Ocean princess venice to rome

[Bimmer09]

LOL Norris, *snap*. As you board the Ruby on January 24th we will be boarding the Dawn Princess for a mini cruise to Tasmania. I'll be up in the smoking section toasting you with a cleansing ale at sailaway.

 

Where does the Dawn sail from and how many nights? I know nothing about Tasmania.

 

A cleansing ale sounds like just the ticket. My cruise never starts until I sign for that first beer up by the pool.

 

Have a great mini-cruise!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Once again a superb review...........................thank you.

 

Will be eagerly lookig for your caribbean review in febuary.

thanks for this review.

 

Judy

 

Thanks for following along. I have plenty of practice time with the camera before the Ruby and I intend to make a "must shoot" list for the camcorder so I don't miss anything.

 

Thanks for the compliments Judy!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Thank you,Norris for your excellent account of your travels on the Ocean Princess and your stay in Rome.

The Ocean Princess looks like a lovely ship- so different from Princess ships that my DH and I have sailed on- the Crown, the Sapphire and the Caribbean Princess.

We would like to sail on a ship that is in the same class as the Ocean Princess-perhaps the smaller ships that sail in Alaska.

I have to agree with another poster that you must try to visit Florence if you have an opportunity to visit Italy again

I think that you and Carol would enjoy that lovely city and the countryside around it.

I am looking forward to your writings about the upcoming cruise on the Ruby.

Your travel accounts make very good reading!

Wishing you and Carol many good travel adventures!

 

Thanks for the kind wishes.

 

I'll do some kind of a summation on the OP cruise now that the dust has settled.

 

Take care.

 

Norris

[LC1950]

Where does the Dawn sail from and how many nights? I know nothing about Tasmania.

 

A cleansing ale sounds like just the ticket. My cruise never starts until I sign for that first beer up by the pool.

 

Have a great mini-cruise!

 

Norris

 

We depart from Melbourne (my home town) and spend 5 nights on board calling in at Burnie, Port Arthur and Hobart before returning to Melbourne. Tassie is great, mostly pristine wilderness but with some thriving cities and towns. The food is great, there are 2 excellent breweries (Boags in Launceston and Cascade in Hobart), several very nice distilleries and some great wineries.

 

This will be our 5th visit. Just love Tassie.

[LewiLewi]

Hi Norris,

Thanks once again for your wonderful blog.

Do you know the name of the Maitre D in the main dining room? We would like to contact hin in advance. Any ideas for best table of 4 placement?

Thank you,

Marilyn

[Bimmer09]

Hi Norris,

Thanks once again for your wonderful blog.

Do you know the name of the Maitre D in the main dining room? We would like to contact hin in advance. Any ideas for best table of 4 placement?

Thank you,

Marilyn

 

Marilyn the MD was Oscar Perego. (head chef Ottavio Bellesi)

 

If it were me I would sit in the same area as we sat in as it is not in the middle of the bustling room. On the other side of the Club Bar (the bookcases in my photo) is a narrower part of the room (opposite where the waiters line up to greet) There the tables are only 4 wide. There's a mix of table sizes. To our right was a 4 top on the aisle, left of us was a two top then a 6 by the window.Our waitstaff only had 4 tables to worry about and a short trip to the kitchen. That's the area you will see in the Videos with Carol sitting with her back to the Club Bar wall.

 

The video with me talking shows the main body of the dining room behind which is much busier and noisier.

 

 

The tables nearer to the entrance, near the club bar wall would probably be the quietest and have less waiters scurrying around-there was a wide path for them behind my chair as I was on the last row of the narrow section.

 

Hope this helps. We had table 15-so the low numbers would be my choice.

 

Norris

[LewiLewi]

Marilyn the MD was Oscar Perego. (head chef Ottavio Bellesi)

 

If it were me I would sit in the same area as we sat in as it is not in the middle of the bustling room. On the other side of the Club Bar (the bookcases in my photo) is a narrower part of the room (opposite where the waiters line up to greet) There the tables are only 4 wide. There's a mix of table sizes. To our right was a 4 top on the aisle, left of us was a two top then a 6 by the window.Our waitstaff only had 4 tables to worry about and a short trip to the kitchen. That's the area you will see in the Videos with Carol sitting with her back to the Club Bar wall.

 

The video with me talking shows the main body of the dining room behind which is much busier and noisier.

 

 

The tables nearer to the entrance, near the club bar wall would probably be the quietest and have less waiters scurrying around-there was a wide path for them behind my chair as I was on the last row of the narrow section.

 

Hope this helps. We had table 15-so the low numbers would be my choice.

 

Norris

Thank you so much.

[Bimmer09]

Looking back on our 6 Princess Cruises so far to date, stretching back to August 2011 (not much of a stretch!) this cruise was my favorite. Not because it was the most recent and is still fresh in my mind but because .....

 

ITINERARY

 

The most exotic for us, far from the Caribbean and even our beloved Alaska. No rum punches or glaciers this time, true-but new cultures and a lot of ancient history.

 

We stumbled upon it on some flyer Princess mailed to us. Then we used the computer to look at the ship and decide on a cabin. Then we emailed our man at Princess to book it. The itinerary was Venice-Sea Day-Dubrovnik-Malta-Tunis-Sorrento-Civittavecchia. A week before we sailed we learned that Tunis was off the schedule to be replaced with Palermo, Sicily. Boo! Safety concerns.

 

THE LOGISTICS

 

We had to get ourselves (and our asses) to Italy. Not Ft Lauderdale. In fact there was a requirement that passports have to be valid 6 months after the cruise in Italy and so my first step was to renew my passport. That meant mailing it to the UK to Her Majesty's Passport Office. It returned anew within a month.

 

Airfares via United entering Italy through Venice and leaving through Rome had to be secured. As the flights are 9 hours or more we felt it wise to splurge on Business Class Upgrades. This isn't just a matter of giving UAL 100,000 miles or so but also involves large sums of cash-with no guarantee you'll get a Business Seat.

 

If you don't you can get a refund-but you have to go knocking on UAL's door to get it as they are in no hurry to give it back.

 

So, ship and planes taken care of but where to stay?

 

THE LODGINGS

 

As we don't go to Travel Agents we use the Internet and Tripadvisor gives us enough information to make a choice. Even though we don't know any of the reviewers we can come to a consensus. Most are honest, some may be over-dramatic. I write reviews for TA and fall into the first camp. As the hotels were in Italy email is the way to contact them. I found two Hotels, one in Venice and one in Rome. The rest of our accommodation was provided by the Ocean Princess.

 

THE ANTICIPATION

 

18 Months of trying to put the cruise on the back-burner was not easy but in between we had a trip to Germany, a cruise to the Western Caribbean on the CB and a weekend in San Francisco. All of those helped and the day did come last September when we bade goodbye to the cats (a sitter came every day) and flew to Venice via Munich.

 

United gave one of us a Business Class upgrade-two or none would have been a better number but you can't refuse as they are holding your money. SO I flew B class and Carol remained in Economy Plus which is where you pay to bring your legs along for the flight. Otherwise (Coach) you tuck them under your chin for 9 hours.

 

In Munich we had an hour to switch airlines and wasted 20 minutes of it at a luggage carousel having been misinformed by a UAL employee.

 

Then we flew over the Dolomites on the appropriately named Air Dolomite

 

 

OK, OK, OK...wait a minute....didn't you just write this review Bimmer?

Um, yes but this is different-well for one thing any photos you'll see are by Carol.

OK...that's different.

And this isn't a day to day thing where I show you our meals and describe every building I stumble past...

OK...so what is it?

It's a Summing Up-it says in the damned title up above! It will be a critique of what worked and what didn't-of what was stellar and what was lame AND it will be full of helpful tips for the traveler! It will also be critical of the ship!! (ooh!)

 

Those who wish to refrain from reading this please leave the room now.

 

Really? That many people? There's beer here...some pretzels...popcorn maybe?

 

Norris

[MGnut]

 

Those who wish to refrain from reading this please leave the room now.

 

Really? That many people? There's beer here...some pretzels...popcorn maybe?

 

Norris

 

Beer & pretzels will be fine, Norris. I can hardly wait! :D

 

Especially comments on the Ocean. We'll be on her in July.

 

Howard

Edited November 19, 2014 by MGnut

[Bimmer09]

Beer & pretzels will be fine, Norris. I can hardly wait! :D

 

Especially comments on the Ocean. We'll be on her in July.

 

Howard

 

Good to see you again Howard-I'll be off the air for the rest of the night but will get back to this tomorrow.There won't be any videos and just a few photos from Carol's collection. There should be some helpful info though and it won't take forever!

 

Norris

[MGnut]

Good to see you again Howard-I'll be off the air for the rest of the night but will get back to this tomorrow.There won't be any videos and just a few photos from Carol's collection. There should be some helpful info though and it won't take forever!

 

Norris

 

Norris, I've been following along, remembering my great times in Italy that you have brought back. We used Rome in Italy for four different tours on our Med trip (Barcelona - Venice- FLL) tour in 2009 on the Ruby P., and loved them all. If you need more pictures, I've got TONS! :D

 

Howard

[SpinnerCOyyy]

Hi Norris,

Thanks once again for your wonderful blog.

Do you know the name of the Maitre D in the main dining room? We would like to contact hin in advance. Any ideas for best table of 4 placement?

Thank you,

Marilyn

 

Our table on this cruise was 49. It was more or less center of the room, on the raised two step platform. The only activity was the waiters assigned to our area. We were right over the screws, but only noticed the vibration once.

[Bimmer09]

VENICE

 

Venice is a pricey city so if you want to save money on your stay there before you cruise just do the opposite of what we did.

 

You can take a bus from the airport (load your own luggage) and when the bus gets to Piazzale Roma where the land ends and the sea begins, unload your bags and drag them to your hotel if nearby or if distant take them on a Vaparetto at P. Roma. It's a busy hub.

 

If you choose the walking method you hopefully are fit enough to drag the luggage over a bridge or two. It will save you $$$ if you do. Venice is very relaxing once you drop off your luggage and you'll soon be having a beer outdoors at a canal-side cafe. There is no finer experience!

 

If your hotel is a distance from P Roma then Vaparetto will get you there or close.

 

You can buy a 24 hour Vaparetto pass online while in the USA but you have to get it validated at a kiosk in Venice. Those are in the airport by baggage claim but the three we tried weren't working. Any station with employees in a ticket booth can validate and give you real Vaparetto tickets. P Roma is such a station.

 

Keep your ticket reachable in case asked for it on the boat. Keep you luggage next to you in plain sight. The fine for no ticket is 50E

 

You can't take a Vap from the airport-there's a special boat called Alilaguna which has some stops in Venice so you can take that all the way in to the stop nearest your hotel and then walk. There's a beer at the end of that walk if you need motivation.

 

There are also water taxis from the airport, a few hundred yards from baggage claim. A water taxi is like a private boat that will only make one stop-your hotel or the jetty closest to it. These cost @ 120 E with an E being approx $1.35 but of course it goes up and down like a yo-yo.

 

If you want the most expensive way to get to your hotel without having to touch your luggage after a 9 or 13 hour flight-depending on where in the USA you start from then ask your hotel to have a car meet you at the airport and take you to P Roma where a boat with your name on it is waiting.

As we were visiting Venice for the first time and had watched videos of people trekking through the streets with luggage, over bridges and cobbled streets and knew we would be like limp lettuces after the flight we bit the $200 bullet and let other people handle the luggage and stress, arranged by the hotel.

 

Use the bus if you are fit enough and even-tempered enough to drag your luggage through crowded streets in the Italian sun and you'll save enough for a slap up dinner at Venice prices.

 

If, like us, you want the vacation to start of on the best foot possible then follow our lead. It saved us time and we didn't have to touch our luggage until it was in our room. We arrived stress-free. The ride was added to our hotel bill.

 

Water taxi

 

 

If you are flying in on the day of your cruise you won't need a 24 hour ticket for the Vaparetto (think of it as a water-bus). Rides are 7 E each.

 

If, as in our case, you have arrived a day before the cruise, then get the 24 hour ticket and enjoy riding around the city, saving time over walking to get to the major sights. I lost track of the number of rides I took in a 20 hour period.

They come on time as advertised on the schedule posted at each stop. The stops are covered as is much of the Vaparetto. It rains in Venice.

 

If you don't like boats bobbing up and down in the water then you can walk everywhere in the town. This I did my fair share of and it is the most pleasant walking town I have ever seen. I call it town as it is so small it hardly seems proper to call it city as that conjures up entirely the wrong picture for folsk who haven't been there.

 

Next up-the hotel experience

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

PERSONAL SECURITY

 

Before I mention hotels I should mention personal security as there is no point checking into your hotel if someone else has your wallet and is buying a fake Rolex somewhere in St Mark's Sq.

 

Before I went to Italy I asked a few people I know had they ever been to Venice or Rome and the answer was often-no but a buddy of mine was there and he lost his wallet on the first day. He didn't actually lose his wallet but had his pocket picked.

 

In Malta we had lunch with our tour guide and asked him if he had ever been to Venice. He said yes- and I had my bag stolen on the bus in from the airport. The thief cut through his shoulder strap while it was not under tension as he was sitting down.

 

So be smart or be a statistic is the message.

 

Europe isn't all like this by the way...We have been to Germany 8 times or so in the past 12 years and each time, unthinkingly, I had my wallet in the back pocket of my jeans. Never an issue.

 

Did I wear it there in Italy? No way, Guiseppe!

 

A money belt worn around my waist and under my button-down shirt was the way to go. It had 1,000 Euros in it at one time. Not in a bag which could get lost or stolen. On my person. A credit card and a copy of my passport was in there too.

 

Bags/handbags...I was sitting at a cafe in Rome in a narrow street where people were walking close by. An American lady at the next table laid her handbag at her feet while dining. Anyone walking by could have stooped down and lifted it before quickly walking on and merging with the crowd of people passing.

 

I gave her a tip- if you put your bag down in that situation just lean over so the chair leg lifts and trap the handle of the bag around it.

 

Cameras....wear around your neck if not in the case, not dangling from your shoulder. If you carry a camera bag like me then when you go out in potentially crowded situations (including Vaparettos or the Vatican) then hang the strap around your neck and over your shoulder.

 

HOTELS

 

There are approx 380 hotels in Venice and 1260 in Rome. Trip Advisor is the way to go for us and I imagine most people, so you need to do some exhaustive research on line at home before committing to your choice.

 

They all list phone numbers and most have websites with traveler photos. You are not going to be wanting to phone Italy with a bunch of questions so use the Web.

 

How they answer e mail is something that's important to me. If they are on their game you'll get a quick answer written in English. That's helpful if you ever have to discuss an issue with them while you are there.

 

Google Maps will show you where your hotel is and what is around it.

 

Our experiences were those befitting hotels that charge as much as a hotel on Central Park in New York. ($500 + a night). IMPECCABLE but don't expect the features you would find for that kind of money in NYC. 24/7 room service unlikely. Restaurants on site-not guaranteed. Lavish breakfast-maybe not. Business center-unlikely, ditto gym,pool,conference rooms and large lobby.

 

We only stayed in two hotels- I would describe them as "boutique and charming"

rather than full-featured destination hotels. One had I think 36 rooms and the other 60. What we paid for was location, beautiful decor and simply outstanding service.

 

View from the Venice room

 

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View from the Rome room

 

 

There is one major thing (for us) that each hotel had to offer-outdoor space for guests. In Venice this was a patio by the Grand Canal with bar service and in Rome a rooftop bar with great views. This way one didn't have to just spend time in the room, where you wouldn't particularly know which city you are in.

 

Before I continue with this "summary", and already that is a loose title as I am trying to give helpful info for people coming to Venice and Rome for the first time, I'd like to take a minute to thank everyone who has contributed to this winding thread and in particular SpinnerCOyyy (Lori) who has contributed so many photos and good information for the tourist.

 

Norris

[SpinnerCOyyy]

PERSONAL SECURITY

 

Before I continue with this "summary", and already that is a loose title as I am trying to give helpful info for people coming to Venice and Rome for the first time, I'd like to take a minute to thank everyone who has contributed to this winding thread and in particular SpinnerCOyyy (Lori) who has contributed so many photos and good information for the tourist.

 

Norris

 

Thanks for the shout out! Glad I had something to contribute.

 

We also had the body wallets. As tight as the vaparetto's can get, it's easy to see how a pickpocket could make a fortune.

 

Our hotel in Rome was really secure. You had to be buzzed into the lobby, or use your hotel key if you had already checked in. And one feature that I thought was neat about the hotel keys, they were just plain white cards. No hotel id, and certainly no room number.

 

During this entire trip, there was only one stop where we felt unsafe and that was Palermo. And most of our unease was from the CRAZY drivers.

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for the shout out! Glad I had something to contribute.

 

We also had the body wallets. As tight as the vaparetto's can get, it's easy to see how a pickpocket could make a fortune.

 

Our hotel in Rome was really secure. You had to be buzzed into the lobby, or use your hotel key if you had already checked in. And one feature that I thought was neat about the hotel keys, they were just plain white cards. No hotel id, and certainly no room number.

 

During this entire trip, there was only one stop where we felt unsafe and that was Palermo. And most of our unease was from the CRAZY drivers.

 

Lori, your contributions were molto bene.

 

Our hotel in Rome had an automatic door which didn't care who you were and the front desk was off to the right. A person could walk in behind a guest and be unnoticed by the desk. There was no monkey business as far as we were concerned. I didn't notice any cameras.

 

I imagine most theft is pickpocketing or bag snatching in crowds as tourists from the USA can be unwary and maybe not used to having to be so vigilant.

 

Money belt leaves you free to relax and holding on to cameras makes it tough for the snatcher.

 

Palermo drivers- people in the US launch themselves onto a crossing just before the white walking man appears. That would get you killed in Palermo.

 

Norris

Edited November 21, 2014 by Bimmer09
spelling

[Jasperdo]

I'm really enjoying these additional tips. They are a great bonus to your already fabulous review.

[perfect match]

I've been a bit of a slacker, but I have finally made it back here and have caught up with your and Carol's adventures in Rome. You really managed to fit a lot into the short time you had there! As always, I loved your pictures and videos. I have enjoyed every minute of my journey with you and Carol and I will be looking forward to your review of your winter escape on the Ruby in Feb.

 

Nancy

[Gallivanting Souls]

Thank you. I enjoyed your journey. The pictures were fantastic! I hope I can make it to those places some day to some day!

[Bimmer09]

Thank you. I enjoyed your journey. The pictures were fantastic! I hope I can make it to those places some day to some day!

 

Ah-a new visitor and thanks for stopping by. Put those places on your bucket list and make them happen!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I've been a bit of a slacker, but I have finally made it back here and have caught up with your and Carol's adventures in Rome. You really managed to fit a lot into the short time you had there! As always, I loved your pictures and videos. I have enjoyed every minute of my journey with you and Carol and I will be looking forward to your review of your winter escape on the Ruby in Feb.

 

Nancy

 

Thanks Nancy!

 

Jan 24th can't come soon enough.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

OCEAN PRINCESS

 

I asked everyone I chatted to on the ship what they thought of it-none had been on a small Princess ship before-all had been on Grand Class and they were unanimous in loving the Ocean for it's size and elegant decor.

 

I felt the same way. I love the Grand Class ships I have sailed-as long as they have a Skywalkers (Sorry Grand Princess) and I loved the Ocean Princess too despite the lack of bells and whistles due to it's size.

 

However-there was a certain lack of sharpness among the crew which I had never experienced before on a big ship...

 

It began on the dock at San Basilio in Venice. No Princess staff there so no Health Questionnaire (nor upon boarding).No offer of help up the gangway with our luggage even though the staff was standing at the top of it. There was the debacle where they were sending our luggage to a cabin that may not actually exist while our luggage tags had the right cabin marked on them. No apology for wasting our first 10 minutes on board.

 

No shuttle tickets in our room nor any signage (or sign) of Shuttles even operating. As it was we were planning to NOT go to St Mark's Square next day.

 

The room service steward debating me that I couldn't swap out the liquor in our free mini-bar for beer-something I have done on 4 other sailings in suites.

 

The coleslaw sandwiches as part of our Afternoon tea on the balcony. That was a new one. Usually shrimp has taken coleslaw's place on other vessels.

 

Room Service's inability to bring us Afternoon Tea WITHOUT the sandwiches-what a waste as we didn't eat them. Hopefully the galley staff did.

 

Room Service coffee without milk or sugar being brought resulted in a 2nd trip.

 

Invitations to a free dinner in Sabatini's on a night when it was closed. Doh!

 

Buffet waiter offered to bring us drinks for my lunch in Palermo and was never seen again.

 

There was no encouragement or oversight of the use of Purell in the buffet. I know Purell isn't a panacea but it reminds people of the need to have clean hands when handling utensils.

 

Ok I think that is it for crew incompetence. I know they are 1st World issues but they were like a jolt to a Princess fan like me who has gotten nothing but stellar service up until Venice.

 

The ship itself is a little beauty but Princess didn't fully adopt her into the family when they cheapened-out and kept the original Renaissance signing. So you have signs that say Italian Restaurant instead of Sabatini's and the worst of all signs that say BBQ and when you get there it turns out to be the Trident Grill though there is no sign saying that. They don't do BBQ. Even the deck plans on Princess .com show BBQ on the pool deck.

 

One thing you won't find on the Ocean Princess is a crowd.

 

No chair hogs by the pool as even on a sea day there were plenty of sunbathers but plenty of empty loungers. Bar waiters worked the pool area so there was never a long wait for service. Great!

 

No comedians in the lounges....now this I missed. There are no real bands on board apart from the OP Orchestra (4 people plus some backing software). There were two duos, one who sang by the pool and the other I didn't hear in the Tahitian Lounge.I think they were the "Cruisetones". No MUTS of course as it would act like a sail and throw the ship off course.

 

I would say the Ocean (and therefore the Pacific) is the ideal ship for a port intensive cruise, where you come back on board exhausted and want to have a good dinner and a relaxing evening before an early bed.

 

No wait for elevators (except after a show or a tender returning) but there aren't that many decks and the ship is short enough to walk from stem to stern without getting winded or crying "are we there yet?".

 

Befitting it's size the buffet isn't as extensive as the Grand Class nor are there lines that go with that. The one meal I ate there was good and I cleaned my plate! All the food onboard (coleslaw sandwiches excepted) was good and we had no problems with service or long waits in the MDR. The two waiters only had, I think, a total of 18 guests.

 

There were no poolside games or exhortations to have fun by the cruise staff.

 

There was simply a good opportunity to relax and talk to people over a drink and with so many Aussies on board it wasn't hard to find someone fun and interesting to chat with. In fact chatting to new "friends" you will never see again is a great way to pass the time. Play cards with them as there is a beautiful card room.

 

OP I think encourages you to relax and forget the clock and that is a great way to Escape Completely. I can understand her fan base as I am now part of it.

 

There's also a stunning library where if the weather's bad as in Palermo you can get comfy on some wonderful leather chairs and be transported by a good book.

 

There's no IC, no Churchill's, no Adagio, No Skywalkers, no Wheelhouse, no Club Fusion (and no karaoke) no MUTS, no Sanctuary, no Pop Choir, no acrobats in the no-Piazza,no AT dining, no cooking demo/galley tour, only one pool and two hot tubs.....a lot of stuff we are used to on the Grand Class....but in the end it didn't really matter. We were off the ship a lot and when we were on we were happy and comfortable and well fed. No noise at night apart from the wake. No toilet issues. No noro.

 

I met the Captain on deck-only the 2nd time that has happened (John Foster being the other one) when we were at the Trident Grill together. A very nice man to talk to. The fact that he remembered our conversation next evening at the Captain's Cocktail Party speaks to him and to the advantages of having a smaller group of passengers on board.

 

I will miss the Ocean Princess when she's sold but hope to sail on the Pacific when she goes.

 

When the PP goes and there are no more 680 pax ships in the fleet and there are more Royal/Regals coming off the slips then I'll be looking even more closely at Azamara than I already am. Azamara seems like a very good fit for us and I love the thought of overnight stays in foreign ports.

 

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

[Solar Yellow]

Norris, did you see the news about Ocean Princess being sold to Oceania where she'll be refurbished to the tune of $40 million and renamed Sirena? She'll be more beautiful and taken care of than ever! People on the Princess boards are lamenting the loss but I think this is good news.

[Bimmer09]

Norris, did you see the news about Ocean Princess being sold to Oceania where she'll be refurbished to the tune of $40 million and renamed Sirena? She'll be more beautiful and taken care of than ever! People on the Princess boards are lamenting the loss but I think this is good news.

 

Yes, I am sorry to see her go from Princess as PCL was one of the few lines that had variety in their fleet, from 680 to 3600 passengers. The Pacific Princess is still around (for now) and I would happily sail on her.

 

Oceania is a great new home for the Ocean. Azamara would have benefitted from her too as the Quest is often booked up on charters and that leaves them with just the Journey to complete the itineraries.

 

Both those lines are on my future radar so I may get to sail on her again. Azamara is the most likely though with their overnight port stays and great reviews.

 

There will still be 8 R ships afloat and that is the main thing. I have only savored one so far. Small is beautiful!

 

Norris

[HRPro]

Norris, just dropping in to add my thanks and appreciation for a great review. We're just back from a week on the beautiful Regal, which we enjoyed very much. Your pictures, helpful tips and good humor made your review a highlight for me and brought back many memories of our own travels in Europe. Will definitely be looking forward to your Live from the Ruby in January.

 

Susan