sweetpea222

Thanks. Someone said the shuttle from the train costs 2 euros per person and takes you to the port where I guess we get on another shuttle to the Spirit where we check in. Just have to see if there is a place to purchase wine near the port entrance where the first bus drops us off, or else we'll just get it in Rome and carry it on the train. I know there is a corkage fee on NCL, we're ok with that. We're comfortable with cheap red Italian wine, so it's still a deal to carry it on ourselves. :)

Thanks all. Will check with the NCL folks as well.

I thought about getting the wine in Rome but then I'd have to haul it all the way there on the train! LOL

My DH and I will be sailing on the Spirit in Aug 2018 with our two daughters. We really only like a glass or two of wine before dinner and, knowing this was a very port intensive cruise, we wouldn't be indulging much more than that. We decided the UBP was not worth it for us in this case, rather we are going to bring on some wine when we embark and just pay the corkage fee for it. Part of that will be covered by a small OBC we received from our TA. I usually stick to wine or hard cider when I have a drink so the expensive spirits or mixed drinks don't appeal all that much. Plus, we're on with our teenage daughters so I don't think it would set a good example for the parents to be actively trying to drink more to make the deal worth it! LOL

Last time we were there, in 2013, it was for the day. This time around (2018) we will be embarking from Civitavecchia. I understand the port has changed significantly since were there last. We will be arriving by train from Rome arriving on a Sunday morning.

We will be on the NCL Spirit...would be be checked in at the main port terminal? Or do they do check in at the berth in one of those big tent like structures? I'm a bit confused as to how it works once you enter the port. Would we need to take the bus from the train station to the main port entrance and enter the port from there?

We want to bring onboard some bottles of wine but I'm not sure how to manage that as well as trying to get to the port. Any suggestions there?

Many thanks!

We were in Rome in 2013 and, after many hours of research, we decided to DIY as a family of 4 and took the train into Rome. I had our route mapped out carefully, so I knew exactly where to go and what time to make it back to Termini to catch the train back to Civitavecchia. If I remember correctly, we caught the earliest train possible and came home around 3:30 pm, arriving at 4:45 or so and back onboard at least an hour before we had to. It was a great day, and we had no problems whatsoever. Having said that, though, in both Florence and Ephesus we elected to take NCL's transportation, because I was not as confident in my research that I could easily get there and back via public transportation. I think the ticket is to do extensive research and then go with your comfort level. Yes, as a family of 4 we paid more in Turkey and Florence than I would have liked for a simple bus ride BUT I also felt so relaxed that day knowing that I would not run into trouble and miss the ship. I think each person makes the choice that is right for them! :)

That's a great deal for laundry. Now that my girls are older (they will be 17 when we sail) I am quite sure we will take advantage of the special. Hopefully I can find some go-to tops that will be easily washed in the sink and quick dried. After the cruise we will be staying in the south of France for a week at a holiday rental so I imagine I will be spending a morning doing laundry then as well. :)

As much as I would love to take some white shirts as they look sharp, go with everything and in linen would be cool...I am afraid I am too much of a klutz and would immediately spill coffee or red wine on myself. I do plan to take the tide pen with me, but that can only do so much!

Thanks to another thread here, I've started a packing spreadsheet and as I think of things I am adding them on. Will organize it much later as we get closer to leaving but at least for now I know my jumbled thoughts are in one place. I have also started saving images of clothes I like to google keep. It's super easy and I can include a little note to myself, and then access the photo anywhere on my phone. :)

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll look into both the Sahali dress and the Sherpani bags. I'm in Canada though so not sure if they are easily shipped here or not. That's the nice thing about planning so early, you have lots of time to shop around and get ideas.

Yes, packing light is the way to go for me. I was easily able to haul my stuff all over Venice, in and out of train stations in Paris and Barcelona, and honestly I could pack a lot lighter if I am smart about it. I do not mind wearing the same things over and over again as long as I like them, I like how I look in them and they are comfortable and practical for where I am. :D

We spent a month in the Med in July 2013 and yes it was HOT most days. After all the walking and touring we were often sweaty and gritty when returning to the ship so I would always freshen up. We were with NCL though, so didn't have a set dining time which worked great. I found sun dresses were best for shore days. Easy to wear, dressier than shorts, and cooler than jeans or pants.

My girls were 13 when we went, and they packed mostly shorts, skirts, one or two dresses and cute tanks/tee shirts. The only issue was churches/mosques in Istanbul where they have to use a scarf and the cover up thing they give you, to cover their shoulders and knees. I also carried a very light scarf with me that I bought in Venice that did the trick and also, on a very hot day at the Acropolis when my daughter's sun hat unraveled and she used mine, worked as a head scarf/shade. Most of the dresses/skirts I took along worked fine for dinner but then again NCL doesn't do formal nights (which was a blessing as I was far too hot and tired to think about dressing up fancy!).

Re-reading through the thread, there are some things that jumped out at me, remembering our last trip. I took a couple of tops that were "in style" at the time and were cute/ok but were quite busy (I think the style was that bohemian look with crazy patterns) and in the end I did not wear them. For me at least, solids or the smallest pattern works best. I do not wear jewelry and honestly I am not that fussy about scarves since I've never really known how to wear one stylishly. So this time I will be sure to take one or two pops of colour pieces that will brighten up my look. As we were traveling, I really noticed that women in France and Italy tended to wear more reserved colours, and did not seem that fussy or over-accessorized so I think that is the way to go for me.

Also, I agree with the poster up thread that skirts and dresses are the way to go for me. It was just far too hot for pants and even my cargo capris felt heavy and hot sometimes. I loved the freedom of a skirt and top or a casual dress. I felt more dressed up and less hot so that worked for me. The only issue is in churches etc where you have to cover your knees and shoulders. So definitely a lightweight pretty scarf is the best thing to pack along with you.

I too need my flat iron but the blow dryer in the hotel/ship works just fine. My only concern is we are spending a week in a vacation rental in Menton France and another week back in the same apartment rental we stayed at in Paris in 2013 and I cannot remember if there is a blow dryer there! Will have to double check. I don't wear much make up and honestly if you are travelling in the Med in the summer, trust me, if you wear lots of make up it will be sliding off your face by noon it is that hot there. I will definitely take a GOOD face sunscreen, some light makeup and probably just eyeliner and mascara. The cloths that foam up when you get them wet will wash my face perfectly and usually they come in a pack of 30 so works for the entire trip. Also, I found the most lovely skin cream in France that I am dying to buy again and will probably have to check a bag going home because I will bring so much back with me. :)

Now the hunt is on for the perfect bag to take (well, bags really...one for the long plane ride and a smaller one for day touring). Last time I took a kipling bag that I liked but ended up being too big and cumbersome for a full day...plus I ended up being the pack mule for the family which is annoying! This time it will be a small crossbody that will carry the minimum amount of stuff, and honestly I am not that worried about buying a specific travel bag for security. Having a carbiner clip with you to clip the zipper to the strap works just as well if you are on the metro or in a crowd.

Hello all! I am the OP of this thread! :D Hard to believe I started it before our 2013 vacation and now I'm back again planning a return trip to Europe (and 11 night Adriatic / Med cruise!) for another month in July 2018. So glad to see that the thread is alive and well and so many people are offering helpful advice on packing light. I can tell you that I managed fine doing everything in a carry on and we will do the same for the next trip. This time I will pack even smarter though, with more items that will do double duty (think black swing dress or sheath that can be worn in port while sightseeing and then also to dinner). There were a couple of things I took that did not really get worn but some things (black maxi skirt, travel dress, knee length skirt) that I wore A LOT so will have to really plan the next trip well so I maximize the value of every piece I take.

Happy planning!

We stayed in Venice in July of 2013 for two nights before embarking on the 12 nt Grand Med cruise on the Spirit. At the time I was not sure if we would ever return to the city and I wanted to be sure to stay on the island rather than in Mestre, even if it cost extra. After much research we chose the B&B Gio & Gio and we absolutely loved it. There are only 3 bedrooms in this apartment, each with private bath, which is about a 5 min walk to St Marks Sq. We took the Alilaguna transport boat from the airport and it dropped us off at a dock that was mere minutes walk from the b&b with no bridges to cross with our luggage. The rooms are beautiful, with high ceilings and lovely furnishings. We stayed in the biggest bedroom (a family of four) and had room to spare and two beautiful little balconies with french doors that opened onto a canal. What a treat it was to experience staying in Venice like that. We will never regret the cost! As luck would have it we are going back only this time Venice will be a port stop for us but luckily an overnight port so we should have ample time to explore some more. If you can swing it stay on the island and not on the mainland. There is something magical about doing so. Enjoy your time there!

We are a family of 4 currently booked on the Spirit for the July 11-night Adriatic sailing out of Rome in 2018. We sailed on her in 2013 from Venice as well. We have 4 booked into an interior room just as we did last time and while a tight fit (and likely more so now that our girls are teenagers!) we were comfortable and honestly, we were not in the cabin that often as the Med cruises are so port-intensive and there was so much to do on the ship. I am assuming that the balcony cabins maybe can't accommodate the trundle bed OR they don't have the pullman bed that drops down from the wall. It might be one or the other which would limit you to 3 people.

Sadly for our cruise date (July 8) there is no 3rd and 4th person sail free option as that is a great deal.

Loving your review so far, and now I'm off to check out your other ones. We have only sailed NCL in Europe, on the Spirit, so this mega ship looks HUGE!!

We had one day in Rome in 2013. As a family of 4 it was important to stay on a budget, so after extensive research we decided to DIY and take the train into the city. It was great! We knew exactly where to catch the train, to buy tickets, etc and the ride into the city was pleasant. After exiting we took the metro to the Colosseum, walked through the Forum, checked out the cat sanctuary, had pizza near the Pantheon, wandered to the Trevi Fountain and had a gelato and glass of wine, then metro back to Termini and train back to the port with time to spare. No, we didn't get to the Vatican (saving that for our 4 days pre-cruise in 2018) and yes we had to make choices of what to see, where to go, but we had a relatively relaxed and wonderful day, we walked everywhere once we reached the Colosseum, and we didn't feel rushed because we kept our expectations reasonable and we knew our time limits and when we had to be back at Termini to catch the train back to the ship.

We like to set our own pace and not be shuttled from one spot to another but I can completely understand those that prefer the convenience of an organized tour. Thankfully we have 4 nights pre-cruise on our next trip so will have the luxury of time to see the things we missed before. We loved Rome!

Speaking as someone who very rarely cruises (just don't have the $$ or the access where we are in Canada!) these are my thoughts. We last cruised with NCL on the Spirit in 2013 and loved it (Grand Med from Venice). We are booked to return to the Spirit in July 2018 sailing from Rome on it's Adriatic cruise. So very excited! Things that have changed since we last sailed are the 'perks' like the UBP etc, and the fact that they don't allow water to be brought onboard. We are your basic cruisers. The MDR is good enough for us as a family of four so we didn't indulge in the Dining package. We also are DIY'ers in port so we don't need the shore excursion credit. We also like a glass of wine but don't drink a lot and really don't think the UBP would be worth it. For us, the cruise is all about comfort, the itinerary and ease of travel, and for that NCL and the Spirit are still, in our minds, a great deal. I think sometimes that the more you partake in something, maybe the easier it is to see the downsides or the flaws. For those of us for whom a cruise like this is a one (twice?) in a lifetime opportunity, I just see all the benefits that we are getting. Just my .02

 

When I went to afternoon tea for promotion of the new Premium All Inclusive, I asked the guy in charge about the Spirit refit, and he told me next Spring, possibly April.

We are booked in July of 2018 so hope it is a short'ish dry dock so it doesn't interfere with our sailing! We last sailed on the Spirit in 2013 (Grand Med) and loved the ship, Asian decor included.

418....so basically FOREVER! BUT the planning is half the fun and this is a BIG trip to Europe so I'm all good :D

Clarification....The corkage fee only applies to wine brought on board. You cannot bring wine on in ports to drink while on the cruise (even with paying a corkage fee). It is in their terms and conditions.You can buy wine, but they will store it for you until you leave the ship. I had to check as we were wanting to bring some for consumption during the cruise. A nice CC member alerted me to the T&C's that only Wine and Champagne can be consumed onboard only when brought on board at embarkation. The OBC can be used for all kinds of cocktails though and wine by the glass or if you want to burn it on a bottle you can do that too.

It's weird, some ppl on CC say you can bring wine onboard at ports in Europe (paying the corkage fee of course) but NOT liquor. Even the alcohol policy on ncl.com is kind of ambiguous. It says you can'at bring liquor on at embarkation but you can bring wine, and then says you can't bring liquor onboard at ports but nothing about wine...so I guess "liquor" refers to wine too in the 2nd case.

No matter, we'll just have to bring on 3 or 4 bottles at Civitavecchia and then will enjoy the odd cocktail on the ship if we fancy it. Thanks!

Yes you can. We used our OBC for the corkage fee and it was taken off the $100.00 credit given to us by NCL. There is a table that you go to in the terminal and they sticker your bottles of wine. We actually left $$ on our account.

Thank you! That's what we'll use it for then, and indulge in some cheap good red wines from Rome. :D

Not to hijack the thread but I have a quick question about using OBC from a TA. Can it be used to cover the $15 corkage fee if we bring wine onboard? It's not a huge credit ($50) but it would cover 3 bottles so that's something! :D

Hoping Canada doesn't follow suit. We generally use our phones anyway, and I am quite used to reading on my small screen, but we fly carry on only, and my husband generally brings a laptop to keep up with things at work... He would not want to have to put it in a checked bag.

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Lots of back and forth on this issue...we found it was a little unclear when we last sailed on the Spirit in Europe. Some ports had the port authority scan our bags (and frankly they seemed like they could care less what we brought back from our day in port) and sometimes the ship scanned our bags (and sent us to the table to pay our corkage fee). I bought a full sized bottle of red in Florence as well as a mini bottle, about a glass or maybe 1 1/2 glasses ... it was so cute!). I told the lady who was checking our bags that I had the mini bottle and asked if I should take it to the table to pay a corkage fee, and she just waved me though. Other times we had a bottle but were scanned by the port authority and never had a problem or an issue. This was in 2013 so I'm not sure if things have changed. We figure the wines in Italy are cheap and good so I have no problem paying just a few euros for a basic Italian red and then pay the corkage so I can enjoy my glass or wine as we sail away. :)

This was one of the pairs I took, in black

http://taosfootwear.com/shoes/sandals/gift/

Taos makes such comfortable shoes, and I found they worked really well (for me) even without the ankle strap that many people recommend you have while in Europe, because of the uneven surfaces. I get blisters really easily when I have straps around my heel, so I loved being able to slip these on and off easily. The leather is soft and comfortable, and the bottom of the shoe really gripped well. I wore these with my cargo capris and shorter travel skirts.

The other pair was not as well made, sadly, but I found them to be quite cute and comfortable enough for shorter, less strenuous walking (not a visit to Pompeii but fine for wandering around Mykonos). They looked sort of like this but without the chain.

http://www.target.com/p/women-s-merona-tracey-chain-sandals/-/A-15063955#prodSlot=large_1_9

Surprisingly enough, the back strap didn't bother me at all, and I loved how cute they were with maxi skirts and the dresses I wore. I'm not a heels kind of girl, and with such limited space I decided to just "make it work" as Tim Gunn would say. I was very comfortable for the most part with my choices.

The only thing I wished I had brought, in hindsight, is a pair of flip flops to wear to the pool or running around the ship while we were on the cruise. That would have been really helpful.

My husband took two pairs of pants very much like those, one khaki and one dark grey. He wore them as shorts (the zipper was just around the knee or so) and as pants. He never felt like he stood out in any way. It was over 35 degrees in Paris for a few days while we were there! I think it only cooled off to 24 or so at night. Plus Athens, Barcelona, and Izmir Turkey were all in the 30s. So you need to balance comfort with practicality and appropriateness. For instance, my father-in-law had to wear a wrap around his waist at the Blue Mosque because his knees were exposed.

My suggestion is to thoroughly research where you are going, taking notes of what is appropriate dress for the occasion, and then factor in the weather. Then start whittling down!

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We booked our apartment using a website called "homelidays" which had been recommended to me by a teacher I worked with who had been to Paris the summer before. I didn't rent the same apartment she did, but after a lot of research and queries, chose a one bedroom flat on Rue des Ecole's, in the Latin quarter. We established a good relationship with the owner, Jean, who was very helpful and straightforward. It worked out better than we had hoped. The apartment, though rather small, was really great and contained everything we could need. Plus the sofa bed the girls slept on was sooo comfy! It was on the 6th floor, but there was an elevator which was hilariously small. Most of the time the girls used the stairs!

If you do rent an apartment, send out lots of queries and evaluate the responses, ask questions on TripAdvisor (they were really helpful) and look for honest reviewers on whatever site you go with. I learned a ton reading through TripAdvisor's Paris message boards.

About my shoes... Yes, just two pairs, one of which I wore on the plane!!

Oh , and the biggest thing about Paris Disneyland was the size. It's smaller than California and much smaller than Florida, BUT still, we had a blast there. After three weeks of historical sites, churches, museums, mosques, and art, the girls deserved some good old fun it was a terrific day, and the best part is you can take the RER right there, DL is the last station on one of the lines.

I'll answer more questions happily if you have them and will write a bit more about the decisions that went into my final choices for packing tomorrow. Too hard to write so much on my tablet!

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