LIVE from the Royal Princess - 30 days, Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale - 9/27 - 10/27

[Woobstr112G]

Good afternoon (1646 local time) from the Royal Princess. Today was a nice easy and relaxing day at sea. Weather and the ocean cooperated and were great.

Afternoons on sea days usually find me out and about taking pictures around the ship. Getting a late start today as the plummer just left after fixing my shower that had just finished flooding for the third time. The first two times I thought it might be due to DW liking her long showers so I just cleaned up the mess. After the third time I called and waited over 30 minutes for the repairman to show up.

 

Glad I didn't have anything else to due this afternoon.....:rolleyes:

Bob

Edited October 17, 2013 by Woobstr112G

[CruisePrincess6]

My husband and I returned last week from the 12 day Mediterranean Cruise on the Royal. Just want to let everyone know what a great time we had. After a flight from hell on United with staff that probably hated what they were doing, we found the staff on the Royal could not do enough for us. The girl who took care of our cabin was one of the best ever. If we asked for something, it was there or done immediately. Wish I could have taken her home with me. All the food on the ship was wonderful. Ended up eating in the HC buffet many evenings because of the long days of sightseeing and the food was very good with many choices. Most of the help were very accommodating. One night I asked for shirimp with cocktail sauce and one of the chefs went down to the DR and brought back a bowl of shirimp. We went to the Crown Grill for our anniversary and they made our night very special. The steak was as good as the Palm or Morton's. The only negative I could find was that I had to open my door to access WiFi as Pam is doing. Sometimes it was difficult to get an elevator in the center and there were no stairs but this did not stop us from having a great time. We could always walk to the front to back to access the stairs and walk off some of the calories. December 15 we will be back on the Royal for 7 days and looking forward to it.

 

Enjoyed our time with Pia and Mike. They are a wonderful couple. Hope to see you again.

 

Irene

[san diego sue]

Pam, love your posts. Since I have been on the ship right before your cruise, I know your observations are right on.

See you next year on the Royal Transatlantic.

[Pia1913]

And yet another day passes; and quickly. I just don’t know where all these hours go. We spent the entire morning talking. Had breakfast, met two different couples and that lasted until 10. Then check out the sale; hahaha. Took 5 minutes. Stopped for mid morning coffee at the IC and chatted with two more couples until noon. After lunch we attended the Mafia presentation; very interesting. Then it was on to trivia. Lost. Again carabiners were the prizes. They have tons of them to unload. Tonight, since we’ve already seen the production show, we’re going to do some Princess Live stuff with our friends. And maybe we’ll even stay up late. After all, we’re getting an extra hour tonight.

Gail: You're at the Shores, we're at the Pointe. Used to be at the Lakes. Somehow we'll get together

Irene: :o We loved meeting you too/two. Will email when we get home. You too.

Bye all. It's wine time and that takes priority. :D

[ibfern]

10-14-2013

Calcata, Bracciano, Anguillara, Sutri, Ceri, and Cerveteri

(Sorry for the late post, been too busy touring and I am falling far behind. Better late than never...enjoy.)

 

We had another incredible day with Fabrizio visiting many interesting old Etruscan towns. We bumped into one tour van in Ceri, otherwise the day was free from tourists, buses, and crowds. Although it was Monday and many places are closed, we found lots of places to visit.

 

We headed off the main roads and followed back roads through the region of Latium filled with Etruscan ruins and many Necropolis (cemeteries). Our first stop was in Bracciano where we grabbed expresso and cappuccinos.

 

We arrived in Calcata by 9:30 before the town was open so we had the place to ourselves. We parked just below the town and walked up the ancient cobbled street to enter the old town. This town is magical, it looks like a town from a Disney movie with layers of homes piled on top of each other. Condemned by the Italian government in the 1930s because of its crumbling cliffs, most of the residents moved into Calcata Nuova, right below the ancient walls. In the 1960s Artists, hippies, and creatives of all types began to move into the old town again and eventually they got the government to remove the condemnation orders. It became a thriving artist community and that is evident throughout the town. We walked through the historic center and peered over the cliffs to see a beautiful river valley lush with greenery.

 

One store was opened. The owner Marina was one of the original artists that moved here, her store was filled with jewelry and "Magical amulets" which were very cool. After we visited her shop she took us down into her Cistern which was incredible. She was restoring it and while we could only go into the beginning of it, there was a tunnel going down that I wanted to climb into but Fabrizio would not let me! Safety first. Next Marina brought us into another shop filled with her paintings, and a small museum of ancient artifacts she has collected as she restores these buildings. This was an intimate experience, a moment which defines why I love to walk on the road less traveled. We lingered awhile then walked down to the new town to use the restrooms.

 

Fabrizio ran into a store/cafe and bought us all waters, mostly so we could use the restroom, this being the premise of pee pee-pay pay. As the girls ran to use it a man was exiting, he implored us to wait a few minutes! OMG the smell permeated the entire place and I had to run out quickly, so did the rest of the group. We ended up using another pay toilet.

 

Next we visited Ceri, another ancient Etruscan town where we visited an old church, then ate at a lovely restaurant where we had various dishes. We finished the meal with the most delicious Tira Misu (sorry about the spelling) I have ever had. We also had some wonderful cookies which we dipped in a delightful dessert wine. It was very yummy.

 

Back in the van we headed for more Etruscan ruins in Sutri including an amphitheater that was amazing and surrounded by many mounds filled with Etruscan graves, called a necropolis. Although it was closed because it was Monday, we were able to walk around and get some really good views of all of it. Fabrizio is so knowledgable, he articulated with his usual animation and we really understood the way these ancient people, the predecessors of the Romans lived and died.

 

In Cerveteri we visited a large Necropolis where we were able to get up close and personal with more graves, these amazing caved built from large granite stones perfectly shaped and stacked. We were able to walk into a few, carefully. We also spied many Cats, thinking of our dear friend Meredith who feeds cats a lover the world! These wild cats were actually well cared for, there were many bowls of food left out for them, also there was a sheep herding dog that was pure white and very tame.

 

It was time to say goodbye to Fabrizio after a wonderful and unique day. This was a memorable trip, one that I will not soon forget. We say many wonderful off the grid towns and didn't bump into tourists everywhere, a pleasant relief from all the days of touring heavily tourist laden places. If you have a chance to visit these towns, you will see the real Italy.

 

Amelia

[kruisey]

Have had a quiet day today. It's sunny and gorgeous. Got up early for a 9am "Knitters and Natters" get-together. About 10-12 people showed up. Some were knitting, some crocheting, one doing counted cross stitch, etc. It was a nice 45 minutes to meet new people. We had to leave early due to trivia at 10am.

 

Laundry is still taking 3-4 days. I discovered this morning that I'd run out of underwear and had to re-use. Yuck. Went to the PSD and asked them for suggestions as to what to do. She called the laundry and they are going to prioritize my bag, which was sent in the 14th (it's now the 17th.) I told the woman that I didn't trust them to get my stuff back to me this afternoon and what should I do? I said I'd be willing to do my own laundry so she immediately gave me some tokens. Did a small load so now I have a day or two's worth and tokens to do another load tomorrow, if necessary.

 

Last night was Bavarian night in the buffet. Delicious with kielbasa, bratwurst, and several other wursts and mustard. The thing I love about the buffet (and hate at the same time) is that it's endless with a huge variety. I can't imagine anyone, even the pickiest, not finding something to eat. For lunch today, I had some curried lamb, some wok noodles, steamed vegetable dumplings, some chicken nuggets with soy sauce, and a salad.

 

Tonight is formal night and we'll probably eat in the buffet. Didn't see anything on the menu that was appealing. There's lobster and chateaubriand but I don't eat lobster on a cruise ship unless it's fresh and I can take or usually leave chateaubriand.

 

Went to the Retreat this afternoon and it was packed. I'd say 80% of the loungers had just a towel on them, no people. 0% of the loungers have shade. None. Some people require full shade, not "sort of" shade. There are trellises and canvas coverings above the loungers on the sides but there is still some sun on every single one. None of the cabanas was in use. I thought I was going to like this area but now I know I can't use it, which is a bummer.

 

The service and responsiveness (so far) on the Royal has been excellent. Better than other ships and cruiselines I've sailed. There are negatives such as the lack of mid-ship stairs and the Elite laundry issues but it's far from the "cruise from hell." The food has been great and the service (buffet, dining room, bar and cabin steward) has been excellent. Yes, I hear noise above my cabin early in the morning, I have to go into the hallway to access the Royal's WiFi, my TV is rattling and driving me crazy, and the laundry situation has me frustrated. I've had far worse cruise experiences. Is it going to be one of my all-time top cruises? No. It's a good cruise and I'm looking forward to sailing her next year.

 

Yes, I'm taking only private tours on this cruise. I organized my Messina, Naples and Rome tours, and others organized the Barcelona and Madeira tours.

 

One of the people on our roll call was "caught" collecting money for a tour she was organizing and received a reprimand and told that Princess doesn't allow the organization of private tours as it's competition to the Princess tours.. She then received a nasty letter. Meanwhile, others not only organized private tours but arranged with Princess for a large group to be allowed in to the Platinum/Elite tendering lounge (which apparently pissed off a bunch of Platinum/Elite to see so many who weren't in the lounge) and receive priority tendering for them. That doesn't make sense. So, if you are organizing a tour, be very, very careful where you collect the money.

 

Tomorrow's another sea day.

Pam before I was elite I used to do all my washing in my cabin and hang on washing line in shower.Every evening all underwear so it did not pile up.

[vickie_bernie]

And yet another day passes; and quickly. I just don’t know where all these hours go. We spent the entire morning talking. Had breakfast, met two different couples and that lasted until 10.

 

This is one reason I love cruising it is the impromptu meetings with others and making new friends. Plus chatting with you and Mike is so interesting because of your travel knowledge and experiences.

 

 

 

 

in response to the waiting for the plumber to arrive in Bob's cabin. We have never had to wait for someone to come, cause we just leave the cabin and let them do their job whenever they get there. Problem has always been addressed.

[Roses2]

There is a phrase in Latin that describes perfectly the differences that we see in the varied evaluations posted about individual views of the experiences on this Royal Princess cruise.

 

"De gustibus non est disputandum"

 

It means "In matters of taste, there can be no disputes" The implication is that everyone's personal preferences are merely subjective opinions that cannot be "right" or "wrong", so they should never be argued about as if they were.

 

P&J

[PescadoAmarillo]

Wow. Some of you are tough! I hope we all understand the repercussions of shooting the messenger; people are going to be far less likely to post live from's in the future.

 

Remember: Just because it didn't happen to me doesn't mean it didn't happen. (This applies equally well to the good stuff and the bad stuff).

[Goldenfox]

Wow, I can't believe some of what I am reading. I can't even tell if some of the responses are attempts at humor. I think Bob had a reasonable expectation of service and accommodations given what he's spent. Had he chosen an Inside cabin and paid thousands less maybe his experiences may not have mattered to him or been soured as much. That doesn't mean he should not share his thoughts. Sometimes you just have a run of bad luck. I think it's great to hear the completely different perspectives from everyone on this sailing.

 

Maybe generalizing and saying worst cruise 'ship' is a bit broad, and maybe worst 'cruise' may be more suitable (for him), but only he can determine what is or not. The cruise line itself sets the expectation that if you are in a Suite or Owners' Suite or an Elite passenger there are some perks. If they don't deliver, particularly when you pay a premium to enjoy these perks, then it's within the passengers' right to complain and have their concerns attended to within a reasonable timeframe.

 

That said, I've never cruised on Princess and my first time will be in December. Thank you to all who are contributing their experiences, and particularly Pia for doing this Live thread. I intend to board with no expectation, and i hope my Inside is comfortable enough for a night's rest. I'm a budget cruiser, so being on a beautiful ship with good food is enough for me. We're all human with days when things are just going to be 'off' so i attribute bad service to folks having one of those days. I can't wait to hear about the upcoming consecutive sea days!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[cricketts]

I am dissappointed by some of the attitudes from the readers of this thread...and very thankful for ALL the information and opinions that are being shared by the cruisers on this voyage.

 

It is through the sharing of information that as individuals we can formulate our own ideas and adjust our expectations based on our personal perspectives (inside, balcony or suite, low cost or money is no object, 1st cruise or 50th, Princess only or five other lines, etc.) After all, if one had traveled on the Costa Concordia or Carnival Triumph the point of view would be quite different!

 

I am throroughly enjoying reading this thread. Many thanks to Pia, Amelia, Pam, Bob and all the others who are posting :) Happy Sailing :)

[abbydancer2003]

I'm very much enjoying this thread, and excited to be on the Royal in, now less than two weeks!

 

I appreciate everyone's reports, and Bob, I am sorry that the suite is not what it should have been for you. I've had suites a couple of times, and the size and the perks were all awesome. Also sounds like, in general, elite perks aren't what they were supposed to be.

 

We booked our second suite largely because of the breakfast at Sabatini's. I'm glad that's good. (Not, of course, that we'll have it on the Royal).

 

And High C (Jackie - nice to see you posting. Sorry we'll miss you on our cruise - we arrive in FLL the evening of the day you all come in).

[vickie_bernie]

Wow. Some of you are tough! I hope we all understand the repercussions of shooting the messenger; people are going to be far less likely to post live from's in the future.

 

Remember: Just because it didn't happen to me doesn't mean it didn't happen. (This applies equally well to the good stuff and the bad stuff).

 

Well said...

 

I know I no longer do live threads

 

I appreciate all that are taking the time out of their vacation to post here so that we all can sail along with them and learn more about the Royal, the ports and Princess.

[cruisinsince75]

Come on guys, this doesn't have to become Snarky! Some have different experiences than another on the very same cruise. This forum, like other travel forums are a place to hear both the good and the bad, so that you the reader can make good decisions on where to spend your cruising dollars.

 

If you go on enough cruises, you are bound to have some that are great, and some that have some issues. It could also be that on the same exact cruise that you are finding great, others are having some problems.

 

Just like on other forums, I personally want to hear both the positives and the negatives. Then I weigh both through the following lenses. 1. Are they experienced cruisers or travelers and therefore know a little about the subject and what to expect. 2. Have they only posted negative or positive experiences in the past. If only leaning one way, then there ops may have more to do with personality than experience. 3. Are the negative or positive observances, even something that we care about.

 

I enjoy hearing both and posters need the freedom to express how they see things without feeling threatened for speaking their minds! Otherwise call this board Cruise Cheerleader instead of Cruise Critic. This board then becomes worthless for information if people can't openly express themselves.

[Pam in CA]

Hi Pam, A few questions if you don't mind. What cabin are you in where you here noise from above? We are in L222 for next April's TA. It is under the Retreat (it was a guarantee). I am wondering how noisy that might be. Would you have any idea? Thanks.

I personally will never book under a public deck again. :( Every single time there has been substantial noise. The Retreat is nice but I still saw people dragging loungers from one spot to another and you'll still have the staff power washing at ungodly times. But that's just my opinion.

 

Another comment about the dining is that late traditional seating is at 8:30pm, and people have left it in droves. Way too late. Instead, they are going to Anytime or to the buffet, which is busy and crowded every night. I have to admit that we booked late Traditional and have abandoned it due to the times. Most nights, we're eating in the buffet.

[kk99]

First, thanks to all of the live posters, and previous live posters for taking time out of their vacation day and internet minutes to keep the rest of us informed of their experiences on the Royal.

 

I value all information and opinions posted on what you like and didn't like as much on the ship.

 

We have several people sailing on the Royal next year , and I would be interested if any of the live posters on the TA have either viewed or are staying in the forward S5 suites, or the 4 large minisuites which are all the way forward on the ship. I would imagine they get more motion than the aft, but seem to be spacious for the categories. I'm just very thankful that we can all be together and have some more family memories to share.

 

I haven't seen any reviews of the S5 suites, and have only seen pictures of the minisuites(With the enormous balconies).

 

Bob, I appreciate your posts about what you do or don't like about the S2 owner's suite. One of the couples we are traveling next year have the S2 suite booked on a high floor . They are considering moving to a different suite cabin because of some of the soot reports. Have you experienced any soot issues on your aft suite cabin on this sailing?

 

I also greatly appreciate all of the food reports both great, good, and mediocre, as I want to try everything when we have our turn on the ship. Alfredo's sounds great, as well as the wine paired dinner. I might even have to find the gym on the ship, since everyone has said it is nice and uncrowded. Pia, I might actually use the gym after you almost make it sound like it is fun!

 

Pam. thanks for posting about the Venice incident. I have an older Mom who is very mobile, who is doing the Regal TA next year out of Venice, but who may have difficulty with that step transfer.I'll be sure and make other arrangements for her in Venice.

 

Amelia, I'm glad that you got an explanation about your cabin, and hope that the rest of the trip is good for you. i just wish they had been more upfront with you .

 

I do hope that all of you have smooth sailing on the upcoming sea days, better and great meals, fun entertainment, a fun time at trivia, and for those of you who play, lots of wins in the casino!

 

Thanks again for all of your honest opinions.

[Avalon35]

Pam, re:late dining. I know that in Europe they are used to late dining. Do you think the make up of passengers is the difference since you will end up in FL?

[cantwaitfornextcruise]

Just thought I would throw in my two cents. Someone mentioned the Red Hot Rubies. As one of those RHRs I can say the comments on this thread brought back many wonderful memories. However, I also remember there were folks on that cruise that said things like "never again." After about 20 cruises I have developed the opinion that on every cruise there are some folks who get off saying "best experience of my life" and some who get off the same cruise saying "worst trip of my life." I truly believe that for every cruise I have been on. I think there are so many variables - flights, baggage, room steward, waiters, weather, neighbors, entertainment opinions, shore excursions, folks you run into in different venues, and on and on and on.

That is why I dislike comparing cruise lines - because opinions from the "best trip of my life" folks will certainly be different than opinions from the "never again" folks, even on the same cruise line or even same cruise.

Cruise Critic provides a wonderful opportunity to hear from all, take with a bit of a grain of salt, and learn so much that may enhance our chances of having a good cruise experience ourselves. So thanks to all who have posted here, positive and negative. I have learned something from you all.

Sorry for the philosophical "rant" but if you are new to cruising, I recommend you try to develop reasonable expectations, have a positive attitude, avoid allowing a bad experience to impact too much on the entire experience.

I will be on the Royal on Oct 29 and expect to see some new ship design, meet some fun folks, and have a great time ----- even if I am not thrilled with some of the new design or run into some not fun folks, or whatever. Hope to see some of you on board.

 

Well said we are all different

 

Thank you all who have posted on the "Live from" good bad and indifferent. Some comments have made me go oooooh as we are staying in B736 :eek: the sooty balcony. We haven't changed based on posts, but thankfully we will now be prepared, so if one morning we walk go out and DH suddenly becomes Dick Van Dyke and starts singing Chim Chim Cher-ee and I turn into Mary Poppins - it will be entertaining for those around us :rolleyes:

[Mom33]

 

 

Went to the Retreat this afternoon and it was packed. I'd say 80% of the loungers had just a towel on them, no people. 0% of the loungers have shade. None. Some people require full shade, not "sort of" shade. There are trellises and canvas coverings above the loungers on the sides but there is still some sun on every single one. None of the cabanas was in use. I thought I was going to like this area but now I know I can't use it, which is a bummer.

 

The service and responsiveness (so far) on the Royal has been excellent. Better than other ships and cruiselines I've sailed. There are negatives such as the lack of mid-ship stairs and the Elite laundry issues but it's far from the "cruise from hell." The food has been great and the service (buffet, dining room, bar and cabin steward) has been excellent. Yes, I hear noise above my cabin early in the morning, I have to go into the hallway to access the Royal's WiFi, my TV is rattling and driving me crazy, and the laundry situation has me frustrated. I've had far worse cruise experiences. Is it going to be one of my all-time top cruises? No. It's a good cruise and I'm looking forward to sailing her next year.

 

Pam thanks for the information by the Retreat Pool. I expected there would be chair hogging, but would you say that the estimated 80% of missing chair hogs were in the water or elsewhere on the ship? We are not concerned about the lack of a lounger by the pool as we do not sit out for more than a half hour in the sun and we know there is no real shade under the Retreat canopies. We can find a lounger elsewhere. We are interested to know if the pool itself was packed with people. Will we be elbow to elbow with fellow cruisers in the water?

[chamima]

Well said we are all different

 

Thank you all who have posted on the "Live from" good bad and indifferent. Some comments have made me go oooooh as we are staying in B736 :eek: the sooty balcony. We haven't changed based on posts, but thankfully we will now be prepared, so if one morning we walk go out and DH suddenly becomes Dick Van Dyke and starts singing Chim Chim Cher-ee and I turn into Mary Poppins - it will be entertaining for those around us :rolleyes:

 

We also have that cabin booked for Feb.

I would REALLY appreciate it if you could post during or after your cruise how you found it.

It has a partially covered balcony so I'm hoping no soot. :o (It was a Caribe aft that had all of the soot - I think!)

Thanks!

Edited October 17, 2013 by chamima

[spyro1952]

Thank you to those who have posted about their experiences on the cruise. Pam, it sounds like you had a great day. I love Barcelona and Montserrat and being able to hear the choir there is almost magical. Bob, I hope that things improve as you make your way to Madeira and then across the Atlantic. May you have smooth seas.

 

There are many other former RHRs on board and lots of other friends. I hope that now that the port a day part of the cruise has passed more of you will take a moment to let us at home know how you are doing. There are a lot of us who were booked and canceled for one reason or another and would like to hear from you. I hope you will have blue skies as you sail.

 

Ditto for me. I've enjoyed reading all the posts from Pia, Pam & Bob and everyone else. I did change my room for the September crossing after reading many of the posts. Now in D410.

Hope you have a relaxing bunch of sea days and enjoy the ship. :D

Marcia

[Clovis Cruiser]

We also have that cabin booked for Feb.

I would REALLY appreciate it if you could post during or after your cruise how you found it.

It has a partially covered balcony so I'm hoping no soot. :o (It was a Caribe aft that had all of the soot - I think!)

Thanks!

 

We were in Baja 737 on the inaugural Med cruise, and there was often a significant amount of soot on the balcony. Our poor cabin steward was going nuts trying to win a losing battle. I thought the soot problem would go away after a time, but obviously it hasn't. However, I have read reviews regarding other ships that also have a soot problem. So it doesn't seem to be limited to the Royal.

 

The condition of the balcony, however, did nothing to dampen our enthusiasm for the ship, the food, and the crew. We loved it--so much so that we have booked an October 11, 2014 Canada/New England cruise!

 

Happy voyages,

Joan

[The4OfUs]

We have several people sailing on the Royal next year , and I would be interested if any of the live posters on the TA have either viewed or are staying in the forward S5 suites, or the 4 large minisuites which are all the way forward on the ship. I would imagine they get more motion than the aft, but seem to be spacious for the categories. I'm just very thankful that we can all be together and have some more family memories to share.

 

I haven't seen any reviews of the S5 suites, and have only seen pictures of the minisuites(With the enormous balconies).

 

Yes yes, that would be WONDERFUL, we're looking for that as well - i know there are only 8 on the ship, but hopefully one of the Cruise Critic family will be in one soon and can post!

[chamima]

We were in Baja 737 on the inaugural Med cruise, and there was often a significant amount of soot on the balcony. Our poor cabin steward was going nuts trying to win a losing battle. I thought the soot problem would go away after a time, but obviously it hasn't. However, I have read reviews regarding other ships that also have a soot problem. So it doesn't seem to be limited to the Royal.

 

The condition of the balcony, however, did nothing to dampen our enthusiasm for the ship, the food, and the crew. We loved it--so much so that we have booked an October 11, 2014 Canada/New England cruise!

 

Happy voyages,

Joan

 

 

Thanks but sorry to hear that! :(

Did you book an aft for your Oct. cruise?

[sunsetbeachgal]

Pia, Pam, Amelia and Bob...thank you for taking the time to do this Live thread. I so enjoyed our cruise on the Royal and enjoy hearing about what you are doing. The private tours you did sound fantastic and memorable.

 

Bob, I hope you are able make some lemonade out of lemons for the remaining days on the ship.

 

Carole

Edited October 17, 2013 by sunsetbeachgal