Regal Princess 17 Day Mediterranean/Aegean Grand Adventure Review

[cruisequeen4ever]

Toulon:

Gateway to Provence and the French Riviera

 

You must leave the city limits of Toulon to get the value of this port! The Regal docks across the bay from Toulon in La Seyne Sur Mer, but it really doesn't matter because there's nothing of note in Toulon anyway. Board you excursion bus, and get to the heart of Provence; you won't regret it!

 

When I first saw that we could take an excursion to St. Tropez from Toulon, it was a no brainer to me. This is the place you see in movies where the jet set vacation. My hubby had his doubts; it appeared to him that the short time we would be given would be useless there because we wouldn't even have time to visit the beach, which is the highlight. Then, I did my research on Cruise Critic, and everyone said that it's a has been place and not worth the long drive. I finally gave in and gave up the dream of going there. Spoiler alert: I absolutely loved Bourmes and didn't miss St. Tropez!

 

Bourmes les Mimosas became our top pick. We also thought Hyeres (pronounced ee-ear) looked cool, and it only cost a little extra $ to do the combo excursion of Bourmes les Mimosas and Hyeres.

 

As you know, the previous day we had melted away on our return from Florence, so we weren't that enthused to board another bus. Ha, no worries; we were on a brand spanking new Mercedes bus!! Refreshing air conditioning swirled around us as we made or journey through Sanary and on through Toulon before making it into the highway. Now, these cities were interesting to drive through because they're different from what we are used to; they're just not know to be fun to spend time exploring.

 

Once on the highway, we realized we were a far cry from I-5! This highway was full of palm trees! It was like driving through Beverly Hills but at 60 MPH! It turns out this is palm tree country! For those who don't know, it's my fav tree, a symbol of tropical climate and relaxation! We eventually turned off to drive up the hillside. When we arrived in Bourmes, we literally perched on the side of a cliff.

 

The tour was to begin with a 30 or so minute walking tour, followed by 2 hours of free time. This was a nice blend. First, it was bathroom break time, though, and what a bathroom it wasn't!! About 15 of us ladies lines up and were horrified when the first lady came out saying there was NOTHING in there! I immediately handed DH my purse so as not to contaminate it, and stuffed Kleenex and hand sanitizer in my pocket! A quick survey had me conclude that no one else seemed to have these essentials, and we were gonna be touching much of the same things all day?! Yuck! Please ladies, carry toilet paper, Kleenex, and hand sanitizer with you through Europe! You will need it! A few ladies later, a lady announced that it was a great bathroom! Did she just get back from Egypt?! She was the only one who had this opinion, let me tell you! I got through this, and we all ventured out in the walking tour.

 

My assumption that this village was the birthplace of champagne mimosas was false; this is the home of the mimosa FLOWER. Mimosas weren't in bloom, but there are other flowers everywhere enhancing the beauty. We made our way to the top of the hillside town for stunning views and then continued the tour as we made our way back down to the center of this picturesque town. We learned that unlike here, seaside vacations and homes were not that valued. The wealthy had hillside homes and took their vacations high in the hills to stay cool! Hence, this gorgeous village high in the hills. The charm here was through the roof!

 

Now it was free time. I shopped to my heart's content, DH took me on fun explorations of back walkways, and we took tons of pictures of this idyllic place. Next, it was time for lunch.

 

After reading, or trying to read, the menu at the restaurants along the cliff, we settled on the restaurant with the best view and a menu translated into English. :-) We were given a requested table for 2 overlooking the town and ocean. It was early, so they said we could order drinks and food, but the food would be served after noon. That was fine, so we ordered the drink of this region, rose sparkling wine and enjoyed the view. French bread was brought, and let me tell you, you haven't had French bread until you've had French bread in France!! It was so tasty, I didn't even miss butter, which they don't seem to serve in Europe. Our food eventually came, and though the presentation was amazing, the food was just decent, certainly not worth the price we paid. Lesson learned; we would savor the amazing food on the ship, and go to the famous sandwich shops or holes in the wall known for quality food in port. Now, I had just learned a few hours earlier that France has the worst bathrooms, so I was practically giddy at the prospect of getting to use a clean bathroom at this fancy restaurant. *sigh* It was not to be. When I got to the bathroom door, a lady was on her way out and informed me that the toilet was not flushing. Back I went to the table where I notified my hubby that we would be having dessert at a different restaurant so I could have another chance at a clean bathroom! He obliged, we paid via credit card, which was a rarity to be able to do as many places did not accept credit cards in Europe, and we went in search of the best bathroom, I mean glacé. ;-) Up the street and close to our meeting point, was a cafe with glacé, crepes, and sandwiches. We should have just eaten here; oh well. This cafe should be on the map as having the best bathroom! It was clean and even had soap!! DH ordered glacé and a Nutella crepe to eat in his mom's honor because she loves crepes. I had glacé, and it was delicious. We headed back to the cliffside to board our bus, and off we went. This drive was very curvy and downhill. The lanes were so narrow that the bus would cross over the line on every curve! We passed luxury sports cars like Ferraris.

 

Soon we arrived at the seaside town of Hyeres. It was much more

expansive than I thought it would be, but we stayed in one section for our tour. As a group, we hiked our way up, up, up to a fortress lookout high above the town. From there, we had free time to make our way back down at leisure. First priority for many of us was a bathroom break. Don't use the fortress bathroom! It's one single bathroom for men and women and surprise, surprise; it didn't flush! DH made the very wise decision to wait and use one in a cafe. Had I known that we would soon be at a cafe, I would have waited, too. We enjoyed the gardens on the hillside and strolled back down to the town square area with cafes. Many places were closed for siesta and because it was Sunday, but some remained open for tourists. We bought a bottle of sparkling mineral water and a bottle of beer, self-serve with the exception of the lady popping the cap. How much did DH tip? The equivalent of $12 U.S.!! How did it happen?? He just tossed all of his coins into the tip jar forgetting that Euro coins are like our $1 and $2 bills! It was a very easy mistake to make, but boy was I now going to get our money's worth! We say at a table

in front of the mister fan and savored every cool minute! Then, despite having just been, I was determined to use the bathroom at this cafe. Unfortunately, there's apparently a clean one (the one my hubby used) and a not so nice one (the one I used). Oh well; if overtipping was the worst thing that happened to us, I'll take it! We made our way back to the plaza where the bus would pick us up. We had time to explore this area a little and felt the refreshing shade of the trees and fountain. DH then wandered off to do some more exploring while keeping a close eye on me and the group to make sure he wasn't late. I didn't know he was keeping a close watch, however, and was freaking out knowing he didn't have his watch or phone to tell him the time! I of course worried for nothing, and we boarded the bus for the approximately 30-45 minute drive home. This time, to avoid traffic, we drove under the city of Toulon in a tunnel. It was really cool.

 

Bourmes les Mimosas is so charming and picturesque; we want to return someday. Hyeres was take it or leave it to me.

 

Once back at the ship, we had poolside drinks at the aft pool to cool off and watched one of the most beautiful sailaways. You must watch sailaway from Toulon! This was the last port of the 7 day segment, and we were so elated to know that we didn't have to disembark the next day. Our cruise wasn't even half over! Unfortunately 2 German ladies had their cruise cut short because they missed the boat, excuse the pun. Their names were called over and over, and the captain graciously waited a while to no avail. Hope they're OK!

 

 

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[anteaters]

Thanks so much! You wrote about the exact excursion that we selected for our cruise. I couldn't find a single review of either city anywhere until just now reading yours. I don't really like narrow curvy mountain roads but after hearing me read your glowing review of Bourmes, my husband told me that I can just close my eyes.... And since you said that Hyeres was a "take it or leave it" for you and nothing in your description really sounded great, I think I'll go change to doing only Bourmes instead of both. Maybe. I just wish you had gone to all the Med. ports that we'll be doing on our twelve day cruise in August because I would have loved to hear your detailed reports on each one. By the way, another influence from reading your reviews... DH and I plan to get gelatos In Rome, Florence, and Venice in your honor ;) .

[cruisequeen4ever]

Thanks so much! You wrote about the exact excursion that we selected for our cruise. I couldn't find a single review of either city anywhere until just now reading yours. I don't really like narrow curvy mountain roads but after hearing me read your glowing review of Bourmes, my husband told me that I can just close my eyes.... And since you said that Hyeres was a "take it or leave it" for you and nothing in your description really sounded great, I think I'll go change to doing only Bourmes instead of both. Maybe. I just wish you had gone to all the Med. ports that we'll be doing on our twelve day cruise in August because I would have loved to hear your detailed reports on each one. By the way, another influence from reading your reviews... DH and I plan to get gelatos In Rome, Florence, and Venice in your honor ;) .

 

Cool anteaters! I'm so glad I'm able to help! I get car sick and made it through the windy drive, but be sure to sit up front. My strategy was to snag the second row each time because the guide always takes the first row. To set yourself up for that, make sure you sit on the aisle in the Princess Theater when you gather for the excursion, so you can race ahead when they call your group. The cruise staff at first asked us to move to the next empty seats, but as soon as I told them I get car sick, they were happy to let me sit on the aisle. In hindsight, I don't know whether I would have rather skipped Hyeres. It seems like the excursion that does Bourmes by itself gives you basically the same amount of time as the combo excursion, so from that standpoint, I'd say you might as well keep Hyeres. Hubby did like Hyeres, but Bourmes was definitely the standout place, and I'm so glad you're going!

 

 

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[anteaters]

Thanks! I think we're on the same page. When comparing both excursions once again, DH said that since we may never be there again and we'd get no longer time in Bournes by itself, he'd rather do the combo so we'll stick with it and follow in your footsteps (with lots of toilet paper and tissue ;) .) I don't think your advice with getting to the front of the bus will work for us though--we seem unlucky in being in the right place at the right time to get on the bus first, even when we try to be at the meeting place early. But we'll try harder on this excursion especially. I still think it's so great that you wrote about the one excursion that I was most eager to learn about for Toulon! It's obvious that you love traveling so I hope you get to do lots!

[Jasperdo]

Excellent review! Thanks so much for sharing.

[dazee8]

CruiseQueen: Love your indepth review of your cruise. I was wondering if the ship was christened? If so, who was the Godmother? Thanks.

 

:)

[cruisequeen4ever]

CruiseQueen: Love your indepth review of your cruise. I was wondering if the ship was christened? If so, who was the Godmother? Thanks.

 

:)

 

Thank you! Nope, I heard it's happening when she reaches the Caribbean. Kind of stupid to wait, but at least there's no validity to the myths about not christening a ship; we had smooooooth sailing! ;-)

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

Barcelona:

 

B2B Bliss

 

There is nothing like the feeling you have on disembarkation day when you're doing a Back to Back cruise! Sad faces surround you, but you are practically giddy with excitement! This was our first (of hopefully many) B2Bs. It was so crazy to think that when the first cruise ended, we still had OVER half of our cruise left!!

 

Barcelona was to be a busy day for us because DH wanted to see as much as possible PLUS go to the beach! We love the beach and had originally planned to go to Maui, so Barceloneta Beach was our compromise, the one beach time of the trip. DH wanted an early start, but I was worn out from the first 7 days, so I didn't set an early alarm. We had a relaxing breakfast, and then disembarked...for the day. Awwww I will never get over how great it feels to be In Transit!

 

The Port of Barcelona is huge, and Princess docks all the way at the end, so when you get off the ship, you can purchase shuttle tickets to take you outside the port to the World Trade Center area. Tickets are $10 U.S. pp for 1 roundtrip and are charged to your Onboard account, easy peasy. The alternative is the public bus, but with Barcelona being a big pickpocket city and buses being targets, I didn't want to risk it. The shuttle took us right across a square from the HoHo bus; perfect! I had researched the Hop On, Hop Off (HoHo) bus online and determined it to be the most efficient way of covering the city tour and at an affordable price. 2 companies offer it, the City of Barcelona and Grey Line (known here at Barcelona City Tours). We chose the private company and are very glad we did. Barcelona City Tours (the red bus) offers 2 routes, East and West. We had planned on just doing the East route because it covered the must sees. Don't worry about buying your tickets ahead of time because you have to wait in line every time you board the bus anyway. You can save 10% by buying online, but it wasn't worth it to us in case something had come up to prevent us from taking the tour. When you board, you stand in line to buy your tickets, 27 Euros pp Onboard. They give you a ticket that you must present each time you board the bus; don't lose it! When you get onto the bus, you wait in the same line as those buying tickets because they scan your ticket each time. They give you a new pair of headphones, a map, guide, and coupon book. You can either sit downstairs inside; this is best if you're just getting off at the next stop, have limited mobility, or are in a hurry. The best place to sit is upstairs outside. For shade, you can sit under the overhang in the last 4 or so rows. Otherwise, you're in the sun. If it rains, rest assured, they have a roof that slides over to cover. :-) We were blessed with a gorgeous day and tortured by insane heat! Lol The seats are hard plastic, so don't expect luxury; legroom is pretty standard for a bus but not too bad. Most were clean, but one bus that day looked like someone had thrown up on some seats, so look before you sit! Once seated, you plug your headphones into the jack and select your language for the audio tour. It's available in many languages. Eating, drinking, standing, and walking while the bus is in motion are not allowed.

 

We went quickly upstairs to secure prime seats in the shade. With our GoPro, DH could easily extend the monopod to get unobstructed video above the overhang. We eventually moved to the sunny area, and that worked well, too. It's very easy to take quality pictures upstairs, since there are no windows. When the bus took off, it donned on me that I didn't check which route it was doing. Wow, fail on my part! We turned left, and I knew I had accidentally put us on the West Route taking us in the opposite direction of where we wanted to go. This turned out to be the best mistake of the day! We saw areas we didn't plan on seeing but that were really cool like the whole Olympic area! It took us up into the hills for beautiful views of the city. I knew we would eventually connect with the East Route anyway, so we relaxed and enjoyed the ride. The bus starts running at 9:00 AM, and this must have been the first bus; it was mostly empty. After about 45 minutes (each route takes between 1.5 and 2 hours if you ride the whole route), we reached the stop than connects with the East Route. The audio tour tells you what you're seeing, background info., historical facts, and then informs you of stops, so you know when to get off the bus. This works pretty well, but I will prepare you that sometimes it didn't stop where the map showed, and sometimes we would stop for a second making you think it was a bus stop, but really it was to let another bus or car go. Be alert and track the route on the map as you go. We got off at the stop to switch buses. The East VS. West Route is displayed on a screen on the front of the bus, so always check there before boarding. You can always ask the rep onboard, too. There's always a driver and a rep onboard. To find the stop, look for the sign on the sidewalk with the company logo; the sign will always be in red. Don't get mixed up with the other HoHo bus in blue.

 

The East Route bus soon arrived, and we easily boarded. Buses run every 10 minutes, so you never have to wait long unless the bus is full. We began our East Route tour and decided that since we had lost time (gained enjoyment) by doing the West Route, too, we'd better skip swimming at the beach and just walk it before re-boarding the bus and continuing on the tour. The Barceloneta Beach stop soon came, and we exited the bus.

 

We had researched the best beach online, and this was it. It's very popular and was filled with people. We looked down from the boardwalk, and I was met with shock. In Europe, there are no topless beaches; really every beach is topless! Culture shock! Ladies of all ages and sizes were walking casually around. It doesn't have the same meaning as in the U.S. To them it's just like bearing your arms in a sleeveless shirt. We walked down to the beach and put our feet in. That's when I about vomited! There was tons of trash floating in the water, and I'm talking nasty, nasty trash! I called I DH who was a few feet away, and as soon as he saw, we quickly took our feet out! Do not go in the water in Barcelona!! Remember, THIS was supposed to to be the BEST beach here!! We rinsed off our feet and legs and walked in the sand to the end of the beach and then plotted our route to the next bus stop. Thank goodness we hadn't wasted time going back to the ship for our swimwear!

Unfortunately, I had been gifted with a souvenir, itchy, burning legs and feet!!!!!!! I was freaking out and worried I had contracted a bacterial infection from the water. I also needed a bathroom. You now know how difficult it is to find clean bathrooms.

 

We were standing at the bus stop when I saw the holy grail of bathrooms, Barcelona Casino! In the coupon book, there was a coupon for 2 free drinks and admission to this casino, and since casino bathrooms are usually clean, this was a fantastic opportunity! In we went and were blasted with refreshing air conditioning! They took our IDs and snapped pics, which is not something we would normally do, but this was an unusual circumstance. They gave us our drink tickets, and we were ushered in. I used the bathroom smiling all the way as there was an attendant cleaning between each use. The drink tickets entitle you to a glass of champagne or beer. We had those and decided to each play penny slots for the first time in a foreign casino. I struggled to translate everything, but then we figured out you can change the language setting. We played Godfather slots and Iron Man slots, both entertaining. I saved the last .15 Euro cash ticket as a souvenir for my brother who loves casinos. My legs were reallllllly itching and burning, so I doused them in hand sanitizer and then used the glorious bathroom one more time for good measure. We went back out into the sun to the bus stop.

 

This is where things went south. A bus came, but there were no seats outside, so we decided to wait for the next one. DH thought it would help save time if we walked to the next bus stop (surely it couldn't be far?!) and caught the next bus. We checked the map and walked toward the next stop. We passed the blue bus stop but did not see any evidence of our red stop. We went right where it showed the stop, but nothing was there. I finally suggested we backtrack (really losing time now!) to the last stop, since we at least know where it is and get the next bus there. We did that, and this bus was full upstairs, too. This time, we just sat downstairs and waited until people got off at the next stop to get seats upstairs. We should have done that earlier! As people would get off, we would switch seats to get better and better ones. In the afternoon, the buses were mostly all full, so I recommend this strategy of working your way up to the best seats rather than waiting for another bus.

 

La Sagrada Familia was awe inspiring but covered a lot with scaffolding. DH was really wanting to explore Parc Guell, but because of the snafu at the beach we didn't have time. :-( Just the brief view we had of it showed what a remarkable place it was, and I wish we could have seen more of it. Oh well; we will just have to go back! ;-) At one point, we went in a tunnel, and it was like a ride we were going so fast! The architecture of Gaudi is so insanely cool; you must see it! There's just nothing like it. The other buildings in Barcelona are incredible, too. They reminded me of France. Everything was very fancy and ornate. I could have ridden the HoHo bus all day; there was so much to see.

 

We came back to the main square where all of the buses converge. This was where we needed to get off to visit Las Ramblas, site of La Boqueria, my requested highlight. At this point, we were really short on time, so we raced! Unfortunately, the market closes early in the day, and this was 4:00. La Boqueria was not to be. :-( I was very disappointed but now just focused on the best way back to the ship shuttle meeting point. We could either walk the remained of Las Ramblas which looked to be about 9 blocks, but you never know for sure, or the known; we could walk back to the square and take the West Route bus back to the meeting point. We went with the known to be safe. It probably would have been fine to walk, but it wasn't worth the risk. We arrived back in time, waited on the cool shuttle until departure time, and then we were safely taken back to the ship. My legs were now aching, swollen, itchy, and burning! I decided to give it a day before going to the doctor, though, and just shower thoroughly and slather my legs in lotion. We were the second to last shuttle back to the ship. The cruise terminal was empty except for security and a few other passengers. We presented our In Transit cards and cruise cards (which by the way were for our entire cruise, so we didn't have to get new ones) and re-boarded.

 

We had quite an adventure in BarTHelona! Yes, that's how thy say it. We would really like to return to Barcelona someday and tour it more. It's much more interesting and aesthetically pleasing than I expected!

 

It was sailaway time with the new crop of passengers, so we took showers, donned our swimsuits, and up onto the pool deck we went! It was a treat being able to secure loungers instead of attending the Muster Drill! In Transits only have to attend the first Muster of their cruise. Sailaways were always fun with Evolution, the band, and Pedro, the DJ. We were too exhausted to go to the dining room that night, so we enjoyed burgers and fries from the grill and some goodies from the buffet. It was a great night and start to our next cruise!

 

 

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[Colo Cruiser]

Excellent! :)

[PebbleBeachCruiser]

Thank you very much for your outstanding review of these ports. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this.

 

Since you sound like a kindred spirit in terms of your aversion to heat and humidity, can I ask you how the air conditioning and temperature was in your cabin and in the ship in general on the Regal?

 

We are onboard her August 6 sailing and hoping that the cabins can be cooled enough to be comfortable at night for sleeping and cool enough during the day to be a refuge from the August Mediterranean heat.

 

Thanks again.

[cruisequeen4ever]

Thank you very much for your outstanding review of these ports. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this.

 

Since you sound like a kindred spirit in terms of your aversion to heat and humidity, can I ask you how the air conditioning and temperature was in your cabin and in the ship in general on the Regal?

 

We are onboard her August 6 sailing and hoping that the cabins can be cooled enough to be comfortable at night for sleeping and cool enough during the day to be a refuge from the August Mediterranean heat.

 

Thanks again.

 

Thank you!

 

I love the heat but am quite sensitive to it now that I live in Alaska.

 

The stateroom and ship are blissfully cool!! I even wore my sweater a few times in the dining room and lounges. Outside, though, it's boiling! To stay cool outside, park yourself at the Retreat Pool; the wind always kept that area about 10 degrees cooler. Also, we loved the shady spot under the overhang of deck 17 mid ship.

 

 

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[anteaters]

Once again, thanks for a great review! We'll begin our cruise in Barcelona, arriving one day early, and it was fun to read about how you toured the city and hear about some of the places we're planning to visit there (no beaches!) By the way, we have something else in common--You said early in your notes that you are a first grade teacher and I taught the young ones (2nd grade and a few 2-3 combos) for twenty six years until retiring. Well, I don't know what the rest of your ports are, but I'm hoping there will be even more of ours (i.e. Athens, Mykonos, Istanbul.....). Oh, a question. Did you take your passports with you at each port? Thanks so much for your time! Jo Anne

[cruisequeen4ever]

Once again, thanks for a great review! We'll begin our cruise in Barcelona, arriving one day early, and it was fun to read about how you toured the city and hear about some of the places we're planning to visit there (no beaches!) By the way, we have something else in common--You said early in your notes that you are a first grade teacher and I taught the young ones (2nd grade and a few 2-3 combos) for twenty six years until retiring. Well, I don't know what the rest of your ports are, but I'm hoping there will be even more of ours (i.e. Athens, Mykonos, Istanbul.....). Oh, a question. Did you take your passports with you at each port? Thanks so much for your time! Jo Anne

 

How cool, Jo Anne!

 

Mykonos was our last port, so hang in there. Before that, we have Toulon and Rome again, Naples, Santorini, and Kusadasi.

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

Toulon:

 

We're baaaaack! We knew what to expect having just been here 2 days earlier. It felt so cool to just hop back to France! When else can you say that?!

 

This time we signed up for the "most popular" excursion of Aix. Aix is the former capital of Provence. It's inland, reminiscent of yesteryear, and has a lot of character. At first we were only moderately interested, but once we watched more videos, it became a place we really wanted to visit. It did not let us down! This being the most popular excursion, there were lots of groups, over half the theater. One bus that day blew a tire on the way back. :-(

 

Back to the morning...We boarded the bus, and this time headed out of Sanary sur Mer in the opposite direction from Toulon. That was cool because we covered more of the region. The drive was 1.25 hours long with a bathroom break on the way. The gas station had a very clean bathroom and was refreshingly cool inside. Hubby bought his fav Gummy Cola Bottles, but these were extra fun because they were made in France! We hit traffic close to Aix, but it didn't last long, thankfully.

 

When you enter Aix, there's the modern city to one side, and the historical district to the other. DH wanted to visit a nice park in the modern area, but you really can't cover both sections in half a day. Buses drop off at the gorgeous fountain in the city square. I had really wanted to see Trevi Fountain, but our excursion didn't include it. When I saw the fountain in Aix, I was so over Trevi! This fountain is magnificent and a great welcome to the city. The guide gave us the option of going on a walking tour with him and a little free time at the end or going off on our own for free time the whole time. We opted to go off on our own, determined not to miss this market experience.

 

Aix is a very safe place. Ladies strolled through the streets gathering groceries. People lived in a nice leisure pace there, it seemed. Most stores didn't open until about 11:00 AM. The city held so much history and presented its charm in such a relaxed manner.

 

At first, we were a little let down by the market because many items were used. We did find some new stands with handmade items. We bought my mother-in-law a Provence kitchen towel. After reaching the end, we veered to the left only to discover that was just the first part of the market. Now we were in the food section, and boy was it a spread! Never have I seen such plump, vibrant fruit! Everything was so fresh. The herbs were a delight to the senses. The variety of meats and cheeses was stupendous. It would have been incredible to shop here for ingredients every day.

 

From the market, we wandered the streets, moving in the general direction of the historical sites. We stumbled upon an adorable macaroon shop with homemade macaroons in all different flavors. I had a lemon one that was out of this world! We then turned a corner and bam, here was the first site of interest and a flower market. DH sweetly chose a bouquet for me, but I decided better to admire it there than to buy it and have to throw it away before getting back on the ship. After touring the building in the square, we went into a candy shop. The candy looked fun and was good but nothing special. After, we made our way to the church. This is a good time for a tip...if you're lost or trying to find a significant place, just follow the cruise pax. If you find yourself alone on a street, you've probably veered off course. This logic worked well for us in Aix and other ports. This church, though smaller than the Sistine Chapel, was so intriguing. It had such detail threaded throughout, all the way to the style of seating. Members worshipped as tourists toured. There was no charge. After touring, we started on the path back to the market area to choose a restaurant for lunch. By this time, places had started opening. We went in a little shop that had handmade home accessories and souvenir magnets. I found an absolutely too cute magnet with French food in a bag, and it was handmade there; perfect score for our magnet collection! As we strolled the streets, our senses were treated to the scintillating aroma of fresh bread sold out of the open windows of the boulangeries. I pity a "no carb" tourist!

 

After reading the menus of many sidewalk cafes on the main stretch, we used our theory that the sandwich shops are the best option and found the best looking one. It's called Paul, and it turned out to be a fantastic French chain. The man sells you your sandwich through the open window on the street, and then you go inside to pay. We ordered a salami sandwich and a caprese sandwich and shared them both. They were a feast for the senses!!!!! We ate our sandwiches at a sidewalk cafe and ordered a drink, so we could sit there. I paired with a bottle of French Coca Cola, Vincent.

 

The last mission was the glacé mission. We raced to the middle of the market area where we had chosen the glacé parlor for our treat. Mission tastefully accomplished! We ate our cones on the walk back to the meeting point by the fountain. The buses can't stay there, so the guide has to call it when everyone is ready. Be ready on time; don't be the one the group has to wait for while all the other groups get to escape to their air conditioned buses!

 

We took a scenic drive the first stretch back, but I can't remember anything about it other than seeing another Paul. Lol It must not have been that scenic of a drive. After about 15 minutes, we were back on the highway. We passed vineyards and French country homes that were rich with charm. We were given a bathroom break at another gas station, which also had clean bathrooms and great air conditioning. Then it was back on board and smooth sailing home.

 

We had the insider scoop from the previous Toulon stop so snagged loungers to watch the gorgeous sailaway on another bright and shining day in the French Riviera! The captain had announced the first Toulon day that the seas are often rough outside this bay, but we were blessed with glassy seas both times.

 

So long French Riviera, until we meet again!

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

Rome:

 

When in Rome...go to Lake Bracciano!

 

We had DONE Rome the previous week, and we were DONE with Rome! Lake Bracciano looked like a relaxing place to visit and a change of pace from the hectic schedule of the past week. We had seen videos and pics before the cruise and knew that this was a very scenic part of the Italian countryside. Plus there was a visit to an Italian winery. This excursion sold out before the cruise, so if you're interested, book early!

 

This was our first experience on Princess being in a group of elitists.

Snobby, rude, inconsiderate, ill-mannered, and selfish described many of these pax. At 20 minutes before meeting time, the bus was already filling up, and we departed to the minute of the our scheduled time.

 

The tour guide was full of information. She was passionate about Italian living and shared many interesting details, like how pasta is never bought, always homemade. Sunday dinners are a progression with cooking inbetween each course and last about 4 hours. Pizza is homemade. Italians take food seriously, and I am serious about my enjoyment of their cuisine! ;-) The drive took about an hour. We had a photo opp stop to view the famous castle where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got married on Lake Bracciano. This was my first castle viewing in real life, and I was in awe!!! I'm so glad they stopped to give us the photo opp. About 15 minutes later, we arrived at the village of Anguillara on Lake Bracciano. It's a small village popular with Italians in the summer. It's very picturesque. We only had 30 minutes, which infuriated DH. We high tailed it to the gelateria for the obligatory gelato cone and then strolled the streets on the hillside and along the water. DH had to have his beach moment, so we dipped our toes in the water. Again there was trash!! I am seriously over European beaches! This lake was the drinking water for Rome! We walked the beach and then had to race back to the bus. Here is where this cruiser got very mad! As I have previously noted, I get motion sick, so I arrive early to ensure a seat at the front of the bus. This had worked flawlessly on every excursion until this moment. Shore excursion etiquette 101: GO BACK TO THE SAME SEAT YOU HAD BEFORE GETTING OFF THE BUS! We boarded, and I about lost it when I saw people sitting in our seats. I rather loudly said to my husband how rude and inconsiderate it is to take people's seats. He backed me up on it. Then I made sure the people in our seats heard me mention that I get motion sickness and hope I don't throw up now! The couple looked at each other when I said all of this and then continued chatting, totally ignoring me! Their friends had taken the seats across from them, too, and I saw others take people's seats. Who were these people?!

 

The bus drove back to the main road, and then what was set in motion was my motion sickness! As you have probably heard, Italian drivers are pretty crazy, and we were on a curvy hillside road! The bus flew around curves, crossed over the lane, up and down and all around we went. I never threw up but felt more and more nauseated as we drove. We finally stopped in what appeared to be a hillside ghetto. Oh no; don't tell me this is the winery?! This group was about ready to revolt! People up front started saying things. The guide finally announced that the road was "broken" so we would have to backtrack allllllll the way and take the highway!!!! You mean to tell me I have to ensure the windy roads all over again?! After about 30 minutes, we were able to get back on the highway, and about 15 minutes after that, we arrived at the winery. People were interrogating the guide, furious that our visit would be cut short due to the roller coaster ride through the hills. She assured us that we would have the full hour and get back to the ship a little later than planned. As we were walking into the winery, hubby was focusing on filming and rammed his big toe right into the corner of the step. He said he was ok, so we walked inside. The guide told us to line up for 3 samples of white and 3 samples of red. Then, we were to get food to accompany the wine and sit either inside or outside. As we lined up, I kid you not, 3 people cut in front of me!! By now, it was hardly surprising that these people could be so rude. Once at the front of the line, I reached for my glass, and a lady literally walked up and started to grab it!! I told her to go ahead and have it. I had reached my limit and didn't have the energy to defend myself. She must have read my facial expression because she then backed down and insisted I take it. Goodness; really? I should get the glass when I've waited in line, and it was my turn?? *sigh* Anyway, glasses in hand, DH and I went to th food table to divide and conquer. We each took enough of our respective side's items for both of us and then shared. When we got outside, DH asked me for some hand sanitizer and pointed at his toe. I looked down, and it was gushing blood! Poor hubby! I cleaned his wound, and it was quite a gash. We ended up moving inside to sit on some cool barrels that doubled as stools and had larger barrels as tables. The wine and food were delicious, and we bought 2 bottles. Mine was shockingly affordable, and DH chose a reserve bottle for a special occasion. We also bought some ink pasta for my brother. The winery is family owned, and we met many of the family members. This winery was a score; way to go Princess! By the end of the winery visit, people were actually laughing and chatting like normal human beings! Back on the bus, everyone chatted with each other and had an enjoyable ride. It was like night and day!! We had just turned off the highway to drive into Civitavecchia when the bus lurched, then lunged, and then stopped dead in the road. We all said "uh oh" as it was over 90 degrees, and we were now without heat! Our ship was about to leave, too! The driver got off the bus and walked behind it. He came back on, grabbed a pack of cigarettes, and got back off. Ohhhhh noooo; we weren't going anywhere! The guide called her headquarters and in rapid fire Italian informed them of our situation. She told us they were sending a bus to rescue us, and literally 3 buses behind us was our bus in shining armor! Here we thought we would be waiting for ages, and it was there in the blink of an eye. It turned out that the driver of that bus had just returned from Rome, had dropped his pax off, and was headed home. He just happened to be right there! Boy did we appreciate him! We exited the bus and saw the mess at the back of the bus, oil splattered all over the back! We walked down the highway turnoff to the bus and took our seats. The guide then walked onto the HIGHWAY and STOPPED traffic! This was a lady of about 50!! The bus backed up (our old bus was now blocking the turnoff, so we had to take an alternate route), she came back on the bus to thunderous applause from all of us, and we finished the journey home without any further events.

 

This was a roller coaster of a day but a great excursion!

 

 

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[anteaters]

How nice to wake up to your two new reviews! So, two questions. First, did you take your passport on each excursion? Second, of your two excursions from Toulon, since we can only do one, which do you recommend? I don't think you mentioned narrow, curvy roads for your 2nd trip which is a plus for me but is the first one with the two very different cities still enough more interesting/special in terms of getting to know this area of France that you would still recommend it over the second? Thanks! Jo Anne

[cristine]

Really enjoying your review. You have a wonderful way of writing. Feel like I was right there with you..Can't wait to read more. Thanks

[Colo Cruiser]

Very nice days in France and Italy. :)

 

Would it have been better to have booked an independent tour to the lake instead of the Princess tour?

[caribill]

Did you take your passports with you at each port?

 

Not the poster, but in our experience Princess often keeps all of the passports during this type itinerary.

 

Even if Princess did not keep them, there is usually no reason to take them with you on shore in any country unless local laws require it (examples: Egypt, Russia).

 

The only times I have otherwise seen them needed is when doing currency transactions at a bank or to enter the Casino in Monte Carlo.

 

If you are a an overnight excursion (usually not available on this type itinerary), you will need your passport for checking into the hotel for that night.

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree, if we had them we never took them.

[TheCruisingBrewers]

Keep them coming, love your commentaries and taking notes for my cruise next year!

 

Nancy

[cruisequeen4ever]

Anteaters, I'm sorry I forgot to answer your question. We stored our passports in our stateroom safe and only took them out for Venice. Venice requires you to have your passport with you, so don't forget it that day. Princess did not take our passports. They only took the passports of pax from certain countries, and I'm sorry I don't remember what those were. U.S. citizens hold onto their own.

 

Between the 2 excursions in Toulon, that's tough. They were both outstanding, just different. I asked my hubby to help me advise you, and he said basically what I would say. They're both equally amazing; you just have to determine which one is more your style. We recommend going on YouTube and watching videos of both areas to see which one looks more appealing. The roads were not windy to Aix, but it is a longer drive.

 

Yes, we would have preferred a lot more time in Anguillara, but no it wouldn't have been worth the risk to me to take an independent excursion. We had just seen the impact of one car accident blocking the road and backing up traffic the week before. Remember, we would have missed the ship if we hadn't been on a Princess excursion! In fact, the Princess guide to Lake Bracciano was telling everyone about that day and how so many independent pax were trying to get by the buses, stressed about missing the ship. It's just not worth it to me. If you're in a safe country and only going 1-10 miles outside of the port, then an independent excursion is probably fine, but not when you're in a foreign country going an hour away. I know tons of pax do independent excursions successfully and swear by them; this is just my opinion. It was my opinion before this trip, and it was doubly reinforced on our first Rome day.

 

 

 

 

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[cruisequeen4ever]

Naples:

 

"Babes, that's Mt. Vesuvius outside our balcony!" ~ 5:30 AM

 

Naples is pizza paradise, but other than that, it's not known to be very interesting or safe. You must take an excursion and venture out. Today was to be an excursion marathon, and we wore our tennis shoes loud and proud! We chose the Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri excursion because you never know if/when you'll ever get back, so do it all!

 

After waking up to the amazing view of the sun rising over Mt. Vesuvius and shedding a tear because today we were visiting 2 of the sites my mom has always dreamed of seeing, Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, we got ready, ate our routine buffet breakfast, and dashed to the Princess Theater. Every other day, we had worn flip flops and been fine. Today, we decided to scream tourist and wear tennis shoes because Pompeii is dusty and full of uneven ground. We had considered bringing flip flops with us for Sorrento and Capri but in the end decided to not bother lugging shoes all day. I had a moment of doubt when I so many stylishly dressed for the excursion, but reminded myself that we were stylishly dressed up top and comfortably dressed on the bottom, a winning combination. It was very helpful to have tennis shoes on that day. Yes, you can do it in flip flops, but tennis shoes are better.

 

Today's guide had been a guide for over 30 years!! He knew his stuff and flawlessly executed every step of the tour. He was a dream for this Type A personality! This was another day we would be using the radio and headphone system we had become so accustomed to and were all set up ready for Pompeii. The drive took about 30 minutes. I noticed that each group did the Pompeii tour in a slightly different order to avoid congestion in any one part.

 

As soon as we stepped off the bus, I saw the best looking lemons ever! They were the size of American oranges! I knew Sorrento was famous for its lemons but didn't realize that Naples and Pompeii were, too. Our tour began with a cameo factory tour. This was a brief video presentation, live demo of the art, and then a bathroom break/shopping opportunity. In total, we spent about 20 minutes in the cameo factory, and there was no pressure to buy. We spent the last 5 minutes outside in the row of souvenir stands. We met at the entrance to Pompeii where our guide distributed our tickets one by one as we went through the turnstyle. He had us walk to the end of the paved walkway to wait. It was shaded, which I was not expecting, and we caught our first glance of the ruins. One family was a few minutes late, and he teased them that if they were late again, they'd have to buy us all drinks! We all chuckled. He was semi-serious because today was all about precise timing!

 

We turned into the town of Pompeii and were shocked at the magnitude of its size. It was not a tiny village by any means! The guide took us through at a comfortable pace and encouraged us to step into any shade we could find along the way. He also allowed us to wander slightly away to explore each area. The ruins were

incredible! It was so fascinating to see the entombed bodies, which are actually plaster casts of the remains because the bodies have long since decomposed. There was a health club with a pool, a brothel with graphic scenes painted on the wall and stone beds, a bakery with a stone oven, and so much marble! We spent about an hour touring and then had 5 minutes of free time to view the warehouse of artifacts and explore the courtyard. After that, we exited and were given about 10 minutes to shop for souvenirs and buy a fresh lemon or orange Granita! If you have the chance to get one, do not stop; do not pass go; just choose your flavor, and savor every incredible sip! We chose lemon, and it was far and away the most refreshing drink I've ever had! It's like a slushy but made with fresh ingredients. The lemons here make ours look like imitations! You just can't beat Italian lemons and Granitas! We bought our magnet and then got lava from Vesuvius for my mom. We raced to join our group, and then we all walked to the bus parking area a few blocks away. We were so blessed to do Pompeii in the morning because today was another 97 degree scorcher!

 

The drive to Sorrento is along the Sorrento Coast, though we know it as the Amalfi Coast. The views are gorgeous, so don't go to sleep on the bus! After about 45 minutes, we rounded the bend to be greeted by our first sight of Sorrento. Sorrento is a classic Italian Riviera city by the sea, on the cliffs. Pastel buildings, flowers, mini lemon orchards, and stunning views surround you.

 

We were dropped off around the corner from our restaurant. Lunch was included in this excursion. We were dying of heat and just longed for a semi-cool room or patio. We were seated inside in our own room for the group. It was pretty stuffy inside, but we made it. There were multiple tables for 6 or 8, 1 table for 4, and 1 table for 2. Guess who go the lucky table for 2?? We did!!! Score for us! It became a romantic lunch, complete with a bottle of wine and bottle of sparkling mineral water. The bread was melt in your mouth just like in France. Our first course was ricotta and spinach cannelloni. I had never had cannelloni and an now hooked! I could have had another plate of it as my main course! It was flawless! The main course tasted like turkey, though we are not sure that it was turkey, and it came with vegetables. It was good but not a wow course. They had 2 desserts, and they were served "you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit" style. I was hoping we wouldn't get the cake with berries on it because I wanted the tiramisu, but of course we got the cake with berries. I was very wrong about the cake; don't judge a book by its cover! It was LEMON (my favorite fruit flavor, which you are probably starting to gather) cake! Dessert was accompanied by coffee, and Italian coffee is always smooth! I want to go back there and have the cannelloni and cake again! After lunch, it was time to take the all important bathroom break. I had been warned that the stall light would suddenly go off but had forgotten by the time I went in. 30 seconds later, it went black! Thank goodness I had not started going to the bathroom yet!! I felt my way to the lock to open the door to get light. That enabled me to find a light switch just inside the stall. I turned that on, and voila it was light again. Turns out it auto shuts off every few minutes, so I warned the ladies in line to each turn it on when entering to be safe! On our way out, I stood under the doorway fan for a moment of relief. Then, back out into the fire, I mean heat, we trekked. We only had to venture across the street to reach or destination, an inlaid wood carving factory. We watched a short demonstration of the tedious, sometimes year long work that went into the making of the furniture and artwork. It was much more fascinating than I expected. I recognized the style as some my family had years ago; my mom would have enjoyed this. Then, we were given about 20 minutes to shop and use the bathroom. My original plan for Sorrento was to stock up on lemon candy and buy some limoncello for my brother and some for me. We didn't have enough time, though, so DH GoPro'd around the town square while I shopped in the factory. Our group reconvened, and we headed down many flights of stone stairs to the harbor. The walk was scenic and mostly in the shade. Once at the harbor, we boarded a chartered hydrofoil boat to take all of the Princess groups to the island of Capri (pronounced CAW-pree, emphasis on the Ca). It was beyond stifling in the boat but cooler than on the outer deck because the breeze was blocked by the forward upstairs inside deck. We used our personal fan the whole time, and I was still dripping in sweat! A man came around selling cold drinks. Beware, though, that he was kind of sleazy and appeared to change the price once you went to pay. Either that, or he just didn't understand English. The ride was about 30 minutes and pretty but mostly with views of the water.

 

Once docked at Capri, it was a mass of chaos as all cruise pax swarmed the dock to meet their guides. You have to listen carefully to your headset to know where to meet. We found ours, he handed us our funicular ticket, and we joined the horde of people cramming into the boarding area. The funicular is a string of cable cars that takes you up to Capri Town. There was supposed to be a line to board, but it was a mess with people pushing their way through. When it's your turn, you insert your ticket into the machine, the turnstyle opens, and you go to the next available platform to await the funicular. About 80 people can fit. Then, it's an approximately 5 minute ride to the top. Once at the top, the guide offered us the choice of taking a walking tour with him or exploring on our own. I made a bad decision with good intentions. DH had grown weary of group jaunts, so I opted for us to explore on our own. Unfortunately, he ended up wishing we had done the walking tour because they had gone to some really cool places. If you do this excursion, take the guided walking tour! We walked the streets, and I was able to procure my lemon candy and limoncello. By then, we were roasting and in dire need of refreshment. Up until that day, I would have requested gelato, but that was B.G., before Granitas! We found a sidewalk cafe that had lemon Granitas, and after realizing how small it was and how good it was, I ordered a second, so I double fisted it with my lemon Granitas! The employee didn't speak English, but she appreciated my enthusiasm for their Granitas. We sipped our drinks as we walked. We ended up smelling freshly baked waffle cones and so refreshed ourselves further with gelato. :-) Then it was time to meet the guide to receive our return tickets for the funicular and board the boat for the journey back to the ship. We enjoyed the novelty of the funicular and beat the crowd back to the boat to secure the coolest seats. Jackpot! We found an actual air conditioner over a booth of seats in the downstairs indoor deck. We bought cold drinks for the return trip, but I didn't end up drinking my water. It was put to much better use being pressed against my forehead! The return trip was cooler and more fun. We sat with 2 nice couples and chatted the whole way. The boat dropped us off a short walk from the cruise terminal. Somehow our group left without us, but we raced our way through the crowds and found our group right before entering the cruise terminal. We returned the radios, tipped the outstanding guide, went through security, and were safely back on board the Regal Air Conditioning, I mean Princess.

 

It was a most enjoyable day, and I could easily take that same tour again! DH and I definitely want to return to the Amalfi Coast and Capri. The region is an Italian jewel.

 

 

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[anteaters]

Thanks for another fascinating review. We're just going to Herculeon from Naples since we've already done Pompeii and DH had kind of wished we had done Herculeon too but you did make everything sound very nice (except the heat, of course.) I imagine in mid/late August we'll have the same heat or worse (when we went to Pompeii several years ago it was during a heat wave.) We usually don't buy all the drinks that you mention so maybe we'll try getting some along with our waters. Anyway, again, your reviews are something I've looked forward to reading every day and you never disappoint. Oh, I'm sure you didn't, but by any chance, did you hear of anyone who did the Herculeon (sp?) Princess excursion and how they liked it?

[Colo Cruiser]

We loved the views of the bay from Sorrento near the hotels! Just beautiful! :)

Edited July 5, 2014 by Colo Cruiser