Great way to sample Europe.

Norwegian Epic Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 45

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Norwegian Epic

7 Night Western Mediterranean (Rome Roundtrip)

Sail date: November 18, 2015

Ship: Norwegian Epic

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10040

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

This was our second cruise (first was to Caribbean).  After we had made our reservations, we were slightly apprehensive from reading a number of negative reviews , but as is often the case, nearly all the negatives were largely unfounded.  Prior to boarding, we stayed two nights at the Hotel Mondial (a Best Western; booked through Delta Skymiles), a great little place close to the train station and the Metro, and had a chance to tour Rome.  On the cruise, we generally had dinner in the Manhattan Room.  The meals and selection were excellent, obviating the need for paying extra to dine in (and pay extra for) the specialty restaurants.  We booked two shore excursions (Florence-Pisa and Pompeii-Almafi Coast) through the Delta Skymiles site - at a significant savings over NCL's prices - and enjoyed each excursion thoroughly.  Both were led by very knowledgeable guides with good busses and drivers.  We would highly recommend this cruise and the shore excursions to anyone wishing to sample Italy, Barcelona, and the Cote d'Azur.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5
Manhattan Room and Japanese restaurant were very good (as was the breakfast buffet in the Garden Café.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Cirque du Soleil show was fantastic.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Bars seemed to be slightly understaffed at the busiest times.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
We had a balcony stateroom. With their curving walls, single-person width between bed and sink/vanity, and curious bathroom layout, these were obviously designed to maximize the number of rooms available. A little bit tight, but certainly acceptable. Stateroom carpet is starting to show its age, particularly near balcony door, where salt from sea spray appears to get tracked in.

Ports of call

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

5 out of 5
We had 1 1/2 days to see some high points of Rome before boarding ship; not sure how you could do so in one day from ship with hour trip each way, but I guess it's done.

Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italy

5 out of 5
Do not miss Florence for the art; Pisa for you-know-what. We visited Pisa first, early in the day, and beat most of the crowds, but were also too early to go up in the tower.

Cannes, France

5 out of 5
Good place for a leisurely stroll about town.

Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands

3 out of 5
Our cruise was unable to dock in Palma, due to high winds/waves.

Barcelona, Spain

5 out of 5
Bought tickets for Sagrada Familia online before trip to avoid very long lines; also recommend 50 minute guided tour for little more than cost of audio guide tour.

Naples, Italy

5 out of 5
Visited Pompeii and Almafi Coast; would highly recommend.
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1 Comment

glomarrone    8 years ago

What a great itinerary you had.  Your cruise sounds super.

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