Ruby Princess, Grand Mediterranean July 4-16 review (very long and detailed)

[Infi]

Part 2.5

 

July 5th, at sea

We woke up early the next morning in anticipation of our sailaway from Venice. DD was especially looking forward to this, as she had read all the raves about the sailaway on CC and watched plenty of ships sail past our hotel over the past few days. After a quick breakfast in the Da Vinci, we made our way upstairs to the top decks to watch the sailaway. Despite the posted sailaway time of 8am, we actually moved away from the dock a little after 9am. Though we had to wait about an hour, it was almost worth it to have prime spots at the railing. Another tip: stay on the port side for the best view of St. Mark’s square and Venice, there’s not much of interest on the starboard side. I know it’s been said on CC plenty of times, but it bears repeating – the sailaway from Venice is spectacular. Don’t miss it. Our fantastic port lecturer, Hutch, narrated most of it, highlighting various points of interest. As we sailed past St. Mark’s square, the narration paused while Andrea Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye” played from the speakers. Beautiful. What a memory.

 

The entire sailaway takes about an hour. It goes by more quickly than you’d think, though! We lingered a bit, watching the various islands on the lagoon disappear in the distance. By that time, it was almost lifeboat drill time (11am to be exact). Our station was the Wheelhouse bar, which was awfully crowded. Princess still requires passengers to bring the jackets to the drill. It was nice having the lifeboat drill on day two of the trip, there was no big rush post-drill to get to sailaway or anything.

 

Later, we attended one of Hutch’s port lectures. He would explain two ports per lecture, so they usually lasted about an hour and a half. I heard people complain about the length of the lecturers, but I think that was really picky. Major cities can’t be explained in five minutes – what do you expect? At any rate, the lectures were taped and broadcast on cabin TV the day before each port.

I was very impressed with the content and quality of Hutch’s talks. He gave great background on the ports, described most of the popular sights and how to reach them, warned about common tourist pitfalls, and also showed pictures of the various port areas, shuttles, trains, etc. and how to navigate them. You felt like you knew each port before you even arrived. Most notably was the fact that he never pushed Princess shore excursions over DIY or used any scare tactics. Hutch explained all with humor and class. He also hosted office hours at various points, and was available at the gangway most mornings for last minute questions. Kudos to Princess for having a knowledgeable, independent lecturer instead of turning the talks into a shill for Princess excursions.

 

In the evening, we had our CC Meet and Greet in Adagio. It really wasn’t the best venue, nor was it a nice M&G. No one stepped up or facilitated, so it was basically a bunch of strangers trying to find out who was who. Pretty irresponsible, especially considering the amount of tour sharing that took place. No Princess staff members attended either. We did enjoy meeting a few people, but overall, it was a bust.

 

Time for dinner, and tonight was finally the night for the Sailaway dinner. What’s the saying – “if it’s sailaway dinner, it must be prime rib”? High praise to the flourless chocolate cake tonight, as usual. Our remaining two tablemates, a great couple from New Zealand, joined us and rounded out our table of six.

Entertainment in the theater was the usual Welcome Aboard show. The CD for this cruise was Lisa Ball. She’s nice enough, but not terribly memorable either. She was also the CD on our Christmas sailing and I thought she was much less visible and approachable on this trip. In addition to the usual numbers by the singers and dancers, we got a preview of one of the comedians on the cruise, Al Brown. Good lord, this man was awful. His jokes were so old they may as well have had mold on them. And so cheesy! At first we thought we might be missing some of the British humor, but even the British passengers seemed divided on whether he was a hack or hilarious. My vote’s for the former.

As for the rest of the night, the entertainment seemed pretty limited. Princess Popstar in Club Fusion, and the Treasure Hunt card draw party in Explorers. (Sidebar: has anyone ever won anything from those draws? It’s always so entertaining to watch people rush around trying to fill out those cards on embarkation day, but I have to wonder if it’s worth the effort they put into it.) Tonight felt like a delayed first night onboard – not a bad thing, but a different mood.

 

 

July 6th, at sea

Our second day at sea, or second day of resting up for our great port marathon ahead of us. If I did this cruise over again (and we will, someday – heck, I think DD is ready to go back tomorrow) I would definitely do the same route. Even though we were already accustomed to the time change and being in Europe, the two sea days (day and a half, but who’s counting?) gave us time to recharge and get into ship life.

 

We began our morning by watching the combo towel animal folding/flower arranging/fruit carving demonstration in the Piazza. Honestly, the most entertaining part of the demonstration was to see over a dozen grown adults swarm the table when the cruise staff said that all of the fruit carvings could be taken by the first person to grab it. Wow! Really, what can you do with that watermelon face after about day four? Inquiring minds would like to know.

 

They offered the pub lunch in the Wheelhouse bar today (it was not offered the previous day). Menu: bangers and mash, fish and chips, ploughman’s lunch, and cottage pie. Our tablemates tried it at our suggestion and were pleased with the authenticity of the meal. We opted for the MDR instead and enjoyed a quiet lunch. Warning: major (or minor?) nitpick ahead. We eat most of our meals in the MDR, unless we’re away from the ship, and like meeting people during open seating. On this cruise, however, we noticed that the headwaiters were very reluctant to put people at larger tables. Instead, they filled up all the tables for two first, and only gave the larger tables to parties of that size. Every meal, we offered to share a table with others, only to be seated at a table for two. I couldn’t figure out if this is the new way Princess is handling open seating, or if this is just the way it’s done on the European cruises. Any ideas?

 

Sometime between an acrobatic performance in the Piazza and 5pm, the staff constructed the always-beautiful-but-precarious champagne waterfall. One of these days we’ll catch them in the act – one of these days. Yes, it was finally formal night. Overall, we felt people dressed much more nicely here than in the Caribbean or Alaska. I had expected people to dress down, considering the length of the trip and distance traveled, but I saw a lot of long gowns and tuxes. Dinner was the usual Captain’s Welcome dinner. For dessert, DD (who is not crazy about Princess ice cream) gave the nutella ice cream a try and loved it. She said it tasted just like nutella.

After dinner, we stopped briefly in the Piazza to see the waterfall and hear the Captain’s speech. The captain for our trip was Tony Draper, who has the dry British humor down pat. His leaving-port announcements always amuse, as he gets on the intercom and just rambles endlessly about every single detail he can possibly think of, just to fill the dead air. Meanwhile, the passengers continue on with whatever they’re doing, totally oblivious to a word he’s saying. Hilarious. His speech tonight was no different. Quick facts about our cruise: 3,300 passengers (full to capacity), 1800 Americans, 500 from the UK, and 400 Canadian as the top nationalities onboard. I had expected Americans to be more in the minority on this trip, so I found the stats interesting. DD (the ham) had to help with the champagne waterfall pouring. Personally, I think she just wanted to meet the illustrious Maitre D’ Generoso. Shhh, you didn’t hear it from me.

 

Entertainment tonight was the first of the three production shows, Broadway Ballroom. This is the show touted being the work of Strictly Come Dancing’s (Dancing with the Stars UK) choreographer. As you can guess, women will probably enjoy this one a little more than men. Our tablemates are probably still raving over this one, they were so impressed with the choreography. The costumes for this show are particularly intricate, with a lot of gorgeous ballroom dresses. Both of us really enjoyed the show, and sitting up close gives you an even greater appreciation for the dancers.

Tonight was one of the semi-finals of the World Cup on MUTS, or as we like to call it, FUTS (football under the stars). DD went up to watch for awhile and said it was the most crowded and lively that she had ever seen at a MUTS showing. All of the final games were shown on MUTS, which pre-empted a lot of movies that were supposed to be shown. Oh well! It was an interesting experience to be in Europe and see the rest of the world's fervor for the game, as opposed to Americans' disinterest, lol.

 

I will try to post the continuation of Part 2 sometime tomorrow.

[Colo Cruiser]

Very nice.

[kath00]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write this review! I know you are busy so I am extra grateful that you were willing to do this for us!

 

Katherine

[hubofhockey]

In the evening, we had our CC Meet and Greet in Adagio. It really wasn’t the best venue, nor was it a nice M&G. No one stepped up or facilitated, so it was basically a bunch of strangers trying to find out who was who. Pretty irresponsible, especially considering the amount of tour sharing that took place. No Princess staff members attended either. We did enjoy meeting a few people, but overall, it was a bust.

 

 

Ha!!! The Meet & Greet went how most of the people on the roll call wanted it. We had a good turnout of 50-60 people. I don't know if you shared tours. But we did and got to meet all of the people we toured with and most thought things went well. Sorry if it wasn't up to your standards. Most I talked to had a good time and many of us were there well past the scheduled end. It was great putting faces and voices to usernames.

 

Princess staff members were invited. It didn't bother me that none showed up. It got people more meeting each other and that was the purpose. This was our event and not a Princess event. I suppose you can't please everybody.

[sultan_sfo]

Infi:

Magnificent photos of the pier area.

 

Any photos that show the "People Mover" in relation to the Embarkation / Pier area? Otherwise, if you noticed the People Mover, can you just describe where it is?

 

Thanks.

[cruisedad521]

Ah, the Venice cruiseport. There are so many words I could use to describe it, and I’m not sure any of them is complimentary.

 

You are so right there. The experience was beyond horrible due to the confusion, lack of Princess direction (and incorrect direction) and the throngs of people. After arriving by private water taxi our experience is similar to yours. We managed to get our luggage onto 2 carts and start our way to check-in. There was a Princess employee at the bottom of the 'street' that led up a long ramp/sidewalk to the checkin area that pointed us along with our luggage.

When we reached the entry door we were told we should have brought our luggage to the drop off area. I was directed to a white tent back where we started. So back down the hill with one cart I went while my DW and DD waited with the rest of our luggage. After swimming upstream with my cart I reached the the white tent and was told that was for Costa only and I needed to go to the big building across the road. I had to backtrack again to be able to cross the street and found the same person who sent me to checkin. He now knew where to send me, 'the big building.' I made my way to the warehouse sized building and there were 4-5 Princess employees stading there to tell me I was in the right place. A porter unloaded my cart and assured me they would be on Princess ship. After getting the second cart I dropped the rest of our luggage.

The main problem I had with the process was the lack of direction in a very busy area. The heat didn't help, but if there were clear directions or assistance from princess folks this would have been much better.

 

As far as the checkin area, the only thing I will mention is that there was a rather large elite area you may have missed. We were not elite but were sitting near it and at about noon it was not full.

[cruisedad521]

Infi

Found your post very interesting but have one question.....you mention the gathering of passports once you were on the ship. Can you explain what that is all about. I would appreciate your input.:)

 

I was on the same cruise so I can tell you how it worked for us. Our room steward collected our passports on the first day amd gave a receipt for each. We knew this was coming from reading CC so we were not surprised. We had picture id for each of us in addition to our passports to bring ashore and I had made photocopies of our passports and packed them in case we needed the info during the trip.

Towards the end of the cruise (2-3 days before end I think) our room steward exchanged our passports for the receipts and we had them back.

[cruisedad521]

Our terrible experiences in the port and the heat outside cemented our decision to stay aboard the ship and not return to Venice.

 

I had made the same decision until I noticed the area next to the Ruby for the transport back to Venice. Instead of dealing with the crowds and craziness of the port area there is a private dock immediately next to the ship for Princess passengers only. We took the boat back to San Marco and it dropped off a little east of the piazza. The return trip was from the same dock which is marked by a Princess banner. Both trips were uneventful and I was glad for a few more hours in Venice.

[cruisedad521]

Ha!!! The Meet & Greet went how most of the people on the roll call wanted it.

 

We were happy with the M&G and it was what I expected. We spent a few minutes introducing ourselves around and then starting chatting with people who we continued to see throughout the cruise. It was informal and I did not miss having someone from the ship attend. I also liked Adagio's and thought it was a comfortable lounge for the M&G.

[danuty]

LOL..looking forward to sharing the Tuscany tour with you and the rest of the group.

 

Diane

[mowb07]

Really fabulous review so far! It brings back awesome memories from my med cruise 2 years ago and helps me look forward to the next one!! Can't wait for the rest of the review! :)

[margord]

Great Review

[PhillyCruiser]

Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your cruise!

 

Joan

[golferdog]

Thanks for taking the time to post this~~We'll be taking this trip next year and am looking forward to your port experiences

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks again for your continued posts. I love the pictures you put on one of your first posts. The Ruby in Venice. I felt like it was last October and we were boarding for our T/A.....:):):)

 

Thanks again for the great pictures.....:):):)

 

Bob

[Infi]

Ah, the return of the review! Real life has been conflicting with the review, and I apologize for the wait. We've been busy lately and I can only write in evenings, which makes for slow going unfortunately. I'll post the continuation of part 2 next, and try to add some photos later today. Thanks for hanging in there, and for the great feedback. :)

 

tdmamerica: Cruisedad explained the passport collection process pretty well. I don't remember what day we got them back either, but it was probably 3 or 4 days before the end of the cruise - maybe before Rome. I've read on CC that the passports are collected because Turkey is not part of the Schengen Agreement countries in Europe and thus needs to see the passports. We also had to fill out landing cards when we left Istanbul: the officers handed them out as we left the ship and you returned them to a drop box when re-boarding. Very simple. Just don't forget to bring along another form of ID and/or photocopies of your IDs, just in case.

 

sultan_sfo: Sorry, I wish I could help! We didn't use the people mover and I think we were so preoccupied with trying to check-in that I didn't even notice its location in relation to the port. Maybe ask this question on the Italy boards?

 

cruisedad521: Your experience sounds so much like ours, it isn't even funny. DD almost did the same thing you did - dragging the luggage to the check-in - before the one (helpful) Princess employee stopped her and told us about the luggage tent. What a day that was. I agree 100% that if there was clearer directions or even more Princess staff, that the experience would have been so much better. After that, we had no desire to leave the ship. We did see the private Princess shuttle (I thought it was very nicely organized compared to the Alilaguna) but decided it just wasn't worth the trip back to Venice. We had already had our fill of bridges and tourists during our pre-cruise stay there, LOL.

 

Woobstr112G: Thanks! Glad the photos bring back good memories for you.

[Infi]

End of Part 2

 

July 7th, Athens (Piraeus), Greece

[before I forget, I’ll mention here that the ship clocks were moved an hour forward during the previous day, so now the ship was seven hours ahead of the East coast. The clocks were moved back an hour after our third day at sea, before our stop in Naples.]

 

We arrived in Piraeus bright and early, ahead of our scheduled time at 9am. DD headed up on deck to watch us sail in and said Piraeus was one of the busiest ports she has ever seen. Ferries, cargo ships, and cruise ships were everywhere, and constantly coming and going. We had a quick breakfast in the Da Vinci and headed to the Piazza to wait for the ship to be cleared.

On our cruise, the Ruby docked at Terminal B, which is probably the furthest terminal from the port entrance. Princess tours leave directly from the dock. Believe me, there were a ton of them – we saw at least 40 Greyhound busses lined up on the pier waiting. There are free shuttles (large city buses sans seats) that run back and forth constantly between the two terminals. After a five minute ride, you arrive at Terminal A, the larger terminal where all the taxis and private tours are located. We quickly passed through Terminal A, which was full of passengers and luggage from a Crystal ship that was disembarking.

We booked a private tour with AthensbyTaxi, which we found via recommendations on CC. The owner, Paul, was very helpful and prompt in responding to emails and questions – great customer service. Our driver, Kostas, was waiting for us outside with a sign, and brought his A/C Mercedes around. It was already a pleasure not to have to fight through the crowds of over-eager taxi drivers. Kostas was a real sweetheart. He was a great tour guide, driver, and all-around friendly person. He really made us feel at home and gave us a great introduction to his country.

 

The drive from Piraeus to Athens takes about a half hour. Kostas narrated our way through Piraeus, stopping briefly at a small harbor so we could take in the view and see some olive trees. Our first real stop of the day was the Acropolis. If you’re going to Athens, I highly recommend making this your first stop of the day. It wasn’t too hot when we arrived at 9:45am (heck, there was even a breeze!), but I’m positive it only gets more miserable as the day goes on. We also managed to beat the onslaught of cruise ship tours arriving at the site – score one for the private tours. Kostas was able to drive us right up to the ticket booth (whereas the tour buses left you at the bottom of a steep and slippery hill). I really liked the way tickets to the sites were handled in Greece. At the Acropolis, we bought one “set” of tickets (I think it was €12, and DD got a student ticket for about half price) that had different sections for each landmark. We must have visited more than half a dozen sites over the course of the day and didn’t buy one single additional ticket. Kostas promised to meet us in two hours, which was adequate time for exploring.

Much has been made of the Acropolis elevator on CC, so I’ll be brief. Yes, it’s only for disabled or those with mobility issues. Though I was prepared with a doctor’s note (I am unable to climb stairs), they didn’t ask for one in order to use it. There are two parts: a single-person chair lift that goes up about twenty steps, and then the outdoor elevator itself that climbs to the Acropolis level. An attendant accompanies you on both. The outdoor elevator is made up of see-through grating, so it’s not for the faint of heart. These two parts were an adventure in themselves, and I’m grateful that the Acropolis has made these accommodations for those with mobility issues.

The Acropolis is a fantastic site, so steeped in history and mythology. The view of the city and other sites is absolutely fantastic from this vantage point. Some of the ruins (the Parthenon especially) are still a restoration work in progress, with lots of scaffolding around them. It doesn’t detract from the experience much, though. One recommendation I would have is to get a private guide for the Acropolis. We had a small guidebook that we used, but it wasn’t the same. The tour groups were everywhere when we were here, and I’m sure it only got worse throughout the day. Kostas told us that the next day, the majority of the tourist sites would be closed due to a strike, so today was especially crowded.

Another tip: the ground at the Acropolis is very, very slippery. It’s mostly uneven stones that are so worn with age, there’s no traction. DD (who is pretty sure-footed) almost slipped a couple times, and I saw quite a few tourists trip while we were there. Wear comfortable, durable shoes, and always watch your step. We expected it to be hot, and wore lots of sunscreen and hats to keep the sun at bay. In our Floridian opinion (take that as you will ;)), it wasn’t as bad as we thought, and there was even a light breeze early in the day. I’d still recommend bringing along a hat for this cruise, as you’re out in the sun a lot.

 

Our next stop was the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which was virtually empty in comparison to the Acropolis. We were the only visitors there, and we roamed around, taking in the fantastic Corinthian columns. (If you don’t know the difference between the major column types, trust me, you’ll be an expert by the time you leave Greece.) Earlier at the Acropolis, we had had a preview of the immense size of the Temple area. Unfortunately, only 15 columns remain, a stark contrast to the original temple, which had 104 of them. One of the columns has fallen, which allows you to get a good look at the detail of it. The Temple itself is enormous, and you can really appreciate how it was once considered the greatest temple in the ancient world.

Next to the Temple is Hadrian’s Arch, which was the gateway to ancient Athens. It still stands in all its glory, an impressive sight. The contrast between the ancient arch and the modern cars and buildings right behind it is particularly striking. There's also the ruins of a small agora near the Temple, which is worth a quick look.

While we were leaving the Temple area, one of the Princess busses pulled up. Their guide bought the tickets, and then let the passengers off, informing them they could “take one picture and then back on the bus!” Yikes. I’m sure there are good and bad apples when it comes to cruiseline tour guides (and in general), but seeing that was a real turn-off.

 

Next, Kostas took us to the Panathenaic stadium, which was built for the first modern Olympics in 1896. It’s constructed completely out of marble from Mount Pentelikon, which also provided the marble for the Parthenon and other ancient sites. It’s quite the impressive sight. We learned that they still use the stadium for concerts, and the archery events and end of the marathon in the 2004 Olympics were held here.

We decided to skip the planned stop at the New Acropolis museum in favor of a less-busy afternoon. After all, you have to save something for the next visit, right? So, we continued on to the hill of Lycabettous. From the hill, we had a bird’s eye view of Athens and the Acropolis. Athens is really immense. The rows and rows of white buildings stretch for miles, but none rises as high as the Acropolis. In the distance, we could see Mount Pentelikon from which ancient marble was quarried. When you see the distance and height of the mountains, you really appreciate the hard work and ingenuity of the ancient Greeks.

 

We held off on lunch in favor of heading towards the city center and visiting the palace and tomb of the unknown soldier in time for the changing of the guard (every hour, on the hour). Along the way, Kostas pointed out various government buildings, including the enormous ministry of education, crowned by a gold statue of Athena.

At the tomb of the unknown, the soldiers stand stone-faced and march back and forth, high stepping and kicks and all. Their uniforms are equally elaborate, with long tassels and pom-poms on each shoe. Kostas told us that each shoe worn by the soldiers is a hefty 3 kilos (6lbs). The high stepping is even more impressive after knowing that fact! Service in the military is mandatory in Greece, and most soldiers have to do some service like guarding the tomb. It takes a long time to learn how to march and guard the tomb, and the soldiers are constantly supervised to make sure they are doing it properly.

It was a little disappointing to see some tourists being tourists and taking inappropriate photos with the soldiers. Thankfully, the head soldier on duty noticed this and quickly put a stop to it. The changing of the guard commanded (and received) the appropriate respect from the audience, and we enjoyed the ceremony of it.

We drove around the bustling downtown at midday. We saw plenty of posters advertising the strike and rally for the next day. Kostas talked for awhile about the economic situation in Greece, and how the strikes are peaceful and limited to specific areas. Though most Greeks are unhappy with the economy, only a minority are involved in the protests. It’s sad to think many people would cross this country off their list due to the often-sensationalized media coverage. I hope things start to turn around for Greece soon.

 

We had a short stop at the Roman Agora, where the highlight is the Tower of the Winds (a sundial and windvane combination). The clocktower-precursor has quite a long history and served various functions over the years. The Roman Agora is steps from the Plaka, where Kostas dropped us off for a fantastic lunch. The food was delicious, and it definitely was more of a locals’ place than a tourist one. But, being good tourists, we both had to order gyros, which we really loved. The restaurant we ate at (the name escapes me now, unfortunately) was right on the outskirts of the Plaka, and we got to watch the small tourist trains and shoppers going by from our table outdoors.

I stayed behind to rest for awhile, while Kostas took DD to the Greek Agora, which was further down the street from the restaurant. This one is far more impressive than the Roman counterpart, and DD said she wished she had had more time to explore it. The agora was the former center of Athenian government, and contains many ruins of former council buildings and temples. The real highlight here is the Temple of Hephaestus. It’s a Doric style temple that’s almost completely intact (I think it’s one of the most complete ruins in Greece). It looks very similar to the Parthenon (same architect) and uses the same marble from Mount Pentelikon. DD said it was a steep set of stairs to reach the temple, so again, wear your good walking shoes!

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, we didn’t have enough time left to shop in the Plaka, though we did get to see most of it. :( Kostas told us the Plaka isn’t really worth it, commenting that it was full of typical “made in China” junk. We sort of felt better after that. We can always save the Plaka for next time.

We headed back to the ship, and made it there shortly after 5pm. Kostas was even able to drop us off at Terminal B, so we didn’t have to take the shuttle back to the ship – an extra bonus. We said our goodbyes and headed inside the terminal. We (along with our bags) had to pass through metal detectors to get back to the ship. We encountered a similar procedure in Kusadasi and Istanbul, but none of the other ports required this. On the pier, the Princess staff greeted us with iced washcloths, a very welcome sight after a long day.

 

After all of the ports on the cruise, our day in Athens remains one of my favorites. Seeing all of these sites and monuments that have stood for thousands of years is really amazing and makes you feel like a part of history. I’m really looking forward to our next cruise there. I also would not hesitate to book a tour with AthensbyTaxi again, their services were excellent and everything on the tour was delivered as promised.

 

Tonight’s dinner was a real treat, as it was a menu that we’d never seen before, the Greek and Turkish dinner. The menu errs more on the side of Greek than Turkish, but is pretty delicious nonetheless. DD loved the avocado and Greek yogurt soup, and our whole table thought the oversized chocolate baklava for dessert were sweet and super rich.

The traditional dining room was nearly empty tonight, and I figured we were finally seeing the effects of this port-intensive cruise on the passengers. Announcements interrupted our dinner several times as the passenger services desk was trying to find three passengers. I don’t know if they ever did, but I know we left port slightly later than scheduled, at about 8pm. We managed to leave dinner just as we were pulling away from the dock, and watched our sailaway from the promenade deck. Similar to Venice, Princess played music over the speakers as we left port. Watching the Acropolis and Athens fade into the distance was beautiful. I was not expecting the sun to set so late in the Med, but we regularly experienced sunsets close to 9pm – almost reminiscent of Alaska.

 

For entertainment, we caught comedy juggler Niels Duinkler’s show in Explorers. It was one of those “repeat nights” (Broadway Ballroom was also being repeated), so this was his second night performing. We thought he was a decent juggler and a so-so comic. It seemed like he was really nervous for whatever reason, so maybe that’s why the show was average. As for the rest of the entertainment, there was karaoke and dancing in Club Fusion, a string quartet in the Piazza, and another night of FUTS on the big screen. The ship was pretty quiet tonight, I think the touring must have knocked everyone out.

 

 

 

July 8th, Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey

The time in this port is extremely short, from 7am to 1pm, with an all-aboard time of 12:30pm. I think we were overly ambitious when considering tours here, and we probably should have planned more conservatively. We booked a half day tour with Ekol travel to see the Virgin Mary’s house, Temple of Artemis, and Ephesus. We missed seeing the Temple of Artemis, but did get to spend a good amount of time at Ephesus, which is really the highlight of the day anyway. If I were to plan our short day in this port again, I would try to just do Ephesus and one other site.

One great thing about Ekol is that all of your fees for the day (except lunch or souvenirs) are taken care of in the tour price. We didn’t have to hassle with Turkish lira or waiting in line for tickets, our guides already had them and were ready to go. Ekol also gives you one driver and one guide, unlike most of the other companies where your driver is also your guide. This system left both individuals better able to concentrate on their jobs. Lastly, Ekol’s tours were a bargain in comparison to the rest of the tours we took, and they allowed us to pay in US $ - a bonus considering we didn’t have to convert to Euros.

 

Inspired by Hutch’s bragging about the beautiful sail-in to Kusadasi, DD woke up extra early to watch us dock. (Thanks, Hutch. :eek:) The port town of Kusadasi is really quite picturesque, almost like a beach town without being too tacky. Lots of houses situated on the hills overlooking the water, and plenty of shops along the waterfront. On the hill, a large statue of Kemal Ataturk (Turkey's first president) overlooks the harbor.

We grabbed a quick breakfast in the International Café before heading off. The new egg sandwiches, muesli, and yogurt parfaits they offer are a real lifesaver on mornings like this, instead of fighting your way though the Horizon Court. The terminal in Kusadasi is small, housing a few duty-free stores (naturally) and security. Our guide for the day, Levent, was waiting for us outside. He led us through the new shopping mall area (reminiscent of the Caribbean port areas, Starbucks and all) to our van outside. Though it was just the two of us, the van was large and could have easily seated at least ten people. Our first stop for the day was the Virgin Mary’s house, as it was the furthest site from the port and usually the most crowded. They sure weren’t kidding about the last part! On the way there, Levent gave us a very informative lesson on Turkey’s history and the sites we would be seeing that day. We drove through the town of Kusadasi, past the resorts and vacation homes, before riding through the countryside and mountains on our way to the Virgin Mary's house.

 

The story behind the Virgin Mary’s house is particularly interesting, as it was discovered after a German nun had a vision and described the location of the home in Turkish. It’s still debated whether or not Mary actually died here, but inscriptions found on nearby church ruins state that she lived and died in the location. Many come here on pilgrimages, to visit the house and drink from the holy springs underneath it. Whether you believe the stories or not, it’s an interesting and special place.

The home is nestled high up in the mountains (expect some windy roads) in a beautiful, secluded area. It reminded me of the Napa Valley area in Northern CA. Lots of trees and flowers, a gentle breeze, and, if you closed your eyes and blocked out the tourists, very peaceful. It was easy to see why St. John and Jesus’ other followers chose the site as a place for Mary to spend her final years in relative quiet and safety from the city.

Unfortunately, this was one of the times when our private tour did not work out for the best. We arrived at the exact same time as an onslaught of Princess and other tour busses, and had to wait in a huge line to get into the site. It probably took about a half hour to stand in line, which is where we lost the majority of our time. Levent spent most of the time explaining the history of the house and the ongoing excavations in the area. Before you reach the house, there’s the ruins of a small church and sunken garden (still in the process of being uncovered). We also saw a priest setting up for mass in a small outdoor area next to the home.

The house itself is very small, and has been restored and now resembles a small chapel. (Outside, you can see a large red line that denotes the original structure from the restored part.) No photos are allowed inside. There’s a small altar and gifts (a small statue and a rosary) from the visits of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI displayed on the walls. Visitors are allowed to either light a candle or take one with you as a remembrance. After you leave the house, you can visit the three springs that flow from underneath the house. Supposedly, these springs have healing powers and plenty of people were either drinking from the spring or filling water bottles. As you leave, there is a large wall full of petitions to Mary – most are written on paper, and it looks like thousands of white flags waving in the breeze.

 

Our next stop was Ephesus. Ekol had bought our tickets already, so all we had to do was zip through the ticket machines (almost like a subway ticket-taker). If you’re visiting Ephesus, don’t forget a bottle of water and some protection from the sun. Since we were there earlier in the morning, it wasn’t as hot as it gets later in the day, but the sun does beat down on you pretty hard. If you’ve forgotten any of these, there’s plenty of vendors at the entrance to help you out. Ephesus itself is a (gradual) downhill journey, and you exit at the opposite end. I would not recommend Ephesus for anyone who is unsteady on their feet or has difficulty with uneven terrain. There’s stairs at various points, and the stones in the streets are pretty rough. Make sure you have your best walking shoes on, and watch your step.

Ephesus is another site where a guide is an absolute necessity IMHO. Otherwise, you’ll wander around hopelessly, not knowing quite what you’re looking at and potentially missing some important things. The guides really make the site come alive and point out details you’d likely miss on your own. Our guide Levent had studied history at university, and his father was an archaeologist, so he really had a passion for the area and loved describing it. He gave us some background underneath some shady trees at the entrance before continuing on and describing the various parts of the city. The city itself is huge, and only about 20% has been uncovered so far. Originally founded by the Amazons, then conquered by the Greeks, and finally the Romans, Ephesus was a major metropolis for thousands of years. During the Roman empire, it was the second largest city after Rome. In ancient times, the city was easily accessible by water, but today, it’s about a twenty minute drive from the ocean. It's hard to imagine that as you look at the city. Because the city was so influential, St. John and other famous figures came here to preach the gospels and hoped the message would spread to the smaller towns. Historians also believe that John’s gospel may have been written here. Needless to say, this was and is a very significant place.

Inside the city, it’s a hodgepodge of buildings all from different eras in the city’s long life. There’s 2nd century Roman baths, a Greek agora, and various temples honoring everyone from Julius Caesar to the goddesses Artemis and Nike. In fact, at one of the temples you can see where they would simply replace the head on the statue to reflect whoever the emperor was at the time. Pretty funny (and clever). The first part of the city was primarily for the nobles and government business, and housed a small theater and temples to various deities. After becoming experts on column styles after our day in Greece, we were able to view all three different types in Ephesus. There’s also more practical areas, like one of the first known hospitals, complete with an ER for diagnosis and doctors who applied herbal remedies and psychotherapy. After seeing how the wealthy lived and conducted business, we passed through Hercules’ gate, the divider and entrance to the main commercial area. It’s almost surreal to imagine chariots at this gate (they weren’t allowed to enter the nobles’ area) thousands of years ago. Further down the main street, there’s the ruins of a former market, and the infamous public toilets (I’m sure every tourist has a picture of this row of marble “thrones”) and public pools.

I opted out of the next stop on the tour, the Terrace Houses, as they involved a series of steep staircases. DD did go inside with Levent, and was quite impressed. The Terrace Houses are seven homes that originally housed the nobility and the wealthiest families in the city. As Ephesus declined, they became multiple-family dwellings, almost like apartments. The houses were discovered about twenty years ago, and are still a work in progress today. You can even see archaeologists piecing together the mosaics and marble that adorned the homes so many years ago. The homes are actually pretty similar to homes today: one with a large foyer complete with a fountain, lots of kitchens and pantry areas, small bedrooms for the children and elaborate master bedrooms. There are some oddities, like one home with a large entryway lined with marble sinks, or another that housed a secret (and illegal at the time) Christian church. Mosaics are everywhere, and most of the bedrooms even have art on their walls. If you’re considering adding on the Terrace Houses to your tour, go for it. DD said it was really neat to get a glimpse into the home lives of an ancient civilization, and the rooms and homes were very well-preserved.

Quite possibly the most impressive ruins inside Ephesus is the Library of Celsius, near the end of the tour. The façade towers over you, with about a dozen columns, each with intricate details on the marble. It’s almost funny, as the library behind the entrance really wasn’t that large. But during its heyday, it was the 3rd largest library and housed about 25,000 scrolls. But even so, only a minority of the population (read: the wealthy) could actually read or write.

As we left Ephesus, we got a look at the Theater. Seating at least 25,000 people, this was one of the largest theaters in the ancient world and probably where the gospels were preached. Special coins were used at tickets back then, and the nobility got prime seats close to the action while the commoners sat far away, in the cheap seats. There’s a short tree-lined walk to the exit (and the nice shade and breeze it provided was very welcome at this point). Outside, you’ll be accosted by merchants of all types, selling everything from fruit to leather goods to my personal favorite, “genuine fake watches”. Anyone want a Faux-lex? We were pretty short on time at this point, so we hurried back to the port.

We managed to beat the tours back to the ship, and quickly passed through the port shopping area and cruise terminal. We went through metal detectors there and our cruise cards were checked before returning to the pier. We made it back to the ship (along with the rest of the masses) at about 12:30pm, which was our official all-aboard time.

 

Kusadasi was nice, but I wasn’t as big of a fan of this port as DD was. I think it’s partially because I wasn’t feeling well and because we had such a short time there. As a result, everything felt very rushed on our tour. I will say that the town of Kusadasi is very pretty, and it would be nice to explore on a return visit. If you love history like DD does, you’ll love Ephesus. The ruins here were far better (IMHO) than Pompeii, and when you learn that there’s still at least 80% more left to uncover, it’s astounding. Everything is remarkably well-preserved as well.

 

With everyone returning to the ship at the same time, the MDR was absolutely swarmed for lunch. We shared a table and had a quick lunch as we sailed away from Kusadasi. That afternoon, I took a much-needed nap and DD met up with some of her new friends to watch some pool games and play Jeopardy (hint: the Ruby was built by Fincantieri). She also went to tea, and reported that the scones are as yummy as ever. Try to have afternoon tea at least once, if you haven’t, it’s a nice experience. After all the rushing around and sightseeing in the morning, it was great to have a free afternoon.

 

Tonight’s dinner was the Italian dinner. I don’t mind it myself, but DD is definitely not a fan. She tried something new off the menu (shrimp fra diavolo, sans spicy sauce) and was pleasantly surprised. I chose the homestyle option, which is a chicken cutlet with mushrooms – very good. The desserts are typical Italian fare: tiramisu and lots of gelato.

After most of the ship had the afternoon to rest up, this evening was more lively than the previous one. The Princess Theater had a performance by vocalist Claude-Eric, a one night only showing, while Explorers offered another evening with everyone’s least favorite comedian, Al Brown. :rolleyes: Needless to say, we took our chances on Claude-Eric. He was good, and had a voice similar to Michael Buble. Other entertainment this evening was the 50s Rock’n’Roll party in Club Fusion and, believe it or not, a movie (not football!) on MUTS: Avatar.

[rdsqrl]

What a wonderful post -- you make Athens and Ephesus sound like must-sees (well, you had me with the Starbucks you mention in Kusadasi!!). I really enjoyed the level of detail. Greek/Turkish Night sounds fab, too -- I adore Greek food. Can't wait for more . . . .

[Cruizer Bill]

Thanks so much for the excellent review!!

Was it difficult to get a seat in the theater?

[margord]

Do you have the information on reaching the person that did your tour in Turkey? Can you pleae post the information? Thank you in advance.

[tdmamerica]

Infi: Thanks for your helpful info regarding the passports. We are taking our first Mediterranean cruise on the Ruby Princess on September 26. Our cruise is the reverse of yours and we will sail from Barcelona to Venice. We are checking out the shore excursions and finding your posts most interesting and informing. :)

[Infi]

The Acropolis:

 

Construction equipment on side of Acropolis and the rough walking conditions:

 

Other end of Acropolis (and scaffolding):

 

Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Arch, as viewed from Acropolis:

 

Remaining columns at Temple of Zeus:

 

Hadrian's Arch:

[Infi]

Panathenaic stadium:

 

View from Hill of Lycabettous, Acropolis in the distance:

 

Changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier:

 

Roman Agora, Tower of the Winds:

 

Plaka shopping:

 

Lunchtime in the Plaka - gyros:

[Infi]

Temple of Hephaestus, Greek Agora (note the similarities to the Acropolis):

 

Church, Greek Agora:

 

Outdoor cafes in the Plaka area:

 

Busy port of Piraeus - tons of ferries:

 

Terminal B, Port of Piraeus:

 

Regular and chocolate baklava (Greek and Turkish dinner dessert):

[Clutterlady]

Beautiful photos.....thank you:)