Notes from Enchanted Princess - Rome to Barcelona (aug 5 - 19 2023)

[NIkkiGR]

10 hours ago, Labanos said:

Santorini

Alternative route - After the tender from the ship to the Old port of Fira, by a ticket from the ticket shop (Sea traveler) on the quai, for transportation to Oia. This costs 30 euro per person and includes a water taxi to Amoudi Bay, bus transfer to Oia and a bus transfer to Fira. A few remarks:

 

• The trip to Amoudi take about 15 minutes and is a nice sea ride
• 
• You then have to walk up a few 100 meters on a VERY steep hill. 
   
• In 5-10 minutes a bus takes you to Oia center
• 
• Every hour from 10-16 a bus leaves to Fira. So you can take your time in Oia and leave when ready
• 
• We found this a perfect way to go against the flow of all the people wanting to go to Fira first by cable car
• 
• Even when Enchanted Princess was the only ship in Santorini (lucky us) it was busy everywhere. The lines for the cable car going down were long!
• 
• We took the donkey path down from Fira to the old port. We did this at 14:00 in the full sun. Well what should I say 😅😟. Yes it’s doable for any fit person but it’s not an easy task. The steps are sometimes high, the path uneven and you have to watch for slippery parts and donkey poop. Really watch out! We did it in 30 minutes as untrained persons with how should I say it, not fat but a quite a few ponds to much.
• 

Thanks again. Exactly our plan too. Thank you for suggesting  the company Sea Transfer. I expect they wait until the boat is full before they leave. 

[NIkkiGR]

1 minute ago, NIkkiGR said:

Thanks again. Exactly our plan too. Thank you for suggesting  the company Sea Transfer. I expect they wait until the boat is full before they leave. 

Sorry Sea Traveler.

[Labanos]

8 hours ago, NIkkiGR said:

Do you recall how much the bus to Knossos costs? We are are the same 21 day cruise in September and this was my plan also. Does the Knossos bus take you back to the bus station? Or where did you get off? 

2.50 per person one way. It goed back to the bus station. But we got off at the end of Heraklion so we could walk through the town.

[NIkkiGR]

7 hours ago, Labanos said:

2.50 per person one way. It goed back to the bus station. But we got off at the end of Heraklion so we could walk through the town.

Thanks for getting back to me

 

7 hours ago, Labanos said:

2.50 per person one way. It goed back to the bus station. But we got off at the end of Heraklion so we could walk through the town.

 

[cruisequeen4ever]

21 hours ago, DeeTO said:

Did you visit Knossos on your own without a guide. If so, did you think the signage was good enough for explanation. Thanks

I can answer that because we did that last month. If you choose to do this, absolutely buy your tickets online before you go! The line to buy tickets to get in was reallllly long, UNLESS you already had tickets. Once inside, try to avoid the tour groups to speed up your visit; they clog the walkways and sites sometimes. There are signs in Greek and English. We read them, but it was soooo hot and crowded that we really just focused on seeing the sites and getting  out of there. We actually said on the way out how glad we were that we hadn’t done a tour because we couldn’t take the heat any longer. Skip the bathroom there; it was the longest bathroom line I’ve ever encountered. Allot an hour for the visit; the local driver said that’s the typical amount of time. We finished in 50 min. 

[cruisequeen4ever]

17 hours ago, NIkkiGR said:

Do you recall how much the bus to Knossos costs? We are are the same 21 day cruise in September and this was my plan also. Does the Knossos bus take you back to the bus station? Or where did you get off? 

I don’t know this answer, but there will be taxis at the port authority (where the port bus drops you off from the ship). They encourage you to book one to wait for you while you tour, so you don’t have to wait for a taxi after. If I remember correctly, it’s about 26 Euros one way taxi.

[Labanos]

Istanbul

Galataport Cruise Terminal is very big and modern. It looks more like a big airport.

 

 

This vacation we wanted to spend more time walking cities like Istanbul, Athens and Napels and use the public transport.

 

We have been to Istanbul before and then visited Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue mosque), Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, Grand Bazaar and the Harem.

 

So this time we wanted to take Tram line T1 and then explore the Sulthanahmet area on foot.

 

blue line is tram T1

 

You need Turkish cash to buy a tram ticket, so we used an ATM in Kusadasi to be prepared.

 

We are a group of 3 and we bought a 10 ride card for only 110 Lira so that’s really cheap. We did not buy a Istanbul card or anything else. Just a 10 ticket card. I held the card to the metro entry and checked my family in and went last myself. So no need to buy separate tickets.

 

The ticket machine has an English interface and is easy to use. But… you have to enter your money within a certain amount of time. If you dont do that the money entered is lost. The machine didn’t accept a certain billet and we kept on trying. Then time was up and our inserted 100 Lira was lost 😞 The second time went much better.

 

The trams on line T1 are very modern in Istanbul.  The stop closest to Galataport is Tophane. We intended to buy tickets there ( as you can do at almost all stops) but the line with Princess cruisers all trying to buy tickets was long and slow.

 

So we walked a few 100 meters to Karakoy, no lines there. And after we lost our 100 Lira we were on our way.

 

We went all the way to the Grand bazaar stop. Just 100 meter and your inside the bazaar.

 

 

After that we walked to the Sultan Ahmet mosque en Hagia Sophia area, walked around and got lunch.

 

After lunch we did an amazing excursion to Basilica Cistern. After our Napels underground tour this was Istanbul underground. If you see the picture you know why it’s nice to see.

 

 

We didn’t want to walk down to the Galata bridge so we hopped on the tram again to Eminonu stop. Wandered around and used our 10 trip card again to go back to Galataport cruise terminal.

[dcrow72]

On 8/14/2023 at 6:44 AM, dickinson said:

Thanks for your insights.  I must say it is extremely hard to believe that NO breakfast  available in buffet or  MDR on turnaround day.  IC and room service can not handle everyone on the ship.  Maybe something was wrong that particular day?

the buffet is wide open on turn around day for breakfast!  not sure when he went but I went 2 Saturdays around 8 AM and it was open with full breakfast

[DeeTO]

On 8/16/2023 at 6:34 PM, cruisequeen4ever said:

I can answer that because we did that last month. If you choose to do this, absolutely buy your tickets online before you go! The line to buy tickets to get in was reallllly long, UNLESS you already had tickets. Once inside, try to avoid the tour groups to speed up your visit; they clog the walkways and sites sometimes. There are signs in Greek and English. We read them, but it was soooo hot and crowded that we really just focused on seeing the sites and getting  out of there. We actually said on the way out how glad we were that we hadn’t done a tour because we couldn’t take the heat any longer. Skip the bathroom there; it was the longest bathroom line I’ve ever encountered. Allot an hour for the visit; the local driver said that’s the typical amount of time. We finished in 50 min. 

Tks for the advice. I do want to see the site but wary of long time in heat.

[NIkkiGR]

On 8/18/2023 at 9:28 AM, Labanos said:

Istanbul

Galataport Cruise Terminal is very big and modern. It looks more like a big airport.

 

 

This vacation we wanted to spend more time walking cities like Istanbul, Athens and Napels and use the public transport.

 

We have been to Istanbul before and then visited Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue mosque), Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, Grand Bazaar and the Harem.

 

So this time we wanted to take Tram line T1 and then explore the Sulthanahmet area on foot.

 

blue line is tram T1

 

You need Turkish cash to buy a tram ticket, so we used an ATM in Kusadasi to be prepared.

 

We are a group of 3 and we bought a 10 ride card for only 110 Lira so that’s really cheap. We did not buy a Istanbul card or anything else. Just a 10 ticket card. I held the card to the metro entry and checked my family in and went last myself. So no need to buy separate tickets.

 

The ticket machine has an English interface and is easy to use. But… you have to enter your money within a certain amount of time. If you dont do that the money entered is lost. The machine didn’t accept a certain billet and we kept on trying. Then time was up and our inserted 100 Lira was lost 😞 The second time went much better.

 

The trams on line T1 are very modern in Istanbul.  The stop closest to Galataport is Tophane. We intended to buy tickets there ( as you can do at almost all stops) but the line with Princess cruisers all trying to buy tickets was long and slow.

 

So we walked a few 100 meters to Karakoy, no lines there. And after we lost our 100 Lira we were on our way.

 

We went all the way to the Grand bazaar stop. Just 100 meter and your inside the bazaar.

 

 

After that we walked to the Sultan Ahmet mosque en Hagia Sophia area, walked around and got lunch.

 

After lunch we did an amazing excursion to Basilica Cistern. After our Napels underground tour this was Istanbul underground. If you see the picture you know why it’s nice to see.

 

 

We didn’t want to walk down to the Galata bridge so we hopped on the tram again to Eminonu stop. Wandered around and used our 10 trip card again to go back to Galataport cruise terminal.

We are also would like to visit the Cistern while on our own. Did you buy tickets prior to sailing?

[Labanos]

Yes, we did buy tickets from GetYourGuide. This was a true skip the line. The line in front of the ticket office was long! We met our guide in the nearby park and he guided us quickly inside. There wasn't much guidance later on. A short talk about the Cistern and it was explore on your own. This surprised me but the skip the line was worth it. An irritating thing was that you have to pick a visiting time, so this affects your schedule for the day.

 

 

[Labanos]

On 8/16/2023 at 6:34 PM, cruisequeen4ever said:

I can answer that because we did that last month. If you choose to do this, absolutely buy your tickets online before you go! The line to buy tickets to get in was reallllly long, UNLESS you already had tickets. Once inside, try to avoid the tour groups to speed up your visit; they clog the walkways and sites sometimes. There are signs in Greek and English. We read them, but it was soooo hot and crowded that we really just focused on seeing the sites and getting  out of there. We actually said on the way out how glad we were that we hadn’t done a tour because we couldn’t take the heat any longer. Skip the bathroom there; it was the longest bathroom line I’ve ever encountered. Allot an hour for the visit; the local driver said that’s the typical amount of time. We finished in 50 min. 

Yes, everything you said @cruisequeen4ever! Buy a ticket beforehand, it's hot and the groups are blocking the walking path.

[Labanos]

 

Restaurants

In general, we were very pleased with the taste of the food on board Enchanted Princess. I'm not talking quality, however that can be defined, but just if we liked the taste of it.

 

Catch by Rudy

Well let’s start with my most controversial comment. Did it live up to the hype? Partially in my opinion. Catch by Rudy is a bit of a special restaurant within the specialty restaurants.

 

First the staff and waiter. We stood alone for quite some time at the entrance desk before anyone welcomed us. I personally found that a bit awkward. We took a good look at the restaurant and it's beautiful, nice colors, good atmosphere, and nice plates on the table. After being seated the waiter gave a short introduction. We got the menu and made our choices for the 3-course dinner. I expected 4 or 5, but what counts is the quality and not the number of courses.

 

I did have an issue with the waiter. I try to explain as best as I can why. I'm not a foody nor do I eat in fancy restaurants all the time. I don't care for traditional waiting services like in high class restaurants. I do have enough experience with those kind of restaurants in my lifetime. The waiter acted a bit like he worked in a Michelin star restaurant but only showed/expressed some learned tricks. If you act in a certain way you have to follow through, and he didn't. So, for me that created an imbalance. A small example, if you want to play the waiter in a fancy restaurant you (also) must give some explanation about the dishes when served and not just put it on the table and walk away. Mind you I rather have a relaxed smiling waiter who is conversional and just friendly instead of doing things according to some rules.

 

But anyway, that’s minor. The most important part is the food. The starters and desserts we ordered were very good. Good portions, very good taste, excellent.

 

The main dishes were not on quite on par in my humble opinion. Let me explain why I say this. For an extra charge of $39 you want the main dish to shine. No holding back, no reservations. I ordered the surf 'n turf. The lobster was very good, but the filet was not so good. My wife had King prawns but had a feeling of "is that all" after scraping off the flesh.

Our end conclusion is that it is a very nice addition to the speciality restaurants. I would book Catch by Rudy again and even recommend it. But I can’t deny I have some reservations.

 

Salty Dog Grill

Nice burgers, fries, and hot dogs. Really liked it.

 

Slice

Picked up a slice 2 times later in the evening while sitting on deck, nice! It's perhaps a strange remark but the taste of the crust/dough is a bit addictive. Best pizza at sea, dunno but I like it.

 

Swirls

I'm a real soft ice addict and pictured me eating soft ice every day while onboard. I just ordered 2 times. The ice is not bad! But for me it's a bit to sugary and icy. The McDonalds soft ice for example is smoother.

 

Sabatini's

A solid 9, I really enjoyed it. Last year on Caribbean Princess, I gave it a 7. The new place on deck 7 is beautiful and has a nice atmosphere. Your taste can vary due to your mood, the company you’re with or

Crown Grill

With the new Grown Grill bar, it's a very nice location. It's the other way around with Sabatini. Last year I was very pleased with my steak. This year the New York Strip steak wasn't super. It might be that I ordered it Medium instead of Medium Rare, but it wasn't as juicy and soft as I hoped for. On our next Princess Cruise I again will go to Crown Grill if only it was to spend my onboard credit. My wife is more hesitant and probably wants to skip a next visit.

Gigi's

I really liked the pizzas over there. The menu is nice and the location on deck 7 is perfect. We ate for free, and I would pay for it under the new rules. It's a nice break from the buffet or the MDR.

 

Main Dining Room

This trip we've been there quite a few times. The everyday changing menu, the quality of the food and the luxury of being served instead of harvesting your food from the buffet, gave it a relaxing feel. The taste of most things was (very) good. I did notice the second week the same items as in the first week reappearing. This is my only negative comment.

We had a 7:20 seating in the Medallion app. Every time there was a small waiting line, but we were seated pretty quickly most times at nice locations. Service is quick. Maybe to quick so sometimes we had to put the pace down by taking a longer time for our serving.

 

Buffet

The taste of most things I tried was ok to good. But for some reason we got tired from the buffet quickly. A Mediterranean cruise in the middle of the summer is busy especially on a ship like Enchanted Princess. While I know and accept this, I still was a bit surprised with the duration of the busyness. It looked like it was always busy and getting a nice table is difficult.

 

International Cafe.

As a sandwich person i really like the concept of the International Cafe. Good coffee, enough sandwiches to choose from and open 24/7. I really enjoy getting some coffee and food and then enjoy it on my balcony.

 

 

[Oxo]

Thanks for all your info and details.

 

One thing I would like to clarify is how Princess excels in the MDR with their menus.

You stated: 'I did notice the second week the same items as in the first week reappearing. This is my only negative comment.'

On NCL they are using the same menu each night without any changes on the Prima, their new ship. 

So, just hope that Princess does not follow NCL and use one menu, the same menu, each night. 

 

As for the $39 for the Specialty Restaurants. That is very reasonable. The other lines are charging $50 and above. If you visited Ruth's Chris Steak House today, you could expect to pay a minimum of around $61 for a 16 ounce New York Strip. Ribeye would run close to $69. 

From the cruise lines we have cruised on the past 2 years, Princess is the most reasonable. 

Happy Cruising!

[NIkkiGR]

On 8/16/2023 at 10:34 AM, cruisequeen4ever said:

I can answer that because we did that last month. If you choose to do this, absolutely buy your tickets online before you go! The line to buy tickets to get in was reallllly long, UNLESS you already had tickets. Once inside, try to avoid the tour groups to speed up your visit; they clog the walkways and sites sometimes. There are signs in Greek and English. We read them, but it was soooo hot and crowded that we really just focused on seeing the sites and getting  out of there. We actually said on the way out how glad we were that we hadn’t done a tour because we couldn’t take the heat any longer. Skip the bathroom there; it was the longest bathroom line I’ve ever encountered. Allot an hour for the visit; the local driver said that’s the typical amount of time. We finished in 50 min. 

Do you recall which site you bought your tickets from?

[Labanos]

Mykonos

Mykonos town is very special imho. The narrow streets, white house’s and relaxed atmosphere with a lot of shops and restaurants gives it a special feel.

Mykonos is WINDY and sunny. Be prepared

 

Tenders is always a bit of a hassle. When arriving at 12:00 and the first tender is at 12:30 the earliest if everything goes right.

 

First get a ticket. Then wait when your number is called. The groups go first so don’t expect to get off just after 12.30

Next you are in the new port. There’s nothing to see there and you can’t walk to Mykonos town ( it’s technically possible but not advised) Options are:

 

A Water taxi was 2 euro one way. We really enjoy this kind of transportation

 

Princess shuttle was 10 dollar per person roundtrip

Taxi’s, well there are around 30 on the whole island I’ve read somewhere. So when it’s busy in the port it gets difficult I guess.

 

So when you are finally in the old town you’re quite some time underway

Now to get a a specific beach the next step is to find the right bus station to take a bus from. Walking from Mykonos town to Fabrika bus station for example is is an extra step that takes some walking time. Watch the timetables and be prepared for a delay in the bus service and missing a bus because it’s already full

The last tender leaves an hour before departure time. So be on time and prepare for some extra delays so you can be back in time

 

More information and some nice videos on another cruisecritic forum:

[YoupDeBoer]

@Labanos Thanks a lot for this trip report! We will be visiting some of these destinations as well in Aug 2024 (Going from Rome to Athens via Napels, Messina, Santorini, Kusadasi and Mykonos). Your detailed report will definitely help with the planning of our port days.

[Anyislandwilldo]

On 8/15/2023 at 7:51 AM, Labanos said:

Santorini

 

Alternative route - After the tender from the ship to the Old port of Fira, by a ticket from the ticket shop (Sea traveler) on the quai, for transportation to Oia. This costs 30 euro per person and includes a water taxi to Amoudi Bay, bus transfer to Oia and a bus transfer to Fira. A few remarks:

 

• The trip to Amoudi take about 15 minutes and is a nice sea ride
• 
• You then have to walk up a few 100 meters on a VERY steep hill. 
   
• In 5-10 minutes a bus takes you to Oia center
•  
• Can you point out exactly where the very steep hill is?  Is it that hill right above the catamaran?  Thanks.
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  

 

[Labanos]

 On to the Godfather! -  Sicily, Italy

 

 

We arrived in Savoca. We were first given real granita "al limone" with a kind of crunchy soup stick.  The origin of granita is said to be in Messina. Snow from Mount Etna was mixed with sugar and rose water by the Arabs, creating the first granita. Now it comes in several flavors, we got lemon because these are widely grown in Sicily. 

 

In Savoca was the indoor filming location for the wedding between Apollonia and Michael and of course bar Vitelli where Michael first saw Apollonia the daughter of the owner. Inside the bar a small museum corner was set up with photos and remembrances of the movie shoots. 
Because I unexpectedly developed car sickness on the bus, I was allowed to sit in the front seat for the rest of the trip! That's a windfall, although when you see the mountain roads we had to travel by bus..... 😬. 

 

After Savoca I was allowed to sit in the front, that didn't really help and I asked for a plastic bag. After 3 quarters of an hour we stopped in Forza d'Agro. The village is 420 meters above sea level, so we went over many, many narrow winding mountain roads where the bus occasionally had to cross to get around a corner or honk just in case a car came around a corner... . 

In Forza d'Agro we did the exterior shots of Michael and Apollonia's wedding. It was indeed a beautiful church! 

 

During the trip, the guide told us about the eruption of Mount Etna last week and she thought it was all very funny because she laughed at the fact that her balcony was covered with ash. They were used to it she said...unfortunately we couldn't see Etna because the top was in the clouds.... 

We had a short time in Forza d'Agro and the little restaurant was not calculated for the amount of people who had arrived. We ordered a panini that we barely got in time. It was very tasty though. This did help a little on the way down. 

All in all it was a wonderful day excursion with very nice views.