Just off the 7 Night Mediterranean, Any Questions?
- Thread starter m3owbox
- Start date
We were on floor 1 in 1036, 2 small port holes. It was so quiet down there! The ship in general seemed to be in great shape. Very clean, nothing rusty or falling apart. A lot of activities all day. Food was great. I was worried because I read from someone on a cruise in the beginning of summer, that their food in the MDRs wasn't good. But we loved all the food!
Dug720
See the line where the sky meets the sea?
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Thanks!
Food is so subjective, I don't really stress people's thoughts about it because I have no way of knowing if we share the same tastes and food experiences. Personally I look at it as if I'm not having to prepare it and clean up after it, those are automatic good points!
Yes that is a big bonus!Thanks!
Food is so subjective, I don't really stress people's thoughts about it because I have no way of knowing if we share the same tastes and food experiences. Personally I look at it as if I'm not having to prepare it and clean up after it, those are automatic good points!
cheermom2four
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Is this the 7 night out of Barcelona? If so, what time does debarkment start? We are looking into flights for after the cruise (well seeing what flight time patterns are as our cruise isnt till next sept and flights arent released yet). Will you be posting your navigators? The only navigators I found were from an August 2015 cruise. Is Freezing the Night Away still done on the first sea day?
Yes put of Barcelona, I want to say express walk off was at 745. I will be posting Navigators sometimes soon, but they never had full navigators, just the time map part. Frozen night was on our second port day.
cheermom2four
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This is great as for some reason I got the impression there was no way to make a noon flight after the cruise over there in Barcelona (still may not be possible but now we may try).
Do you have opinions on any of the port excursions you did either thru disney or on your own? We are still figuring out if we will book our own excursions or go through DCL as we've done both on our two previous cruises.
The only issues was there was a long line for taxis. But noon flight would be doable especially with express walk off. We did two excursions, both with Disney. We did Pompeii, wine tasting and Mt Vesuvius hike and 4x4. It was just amazing! Next time we will be doing a full day of Pompeii though because you just get a little snippet, but this excursion was worth it. We did the Imperial Renaissance Rome excursion and that was great as well, we felt like we got to see so much of Rome! We were very happy with both of these excursions.
on the Magic earlier this summer (Norway). Agree with OP, one of our best vacations, IMHO food was great in MDR, so-so by the pool, ship looked great. For PP, in addition to private tours, for Med. ports, many are VERY easy DIY with a little research, such as taking the tram right at the port to the train to Pompeii. A family of 4 can DIY Pompeii for under $100 total, including gelato! There are a number of posts (by me and others) and reviews over the past few year here that you can search for DIY. We easily shaved off $1K by DIY at a couple ports. Lucca and Pisa is another one (a bit trickier, but easily done).
abja09
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I have this cruise booked in August 2017 for me and my DS13. What are you overall thoughts of the cruise? I really want to take this cruise but have some hesitations mainly about staying in Barcelona so would love to hear about the cruise.
Also, did you stay in Barcelona? If so where! TIA
cheermom2four
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Ofinn
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We are leaving for a 10 day med cruise next month and plan on DIY at every port. I'll let you know how it goes. We did this on our Iceland/Norway cruise and it was great. It's overwhelming when your researching stuff, but I have found that once you get there it's easier than you think.
sorry to hijack this thread, but here are my prior DIY posts-sorry for the repetitiveness. There was also a really good thread from 2010 with lots of great info, called Med planning (?)
You can add Sorrento to below, but we never did, as i am uncomfortable to be that far away in the afternoon from the ship (Sorrento) and you really want to do Pompeii in the AM, before the crowds and before the heat. Plus, my teens are good for about 5 hours, then they want to go back to the ship. So, we decided just on Pompeii. But there is a ferry straight from port to/from Sorrento. I read that sometimes the afternoon ferry back can get canx due to weather/winds, so you would need to leave time to train back.
DIY to Pompeii by train. super cheap and you can decide at the last minute whether you are up for Herculaneum. For kids/teens, definitely Pompeii--they have/will study it in school and it is an important ruin to see. It was #1 place to see on our trip to Europe. For easy DIY--1st, right off the boat, stop in a tourist souvenir shop at the port and look for the cardboard book that has the overlay of Pompeii as it used to look (they also have them for Coliseum). These books are also at the airport. [From amazon. Pompeii Reconstructed: Book with DVD in English Hardcover January 1, 2007 by Lozzi Editori (Author)]. They also have similar one for the Coliseum. These books are so worth it to have when you are standing looking at some ruins and then see what it looked like back then--even if you don't have kids. I saw them at the FCO (Rome) airport, Pisa, etc., but I would order in advance to make sure I had them, plus great to get kids interested in what they will be seeing.
Directions: walk to the end of the port (pedestrian friendly), cross the small street and buy a ticket from the tobacco stand to/from Pompeii and good for all trams (5 or 8 euros PP), then take tram #1 right there to the circumvensia train station--5 minutes away. Get on the next train to Sorrento (one every 30 minutes). Get off at Pompeii Scavi (means excavation) and walk to front gate--right around the corner and buy your tickets--kids under 18 are free. With the above book, there is no need for a tour--get a map and go to the sites that interest you (or even better, download Rick Steves tours for free). My tweens/teens loved looking at the book and then at the ruins. It is hot and they lasted for 2.5 hours.
There is a café/gelato place inside Pompeii that you can cool down in, plus a few nice café style places right outside the gate where we got slushi drinks. Get back on the train (cross under the station--the train goes the opposite way back). The great thing is, you can decide on the fly if you want to get off at Herculaneum or head straight back for the ship. With DH and I alone, we did both. The next trip with the kids, we went to the ship--they had had enough---and it was a great day.
Remember to get off at the circumvensia station and get the #1 back--not the main trenitalia statin. We made that mistake--no worries, just hop on the train back 1 stop--15 minute detour to get the next train. It's pretty foul-proof to DIY. This is about the easiest port to DIY and with kids free at Pompeii and Herculaneum, you can save a lot of $$. We felt 100% safe at the port, on the tram, circumvensia train and at Pompeii. have fun! It's a great place.
Herculaneum is a stop "Ercolano Scavi" on the same train. That all day ticket is like a hop-on, hop off tickets, good for that train, trams and buses--make sure you tell the tobacco guy you want the all day ticket to Pompeii and return also good for the trams--You can also say "biglietti train a Pompeii et return con tram"--and motion to the tram line, in case he doesn't understand English--which I'm pretty sure he will, as his main market is English speaking tourists.
Once you get off the train at Ercolano Scavi, it is a short downhill walk, uphill back--not far as the train station at WDW to the hotdog place at the end of Main street. The entrance area has A/C and good bathrooms (LOL). You have to check you backpack there (very safe). H is not crowded and much smaller and more shade. The buildings are more intact and you can still see some frescoed walls, etc. It is a good add-on to Pompeii (you could spend a total of 2 hrs--walking, looking around, back to train) and get a decent look around---but Pompeii should still be your 1st stop and the earlier, the better (definitely off the boat by 9am--8:00/8:30 is ideal).
I think Pompeii opens at 10. There is also a tour bus that goes to Pompeii and back--the stand is right at the end of the port--before you cross the small street to the tobacco stand. We debated taking the bus--but it returns at a set time and there is no option to go to H then. We opted for the tram/train. If you have to wait for the next train--we had to wait 20 minutes, there is a fun little food/drink stand right by where you get the train. My kids got some 1 euro interesting fruit slushis (like coconut, etc.) while waiting.
If you surf the web, you can find step by step photos of what to do to get the tram/train, etc. My info came from those, which I followed in 2011--only getting off at the wrong train stop on the way home--but easily getting on the train back 1 stop. Aug. 2013, it was a breeze. We felt very safe both times--of course, watch for pickpockets--but I carry a shoulder bag purse and never had any issues.
If you want a tour guide, they are 10 eruos PP at the front gate. The book is 12euros--and I was the guide. I also really like DKI European Ports--I have used it for years--worth buying. have fun!
if you are in Naples on a weekday (and maybe Sat), you can just buy a day pass from the tobacco stand just outside the port next to the tram. The port area is fairly small and it's a straight walk of about 200 feet from ship to tobacco stand. It's about 8 euros and covers the tram and the train to/from. you need cash. we took the tram/cicumvensia (maybe not the correct spelling) in 2011 and 2013. We felt very safe, but pickpockets are everywhere in Europe. Keep $ in moneybelt, or in safe, with pocket change of under 100 euros in wallet/purse. Wear passports or just take your drivers license (which you can afford to lose on the cruise, as long as you don't need to rent a car).
fyi, you can buy some Italian train tickets online. If highly suggest getting at least outbound tickets ahead of time for Pisa and Rome. We would not have made the train to Pisa if we didn't buy online. They are good for 4 hours. Rome usually has a long ticket line. You can also buy tickets at the tobacco store for Rome, which not as many know about. But, definitely buy online, if possible.
We have done DIY Lucca/Pisa from Livorno. Always go to the farthest place and work back towards the ship when DIY. Lucca is a lovely place, you can rent bikes and ride along the very wide, park-like wall around the city.
Elaine (ps. when we went in 2013, they also had a 20 euro PP bus to Pompeii at the end of the port, but we wanted the train to be able to stay as long or short as we wanted).
You can add Sorrento to below, but we never did, as i am uncomfortable to be that far away in the afternoon from the ship (Sorrento) and you really want to do Pompeii in the AM, before the crowds and before the heat. Plus, my teens are good for about 5 hours, then they want to go back to the ship. So, we decided just on Pompeii. But there is a ferry straight from port to/from Sorrento. I read that sometimes the afternoon ferry back can get canx due to weather/winds, so you would need to leave time to train back.
DIY to Pompeii by train. super cheap and you can decide at the last minute whether you are up for Herculaneum. For kids/teens, definitely Pompeii--they have/will study it in school and it is an important ruin to see. It was #1 place to see on our trip to Europe. For easy DIY--1st, right off the boat, stop in a tourist souvenir shop at the port and look for the cardboard book that has the overlay of Pompeii as it used to look (they also have them for Coliseum). These books are also at the airport. [From amazon. Pompeii Reconstructed: Book with DVD in English Hardcover January 1, 2007 by Lozzi Editori (Author)]. They also have similar one for the Coliseum. These books are so worth it to have when you are standing looking at some ruins and then see what it looked like back then--even if you don't have kids. I saw them at the FCO (Rome) airport, Pisa, etc., but I would order in advance to make sure I had them, plus great to get kids interested in what they will be seeing.
Directions: walk to the end of the port (pedestrian friendly), cross the small street and buy a ticket from the tobacco stand to/from Pompeii and good for all trams (5 or 8 euros PP), then take tram #1 right there to the circumvensia train station--5 minutes away. Get on the next train to Sorrento (one every 30 minutes). Get off at Pompeii Scavi (means excavation) and walk to front gate--right around the corner and buy your tickets--kids under 18 are free. With the above book, there is no need for a tour--get a map and go to the sites that interest you (or even better, download Rick Steves tours for free). My tweens/teens loved looking at the book and then at the ruins. It is hot and they lasted for 2.5 hours.
There is a café/gelato place inside Pompeii that you can cool down in, plus a few nice café style places right outside the gate where we got slushi drinks. Get back on the train (cross under the station--the train goes the opposite way back). The great thing is, you can decide on the fly if you want to get off at Herculaneum or head straight back for the ship. With DH and I alone, we did both. The next trip with the kids, we went to the ship--they had had enough---and it was a great day.
Remember to get off at the circumvensia station and get the #1 back--not the main trenitalia statin. We made that mistake--no worries, just hop on the train back 1 stop--15 minute detour to get the next train. It's pretty foul-proof to DIY. This is about the easiest port to DIY and with kids free at Pompeii and Herculaneum, you can save a lot of $$. We felt 100% safe at the port, on the tram, circumvensia train and at Pompeii. have fun! It's a great place.
Herculaneum is a stop "Ercolano Scavi" on the same train. That all day ticket is like a hop-on, hop off tickets, good for that train, trams and buses--make sure you tell the tobacco guy you want the all day ticket to Pompeii and return also good for the trams--You can also say "biglietti train a Pompeii et return con tram"--and motion to the tram line, in case he doesn't understand English--which I'm pretty sure he will, as his main market is English speaking tourists.
Once you get off the train at Ercolano Scavi, it is a short downhill walk, uphill back--not far as the train station at WDW to the hotdog place at the end of Main street. The entrance area has A/C and good bathrooms (LOL). You have to check you backpack there (very safe). H is not crowded and much smaller and more shade. The buildings are more intact and you can still see some frescoed walls, etc. It is a good add-on to Pompeii (you could spend a total of 2 hrs--walking, looking around, back to train) and get a decent look around---but Pompeii should still be your 1st stop and the earlier, the better (definitely off the boat by 9am--8:00/8:30 is ideal).
I think Pompeii opens at 10. There is also a tour bus that goes to Pompeii and back--the stand is right at the end of the port--before you cross the small street to the tobacco stand. We debated taking the bus--but it returns at a set time and there is no option to go to H then. We opted for the tram/train. If you have to wait for the next train--we had to wait 20 minutes, there is a fun little food/drink stand right by where you get the train. My kids got some 1 euro interesting fruit slushis (like coconut, etc.) while waiting.
If you surf the web, you can find step by step photos of what to do to get the tram/train, etc. My info came from those, which I followed in 2011--only getting off at the wrong train stop on the way home--but easily getting on the train back 1 stop. Aug. 2013, it was a breeze. We felt very safe both times--of course, watch for pickpockets--but I carry a shoulder bag purse and never had any issues.
If you want a tour guide, they are 10 eruos PP at the front gate. The book is 12euros--and I was the guide. I also really like DKI European Ports--I have used it for years--worth buying. have fun!
if you are in Naples on a weekday (and maybe Sat), you can just buy a day pass from the tobacco stand just outside the port next to the tram. The port area is fairly small and it's a straight walk of about 200 feet from ship to tobacco stand. It's about 8 euros and covers the tram and the train to/from. you need cash. we took the tram/cicumvensia (maybe not the correct spelling) in 2011 and 2013. We felt very safe, but pickpockets are everywhere in Europe. Keep $ in moneybelt, or in safe, with pocket change of under 100 euros in wallet/purse. Wear passports or just take your drivers license (which you can afford to lose on the cruise, as long as you don't need to rent a car).
fyi, you can buy some Italian train tickets online. If highly suggest getting at least outbound tickets ahead of time for Pisa and Rome. We would not have made the train to Pisa if we didn't buy online. They are good for 4 hours. Rome usually has a long ticket line. You can also buy tickets at the tobacco store for Rome, which not as many know about. But, definitely buy online, if possible.
We have done DIY Lucca/Pisa from Livorno. Always go to the farthest place and work back towards the ship when DIY. Lucca is a lovely place, you can rent bikes and ride along the very wide, park-like wall around the city.
Elaine (ps. when we went in 2013, they also had a 20 euro PP bus to Pompeii at the end of the port, but we wanted the train to be able to stay as long or short as we wanted).
Last edited:
linetbo
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What you did in Bergen? We are doing Norway next year.
This cruise was the best vacation I've ever taken! Barcelona was beautiful. We stayed at the Barcelo Raval. We both liked it a lot. We read some reviews that it was in an unsafe neighborhood but never felt that way at all. It was nice to walk out of the hotel and not run into any beggars like we would see outside of other hotels on the main drag. We felt safe in Barcelona just have the take the normal precautions that you would take in any big city. Watch out for pickpockets and don't look at or acknowledge any beggars and that sort of thing. I wouldn't let any fears of Barcelona hold you back from an amazing cruise.
sayhello
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Barcelona is FABULOUS!! What are your hesitations about staying in Barcelona? My biggest regret about my Med cruise was not scheduling more time in Barcelona!
Sayhello
Per above, we are a DIY family. Bergen: we prebooked funicular online one way for about $20 for family of 4. Planned on doing Funicular up, hiking down and then the Hanseatic Museum. It poured rain, so we didn't do the funicular. We did the H Museum and also a Bergen/ Norway museum we passed walking. Bergen is a good place to walk around. The H museum has 3 parts (you have to pay for all). Medieval house, H headquarters, and then a shuttle bus to a good fishing/ocean life museum on the outskirts of town. It was a good 10-2 day, esp. given the rain.
We LOVE Barcelona. Beautiful city. I would not have any qualms about B. We really like Fat Tire bikes tours in B. Good for tweens and older. Have done it 2X.
We LOVE Barcelona. Beautiful city. I would not have any qualms about B. We really like Fat Tire bikes tours in B. Good for tweens and older. Have done it 2X.
abja09
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Thank you for the info. I have read such great things about the Mediterranean cruise. My son and I are really excited about it! I thinks it just traveling alone to a foreign area that has me concerned.
abja09
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I am excited about seeing Barcelona and the cruise. My only real hesitation is traveling alone to a foreign country. I know once we are there we will have a great time!
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