The Grand Tour; Italy and Greece on the Royal Princess

[Rosethorn40]

We are back from the fifth segment of our Grand Tour of Europe; Greece & Italy on the Royal Princess. As much as I would love to take a long sojourn and travel Europe in depth, as well-heeled young aristocrats did back in the day as part of their education, I am neither young, nor a well-heeled aristocrat. Due to work and family commitments (And 5 fur-babies who hate mommy and daddy going away) we can only go for 7-14 days at a time. We have found that for us, cruises, both ocean and river, allow us to see some of the must-see’s of Europe at a pace that suits us. Previous segments have been; United Kingdom (2013-Ocean Princess), Budapest to Nuremberg (2014-Viking River Cruise), Baltic’s (2015-Eurodam {HAL}) and Portugal (2015-Viking River Cruise on the Douro).

 

We booked this trip in July, and got a fantastic deal by taking advantage of a Flash Sale. They were offering a Guarantee Obstructed Balcony for the same price as an interior. Even better, I was able to get airfare through EZ Air for a better price then what I could get on my own. Of course one of the disadvantages of a guarantee cabin is you are playing cabin roulette, so the old adage-book the lowest cabin type you would be happy with holds true. We were lucky, about 10-days before sailing we got our cabin assignment and we were upgraded to a Deluxe Obstructed Balcony!

 

We flew out Thursday morning, with a 6 plus hour layover at JFK, and then on to Athens. We arrived local time at 10:30 AM. Passport control was very easy and quick; from there we had only a short wait for our luggage. As soon as we retrieved our luggage, we walked past customs, and into the area for taxis and other transportation. I had arranged for a taxi several days before our departure with a service called Welcome Pickups for transportation from the airport to our hotel, and I was very pleased with their service. In short order our English speaking driver had loaded our luggage into the trunk of his vehicle, and DH and I into the passenger section and away we went.

 

In short order we had arrived at our hotel, The Electra Palace in the Plaka district of Athens. Although this hotel is a little on the pricy side it did offer some great features; comfortable guest rooms, a roof top garden with a swimming pool (With a magnificent view of the Acropolis), a spa area with an indoor pool, and breakfast included in the price. After a nap to recover from our 10+ hour flight from JFK we set out on foot to explore the Plaka District. There are a number of souvenir shops, with inexpensive kitschy knick-knacks, T-Shirts, etc. There are also a number sidewalk cafes to get a bite to eat.

[easyboy]

Thank you for sharing your pre-cruise experience. Hope you enjoyed your cruise.

[Rosethorn40]

The next morning, after checking out of our hotel and leaving our luggage with the hotel’s luggage hold, we walked to a pick up point for a HOHO bus (24 euro pp). We rode one full loop, and then repeated, stopping at a few points of interest. First stop was the Acropolis. The Acropolis was 20 euro pp, was very crowded, and requires a set of strong legs and stamina to tour. Another option might be the Temple of Zeus (6 euro pp). It’s not as crowded, there are no steps, and it offers a great view of the Acropolis. However, it’s not as impressive as the Acropolis as there is very little left of the original temple. From there we grabbed a taxi back to our hotel to get our luggage, and from there on to the port.

 

We arrived at the pier around 2pm. Embarking was a breeze, with very short lines for both regular and priority embarking. While plenty of passengers did first board in Athens, for a large segment of passengers this was just one leg of their cruise-some had first boarded the week before in Rome, or two weeks earlier in Barcelona. This may have played a part in just how smooth and quickly embarking went.

 

Once on board our first stop was to the Enclave (Thermal Suite) to get our passes for the week. The price was $149 pp for the week. I really liked the Enclave with its hydrotherapy pool, the dry sauna, and two types of steam rooms, the different types of showers (Tropical rain, Siberian mist, etc.), and the tile loungers. There had been some arguments as to the whether or not the loungers are heated. I can settle this argument; some of the loungers (3) are heated, five are not. I did not care for the waterbeds, but they were used, and my DH really enjoyed them. One little detail that I didn’t discover until several days later was that they had cold, wet wash cloths available to lay over your eyes while lying on the title tables or water beds. I found them refreshing, and thought it a nice touch. I loved that they were opened until 11pm every night but the last night, when they closed at 10pm.

 

Even though this was a fairly port intensive cruise, several ports (Corfu, Sicily, and Elba) were only half days, and we did have a sea day, so we were off to the Sanctuary to see about reserving loungers for the week. When we got up there we found that they had allowed people to reserve loungers for the sea day only, which limited the selection of loungers available for the week. We ended up with a double lounger in the sun for the sea day, and individual loungers in the shade of the rest of the days. The Sanctuary on the Royal is very beautiful. They have 70 loungers, and an additional eight (8) that are reserved for those renting one of the four (4) cabanas. I think that there were only about 10 passengers that got the Sanctuary for the cruise duration. The price was $210pp for the week ($30 per day), or you could do an individual day for $40pp, or half day for $20pp. The Sanctuary was opened until 6pm each day. Just steps away were the Retreat area pool and loungers that are opened to all adults for no fee.

 

Then it was off to check out our cabin. We had a great mid-ship location on deck 8, near the elevators. I had originally thought that we might have an issue with noise, but that was not the case. I really enjoyed the extra space afforded by the Deluxe Balcony. The shower was as small as I have found on other Princess ships, but the addition of a small ledge for ladies to prop up their legs for shaving was welcomed. The balcony is small, but usable for just the two of us (I could see it being too small if you had 4 in a cabin as it will only hold two chairs). Our Obstructed View wasn’t bad at all-We had the top of a life raft blocking the bottom ¼ of our balcony (If that much). However, E507 to our left had part of the mechanism used to lower/raise life boats blocking part of their view, so keep in mind not all obstructed views are created equal.

 

With Enclave and Sanctuary passes taken care of, and locating the cabin, it was off to the Horizon Court for lunch. I really liked the set-up. So many choices and no long lines, and the food was some of the best I had ever had on a Princess cruise.

Edited September 30, 2016 by Rosethorn40

[Rosethorn40]

Thank you for sharing your pre-cruise experience. Hope you enjoyed your cruise.

 

More is coming. I was trying to figure out how to load a few photos, but all I could get to upload were the tiny thumbnail, so I may have to wait until I get home.

[TracieABD]

Yay! Thank you for the review! I love the Sanctuary on the Royal class ships. Looking forward to hearing more!

[FlorenceItaly]

Loving your review! Thanks so much.

 

 

 

 

 

Marie

[Rosethorn40]

A view of the Acropolis from the ruins of the Temple of Zeus

 

 

You might be walking in the Plaka District, turn a corner, and pow, there is a ruin.

 

 

Taking a break at one of the many cafes in the Plaka

[Rosethorn40]

After lunch we changed into our swim suites and went up to the Sanctuary and had an enjoyable few hours just relaxing in the shade, or venturing out to the Retreat Pool for a quick cool down until it was time for the Muster Drill. After the drill we look around the ship, grabbed a quick bite to eat in the Horizon Court, and then went to the Enclave. Then it was early to bed, so we could be early to rise for our day in Santorini, our first port.

 

One more photo of the Birthplace of Democracy

 

[riclop]

Thanks for the report.

[socaljo]

Oh my goodness! Your timing is perfect! I just booked the 14n Western Med on the Royal at the end of May. So excited to hear all about it & see the pics! We haven't been on the Royal/Regal, looking forward to reading about your experience! Thanks for taking the time! :D You made my day!:D:D

[Lucky TGO]

Nice review thank you.

Tony

[Rosethorn40]

I feel I must mentioned the multiple changes to the original itinerary that took place on this cruise, as many were quite vocal in their displeasure about the changes. While the stop in Kusadasi was understandable given the current situation in Turkey, many were upset about losing Malta and Naples. When Naples was substituted by Elba it also necessitated our day in Sicily to go from a full day to a half day. As all of these ports were new to me, it didn't affect me too much, but for those that this was a second or third leg of their cruise they did have duplication of ports.

 

The Original Itinerary: Athens, Santorini-Greece, Kusadasi-Turkey, Malta, Sicily-Italy, Naples-Italy

 

The Revised itinerary: Athens, Santorini-Greece, Kotor- Montenegro, Corfu-Greece, Sicily-Italy, Elba-Italy, Rome.

[Rosethorn40]

I was really looking forward to Santorini. To me Santorini is quintessential Greece with its whitewash buildings, and blue domes on Churches. I am also a big history buff, and have been fascinated by the story of the volcanic eruption that destroyed Bronze Age Greek Civilization (The Greece of the Trojan War). The morning dawned gloomy and foggy, which is apparently quite normal, but soon the fog/mist dissipated and the sun came out. It would be sunny, hot & humid all day.

 

We had signed up for a Princess excursion that went to a winery, and the town of Oia. We had to take a tender to the place to catch our bus, and then have a hair raising ride to the top of the cliffs. Our first stop was the winery, which probably has great views, but as the fog hadn't completely dissipated the view was limited. The winery was crowded, and I felt the stop was a little too long as once you sampled the wines and ate a few olives there wasn't a lot to do. Back on the bus it was off to Oia. If you have ever seen a photo of Santorini, and it shows a whitewashed church with a blue dome, it was probably taken here. As we pulled into the bus parking lot I heard our guide say "Oh good, its not so crowded today." There must have been 20 buses in the parking lot, with more coming in. The town just can't handle such a large influx of tourists at one time, and this wasn't even the busy season! We were one of two ships in port that day, and the other ship was small. I can't imagine what this place must be like in July and August. We could barely move along the narrow walk ways. Of course any vantage point to take a photo of the iconic blue & white church(s) was mobbed by people (Including myself) jockeying for position to take that perfect photo. One needs patience because people are no longer satisfied to take a few photos and move on. No, now they take a few photos, then a dozen or more selfies, and then out come the GoPros. I am going on the record that I hate Selfie Sticks.

 

Braved the crowds to get this shot

 

A quiet corner of Oia

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99% of the passengers on our cruise probably took this shot

[Rosethorn40]

One last word about Oia. The buses (And probably most of the cars and taxis) have to park below the town. That means to walk through the town and take your money shot photos one must walk uphill, on both stairs and ramps (I swear it was uphill both ways). If one is out of shape, or had mobility issues you will have difficulty. Add the heat and humidity and it could be a miserable day.

 

Once we were on back on the bus it was off to Thira, the main town, and where our ship was anchored. Once again the buses can only go so far, so its another hike, uphill, to where one catches the cable car to ride down the cliff to the waiting tenders. There was plenty of shopping, both stores and sidewalk vendors, but by this time all I could think about was a shower. Fortunately the wait for the cable car wasn't long (At peak times you may wait an hour). If you are terrified of heights, ride with your back to the sea, or you may pass out!

 

What I would do differently (Now that I know)

I would skip a ship sponsored shorex and wait for the ship to empty out. Enjoy a nice leisurely breakfast, and make my way, via the cable car, to Thira and explore the shops, eat at a café overlooking the sea, and soak up some of the local flavor.

 

Thira, from my vantage point on board the Royal

 

On the cable car going down, my back firmly to the view

 

[Rosethorn40]

Our first replacement port was Kotor. We had signed up for a ship shorex; Our Lady of the Rocks and Perast. This was a tender port, so we caught and tendered to shore, only to turn around and catch a smaller boat to Our Lady of the Rocks, a small Baroque church built on a man-made island. The ride was about 45-minutes. There is a fascinating legend on how this church came to be built, and the church itself is breathtaking beautiful. The interior of the church was decorated by Tripo Kokolja, a famous 17th-century painter from village of Perast. After we had had ample time to view the church it was back in the boats to the village of Perast. One really feels like they have stepped back in time as this village has not been spoiled by fast food restaurants. After a visit to a Maritime museum we had some free time to walk around. Another scenic 45-minute boat ride we were back in Kotor.

Our Lady of the Rocks

 

Another View

 

Detail of sculpture over entry to church

 

Ceiling inside Our Lady of the Rocks-Breathtaking

[Rosethorn40]

Altarpiece-The Icon of the Virgin Mary plays a big part of the legend

 

 

 

 

In case you can't tell, I was really taken with this church

[Crystabel]

Beautiful photos! Thank you for posting your review, and I look forward to following the rest of your adventure.

[Rosethorn40]

This Monastery (Not opened to the public) is on a small island very near the man-made island where Our Lady of the Rocks is

 

 

View from the former Mayor's house in Perast

 

 

[Rosethorn40]

Back in Koto after our Princess shorex I wanted to go to the Cat Museum. Yes, you heard right, they have a Cat Museum. I had first heard about this museum a few weeks before our trip when I read about it in a review on the Princess Board here on Cruise Critic. The museum is really just a way to get a euro from people, with some of the proceeds going towards food to feed the many stray cats. I knew that going in, so I didn't feel it was a ripoff, and I was glad to help feed the Kitties of Kotor (I have four cats of my own).

 

What I would do differently (Now that I know)

I could have paid a lot less for the same boat tour if I had taken a tender to port, and went to the tourist center (Can't miss it). The price? Only 15,00 euro pp, a fraction of what I paid on board. There is also a HOHO bus that does a 4 stop loop from Kotor to Perast, to a location with some Roman era mosaic's, and something else. I think the price for that was around 20,00 euro pp

 

 

 

 

[Rosethorn40]

Our second replacement port was Corfu. We had originally signed up to do a 4X4 jeep tour, but once I learned that the jeeps were actually Suzuki's that had manual transmission, and they put 4 in a vehicle, I knew it would never work for us. DH is 6'8" (2 Meters) tall, and no way could he ride in the back of one of those tiny "jeeps", and both of our stick shift driving ability would definitely be in question. I know I haven't driven a stick since 1991, and I not sure DH ever has! So I changed over to a Paleokastritsa Caves by Boat tour.

 

The night before, when we had received our Princess Platter for the next day, we were warned that Corfu would be very busy the next day, and it was! Besides the Royal, there were a large Costa ship, and a Royal Caribbean ship in port. Up early, we met our tour and were soon on our way. The first stop was Paleokastritsa Beach, where we were directed into several small boats. From there, our capable captain took us to explore several caves. Everyone on our boat seemed to enjoy themselves very much, and we all agreed that this very simple activity was wonderful. As we were walking back to the bus I heard the tinkling of bells, and coming down the hill was a small herd of goats. Now that is something I don't see everyday.

 

Then it was off to a nearby monastery that was at the top of a hill. The only way to get there was by one very narrow, twisty road. All was fine on the way up, but midway through our tour more buses began arriving. By time we walked to the parking lot to get on the bus to leave, the parking lot was a zoo, with buses everywhere, and more kept coming up the hill. Our driver finally made it out of the parking lot only to be trapped on the hill, as the road down was blocked by more buses trying to get up the hill. It was crazy, and too much time was wasted being stuck on the hill (We had to be back on board the Royal by 1:30 as the ship was leaving at 2pm).

 

Then it was off to a vantage point called Bella Vista (Beautiful View), which did indeed have a lovely view, but I think it was more as a comfort stop then anything else, as it was a long ways to go for just to look at a pretty, but not spectacular view. There was also some souvenir shopping, which I suspect was the real reason for this stop.

 

Finally we got back to the Old Town of Corfu, but because of the minutes wasted stuck on the hill outside the Monastery, and the detour to see Bella Vista (Probably 45 minutes+ wasted on that), we only had 30 minutes to look around.

 

What I would do differently (Now that I know)

Surprisingly, nothing. I really enjoyed the caves that much. However, I do wish the tour operator would drop the visit to the Monastery. It was interesting, but it can't handle the amount of traffic it gets. Also drop Bella Vista. Corfu is lovely, with crystal clear water. There had to be other choices to make for a more satisfying tour.

 

Entering one of the caves

 

 

The Blue Eye-It is caused by a tiny crack in the rock of one of the caves. Sunlight comes through the crack and makes this beautiful, shimmery blue light in the dark of a cave

Herd of goats-very cute

[Rosethorn40]

The Monastery

 

 

 

 

 

Bella Vista

 

[Rosethorn40]

Day 6 found us in Messina. We had booked yet another shorex through Princess; Taomina on your own. Thankfully, this was not a tender port. Based on our experience when we got back to the ship in the early afternoon, if a tender port, people would still be trying to get off as the ship was getting ready to leave-but more on that later.

 

Taomina is about an hour drive from the port city of Messina. Even though this was an on-your-own type of tour, we did have a guide who gave us some history on the way up, and was responsible for collecting us, and getting us on the correct bus to go back. This appeared to be a very popular option as there were at least 5 buses full of passengers doing this "tour" alone. Taomina sits very high up in a mountain, and the buses can only go so far. The bus dropped us off where we could catch an elevator, where we went up 7 stories to get to a terrace from where to start our day. After getting instructions from our "guide" on where and when to meet for the bus ride back to the ship we set off to explore. I really loved Taomina as it is very walkable, and so picturesque. We walked down the main street, window shopping mainly, as most of the shops didn't open until 10 am. The variety of stores was amazing, everything from touristy kitsch to upscale clothing, and art galleries. There were plenty of food options as well; street venders selling gelato, small sandwich shops, casual cafes, and fine restaurants.

 

While we were just ambling along, stopping when I saw something that took my fancy, we did have a purpose; the Greek Theater. This amphitheater was first built by Greeks dates from the 7th century BC, and its in remarkable condition, in fact it still hosts cultural events to this day. If I remember correctly it was 9 euro pp to get in, and I felt it well worth it. There are amazing views of the water, and Mt Etna in the distance. After I had my fill of the theater we continued to look around, stopping for gelato. I also finally had the opportunity for some real shopping.

 

All too soon we had to meet our guide for the ride back.

 

What a view! A view of the sea in Taomina

 

 

 

 

 

[Rosethorn40]

 

 

 

This darling kitty reminded me of my Prince Rupert

[Rosethorn40]

Impressive ruins and an impressive view. I would love to watch an opera here

 

 

It was slightly overcast at times, so I wasn't able to get the best shot of Mt. Etna, towering in the background

 

 

This was an amazing shop, filled with lifelike (Only more perfect) porcelain fruits and vegetables

[Rosethorn40]

The ship was scheduled to sail at 2pm, and we had to be back on board by 1:30, so our bus was trying to get back by 1:00. This was a major disappointment for me, our day cut short, as it only allowed for 2.5 hours of free time in Taomina. I could easily spend several days in this beautiful town.

 

Our bus got back around 12:50 (driver made excellent time) and we returned to mass chaos! Every tour, every independent sightseer all returned at 1 PM. The line through Italian security was long, the lines to get back on the ship were longer and moving very slowly. In fact, they kept us on the bus for an additional 10 minutes hoping the congestion would ease. It didn't. Finally we were allowed off the bus, only to stand a line that moved at a sails pace. Once we were back on board, then came the wait for an elevator. Each time an elevator came available there would be a mad rush for the doors, every man for themselves attitude. I saw tempers flare and arguments ensue because the ship's staff and facilities just can't handle such a large influx of people at once. It took until the 6th or 7th elevator, but I was finally able to squeeze DH on one (He has mobility issues and can barely walk up one flight of stairs, let alone four), and then I took the stairs.

 

The rest of the afternoon was enjoyably spent at the Sanctuary. One thing I did not expect, and was a pleasant surprise, was about 4 pm we passed Mt. Stromboli on the Starboard side. I've never been that close to an active volcano before. I was even more surprised to see a small village at the base of the volcano. Apparently, about 50 people still call the island home.

 

What I would do differently (Now that I know)

Nothing. Loved Taomina and I want to go back. However, if I am ever lucky enough to have a cruise stop there in the future I will make sure we have a full day. Of course that wouldn't have helped in this case, because originally Sicily was a full day. It was shortened when Naples was replaced with Elba, and we had to leave Sicily earlier to give us enough time to reach Elba.

 

Mt. Stromboli, smoking away

 

See the little village of white buildings at the base of the volcano? What are they thinking? The poufy cloud like substance at the crater is not a cloud, its smoke

Edited October 2, 2016 by Rosethorn40