New Jade Review, Barcelona to Istanbul

[DonfromNC]

New Review on the March 30, 2008 Eastern Mediterranean cruise:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=41077.

[watchdiva]

What an interesting read! Thanks for writing a clear, concise review which is very balanced...........

[newmexicoNita]

great review, I am glad you had a good time and please consider the So American itinerary. I have had many couple do this recently; all returning with raving reviews and positive comments. Now, that the Sun is taking over the route it should be even better.

 

Nita

[FTLAUDER]

Is Aloi still the bar tender at the MARTINI BAR? We thought he was super.

[xyzxyz]

Thank you for that very informative review.

 

May I know what the Rome tour offered by way of lunch as that might be the only excursion we'll be doing. The kids can be rather fussy about what they eat - not to mention food allergies.

[Whippets]

DonNC-may I ask what airline you flew out of CLT? We are heading to Barcelona for a cruise on the Gem in November and airfares/connections are not the greatest. Everyone has told us not to book an early flight out of Barcelona because the airport is a zoo on Sunday mornings.

 

Diane from Waxhaw

[DonfromNC]

Is Aloi still the bar tender at the MARTINI BAR? We thought he was super.

 

We didn't try the bars so can't answer this question.

 

May I know what the Rome tour offered by way of lunch

 

We had a pasta appetizer, salad, meat (roast beef?) and potatoes and a desert. That was the "Rome - Classical City" tour. Other tours would likely have different menus. The "Treasure of Naples" tour visited a pizza restaurant and the children (and adults if they wished) were taken into the kitchen where they prepared and hand-tossed their own pizzas which were then served to them. Of course in Naples you would really want to see Popmpeii if you haven't been there before. We had seen it before so toured Naples this trip.

 

 

may I ask what airline you flew out of CLT?

 

NCL routed us on Delta. DL 849 CLT to ATL, dep 4:35 PM, arr. 5:55 PM

then DL114 ATL to BCN, dep. 8:10 PM, arr. 11:05 AM. We returned from Istanbul on Lufthansa via Munich. Our daughter went to Barcelona last summer with the Winthrop/Carolinas Wind Orchestra and they took the same flights over.

[jlines]

Good review Don. I don't remember meeting you but I met soooo many people both at the CC meetings and elsewhere on the ship. This trip was awesome for us as it was the largest ship we've been on (yet we never felt crowded or lost), our first time to Europe, and gave me a good impression of NCL when I had started losing faith in it after our last NCL cruise. The cruise and itinerary met every expectation I had and then some!

[coaster]

Great review and very objective. The perspective of us traditionlists not wanting to pay extra for dining really won me over. Thanks for posting.