Med Cruisers...Let's Discuss Planning!(Updated Tour Info, Links & BCN Info on Page 1)

[lilpooh108]

We are just back from an ncl med cruise. Let me know if you have any questions. Stayed three days in Barcelona. Beautiful city. Used Romeinlimo in all three italy cities. Amazing. Did other cities except Ephesus on our own. Ran into Rick Steeves in Ephesus!!!.

Can you do a summary of what you did in Barcelona? Also, did you go on the NCL Jade? How was NCL?

 

[tajz90]

We are just back from an ncl med cruise. Let me know if you have any questions. Stayed three days in Barcelona. Beautiful city. Used Romeinlimo in all three italy cities. Amazing. Did other cities except Ephesus on our own. Ran into Rick Steeves in Ephesus!!!.

Did you do Athens on your own? How was it?

 

[Celestine]

I'm planning out our 2 precruise days in Barcelona.

Our hotel stay comes with a free 1-day HOHO ticket pp.

Do you think I will need a 2-day metro travelcard? Or just a T-10 card will suffice? I probably shoulda ordered the travelcard last month since it's only 3 Euro shipping but now it might be too late....the TMB doesn't ship T-10 cards. What do you think?

T10 can be bought at the airport metro - card or cash I believe. T10 will be cheaper than a travel card, but I guess it very much depends on your plans. Planning on buying 2 x T10 for my family of 4 which gets into Barcelona, back to the airport & travel back to hotel after walking Las Ramblas with a few left over which are good until the end of the year

Celestine

 

[woody73]

Now I am concerned. The T-10 ticket should be easy enough to buy on arrival, shouldn't it?

T10 can be bought at the airport metro - card or cash I believe. T10 will be cheaper than a travel card, but I guess it very much depends on your plans.

I've purchased T-10 tickets from the ticket machine at the Plaça Catalunya metro station. I tried to use a U.S.-issued Visa card, but it would not accept it. It would only take cards with chip + PIN. So I ended up paying with cash.

Woody

 

[JimmyJackJunior]

Now I am concerned. The T-10 ticket should be easy enough to buy on arrival, shouldn't it? That is what I was counting on.

Yes, available at the airport by all accounts.

 

[lilpooh108]

Papal audience schedule for the summer, through Sept (7 night cruises are in Rome on Weds): http://www.dosafl.com/imagegallery/VertNav/265/2013PapalCalendar.pdf

I looked on the Vatican.va website but somehow it wasn't posted there.

Found this map of the area surrounding Vatican city. Thought it was helpful, since it includes icons of landmarks and explanations:
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=...1.902405,12.454076&spn=0.013862,0.027423&z=15

 

[ThePicketts]

Someone had mentioned eating McDonald's at the Pantheon in Rome. That McDonald's has since been closed down.

 

[JimmyJackJunior]

Someone had mentioned eating McDonald's at the Pantheon in Rome. That McDonald's has since been closed down.[/QUOTE

LOL, really was not planning on going all the way to Rome to eat at McDonalds.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Someone had mentioned eating McDonald's at the Pantheon in Rome. That McDonald's has since been closed down.[/QUOTE

LOL, really was not planning on going all the way to Rome to eat at McDonalds.

Over on Cruise Critic I found the "Rome in a day or die" It did require you eat at McDonald's as your "meal allotment of time" was about 30 minutes.

Personally the whole idea of seeing the Vatican, Vatican museum and all the major ancient sites in a day made we either or IT's the "look there it is, keep running" tour, but....

 

[tajz90]

Haha. We have ate at the McDs near Spanish Steps for a snack both times we've been to Rome. Oddly enough, it's turned into a joke now. We try to grab a little something at every McD in the diff countries we visit.

 

[debsters41]

Athens is very, very easy to do on your own. Warning, however, it can be very hot as well

 

[Angie_Ohio]

We toured the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel on our 2011 cruise. How can we visit St. Peter's Basilica by itself? Is there a seperate entrance in the front?

 

[abdgeek]

MontSerrat, anyone? Anyone done this on their own?

I didn't do Montserrat on my own, but as a DCL disembarkation tour. I was glad I did. Montserrat is about an hour outside of Barcelona. We arrived in time for mass, so only had time to get a quick peek at the Black Madonna(not actually touch her as I had planned--she's behind plexiglass, so the pictures come out funny). The boys choir was on vacation, so I went to the museum and looked around. We were only there a couple of hours and that was all that was needed. There really isn't much to see there. It's beautiful and peaceful--the guide said that was what most people come for.

I once saw detailed instructions on how to ride the metro to Montserrat. I think it was from a trip post for a previous DCL Med Cruise maybe in 2011 or 2010. Try Allears.net and look at their cruise reports.

 

[Candy Apple]

I didn't do Montserrat on my own, but as a DCL disembarkation tour. I was glad I did. Montserrat is about an hour outside of Barcelona. We arrived in time for mass, so only had time to get a quick peek at the Black Madonna(not actually touch her as I had planned--she's behind plexiglass, so the pictures come out funny). The boys choir was on vacation, so I went to the museum and looked around. We were only there a couple of hours and that was all that was needed. There really isn't much to see there. It's beautiful and peaceful--the guide said that was what most people come for.

I once saw detailed instructions on how to ride the metro to Montserrat. I think it was from a trip post for a previous DCL Med Cruise maybe in 2011 or 2010. Try Allears.net and look at their cruise reports.

How long is the DCL tour? Do you recall the price? I'm thinking of doing this post-cruise because we won't have to worry about what to do with luggage until we can get into our hotel room. Does anyone know if you stay in a DCL hotel post-cruise, can you drop your luggage there early since we have to disembark the ship so early?

 

[lilpooh108]

How long is the DCL tour? Do you recall the price? I'm thinking of doing this post-cruise because we won't have to worry about what to do with luggage until we can get into our hotel room. Does anyone know if you stay in a DCL hotel post-cruise, can you drop your luggage there early since we have to disembark the ship so early?

This tour is already on the DCL port adventures webpage, so you can pull it up for more detail

 

[lilpooh108]

Someone had mentioned eating McDonald's at the Pantheon in Rome. That McDonald's has since been closed down.

LOL, really was not planning on going all the way to Rome to eat at McDonalds.

That McD's was the cheapest option for you to sit and have a coffee while sitting outside, enjoying the fountain and the Pantheon. All of the other cafes in the area have insane mark up. I think it's too bad that it closed down.

 

[clairedy6]

2Princessesintow--thanks for the stroller information. I've seen UppaBaby strollers but I've never thought much about it....I will try it out at the next BabiesRUs we go to and see if the strap will work out for us. Thanks!

Heatherbelle--thanks so much for the PAYG phone info! We've decided to get our phones at Tesco since they are everywhere. Great tip about using O2 over Virgin Mobile, and thanks for the link to your other thread. Will definitely be reading it for planning info.

--One question--Capri....we're skipping Capri during our Naples stop to do a private tour of Sorrento, Positano and Pompeii. Would you skip Sorrento or Positano to try to fit in Capri? I know you have to take a boat, etc. I'm not sure we'll have time. I've wanted to go to Positano ever since I've seen "Under the Tuscan Sun." That Marcello is very convincing.

Nzdisneymom---Will be Googling those restaurants you mentioned to see if the menus work out for us. Spaghetti House sounds great

personally we are skipping Pompeii and Capri and just spending the day in Sorrento and Positano. I've never been to any of these places but I've done a lot of research and from what I've read it would be unfortunate to skip Sorrento or Positano. Also Capri is a bit out of the way seeing as the only way to access it is by hydrofoil since it's an island, whereas alternatively you can just drive through Sorrento and Positano.

 

[clairedy6]

Does anybody know if there's a way to skip the lines to get into St. Peter's Basillica without visiting the Museums/Sistine Chapel?

 

[ThePicketts]

That McD's was the cheapest option for you to sit and have a coffee while sitting outside, enjoying the fountain and the Pantheon. All of the other cafes in the area have insane mark up. I think it's too bad that it closed down.

It was pretty cool

 

[meajuly5]

Positano is charming and beautiful. Sorrento has beautiful views. Scary switchbacks getting up there! Capri is just gorgeous. Pompeii is unreal!