LIVE from the Royal Princess - 30 days, Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale - 9/27 - 10/27

[woohooTOO]

 

After checking in, going through Security was a mess. Very slow and crew members pushed ahead of passengers because they were late getting back to the ship and their duties.

 

Once we boarded, everything changed... for the better.

 

We had the same negative experience with embarkation back in May. Guess it hasn't changed. We return to Venice on November 17 for a TA from Venice to Ft. Lauderdale. I really hope they get their act together by then.

[CQG67]

Pia, I am enjoying your posts, as usual. Glad the weather is cooperating. Please say hi to Mike, Franky, Jack, Denise and Brian. Wish George and I were on the ship with you guys. Maybe next year! Looking forward to giving the Royal a try out in February. Since we aren't that picky, I think we can live with whatever is thrown at us and survive no middle staircase (although I do like to walk the stairs on my cruises) I guess I will just have to use fore or aft for that. Looking forward to the revised Horizon Court. The buffet area on the Celebrity Reflection was HUGE, so I can't imagine Royal's being that much different. We liked having all of those choices. Makes it interesting. I can't imagine you have missed any ports in your cruising history. Hope the rest of the cruise is without incident and the weather pleasant. Things are quiet in Florida at the moment, thank goodness - knock on wood, and all of that nonsense. Was in Boynton recently with the grandbabies and the weather was starting to cool down a bit. Should be nice when you get home.

 

Have fun - you always do. Barb Brant

 

quote=Pia1913;40297145]Mission accomplished. Sort of. I wanted to give you this information for future reference, before it disappeared from my brain. I left Mike sitting near the HOHO buses and went in search of the supermarket. A gentleman at the tour office in the terminal gave me an address. As follows:

 

 

Conad City

Via Roberto Bracco #4

 

 

Near Bingo Florentinas

 

 

It’s amazing how many locals don’t know where streets are located. But I found it. I bought 3 bottles of wine and a large bar of dark chocolate for Mike. He’s now in pig heaven. No diet Pepsi; regular only and in liter bottles. I will have to survive w/o it and just drink yukky Coke and wine.

 

 

Nobody cared what I had in my two bags. Security is very loosey goosey. It looks like only in the U.S. do they care how much wine you bring aboard.

 

 

Nothing else to say except it’s a gorgeous day.

[san diego sue]

Couldn't tell room steward, too late in evening. The cabin wasn't one that my Steward serviced.

The laundry that was left, believe me no one would steal it.

I did notice lots of laundry being left outside cabin doors.

 

A couple of cabins down from us, a nice couple had put out cute jokes on their door every day.It was held on by Princess clip magnets.

Well, someone stole the magnets off the door (and took the daily joke as well). To steal something with so little value or even it it had value, what kind of people would do this?

[Pam in CA]

Pam,

Better have you room steward check on your laundry.

...

Of course with all those Elite's on board, the laundry could be backlogged.

That's the problem. All of the stewards are reporting large numbers of open laundry slips. As of tonight, apparently the laundry is still finishing the 10/9 bags and haven't started on most of the 10/10 bags. This is a big problem and lots of people are complaining. It's not as if Princess didn't know so many Elite were booked but they better catch up fast because there are a lot of pissed off people.

 

Re: my sister's Marina deck inside cabin. She realized that the noise is from the buffet area and carts being wheeled on the hard floor so I wouldn't recommend any Marina deck inside cabin beneath anywhere in the buffet or you'll have the same problem.

[Dietemann]

That's the problem. All of the stewards are reporting large numbers of open laundry slips. As of tonight, apparently the laundry is still finishing the 10/9 bags and haven't started on most of the 10/10 bags. This is a big problem and lots of people are complaining. It's not as if Princess didn't know so many Elite were booked but they better catch up fast because there are a lot of pissed off people.

I guess they didn't learn after the Grand SA cruise?

[Woobstr112G]

Good evening (2309 local time) from the Royal Princess. Getting ready to turn in after a long day. Another long one tomorrow as well. Today I had organized a private tour for Sorrento, The Amalfi Coast, and Positano. The highlight of the day was lunch at La Tagliata. We ate at this wonderful establishment prior in 2011. The 2013 version of our lunch did not disappoint anyone:) Our driver was fantastic When I initially made the reservation I had asked for him. It was so good to have him again. He is the consummate driver/guide.

In Sorrento we wandered around and picked up a few things. We also sampled some tasty Lemonchello. We also did a little shopping in Positano before we made our way to the restaurant.

After we got back to the Royal we hung out and just relaxed. Sometime after sail away I tried the "Smoke House" BBQ (Trident Grill) They had different menu items tonight that had a bit more kick to them.

Tomorrow is Rome and my final private excursion. I'm really excited to finally being on Rome on a day other than a Sunday.

One last thing. Many of you may have heard this but for those that have not, If yu plan to organize an private excursions do not do any soliciting onboard at the Meet & Greet or any other venue. Princess takes this very seriously and can worst case scenario) kick you off the ship.

Take Care All.....:):):)

 

Bob

Edited October 13, 2013 by Woobstr112G

[Shogun]

Hi Bob Pam Pia and all

 

Thank you for keeping us up dated

 

May be one day we will get the chance to cruise together

 

I am glad l dropped this cruise work is busy just now and would not have been able to relax

 

Yours Shogun

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Forums mobile app

[lovevacadays]

We had a great day today in Herculaeum, Vesuvius and Pompei. I had planned a private tour with eight people. Left the ship before 8pm and were on the road almost immediately.

 

We were the first in line for tickets at Herculaneum only their computer was down and we had to wait half an hour for them to fix it and issue tickets. 20€/pp for both Herculaneum and Pompeii. We had a couple of hours to explore which was IMHO, enough time. It's very interesting since it was kind of like a resort town whereas Pompeii was a bustling commercial port city. Another difference is that Herculaneum was buried under rocks and magma from the explosion in 79AD whereas Pompeii was buried in 27' of ash. So that Herculaneum was leveled and Pompeii was preserved.

 

After Herculaneum, we drove to Vesuvius up (I think) 1,000m. The buses drop you off and you walk the rest of the way. The views are amazing and we were fortunate to have a sunny, warm, clear day. We opted out of climbing the 300m almost straight up for 10€ and surprised our driver by walking down and meeting him half an hour later.

 

We drove to Pompeii and had lunch at a place just outside the entrance. The portions were huge. Some ordered pizza, some spaghetti, and a few of us panini. Then we were off to tour Pompeii with our private guide (110€ for two hours for eight of us), well worth the money. She was great and rather than listen to a recording, we could ask questions and got a whole lot more information.

 

Originally, we were supposed to be on tour until 6pm but were back onboard by 4:45pm or so. I don't think any of us could have lasted and longer. The total cost for the private tour was 90€/pp. Princess didn't offer anything that included all three. Vesuvius and Pompeii is $129, Herculaneum is $75. So, I think we did well. :)

 

BTW, I slept like a log last night for the first time, right through any noise. :) My only criticism right now is that I sent off laundry first thing (before 8am) Thursday morning and it's now Sunday even and it's not back yet. I'm starting to really need those clothes since "next day" is now three days later. :( Other than that, the cruise itself has been fine.

 

It was a great day. Tomorrow is Rome. Up early again.

 

Pam, sounds like a wonderful day.:) I hope you get your laundry soon.:)

[5326jan]

Good evening (2309 local time) from the Royal Princess. Getting ready to turn in after a long day. Another long one tomorrow as well. Today I had organized a private tour for Sorrento, The Amalfi Coast, and Positano. The highlight of the day was lunch at La Tagliata. We ate at this wonderful establishment prior in 2011. The 2013 version of our lunch did not disappoint anyone:) Our driver was fantastic When I initially made the reservation I had asked for him. It was so good to have him again. He is the consummate driver/guide.

In Sorrento we wandered around and picked up a few things. We also sampled some tasty Lemonchello. We also did a little shopping in Positano before we made our way to the restaurant.

After we got back to the Royal we hung out and just relaxed. Sometime after sail away I tried the "Smoke House" BBQ (Trident Grill) They had different menu items tonight that had a bit more kick to them.

Tomorrow is Rome and my final private excursion. I'm really excited to finally being on Rome on a day other than a Sunday.

One last thing. Many of you may have heard this but for those that have not, If yu plan to organize an private excursions do not do any soliciting onboard at the Meet & Greet or any other venue. Princess takes this very seriously and can worst case scenario) kick you off the ship.

Take Care All.....:):):)

 

Bob

 

Very good reminder! :)

[bronxgirl25]

Thanks for all the reports everyone. really enjoying sailing along with you!

 

Pia...I sent you an email but see from Gloria's post that you are having problems with it. will tell all when you get home. All is good though!

[donna travels]

Good evening (2309 local time) from the Royal Princess. Getting ready to turn in after a long day. Another long one tomorrow as well. Today I had organized a private tour for Sorrento, The Amalfi Coast, and Positano. The highlight of the day was lunch at La Tagliata. We ate at this wonderful establishment prior in 2011. The 2013 version of our lunch did not disappoint anyone:) Our driver was fantastic When I initially made the reservation I had asked for him. It was so good to have him again. He is the consummate driver/guide.

In Sorrento we wandered around and picked up a few things. We also sampled some tasty Lemonchello. We also did a little shopping in Positano before we made our way to the restaurant.

After we got back to the Royal we hung out and just relaxed. Sometime after sail away I tried the "Smoke House" BBQ (Trident Grill) They had different menu items tonight that had a bit more kick to them.

Tomorrow is Rome and my final private excursion. I'm really excited to finally being on Rome on a day other than a Sunday.

One last thing. Many of you may have heard this but for those that have not, If yu plan to organize an private excursions do not do any soliciting onboard at the Meet & Greet or any other venue. Princess takes this very seriously and can worst case scenario) kick you off the ship.

Take Care All.....:):):)

 

Bob

 

I took 7 vans there in 2009 Great food and views. They even provided live music

[CTGirl]

Hi Everyone, Thank you all for taking time from your cruise to post. I will be on the Royal next April for the Westbound TA. I have two questions. The first is about our cabin location. We had a guarantee and were assigned L222 which is under the Sanctuary. Does anyone know how noisy this might be?

 

The second question has to do with the TV inputs. Woobstr112G you mentioned that the HDMI hookups don't work. Bilco mentioned something about disconnecting the HDMI cable and connecting his own to his tablet and that worked. I always travel with my own HDMI cable. Will I be able to watch things on my computer or IPhone using my HDMI cable on the TV? How would I do that if the input does not work?

 

Thank you all for your help.

[Woobstr112G]

Good morning from the Royal Princess (0643 local time). We docked in Rome about 25 minutes or so ago. Will be departing for my excursion at 0730. Pretty good night sleep (short nap:D) so I'm ready to go.

CTGirl, regarding the HDMI cable. I have heard that it worked for one person (not BILCO). I tried it but it did not work for me. Tried all HDMI inputs including the one the Princess plug was attached to. Kinda bummed but my ultra book is somewhat of a worthy substitute.

Hope all have a good day.....:):):)

 

Bob

Edited October 14, 2013 by Woobstr112G

[Pia1913]

Good Monday morning from Civitavecchia, on this October 14th which is also Canadian Thanksgiving Day. Not sure whether they celebrate with turkey too, but we will soon find out when we see today’s dining room menu. Weather looks nice with sun shining, but a few sprinkles from above.

　

We spent the rest of yesterday recuperating from the wine run (at least I did), watched a movie (Identity Theft), had wine time, early dinner and went to see Rikki Jay the comedian. He gets me exhausted just watching him. His show is still basically the same with a few new “shtick”, but he keeps running back and forth and I get out of breath. Visited the casino afterwards and got a little lucky. Hey, an extra $20 is always welcome. What was unusual is that the casino is filled; totally. I have never been on a Princess cruise that had so many gamblers aboard. There wasn’t an empty table seat at any venue. Can you see the manager smiling?

　

We will probably take the shuttle over a bit later, though I don’t know for what reason. I guess to just get off the ship. Couldn’t find Pepsi here on Sept. 30th, so doubt it would be here today either. Again, nothing doing on board in the morning, but in the afternoon, there will be a local tenor Corrado Amici entertaining us in the Piazza. What a choice; trivia or tenor. Tune in for the results.

All aboard is at 6:30 and a port talk on Cannes shortly after. It’s movie night in Vista; two showings of “The Big Wedding”. In the theater there’s pianist Chris Hamilton and on MUTS “Quartet.” Liars Club will be at 9:30 and a

Dancing Fountain show, “A Tribute to James Bond” will run every 15 minutes starting at 10:30. I’ve been aboard for 2 ½ weeks and have yet to see one of these shows. Another movie tonight for the night owls at 11:30 - “Rust & Bone.”

Answers, etc.

1. Ron: Not a word about Ron Goodman. I will ask Sam.

2. Danni: I don’t know anyone named Shane; not at coffee bar or anywhere else. I will try to find the info about photo books, but Mike tells me they are there.

3. Laundry: So far, so good for us, but our friends have had someone else’s laundry delivered to their cabin. Twice. As of tonight they are missing some of his underwear, socks and a pair of Jeans. Her stuff has all come back.

All finished at gym. Time for breakfast. Ciao

[DonahCBrown]

Per a review on Trip Advisor, you might be able to find Pepsi if you can find a Subway - evidently they carry Pepsi products - if they're like our local ones, they have fountain and also a cooler with cans - might be pricey, but at least you'd have some.

 

If you're still looking for wine, there was a little mom & pop place about two blocks inland and one block over from the hotel we all stayed in that had a small but okay quality selection. If memory serves, it was on the corner on the right. The bigger grocery that was in the apartment complex was closing, but might have re-opened.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

 

Carnival Sunshine is also in Port with them today.

[ssbeagle]

The weather in Rome today is beautiful. With a Costa ship and a Carnival ship in port it is crowded getting out of the port.

 

There is a laundry problem for us elite that get our laundry done. We turned in our laundry four days ago and still don't haven't gotten it back. We are running short because we didn't bring that much with us. I hope we get it back today.

 

The only other problem we have had is with so e of the other passengers being so rude and pushy. One woman accused my husband of pushing her and he never even touched her. All he wanted to do was get off th elevator and she wouldn't move when he said excuse me. After another try she did move but was very huffy. Others were very impatient having to stand in line to pay in the shop on board.

 

We are at a wonderful restaurant near the Vatican so must get going.

[westendgirl]

Hi Pia! Sounds like you're having a wonderful cruise. Have been lurking since the first post and enjoying every word.

 

Hope you get this in time for Civitivecchia wine trolling. There's a little alimentari about one block up and one block to the right from the large church near the waterfront (near the the Unconditional Surrender statue and sailors' hotel) called Saperi Antichi. The proprietor was so welcoming and helpful and patient with my toddler Italian. We found some great wine there for 5EU. Good hunting and have a wonderful 'rest of the cruise'. And Donah's suggestion about Pepsi at Subway was brilliant. :D

~ Janet

[Pia1913]

There is no Pepsi in Italy. Coke rules! This was said to me by the counter guy at Subway. Subway of course serves Pepsi. Just to feed my craze, I bought one bottle of Pepsi Light for the astronomical price of 2.50 euros. It’s only a 0,5L one, but I will make it last as long as I can.

Good afternoon (it’s now 3 PM) on what turned out to be a beautiful, warm and sunny day. We walked around a little (like two hours), found a market and also found another supermarket. Bought another bottle of wine and also a bag of coffee. 4.08 euros for both. What a bargain, especially if they both turn out to taste good.

I wrote the above before reading the past few posts and pretty funny that two of them mentioned the Pepsi. Donna, that place is out of business.

The Carrefours market is not too far away. Walk straight up the McDonald's street (keep McD on your left) until you reach the statue of Madonna. Very high obelisk. Cross to other side, walk one block and turn right. Lots of wine there. I now have enough, between yesterday and today. I think.

Over and out for now.

[san diego sue]

Pia my friend you are so determined, when you want something. Savor that Diet Pepsi.

 

Amelia, Where are you. I wanted to read about your tours.

 

Gloria:D:D

[RRFPresident]

It is interesting to see how many of the seasoned cruisers on this thread are choosing private tours. This will be my first time in any of these ports but we're leaning toward the use of private tours for a change.

 

Can you all share the names and/or contact info for the tours you loved?

[san diego sue]

Are we allowed to post this information on Private tours?

Go to your roll call, I am sure there are people on it organizing tours.

[chamima]

Are we allowed to post this information on Private tours?

Go to your roll call, I am sure there are people on it organizing tours.

 

Yes, we can share on here and considering everyone so far has loved their tours it's a great place to get educated advice!

(The rule is that we can't ask at the Meet and Greet once on the ship because that competes with the ship's excursions - these forums aren't sponsored by the cruise lines.)

[Avalon35]

It is interesting to see how many of the seasoned cruisers on this thread are choosing private tours. This will be my first time in any of these ports but we're leaning toward the use of private tours for a change.

 

Can you all share the names and/or contact info for the tours you loved?

 

I am also interested in feedback about the ship's excursions as well. I am researching both, and in some cases it might be just as good to go on the ship's excursion. I also follow the ports board where there are very good discussions on private tours.

[Pia1913]

Me again. Several little things I felt you couldn’t live without. ;)

1. Every elevator has a saying on its carpeted floor.

These are two of them.

a. Whatever you pack there’s always room for memories

b. Those that travel far know much

　

2. The Tenor: He did 9 selections. Has a good voice but should have sung more recognizable pieces. Out of the nine, #5 was the Ave Maria, #7 was Santa Lucia and #9 was the Pavarotti signature piece ; I don’t recall the name.

3. Some statistics. Over 1200 Elite on board and cutoff for luncheon is 665.

Bye again.