WouterC

I group all the mainstream cruise lines together as very similar.

MSC stood out as the most different from the rest.

I really liked the European style they had and I think it would be more authentic sailing in Europe.

You can do the RC & NCL all the time in the states.

Plus we really liked the Orchestra.

I want to book the Divina, but the weeks we go the itinerary is not very good.

matj2000: does the Orchestra have an adult-only pool? In the virtual tour of the Musica class ships, there was a covered pool, but I'm not sure if the Orchestra has it and also not sure if it's an adult-only pool or a 'regular' pool.

We sailed the Divina last year (eastern Mediterranean route sailing out of Venice), it's a beautiful ship. Design-wise, it's a lot more understated than ships of similar size. It was probably our best cruise so far (very nice balcony cabin as well) and given the right itinerary, we wouldn't hesitate to sail it again.

I would go with MSC.

Especially in Europe...

We sailed MSC twice and loved it (it's definitely a lot different than Royal Caribbean, however), but what are the reasons you'd pick MSC over other cruise lines?

I can't answer all of you question having only done celebrity and rc. But I have been on both serenade and Navigator. Serenade is a beautiful ship. It is quieter than Navigator. Other than that very comparable and in MHO nicer but that is so subjective. Serenade is smaller. I was thinking of Europe Next yearalso and would rather be on the Serenade because when you get to port there will be fewer people. The food is the same the serenade has outdoor seating in the windjammer which I always think is a plus. The adult area is comparable as is the spa. The ship feels much less crowded than the Navigator. Hope this helps.

You've sailed Celebrity before? I also considered Celebrity Silhouette for a little while, since it also departs from Amsterdam (from where we live, a 3-hour trip by train). But, even with the special promotion and OBC offered, it was still a lot more expensive.

rooms are comparable, not sure what you mean by view, it's the ocean

Yes, view of the ocean and the cities; we love watching the coastline and cities as the ships sails in/out of port.

I also felt entertainment was excellent on the Star, with lots to do every evening.

Was there less, or lesser quality, entertainment on the Serenade? Or was that also comparable?

We're currently looking into our vacation for next year, which will most likely be to the Baltic cities & Saint-Petersburg.

RC has the Serenade OTS sailing there, so I was wondering how it compares to other ships I've encountered, such as MSC Orchestra and Norwegian Star.

Especially if you were on two (or even all) of these ships, I'd like to hear your experiences.

Specific questions for the Serenade:

- we sailed the Navigator of the seas before. Is the ship comparable?

- we prefer to have an adult-only area, on the serenade it looked comparable to what we had on the Navigator.

- how is the food?

- is there a spa/wellness, and what is it like?

- how are the balcony cabins: are they roomy, and how is the view?

- does the ship feel crowded, or is it calm?

We booked an exursion with Norwegian "Florence On Your Own" for our upcoming cruise.

It says: 8:45 AM in the MyNCL online account.

Does anyone know, does that mean the excursion bus leaves at 8:45 or does it mean everyone has to be at the meeting point at 8:45?

I'm asking because I'd like to know when to make reservations for the Uffizi museum. Was thinking about making reservations for Uffizi at 11 AM.

From my research, the bus should take roughly 1 hour 30 minutes from Livorno to Florence. Of course, I'm not sure if traffic could be a problem.

Hi Sheila,

Yes, I'm from Belgium and my wife is from the Netherlands.

Please let us know what you find out!

We love the land-based 'welness / spa' complexes like the ones you describe. We regularly go down to these places to relax. I was hoping the Epic Spa would offer something similar. I do find it very cool that there are apparently glass windows with views on the ocean in a number of places (my wife would love that sauna, I think). But as for a spa, jacuzzi & swimming pool are still our favorites.

Hi Wouter, are you also from the Netherlands or Belgium?

 

We are on a transatlantic cruise with the Epic this April.

I've asked NCL directly about the spa prices.

It is indeed 199 usd for a week for 1 person...

 

We"ll take a look on the first day to see if we think it is worth it.

 

Although it is the largest spa at sea, it is definitely not comparable in size and amenities when comparing to a land-bases sauna complex like Elysium, Zwaluwhoeve in NL or the spas/thermen in Germany, Austria Etc.

 

 

 

 

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The spa is $199 per person. They do not sell a couples pass. There is no swimming pool. There is an area overlooking the back of the boat that has about 6 loungers with 2 beds on either side. Great place to relax and listen to the waves.

 

If you hate crowds, get the spa pass. The pool deck is mass chaos with people everywhere.

 

It is a nice spa, but $200 is a lot of money.

Thanks for the reply. There are jacuzzi's in the spa, yes?

Was there always room on the loungers, or were they often all occupied as well?

$200 is a lot of money for sure. Was thinking about getting a spa pass, but perhaps we'll see if we can get a Posh pass instead. If they sell them because we're going mid July so the ship will probably be packed...

All in all, it seems better value for money...

Do they really have fresh pineapple?

Is that also on European cruises or only US/Caribbean? May be hard to find fresh ones in Europe...

Anyone with first hand experience of the NCL Epic Spa?

I've seen the NCL Epic Spa been mentioned a number of times in various threads, but there seems to be conflicting information:

- some people say it's $199 in total for a couples pass

- other people say it's $199 per person for a couples pass

Also, how much of the Spa space is for 'water' activities and sauna? I mean things like swimming pool, jacuzzi, infrared cabin/seats, swedish sauna... ?

I also saw there were lounge chairs with picture windows looking out of the ship?

We love jacuzzi's, but in our experience so does the rest of the ship. It might be nice to have a quiet place to go to when the jacuzzi's on the pool deck are all occupied.

$199 per couple doesn't sound that bad. $199 per person does seem like a lot.

Still trying to decide if it's worth for us getting the pass.

Well, we decided to go for the upgrade. I didn't get a reply yet, but I noticed in My Ncl that room number now says 12153! I told our preference for a still available cabin number, but Ncl assigned us another one.

Our Balcony is smaller, but deck is higher so good for the views and closeness to pool and buffet.

We're happy with the upgrade and the room, but I am wondering if this is how it usually goes with upgrades?

Thanks for the tip, MotownVoice! I now see summer 2015 itineraries on MSC's German website! :)

 

http://www.msc-kreuzfahrten.de/de_de/homepage.aspx

 

Since I'm looking for Norway sailings, I noted that the Splendida, Orchestra, and Sinfonia will be in northern Europe in 2015. Didn't look for any other locations or ships but I assume they're listed as well.

Great, thanks for the heads-up!

Sparkling wine upon boarding (most of which was wasted) was part of Freestyle 2.0.

So going by this logic, when Freestyle 4.0 arrives, we'll all be getting Kir Royale? :)

Quick question: what kind of pastries did you have at the Atrium café?

I've read they sometimes have sandwiches, but do they also serve cupcakes, cheesecake (our favorites) or similar?

One thing that I keep hearing is the ship will not leave you if you are on one of their excursions. While this may be a selling point in the Caribbean, I don't see it as any huge advantage on a Western Med cruise.

 

I you miss the ship in Naples, Rome or Livorno what is the worst that happens. You buy a cheap train ticket and spend the night in the next port city.

True for Civitavecchia/Rome and Naples, not so much for Livorno I think:

http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Iivorno/Cannes

Without question. On NCL the MDR's, even if there are several, all server the same dishes. This new RCCL dining has 5 included "MDR's" each with a distinct concept. They all server different dishes without an upcharge. This increase in dining options is what NCL needs. Make Taste and Savor distinctly different. Increase the number of nightly specials, and reduce the fixed menu in these establishments. The number of included options on the Quantum is amazing. NCL would be wise to learn from this. In my opinion this takes Freestyle well beyond what NCL has started.

 

6&8

Yes, I guess you are right, well explained. And I think it would be a mistake for

NCL not to respond to this.

Without question. On NCL the MDR's, even if there are several, all server the same dishes. This new RCCL dining has 5 included "MDR's" each with a distinct concept. They all server different dishes without an upcharge. This increase in dining options is what NCL needs. Make Taste and Savor distinctly different. Increase the number of nightly specials, and reduce the fixed menu in these establishments. The number of included options on the Quantum is amazing. NCL would be wise to learn from this. In my opinion this takes Freestyle well beyond what NCL has started.

 

6&8

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Yes, I'm aware of that thread.

We sailed in the Mediterranean twice, but never saw any sea creatures. Perhaps bad luck, or perhaps you're more likely to see them in the Caribbean?

Not sure what the policy of NCL is, whether they assign you a stateroom, or if you can pick one. But I gave my preference for a room with the bed near the balcony and also close to the elevators & stairs on deck 12, but not so close that noise would be a problem.

Wouter

If you do a google search for NCL Epic 10075 the first link is to a cruise critic thread ....... see below for link and look at post #12 which includes small photos of the stateroom and a picture taken from the balcony. You have to be signed in to cruise critic to see the photos.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=40350674

 

I like the bed by the balcony door and 10075 is nice distance from elevator banks and stairs. Being on 10 you are closer to the water which is nice for viewing sea creatures.

Seems like they've definitely taken a page from NCL's book, but I'm not sure what makes this 'the next level'?

Seems to me this is pretty much exactly what NCL currently does: there are a number of complimentary restaurants and a number of specialty restaurants with a fee. You can eat at them whenever you want an with whomever you want.

The collaboration with the top chefs, however, is something that NCL doesn't have unless I'm mistaken.

I really like the idea of dining in a different venue every evening, just like you might do if you were visiting a city for a week and trying out different restaurants. The key, I think, is variety of the food and the setting, so that you really feel like you're in another place.

I'm very curious if NCL will respond to this in some way.

I noticed a price drop this week and I contacted Norwegian through our TA.

They are offering a free upgrade to a a category BA, Mid-Ship on deck 12.

Currently we are booked in a category BE, cabin 10075 on deck 10.

I'm inclined to go for the upgrade. If anyone stayed in a room of this category, could you tell me what they are like?

Some first-hand advice would really help us make our decision.

One reason why I might not want the upgrade, is that our room 10075 has a slightly larger balcony, as you can see here: http://beyondships.com/images/Epic_10_Deck.gif .

.....earlier in the month in the United States. That offer ended on March 10, 2014.

 

I wonder why NCL doesn't do these offers across the US and Europe at the same time?

 

:confused:

 

wasiii

Oh, sorry about that then.

Perhaps because US is their primary market and they target Europeans after that? For US citizens, it's far easier to take such a cruise than for Europeans. After all, we still have an entire ocean between us and the cruise ;-)

Just got this in my mailbox: interesting promotion on their newest ships:

http://www.ncl.eu/promotions/norwegians-wine-and-dine/

Too bad this isn't available on any of the other ships.

And some TA's either don't do changes or charge for them. You should ask that question before you book. Ask your TA about they're policy.

Prices have dropped significantly recently, so I've asked the question to my TA. Since they are specialized in cruise vacations, I'd be surprised if they didn't do changes.

What's the reason a TA wouldn't do this?

So if you book with a TA, you might not get the upgrade, and if you book directly with the cruise line, you will get the upgrade? Sounds strange to me...

Have just had an e- mail inviting me to register with msc uk for details of all 2014/15 Winter cruises, Summer 2015,Winter 2015/16 so why not try this route.

 

Good luck

I registered, but didn't find anything new. On their homepage, you can now search until a later date, I believe up to august 2015, but if you pick that option there are no results. In their 'detailed' search it still only goes to April 2015. Also, couldn't find any brochures for that season.

Perhaps they'll send it by e-mail once it's available?

Can anyone give some insight into the ports where we don't 'require' an 8 hour tour?

I read your question again and would like to add:

* Naples - Pompeii?

Suggestion: half a day tour to Pompeii or Herculaneum (like someone mentioned, great suggestion).

* Rome:

I still think taking the train might be a good option. They'll be in Rome faster than by taxi or bus and they will be able to return whenever they want. Train station isn't far from Civitavecchia and they could also take a taxi from the ship to the train station.

After getting off at San Pietro (Saint Peters) station, they could get on the Hop-on-hop-off bus.

Train tickets only cost €6 pp single trip, with a BIRG ticket they'll also get access to public transport. So if they're done visiting Rome, they can take the train back (another €6 pp) or take a taxi if they want to. A taxi should cost 120/€130 pp and most companies can drop them off near the ship.

Another option is to take a tour or taxi to Ceri (about 30 minutes), perhaps combined with the Etruscan Necropolis of Cerveteri. Or some other sights near Civitavecchia. Most cruise companies have half day tours visiting sights relatively close to Civitavecchia.

* Livorno -Pisa /Florence

I'd definitely recommend visiting Florence. Florence and Barcelona would be my top 2 ports on this cruise.

For a shorter tour: tour or taxi to Pisa and/or Lucca.

We always enjoy getting a specialty coffee or hot chocolate in the afternoon.

I couldn't find a menu anywhere on the internet though. What kind of things did you drink and did you enjoy?

Cheers!

Wouter