Royal Princess in the Med - 19 / 31 July 2007 - Itinerary review (part 2)

[Jacques O]

hello again,

 

Here is the second section of the 1st part review of the cruise.

 

It deals with the itinerary from day 07 (Malta) to day 12 (Gulf of St-Tropez/ at sea).

 

Enjoy!

 

Jacques Olivier, Paris.

 

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D07-Malta (Wednesday 25 th July)

 

 

I woke up early…As I got to the balcony, the sun was well above the horizon, but it was all misty and orange over there. There wasn’t much to see…. Al the more so as I had not my glasses on…Still numbed by sleep (or lack of), I went back to bed and managed to doze off, and later on, when I got up, we were already docked in Valetta! Catastrophe! Disaster! We had missed the arrival. I had actually not worked out what time it was when I got up in the first time! What an idiot I am! Besides, I know what an unforgettable experience it is to sail to Malta and enter the harbour!

 

At about 7:30, went on deck; it was all quiet up there. Talked to a guy who was on deck for the arrival and said it was fantastic. Well, I had had the chance to see the sailing into Valletta twice in the past, so it wasn’t the end of the world…. Now, in the distance, I was able to spot Sky Wonder approaching. She docked close to us. An old friend...

 

We took our breakfast on the balcony (not so satisfying because it was rather hot!). Got off the ship, shortly after 8:30 am.

 

The idea was to go to town, by bus. We had been told that a bus, with a stop close to the cruise terminal, was going up to the entrance of Valetta old town (where there is the main bus station). We bought a daily pass for 3.50 euros each (but you can use the local currency, which will be phased out early next year when they adopt the Euros in Malta). Our aim was to go to Vittoriosa, opposite Valetta’s Great Harbour. (Basically, Valetta is located on a large peninsula, and opposite, across the harbour there are two small peninsulas, perpendicular to Valetta, called Senglea and Vittoriosa.)

 

Quickly, off we went to our desired destination …. All the buses (they are small) are painted orange, and look quite old fashioned but charming! But it was not easy over there to work out where to stop… - we had just had a poor a map.After a somewhat complicated journey, we got off at the place that looked like Vittoriosa.

 

It was in fact Coscupia, nearby. There was a nice church, which unfortunately was closed… It’s called Immaculate Conception. A polite old man gave us the direction for Vittoriosa: just opposite, across a main road towards the peninsula.

 

We walked along the water front, along marinas and enjoyed very good views of the harbour and of Valletta just across…

 

We discovered Saint Lawrence church, which fortunately was opened. It dates back from the very end of the 17th century, and boasts a very colourful baroque decoration. Pope Johan Paulus II visited it in 1990. Next to it was ‘church close’, a very small chapel converted into a museum where we saw the hat and the sword of the Great Master from 1557 “Jean Parisot de la Vallette” (founder of the city of the same name : Valetta).

 

Next was the visit of the Palace of the Inquisition, which was an interesting building, recently restored. The inside is quite plain as it was a prison. So don’t expect a large collection of artefact, furniture, paintings and the like. The Maltese Inquisition was apparently a much gentler organisation than the Spanish Inquisition.

 

Then at about 12:30 am I went on a spot where I could see the harbour entrance. I was expecting a large passenger ship…. RCCL Voyager of the Seas. Must say that if her sailing into the harbour was impressive, it was a bit over the top, as the ship is too large for the site!

 

Later, we walked through old narrow streets, with very old houses, and spotted some of the hostels – such as “l’auberge de France” dating back from 1555.

 

We also needed a break – and had a little snack. But it was not easy to find shade! There is simply no garden, no tree there!

 

Afterwards, we visited the maritime museum…It is practically on the site of the old Arsenal of the Order of the Knights of St John, in a building which much more recently had served as the bakery for the Royal Navy. It is worth a visit all the more so as three were very few visitors…It retraces the history of the island and above all of the harbour… I discovered a very good collection or artefacts, ranging from guns, ships reduced models, photos, paintings, uniforms, etc…Interestingly, I noted that Bonaparte invaded and Malta in 1798 and stayed less than two years before being ‘expelled’ by the British. The island became part of the Dominions in 1815. The British left in 1979 after more than 150 years of domination!

 

Now, we had to go back to Valetta. We waited a long time for the bus… in intense heat…. There was no timetable at the stop, pity. It was about 3 pm when we got back to Valletta town. We now did not have much time ahead of us, nor much energy….and we were just baking!

 

Now, I must tell you that my ‘mission’ for the call at Malta was to get a reproduction of the famous “Maltese Falcon” from the eponymous 1941-movie by John Huston, featuring Humphrey Bogart and Sydney Greenstreet. I had seen the ‘coveted’ bird in a souvenir shop a few years ago… and did not buy it – how stupid of me.

 

So, we went on a search… not to the extent of that of the movie, though…. Went to several shops There are so many souvenir outlets that sell junk…. But most of the staff there had no idea what I was talking about… Sometimes I was showed a magnet or a key ring representing a falcon. I did not get my bird….I was feeling quite down in the mouth, to be honest! I shall have to go back to Malta.

 

We had no time to visit St John’s Cathedral or the Grand Masters Palace, unfortunately - there’s a fee for the cathedral now. Instead, we just pottered around the city…mainly alongside the main street, Republic Street, all ready, decorated with for a forthcoming big fête ‘saint Dominique’, in honour of the city’s patron I believe. The town was very busy – all the more so as there were three cruise ships – including a very large one!

 

At 4 pm we took the bus back to the harbour (but we could have walked there – 15 min on foot). There was a long queue for the bus, but we managed to board it (I understood that they put another bus for all the folks waiting).

 

It was nice to be back on board Royal Princess, in our cosy and air conditioned cabin!

 

We departed at 5 pm… sailed past Voyager of the Seas, that looked more like a massive block of apartments than a ship, and Sky Wonder which is much ‘ship like’.

 

Sailing out of the harbour was wonderful and the views were great, thanks to a bright light, but soon, as we were sailing out of the island, photos opportunities were not so good because of the sun right above the island and contre-jour…

 

Well, it had been a very interesting day, but it did not live up to my expectations because I missed the arrival and did not get a falcon! I certainly shall have to go back to Malta.

 

Now, I must say a few more things.

 

Usually in Malta, the weather is fine and very clear. Since most of the buildings are made of limestone (in a warm light yellow tone), reflection against all those constructions can be intense, and it’s recommended to use sun glasses.

 

I was impressed to notice that most buildings – and I mean the old ones – have been restored. Fronts and walls must have recently been sand blasted for most of them. The areas we visited that day were well maintained and clean, and I didn’t spot any derelict building.

 

Public transport is a bit disappointed. We wasted a lot of time because we had no bus map (and I’m not sure there is any available) and there is no time table at the bus stops – except at the main (terminus) station in Valletta. So, you’d better work things out thoroughly if you plan to use the buses. Still, some people on the ship used the public transport to go to some places in the island (M’dina for instance) and apparently, it worked out fine for them.

 

 

 

 

 

D08 –At Sea -Strait of Messina- Stromboli Volcano (Thursday 26 th July)

 

 

At 8 am, R.P. was sailing west of the tip of Southern Italy (Calabria), heading to the strait of Messina. This is the channel of water between the southern tip of Western Italy and the North eastern tip of Sicily. At its narrowest point (near the city of Messina) the strait is 3.1 km, although the breath is up to 5.1 km elsewhere.

 

The pilot was picked up slightly before 10 am. And left at 10:30 am, after the 10-mile transit.

 

Although we had sailed in the strait before, and even called once at Messina a few years ago, it was our first ‘through’ sailing during the day.

 

The coasts were indeed pretty distinguishable… In Messina, I spotted Sky Wonder, as well as the statue of the Virgin, on top of a column at the entry of the harbour. Reggio di Calabria was just as visible on the eastern side, and also, the two big painted red and white pylons on either side, that used to hold the over-head power cables linking the island to the mainland.

 

Again, the weather was very nice, but as we progressed towards the strait it became overcast… Even grey clouds and threatening rain appeared as we were sailing right in the narrow section… I was a bit worried, somewhat disappointed… ….I was thinking, “the patch of hot and wonderful weather is now over… we’re heading north after all”.

 

Now, a bit of history, or legend… as we spotted the so called Rock of Scylla on the East coast …”A natural whirlpool forms in the strait, the narrowest part of the strait, north of Messina, and this originates in the legend of a Scylla and Charybdis. They are two sea monsters of Greek mythology situated on opposite sides of a narrow channel of water, so close that sailors avoiding Charybdis will pass too close to Scylla and vice versa. The phrase "between Scylla and Charybdis" has come to mean “being in a state where one is between two dangers and moving away from one will cause you to be in danger from the other”, and is believed to be the progenitor of the phrase "between a rock and a hard place." Scylla lived on the cliffs and Charybdis was a dangerous whirlpool. Neither fate was more attractive as both were difficult to overcome”.

 

Unexpectedly, conditions cleared up once out of the strait! A miracle… What a relief, because there was something to look forward to later in the afternoon…The captain had told us that he’ll sail his ship close to the Stromboli volcano, on our north westerly course. Yes, once we had left Sicily behind us, we were heading towards the volcano….

 

I must ad that we had to choose between the ‘strait of Messina’ and a ‘cooking demo and galley tour’ this morning. I would have enjoyed both ‘in door’ activities – it was difficult to make a choice but I preferred the ‘geographical’ one. And there was no regret… Still, I would have been interested in the galley tour (but I had the opportunity to take part in galley tours on previous cruises).

 

Before lunch, we had a drink on our balcony, something very pleasant because we were on the shady side by now, our cabin being on starboard; we were still able to observe the Stromboli. I also I went to the cafeteria to pick up some thin slices of Coppa, a variety of Italian ham and parmigiano cheese chunks! For my whisky and my mother’s ouzo….

 

At one pm, we had lunch in the restaurant with an American couple in their late 30, charming people. We had befriended them earlier during the cruise, because like us, they were dining ‘floaters’.

 

Then at 2:15 pm –once lunch over- it was high time to check our progression…. The Stromboli was getting closer and bigger… Fume, or steam was billowing up from of its top… It was quite amusing to see this string of white clouds in the blue sky!

 

For a while, too, we were able to make out in the distance from the port side, the small archipelago of the Lipari Islands.

 

We remained on deck for a moment, to see Stromboli coming larger and larger, but we were not sailing fast (about 7 knots). Later, we went back to our cabin, and remained on the balcony (I guess because on deck it was too hot). By all means, it was pleasant if not impressive, to sail past Stromboli’s western side, where the lava of the last major eruption (30th December 2002) created an abrupt landslide. We could also clearly spot the small buildings of the villages at the foot of the volcano. This island is inhabited, and we even saw a small ferry calling at some of these places during our sailing. To be noted is that once, the Captain provided us with a commentary through the PA system. Yes, the view was amazing! I guess it must be amazing too at night, but only when heavy smoke, or fume or steam or even lava come out of the crater! Yes it was a great sailing. I was quite stunned, to be honest!

 

Later, as the view was not too good from our balcony, we went to the cafeteria after terrace to see the Stromboli slowly receding…Needless to say that I took quite a few photos that afternoon! It was worth it, trust me!

 

Evening was a formal one. I dressed up… That was the last formal evening, but formal, was not the attire people (and specially men) would were that evening…. With my dark suit, white shirt, stripped red and blue tie, and a handkerchief in my jacket front top pocket, I looked a bit like a stranger…..

 

For dinner, we succeeded again to have a table for the second sitting, with nice people. I had lobster (which was very tasty and soft – the best I ever tried) and Wellington beef. It was again a very good dinner. Later, we attended the show, which consisted mainly of a dance performance. I liked it.

 

I went for a stroll on deck around midnight, to get some fresh air. Decks were quiet, the sea was calm, a star lit sky with a big moon reflecting in the ocean was the backdrop for this peaceful and soothing moment.

 

 

D09 –Sorrento (Friday 27 th July)

 

 

It was an early arrival, yet again. Weather was still excellent. The scenery over Sorrento, from the cabin balcony was very pretty, thanks to the stylish and colourful houses perched on the cliff, and the hilly background.

 

At 7 am, tenders were being lowered. A 7:15 am breakfast arrived to our cabin; we had it on the balcony. We took it easy. We did not rush. Afterwards, we went for a stroll on deck to get a proper view of the Gulf of Naples. Because of the mist (due to the heat and pollution I guess) Mount Vesuvius did not come out too well. Pity!

 

Next we waited a short while in the midship lounge for the tender tickets. We joined Al an his wife Marie Anne, from South Africa - remember, we had shared their table one night at dinner. We boarded the tender at about 8:45 am. The short ride ashore (10 min) turned out to be an excellent photo opportunity as RP was exposed to the sun.

 

Ashore we went to get tickets for Capri island. The ticket booth is close to were we got off the tender, in the small harbour of Sorrento. Yes, it’s a small harbour because from the ship, I had noticed that tenders had to wait to let the Capri ferries in or out! We bought a return ticket on a fast ferry (cost: 17,80 euros per person) – not a jet nor a hydrofoil for which, prices are much more expensive, and bring far less fun. We took the 9:25 am one: the “nave veloce”, from the Caremar company.

 

As it was a catamaran–like ferry, only the after section was open to the outside. It’s where I remained most of the time… often gazing in awe at the powerful wake! It was a pleasant and fast journey to Capri, which enabled us to discover the Amalfi coast and the mountainous Sorrento peninsula, with its typical Mediterranean vegetation. The view as we progressed to Capri was impressive but also very picturesque. The island is rather rocky, with a craggy relief and limestone cliffs, together with vegetation on the slopes. It’s not a volcanic island and millenniums ago, it was part of the Sorrento peninsula. The harbour waterfront we arrived at (Marina Grande), was very a pretty sight, thanks to its traditional and well maintained old buildings, and all the tiny (fishing) boats.

 

Mind you, once ashore, we had to check our ticket because it showed a passage back to Sorrento for 5 pm, which far too late! Our ticket would be no problem.

 

Next, we took the funicular to go uphill, to the higher part of town. (price 1,30 euro each). Once there, we discovered a belvedere and the view toward the harbour, the gulf of Naples – with it’s blue sea -and the Peninsula of Sorrento was striking and beautiful – in spite of the haze in the distance.

 

My mother had been to Capri before, so I listened to her advice. We took the bus to Anacapri, another city in the middle of the island. Amusingly, buses are tiny (they are mini buses), all painted orange. Drivers are very skilled! The have to, for streets are winding, narrow, they go up (or down) in a hair pin pattern and traffic is intense: I was impressed by the drive! I certainly wouldn’t like to drive a car there!

 

At Anacapri, located high on the hills to the west, we walked into a small street with attractive shops (not much junk!), and found the tourist information bureau, where a lady kindly gave us information. She recommended the visit of a house nearby, “Villa san Michele”. We walked there.

 

The property (entrance fee: 5 euros per person), set in a beautiful park at 327 meters above sea level, features a house that was built around the turn of the 20th century, by the Swedish physician, Axel Munthe, on the ruins of the Roman Emperor, Tiberius' villa. Interestingly, the history of the villa is described by Dr. Munthe in his book entitled “The Story of San Michele”, published in 1929. There have been numerous reprints since.

 

San Michele's gardens are adorned with numerous relics and works of art dating back to ancient Egypt and other periods of antiquity. The place wasn’t too busy (fortunately!), and we enjoyed very much the garden, and more its shade…as well as it panoramic views of the city of Capri and its marina, the Gulf of Naples and the Sorrentine peninsula. We had a quick snack in the garden, with food picked up in the morning at the ship’s cafeteria.

 

Next, because time was running out, we took the minibus back to Capri. Fortunately, they are quite frequent! In any case, you are packed like sardines in there! The journey back did not last long. We had to pay the ride (1,30 euro) but all in all it would have been cheaper to buy a daily pass for the public transport than getting a ticket for each ride.

 

Back to sun drenched Capri, we decided to go to the harbour on foot rather than by funicular. (In fact, you can walk from Anacapri to Capri, but we did no see a proper path… and the road is quite hazardous). This walk required quite a little effort, but we found it extremely rewarding.

 

We had time to kill before the ferry departure (30 minutes), so we popped into some souvenir shops (where I bought an apron and post cards!), and walked on the sea front, just enjoying its colourful atmosphere. We took the ferry -‘nave veloce’ again- to Sorrento. It was the 13h40 one, which was delayed by 10 min or so. We met again Al and Marie Anne, and also some fellow passengers from RP.

 

Capri is supposed to stand as one of the world’s most beautiful (and romantic!) island! Perhaps! Still, it was a most enjoyable visit. But it lasted just a few hours, and from the glimpse I had, I’d like to come back to it visit it more thoroughly, because there is so much more to discover.

 

Back to the Sorrento harbour, it was well past 3:30 pm, now. We took the Princess shuttle bus to the city. We didn’t walk not only because it was hot, but because the way up there is very steep! We just strolled into town.

 

From a belvedere promenade, we enjoyed stunning views of the Vesuvius across the bay of Naples. Amusingly, we had been there almost 5 months earlier during on a call at Naples on MSC Musica (and we enjoyed good weather too). Then, none of us had any thought regarding a possible visit in the forthcoming summer! Just below, at the foot of the cliff, we noticed a make-shift marina designed as a beach for sun lovers and bathers. It was quite an amusing sight!

 

The only church opened was San Francisco, with its cloister, dating back from the 14th Century. We had visited them earlier during the year…, but had another look toady. The church is a triumph of baroque style with rich stucco decorations. The cathedral was closed too (we could not even visit it in February either!). We were disappointed.

 

The city being a touristy place, there were many souvenir shops. Bought a few things (calendars, tea towels, even a (chilled) can of beer that I drank in the street!). We also visited a limoncello shop (it’s the local renowned liquor made of lemon).

 

We went back to the harbour by the shuttle bus (we should have walked down; it would also have saved time!). And we boarded the tender at about 5 pm (one of the last scheduled ones). On the way to RP, I managed to get a seat from where had good views of the bay (and our ship) but got scolded for not remaining still!

 

We were pleased to be back to our cabin, from where we had a premium view over Mount Vesuvius, though still slightly shrouded in haze.

 

Departure took place at 18:15. We first sailed along the Amalfi coast and off Capri for a while. Stayed on deck for a while to follow the lovely navigation on our northerly course off the gulf of Napoli and along the coast, past the isles of Ischia Prochida, while the setting sun provided a beautiful backdrop. At one stage, I took my binoculars and found out that there was a Costa ship as well as a NCL one sailing out of Naples.

 

Then after 8:30 pm, we made out way to the dining room… After a wait, we were accompanied to a new table. This time, our (new) companions were an old Glaswegian couple and an English gentleman. He had sailed last year on that ship, when she was the Minerva II, from England up to Manaus in Brazil on the River Amazon. It was interesting to hear about comparisons of both ships, in term of service, facilities and passengers.

 

 

 

D10 –Civitavecchia (Saturday 28th July)

 

 

Again, I woke up early. Went on the balcony of our cabin… It was 6 am… Royal Princess was already docked. Weather was promising: blue sky, bright sun (dazzling, as it was just in front of us, well above the horizon!). Knowing that two other big cruise ships were also due that day, I looked around and saw none… It was quite early after all. We were docked in the outer harbour (I mean close to the breakwaters – and not towards the old basins).

 

About 30 min later, I spotted a big white cruise ship arriving, which turned out to be Princess Cruises’ Sea Princess. She manoeuvred and docked behind Royal Princess. Then, 15 minutes later, it was Celebrity’s Millennium turn to arrive. She docked opposite us in the basin, where I trust, new docking facilities were completed last year (MSC Musica docked there in early February - the quay side looked brand new)

 

Slightly before 7 am, our breakfast arrived to our cabin. Once taken, we made ourselves ready and got off the ship at 7:45 am. The aim was to get the 8 am shuttle bus for town. I was told the night before at the guest relation counter that there would be a bus every 30 min dropping people into town, just close to the train station. This information sounded odd to me because on our previous calls at Civitavecchia when a bus was provided, it wasn’t organised that way. The given information would be erroneous!

 

The shuttle bust left at about 8:am, picked up some Sea Princess passengers, and dropped us just at the entrance of the harbour – if you walk up there, it’s about 15 min. And from the drop off point we walked to the train station, which is about 10 min away. We bought our day-trip ticket (train to Roma and its public transport for 9 euros). As it was Saturday, trains were not frequent. We had to wait about 30 min and within that time, the platform got very busy with people from the 3 cruises ships docked in the harbour!

 

The train to Roma takes about 70 min to go to the terminus station, Termini. But we chose to get off at St Pietro (it takes about 50 min up to there). It’s what I recommend, because the remaining of the journey is slow and pretty boring. Guess that if you want to be right into Roma, and want to visit, say, the Colosseo (Coliseum), you have to get to this last station.

 

It was 9h45 am when we arrived at St Pietro Piazza - it takes about 15 min from the station. Already, it was quite hot ! We decided to go inside the Basilica because the queue to get there seemed not too long. We just had a look around the interior, as we had visited it properly earlier this year in February on our cruise on the Musica. It was more busy this time. I enjoyed yet again looking at the beautiful Pieta by Michelangelo. Such a moving sculpture. What a masterpiece!

 

Next, we went to the necropolis of the popes, next to the main building. It is also quite a moving place. I was not pleased with some of people’s behaviours (kids and adults alike) who talked very loudly, with no concern to the others. And this, in spite of constant reminders by loudspeaker in several languages that this (the shrine) is a holy place that requires silence. There were many people praying in front the alcove of the grave of Pope John Paulus II.

 

Now, this visit over, we wanted to go by to Piazza di Spana. Waited at some bus stops, to find no journey map whatsoever. There were just the names of the stops on a board for each stop pole - but it was of no help, as the names did not mean much to us. So, we walked towards the Tevere river and the Castel San Angelo (which we visited last February).

 

We found near it a mall, where we had a little break and food. The shade was more than welcome! There was also a small tourist information bureau. But the staff there is not very friendly and don’t do their best to give you the best information. Certainly, no information on public transport is provided, and there is even a sign outside saying ‘no bus map’! At least, in Paris, you can get maps of the public transport network at any metro station, and most of the bus stops display a big map of the network. Obviously, such a thing does not exist in Roma. So, I highly recommend you make some proper research before your journey there, if you intend to be independent and use the public buses. There are only 2 metro lines and understandably they do not run all over the place! Perhaps there are bus maps on sale at news agents? It has to be investigated!

 

Our break over, we walked along the bank of the Tevere, which was running low….Not too much water under the bridge at that time of the year. It was a pleasant walk as there were stalls, many with old books and pictures, and craftworks. We crossed the river, on the bridge Umberto I, in front of the Justice court, an imposing but fine building topped by a quadriga. We continued to look for a bus to get to our destination….With no luck. But we had a city map, and so we headed on foot towards Piazza D’espana, walking in attractive streets with trendy shops, like fashion outlets of mainly French and Italian brands. Now, at last, we had reached the bottom of the Spanish Steps, but the sun and the heat were so biting that I said I didn’t fell like walking up the stairs…. Besides, the front of the church ‘Trinita dei Monti’, on top of the steps, seemed hidden by massive scaffolding. So we thought that the church might be closed because of restoration works…. We would not have been rewarded by our effort…We didn’t fancy the idea of finding a closed door.

 

Nevertheless, it turned out that we were close to the ‘Fontana Di Trevi’…So we walked there. The beautiful building and the fountain in front of it make a stunning Renaissance ensemble. Just as pretty as ever. Needless to say that the place was teeming with tourists… Must confess we did not throw a coin!

 

It was 1 pm by now. We decided to move on. So we took a bus, having more of less found out where it was heading too. We drove out of the very city centre, passed a large park and the famous ‘Villa Medicis’. We got off at Flaminio station, and walked to ‘Piazza del Popolo’.

 

It was a pleasant surprise, as this is a large square, with an obelisk in the middle surrounded by a fountain, and three churches (unfortunately closed) on the edge. On a guide book, I read that one of them the oldest one, called ‘Santa Maria del Popolo’ houses an impressive collection of paintings, sculptures and frescos by some Italian Masters, which make it worth of a museum. Regarding the obelisk, I learned that it had been made transported from Heliopolis in Egypt by Emperor August in 10 BC and originally erected in the Circus Maximus. It was certainly a relief to find a fountain too. You can drink the water coming out of the pipe, and freshen yourself up. Apparently, it’s no real problem to find fresh water in Roma - fountains are numerous. Next to the square on a hill is a park, Pincio, where we went for a quick walk. From there, you have wonderful views over the town (it was a bit hazy though), but we could spot San Pietro (well, not difficult as it’s such a big building!) and other main monuments as well as some of the hills that have made Roma so famous.

 

Then, we wanted to have a cold drink somewhere. We sat at the terrace of a café and had some aqua frizzente. We enjoyed this break very much. Actually, we were in Via Del Corso, which is a thoroughfare leading to Piazza de Venezia and further, to the Forum. I had before- hand spotted a bus stop opposite the café with a line heading towards the city centre. But when we got there after our drink it turned out that the service was over! And there was no indication in English, but I understood the situation thanks to a lady translating in English to her friends what was printed on a board!

 

Never mind we walked across the piazza del Popolu, that was like a fry pan!, to get take the metro at Flaminio station, to the Cavour stop – it was past 3 pm by now. The aim, once there at Cavour, was to walk to ‘San Pietro in Vincoli’, (Saint Peter in Chains) well known for housing a large statue of Moses by Michelangelo. But we took the opposite direction…And found ourselves at ‘Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore’ – which we indented to visit too! It is actually one of the four major basilicas of Roma, and also the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was originally built by Pope Liberius in A.D. 358 and was went through several phases of reconstructions during centuries. Its restoration was completed in 2000. Its 14th-century campanile is the city's loftiest (about 75 m). The basilica is especially noted for the 5th-century Roman mosaics in its nave, as well as for its beautiful coffered ceiling said to have been gilded with gold brought from the New World. It is a must visit.

 

Soon, it was time to go back to the train station. We were very close to Termini – where there was a 5 pm train calling at Civitavecchia. Although we had not achieved what we had planned or expected, we were pleased to be back to the station, because we were beginning to feel tired.

 

We took that train. The carriage we were in was stifling. The air conditioning was not working, but later, they told us that other carriages were more comfortable, so we changed seat. When our ticket got checked, we had to pay a fine because this train, a fast one, was not included into our daily pass! We had to pay 9 euros each! I was not happy! But we didn’t want to take the next train, as it wouldn’t have been sensible time-wise! There were no people from the cruise ships in our carriage, but when we got off at Civitacecchia, there were many getting off! I wonder if these other cruise people who certainly had the same tickets as ours, accepted to pay the extra fare!

 

At the harbour entrance, the Princess Shuttle bus was there, and we didn’t have to wait long before it left. Back to Royal Princess, I remained on the quay side to take photos. All the ships had their sides bathed in bright sunlight, thus providing excellent photos opportunities. In those conditions, thanks to her white and dark blue livery, Millennium looked beautiful.

 

Again, it was a relief to go back to our cabin! After a long, hot and busy day!

 

That evening, dining arrangements were made more flexible. In spite of the two sittings, there was a buffet all evening at the cafeteria. Mind you, it was called “buffet Parisien”, with supposedly French food - I was amused to discover new dishes that were Parisian just by name!

 

Royal Princess left a 7 pm – followed a few minutes afterwards by Sea Princess.

 

Then, we made our way to the buffet to have a little snack to perk ourselves up! It was certainly most necessary! It was indeed relaxing to be on the after terrace, watching the harbour gently disappearing in the mist and Sea Princess following us for a while. Later, we strolled on deck, and enjoyed very much the sailing close to the coast and past some small islands and a wonderful sun set at about 8:30 pm. We also didn’t feel like going to the dining room, ‘fighting’ for seats! We wanted a quiet and relaxing evening. So, in the end, we went back to the buffet, for our alfresco dinner, enjoying some nice food together with a decent bottle of wine, watching the world (the sea and the land, should I say) go by. It was no hassle! No stress!

 

Yet again, it had been a great day, in spite of the heat, the poor public transport organisation, and the fine in the train on the way back to Civitavecchia!

 

D11 – Portofino (Sunday 29th July)

 

 

When I had a look outside, at about 7:45 am, we already in the magnificent gulf of Portofino. Weather was beautiful: warm, but slightly hazy. We had decided not to rush that morning, although we were looking forward to our day out. It was a tender call, so there would be plenty of time to board a tender once people on a tour had gone.

 

As it was rather early, I decided to go to the pool and the hot tub. There weren’t too many people on the deck at the time. Fine. I spotted the captain, who was doing his morning tour. He was waving at his passengers or exchanging a few words with them. Back to the cabin at about 8:15 am, I noticed from the cabin balcony that tenders were being made ready.

 

We had a buffet breakfast at the cafeteria this time. Next, we went for a stroll on deck, to enjoy the view of the Ligurian coast, trying to spot the various famous resorts like Santa Margherita and Rapallo.

 

It’s at about 10:30 am that we took the tender for a short ride to the shore.

 

Although I had never been to Portofino before, but to nearby San Margherita, what struck me was how exclusive, colourful, warm, ‘cute’ this little city and surrounding were. Besides, it was exactly like the post cards I had seen or photos in travel (or cruise!) catalogues. In this context, it’s no wonder why this small village had been so much sought after from the 19th century by the English, and then by the Northern European aristocracy.

 

The small harbour was pretty full of expensive boats, including large stylish yachts! Still, the town wasn’t too busy (we were the only cruise ship there). We pottered around…I spotted some very exclusive cars, such a recent Aston Martin! We visited the church San Martino (of no real interest) before taking an excursion boat for San Fruttoso, a little village on the way north (in the direction of Genoa). For your information, there is also the possibility to go to San Margherita or Rapallo by boat or local bus.

 

It was a most pleasant sailing: The view of the mountainous rugged coast with its pine species was a marvel. Fortunately, there was a nice breeze to ‘cool down’ the high temperature! The ‘cruise’ lasted 30 min (price 8.50 euros return per person). The arrival at San Fruttuoso, into the cove, provides quite an unexpected effect as the beach is almost barred by a large building. We found out later it was a monastery.

 

Once ashore, we walked on a grey pebble beach to reach this building, walked through it and then up to find ourselves at a small square. There was a small church, dedicated to divers, something we did not expect. Inside we discovered an elegant and even ‘athletic’ statue of Christ: that of Cristo degli Abissi (Chris of the Abysses). It is a replica of the original one, ‘sunk’ 17 meters deep in the bay of San Fruttouso in 1957, as a token of respect and gratitude to the divers, to the sea travellers and to the faithful.

 

Then, we discovered that the large building on the beach was part of a Benedictine abbey dating back from the 10th century. The monastery is well preserved and can be visited. We also spotted a Genoese tower on the heights, which is in fact is he tower of Andrea Doria, built in 1562 by the heirs of the admiral, Giovanni Andrea and Pagano, to defend the hamlet from pirate raids.

 

However, we found the place a bit uncomfortable, if not stuffy. So, we made up our minds to take the next boat (12:30 am) back to Portofino.

 

Back there, we decided to walk to the tip of the peninsula of Portofino where we had spotted a lighthouse. On the way there, met Cathy, from the ship and from the Cruise Critic board who told us it was a pleasant walk.

 

We stopped to visit a property, ‘Fortezza di San Giorgio’, better know as ‘Brown House’, from the name of one of its noted former owners. Brown, the English Consul in Genoa bought the land and had the house built in the late 1860’s on the site of an old fortress. Understandably, due to its position on the hill, the garden terraces provide amazing views. It was scorching up there! Hardly any breeze! But the view over the coast, and the harbour of Portofino was truly magnificent - a sight difficult to be tired of! I enjoyed terrific views of Royal Princess! Photo opportunities from these vantage points were excellent! Framing the ship between branches of pine trees was amusing and provided great shots!

 

The visit over, we resumed our walk to the tip of the peninsula, through the pinewood (it wasn’t too hot – bearable) to reach the tiny but lovely small white lighthouse. Then we walked back to the village of Portofino. We stopped at San Giorgio Church, an old church, built right on the edge of the cliff, done in the local style, which was unfortunately closed, but there is a pretty small cemetery next to it.

 

Afterwards, we walked alongside the harbour. The houses of various tones of ochre, together with various tompe-l’oeil make a wonderful surrounding. There are also exclusive small shops, trendy and smart cafés and terraces… all very pricey!

 

We took the tender at 3:30 (or so) pm, one of the last ones. On the way to the ship, I managed to take good photos of her but got (again!) nasty remarks from the crew because I wasn’t remaining seated!

 

Royal Princess departed at 5 pm, late, due to the delayed arrival of an organised tour.

 

We had dinner at the same table as the night before, but this time, the American couple had joined the group.

 

Later the classic Princess’ ‘champagne waterfall’ fountain took place, in the forward show lounge. It was an entertaining though look key event. Many people -including the entertainment staff- made the stage floor lively, whereas waiters offered plenty of champagne to passengers (in fact, ‘prosseco’ that is a sparking wine from Italy) of which I had several glasses!

 

I retired to the cabin at midnight, after a stroll on deck to take some fresh air. I was looking forward to our next call on the Riviera, this time the French one: St Tropez in Provence.

 

 

 

D12 – Gulf of Saint-Tropez - At Sea (Monday 30th July)

 

 

In the morning, when I got up, and went to the balcony, at 7:30 am, we were in the Gulf of St Tropez – but quite at a distance from the shore. Weather was crystal clear, no haze (unlike the other days when it was slightly hazy at times). Yet, a cold wind was blowing. Ripples, wavelets, foam, spray, that’s what I could clearly see on the surface of the deep blue sea…

 

Besides, the ship wasn’t staying still, but kind of swinging. No tender already lowered… none either being prepared for lowering….That did not bode well. I had a feeling of what to expect next… That wind was the Mistral – a cold wind that blows from the north east…. It makes clear sky but no calm sea….. Unless the wind abates – which is most unlikely because that wind blows for a few days in a row-, we will not go ashore…

 

My mother came back to the cabin –she had been on deck– telling me how windy it was! She was not too hopeful either…. A few minute afterwards, we had a message from Captain Lawes through the PA system informing us that the call would be cancelled, due to “adverse conditions” and that we should prepare ourselves for rough weather…and should also pay great attention when walking outdoor. Also, the ship would alter its route to find the best possible sea condition, but it would be nonetheless very rough in the evening, as we would sail across the gulf of Lion. We should therefore make sure that there is nothing on our desk because things might fall over as the ship movement becomes affected by the sea state….. Oh, what a day ahead then! Well, rough weather, why not! But what about on such a ‘small ship’? We shall see….

 

In the end the ship left le Golfe de Saint-Tropez. I was annoyed because I had never been there before, and we were certainly looking forward to the call – we had done some research as to what to visit. Argh….Well, my disappointment must not have been as deep that of our Northern Americans passengers I guess. Still, I had written all my postcards, put some French stamps (bought in Paris before the cruise) on them…ready to be dropped in a letter box… For once, I’m organized….Those cards would be posted back to Paris a few days afterwards.

 

We had breakfast on the terrace of the cafeteria. We were able to spot the citadel (fortress) of St Tropez, the church spire, the sea front, houses, and further east (across the golf) Sainte -Maxime. We met the captain, he was chatting with his passengers….The wind was definitely the Mistral. Having lived for one year 10 years ago in Marseilles, I know what it‘s like.

 

I guess it was about 8:15 am when RP set her course for Barcelona, along the coast of Provence. It was interesting to work out our locations: off les Iles de Porquerole, la presqu’ile de Gien, Toulon, La Ciotat, les Calanques de Marseilles’, Marseilles city (I even managed through my binoculars to spot the famous cathedral on a hill, overlooking the old harbour ’Notre dame de la Garde’), Fos sur Mer. Then, at about 5 pm, we definitely changed direction, straight to Barcelona, across the gulf of Lions. In fact the wind had abated and the sea wasn’t so choppy. What about the expected rough weather? There would actually be none. The fact that the call was dropped allowed plenty of time to avoid it by using an alternative sea route.

 

It was very windy on deck all day –the forward observation deck was not accessible – and therefore difficult to walk! The sea was choppy in the morning. I don’t think many people got sea sick, though. Well, it was an extra day at sea! Good! We enjoyed doing little. Some extra activities had to be organised by the CD’s team. At lunch time, an ice carving demo took place by the pool. It’s just amazing to see what the guy can achieve!

 

In spite of doing very little, evening arrived quickly; it was the last dinner. We managed to be seated at large table with people like us, ‘floaters’, with whom we had already dined before and befriended, together with other easy going people not met so far at dinner. It was a friendly table, and we enjoyed a fine meal…in a relaxed atmosphere. The unavoidable baked Alaska parade took place for dessert… I was sad to say goodbye to some of our table mates– it had been wonderful to meet them. We agreed that we had a wonderful cruise on a wonderful ship.

 

That evening, we had to pack, of course – the usual drag -. As usual, it took us ages…

 

Now, one word about the air conditioning! I have said its working was temperamental… You just couldn’t adjust it, in spite of being able to turn the button. I had reported this malfunctioning twice earlier during the cruise. To no avail… But that afternoon, for no reason, it was really cold – almost freezing. I reported it to the purser’s deck. The team that came round to check it changed the unit in the ceiling…. OK… Then, as we came back to the room in the evening, after dinner and the show (11:30 pm?), it was backing, stifling in there! Awful! At least 25°C.! We just wouldn’t be able to sleep. In such condition, my head would just explode… Should I spend the night on the balcony? I again reported that the fixing was no good at all. Within about 10 minutes, the same team came back. The technician apologised…. (Obviously, he had not tested his work!). And again, he dismounted the unit! So, we went back on deck for some fresh air and a walk! It was well past midnight when we returned to our cabin… and this time, it was cool inside! We yet had to finish our packing….

 

 

--- end of part 2 - to be followed by part 3 - Barcelona (2 days)----