Greetings from the Pacific Princess

Okay, really, it's greetings from Albergo del Senato* in Rome. But in just 14 short hours (who's counting?!), it'll be the Pacific (where the keys on the keyboard will be in their proper American position, but I digress....), where we'll be sailing from Civi to Ft. Lauderdale, with stops in Naples, Trapani, Barcelona, Gibraltar, Casablanca, Madeira, and Bermuda. Plus 10 glorious sea days. This is truly reparative therapy from the horrors of grad school. Oh, and yes, I did have Princess change my title from Ms. rdsqrl to Dr. rdsqrl. Mock if you must, but it was hard-earned. Time now to celebrate ... hope the ship is loading lots of champers!!

I'll be checking in from time to time, as my internet minutes allow. I prefer reviews to doing detailed Lives, but I'm happy to answer any questions and I'll share random stuff. Just don't ask questions that a two-second Google search would answer; I only have 250 free minutes!

*Mega thanks to all those here and on the Ports of Call board who raved about this hotel. You were not only right, you undersold it!! Fantastic place. I can't say enough. Really, I can't. The barman has just signaled that my Bombay & tonic is ready! Ciao for now!

What a fabulous itinerary. Enjoy Dr. Rdsqrl. You deserve. Alberto del Senado is a fabulous place to wait for the cruise

Have a great cruise Dr. rdsqrl. You have worked very hard to get the new title of Dr.

Okay, really, it's greetings from Albergo del Senato* in Rome. But in just 14 short hours (who's counting?!), it'll be the Pacific (where the keys on the keyboard will be in their proper American position, but I digress....), where we'll be sailing from Civi to Ft. Lauderdale, with stops in Naples, Trapani, Barcelona, Gibraltar, Casablanca, Madeira, and Bermuda. Plus 10 glorious sea days. This is truly reparative therapy from the horrors of grad school. Oh, and yes, I did have Princess change my title from Ms. rdsqrl to Dr. rdsqrl. Mock if you must, but it was hard-earned. Time now to celebrate ... hope the ship is loading lots of champers!!

I'll be checking in from time to time, as my internet minutes allow. I prefer reviews to doing detailed Lives, but I'm happy to answer any questions and I'll share random stuff. Just don't ask questions that a two-second Google search would answer; I only have 250 free minutes!

*Mega thanks to all those here and on the Ports of Call board who raved about this hotel. You were not only right, you undersold it!! Fantastic place. I can't say enough. Really, I can't. The barman has just signaled that my Bombay & tonic is ready! Ciao for now!

Have a great cruise! Any chance you will be posting photos?

I have booked Albergo del Senato for 2 nights when we get off the Ocean Princess in September 2014. They have been nice people to deal with to date.

How is the rooftop bar? I plan to visit that and take up residence! We are in a penthouse suite which must be on the floor below I imagine.

I can't recall why I homed in on Albergo but once I did I looked at nothing else.

Congratulations on your Doctorate!

Norris, loving your choice of ship, which I have only seen from afar in Port Everglades.

Wishing you 'fair winds and following seas' - the Pacific is a lovely Princess. Enjoy, enjoy!

Congrats on the Doctorate, it is hard work to get there!

Enjoy your time on our favourite ship:). It sounds like a wonderful itinerary.:)

The hotel is nice & congrats on achieving your doctorate! That's awesome!

Can't wait to hear more as you sail home. Enjoy it - you earned it! :)

Holy crap, Annie!! (Do I have to address you as Dr.? I fear that we will start to sound like a comedic episode---)

I swear on a stack of bedazzled APA manuals that I just emailed you. I was worried because I hadn't seen you around for a bit! And here you are. On a cruise! I must have thought you up!:)

I hope you have a fabulous time on your cruise. I am genuinely envious. I just know that you will get the rest and relaxation that you deserve. It is such an amazing feat to finish your PhD. Now you can finally exhale a bit.

I do hope you post frequently. You know, I do love a good live from! And you are just the person to write it!

Take care and enjoy, friend!

Tracie-Lynn

Annie, congratulations! You deserve the cruise and all the champagne you can drink. Have a great cruise!

congrats on your new title and enjoy your cruise.

Take good care of her, as we'll be sailing her in May. Will be following this thread for any info and tips!!!

Congratulations!!! Now that you're boarding the Pacific - a great ship may I add - you certainly will be Dr. Feelgood :D! So looking forward to your future posts.

Nice to "see" you LIVE Annie, especially on one of our favorite ships. Oh yes, congrats from me too. :D

Just a quick check-in from embarkation day. Boarding began at noon with not many people gathered in the waiting room, so it was very quick. I am blown away by this ship -- she's gorgeous. I'm in love.

Notes from the Weird: in my closet for once, there's a robe. However, there are virtually no hangars, just three or four nasty wire ones. Did the previous occupants steal them all?? Stewart is rounding me up more, although he was horrified by how many I need. Wait til he sees how many shoes I have . . .

Lovely cabin, lots of storage but I am already missing the big open closet. The bathroom shower is noticeably larger than on the bigger ships, although the counter space is noticeably less. I think I prefer the other arrangement . . .

The pool is sparkling in the bright Italian sunshine, the Med lies peaceful and impossibly blue, beckoning us on our adventure. More importantly, a sailaway glass of champagne is calling my name (you thought I was kidding re them loading enough, didn't you?!). So arrivaderci.

Oh, some trivia for those who care:

Captain Karl Austin

Cruise Director Frank Zabaglione. No, that's a gelato. Castiglione. That's it.

Captain's Circle: Sandy

Maire d: Carlos de Rosa

Who I must go see, because my card contains no dining information at all, not even "Traditional." Maybe I better go do that before I start swigging champers . . .

Norris, review with photos to come once I'm home.

Just a quick check-in from embarkation day. Boarding began at noon with not many people gathered in the waiting room, so it was very quick. I am blown away by this ship -- she's gorgeous. I'm in love.

 

Notes from the Weird: in my closet for once, there's a robe. However, there are virtually no hangars, just three or four nasty wire ones. Did the previous occupants steal them all?? Stewart is rounding me up more, although he was horrified by how many I need. Wait til he sees how many shoes I have . . .

 

Lovely cabin, lots of storage but I am already missing the big open closet. The bathroom shower is noticeably larger than on the bigger ships, although the counter space is noticeably less. I think I prefer the other arrangement . . .

 

 

The pool is sparkling in the bright Italian sunshine, the Med lies peaceful and impossibly blue, beckoning us on our adventure. More importantly, a sailaway glass of champagne is calling my name (you thought I was kidding re them loading enough, didn't you?!). So arrivaderci.

 

Oh, some trivia for those who care:

Captain Karl Austin

Cruise Director Frank Zabaglione. No, that's a gelato. Castiglione. That's it.

Captain's Circle: Sandy

Maire d: Carlos de Rosa

Who I must go see, because my card contains no dining information at all, not even "Traditional." Maybe I better go do that before I start swigging champers . . .

 

Norris, review with photos to come once I'm home.

 

Review with photos?

Yippee!

Norris

Congrats on your great achievement! :)

Can you tell us if there was anyone recording amount of wine brought on? Also, is a wine package available? (Guess you can see what's important to me!:o)

Have a great cruise and thanks for taking us along!

Annie: I will wait for your critique, but still need to say I'm sorry. Sorry for the fact that you ended up with the very worst CD out there. Someone told me he had been fired. Guess not. Why they would ever consider placing someone who has gotten so many complaints on a ship that attracts more experienced cruisers is something I don't understand.

Have a wonderful cruise. I know the CD will not ruin it for you.

Looking forward to following your thread. We'll be experiencing the Pacific Princess for the first time in April.

Jan, I'm sorry; I didn't notice anyone with wine on embarkation day. There were really very few of us (maybe 75??) who boarded right at the start, and we were all scattered out, so there was no one else going through the x-ray right when I was. They were definitely checking bags today upon coming in from Naples, but checking for what, I don't know -- didn't see any wine being pulled out.

I will ask re the wine package tonight, as I'm definitely going for it myself!

Pia, yikes! Well, we'll see. I'd ask what makes him so dreadful, but I think I'll just wait and be surprised. Bearing in mind that in general, I'm completely unaware of the CD on my average cruise. As long as there's trivia on sea days ...

So, I'll save details of port day for the review: suffice it to say that Pompeii and Herculaneum are both awesome.

My dining saga continues. I approached the Don when my name was called (his consigliere was at the podium taking names, then calling people in one by one).

"Dottore rdsqrl, what can I do for you, on this the day of my daughter's wedding?"

"I seem not to have a table assignment."

"How many are you?" [i worried for a moment there about his vision, but it appears that was his quaint way of asking if I was a party of one]

"Just me."

"Ah, si, that is why we left your card blank, because you were just one. Now where can we put you . . ." [followed by frowning perusal of his seating chart. Michelangelo didn't put that much thought into the schematic for the Sistene Chapel.]

The upshot was a table assignment at an 8-top. Only one other person showed up, a very nice older lady who Did. Not. Stop. Talking. For. The. Entire. Meal. If the other six don't show up tonight and/or I can't find her mute button, I'm outta there.

But really, I'm sailing solo so it's too much trouble for the damn maitre d' to give me a table assignment? This is the second cruise in a row with weird assignments just because I'm traveling alone. Princess better get their act together.

Mattress update: very comfy!!

Shower curtain update: very friendly!!

Pool water update: very warm. No doubt once we hit warmer weather, it will immediately turn colder.

Hangar update: still short 5. I may steal them from my neighbours the next time Stewart has their door propped open.

Ciao bella!

So what were the lunch options today (embarkation day)?

And if by chance you could somehow take pics of a mini-suite, that would be awesome!!!

Jan, I'm sorry; I didn't notice anyone with wine on embarkation day. There were really very few of us (maybe 75??) who boarded right at the start, and we were all scattered out, so there was no one else going through the x-ray right when I was. They were definitely checking bags today upon coming in from Naples, but checking for what, I don't know -- didn't see any wine being pulled out.

 

I will ask re the wine package tonight, as I'm definitely going for it myself!

 

Pia, yikes! Well, we'll see. I'd ask what makes him so dreadful, but I think I'll just wait and be surprised. Bearing in mind that in general, I'm completely unaware of the CD on my average cruise. As long as there's trivia on sea days ...

 

So, I'll save details of port day for the review: suffice it to say that Pompeii and Herculaneum are both awesome.

 

My dining saga continues. I approached the Don when my name was called (his consigliere was at the podium taking names, then calling people in one by one).

"Dottore rdsqrl, what can I do for you, on this the day of my daughter's wedding?"

"I seem not to have a table assignment."

"How many are you?" [i worried for a moment there about his vision, but it appears that was his quaint way of asking if I was a party of one]

"Just me."

"Ah, si, that is why we left your card blank, because you were just one. Now where can we put you . . ." [followed by frowning perusal of his seating chart. Michelangelo didn't put that much thought into the schematic for the Sistene Chapel.]

The upshot was a table assignment at an 8-top. Only one other person showed up, a very nice older lady who Did. Not. Stop. Talking. For. The. Entire. Meal. If the other six don't show up tonight and/or I can't find her mute button, I'm outta there.

 

But really, I'm sailing solo so it's too much trouble for the damn maitre d' to give me a table assignment? This is the second cruise in a row with weird assignments just because I'm traveling alone. Princess better get their act together.

 

Mattress update: very comfy!!

Shower curtain update: very friendly!!

Pool water update: very warm. No doubt once we hit warmer weather, it will immediately turn colder.

Hangar update: still short 5. I may steal them from my neighbours the next time Stewart has their door propped open.

 

Ciao bella!

LOL. You are terrific. Up until now the only LIVE I've enjoyed is mine and only while writing it. I love yours! Carlos da Rosa is a nice guy and I thought quite on the ball. Makes no sense why he would stick you at a table for 8. Use your feminine wiles and get him to put you elsewhere.

Trivia: it will be either in the Pacific Lounge or in the casino bar. I hate when they do it in that area because of the noise and the wafting smoke.

Keep writing. I'm enjoying. :D

Thanks so much for the response! I guess other than what seems like the "vast majority" :rolleyes: on CC, there aren't that many people keeping track of what wine comes and goes! ;) (Don't mean that to be snarky, just laughing at my own obsession with it. :o)

I love your delivery and hope that you get someone else at the table for the lady to talk to! Thanks for the "live"!:)

Annie: I will wait for your critique, but still need to say I'm sorry. Sorry for the fact that you ended up with the very worst CD out there. Someone told me he had been fired. Guess not. Why they would ever consider placing someone who has gotten so many complaints on a ship that attracts more experienced cruisers is something I don't understand.

 

Have a wonderful cruise. I know the CD will not ruin it for you.

I absolutely agree with Pia on the CD (although I loved that you renamed him Frank Zabaglione). His one discernible "talent" is the microphone toss he does at the end of each of his appearances. I'm at the point where I pretty much ignore the CD anyway, and based on your "live" so far, you've got your cruise we'll under control. Have a great cruise!!!

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Hi and thanks for your live from. We will take the "Little Girl" from Ft. Lauderdale to Sydney next month, so looking forward to your reporting. One question - since there is only one MDR, is there an embarkation day lunch in the DR or is it buffet only? Congrats on your degree, and safe travels!

Hi and thanks for your live from. We will take the "Little Girl" from Ft. Lauderdale to Sydney next month, so looking forward to your reporting. One question - since there is only one MDR, is there an embarkation day lunch in the DR or is it buffet only? Congrats on your degree, and safe travels!

Hey come on over to the Roll Call! We are trying to get a meet and greet together for the first sea day out of Ft. Lauderdale. My hubby and I sailed on the Ocean Princess last year and can't wait to try her sister.

Linda

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Jan, I'm sorry; I didn't notice anyone with wine on embarkation day. There were really very few of us (maybe 75??) who boarded right at the start, and we were all scattered out, so there was no one else going through the x-ray right when I was. They were definitely checking bags today upon coming in from Naples, but checking for what, I don't know -- didn't see any wine being pulled out.

 

I will ask re the wine package tonight, as I'm definitely going for it myself!

 

Pia, yikes! Well, we'll see. I'd ask what makes him so dreadful, but I think I'll just wait and be surprised. Bearing in mind that in general, I'm completely unaware of the CD on my average cruise. As long as there's trivia on sea days ...

 

So, I'll save details of port day for the review: suffice it to say that Pompeii and Herculaneum are both awesome.

 

My dining saga continues. I approached the Don when my name was called (his consigliere was at the podium taking names, then calling people in one by one).

"Dottore rdsqrl, what can I do for you, on this the day of my daughter's wedding?"

"I seem not to have a table assignment."

"How many are you?" [i worried for a moment there about his vision, but it appears that was his quaint way of asking if I was a party of one]

"Just me."

"Ah, si, that is why we left your card blank, because you were just one. Now where can we put you . . ." [followed by frowning perusal of his seating chart. Michelangelo didn't put that much thought into the schematic for the Sistene Chapel.]

The upshot was a table assignment at an 8-top. Only one other person showed up, a very nice older lady who Did. Not. Stop. Talking. For. The. Entire. Meal. If the other six don't show up tonight and/or I can't find her mute button, I'm outta there.

 

But really, I'm sailing solo so it's too much trouble for the damn maitre d' to give me a table assignment? This is the second cruise in a row with weird assignments just because I'm traveling alone. Princess better get their act together.

 

Mattress update: very comfy!!

Shower curtain update: very friendly!!

Pool water update: very warm. No doubt once we hit warmer weather, it will immediately turn colder.

Hangar update: still short 5. I may steal them from my neighbours the next time Stewart has their door propped open.

 

Ciao bella!

So glad to know that you are enjoying your PDC (post dissertation cruise). Sorry about the seating arrangement for dining. Not a fan of Chatty Cathys. You may need to see the maitre'd for an alternate assignment. (Everytime I have to queue to speak with him, I hear strains of the Theme from the Godfather in my head-- I get this distinct feeling I should kiss the ring or something).

I am really curious to hear your impressions of Casablanca and Mediera. I am going in January on another cruise line-- (not my choice, but it is a cruise so what the heck).

Hope you have a lovely day!

TL