Regal Princess 17 Day Mediterranean/Aegean Grand Adventure Review

[caribill]

did you hear of anyone who did the Herculeon (sp?) Princess excursion and how they liked it?

 

We took it several years ago and enjoyed it very much. Just as fascinating a visit as Pompeii. However, it also included a visit to the cameo factory.

[rdsqrl]

Thanks for another fascinating review. We're just going to Herculeon from Naples since we've already done Pompeii and DH had kind of wished we had done Herculeon too but you did make everything sound very nice (except the heat, of course.) I imagine in mid/late August we'll have the same heat or worse (when we went to Pompeii several years ago it was during a heat wave.) We usually don't buy all the drinks that you mention so maybe we'll try getting some along with our waters. Anyway, again, your reviews are something I've looked forward to reading every day and you never disappoint. Oh, I'm sure you didn't, but by any chance, did you hear of anyone who did the Herculeon (sp?) Princess excursion and how they liked it?

I did the Princess Herculaneum excursion this past December and was very pleased with it. We had an excellent guide: he was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, with a good sense of humour. I really enjoyed seeing Herculaneum -- very different than Pompeii, of course, as it's a much smaller scale but that makes it easier to get your head around, if you know what I mean. I'm so glad I went; I think you will be, too.

 

And yes, we, too, endured -- er, I mean, visited -- a cameo factory. No obligation to even get off the bus; I stayed aboard and read my book.

[anteaters]

Thanks to both of you above who have done the Princess Herculaneum excursion. I guess it will be a "keeper" since you both liked it. I do wish they wouldn't include the cameo factory but we'll survive it. I'm sure we've been to one somewhere in the past and I don't feel like they made us stay inside very long--hopefully there won't be any eager but indecisive buyers in our group ;) .

[cruisequeen4ever]

Jo Anne, I'm glad others could answer your question because I had never heard of that excursion.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[caribill]

I do wish they wouldn't include the cameo factory but we'll survive it.

 

I am not among them, but there are many people who will not even consider an excursion unless one or more shopping opportunities are included.

 

Even with a small group on private tours there is usually someone who insists the tour have shopping time.

[anteaters]

I am not among them, but there are many people who will not even consider an excursion unless one or more shopping opportunities are included.

 

Even with a small group on private tours there is usually someone who insists the tour have shopping time.

 

We enjoy short times for shopping at unique places. For example, in Athens, walking around the Plaka sounds like something we'd like to do as a real part of Athens life. But on excursions, it is so obvious that you're being taken in for maybe a two-minute demonstration and then an all selling/buying time in which either the cruise line or your tour guide is receiving payback. The worst time was a "tour" of a diamond store, where we were actually locked up inside the store until the last fellow passenger had made his selection. Thankfully my DH protested after a few moments and we were reluctantly allowed to leave and stay nearby outdoors. But sometimes on the cruises, a short "demo" shopping stop is just the price that has to be paid for being on the excursion.

[cruisequeen4ever]

I appreciate the shopping opportunities because I love to shop. With these being all day excursions, you don't have any time to shop after, so it's nice that Princess provides some shopping time. We were never given too much time to shop, though, so it was a good balance for everyone.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[anteaters]

I appreciate the shopping opportunities because I love to shop. With these being all day excursions, you don't have any time to shop after, so it's nice that Princess provides some shopping time. We were never given too much time to shop, though, so it was a good balance for everyone.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

I loved reading about the places that you did shop, your magnet at each port (it would be fun to see a picture of all those), and the foods you so enjoyed such as the French breads and gelatos. It does sound like you found a nice mix of fascinating sights and pleasant shopping/eating.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Santorini:

 

A jewel of a day

 

Blue and white everywhere! Just as you imagine and see in pictures! Today was a tender port, and our plan was to explore Fira (also known as Thira) on our own. In reading the Port Guide, DH decided he would really like to venture to Oia (pronounced ee-uh), too. I went online to research options and found that the best way to get there is via boat. The bus system is slow and unreliable, and though DH really wanted to rent a buggy, you have to have an International Driver's Permit, so that was not possible...for this trip anyway.

 

Being Elite, it was quick and easy to board a tender when we were done with breakfast. By the way, it was quite beautiful having breakfast overlooking Santorini! The tender ride was only about 5 minutes. It couldn't have worked more fluidly; right on the dock was the excursion company selling the water transfer to Oia, the boat was right there waiting, and the excursion included shuttle transfer back to Fira after your choice of a 1, 2, or 3 hour stay! This for only 25 Euros pp, if I remember correctly. We paid, boarded, and sat outside on top for gorgeous views along the way. Te breeze felt wonderful, and it was a fun ride, longer than the quoted 10 minutes but still less than 30. When we arrived at the Oia dock, you're of course at sea level, and Oia is high atop the cliffs. 2 buses were waiting to transport us to the town center. Oh, forgot to mention that one of the famous open air coughers say directly behind us on the boat and hacked on us the whole boat ride!! Then she sat right behind us on the bus, so we moved. Please people, cover your mouth!! The bus ride was only 5 minutes. We were dropped off closer to everything than the Princess excursion buses because our tour company had an office in Oia close to everything. Remember that I said you could stay 1, 2, or 3 hours? Well, that is apparently only if you had been on the first boat over. We had a choice of staying 1 or 2 hours because the last bus of the excursion leaves at 1:00 PM. We don't normally like to wait for the last bus, last tender, etc., but in this case, we wanted as much time here as possible. We decided to take the 1:00 but arrive back at the tour office at 12:30 to be safe.

 

We walked up a short street, and voila, we were in blue and white paradise! Oia is far more beautiful than Thira, and we are very glad we made the trek to it! It's pristine and quiet. We walked along the main walkway, with sweeping views of the ocean, surrounding islands, and the cliffside buildings. We saw a gorgeous resort with an infinity pool; maybe someday we'll stay there. We took tons of pictures in this amazing locale. Cute shops lined the walkway, and we strolled in and out. Then we came to the Kissing Fish Spa. I had read about the fish spa treatment on many Holland America world cruise blogs and was so curious about it; here one was! I thought it was only available in Asia, but we saw this one and then one in Fira later. It was very clean, and the ladies spoke English. A few other cruise pax were in there receiving the treatment. I was really wanting to do it, but my germaphobic side was freaking out at the same time. I asked some pax what it was like, and they all liked it. DH could tell I really wanted to do it and gave me the final burst of courage to do it. When life gives you the opportunity for a unique adventure, do it; no regrets! I told him if I was gonna do it, I definitely wanted him to do it with me, and he graciously did. :-) You can choose your length of treatment between 10-40 minutes. We went with 10 because we had limited time. It costs 10 Euros for 10 minutes, which we thought was very reasonable. They have you rinse off all lotion and sunscreen from your knees down because it can kill the fish. They're very serious about it, too, feeling your legs after to make sure you got everything off. I even had to rinse a second time. You slip on disposable slippers, climb up onto cushy booth style seats, and put your legs together above the glass tank/tub. They instruct you to slowly lower your legs together down into the tub, and then you have to separate your legs for the remainder of the time. When you first submerge your legs, whoa does it feel weird! All of these fish swarm you! It's kind of a tickling feeling but not exactly. I squirmed a lot the first minute and then relaxed. You get used to it after the first minute. The fish suck the dead skin off of you and release enzymes that help detoxify you. It was now our turn to recommend the treatment when more cruise pax arrived. We GoPro'd the treatment and inspired another family to do the same. No, we did not put the camera into the tank; that would have killed the fish. We held hands and enjoyed the rest of the treatment. It's interesting to watch the fish decide the best place to suck off your skin. Mine liked to go between my toes; I had to be careful not to squish them between my toes! Lol After the treatment, you dry off your legs and feet, and put your shoes back on. You may not get your feet wet for 30 minutes after because the enzymes from the fish are still working during that time.

 

Back outside, we had fun returning to childhood, teetering on a teeter totter with views I definitely did not have in my school yard growing up! Then, we continued on our walk. We found a beautiful church, but it was locked, so we just enjoyed it from the outside. It was time to start making our way back to the tour office. We allowed enough time to do a little shopping on the way back. We found a store called "House of Art" that had handmade Greek jewelry, among many other cool items. DH and I have been looking for a cocktail ring for me for YEARS! Everywhere we go, we look, and nothing grabs me. Here, I knew I was going to find a ring! The rings were sterling silver with turquoise opals. There were many designs and plenty of sizes available. I found just the right one, and we both loved it! DH was so thrilled to finally be able to buy me a ring for my middle finger of my right hand! Can it get any better finding "the" ring in Santorini and being handmade and my birthstone?? It was perfect and shines so beautifully in the sun! Ring on, we smiled our way back to the office. There's a nice shaded area on the patio with seats to wait. We were the first ones there so needn't have worried about missing the shuttle. We asked about a bathroom and were told to walk just up the street to the police station. Outside was the public "Water Closet". No way was I using it!! I would wait until the restaurant in Fira! That's what I thought UNTIL I saw inside of the water closet! For .5 Euros, you receive a private bathroom that was cleaned between each use, and was complete with toilet paper, sink, and soap!! I was shocked! We happily paid our money. Back to the tour office we went and sat in the shade. By then, people started to gather. The shuttle arrived a little after 1:00. The driver was yelled at by his boss for being late. I wasn't complaining; it was a Mercedes shuttle with great air conditioning! Add to that, the driver was playing my favorite EDM music the whole way, and I was happy as a clam for the 30 minute drive! The drive is scenic, as you can imagine. Once in Fira, our first mission was to have lunch at one of the 2 restaurants I had chosen from TripAdvisor. That decision was easy when we drove right by one of the restaurants and were dropped off just past it! Rather than wasting the afternoon away trying to find the other restaurant and then debating between the 2, we decided to go with the known, and we entered Salt and Pepper. The menu posted outside is adorable, in the shape of salt and pepper shakers. They open late, at 1:30, but guess what time it was? 1:35; how perfect! We walked in, and the owner herself escorted us to a nice table for 2. She is very passionate about her restaurant. Some mistakened her passion for rudeness, but she's not trying to be rude. She explains that food is slow here, so prepare for a leisure meal. The restaurant is small and has effective air conditioning. It's on the side of a normal street and has no view. Though it says that a basket of bread costs extra, we were not charged and enjoyed every morsel of the freshly baked bread. We opted to share a Greek salad, and then we each ordered pasta. I went with Greek pasta, which was INCREDIBLE! DH had salmon pasta, which was good but nothing special. The Greek salad was definitely light years beyond what we can get in the U.S. I was refreshed with sparkling mineral water. The only people working are the owner and a cook. Arrive right at 1:30 because in a short time, the restaurant was full, and people were being turned away. It was obvious by the conversation around us that others had read the praises about this place on TripAdvisor, too. We definitely chose the right restaurant and recommend it to everyone! After, we complimented the owner, and she was most appreciative. The bathroom is down a spiral staircase. It's clean and stocked. It's gender neutral, and I jumped when my hubby appeared behind me while I was washing my hands. It's kind of nice being able to have your hubby with you. It's weird when it's other guys, though. Done with lunch, it was time to take the cable car back down to the dock. Our restaurant was only a short walk from the main tourist section of town and the cable car.

 

You're probably thinking we were now heading back to the ship. Nope; we were doing what any normal cruise pax would do. Hahahahaha We are taking the cable car down, so we can take the donkeys back up! The cliffside donkey ride was my hubby's top priority for today. Where else can you ride a horse/donkey for only 5 Euros pp?! And to do it on this gorgeous Greek Isle? It was a no brainer! The cable car ride was fun and only 5 Euros pp. It's quite a thrill when it comes out from the boarding area, and suddenly you're over the cliff! At the dock, there are signs directing you to the crazy donkey ride. I began to get a little apprehensive, and it was not helped when I started to year an old man yelling and saw a donkey bucking! This was not the docile donkey I had imagined! Thankfully, that donkey was taken out of commission. My facial expression must have been priceless, a look of utter terror. I asked the old man for a very kind donkey, but he spoke absolutely no English. I think he definitely correctly understood my facial expression, though, because he smiled his literally 1 tooth grin and gave me the lead horse, a very sweet looking grayish/white donkey. He put DH on a donkey behind me and then saddled up the couple behind us. The old man took the rear, though I didn't even notice he was with us until halfway up the cliff! My donkey was a GEM; he knew exactly what do to and when to do it! I learned to trust him as he stopped periodically, shifted from one side of the path to the other, and when he wouldn't let any donkeys pass him. Nevermind that he occasionally decided to walk into pedestrians (they would duck away, and I would apologize and inform them that I had absolutely no control over what he did), and my foot started to scrape against the rocky cliff, he was in control. About halfway up, DH asked me to turn around for a pic. Ha! I was just getting comfortable going forward! Eventually I twisted enough for him to take a pic. Then he requested a part for the GoPro that I had in my purse; that was an "absolutely no way"! My hands were not coming off of the saddle horn! I did gain enough courage to turn around to view the stunning scenery, and I'm glad I did! We could see the ship, the rich blue water, and islands in the distance. At one point, a worker awaits to take your picture as you go by. After about a 30 minute ride, the donkey all of a sudden stopped, the one toothed kind man who had chosen the very best donkey in the world for me, got off his donkey and helped us each off, one by one. We were shown our pictures, and at 4 Euros each, it was a good deal for fantastic, unique pictures! I patted my new favorite donkey, and we climbed the remaining steps to the town of Fira. This ride was exhilarating, and I recommend everyone do it once! Don't go down, though!!!! We saw one group doing it, and the girl was screaming the whole way as her donkey trotted instead of walking, and she held on for dear life!

 

Ride done, it was time for some shopping and exploring, but first, Granita time! This was to be my final Granita of the trip. :-( It was tasty and really refreshing! You guessed it, another insanely hot day! After wandering the main streets and agonizing over finding just the right magnet, we decided to squeeze in a walk through the other end of town. We went up an alley, where a group of donkeys strolled by after a long day at work. We walked up, up, up and saw the whole town and the water from high above. Then, we toured a church and began the downward journey that led us perfectly to the cable car. DH had one more mission, though, and that was for us to try Ouzo. We love Ouzo candy, but I had never had Ouzo to drink. There was a cafe above the cable car, so we went to their third tier of patios to have our drink. It tasted like black licorice but was refreshing because of the ice. We savored our final views of Santorini and headed to the cable car. In the short time we had been at the cafe, the line had quintupled! We joined the line and took turns dashing into stores because we were still on the hunt for the perfect magnet. I finally found one and just before we made it into the cable car ticket booth room. I will say that the line moved pretty fast. We fanned ourselves A LOT while waiting. The cable cars were all full, 6 to a car, with everyone sitting. It was another fun ride, and we were soon back to the dock. We raced to the tender, and made it on; woohoo! It was quite stuffy inside; unfortunately this was not one with an outdoor deck. After the short ride, we were back onboard.

 

It had been a spectacular day on Santorini! We had some relaxing balcony time watching the yachts and tenders. Then it was time to sail away into the sunset! We went up on deck and had a great sailaway party watching Fira, then Oia, and then all of Santorini disappear. Someday, we will return!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[rdsqrl]

Your day in Santorini sounds just perfect; it's inching up my "must visit soon" list, using your day as a template. With one exception: no donkeys for me, not even on flat ground!

[anteaters]

I go along with the "no donkeys" but you and your husband certainly do enjoy being adventurous! It sounds like a wonderful port and another memorable day for you. We won't be doing that port but it was sure fun hearing about it. Once again, many thanks!

[seafun]

Your description of your day in Santorini, like the rest of your review, was delightful! Thanks for taking the time to share it all. :-)

[cruisequeen4ever]

Kusadasi:

 

The one and done port

 

We had and have no interest in Turkey, but we were excited to tour Ephesus for its Biblical significance. Ephesus is about a 30 minute drive outside Kusadasi. We would have enjoyed a Biblical tour, but the one Princess offered only catered to Catholics, so we just did the regular tour and had our own commentary about the various places.

 

This was a half day tour, and that was a relief after going nonstop for over 2 weeks. Also, we knew we wouldn't be eating in Turkey because of the Hepatitis risk, so we wanted to be back on the ship by lunchtime. Originally I had wanted to do the afternoon tour to give us a rare chance to sleep in, but DH thought it would be better to do the morning tour and be done. He's a very wise man! It was oppressively hot and crowded and would have been that much worse in the afternoon.

 

The drive to Ephesus is scenic and gives a glimpse into the culture of Turkey. We passed outlet stores and a water park, which seemed so out of place and reminded us of the U.S. This was another headset day because you can not hear your tour guide amongst the crowds otherwise.

 

When we arrived, there were hoardes of people and many vendors hawking water (which I would never drink from Turkey!) and hats, which were very reasonably priced and popular. We were given a quick bathroom break. I was very reluctant to use the bathroom but knew I should because there are no bathrooms within Ephesus. I got in line with about 20 other ladies. This was a paid bathroom and cost .5 Euros just like most other places charged. After my Pisa experience, I wasn't expecting much. After a long wait, the bathroom attendant told many of us to start using the men's bathroom to save time. He made sure there were no men in the bathroom first other than himself. I was shocked; this bathroom was quite clean and cleaned between each use by him! It had soap, and he even turned the water off for me! The group reconvened and approached the entrance where the guide counted us as we entered the gates. We then stepped to the side to listen to him drone on and on and on and on. Why on earth did he waste the 30 minute drive not giving us important historical info. only to hold us under the sun and talk nonstop?! Group after group would pass us getting to the good stuff, the ruins! DH and I learned to wander off on our own to climb and explore the ruins because our guide didn't give us the opportunity to do so, and that's one of the unique highlights of Ephesus. We always stayed within range. Several others did the same. Ephesus was so fascinating. I loved the ancient bathrooms but was disappointed to discover that they're now roped off, so you can't take your pic on them like my friend did 5 years ago. You still get to walk through at least. Only men could use these spa like bathrooms. The tour lasted about 1.5 hours. We sought shade wherever we could.

 

At the end of the tour, we had about 15 minutes to shop. These were majorly aggressive vendors! We found a souvenir we thought would be special for our nephew, but the guy would not barter and was quoting a price higher than what we would pay in the U.S., totally ridiculous! He would not leave us alone and kept trying to put the item in our bag! We wouldn't have bought from him even if he had ended up lowering his price because he was so pushy! He said something rude to us as we walked away, too. With that awful experience, we left with our requisite magnet (purchased from a pretty nice vendor), and that was all. It was 1 minute before meeting time, but we didn't see our guide or group anywhere. I asked another guide, and she said they were already on the bus! What?! It wasn't even technically meeting time yet. She pointed the way to the bus, and we hurried to it. Midway, the guide found us and was kind of rude about us not being there already. We sheepishly boarded and were on our way. We are usually early to meet, but still, you shouldn't leave early, leave people behind, and get upset with them for being on time! The drive back was the same as going, and we were given surveys to complete about the tour and guide.

 

Once back in Kusadasi, it was time for the dreaded, I mean highly anticipated, carpet weaving demonstration. I had read so many horror stories and was apprehensive, especially after the aggressive sales tactics we had already experienced. We drove all around Kusadasi, and I worried our demo would be far across the city from the port, preventing us from escaping. I was relieved when we wound our way back to the port area and stopped at a factory just beyond the port. We walked up 3 flights of stairs and through some sliding doors where we entered a room lined with benches and a giant open space in the middle. A lady was weaving rugs in the middle, and we all took our seats. The doors closed, and we were effectively contained! Lol A man introduced the company and gave very interesting info. about the process of weaving the rugs and the varying degrees of quality. It was actually very interesting! Rug after rug was rolled out before us, and we had the pleasure of touching as many as we wanted. The quality was insane, and these ladies spent up to a year weaving each one! These rugs were not from Costco! They were one of a kind treasures if you're into oriental rugs and if you feel like buying a rug instead of a car! The presentation lasted about 20 minutes. They passed out cakes and tea (apple I think), but we opted out of having a snack with a side of possible Hepatitis. Instead, I feasted on Sweet Tarts. :-) We were then invited to browse OR simply leave, were thanked for our time, and politely shown the way out! No pressure, no sales tactics, just good manners!! What a pleasant surprise! I hope all future pax have this same experience! We looked at a few rugs on the way out, tipped the guide, and then were free to walk back to the ship or shop at the bazaar next door.

 

I was curious about the bazaar experience, so we went. It was one pushy salesperson after another. Some of the prices were great, and others were terrible. Princess advises to expect to pay 50-75% of the listed price. That was not the case in Ephesus but can't speak to this bazaar as we didn't buy anything. Most things were advertised as "genuine fake", which was hilarious and refreshingly honest! You really had no idea if the "real" things were in fact real, so we wouldn't risk chancing it. This place was all about the fakes. Oh and beware; the stores like to fake the "Princess Approved" insignia! The Port Guide shows you how to tell the difference. We went in Naturel Leather (yes, that's how they spelled it), which was a Princess approved store. Also, beware that several named their store the same to trick you. You have to check the address to make sure you're at the right one. The salesman wasn't pushy but did follow us around at a distance. The prices were no better than the U.S., even after their many discounts, and many of the styles weren't very cool. Some were nice, but again, way overpriced. Lastly, we stopped in a little corner market for DH to buy Raki, the local liquor. He just wanted to sample it, so he bought a small bottle. They sold many varieties of "fresh" Turkish Delight and gave out samples, but I only wanted sealed ones to be safe so avoided these. We then re-entered the secure port area, browsed some of the port stores including an overpriced Duty Free store, went through security, and walked back to the ship. The view of the dock was fun with the Holland America Noordam right across from us. After a few pics, we re-boarded our home away from home and spent the rest of the day on the ship.

 

Ephesus was worthwhile, but we have no interest in returning to Turkey. We had a nice afternoon by the pool and had a fun sailaway with back and forth waving, cheering, and horn blowing between the 2 ships.

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[cruisequeen4ever]

Mykonos:

 

Return of the gorgeous Greek Isles

 

Today would be a short port day, so we maximized our time and disembarked as early as possible. A shuttle company had come aboard the night before to sell shuttle tickets to Mykonos Town. Tickets were 10 Euros pp, cash only. We bought ours and were very pleased with the company. The alternative was to walk ON THE ROAD for about 30 minutes. Greek drivers are just as crazy as Italians so not a safe method of getting to town. The shuttles ran continuously, so it was easy and quick. The ride was about 10 minutes, and from there, you walk about 10 minutes to town along the beach on a sidewalk. There are a few cafes and stores along the way. I was really put off by the beaches in Europe so didn't plan beach time on Mykonos. I really wish I hadn't judged ahead of time because this water was gorgeous and oh so clean! We dipped our feet into the crystal clear water, and it was so refreshing. I definitely would have enjoyed swimming here!

 

Since we had left as early as possible, we felt like we had the town to ourselves! Mykonos was made to be filmed, and we were able to capture this amazing scenery on film without any crowds! Our goal was to see the famous Petro the Pelican, but after many attempts, we gave up. Maybe he was on vacation that day. He he If you want to see him, hang out by the fresh fish when its brought in from the boats. The locals said that's where he likes to spend his time. We strolled the picture perfect, narrow streets. There's an area where you can walk down some rocks to take great pics with the windmills in the background. At about 9:30 AM, we stumbled upon one of the 2 chosen restaurants from TripAdvisor and followed our creed to go with the one we first spot. It's called Katerina's and is located ON the water in Little Venice. This was our top pick anyway, but it had seemed unlikely because they only have 3 tables on their idyllic balcony. We decided to make a res for 11:00 to ensure the prized corner balcony table and a timely return to the ship. The employee was happy to oblige. We continued our walk and went up to the windmills past Little Venice. The famed windmills were intriguing and worthy of pics, but it was laughable when you approach, and you see and smell heaps of garbage! I don't know if it was trash day or if this was the town dump, but it was putrid! You can get very close to the windmills. They are in various states of disrepair, but that only enhanced the charm. Past the windmills, we reached what seemed like the end of the main area, so we spent some time with the town kitties (everyone leaves cat food on their doorstep for the numerous cats around the island), and then started our walk back. A bakery served homemade baklava, and even though we weren't hungry, we had to share a piece of real Greek baklava; it was packed with flavor. Next, we found the public bathroom, which is operated on a donation basis. The doors did not lock!! I had to stretch my leg out to hold the door shut! Other than that, the bathroom was OK. I wanted a Greek Isles soap dish but never could find one. We did find adorable shirts for our nephews and a spinning windmill magnet for us. I still enjoy walking up to our refrigerator to spin the windmill. :-) It was now 10:30, and we thought it would be prudent to head to the restaurant early to ensure our prized table. The party before us was just leaving, so we seamlessly sat down. We needn't have worried about anyone taking our table, though, because the employee who took our res came up to us to tell us this table was reserved. I told him it was for us and thanked him for protecting "our" table. He informed us that the kitchen would open at 11:00, but we could order drinks now. We did and placed our food order, too, knowing that there would be a wait for the food. As you are beginning to gather, I love lemons, and Mykonos was another place famous for its lemons. I had a tropical drink with fresh lemon juice, and words can't describe how perfectly refreshing and flavorful it was! We took a photo we like to take on vacation of us each sipping the same tropical drink with separate straws. Of course DH insisted that we had to take multiple sips, I mean pictures, to ensure that we got the best possible pic. Wait; did I just get conned out of some of my drink?! The time on the balcony of Katerina's was pure bliss, relaxing, enjoying incredible ocean views and the windmills, and listening to the peaceful sound of the water lapping against the rocks below. This was paradise! About 45 minutes later, (they apologized, but they had properly warned us it would be a while) the food arrived. We shared "hot out of the oven" pita bread, lamb souvlaki, and of course a Greek salad. The food was scrumptious!

 

Our meal complete, we made our way back through town, along the beach for one more toe dip, and to a boulangerie to squeeze in one last Greek treat. The boulangerie was quite a hot place; they were playing fun dance music, tourists were sitting on the patio, and their treats were displayed beautifully in and on glass cases. I ordered a Greek coffee frappe and a Greek donut, and DH ordered Greek coffee and a more authentic treat than a donut, but I can't remember what it was. Everything was tasty, and I have to say that the Greek donut beat the German donut pretzel. Beware of the bold tasting grounds at the bottom of Greek coffee! They are fierce! My preference is Italian coffee because it's so smooth.

 

We then found ourselves in a verrrrrry long line of cruise pax waiting to take the shuttle back to the ship. Thankfully the buses each held 50 people, and with them constantly running, the line moved pretty fast. In fact, they were boarding 3 buses at one time; they would count the exact number of people and then tell the next person to start boarding the next bus. It was a very efficient process. 10 minutes later, we were entering the secure area of the port and boarding the ship. Wahhhhhh! We still had Venice, but this was our last port before Venice being our disembarkation port. I focused on treasuring every moment of this final sailaway. DH went up on deck, but I wanted to spend sailaway on our balcony this time. 15 people were called as having not returned to the ship, so many of us watched for port runners. All but 2-4 made it back within the next 30 minutes and boarded under the watchful stares of 2 officers and many pax. Every inbound car was watched as we hoped it would hold the missing pax. Officers radioed back and forth with one watching the road and the other waiting at the port gates. The final 2 pax received cheers. They had opted to take the public water bus instead of the shuttle Princess contracted, and that choice almost cost them the last few days of their cruise! Greek transportation is not reliable, and this was a prime example. Even if they tell you the bus/boat runs every 30 minutes, don't trust in; they're on island time. After some being late in Kusadasi, the captain had warned everyone that the ship would not and could not delay departure from Mykonos in order to reach Venice on time. He still very kindly waited 30 minutes for these pax. It felt strange watching the ship thrusters move us away from the dock, knowing that some pax were somewhere on the island. Did they lose track of time? Did they decide to stay? Did something happen to them? I hope they're OK!

 

We had our final memorable sailaway, and it was time to enjoy the ship for we had our final sea day next. Goodbye Greek Isles, until we meet again!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[cruisequeen4ever]

Venice (again):

 

The end is near. I could stay on this ship doing this same cruise over and over and over!

 

The shops and casino have to be closed in port, so the casino closed the night before at Midnight, and the shops closed when we reached Venice. We scrambled to make our final purchases. I bought our Turkish Delight on the ship instead of Kusadasi, trusting Princess to choose a safe brand. Guess what flavor was my favorite? Lemon of course! It was yummmmmmy! I wish I had bought more, so don't make my mistake; buy more! It's not like you can just pick some up at Target! The Photo Gallery was somehow allowed to stay open while in port, so you didn't have to hurry if you were interested in buying pictures. This morning was the final photo drawing, since Formal Night had been the night before, and the Reflections videos were available for pick-up.

 

The sail into Venice is reputed to be one of the top 3 in the world. We had chosen a starboard balcony for that reason. Some insist you must experience it on the top decks. I personally believe that it's most magical and special when experienced on your own private balcony. We filmed the sail in and soaked in every moment. Memories of our first delightful days in Venice flooded our heads and hearts. This was a treasured place! The captain had kept us informed of time updates all morning, so we were prepared that we would begin the approach at 11:15, and the most spectacular viewing would occur from 11:45 on. He was right on, after having probably done this countless times in his tenure as a most esteemed Princess captain. We docked right on time. Since we had already been to Venice, we weren't in a mad dash to get off the ship, but we did still want to make the most of our time. We had lunch at the grill and then disembarked.

 

You could buy Princess water shuttle tickets Onboard or in port. We opted to buy them in port. It would have saved a few minutes if we had bought them Onboard, but it was a negligible difference. I wanted to wait to buy them in case we decided to take a different mode of transportation. We really didn't like the idea of spending our time making tons of stops by using the public water bus, and the water taxis weren't offering any special deals. For $25 pp charged to your Onboard account, you received unlimited rides on a fairly cool and comfy water shuttle to and from San Marcos Square. They ran constantly between arrival and 11:00 PM (I think), and we didn't have to wait more than the time it took to board the pax. The ride was about 15 minutes and beautiful. You're dropped off just past San Marcos Square, and everything is walkable.

 

We immediately walked to our favorite gelateria in San Marcos Square and started the afternoon off right with delicious waffle cones. Then, we walked the perimeter of the square, filming what we missed before, and delighting in the sight of the swooping pigeons. From there, we spent the afternoon strolling the streets of Venice. We went back to places we wanted to revisit and spent more time around the Rialto Bridge. The view from the Rialto Bridge is like a dream! It was, you guessed it, sweat-pouring-down-your-face hot, so all I wanted was to have a cool drink along the famed Grand Canal. Many cafes give those special seats to customers ordering food, but we found a kind man who offered us a table for 2 overlooking the Grand Canal. I had lemon soda, and this was not American lemon soda; this was soda made from real lemons sans chemicals! It was delightfully refreshing! I used their clean bathroom, and then it was time to spend our final hours in Venice. We shopped for souvenirs, finding just what we wanted. Then, I had to try cannoli, so we shared one from the Cafe Venezia. Wow, was it good and much sweeter than I expected! We also bought homemade sour candy sticks there. This time, DH got lemon, and I chose watermelon. We took in every wonderful sight of the canals, and then we arrived back in San Marcos Square. DH suddenly sped up, and next thing I knew, he had bought me a rose! Awwwww, I'm getting teary thinking about that moment! :-) We then took a romantic stroll hand in hand through San Marcos Square. Can life get any better?! Before going back to the ship, we had one more shopping mission. After the successful completion of said mission, we headed back to the Giudecca Canal where the shuttles docked. We bought a mini bottle of Italian Prosecco (like champagne) to have at dinner and boarded the water shuttle.

 

One of the famous open air coughers sat next to me hacking her way down the canal, but I wasn't gonna let it ruin my final moments on the water of Venice. We sat outside and enjoyed the ride with the breeze and cool water swishing behind us as we zoomed along. Back at the port, we walked back to the cruise terminal. Unfortunately, so did hundreds of other pax! It was dinner time coupled with the return of several excursion groups. We snaked our way up the escalator and around the upper area into the main room of the terminal. It was hot, and the line was slow! Lots of people voiced their frustration with many blaming Princess. I don't think it was Princess's fault, though. Italian Customs officers were carefully scrutinizing each passport, and then we were sent through security. When we got to security, we saw someone official come in, examine the line, and make the decision to open another security lane. Should have done that sooner!

 

Back on board, we took every opportunity to enjoy our final night aboard the truly regal Regal Princess. It began to rain, and I watched the longshoremen offload heaps of luggage. It was a good idea to offload the luggage the night before, so it was ready for pax in the early morning. Why does this cruise have to end?!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[cruisequeen4ever]

Sea Days:

 

We had 4 days to enjoy the ship without those pesky ports interfering. (Said in jest of course) I do really love sea days, though. I've already highlighted many activities, but I will summarize. Sea days were spent sunbathing, listening to music on deck, MUTS, eating, eating, eating, more eating, Bingo, slot tournament, casino, game shows in Princess Live, live filming of the Wake Show, culinary demonstration by Master Chef, Alfredo Marzi, himself, shopping, music all over the ship, comedy shows, musicals, dancing, art auction, ping pong, strolls on deck, and last but not least, balcony time. Many of our typical activities were skipped on this cruise because we were busy with excursions and then recovering from the excursions. The ship was full of fun, though, and we were never the slightest bit bored.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[cruisequeen4ever]

Dreaded Disembarkation:

 

The only thing that got me off the ship that morning was knowing that we would be going home to our beloved dog!

 

We woke up bright and early. I had kept my Princess tote bag to carry the items we needed for the last morning. Then before checking our luggage at the airport, I packed the bag in my suitcase. We had our last breakfast in the Horizon Court. Why can't Princess set up a buffet in our house with their melt-in-your-mouth waffles, fried eggs, watermelon, lemon Danishes, bacon, hash browns, coffee, and orange juice?? We returned to our stateroom to get our stuff and then conveniently went 3 decks down to the Platinum/Elite Lounge in the Vista Lounge. Less than 5 minutes after sitting down, our group was called, and we walked 2 by 2 off the ship. Goodbye Regal Princess! I love you! Our luggage would be reunited with us at the airport, so we just walked through the giant room of luggage, outside, and onto the bus. The exit gate broke, so the driver had to get out and manually open it, but then we were on our way. The drive was about 30 minutes. Our luggage was waiting for us right outside the bus under the supervision of Princess reps. The reps then directed us to the check-in counters. We waited in a fairly long line to check in and another fairly long line to go through security. Once through, there was ample shopping available, and we indulged. Arrivadercci, Italy! We will be back!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[cruisequeen4ever]

Final Thoughts:

 

Best...cruise...ever! Thank you is just not enough to say to my hubby for honoring our 10th Anniversary with this trip of a lifetime! If I could, I would repeat this trip over and over on the same ship in the same cabin! Memories are priceless; now go make some!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[anteaters]

Final Thoughts:

 

Best...cruise...ever! Thank you is just not enough to say to my hubby for honoring our 10th Anniversary with this trip of a lifetime! If I could, I would repeat this trip over and over on the same ship in the same cabin! Memories are priceless; now go make some!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Hi! You are probably tired of having me thank you for your reviews but I must do it one last time. You really outdid yourself here at the end with your descriptions and information of the final ports. I will make copies of all your comments to take with us, to read right before we get to the ports that we share. I'm sorry that you didn't particularly like Turkey as we'll be doing both Kusadasai and Istanbul. Mykonos, which we'll do on our own, sounds really fun though. You mentioned your concern about consuming food and drinks in Turkey for fear of hepatitis--I wasn't aware of that aspect until you brought it up so that gives us something to consider. With your appreciation of traveling, I do hope that you and your husband will be planning your next trip very soon. Again, thanks SO much for your time and effort!

[Adventures ahead]

Wow! Thank you for your reviews and wonderful writing. We'll make our Regal memories in September. The older I get, I want less stuff and more experiences (aka, memories). Advice accepted!

[HRPro]

Enjoyed your excellent review and looking forward to sailing on the Regal in November. You're a great writer and sounds like you had a fabulous cruise.

 

Susan

[zales]

Can someone please explain how Hepatitis is correlated with eating in Turkey:o

[anteaters]

Hi! I do have a question about Venice. Since you were there two times and I believe used two kinds of transportation, which would be the best way of us getting into Venice from Princess and then back to the ship (we don't arrive until about 1:00 and do an overnight there before disembarkation so really only have the afternoon/early evening to tour)? But between the PeopleMover (how far do we walk to reach it from the ship coming/going) and the water shuttle that Princess sold tickets to on your last day, is there a preference in terms of ease, fun, and cost? Also, with that water shuttle one, do you have to wait until the last to purchase the Princess tickets or can they be bought earlier on the cruise? Thanks!

[cruisequeen4ever]

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

 

Click the above link to take you to the CDC's Traveler's Health website. You type in each place you're visiting, and it tells you whether or not you need vaccinations for that country. All places were fine (on our itinerary at least), except Turkey. It said to get Hep A and B series if eating in Turkey.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Jojiboy]

Thank you for posting such an outstanding review of your cruise. We're looking forward to our cruise on the Regal this fall.