An "Epic" European Adventure -Review of Western Med with pics

[miamichic]

Hey El thanks for the great review – feels like I am there again!

Unfortunately we did not see you guys again after the M&G

I just wanted to add my 2cents about the cruise/ship in case it helps anyone as well

RIL – Definitely use them – We joined a group from our Roll Call for Naples, amazing experience! For Pompeii definitely get a guide, they do a specific quadrant and show you so much in the limited time Plus no lines for tickets – you can give the guide the $ and skip the line

RIL – We were going to tip 15%, but at the end the driver did something extra special for us (Took us to a Naples pizza place to pick up some pies and they even let us go into the kitchen and take pictures) This was after our return time of 5pm and we thought so worth an extra tip so we tipped 20%

Spa Pass – Great Value – As the spa mgr mentioned many come after port to unwind and we definitely did so. Tip: if you book a spa treatment you can buy a day pass for ½ price ($15) if you think its worth it you can upgrade to the week and pay the difference. This worked for us since we scheduled a spa treatment at the beginning of the week

VAT – Be weary of the 18% Tax on Spa Treatments, plus tip/svc chg it increases the cost of your treatment 36%!!! Although its posted everywhere we did not know until the masseuse mentioned it at the beginning of the treatment

Ship Tours- We did the ship tour in Livorno to Cinque Terre – It was a great experience, not like RIL but it was only 150 USD About 38 passengers, very organized

Restaurants – We loved Cagney’s and Taste

I definitely felt the ship moving one afternoon!!!

We loved the EPIC and would definitely return if possible!

[miamichic]

Thanks Craig for answering the how full the sailing was and any other questions, I haven't had a chance to get to!

 

As far as the Rome excursion...there were 38 people in our group. There was no problem staying with the group, she carried something in her hand and held it in the air the whole time. The sites and streets were packed with tourists....as you saw in the Trevi Fountain photo. She didn't really let you wander off on your own, with the exception of Trevi Fountain and Colisseum....and those were for only about 20 min to 1/2 hr...And everyone came back when expected.....no waiting around for stragglers....to be honest there really was no need to wander on your own. Our guide walked and talked us through all the highlights. She was unbelievable with the knowledge she had at each site!!! Well worth it, in my opinion!!!

 

Did the tour include all the tickets to the sights so you did not have to make a line? Did the guide give you a guided tour inside the Coliseum? Do you think you could have gone to eat somewhere nearby and met up with the group??

Thanks!!!!

[elsplace2]

Did the tour include all the tickets to the sights so you did not have to make a line? Did the guide give you a guided tour inside the Coliseum? Do you think you could have gone to eat somewhere nearby and met up with the group??

 

Thanks!!!!

 

Thanks for your input on the spa and your tours!

 

Yes the tour did include entrance fees to the Roman Forum and Colisseum. She did give us a guided tour of the Coliseum. She was so knowledgeable and knew so much about the history of Rome!

 

The meal was included as well, so we wouldn't want to pay for another meal...It was good, just a little disappointing that it wasn't a lasagna or something Italian. But others LOVED it. It was packed in there as you saw in the photo....but it was only for about an hour or so, so it was bearable. I'm not sure if we could have gone off on our own for that hour....I'm sure you could, just as long as you promised to be back in time.

[OceanDreams]

WOW! What a great review and your photo's were the best. Thank you so much for sharing your cruise with us.

 

OceanDreams

[miamichic]

Thanks for your input on the spa and your tours!

 

Yes the tour did include entrance fees to the Roman Forum and Colisseum. She did give us a guided tour of the Coliseum. She was so knowledgeable and knew so much about the history of Rome!

 

The meal was included as well, so we wouldn't want to pay for another meal...It was good, just a little disappointing that it wasn't a lasagna or something Italian. But others LOVED it. It was packed in there as you saw in the photo....but it was only for about an hour or so, so it was bearable. I'm not sure if we could have gone off on our own for that hour....I'm sure you could, just as long as you promised to be back in time.

 

What does NCL call that tour (helping some friends plan!!)

 

Also I will be going to Alaska soon on the Pearl going to catch up on your review and may email you some ques

[miamichic]

Sorry to Hijack your post

 

But if you have a Kindle know that you have free 3g internet overseas. I was able to use the internet at all the ports. Its not the best since its in black/white, but was able to check email and use it as a guide book at times.

[elsplace2]

What does NCL call that tour (helping some friends plan!!)

 

Also I will be going to Alaska soon on the Pearl going to catch up on your review and may email you some ques

 

The tour was called Rome and the Colosseum. It cost $219 per person. Well worth it in my opinion, especially since it paid for a tour guide, entrances and lunch!

 

Wow you remembered I wrote a review on our Alaska cruise?? If you have any questions on it, I'd be happy to answer them. Do you have my email address??

 

Sorry to Hijack your post

 

But if you have a Kindle know that you have free 3g internet overseas. I was able to use the internet at all the ports. Its not the best since its in black/white, but was able to check email and use it as a guide book at times.

 

 

 

No we don't have a Kindle yet...My DH would love to have one, but we go through spurts when having time for reading....we both basically read in the summer. Winter we are TV addicts and too busy catching up on TV shows on our DVR!! LOL But that is good to know for others reading this!! and maybe for future cruises for us!

Edited June 14, 2011 by elsplace2

[LoraJ]

Reading the review now and loving it. Wish I could see the pics, do we have to wait until next month for your bandwidth to refresh to see them?

[elsplace2]

Reading the review now and loving it. Wish I could see the pics, do we have to wait until next month for your bandwidth to refresh to see them?

 

 

Thanks for bringing this to my attention....I had received an email earlier today saying I had exceeded my bandwith, although when I was done uploading this weekend it said that I still had something like 2 GB or whatever and it was getting close.....anyway when I received the email I figured it was a ploy for me to upgrade...but apparently they are experiencing some hardware problems and are working on a solution......I can't even get onto my photobucket account.

 

 

I apologize for the inconvience. Hopefully the pics will be back soon!!!

[elsplace2]

OK, folks pics are back up! Yes I upgraded to Pro! You're all worth it!! :D

[www3traveler]

OK, folks pics are back up! Yes I upgraded to Pro! You're all worth it!! :D

Hi, I have loved your pictures and the description of your trip. It sounds like you had a really wonderful time. You have not said much about The Epic Herself or Her staff. On a whole what did you think? I have some friends who are Senior Staff members of The Epic. They have been trying to convince me that I needed to sail on Her and I think you have finally convinced me. I am not sure if any of the three of them were on The Epic when you were. Denis would have been the Hotel Director, Hassen the F&B and Martin, the Restaurant Manager. Mandy

[RadTherapyAR]

Thank you so much for all of the information and photos! I am sailing the Epic on October 2 for the same cruise and found the information very valuable!

[elsplace2]

Hi, I have loved your pictures and the description of your trip. It sounds like you had a really wonderful time. You have not said much about The Epic Herself or Her staff. On a whole what did you think? I have some friends who are Senior Staff members of The Epic. They have been trying to convince me that I needed to sail on Her and I think you have finally convinced me. I am not sure if any of the three of them were on The Epic when you were. Denis would have been the Hotel Director, Hassen the F&B and Martin, the Restaurant Manager. Mandy

 

 

Glad you enjoyed the review and pics and that I was able to convince you to go on the Epic!! She's worth it in our opinion!!

 

I LOVED the Epic! I wish we got to utilize the pool area more, in particular the slides....If I were you I would definitely make the effort to sail on her one day!! It's a big ship...but I didn't feel like it was overwhelmingly big. All the staff members we encountered were AWESOME! But to be honest, I have NEVER encountered a bad staff member in ANY of our cruises! Loved them all!!

 

Sorry I didn't get to meet any of the staff members you mentioned, nor do I know if they were even there! Sorry!! We did not have any complaints so we didn't HAVE to meet them...which is a good thing!! Also, we did not do a formal M&G, nor did they have a past guest party (where sometimes they introduce senior members), nor were there any opportunities, that I KNOW of, where they could have been introduced to us.

Edited June 16, 2011 by elsplace2

[elsplace2]

Thank you so much for all of the information and photos! I am sailing the Epic on October 2 for the same cruise and found the information very valuable!

 

 

I'm happy that you found this information valuable! I found reviews like this to be very helpful in my research as well!

 

Enjoy your cruise!!! You won't be disappointed!

[pickledoeuf]

Thanks so much for this amazing review and stunning pics. I go on the cruise leaving Barca this coming Sunday (19 June) and I am SO excited now having read your thread.

 

Please may I ask a silly girle question- does anyone know whether the cabins have hairdryers or will I need to bring one? (We are just in a regular inside cabin)

 

Another not-so-silly question- my partner had an accident earlier in the week and as a result has his arm bandaged up and is somewhat movement-restricted- I'm considering trying to upgrade our cabin to a larger one with more room so that he has less chance of knocking stuff over or doing himself a further injury. Can any NCL veterans advise whether I'm best doing this now, or whether I'd have a better chance of waiting until embarkation day when there may have been cancellations (we will obviously pay whatever the price is, not looking for a freebie- but obviously don't want to get ripped off either).

 

Oh- final question- are the power sockets in the cabins european 2 pin or US two-pin?

I've only ever travelled P&O before, so this is all new to me!

Thanks in advance :D

[elsplace2]

WOW! What a great review and your photo's were the best. Thank you so much for sharing your cruise with us.

 

OceanDreams

 

 

Sorry forgot to respond to your post!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the review and photos's. I am happy to share it with you all!!

[elsplace2]

Thanks so much for this amazing review and stunning pics. I go on the cruise leaving Barca this coming Sunday (19 June) and I am SO excited now having read your thread.

 

Please may I ask a silly girle question- does anyone know whether the cabins have hairdryers or will I need to bring one? (We are just in a regular inside cabin)

 

Another not-so-silly question- my partner had an accident earlier in the week and as a result has his arm bandaged up and is somewhat movement-restricted- I'm considering trying to upgrade our cabin to a larger one with more room so that he has less chance of knocking stuff over or doing himself a further injury. Can any NCL veterans advise whether I'm best doing this now, or whether I'd have a better chance of waiting until embarkation day when there may have been cancellations (we will obviously pay whatever the price is, not looking for a freebie- but obviously don't want to get ripped off either).

 

Oh- final question- are the power sockets in the cabins european 2 pin or US two-pin?

I've only ever travelled P&O before, so this is all new to me!

Thanks in advance :D

 

Glad you also enjoyed the review...you posted right around the same time I was, so I didn't see yours until now.

 

Anyway, I'm not sure about inside cabins, but I know our cabin had a hair dryer....I'm pretty sure all of them do. I think it says it somewhere in the NCL website whether it's an amenity in all the cabins or not.

 

As far as upgrading....personally I have never heard of them upgrading when you check in, I'm not sure if they can do that at the check in desk...I don't think they have the capabilities that a hotel has where they show which rooms are available....but who knows I COULD be wrong, I have been known to be wrong ONCE, it could happen again!! LOL Anyway, I think your best bet is to do it now, while you can and have the time to talk to a rep and see what your options and deals are....I think if there are alot of cabins available you should get a great price!!!

 

And as far as the sockets....I know they had American ones....I think they had one European as well.

Edited June 16, 2011 by elsplace2

[LoraJ]

The photos are gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing and for upgrading to pro for us. :)

 

So glad to see so much detail about the ports, other reviews seem to focus on the ship.

[Travelinggiraffe]

A couple responses -

 

pickledoeuf - as for upgrading, the risk you run when trying to upgrade at the last minute is that there may be no other cabins to upgrade to. I'm pretty sure our ship was totally full. My suggestion is to either have your Travel Agent or call NCL yourself now and try to get moved to a handicapped room. You might get booted out of it if someone who needs it books the cruise, but at this late date I think that is unlikely. But those rooms are MUCH roomier and if it's in the same category wont cost more.

 

There were both US and European outlets, at least 2 of each in my studio room.

 

My studio room also had a hairdryer from day one.

 

www3traveler - I found the staff on the ship pretty good. The dining room service was a bit hit or miss in the free restaurants, I thought it was better in the specialty restaurants. My room steward was very good and everyone I know said the same thing.

[pickledoeuf]

THank you for this info! I will unpack my travel hairdryer and contact NCl about the room situation. many thanks :)

Glad you also enjoyed the review...you posted right around the same time I was, so I didn't see yours until now.

 

Anyway, I'm not sure about inside cabins, but I know our cabin had a hair dryer....I'm pretty sure all of them do. I think it says it somewhere in the NCL website whether it's an amenity in all the cabins or not.

 

As far as upgrading....personally I have never heard of them upgrading when you check in, I'm not sure if they can do that at the check in desk...I don't think they have the capabilities that a hotel has where they show which rooms are available....but who knows I COULD be wrong, I have been known to be wrong ONCE, it could happen again!! LOL Anyway, I think your best bet is to do it now, while you can and have the time to talk to a rep and see what your options and deals are....I think if there are alot of cabins available you should get a great price!!!

 

And as far as the sockets....I know they had American ones....I think they had one European as well.

[pickledoeuf]

Thanks for the advice! :D

A couple responses -

 

pickledoeuf - as for upgrading, the risk you run when trying to upgrade at the last minute is that there may be no other cabins to upgrade to. I'm pretty sure our ship was totally full. My suggestion is to either have your Travel Agent or call NCL yourself now and try to get moved to a handicapped room. You might get booted out of it if someone who needs it books the cruise, but at this late date I think that is unlikely. But those rooms are MUCH roomier and if it's in the same category wont cost more.

 

There were both US and European outlets, at least 2 of each in my studio room.

 

My studio room also had a hairdryer from day one.

 

www3traveler - I found the staff on the ship pretty good. The dining room service was a bit hit or miss in the free restaurants, I thought it was better in the specialty restaurants. My room steward was very good and everyone I know said the same thing.

[elsplace2]

The photos are gorgeous! Thanks so much for sharing and for upgrading to pro for us. :)

 

So glad to see so much detail about the ports, other reviews seem to focus on the ship.

 

 

Glad you came back to see the photos and especially for letting me know....I don't know if I would have noticed....seeing I am just reading the comments at this point.

 

Are you planning on sailing on the Epic soon?

[MikeNKim]

Awesome review, it has confirmed my desire to go to Europe.

[thistimeplease]

I loved your review. Thank you!!

[LoraJ]

Glad you came back to see the photos and especially for letting me know....I don't know if I would have noticed....seeing I am just reading the comments at this point.

 

Are you planning on sailing on the Epic soon?

 

 

September 2012. Our itinerary is in the opposite direction.