NEW 2 CRUISIN

115 Days!

Getting excited about our return to Europe!

Anyone joining us???

We had the Mercedes Van with the huge windows.

That was great because there is so much to see along the Amalfi Coast.

There were 6 of us though, so we really didn't have a choice.

I would think the back seat of the car would really block a lot of the view, but may also trade off for more comfort.

For 2 people, the price would probably be more for the van than the car, too.

Unless you specifically wanted to travel alone, you could check with those on the roll call for your cruise to see if others would want to join you and keep the price more reasonable per person!

We're going back in October!

HAVE FUN!

:)

WOW!

That's a steal for anyone out west!

Airfare from NY for those dates would be at least $1,100/person -- Same as for Europe! HAHA!

Thanks for the scoop!

I just called my buddy in Anchorage and told Him to tell his local friends!

I was researching this recently as well, and the consensus seemed to be that laundry bag special day isn't until Sunday with the laundry being returned on Tuesday. So if you're embarking in Rome, it's not until almost the last day of the cruise that you'd get your laundry back. For this reason I intend on washing a lot of my own clothes in the sink!

Wait... The cruise from Barcelona is Sunday to Sunday. Is there a separate laundry day for those folks?

Seems there would only be one laundry special each week, no?

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If only life were so simple :(. As frequent land and cruise travelers we have long understood the need for a Chip/PIN card and do have one issued by Andrews FCU. This card is compatible with the European EMV standard (accepted worldwide except in the US) and has never failed us in Europe until last week! .... So now we have the necessary Chip/PIN card....but even it does not work in all circumstances. Fortunately we had the necessary cash (over 30 Euros) to pay the toll, but DW thought perhaps we should have told them we did not have cash to see what they would have done.

 

Hank

I just recieved the Andrews FCU card after reading about it on the boards and making all the proper applicaitons this week.

We are not driving when we get to Europe, so hopefully will have the same good fortune you have been enjoying with your card -- aside from the crazy French Toll Booth experience! :eek:

There's a fixed portion of the MDR menu (available every evening). And, there's a a portion of the menu that changes every evening. You can pick and choose and mix and match if you want.

 

In all honesty, you can have as many courses as you want. You can have 3 different appetizers, two salads and two entres if you'd like. There are no limits on what you can order.

What GRAPHICGUY said! HAHA!

We posted similar feedback at the same time!

The post you saw was not totally accurate, and requires some additional explanation for first-time NCL cruisers.

We've always enjoyed or meals on NCL and have only gone to "specialty" restaurants when our on-board credits afforded us the opportunity.

While not "5-6 courses", you can order as many apps and entree's as you like to make your own courses! Quite often we will get soup, salad, and split a couple different appetizers before the entree arrives! Some of the main courses are available in "appetizer" sizes, too!

On NCL, the daily menu is generally two pages.

One page is DAILY SELECTIONS - items available every day.

One page is DAILY SPECIALS - available only that day.

I like it because you can always count on steaks, salads, chicken, pasta, fish, and other items being available, in some form, on both sides of the menu every night if you want them.

The SPECIALS are usually "themed", and usually fit into the port that the ship is visiting that day (ie. Rome might feature "Italian Night", Barcelona might feature "Spanish Night" entrees, etc.)

We've always found plenty of selection without having to make reservations at a specialty dining restaurant!

ENJOY!!! :D

Thanks for posting these Keith!

One thing that I had read somewhere recently, was excitemtnt for the return of the famous "chilled fruit soups" which we loved and looked forward to at the start of each meal.

I didn't see them on these menus, so will know not to expect them....but one can hope! :D

The Legends are Elvis Presley, Steven Tyler and Katie Perry. The Elvis and Steven Tyler impersonators were very good, but "Katie" was horrible (IMHO).

The info above may not be correct, as the performers changed when the ship went to Europe.

I understand the performers mentioned above were on the EPIC while it sailed the Caribbean this Spring.

While putting plans together for our Mediterranean cruise this Fall, I read info from recent crusiers that said the LEGENDS performers for the current European season are SHAKIRA, DIANA ROSS, and PRINCE.

(Incidnetally, when we did that same cruise 3 years ago, SHAKIRA was also on there, with an excellent Elton John and Whitney Houston.)

Always a fun show, with usually one of the three outshing the other 2 by a mile! Can't wait! LOL :)

Hi. I was on the Epic in Nov last year. I was in a solo cabin and had an amazing time. Is this your 1st Epic cruise?

Hi SHOWBOY!

This will be our second time on the EPIC.

Three years ago we did a similar Mediterranean itinerary on the EPIC. We loved it too!

I hear the studio cabins are a great option for traveling solo. We were able to check out the cabins and the studio lounge area while we were there.

Looking forward to returning to Europe in a few months!

...As someone who doesn't see what there is about lobster that sends many cruisers crazy, I have to say this is not a good development. The buffet was really busy and you have to join the queue for the lobster to get near much of the other options.

Thanks for the info on the new menus!

I don't get the whole lobster craze either, but....

There's no reason to stand in the "lobster line" if you are not eating lobster!

Just grab a plate and go around to get whatever else you want.

If I want mashed potatoes and pretzel bread that's where I'm going!

:D

WAIT.... :confused:

I was sure there was a Chapel on the EPIC when I sailed on Her 3 years ago.

Did they get rid of it? When did this happen?

What's there now???

It was a nice place to sit and reflect to start the day!

Maybe I am confusing it with another NCL ship..... Hmmm..... I will have to check my photos when I get home tonight!

While the Haven was "nice" for a splurge, I'd personally rather sail 2-3 more times each year in a more affordable Oceanview or Balcony cabin. Heck, we've even done a couple Insides - by choice! LOL

We were just not that into using the butler or concierge, and wound up making all the arrangements and doing things ourselves anyway. We also enjoy eating whenever and wherever we want, so Cagneys and the Haven Suite itself was kind of wasted on us.

Thank goodness there are cabin choices for every type of cruiser!

137 Days!

So the ship could determine exactly where you spent your time, and for how long, on each cruise? A great source of information for the ship, but I'm not sure how I feel about big brother watching.

Disney has turned going to the theme park into a big hassle with the bands, fast passes, pre-booking everything, etc.

We are huge fans, but enough is enough.

One of the reasons for needing to "track" guests in the park? To be able to move the roving popcorn and candy vendors to areas where fast pass is not making things faster. Another opportunity to sell stuff to you!

It's all about being able to sell you more stuff based on your traffic pattern and park conditions!

I don't see cruise lines being able to benefit from these unless they drastically improve their Customer Service functions to be able to move personnel to where the opportunities are.

Did not like that "I'm being tracked" feeling at Disney, I can't remember if you could say you didn't want a magic band, they were mailed to us a few weeks prior to heading over there.

Yes! You can request a standard key card to carry in stead of wearing the band. It still has the same "tracking" technology in it, though....

Maybe if the photographers took better pictures, people would buy them! :rolleyes:

At home I think many are used to editing and printing their own pictures...or even better - at the local Walgreens, where there is almost always a photo machine to adjust/correct/edit your photo and then buy a 5x7 of it for .39 cents with their coupon!

Aside from the crazy high prices for the ship pictures, there are hardly ever more than 1 or 2 pictures of us from an entire week that we would even consider buying. Blurry, rushed, poor lighting, etc. in most of them.

I can tell you this, though...if even the "blurry, rushed, poorly lit" photos were $5 each in stead of $20, we'd probably buy them all!

NCL would get $50-$60 out us instead of the current $0.

I don't wear watches or jewelry on my wrists, so I found the Magic Bands to be uncomfortable and distracting.

It might be fine for some, but I'd suggest they make a simple key card with the same technology. They do it in some newer hotels now. Tap the door with the key and it opens. Then it can be stored safely away in my wallet again!

P.S. LrgPizza is absolutely correct about the tanline too! :D

I sympathize with the OP!

Our EPIC cruise this Fall has the slowest Roll Call board of any cruise we've ever been on.

Usually groups are formed and excursions and Meet and Greets are set.

Right now neither has happened and we're starting a Plan "B" to do things on our own.

Oh well....

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Just keeping this post alive!

Will anyone from these boards be joining the October 5, 2014 Mediterranean Cruise on the EPIC from Barcelona?

:)

Don't forget to explore the possiblilty of shipping your packages home from the store you are shopping in!

We have purchased items and shipped them home to avoid having to carry them from city to city.

I agree with everyone else -- souvenirs must be "usable" and not dust collectors!

ENJOY YOUR CRUISE!!!

Target to issue cards as MasterCard chip-and-pin

 

Snyder says Target chose MasterCard over its existing agreement with Visa because "MasterCard technology will be able to be used across all three types of cards."

 

We have a Chase Hyatt Card with Chip and Signature. Used chip processing for the first time in the U.S. last week... at Wal-Mart! Their processors had been updated to accept chip processing.

This is interesting because WALMART also is changing their Discover Card to MasterCard this Summer. Coincidentally, WALMART'S new MasterCards will be CHIP and Signature also. Stores are being fitted with the new debit readers now to accomodate the new cards!

Baby steps, folks! HAHA! :D

159 Days til we Sail!

Anyone joining us??

We have a love/hate relationship with CapitalOne. We love that their fee free Master Card has zero foreign exchange fees. But we hate that they refuse to issue Chip/PIN cards to their US customers while they have been giving Chip/PIN cards to their Canadian customers for some time.

 

As to their claim that the merchants "must" accept the US Magnetic Strip cards, they forgot to tell that to many of the restaurants, smaller hotels, and merchants throughout Europe.

 

Hank

I agree! HAHA!

My TA just sent me this!

WHEW! We're sailing in 2014!

http://www.travelpulse.com/news/crui...fall-2015.html

Norwegian Epic To Sail From Southampton In Fall 2015

CRUISE | APRIL 24, 2014

Norwegian Epic To Sail From Southampton In Fall 2015

Norwegian Cruise Line announced today that Norwegian Epic has added two sailings to and from Southampton, England in 2015, marking the first time that the ship has visited the port since the inaugural celebration in June 2010.

Norwegian Epic, named “Best Ship for Sea Days” by Cruise Critic and “Best Overall Cruise Ship” by the readers of Travel Weekly two years in a row, will sail one six- and one seven-night Iberian Peninsula itinerary. The ship’s six-night sailing will depart Barcelona on September 20, 2015 and arrive in Southampton on September 26, 2015, with ports of call including Cartagena, Spain; Granada (Malaga), Spain; and Lisbon, Portugal.

Following a 15-day dry dock in France, Norwegian Epic will embark on a seven-night Iberian Peninsula cruise from Southampton to Barcelona on October 11, 2015. The ship will visit ports of call including Vigo, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Granada (Malaga) and Cartagena, Spain.

Guests sailing on Norwegian Epic will have the opportunity to experience the ship’s 21 dining options including signature steakhouse, Japanese Teppanyaki, Brazilian Churrascaria and Italian, along with 20 bars and lounges, including the Svedka Inniskillin Ice Bar, the first ever true ice bar at sea. In addition, Norwegian Epic is also home to innovative entertainment, and a variety of activities including an Aqua Park with the first bowl slide at sea. Whether guests are embarking on a family vacation, romantic escape or a solo getaway, Norwegian Epic offers a variety of flexible accommodations ranging from Studio staterooms specially designed for solo travelers, to balcony staterooms and opulent suites in The Haven by Norwegian, the ultimate in luxury accommodations.

Beginning April 2015, Norwegian Epic will homeport year-round in Barcelona, sailing seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries in the summer season and 10-night Canary Islands & Morocco and six-, 10-, 11- or 12-night Western Mediterranean itineraries during the 2015 and 2016 winter season.

Bookings for the six- and seven-night itineraries are available for sale starting today. To book a cruise on board Norwegian Epic, contact a travel professional, call Norwegian at 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784), or visit http://www.ncl.com