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A Grand time on the Royal Princess Grand Mediterranean Cruise – Aug 10 – 22, 2013

homeinboca

By homeinboca,
in Princess Cruises

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homeinboca

homeinboca

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After booking the new Royal Princess over 500 days ago, the anticipation of going on this new ship was incredible. All the hype leading up to her launch, the great “Everything Royal” threads started by Dave and his informative posts, along with the “Live from the Royal” from others like Shogun and sunsetbeachgal, really had us so excited to get on board and see for ourselves how nice the Royal actually was.

 

I tend to do my reviews with a heavy emphasis on the ports and our travels and experiences there, but for this one, I'll also try to do a rather intensive review of the ship as well because of the strong interest in her. If you have any questions, please ask! I hope this is one small way of giving back to the incredible cruise critic community who are so giving of their time and expertise to others.

 

Please understand our cruising experience is limited to the last 10 years or so, and with Princess pretty well exclusively for the last 4 years now. I am also very open-minded when it comes to travel, and my travel motto is “an open mind is the best traveling companion”, and I apologize if my review is full of superlatives, but I feel so blessed to be able to travel and see the world....so here goes…

 

Pre-Trip to Barcelona

 

After a 7 hour overnight non-stop flight we arrived very early in Barcelona, about 7:00 AM, we were the first flight in the airport because it was otherwise empty. I didn’t sleep a wink, even reading didn’t help, so just watched a bunch of movies. We arrived a full 4 days before our sailing. I wanted to spend some time in Barcelona, a city we have never visited, and also I like to get accustomed to the time change, and jet lag, and of course make sure no travel issues impacted our departure on the ship.

 

As others mentioned, no problems getting a taxi at the airport, so we didn’t pre-book a car. As a matter of fact, Barcelona is one of the best cities in Europe for taxis, they are everywhere, and you would think you were in New York City. We hopped in the car and showed the driver our printed hotel reservation as he didn’t speak English and got to our hotel early. We booked the Hotel Jazz, right off the Plaza Cataluña, it had great reviews on trip advisor and we were completely satisfied with our stay there – nice modern hotel, great location for getting around and a 10 minute walk to the Ramblas and Gothic Quarter.

 

Our room wasn’t ready so we put our bags in storage and off we went to explore this great city. We headed straight over to the Ramblas and went to La Boqueria for breakfast. As it was early, it was pretty quiet everywhere, but this market was a fascinating place, full of color and smells, with all the stalls selling fresh produce, seafood, fruits, meats, cheeses, and candies - it’s an explosion for all the senses. We had a light breakfast at El Quim de la Boqueria, and just took it all in.

 

Afterwards, we continued down the Ramblas, taking in all the fascinating building designs in the city. If you are an architecture buff, Barcelona is a great place to explore. We headed all the way down to the Columbus Monument at the port. It was in Barcelona that Columbus returned to when first founded America back in 1492.

 

It was also a very warm and muggy day, so I was very happy that our room was ready, so we could shower and freshen up and head back out to the Gothic Quarter. With all the talk of economic issues in Spain, you certainly didn’t see it in Barcelona. This is a very chic city with lots of fashion stores, and it’s very busy everywhere. The Playa Catalunya is the central plaza in the city and is the dividing point between the ancient Gothic Quarter and the modern spacious Eixample district.

 

We had great fun wandering the Gothic Quarter, visited the Cathedral, and ended up at a great tapas place for lunch called Orio. All the food is freshly prepared and laid out on plates. You just go around and take whatever looks interesting. At the end, they come around, count your toothpicks and you pay. The local beer was also very good. I think we ended up eating tapas for lunch and dinner our entire stay in the city, it was lots of fun.

 

By this time, we needed a siesta, so we headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest. I had booked tickets that evening for a Flamenco show at Tarantos on the Placa Reial, right off the Ramblas. If you are looking for a nice small spot to see Flamenco, this was very enjoyable and reasonable at 8 EU.

 

Day 2 in Barcelona was dedicated to Gaudi. Our hotel was right on the Metro line #2. The subway system in Barcelona is clean, modern and takes your everywhere. Just 4 stops, and in 6 minutes, we were at the Sagrada Familia. Even at 9:00 AM, the lineup was around the building. We had pre-booked tickets on the website, so we walked right in, no waiting.

 

This was my first wow moment in Barcelona - seeing this amazing building with your own eyes takes your breath away. I hope one day to return when it is finished to see how it turns out – it’s scheduled to be finished in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death. Walking inside you are transported to a house of worship like nowhere you have ever seen. Gaudi was a lover of nature and you can see it in all his designs. The total opposite of Frank Lloyd Wright – no straight lines anywhere, and the colors from the stained glass seemed to make the place glow.

 

We also booked to go up in one of the towers. You take the elevator up and you can either walk down or take the elevator. It’s a very long and winding staircase down, so if you are claustrophobic, I recommend the elevator. The views of the city from the top are spectacular and you can see the construction close up. I stayed up top for a while and DW headed down the stairs. As I was heading down, I kept saying she is going to kill me for making her do this! Thankfully she managed ok and after we sat for a while in the sanctuary and took it all in. As the audio guide played the Lord’s Prayer, and the choir sang in the background, it was a very touching moment for me. This is a special place.

 

After our time in the Basilica, we grabbed a cab to head to Parc Guell, another Gaudi design. This is a park that was originally supposed to be a gated community. His fanciful design work makes me wonder if Dr. Seuss got his inspiration from Gaudi. It was a beautiful sunny day and we just relaxed in the park and enjoyed the unique architecture and the great views of the city. From there, hopped in another cab and headed to Casa Batllo, a beautiful home on the Block of Discord, that Gaudi designed in 1905. This beautiful home was fascinating. It’s incredible that he designed this over 100 years ago, and the workmanship was amazing. It would be pretty hard to replicate this today and the cost would be astronomical.

 

Our 3rd day in Barcelona, we booked a morning walking tour of the Gothic Quarter and went to the Picasso Museum. Long lines at the Museum, so pre-book tickets if you want to go. We also visited the ancient Synagogue, claiming to be the oldest in Europe! In the afternoon, we grabbed a cab and headed to the W Hotel right on the beach and spend some relaxing time there, and enjoyed the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.

 

That evening, we had arranged a Meet and Greet at the rooftop bar at the Hotel Pulitzer from our Roll Call. We had a nice time meeting up with some of our fellow passengers. We met some wonderful people on this cruise! For dinner more Tapas! At this point, we were ready and excited to get on board the Royal Princess.

 

Cruise Day 1 – Embarkation – Barcelona – Seeing the Royal Princess for the first time!

 

An easy cab ride to the port from our hotel was less than 20 EU. As we drove in we caught our first glimpse of the Royal, and even the driver commented on how big she was. It was an impressive sight. Our bags were tagged and we entered the modern cruise terminal. Check in was smooth and quick and we were told that boarding was going to be early today, starting at 11:30 AM. There is a duty free shop inside and we purchased some wine to bring on board. We were very surprised to see that nothing was checked as we boarded, so we could have brought as many bottles as we could carry.

 

Once we boarded, and you walk directly into the Piazza, I was like a kid in a candy store, looking around. The design is much brighter than other Princess ships and she shined and sparkled. The Piazza is very impressive and it is truly the hub of activity on board. There was always something going on, music, dancing, entertainment.

 

I like getting on board early so I can run around and get pictures of the ship before the majority of passengers arrive. We booked a mini-suite on Aloha Deck, mid-ship, Starboard side. The cabin was spacious and bright, and the bathroom and full bath had lots of room. There was lots of storage space for all our belongings. Yes, the balcony is smaller, but for us, it was not an issue at all. I am over 6 feet tall and no problems sitting on the balcony in any direction. We enjoyed time on the balcony having early coffee, an afternoon glass of wine and it was more than adequate.

 

After going to our cabin to drop our things off, we then went to the much larger Horizons Bistro and found it to be very well laid out and easy to get around. It is a significant improvement over previous designs. I think many used the buffet for dinners as the dining room was never busy no matter time we had dinner there. The Pastry Shop was a frequent stop for us and I’m glad we did so much walking on shore to burn off all those calories we consumed with all the wonderful deserts that were prepared. On this deck, aft of the ship, there is a nice area for outside seating with comfortable chairs if you would like to eat outside. I went there several times to read and didn’t really miss the pool in that area, because I never used it on previous cruises anyways.

 

We did spend much of the afternoon on the pool deck during embarkation day, knowing with this extensive port schedule we weren’t going to have a lot of time there, except for the 2 sea days. I found these decks well designed and they never felt very crowded, even on sea days. There were always chairs available. There were over 800 kids on board, so they took over the mid-ship pools, but the Sanctuary Pool for adults only was where we went for a swim. One thing I did notice was that it was very windy in this area especially when we were underway and on sea days. There are plenty of chaises in the shade in this area as well and the cabanas were not in frequent use.

 

We really enjoyed the new features of the ship, especially Princess Live. I think we went there every night for some kind of trivia or game show put on by the cruise director’s staff. Ron Goodman and his team were excellent, very funny and we had a great time. The technology in this venue is top notch with great lighting, sound and video. You actually felt like you were on a sound stage!

 

Another big change was putting the Wheelhouse Lounge right next to the Crown Grill and this was a nice touch, it’s a nice spot for a quiet before dinner drink. Crooners is still our favorite and a great spot to go, but its proximity to the Piazza and the frequent musical performances going on there made it loud at times.

 

Before we knew it, it was time for the Muster Drill. Afterwards we went up to the pool deck for the sail away party and said goodbye to Barcelona. That evening, we had dinner in the dining room, and went to the Princess Theatre to enjoy the Welcome Aboard Show. The Princess singers and dancers and the show productions were excellent on this sailing. The new theatre is spacious and beautiful and again the seating, staging, sound and lighting are great. We enjoyed all the production shows during the cruise including – Colors of the World, What the World Needs Now, Sweet Soul Music and the finale – Spectacular.

 

What a busy first day it was, exploring the ship, testing out the eating venues, enjoying the feeling of being on a practically brand new ship – it was all very exciting and our cruise has just begun. We finished our day with a latte at the International Café in the Piazza and turned in. Early tomorrow we’ll be headed for Provence!

 

And now the cruise really begins….stay tuned…

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Mom33

Mom33

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Thank you for giving us a review of your cruise. I am looking forward to the next installment. :) I enjoyed your days in Barcelona with memories of ours. It truly is a grand city. Our Med cruise was on the Emerald when the ship was a year old. When we cruise the Royal, she will be almost that old.

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sunsetbeachgal

sunsetbeachgal

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Keep it coming.l...I am re-living our July Royal Princess cruise again through you...and smiling as so many if my impressions of her are exactly the same as yours. Oh, be sure to write an official review on the review section of CC..the more negative types keep pointing out the unflattering comments and reviews so we need more positive ones!! ;)

 

Carole

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pjrockman

pjrockman

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Thank you for your review. You made me tired before you even got on the Royal. It sounds like you had a great time in Barcelona. It sounds lovely...can't wait to get there.

 

I look forward to your additional comments. Paul

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dchip

dchip

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Loving your review. We were on the Grand's Inaugural TA. I will never forget the first sight of her from the Columbus Tower. She was huge. I can't imagine how big the Royal looked!!!

 

We also spent three days in Barcelona. What an amazing city!!

 

Only two more months to go and we will be in FLL waiting to board.

 

Cheers, Denise

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homeinboca

homeinboca

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Thanks for all the great comments, I hope you are enjoying reading our review and re-living this great trip of a lifetime with us!

 

 

Cruise Day 2 – Toulon France – For Marseille and Aix-en-Provence

 

We are early risers and love to get up each day as the sun rises over a new port. We order hot water, fruit, and juice to arrive at 6:00 AM each day from room service. We order hot water rather than coffee because we make our own coffee from Starbucks VIA Instant coffee packets that we bring with us, it’s much better than the regular coffee on the ship, for us at least.

 

We had a great sleep on the new beds. You won’t need a foam egg crate any longer; these new beds were very comfortable. After sailing the 203 nautical miles from Barcelona to Toulon France were ready get off and explore the south of France. Last time we sailed to this region, we stopped in Monte Carlo, and after spending the day here, I can honestly say – Please Princess go back to stopping in Monte Carlo – PLEASE!

 

In addition, it was Sunday and pretty well everything was closed. This was the only port of call where we used a Princess Tour – Marseille & Aix en Provence. After my experience with this tour, I know why I either DIY or go with private tours. I tried to get a private tour going for this stop, but didn’t have interest from our roll call for some reason.

 

We boarded the bus and our guide didn’t stop talking for the entire bus ride to Marseille. I think she told us about every building in the city. I did want to visit the port city of Marseille and the Basilica of Notre Dame de-la-Garde - it’s a very impressive building on the highest peak in the city and the views are spectacular. The building still bears the scars from the battle to liberate Marseille during WW II. Afterwards we spent some time down in the harbor, and had some time to buy some Savon du Marseille from the small local market they had going on there.

 

From Marseille, we headed to Aix-en-Provence and when we arrived, DW needed a personal break. The guide just told us to find a café somewhere. You would think after 3 hours on a bus, she could make some accommodation for everyone. When we got back the tour group and guide were nowhere to be found. At least we knew the pick-up place and time to get back to the ship, but with everything closed in the city because it was a Sunday, it left us with very little options. So we ended up not even getting our guided tour of Aix.

 

Needless to say, I was very disappointed and told the tour guide so when she returned. I also complained to Princess and ended up getting a partial credit for our inconvenience. From now on, I am really going to try to limit my use of Princess Tours. We didn’t enjoy our time in Aix and many others we spoke to, said the same. I’m not sure if we missed out on the really important sites, but spent most of our time on the main strip, and with the stores all closed we couldn’t even find decent places to shop. DW is not happy when she can’t shop.

 

We were glad to finally get back on board and went up to the Sanctuary pool for a dip. That evening we quiet dinner in the dining room and went to the Name that Tune Trivia in Princess Live! That was a lot of fun. We also spent some time in the casino, which is very nice, has a lot of table games and slot machines to take your money. We didn’t find smoking an issue at all here or anywhere on board for that matter, and the question of having smoke waft up from the casino in the circular staircase didn’t seem to materialize.

 

Cruise Day 3 – Livorno, Italy – for Pisa and Florence

 

Another early day up with the sun and off to Pisa and Florence today. Last time we stopped here we went straight to Florence for the day. And since it was Monday and the museums were closed, we decided to go to Pisa on the way to Florence to look at the tower and take pictures of us trying to push it back up straight like everyone else! Yes, it’s just a tower and its leaning, but hey, it’s something you should see once in your lifetime.

 

We booked the Princess DIY transfer and had a very nice guide today. We were so glad to be back in Italy, and excited to go back to Florence. We planned just to wander around the city, do some leather shopping and just enjoy. I did have my request from my DD that she wanted a leather purse from Florence so we headed to the leather market and found a nice one for her. I hope she likes it!

 

We went inside Santa Croce to look at the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Dante and then headed over to Palazzo Vecchio and the Duomo. We found a nice spot near the Duomo and just sat and had lunch and a glass of Chianti, with a view that just wouldn’t quit! You pay a 3 EU PP cover fee to sit, but where else are you going to sit and get a view like that!

 

I had my Rick Steve’s pocket guide of Florence with me, so when I went over to Gilberti’s Gates of Paradise on the Baptistery, I knew what each of the 10 scenes on the bronze doors represented. I ended up answering questions for many people around me!

 

Sadly it was soon time to leave Florence. You can never have enough time here; it’s such a magical place, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Next time, I’ll just have to make sure we don’t come on Monday so we can visit the museums. We saw the original David in the Academia last time and were looking forward to going to the Ufizzi. I’ll just have to plan better next time. Getting back on board the ship was the first time we recognized that we had over 4000 people on board. There was a lot of traffic at the pier and we had to wait on the bus for quite some time.

 

I also saw that there are now shuttles that run from the pier to the train station in Livorno, for 5 EU each way so for those of you that plan you own transportation, this seems to make it easier to do so. That evening on board we enjoyed more trivia in Princess Live and listened to music and danced in the Piazza. As I mentioned previously, the musical talent on board was outstanding – the Orphea Band, String Quartet, the Party Band, Jazz Trio and of course David Pitchfork and the Royal Princess Orchestra – they were all very talented. There were many of us were dancing in the middle of the Piazza, lots of room to do so. It was a perfect ending to a great day. Tomorrow Roma!

 

Cruise Day 4 – Civitavecchia – for Rome

 

Our last Mediterranean cruise left out of Rome, so we had spent 4 days before our cruise exploring the eternal city. Of course, you can spend a month in Rome and not see everything, but this time we had no plans other than tickets to the Borghese Gallery. I booked the Princess Private train to Rome as it gave you more time in the city. It was a very comfortable and quick ride into Rome and left you off at the train station near St Peter’s. The Square was packed with people and the lineup went all the way around. I’m glad I visited the Vatican Museum and St Peter’s last time. I would like have liked to go in again, but the lines were just too long. So we hopped in a cab and made our way to the Gallery Borghese. The taxi driver said the lines were long for St Peter’s because it was going to be closed tomorrow for a private visit with the Pope for the Argentinean soccer team.

 

We had pre-purchased tickets for the Borghese on-line and glad we did because it was sold out for the next several days. You get a timed ticket and it’s good for two hours, then they kick you out and the next group goes in. They keep the numbers limited so you can enjoy the art as it was meant to be, as a visitor to their home. The Borghese Gallery is a beautiful villa set in a park near the Spanish Steps. Here you can see art commissioned by the very wealthy Borghese family and has some outstanding marble works from Bernini, including his version of David, Apollo & Daphne, and the Rape of Prospertine. These works of art were done in the 1620’s when he was just 25 years old and they are breathtaking. There is also a statue of Napolean’s sister Pauline, who is lying on a marble mattress that looks so soft and pliable, you feel like you can put your hand on it and press it down.

 

From here, we made our way to the Spanish Steps, and walked over to Trevi Fountain. Hello again – the coins worked, we are back!! We tossed a few more in to ensure it works again and just sat and said to ourselves how happy we are to be back in Rome. Our favorite gelato shop is right at the fountain and of course we had to have some. From there we walked back to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona and had a nice lunch and cold beer. It was very warm and crowded that day in Rome. There were 7 ships in port. It was soon time to head back to the train station to catch the train back to Civitavecchia. We love Rome and hope to spend lots more time as there is still lots we haven’t seen.

 

That day on the train we met a couple that we became very close with for the duration of the cruise – very nice people celebrating their 40th anniversary on board. Just to show you what a small world it is – one of them went to the same high school as us! (DW and I are high school sweethearts!) That evening we enjoyed the comedy of Troy Thirdgill. He was part of the opening show and we really enjoyed his comedy. Tomorrow, Naples and a trip down the Amalfi coast. This trip just keeps getting better….

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sunsetbeachgal

sunsetbeachgal

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Agree 100% about Toulon..and put it in my post cruise survey to Princess...there are SO many nicer places to go...Monte Carlo, Nice, etc. Toulon was fine, and a nice relaxing day for us as we went into town and they had a wonderful outdoor market. But as said, there are much better places on the coast of France to take a ship full of people!

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Pia1913

Pia1913

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Thanks for the new installment. We will be in Toulon on a Saturday and on a small private tour. Might make a difference. We've never been to Toulon so looking forward to it. Too many times in Monte Carlo.

 

We carry Via too. Italian Roast, both regular and decaf.

 

BTW, we are pretty much your neighbors. In Florida. :)

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Mom33

Mom33

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Enjoyed your new post and wish we had a chance to see Monte Carlo too. We toured Provence and had a good tour and fabulous lunch but our guide made sure we had comfort stops and waited for all. Glad Princess gave you credit for the excursion.:)

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