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

elsplace2

By elsplace2,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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Travelinggiraffe

Travelinggiraffe

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Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed my review!! As far as security and dress, I read the same thing......so I bought a Pac safe "neck pouch" for me and a Flat waist money pouch for my husband. But the bottom line is we were cautious, but NEVER felt like someone would want to pickpocket us....I saw people with purses and backpacks and never saw anyone attemptig to pickpocket them and we did alot of people watching.....So I would say be cautious, but don't be worried or feel uneasy.....We felt VERY comfortable walking the crowded streets of Barcelona, Italy and Palma....

 

I'll second El on this. I have traveled around europe before and heard about how bad Barcelona was. I don't know anyone who has gotten pick pocketed, I didn't see anything like that happening either. I did see some gypsies, but they were just begging.

 

I would still recommend stepping up your normal security type things you do. Make sure bags are zipped. An easy thing to do with backpacks is put safety pins on the zippers so someone has to work to get into it, they'll move on to someone else. Don't keep all your stuff in one place or large sums of money. If you keep a wallet in a pocket put a rubberband on it.

 

If you have more then one credit card/ ATM card separate them. Make sure you have the information for your bank incase you need to call and cancel them. Have a copy of your passport.

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elsplace2

elsplace2

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i'ii be in this cabin in feb for eastern carr cruise. do you have a picture of the room with the bunk pulled down?

 

 

No, sorry I don't have any photos of the bunk pulled down. I did look up to see where it was.....It's in the ceiling of the cabin, so the room steward would have to pull it down.

 

You will love this cabin....it's in the perfect place...right near the elevators and stairs. No you do not hear the elevators at all!! Also, just walk up 2 flights and you will be near the buffet....I thought it was at a perfect spot!

Edited by elsplace2
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elsplace2

elsplace2

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That was a terrific post/review. I enjoyed every minute of it. thanks! I am sailing on this ship at the end of September, 2011....just one question.....Is the door to the balcony a slider????

 

 

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!! Yes the door to the balcony was a slider.

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810jw616

810jw616

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El, thank you for your review. We sailed with you to Alaska and I remembered all of the great advise I got from you before that cruise so I looked you up to see if you had posted anything recently. It was great to see that you had already been to our next destination! We are leaving out of Barcelona on the Jade for a 9 day r/t Canary Islands in April of next year. Once again your review is full of tons of helpful information! Thank you for doing the research for us and most of all, for taking the time to post your reviews. Your attention to detail is fabulous! We are thinking of Hawaii for our next cruise so I will be looking for your review of that one, too! Keep up the good work! (You know, Cruisecritic should hire you as a consultant!)

 

Jolana

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elsplace2

elsplace2

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El, thank you for your review. We sailed with you to Alaska and I remembered all of the great advise I got from you before that cruise so I looked you up to see if you had posted anything recently. It was great to see that you had already been to our next destination! We are leaving out of Barcelona on the Jade for a 9 day r/t Canary Islands in April of next year. Once again your review is full of tons of helpful information! Thank you for doing the research for us and most of all, for taking the time to post your reviews. Your attention to detail is fabulous! We are thinking of Hawaii for our next cruise so I will be looking for your review of that one, too! Keep up the good work! (You know, Cruisecritic should hire you as a consultant!)

 

Jolana

 

Hi Jolana!

 

It's great to hear from you!! Thanks for all the kind words! I'm sure you will love your cruise! I'm not sure of all the ports the Jade will be stopping at but I hope some of them are included in my review. Be sure to try and see some of the places I mentioned in Barcelona, especially the Magic Fountain! I LOVED that place!! If you have any questions, ask away!!

 

As far as Hawaii, we have already been there in 2007....but I didn't write a review back then, like I have been doing recently, from my last 3 cruises, here on CC with pics.....Although, I believe I wrote one in the "Member's Review" section. We went on the Pride of America. I think I just discovered CC around that time.....which by the way I LOVE and I thank each and everyone here on CC with their awesome advice and reviews, as well!!

 

Our next cruise adventure will be in the Caribbean to St. Martin, St. Kitts, St. Lucia (Never been to any of those islands, so I'm really excited).....so look out for that review in February if you are planning on going there too, someday!

 

Anyway, glad you found me again and that my review was alittle helpful to you!!

Edited by elsplace2
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luci5

luci5

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Great review, thanks for posting.

 

I have a couple of questions.

 

In the casino, do you use cash (USD) or do you charge it to your room account?

 

What denominations do the slots take, do they have pennny slots or are they 25c or $1?

 

I noticed that it was mentioned that the gratuity for the spa was in addition to the "18% tax". My understanding from the NCL website was that 18% gratuity was added to spa service, not that it was a tax. Can someone clarify?

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Single Cruiser

Single Cruiser

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I noticed that it was mentioned that the gratuity for the spa was in addition to the "18% tax". My understanding from the NCL website was that 18% gratuity was added to spa service, not that it was a tax. Can someone clarify?

 

You pay both. So for the Spa you have a 18% Gratuity and add 18% Spanish VAT.

I.e $100 treatment would cost $136.

 

 

In Bars it's 15% Gratuity and add a 8% Spanish VAT.

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elsplace2

elsplace2

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Great review, thanks for posting.

 

I have a couple of questions.

 

In the casino, do you use cash (USD) or do you charge it to your room account?

 

What denominations do the slots take, do they have pennny slots or are they 25c or $1?

 

I noticed that it was mentioned that the gratuity for the spa was in addition to the "18% tax". My understanding from the NCL website was that 18% gratuity was added to spa service, not that it was a tax. Can someone clarify?

 

I'm glad you enjoyed my review.

 

As far as the casino...we used cash.....I'm not sure if you can use your card as well, I don't think so, I think it only takes cash....but I know you can get cash out on your S & S card at the cashiers desk....although I think they are starting to charge a 3% fee to do the fact that people were taking out cash in the casino to save on ATM fees yet NOT using it in there.

Oh and they had penny, nickle, dime, quarter, dollars and $5 slots that I noticed.

 

Thanks for the clarification. I thought Spanish VAT was 8%, not 18% or is it different for goods and services?

 

I don't know about the different percentages....but when I did actually look at our receipts, I noticed there was an 18% VAT tax. in both Italy and Spain.... So I'm not sure what it was on. I think goods and services.

Edited by elsplace2
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luci5

luci5

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Thanks both.

 

We have plenty USD left from our latest Vegas trip so that's not a problem. Just need to remember to take them as well as euros.

 

We have done umpteen Med cruises including P&O and Princess and never had additional VAT added. We are used to sales tax being added in the US, but it is normally already included in prices in Europe as receipts always state "IVA included".

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cruisinskier

cruisinskier

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Vito met with us and walked us to a nice casual Italian restaurant where we all enjoyed some authentic Italian Margherita pizza. (For those of you who didn’t know, Pizza was invented in Naples, Italy. A chef created the Margherita Pizza , in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy. He garnished it with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil to represent the colors of the Italain Flag.) It was delicious, the best pizza I ever had! After lunch they gave us all a complimentary shot of the infamous Limoncello. Speaking of Lemons….we thought we were seeing the biggest lemons we have every seen, but Vito told us they were not lemons they were “amacello”???? Sorry, I can’t remember what he called it.

P6020640.jpg

 

 

 

epic020-1.jpg

 

 

Thanks for the great review and the pics. We did a med cruise about a month before you and your review let us relive some of the highlights of the trip. We also did 3 tours with RIL and had lunch at Tasso in Sorrento pictured above. And the Limoncello is truly a treat :D

 

We cruised the Epic last summer and I am not sure that we would have had time on a port intensive Med cruise to enjoy all of the entertainment onboard....but it looks like you were able to squeeze it all in. Thanks again for taking the time to post your review.

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Single Cruiser

Single Cruiser

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Thanks both.

 

We have plenty USD left from our latest Vegas trip so that's not a problem. Just need to remember to take them as well as euros.

 

We have done umpteen Med cruises including P&O and Princess and never had additional VAT added. We are used to sales tax being added in the US, but it is normally already included in prices in Europe as receipts always state "IVA included".

 

Yes there is several threads on this. The receipts onboard Epic show the two extra prices for gratuity and VAT. Even though as you say European law states the price advertised should include VAT. It's broken out as non-eu passengers can claim it back on goods purchased.

 

As Epic doesn't stop at any non EU VAT territories such as Gibraltar, Ch. Islands, Canary Islands the Spanish government raise more revenue has enforced it for the duration.

 

In previous years on my cruises we have always paid it when in Spanish Waters/port but that was because we stopped in Tunisia or Gibraltar for half a day!

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elsplace2

elsplace2

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Thanks for the great review and the pics. We did a med cruise about a month before you and your review let us relive some of the highlights of the trip. We also did 3 tours with RIL and had lunch at Tasso in Sorrento pictured above. And the Limoncello is truly a treat :D

 

We cruised the Epic last summer and I am not sure that we would have had time on a port intensive Med cruise to enjoy all of the entertainment onboard....but it looks like you were able to squeeze it all in. Thanks again for taking the time to post your review.

 

 

Thanks! I'm happy to hear you got to relive your cruise via my review. I love doing that as well!!

Thanks for the name of the restaurant....I didn't notice the name when we were there, but it was sooooo good and worth the visit.

Yeah, it was NOT easy squeezing in all the entertainment the Epic offered, luckily we had 2 sea days.....we still didn't get to it all, but I made sure we did the ones we REALLY wanted to see/do. I guess we will just have to go back again some day and do the ones we missed!! :D

Edited by elsplace2
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helencw

helencw

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El, I want to thank you too for your wonderful review, and for sharing such great info!

 

We will be on the Epic in a few weeks, and I linked your review in our roll call. We have decided to follow your example in doing the meet and greet at O' Sheehans after the muster too.

 

Thanks again!

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ScubaNPcruiser

ScubaNPcruiser

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Thanks El for posting on the Spain port site also. We will be on Serenade RCC next May with similar ports. VERY helpful. I agree you can really gather a wealth of knowledge on CC. Thanks for the comprehensive review. My DH and I same age so fun to read your perspective. Happy cruising!

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