Some basic cruise questions from a cruise newbie...

[DrmnOfMaui]

I made my first foray into these boards last night with an unacceptable post and had it removed because I used a web address... :o Thanks to anyone who responded I'll try to follow the rules in the future, sorry about that! I appreciate your responses.

 

In short, my husband and I (and two kids ages 9 and 12) are planning our first cruise! We didn't initially think of a cruise, but we wanted to see parts of Europe. After buying some guide books and trying to figure out what to see, where to stay, how to get there, where to eat, let alone just where to go we were overwhelmed! So much so that we put the books aside and walked away from the idea for a few months. Then a friend of mine suggested a cruise and we are immediately excited about the idea! We've decided on a Med/Greek Isles cruise that leaves next June on the new Ruby Princess. Now we are in the booking process. I'm not certain if I'll be using my local TA or an internet site. But to make my decisions I have a couple of basic questions.

 

• Does it matter where onboard your room is? Front, back, middle? Up higher or lower? We are looking at a balcony room. I've heard different views on being near elevators too...
  
• Will our kids be comfortable and welcome on Princess? The web sites and our local TA said that would be fine. They are good kids with no behaviour issues... They will most likely not be using any of the kids programs. Although I did see a "Jr. Chef" program that looks fun for my 9 year old daughter!
  
• Meals? The "Any Time" dining feature looks very appealing!
  
• MUTS? My son is asking what kind of movies are played.
  
• Seasick? Do many of you get seasick? Easy remedies? Ginger? Bands? I've never used dramamine, but I'm afraid of the drowsy affect.
  
• We'll be starting in Rome... how many days early would you arrive in the city? I want time to explore and adjust to the times. 3 days? Does Princess help in choosing a hotel?
  
• Excursions? Do you like them? Book them yourselves or use Princess?
  
• Packing... how do you pack for 12 days!!??? Is it easy to do laundry? I always overpack, so I'm really going to have to try to be smart!

I've spent the last 3 days on these boards and have seen many opinions and differing answers to some of these questions, but I'm just wondering if there is any extra tips for this overwhelmed newbie??? I truly appreciate all of your answers and any tips that you think would be helpful!

 

Thanks!

 

Kim & Family

[Colo Cruiser]

I made my first foray into these boards last night with an unacceptable post and had it removed because I used a web address... :o Thanks to anyone who responded I'll try to follow the rules in the future, sorry about that! I appreciate your responses.

 

 

 

In short, my husband and I (and two kids ages 9 and 12) are planning our first cruise! We didn't initially think of a cruise, but we wanted to see parts of Europe. After buying some guide books and trying to figure out what to see, where to stay, how to get there, where to eat, let alone just where to go we were overwhelmed! So much so that we put the books aside and walked away from the idea for a few months. Then a friend of mine suggested a cruise and we are immediately excited about the idea! We've decided on a Med/Greek Isles cruise that leaves next June on the new Ruby Princess. Now we are in the booking process. I'm not certain if I'll be using my local TA or an internet site. But to make my decisions I have a couple of basic questions.

 

• Does it matter where onboard your room is? Front, back, middle? Up higher or lower? I've heard different views on being near elevators too...

It all depends on how much you want to spend on a cabin. Most of the Med cruises are very port intensive and you spend little time in the cabin.

Location is of course dependant on category/price etc.

We have found Princess cabins to be some of the quietest and have been near elevators before with no problem

• Will our kids be comfortable and welcome on Princess? The web sites and our local TA said that would be fine. They are good kids with no behaviour issues... They will most likely not be using any of the kids programs. Although I did see a "Jr. Chef" program that looks fun for my 9 year old daughter!

Princess has some of the best kids programs and depending on how many kids are onboard also.

There is plenty to do without the kids program as well. Adult supervision is a must though and some guidelines for them while onboard.

• Meals? The "Any Time" dining feature looks very appealing!

Anytime is a great alternative, remember the closer to the prime dining times (6-8) there may be a wait with a pager.

• MUTS? My son is asking what kind of movies are played.

Pirates of the Caribbean/Jason Bourne films etc.

• Seasick? Do many of you get seasick? Easy remedies? Ginger?

We bring Dramamine and Ginger tabs.

They have non-drowsy as well.

 

• Bands? I've never used dramamine, but I'm afraid of the drowsy affect.
  
• We'll be starting in Rome... how many days early would you arrive in the city? I want time to explore and adjust to the times. 3 days? Does Princess help in choosing a hotel?
  
• Excursions? Do you like them? Book them yourselves or use Princess?

If you do your homework there are many choices both Princess/Private.

• Packing... how do you pack for 12 days!!??? Is it easy to do laundry? I always overpack, so I'm really going to have to try to be smart!

There are self serve laundries on every deck depending on the ship.

 

I've spent the last 3 days on these boards and have seen many opinions and differing answers to some of these questions, but I'm just wondering if there is any extra tips for this overwhelmed newbie??? I truly appreciate all of your answers and any tips that you think would be helpful!

 

Remember these Med iteniaries can be exhausting so pace yourselves.

 

Thanks!

 

Kim & Family

 

Welcome to CC!! :)

[paul929207]

Whether you take the ship's excursions, book a private tour or do it on your own is up to you. The ship's are usually more expensive, but a lot less work. Of course, with 4 people, you can save money by doing it yourself.

 

Once you decide on a cruise, go to the roll call for it, and add your name. Sometimes, people on the roll call are looking for others to join their private tour.

 

Also, go to the ports of call forums and check on info about your ports.

[cruznliz]

We did a Med cruise about 10 years ago with our two daughters. A couple of thoughts we came away with: 1. The Med is very HOT in August. Hopefully your June cruise won't be too bad. 2. Full day excursions can be wonderful, but very expensive and very exhausting. We ended up switching many of our full day excursions to half day ones. Don't make the mistake of thinking you have to see EVERYTHING. It'll still be there in another 10 years.

 

Pre-cruise hotels booked through the cruiseline are notoriously expensive. The charges are PER PERSON, not per room. I would allow a minimum of 3 nights to see Rome. We booked a hotel through Expedia. It was fairly close to the Vatican and had a free shuttle in the morning to the Vatican and another shuttle to bring you home in the late afternoon from the Coliseum. Many things can be walked to from the Vatican.

 

Other questions, I bring Bonine for emergencies. Have rarely had to use it. It's cheap and you take just one a day, before bedtime. For cabin selection, the ones towards the middle are the most stable, but ships today are so smooth it really doesn't make a lot of difference. Movies are usually ones that have been out a couple of months. (Not quite on cable or out on DVD).

 

Have a great time planning!!

[FredS]

Europe is very expensive these days due to the rate of the dollar to the Euro. Rome is very costly. No matter where you stay it will be high and meals are much higher than in the US. We paid as much as $5 US for a cup of American coffee, at a small sidewalk cafe. There is often a difference in price depending on if you eat inside or outside at a cafe. Much of the main part of Rome can be done by walking. Italy is notorius for having strikes of a few hours to a few days of various things; buses, cabs, trains. Usually they are mentioned in the newspaper ahead of time; just don't be surprised if it happens. Look on TravelAdvisor for rooms/ratings.

My children liked to eat about 6PM. Anytime dining is good as you can adjust your eating time. There are 2 anytime dining rooms so if one is busy try the other one.

My intent is always to get an idea of an area, I know that I will not see everything, but I can gain some sense of what an area is like by going on a tour. Ships tours not worries, everything taken care of, usually cost a little more than a private tour. Private tours, what is good for someone else may not be for you, they are an unknown as to quality you want. You have to do the research on them. Tours on your own, if you have never been then it can be a real struggle to get around and to where you want to go. Many people offering tours, but just taking you for a ride. Anything on you own in a new country takes a lot of time and effort on your part to find out about it.

[Pam in CA]

You've got some great questions and some good answers. :) Cruising in Europe vs. a land tour on your own is a good idea because you can pay for the trip in U.S. $. Plus, you get so much included with a cruise.

 

I wasn't sure if you were planning to book a cabin for the four of you or two cabins. If you're planning to have 4 of you in the cabin, make sure the cabin you are interested in can hold 4 people. Otherwise, many people book an oceanview for themselves and a inside cabin across the hall for their kids. Something to think about.

 

Because a Med cruise is so port-intensive, you will spend very little time in your cabin so perhaps the first time, you might consider an oceanview cabin rather than a balcony. Also, because it's so port-intensive, being near the pool, i.e., on an upper deck (which is frequently more expensive) might not be as important. Since it's your first cruise and you're not completely sure about how you'll react to being on water, you might consider a cabin on Emerald deck. The lower down you are, the less movement you'll experience. IMHO, it doesn't make too much difference whether I'm towards the back, the middle or the front but the cabins in the middle are "perceived" to be better due to possibly less movement but I think the same cabin a little further towards the back is less-expensive and just as nice.

 

The movies shown on MUTS are not "just released" movies but are often movies that are still being shown in theaters in the U.S. There's also a mix with events and "oldies" movies.

 

Since you are from CA, you might want to consider arriving so that you have at least a day to catch up with the time change before doing sight-seeing, etc. Remember, you will be traveling for almost 24 hours to get to Rome and it's a 9-hour time difference which takes a day or two to adjust to. Always plan to arrive at least a day before sailing and if you are planning to do sight-seeing, I'd plan on at least 2 - 3 days just for sightseeing in Rome. I think it's better to do several things a day rather than try to pack everything into one day or a day and a half.

 

When packing, plan on wearing things at least twice. I never bring anything I'm going to wear only once; that helps cut down on how much I bring. You have the option of using the self-serve laundry or sending things like shirts out to be laundered. While it can add up, it's not prohibitively expensive.

 

As for doing excursions, as a first time cruiser, I would recommend going with Princess tours the first time. While they are more expensive, you know exactly what you're getting, you are guaranteed that the ship will wait if you are delayed (a bus breaks down, gets into unusual traffic, etc.), and you get priority disembarkation if it's a tender port. I look at the extra cost as insurance. There are many great independent tour companies you can use that are familiar with cruiseships but you might want to leave the planning to Princess the first time.

 

As for who to book with, if you don't have a travel agent you use or aren't sure if they can get you the lowest price, my suggestion is to initially book directly with Princess. Then, do your homework and research who has the best price when comparing everything equally. Princess allows TAs to discount cruises so it's very possible to get different pricing from different TAs. Once you've found a TA you want to use, just give them your booking # and it'll be transferred to them and they'll be able to give you their price. Some people leave their booking with Princess but I think going through a TA gets you a better price and many TAs are more knowledgeable about the ship and cruising than the Princess reps.

 

Final word of advice: if, when you are on your cruise and you have found that you like cruising, buy a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) for $100/pp. This is a great deal in that the next time you book a cruise, your FCC is your down payment and you get an onboard credit for having bought the FCC. The amount of the credit depends on the length of your next cruise and the cabin category but it can be $75 - $100/pp, meaning that you get back what you paid for the FCC. You have four years to use the FCCs and if you find you won't use them, you can get them refunded.

[ssbeagle]

I made my first foray into these boards last night with an unacceptable post and had it removed because I used a web address... :o Thanks to anyone who responded I'll try to follow the rules in the future, sorry about that! I appreciate your responses.

 

In short, my husband and I (and two kids ages 9 and 12) are planning our first cruise! We didn't initially think of a cruise, but we wanted to see parts of Europe. After buying some guide books and trying to figure out what to see, where to stay, how to get there, where to eat, let alone just where to go we were overwhelmed! So much so that we put the books aside and walked away from the idea for a few months. Then a friend of mine suggested a cruise and we are immediately excited about the idea! We've decided on a Med/Greek Isles cruise that leaves next June on the new Ruby Princess. Now we are in the booking process. I'm not certain if I'll be using my local TA or an internet site. But to make my decisions I have a couple of basic questions.

 

• Does it matter where onboard your room is? Front, back, middle? Up higher or lower? We are looking at a balcony room. I've heard different views on being near elevators too...
  A minisuite is great for a family of 4. You have more room and a full bathroom and lots of storage. We've traveled with our sons and their families and always get at least a mini.
  
• Will our kids be comfortable and welcome on Princess? The web sites and our local TA said that would be fine. They are good kids with no behaviour issues... They will most likely not be using any of the kids programs. Although I did see a "Jr. Chef" program that looks fun for my 9 year old daughter! Princess is very good to the kids. However, they do not let them roam around the ship by themselves after a specific time of day. The kids' program is very good and your kids may decide to take part. They can come and go as they please and are not required to attend everything there if they don't want to. The kids do get lots of interesting stuff though.
  
• Meals? The "Any Time" dining feature looks very appealing! With kids I would recommend the anytime dining. You can eat early or late. The traditional dining is good too because the wait staff get to know your likes/dislikes. If you get hungry there is always the buffet and other places around the ship to get food.
  
• MUTS? My son is asking what kind of movies are played. They show some fairly recent movies and always have a variety that will appeal to everyone.
  
• Seasick? Do many of you get seasick? Easy remedies? Ginger? Bands? I've never used dramamine, but I'm afraid of the drowsy affect. I always carry the non-drowsy 24-hour formula of Dramamine. I haven't had to use it the past few times of cruising but when I need it it's there. Also, you can always get something from the ship's doctor if it's severe. At the time you are going the seas should be fairly calm.
  
• We'll be starting in Rome... how many days early would you arrive in the city? I want time to explore and adjust to the times. 3 days? Does Princess help in choosing a hotel? When we did our transatlantic from Rome to New York I checked to see what hotels Princess was using and booked it myself. We stayed in the Marriott Grand Flora in Rome and it was wonderful. We booked a plan that included breakfast and dinner. We spent 2 nights there which gave us a full day for sight-seeing and we did some shopping the day we arrived. If you need the name of a good service from the airport to hotel and pier let me know.
  
• Excursions? Do you like them? Book them yourselves or use Princess? We did both private and Princess tours on our cruise. In Naples we did the Princess cruise and Cannes we took a private one and in Livorno also. In Greece we took Princess tours. If your tour is late returning to the ship and it's a Princess tour, the ship will wait and depart later than scheduled. If you are on a private tour and arrive after scheduled sailing the ship will not wait and you will have to find your own way to the next port.
  
• Packing... how do you pack for 12 days!!??? Is it easy to do laundry? I always overpack, so I'm really going to have to try to be smart! There are several laundry rooms on board that cost $1 per load for wash and $1 to dry. There are ironing boards as well. You can purchase detergent on board but I always bring my own.

I've spent the last 3 days on these boards and have seen many opinions and differing answers to some of these questions, but I'm just wondering if there is any extra tips for this overwhelmed newbie??? I truly appreciate all of your answers and any tips that you think would be helpful!

 

Thanks!

 

Kim & Family

 

I hope my answers help. We were on the Royal Princess once in June doing the tour you are and the weather for the most part was beautiful.

[BJS]

You have received some great advice.

 

I agree with Pam in CA - first cruise go with Princess excursions. These excursions are screened to provide the best possible experience, tour companys are selected based on the quality of the tours they provide, and most important you and your family can go on the tour and not worry about when you will return to the ship or if the ship will be there if traffic, accidents, vehicle breakdown, etc. cause delays. (You were overwhelmed before so why go through it again?) Princess tours are priced and paid for with US dollars, they are put on your shipboard account, and can be canceled before the deadline should you change your mind. Read the tour description, do a little research and choose the tour that you and your family will enjoy the most. There are many great, enjoyable tours offered.

 

Private tours are frequently based on the Euro so with the current exchange rate they might not be that much of a bargain, tips generally are much higher on private tours, and some tours require you to pay in cash. No matter how you tour it is not cheap in Europe so figure that into the cost of your vacation.

 

Princess pre-cruise hotel packages can be expensive and when you price them realize the rate is per person but it does include the transfer from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship. When you price Rome hotels also price the cost of a Rome taxi to take you to the ship (it is quite a ways) in addition to the price from the airport to the hotel you are choosing.

 

If you want to see some of Rome plan on doing very little the day you arrive and then having at least two days to tour after that. Should you decide that extra days touring in Rome are not in the vaction budget when looking at the cost for the hotel, transfers, meals and touring just make sure you do arrive the day before your cruise.

 

We haven't ever needed anything for seasickness but take Bonine with us should we need something. Medications are expensive to purchase on the ship. Generally midship and lower decks you feel less motion but if the seas are real rough you will even feel it there. Todays ships are well stabilized and booking forward or aft at a lower price isn't always a bad idea.

 

Your friend was correct - take your cruise and enjoy it.

 

.

[rdsqrl]

Re excursions, as others have said, it's of primary importance to make sure you're back at the ship before sailing -- when you disembark in each port, you'll see a noticeboard which will indicate what time you have to be back onboard and it can be up to an hour before the actual printed sailing time on the itinerary. If you're on a Princess excursion and get held up in Italy's notorious traffic, the ship will wait. Not so on a private excursion. I'm thinking particularly if your itinerary is the one with Livorno: Florence/Pisa is about an hour and a half away, and being on a Princess excursion (even if it's just the Florence On Your Own, which is nothing much more than just a guided bus transfer) is definitely the safe way to go.

As far as cabins, both those itineraries the Ruby is doing next June are so port-intensive that you'll probably only be in your cabin to sleep -- I'd pick whatever costs the least, and use the savings on shore excursions.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I made my first foray into these boards last night with an unacceptable post and had it removed because I used a web address... :o Thanks to anyone who responded I'll try to follow the rules in the future, sorry about that! I appreciate your responses.

 

 

In short, my husband and I (and two kids ages 9 and 12) are planning our first cruise! We didn't initially think of a cruise, but we wanted to see parts of Europe. After buying some guide books and trying to figure out what to see, where to stay, how to get there, where to eat, let alone just where to go we were overwhelmed! So much so that we put the books aside and walked away from the idea for a few months. Then a friend of mine suggested a cruise and we are immediately excited about the idea! We've decided on a Med/Greek Isles cruise that leaves next June on the new Ruby Princess. Now we are in the booking process. I'm not certain if I'll be using my local TA or an internet site. But to make my decisions I have a couple of basic questions.

• Does it matter where onboard your room is? Front, back, middle? Up higher or lower? We are looking at a balcony room. I've heard different views on being near elevators too...

If you think you may have motion sickness issues, try to get midships. Check out the deck plans and highlight potential troublesome areas before you call the TA -- for a first cruise, use one that you can actually call up and ask questions of, preferably one that has much cruise experience.

 

• Will our kids be comfortable and welcome on Princess? The web sites and our local TA said that would be fine. They are good kids with no behaviour issues... They will most likely not be using any of the kids programs. Although I did see a "Jr. Chef" program that looks fun for my 9 year old daughter!

When you first get to your cabin, there will be packets for each of your kids (or just one, if they'll be in the same group) with info on registering that night for the kids' program, as well as a day-to-day listing of the planned activities. I would strongly suggest your family go to the orientation and sign up. Your kids will meet the other kids and that may whet their appetite for the program. It's not necessary for them to be there all the time, and even not every day to participate. It's optional. But they may end up loving it. My girl really enjoys the activities.

 

• Meals? The "Any Time" dining feature looks very appealing!
  
• MUTS? My son is asking what kind of movies are played.

Usually the movies have been out for at least a few months...usually the ones out on DVD. Sometimes movies that are set in your itinerary will also be shown (that was the case with our Hawaiian cruise).

• Seasick? Do many of you get seasick? Easy remedies? Ginger? Bands? I've never used dramamine, but I'm afraid of the drowsy affect.

I get drowsy with most every type of meds, but I have had no problem with ginger (Altoids and candied, as well as ginger ale). Check with your doctor, esp. if you are taking any medication, and get recommendations. Try them out ahead of time on land to see what affects you. Then take a couple of different types with you, just in case. You may not need anything.

• We'll be starting in Rome... how many days early would you arrive in the city? I want time to explore and adjust to the times. 3 days? Does Princess help in choosing a hotel?
  
• Excursions? Do you like them? Book them yourselves or use Princess?

Most of the time we don't do excursions (I'm a compulsive overplanner when it comes to our ports), but we prefer the ship-sponsored excursions to indy ones. We find them in general to be higher quality and also like the safety of having the ship wait for us. This was important on our Alaskan cruise when our Skagway tour in the pass went over the time and we got back to the ship after the scheduled sail away time. The ship waited for us as it was a tour booked through Princess. Also note that if a port is a tender port (non-docking), you need to pad in extra time to get onboard. So if the ship is scheduled to leave at 6, you need to be onboard by 5:30. Tender lines start will getting long by 5pm.

 

• Packing... how do you pack for 12 days!!??? Is it easy to do laundry? I always overpack, so I'm really going to have to try to be smart!

My hubby hates it when I overpack. He makes me put back several items. So I plan to wear many items more than once. We do laundry onboard in the self-service laundromats. As one family member has an allergy to regular detergent, I pre-pack allergen-free detergent in ziplock bags.

 

I've spent the last 3 days on these boards and have seen many opinions and differing answers to some of these questions, but I'm just wondering if there is any extra tips for this overwhelmed newbie??? I truly appreciate all of your answers and any tips that you think would be helpful!

 

Thanks!

 

Kim & Family

 

Have a great time!

[Genessa]

You got a lot of great answers.

 

the only thing I'd add is, in addition to the seasickness stuff you decide to bring, pack a smallish "first-aid" kit with all the regular OTC stuff that your family is used to (pain reliever, diarrhea, constipation, upset stomach, stuffy nose, triple ointment, band-aids, whatever). There will be a very small amount available onboard the ship to purchase and in addition to being very expensive, odds are it will not be the brand you are used to.

 

I'd also recommend that if you book a hotel on your own, pick one of the one's that Princess uses - you will probably have the option of adding on a transfer (we've done it, but haven't cruised in Europe yet) from the hotel to the ship. We're going on a British Isles cruise soon and we're staying 2 nights pre-cruise, but only coming from NY. We're also planning to see a minimum of sights. If we were going to Rome, I'd definitely do a minimum of 3 nights.

 

Excursions - we have done cruise and independent. We usually pick based on if you have to pay for the independent in advance, we go with the ship's.

I don't want to pay ahead of time and then find the ship didn't make it to port in time, or didn't make it into port at all and I've lost my money. The only exception we have made to that was when dh desperately wanted to do deep sea fishing.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[katisdale]

Although Princess hotels are more expensive than you might get by booking independently I have had good fortune using them. First I choose that option when I do not speak the language (Italy and Greece for example) and second do not have to attempt to give a taxi driver the name of my hotel as the transfers are included. In England we did our own hotel. We did three days in Rome prior to our first European cruise. I read a Rick Steves book that suggested not going to bed and taking a nap upon arrival. Although we were exhausted after our overnight flight we went outside and did some sight seeing. This gave us a "second wind" and we stayed up until about 8:30 or 9:00 PM. The next day we were on local time and not tired just as Mr. Steves stated. I don't have any idea if this would work with children.

[Chesie]

DrmnOfMaui,

 

First off welcome to CC!! I would like to add to the wonderful advise so far.

 

Instead of a hotel in Rome, have you thought of a B & B or apartment?? They are less $$ and would allow you to save a bit on meals if you choose to bring something back. There is nothing more wonderful than going to a local vendor in Rome, picking something out and bringing it back!

 

Also, if you have "rewards" can you use them to book a hotel? We did that for our trip in Oct and ended up saving quite a bit as the hotel is quoted in Euro, which is not too pretty right now.

 

Being this is your first cruise, I would stick with Princess excursions. While a bit more money, you know the ship will wait for you if there is a delay.

 

Finally, I always carry my hotel's "business card" with me. This way if you get in a taxi and there is a language barrier, I just show the card with the address on it. Also good to ask for directions back if your walking.

 

Enjoy your cruise with the family!!

[Tina G]

I agree with other posters, that Princess excursions are best for newbies. Do remember that these excursions are usually not designed for children, and unless yours are unusually interested in Ancient ruins, they might get bored on some excursions. Beach frolics are good. I do think your should enroll your kids in the Princess programs as soon as you can. They might decide the Princess activities are preferable to yet another Greek ruin with Mom and Dad, and it will give you some freedom, too. On most cruises I have seen the kids enchanted with the activities onboard, and they make friends quickly. It's like camp. I have had several interesting excursions ruined by someone's child whining, "Are we there yet? What's so great about this? I'm hungry!" Don't get me wrong - I love kids. Some shore excursions are just too long, and not suitable for youngsters who do not have the historical background to appreciate them.

[DrmnOfMaui]

How can I thank you all??!!! I truly appreciate the time you have all put into your posts and all the experience and tips you have shared. My husband and I have had so much fun the last two days scouring the boards and reading all we can about cruising, excursions, hotels, food, dining options, kids programs, cabin recommendations, bookings, etc. etc. etc!!! We have more excitement for this trip that ever and are so looking forward to it. (My husband is so excited that he is now looking at the Round the World Cruise as a goal for when he retires!!! We've got 20 years to study up...;))

 

The advice you have given is invaluable. I think that using Princess Excursions will give us a great sense of ease and relief. I love to research, and will research them all to find just the right ones, and then maybe try to do some of the easy ports on our own. The kids are very interested in the destinations, but that being said, they are still kids. One of the reasons this itinerary looks so appealing to us is that it combines some wonderful historical destinations with a few beach destinations. I'm hoping to be able to create a mix of education along with a "vacation". Can I just say how wonderful an afternoon on a beach on the Aegean Sea sounds? My daughter studied Greek Gods and Goddesses last year along with the Olympics and is so excited that she is going to see first hand where the Olympics started. We also visited the Pompeii exhibit here in San Diego and did a lot of reading on the subject, so that is a huge draw as well.

 

Thank you again for all of your time and thoughts! Every tidbit of info no matter how small helps!!! My husband in particular is asking how to make the trip go as smoothly as we can. Please feel free to keep posting if there is anything else to add!!!

 

Thanks,

Kim & Brian

Cruise Virgins!!!:D

[bburns]

I saw recommendations about anytime dining. You need to be aware that it appears to have changed over the years and anytime is not necessarily "any time".

 

We've been on many many Princess cruises. In our recent May cruise, after having problems getting into anytime dining the 1st day, I resorted to reservations. They wouldn't allow us to make reservations until 8am each day and reservations could only be made for that day. I called right at 8am, was put on hold for quite some time, and then once the live person finally answered, was told all tables were taken until 8:15pm. This happened on more than one day.

 

We went to the dining room at 5:30 (when it opened) and were turned away until 8:15pm (even though we could see open tables) because we didn't have reservations. To be able to see the show, we had no choice but to go to the buffet. It was formal night. Do you think the buffet was serving lobster? No. So, Princess turns me away from Anytime dining and then won't serve me the same meal, which I paid for.

 

So just beware, anytime may mean standing in line/waiting with a pager until 8'ish pm. If your kids need to eat earlier than that, you might want to think about traditional where you are guaranteed a time.

[muffydawg]

DH and I surmised that the full-day excursions we took in Europe would NOT allow for sufficient time to shower and dress (after returning to the ship) in order to make early seating at 6pm. So we booked traditional late.

 

Is your family the type that would return from a warm/ hot day of touring/ beaching and want to shower before dinner? If yes, research the times the excursion returns to the ship, allow for the extra time to shower and change, then let that amount of time determine when to eat dinner.

[happycruzer]

Hi and welcome to CC, but I'm afraid you'll find after this trip you will be hooked on 2 things :)

CC and cruising .....you have been warned;)

 

Back to your questions...IMO if you are a first time visitor to Europe as well as a first time cruiser...whilst you may save a $$ or 2 going indy with stuff....I'd recommend sticking with Princess for the first time.

 

The logistics of getting from the ship to the ports of call can be a bit scary...traffic can be VERY heavy, strikes esp in Italy are notorious, and with a couple of kids in tow the last thing you want is to be stressed wondering if you'll make it back to the ship on time...so IMO for this trip go with the cruise line .

 

Rome is wonderful....I dont think kids would get bored here, purchase a good guide book...such as DK or fodders ...cruising in the med , or the little pocket size guides on each port....let the kids find out about the places before you go ....places such as the coloseum can be of interest to kids when they hear stories of fights with lions etc, and the bocca de verits where if they put their hand in and had told lies there hand was bitten off....I know it sounds a bit gory but from experience much more intering to kids.

 

BTW...take plenty of drinking water with you...dont drink tap water in Europe, take a wrap out with you.....multi use...cover up for the sun, cover up in summer evenings if it turns cool and also a must to cover shoulders/arms when going into churches etc....NO bare shoulders in St Peters.

 

For Olympia again take plenty of water...the heat in Greece in summer is searing and allow time when you get back to port for a stroll around the little town , sit in a cafe with a glass of something local and watch the world go by.

 

For Athens (if your visiting from Pireaus) defo take a ships tour. We lost count of the people running at olympic speeds to get back onto the ship late due to horrendous traffic.

 

Lastly enjoy the sightseeing part of it, but also take time to sit in the squares/piazzas and enjoy the ambience of Europe . I'm sure you and your family will love it. Just dont try to do everything in one trip.

You may find that there are ports of call where youare able to just get off the ship and stroll around the town, which is wonderful too.

As I mentioned before invest in a good guide book. It will be invaluable...buy it now and read it as often as poss....Its all in the preparation !!

ENJOY

Happycruzer

[bplazo]

I was also going to suggest as a first time cruiser that you book your excursions with the cruiseline.

 

With children, I would book traditional dining. My daughter always loved having the same server. The servers get to know them, call them by name, remember what their preferences are for dinner. On our last cruise the waiter taught my daughter a different napkin folding design every night.

 

Your children will be hooked on cruising.

[ssbeagle]

It will be a wonderful vacation for you and your family. Kids are very resilient and will probably sleep on the airplane over. It doesn't matter what tours you take, kids are welcome. We had a few on our last long cruise and the kids were great. Lots for them to see and do and very educational.