Walk on water - Walla! Tourism

Good stories are the ones that are hard to avoid spoiling.

This time it's especially hard, because this story has a really good ending.

One with a moral that will make you reflect on the decisions you made last summer about your first post-Corona vacation.

The motive is clear: two years in an epidemic routine and closures only accelerated fantasies about an Instagram story in exotic destinations, a water park laden with slides, excellent food and everything with a minimum of corona testing.

At best, it ended with a vacation in Israel at exorbitant costs.

At worst, it ends in anxious journeys around the world under a changing pandemic policy within minutes.

Well, our vacation also had slides, and lots of food as well.

But compared to you, who were looking for hours for the perfect angle to photograph the sea, we got it at 360 degrees.

With daily changing destinations and a deceptive reality that made us think we had even reached paradise, the cruise we set out on with the Norwegian Cruise Line "Epic" ship to the shores of the Mediterranean was all we needed after two years at home.

And hell with the prejudices about seasickness and a tired crowd.

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Norwegian Cruise Line's EPIC cruise ship (Photo: Gilad Levy)

"For 500 days we did not sail"

Despite the glorious ending, the beginning of this story is bleak. The cruise industry closes two rather difficult years, which included a complete shutdown. The cruise ship Diamond Princess, which was crowned in February last year as the second largest source of infection after China at the time, has become a symbol of the corona plague and the world of the future will change its face. Pictures of vacationers evacuated from the ship to isolation in hospitals were circulated around the world, and the dream ships were immediately linked to the Corona hatcheries. Just to clear the ear, until the epidemic broke out, pleasure boating was considered a growing industry in the tourism industry. According to the Statista website and the World Cruise Association, the number of vacationers has gradually increased, and in 2019 their number reached 30 million people from around the world, 120,000 of them from Israel. As for the bus, the Israelis were in 6th place in the world out of all visitors to the ship. With the arrival of the corona, everything stopped.

"For 500 days we did not sail," Nick Wilkinson, Norway's regional vice president in charge of Israel, the Middle East and South Africa, told us.

He spoke of the great difficulty in dispersing the workers of the ships, each of which inhabits an entire city.

"In July, after completing a test cruise without passengers, we returned to sea."

By December, the company hopes to return to operation 75% of the global fleet, and by April 22 to operate the entire.

The water park on the upper deck.

Bus (Photo: Official website, Gilad Levy)

Do not take risks

We embarked on a seven-day cruise from Italy to Spain and back and it included five stops, which we will expand on later. To do this, we flew from Ben Gurion Airport to Fiumicino Airport in Rome, not before being required to present a PCR test from the last 72 hours alongside a valid vaccinator certificate. Before entering Italy we were required to fill out a special online form, including a cumbersome health statement and details about the stay In the country in case they need to locate us in cases of infection. Here too the corona test is required. Topology is a recurring theme when traveling around the world in the days of Corona, so you will be required to fill out a similar document - but much shorter and lighter The corona at Ben Gurion Airport before landing.

This arduous journey is joined by Wilkinson's promise to make sailing on the bus the safest experience.

The company's management has determined that joining cruises is only allowed for the vaccinated, in accordance with the standard set by each vaccine manufacturer.

Thus, if, for example, you have been vaccinated with Pfizer - you will be required to present a vaccine certificate that includes two doses, because so far the booster dose has not yet been recognized as a standard worldwide.

If you recovered from corona and were vaccinated in only one dose, you will be required to wait with the voyage until you are vaccinated in the second dose.

Vaccinated people from other companies, such as Astrazenica, will be required to present a certificate for one dose in accordance with the standard set.

Entry unvaccinated to the ship is not allowed at all.

When we asked what about children of unauthorized age to be vaccinated, they replied, "We'll be happy to host them when they can be vaccinated. We just can not take any more risks."

From an Irish pub to an ice bar.

The bus (Photo: official website, Gilad Levy)

Inspection at each port

Immediately upon arrival at the port of Civitavecchia from which the cruise departed (about an hour's drive from Rome), all passengers were again required to undergo an antigen test, and only after 20 minutes and a negative result - can check-in also include heat measurement. On the ship itself, passengers are asked to undergo at least one corona, antigen or PCR test. These are transferred to the special laboratory on board that will give you peace of mind when it comes to performing the tests abroad. These tests will be used by you when you have to present a negative test when you return home.

Norway also promises that the cautious policy also applies outside the ship: the company has an agreement in each port where the ship is moored, with clear protocols for handling the verified while fully accompanying the diagnosed.

On the deck itself, there is an obligation to wear a mask in the enclosed areas, and an alcohol stand is installed in every corner.

If you forget to use them, the ship's workers will remind you to do so with a smile that can be seen even under the mask.

The show is about to begin.

The Afik Theater (Photo: Official Website, Gilad Levy)

Check-in is over, and at first moments it's a bit difficult to grasp the sheer size of the ship.

Deck after story unfolds before his eyes and each of them a world and its fullness.

The length of the ship is 329 meters and its maximum width is 52 meters.

The bus is able to accommodate about 5,000 guests, but this time too the corona enters the picture, and in accordance with the new policy - its occupancy has been reduced to half the occupancy.

About 1,700 workers are employed on the ship.

Now, think about the ratio of employees to guests on board, and start forming a snapshot of the high level of service that is here.

Bring the sea up to your bed

The bus is suitable for everyone.

Despite the stigma of a vacation for retirees, you will see here everything from everything.

What contributes to this is the wide variety of activities and attractions, and especially the accommodation options.

We are in a cabin with a balcony - a relatively spacious and designed room, which includes a minibar (for an additional fee) that opens to a wide terrace that brings the sea all the way to your bed and is a perfect location to watch the sunrise with your morning coffee.

For those interested, you can also find more spacious suites with a balcony, a spa cabin with pampering and special access to the spa complex and additional services, or alternatively a designed interior cabin, for those who prefer to balance price and comfort.

Wake up in the sea.

Cabin with balcony on the bus (Photo: -)

Just what you need.

Studio room (Photo: official website, Gilad Levy)

Floating guesthouse.

The lounge of the studio rooms (Photo: official website, Gilad Levy)

A special accommodation option that caught our eye is the studio rooms, for those of you who prefer backpacks over ruffled suitcases.

These are furnished and decorated interior rooms designed for individual passengers.

These rooms have access to a unique lounge, which features designed seating areas, work stations, coffee machines and common areas.

A kind of floating guesthouse for those interested in a younger experience in the middle of the sea.

The polar option for this is the Haven - Norway's first class.

This is a complex that operates separately from the entire ship, and during the corona downtime it underwent a comprehensive renovation and redesign.

Those staying in it enjoy large and spacious rooms, a butler, a pool, a spa, a gym, a lounge and a chef's restaurant - all detached from the other complexes on the bus and access to them is limited.

The one we loved the most.

La Bistro restaurant on the bus (Photo: Official website, Gilad Levy)

The house takes you to the next station

To Rich & Famous.

Haven Complex (Photo: -)

No matter which option you choose, as soon as the suitcase comes to your room, the fun begins. From now on you will not have to worry about anything. This matter is felt even more with the lifting of the anchor and the transition between the various destinations. Obviously, with the bus you will not have to repack in every move from place to place. The house takes you to the next station.

We had five such stations. In three of them we joined coastal tours of various kinds offered by Norway, among other things in view of the Italian policy that does not allow cruise passengers to move freely in cities but only in coordinated capsules. In Naples we enjoyed a Neapolitan spread in the best tradition, not before sipping a good espresso, which only from its initial aroma we awoke to for five hours. From Livorno, located on the west coast of Italy, we went for a walk among the Tuscan landscapes and continued to the charming town of San Gimignano not long before tasting local wine and homemade cheeses. Those who are less into the matter of magical rural landscapes can opt for a trip to neighboring Pisa and return.

When we arrived in Barcelona we toured freely around this stunning city that has just come back to life after the corona restrictions.

At Palma de Mallorca we went shopping in the old town and sampled some of the beautiful beaches, and for dessert - a final tour of Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia - which included an impressive tour of the city’s ancient forts and lookout points on the island that only made us want to stay.

The fun begins at night.

The bus (Photo: official website, Gilad Levy)

Closed compound for adults only

When the tour is over, return home, to the bus. The ascent back to the deck signals: the celebration begins, and how. A row of bars and lounges are just waiting for you. The main and most enjoyable (at least for our taste) is the Spice H2O complex located on the outer deck. This is an enclosed adults-only complex, equipped with a jacuzzi and pool that closes at night for the benefit of dance parties.

For those of you who like it more solid, the Carven Performance Club, which hosts evenings of Beatles songs, a stand-up bar, a bar dedicated to whiskey lovers, an ice bar (!), A cigar smoking area, a karaoke club like you have never seen before, and of course the bus theater from Broadway Like "Persilia the Queen of the Desert" (by the way, the decision to produce this particular show is not self-evident, and for that comes a huge nose). Yes yes, there is also a casino on board and it is particularly active. And when you finish the night you can access the Irish pub "Oceans" which is open 24 hours a day.

Capable of accommodating about 5,000 guests, but its capacity has been reduced by half (Photo: -)

The place for a nightly munch

Along with the beers served there at night, the Oceans is also one of the large and free restaurants available to travelers on the bus.

All types of meals are served here, and in the small hours you will find here the most suitable dishes for a nightly munch.

And yet, if the food here does not suit you well - not terrible.

On board, five more open restaurants of various kinds await you, from an Asian restaurant, through the classic "Manhattan Room", to the garden that every Israeli will love, thanks to its huge buffet.

Because of the new corona guidelines, you will not be allowed to load the plates yourself and will have to allow the place staff to do so.

But do not worry - they will not stop filling your plate until you stop them.

Alongside these complexes, there are paid concept restaurants on board, which are included in a package of restaurants that can be purchased separately.

Here you will find a classic Italian restaurant, Korean grill, the Brazilian "Modern" with the red and green traffic lights, the meat restaurant Cagney's Steak House and the Japanese Wasabi, and of course our favorite "La Bistro" which serves a variety of chefs at a very high level.

For afternoon or morning coffee you can hop to the Starbucks branch which also operates on board.

Fitness and spa complexes

1/6 stone beds are heated in front of the open terrace

We went back to the water slides

The day of sailing from the shores of Italy to Spain, we spent on the ship in the middle of the sea. On this day the bus was revealed in all its glory. The beautiful sunrise that caressed the wooden floor on the upper deck, was just a hint of the fun and serenity that accompanied this day. Immediately after breakfast we returned to the water slides, to the hot tub and pool. When we got tired we jumped onto the basketball courts and bowling alley, then back to the upper deck for music performances by Bob Marley and Lady Gaga. The kids' club and youth club were also open, although their entry into the ship is not yet allowed. The adults who were already tired of the tubing slide positioned themselves on the upper decks to enjoy a drink and sunbathe in ocean conditions. To make up for the calorie load, we hopped into the gym and sweated with distant islands in front of us. We were told to come here for a yoga or spinning class, or even for a TRX workout, but we politely declined. We explained that they were waiting for us at the spa.

And indeed they were waiting for us.

After a perfect massage, we moved from the treatment rooms to a Jacuzzi complex the like of which we have never seen before: three stream pools centered on waterfall taps to release the muscles.

The saunas included an open window to the ocean that turned them into a pampering solarium.

From there we moved to the heated stone beds facing a huge terrace to watch the sunset.

For one moment when the sun kissed the water for the last time we thought we had really reached heaven, but then we remembered: we had not eaten for an hour, we had to go back to the restaurant.

Room prices

• Internal cabin - $ 1,052 in April, $ 1,437 in July

• Studio room - $ 1,458 in April, $ 1,661 in July

• Balcony cabin - $ 1,605 in April, $ 2,032 in July

Prices are average prices per person per room for 7 days for cruises departing from Italy.

Prices include accommodation and an "all-inclusive" package in the free restaurants.