****Live from the Grand Princess****

[T&J]

Cookies????? You actually got cookies? :eek: Have a great day in Italy where it's hotter than Florida.

 

Arlene

 

Yes Cookies and don't get me started now again on this topic....they bake them here very thick and almost like the size of Mrs Field cookies...never seen them baked this way on any other ship...but darn they are good!...had white chocolate macademaia nut, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip walnut as well......nummy nums!

 

Tony and Javier

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[ladysail2]

Hi Tony......really enjoying your posts. I'll be visiting some of your ports this Fall on my first ever European cruise. You make it all sound very exciting! Keep up the good work....I love your hints and tips...for a first-timer..they are very appreciated.

We don't live too far apart either!!

Enjoy your day!

BTW...the Island P had those excellent cookies too.....loved them......just a little too much......:p

[Druke I]

Cinammon rolls are a long ways from chocolate cookies, but the late great Royal Cruise line used to serve fresh hot cinammon rolls in the morning. They were delicious.

 

Sure miss that company and its neat ships - Royal Odyssey, Crown Odyssey, and the baby, Golden Odyssey.

[Dorinda]

Hi Tony - I wanted to suggest that you drive to San Gimignano and Volterra rather than Pisa and Florence! Beautiful drive, huh?

 

Glad you aren't flying in or out of Europe today. Hope things will calm down by the time you fly home.

 

Ciao!

Dee

[T&J]

Hi Tony - I wanted to suggest that you drive to San Gimignano and Volterra rather than Pisa and Florence! Beautiful drive, huh?

 

Glad you aren't flying in or out of Europe today. Hope things will calm down by the time you fly home.

 

Ciao!

Dee

 

Dee I am so glad we did it instead of them wanting to do Florence or Pisa...amazing drive and scenery and I would recommend it again to anyone. In fact when we are all on the Royal next year in the Med in November we should get a group of us together and do it.

 

I hope things settle down by the time we fly out on Sept 1st from Rome Airport.

 

Tony and Javier

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[T&J]

Hi Tony......really enjoying your posts. I'll be visiting some of your ports this Fall on my first ever European cruise. You make it all sound very exciting! Keep up the good work....I love your hints and tips...for a first-timer..they are very appreciated.

 

We don't live too far apart either!!

 

Enjoy your day!

 

BTW...the Island P had those excellent cookies too.....loved them......just a little too much......:p

 

Ladysail2...I grew up most of my life in Ottawa until I moved after 1997...lived in Carson Grove and Beacon Hill areas.

 

Those cookies are so good on here ...especially with milk!

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[T&J]

Cinammon rolls are a long ways from chocolate cookies, but the late great Royal Cruise line used to serve fresh hot cinammon rolls in the morning. They were delicious.

 

Sure miss that company and its neat ships - Royal Odyssey, Crown Odyssey, and the baby, Golden Odyssey.

 

Those were the days when cruising wasn't a commodity!....a lot of little nice touches have disappeared.

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[T&J]

Hi Tony,

 

Looks like you are off to a rousing start. Hope the Med and the Grand are ready for you;) !

 

Quick question: Who is the current cruise director? And if you could find out if he/she will still be on board come Oct?

 

Thanks and happy early anni!

 

Cindy

 

Billy London is the CD onboard and apparently he is scheduled to be here when you are guys will be onboard.

 

Captain is Nicolo Bommarco as well.

 

Tony and Javier

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[T&J]

Went to dinner tonight and had another great meal and it will be a quiet night onboard since Javier and Sharon want to get an early start tomorrow morning at 6:00am for breakfast and then get off the ship at 7:00am and take a train into Rome (Stazzione Termini).

 

There wasn't that much activity tonight thus far on the ship...It looks very quiet as I think a lot of people are bushed from a big day in Livorno....even the rug rats are pretty quiet tonight as well...not the usuall running around the halls and open decks. Not even a lot of people watching the M.U.T.S..

 

More to come tomorrow morning from Civitavecchia, Italy (Rome).

 

Nite Nite...Minnie and Shnookie! (our two dogs)

 

Tony and Javier

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[arlenemilt]

In fact when we are all on the Royal next year in the Med in November we should get a group of us together and do it.

 

 

Tony and Javier

:cool: :eek: :cool:

 

I am now officially volunteering to be your designated driver so all you winos can drink to your heart's content. :D

 

Arlene

[Colo Cruiser]

Hey Tony,

enjoy reading your adventures. If you get the chance could you ask one of the assistants in the specialty restaraunts if Antonio Banza is still onboard? He was one of the restaraunt managers during our cruise onboard the Grand in Sterlings. Thanks

[cornellcindy]

Tony thanks for the CD/Capt information.

Don't eat ALL the cookies:D :p ;) .

 

Cindy

[ladysail2]

Ladysail2...I grew up most of my life in Ottawa until I moved after 1997...lived in Carson Grove and Beacon Hill areas.

 

Those cookies are so good on here ...especially with milk!

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

 

Tony, I went to French school on Carson Road back in the 80's.....and now live and work in the Tunney's Pasture area......small world isn't it.

Enjoy your day in Rome tomorrow...want to hear all about it!

Have a few cookies for me.....I miss them!!

Joyce :D

[holton]

"I got up this morning at 6:30am and went to the Horizon Court to get me two cups of "sludge" and brought it back down to the Library to post on CC this morning. I prefer using the internet terminals in the Library however if you need to print you need to use the internet cafe across the way."

 

Tony,

Just where is the Internet Cafe on the Grand? The layout that I have shows a business center on deck 7 and a quiet space (that I assume is the library on deck 5). Have they rearranged things? We were on the Grand in 2002 and will be on her again next fall for back to backs out of Quebec City. In checking an internet site showing the decks it shows

the restaurant on deck 7 as the Painted Desert...on my layout it shows a Sterling Steakhouse. Thanks for any info.

[Colo Cruiser]

"I got up this morning at 6:30am and went to the Horizon Court to get me two cups of "sludge" and brought it back down to the Library to post on CC this morning. I prefer using the internet terminals in the Library however if you need to print you need to use the internet cafe across the way."

 

Tony,

Just where is the Internet Cafe on the Grand? The layout that I have shows a business center on deck 7 and a quiet space (that I assume is the library on deck 5). Have they rearranged things? We were on the Grand in 2002 and will be on her again next fall for back to backs out of Quebec City. In checking an internet site showing the decks it shows

the restaurant on deck 7 as the Painted Desert...on my layout it shows a Sterling Steakhouse. Thanks for any info.

 

Used to be the Painted Desert now the Sterling Steakhouse. :)

[T&J]

I am now officially volunteering to be your designated driver so all you winos can drink to your heart's content. :D

 

Arlene

This I got to see you driving on an Italian Freeway!!!!

[T&J]

Hey Tony,

enjoy reading your adventures. If you get the chance could you ask one of the assistants in the specialty restaraunts if Antonio Banza is still onboard? He was one of the restaraunt managers during our cruise onboard the Grand in Sterlings. Thanks

Okie Dokie...will do!

[T&J]

Tony, I went to French school on Carson Road back in the 80's.....and now live and work in the Tunney's Pasture area......small world isn't it.

 

Enjoy your day in Rome tomorrow...want to hear all about it!

 

Have a few cookies for me.....I miss them!!

 

Joyce :D

Yes I remember the Language Centre for the Fed Gov employees off of Bathgate Drive across from the NRC...small world indeed!...I had two cookies last night before bed!

[T&J]

"I got up this morning at 6:30am and went to the Horizon Court to get me two cups of "sludge" and brought it back down to the Library to post on CC this morning. I prefer using the internet terminals in the Library however if you need to print you need to use the internet cafe across the way."

 

Tony,

Just where is the Internet Cafe on the Grand? The layout that I have shows a business center on deck 7 and a quiet space (that I assume is the library on deck 5). Have they rearranged things? We were on the Grand in 2002 and will be on her again next fall for back to backs out of Quebec City. In checking an internet site showing the decks it shows

the restaurant on deck 7 as the Painted Desert...on my layout it shows a Sterling Steakhouse. Thanks for any info.

Yes they have re-arranged the layout of the internet cafe and it is now on deck 5 across from the atrium beside the Captain Circle desk and Future Cruise Desk. I guess it is in the same spot as the card room on the Star and Golden on Deck 5. I can't even find the "business centre" on Deck 7 forward beside the Sterling Steak house as it is on the Golden and Star.The quiet space is the Library on deck 5 as well and has 3 terminals for internet as well.

[T&J]

We'll T&J's big adventure in Rome is about to kick off in 1 hour or so. Just got up about 20 minutes agao...it's 5:50am here on Friday August 11th and meeting Sharon in 10 minutes in the Horizon Court for breakfast. We plan on disembarking immediately at 7:00am and walking from the pier to ther Train Station in Civitavecchia which is approx. 1/2 mile and catching one of the first trains into Rome's Stazionne Termini and get a heads start on the day so that we can be back at a reasonable time later this late afternoon. You know it's pretty early when the moon is still out!...there is a small amount of fog as we are crawling towards Civitavecchia. Last night we hardly felt the ship move as we only had to travel less than 200 nautical miles from Livorno.As I am typing the lights keep flickering on the ship....wonder what thats all about?We'll must go up now and make sure sleepy bones is up!More to come much later today after we get back on board from Rome.Tony and Javier

[arlenemilt]

Morning guys....(or at least that's what it is here). Your being 6 hours ahead is a whole lot better than the 12 or 13 on the PP. If you get to over to St. Peters, say hi to the Pope for us. We always wave; you never know. :) Coffee time.

Arlene

[jckvpa0]

I'm really enjoying you posts, thank-you for taking the time to post!

[T&J]

Ok we left the ship at 7:10am and took a free port shuttle from the ship to the small town of Civitavecchia and then walked 5 minutes to the train station which is at the end of the boardwalk. We will be taking a train here again on disembarkation day September 1st to go to Leonardo Da Vinci airport or Fiuciminio.

 

We took the 7:40am train into Rome (Stazzione Termini). You can also get off at San Pietro (St Peter's Square) and walk to the Vatican. The advantage of getting off at Stazzione Termini is that it is right in the heart of Rome and accessible to everywhere by foot, bus, subway or anotehr connecting train.

 

We decided on taking one of those hop off hop on bus tours. The company is called "trambus open" with the open roofs or down below with A/C.

 

We decided going "topless" to get more of a tan since it was a beautifull day today with a high of 88F and partly sunny skies all day.

 

The bus service cost 13.00 eruos for unlimited all day pass that you can hop on and off as many times as you want to. The service runs every 10 minutes so there is no worry about missing a bus or if there's a full bus. It stops at 11 different points of interests and all right directly in front of the location.

1. Termini

2. Quirinale

3. Colosseo

4. Bocca della verita

5. Piazza Venezia

6. Piazza Navona

7. San Pietro (Vatican)

8. Piazza Cavour

9. Ara Pacis

10. Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain)

11. Via Veneto (Spanish Steps/Via di Condotti)

 

We'll worth while for us since Javier and Sharon had never been to Rome before this was an excellent value for us as the cost of the train was 9 euros each roundtrip and 13 euros each for the "hop on hop off" bus tour.

 

We had ample time to do and visit the following today without rushing and some level of activity in walking and steps.

 

We did St Peter's Square and the Vatican. The line ups for the Vatican today were horrendous at 2 hour wait to get in. We opted not to and will do it in off season some other time.

 

We then went to the Pantheon, Colloseum, Quirinale, Trevi Fountain (where everyone was wanting to soak themselves) Vitoreo Emmanuele, spanish Steps (Piazza D'Espagna), San Maria Maggiore (Basillica) and then a late lunch with espresso and a seperate stop for some homade Gelato which was FAB! I had the Straccetella ice cream (vanilla with chocolate slivers) nummy nums!

 

We then went to go and shop on Via Condotti and Via de La Crosce where all teh high shops are like Gucci, Fendi, Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabanna, Cartier, Bvlgari, etc...Javier and I wanted to buy some rings for our anniversary at Cartier but they did not have our sizes. We will try tomorrow in Naples since they have a store there as well.

 

I found Rome to be very busy today on a Friday and I can only imagine what it must be like over the weekend. I also found the local people to be very friendly and helpfull in general. The crowds for museums and points of interests were plentifull and expect delays if you are going in August or early September. After Labour Day weekend in general in Europe things start to quiet down a lot more.

 

We headed back to Stazzione Termini and took the Express Train for Civitavecchia at 4:15pm and arrive just shortly before 5:00pm. If you can try and grab the Express Train Service as it only takes 45 minutes were the regular train service is 1:15 minutes time with about 8 stops along the way. The train service is very handy with basic conforts and some A/C. I would recommend it to anyone that prefers to get into Rome very quickly and without a lot associated cost. We ran into people today from teh ship that spent 500 Euros for a private driver that just dropped them off and would pick them back up at a designated time to go back to the ship.

 

Ok, that's enough info on Rome...any questions?

 

I am now going to the gym to burn off that gelato from this afternoon. Plans for this evening are dinner at 7:30pm, possibly MUTS, the movie is Firewall with Harrison ford and then the "Office" after to make some money to buy the rings!

 

More to follow later tonight from the Grand Princess.

 

Tony and Javier

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[T&J]

Morning guys....(or at least that's what it is here). Your being 6 hours ahead is a whole lot better than the 12 or 13 on the PP. If you get to over to St. Peters, say hi to the Pope for us. We always wave; you never know. :) Coffee time.

 

Arlene

 

didn't wave sorry!...got your message too late!

 

Tony and Javier

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[T&J]

I'm really enjoying you posts, thank-you for taking the time to post!

'

 

Glad you are enjoying them!

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool: