Our 10 night Norwegian Epic cruise was quite port intensive. We were initially supposed to dock EVERY DAY, but they later turned day 8 into a sea day. Here let’s take a look at all of the ports we visited.
Embarkation (Day 1): Barcelona, Spain
We boarded our ship in Barcelona. We had a pretty lazy morning enjoying our last breakfast at our hotel, Hotel Sixtytwo, then we took a taxi to the cruise pier. Got to the pier about 12:20pm and was in the room by 1:10pm. Not too bad.
Day 2: Marseille, France
For Marseille, France, our excursion was called the Marseille Walking Tour. With NCL’s $50 excursion credit, this excursion was free.
First we were picked up by bus at the cruise port. The tour guide told us about the history of Marseille along the ride. Our first stop was the Marseille Cathedral.
The guide explained to us that the smaller cathedral to the right is the original cathedral, built in the 12th century. The new, giant cathedral was built in 1852-1896. The old cathedral was Romanesque style. The new cathedral was byzantine style. This cathedral is free to enter.
Next, the tour guide took us on a walk around the area, pointing out some points of interest, and telling us some stories from history. Marseille is the oldest city in France, started in the 600 BC when it was a Greek colony.
There are many museums in this area of Fort Saint Jean. In 1644, a lighthouse tower was built to help merchant ships navigate the port area.
Next, we walked up to the Eglise Saint Laurent. This is a catholic church and the style is completely different from the last one. This church was originally built in the 1200’s and remodeled in the 1700’s. When we went, it was not open so we couldn’t go inside.
Next, the tour guide walked us around town and told us many stories. Every restaurant and shop’s name has a story behind it.
Bar des 13 Coins
Here’s a brewery called Bar des 13 Coins. The story behind it is that 200 years ago, it was owned by a Swiss man who named it Bar des 13 Cantons. Canton means county in Switzerland, and this bar is located on Pl. des 13 Cantons. Later, the bar was sold to a Frenchman, who spoke Provençal language. In Provençal, canton means corner, which seemed to fit, since the bar is located on a corner (of Pl. des 13 Cantons). Well, corner in French is coin, so the Frenchman renamed the place, Bar des 13 Coins.
La Sardine En Vacances
La Sardine En Vacances which literally means Sardines on vacation, is a little souvenir shop. Our tour guide wanted to point this shop out because he wanted to tell us the popular folklore behind the phrase “C’est la sardine qui a bouché le port de Marseille” which literally means, “The sardine that choked the port of Marseille”. The story goes back to the 18th century, when a ship named Sartine sank at the old port. The ship blocked the port entirely, making traffic impassable at the port. As the word of mouth spread about the story, Sartine became Sardine, so by the end of it, people were literally telling each other than a sardine blocked the port of Marseille. The phrase basically means that Marseille inhabitants like to exaggerate things.
Marseille is famous for their soap. We were given some time to shop at the Savon de Marseille for their famous soap.
This was followed by more stories and history of Marseille, all of which was very interesting.
The streets of Marseille are covered in street art.
Our last stop was at the Église Saint-Ferréol les Augustins, a Roman Catholic church.
It was a nice excursion to look around the oldest city of France and learn about the interesting history behind this port town. Time to get back to the ship!
