Tahitian princess live from the top of the world

[thesavvyoldlady]

There’s an old adage that states “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Captain Ravera and his crew aboard the beautiful Tahitian Princess maintain the old world charm of cruising that is so terribly missed on many of the other cruise ships. Granted the mega-ships offer more activities and if that is what you are looking for it’s wonderful but if you miss the attention to detail, a slightly slower pace and fine dining with a service staff that is at your beck and call the Tahitian Princess is where you would want to be.

This is our 2nd cruise aboard the Tahitian Princess and I must say it felt as if we were coming home again. Captain Stephano Ravera, who is probably the most popular and most loved captain aboard any ship in any fleet in the world, continues to be visible and welcome all of his passengers to his “Beautiful White Lady.” Once onboard it doesn’t take long for you to lose your passenger status and quickly become part of the Tahitian Princess family. What continues to resound in my mind is the captain’s constant remark that he treats his guests as he would want his parents to be treated on any given cruise.

On July 7th we boarded the Tahitian Princess in Dover, England. We had arrived at Gatwick Airport on July 5th since my husband, the “Crabby Old Guy”, and I don’t like to take the chance of having our luggage arrive late and not have it with us when we board. Dover is a quaint little port town and you have the option of staying at a local B&B or the Ramada Inn. We chose the Ramada Inn which is about 4 miles from the town and we were not disappointed with our choice. The town of Canterbury, which may have a few more hotel options and a bit more scenic, is about a half hour away by cab or bus and is perfect for a day trip if you have the time.

Our embarkation went smoothly and we boarded the ship at 11:30 AM and the cabins were ready, cleaned and open to all passengers. We dropped off our carry-on luggage and went to the buffet to have a delicious lunch. After lunch we returned to our cabin to find our luggage in our room which was a nice surprise. There is no doubt the Tahitian Princess operates like a fine tuned instrument and the Captain and crew seem to anticipate all of their guests requests even before being asked. Our muster station was in the lounge and we were told that it makes it much easier for the passengers to have a place to sit comfortably in the event that they would ever have to remain at the muster station for an extended period of time. It was absolutely lovely to sit on the balcony facing the White Cliffs of Dover and watch the locals’ fish from the pier prior to our departure.

July 8th was a relaxing sea day and at mid-afternoon 25 members of the Cruise Critic Roll Call met in the Library for a Meet and Greet. Captain Ravera and the Passenger Services Director, Giacomo Manfredi, stopped by to welcome us all to the ship. Pictures were taken and ideas on excursions were exchanged and as the norm in these days of technology internet friends met in person for the first time aboard the Tahitian Princess. That night was our first formal dinner and a funny anecdote was told by one of our tablemates. Apparently he was having some difficulty tying his tie so he stepped out into the hallway and fortunately for him an older gentleman and his wife were passing by. He asked the gentlemen if he could please help him with his tie. The gentleman stood in front of our friend and immediately tied a perfect knot. Our friend’s wife said “I thought you would have had to stand behind him to tie it” and he replied “Oh, no I do this every day…you see I’m an undertaker.” Once again, truth is stranger, or in this case funnier, than fiction.

July 9th we docked in the port of Dublin, Ireland. We opted to take the Princess shuttle ($5.00 a person one way) into town. Once there we took the “Hop On Hop Off” bus which loops the entire city while the bus driver gives a great commentary about this bustling, modern and beautiful city. We hopped off at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and after a visit there back on and back off, at the Kilmainham Gaol (the now closed infamous 19th Century city prison), for a quick tour. After these rather contrasting views of Dublin, we found a traditional Irish Pub for a lunch of fish-and-chips and, of course, ‘a wee pint’ of ale. Shopping was next on our to-do list and then a trip back to the ship. (If you are not in the mood to tour another large city you may find a tour through the countryside more appealing and there are many fantastic ones to choose from.)

July 10th we woke to the melodious sounds of bagpipes from a bagpiper in full dress who had come to the pier to welcome the Tahitian Princess; a wonderful welcome to Scotland. So far Mother Nature has been considerably kind to us with unseasonably sunny and warm days on this cruise. We decided to take a Princess organized tour of the countryside in Scotland and try the high-road and the low-road and visit Loch Lomond! At 8:30AM a charming kilted Scotsman, named John, escorted us onto the coach with a hearty handshake and smile and our adventure began. We drove through the lowlands to a wool factory and sheep herding demonstration. The demonstration was give by a burley, sun-worn shepherd. We were all so amazed at the ability of the border collies to rein in the sheep. Of course, a few of us (including me) couldn’t resist volunteering to help out the shepherd with a little exercise in herding. Since they train the dogs first by herding geese the shepherd thought it would be an interesting as well as an entertaining sight to have six of us tourists try to herd the geese. Well, after chasing a gaggle of geese all over the field and working up a sweat we decided herding should definitely be left to the dogs and the shepherd.

After a short drive we were taken to a local hotel for an American/Scottish lunch. It was fine but unfortunately with all of the marvelous local foods to sample we had a rather nondescript chicken and vegetable plate. The one item of local cuisine was the dessert, a wonderful dish made of oats, cream and honey topped with fresh raspberries. From there we were off to the highlands. This area of the countryside is amazing, and a more beautiful sight I can’t imagine. Experiencing the towering mountains that overlook lush green fields covered with purple heather was definitely a beautiful site which I will never forget. After experiencing our full sized tour bus driver expertly negotiating the narrow windy highland roads going up the mountains I was really thankful we hadn’t decided to rent a car and drive it ourselves. Now I know for sure where the term Braveheart originated. We also made a brief stop at a farm for a quick visit with Hamish, a Highland Bull. Hamish, a local movie star with Harry Potter film credits to his name, stood tall and proud with a rack of curled horns that was most impressive and the hairiest face you’ve ever seen. I had a chance to feed Hamish some fruit and Hamish returned the favor by “sliming” me as my 8 year old grandson would say. All in all it was quite an experience.

Next on our tour was an hour’s cruise on beautiful Loch Lomond and then a return ride to the ship. I would definitely recommend this tour to everyone.

After returning to the ship we were informed that, unfortunately, the pesky Norovirus that seems to love cruise ships so well was now discovered onboard. The Tahitian Princess crew was efficient, effective and professional while following full procedures to contain the virus. So as seasoned cruisers we began to wash and wash and sanitize our hands as we went to and from activities and meals. The efforts of the crew were taken to heart and while a bit inconvenient at times we all complied with the containment procedures and carried on having a relaxing time of it.

July 11th the entire ship awoke to the news at 7AM that there was a medical emergency and a passenger was being airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Glasgow. The Royal Navy and Air Wing conducted the transfer both swiftly and efficiently. The nature of the passenger’s illness was not announced but we were assured that it was not due to the Norovirus. Fortunately, there were no new cases of the Norovirus reported today and it seems that only 10 passengers were stricken with the virus. If all goes well we shall drop from a red alert to yellow in the next few days and everything will go back to normal. Despite all of this commotion, the professional way it was all handled did not significantly impede our ability to have a relaxing and scenic cruise up the coast of Scotland.

We are traveling up to that part of the world, just below the Arctic Circle, at that time of the year when the sun is visible almost the entire day – the Midnight Sun. So, yes indeed, the sun is beginning to set around 9:30 PM. It is very odd to be finishing dinner at the late night seating just as twilight begins. By the time we reach our northern most point we should have less than 3 hours of night-darkness.

On the bright side the casino will finally open today since the UK does not permit gambling in their waters.

[ Photos of our trip will be posted when The Crabby Old Guy and I return home later this month so keep checking The Savvy Old Lady web site for some fantastic shots!]

Hugs

Joan Giorgianni

The Savvy Old Lady

[paul929207]

Joan,

 

Thanks for your delightful commentary. We will be boarding her in 13 days, when you reach NYC.

[coo359a2]

Thanks Joan - sounds like you are having a lot of fun. Paul is lucky only having 13 more days to go. We have to wait till 7 June 2010 which is more days than I want to count.:(

[jacketwatch]

Hello Joan. This is Larry aka jacketwatch. Nice to see a post from you, as always. :)

[speakertosuits]

Joan, thanks for your posting. We are considering this cruise for next year (among others) and to see your reports is both informative and entertaining.

 

Have a great cruise and I look forward to your next post.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the live from.

[caribill]

Can you ask what will be done in dry dock later this year when they change the ship to the Ocean Princess?

[fearlesstraveler]

So happy to hear from someone currently aboard the very ship my family and I are taking on July 25th! How is it going as far as the norvirus? Have things calmed down as you predicted?

[paul929207]

So happy to hear from someone currently aboard the very ship my family and I are taking on July 25th! How is it going as far as the norvirus? Have things calmed down as you predicted?

Fearless,

 

Welcome to the Cruise Critic.

 

We are also on the July 25th sailing of th Tahitian Princess. Why don't you come over and join our Roll Call. There are quite of few of us on that sailing. Here is the link for the Roll Call.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=787820

[thesavvyoldlady]

Interestingly enough, I have found that on the longer cruises you have more time to develop friendships with the passengers onboard. On the shorter cruises it’s a bit more hectic as everyone is scurrying to find the perfect tour, activity or just the layout of the ship. My husband, The Crabby Old Guy, and I have been very fortunate to meet many wonderful people from different countries and all walks of life. The one thing we keep reminding ourselves is that laughter is universal and, believe me when I tell you, that we have had a lot of laughs on the Tahitian Princess. In the evening many of us congregate in the casino at the nickel or quarter slot machines and I think we are having a tournament to see who can lose the most money the fastest. You know the routine…bet 20 credits and win 2. The odd thing is that we celebrate our 2 credit wins together and with a laugh. I guess it’s like looking at a glass half empty or half full. LOL

 

July 12th was a Sunday and we found ourselves in the town of Torshavn, located on the Faroe Islands off the coast of Norway. Never heard of them, well neither had any of us but that is part of the grand adventure of cruising in this part of the world, a new, far away place that few have heard of and fewer have been able to visit. As in many of the European countries, most of the shops and restaurants here were closed; this was a bit of an itinerary scheduling disappointment. (By-the-way, for those of you cruisers on the July 25th TP sailing from NY to Dover, you will be in Bergen on a Sunday and according to Passenger Services Director, Mr. Manfredi, the town market and shops will be open.)

 

Torshavn is an extremely picturesque port town. It’s a simple walk from the pier to the town and many of the houses have roofs covered with live grass-growing sod. This custom is a holdover from early settlement days when the heavy sod helped keep the walls steady in the wind and help sop up rain. Unfortunately, one of the locals told us that insects love to nest in the sod which is why newer homes mostly have regular roofs. After a 10 minute walk from the ship dock we found the town square down near another pier. There was only one shop and a small café open. So there sat most of the Tahitian Princess passengers having a nice pint of the local brew or a coffee and enjoying a lovely sunny day. There were some passengers who opted to take tours either by cab or the ship’s tour to the outlying parts of the island. I was very surprised to see how expensive the food and clothing was and most of us purchased very few souvenirs. A relatively simple three course meal of salad, cod and desert at one of the two local hotel restaurants was $90.00 US per person. A chicken Panini was about $11.00 US at an outdoor sandwich stand. While certainly a scenic stop and nice place to stretch our sea-legs most of the passengers agreed that the double whammy of stopping at a town that did not seem to care if we were there or not and landfall on a Sunday was a bit of a downer; a longer stay in another of the wonderful larger ports, such as Scotland or Reykjavik might have been more interesting.

 

That evening we had reservations for dinner at Sabatini’s Trattoria ($20 per person surcharge). What a great place to eat. My one suggestion to those of you who have never eaten at Sabatini’s before is to make sure you have a light lunch that day. The food is well prepared and you have a taste of everything on the menu, (8 antipasti, 4 pizzas, 2 soups (including a fantastic saffron flavored cioppino) and 3 pastas). Your only decision is what entrée and dessert (the apricot pie is delicious) you would like. If you are a brie lover, as I am, make sure you taste the baked Italian brie. It seems to be creamier and softer than the French brie and ohhhhh so good. I will try and post a copy of the menu when I get home end of the month but in the mean time there is a sample menu posted on the Princess website. I heard that there is some talk about “simplifying” this grand menu, I hope that whatever changes made will be only minor as this is a fantastic value in an age of “plus-pricing”.

 

Cruising in the North Atlantic and into the ports at the top of the world provide some stunning and unique scenery. The mountains, glacial areas and lava fields are beautiful in their rugged and other-worldly vistas. Captain Ravera and his crew took great care and time to cruise close to these areas to afford all unforgettable views and some simply stunning photo-ops, thanks to the TP bridge crew for all of that hard work on our behalf.

 

July 13th found us in our first of two ports in Iceland, Seydisfjordur. As we entered the fjord between snow capped mountains the beauty of this part of the world was just breathtaking. Now, for some reason that name of the town just didn’t roll easily over the tongues of the majority of English speaking passengers onboard. So after we all butchered the name multiple times we now refer to it as “The-S Town”. It doesn’t help that the Icelandic language has several different letters in their alphabet than we do and therefore you really can’t sound out most of their words. So what is the best way to get from point-A to point-B, do what The Crabby Old Guy and I do…keep a map handy and just point to the places you want to go to. Don’t worry, they already know you are a tourist, LOL, and the good folks in all of these lovely towns are very willing to help you find your way around.

 

The town center is a short walk from the pier (less then 5 minutes and you will be standing in front of the town pharmacy) and has only about 750 residents. Imagine, the docking of the TP more than doubled the number of people in that area. But Seydisfjordur is an absolutely delightful place where the town’s people were very welcoming to us and the prices of good quality gift items and cafe food are quite reasonable. If you are in the mood for lamb, a local favorite, check out the braised lamb with root vegetables luncheon at the local hotel near the beautiful Blue Church. It is local lamb that has heather incorporated into its diet and the taste is phenomenal in its simplicity. Thankfully, Mother Nature continued to smile on us with lovely weather. There are tours available for the area but we opted to just walk through the town on our own. As you leave the pier and reach the main street, the first yellow house with a green roof on the right hand side (a little tourists shop) has an exhibition by Adalheidur S. Eysteinsdottir. This woman has been sculpting for fifteen years and models her sculptures after 1000 year old sheep that were brought over from Denmark. She has a unique way of using small bits and pieces of wood to create her sheep. She has exhibited in New York and Canada and is now making plans to bring her exhibition all over the world. You can check out her website at www.freyjulundur.is.

 

July 14th was a sea day and most of us just rested up for our next port of call, Reykjavik, Iceland. That evening was a formal night and we met a very dignified gentleman dressed in a proper tuxedo. On his lapel, though, were 9 different pins. When I asked him what they represented, he explained each briefly and when he got to the last one he, straight facedly replied “You see this little penguin? Well, it cost me $25,000 on my cruise to Antarctica.”

 

You won’t believe our next adventure at the world famous Blue Lagoon spa in Iceland. This total emersion experience will definitely stay with us for the rest of our lives.

 

Hugs

Joan Giorgianni

The Savvy Old Lady ™

[thesavvyoldlady]

To answer some questions for you all the Norovirus has been contained thanks to the hard work of Captain Ravera, the ship's doctor and the crew and other than our use of Purell and having the wait staff serve us at the buffet you would never know the pesky virus ever made it aboard.

 

The TP will go into drydock in Singapore in November for a little over 2 weeks and other than the change in name to the Ocean Princess very little will be changed. The Tahitian Lounge name will stay the same as well as the murals of Tahiti. Carpets will be replaced but will be identical to what we have now. The dance floor in the lounge will be revarnished and matresses will be changed as well as a fresh coat of paint here and there. The best news is that Captain Ravera will remain onboard the TP through 2010.

 

However, for those of you sailing on the July 25 cruise, Captain Ravera will be leaving in Halifax for his 2 month vacation.

 

I just posted part 2 of our adventure on CC.

 

Hugs,

The Savvy Old Lady

[paul929207]

Joan.

 

Thanks fr the update. I am getting more & More excied.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the updates. :)

[Demented_Avenger]

Sounds like you are having a great time aboard my favorite ship... TAHITIAN PRINCESS!

Keep em' coming!

Demented - :cool:

[pacmom]

On the last leg of the cruise, Bergen was not open on Sunday. Can't imagine that it will have changed in such a short time. Glad to see the illusive (on our trip) Mr. Manfredi has managed to make himself more visible. Pat

[olegna]

surveillance reports and from CDC

http://*****.com/l3ya95

 

 

To answer some questions for you all the Norovirus has been contained thanks to the hard work of Captain Ravera, the ship's doctor and the crew and other than our use of Purell and having the wait staff serve us at the buffet you would never know the pesky virus ever made it aboard.

 

The TP will go into drydock in Singapore in November for a little over 2 weeks and other than the change in name to the Ocean Princess very little will be changed. The Tahitian Lounge name will stay the same as well as the murals of Tahiti. Carpets will be replaced but will be identical to what we have now. The dance floor in the lounge will be revarnished and matresses will be changed as well as a fresh coat of paint here and there. The best news is that Captain Ravera will remain onboard the TP through 2010.

 

However, for those of you sailing on the July 25 cruise, Captain Ravera will be leaving in Halifax for his 2 month vacation.

 

I just posted part 2 of our adventure on CC.

 

Hugs,

The Savvy Old Lady

[cruisedreamer17]

I have so enjoyed reading this post--I hope to take a cruise in a few years that travels across the top of the world. Do you notice any teens on board? How many days will you be traveling. I will check back every once and a while and see how you are doing. I leave this week for AK

[thesavvyoldlady]

I have so enjoyed reading this post--I hope to take a cruise in a few years that travels across the top of the world. Do you notice any teens on board? How many days will you be traveling. I will check back every once and a while and see how you are doing. I leave this week for AK

 

I would take this cruise again...it was that amazing. We were all disappointed that we coudn't get into Greenland but the Danish Ice pilot advised the captain that it would not be safe with all the Polar ice blocking the Sound and the port. I've been told the best chance you have of getting into that area is in mid August. Looking at all the ice bergs and polar ice it's hard to believe in Global Warming LOL.

 

There were quite a few teens and children onboard but due to the size of the ship there were not many activities for them. However, they all seemed to be having a good time and enjoying our 18 day cruise.

 

The final installment will be posted this week and we have sooooo many pictures that I wll post them on www.thesavvyoldlady.com.

 

Glad you enjoyed the review.

 

Hugs,

The Savvy Old Lady

[thesavvyoldlady]

PICTURES CAN NOW BE SEEN AT http://thesavvyoldlady.com click on cruise reviews. Enjoy!

[hillslife]

Thanks for your post - great stuff. We were on the TP for 107 days earlier this year for the World Cruise. We LOVED it and Capt. Stefano Ravera is the BEST. He is sooo friendly, visible, approachable, will do everything in his power to be sure you have a fantastic cruise and voyage, including turning the ship around and circumnavigating some islands so all can get a good view; and he talks to all on his daily 'walk abouts' on the ship. He ate dinner at our table one night and was the consumate host - what a great and respected Captain to have on the "Beautiful White Lady"! Nice to know some things don't change -

[thesavvyoldlady]

Thanks for your post - great stuff. We were on the TP for 107 days earlier this year for the World Cruise. We LOVED it and Capt. Stefano Ravera is the BEST. He is sooo friendly, visible, approachable, will do everything in his power to be sure you have a fantastic cruise and voyage, including turning the ship around and circumnavigating some islands so all can get a good view; and he talks to all on his daily 'walk abouts' on the ship. He ate dinner at our table one night and was the consumate host - what a great and respected Captain to have on the "Beautiful White Lady"! Nice to know some things don't change -

 

Captain Ravera is still as amazing as ever. Last year my husband and I had the opportunity to spend some time with him. I wrote a review of our talk. You can find it here on CC or at my website http://thesavvyoldlady.com. It's titled OH Captain! OUR CAPTAIN! After reading it you will see why many of us teasingly refer to him as Clive Cussler's character Dirk Pitt. LOL