2026 - Week 34b Wrap Up

Since I already posted the first part of this week, which now seems like ages ago, this is a fairly short update. However, with so much to see at the first few ports, it's still quite a bit of a read. Enjoy!

For those who don't want to risk not seeing my posts that a new story is up and would prefer to get a notification emailed directly to you, please subscribe and check the box that you want to be included in my mailing list. Without this checked, I can't include you in the distribution.

For those who want to see more photos as I go, I post a lot to my Instagram stories than any other social media. You can find me @thetravelingspreadsheet.

Schedule

• Monday, August 31: Barcelona, Spain

• Tuesday, September 1: Villefranche, France

• Wednesday, September 2: Pisa, Italy

Monday, August 31: Barcelona, Spain

Embarkation Day!!

Feels like it’s been a few weeks since the last one and they just seem to keep getting easier.

I started the morning with a coffee stop in the hotel. Since I was getting behind with journaling from Brighton, my laptop came with me so I could write while I sipped. Time ended up slipping away and before I knew it, time to pack up and catch my Uber to the port!

The Uber ride started a bit off key as the driver messaged me to say that the road was closed and he couldn’t get to my hotel. Instead was I willing to walk to meet him? I said sure, but there were cars coming down the street, so not sure why he couldn’t get through. Alas, I dragged my bag down the street for a block or so, found the car, and got in. He continued to follow the designated route. Lo and behold! He passed directly in front of my hotel… The best part (for me) was that he asked me if this was my hotel and the original pick up spot in Spanish. I was able to answer, also in Spanish, resulting in a fairly short but fully in another language! I’d been a bit worried that I lost a lot when I didn’t speak it since March!

Now, at the port - Because I didn’t have a printer, I wasn’t quite sure how it would work without a luggage tag already stapled to my pack. Nothing to worry about because they had extras available, so I just had to provide my cabin number and off I went - 45 lbs lighter.

Similar to an airport, we are required to process through a metal detector, including putting our carry-on bags on the belt. It seemed like it was some people’s very first time seeing this contraption as they continued to get sent back because they still had their purse with them, and cell phone, and large watch, and who knows what else, but it was a bit comical to watch the security guard try not to lose their mind when after all of that, the ladies tried to get into another line to go through the metal detector, instead of the one that was right in front of them. Anyway, as a seasoned professional, I had no issues and off I went to the next step.

With my Platinum status, I got fast tracked through the next line where I was able to get my key card, which is basically your ticket to the ship. As I had already filled in all the required information on-line, they scanned my passport and handed me the card. Just that simple.

Last thing to complete before I was free to explore was to check in at my muster station. This is where you go confirm that you know where to go in the event of an emergency. If you forget, the letter is printed on your key card. Check!

Now, as I was headed to my station, I passed by some of the crew. From the Oceania cruise, I was aware that there would be some dancers onboard that had worked with Lucas before. He had described them to me and I realized that it’s very likely I just walked right by them, so I went back. Sure enough, it’s them! Silly of me to think that I’d get onboard without knowing anyone!

I stopped by the Main Dining Room as it’s a poorly kept secret that the best place to each lunch on Embarkation Day because it’s not usually crowded and you get served, instead of trying to fight through the buffet lines.

With a few hours before departure, I finished posting the Week 34a Wrap Up! While I enjoy keeping this record, it was a bit stressful when I was getting so far behind! As of Day 1 of the cruise, I made a commitment to journal each night. As I’m writing this, I’m smirking as I think about all the reasons why I’ll likely give up this after a 9 hour excursion tomorrow…

Time to sail away! This is one thing I was looking forward to on NCL. Very different from Oceania, they have a deck party with the Cruise Director and his staff to celebrate!

Up next was the first Solo Traveler meetup. I debated about joining in this cruise since its such a port-forward itinerary and I won’t have much time to get to know others. In the end, I sat down with the group. In addition to introducing ourselves, we also played Human Bingo, where you had to go around and find people that matched a description. It was cute, but chaotic.

Instead of heading with them to dinner, I finished unpacking and getting my excursions aligned for this journey. Then headed to the theater for the All Aboard Show!

In this, the Cruise Director introduced his staff, the senior officers, the entertainment team, and the bands that will be around the ship. It was great! And very helpful to get to know key faces right away.

To wrap up the evening, headed to my room to get organized for the next day and stay true to my commitment of documenting the day!

Tuesday, September 1: Villefranche, France

Coffee! Have I mentioned that on this ship, there is a Starbucks just down from my cabin?!? No, it’s not included in the price of the cruise; I have to pay per drink, but I get my Cold Brew again!

With coffee in hand, I started towards the Theater to meet my excursion group. However, I got a bit distracted because they were in the process of lowering the tenders. (I know.. another tendering port… yay.) On this ship, there is an actual Promenade deck, where you can go out under protection of a room on Deck 6. This also means that I can see the full tendering operation from that same deck since that’s also where the lifeboats are stored. Here’s what it looks like for those of you who have been curious about the process:

The excursion release process is similar to how it was on Oceania, but instead of a little card with our bus number, we all get stickers with a number on it. Part of me likes this because then when we are out and about, I can easily tell who of the thousands of people are on my tour, but part of me doesn’t like it because then I’m also easily identifiable for the same reason.

Anyway, we were released to the tenders, crammed in because we were one of the first to leave for the day. Once on shore, we were herded to our awaiting bus.

My tour for the day included two stops, with guided tours and free time at each location. The first was a medieval village called Eze and the second was a metropolitan city called Nice.

In Eze, we followed our tour guide, who’s favorite word was “Violà”, up a mountain to Eze. (Side note: Apparently Eze is in the Alps, which spans all the way to France.) Since it’s so old, the paths were narrow and steps inconsistent. What made it more interesting was our group size of 43 people! Trying to keep that many people together was a bit tough, but they give us these little Vox boxes, which is basically a one way radio from the guide to all of our ears. That way she doesn’t have to yell and we can all hear her. Violà!

Just because we could all hear her doesn’t mean I did a good job of listening, so I can’t remember much other than there is a significance to the Golden Goat.

Once we had free time, I headed to take some more photos of the area, but I also had a few missions - Postcard and Hair Conditioner. Postcard for obvious reasons. Hair Conditioner because I forgot that NCL doesn’t provide it; only shampoo and body wash. Since my hair is already feeling the effects of the ship’s water, conditioner is required. That or cut it all off, but I opted for Mission 2. Keep in mind that we’re in France and while Spanish and French are similar at times, whatever the word for conditioner is, I actually don’t know in either language… At my first stop, I figured out which was shampoo and by default assumed the other was conditioner. However, they only sold full size bottles… for over €10! At the next spot, I’m not convinced they sold conditioner, so I kept moving. In the end, I was not successful at this mission in Eze, but figured the city might have better options.

Back on the bus, we headed to Nice. Here, again, we had a guided tour, but not a provided lunch. (I really need to read the descriptions better because I thought we were getting fed.) Anyway, you can imagine that at almost 2pm, many of us were getting a bit hangry, especially since it was very, very hot out. What should you NOT do while you have 43 adults who are starting to act like toddlers?? Keep us at a fountain to tell us a 20 minute history about Apollo. Not only that, but then guide us from there, to an Opera house, while passing by tons of Gelato stands and Restaurants, where people are outside eating. She continued to walk us to another spot, but at this point, mentioned that we were to meet back at the Apollo statue at 5pm, so many of us peeled off at this point… to get food!

I ended up chatting with these two friends from Indiana, so we joined together for lunch. Since they had specialty dining that night with the rest of their group, we opted for shared plates of Charcuterie, chickpea fries, and beef tartare. Oh man, the serving sizes were more than enough for three people!

We split up afterwards as I wanted to go continue my search for Conditioner and photos. Luckily, there was a Pharmacy (think very small Walgreens / Shoppers) across the street and I was able to get a small bottle. Still pricy, but not as much as €10. Check!

Have I mentioned that Nice is a seaside city? Along with being a well populated city, they also have a nice walkway along the beautiful blue French Riviera. This is one of those places where if you are looking for a place to live that has night life, shopping, beaches, mountains, and all the things in between, this is your city! However, it is a bit expensive. Especially since the US dollar to Euro is currently €1 to approximately $1.2.

Last stop before meeting the group was gelato! While I actually wanted a Blue Slushie, I settled for a Oreo Milkshake. I know. It’s tough sometimes.

For the evening, I went back to Shipical Life - Dinner at the Main Dining followed by Showdown, featuring the Production Cast. This show is meant to be like a singing competition by the four singers. I was given a heads up by the Oceania cast on what to expect and more specifically, who to vote for or not vote for if I were to be picked as a judge. Unfortunately, they were only picking pairs of people to judge, so I was not selected. However, while the one (Henry) who Oceania cast wanted to win actually got knocked out first, the one (Lucy) who they didn’t want to win got knocked out second. In the end Stevie won! Who I would have picked anyway because his character represented Detroit / Motown.

On my way back to my cabin, I happened to peak outside and saw the moon rising over the horizon. It was massive and orange! So naturally, I hustled back to get my good camera to pop back outside to take a photo.

And to my commitment to journal every day, I failed. Instead, I edited photos and made notes, but did not write this section until days later…

Wednesday, September 2: Pisa, Italy

Docked! Hooray! No tendering today. With my Cold Brew in hand, I headed to the theater to get my sticker.

Today’s excursion is called “Pisa & A Taste of Tuscany”, which definitely means lunch is included! (You may catch on that over these first few days, my hunt for lunch is similar to my hunt for coffee while I was in the UK…)

On the ride over, the guide told stories about the region, but again, most of the details went in and right back out. However, at one point, she was talking about the reigning family and said something about “since he had no heirs”, but I first heard, “Since he had no hairs..”, and wondered why being bald impacted ownership of the land. Like I said, I can hear the guides, but sometimes not listening very well.

Anyway, because she repeated herself a few times, we all understood that at Pisa, we needed to keep our belongings in front of us as pickpocketing was a major issue in this area. I have this purse that I bought a very long time ago that is designed to protect against this. In addition to it having sturdy zippers and cut-proof straps, it also has these little clips to double secure the zippers. Now, just to remember to put my phone back in the purse instead of my pocket after taking it out for photos…

For those who have seen photos of the leaning tower, you have seen the leaning tower. With some of these major landmarks, because you see them so often in other scenarios, they just become a bit underwhelming when you see them in person. The tower is not massive. It’s not unique in color. It’s not a major accomplishment to get to, in terms of I didn’t have to climb a mountain to see it. It’s just there. In a square. Along with a church, a graveyard, and a few museums. And a lot of pickpockets, apparently. Oh! And a lot of people trying to hold it up or push it back in place. Virtually, of course. (Yes, I was one of those people…)

After giving us a brief overview of the different buildings and historical significance, we had some free time. During which, I decided to go check out the graveyard. This specific one was enclosed in a massive concrete structure that revealed nothing of its contents from the outside. I wanted to see inside, so I dutifully went to buy a ticket at the museum since they only sell tickets at two points in the square. On my way to the ticket office, I hear “PICK POCKET! PICK POCKET!”. Naturally, I check that my phone is in my purse and that my purse is zipped. Both secured, I start looking around to understand the ruckus. From what I could tell, the man yelling “PICK POCKET!” was trying to alert another man who had his backpack on his back and must have been the latest victim. The yelling man chased down backpack man to let him know that his zipper was now undone and may want to check the contents. And also wear the backpack on the front for the rest of his time there… For those reading this, who might travel here some day, don’t let it put you off from visiting; just listen to the warnings and guard your belongings or leave any valuables at home. If this is not feasible, you can also buy a lock to secure your backpack zipper.

With my ticket in hand, I headed towards the entrance. As I approached the attendant to scan my ticket, I could tell the couple in front of me may need some translation assistance. Basic Spanish skills to the rescue! Since we were in Italy, the attendant was speaking Italian and switching to basic English to try to explain. However, the couple seemed to only speak Spanish. Luckily for the couple, Babbel focuses the lessons primarily on travel phrases, so I could blurt out the key words to inform the couple that they needed to buy a ticket from the museum over there. Yeah!

Once inside the cemetery, it was pretty unique in that there were intricate, marble coffins lining the walkways with detailed frescoes on the walls, including a version of Inferno, which depicts various levels of Hell. Surprised to see that decorating a large section of a religious place of eternal rest, I took the time to read the nearby placard. It told me nothing helpful other than what I already knew about the painting. Oh well, this is why I take tours sometimes with guides who know stuff.

Back outside, I decided to buy a hat. The sun is very intense here! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect for weather since it is September and the latitude of Pisa is close to that of New York or Boston, but it’s hot. Not only did I find a super cute hat, but I also found a Limoncello Spritz, which is basically the Limoncello liquor mixed with some bubbly prosecco. It was extremely refreshing, especially once I found some shade.

You may be thinking, “Wow! What an eventful day!”, but we’re just now getting to the afternoon. Off to lunch! At a local winery!

After a quick orientation of the property, we were seated to start the meal and wine tasting. Unlike any other tasting I’ve been to, they just put all six bottles on the table and told us to help ourselves, letting them know if we needed another bottle opened. They also told us which order they recommended trying them in, which was “Little Logo White”, “Black Label White”, “House White”, and then the same order for the reds. Naturally, we renamed them to White 1, White 2, White 3, Red 1, Red 2, and Red 3. As a rule follower, I went in that order, but my neighbor went with whichever was closest to him. To each their own! Either way, there was a lot of wine consumed! And then, they brought out the pasta… yes, It would have been nice to have food first. Then I might be a little more clear about the details that followed, but since you’ve read this far, you know that I likely wouldn’t have remembered what the guide said either way.

After the pasta, they served breads, meats, and olives. I tried the olives, but I still can’t enjoy the taste of them. There are very few foods that I just can’t stand - olives is near the top of the list. (Raisins and dried coconut are up there too…)

Once we were all satisfied with food and over satisfied with wine, they gave us a shot of limoncello. Needless to say, there was a lot of nappers on the ride back to the port. Back onboard, I opted for a little bit of pool time followed by a much longer nap.

For the rest of the day, I read. This next series is a murder mystery set in Greece, starting with Murder on Mykonos by Jeffery Siger. The premise being that there is a serial killer loose on the island and the new police chief has to prove himself, solving the murders, while also fighting against the inherent political influences which have plagued Mykonos for generations. Only time will tell if he’s successful…

But for now, it’s the end of this week, officially. I definitely did not stick to my commitment to keep up with journaling each day as it’s now September 7th and the only reason I’m catching up now is because I’ve caught a cold and am staying in, while the rest of the ship is out enjoying Mykonos. And no, I’m not staying in because I’m scared of a serial killer loose on the island. (Spoiler Alert - I’ve finished the book by now and the killer has been identified. Although… they never did find his body.)

No context photo to close out this Wrap Up. You're Welcome!