Emerald Princess Port review Eastern Med Greek Isle July 23, 2008

Emerald Princess Cruise Eastern Med Greek Isles July 23,2008-August 4, 2008

After many, many months of planning, our first trip to Europe turned out to be everything we had hoped it to be. I hope by sharing some of our experiences we can help others as they plan their cruise. I will focus on the ports of call, rather than on the ship itself, as this is the area most people research prior to their trip. DH and I have cruised many times before, but have never been to Europe. This was an anniversary trip, so we really wanted this to be special.

Getting started: If there would be any advice in getting started, it would be to start early and just take it one step at a time. For first timers, planning a port-intensive trip such as this can be rather overwhelming. I began by getting on Cruise Critic (especially the Europe port of call boards) and using the search function (when it was working). After booking the cruise, I began researching the hotels at each end of the cruise. In our case, our trip was to start in Venice and end in Rome. I booked both hotels very early, and it paid off with lower rates. From there, I chose a few ports where I knew I wanted to hire a driver and/or a guide. I focused on those ports, then finished researching the other ports that I thought we would be able to do on our own. I read and asked questions on the cruise air boards, as I was not sure where to start to plan the air portion of the trip. The roll-call boards were very helpful in both asking advice and sharing tours. For experienced European travelers, the above advice may seem unnecessary, yet I have seen many first-timers not know where to start!

Venice: After leaving home at 1:30pm Sunday, July 20th, we arrived in Venice around 12:30p.m. on July 21st. Our luggage arrived without problem and we proceeded to find an ATM to get some Euros. If facing the exit, look toward your right for the ATM. There was a short line, but we got our first Euros and we were off to find the water taxi. We knew that the walk would be about five minutes. Just follow the signs directing you to the water taxis. If you have too much luggage, I believe you can get some sort of a shuttle to the water taxis. We were staying at the Locanda Orseolo, and through research ahead of time, I knew we should take the Venezia Water Taxi, since they had a contract with the hotel and they would have no problem taking us right to the door of the hotel, located down a rather small canal. A gentleman met us at the dock and proceeded to tell us to take a different water taxi and that the water would be too high today to take us to the LO (I had heard they would tell us that!). I just said, “Okay, I’ll wait for the Venezia Water Taxi to take us, Thank you”. After some chatter with some of the taxi drivers, he found us one who would take us right to the hotel! The price for two was 95 Euro. He would have to have 10 more Euro to take us directly, but I cannot imagine being dropped off with luggage at the Rialto Bridge and try to find the hotel from there. Without CC, I would have not known any of this.

The Locanda Orseolo was fantastic! We had a beautiful, large suite with a canal view. Large, floor to ceiling windows opened up to gondoliers and people strolling by down below. The room was actually two rooms and had a nice king-sized bed, a seating area with a refrigerator and beautiful chandeliers in both rooms. Breakfast at the hotel was wonderful as we sat next to an open window with the gondolas floating by in the morning. Great food and great coffee. Customer service at the LO is wonderful.

The staff at the hotel recommended the Marco Polo restaurant for our first night, and it was perfect! We spent most of the afternoon getting lost and trying to figure out where we were going! The first few hours in Venice can be quite disorienting, especially after a red-eye flight! The first afternoon in Venice, I felt a little frustrated by the confusing streets and all the crowds. However, Tuesday morning, after a 10 hour sleep, we awoke to clear blue skies and the bells of St. Marks. I opened the shutters on the windows and was seeing Venice through different eyes! Through rested eyes, Venice was a magical place I could not wait to explore!! After our wonderful breakfast, we walked the short distance to San Marco. The sky was a brilliant blue. We had made reservations for St. Mark’s for 10:25am, in order to avoid the lines. However, the line was only about ten minutes long, so we just got in the line with the rest of the people. After going through the Basilica, we went back toward the entrance and took the stairs up to see the horses and walk out on the balcony. This is where we wished we would have gone FIRST. Upon entering the Basilica, go directly upstairs (on the right-hand side). There you can rent an audio guide for only 3 Euro. It can be used throughout the entire place. We stood out on the balcony, overlooking Piazza San Marco on a perfectly clear day. Wow, we were in Venice, just beginning a beautiful trip to so many places I had only dreamed of visiting. I felt that morning that all the months of planning were finally paying off, as at this point, there were so few decisions to make. The rest of the day, we walked the streets and maneuvered the crowds. Today was so different, since we were now rested. We found that most places can be found if you follow the directions written on the buildings either going toward San Marco or toward Rialto. For our first time in Venice (a 48hr stay), we were fine with just seeing what was in walking distance. If we had stayed longer, we would have ventured out beyond this, for sure.

What is a stay in Venice without a gondola ride? Tuesday afternoon, the gondolas were so busy! Not our idea of a romantic gondola ride for sure. We were planning to go to a restaurant called Cantina Canaletto that we had seen on a Samantha Brown show. Right before leaving, it began to rain! Oh no, there goes our gondola ride! However, the rain was a blessing because it really cleared the streets of the crowds. It stopped raining and we went out for our gondola ride. We asked to be taken right to the restaurant in the gondola. (we showed them a map) The ride was 100 Euro. Since we were asking to go to a specific place, we did not feel the need to try to negotiate a lower rate. The ride was wonderful! We floated slowly down several small canals and it was so quiet. We traveled on the Grand canal and right under the Rialto bridge. The ride was smooth and quiet. We arrived at the restaurant only to find it too busy!!! We waited for about 15 minutes and decided to go elsewhere. We are not sure where we ended up, but we ducked into a place and walked to the back where they had a sort of an “outdoor” room, all covered in vines. We had a wonderful meal there. A lesson here is that sometimes the most memorable places are the ones we just walk into by surprise! After pasta and cheese, wine and dessert, we stepped into the street and there was a huge clap of thunder, followed by rain. We walked back to the hotel under an umbrella. AHHH...This was truly a magical day in Venice! And to think tomorrow, we get on the cruise ship!!!

Wednesday morning brings more crystal blue skies. We had tickets to the Doge’s Palace Secret Itineraries Tour for 9:55am. I had pre-booked these tickets through Ticket Italy for 21 Euro/pp. We just brought our voucher and went to the window marked “pre-paid tickets”. Waited a short time and went on the tour. It was interesting and by the time it was over, we were very excited to get on the ship! Tour lasted about an hour. If we had had more time, the tickets allow you to walk around and tour the rest the Doge’s Palace on your own.

We were meeting a group of CC members to share a water taxi to the ship from our hotel. The LO called for a 12:15 pick-up for the nine of us and all of our luggage. I believe it was 140 Euro for 9 of us plus luggage. (Price is per person plus per bag) We all comfortably fit in the taxi for our 30 minute ride to the pier. One thing to beware of here. When you get to the pier, keep track of the bags you intend to carry on to the ship, as the porters start grabbing ALL the bags from the taxi and before you know it, they are all gone into their bins!! We had to retrieve a few and they were not very happy. Check-in on the Emerald Princess was very quick and easy. The first night was an overnight in Venice, but we were happy to stay on the ship. Sail away was scheduled for 8am Thursday. Even though we had a nice covered balcony on the ship, we decided to go up on deck for the sailaway from Venice. Portside had fantastic views of Venice as we sailed by. The ship played music and they narrated as we sailed along. Muster drill was held at 11am.

Dubrovnik, Croatia: Early that morning, we were informed that we would be docking in Dubrovnik, at least until noon. Once we exited the ship, we got on Princess shuttle bus for a 15 minute ride to town. There ,we were able to buy tickets to walk the walls surrounding the city. I cannot recall the exact price of the tickets, but I believe they were around 15 Euro for the two of us. They did take Euros without any problem. Advice here...do it early!!! We walked the entire circumference of the city before the crowds arrived, and before it got too hot. A few hours later, it was very crowded. Following the walk on the walls, we asked where the toilets were. It was about a 2-3 minute walk outside the city walls. Good news was that they were free. Bad news was that they were just a hole in the floor. There were many places to eat in the town and we had lunch at a wonderful pizzeria. (don’t worry about trying to find a particular one, they are plentiful) We enjoyed Dubrovnik very much. Upon returning to the ship, we had to tender.

Corfu, Greece: This was the only ship excursion we had booked. We could not decide what we wanted to do in Corfu, and this turned out to be a very enjoyable day. It was our first Greek port. We booked the excursion “Hidden Greece”. I believe we had around 30-35 people in our group. Our guide was a very nice Greek woman in her 60’s, and she was very knowledgeable about her country. She pointed out the various vegetation as we drove. We stopped at a monastery, as well as a photo stop of a couple of beaches. The last part of the excursion, we got out of the bus and walked through a neighborhood, visiting a small museum where they showed us how olive oil is made. We continued on to a small restaurant where we went to the back under the shade. They brought out bread, wine, water, and then a plate of local foods...feta cheese, tomatoes, salamis, and many things I had no idea what they were!!! That is the fun of it. Two dancers entertained us with local Greek dancing in native costumes. Opa!!! What an enjoyable day in Corfu!!

Katakolon, Greece: This was Sunday and we had been officially gone for a week, so we decided to make this a very low-keyed day. We decided to get some exercise, so we walked from the ship to town, bought postcards to send home, walked back to the ship to write the postcards, then walked back to town to mail them. The town had various shops with touristy souveniers, but we enjoyed browsing and walking the streets with no agenda in mind. We used the day to nap and do a load of laundry on the ship.

Athens, Greece: I had originally booked a tour with a private driver for just the two of us. Some months later, a couple on our roll call board offered to split a tour with them. They had booked Jordans Taxi service for 220Euro for the 2 of them. We decided to join them, thus saving 110 Euro by splitting the tour. Close to the time of the cruise, they had a family emergency, and were forced to cancel . Now we were back to the two of us. Jordan emailed them and informed them that he had an opportunity to do a large tour outside of Athens and would be gone for 5 days. He asked if they would mind accepting someone else (that he highly recommended) for a discount. They informed him that they could not take the cruise and that we would be using his service. Long story short, Jordan “asked” if it would be Okay if we had Nikos, who he highly recommended. I was so nervous of this, never hearing of Nikos, etc. I agreed, but was so nervous that things would not turn out for the day. Nikos met us at the pier and we had a most delightful day!! He had an awesome Mercedes taxi that was spotless. He always reminded us of how this was “our day”. He always tried to find ways to make “our day” easier and memorable. We toured all the noted spots in Athens and we went out to the second highest point where we rode a cable car up for a fantastic view of the entire city. We went to a very authentic Greek Taverna in the city where no one spoke English. He went in and showed us our choices for food. He cautioned us that the portioned were huge, and that we should split our meal. However, since DH and I have different tastes in food, we elected to order what we wanted. I had a very authentic Gyro (made with chicken and pork) as well as a Greek Salad. DH had a plate of beef with potatoes, as well as a green salad. We had house wine, the obligatory Ouzo, water, bread, and we were totally stuffed!!! It was truly a Greek feast. Our bill was 30 Euro. We ended the day with the changing of the guards, as well as a quick visit to the museum of archeology. Thanks Nikos, for making our visit to Athens a most memorable day!!! I also applaud Jordan for having the decency to “ask” us if we would accept another driver, instead of just sending someone else to pick us up. I would recommend Jordan’s Taxi Service.

Mykonos, Greece: July and August provide strong winds to Mykonos, and this day proved to be a typical, windy day. We walked the streets and took many photos. We walked up to the windmills and just enjoyed all the beautiful blue and white buildings. We were going to go to the beach, but decided to just stroll the streets. We stopped at an outdoor restaurant near little Venice, and ate a Greek salad and some pasta. Service was slow, but what’s the hurry?

Kusadasi, Turkey: Early in the planning process, I had booked a tour of Ephesus with Ekol Travel. We split the tour with another couple from the roll-call board. The cost was $60/pp for 4 people, and we could pay in dollars or Euros on the day of the tour. This included an extra $10/pp fee for the Terrace Houses, which are so worth it. I really had not researched much of what we would be seeing at Ephesus. This day was a pleasant surprise. We were fascinated by the history at Ephesus. Our guide (not sure how to spell his name, but he said to just pronounce it as if you were saying, “hey,Luke”.)He was so knowledgeable and I found him to be a very good guide. It was so HOT at Ephesus!! If you go in the middle of summer, make sure you bring a hat or visor, or perhaps an umbrella. Water is a must. He wanted to take us to a local restaurant at a hotel nearby instead of somewhere at the pier. We agreed and had a buffet-type meal at this hotel. I found this to be fascinating, as I prefer to experience the true culture of the country. When we were finished, the waiter told us our meal was 5Euros/pp! Now that’s a bargain! Drinks were separate. It was certainly not an elegant lunch, but I enjoyed it for what it was.

We had told Ekol we did not want to go to a carpet factory, but our guide really, really wanted to take us there. We agreed and found the initial part of the demo very intriguing. I had no idea just how these rugs were really made. I had never seen a silk worm. After a brief demo, they proceeded to bring out rugs. The one I liked was around $8,000 USD!!! (they had cheaper ones)We went back to the pier and the temperature outside was extremely hot. We browsed the shops briefly, but I quickly became intimidated by the Turkish shopkeepers! Back to the ship we went. Due to the carpet demonstration, we did not have much time to shop, but for me that turned out to be Okay. Just beware, as the guides get a cut in the profit of the rugs. However, I would recommend Ekol Travel.

Rhodes, Greece: I had no idea what to do in Rhodes, but we knew this would be another low-keyed day. I was surprised by Rhodes, to see it was a rather interesting looking, walled city. We got off of the ship and walked around old Rhodes, browsing the shops. People seemed very friendly. We purchased a few souvenirs and went back to the ship.

Santorini, Greece: I so looked forward to this day, as I had seen many beautiful pictures of Santorini. We decided late in the planning process that we would do a sailing excursion in Santorini. However, I also wanted to visit Oia (pronounced Ee’a), especially for the beautiful photo ops. We contacted Santorini Sailing, and arranged a sailing excursion which included a buffet lunch on the catamaran. They told us the driver would pick us up in Fira at 10am. I was nervous about the time situation, but all worked out well. We got up early in order to get on the first tender off of the ship. We had a bit of a wait, and we were finally on the tender by 7:30. We got to the cable car and had another wait for it to fill up. Cost was 4E/pp and you were not able to buy roundtrip tickets, just one way. We were up on Fira around 8:10 am. We walked a short distance and hailed a cab for a quick trip to Oia. The cost was 15E. It would have been nice to split this with another couple, but we had no time for that. We arrived in Oia in about 15-20 minutes. It was so quiet there!!! If you want awesome pictures, arrive early. We walked around and took the most wonderful pictures. We only stayed about an hour, then caught a taxi as he was on his way back from dropping some people off. He charged us only 12 Euros for the trip back. Our driver for Santorini Sailing picked us up at the designated spot at 10:15am, and we were at the marina by 10:30. Our group was a group of 10, and we were the only cruise ship passengers. We sailed past the lighthouse and stopped at Red Beach for a quick swim. The day was so relaxing! The wind was pretty strong that day, but the ride was very smooth. We ducked into a cove and they prepared a beautiful lunch of grilled prawns, calamari, pork steak, pasta, salad, and vegetables. We had various beverages, and all of us finished with a few glasses of Santorini white wine. Following the sail at 3:30, we were driven back to the port where we got in the 20 minute line for the cable car, then tendered back to the ship. Back on the ship, we took a bottle of champagne up on deck to listen to the music and narration as we sailed out of Santorini. I will never forget our day in Santorini. I would certainly recommend Santorini Sailing.

Naples, Italy: The port of Naples followed a much need day at sea. Early in the planning process, I had emailed several companies for a private tour of the Amalfi coast, Positano, Ravello, etc. All of the drivers were fairly expensive, especially for just two people. We also wanted to include Pompeii. I decided on Nello, who is with Drive Sorrento. Nello said it would either be he or his cousin to drive us. Arriving at the port, it was neither he nor his cousin. I had confirmed our day with Nello twice during the previous months, and he did not mention sending anyone else.(I did not ask specifically though) So the day started with Josephano (not totally sure of his name)He was a very nice gentleman. We started on the road toward the Amalfi coast and there was bumper to bumper traffic. He proceeds to tell us that it is because it is Sunday and everyone goes to the beach. We would therefore not have time to see much!!! We drove past the Amalfi coast and it was very hazy. Not much for views. We arrived in Positano, which was very beautiful...and very crowded!!! Amazingly crowded. Our driver told us we would have only about 15-30 minutes there! We could either continue on to Amalfi and Ravello, but they would be just like Positano!!! Or we could go back to Sorrento and have lunch there. I was so disappointed. We did go back to Sorrento and we actually enjoyed browsing the shops there. He took us to a sea-side fishing village for lunch. We had home-made ravioli, which was fabulous! We went to Pompeii around 2:30. By this time the heat was incredible. However, Pompeii is closer to the ship, so there is less chance of missing the ship due to traffic. Our guide at Pompeii cost 100Euro for 2 hours, however, we would not have known what we were looking at, had he not given us a tour. I believe it is just one of those things you do once! After seeing the Terrace houses in Ephesus, I was a little disappointed with the condition of Pompeii, yet how could you NOT visit Pompeii when you are there? We made it back to the ship by 4:45pm. Pompeii is just about 15 minutes from the port. I was disappointed in the fact that we had not been informed who our driver would be, and that there is always heavy traffic each Sunday, therefore decreasing our ability to drive the rest of the Amalfi coast, and spend much time in Positano, Ravello, etc. The day turned out “Okay”, and there was nothing wrong with our driver. I just wish I had been better informed before I spent a total of $700+ for the day. In retrospect, this should have been a day we split with 1-2 other couples. Live and learn, I guess. We enjoyed sail away once again, up on deck of the ship. There were several ships in port that day, and we watched them sail away one-by-one, as if it were a cruise ship parade! Beautiful.

Rome, Italy (Civitavecchia): Our ship pulled into port very early in the morning. (as did 5 other ships) Princess has a very efficient way to handle disembarkation. The day before, we were given a 9:15a.m. time of disembarkation. We were splitting a driver with 5 other people, and the contract was with rome shuttle limousines for 175 Euros (25E/pp). A CC couple had put a deposit down with them and told them we would need them between 8:30-9am. However, now the ship says our disembarkation is at 9:15. We got off of the ship as quickly as we could, but our driver was not in the best mood! Advice here is to perhaps pick a slightly later time or perhaps email the company with a more exact time the day before disembarkation.

We booked the Hotel Alimandi Vaticano last year, and were able to secure 2007 rates of 160Euro/night. There are two Hotel Alimandi’s...a 3 star and a 4 star within a block of each other. The driver dropped us off at the most convenient place for him,(after we stressed Vaticano) but of course it wasn’t the right hotel. The hotel staff showed us how to get to the right hotel and brought our bags over to us. It was not a big deal. The Hotel Alimandi Vaticano is a very nice, recently renovated hotel. The staff is very helpful. Our room was huge by European standards and it had a courtyard view. The windows are heavily insulated for keeping out sound. The hotel is directly across from the Vatican Museum entrance. Included in the price is a wonderful breakfast buffet from 7:30 until 10:30am. A complimentary shuttle to the airport was a wonderful feature. Just be aware that there is no shuttle on Sunday. We arrived early at the hotel, but they told us our room was ready!

Since we were staying right outside the Vatican Museum entrance, we decided to start our touring there! I had booked a 3 hour tour of the Vatican with Ticket Italy for 42.50 Euro/pp. We met Rosanna around 1:20 and our tour was to begin at 1:30pm. We were told that our group would consist of no more than 20 people. There were 30 people in our group. We got a late start, then a man had a seizure. Rosanna decided to give him some time to see if he would feel better. I did not have a good feeling about this. We proceed through the turnstile around 1:55pm, when he had another seizure. She told us to go to the cafeteria and she would go back and see if he would feel up to joining the tour!! She returns at 2:10pm and we resume our tour. I have to say, Rosanna was a very good guide. She was so knowledgeable and easy to understand (we had whisper ear pieces). It was just difficult to have a group this size, as it was so crowded there. Not long after entering the Sistine Chapel, a man informs Rosanna that his wife is missing!!! Rosanna tells us to stay put and she proceeds to look for the wife. After about 15-20 minutes, she finds the wife who then informs Rosanna that we have lost her husband! You have to picture the Vatican museums on a August afternoon...hot and crowded. Our group was dwindling. The rest of the group was becoming disgusted. One young couple had a one year old in a stroller and ended up leaving. I think it would have been much better to limit the group to 20 people, as we were promised when we booked. Rosanna did a great job, but it was just too many people. Although our tour was shortened, as well as hot and crowded, I so enjoyed seeing St Peter’s Basilica. I could have spent much longer there. However, we were short on time as I had booked another tour for the evening.

I thought it would be neat to see Rome at night, so I booked a night walking tour through Viator. We were to meet at the Piazza Navona at 6:15pm for this 3 hour tour. We decided since our time was so short in Rome, we were not going to bother with the bus or metro, but just take a cab where we wanted to go. You cannot hail a cab in Rome, you must go to a taxi station, which are plentiful. We got a cab to Piazza Navona and waited for our tour. No one showed up!!! :mad: We waited until 6:45p.m., and decided to make the best of it by seeing some sights on our own. We easily walked to the Pantheon, then walked to the Trevi Fountain. I did review my receipt for the Night walking tour, and in fine print it stated that we should call an Italian phone number at least 24 hrs prior to the tour. That would not have been possible, since we were on a cruise ship at sea. Oh well, live and learn I guess. That is one hazard of paying for things ahead of time.

The next morning, we took a cab over to the metro station to join our “My Colisseum “ tour, also through Viator. This was a 3 hour walking tour through the Colisseum and the Roman Forum. Our guide was great and it was a very enjoyable tour (although extremely hot).Our tour finished at 1:00pm. The cost was something like $74/pp, which we paid for in advance.

I was excited about getting the opportunity to book the Scavi tour beneath St Peter’s. I emailed scavi@fsp.va for tickets (cost is 10Euro/pp) There are a very limited amount of spaces available and you must give them a range of times/dates that you could come. You must tell them the # of people in your party, names, and language desired. If you can visit, they email an invitation that you must respond to. The tour goes below the Basilica, but on a hot day, it is still very hot down there. (hot and humid) It is not for the very claustrophobic. We so enjoyed this tour. It is unique. The tour started at 3:30 and lasts about 1 hr, 15 mins, ending in St Peter’s. Mass at St Peter’s started at 5pm, and it was beautiful to hear the music of the mass.

Our last day of our trip, I decided to take a trip to Florence. I had wanted to purchase train tickets ahead of time, since August was a busy time for vacationers in Rome, and we need a specific time on the Eurostar to make it all work. I tried for weeks to book train tickets using the Trenitalia website. When I would get to the end of the booking process, it would state “payment denied”. It was so frustrating. I began reading that it was not just me that had this trouble, and that only Italian credit cards could be used!!! I also got the name and number of a travel agency in Rome called Pantheon Travel. (I have since lost the phone number but their email is pantheontravel@hotmail.it . I called them, then he had me email him exactly what I needed. I wanted ticketless, first-class tickets and gave him the exact #’s of the schedule. I then confirmed everything by email, and called him back with the credit card number. It was very easy. They charged about 5Euros per ticket (each way), but it was so worth it to be past the frustration of trying to book them. By getting the “ticketless” option, we did not have to validate our tickets at the station. Regular tickets must be validated at the station or you will face a heavy fine.

I had arranged for a guide in Florence to meet us at the train station. We used Guido of Tuscany in My Pocket. He was prompt with his emails and was waiting for us when we got there. What a day we had with him!!! He showed us a little of “his city”, Florence. Following a tour of Florence, including the church where Michelangelo is buried, we drove out to Montagliari, a winery in the Chianti region. There were quite a few people there when we arrived, but by the time we were part way done with our meal, everyone had left and we had the place to ourselves. The scenery was beautiful! We had red wine and shared plates of noodles with wild boar sauce and roast pork with vegetables. Apple pie, ice cream with balsamic vinegar was for dessert! After lunch, Guido took us for a tour of the winery and we had a little wine tasting. By now, Guido knew enough about us that he figured out we were more into the sights and sounds of Tuscany, than into shopping, etc. He took us to a medieval village with a population of around 100 people called Montefioralle (I believe) The streets were totally deserted, and they were as picturesque as the streets of Mykonos or Positano, only they had no people in them!!! Now this is my kind of touring!!:D Instead of stores, the doors actually were people’s homes. Guido took us to an older gentleman’s home where we were invited in for a little wine tasting! We sat at his dining room table and sampled some wine he had for sale and he brought out some food for us to sample. He did not speak English, but Guido interpreted for us. It felt like the real Italy! We ended our tour by going to an overlook point over the city of Florence. Guido took us back to the train station, and made sure we knew how to find the right train. We took a 6:25pm return back to Rome, and after a bit of delay, arrived by 8:15pm. What an ending to our trip! Perfect! Guido is a class-act and I would recommend him highly!

The next morning, we took the complimentary shuttle to the airport and easily checked in for our flight home. We were upgraded to First-class :p from Rome to IAD!(one of three legs of the trip home) Although we were up for 25 hrs for the trip home, our flights were uneventful and all our luggage made it home without problems.

I hope this helps you in your planning process, especially the first-timers! I apologize for the lack of remembering the exact names of some of the places we visited. I did not take any notes, and tried to recall the details from memory. Also, that is what makes it fun. Don’t just do what everyone else does, and go where everyone else goes. Just eat at a place that looks “interesting” and you may be pleasantly surprised! For all of you planning your trip, I wish for you what we just experienced...a beautiful, memorable trip of a lifetime. ;)

Janet

Thanks Janet for sharing your experience. Sounds like, with a few exceptions, you had a wonderful trip. We have been in all the Greek ports you have described as well as Venice and Dubrovnik. Soon we too will be boarding the Emerald for a Trans-Atlantic and visiting Naples, Florence and Rome, plus more ports. Sounds like "Guido" is the guide to go with and while I have already made our plans, will remember that, should there be another trip in that direction. While we love cruising, I have also come to the conclusion where it may be better to do a land tour in Italy in order to fully enjoy the sights and linger a while. Happy travels ...................................

Wow! Thanks sun&sea.

We leave in a couple of weeks...well, less than that now. :D

Can you give me a rough idea of the amount of time we would need in St. Marks if we were to take the audio tour? Thanks.

Sparky,

The audio tour is divided into sections, with a number for each part. You can spend as much or as little time as you want at each section. I would estimate maybe an hour and a half for a thorough tour. However, you could just skip around as you see fit. It is not all one tour, but sections that you choose.

Enjoy!:D

Janet

Wow - Janet excellent review. Thanks for taking the time to do this.....it was a pleasure meeting you on the Emerald and sharing some tours and transportation.

Ciao for now

Dolores

How did you like the ship and staff? We will be travelling on the western med cruise in a few weeks and are looking forward to the ports (some of the same as you). We are also using the same tour in Florence and are happy to read such a great review for them. Glad you had a good trip!

Dolores~~~Same here! It was great to meet you and hope we meet up with you on another cruise.

rknight~~~We liked the ship alot! I have been on the Crown a few times, so I knew basically what to expect. The staff was very good. Sometimes we had trouble getting someone to answer the phone...whether it be room service or the purser's desk. The ship had many, many kids. Lets leave it at that.:rolleyes:

Janet

What a great review. I have book marked it to share with my husband. I do have to ask about the bathroom situation.You mentioned a hole in the floor. Is at least a private hole in the floor? Do the restaurants have restrooms? I dont expect them to be like home but want to know what to expect. Thanks again for all the info.

What a great review. I have book marked it to share with my husband. I do have to ask about the bathroom situation.You mentioned a hole in the floor. Is at least a private hole in the floor? Do the restaurants have restrooms? I dont expect them to be like home but want to know what to expect. Thanks again for all the info.

Dubrovnik was our only "hole in the floor"! Yes, it was private...just a little awkward. Many of the restrooms we used were for money, (like .50 Euro) and most did not have a toilet seat.:rolleyes: You do not ask for a "restroom" or a "bathroom", but you ask for the Toilet. Many times, there is a sign indicating WC, (water closet).

Janet

Sun&Sea,

Thanks for the detailed and informative write up. It gave me much to get excited about and also to re-think what I will do in Naples :eek:

I had one question, how did Princess decide priority for disembarkation in Rome? Also was that the only port where fix time slots were given because it was the end of the cruise?

Thanks!

Thanks, Sun&Sea. I really enjoyed your review. We also are taking our first Mediterranean cruise, from Istanbul to Athens, in three weeks, visiting many of the ports you did.

Approximately how much did your five-hour Santorini sailing experience cost? We were planning to rent an ATV for our day in Santorini but the catamaran looks very relaxing!

Cordially,

Pam

Sun&Sea,

 

Thanks for the detailed and informative write up. It gave me much to get excited about and also to re-think what I will do in Naples :eek:

 

I had one question, how did Princess decide priority for disembarkation in Rome? Also was that the only port where fix time slots were given because it was the end of the cruise?

 

Thanks!

The priority for disembarkation (only this port), went like this: Passengers on scheduled flights with Princess transfers, (anywhere from 5:30a-9:40a); pass with scheduled flights from terminal 5 with Princess transfers (5:15a-7:30a); pass with independent arrangements (5:30a-9:30am, according to decks); then train arragements, post cruise hotels pkgs; private groups; shore excursions.

They knew what you had according to a paper you had to fill in and turn into the purser's desk a few days prior to the end of the cruise.

Janet

Thanks, Sun&Sea. I really enjoyed your review. We also are taking our first Mediterranean cruise, from Istanbul to Athens, in three weeks, visiting many of the ports you did.

 

Approximately how much did your five-hour Santorini sailing experience cost? We were planning to rent an ATV for our day in Santorini but the catamaran looks very relaxing!

 

Cordially,

Pam

Pam,

Let's put it this way....Santorini Sailing is the type of thing you do because you really want to do it...not because it makes sense financially!;) All kidding aside, it was about 135Euro/pp plus the driver of 15Euro/pp.

Janet

Janet - thank you for posting your review. It was very well balanced, and I enjoyed reading it very much!

We are on the same itinerary on the Grand Princess in September, so I have saved you review to read over again in a few weeks!

I really enjoyed reading about your trip and wrote down some of your recommendations. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. I appreciated hearing about both the things that went right and the things that were not so right. Those things happen to all of us traveling and are just part of the experience:-) We are hoping to do a cruise that starts in Venice next year, so I may be back here asking for advice!

Pam

Thanks Janet for post this - it was a great read!

We are doing the same itinerary on the Grand in less than 7 weeks:)

We plan to do Katakolon, Rhodes, Mykonos and Corfu on our own, so it was good to read that you did the same and enjoyed your time there.

Thanks Linda :)

Janet I loved your review. I will be heading to the Grand on Sept 23rd for the same itenerary. You gave us so many pointers. I can hardly wait!

Smiles........Kitty (Nan and Jessie)

Sun&Sea

Do you recall there being ships shuttle busses in Mykonos and Corfu? If not, where did your ship dock? How far was it into town...?

Thanks Linda

Great review - thanks! We are on the Grand Princess on 9/23 and can't wait. We've tried several times to email Santorini Sailing from their website to inquire about reservations, and each time we hit the "send" button, it says "page can't be found". Did you have a similar problem, or did you phone them?

Sun&Sea

 

Do you recall there being ships shuttle busses in Mykonos and Corfu? If not, where did your ship dock? How far was it into town...?

 

Thanks Linda

Linda,

Yes, we had a short shuttle in Corfu,(we walked) then we got on a bus for our excursion. The patters stated it was 500 yards to the terminal, then 2 miles to town. In Mykonos, there was a shuttle to town. Cost of the shuttle in Mykonos was 6Euro/pp.

Janet

Great review - thanks! We are on the Grand Princess on 9/23 and can't wait. We've tried several times to email Santorini Sailing from their website to inquire about reservations, and each time we hit the "send" button, it says "page can't be found". Did you have a similar problem, or did you phone them?

Subvet:

Here is their email: santorinisailing@att.net Or if I cannot post that, it is santorinisailing at att dot net .

I emailed them and asked if we could do a semi-private excursion on our particular date and how much was it? (they have prices for semi-private as well as for charter excursions) I got an email back that day with the cost. I then needed to fax a deposit to hold the reservation. At that time I was informed of the meeting place and time.

Janet

That was a great review to read - thanks for taking the time to put it together.

I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed Santorini Sailing. We are booked with them in 2 weeks and are so excited!

Janet - thanks for the prompt response with their email address. I'll send them an email msg

denny