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

[lara h]

Reading your review about Athens by Taxi with Paul and Kosta certainly makes me feel we made the right decision booking our tour with them.

 

Do you have any additional tips/suggestions about the tour? Is Costa Paul's son?

 

 

TDMAMERICA...drop into the thread for this cruise...we have several tours that have vacancies, including one I am coordinating for Rome with 3 places open. Many of us are planning to meet up in Barcelona, and we have a "Meet and Greet organized as well on sailaway.

[Crusin6]

Thank you for starting this thread!!! We are planning this cruise for the exact same dates you did only in 2012!!! We are saavy travelers...DH, myself and 4 dd's ages 10 to 21 so this is right up our ally! We do the private tour thing and adore history....the more ancient it is...the better!!!

 

We weren't going to do a private tour of Athens but now that I read your review we will certainly be doing one.

 

Thanks and keep the info coming!!

 

Cru 6

 

P.S. Could you tell me about what type of clothing you wore? Particularly in Athens..Istanbul and Kusidasi.

 

Istanbul especially. I have been to all these ports as a college kid but that was then and this is now...so I need to have my girls dressed appropriately....and conservatively... especially in Istanbul. I am thinking longer type skirts and tops covering the shoulders.

[Colo Cruiser]

Great photos!

[mississauga]

An amazing review as usual. Good news is that I only found this thread today so was able to read quite a bit of your review at one go. ( When I read your previous 2, I was going back to the Princess several times a day to check if you had updated.....unfortunately real life gets in the way of the writing of these fabulous reviews of yours. LOL )

 

Please thank your DD for the wonderful pictures! ( assuming she took these as well as all those others she took on previous cruises ) She is a great photographer!

[margord]

Great pictures.

[Megaera]

Thanks for posting this. DH and I are going on this same itinerary in September. As I read your posts I couldn't help but get more and more excited! 29 days before we are in Venice! We also booked a tour with Ekol travel in Ephesus, and after reading your review, I feel like we made an excellent choice. Looking forward to the next installment!

[Infi]

Answering some questions before the next installment (finally, I know!)

 

Cruizer_Bill: We try to arrive at least 25-30min before the show and always got decent seats, but by the 10 or 15min mark, the theater

was almost full. I expected less crowds considering the port-intensive cruise, but the shows were pretty busy. FYI, this was for the main

(8:30pm) show (which is usually the most crowded anyway), I can't speak to the others.

 

margord: We booked with Ekol travel (www.ekoltravel.com) in Turkey, and our guide in Kusadasi was Levent. When I emailed with Nur, the tour operator, she said that they do not take requests for specific guides. I'm sure it can't hurt to ask, though - give it a shot.

 

tdmamerica: Thanks, I'm glad you find the review helpful! Hope you have a wonderful cruise, you'll love it. :)

 

Clutterlady: Thanks for the compliment on the pics.

 

lara_h: Kostas is not Paul's son, he's just a friend. I had read the comments on CC about Paul's son, so that's why I asked. No real suggestions, just be ready for warm weather (sunscreen is necessary) and a busy day. We skipped both the museums on the tour description and still felt like the day was packed. The private tour was a real life-saver time-wise and we got much closer to the sites and we had more time at them than a ship tour would. Really convenient, I would happily choose Athens by Taxi again. Have a great cruise! :)

 

Crusin6: Private tours are definitely the way to go, especially in ports like Piraeus, Civitavecchia, etc. where the port is a distance from the city. If you haven't already researched on CC, there's so many great recs on the Europe boards. In addition to the tours, if you can get private guides at the Acropolis, Vatican museum, and Pompeii it is well worth it. They will really enrich the experience and if you're history buffs, you'll appreciate it even more.

My DD is around the same ages as yours, and she wore a shirt (shoulders covered) and capri pants (cut off at the knee) in Istanbul and Rome. Those two are the main ports where the sites (Blue Mosque and St. Peter's) are strict on the dress code. The capris were not enough for the mosque in Istanbul (see next part for details), but were okay in Rome. Just make sure shoulders and knee backs are covered, those are the big ones for those places. If all else fails, the sites do have shawls to cover up with, but there's always the ew factor of when the shawl was last washed. :eek: As for Athens and Kusadasi, anything goes. In those two ports, it's just too hot to bother with that stuff. Good luck with planning your cruise, and if you have any other questions, let me know.

 

Colo: Thanks! Your picture reviews are always very nice as well.

 

mississisauga: Thank you so much. I think you found the best way to do it, coming into a review late and reading everything - less waiting that way. ;) You have a really good memory for remembering DD's the photographer in the family, I'm impressed! Glad you're enjoying the review and photos.

 

Megaera: Ekol is a good company to tour with, I'm sure you'll enjoy your day in Ephesus. The private guide is so essential for Ephesus, you made a smart choice. September sounds like a great month to cruise the med as well - I know I would have loved a break from the heat and crowds most days! Enjoy your cruise! :)

[mississauga]

mississisauga: Thank you so much. I think you found the best way to do it, coming into a review late and reading everything - less waiting that way. ;) You have a really good memory for remembering DD's the photographer in the family, I'm impressed! Glad you're enjoying the review and photos.

 

That's because your reviews are so memorable! Didn't you know that we hang onto to every word you write?;)

[Crusin6]

:eek:When we did the med cruise in 2008, I had the girls wear shirts that covered their shoulders and capris that went below the knees for Rome and Florence and all was well. Are you saying that this is not OK for Istanbul?

 

Personally, I think I will have them in well below the knee skirts and a conservative top for this port...because it will be a smart move I am sure.

You said that capris were not enough for your DD. Were they too short? Or was it the fact that she was a female wearing pants? I would guess that maybe it was the pants issue. Was she harrassed at all?

 

Back when I was in Istanbul in 1976...I wore shorts and a tank top!! :eek:

 

Can you believe that????? I don't think I was alone in my style of dress. I was harassed frequently and the locals actually had the nerve to ask my mother if I was for sale!!!:eek: I know they weren't joking either.

 

However, I loved the port of Istanbul and I made a vow to return some day and it looks like that day will be when we do the Ruby in 2012...my girls are such travel and history buffs and they will just go with the flow to see this part of the world. DH is getting very excited as well.

[Infi]

Part 4

 

July 9th, Istanbul, Turkey:

We had another full day tour planned, so we headed down to the MDR bright and early. As we ate, DD commented that it was awfully dark outside for being so early in the morning, but I didn’t think too much of it. Of course, the second we walked down the gangway, the skies opened up and it absolutely poured. Everyone made a run for cover inside the terminal (which was, thankfully, just steps away). Who expects rain in Istanbul? Not most tourists! Even our guide was shocked it was raining, and lamented not dressing for the weather. The street salesmen did a booming business peddling umbrellas today, that’s for sure.

Today was our second day with Ekol, and a similar setup to the Kusadasi. Our guide, Rejent, was waiting inside the terminal and led us out to our car and driver. On the short drive to the downtown area, he gave us some historical background on the city and its people and pointed out things like the ancient city walls and the Galata bridge. Istanbul is situated on both the European and Asian (Anatolyan) sides of the Bosphorous strait, making it the only major city on two continents – pretty neat. Unfortunately, it is also located on some major earthquake fault lines, but the government is working overtime to bring the city to earthquake-readiness. They had a larger quake in the late 90s, but “the big one” is forecasted to hit in the near future. Yikes. In the distance, we could see the looming Galata tower, which the bridge is named after. A relic from ancient times, the tower used to be a major lookout point for the citadel of Galata. Now, it provides a panoramic view of the old town and the bridges crossing the Bosphorous strait.

 

We arrived at our first stop of the day, the Topkapi palace, far ahead of any other tours. In fact, the only other tour group we saw there was of the crew, mainly the cruise staff. It was really fun to see them acting like tourists like the rest of us. Like the previous day in Kusadasi, Ekol paid for all the entrances to the sites ahead of time and we breezed in easily. Well, sort of – DD had an unfortunate incident getting stuck in the turnstile when her umbrella opened up randomly and trapped her. Oops! I think the cruise staff and our guide are still laughing over that one.

The Topkapi Palace was the primary residence of the sultan from the 13th until the 19th century. It was a place of state business as well as a lavish living quarters. The Palace housed hundreds of people, from the sultan’s family and inner circle all the way down to servants and staff. Each sultan added and changed areas of the Palace to suit his whims, but the layout isn’t as much of a hodgepodge as you’d expect. The Palace is a series of four courtyards, each more exclusive than the last. The first functioned as a peoples’ park, hosting parades and royal processions. The second courtyard dispensed justice, housing an imperial council and the Palace’s highest point, the Tower of Justice. The sultan would also hold audiences here. Finally, there’s a small depressed stone at the courtyard exit that reportedly was where the prophet Muhammad unfurled a holy banner. We spent most of our time in the third courtyard, which was a series of rooms and corridors surrounding an inner courtyard full of greenery and gorgeous flowers. DD compared it to a very nice quadrangle on a college campus. However, it was still raining at this point, which sadly took away from the beauty of the area. We spent most of the time rushing from overhang to overhang, whereas on a sunny day you could appreciate the surroundings more.

Our first stop was a very small but elaborate Throne room where the Sultan used to meet with dignitaries. Why so small? Because the sultan tried to keep the meetings as intimate as possible, and keep out the visitor’s entourages. What the room lacked in size, it more than made up for in decoration: marble walls, a gold detailed fireplace, an intricate gold-woven rug, and a large, plush sofa for the actual meetings.

We had to skip the next major room, the kitchen, as it was closed for remodeling. The next room, the imperial costumes, holds various costumes and outfits from the former sultans. We saw everything from battle outfits to ceremonial royal robes, all of which were fashioned from the finest cloth or even decorated with gemstones. By the way – each of the palace rooms has no-nonsense guards and talking and picture taking are both prohibited.

The real showstopper, the Imperial Treasury, is housed in next several rooms. Here you’ll find the sultan’s finest jewels and riches, along with gifts from other leaders and items won in battle. If you love gems or jewelry, this is the place for you. One of the most stunning pieces is the Topkapi dagger, a gold dagger encrusted with huge emeralds and a watch. The sultan originally intended the dagger to be a gift to the Shah of Persia; however, he was assassinated and the dagger remained in the palace. The other amazing piece is the Spoonmaker’s diamond, an 86 carat diamond originally thought to be useless glass, and as such, was traded away for spoons inside the Grand Bazaar. If gems aren’t your thing, there’s plenty of ornate thrones, Koran covers, battle attire (helmets, suits or armor, and weapons) to keep you busy. Looking at all the gems and precious metals in such huge quantities, it’s almost hard to believe they’re real. This room was really a feast for the eyes.

When we left the Imperial Treasures, we found our guide Rejent sitting outside on the bench. He waved us over, and we discovered he had made a new friend while waiting for us – an adorable kitten who crawled into his lap and promptly fell asleep. Too cute! There are lots of stay cats wandering the Palace area, so if you love animals, you’ll enjoy meeting the locals here.

Our last stop inside the Palace was the chamber of the sacred relics, which houses relics from the prophet Muhammad and other religious figures. Most are the spoils of Ottoman conquests. The relics include Moses’ staff, the arm of John the Baptist, and parts of Muhammad and his battle equipment known collectively as the Sacred Trusts. This chamber is also a place of prayer, with many pilgrims chanting and praying in a room alongside the relics.

As we left, we got a brief view of the Asian side of Turkey from the side terrace and the fourth courtyard (formerly the most exclusive of the yards, housing holy kiosks and private retreats for the royal family). When we reached the entrance, we found that our car was missing. Eventually Rejent had to call for Ekol to send another car to pick us up and take us to the other sites. This is my main complaint and disappointment with Ekol. When you have a private tour arranged and the car is yours for the day, it shouldn’t disappear while you’re at a site. At any rate, they sent another car and we made our way to Sultanahmet.

 

When we reached Sultanahmet, the rain had slowed and we were able to walk around the Hippodrome area. Both today and in ancient times, this was a main square. In Roman times, when Istanbul was Constantinople and the capital of the empire, it was a sports center for chariot races and large gatherings. The Hippodrome was modeled after the Circus Maximus in Rome. Needless to say, it’s much more subdued now than it was back then. The actual path of the races is marked, but the ancient Hippodrome was about seven feet below the current street level. It's hard to believe most of the ancient city is beneath your feet. In addition to hosting sporting events, the Hippodrome displayed statues and art brought from all over the Roman empire. Ironically, most of the statues were then victims of conquests and looters, and missing essential pieces. Four gilded horses, formerly marking the “skyboxes” of the Hippodrome, were looted during the Crusades and now adorn St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. Not much remains of the twisted Serpent Column, as its actual serpent heads and golden bowl were stolen during battles. Ditto the gold and bronze plaques on the walled obelisk, which now resembles a tower made of stones stacked Jenga-board style. Still, it’s interesting to see the statues now, with only part of their former glory. The one well-preserved landmark is the obelisk of Theodosius, placed in what used to be the center of the chariot track. The obelisk originally came from Egypt, and its hieroglyphics on the sides and carvings of Theodosius on the base are very detailed.

 

Our next stop was the Blue Mosque. Rejent had warned me that the Blue Mosque had a small staircase at the entrance, so I stayed behind at a small café while he and DD went inside. Ordering tea in a local place was an interesting experience, to say the least. Turkish tea is pretty strong! It was also entertaining to watch the owner solicit customers by shouting "hello! Look!" at them, which was the extent of his English. Needless to say, it didn't work so well.

If you’re visiting the Mosque, be warned that they are VERY strict about the dress code. Shoulders and knees (the back moreso than the front) must be covered. If they’re not, they will provide you with a small shawl, but god only knows the last time those things were washed. :eek: We knew about the dress codes and DD, who hates capris, even bought a pair specifically so she could follow the rules. Well, it turned out the capris were not to the liking of the dress code police at the Blue Mosque and she had to cover up with one of those shawls anyway. Live and learn! You must also remove your shoes before entering (bags are provided), and there are sinks outside for washing up. Cleanliness is very important, as Muslims pray and put their foreheads on the carpeted floor of the mosque.

Though dimly lit by chandeliers and natural light, the mosque is very pretty. Thousands of handmade ceramic tiles line the walls and ceiling, and it’s so large that it’s difficult to take it all in. The tiles themselves depict everything from scenes in nature to verses from the Koran in fancy calligraphy. As you’d expect, many of the tiles on the domes are blue. DD said the mosque was very crowded at the time they were there, full of both tourists and pilgrims. (Turkey is one of the only countries that allows non-Muslims to visit mosques.) There is a separate, gated area for prayer. Silence is requested, but between the chanting prayer and tourist din, it doesn’t really happen. Rejent told us the mosque was extra crowded due to the fact it was Friday, a holy day. Later in the day, we heard the call to prayer broadcast from the mosque’s minarets (towers).

 

The Hagia Sophia is literally across the street from the Blue Mosque – the two are only separated by a small park and fountain. Hagia Sophia began life as an Eastern Orthodox church, possessing one of the largest domes in the world, along with other important relics. Later, after the Ottoman empire conquered Constantinople, the sultan converted the church into a huge mosque, the most grand of its time. Minarets and other elements for the sultan’s comfort were added, and the mosaics depicting biblical scenes were covered in plaster. (You can see the remnants of the overhaul in some of the damaged mosaics on the upper floor.) Today, the building is a unique mix: you’ll see Christian symbols displayed right alongside verses from the Koran. The altar and mihrab (marker of the direction of Mecca) are adjacent. Because of claim disputes, Hagia Sophia is not used for worship, just as a museum. There was quite a bit of scaffolding inside, which detracted a little. Still, the experience of the immense dome and its heavy stone pillars, and gold, marble, and mosaics lining the walls is really special.

 

At this point, the rain had finally slowed and the day was looking brighter. We returned to the Hippodrome area (short walk) and hopped in the car to go to lunch. These three sites really are a stone’s throw from each other and very do-able on your own if you choose to take the tram into town. We ended up in the downtown area, at a slightly touristy place across the street from the Grand Bazaar. Another kitten visited our outdoor lunch table, and Rejent made a new friend by feeding him some beef from a sandwich. DD and I both had chicken wraps, which made for a decent lunch.

 

Our final stop of the day was the famous Grand Bazaar. The Bazaar was completely different than what I expected: more modern and less crowded. It is crowded in some of the main avenues, but not overwhelmingly so. There are high, rounded ceilings with mosaics, which make the Bazaar feel spacious. The layout can be confusing (most of the stores look the same and I could see how easy it would be to get lost because there are no maps.) The stores sell everything from lanterns to candy to gold jewelry, and the shopkeepers aren’t as relentless as I had read. They all have their own lines to get your attention – “come see me, I won’t cheat you as badly as he will!” and some other gems – but when it gets down to business, you can bargain with most of them. Then again, we did stay away from the carpet vendors, so your mileage may vary. The vendors take Euros, Turkish lira, and even your firstborn (if necessary – those carpets are expensive). :p We bought a few gifts for friends back home and headed outside, where it began drizzling again. We had to wait about ten minutes for our driver (again), during which DD bargained for postcards (her souvenir vice) at a small shop. I spent my time watching a carpet store vendor desperately try to attract customers. He would walk up to people and say “it’s here”. It was pretty funny to watch the bewildered tourists try to interpret this come-on. He also tried his spiel in broken Spanish, offering people what translated to "carpets more expensive than the other stores". LOL.

 

After a short drive back over the Galata bridge (getting some nice views of the pier and Ruby and Celebrity Equinox along the way), we arrived back to the ship. We went through metal detectors inside the terminal, where we watched one woman become indignant that she wouldn’t be allowed to keep her newly purchased dagger with her onboard. :eek: Wow – are you kidding me? Stopped for a moment in the terminal to fill out our landing cards (last name, first name, and nationality) before re-boarding. At this point, the sun was shining in its glory (of course). I went back to the cabin for a rest while DD wandered around on deck and took some photos of the harbor and watched the busloads trickle back to the ship from the deck above the bridge. (For those who want to enjoy the view from there: Lido deck, the unmarked door all the way forward. Watch out if the ship is at sea, it gets extremely windy!)

 

Tonight’s dinner was the Cosmopolitan dinner, and another menu we’d never had before. We both had the surf and turf (filet mignon and jumbo shrimp), which was nice. The headwaiter was doing tableside cooking of cherries jubilee, so I opted for that as my dessert, and it was fantastic. Loved it! DD was not so lucky when she tried the Sacher torte. It was so bad she left it after two bites, and this is a girl who loves her chocolate and dessert. Consider yourselves warned. :cool:

 

The two competing activities tonight were Stardust, the production show, and Al Brown the “comedian” in Explorers. We decided to save Stardust for tomorrow and went to see Al instead. He was a tad better, but even that still puts him in the bargain basement of comedians IMHO. The White Hot deck party was originally planned for this evening, but due to the rain (the pool decks especially were saturated), it was postponed until Naples. To make up for this, they added another movie on MUTS (How to Train Your Dragon), the Marriage gameshow, and karaoke to the program. The Marriage gameshow was pretty amusing (as always), and ACD Eric made for a hilarious host and used some new questions on the couples. Eric was cruise staff on our Star cruise last summer and it was great to see him promoted to ACD on this trip, he deserves it.

 

All in all, Istanbul was a decent port, but the rain really dragged down the day. It’s just not fun to run from site to site in between raindrops, and you couldn’t enjoy being outside. I also felt slightly uncomfortable by the police presence in the city. I saw a lot of soldiers with large guns patrolling even the touristy areas. It didn’t help that the day’s Patter had specific advice for staying safe in Istanbul (behaving conservatively, watching for pickpockets, staying in tourist areas), something that wasn’t added for any other port. I don’t mean to scare away any future travelers here, but I got a different vibe from this port. Just be smart when visiting. The sites are still wonderful – especially the Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia – and the people we encountered were great.

 

 

July 10th, Mykonos

When we first booked this cruise, DD and I wondered why we only had half days both in Kusadasi and Mykonos, considering the ports in this area aren’t that far from each other. The reason is this: so you can rest, because trust me, you’ll need it! This morning, we had a more leisurely breakfast in the MDR instead of the eat-and-run we’d been doing for the last few days. We were scheduled to arrive in Mykonos at noon, so we had the whole morning to relax. We attended another one of Hutch’s port talks on Livorno (very informative, again), and I spent the rest of the morning reading in the Piazza while DD watched our sail-in to Mykonos with her friends. She said the sail-in was very pretty with the bright blue water and white buildings dotting the sides of the mountains. The ship docked a bit early, around 11:45am. After gathering our stuff, we stopped at the International Café for a quick bite and chatted with one of favorite servers, Anastasia. If you’re sailing on the Ruby soon, stop by and say hi – she is an absolute sweetheart. On this cruise I was a little sad to discover that the IC has discontinued one of my favorite items, the marinated mushrooms. They now serve a grilled vegetable salad instead, but I really miss those mushrooms. :( The rest of the sandwiches and salads (including the much-beloved chicken salad) are still the exact same as always.

 

From researching on the internet, we knew we would be the only ship in port and would probably dock instead of tender. Hutch mentioned in his talk on Mykonos that Greek vessels get priority at the dock, so if one arrived, we would be bumped. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. It’s hard to say which option is preferable here. Tendering puts you right in Mykonos town, on the waterfront, but you do have to put up with tendering hassles. When docked, the ship arranges free busses that run back and forth between the town and the pier. The bus drops you off about 5min from town. I think the main reason Princess arranges the busses is because the walk to town is pretty dangerous, with no sidewalks and few road shoulders.

The Mykonos dock itself is fairly new, but apparently poorly planned, as it is uneven in places from being unable to support the weight of the busses – watch your step. Though we disembarked after the initial passenger rush, we still had to wait in line about 20min to catch one. The bus ride takes about 5min and we were deposited right on the edge of town. The Princess paparazzi was there to meet the busses and take your photo along the waterfront. It is a great photo op to get Mykonos town, the water, and harbor in the background, though. On the way to town, you’ll find two restaurants (one with a washed-up fishing boat) and a small strip of sand that everyone in town seemed to think was the perfect spot to hang out.

 

We had no tour planned for today, and it was a welcome break after three rushed days. While reading up on the port on CC, no one had any real concrete suggestions other than to wander the town, which was a little frustrating. After visiting, I can understand why. Truth be told, there is not much here in terms of must-see sites or history. (Hutch said that there are local museums, but warned us that they are rarely, if ever, open.) Mykonos is just a quaint, if somewhat touristy, seaside town. Wandering (and getting lost in) the windy streets and alleys is the way to spend the day here. (If you get lost, just head in the direction of the water - you'll find your way out eventually!) You’ll see the iconic white buildings and blue-roof churches, lush bougainvillea hanging overhead, and tons of cute shops and waterfront restaurants. The harbor is tiny but full of colorful fishing boats and even some yachts, and of course, you can’t miss the beautiful blue water. I can’t describe this place in any way other than picturesque. It's gorgeous. Further away from the town, there’s plenty of beaches (both of the nude and clothed variety) and hotels, and more of a resort vibe, but we didn’t venture that far. Mykonos is also well-known for its nightlife and clubs, but you wouldn’t guess that from little Mykonos town.

If you do need something specific to see, you can venture over to Little Venice and the windmills on the far edge of town. A map might be helpful in this venture, but if all else fails, just walk along the waterfront and you’ll reach it eventually. Little Venice is a series of colorful buildings along the waterfront that used to be fishermen’s homes. They could pull their boats up right underneath their home at the end of a work day. Five of the Mykonos windmills are slightly uphill from here, towering over the waterfront. These were originally built for grinding wheat, an early industry in Mykonos, but nowadays they don’t do much other than look pretty. They’re pretty representative of the island, though – you’ll see them on all the requisite souvenirs and photos. As you can probably guess, this part of the island was especially windy. You can also get some great views of the Ruby from this part of the waterfront.

One regret about our visit here is that we missed out on seeing the town mascot, Petros the pelican. Hutch talked up this bird so much at his Mykonos lecture that DD was dying to see it in person. This Petros is actually Petros III. His grandfather, the original, was rescued by fishermen and nursed back to health by the locals. He became the town mascot and had the run of the place, and unlimited dining at any restaurant in town. Nowadays his grandson (grandbird?) enjoys the same privileges and struts around like he owns the place. Unfortunately, during our time wandering the waterfront, we didn’t spot the giant pink pelican once. Until next time, Petros! ;)

 

On our way back from the windmills, we stopped at a small gelato shop along the harbor. You can’t miss this one, it’s right at the end of the harbor, near the ferries to Delos. Another one of Hutch’s recommendations, DD really wanted to visit because they serve baklava gelato. It wasn’t as good as just plain baklava, but it was a unique treat. We wandered the shops again, picking up some gifts and souvenirs. The olive oil soap is a must-buy here – smells wonderful and is actually a good soap.

At the end of the day, we thought it might be worth it to catch a taxi back at the taxi stand in the middle of town. Don’t bother. There’s only about 30 taxis on the island, and we waited for awhile and nothing ever showed up. We walked back to the busses and rode back to the ship. Stewards were handing out much-welcomed cool towels, and we zipped back onboard in no time at all.

 

At dinner, we met up with our tablemates and discussed our days. The ladies chose to stay onboard, while the other couple wandered around town like we did. They did manage to see the infamous Petros, and informed us that we weren’t missing much and he looked pretty cranky with the tourists around him. Tonight’s Princess dinner had one of our favorite entrees, the mango-lime shrimp kebabs – they’re so delicious and flavorful. Dinner was again interrupted by one of Captain Draper’s rambling monologues about docking in Mykonos and the high winds on the island today. As usual, almost everyone tuned him out. Poor captain!

 

We headed to the show at 8:30pm, which was the final performance of Stardust. This show is noticeably less flashy than Broadway Ballroom or Once Upon a Dream, and focuses on songs from older generations. I like it, even though it is pretty simple with just the vocalists doing most of the performing. DD is not the biggest fan, and actually fell asleep during the middle of it. Just goes to show that no matter how young you are, this itinerary can wear you out!

After the show, we watched a little bit of the Majority Rules gameshow in Explorers. It’s funny, but the laughs really depend on the audience’s responses. There was also the Liar’s Club gameshow after this one, but we skipped it. Tonight on MUTS was more FUTS, the runner-up game of the World Cup. The games just got bigger and bigger as the cruise went on. For this one, the MUTS area wasn’t big enough, so the game was also shown in Skywalkers. Rest assured that if you sail a Princess ship during World Cup time, your football viewing needs will be well taken care of.

 

All in all, I liked our day in Mykonos. It's completely different from the rest of the ports, in that you're really here for the scenery and atmosphere than the sites. It was a nice break from all the touring. The town is beautiful and quaint, and the pace is very relaxed. I'm looking forward to visiting again, even if it's just to wander and enjoy the view.

[mtaylor04]

I am really enjoying the review and the pictures. Thanks!

[ColoCruze]

I am really enjoying your narrative...you have that wonderful gift that puts me right there with you as I read.

 

I did the 12-day Med cruise in 1998, though it was slightly different...one-way from Barcelona to Istanbul...and reading your descriptions of each port is bringing back so many wonderful memories. I can't wait to go back!

[margord]

 

margord: We booked with Ekol travel (www.ekoltravel.com) in Turkey, and our guide in Kusadasi was Levent. When I emailed with Nur, the tour operator, she said that they do not take requests for specific guides. I'm sure it can't hurt to ask, though - give it a shot.

photographer in the family, I'm impressed! Glad you're enjoying the review and photos.

:)

 

Thank you so much.

[cruiselover11]

Infi! Thank you so much for such detailed review.

Is there a part 2?

We are taking this itenirery this coming July . Looking forward to read part 2 if there is one!