Royal Princess July16-31 Greed Med Review

[anteaters]

Just want to say thank you for your fantastic, detailed review. We have done similar Princess cruises in the area so your writing both brings back fond memories and also tells us about potential new adventures.

[caribill]

My DH has decided to get into cigars. So the Churchills lounge is on Deck 6 which is smallish and only a couple cigar smokers with more cigarette smokers. I thought the other ships had more of a restaurant style lounge which this isn't.

 

The other ships have a bar lounge, not a restaurant lounge, for smokers, usually decorated with an upside down pool table on the ceiling.

[Travlin grrl]

The other ships have a bar lounge, not a restaurant lounge, for smokers, usually decorated with an upside down pool table on the ceiling.

 

Thanks caribill, I think that's what I meant, more of a bar lounge. I don't know why I said restaurant lounge. However I don't remember the upside down pool table. We'll have to look for that next time.

[Travlin grrl]

Just want to say thank you for your fantastic, detailed review. We have done similar Princess cruises in the area so your writing both brings back fond memories and also tells us about potential new adventures.

 

Thanks , I would document every night when on the ship in Evernote because there is too much to remember. After watching the Reflections DVD I see things I missed and other things I would like to do next time.

[easyboy]

Enjoying your review and nice photos.

[Travlin grrl]

We were supposed to go to IstanbulTurkey and Kusadasi Turkey. But because of the terrorist attacks Princess takes these ports out and puts in Kotor Montengro and Corfu Greece. I'm not going to lie to you, we heard so many great things about Instanbul that we were dissappointed we couldn't go but also respect their decision as they probably know a lot more than we know what is going on and I'd probably be a little worried anyways if I got off. I will have to plan that for another time. I'm the researcher so didn't really get much of a chance to investigate what we were going to do in these alternate ports. Things you can do are are tours around the island, climb the stairs up the mountain for unbelievable views and there is a little church about half way up. No one wants to climb the stairs today so we decided to just go into the little town not knowing what to expect and just explore. We had to be tendered in and there were a line of taxi drivers holding pictures of tours around the island and I did hear them say 50 euros.

 

There is a wall around the city and a labryinth around the shops which I heard that in the old days it was to keep the enemy confused if they came in they wouldn't know how to get out.

It is confusing to walk around and get lost so trying to back track is very hard. Just look for landmarks along the way so you can get back or just ask the locals. We try to find a local place to sit down, get a drink and get some wifi as we just had a sea day and need to check in with our son to see how he is doing and make sure all is good. Usually we instant message through FB and since he is sleeping it is messages back and forth. Rarely is it live but if I'm late in the afternoon/evening and he woke up early we will get each other live.

 

Kotor is a medieval, gothic, quaint, cat populated little town. The prices are good on souvenirs and drinks etc. Lots of cat oreinted items and t-shirts, even a cat museum (which we did not go to but heard about) which is really a donation for the homeless cats. The nationalality of the locals are possibly Montengrian/Serbian/Croation and I'm not sure of the language that was posted everywhere. Maybe someone can chime in and let me know.*But I think it was Montenegrian or Serbian.

But definitely more serious when conversing. After meandering around for a couple hours and shopping etc. we stop into a cute little pub for beer, drinks and wifi. Beers and Sprites are 2 euros each. If you get a mai tai it is 6 erous and my neice who is 18 takes advantage of that because she is legal here. Beautiful paved stones and narrow alley ways this is a picturesque town and you can't go wrong any photo you take. We tender back to the ship and am hoping that I have enough room in my suitcases to go back home. I've learned to roll my clothes, stick socks in my shoes, and rolled up summer tops in my hat. *I secretly packed very little about 1/2 way full knowing I could do laundry once a week on the ship.*

[Travlin grrl]

[Travlin grrl]

 

The little church on the mountain I did not climb up to.

[Travlin grrl]

For more photos of Kotor here is my Kotor page of by blog.

http://travlintheworld.blogspot.com/2016/09/kotor-montenegro.html

If you go to the main page

http://www.travlintheworld.blogspot.com the links on the right are the different ports and the second half of the cruise os on the July tab.

[Travlin grrl]

[Travlin grrl]

Enjoying your review and nice photos.

 

Thanks easyboy. It's taking me awhile because I'm trying to make this match up to my blog and upload my pics to photobucket which I figured out about halfway through this review haha. But I'm getting there and almost done. Moving on to Greece.

[Travlin grrl]

I forgot to mention my night on the ship. We went to Jo Little in the Princess Theatre. She is a petite, red headed British comedian/singer and she was great!

We loved her and laughed our heads off. If you are on the ship and she is preforming please go see her. You won't be dissappointed. After that we did the one and only "Movies under the Stars" which I really like doing but don't always get to. It was the Batman vs. Superman which is a lot of action and noise because I didn't want to fall asleep laying down all comfortable with the blanket on me. Our night ended late and tomorrow is Corfu. This is the other port that was substituted for Turkey.

[CruzinNoony]

I am really enjoying your review of your cruise and your days in Barcelona pre-cruise. Where is the Place Reial located in relation to the market?:rolleyes:

[Travlin grrl]

I am really enjoying your review of your cruise and your days in Barcelona pre-cruise. Where is the Place Reial located in relation to the market?:rolleyes:

 

Really close. The Boqueria market was practically across the street from our hotel and Placa Reial was just a few blocks to the left past McDonald's and turn left. We found it by accident and kept going back.So maybe 5 minutes walking.

[CruzinNoony]

Thank you, but a silly question. Facing the market, is the square to the left or the right? :eek:

[KEG86]

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[Travlin grrl]

Thank you, but a silly question. Facing the market, is the square to the left or the right? :eek:

I want to say south but not too sure of my direction. If you are facing the market, you would turn left and cross the street. Go past McDonald's and turn left. Google maps is good for seeing how close they are.

[IECalCruiser]

La Boqueria is on the west side of La Rambla and Placa Reial is on the east side further south.

 

 

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[CruzinNoony]

Thank you with the directions to Place Reial. It sounds like a fun place to check out. We will be there in Oct. 2017 and I have added this info to my notes. :cool:

[Travlin grrl]

Ugh I wish I would of planned better for this island. I saw a shore excursion that would take you to a beach however when I went down to the shore excursion desk it was not even available. We were only there from about 7:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.*My next plan was I'll stop by the pursers desk to about a beach and how to get there. She gave me 3 great beaches which sounded amazing! All 3 were about 30 minutes away and would need a taxi which was about 35 euros. One of them was sandy, one was resort and one was remote where we would be the only ones there. Sounds great , right? As I was walking back to the room and I thought it was about 8:00 I realized I forget to set my watch forward and it was really 9:00. So by the time I get the girls up, out the door and 30 minutes to get there and worry about the taxi back we figured we would only get about an hour to two there and felt like it wasn't really worth it. So we take the shuttle into town. The shuttle is a local shuttle which is 5 euros RT and you need cash. It's really hot so it's worth it to get the shuttle instead of a 15 minute walk in the hot sun. The streets are pretty shaded in town so it's a nice walk and great prices in the stores. I bought a Med. style necklace, baseball cap (Corfu of course) earrings and soaps. The soaps are only 1 euro each so you can't go wrong and pick up a few. The wine is also cheap and we have been trying to pick one up in each port.

 

On the way out we stop off for a drink and wifi at a place called Pomegranate. This place is pretty close to the shuttle so we don't have to rush and wonder how to get back. Here is where we go wrong. We order a beer for my hubby and 2 cold drinks without looking at the menu. I said "I want something cold and slushy" because I was so dehydrated and hot. I wanted lemon and my neice ordered strawberry, however he brought 2 strawberry. I really didn't care at that point if it was wrong because I was thirsty. It was more like a smoothie than a slushy. When we finally got the bill after 3 times asking, it was for 20 euros. I thought it was a mistake. Well the beer in a HUGE glass was 5 euros and the 2 smoothies in a 8 oz glass were 7.50 euros each. He said " That's what the menu says". Even the people next to us at the tables were like "Just saying, Your prices are expensive" telling us they were $3.50 next door. So here is my advice to any one reading this and lesson learned to myself. Look at the menu (which I usually do) for the prices before deciding and asking. *I now know I should look at the menu, ask prices before ordering and not always go with what they pick or think I'm picking. It's my fault but I won't let that happen again. Dang, I would of bought the alcohol for 5 euros which was bigger than my smoothie if I would of known that.*

Back to the ship early for nachos, beers and mocktails.*

[Travlin grrl]

Walking through Corfu

[Travlin grrl]

View from the ship of Corfu

[Travlin grrl]

One of the shops.

[easyboy]

Seems Kotor and Corfu were not bad replacements for Istanbul and Kusadasi

[Travlin grrl]

Seems Kotor and Corfu were not bad replacements for Istanbul and Kusadasi

They were both good replacements. I had not been to either place so it was nice. And who knows if we'll ever get to go to Turkey? I see it on next years cruises but you'll never know.