuscany, Venice, Rome, Croatia - take a plane and stay there.  Does that make sense?

[Dar & Bob]

2 hours ago, littlelulu01 said:

Thanks.  Our obc is non refundable.  I reserved, didn’t pay because of all the credits, way back when.  shore excursions desk land side says I’ll be charged onboard for the price the day I booked vs the today prices.  Fingers crossed on that as some excursions have really gone up in price since I booked.  I took screenshots of original prices. From what I’ve been reading it will likely go smoothly with the charge/ncl credits applied after each excursion completed. 

 

I pre purchased specialty dinners so thanks for your take on the specialty venues. Wanted to insulate ourselves from  mediocre mass production meals to some extent - if that’s possible on a cruise ship anymore.   Tough competition in the med when food at a gas station in Italy can be better than many restaurants in the USA. 

I will tell you that NCL did not charge us the price in effect at the time of booking.  None of the increases were that significant but they do add up.  We had numerous issues pre cruise and a couple on the cruise and I just didn't want to spend time waiting in the customer service line the last night of our cruise.  

As far as the specialty restaurants, I can tell you we didn't miss them.  Our last 3 days of excursions were all day and just getting to dinner was a stretch.  Also, as you point out we had such great food on shore we really didn't care that much what was for dinner.  

Enjoy your trip - it really is one for the books. 

 

[njcruiser27]

Thanks so much for your review. We just booked the Jade for September 2020 and we were looking to see some of the excursions available for the Greece , Crete and Malta ports. We just did the Epic last month so we are familiar with what is available form the Italy ports except Sicily. We have a while to figure out what we want to do, but this is a great help!