Emerald Princess Rome to Barcelona September 26 -October 3 2015 in photos and video

[Bimmer09]

Home Sweet Home- we're in the 2nd cabin from the left on the third deck down.

 

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Up by the Tradewinds bar I get a good view of the harbor

 

 

 

 

 

The ship would be leaving shortly-at 6 p.m so I stayed busy with the camera between sips of beer at my table.

[Bimmer09]

Up on the MUTS screen Pink, one of my favorites, is blasting away in a live concert.

 

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[Bimmer09]

People in the hot tub

 

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Tradewinds Bar

 

 

Deck stewards are already stacking the loungers for the night as it's starting to drizzle and the wind is picking up.

 

 

I switch to the Zoom lens

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

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As the ship slipped her moorings and began to glide forward I moved down to the Promenade Deck under cover and more sheltered from the wind.

I met some people down there who didn't know what was just ahead on our route out of the harbor. They were sheltering in the lobby by the Princess Theater but came out with their cameras when I told them what they could see.

 

I used an empty bench on deck to place my camera bag as I would be switching from camera to camcorder and back again. I already had pictures from our docking of the Costa Concordia and this would probably be the last opportunity to see her before she becomes an empty wet dock and fades into history....

[Bimmer09]

COSTA CONCORDIA

 

We were boarding the Crown Princess in ft. Lauderdale on January 14 2012 when I heard a conversation behind me talking about a cruise ship that had "ran aground" the night before. I had visions of a ship having run onto a sandbar in fog or something of that ilk.

 

On board I heard the name Costa Concordia for the first time and later learned the full story as known at the time. I followed that story since and have watched videos from that night. A maritime disaster of the highest order and one which would never have happened if not for the recklessness of the Captain.

 

It was a ship the same size as the Emerald. Now it sits in Genoa, being dismantled day by day.

 

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Rest in Peace to the 32 people who lost their lives that night.

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Berthed next to the Concordia was the Saipem 10000 an oil drilling ship.

 

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She can drill in water 10,000 feet deep and her maximum drilling depth is 30,000 ft.

 

 

 



 

 

She is owned by the Italian PetroChemicals group Eni.

[Bimmer09]

We leave our last Italian port

 

 

Here's the video I was shooting between camera stills as we left

 

[YOUTUBE]w4DIK6fskZQ[/YOUTUBE]

 

Only one more stop before Barcelona on Saturday October 3rd-Cannes, where we would be tendering for the only time this cruise. Tonight? Dinner and a show of course, dressed in our best duds as it was the 2nd and last Formal night. We had an invite to a wine tasting and to the Captain's Cocktail party but we were going to give both of those a miss.

[Pmorton3360]

Seen many pictures of the Concordia this summer, but your close ups are the saddest.

[Bimmer09]

We went to the early show of Blame it on the Boogie in the Princess Theater.

Carol arrived before I did and when I came in at the top of the stairs I could see she had summoned a waiter. He was blocking my way into my seat and was using a Tablet device to take her drink order. I checked my watch-no rush-I'll let him finish and move on while I stand here.

 

Wow-that's a lot of keystrokes and tapping. First novel maybe? Carol hands him her card again. More tapping. Returns card. Taps away. Card please! She hands him the card again. Tap tap. What's your cabin number? (huh??!)

Finally he moves on to get her drink. I look at my watch-3 minutes plus to take a drink order. Yikes. There's 700 people in here. Logistical nightmare.

 

Let's enjoy the 8.15 show.

 

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Cruise Director Lee Childers exhorts the crowd to give "one more round of applause for the Emerald Princess singers and dancers" and it is well deserved as they put so much energy into a show of non-stop 70s disco hits. Quick costume changes while the 7 piece show band blasts away loud and clear. Apart from no live bands on deck during the days when we had sun (and admittedly sea days are the best for those) I couldn't fault the Entertainment on offer, so Lee gets a pat on the back there.

 

 

If only the lame members of the service staff who ignored me, brought me the wrong wine night after night or took 3 minutes to tap in a drinks order were bringing their A Game like the entertainers then all would have been well. I know-they work long hours and are tired but on some ships I've found it hard to find fault. An invisible Maitre 'd might have something to do with it.

 

Where's Neville Saldanha when you need him?

[CRLess]

Where's Neville Saldanha when you need him?

 

Agreed! Lucky folks on the Crown....

[kcfoxy]

This is a wonderful was to spend a rainy day, sipping espressos and savoring the crema, food porn, art porn, architectural porn, tidbits on bathrooms, bits about walking distances and terrain....oh, and the photos, too!

 

My name is Casey, I'm a newly senior citizen RN...must use oxygen at home and wheelchair or cane on travels, but I feel like I've been to some areas we might otherwise not experience after managing 34 pages thus far. Adore Norman Love desserts, dry/wacky humor, food, travel, cruising, Tom Baker as my favorite Time Lord and lots of lovely armchair adventures such as this one in particular.

 

Please count me in as a huge new fan and keep on sharing. Barcelona and all things Gaudi not far to go now? :cool:

[Bimmer09]

Dinner in Michelangelo-we reserved a table for 9 pm and were served by our first on-the-ball waiter with personality of the week in the MDR. His name was Lohita and he was from-we weren't surprised- Thailand, the home of the two best waiters we have had on Diamond Princess (our favorite ship to date) Siwa and Sadudee. Happy , smiling, confident witty people.

 

Being Formal Night the menu wasn't too shabby either. Let's take a look...

 

My veal ravioli always hits the spot

 

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Carol's rich roasted tomato soup

 

 

Carol's Caesar salad with anchovies

 

 

A favorite of mine-Beef Wellington (slightly overcooked) with spinach flan and Duchess potatoes-the perfect pairing with my red wine.

 

 

Norman Love chocolate sensation with pistachio and almond nougatine. Oh Yeah!

 

 

What's inside

 

 

A delicious dinner!

[Bimmer09]

This was to be our last night in any of the MDRs so it was nice to go out on a higher note than usual.

 

I took a couple of pics to remember it by

 

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With a heavy sigh we left the dining room. I was all for an early night as I wanted to be up early to take ship interior photos of things I'd skipped so far and if there was any chance of seeing my beloved France in the distance I didn't want to miss that.

 

As usual we take the elevator up to 7 and come out at Crooners where Kory Simon is once again filling the seats with his musicianship and humor. Someday I'll actually sit down in Crooners, order a drink and listen. Just not yet.

 

 

And so to bed, to sleep, perchance to dream...

[Bimmer09]

This is a wonderful was to spend a rainy day, sipping espressos and savoring the crema, food porn, art porn, architectural porn, tidbits on bathrooms, bits about walking distances and terrain....oh, and the photos, too!

 

My name is Casey, I'm a newly senior citizen RN...must use oxygen at home and wheelchair or cane on travels, but I feel like I've been to some areas we might otherwise not experience after managing 34 pages thus far. Adore Norman Love desserts, dry/wacky humor, food, travel, cruising, Tom Baker as my favorite Time Lord and lots of lovely armchair adventures such as this one in particular.

 

Please count me in as a huge new fan and keep on sharing. Barcelona and all things Gaudi not far to go now? :cool:

 

Casey-what a very welcome surprise to read your comments, Thank you!

 

Thanks for joining us here and announcing your arrival so eloquently.

 

Yes, Barcelona is getting closer. I am not normally someone who can restrain himself so stringently but in the name of chronology I have had to keep it where it belongs-right at the end of the timeline.

 

I work on the photos just before I start posting each port and Barcelona is next to be put through Lightroom.

 

There will be 4 Gaudi creations shown and tapas porn (a new porn category). I'll also be wandering the streets in the dark.

 

Anyway, that's all up ahead.

 

Norris

[homeinboca]

Thanks for all the great photo's Norris, you are making me feel like I am back on board.

 

Ron

[Bimmer09]

Thanks for all the great photo's Norris, you are making me feel like I am back on board.

 

Ron

 

Exactly where you should be, RON!

 

Norris, also not on board

[Bimmer09]

Friday morning, October 2 and I'm up again around 5. I don't open the balcony door so as not to wake Carol. I'll be up by Tradewinds within 10 minutes anyway.

 

Up in the buffet I get my cup of hot coffee syrup and walk out to the Calypso pool when I am stopped in my tracks in the dark.

 

It's raining. Steadily. My head droops forward. "Of course-rain-oh thank you!"

 

I stay over to the side to keep under cover but of course Tradewinds is one deck up so I break cover to get up there. Nasty weather. There is one other soul up there having a cigarette under the overhang by the bar. Everything is soaked out on deck. We commiserate about the weather.

 

It can't rain like this not today of all days!! We did pack umbrellas so I thought at worst we could walk around St Paul de Vence and I'd get some nice shots of rain-soaked French streets. It was windy too. Hmmm, that's not good when you have to go ashore in the tenders. Fingers crossed that this will clear.

 

It was early so my plan to take some interior photos wouldn't be amiss.

 

There are many parts of a ship I don't use when on a cruise so you'll see some of them here. The photos should also help pacify people who click on the thread expecting to see the Emerald Princess at every turn and finding cups of coffee and Italian street trash instead. This is for you.

 

As it's right next door we might as well start with the Spa...

 

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This is the place to come for a massage or beauty treatment, for wrinkle removal and teeth whitening. Maybe a perm for Formal Night? A manicure or pedicure?

We haven't found the need for their services but I imagine they know what they are doing and that it's a good profit center for Princess. It occupies a huge space on deck 16, under the Sanctuary. Some of the rooms are locked at this time of the morning so I may take some photos through the doors or windows.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Another spa waiting room

 

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The spa shares this huge space on deck 16 with the gym, which has a row of windows looking out over the bow and to both sides. I don't know why they have tvs on some of the apparatus when the Med is out the window-except now as it's still dark. The investment in equipment is considerable.

 

 

 

 

 

[LisaNorthseadreamer]

Hi Bimmer/Norris!

 

Made an account to say I absolutely adore your reviews. Gorgeous pictures, wonderful commentary, great sense of humor, just lovely. You and Carol seem like great people. :-) I was really happy when I noticed just now that you have this new review up.

 

It will probably be a while before I get to take a vacation again (very heavy workload and no opportunities to take off), but reading your reviews make me feel like I am on one. For that, I can't thank you enough. :-)

[Bimmer09]

Hi Bimmer/Norris!

 

Made an account to say I absolutely adore your reviews. Gorgeous pictures, wonderful commentary, great sense of humor, just lovely. You and Carol seem like great people. :-) I was really happy when I noticed just now that you have this new review up.

 

It will probably be a while before I get to take a vacation again (very heavy workload and no opportunities to take off), but reading your reviews make me feel like I am on one. For that, I can't thank you enough. :-)

 

Hi Lisa, thanks for joining CC for the reason stated.

You are the first person from the Netherlands to join us. There's some Heineken in the fridge-help yourself.

 

Vacations are the reason to live...repeat after me

 

Thanks for stopping in to say hello.

 

I hope you'll stay until the end. If you've never been to Barcelona, you will want to go!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Locker room

 

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Sauna

 

 

Steam room

 

 

Showers

 

 

Next: Gatsby's Casino

[Bimmer09]

thank you for the gym pictures! I've been curious what they look like on Princess!

 

Pretty impressive, I'd say!

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

The Captain spoke over the PA around 7 a.m while I was on Photo Safari to tell us that the weather ahead in Cannes was unfavorable for tendering today and that we would bypass it and sail towards Barcelona.

 

I was disappointed to say the least. It was however a decision made in our best interests and subsequent weather events in that region, where there were actually fatalities, bore that out.

 

Another wet and windy sea day.

 

Some time later Lee Childers came on to say that he would be producing a new Patter to reschedule events for today. Also a good move. Our excursion fees were refunded.

 

I don't gamble but I'm happy that others take pleasure in it so I visited the Casino...

 

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Fun carpet!

 

 

 

 

 

There's a bar too

 

[goofy559]

Loving the ship photos....I think the carpet alone will be enough to keep me out of the casino. 😉

[Bimmer09]

Loving the ship photos....I think the carpet alone will be enough to keep me out of the casino. 😉

 

Ah...LOL, good line re the carpet!

 

Have you been on a Grand Class ship?

 

Norris