Review: A 12-day Barcelona/NCL Gem Adventure

[mzmiztiza]

I am literally sitting here taking down notes as I read your review! My husband plus one other couple will be taking the Sept 7th cruise with the Gem, and I can hardly wait. We also booked RomeInLimo so I am excited to know that you all had a great experience with them. Thank you for posting such a detailed review it truly has helped me with my planning. And I loved the pictures that went along with it!

[cafe rose]

My family and I just returned home from the Gem yesterday afternoon. we had booked Romeinlimo for all 3 Italy stops. They were great! Got a guide for Pompeii and she was wonderful. I highly recommend the guide here.

 

We used Barcelona day tours for our pick up from the airport to the hotel (there were 5 of us). They came back later in the afternoon and took us on a 5 hour tour which was good and then returned the next morning to take us from the hotel to the ship. They also picked us up from the ship to the airport.

 

We could not have asked for a better time.

[CeleBrat]

We woke once again bright and early, although this time we were in home soil---USA. Albeit, the wrong city/state…

 

Once again, I was able to cheerfully announce to the kids, “We’re going to see Daddy today!” for the 2nd day in a row. I hope.

 

The kids ate a sad, smashed pop tart from my emergency bag of snacks, and we were on our way, bidding adieu to the LaGuardia Crown Point Hotel. Although it is named after La Guardia, it is not actually located at the hotel. So, we had to take a shuttle.

 

Curbside at the airport, we lifted our chins, and strode confidently into the terminal to find a gazillion other passengers…again. It was almost dizzying, there were so many people and no one seemed to be in any one line, because the lines were so long and seemed to weave into one another.

 

We opted to wait in one of the many self serve lines, as they seemed to be shorter than the others, even though half of the computer monitors were out-of-service in each line. When we finally arrived at the first available monitor, we knew, just knew, that when one of us inserted their ticket and followed the instructions there would be a problem. Sure enough, as my sister-in-law boldly stepped forward and followed directions (while we held our breaths), she got the dreaded “Reservation Not Found/Please See Attendant” error message. UUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!

 

So enmasse, we slowly made our way to the counter to talk with the Agent. At the counter, SIL stepped forward and explained her error message, and immediately began to get some assistance. Yahoo! We were ecstatic! The La Guardia people are nice!

 

As we were standing there, having our tickets manually processed (in the self-serve luggage line), another Agent came by to chat with our Agent. Instantly, my gladness was replaced with sadness when I heard our Agent sigh , roll her eyes and say to Passing-By Agent, “I really wish those Floor Agents would do their job and direct guests into the right lines so I don’t have to constantly clean up other people’s problems.” Oh no, just like that, we were labeled “problems” again.

 

None-the-less, she processed us, checked our luggage and sent us on our merry way with boarding cards.

 

At the security checkpoint we were asked to show our passports and boarding cards. I paged through my ticket info to find (GASP!!!!!) I did not have a boarding card for myself or the kids. Everyone else in the party was comparing seat assignments. I could only find a card that said “Seat Assigned.” What does this mean?!?! Oh-my-gosh! Am I going to need to wait in that crazy gazillion –person line again? I had a little internal melt-down, since it was only 7am and I was tired and jetlagged…

 

I tempted fate and stayed in the Security line, and my “Seat Assigned” cards seemed to be sufficient for the Security guy. DD’s water bottle, on-the-other-hand, needed to be emptied—IMMEDIATELY!

 

Once through security, we strolled to our terminal, along the way looking for breakfast. While most of our party got in line for the muffin/bagel/fruit stand, the kids and I were tempted by the smell of Auntie Anne’s pretzels. So, like all good Moms traveling solo on their extra unexpected day of vacation, I bought pretzels for the 3 of us for breakfast. Good stuff!

 

 

 

As we approached the gate for our flight, I heard the Counter Agent spieling politely, “Ladies and Gentleman, the flight is full. We are still making seat arrangements. Please do not come up to the desk and ask about seating at this time.”

 

Throwing all caution tot the wind, I approached the desk and asked, “Hi, I’m sorry. I know you just said to not bother you about seats. But, I have no idea if we even HAVE seats. Can you tell me?” And then I showed her my boarding cards.

 

She took one look and said, “Nope, you don’t have seats.”

 

Heart instantly drops to my stomach. “Ok, are we even going to be on the flight?”

 

Eye roll from the Counter Agent, “Yes. Go sit down. I’ll call you.”

 

I tiptoed away from the counter, and rejoined my family in the midst of their bagel, strawberry, scrambled egg, and Auntie Anne’s pretzels breakfast feast.

 

About 45 minutes later, we were summoned to the counter by the same Spieling Counter Agent.

 

When I arrive, she slides the boarding passes over to me on the counter and says, “Here are your seats. They’re not all together. Don’t ask for anything else. It’s the best I could do.”

 

I must have looked like a cartoon fish because I opened my mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, then decided wisely, not to speak.

 

I don’t know if I was more shocked that she just handed me tickets that separated one of my kids from me (AAAAA!) or that she rudely said, “Don’t ask for anything else.” Oh my gosh!

 

I said, “Thanks” and backed away from the counter, rapidly thinking about Plan B. I always have a Plan B. Somehow, we would make this work. Since I was traveling with 4 others, I was sure we could trade seats and ensure that both kids would be sitting with another adult.

 

I as sooooooo mad!

 

Back with the rest of my family, we devised a master plan that involved Mom and Dad volunteering for the emergency exit seats, giving those seats to my brother and SIL, taking their back row seats and giving them to my dad and DD, then putting my Mom in the solo seat, which was originally my son’s. I know, confusing, isn’t it? I actually had to draw everyone a little map of where they would sit, since we all had to board with our original boarding passes since our names were on them.

 

I then got mad again when I realized that they had even given DS the last boarding number group, and DD and I the first. We boarded last, of course, with him. But did they really expect him to get on the plane by himself?

 

The flight was uneventful—phew!

 

Upon landing, we raced to baggage pick-up and discovered all of our luggage EXCEPT that darn booster seat. Where in the world could it be?

 

 

So, knowing that my vacation wouldn’t be complete without chatting with one more Airline Person, I walked over to the Lost Luggage counter. We’re in Orlando, home of the Happiest Place on Earth. Surely this will go well…

 

I step up to the counter, explain that I am missing my booster seat, and the Counter Agent asked for my luggage tags. Immediately, I realize that I should have NEVER WALKED AWAY FROM THAT NY LOST LUGGAGE COUNTER because my tags don’t match anymore. The booster seat was “lost” from Spain, but the Spain luggage tags had been replaced in NY earlier that morning when we re-checked the luggage. I had both sets of tags, but I knew it would be very confusing to try and figure out which tag from Spain went with the booster seat.

 

The Counter Agent agreed, not-so-nicely, and tacked on, “Why didn’t the NY Agent help you?”

 

I shook my head thinking that there was no way I could tell her that NY guy was inept. So I stammered, and probably seemed like I was making up the fact that NY guy didn’t help me.

 

She went on to say, “I don’t understand. This is a NY problem. We shouldn’t have to fix this.”

 

This time I rolled my eyes. Once again, I was a horrible, yucky, unsightly problem passenger. AAAAAAGGGGGHH!!!

 

So, I channeled my Dad, and said,. “Look, I don’t know why he didn’t help me. I have no idea. All I know is that I am missing a booster seat that has not made it with the rest of my luggage here, to Orlando. Are you going to help me or not?”

 

She sighed, pulled out a paper, and said, “Copy of your baggage tags?” I handed them to her so she could make a copy. She the asked me for my name/address to they could call or deliver the item. Then she said, “Thanks, that’s all,”

 

I was a little incredulous. I was not going to be duped TWICE by Luggage People. I asked, “Do you at least need a description of the booster seat?”

 

“Nope.”

 

I responded, “Ah, OK. Then at least give me a number where I can call you in case it doesn’t show up anytime soon.”

 

Back outside, as we gathered on the curb to wait for our pre-arranged shuttle, we were so glad to see the following sign. And couldn’t help but do a VICTORY pose.

 

 

 

And so, this is my review, complete with a starting and ending tale of lost luggage. We really, really had a great time. And other than some encounters with overworked, frazzled airport employees in our attempt to get home, it was great!!!

 

Hope you have enjoyed reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

 

PS—Amazingly, the booster seat was deposited on our front porch the very next day with lots of extra airport stickers on it. I have no idea where it went, but imagine that if it could talk, it too would have some great tales to tell.

[CeleBrat]

My family and I just returned home from the Gem yesterday afternoon. we had booked Romeinlimo for all 3 Italy stops. They were great! Got a guide for Pompeii and she was wonderful. I highly recommend the guide here.

 

We used Barcelona day tours for our pick up from the airport to the hotel (there were 5 of us). They came back later in the afternoon and took us on a 5 hour tour which was good and then returned the next morning to take us from the hotel to the ship. They also picked us up from the ship to the airport.

 

We could not have asked for a better time.

 

Hi cafepress--WELCOME BACK. I hope you enjoyed your trip as much as we did! Will we be getting a deluxe review from you too? ;)

 

CeleBrat

[S&S Cruisers 1983]

Thank you for the wonderful review! I have never before read a review where I actually felt like I was there with you! Waiting for your new updates was exciting and agonizing (in a good way) at the same time! We will be on the Gem in November!

[uppitycats]

Absolutely fab review..and I LOVE happy endings! :)

 

This really should be kept somewhere for posterity, or somethin'..

[eakmom]

What a great review, CeleBrat! I absolutely couldn't wait for each installment. It was totally impressed that you managed to maintain your composure throughout your journey home. I'm afraid that I would have had a meltdown.

 

Thanks for all of your insights. They will be invaluable when we travel on the Gem in November.

 

Sandy

[Lilbecky]

Thank you so much for that absolutely amazing review. I was excited before for our trip in 2 weeks, now I am bouncing around like a crazy person. Thank you for the pictures and for all the details. Your children are absolutely adorable also. Thank you again!!! :D

[vistapat]

First, let me thank you for taking the time to post your amazing review (somehow that word seems vastly inadequate for what you did). My husband actually sat still and let me read each installment. We are sailing on RCCL Brilliance of the Seas on November 13th, and going to many of the same places. We are sailing roundtrip Barcelona, and I can picture our return flight into JFK being delayed as well. The big problem there will be, if we miss our connecting flight, the date will be 11/26/08 (the day before Thanksgiving:eek: ) and I imagine we'll be there for more than one night! I am now including Barcelona airport in my prayers.

 

Again, thanks for the wonderful experience you shared with us.

 

Patricia

[JCD62]

Thank you Celebrat for your great review. We just got back from our trip on the Gem (we sailed Aug 17 - 24) and your tips and insights were invaluable to us. LOL, I even printed out your itinerary of Barcelona and brought it with us!

 

One night my DS, who is 11, came out of the Kids Club at closing time (10:30) and he was starving. Of course the Garden Buffet was closed at that time of night and I was beginning to wonder what we could get him to eat that would be quick. All of a sudden, I remembered you mentioning the Great Outdoors Restaurant at the back of the ship, and we promptly headed there. He was in heaven and I was a hero. Thanks again!

 

JCD

[Studebaker59]

CeleBrat - :)

 

What an amazing review! Your writing, photography, and computer skills are outstanding. You have a wonderful family. Your cruise review was the best I've ever read. Thanks for all the time you put into it.

 

We're looking forward to going on the Gem in January, '09. We're going New York roundtrip so, happily, we'll avoid the airline hassles.

[CeleBrat]

Yeah! I'm so glad that the review has been helpful to so many of you! I just love these boards, and spend HOURS scouring them in preparation for upcoming cruises. I have found lots of good info on the boards, so it is only fair that I "repay" everyone.

 

To those of you going to the Mediterranean soon---have a GREAT time and be sure to share your secrets with us when you return. I wish I were going (back) with you. DS actually said that yesterday, "Mom, when are we going back? It was so nice there...."

 

Just have to save some money up first.......

 

CeleBrat

[bluesea777]

Dear Celebrat,

 

I really enjoyed your reviews and excellent photos - they were the best. You are like me when taking photos - taking really good shots.

 

I see you had starboard cabins - can you please tell me about Barcelona, Valletta Malta, Naples and Civitavecchia - did the ship dock startboard or port side at these ports? And did you ever wish you had booked port side cabins? We're on Jade out of Barcelona in Dec and Rome, Naples and Malta are on the itinerary (as well as 4 other ports).

 

It's thanks to you that we have decided to splurge and booked Romeinlimo for Rome and Naples. We're 3 of us, but what the heck - we want to enjoy as much as you did! DH has been to Rome (30+ yrs ago!!) and he has difficulty deciding what to skip if we'd taken one of the ship's several tours!

 

We're in Barcelona 2 nights before and one night after cruise and I have digested all what you said about the city and we are so much looking forward to going!

 

I saw your photos on other thread and I would suggest you go to this www.blurb.com and invest in this. A colleague went on a coastal cruise in Norway and took fantastic pics and they created their own photo book thru blurb and I has a look and it's fantastic. The book looked so professional and I plan on doing the same. Better have the photos on paper than in PC (which won't last forever).

 

Thanks again for the excellent and informative reviews!!

[FunLovinCruiser]

Absolutely fantastic, informative post. I enjoyed reading it all!

[halos]

 

That was phenomenal!

[CeleBrat]

Hi guys--glad you liked the review. Good job on making it all the way through it, as it's a long read.

 

Bluesea777--a few answers for you:

 

Docking at the ports: Honestly, we didn't care which way we docked since we spent most of the time in port OFF the ship. In Barcelona, we docked so that our starboard cabin was facing towards the parking lot/ocean view, but when the ship sailed, we TURNED AROUND and had a great departing view of the city.

 

Malta--Both sides of the ship have fantastic views of the Malta-scapes.

Naples-we were docked so that our starboard cabin faced out to sea.

Citivecchia--was a total industrial port, and I can't remember which way we faced. Nothing to see there anyway...

 

Glad you booked Rome in Limo. Hope you had as great of a time with them as we did. Would take their private tour again in a heartbeat!!

 

Thanks for the recommendation about the photo book site. I will check it out. I usually use Shutterfly. Putting a photo book together from this trip is a huge daunting task, that I have been putting off. Between all of us that went on the trip, we have 3000 photos. YIKES!!!! Which ones to include? I will never be able to narrow it down, and will most likely have a 150 page book. It's my lofty goal to make photo books as Christmas gifts. Wish me luck...

 

CeleBrat

[bluesea777]

Hi guys--glad you liked the review. Good job on making it all the way through it, as it's a long read.

 

Bluesea777--a few answers for you:

 

Docking at the ports: Honestly, we didn't care which way we docked since we spent most of the time in port OFF the ship. In Barcelona, we docked so that our starboard cabin was facing towards the parking lot/ocean view, but when the ship sailed, we TURNED AROUND and had a great departing view of the city.

 

Malta--Both sides of the ship have fantastic views of the Malta-scapes.

Naples-we were docked so that our starboard cabin faced out to sea.

Citivecchia--was a total industrial port, and I can't remember which way we faced. Nothing to see there anyway...

 

Glad you booked Rome in Limo. Hope you had as great of a time with them as we did. Would take their private tour again in a heartbeat!!

 

Thanks for the recommendation about the photo book site. I will check it out. I usually use Shutterfly. Putting a photo book together from this trip is a huge daunting task, that I have been putting off. Between all of us that went on the trip, we have 3000 photos. YIKES!!!! Which ones to include? I will never be able to narrow it down, and will most likely have a 150 page book. It's my lofty goal to make photo books as Christmas gifts. Wish me luck...

 

CeleBrat

 

Thank you for the reply!

 

We are also going on AA via JFK and it'll be interesting if we ever have the same travel woes as you did! Usually we never had any probs!

 

As for the photo books - that site allows you to create up to 440 pages of photos!

[abbyndrewmom]

wow what a great review!! We are going on the Gem from NYC in March - I sure enjoyed your review and pictures.

 

I have a question for you as someone who has obviously traveled through Europe by land how did you like being on a cruise ship. My dh and I have been on a couple of land vacations to Europe and enjoyed them - we are thinking of taking the kids on a European Cruise in 2 years but reading through your reviews I get the feeling that it probably wouldn't feel 100% like a land European Vacation. Part of what we love about Europe is the different, food, culture and experience. I get the feeling if we are coming back to the cruise ship every night we will wake up feeling like you and your children that we are somewhere in the Carribean. I also think I would miss not having the European meals - we love to find the local restaurants and order the local specialities while in Europe. When it comes right down to it cost is going to be a factor and without a doubt cruising will be the least expensive option for us so in the end it may not matter anyway.

 

I'd love to hear you opinion.

[CeleBrat]

Allison--

 

We made the decision to cruise based on two things:

1--There were 8 of us going and cruising was the best way for us to be "together" yet still go our own ways.

2--It was the easiest way to travel with our kids---only unpack once, don't have to "seek out" a place to eat, the kids have a spot they can play at the end of the day (kids club), and plenty of time for swimming (many European hotels don't have a pool.)

 

Yes, there were times when it didn't truly feel like a European vacation, particularly when we were at sea. But, that drawback was well-worth the convenience we got from cruising.

 

To help balance things out, we did spend 3 land-based days in Spain prior to cruising. And, although that was a fabulous "true" European experience, the kids and I were definitely ready to get on the ship. We had an extremely difficult time finding food for them due to the lack of kids menus (we expected that) and fancy cuisine found in Spain. So, they ate french fries for many meals. They also were tired of us telling them to "be quiet" while in the museums, hotel room, street, and were very glad to FINALLY be able to spend some time in the Kids Club and run around like crazy. To make up for the time we were spending on the ship, we made sure that we spent every available minute on-land at each port by using a private tour guides. They were fun tours, but sure were long. And, again, at the end of the day, we were thankful to have a ship to go back to. No worries about finding dinner, or keeping the kids entertained.

 

When I was younger, my family took several land-tour type European vacations--you know, the kind where you ride on a bus for a day, see some sights, stay in a hotel, then pack up and do it all over again for about 8 days straight. We saw A LOT, but it was very tiring packing, and unpacking, and quite frankly, a bit boring at times since we were kids. We will, at some point, do that with our kids, but not until they are older. Most likely we will start with an Adventures by Disney tour, which is a cross between heavy-duty touring and fun stuff for kids.

 

So--hope that helps you a little. It really depends of how old/young your kids are, how well they eat foreign food, and how patient they are. I can tell you that my kids had a great time, and are asking to go back.

 

CeleBrat

[sdfamily]

CeleBrat -

 

Time for a more mundane question...

 

I'm trying to make a trip report of our trip to Alaska (inspired by your fabulous report). How do I get the pictures into my text report?

 

I'm sure I know the answer, but right now can't figure it out??????

 

Thanks!

[abbyndrewmom]

Allison--

 

We made the decision to cruise based on two things:

1--There were 8 of us going and cruising was the best way for us to be "together" yet still go our own ways.

2--It was the easiest way to travel with our kids---only unpack once, don't have to "seek out" a place to eat, the kids have a spot they can play at the end of the day (kids club), and plenty of time for swimming (many European hotels don't have a pool.)

 

Yes, there were times when it didn't truly feel like a European vacation, particularly when we were at sea. But, that drawback was well-worth the convenience we got from cruising.

 

To help balance things out, we did spend 3 land-based days in Spain prior to cruising. And, although that was a fabulous "true" European experience, the kids and I were definitely ready to get on the ship. We had an extremely difficult time finding food for them due to the lack of kids menus (we expected that) and fancy cuisine found in Spain. So, they ate french fries for many meals. They also were tired of us telling them to "be quiet" while in the museums, hotel room, street, and were very glad to FINALLY be able to spend some time in the Kids Club and run around like crazy. To make up for the time we were spending on the ship, we made sure that we spent every available minute on-land at each port by using a private tour guides. They were fun tours, but sure were long. And, again, at the end of the day, we were thankful to have a ship to go back to. No worries about finding dinner, or keeping the kids entertained.

 

When I was younger, my family took several land-tour type European vacations--you know, the kind where you ride on a bus for a day, see some sights, stay in a hotel, then pack up and do it all over again for about 8 days straight. We saw A LOT, but it was very tiring packing, and unpacking, and quite frankly, a bit boring at times since we were kids. We will, at some point, do that with our kids, but not until they are older. Most likely we will start with an Adventures by Disney tour, which is a cross between heavy-duty touring and fun stuff for kids.

 

So--hope that helps you a little. It really depends of how old/young your kids are, how well they eat foreign food, and how patient they are. I can tell you that my kids had a great time, and are asking to go back.

 

CeleBrat

 

Thank you so much for your advise. That is sorta the same conclusion I have come to as well. My children are older and will probably be 13 & 11 when we take the cruise. I still don't really want to be dragging them through 10 hotels in 14 days. They are both good eaters and willing to try new things. I am lucky that they are both very good travelers but I know the long days and too many museums would get to them as well. I actually plan group tours and know first hand how tiring they can be. Just reading your review made me think about how "North American" the European cruise experience would still feel. I think I might consider either one of the European lines or maybe a river barge rather then a traditional cruise ship. The best thing about cruising is there are so many options I'm sure the perfect fit will be out there. Of couse I heard a rumour that Disney will be doing a Northern Baltic cruise in 2010 - I would not even think twice about booking that itineary with them if the price was right.

[CeleBrat]

Allison--

 

We are BIG Disney fans, and will be there with you on the Baltic cruise, if that does happen to come true...Keeping fingers crossed. How perfect would that be WITH a land-based Adv by Disney tour?

 

sdfamily--I use a photo hosting website (photobucket), upload my photos to it, then use the provided HTML link to input into the cruisecritic text box. There is a TEST BOARD here on this site, if you want to play with trying to post your pics. The photo site will give you a few different link-type options. For cruise critic I use the one that starts with <a. Honestly, I did have to play on the test board for awhile before I figured out which link it was.

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

CeleBrat

[chapichapo]

Great review! Your family is lovely - your kids are sooo cute. :)

I really loved your pictures. You can see you had an amazing trip and I'm sure your children have learned very much. I think this trips always have a big impact on my son and he's only 5.

I booked yesterday with the same trip and the exact same itinerary - we will be traveling in August ( my husband and me, our 2 children and my mother in law). It will be my daughter's first holidays and of course her first cruise as well, she'll be 7 months in August. I was a bit afraid about the boat and the food but reading your review really eased my mind about it. Thank you! :)

[yogatravel]

Allison--

 

We are BIG Disney fans, and will be there with you on the Baltic cruise, if that does happen to come true...Keeping fingers crossed. How perfect would that be WITH a land-based Adv by Disney tour?

 

sdfamily--I use a photo hosting website (photobucket), upload my photos to it, then use the provided HTML link to input into the cruisecritic text box. There is a TEST BOARD here on this site, if you want to play with trying to post your pics. The photo site will give you a few different link-type options. For cruise critic I use the one that starts with <a. Honestly, I did have to play on the test board for awhile before I figured out which link it was.

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

CeleBrat

CeleBrat-

 

Excellent recap! I am sailing on the Gem in May; it will be our first time in Europe. Thank you for spending the time to do this; I can only imagine how time consuming it must have been!

 

We are taking a tour with RomeinLimo, so its great to hear that you were satisfied with the tours.

 

Question for you- did you take your passports with you while in port or did you leave them in the safe on the ship? Did you find many post offices available to mail postcards? What do you recommend is acceptable to use as a tip after your tours?

 

Again, thank you for posting such a fab review! I am stoked!

[April7901]

Okay, I just found this thread - and as if I wasn't already excited enough about my virtually-identical trip on the Jade - I am now beyond.

 

One question I have - you mentioned that you purchased herbs at one of the markets. Were there any problems getting them back into the States? I've been trying to read up on what I can and can't bring back from Europe, as food/wine/etc. are high on my list. The last thing I need is to get busted for trying to bring back some rosemary!

 

I'll echo what everyone else has said - thank you SO much for this review. It has so much detail that is extremely helpful!