A tale of two European B2B cruises...Epic and Breakaway

We first booked the Breakaway for the Baltics last year when they were running the free taxes and port charges promotion. We usually book an inside cabin and then call the upsell dept. and get a good price for a balcony, but that was cancelled when they started the bidding process and with this promotion, we booked a balcony outright. Even got an angled balcony on deck 9. More about that later.

Usually, we like to take 2-3 weeks in Europe, so started looking where to go before or after this cruise. Considered Iceland, Norway, Brussels and London. Nothing excited DH so when I mentioned we could take another cruise on the Epic in the med the week before, he said go with it. By this time the promo was over, so I booked an inside cabin, hoping to bid on a balcony when the time came. The dates worked out, too. We could have two days in Barcelona, take the Epic cruise. Then fly to Copenhagen and have two days there before the Breakaway cruise.

Now the planning started. It's hard to plan for 6 ports, but 12 ports is crazy. I am an avid reader of cruise critic and trip advisor. Soaked up all the info and advice. Got Rick Steves two books on med and baltic cruising. Researched airfares and hotels. Went to roll calls to share info.

It was still early for people to start posting on roll calls. Someone else had started one for our date on the Epic and a page on FB but asked if anyone was interested in hosting the M&G. There was no roll call yet for the Breakaway, so I started one. After a few weeks when no one else posted, someone finally posted and said he couldn't find it so started a new one and deleted mine. Okay. Then a tricking of people started to post. I volunteered to host both M&Gs. Never did it before.

This is where I will now compare the experiences we had on both ships. We had never sailed on a big ship so these two were a first for us. I am going to try to break this down into categories and hope you will stay with me.

ROLL CALLS AND MEET AND GREET

Epic - This was a very active roll call and a very active FB page. Everyone was trying to get excursions together and most did. Before the cruise, 90 people were signed up for the M&G but only 35 people showed.

Breakaway - This roll call was very sluggish. At the end, 63 people signed up. Then NCL changed the venue on us after boarding. They assured me that people would be redirected to the new venue but that did not happen. The officers came and went with only me there. How embarrassing. After that a few showed up, saying they were waiting at the old venue for a while and then someone told them about the new one. About 20 finally came.

EMBARKATION

Epic - Got there about 11:30 am. No problems. Was on board by 12:30pm.

Breakaway - Also got there about 11:30 am. Was informed I was a VIP. Was shown to the Haven waiting area and immediately escorted onboard, but when they learned I wasn't a Haven guest, left us to finish boarding by ourselves.

STATEROOMS

Epic - About a week before final payment, the sailaway balconies came down in price for just $135 total for what I paid for my inside. I knew I would lose my $50 OBC and three specialties but decided it was worth it so changed and didn't have to wait or fret about bidding. Was assigned a BC midship balcony the next day. The only problem was it was on deck 8 which was uncovered, but not above the lifeboats or a hull balcony, so I was happy. The bathroom setup didn't bother us at all. In fact, it was more convenient to have separate toilet and shower. The balcony was very adequate with two chairs, but unfortunately it rained all day of our only sea day so could not use it that day.

Breakaway - We had a midship angled balcony on deck 9, portside near the elevators. Hoped it would not be noisy and it wasn't. The balcony had two chairs and a lounger. When I peeked over the railing at the regular balcony, it was very narrow. Glad we got the angled one. Only downside that no one ever mentioned was it was right over the Waterfront so when you looked down, all you saw was the white waterfront ceiling. Another thing I must have missed is that on this cruise it is more scenic on the starboard side rather than the port side.

MORE TO COME.

Looking forward to the rest of your review, and the comparisons of the 2 ships. We sailed Epic last summer to Med. from Barcelona, and will be on Breakaway Baltic cruise in August!

Great start, thanks for taking the time to do this. :)

Looking forward to reading more. We are on the Breakaway in 2 weeks on a balcony on deck 11 port side.

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Following. Very interesting so far!

thanks for the info!

Thank you for sharing this. I (like the others) am interested in what else you have to share.

RESTAURANTS

Epic - Gave up my specialties so ate most nights in Taste. Ate one night in Shanghai. Never had to wait for seating. Service was fast and food was good. Except for one meal in Taste. It was a comedy of errors from app to desert. We are not really complainers but did mention it to our server, who in turn told the asst. maitre 'd, Alex. He came over to our table and apologized about our problem with the dinner and asked what he could do to make up for it. Chocolate covered strawberries? We already got them our first day for hosting the M&G. Wine? We are not drinkers. How about a dinner for two in Moderno? Never having eaten there, we did accept and he booked us in for the next night. It was really great but too much food. Hint: Don't eat too much at the salad bar or you won't be able to eat much of the dinner. From that day, he found us wherever we were eating, breakfast, lunch and dinner, to check up on us and see if we were enjoying ourselves. He was a great guy. Always found a seat right away in the buffet for breakfast.

Breakaway - We used our specialty perk to book Cagneys and LeBistro in advance and waited to book Cirque Jungle Fantasy on board because we wanted to use our OBC for the extra $12 pp. As always, Cagneys and LeBistro was great. We were surprised that the food in the Cirque show was very good but the show itself was just okay.

As for Taste, Savor and Manhattan Room, practically every time we went there it was wait listed with a beeper. Most times we decided to just go to the shows first and eat after 9pm when there was no wait. When we did get in, the service was very slow and the servers weren't very friendly. The food on both ships was almost identical menus and mostly good. We did also manage to eat two lunches at O'Sheehans for their wings and burgers, which is always out of this world. Took time to find a seat in the buffet for breakfast, but finally did.

ENTERTAINMENT

Epic - The cruise director was Andre and he was outrageous and over the top, but the best one we have ever seen on any of our previous cruises. His team, especially Lester, was also the best and very funny. We saw two game shows and were rolling in the aisles, not something we usually do. Priscilla and Burn the Floor were excellent. The Beatlemania welcome show was good, but we've seen better on other ships. There was a group called Legends Live, four guys from England who sang songs from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, The Beegees, Backstreet Boys, Motown, etc. who were fantastic so we saw them twice. Unfortunately, they said that they would be leaving the Epic for other committments. If they come back, don't miss them. There was also the Spanish Rumba Kings (who we couldn't sit through) and a magician which we never got to see. Also never got to see Howl at the Moon or the crew talent show. BTW, you had to make reservations to see most of these shows either in the main theater or in Headliners. If you get a choice, pick the main theater because the chairs in Headliners are really uncomfortable. We don't do Bingo or Deal or no Deal and didn't go to the casino this trip. We did do the Escape room but it was really hard and didn't finish.

Breakaway - The cruise director was Roberto and he and his team were ho-hum. As previously mentioned, Jungle Fantasy was okay. We like this Burn the Floor better than on the Epic. I loved Rock of Ages but DH hated it. There were two groups of four guys this sailing. One group, again from England, called Mercy Boys and sang British Invasion songs and more. They were okay. The other group, Tenors of Rock, sang great solo but together couldn't harmonize for beans. They sang mostly 80's rock. There was also a male singer, Karl Loxley, who sang broadway songs and standards. He was excellent. Then there was another magician who did boring card tricks. The one surprise was a female violinist from Budapest. I thought it would be also very boring but she was great. We did catch Howl this cruise and liked it very much, especially the female piano player. She was real feisty. I did try out the casino once but didn't like the slots there (I'm from Jersey and go to Atlantic City once a month so am spoiled). No crew talent show or Escape room on this cruise. BYW, except for Burn and Rock, no reservations are required for the other shows. Just make sure you show up at least 30 minutes before to get a seat. I forgot to mention this on the Epic, too.

MORE TO COME.

thank you for your review and you comparison.

do you know for how much longer Roberto is cruise director at the Breakaway? if he is the same roberto he was last year at my Jade cruise, i thought he was good.

We first booked the Breakaway for the Baltics last year when they were running the free taxes and port charges promotion. We usually book an inside cabin and then call the upsell dept. and get a good price for a balcony, but that was cancelled when they started the bidding process and with this promotion, we booked a balcony outright. Even got an angled balcony on deck 9. More about that later.

 

Usually, we like to take 2-3 weeks in Europe, so started looking where to go before or after this cruise. Considered Iceland, Norway, Brussels and London. Nothing excited DH so when I mentioned we could take another cruise on the Epic in the med the week before, he said go with it. By this time the promo was over, so I booked an inside cabin, hoping to bid on a balcony when the time came. The dates worked out, too. We could have two days in Barcelona, take the Epic cruise. Then fly to Copenhagen and have two days there before the Breakaway cruise.

 

Now the planning started. It's hard to plan for 6 ports, but 12 ports is crazy. I am an avid reader of cruise critic and trip advisor. Soaked up all the info and advice. Got Rick Steves two books on med and baltic cruising. Researched airfares and hotels. Went to roll calls to share info.

 

It was still early for people to start posting on roll calls. Someone else had started one for our date on the Epic and a page on FB but asked if anyone was interested in hosting the M&G. There was no roll call yet for the Breakaway, so I started one. After a few weeks when no one else posted, someone finally posted and said he couldn't find it so started a new one and deleted mine. Okay. Then a tricking of people started to post. I volunteered to host both M&Gs. Never did it before.

 

This is where I will now compare the experiences we had on both ships. We had never sailed on a big ship so these two were a first for us. I am going to try to break this down into categories and hope you will stay with me.

 

ROLL CALLS AND MEET AND GREET

 

Epic - This was a very active roll call and a very active FB page. Everyone was trying to get excursions together and most did. Before the cruise, 90 people were signed up for the M&G but only 35 people showed.

 

Breakaway - This roll call was very sluggish. At the end, 63 people signed up. Then NCL changed the venue on us after boarding. They assured me that people would be redirected to the new venue but that did not happen. The officers came and went with only me there. How embarrassing. After that a few showed up, saying they were waiting at the old venue for a while and then someone told them about the new one. About 20 finally came.

 

EMBARKATION

 

Epic - Got there about 11:30 am. No problems. Was on board by 12:30pm.

 

Breakaway - Also got there about 11:30 am. Was informed I was a VIP. Was shown to the Haven waiting area and immediately escorted onboard, but when they learned I wasn't a Haven guest, left us to finish boarding by ourselves.

 

STATEROOMS

 

Epic - About a week before final payment, the sailaway balconies came down in price for just $135 total for what I paid for my inside. I knew I would lose my $50 OBC and three specialties but decided it was worth it so changed and didn't have to wait or fret about bidding. Was assigned a BC midship balcony the next day. The only problem was it was on deck 8 which was uncovered, but not above the lifeboats or a hull balcony, so I was happy. The bathroom setup didn't bother us at all. In fact, it was more convenient to have separate toilet and shower. The balcony was very adequate with two chairs, but unfortunately it rained all day of our only sea day so could not use it that day.

 

Breakaway - We had a midship angled balcony on deck 9, portside near the elevators. Hoped it would not be noisy and it wasn't. The balcony had two chairs and a lounger. When I peeked over the railing at the regular balcony, it was very narrow. Glad we got the angled one. Only downside that no one ever mentioned was it was right over the Waterfront so when you looked down, all you saw was the white waterfront ceiling. Another thing I must have missed is that on this cruise it is more scenic on the starboard side rather than the port side.

 

MORE TO COME.

Following. Sounds amazing- The Med plus the baltics.

DEBARKATION

Epic - We had a 10:30am flight from Barcelona to Copenhagen. We inquired about the NCL shuttle to the airport. It was $25pp but we had to leave at 6:15am. Thought it was too early and knew that the fixed taxi rate was 39 Euros. So didn't use the shuttle. As it turned out, we were ready to leave by 6:30am. There were plenty of cabs on the pier and the signs all said 39 Euros. But once we got to the airport, the cab driver tried to charge us 50 Euros, saying there was a surcharge. We thought he was scamming us and refused to pay it. He finally took our credit card and only charged the 39 Euros.

Breakaway - Our flight back to JFK was for 1:30pm so we did use the shuttle which left at 8am. It also was $25pp but I had read that a taxi could cost around $60. You could also use your OBC for the shuttle. They take your bags the night before and you pick them up at the airport in a white tent in front of Terminal 2/3. Very easy getting off the ship.

AROUND THE SHIP

Epic - This was a big ship with a small ship feeling. Wherever we went we did not feel crowded. As previously mentioned, it rained all day on our only sea day so we did not see what the pool area would be like on a hot, sunny day. We did go to the hot tubs twice after coming back from the ports and it was pleasantly uncrowded. The atrium was always busy with something but if you got there at least 10 minutes before, you could always find a seat. We did not utilize the bars but did go to some to listen to a guitar player and/or a piano player and always found a seat. We did not find any smoke smell from the casino in other areas. Yes, you did smell it while walking through, but it wasn't that strong. The escalator from deck 6 and 7 was very convenient to use but the regular elevators weren't that crowded. The ship's decor was beautiful and I would sail her again if I liked the itinerary.

Breakaway - This was a big ship with a BIG ship feeling. Everywhere you went inside felt crowded. Because this was a Baltic cruise, the outside temps were lower so again, many people did not utilize the pool areas and slides. We did go again twice to the hot tubs but the outside air was very chilly. The atrium and service desk areas were always extremely busy and you could never find a seat, even coming early. It seemed like you were walking miles from a dining venue to a showroom.

The casino was very smoky and it was hard to sit there without coughing. We did like walking outside along the Waterfront but had to use jackets. Too cool to use any of the loungers.

Did I mention I was designated VIP on this cruise? I forgot, too. I was getting a delivery of sweets every day to our cabin from the hotel director, Vuk. I wasn't sure if this was for VIP or for being host of the ruined M&G. Then I got an invitation to a cocktail party in the Haven. I was so excited. Always wanted to see what it looked like. It was very nice. The shrimp o'doerves they served were the size of small lobsters. All the officers were there and mingled with the guests. Vuk must have remembered me so he came over and asked me what happened at the M&G and I told him about the group coordinator changing the venue and not redirecting people. He was sympathetic but that's about all. Another officer, Dia, the Guest Service Manager, also came over to me and gave me her card and said to call her if I needed anything. That was nice. Other than that, there were no other things we got for being VIP. Overall, I did not care for this ship and would probably not sail on her again.

Next I will describe our experiences in all the ports. If interested hang in there. If not, I hope I have managed to do an unbiased description of the two ships and our experiences on them. If you have any questions I can answer, please let me know.

MORE TO COME.

PORTS AND EXCURSIONS

Researching all the ports was very time consuming. I knew that NCL excursions were very expensive and I had been to some of the places before so didn't want to go with the large private excursion tours, except for Cannes and St. Petersburg, which I'll talk about later.

Barcelona - Flew in around 10:00am on Delta from JFK. Took the Aerobus (5.90 euros pp) from the airport to Place Catalunya, where our hotel was located. Stayed at Hotel Ginebra, right on Place Catalunya, a small B&B but the location was great. Took someone's advice and did the Turistic hop on/hop off bus that day (discount for booking on line and senior discount). All three lines - about 5 hours. Went to bed around 9pm and in the morning felt great and rested.

Next day had 10:30am time for Park Guell. Also booked senior tickets on line. Left hotel around 9:30 and took bus #24 straight there. Had to go down to the metro to buy the bus ticket. The bus stop is on front of the Ingles Dept. store. It was very nice, but I expected more. Stayed until around 1pm. Had 2:45pm time for Sagrada Familia, also booked senior on line.

Read that the walk between them was only 1/2 hour, but in retrospect, should have taken a bus or metro. You can buy a 10 ride T10 ticket that you can share for 10 rides. We got there around 2:30 and they let us in anyway. Just beautiful. Then walked back to our hotel, again should have taken transportation. After dinner walked down La Rambla to the Bari Gothic old town, which was great.

Got a cab to the pier the next day. Cost was 16 euros.

Naples - Was in this area before on a land trip and already saw Pompei, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. Decided to do Capri DIY. The ferry terminal was very close to where the Epic docked so we bought one way tickets there because it was leaving in less than 5 minutes by the time we got there, planning on buying the ferry tickets back, once in Capri. Big mistake. When trying to buy the tickets in Capri, the time we wanted to leave, 4:30pm, was sold out. I think this is the time used by all the ship and private tours. We had to book the 3:25pm time because we were afraid of using a later time. Took the funicular to Capri Town and walked around. It was mostly shops and restaurants. Then took a bus to Anacapri, which was really nice and had beautiful views. The highlight was taking the cable car to the top of the mountain and back. Spectacular.

Started back around 2pm and waited for the bus to the ferry pier. After five buses to Capri Town came and none for the pier, we were panicking. Finally a bus came around 3:10 and we knew we would miss the ferry and we did. DH started running when he thought the ferry was still in port and hurt his back, which impacted on us for the rest of the trip. We asked if we could please get on the 4:30 ferry and they did let us on.

Rome (Civitavecchia) - Also being in Rome before and seeing the Colliseum and Vatican in depth, we planned on either taking the train in or taking one of the cheaper tours that sold tickets at the port. We decided on Civita Tours and took their panoramic tour for around 29.50 euros pp. It was just right for us. We did stop at those places for photos, but did not go inside. The guide spoke great English and for lunch left us on our own for two hours before heading back. We did walk pass the Trevi fountain and Plaza Novarro and the Pantheon and then across the bridge to other beautiful building which we had never seen before. Perfect.

Livorno (Florence/Pisa) - Again, having already seen Florence, we wanted to see Pisa and Lucca. Took the port bus into the city and the Tuscany bus tour was right there at the same stop. Their tour was 28 euros pp for 3 hours in Lucca and 90 minutes in Pisa. They also go to Florence. Check out their website. This tours was the best for us. Guide spoke great English and just right.

Cannes - This was the only port on the Epic where we booked and paid for a professional tour in advance. We knew that we wanted to go to Monaco but because it was Grand Prix week, all the tours there were cancelled. We did find Liven Up Tours, who made a special tour for our date only, going to Monaco, Monte Carlo, Eze and La Turbie from 12pm to 5pm for 62 euros pp. The drive along the coast was spectacular and the cities we saw were wonderful.

Palma de Mallorca - We again booked a hop on/hop off bus senior on line and really glad we did. By this time, DH's back was really sore and needed to rest. City was pretty and castle looked great but just stayed on bus for whole trip around.

MORE TO COME.

Following, on Baltic cruise this August so find your review on Breakaway very helpful

I am enjoying your posts about your two cruises. We are booked on the Breakaway for October.

I hosted a M & G last year with NCL and did not receive anything for my trouble so you were lucky to be invited to the Haven party and get sweets in your cabin. The day of my M & G I was very sick but dragged myself to the M & G and carried on. That night I ended up in the ship hospital with pneumonia. :(

I am enjoying your posts about your two cruises. We are booked on the Breakaway for October.

 

I hosted a M & G last year with NCL and did not receive anything for my trouble so you were lucky to be invited to the Haven party and get sweets in your cabin. The day of my M & G I was very sick but dragged myself to the M & G and carried on. That night I ended up in the ship hospital with pneumonia. :(

Hmmmmm.....Our Roll call for our August Baltic cruise is so quiet...not like other Roll Calls I've been in. No one offering to do the M&G yet. Just very slow and quiet. Wonder why?

Elaine

PORTS AND EXCURSIONS

 

 

Livorno (Florence/Pisa) - Again, having already seen Florence, we wanted to see Pisa and Lucca. Took the port bus into the city and the Tuscany bus tour was right there at the same stop. Their tour was 28 euros pp for 3 hours in Lucca and 90 minutes in Pisa. They also go to Florence. Check out their website. This tours was the best for us. Guide spoke great English and just right.

 

.

Could I ask what time you got off the ship in Livorno to get to the Tuscany bus tour? That itinerary is exactly what we are after

TIA

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Hmmmmm.....Our Roll call for our August Baltic cruise is so quiet...not like other Roll Calls I've been in. No one offering to do the M&G yet. Just very slow and quiet. Wonder why?

Elaine

Our roll call for our Greek Island cruise was practically non-existent. I have heard that the European roll calls are not as popular as other areas.

Could I ask what time you got off the ship in Livorno to get to the Tuscany bus tour? That itinerary is exactly what we are after

 

TIA

 

 

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The Pisa/Lucca tour started at 10:30am, so we left the ship around 9:30am. Their Florence tour starts earlier. Check their website.

Can I ask more about the Rome trio? We also have been before but not our teenager. We got engaged at the Spanish Steos so want to go back. Would this tour allow that?

PORTS AND EXCURSIONS

 

 

Researching all the ports was very time consuming. I knew that NCL excursions were very expensive and I had been to some of the places before so didn't want to go with the large private excursion tours, except for Cannes and St. Petersburg, which I'll talk about later.

 

 

Barcelona - Flew in around 10:00am on Delta from JFK. Took the Aerobus (5.90 euros pp) from the airport to Place Catalunya, where our hotel was located. Stayed at Hotel Ginebra, right on Place Catalunya, a small B&B but the location was great. Took someone's advice and did the Turistic hop on/hop off bus that day (discount for booking on line and senior discount). All three lines - about 5 hours. Went to bed around 9pm and in the morning felt great and rested.

 

 

Next day had 10:30am time for Park Guell. Also booked senior tickets on line. Left hotel around 9:30 and took bus #24 straight there. Had to go down to the metro to buy the bus ticket. The bus stop is on front of the Ingles Dept. store. It was very nice, but I expected more. Stayed until around 1pm. Had 2:45pm time for Sagrada Familia, also booked senior on line.

Read that the walk between them was only 1/2 hour, but in retrospect, should have taken a bus or metro. You can buy a 10 ride T10 ticket that you can share for 10 rides. We got there around 2:30 and they let us in anyway. Just beautiful. Then walked back to our hotel, again should have taken transportation. After dinner walked down La Rambla to the Bari Gothic old town, which was great.

 

 

Got a cab to the pier the next day. Cost was 16 euros.

 

 

Naples - Was in this area before on a land trip and already saw Pompei, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast. Decided to do Capri DIY. The ferry terminal was very close to where the Epic docked so we bought one way tickets there because it was leaving in less than 5 minutes by the time we got there, planning on buying the ferry tickets back, once in Capri. Big mistake. When trying to buy the tickets in Capri, the time we wanted to leave, 4:30pm, was sold out. I think this is the time used by all the ship and private tours. We had to book the 3:25pm time because we were afraid of using a later time. Took the funicular to Capri Town and walked around. It was mostly shops and restaurants. Then took a bus to Anacapri, which was really nice and had beautiful views. The highlight was taking the cable car to the top of the mountain and back. Spectacular.

 

 

Started back around 2pm and waited for the bus to the ferry pier. After five buses to Capri Town came and none for the pier, we were panicking. Finally a bus came around 3:10 and we knew we would miss the ferry and we did. DH started running when he thought the ferry was still in port and hurt his back, which impacted on us for the rest of the trip. We asked if we could please get on the 4:30 ferry and they did let us on.

 

 

 

Rome (Civitavecchia) - Also being in Rome before and seeing the Colliseum and Vatican in depth, we planned on either taking the train in or taking one of the cheaper tours that sold tickets at the port. We decided on Civita Tours and took their panoramic tour for around 29.50 euros pp. It was just right for us. We did stop at those places for photos, but did not go inside. The guide spoke great English and for lunch left us on our own for two hours before heading back. We did walk pass the Trevi fountain and Plaza Novarro and the Pantheon and then across the bridge to other beautiful building which we had never seen before. Perfect.

 

 

Livorno (Florence/Pisa) - Again, having already seen Florence, we wanted to see Pisa and Lucca. Took the port bus into the city and the Tuscany bus tour was right there at the same stop. Their tour was 28 euros pp for 3 hours in Lucca and 90 minutes in Pisa. They also go to Florence. Check out their website. This tours was the best for us. Guide spoke great English and just right.

 

 

Cannes - This was the only port on the Epic where we booked and paid for a professional tour in advance. We knew that we wanted to go to Monaco but because it was Grand Prix week, all the tours there were cancelled. We did find Liven Up Tours, who made a special tour for our date only, going to Monaco, Monte Carlo, Eze and La Turbie from 12pm to 5pm for 62 euros pp. The drive along the coast was spectacular and the cities we saw were wonderful.

 

 

 

Palma de Mallorca - We again booked a hop on/hop off bus senior on line and really glad we did. By this time, DH's back was really sore and needed to rest. City was pretty and castle looked great but just stayed on bus for whole trip around.

 

 

MORE TO COME.

The Pisa/Lucca tour started at 10:30am, so we left the ship around 9:30am. Their Florence tour starts earlier. Check their website.

Thank you EllieNJ, Could you tell me who it was with?

Many thanks

:D

Can I ask more about the Rome trio? We also have been before but not our teenager. We got engaged at the Spanish Steos so want to go back. Would this tour allow that?

When you get off the free shuttle from the ship there are some booths set up offering different tours. Some are taxi tours and then there is Civita Tours offering three different ones. One is just a bus to Rome and back for 19 euros pp. Another is called the Classic tour with more intensive sightseeing for 40 euros pp plus charge for headsets. Ours was the Panoramic tour for 29.50 euros pp. There is a guide on the bus describing what we are seeing in Rome. There are three stops..the Vatican and Coliuseum for picture taking and bathroom breaks and near the Trevi Fountain for two hours for lunch. You can walk to the Spanish Steps from there, back to the fountain, the Pantheon, Plaza Navarro and meet up across the river at a designated place.

Their website says to be there around 9:15am. We got off the ship around 8:15am.

Hi Ellie,

We were on your cruise and signed up for the M & G. We didn't end up getting there. What a fiasco. I do agree, our roll call was very quiet!

I just posted my report, following yours to compare notes. :)

Thanks so much!

quote=EllieinNJ;56301054]When you get off the free shuttle from the ship there are some booths set up offering different tours. Some are taxi tours and then there is Civita Tours offering three different ones. One is just a bus to Rome and back for 19 euros pp. Another is called the Classic tour with more intensive sightseeing for 40 euros pp plus charge for headsets. Ours was the Panoramic tour for 29.50 euros pp. There is a guide on the bus describing what we are seeing in Rome. There are three stops..the Vatican and Coliuseum for picture taking and bathroom breaks and near the Trevi Fountain for two hours for lunch. You can walk to the Spanish Steps from there, back to the fountain, the Pantheon, Plaza Navarro and meet up across the river at a designated place.

Their website says to be there around 9:15am. We got off the ship around 8:15am.

Copenhagen - We flew to Copenhagen from Barcelona with Norwegian Air. Our flight was to leave at 10:35am. After we boarded they told us because of an air traffic controllers strike in France, we have to wait an hour before we were cleared for takeoff. That meant we would not be in Copenhagen until 2:30pm, most of the day gone. After getting there, we took the train from the airport to Central Station (escalator down to track 2, 36DKK pp, $5.94USD pp) We then walked two blocks to our hotel, First Mayfair Hotel. Great location, near Tivoli Gardens and the hop on/hop off buses. We were planning to do Tivoli that night, but DH was in some pain still so postponed it until the following night.

Next day we took the Stromma/City Sightseeing HOHO bus. There are red and green buses and each accepts each other's ticket. Again booked on line for 10% discount. Now they are running a Baltic special. Take three buses in three different ports and get the fourth one for free. So we booked Tallinn and Helsinki and hoping to get Stockholm for free.. We paid extra for the three lines but the only one that was interesting was the Mermaid line.

That evening we did go to Tivoli., 18 euros pp. just to walk around. Did not include rides. Nice but not as great as I expected. They allow smoking and it reeked through the park. It's something you had to do while in Copenhagen.

We planned on taking a taxi to the port but saw that the 48 hour hoho bus had a free shuttle to the port too. You got off at the Mermaid stop.. Now it's not great for everyone. There is room for your luggage on the lower level in the back, but we were not comfortable leaving it unattended so sat with it until we got off. The shuttle was a regular bus and very comfortable.

Warnsmunde - We planned on taking the train into Rostock. It was around 5 euros pp round trip, including the tram into the city. When we got off the ship there were two booths selling bus trips to Rostock for 30 euros pp. for 4 hours. Was tempted to do it but then decided to just stay in Warnsmunde and walk around. It was very pretty. Had a nice beach and boat tours for 10 euros pp. Nice easy day.

St. Petersburg - The day before we were informed we had to sign up for a time to get off the ship, A, B, C, etc. We got B which was 8am. We were suppose to go to the theater and they let you leave at your appointed time. We were meeting someone we met at the M&G so we chose to meet in the atrium at 7:45am. We then saw people leaving the ship through the hallway pass the library and followed them out, never going to the theater. We waited on line for immigration around 10 minutes and met our guide by 8:20am.

We chose Alla for their Faberge tour and it was way beyond wonderful. We were 16 on a bus but it seemed like it was a private tour. The guide spoke perfect English. I asked her what we would miss not doing the Grand tour and she said just two churches. We were so glad we did this tour. The Hermitage was wonderful, Catherine's Palace was beautiful but the jewel (no pun intended) was the Faberge museum. Please don't miss it. The two restaurants we ate at were very good.

Tallinn - As I mentioned previously, we did the hoho bus again, only getting off at the old town and walking around for a few hours. It was very nice but didn't seem like people actually lived there. The only shops were souvenier shops. There were nice views of the city below.

Helsinki - Again did the hoho bus. Got off at Market Square and walked around. There is a pier there with boat rides. Also a ferris wheel. Back on the bus to the Rock church. Okay.

Stockholm - Our port was changed to Nynashamn and NCL promised to have free shuttles to Stockholm. But they didn't. Instead anyone who booked before the port change had to sign up at the service desk for a red dot on their keycard to get a free shuttle and train ticket to the train to Stockholm. It went pretty well but some people had to stand or sit on the floor on the train because it was so crowded.

There were several hoho buses at the port as well and we asked if we could use our three previous tickets for the free ride. They wouldn't accept it but when we did get into the city the hoho buses there did. Stromma appologized and said they should have accepted it and in the future would.

So took the hoho bus and got off at Gamma Stan and went into the palace. It was very beautiful. When we got out they had the changing of the guard with a parade. Very exciting. Walked around a bit and had to wait quite a while for another bus. Planned on going to the Vasa museum but the time was getting late so had to skip it. Back at the train station, which was hugh, we met other Breakaway people so we all went together to find the right track for the train back to Nynashamn. Had to go 3 escalators down to track 3/4.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

We found we did not have to get other currencies except euros for either trip. EVERYONE took euros and credit cards. Even the small shops. The guides also took any currency for tips. We paid in USD.

The kiosks at the pier in St. Petersburg were cheaper than in the city.

Both airports had free wifi so you could pass the time there quickly. But don't wait too long to go through security, especially in Copenhagen. They have quite a few checkpoints before you get to your gate and it takes quite a while.

We had a few euros left over so the casino exchanged the paper ones for US dollars. At the airport we saw some stalls with tip cups holding US dollars. We asked if we could exchange them with our coin euros and they said yes. We only lost about $1 total.

So there you have it. If you have any other questions I will try to answer if I can.

Thank you for the detailed, informative review! What a wonderful trip! So sorry DH hurt his back, hope he is better now!