Live from the Grand Princess Transatlantic Nov 3-17 Southampton to Fort Lauderdale

[DonahCBrown]

Live from Grand Princess Transatlantic – Southampton to Fort Lauderdale November 3 to November 17, 2012

 

I’ll start with a brief recap of our pre-cruise adventures – We started this journey on October 22, with a flight from Kona to San Francisco, then Chicago, then Brussels where – two days/nights later we stayed over night at the Crowne Plaza at the airport – a very nice hotel with good shuttle services from and back to the airport, where there is also a train station. We took the morning Thalys high speed train from Brussels to Paris where we joined our friends Nancy and Gene at the Hotel de Champs du Mars – a small boutique hotel near the Eiffel Tower, again just for overnight, then we went to Orly to pick up our rental car and start our adventure in Burgundy. I had ‘Google Mapped’ route to our vacation rental (gite) in Meursault, but inadvertently hit the ‘no tollways’ option and it took a long seven hours to drive the 315 or so kilometers between Paris and Meursault – it WAS scenic, though! After a few wrong turns in Beune in the dark and rain, we finally stopped for directions at a video store and at last made it to our home for a week in the beautiful wine village of Meursault. We spent the next several days exploring the various ‘wine roads’ in the region, mostly looking for open wineries, with limited success – the ‘season’ is over by mid-October – but we did manage to find a few each day and sample our fair share of the region’s bounty, and also find some really wonderful food, mostly in our own village’s terrific restaurants, but also in small bistros along the way during our travels. This is a wonderful region, and we’d love to return when the weather is better (it rained, was cold, and we even had a snow shower our first night there) Still, it was a spectacular start to our cruise. We returned to Paris on the toll roads, which was considerably faster, and almost as pretty, at least until we got close to Paris and Orly – again with a few missed turns, we finally got to the ‘retourner pour auto du voyage” – after circling the airport a couple of times and turned in our trusty Citroen Picasso and checked in for our Flybe turbo prop flight over the Channel. The taxi to the hotels from the airport (or the train station that is adjacent – not the central station that the trains from London come to, but the other Southampton station) is 17 GBP, fixed fee and arranged at the desk in the airport. Nancy and Gene stayed at the new (she said clean but VERY basic) Premier Inn West Quay. Dennis and I (due to my error in booking the Premier Inn…right days, wrong month…) ended up at the Mercure Dolphin – great location – right in old town, where it has been for 400 plus years – Jane Austen stayed there in the 1820s. I think the plumbing may date to then as well. Still, it was quiet, the beds were comfortable, and all the staff were really nice and friendly, so for a one night precruise stay it was fine. We walked around, found a Malyasian take out place for dinner, and had a restful night.

 

Our check out was 11 AM so we spent the morning checking out the street market in the pedestrian area of High Street and the West Quay Mall, picked up some wine in Marks and Spenser and had breakfast and then a coffee, and it was time to check out and go. The hotel arranged the cab for us and he was there very promptly and we went right to the terminal. Check in was very quick.

 

In answer to lots of questions I have seen about ‘staggered boarding’ – here is what happened – and this is probably just for Southampton – first, we got our health questionnaire, then were told to go to a table where there were boxes with laminated green cards, red cards, and, on the side, cardstock, non laminated white cards marked ‘Elite and Suite’ – we were asked if we were Elite, said yes, handed our boarding passes to the lady attending the table, she looked at it, gave us a white card and sent us immediately to the check in desk – processing was very fast,, and our passports were taken for the arrival in France tomorrow. Our coke stickers were already on the room cards, as I had purchased online. By now it was probably 11:15 or so, and we were told to go to a seating area on the other side of the desks and wait. At various points there were announcements requesting those with green cards to go to the check in desks and for everyone else to remain seated in the front seating area. Promptly at 12, people began to queue for the hand baggage screening and to enter the ship. It took about another 15 minutes for us to get through the queue which was divided between people with green cards going in one direction and those with the white elite cards going in another – I couldn’t see that it made all that much difference early on, but expect later in the day, the elite line was probably moving faster, as it was appreciably shorter.

 

Our first bag arrived by around 2:30 – I’m still waiting for the second one at 3:30 – and it took about 40 minutes on hold to get room service for our mini-bar change out – they said it would be maybe today, maybe tomorrow before we got it.

 

Now to the particulars about the staff:

Captain is Roger Bilton – we really like him – sailed with him for a month on the Ocean Princess last year and he’s a really great guy and good captain.

Staff Captain is Salvatore Caccioppoli, Hotel Manager is Andreas Pitsch, Billy London is the Cruise Director, Riccardo Capraro is the Food and Beverage Director, Mario Propato is the Maitre d’Hotel. Don’t know yet who our Captain Circle host/ess is or the future cruise person – will post when I find out.

 

Activities today, as ever on an embarkation day, are limited. Movies are Snow White and the Huntsman in the Vista Lounge, the Piazza is the Many Styles and Sounds of Playthoven, MUTS is John Carter, and Princess Theater is a Variety Show with The MacDonald Brothers. DJ Mickey, who has posted a few times to our roll call and sounds really friendly and nice, is at the One5 Lounge as our DJ throughout the cruise.

 

There will be a Cruise Critic gathering after the Muster Drill at the bar at Horizon Court and we will finally get to put faces to names we’ve been reading for over a year now.

[pris993]

Bon voyage!

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the live updates.

[coo359a2]

Hi Donna - Sounds like a good pre cruise and easy boarding process. Looking forward to what all you do.

[waltd]

Ok I'm confused. It says Nov 5 - 17. Iisn't today the 4th????? Ok never mind about the date. I see the next line it says the 3rd. Guess I need a new set of glasses.

 

BTW if you meet Judy (Volvodoll) Tell her Joe said Hi.

 

Happy sailing.

[highheel girl]

Bon Voyage!!

 

Andreas Pitsch is a hoot, very personable guy!

[Working 2 Cruise]

Thank you Donna for doing a live from... Should be very interesting. I have always wanted to do a transatlantic and maybe, one day, I will! In the meantime, I will have to live vicariously through you!

 

Again, thank you for taking the time to keep us updated.

[Shogun]

Hi There

 

Have a great cruise, still not happy that we had to cancel,

 

you have a great crew,

 

yours Shogun

[cbreit]

Thanks for the updates.. we'll be on her 2 weeks from today so looking forward to EVERYTHING you do..

[DonahCBrown]

Day 2 Normandy

Cruise Critic after muster gathering was brief and fairly sparsely attended given the size and activity level of our roll call, but it was also quite chilly, so people didn’t linger for very long even if they did stop by. Hope to see more people tomorrow morning for the official Meet and Greet in the Vista Lounge.

 

A brief correction – DJ Michele (I had thought it was a nickname when I saw DJ Mickey) posted to our roll call that her schedule would be changing and that she was leaving yesterday – so, the DJ is Mickey and I don’t know anything about him/her.

 

Today our port call is Le Havre, and Nancy has organized a tour to the Normandy beaches and our start time is 7 AM so it is now a little after 6 and I’ve been down to the International Café for our coffee. We have lost and added the hour between France and England a couple of times now and my body clock is getting confused.

 

Tried checking the weather info on the ship’s phone this morning and got the weather for Vigo Spain on Nov. 1 – not too helpful, that…

 

Will check back in with a report on our tour.

[Shogun]

Hi Donna

 

Thanks for up date, there was chat on the roll call about doing something

 

for rememberance day/poppy day , do you know if anything is going to happen

 

 

yours Shogun

[DonahCBrown]

Tour in Le Havre to Normandy Beaches – Nancy arranged our tour for eight with Eric Le Doux – Turnbull of D Day Landing Tours. Pick up was promptly at 7:30 in the rain and cold of the port and commenced the two hour plus drive to the Normandy beaches. Eric maintained a running commentary, which, unfortunately didn’t carry to the back seat of the 9 passenger van. To compensate, we switched up seats at the various stops (he plans well for rest stops and breaks) Our first ‘real’ stop was Ste. Marie Eglaise for the museum there and the church. Eric gave us a full narrative of all the invasion day events around and about the area where the paratroopers were dropped prior to the landing and we spent about 45 minutes or so going through the exhibits at the museum. Next up was a break for lunch and then on to Pointe du Hoc where we were able to see the remains of the fortifications, the German barracks, and the system of tunnels and trenches, as well as the bomb and shell craters. Eric again gave us a very informative and detailed description of the D-day actions in this locale and pointed out, among other things, the differences between bomb and shell craters – bomb craters are round and shell craters are more egg shaped. From there, we proceeded to Omaha Beach, again with a full and detailed narrative and pictures of the area in 1944. Our tour concluded, appropriately and touchingly, at the American Cemetery and memorial, and we began the long drive back to Le Havre.

 

Other odds and ends – our port lecturer is Petra Zeitz, a really excellent port lecturer who we’ve had the pleasure of sailing with previously. Today’s entertainment (that we are unlikely to sample – it has been a long cold day – I’m seeing an early evening in my future!) is Men in Black 3 on MUTS, Mousieur Ibrahim et Les Fleurs du Coran on the stateroom tv, Maurizio is in the Vista Lounge, Playthoven in Crooners, and Brands Trivia and Do We Have a Deal Gameshows in Explorers. The Princess Theater is hosting David Knight for Comedy Hypnotic Showtime

 

 

Shogun - Dave's DW made poppies, I'm going to ask Capt. Bilton if it is possible to do a wreath laying or some other ceremony for Nov. 11. After today and our visit to the beaches and cemetery, it feels even more appropriate.

[DonahCBrown]

Ok I'm confused. It says Nov 5 - 17. Iisn't today the 4th????? Ok never mind about the date. I see the next line it says the 3rd. Guess I need a new set of glasses.

 

BTW if you meet Judy (Volvodoll) Tell her Joe said Hi.

 

Happy sailing.

 

Actually you don't, I do - or new fingers - have asked the board monitor to fix....:o

[deppong]

cant wait to hear your play by play!

[thymegirl08]

Donna, really enjoying hearing about your adventures! My husband and I were in Burgundy this fall on a cycling trip and went through Meursault. We didn't get to spend much time there and want to go back soon. Wondering the name of the vacation home you stayed in and do you recommend it. Thanks, and have a wonderful cruise!

 

Lynne

[TLC535]

Donna - Thanks so much for the "live" :D it will help us get through the next 5 weeks till we board her...Looking forward to following along :)

Have a wonderful trip !

[Keith1010]

Thanks for posting live reports.

 

Keith

[cdnguy]

Donna thanks for doing the "Live From." We were part of the roll call at one time but had to cancel. We'll be getting on as your getting off in Ft. Lauderdale though on Nov. 17. We'll be interested to know how the weather will be during your crossing. :)

[DonahCBrown]

Sea Day

Today was our Meet and Greet as we made our rocky way through the Bay of Biscay – it has been rough since last night and has continued to be throughout the day as well. The meet and greet was well attended both by roll call members and by ship’s company with the Captain, the head chef, hotel manager, and both Billy London and his new assistant Neil in attendance – Neil boarded in Southampton as well.

 

Tonight is the first formal night, and Captain’s Welcome party. Daytime entertainment has been the usual complement of games and lectures, with a destination lecture by Petra, a Scholarship at Sea lecture by Cynthia Venables on the Magic and Miracles of Spain in Art and Architecture, Playthoven in the Piazza, art history lecture Botticelli to Wharhol in the Explorers by the art staff. We did the afternoon movie Arbitrage with Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere. The Princess Book Club book is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, and MUTS, although I can’t imagine anyone out there in this weather – is The Devil Wears Prada. Tonight the production show is Do You Wanna Dance and the Vista is the MacDonald Brothers in a musical variety show. MUTS and Snookers Bar and the Grand Casino screens will feature English Premiership Football (aka soccer) West Bromwich Albion vs Southampton. Princess Pop Choir rehearsals started today and Princess Pop Star karaoke Heat 1 is tonight as well. Nowhere Near a Millionaire is tonight’s game show in the Explorers.

 

Tomorrow is Vigo Spain and we will be doing a private excursion to Santiago de Compostela.

[DonahCBrown]

Donna, really enjoying hearing about your adventures! My husband and I were in Burgundy this fall on a cycling trip and went through Meursault. We didn't get to spend much time there and want to go back soon. Wondering the name of the vacation home you stayed in and do you recommend it. Thanks, and have a wonderful cruise!

 

Lynne

 

Did enjoy it very much and would recommend - found it on Trip Advisor, in the vacation rentals section of Meursault lodgings, and it is also listed on VBRO/HomeAway websites - owned by an English couple. It is the one with a picture of a courtyard and table with a bottle of wine on it, as I recall. The kitchen picture should also be easy to recognize - the cabinets are bright red - Gene said it looked like a Johnny Rockets - we are chain restaurant deprived in Hawaii, so I couldn't verify that as I've never seen one, but maybe that will help you find it! It was very clean and had most everything you would need (but bring your own bar soap for showers/sinks and your own shampoos - they only had pump soap at the sinks. All the other stuff is supplied though, and they left us a bottle of wine (which I desperately needed after the drive from Paris!!)

[robtulipe]

Donna, was it this Meursault property

 

http://www.vrbo.com/436391

[edinburgher]

Just now picked up on your posts. We are still river ruising, currently in Germany, due to move from Main river to the Rhine early tomorrow morning. Will follow along as sightseeing and internet connection allow as the many low bridges and locks affect the reception.

 

River cruising VERY different from ocean cruising!

 

Glad to read that the French sector went not too badly. We too have had mixed weather but the autumn colours have been totally spectacular, and so far at least, we have enjoyed them every day. The early dark days are the downside to late autumn river cruising.

[westendgirl]

Donna - very much enjoying your Live. We will be flying to Rome (for the Crown's T/A) the day you are disembarking and your posts are really getting me in the mood. I followed you & Pia on the Ocean thread and loved every moment. And although we've never met, any friend of Pia's is a friend of mine!

[DonahCBrown]

Hi Donna

 

Thanks for up date, there was chat on the roll call about doing something

 

for rememberance day/poppy day , do you know if anything is going to happen

 

 

yours Shogun

 

Did talk with the Captain and 'something' will be done for Remembrance Day - not sure at this point exactly what the event will look like but it will happen. Susan made beautiful poppies for all of us and they are much in evidence around the ship.

 

Will post when we know more.

[DonahCBrown]

Tuesday Nov 6 Vigo Spain

 

Today we had a private tour for 6 to Santiago de Compostela, the fishing village of Combarro, and the old section of Vigo with Brendan Lowe, an ex-pat New Zealander married to a local girl from Vigo, of Guided Galicia. Brendan was there promptly at 10 to meet us and off we went to the town of Santiago de Compostela , famous for the pilgrimages undertaken since the medieval period. Santiago is about an hour on the toll roads, and this port day is a very short one, so Brendan kept us moving along. We visited the Square and the Cathedral, where Brendan gave us a brief history of the town, the cathedral, the traditions about St. James (Sant Iago in the local Galician dialect) and we toured the interior of the cathedral, saw the tomb of St. James, and then had a short walk around the old section and lunch in a tapas bar with a wonderful selection of salads and hot and cold dishes. Among our group we had pasta salad, ham, sardines flash fried to order, calamari, the local sausages, Spanish omelet with peppers, warmed three cheeses on a slice of baguette and flan, all delicious, and accompanied by local beers and wines.

 

From Santiago, we turned back towards the port of Vigo, and then had a stop off at the 15th / 16th century fishing village of Cobarro, where we had a brief walk through the oldest section of the village and some opportunities for photos, and more history of the region from Brendan. As we were on a short time frame, we then headed back to Vigo, and had a short walk through the old town with a stop at the ‘oyster street’ where Gene and Nancy were brave enough to try the raw oysters for which Vigo is noted (according to our port lecturers Petra) – they weren’t that impressed, however…

 

Brendan was a charming host and a delightful guide and we all enjoyed our day with him, and headed back to the ship well within our ‘all aboard’ time.

 

Shipboard entertainments for the evening will include more of Playthoven in the Piazza, Pianist Marguerite Nering in the Wheelhouse, The Hunger Games on MUTS, Comedy Vocalist Siobhan Phillips in the Princess Theater, David Knight with Comedy Hypnosis in the Vista, and a couple of ‘theme’ trivias in the Wheelhouse early on and at 9:30 a 70s disco party and Love Boat Legends Karaoke at 10:30 in Explorers.