Need tips from Epic Barcelona travelers...

[Dedabugg]

Hi all. I am new to the boards but I've been lurking since January. Let me apologize if there's already a thread like this, but I really couldn't find it. My husband and I are booked on the Epic from Barcelona 8/31. We're super excited because although this will be my third cruise and his second, we've never cruised anything other than Carnival. We were docked next to the behemoth Epic when we were in Nassau 3 years ago and we vowed to conquer it one day. We've booked a midship balcony on deck 10 with my sis in law and her husband in the cabin next door. They have been abroad before but they've never cruised. We've cruised, but have never been really abroad. OK, I think that's enough background :)

 

My inquiry is about shore excursions. On our previous cruises, we just found a makeshift tour guide at the port and hopped in for $20 each lol. That was in the Caribbean and Mexico. Mr. P (hubby) has some concerns about doing this in Europe, since in some places, the dock is not close to the attractions. My sis in law has what amounts to an endless supply of funds compared to us so I don't want to leave the planning up to her. She's actually quite frugal, but she'll never risk sacrificing quality so she'll spend if need be. I like to try and find quality WHILST being sensible with my cash. You know...having the sun AND the moon? Anyway, the excursions provided by NCL can get quite pricey and the ones that aren't as expensive just don't seem like as much fun.

 

What past experiences or best practices do you all have? Is it better to book shore excursions with NCL and just fork over the cash, or is there a better way to do it? I don't wanna sacrifice a good time, so we'll spend, but not $2500 US each on a private tour. I don't want to have to rush around and get lost in the shuffle on a massive tour either. And missing the boat is not an option lol. Here's what's important to us: the Leaning Tower, food, the Vatican, food, the Almafi coast, and...oh FOOD. (We love trying native foods)

 

I'm sure there's more I need to see, but like I said, I haven't been. Please give me your wisdom. Sis likes to plan ahead. Thanks!

 

(Oh and we're staying in Barcelona for the two nights prior in some apartments my sis booked. Rambla Catalunya. So any must-dos in Barcelona will help too).

 

 

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[Cretia]

My roll call for the Jade in November has been a busy hive of shore excursion activities. Yours doesn't seem as busy, but I'd check and see if any of the tours that your rollcall mates are putting together have space and/or sound interesting.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1965982

 

I've also found that Rick Steve wrote a decent guide outlining which cruise ports on the Mediterranean are good for doing without a guide.

 

I have no practical experience, as I haven't been there yet, but hope this might help a little.

 

Edit: I see you found your roll call. That's what I get for skimming instead of focusing!

Edited June 24, 2014 by Cretia

[quercus alba]

We were first-time cruisers when we found this board researching the same cruise. #1 point of advice--find and join your Roll Call! We were able to set up private van tours for Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast together with folks we met here on the Roll Call--and it absolutely MADE our trip!

 

Here's my review from back then--maybe you can glean a couple of things that fit your style. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1421989

 

 

Oh--and my ONE rec for Barcelona--Runner Bean Walking Tours, specifically the Gothic Quarter tour, but maybe Gaudi will be more your thing.

 

Have fun!

[Dedabugg]

My roll call for the Jade in November has been a busy hive of shore excursion activities. Yours doesn't seem as busy, but I'd check and see if any of the tours that your rollcall mates are putting together have space and/or sound interesting.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1965982

 

I've also found that Rick Steve wrote a decent guide outlining which cruise ports on the Mediterranean are good for doing without a guide.

 

I have no practical experience, as I haven't been there yet, but hope this might help a little.

 

Edit: I see you found your roll call. That's what I get for skimming instead of focusing!

 

 

Yes I found it, but the thing is, I'd like to get input from past cruisers too so I figured I'd try and cover all bases lol. Thanks for your info though. I'm gonna check out your roll call too.

 

 

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[Dedabugg]

We were first-time cruisers when we found this board researching the same cruise. #1 point of advice--find and join your Roll Call! We were able to set up private van tours for Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast together with folks we met here on the Roll Call--and it absolutely MADE our trip!

 

Here's my review from back then--maybe you can glean a couple of things that fit your style. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1421989

 

 

Oh--and my ONE rec for Barcelona--Runner Bean Walking Tours, specifically the Gothic Quarter tour, but maybe Gaudi will be more your thing.

 

Have fun!

 

 

Thank you!! Although I've got no idea what either of the tours are that you mentioned, I'm definitely gonna check them out now!

 

 

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[quercus alba]

Thank you!! Although I've got no idea what either of the tours are that you mentioned, I'm definitely gonna check them out now!

 

Here's their website: http://www.runnerbeantours.com/

[Zhane's mum]

hi we are on the same cruise as you. We have done this cruise before so I will try to help as much as I can.

 

Firstly Barcelona - I recommend the HOHO bus we thought the red one was best. Must do is Sagrada Familia best to book your tickets online before you go, can save on hours of queuing. The metro is easy to use buy a T10 ticket (1 ticket can be used by all of you) and it's good for 10 metro journeys. The magic fountain at night is amazing and free. Food- try not to eat on Las Ramblas it is more expensive, best to go a couple of streets off the Rambals.

 

some have mentioned Rome in Limo where I think you can join a tour, check their website, we haven't used them, but they do tours of other ports not only Rome.

 

Naples- we walked straight off the ship and were bombarded by taxi drivers, we bartered with one and he took us to Pompeii, I think it cost €70 Euros, but I'm not sure, defo not more than 100.

 

Rome - we took the train to Rome, I wouldn't do this again as I thought it was a long day, I was scared the ship would leave us. others have reported that Rome in Limo will whisk you around Rome and get you to the front of queues etc.

 

Cannes - tender (we are planning a beach day)

 

Livorno - we took a bus then train to Pisa, easy to do.

 

Didn't get off the ship in Palma

 

I would check the port of call boards if I were you and check out Rome in Limo costs.

 

remember it is a very port intensive cruise and can be exhausting.

 

hope this helps

Edited June 24, 2014 by Zhane's mum

[Dedabugg]

Thanks!! Great info!

 

 

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[Zhane's mum]

We didn't get off the ship in Palma because we were tired not for any other reason

[flarad]

We've been back two weeks from this cruise and wishing we were headed back. Since you asked, I will give you our excursions, reasons why, and experiences. There are others who will say, do it on your own, and wear it like a badge of honor. Whatever... To each his own, DH is a bit of a worrier so we decided to book all ship excursions. They were somewhat pricey except when you consider two things. 1. All tours bought on your own are subject to VAT. Some may include this in the price. We prepaid ours from the US before we cruised thereby saving all the VAT taxes. 2. All excursions were booked in the $$ saving us the quite hefty exchange rate. A 150€ tour is really 200$ plus VAT while a $150 cruise excursion is exactly that, no additions. We also didn't have to worry about carrying euros in cash with us. All of it went on the am ex on the ship ahead of time, we carried just enough cash for snacks and trinkets.

Here's what we did: Naples: four hour am Pompeii tour. Loved this. Not expensive and a good tour. You start and stop at a little tourist trap shop but it was fun and the limoncello very good :) in preparation for the long days to follow we decided to keep this day short. Citavecchia: Rome and the coliseum. Good tour, LONG day, lots of walking. Lunch was great. Our tour guide actually left us at the Coliseum, (long story) but there was immediate help available from other NCL tours. Livorno: Pisa and taste of Tuscany. This was definitely my DH's favorite tour. Nice stop in Pisa and great wine tasting. Relaxing day. Cannes: Nice and little train, nice tour, beautiful scenery, time to shop briefly in the flower market and time to wander Cannes upon return. Palma: scenic overview and winery tour, very nice tour and wine stop. Plenty of time after tour to wander around Palma. This would be the easiest stop to do on your own, there are buses for I think $7 which take you into town and back. Nice area to wander. If you take a tour you can stay longer and take the bus back free whenever you're ready.

Overall we liked our ship tours (background, when cruising the Caribbean we usually book privately so we do know the differences). They were not crowded at all. When on buses most were not full and the groups moved well. Tour guides were all very knowledgeable and local. It was convenient meeting on the ship and usually we were first off the ship. I did not hear anyone complain on any of our tours. On the day we were in Rome several ships excursions got back very late because of heavy traffic. I can't imagine doing that on my own and worrying in a traffic jam... Just our preference. Whatever you do you will have a great time. Enjoy your planning!

 

 

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[ShannonSC2]

We just got back yesterday from the Epic. I am so ready to go back. It is a port heavy itinerary but it is a lot of fun. We have never done any shore exercuisons until this trip. Here is what we did at each port.

 

Naples-We booked with NCL. We did the Sorrento/Naples/Pizza eating (can't remember the name). I was totally impressed. We had the best tour guide. We took a bus to Sorrento and had over 2 hours to explore the city. Then we went to a Pizzeria in Naples and had pizza,wine,coke, and salads. It was the best pizza! They kept bringing more and more pizzas out. We drove around Naples and got the panoramic view of Naples. It was a beautiful day & you could see miles and miles. I would do it again.

 

Rome-we took the train to Rome. We walked around Rome and saw a lot of things except the Vatican. It was crowded and it rained on us.

 

Liverno-We took the train to Pisa and walked to the Leaning Tower. What an amazing little town. We stopped at the Pisa Cafe and had more pizza. It was great. Took the train back.

 

Cannes-WE took the Nice/Monoco/Monte Carlo highlight tour. Loved the whole experience. We had the worse tour guide! WE had to beg to walk around Nice and she only gave us 10 minutes. Monaco was nice and we had to get our lunch and had like an hour. Monte Carlo we had some time to wonder the streets but we only got 45 minutes.

 

Palma-We got off the ship at 2:30 and walked around the marina. Very nice walk.

 

Barcelona-We took the HOHO bus (the blue bus) and saw a lot of Barcelona. It was well worth the money.

[HokiePoq]

Here's what I can suggest:

Barcelona: HOHO is okay but our experience with it was that it was very, very slow and buses would wait at stops until some set time to move on. We only saw one major sight each day and did a lot of riding.

This time we took the shuttle from ship to end of port and then walked to the Metro station. We wanted a second trip to La Sagrada since the inside was not complete when we were there before. Agree with the person who said book online. This saved LOTS of time and allowed us to go up in one of the towers...wonderful experience. Then we rode the Metro back to Las Ramblas and walked back to the shuttle. Nice day for very little money.

Rome: This depends on where the ship is docking. If in town, it's a short walk to the train station and we've done that a couple of times. If it's out of town, book a tour of some type. Train from town is really good for visiting the Vatican as San Pietro is first Roma stop. We made online reservations for the Vatican Museum and spent most of the time in there and then St. Peter's Basilica. Great day for cheap. Another time we rode the train and went to main station and toured from there. One ticket (don't forget to validate at station before boarding) allows use of trains, underground, and buses. Plan ahead and you can see a lot.

Palma: We've taken three ship's tours here and would recommend the Train to Soller. Great day!

Naples: We did two half day ship's tours to Pompei and Herculaneum, very interesting. Last time we took the ship's tour to Capri...wonderful! I saw a roll call friend going there on her own and that can be done, but I was a bit unsure due to dependence on the ferry to go on my own. Great tour. If I ever get to go back, I'll go on my own and maybe get to see the Blue Grotto. That is not on the ship's tour itinerary. The boat tours depend on weather conditions. If going on ship's tour, be sure to take the opportunity to ride the funicular to the top of the island. The view is spectacular. Fare not included but well worth the cost.

Hope this helps and have a great cruise!

[Dedabugg]

Wow you guys are really giving me some good info. Thanks.

 

 

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[camilliejo]

We just got off the Epic on June 22nd - awesome trip! We wanted to avoid NCL shore excursions to save money, so we did a lot of research through Trip Advisor & this website.

 

Naples: We found a biking/kayak tour through Trip Advisor; "Bike tour Napoli" & "Kayak Napoli." The bike tour was amazing, through the old city streets and seafront. Luca met us at the pier & spent 1/2 the day with us exploring. 15euros each for a terrific experience!! We couldn't kayak because the seas were rough, so we paid a taxi driver to take us to Pompeii & wait for us while we toured (90 euros for 4 people).

 

We skipped Rome (to avoid crowds) in favor of Tarquinia, the ancient Estruscan city close to the sea & only 20 minutes from the port. This is a gorgeous, old, real city with real people - virtually no tourists. They have excellent inexpensive museums and wonderful restaurants. Our taxi driver waited for us then drove us to Lido Tarquinia for a dip in the sea. Again, a perfect day.

 

Florence: Our only NCL excursion & I did NOT enjoy it! We did "Florence on your own;" the guide talked over her microphone for the entire 1 1/2 hour ride. Non Stop. Loudly. There was not one second of quiet time; we were subjected to her pathetic jokes the whole trip. Florence was extremely crowded & hot.

 

Cannes: We hit the public beach briefly (just as you exit the ship) then took a ferry to Saint Margarite island (not sure of spelling). Also found this on Trip Advisor. Very cheap ferry & the island is beautiful for snorkeling or exploring. It contains the fort where the "Man in the Iron Mask" was imprisoned. It also has 2 upscale restaurants plus 2 snack bars with very good sandwiches and salads.

 

Palma: We arranged to rent bikes from "Palma on Bike." They met us at the pier and we explored for 5 hours - excellent bike paths and beautiful little old streets. 14 euros per person. Tons of restaurants everywhere.

 

We didn't do anything in Barcelona because we flew in & out on our embarkation & disembarkation days (very tiring!) Hope this info helps!!!

[danacline]

We just finished a 12-day Barcelona to Venice on the Spirit, and did a mix of ship's tours and do it yourself days. It really depended on the port and the tours. Here's our run-down...

 

Barcelona - took metro from near hotel to near Sagrada Familia, walked back via Las Ramblas. Do visit the market on Las Ramblas. Go hungry...

Toulon - not much to do here, but an excellent maritime museum within walking distance.

Livorno - ship's tour to Cinque Terre because we wanted to see it and there was logistically no way to do on our own. Excellent tour, very beautiful.

Rome - ship's tour Rome Highlights because of the distance from port to Rome. Next time we'll do the Catacombs ships tour.

Naples - ship's tour to summit Vesuvius and then Pompeii. We could have done either on our own but wanted to do both.

Mykonos - nothing to do here, but found an excellent scuba site and went diving.

Istanbul - very easy to do on your own. We took cheap tram, then walked back, visiting Hagia Sophia, bazaar, and spice market. Very good port to shop in, but everyone and their dog will try to sell you a rug.

Ephesus - found a cheap tour of Ephesus and Terrace Houses from EphesusDeluxe.com that specifically did NOT include a rug factory.

Athens - very easy to do yourself. We caught the X80 express bus for 4 Euros, which included an all-day metro/bus pass. From there, easy to walk up to Acropolis, get local food, etc.

Venice - took ship's shuttle boat to St. Mark's square. From there, walked a bunch. Better shopping and cheaper food near Rialto Bridge.

 

One thing to learn - walk a lot! We had an app to track our wanderings from our phone using a GPS. We probably put 5+ miles per day, which many people cannot handle. Make sure you wear good walking shoes or hiking boots. Ephesus and Acropolis are all slick marble - I'm surprised that no one seriously injured themselves from slipping.

 

I will post a review here eventually, but we're still in Italy and with 4 of us, sorting through photos will take weeks.

[KeithJenner]

Rome: This depends on where the ship is docking. If in town, it's a short walk to the train station and we've done that a couple of times. If it's out of town, book a tour of some type.

 

 

I saw you mention this before on another thread, and I think you may inadvertently be giving incorrect information.

 

This year, the shuttle bus drop off has been moved as the area of the usual place is being renovated. The current drop off point is further away from the train station, but not by far. It is still an easy walk to the station, but about a 20 minute walk rather than 10 minutes.

 

I'm not aware of an "out of town" docking place, and my understanding is that the ships are all docked in the same place as usual. It's just the shuttle bus which is going somewhere different.

 

Maybe there is an occasion where the ships do dock elsewhere, but I haven't seen anyone else mention it. Are you sure that the ship was not docked in the usual place?

 

 

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[Tiggertastic]

we recently did this trip and also in 2012 - this is what we have found

 

Naples - taxis or next to the ship there is the ferries to capri or sorrento next to the ship- for approx 12.30 each way. Or the train to sorrento is only 8euro return and less to pompei

 

cannes - tender but the rail station is 10 mins walk and a return to montecarlo and monaco is 14.30 euro return for an adult and less if over 65 with id or under 26 with no id. Antibes is only a couple of stops away and even cheaper

 

Palma, walk out the port and get on bus no 1 - 1.50 each way to the center. The cathedral is beautiful inside approx 6 euro but closed at 4pm so arrive about 3.15 and no queues are there

 

Rome - sorry you will need a train or bus for this one - NCL charge $99 each for the return transfer and we got a good 5 hours in the city. pre booked colloseum and forum tickets re 12 euro an adult and free for over 65s and you skip the queue with them. Metro was 3 euros and we rode it to spanish steps and walked back to the colloseum

 

Livorno - we had a transport strike so never got to florence or pisa but florence is a good distance away, over 1.5 hours so you will need a transfer

 

try the roll call for your trip for shared excursions but don't fall as some do for the 150 to 200 euro trips each as they are way overpriced

[KeithJenner]

Probably more than any other itinerary, this is one where you can spend a load of you want or, if you are willing and able to do some planning then it can be very cheap.

 

For example, in Rome I have read on these boards of families spending $1000 on the day. On the other hand, for around €100 in total our family got reserved seats on the train to and from Rome (one way in first class), entry to the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine with a tour of the Colosseum underground.

 

It does make a bit of a difference if this is likely to be your only opportunity to visit these places. It isn't a problem to us that we didn't get to the Vatacan, but if you really need to do the Forum area and Vatican then you may find that getting the train doesn't give enough time compared to a private tour which will get you on your way to Rome as soon as the ship docks and will drive you between the attractions.

 

The same applies for Naples. If you are happy just going to Pompeii for example the the train is easy. However, if you want to have a tour of the local area as well then you will need some help.

 

If you want to just go to Pisa when in Livorno then I'd recommend the train for that. It's a short train journey to Pisa and the walk from the train station to the Tower is nice. You may want to get a taxi back to the ship from Livorno train station though, as we found the bus/shuttle a bit of a pain getting back. Florence is more of a challenge on the train though. People do it, but it's a long day.

 

 

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[Ferrers]

Hi all. I am new to the boards but I've been lurking since January. Let me apologize if there's already a thread like this, but I really couldn't find it. My husband and I are booked on the Epic from Barcelona 8/31. We're super excited because although this will be my third cruise and his second, we've never cruised anything other than Carnival. We were docked next to the behemoth Epic when we were in Nassau 3 years ago and we vowed to conquer it one day. We've booked a midship balcony on deck 10 with my sis in law and her husband in the cabin next door. They have been abroad before but they've never cruised. We've cruised, but have never been really abroad. OK, I think that's enough background :)

 

My inquiry is about shore excursions. On our previous cruises, we just found a makeshift tour guide at the port and hopped in for $20 each lol. That was in the Caribbean and Mexico. Mr. P (hubby) has some concerns about doing this in Europe, since in some places, the dock is not close to the attractions. My sis in law has what amounts to an endless supply of funds compared to us so I don't want to leave the planning up to her. She's actually quite frugal, but she'll never risk sacrificing quality so she'll spend if need be. I like to try and find quality WHILST being sensible with my cash. You know...having the sun AND the moon? Anyway, the excursions provided by NCL can get quite pricey and the ones that aren't as expensive just don't seem like as much fun.

 

What past experiences or best practices do you all have? Is it better to book shore excursions with NCL and just fork over the cash, or is there a better way to do it? I don't wanna sacrifice a good time, so we'll spend, but not $2500 US each on a private tour. I don't want to have to rush around and get lost in the shuffle on a massive tour either. And missing the boat is not an option lol. Here's what's important to us: the Leaning Tower, food, the Vatican, food, the Almafi coast, and...oh FOOD. (We love trying native foods)

 

I'm sure there's more I need to see, but like I said, I haven't been. Please give me your wisdom. Sis likes to plan ahead. Thanks!

 

(Oh and we're staying in Barcelona for the two nights prior in some apartments my sis booked. Rambla Catalunya. So any must-dos in Barcelona will help too).

 

 

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Hello, we have come to this thread a bit late but I think we are on the same cruise as you. We have booked Ap tours for a private tour of Rome including Vatican guige. We have 3 spaces left if you are interested. Details are on A P shared tours website. Look under Tebbutt

Not long to go now. Very excited

[suron]

I was on Epic in June and if it is not too late you may like to read my review in which I have listed details of the private tour operators I did my sightseeing with. I was lucky enough to have joined a roll call and people on that were kind enough to allow me to join their various groups.

 

The review can be found at http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=257253

 

I would recommend you try and join a roll call for your sailing as very often people have places spare on excursions so you may be lucky in that respect.

 

Have a great time.

 

Regards

 

Suzanne (Suron in Bristol, UK)

[HokiePoq]

I saw you mention this before on another thread, and I think you may inadvertently be giving incorrect information.

 

This year, the shuttle bus drop off has been moved as the area of the usual place is being renovated. The current drop off point is further away from the train station, but not by far. It is still an easy walk to the station, but about a 20 minute walk rather than 10 minutes.

 

I'm not aware of an "out of town" docking place, and my understanding is that the ships are all docked in the same place as usual. It's just the shuttle bus which is going somewhere different.

 

Maybe there is an occasion where the ships do dock elsewhere, but I haven't seen anyone else mention it. Are you sure that the ship was not docked in the usual place?

 

 

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Sorry if this is not the current info. The Jade used an away from town dock this April 2014 as did the Legend of the Seas in 2013. I think that is because of being the port of embarkation and needing the room. We have not docked in town the last two times, but a day stop is probably just as you say.