LACruiser88

Good morning Civitavecchia!

I forgot to post it last night. Hope to meet you onboard. 🙂

I'm killing time before we leave for the train station, for Roma.

We no longer go to shows or games. We have danced a few times to the band in the Piazza, they are quite good. There is also a very good acoustic guitarist/singer onboard.

Tonight we dined at "The Catch" for our second time. It did not dissapoint. We each had the Salad Nicoise with Seared Tuna. It was delicious and huge. The presentation gets an A+! Our second course was Steamed Mussels in a White Wine and Cream Sauce. Wow! They were fantastic and the sauce was spectacular. For our main course, we repeated the same dish we had on our first visit, Grilled Swordfish with a Cauliflower and Mustard Puree. As good as it was on our previous visit, we skipped dessert. And for @c-boy, this was accompanied by a Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon.

Today we had an amazing journey below the city of Naples. Debbie didn't know how much exercise she was going to get! 2,800 years ago, the Greeks started an underground aqueduct from a river on Mt Vesuvius to the city. The aqueduct was eventually finished by the Romans. During WWII, a majority of the city took refuge in the empty aqueduct for six months to escape the allied bombings. We climbed 82 feet down a narrow stone staircase to reach the aqueduct. There are many shafts in the ceilings that were used to reach the water from above. Toilet stalls built during WWII Well opening in the ceiling Climbing through the empty caverns reminded us of climbing inside the Great Pyramids in Egypt many years ago. And, Debbie was not too happy for the climb back up to street level. To regain our strength, we indulged in pizza and vino!

Good morning Naples! It rained overnight, but Captain just said no rain for today. You can see Mt. Vesuvius in the second photo.

In 2024, we board the Majestic on Dec 1st, in LA, for 50 days. See you onboard!

I totally forgot to take photos of the menu last night, sorry. 🤷‍♂️ The extra dishes in the Reserve Collection Dining Room were Spaghetti al Olio with Shrimp and Veal Cannelloni. We both had the Spaghetti as our main course, delicioso! We asked our table neighbor, who was dining alone because her DH was having a health issue (not covid) to join us. We had become friendly over the past week. We had a lovely dinner and learned a lot about her hometown in Florida. She is relieved to be disembarking in Rome so they can attend to her DH's issues. And @c-boy I didn't forget, here you go!

I know what you mean! 🤪

Looks like a good chance for rain mañana.

We had a fantastic day today in Messina! We were able to meet up with our dear friend (and Maitre'd on the Island Princess), Daniele, for lunch. It was great catching up in-person and not on Whatsapp. According to Debbie, the following photos are of the most important sites to visit in Messina. And, we recruited two new members to our wine club. This should make our Club's Vice President, @c-boy , very proud!

I couldn't help myself, it reminded me of Princess sales tactics. "Everything € 11.99." In small print at the bottom, "Everything now € 11.99, on selected items." 🤣🤣🤣

We are off for a shopping spree! The Island Princess is right behind us...

We were going to pass on it also because of the salt, but our Waiter said it was a baked filet of salmon. It was indeed a nicely baked salmon filet that was sliced over the greens. We will have it again if offered. Yum...

We heard rumblings a few days ago that Madeira could be canceled due to a labor strike of the Maritime pilots. It is now official, Gran Canarias will now replace our stop in Madeira. I'll post the ship's letter as soon as we receive it.

From the beginning of the cruise, we have seen around 10% of passengers wearing masks. Unfortunately, covid is everywhere and here to stay. That is sad that someone that is ill; whether covid, flu, or a bad cold, would expose the illness to others on an excursion. 🤷‍♂️

We have not heard or seen any signs of covid. We have heard the usual coughing and sneezing but not too bad.

So silly of me to forget! This was missing from the photo!

November 20, 2023 12:40 PM EST Believe in the Magic of the Holiday Season with Princess Cruises New Cheery Cocktails, Decked Out Decks, Culinary Collection of Holiday Menus and Favorite Festive Events Await at Sea FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The magic of the holiday season is making its way to the Princess Cruises fleet to surprise and delight guests with festive experiences from new cocktails and holiday décor to special menus and favorite-themed events that are sure to deliver a memorable and joyful experience for all. "Princess truly delivers a holiday spectacular, creating a warm atmosphere that feels like the perfect home away from home for our guests to simply relax and take in all of the distinctive moments of the season, without the stress of entertaining," said Sami Kohen, vice president of food and beverage, Princess Cruises. "From new specialty cocktails or warm cocoa to holiday favorite movies and even a tree lighting ceremony with falling snow, it's easy to get into the holiday spirit at sea with Princess." Eat, Drink and Be Merry! Guests looking for some holiday cheer with a special cocktail have several festive options to choose from to toast to their memories of the past year, while looking towards a new one. Princess bartenders are stirring up several new drinks, including: Autumn Elixir: Grey Goose, St Germain, orange Juice, apple Juice and sugar syrup, garnished with pomegranate and thyme Charm with Pecan: Zacapa rum, Crème de cacao dark, Kahlua and cream, garnished with crushed pecan and star anise Pumpkin Spice Martini: Elyx vodka, Bacardi spiced rum, pumpkin puree, sugar syrup and pumpkin spice syrup, garnished with graham cracker around the rim and cinnamon powder The Jingle: Grey Goose White Peach and Rosemary Vodka, Kahlua, pomegranate syrup, fresh lemon juice, cranberry juice and ginger beer, garnished with cranberries and marshmallows In addition, the new "I Love this Martini" menu, crafted in partnership with Diageo and Filthy® Premium Mixers & Garnishes, is now available across the fleet. The menu features all-time favorites, plus new twists like the Black Cherry Espresso Martini, made with Ketel One Vodka, Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur, Filthy® Black Cherry Syrup, and topped with Filthy® Black Cherries. Princess has also announced a new partnership with The Macklowe Whiskey, the first luxury American single malt whiskey from creator Julie Macklowe and will feature the premium spirit on menus in time for holiday sailings. Using The Macklowe Kentucky Edition, Gold Bottle, delicious drinks will be shaken, stirred, poured, neat and garnished to perfection, in Gold Fashioned style. A host of gourmet dining options and traditional go-to's will be served up again this season with Princess' signature Culinary Collection of Holiday Menus, created by world-renowned Chef Rudi Sodamin leading the Princess culinary arts team. Menu items include a five-course Thanksgiving feast, the meaningful and fun foods of Hanukkah, delectable Christmas dishes from the traditions around the world, and conclude with a sparkling New Year's Gala menu. Festive Sprinkles of Joy From evergreens adorning the decks to sparkling Christmas trees in the Piazzas, guests are treated to a host of holiday festivities including: Holiday Wishes Variety Show Hannukah Services and Menorah Lighting Ugly Holiday Sweater Competition Lighting of the Lights Ceremony to turn on the tree lights and start the snow falling machines complete with hot chocolate, mulled wine and eggnog Family Gingerbread House Making Competition, judged by the Executive Chef, Pastry Chef, Captain and Entertainment Director Holiday Family Movie Nights, featuring favorites like "Elf," "A Christmas Story" and "The Grinch" Holiday Caroling in the Piazza Santa's Arrival and Gift Giving Pajama Breakfast with Stanley Twas the Night Before Christmas Reading, where kids are encouraged to wear their PJs and enjoy hot chocolate Interdenominational Church Services, led by guest volunteers or onboard teammates Countdown to 2024 … 10, 9, 8 …! After a Gala Dinner in the main dining rooms, guests sailing over New Year's will ring in 2024 with a festive countdown party in the Piazza, complete with a Champagne toast! A posh "Dom Perignon Lounge" vibe takes over the Wheelhouse Bar for revelers looking to sing, dance and enjoy a chic celebration. Holiday cruises are still available, starting as low as $548 per person: December 1: 15-Day Southeast Asia & Japan (Tokyo to Singapore) on Diamond Princess December 4: 15-Day Hawaiian Islands on Discovery Princess December 10: 7-Day Western Caribbean with Mexico on Regal Princess December 10: 7-Day Eastern Caribbean with Puerto Rico on Caribbean Princess December 17: 10-Day Eastern Caribbean with Tortola Holiday on Caribbean Princess December 20: 10-Day Panama Canal with Costa Rica & Caribbean Holiday on Ruby Princess December 22: 16-Day Hawaiian Islands Holiday on Crown Princess December 23: 7-Day Western Caribbean with Mexico Holiday on Sky Princess

Tonight we found out that the Island Princess will be alongside us in Messina. This is an itinerary change for them due to Israel port cancelations.

Dinner tonight was amazing! The extra dishes in the Reserve Collection Dining Room were a Sliced Baked Salmon Salad with Caviar and a chicken entree (we can't remember what is was? 🤷‍♂️) We both had the Salmon Salad and the Seared Mustard-Crusted Tuna. They were both outstanding! The Tuna