Review Star Princess in Med. Part 1

We are a couple in our forties and are well travelled . I have gotten alot of advice on these board and it is my time to pay it back . I hope you enjoy this review . We have many fond memories of this cruise and would recommend doing the Med. with Star Princess . I would give it a 8 out of 10 .

Review of my trip on Star Princess in Med. from August 20 - Sept 1 , 2004

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Embarkation was quick and easy . I would recommend you pre -register on line to make the process fast . Ship was well decorated and lovely . She does not have a big feel to her even though she is 109,000 tons . Staff for the most part is freindly and helpful . We lost our luggage and Princess reassured us that they would help recover them before we sailed . They did very little and we had to be proactive . Thankfully they were recovered with the help of another cruise critic member which I met onboard 2 hours prior to sailing .Thanks Highroller ! The food is good but I would not consider it fine dining . We have been to the best restaurants in Toronto and Princess does not even come close .The waiters will try and be accomodating to your needs and wants. I would if I had to do it over again do personal choice dining especially on a med. cruise . The day in ports are long and we missed half of our dinners . We had the first seating at 6:15 ..No problem going to personal choice or the buffet in the Horizon court . We did go to Tequilas' one night ( the steakhouse ) for 15.00 per person . We enjoyed it very much and I would recommend it . We did not have time to go to Sabitinis' .The room are neat , clean and simple . We chose not to spend our money on an outside cabin . We were hardly in our room except to sleep and change . The ship only rocked the first night at sea . I put on my patch and was fine for the rest of the trip . The sea was very calm . If you do not like the heat I would say go in the early spring or fall . It was hot everyday 80 degrees plus with no rain . We did all ports on our own . I cannot justify the prices Princess charges for port excursions . If you are fearful of missing the ship though you may want to consider using them for Rome and Florence . However you are paying large for that insurance that the ship will not leave without you . They do try to wait a few minutes if not everyone is onboard before departure .

Barcelona - You do not need a tour here .

We got into Barcelona on the 18 and stayed at the Hotel Colon for 1 night . It had a good location and we could walk everywhere but it was tired looking and we overpaid in my opinion (120 Euros with no breakfast ).Getting around Barcelona is easy . You can take the Hop on Hop off bus to see the main sites and attractions . You can do this at the foot of Las Ramblas . Beware of pickpockets !!! We saw a few on our trip . Wear a money belt on the inside to be safe .

Monte Carlo - We tendered . Walked up to the palace with the help of an elevator . You do not need a tour here . Saw the palace , museum and car museum . Took the public bus to go to the casino . Being Sunday the stores were closed . MonteCarlo is beautiful , clean and rich . We also took the trolley . Do not waste your money on this one you do not see much more .

Pisa / Florence

I would recommend if you do not want to be stressed to do one or the other . We walked to the train station . However I would recommend you take a taxi for about 15 Euros . Share if possible . There is always others around you can ask . It is about a 5 mile walk . We did not know this at the time . We speak italian so we did not have any problems in Italy . You can take the train into Pisa . It is about a 30 minute walk from there to see her . We then took the train from there into Florence . It was Monday so the museums were closed . Florence has good knock offs and no lack of jewelery stores . Ponte Vecchio is where you will get the best selection . The train ride is about 1 and a half hours each way . Make sure you check the train shedule .

Rome

A short walk from the port one can take the train into Rome . It is about 1 hour into the city . If you want to go to St. Peters first get off at St. Pietro station . If you want to go see the other sites get off at Termini . Getting around by bus or subway is inexpensive and easy . After buying your tickets in the subway or train make sure you get it validated . Hefty fines if caught . I would recommend going to see the Vatican , Sistine chapel , Coloseum , Forum , Spanish Steps , Trevi Fountain ( to throw your coin in ) and for you ladies who love to shop Via Condotti . Designer stores galore . You will have to make some choices . You can not do these all in one day .

Part 2

I will make my remarks on Pompeii , Capri , Rhodes , Turkey and Venice . Any questions feel free to ask .

Have enjoyed your review so far - we're booked on the Star Transatlantic in Oct. Do you happen to remember who your captain was?

The captains' name is Tony Yeomans .