CruzerDeb

You will love it!!

Hope you have a wonderful time!

I’m sure your trip will be amazing!!

No, I’m sorry I didn’t take any pictures of the drink menus, nor notice what anyone else was drinking.

Final Notes If you can’t tell from previous posts, we loved this cruise! Of course, some things could have been better - there was only one production show by Princess entertainers; guest entertainers performed for two nights each and we didn’t really enjoy seeing them a second time. I was never able to get a drink delivered to me via the app, but I’m perfectly capable of going to the bar if a waiter isn’t passing by. Very minor stuff, IMO. Regal Princess is a beautiful ship!

I look forward to taking this trip again; soon, I hope!

Athens, cont Our tour ended with our guide dropping us off at our hotel, The Athens Gate Hotel. We thought it was nice, centrally located, and has a rooftop restaurant with fantastic views of the Acropolis. We walked to the Plaka for dinner at O Geros tou Moria tavern, which is located on some steps in that area; there are several restaurants on these steps. Another great experience! My iPhone camera started acting up after dinner, so I didn’t get pictures of the rooftop restaurant or those great views. Ugh.

Athens, cont We we lucky to see the changing of the guard at the President’s residence. Our guide also took us to a great hilltop viewpoint and we then had a snack while enjoying the view.

Athens Today was disembarkation day and it was well-organized and very fast. We’d received a questionnaire earlier in the week about whether we were self-disembarking, using a transfer or had made other arrangements. We had other arrangements and chose to get off at 8:00. We tagged our 2 large suitcases and put them out in the hall last night, keeping our carryons for necessities. We were off the ship and ready for our Athens excursion by 8:10! I didn’t think we’d be out so soon and had scheduled our pick up for 9:00. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I had booked a private half-day tour through TripAdvisor. Our driver was wonderful and knowledgeable. We visited the Acropolis, Agora and the Temple of Zeus. My mom was able to walk part way up the Acropolis, so I saw more than I expected.

Day 7 - Mykonos cont

Day 7 - Mykonos Today’s excursion was “Ultimate Mykonos Island & Town”. This great adventure started with the sorting into groups in the Princess Theater and then included a very bumpy ride in the tender. We took a bus tour around the island learning its history, stopping at a local beach and a visit a monastery. Completed the bus portion of the tour back where we started and then walked to old Mykonos. Such a beautiful old area and I loved seeing the windmills. We then went to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Day 6 - Istanbul Unfortunately, we had bad news from home and did not go ashore.

Day Five - Kusadasi (Ephesus) Another beautiful day and another Princess excursion. Today we visit the statue of the Virgin Mary, the Ephesus Museum and saw a carpet weaving demonstration. I don’t think my husband will let me travel without him again since I bought a carpet! Hey, it was tax-free with free shipping! We had dinner at Alfredo’s. I had the Minestrone alla Sorrentina, Agnolotti Gratinati alla Piemontese and the Tiramisu. All delicious!

Thanks for following! Shows in the theater are every night at 8 and 10.

We were on deck 9; quarantine is port mid to aft.

Thanks for following along. Getting a Covid test in Rome was very easy; there are pharmacies everywhere. We just walked into one and asked to take the test: I think it was 20 euros, was taken right then and we had printed results in 20 minutes.

You will love it!

Amazing that you had Stefano and stayed in the same hotel. It’s such a wonderful location. I’m in love with Rome and can’t wait to go back soon to share it with my husband.

We had a wonderful cruise! Thank you for following along.

Day Three - Crete con We then went to a village that has been recreated to resemble an old village and had snacks and wine while enjoying some singing and dancing.

Day Three - Crete, con We visited a local pottery maker; cool to see how quickly they make such beautiful vessels and learning the process. There is a store (of course) where you can purchase items.

Please note - posts are no longer LIVE.

I am trying to finish this trip report.

Day Four - Heraklion, Crete We booked the “Crete Villages & Folkloric Show” (easy activity) through Princess. We met in the Princess Theater, where we were assigned our group for the day. This was very organized. We were soon off the ship and on our comfortable tour bus for the day. Crete is absolutely beautiful! We enjoyed the very scenic drive and learning about all the olive trees (35M!!) and wineries. Most cheese is made from either goat or sheep milk.

Day Three - At Sea A sweet day with nothing planned except grabbing a lounger in the sun by the pool! Regal had us set our clocks forward an hour, so sleeping in until 8:00 (unusual for me), was really sleeping in until 9:00! Did I even have a chance?? I’m normally on Lido and getting a chair by 7:00, so I wasn’t confident. And when I say “getting my chair”, I mean my butt is in said chair, not claiming one to come back to in a couple of ours; I’m no CHOG. 😂. Mom wanted to eat first, which put us out there a little later. Miracle of miracles! We found two loungers together in the perfect spot. She sat with me for an hour and then sought some shade nearby. We really did nothing of note and just enjoyed a relaxing day. Today was formal night and we did not dress up and ate in the buffet. Tonight’s entertainment in the theater was the Princess production show “Bravo” which we really enjoyed.