Regal Princess 17 Day Mediterranean/Aegean Grand Adventure Review

[cruisequeen4ever]

Embarkation:

Once at the cruise terminal dock, it's a lonnnnnng walk to the far cruise terminal!! Be prepared. You must take your own luggage, and though they MAY have options for wheelchair assistance, we did not see any. The Regal was docked at the furthest dock. There were Princess reps holding signs along the way to direct you. Once inside, we were directed to the "aft staterooms" luggage drop-off conveyor belt. There was a separate one for "forward and mid". Then, you take an escalator to the second floor for check-in and security. Check-In was immediate; the Priority Boarding line was empty. Even the regular lines were almost empty. Having an 11:00 PM sailaway really eliminated crowds at Check-In. We had a short

line in Security, took our Embarkation photo (awful and was really disappointed because this was the pic I wanted with the Inaugural Season title and Regal Princess ship photo), and made our way through the maze of walkways to the ship. Quick security pic, and we were aboard!

 

First impressions- Wow, wow, wow! Absolutely gorgeous, brand new, cool in temperature, comfy looking seats, extremely cheerful crew, we are going to have a fabulous time!

 

Walked to the aft stairs, up to Caribe, and discovered that unlike the Sapphire's fairly lengthy walk from the aft stairs to the aft staterooms, this was a very short walk, like almost non-existent. Aft is the place to be.

 

Explored our stateroom, met our steward, and then headed to the Piazza bar for DH to buy me my treasured annual birthday treat of a UKP! Next, it was time to go to Alfredo's for our traditional Embarkation lunch. We always either eat there or by the pool for me to have Trident and DH to have the buffet and Prego. We explored the ship, enjoyed some balcony time, freshened up, took a nap, and then it was muster time. After that, we had our other traditional Embarkation lunch for dinner because it was so late and ate it on the aft deck while we watched sailaway through the canals of Venice. We were exhausted and fell blissfully asleep at about midnight.

 

Normally, I am all about doing the Treasure Hunt, but it had ended at 4:00. This was very disappointing; why on earth would they end it at 4:00 with sailaway at 11:00?! I remembered on a late sailaway in Alaska, they extended it to the next day to allow more people to participate. Anyway, this trip is not about my usual cruise activities; it's all about the ports, so let's get to it.

 

 

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[MarKay525]

Embarkation:...We had a short line in Security, took our Embarkation photo (awful and was really disappointed because this was the pic I wanted with the Inaugural Season title and Regal Princess ship photo), and made our way through the maze of walkways to the ship. Quick security pic, and we were aboard!.....

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your impressions of the Regal. We are looking forward to our cruise in November.

 

Won't help much for this cruise, but for future reference, you could have substituted a different photo taken by a ship photographer into the Inaugural Season background - this is a tip I got here on CC. The substitute photo just needs to have the same orientation as the original. Show the staff at the photo desk the combination you want, and it will be printed.

 

Again - thanks for all the great information.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Kotor, Montenegro:

The port no one I spoke to had ever heard of and the port that surprised us all with its majestic scenery and charm!

 

The day began at the crack of dawn as became the trend for us. We awoke to the view of the fjords of Montenegro. That woke us right up, and we watched from our balcony as we snaked our way to Kotor.

I had hoped DH would not learn of the 1,500 step hike to the fortress on the mountain. Our plan was to simply wander through the walled village on our own as this was basically a throwaway port, or so we thought.

 

DH dove right into the Princess port guide, and what to his wondering eyes did he discover?! You guessed it, the 1,500 step hike! Argh, here we go! We prepped for the day. This was my first time really prepping the port day bag, and I screwed up! What did I forget? The Euros! In my haste to protect my wallet from being stolen, I put it along with the Euros into the safe, and off we tendered to Kotor.

 

Priority rendering got us into Tender Group 1, and after less than 5 minutes, the tender was ready to transport us. We had the prime real estate in the Bay of Kotor, making our tender ride only 5 minutes. The Celebrity Reflection was about a 15 minute ride from Kotor.

 

Once in Kotor, we figured it would be a straight shot to the trailhead. I had read a Cruise Critic blog of this same hike, and nothing was mentioned about it being difficult to find. Well, it was a challenge. Since we dashed right into town, it was only us and another young couple from the ship wandering the streets. No vendors were out or open. The other couple was also in search of the trailhead, so we joined forces. Now mind you, this village was designed in a defensive maze to protect itself. It was effective because it took us quite a while to find the trailhead. Turns out it costs 3 Euros pp to do the climb, again something I had never read. This is when I realized I stupidly locked up the Euros on the ship. We resigned ourselves to heading back to the ship for them when the incredibly thoughtful couple insisted on paying for us, so we wouldn't have to go back. We had $5 U.S., so we at least were able to give them that. Armed with maps, we headed up...and up...and up. It was nice having the other couple there; we chatted and helped each other figure out the right way to go because it was truly just us. Locals set up trash bags along the way and sell bottled water, but they were just starting to set up as was hiked. I think the hike took about an hour. There's one place where you have to cross a

rickety metal bridge that moves when you walk on it! Scary!!!! DH just had to GoPro from the middle, so I ran by out of concern that the bridge would snap! Bring plenty of water; this was fortunately something I remembered to bring. Wear sunscreen; we did. Wear sunglasses or a hat; we did. Wear good hiking shoes or tennis shoes. Wear shorts; we did. The views along the way were gorgeous. The fortress was a delight to explore, and the view from the top was insanely picturesque! DH was so captivated, he wanted to head up the next mountain! No, no, no!!!!!! I was done with a capital D. It was a wonderful experience, though, and I'm glad I did the hike because it was a highlight for him. After exploring the fortress for a little while, we started the downward journey. Going down was much, much more pleasant than going up. By this time, many cruise pax were making the climb, and we gave them encouragement along the way. Sadly, many were ill-prepared in gear; hopefully they still made it to the top. We are so glad we did the climb in the early morning before it got too hot. Go early, and then you can relax in the village the rest of the day.

 

After the hike, we tendered back to the ship to take another shower and have lunch at the grill. After our refreshing time on the ship, we tendered back to port and spent the afternoon leisurely strolling through the village and beyond. It's quite a fairy tale place, full of charm. By now, the town was filled with 2 ships of cruise passengers. I like anything ship related and was happy to find an anchor soap pump that said Kotor on it. Along with our tradition of getting a port magnet, I was pleased with my souvenirs, and it was time for hubby's tradition of having a local beer in each port. We chose an outdoor cafe with a live band. The seating allowed us to sit side by side and enjoy people-watching while we had our beer. Beer was quite affordable and came in papa bear and mama bear sizes as I liked to call them. The atmosphere was nice, and the first port beer was a winner. We finished our tour through the town and headed back to the ship. As you all know, Princess is not known to have a refreshment station anymore in port. I'm pleased to tell you that they brought it back! We had cold water and wet towels awaiting us, served by cheerful crew who welcomed us back. Our first port day was so much better than we expected, and with that surprise, we had a feeling this was going to be a "blow your mind" rest of the cruise!

 

 

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[Jojiboy]

Terrific review, thank you for posting. You mention the gondola ride you took had standardized pricing. How much in Euros did you pay?

 

Joe

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your impressions of the Regal. We are looking forward to our cruise in November.

 

Won't help much for this cruise, but for future reference, you could have substituted a different photo taken by a ship photographer into the Inaugural Season background - this is a tip I got here on CC. The substitute photo just needs to have the same orientation as the original. Show the staff at the photo desk the combination you want, and it will be printed.

 

Again - thanks for all the great information.

 

Ohhhhh thank you for the tip! Ohhhhhh wellllll for this time. :-(

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

Terrific review, thank you for posting. You mention the gondola ride you took had standardized pricing. How much in Euros did you pay?

 

Joe

 

 

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80 Euros for a daytime ride

100 Euros for rides after 7:00 PM (I think that was the time the evening rate began)

 

 

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[Keith1010]

Thanks for the review/report.

Keith

[HRPro]

Great review--looking forward to reading more!

[MarKay525]

Ohhhhh thank you for the tip! Ohhhhhh wellllll for this time. :-(

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If you email me at kdnevents at live dot com I'll share some thoughts about a long shot regarding this. Least I can do in exchange for all your great information.

[Jojiboy]

80 Euros for a daytime ride

100 Euros for rides after 7:00 PM (I think that was the time the evening rate began)

 

 

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Thanks for the info.

 

Joe

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

Rome:

Up at the crack of dawn for our 7:00 meeting time. Today would be a marathon. We did the Princess excursion that went to the Colosseum, Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica, and Sistine Chapel with lunch included. The order was to have the Colosseum end the day, but that plan changed and was a huge blessing!

 

We had received a letter from Princess 2 days before that the pope was having an event in St. Peter's Basilica on the day of our visit, so we wouldn't be able to see the Basilica. Big disappointment! We almost switched the excursion to the next Rome day but are so glad we didn't!

 

The drive from Civitavecchia was an hour and a half and included a bathroom stop at a has station. They did try to spread out the groups among multiple gas stations, but we still have 3 at ours, and the line for the bathrooms was lonnnnnng. This was my first real European port bathroom experience, and it prepared me for the rest! Boy are bathrooms different there! It was dirty and didn't even had a toilet seat, but it did have a sink and soap, which I later learned is a luxury! The guide uses a headset to communicate, since you're constantly in crowds. Everyone receives a new set of headphones and a used receiver to wear around the neck.

 

The tour guide reversed the order and had us go to the Colosseum first on the off chance the event would end early, and we could get into the Basilica. This also put us in the hottest part of our tour in the morning, the coolest time of day. We so appreciated that!

 

The Colosseum was riveting with so many intricate parts and cool components! The tour was fascinating, not too long, and full of the important info. We also beat the crowds by going in the morning.

 

After the Colosseum, we re-boarded the bus to head to lunch. The drive was scenic throughout Rome. After about 15 minutes, we arrived at what our guide deemed one of the good restaurants. We learned that groups are spread over multiple restaurants. We had a section to ourselves with groupings of 4-6. We sat with a lovely retired couple from the easy coast. She's a retired teacher, so we

had fun talking about life in the trenches of education. Every table got a bottle of red wine and a bottle of white wine, sparkling mineral water, and a basket of bread. It was a little awkward having the bread without bread plates, but we managed. The first course was pasta. It was so foreign to us having pasta as a side dish instead of the main course. The pasta was in a marinara type sauce and was decent but nothing noteworthy. The main course was sliced meat of some kind with vegetables. It seems like we may have had potatoes too, but I can't remember for sure. It seems like we may have had salad but don't remember for sure about that, either. The main course was again decent, though nothing I would order at home. The dessert was the best part, tiramisu. We were also served Italian espresso that was smooth and fantastic. The bathrooms were better, and we all made use of them, knowing you have to take whatever bathroom opportunities you get. After about an hour at the restaurant, we boarded the bus, which was waiting right outside, and made the trek across the border to Vatican City.

 

The drive was about 30-45 minutes and interesting. It was cool crossing the Tiber River into Vatican City. The bus has to drop you off about 300 feet or so from the entrance. We found the crowds once we entered.

 

The guide gave us time for a bathroom break (pretty clean bathroom). He then distributed our tickets to us, and off we went. The tour began in 2 courtyards, and then we entered the museums. They are so insanely beautiful and artistically captivating that your mind can't even fully comprehend it. I'm not very into art and was blown away!

 

From the Vatican Museums, we wound our way to the Sistine Chapel. Our guide prepared us that you must be silent inside, and no photography or videotaping are allowed. Inside the chapel, you're filled with awe. You're squished in shoulder to shoulder, and then the guide whispers into the headset when to exit. During our visit, there were officers patrolling an area and had it marked off. As we

walked by, we saw blood on the marble floor. The trail of blood continued down the stairs to the exit. Once outside, the guide said that someone had fallen and bled. They take blood very seriously because it damages the marble and because it's a sacred place.

 

Just before the Sistine Chapel, our guide made the announcement we had all been hoping for; St. Peter's Basilica had opened for tours! The guide explained that if the door is closed, it's closed for tours. If the door is open, it's open for tours. The door had literally just been opened! We were so blessed to have the opportunity to visit it! It was indescribable; you just have to see it yourself!

 

Lastly, we exited to Vatican City where you get a view of the pope's private apartment window and the place where he makes appearances. There's shopping available. We got 20 minutes to use the bathroom and explore. We bought our traditional port magnet and gelato cones. This gelato was my least favorite of the trip but still tasty. I was surprised that even in Vatican City there were people aggressively trying sell you fake purses.

 

It was then time to walk through a tunnel and pile back onto the bus for our journey home. Most of us fell asleep on the way home, and when we woke up, we were enjoying a more scenic coastal route for the last stretch, since there was insane traffic on the highway from a major accident. Unfortunately, the delightful alternative route came to an abrupt halt a few minutes later! Traffic stopped, and we saw more and more vehicles turning around to detour back to the highway. The driver radioed another driver who said that although there was a ton of traffic on the highway, he had heard it was still better than this stopped traffic, so back to trekked to the highway. Well, the highway traffic ended up horrendous!! The accident had occurred in the morning, but apparently Italians aren't as efficient as Americans because they were still in the thick of cleanup when we drove by. It was a horrific accident involving a small car (our first thought when we saw the micro cars they drive was how dangerous they'd be) and a semi-truck. :-( It took us about 30 minutes to go 2 miles. By this time, we knew that we would not make it back to the ship in time for all aboard, BUT we were on a Princess excursion, so the ship would wait! That is worth its weight in gold, and this was not to be the last time we would be grateful for the security of taking a Princess excursion! After a lonnnnng journey, we were home and thrilled to be back! Though we had seen tons of buses, apparently we were the last group back because the gangway was pulled up right after us, the captain announced all were back, and we sailed off into the sunset!

 

We were very aware of our surroundings and careful in Rome. We felt that being in an organized group at all times helped to combat the risk of pickpocketing.

 

We saw cultural Rome, modern Rome, seedy Rome, and everything inbetween on the drives. I was realllllly glad we opted to do the Princess excursion instead of "Rome on your own"! This was a very intriguing city, and one everyone must visit once for the monuments, BUT I don't really have a desire to go back! It's too overwhelming, graffiti all over, and I don't like to think about pickpocketing very second. That's just my opinion, though, and I know many people love Rome and would disagree. As we watch the video footage from Rome, I am still mesmerized by all that we saw; it was a truly magical day!

 

 

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[anteaters]

Thank you! My husband and I just finished reading your fascinating description of your time in Rome. All your details are very much appreciated! We are booked for Princess's Rome on your Own excursion, which you don't recommend, but the price is right. We have been to Rome twice before and already have seen the wonderful places on your tour so hopefully it will work out. At least we'll still have the protection of it being a Princess tour if we hit the traffic/accident problems that you did.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Thank you! My husband and I just finished reading your fascinating description of your time in Rome. All your details are very much appreciated! We are booked for Princess's Rome on your Own excursion, which you don't recommend, but the price is right. We have been to Rome twice before and already have seen the wonderful places on your tour so hopefully it will work out. At least we'll still have the protection of it being a Princess tour if we hit the traffic/accident problems that you did.

 

It's good this isn't your first time going, and yes, better to at least have Princess transportation! Good luck and have fun!

 

 

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[BratDet]

but in Rome, we twice took Princess transportation in and out...and then did everything on our own...which enabled us to go more places...

 

I have to say, I was never worried about pick pockets, even on the subway.

 

We were just mindful, and my extra cash was nowhere easily accessible.

 

I stripped down what I had in my pac safe bag...

 

and we walked all over Rome...starting at the Colloseum....

 

and working our way back to the Vatican last...@Anteater, I know I described how I did Rome on the Rome boards, but email me if you want more info BratDet AT aol dot com. We walked to subway, changed trains to Colloseum and when you walk out of subway, you look up and there it is...amazing to see. Colloseum, walked to Pantheon, passing by the Roman Forum, Victor Emmanuel monument to Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, THEN walked to Spanish Steps...right there there is a sub way stop to get to the Vatican. We also prepurchased Vatican timed tix. When you use your credit card online for a European purchase, it will get flagged for fraud. One phone call to my CC company and I was free to make all my reservations, like Statue of David, St. Marks in Venice (all to skip lines)

 

We cant wait to go back to explore more...

 

Bernadette

Edited June 29, 2014 by BratDet
add info

[nurse@sea]

Fabulous review....thank you so much for posting. I cant wait for the rest!!

[kzd2014]

So eager to read the rest! We do the Med ports on the Regal on 7/25 :)

 

Question: earlier, you mentioned a "generic card trick" for lights in the cabin. What's that?

 

 

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[caribill]

 

Question: earlier, you mentioned a "generic card trick" for lights in the cabin. What's that?

 

 

 

The lights in the cabin will only come on when you put your cruise card in a slot after entering the cabin.

 

However, any card the same size will do the trick such as any current or expired credit card. My favorite to use are the dummy credit cards that come in the mail with a form asking you to apply for a real credit card.

[cruisequeen4ever]

So eager to read the rest! We do the Med ports on the Regal on 7/25 :)

 

Question: earlier, you mentioned a "generic card trick" for lights in the cabin. What's that?

 

 

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My goal will be to finish my review in plenty of time before you leave then. :-) Thanks to Caribill for replying; we used our hotel key card in the slot and just left it there the whole time. The steward is required to pull out the card when he leaves, so if your lights don't work when you come in, just push the card back down.

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

Florence/Pisa:

 

The day we melted away!

 

We had originally booked the Florence/Chianti Region shore excursion, but it was canceled because only 10 people signed up. We were VERY disappointed! Just be prepared that Princess can cancel any excursion if there aren't enough people signed up and have a back-up plan ready.

 

DH desired to spend as much time as possible in the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence, or Firenze as known in Italian. I was dying to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Our original excursion being canceled enabled DH to have more time in Florence and me to see the Leaning Tower! Our new excursion was the "Florence/Pisa on Your Own".

 

We had a hot Italian tour guide today, Daniele. He was excellent, gave us commentary along the way on the bus, and handed out maps with suggested restaurants and stores for our time on our own. We knew where we wanted to eat but couldn't remember the name of it, and he immediately jumped online on his phone to find it for us! He also walked through the bus offering guidance to anyone wanting/needing it.

 

Our first stop was Pisa, which is about 30 minutes from the Port of Livorno. The drive was beautiful through the countryside. We passed a U.S. military base, which was interesting to see. Pisa is a quaint little town with traditional Italian buildings. Buses are required to park in a lot about a 7 minute walk from the tourist area of Pisa. Street sellers immediately attack, I mean try to sell to you, upon stepping off the bus. You just walk quickly, and they give up. As a group, our guide led us to the tourist area and then told us we had an hour to explore and meet back at the beginning of the tourist area. Off we went, me practically leaping ahead to see the Leaning Tower. You walk through a series of street vendors, turn left through an archway, and bam; there's the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the surrounding monuments! Wow, was it impressive! It was even COOLER than I had pictured and imagined! Pictures just do not do it justice; you must see it in person! The detailed work is just incredible! You can take a famous "pushing it back up" pic from either side of it and from many distances. We took a few from each side. We beat the crowds there so had plenty of room for taking pics and exploring. We purchased our obligatory magnet from the official gift shop and then it was bathroom time. I was elated to find a bathroom for which I could pay. Why would I be eager to pay to use the bathroom you ask? It's because when I went to Europe after high school, I learned very quickly how incredibly delightful the paid bathrooms are. An attendant cleans between each use; for a germaphobe, you couldn't ask for more! I happily have the man my .5 Euros, and then reality crashed. The stall was FILTHY! Someone had vomited, and it was splattered on the back of the toilet! Yuck, yuck, yuck! When had this last been cleaned?! Definitely not right before me! Lesson learned; paid doesn't always mean clean! I quickly got out of there, and then we explored the other monuments before doing some souvenir shopping on the path back to our meeting spot. We also got the usual gelato (at 10:00 AM; it's vacation after all ;-)), and this place had some of my fav gelato of the trip! The displays were heaping with creamy gelato, and they had some extra fun flavors. Everyone was on time to leave (always a bonus), and we walked back to the bus for the journey to Florence. The same sellers bombarded us as we boarded the bus, but again, just ignore and walk on, making sure that they haven't put a purse or sunglasses on you!!

 

The drive to Florence was on the highway but still quite beautiful. We passed limestone mountains that are

mined for building use. We could even see the Italian Alps! A group of luxury sports cars passed us, and I'm talking the majors like maseratis! When you first get to Florence, you drive through modern day Florence. I was amused to see apartment complexes that looked exactly like the wannabe Tuscan complexes here in the U.S. The contractors here apparently did a very accurate job replicating the Tuscan style! The bus drops you off at the edge of the historical district, and then as a group, you walk to the Piazza Santa Croce, or Santa Croce Square. The meeting spot was one of the suggested stores, and that store provides tour groups with clean bathrooms and air conditioning; smart marketing! I used the bathroom, hubby considered some Italian leather jackets made at that store, and then we began our exploration of Florence.

 

The first destination was All'Antico Vinaio, the #1 rated restaurant on TripAdvisor. It's a hole in the wall sandwich shop that took a few tries to find but every minute spent finding it and in line! You've gotta experience this place. While in line, which was thankfully relatively short due to our early arrival, you see sandwiches piled atop the glass display case, a salami 10x the size of ones in the U.S., and focaccia bread a foot wide! Once you get to the cash register, you order your drink and pay. Wine is cheap and can be consumed on the street. For seating, there's one counter with stools, but most sit in chairs on the side of the street. They also have another storefront across the street with with much more seating. All ingredients were fresh and flavorful. We both had spicy salami caprese sandwiches. Europeans don't use a lot of sauces and spreads; the flavor comes from the ingredients.

I would have preferred a spread of some kind but still appreciated the vibrant flavors of the salami, tomatoes, and mozzarella.

 

After lunch, it was time to find the much anticipated Duomo. If there was one thing DH could see that day, it was going to be that. We had planned on touring it, but the guide told us it's much more impressive on the outside so to not waste precious time going inside. Admire the Duomo from the outside, and pay the 10 Euros pp (cash only) to climb Giatto's Tower instead. Admission covers entry to all of the museums of the Duomo as well, but since time was at a premium, we went with the guide's advice. I had seen videos taken from Giatto's Tower and knew that the view was spectacular, but I definitely did not realize how many steps were involved in reaching the top! You think you're at the top when you reach an open viewing area, but no, it takes about 4 viewing platforms before you reach the tip top. 414 steps!! Narrow, stone steps curving up, up, up. In some places, you have to press yourself up against the wall to let people by or to take a break. At least it was cooler in the tower because of the lack of sun and the stone. I have to admit that the view was stunning from the top! After taking video and pics, it was time to descend. Going down was soooo much easier than going up, and when we finished, we realized just how much cooler it was inside! Beware that only 1 person mans the gift shop, and when he/she takes a break, it's basically closed until the break is over. We waited about 5 minutes to make our purchases; the admission cashier just kept saying the employee would be right back.

 

**Please note that while you can buy your Duomo/Giatto tickets online, it is not considered reliable. We learned that from Rick Steves and experienced it firsthand. We tried twice, and neither time worked. Long story, but the moral was, don't risk buying them online. I went through 30 minutes of stress on the phone and still had to purchase the tickets once we arrived. There was no line to buy them inside Giatto's Tower anyway.

 

I was sooooo relieved to hear my husband say that we were done climbing for the day! We enjoyed a stroll around the Piazza del Duomo, taking in the grandeur of the opulent buildings, and then we went on our much earned gelato mission. Grom was the recommended gelateria, and it was supposed to be right behind the Piazza del Duomo. It truly was behind the Piazza del Duomo, but it was tucked back and took some meandering to find. Streets in Florence, as in many parts of Italy, are narrow and feel more like alleys than streets. They're usually very safe, though. Grom was unlike any other gelateria we visited. They had steel vats of gelato instead of the standard, artistically arranged mounds of gelato behind a glass case. This means that you must order from the menu board without seeing what you're ordering. There was a long line, and you must be ready quickly when it's you're turn. The lady working there was pretty much the only rude local I encountered in any of our travels in the Med. I accidentally knocked over the napkin dispenser, and she glared at me. She was also irritated when I asked the difference between 2 lemon gelatos listed on the menu. My poor DH had the same question and didn't hear me ask or her answer, so I jumped in and told him to protect him from the mean one. The gelato was delicious, though not extraordinary like it was hyped up to be.

 

Next, we made our way to the Piazza della Signoria to see the Statue of David. It took some getting lost to find our way, but just as in Venice, it's part of the experience. From there, we back tracked to the carousel a few piazzas away. There was great shopping enroute, similar to Rodeo Drive! We also stumbled upon the pig statue/fountain that ensures your return to Florence if you rub its snout. I rubbed with all

my might! :-) The carousel was a fun ride with views far from American carousels! You're in this historical piazza with buildings hundreds of years old; it was like a

fairy tale. Quite a bargain at 1.5 Euros pp, too. A boy comes around while on the ride to collect your token, much more laid back than here; they're very trusting.

 

After the carousel, it was time to hoof it to our last destination, the Ponte Vecchio, a bridge filled with stores and gorgeous views of Florence and the Arno River. Italians tell you Arno is pronounced like a slurred version of Americans saying "I don't know". We did our best to get lost one more time for good measure and found that Italians are usually happy to give directions; no need to buy something to get info., but it certainly helps. The Ponte Vecchio is another place where pictures just can't do it justice. It's stunning and unique. I could have shopped there for hours, lovely and extensive selection of gold jewelry. Alas, it was time to head back to our meeting point at The Old Leather Factory in Santa Croce Square. Hordes of cruise pax from our ship and the Crystal ship were amassed throughout the square ready to head back to the ship. This makes the bathroom lines extra long, so get back early if you want to use the bathroom before leaving. I left my purse with my poor hubby, not realizing that he too needed to use the bathroom. He's a problem solver, though, and dutifully just took my purse with him to the bathroom at the cafe next to the store I was in, avoiding the line and taking good care of my purse. It is here that he bought an ultra refreshing looking cup of ice water. The owner had graciously given him a cup of ice for him to pour his bottled water into. *sigh* Nice in theory, but as some of you are already thinking, it's not wise to risk local water! You must bear in mind that even this germaphobe wasn't thinking clearly from the extreme heat. I blissfully gulped water...and then proceeded to majorly freak out that we would contract some horrid water borne disease and have the rest of the cruise ruined! Spoiler alert: We were fine. :-)

 

As I've alluded, it was monstrously, horridly, wretchedly hot in Florence that day! To be exact, the thermometer read 97 degrees Fahrenheit PLUS humidity! This would be a good time to remind you that we are from the tundra! It wasn't just us suffering, though; everyone in our group was melting away right along with us.

 

We boarded the bus and were overpowered by heat. Though there was air conditioning, it was not combatting the heat well at all! We distracted ourselves with the beauty of the affluent section of Florence up in the hills as we were given a bonus driving tour. Once back on the highway, we were all sweltering! Our guide was so, so kind and offered to trade seats with some ladies because his A/C vents were functioning better than the rest of ours. We all closed our curtains, fanned ourselves with paper, I held my hair up the whole drive, and DH and I used our personal fan. Nothing helped much, though; it was just oppressively hot! My mother-in-law detests the heat, and we kept saying that if she had come (she wanted to), she would have checked herself into a 5 star hotel in Florence, sat all day in the air conditioning, flown home that night, and had us pack her stuff; it was that hot! Once back on the ship, we were blown away (lol) by the powerful air conditioning! It was a great day in Pisa and Florence, but it was good to be home! :-)

 

 

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[anteaters]

Cruise Queen, thank you for still another detailed review, this time for Florence. The information that you provide is not only interesting but also potentially so helpful to others like me who enjoy excursion planning. So, just know that you are greatly appreciated! Jo Anne

[Colo Cruiser]

Fantastic review!

Did you take notes? :eek:

[lovevacadays]

Your port reviews are fabulous.:):):)

[cruisequeen4ever]

Aw, thank you everyone! Nope, no notes! I am making sure I get all of this typed before I do start forgetting, though! Lol Next up is Toulon, France.

 

 

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[caribill]

Florence/Pisa:

 

Our new excursion was the "Florence/Pisa on Your Own".

 

Does Princess still offer the excursion to Pisa which includes a climb to the top of the leaning tower?

 

 

**Please note that while you can buy your Duomo/Giatto tickets online, it is not considered reliable. We learned that from Rick Steves and experienced it firsthand. We tried twice, and neither time worked. Long story, but the moral was, don't risk buying them online. I went through 30 minutes of stress on the phone and still had to purchase the tickets once we arrived. There was no line to buy them inside Giatto's Tower anyway.

 

However if you are doing a Florence on your own and want to go inside one of the major museums (Accademia (where the original David statue is), Uffizi Gallery), then buying tickets online in advance is essential. If you wait until you are there, the lines may be very long and you could spend more time in line than inside the museum).

 

 

see above in red

[cruisequeen4ever]

Caribill, I didn't see a Princess excursion including a climb to the top, but that doesn't mean it wasn't offered. In the time we were given, there wouldn't have been enough time to make the climb otherwise we would have. You have to buy tickets for a specific time, so it's difficult to make happen while on an organized excursion.

 

 

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