LIVE From the Ruby Princess - Our European Adventure - July 4th to 16th

[suenruss]

We found Athens to be one of the dirtiest places we've ever been! We went on a 'on your own' tour - so had a little more time to see the Acropololis, and its dogs and crowds!! - but it's the only city I've ever visited that I'm not interested in seeing again, despite the history etc. This time we're just going on the half day tour to the Acropolis museum (it wasn't open 2 years ago when we were there).

[Pia1913]

Thanks for the info on the internet. Just want to hang in the room early in the AM to do email checks and messages, etc.

 

Pia, BTW loved your live reports from your two BTB cruises. Lots of great info for our cruise Aug 9 Rome-Venice. We'll all deliver messages for you to Generoso and team.

 

Doris and Bill

 

Thank you Doris and Bill. BTW, you missed one. We did 3 B2B's. :D

[margord]

Great post, thanks

[BLS]

Great reading, make us feel a part of the trip!

 

Mahalo,

Bev

[atlasali]

Add us to the list of people following your cruise experience. Of course your wife was correct on this one. While I do not play video games nor text--I am completely addicted to Cruisecritic. Thanks for taking us on an "armchair adventure".

 

The chair hog issue is a problem on every ship. I have no problem with the same person spending 8 hours occupying that coveted poolside chair. However, I do have a problem with a just a book and a coverup occupying that chair for 7 of those 8 hours...no person in sight.

 

Wishing you many happy anniversaries and many cruises in your future.

[LindaSS]

Thank you both for your narratives- Live! Have read all of Pia's writings and enjoying each entry - and, now, to read another point of view- from Kimmer - is very enjoyable as well. Thank you, thank you! :)

[boiledham]

Hey Vic,

 

just thought I would chime in to let you know if any of your 20 are not around my wife and I got your back :D That has to be the rudest thing I have heard of in a while... sitting on one side of the deck while saving a seat on the other for later... just begging to be ragged on.

 

See you on the 16th

 

 

I had an "episode" last year on the Med. Cruise, too! Nothing on the chairs, mom and I settled in, mom had to leave for a min., woman enters the scene claiming that "we took her chairs AND towels"!!! I'm not in the habit of "stealing" towels and I didn't start with her! She proceeds to sit her large behind on the chair where my mom's things were. I figure either she forgot which pool she had placed her stuff or.. the pool police had taken them up! I gather my stuff, went to sit with a newly acquired friend and decided that my 77 year old mom should at least have her towel back!!!! I returned to the heifer lodged on the towel and hoisted it from underneath her. It took a couple of tugs but mission accomplished! A bystander came by later and said that he was going to step in and give me hand..but saw that I was in control of the situation. I was so aggravated...that my insides were quivering!!!! She was from somewhere either in New York or New Jersey (from her accent)....I'm from Tennessee. This is one skirmish that the "south" won! :D

[2theship]

Forget the bed question now; that was silly of me. What I really want to know is do you think Venice is a good embarkation port considering the difficulty in carrying luggage in the city with steps at every corner? Did you have to pay too much to have your luggage transferred to the ship? One factor in deciding if I should embark in Venice is getting all luggage on and off the ship without paying too much for the service.

 

If I understood correctly, the OP flew to Venice on boarding day and used a Princess transfer so luggage was not an issue. Last year, before boarding the Ruby, we spent several days in Venice and had to deal with the bridges. One option is to leave some of your luggage at a baggage storage area in Piazzale Roma. We took a taxi (land taxi - you're off the island at that point) from there to get to the ship but I understand that there's now a moving walkway from Piazzale Roma to the dock area.

[Kimmer17]

Day 5 – Ephesus

This just in….Turkey is a lot more than a delicious fowl. (Sorry….weakest start to date)

What a difference a day makes. Today we toured the absolutely mind-altering Ephesus. What an incredible experience for the two of us.

It’s funny….living a sheltered life growing up in Canada, there is only a certain amount of perspective in regards to world history, and the rise of civilization one can comprehend. Today, we were transported back to biblical times in a way one can only experience first hand.

This morning we were rudely awakened by the wake up call at 5:30. I really have to stop posting my updates at 2:00 AM. I think we have adjusted to any kind of jet lag by simply ignoring the fact that most human beings both sleep for at least 6 hours, and usually do so at night. Any sort of routine sleep has been somewhere between rare and non-existent. WHO CAN SLEEP WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO?!?!? (thank God the casino closes…whew).

After a quick room service breakfast of croissants, cereal and fruit, we were down to the pasture (Explorer’s Lounge) with the all the other cattle, eagerly awaiting the herding and sorting ritual that is organized tours. As we got off the ship and found our guide for the day, we introduced ourselves to John, who came off as an odd bird. Little did we know, at the time, that this odd bird would be so impactful on our day.

Off we went through the beautiful streets of Kudasi. What a wonderful looking town, surrounded by mountains, and cleaner than any streets I’ve seen. It was on this short trip up the Home of the Virgin Mary when John began working his magic. You see, as we found out a little later, it turns out John is a professor of Art History, Architecture, and Archeology at a college in Istanbul. He also has worked extensively in the restoring of the ancient ruins of Ephesus. We found ourselves gripped by his every word for the entire excursion. While his English took a little getting used to, he gave incredible insight to what we were seeing. Ok….enough about my new hero, John.

The drive up to the Shrine was breath-taking, although a little scary, as the road winds its way up the mountain. The views were incredible. We couldn’t help but notice how beautiful and well looked after the land was in this section of Turkey. The orchards and fields looked amazing as we travelled in the bus. The half hour drive went by in a flash.

When we arrived at the Shrine of Mary, we couldn’t help but notice two things….first was the huge multitude of busses (at least 30!). The second thing, logically, was the incredible mass of people in line for the Shrine. Our minds retreated to our awful experience at the Acropolis the previous day.

The wait for the Shrine, however, was so much better. As we slowly made our way up the actual rebuild house on the place where Mary spent her last days, we were greeted with beautiful gardens and orchards. There were signs along the way to ready detailing facts about the Shrine. Although we were in line for about 30 minutes, it went in a flash, and was very orderly and anticipatory.

Kim and I are both Catholic, although our actual practice could use some work. As we reached the actual Shrine, we were able to listen in on the end of a Mass being said in a small chapel area right beside the Shrine. Wonderful. The Shrine itself was modest, and serene. Walking through, although brief, was a very spiritual experience for us. We lit a candle after walking through, said a little prayer, and we were slowly made our way down, back to the bus. John did not push us to hurry, and made sure he gave ample time to stop at the gift shop/café at the end. We picked up a couple things, including a Rosary we will give our little monster at home for his upcoming first communion next spring.

From here, we boarded the bus, and took the short trip halfway down the mountain the site of Ephesus. As we entered the ruins, we found ourselves clinging to John’s words, as he carefully explained the significance of what we were seeing. The ruins themselves are very accessible. We were expecting the same as we experienced at the Acropolis, which really prevented anyone from even getting close to the ruins. At Ephesus, you can walk just about anywhere, and touch just about everything. I have always found that being more restrictive just begs for people to abuse those restrictions. If you let your kid play video games without restrictions, they will not abuse it. If you place draconian rules in place, then they will abuse them. It was amazing how there was not a single piece of garbage on the ground, and I saw no one cross a line, or climb on something they should not be climbing on. I witnessed the opposite of this at the Greek ruins.

As we progressed down the hill, it became apparent that we were seeing a monumental site. The Turkish people are continually excavating the ancient city of Ephesus, and putting a lot of time, money and effort into reclaiming the site from the ground. The original marble road, with chariot marks and all, is the main way of walking down the city. The ruins just kept going and going. Everywhere we looked, there was something else more spectacular than we saw before. The walk through the ancient city is about one mile. At the base is the revived façade of the Ancient Library, and the Theatre, both of which you are free to climb through. We spent over two hours walking down and listening to John. I could easily have spent another 10. At the end, again, John gave us time to wander around and explore on our own, making himself available to answer any questions. We bought a few things at the gift shop, and had a cold drink of lemonade at the café.

I hope I am being clear about how much we loved Ephesus. We had actually thought of just spending the day on the boat today, but are so very happy we had an opportunity to explore this incredible city.

We returned by bus to the boat, and again were treated to great views. The resorts along the beach are just beautiful, and, from what I understand, quite affordable to vacation at (someone told me $130/night…all inclusive.

We went back to the boat, going through a mall of shops along the way. We were back on the boat by 12:30 and went right in to Da Vinci’s for lunch. We had a great lunch there, and returned to the room. Again, we met some great people at our table. A couple hours at the casino for me while Kim had a wee bit of a nap, and here we are getting ready for dinner.

What a great day. We are looking forward to Istanbul tomorrow, as we are both very excited to see the Haggia Sophia.

Dinner tonight was at Michaelangelo's with the Hillbillies. The food, like usual, was great. I love that there is plenty of choice here. We use the buffet as last option, and have managed to only eat there on three occassions.

Ciao from Turkey.

[hightownCO]

Really enjoying your day by day reports. So reminicent of our Med cruise on the Grand last November - although Athens was a wonderful, no crowd, perfect weather day.

 

I was so impressed by Kusadasi and Istanbul! I think of Istanbul as being the San Francisco of EurAsia. Enjoy!

[Pia1913]

Same cruise; different blogger; different perspective. I'm lovin' it! :D

[rdsqrl]

Day 5 – Ephesus

 

This just in….Turkey is a lot more than a delicious fowl. (Sorry….weakest start to date)

Well, it made me smile. Turkiye -- it's not just for Thanksgiving anymore.

Thanks so much -- I've always thought Ephesus sounded like a dull stop. Your description has totally changed my mind on that. It sounds like John went a long way toward making it as special as it was.

Can't wait to hear about Istanbul . . . Meanwhile, get some sleep!

[Jeniceves]

Day 5 – Ephesus

This just in….Turkey is a lot more than a delicious fowl. (Sorry….weakest start to date)

What a difference a day makes. Today we toured the absolutely mind-altering Ephesus. What an incredible experience for the two of us.

It’s funny….living a sheltered life growing up in Canada, there is only a certain amount of perspective in regards to world history, and the rise of civilization one can comprehend. Today, we were transported back to biblical times in a way one can only experience first hand.

This morning we were rudely awakened by the wake up call at 5:30. I really have to stop posting my updates at 2:00 AM. I think we have adjusted to any kind of jet lag by simply ignoring the fact that most human beings both sleep for at least 6 hours, and usually do so at night. Any sort of routine sleep has been somewhere between rare and non-existent. WHO CAN SLEEP WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO?!?!? (thank God the casino closes…whew).

After a quick room service breakfast of croissants, cereal and fruit, we were down to the pasture (Explorer’s Lounge) with the all the other cattle, eagerly awaiting the herding and sorting ritual that is organized tours. As we got off the ship and found our guide for the day, we introduced ourselves to John, who came off as an odd bird. Little did we know, at the time, that this odd bird would be so impactful on our day.

Off we went through the beautiful streets of Kudasi. What a wonderful looking town, surrounded by mountains, and cleaner than any streets I’ve seen. It was on this short trip up the Home of the Virgin Mary when John began working his magic. You see, as we found out a little later, it turns out John is a professor of Art History, Architecture, and Archeology at a college in Istanbul. He also has worked extensively in the restoring of the ancient ruins of Ephesus. We found ourselves gripped by his every word for the entire excursion. While his English took a little getting used to, he gave incredible insight to what we were seeing. Ok….enough about my new hero, John.

The drive up to the Shrine was breath-taking, although a little scary, as the road winds its way up the mountain. The views were incredible. We couldn’t help but notice how beautiful and well looked after the land was in this section of Turkey. The orchards and fields looked amazing as we travelled in the bus. The half hour drive went by in a flash.

When we arrived at the Shrine of Mary, we couldn’t help but notice two things….first was the huge multitude of busses (at least 30!). The second thing, logically, was the incredible mass of people in line for the Shrine. Our minds retreated to our awful experience at the Acropolis the previous day.

The wait for the Shrine, however, was so much better. As we slowly made our way up the actual rebuild house on the place where Mary spent her last days, we were greeted with beautiful gardens and orchards. There were signs along the way to ready detailing facts about the Shrine. Although we were in line for about 30 minutes, it went in a flash, and was very orderly and anticipatory.

Kim and I are both Catholic, although our actual practice could use some work. As we reached the actual Shrine, we were able to listen in on the end of a Mass being said in a small chapel area right beside the Shrine. Wonderful. The Shrine itself was modest, and serene. Walking through, although brief, was a very spiritual experience for us. We lit a candle after walking through, said a little prayer, and we were slowly made our way down, back to the bus. John did not push us to hurry, and made sure he gave ample time to stop at the gift shop/café at the end. We picked up a couple things, including a Rosary we will give our little monster at home for his upcoming first communion next spring.

From here, we boarded the bus, and took the short trip halfway down the mountain the site of Ephesus. As we entered the ruins, we found ourselves clinging to John’s words, as he carefully explained the significance of what we were seeing. The ruins themselves are very accessible. We were expecting the same as we experienced at the Acropolis, which really prevented anyone from even getting close to the ruins. At Ephesus, you can walk just about anywhere, and touch just about everything. I have always found that being more restrictive just begs for people to abuse those restrictions. If you let your kid play video games without restrictions, they will not abuse it. If you place draconian rules in place, then they will abuse them. It was amazing how there was not a single piece of garbage on the ground, and I saw no one cross a line, or climb on something they should not be climbing on. I witnessed the opposite of this at the Greek ruins.

As we progressed down the hill, it became apparent that we were seeing a monumental site. The Turkish people are continually excavating the ancient city of Ephesus, and putting a lot of time, money and effort into reclaiming the site from the ground. The original marble road, with chariot marks and all, is the main way of walking down the city. The ruins just kept going and going. Everywhere we looked, there was something else more spectacular than we saw before. The walk through the ancient city is about one mile. At the base is the revived façade of the Ancient Library, and the Theatre, both of which you are free to climb through. We spent over two hours walking down and listening to John. I could easily have spent another 10. At the end, again, John gave us time to wander around and explore on our own, making himself available to answer any questions. We bought a few things at the gift shop, and had a cold drink of lemonade at the café.

I hope I am being clear about how much we loved Ephesus. We had actually thought of just spending the day on the boat today, but are so very happy we had an opportunity to explore this incredible city.

We returned by bus to the boat, and again were treated to great views. The resorts along the beach are just beautiful, and, from what I understand, quite affordable to vacation at (someone told me $130/night…all inclusive.

We went back to the boat, going through a mall of shops along the way. We were back on the boat by 12:30 and went right in to Da Vinci’s for lunch. We had a great lunch there, and returned to the room. Again, we met some great people at our table. A couple hours at the casino for me while Kim had a wee bit of a nap, and here we are getting ready for dinner.

What a great day. We are looking forward to Istanbul tomorrow, as we are both very excited to see the Haggia Sophia.

Dinner tonight was at Michaelangelo's with the Hillbillies. The food, like usual, was great. I love that there is plenty of choice here. We use the buffet as last option, and have managed to only eat there on three occassions.

Ciao from Turkey.

 

Loving every minute of your posts! Was your tour through Princess or a private tour?

[seamwoman]

Ephesus was my favorite stop on the May Med cruise! I especially liked the Temple Houses that Kimmer didn't mention. 200 steps up and 200 steps down but they were so interesting! The excavation is fascinating. I would have loved Kimmer's guide! We think we are so "advanced" and they had plumbing, stores, libraries and theatre 6000 years ago!

[boiledham]

Great to hear how much you enjoyed Ephesus...so did I! The 1/2 day just isn't long enough. Hope you don't miss the cisterns in Istanbul. Sleep well, and enjoy tomorrow. Can't wait to hear what you buy at the Grand Bazaar.

[EugTravelers]

We are doing the reverse order of this cruise starting on July 16th and we are really enjoying the detailed reports. This will be our first cruise. A question about Epheusus-we will be stopping there in the afternoon-- not in the morning as you did-- on July 24th and have been concerned about touring the ruins during the hottest part of the day-anyone have thoughts on whether this will be a problem?

John and Zeline

[teetee91477]

We are doing the reverse order of this cruise starting on July 16th and we are really enjoying the detailed reports. This will be our first cruise. A question about Epheusus-we will be stopping there in the afternoon-- not in the morning as you did-- on July 24th and have been concerned about touring the ruins during the hottest part of the day-anyone have thoughts on whether this will be a problem?

John and Zeline

 

I will be with you on this cruise! We opted for a private tour with an A/C car, so hopefully we will get a breather every few hours. Just bring lots of water I guess! See ya on the 16th!

[Sparkey]

Love your posts! We did this cruise in 2009 and love reliving the moments through your posts. Our experience in Athens was similar - although we did the tour in reverse and while my family slept through the drive to the Temple, I also enjoyed the ocean vistas. We missed the delays on our journey to the Acropolis being later in the day, yet is was a hot climb to the top! We were traveling with my elderly parents and only planned half day excursions - this worked perfectly - although if you have never been to Europe you are tempted to "see it all". This can be challenging as there is too much to see and so little time - my suggestion is to be very selective of what you want to experience - you will remember one or two things from a day of travel but you will remember an experience of sitting on the canal in Venice sipping a glass of wine and watching the crowds pass by, for a lifetime. You cannot see everything in one day - you can, however, experience the flavour of a country in a short time. Ephesus is wonderful - I hope you have the opportunity to visit the Terrace Houses - amazing!! BTW - loved the sushi and wine bar too!

[AliceS]

Kimmer17,

 

What a way you have with words. I loved Ephesus and being guided there by JOHN, wow!! There was a Mass in progress, in latin, when we approached the shrine. It was such an experience. Your little one should cherish that rosary.

 

I didn't think that words could do justice to Ephesus. You come close. Thank you for taking us along on the ride.

 

Tell her again, she was right! We are enjoying this very much. Alice

 

By the way, a new cruiser doesn't deserve to sail away from Venice and go to Ephesus. What'll you do next?

[Retirement]

We did a Med cruise on the Grand Princess last October. Ephesus was the highlight of our trip!:):) We hired a private guide and had an all-day tour. Don't miss the Temple Houses. They were fantastic!:)

We, also, did not enjoy Athens. I think I would seriously consider staying on the ship if I ever went back there.

[jkocpa]

I am loving your posts. We did the Med last fall on the Grand, and so far, your opinions mirror mine (maybe that's why I love reading yours - you make me feel that I am right!)

 

I did not like Athens at all - dirty, crowded, etc. I got the feel that the ruins were just plopped down in the middle of a modern city, and ropes and barriers were put around them.

 

Ephesus on the other hand was our favorite stop. We did it on our own - hired a cab driver to take us to the ruins and wait for us while we toured (very inexpensive - $70 US for four of us) and the cab driver gave us an English guide book. Now, probably not as good as John was for a guide, but we toured at our pace, read about what we were seeing, and just had a fabulous day. The ruins are indescribably beautiful and we had a gorgeous day with bright blue skies. Our pictures turned out just great. Then, our cab driver dropped us in the market place, and we walked around, stopped for fresh pomegranite juice at a little stand, and made our way back to the ship. We decided it was one of the top travel days we have ever experienced.

 

Have a great rest of the cruise. I will be reading all of your posts.

[margord]

Looked like a great day at Ephesus. Who was your tour guide? Do you have an E-mail for him? We are going next year and I would love to contact him for prices.

[Rauwe-bonk]

Hi Kim & Joe,

 

Wonderful posts! Together with my girlfriend I'll be on the Ruby Princess cruise starting on august 9th from Rome to Venice and I follow this thread with great interest. I LOLed several times.:D Ever thought of becoming a professional writer? ;)

 

Thank you and have fun!

 

Cheers from the Netherlands.

 

If anyone is following the Worldcup soccer games.. please cheer for the Netherlands. :D

[Anubi]

If I understood correctly, the OP flew to Venice on boarding day and used a Princess transfer so luggage was not an issue. Last year, before boarding the Ruby, we spent several days in Venice and had to deal with the bridges. One option is to leave some of your luggage at a baggage storage area in Piazzale Roma. We took a taxi (land taxi - you're off the island at that point) from there to get to the ship but I understand that there's now a moving walkway from Piazzale Roma to the dock area.

 

pscheer...could you give more info about that baggage storage area? We're going to be in Venice next year and need somewhere to store our luggage for a few hours. Thanks. :)

[dancing lady]

You really have a way with words. I've been on this itinerary before and after reading your first few days of tours, I had to go back and look at all my pictures. It brought it all back just like it was yesterday!

 

Thanks for taking the time to do the live thread.

Dancing Lady