Greek Isles- NCL Jade 7/13/2012 review

[BubMunkeyBles]

Can't wait to read about Murano and Burano! :) Great cruise report.

[tiggerman101]

So after we checked into the hotel and left our luggage there we headed out. I really wanted to go see Murano and Burano. I was a bit concerned because the weather did not look the best, but I figured we would go ahead with the plan. We went into the Piazza Roma vaporetto station and I decided to buy two 12 hour passes. Immediatly after I wondered why I didn't just pay 2 euros more for the 24 hour pass. It was still very early and I didn't know if we were going to go hang out at St Mark's square that night (we had fun doing that last time we were in Venice). We studied the vaporetto chart and figured out what we needed to go to Murano. The station was actually around the corner from the main station there so it was a bit hard to find. We got there right as a vaporetto was pulling up. It was about a 20 or so minute ride out there. Crossing the Venetian lagoon is pretty and there are a lot of little islands here and there. We reached Murano and got off at the first stop. There are actually three stops at Murano and we had no idea which one to go to, so we just jumped off.

 

We ended up walking around quite a bit and there was not much there. Murano is famous for its glass blowing factories and there were a couple around, but that was it. I thought there had to be a lot more then this. We walked a bit and I finally saw a sign pointing to "main area" or something like that. We turned a corner and I realized this was the main drag.

 

 

It is pretty neat. There are small canals and stores and shops lined up everywhere. They all sell glass of course, but some of the works are fascinating. Every now and then you come across a glass sculpture. This was made out of colored glass "dust"

 

 

Murano had a very old feeling to it. It was quaint, but nice.

 

[tiggerman101]

We walked down the main canal a bit, poking our heads in a shop or two. I bought my mom a nice blown glass clock and some other trinkets. A lot of it was priced very reasonable, but there was some big ticket stuff as well. A lot of glass artist have their own shops and some are very unique. We got to the end of the canal and there was a big sculpture there

 

 

Close up it was really cool:

 

 

We found a store with these awesome glass blocks that the artist had used some kind of resin to create these cool looking "trees" inside. I really liked them, but felt odd about taking a picture without buying one. They were pretty dang expensive.

 

We walked back up the other side of the canal a bit:

 

 

We came to a wide side street and walked down to look at another sculpture

 

 

At the end of this street was the main vaporetto station. We checked the chart and realized it was the only place the vaporetto hit that went out oto Burano. It was also spaced out a bit time wise and the next was coming soon. I looked at the sky and it was getting darker. I figured we might want to hurry so we waited for the next ride.

 

Under different circumstances, I would have spent more time out in Murano.

[tiggerman101]

The ride to Burano is longer as it is farther out. The wind was picking up and the sky was very dark over the mainland. I was a little concerned. By the time we docked I had a feeling a bad storm was coming. We quickly jumped off and got moving.

 

Burano is technically known for its lace. However, many know it for its pastel colored day glo houses and buildings. It is really charming and pretty. In better light, I would have had a field day taking pictures.

 

 

It is also a very small island. We followed one canal for a bit to a leaning tower. You can't tell much here, but the tower leans pretty bad.

 

 

We got near the end of the canal and stood on a small bridge looking around

 

 

[tiggerman101]

We crossed over and found the main area of the island

 

 

There was one big street with a lot of people, shops, restaurants, etc.

 

We followed this a bit. Honestly, I would have loved to eat here somewhere, but it was looking really bad. The shop owners were taking things inside, the cafes were putting the umbrellas away. The path kind of went in a circle so we followed a canal again

 

 

It was a really cool little place and I wished the sun could have cooperated better

 

 

We walked down and I realized we had come full circle to where we started

 

 

I had no idea what happened in case of major storms out here. Do they stop vaporetto service? How long? We decided not to chance it and headed back to the station. We were in Burano for 30 minutes. Honestly, I can't really complain. We had perfect weather the whole cruise so one afternoon was not anything to get upset about.

 

We got on the next ride and headed back to Venice proper. It was a 30 minute ride or so, but these vaporettos had a bathroom on it so that was nice.

 

It never did storm......

[tiggerman101]

We hit Venice and just got off at the first stop. We had no idea where exactly we were, but it was no big deal. Honestly, Venice has signs pointing to all the major landmarks (Rialto Bridge, Piazza Roma, San Marco, etc). Sure you can get turned around, but all you have to do is look for the next sign. If you know where all these major landmarks are then you are good to go. There are a ton of little streets, canals, etc but (in my opinion) you can never truly get lost. Just look for the signs. I often see people huddled over a map of Venice. I can't imagine trying to follow one here.

 

We came upon a big church

 

 

Finally we came upon this tower and I knew the square we were in.

 

 

There are certain main paths through Venice that funnel people from one landmark to another and I realized we were on one of those. I also realized we were not far from our hotel. We stopped in a place and got a sandwhich and drink. We just sat on the side of a statue and had a late lunch.

 

 

Imagine, the sun was back out. We walked back to our hotel taking our time

 

[tiggerman101]

Back at the hotel it was time to get into our room. We rested and relaxed a bit before heading back out. I figured we might as well check out St Mark's square again since we had a vaporetto pass. We could take that out there and just walk back. first we went out into the Piazza Roma and the bus station to buy our tickets to the airport tomorrow. We needed an early bus and I didn't want to fool with it in the morning. The nwe grabbed the vaporetto to St Mark's Square.

 

Being the main tourist area it was till crowded

 

 

I did stop to get a good picture of the Bridge of Sighs. It is the bridge that connects the Doge's Palace to the Prison. It is named such, because its windows were the last daylight a prisoner would see.

 

 

Last time we were in Venice we went through the palace and did the "Secret Itineraries" tour. It was till a little too early in the evening for the bands and they were still setting up. At night the whole square comes alive with full orchastra bands playing all around. There are many of them and you can sit out and eat and drink while watching them. It is beautiful and just a great experience. It will also cost you the price of a cruise to eat there. However, we walked around at midnight last time and it was a great memorable time. In a way, I am glad we didn't go back late at night. Some memories you can only soil if you try to recreate.

 

The square is huge and St Marks itself is very unique

 

[tiggerman101]

With that we started a slow crawl back through the streets to the hotel. We stopped and got some pizza at one place, then some gelato at another. The magic of Venice is to just meander around with nothing to do and take it all in. I enjoyed venice a lot more this time around. I think last time I was more concerned with seeing a lot. This time we just experienced it. Where else do you come across a site like this

 

 

We came across the Rialto Bridge and stood upon it for a bit. I admire Wade's patience with me and my camera. I made him stand there for awhile while I waited for the light to get just right. I was rewarded with my favorite picture of Venice that I have ever taken:

 

 

We walked on and over the little bridges stopped quite frequently

 

 

Soon we were back at the Grand Canal again near our hotel

 

 

We sat at the steps on the canal for a bit and watched everything go by. It was a beautiful night. Wade wanted to cross the Scalzi Bridge again and go to our hotel that way. From the apex we had one more shot of the sun going down.

 

 

That, my friends was pretty much it. We retired to our room and got ready for an early flight. In the morning we headed off to Piazza Roma for the first bus to the airport. We both hoped there wouldn't be a big crowd. Actually, there were six people on it. We checked in for our flight and I used the last of my euros for snacks. The flight was a long 11+ hours. However, it started off with a nearly cloudless flight over the Alps. My camera was packed up, but my lord it was incredible. The views were jaw dropping. Even the captain was excited about it. Sadly, I noticed a grand total of 5 people looking out the window. The rest had their blinds closed. Wade and I, we were glued. There is just too much beauty to let it pass by.

 

We only had an overhead screen for the way home, none of the personal TVs. I was excited to see the movie come on and settled in to pass the time watching it. As soon as it began I had to laugh. You know, I kind of like those whales...

 

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for reading.

[boaterette]

I have really enjoyed your review. Thank you for posting.

[Chester & Brewster]

Thanks for posting, I really enjoyed your review. It sounds like my kind of trip - plenty of good food & relaxed wandering round Greek islands. We haven't been to Greece for a few years, but now I'm seriously wanting to go back there soon.

 

Thanks again, you managed to get some beautiful pictures.

[ibcnusoon]

Excellent review! I printed it out for future reference, hopefully we will be doing that same itinerary in Summer 2014!

 

How was pricing on airfare?

[spacepotatoes]

Thanks for the review! Your pictures are great. Venice especially is just breathtaking. Thank you for sharing the experience.

[tiggerman101]

Excellent review! I printed it out for future reference, hopefully we will be doing that same itinerary in Summer 2014!

 

How was pricing on airfare?

 

You probably do not want to know.....We paid close to $1,700 each. We did book it about 2.5 months out. It seems crazy I know. As I said, when we took the bottom line for what we had already spent on the HAL cruise (Fare, Air, Excursions, Hotels, etc) and compared it to everything added up for this cruise, they were roughly the same. I would say we spent a little more over all heading to Europe, but not much more. We ended up paying roughly $1,100 pp for our aft balcony. By the time it was all said and done. NCL was offering balcony guarantees for $849 for our cruise. It did go lower then the regular 7 day Greek Isle cruises and I wonder if it had to do with the fact that our cruise left on a Friday instead of a Saturday like normal (the cruise before ours was a one shot 6 day).

Edited August 21, 2012 by tiggerman101

[ibcnusoon]

Thanks! I'm reading up on airfare now. I did read that flights are less expensive when flying into (and cruising out of) Barcelona, BUT there are no cruise lines that stop in Santorini from there.

 

Thanks again, will probably put down a deposit once the Summer 2014 schedule opens and then watch airfare like a hawk!

[tiggerman101]

Thanks! I'm reading up on airfare now. I did read that flights are less expensive when flying into (and cruising out of) Barcelona, BUT there are no cruise lines that stop in Santorini from there.

 

Thanks again, will probably put down a deposit once the Summer 2014 schedule opens and then watch airfare like a hawk!

 

Just keep your eye on it. Normally, I get a reasonable price in my head and if it hits it, I jump on it. I did that for our Asia flights next February (which were less then we paid for the Venice air). I need to buy tickets to Copenhagen for next June, but I will wait awhile for it.

[lsmommy]

Your pictures are amazing, thank you for sharing.

 

I am doing a Jade cruise out of Venice next year, so it is exciting to read about other people's experience .

[umpy10]

Tiggerman, that had to be the best cruise/trip review I have read. Your talent at describing the content of each picture was truly enjoyable. Honestly , we felt like we were right there with you!

As I posted earlier, we'll be doing this same cruise next year in July and august and have a few questions for you if you don't mind.

 

1) I might have missed the reason why you didn't get to Katakolon and going to Izmir instead. Our itinerary has us in Katakolon as our last port before returning to Venice.

 

2) Just how "hot" was it. We have no choice in traveling in the summer as DW works in the educational system here, se we have to take advantage of our time when we can. I do understand that the temps. in that region can get high but we usually go to Vegas every year at this time so our brains are pretty much fried. Go figure lol.

 

3) How long was your port time in Izmir? We'll be stopping there on our 2nd cruise on the Spirit ( leaves Venice the same day we disembark the jade ) and it's only AM--PM. So we're seriously considering a NCL shore excursion to guarantee a return to the ship before it leaves.We're actually going to Ephesus first , are there any places in Izmir we should make time to see or not ?

 

DW has more Q's for you later lol, but for any CC members that are considering this cruise, or others in Europe, we are flying to London. From there we're flying with Easyjet to Venice and again from Barcelona - London after the 2nd cruise.

Their prices and flight times are excellent for travel in Europe.

 

Once again , thank you for this excellent review. We have learned so much and can't wait for our trip next year.

 

 

cheers...the Ump...:D

[petitcanard]

David, what a lovely review! Your pictures are gorgeous; even my husband was constantly looking over my shoulder to see what was next (and he's not into CC like I am, haha). I have always wanted to visit the Greek isles, and your pictures certainly helped me present my case :D

 

Thank you for taking the time to post such a detailed and picture-full review!!

[goldmom]

Great review and loved the pictures! We were getting off the Jade as you were getting on. We would have loved to have done the B to B, but couldn't take that much time. Although now I almost feel like I was with you on the cruise. :D Thanks for posting!

[MarijkeMiles]

Thank you so much for your fantastic review. We are embarking same cruise on Saturday so it's been great to get a sneak preview and pick up tips to help I

Us (loosely!) plan.

:D

[Crazy4Koko]

1. I could look at your pictures all day.

 

2. Promise me you'll smile in October..and not like you're on a Chumly Bear cruise

 

3. Thank you for not taking pictures of the birds in crappy cages..

 

4. How do you seemingly fit 14 hours into a 10 hour day?

 

:)

[Boston proper]

Thank you for sharing your fantastic pictures! It really was like the rest of us were there with you.

 

Now I'm going back to read your other reviews and look at more gorgeous pictures!

[umpy10]

Tiggerman, that had to be the best cruise/trip review I have read. Your talent at describing the content of each picture was truly enjoyable. Honestly , we felt like we were right there with you!

As I posted earlier, we'll be doing this same cruise next year in July and august and have a few questions for you if you don't mind.

 

1) I might have missed the reason why you didn't get to Katakolon and going to Izmir instead. Our itinerary has us in Katakolon as our last port before returning to Venice.

 

2) Just how "hot" was it. We have no choice in traveling in the summer as DW works in the educational system here, se we have to take advantage of our time when we can. I do understand that the temps. in that region can get high but we usually go to Vegas every year at this time so our brains are pretty much fried. Go figure lol.

 

3) How long was your port time in Izmir? We'll be stopping there on our 2nd cruise on the Spirit ( leaves Venice the same day we disembark the jade ) and it's only AM--PM. So we're seriously considering a NCL shore excursion to guarantee a return to the ship before it leaves.We're actually going to Ephesus first , are there any places in Izmir we should make time to see or not ?

 

DW has more Q's for you later lol, but for any CC members that are considering this cruise, or others in Europe, we are flying to London. From there we're flying with Easyjet to Venice and again from Barcelona - London after the 2nd cruise.

Their prices and flight times are excellent for travel in Europe.

 

Once again , thank you for this excellent review. We have learned so much and can't wait for our trip next year.

 

 

cheers...the Ump...:D

 

 

edit note: 3rd question, 3rd line should read : " it's only 7 am- 1 pm " don't know how i deleted the actual hrs. lol. It really is a short port time.

[FutureMrs.G]

Thank you for your pictures and reviews. We are sailing on the Jade in Nov for our honeymoon so I love to read any review I can find! :)

[tiggerman101]

Thank you so much for your fantastic review. We are embarking same cruise on Saturday so it's been great to get a sneak preview and pick up tips to help I

Us (loosely!) plan.

:D

 

 

Have a great time! It was a wonderful itinerary.