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

[homeinboca]

Am enjoying your review . We board the Royal on Oct 9 for the transatlantic sailing. Have also booked the private train to Rome. do you recall what time you arrived in Rome at the St Peters Station? (we plan to book tickets for the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, but am not sure what time we will be there)

Really appreciate your help.

Mahalo,

Bev

 

Hi Bev,The train got us in before 10:00 AM and it's a short walk to St Peter's Square from there.

 

Ron

[homeinboca]

Did you need Turkish Lira on you tour or did USD or EUR work?

 

We used Euros everywhere, all the merchants took them. You won't need Lira unless you need coins for the public transit.

 

Ron

[homeinboca]

Great review, Ron. You really covered quite a lot of ground in one day. It took us three to do all you did and we stayed at a hotel close by. If you ever come in again by ship, you can walk to the spice market; very easy across the bridge. We have been in and out of Turkey many times; even one hiking adventure some years back. And of course we will be there again in October.

 

Awaiting the next report.

 

Thanks Pia, you were lucky to be there for a few days, I imagine it must be magical at sunset and at night all light up!

 

Ron

[Pia1913]

Thanks Pia, you were lucky to be there for a few days, I imagine it must be magical at sunset and at night all light up!

 

Ron

 

Oh yes, but you also get to hear the call for prayer. Five times each day. ;)

[dockhl]

Thank you so very much for this great review. We leave on Saturday for Barcelona for a few days before we board the Royal on Tues, Sept. 3. Many of your excursions are very similar to ours so we are reading your (lovely and detailed ) reviews with great interest :)

 

I was wondering if there was a particular shop that you (or someone reading this) would recommend in the Spice Market for authentic and trusted spices ? I love to cook and hope to bring back spices for many of my friends ....I'd hate to bring them inferior goods.

 

My sister had mentioned :

Nazar

Haremsaray

Arifoğlu

 

Do you have any favorites? We cannot wait to read more !

Kathy and Michael

[caribill]

I was wondering if there was a particular shop that you (or someone reading this) would recommend in the Spice Market for authentic and trusted spices ?

 

This is not the type of market that you can easily find a particular shop.

 

The picture below shows just one of a number of aisles lined with shops on both sides.

 

 

 

There will be a number of shops with displays like this.

 

 

 

http://www.deliciousistanbul.com/blog/2011/03/24/istanbul-spice-market/ gives some hints and suggestions for shopping at this market.

[nickthecruiser]

Great review and pictures. Can't wait to read the rest of it.

[dockhl]

WOW...... :eek:

 

OK, that really looks overwhelming (the Spice Market). I am going to need a full day there alone !

 

homeinboca, this has been a terrific review. Thank you for the time it takes to put it all down....your writing is entertaining and informative !

 

We leave tomorrow and will continue to follow....we have WiFi on the plane ! :p

[homeinboca]

Thank you so very much for this great review. We leave on Saturday for Barcelona for a few days before we board the Royal on Tues, Sept. 3. Many of your excursions are very similar to ours so we are reading your (lovely and detailed ) reviews with great interest :)

 

I was wondering if there was a particular shop that you (or someone reading this) would recommend in the Spice Market for authentic and trusted spices ? I love to cook and hope to bring back spices for many of my friends ....I'd hate to bring them inferior goods.

 

My sister had mentioned :

Nazar

Haremsaray

Arifoğlu

 

Do you have any favorites? We cannot wait to read more !

Kathy and Michael

 

Hi Kathy and Michael,

 

Our guide recommended we buy our spices and Turkish delights in the Spice Market rather than the Bazaar, more authentic she claimed. The store she took us to was called Bosphorus No. 4, near one of the entrances, I'm not sure which one, its a maze in there. We were there on a Saturday and this is where the locals shop so that might have contributed to the excessive crowds, but I'm sure its always busy.

 

It was a very nice store, they gave us samples of lots of things to try, Turkish tea, pomegranate juice, dates filled with walnuts, and the real Turkish delight, not the stuff made by machines! It was all wonderful. We also bought all kinds of goodies and some real Saffron there. Spent a small fortune, but all worth it! They vacuum pack everything so it stays fresh until you get home, and we are still enjoying them today!

 

Have a great trip, I know you will!

 

Ron

[sssteele]

OK, you got me, I admit it. I swore I wasn't going to read any more about the Royal before we sail, but I'm so glad I checked your report.

 

 

Sounds like you had some great excursions lined up. Really looking forward to the spice market so thanks for the photos.

 

Keep it coming!

 

Joanie

[dforeigner]

Thanks for taking time to write a review.

[xni001]

Thanks, Ron! I really enjoy reading your detailed reviews which help me re-live the amazing experience we had on Royal and in the ports as we were also on Aug 10-22 Royal Princess Grand Mediterranean Cruise.

 

I submitted a review which is now published on CC:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=226481

 

I've never written any travel review before, but this time I felt compelled because of all the helpful info I received from CC before the trip and some negative reviews posted. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, so is mine :)

 

Charlene

[sunsetbeachgal]

Thanks, Ron! I really enjoy reading your detailed reviews which help me re-live the amazing experience we had on Royal and in the ports as we were also on Aug 10-22 Royal Princess Grand Mediterranean Cruise.

 

I submitted a review which is now published on CC:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=226481

 

I've never written any travel review before, but this time I felt compelled because of all the helpful info I received from CC before the trip and some negative reviews posted. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, so is mine :)

 

Charlene

 

Enjoyed your review Charlene...we echo many of your feelings and as we also sailed with kids and grandchildren we also considered it a trip of a lifetime for many reasons!

[Northender]

Thanks, Ron! I really enjoy reading your detailed reviews which help me re-live the amazing experience we had on Royal and in the ports as we were also on Aug 10-22 Royal Princess Grand Mediterranean Cruise.

 

I submitted a review which is now published on CC:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=226481

 

I've never written any travel review before, but this time I felt compelled because of all the helpful info I received from CC before the trip and some negative reviews posted. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, so is mine :)

 

Charlene

 

For a first time reviewing a cruise, I say great job.. Thanks. :):)

[xni001]

Enjoyed your review Charlene...we echo many of your feelings and as we also sailed with kids and grandchildren we also considered it a trip of a lifetime for many reasons!

 

Thanks Carole! I was hanging on your every word when you did your live on Royal :)

[xni001]

For a first time reviewing a cruise, I say great job.. Thanks. :):)

 

Thanks for the encouragement! :D

[Mom33]

Thanks, Ron! I really enjoy reading your detailed reviews which help me re-live the amazing experience we had on Royal and in the ports as we were also on Aug 10-22 Royal Princess Grand Mediterranean Cruise.

 

I submitted a review which is now published on CC:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=226481

 

I've never written any travel review before, but this time I felt compelled because of all the helpful info I received from CC before the trip and some negative reviews posted. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion, so is mine :)

 

Charlene

 

Thanks for the review. It sounds like you had a wonderful cruise. I have so long to wait for mine and reading your experiences helps to keep me going.:D

[JanaJohn]

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.

 

Thanks so much for spending the time to write about your trip! Do you remember the name of that gelato shop? My DW & I love finding new places to try gelato and your place sounds like a keeper.

[JanaJohn]

As we arrived in Positano, it was time for lunch so we headed up the narrow road to the top of the mountain overlooking the town to a restaurant called La Tagliata. We had eaten there last time we were in Positano and the food and view is to die for! It’s rated #1 restaurant on Trip Advisor for a reason. Go there and I guarantee you will have more than a memorable meal. One of our trip mates said it was the best meal he had the entire trip and I would have to agree.

 

You sit down and there is no menu, the wine and food just arrive served family style, it’s whatever Mamma is cooking that day, all freshly made, and with vegetables right from her garden outside. The antipasto was wonderful and the next course of pastas was even more delicious. One of the pastas was made with a pumpkin sauce as they are in season here, which is well before we are used to in the fall. The deserts then arrive and a glass of Limoncello to top it all off! Bellissimo!

 

My DW & I were on a tour last September and stopped for lunch at the same place! I'll totally agree with your assessment of the food and the view! We had 3 different pastas and you could tell they were freshly made. The taste was AMAZING! Everything they served disappeared quickly and we looked forward to see what came next. Thanks for reminding me of the fabulous time we had at Fattoria La Tagliata!

[Cruise Junky]

Thanks for the encouragement! :D

 

You mentioned in your review that you had 4 people on your deck sitting drinking wine, did the room steward bring you extra chairs for the deck?

[Pia1913]

You mentioned in your review that you had 4 people on your deck sitting drinking wine, did the room steward bring you extra chairs for the deck?

 

When we have four for wine time, we use the desk chair and the barrel chair to make four. I don't think the room steward can do extra chairs.

[xni001]

You mentioned in your review that you had 4 people on your deck sitting drinking wine, did the room steward bring you extra chairs for the deck?

 

Just like Pia said, we moved the two chairs from the cabin and put them on the balcony together with the deck chairs to make four. It worked well for us :).

[Cruise Junky]

Just like Pia said, we moved the two chairs from the cabin and put them on the balcony together with the deck chairs to make four. It worked well for us :).

 

Great, thanks for responding. We've done that in the past, just wondered if you could actually get 4 chairs on Royal.

[DoulaAnn]

Cruise Day 8 – Istanbul, Turkey!

 

Today I am knocking one major one off the bucket list. I would have never thought I would have been able to travel to exotic Istanbul, also known as Constantinople, and founded as Byzantium in 660 BC. It is practically the cradle of civilization as we know it today, having served as the capital city of four great empires – The Roman, Byzantine, Latin and finally the Ottoman Empire. I’ve read about Istanbul since I was a kid, enjoyed the books and the movie, Topkapi and all the 007 movies shot here. Was I excited, you bet!

 

It is now the world’s 5th most visited city after London, Paris, Bangkok and Singapore and has some great and unique sites to visit. I arranged a private tour with KSG Tours; Kosagan Tours and booked with them almost a year in advance, so I could get one of the owners – Lale Kosagan as our guide. Great reviews for her and the company and I would have to agree, she is a great and knowledgeable guide and passionate about her country and home city. One thing though, she is short and walks very fast! You have to keep up with her in the crowds, but we never got lost! Well almost and I’ll cover that later in the story.

 

I got up early and went up to the sun deck to watch as we sailed the Bosphorus and made port in Istanbul. It was nice to sail into the city. Our guide, Lale (pronounced law-lay) met us at the port and off we went to start our long day. We had a 9 hour tour scheduled with her, packed with all the sights, sounds and smells of this wonderful place. I had put together a group of 8 of us for the private tour, including our friends from Sydney who were with us in Amalfi and a family of 4 from the Toronto area. We had a great day with everyone and I really enjoy putting together groups from the roll call – it’s really the way to go!

 

As we made our way across the Galata bridge that spans the Golden Horn, Lale gave us a sense of the size and scope of the city. There’s been a bridge in this spot since the 6th century and it was packed with fisherman as we made our way to the old city of Constantinople. As we drove along the coast, you could see the ancient walls which provided for protection of the great palace.

 

Our first stop was the ancient Hippodrome. When Emperor Constantine moved the seat of government of the Roman Empire here, this was the center of his great city and the stands could hold 100,000 people. Standing in the center of this place and imagining the history here gave me chills. There are still several monuments in place that were brought here from all over the empire. The Serpent Column was brought here from the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, and must have been very impressive – a three headed snake adorned with a golden bowl. The bowl was destroyed or taken during the 4th Crusade and all that remains is the base of the column now known as the Serpentine Column.

 

Another great monument here is the Obelisk of Thutmose III which was brought here in 390 AD from the Temple of Karnak in Luxor. It’s very impressive, in pink granite, is over 3500 years old and is in amazingly good condition. The hieroglyphics look like they were carved recently. The Walled Obelisk is another more recent column that is still standing in place. The famous Four Horses of St Marks were originally here as well, taken in 1204 and brought to Venice, where you can see them today in the Museum upstairs inside the Basilica.

 

Immediately adjacent to the Hippodrome is the Sultanamhet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque. We went over and sat in the courtyard and looked up this impressive site, built in the 1600’s. It was prayer time, so we couldn’t go in, but our guide told us the history of this place, how it was built with 6 minarets and with thousands of handmade blue ceramic tiles. Each tile took over 70 days to make by one person. From here, we headed across the open park to the Hagia Sofia, the design of which was the inspiration for the Blue Mosque.

 

 

This is one of the great sites of the world, you stand in the middle of the park and on one side are the Blue Mosque and the other the Hagia Sofia, very impressive! With Lale, we were able to bypass the lines and get right in. (Another benefit of a private guide). The Hagia Sofia is beautiful inside, unlike anyplace I’ve ever seen before. It was first built in 537 and was an Orthodox church for a thousand years, except for a brief period when it was a Catholic church, and then it became a mosque, and finally a museum in 1935. It is amazing how this building lasted through earthquakes, fires, and sackings over the years, but with the restorations, it is truly a magnificent building, both inside and out. It was very crowded inside, but we staked out a corner and our guide explained the amazing history of this place.

 

After leaving, we then made our way to the Basilica Cistern. Wow, we have seen so much and it’s still morning! Making our way down the steep steps into the cistern, you are transported to a unique place that has a forest of columns and eerie lighting. They now use carp to keep the water clean naturally, but of course, it is no longer used as a water source. We enjoyed the cool air in this place and it gave us a break from the heat. From Russia with Love was filmed here, but it’s nowhere near the Russian Embassy as claimed in the movie.

 

It was now time to head to the Grand Bazaar – finally some shopping time for DW! Lale took us in this massive place with 4000 stores and gave us some tips on how to navigate the alleys and how to deal with the aggressive shop keepers. She told us that as Westerners, even though we are used to saying no thank you, we don’t need to reply to everyone who shouts out at us to come into their shop. She took us to a few of her “preferred” stores where we bought some silk scarves, jewelry, and other trinkets. We were going to save our spice shopping for the Spice Market later in the day. We were then left on our own and given a time and place to meet, and wandered around. It’s very easy to get lost in this place, it’s massive and all the laneways look the same. The shop keepers are aggressive, but mostly friendly and it was an interesting experience. The lantern shops were beautiful and very colorful and got some great photos. We did find our way back to the meeting place and then it was on to a nice Turkish doner kebab place for lunch.

 

We stopped at nice little spot for some lunch and had a doner kebab from what was the largest spit of cooked meat I ever saw. It must have been 5 feet tall! Lunch was very good and we all had a great time talking about all the amazing sites we saw this morning. After lunch we were going to head to Topkapi Palace where we will be spending much of the afternoon.

 

This great palace complex was the residence for the Ottoman Sultans for over 400 years and included the residences, the mint, the imperial treasury and the Sultan’s Harem. After the end of the Ottoman Empire it was turned into a grand museum. We walked through the Imperial Gate into the courtyard and you could see the scale of this complex. We went into the Imperial Council room and made our way to the Harem section. The blue tiles here everywhere were beautiful and we explored the many rooms of the Harem.

 

Our guide then gave us some time to explore on our own so we headed straight over to the Imperial Treasury so DW could see the beautiful treasures in there like the 84 Carat diamond and emerald encrusted Topkapi dagger. These were breathtaking in their beauty, and there were lots of beautiful treasures all over. Very impressive!

 

From here, we headed back to the Blue Mosque, so we go could inside, since we were unable to do so in the morning due to prayer times. It was very crowded inside and we were starting to get tired from our marathon day. From here, we went to the Spice Market, before heading back to the ship. It was so crowded in the market, it was not enjoyable as you couldn’t even move in there. We told Lale, we wanted to leave, but she took us to a quieter spot and a nice store where enjoyed some Turkish Tea, and bought some amazingly delicious Turkish Delights, nuts and spices.

 

Leaving the market, we ran smack into a big protest against the Egyptian military action that was taking place in Cairo. There was a lot of commotion everywhere, loudspeakers, and flags, and needless to say it was a little uncomfortable. We wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, but as I said earlier our guide was short and walked quickly and we couldn’t see her right away. Well, one of the people on our tour was 6’6” and wore a white fedora – you could always spot him in a crowd! Well I spied the white fedora and followed him out of there. How our driver got us out of that mess, I don’t know; he was driving backwards down the road to get away. What excitement to end our day in a most magical place!

 

Istanbul was everything I expected and more – it is quite the magical place and I hope to visit again one day and spend more time there. That evening we were so exhausted we went to sleep early!

 

If you had to omit one of these sites, which one would it have been (other than the Grand Bazaar or Spice Market)? We are trying to create a tour that perhaps doesn't have quite the fast pace yours did.

 

Thanks so much for posting your travels. It helps those of us who have never been to any part of Europe.

 

Ann

[Pia1913]

If you had to omit one of these sites, which one would it have been (other than the Grand Bazaar or Spice Market)? We are trying to create a tour that perhaps doesn't have quite the fast pace yours did.

 

Thanks so much for posting your travels. It helps those of us who have never been to any part of Europe.

 

Ann

 

You have to understand that one part is history and the other shopping. Choose what is important to you. You cannot get in and out of either market quickly.