Live from NCL Epic - 6/3/18 Barcelona - Mediterranean

Jan115 · June 3, 2018

Greetings from the Epic! Day 1, and first thing, hit the bar! Follow along on our journey.

Jan115 · June 4, 2018

Hi all,

First full day on board, and it’s a sea day. I think we’re over the jet lag, but glad we’ve got a relaxing day to look forward to. Since I didn’t get to really see the ship last time around due to being in training all day, I’m taking time to explore new areas. Hit the gym this morning. It was a bit tricky to find, buried in the back of the spa. It’s large with plenty of treadmills, ellipticals, weights and machines. Hanging by the pool this morning, but the air is chilly. Good news for those who want to use the tiny pools, as there is no one in them yet! Food has been great so far, and no problem getting drinks at the bar. The weird cabin bathroom setup does work much better for the hubs and I as opposed to sharing one of these awkward cabins with a roomie.

Back to my blog!

Jan115 · June 4, 2018

The feature of the Epic I dislike the most - Deck 7 jogging track. Nothing to look at, no view. They don’t even call it a promenade, and I think it’s used mostly by the crew. I wonder if anyone even uses this to jog.?

zebra · June 4, 2018

Thanks for posting Jan. Well you have confirmed my feelings about NCL with these 2 posts. Plastic cups for cocktails? Jogging track through the "workings" of the ship? And I haven't even seen or know what the weird cabin setup is. I guess NCL will stay off our cruising list. Enjoy the rest of your cruise .......

Jan115 · June 4, 2018

Plastic cups are only on the outside decks for safety reasons. Want a straw for your beverage? Bring your own! NCL no longer has plastic straws as an environmental move.

One more thing I forgot to mention about the itinerary. Anyone who booked an excursion in Rome through the ship is out of luck. The Rome transport trade union has a strike planned, and NCL canceled all its excursions for this cruise. ? It doesn’t appear taxis are affected, and even though I haven’t heard any grumbling from my fellow guests, I can imagine there must be some very unhappy people.

Shari2 · June 5, 2018

Jan...love the picture of you and David. The jogging track does look very different...very dark. Hope you were able to plan your excursion in Rome apart from the cruise line. Hope everyone is able to get excursions in Rome through private tours. Hope all goes well. Thanks for letting us follow along on your cruise. I will love it. What are your other ports?

Jan115 · June 5, 2018

Shari - The jogging track wasn’t quite as dark as you see in the photo, but it was pretty gloomy. Don’t know how anyone would want to spend any time there.

Today we are in Naples. Most people pass over Naples and go to Positano, Sorrento, Vesuvius, Herculaneum. Since we have done all those, we took a HOHO double decker and toured the coast. It’s not the Amalfie Coast, but it’s really beautiful and well worth the look. After the tour, we couldn’t go back to the ship without a taste of some authentic Napolitano pizza. It was delicious! So for those who think there is nothing to see in Naples should give it a look. Admittedly, the downtown area, which is the first impression a cruiser gets, isn’t all that great, and in fact the streets are downright dirty with cigarette butts everywhere. But if you’re willing to go a little further, you’ll be amazed how beautiful Naples is!?

Tomorrow we’ll be in Rome, then followed by Livorno, Palma de Mallorca, and Cannes.

Edited June 5, 2018 by Jan115

Shari2 · June 6, 2018

Loving your pictures. I have always dreamt of a Mediterranean cruise, also lots of time in Italy, and the Amalfi coast, and Positano, Sorrento, and Rome. Can't forget Venice, always wanted to sail into Venice. Had a friend from Naples years back and did always want to see Naples, too. All the past pictures of Naples looked like it was built on a hill? Is this the downtown area? Pictures...loving it! Have fun, and if that nice drink with the pineapple is a pina colada, have one for me. Pizza does look yummy!

Edited June 6, 2018 by Shari2

zebra · June 6, 2018

Jan that is one of our favorite parts of the world, we absolutely love the Amalfi coast ... can't get enough of that gorgeous coastline and seaside towns. So glad to see you had the famed pizza in Naples while there. Thanks for posting.

Jan115 · June 6, 2018

8 hours ago, Shari2 said:

Loving your pictures. I have always dreamt of a Mediterranean cruise, also lots of time in Italy, and the Amalfi coast, and Positano, Sorrento, and Rome. Can't forget Venice, always wanted to sail into Venice. Had a friend from Naples years back and did always want to see Naples, too. All the past pictures of Naples looked like it was built on a hill? Is this the downtown area? Pictures...loving it! Have fun, and if that nice drink with the pineapple is a pina colada, have one for me. Pizza does look yummy!

Yes, the downtown area is a short walk from the cruise ship. It gets nicer as you climb the hills.?