****Live From the Golden Princess****

[cactusrose]

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[cactusrose]

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[Kiwi Kruzer]

Welcome Home Tony,

Many thanks for taking the time to post on your cruise and the shore trips.Looking forward to next cruise,at least you'll be a bit nearer this part of the World,even if it is on the other side of the International Dateline.

To help wind up heres Golden heading into the drydock for her "medical"

at Marseille.

 

 

 

[T&J]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

 

Welcome Home Tony, Glad you made it home. Bet you cannot wait to sleep in your own bed tonight. How did Javier like his present??

 

Vicki, Awesome review. Thanks so much for taking the time to share it with us.

 

Happy Turkey :)

 

Cathy

 

Javier was shocked that I got him the cartouche since it's years we have been always meaning to get him/I one....next year I'll get mine when I am on the Royal Princess.

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[T&J]

Tony. . .I'll remember that when we meet in January. How about bumping knuckles:D . Actually, I'll be the one with the Purell attached to whatever I'm carrying. Use it all the time.

 

Don't laugh I hate the smell of that sanitizer stuff but now use it all the time and stay away from the "Throft" ..the Horizon Court Buffet.

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[T&J]

Welcome Home Tony,

Many thanks for taking the time to post on your cruise and the shore trips.Looking forward to next cruise,at least you'll be a bit nearer this part of the World,even if it is on the other side of the International Dateline.

To help wind up heres Golden heading into the drydock for her "medical"

at Marseille.

 

 

 

 

Great shots David!...thank you as always...

BTW, remember I will be closer to you than you think as I fly into Christchurch on Dec 14th and stay in Timaru for 3 days before flying into Papeete on Dec 17th...hows the weather in Timaru and CHC these days?

 

Tony

[T&J]

I was too tired last night to post some more as I went to bed at 10:00pm and just woke up now. I'll post some additional info later today regarding teh ship etc...

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[JotWorld]

I was too tired last night to post some more as I went to bed at 10:00pm and just woke up now. I'll post some additional info later today regarding teh ship etc...

 

Tony

 

Glad you made it home safe!:) We take off in a couple of hours for Atl to Rome, the weather in Rome is a little iffy(Can you say R__n, NO:( )We will Drive to Naples for a couple of Days, better Weather & then come Back to Rome the last few Days before Getting on the Dry=Cleaned :D Golden Princess (Caroline;) ). Won't be posting until (Live From... Wed 11/29)

My Best to you ALL!:)

Bill & Irene

[sailors2]

Tony,

So glad that you got home safely. We arrived around 11pm and came back to rain and cold.

Just a few thoughts for those who might be thinking of this cruise in the future.

Boarding in Civitavecchia was quick and painless. Got settled and then had lunch aboard.

Took the Taste of tour in Naples. Went first to Pompeii and then on drive to Sorrento. Beautiful coast and lovely weather. Had a wonderful tour guide and a wonderful lunch in Sorrento. After lunch went to local farm and had wine,cheese and bread. Excellent demonstration on cheese making by farm wife. Stopped in downtown Sorrento and walked around. Found best gelato shop I have ever seen. We were too stuffed to get any. Watched men on lift fixing Christmas lights in trees. Back to ship for a very late dinner(couldn't fit anymore food in for a while).

Took our own time in Athens. Took Metro into Plaka and wandered. Saw the market and it's myriad aisles of everything edible imaginable. Lunched at a favorite taverno and returned to ship.

Took our time in Kusadasi. Always love this place! Did some practice bargaining,getting prepared for Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Walked around town and then rejoined ship.

In Istanbul toured Topkapi and met couple from Rhode Island we shared rest of day with. We broke off from tour group at Grand Bazaar. Had wonderful time wandering. Even got escorted to a special shop by the man I asked for location. Found the flower essences I sought and had my hand kissed in farewell. Shopped some more and then got taxi back to ship. Had a really wonderful experience. Turkish people very nice, as usual. Back on ship had moment when all alone on deck and the call to prayer echoed off the hills and from the city. One of the truly special moments I will always remember.

Mykonos was lovely as usual. We wandered the town. Bumped into some shopkeepers we met last Spring. Back to ship for dinner.

Once in Port Said busses sat and waited until after 9am. Convoyed with other busses to Cairo. Bus very comfortable with WC. Provided bottled water for PAX. Went to Eygptian Museum first and passed thru two security stations. No cameras allowed. Suggest anyone going to this

museum look up exhibits at museum website. I marked what we wanted to see. We left tour group and saw museum on our own using the map I had downloaded.Had lunch at Cairo Hilton.Good buffet..wine and

beer inc.

as well. Gift shops off lobby interesting. Drove to Pyrimids where we went to overview area first. Amazing moment when you first see what you have read about. You can see the encroachment of Cairo coming closer. Many of us wondered how they will be able to handle this in the future. Moved down to the Pyramids. We were told later that the vendors are liscensed by the authorities. They are extremely persistant and annoying. It does interfere with the enjoyment of the site. Took time at the Sphinx. Saw sunset. Amazing! Drove back to Port Said. Had to walk long distance from bus to ship. Many,many venders.........felt like we were running gauntlet! Boarded at 10pm. Very tiring day....but a dream come true. Had lovely breakfast aboard and then took tour of Alexandria. A&K tour guide excellent. He explained about the Europeon visitors who transform the city each summer. Showed us several buildings that are being designed and sold to Arab investors. Lovely waterfront promenade. Stopped at Alexandria Library.........Interesting to see window washer walking across sloping roof. Went to gardens surrounding King Farouk's palace. Warm and sunny weather. Saw much of city, so much to see.....donkey and horsedrawn wagons of produce, children just getting out of school, several markets of varying kind. Stopped where Faro Lighthouse used to stand. Small market along water.......was able to bargain for some gifts.......Wonderful slice of life! Once back at ship we had delightful late lunch with some friends.........they had to turn out the lights to get us to leave! Some more walking along quay. Watched sunset and then returned to ship for dinner. I think we got a lot out of what we did, without being too tired or pressed for time. Egypt is a big culture to take in a short time. The Egyptians were very friendly. In particular,as we passed,time and time again individuals would wave and welcome us to Egypt. The children were very well behaved and,quite obviously respect their elders. As far as the security is concerned. Egypt has a huge dependency on tourism. They are right in putting security at such a level. At no time did Bill or I feel in anyway uncomfortable or endangered. We would have liked another day in Alexandria just to explore some more.

We enjoyed our sea days. They gave us time to follow our interests. I spent time reading books from the wonderful ship's library. Golden Princess is a lovely ship with a truly remarkable crew. We met so many peoplefrom all over the world and extended our knowledge base. The ship does provide enough space so that you never feel that it is crowded. Food was excellent and well served. We enjoyed the shows and the music in the Atrium. We would recommend this cruise.

At home until next time.................

Judy

[Seal]

Thisis the second time recently I've read on these threads that are close to ending about a "floataway"--please forgive my ignorance and inform me

 

 

Thanks

 

Nancy:D

[arlenemilt]

Thisis the second time recently I've read on these threads that are close to ending about a "floataway"--please forgive my ignorance and inform me

 

 

Thanks

 

Nancy:D

 

Nancy, when you finish reading this, scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find Forum Jump. Open up this area and scroll to the bottom where you will find a catagory called Fun Stuff. One of the items in this area is Floataway Lounge. This is where old posts don't have to die and can continue to survive with chatting.

Arlene

[Anubi]

Hey Vicki,

 

I can't thank you enough for your posting. It has pretty much tipped the scales in favour of a private tour vs Princess. From what I saw from a brief glimpse of our cruise thread for next year it seems that everyone is in agreement. My main concern was, of course, security and washrooms ;)

 

Again, thanks for taking the time to post. And the leg work :p !!

[T&J]

Additional Comments on the Golden Princess;

 

We'll after being back home almost a full 24 hours here are some additional observations regarding the Golden Princess.

 

I found the ship to be in good condiiton, however it's 5 years of being at sea is starting to show especially in passenger public areas. The computer hardware and systems defenitley need upgrading and I think the COmpany is working on that as well.

 

The service and food was good, but a lot of little inconsistencies here and there. The food in the Horizon Court late nights was just terrible with food being dried out for hours and not replenished. I would go up there after the Office and there wasn't a lot that was appetizing too me. I want to add that being on the ship prior to a DryDock and a large turnover of staff perhaps isn't the best of time to critique a cruise ship and most of the staff were getting at the end of there contracts.

 

The overall entertainment I can't really say that much since I am not one to go to the shows a lot. However, the new ones such as Cinematastic and Motor City are a welocmed addition.

 

The Pursers Desk has some great individuals that are very competent and well manered for a change. The PSD Giacomo Manfredi and Firts Purser Admin Daniele Cafiso are excellent at there jobs and are a solid Management team that they bring to the Golden Princess.

 

The current tour office needs help. No one on there had any previous Med experience or for Egypt which I believe is a big no no for Princess. Joe May was also out of his element, however he is stayong onboard for the South America season which he has done for many years.

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[Andiamo!]

We were told later that the vendors are liscensed by the authorities. They are extremely persistant and annoying. It does interfere with the enjoyment of the site.

 

I really enjoyed reading your post, and as I did, I thought it might be helpful to share a method I discovered for dealing with vendors in Turkey and Egypt.

 

When my husband and I entered the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul it was nearly impossible to shop due to all the vendors talking to us to try to get us to buy something. I was wearing a pashmina around my neck so I thought I would try wearing it on my head like a good Muslim woman. Believe it or not - the vendors stopped immediately. It was like night and day! I also avoided any eye contact and I suppose that must have helped as well. I imagine that people must have been wondering where these two green-eyed, blonde Muslims came from, but actually I don't think they bothered to look once my head was "properly" covered! We made it to the deeper part of the market and bought some (smallish) houkas for $8 each, speaking as little as possible. Before we left the man asked where we were from. I think it may be better in the markets when you don't look like a "rich American" (and it's definitely more fun! ;) )

 

Vicki

[T&J]

I really enjoyed reading your post, and as I did, I thought it might be helpful to share a method I discovered for dealing with vendors in Turkey and Egypt.

 

When my husband and I entered the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul it was nearly impossible to shop due to all the vendors talking to us to try to get us to buy something. I was wearing a pashmina around my neck so I thought I would try wearing it on my head like a good Muslim woman. Believe it or not - the vendors stopped immediately. It was like night and day! I also avoided any eye contact and I suppose that must have helped as well. I imagine that people must have been wondering where these two green-eyed, blonde Muslims came from, but actually I don't think they bothered to look once my head was "properly" covered! We made it to the deeper part of the market and bought some (smallish) houkas for $8 each, speaking as little as possible. Before we left the man asked where we were from. I think it may be better in the markets when you don't look like a "rich American" (and it's definitely more fun! ;) )

 

Vicki

 

Vicki, that is so true about not making eye contact. I explained to people on our tour as well as those from the ship while in Turkey or Egypt that if you see something that you like do not show any interest right away and certainly don't be looking at them or the item that you are interested in.

 

The same goes while at the Pyramids with the Camel boys that come up to you very close and beg you to take there pictures, or will want to shake your hand and then put some stones in your plam and say it's a gift...just tricks to keep you near them to eventually pay for a photo of them on a Camel.

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[ladysail2]

Hi Tony! Have only read halfway through this thread...but will get it done. Didn't realize that you and I were in Venice at the same time. I saw the Golden and the other ships too. Was doing a pre-cruise in Zurich, Venice and Barcelona before boarding the Grand Princess for the wonderful transatlantic, ending in Galveston on the 18th.

A few things I learned from your postings....didn't realize that the coffee cards were expiry-free...here I was madly drinking cafe mocchas in order to not waste the card.

And....they punched my card on the Grand when I asked for brewed coffee...and that was at the Deck 7 Atrium bar....not the Lobby Bar. When I mentioned that I thought that it was free for card holders...the fellow just said....'that depends on who you talk to'.....what could I say??

Our internet cafe was also making lots of folks annoyed with the freezing of the computers....but it did sort itself out about halfway through.

Glad you enjoyed the Sterling Steakhouse experience...went there myself and and have never had such an awful filet mignon....tasted like liver, was chewy and semi-tough. They butterflied it....and it was so thin......just terrible...didn't even want any of it after the first few bites.

The rest of the meal was delicious.

Talking about 'things' in food....on my Golden Princess cruise 3 years ago....was eating a Ceasar salad when I noticed something dark....a fly..a dead one..covered in dressing. Needless to say..I lost my appetite. They were very apologetic...brought a glass of champagne....chocolate dipped strawberries made their way to my stateroom with a written apology the next day.

Of course, a staple is far more dangerous than a dead fly....I don't think you should have been charged for the meal (unless you rectified that later in your postings...)

So glad that as of Page 33..you're still enjoying your cruise....better go back and try to catch up.

Thank you so much for your 'Live From' threads.....I, for one, truly adore reading them!

Enjoy your time at home.

PS...is it mandatory to have a Yellow Fever shot when you go to Brazil? Will be going there in 2008....and will need a Visa....but didn't see any requirement for the innoculation.

[T&J]

Hi Tony! Have only read halfway through this thread...but will get it done. Didn't realize that you and I were in Venice at the same time. I saw the Golden and the other ships too. Was doing a pre-cruise in Zurich, Venice and Barcelona before boarding the Grand Princess for the wonderful transatlantic, ending in Galveston on the 18th.

 

A few things I learned from your postings....didn't realize that the coffee cards were expiry-free...here I was madly drinking cafe mocchas in order to not waste the card.

And....they punched my card on the Grand when I asked for brewed coffee...and that was at the Deck 7 Atrium bar....not the Lobby Bar. When I mentioned that I thought that it was free for card holders...the fellow just said....'that depends on who you talk to'.....what could I say??

 

Our internet cafe was also making lots of folks annoyed with the freezing of the computers....but it did sort itself out about halfway through.

 

Glad you enjoyed the Sterling Steakhouse experience...went there myself and and have never had such an awful filet mignon....tasted like liver, was chewy and semi-tough. They butterflied it....and it was so thin......just terrible...didn't even want any of it after the first few bites.

The rest of the meal was delicious.

 

Talking about 'things' in food....on my Golden Princess cruise 3 years ago....was eating a Ceasar salad when I noticed something dark....a fly..a dead one..covered in dressing. Needless to say..I lost my appetite. They were very apologetic...brought a glass of champagne....chocolate dipped strawberries made their way to my stateroom with a written apology the next day.

Of course, a staple is far more dangerous than a dead fly....I don't think you should have been charged for the meal (unless you rectified that later in your postings...)

 

So glad that as of Page 33..you're still enjoying your cruise....better go back and try to catch up.

 

Thank you so much for your 'Live From' threads.....I, for one, truly adore reading them!

Enjoy your time at home.

 

PS...is it mandatory to have a Yellow Fever shot when you go to Brazil? Will be going there in 2008....and will need a Visa....but didn't see any requirement for the innoculation.

 

Hello to you...womdered where you went to?

Yes, I had a great onbord these 2 cruises b2b...imagine we were in Venice at the same time?...huh!

 

You only need a Yellow Fever shot to go to Brasil if you are visiting a country before hand that is on the list such as Franch Guiana, whihc I am doing on the Jan 6th cruise and also the Antartica cruise after; otherwise I wouldn't need a shot and you don't either to go to Brasil.

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[arlenemilt]

Hi Tony.........

Our yellow fever shots are still good, but will they be necessary for our March cruise?

Arlene

[T&J]

Hi Tony.........

 

Our yellow fever shots are still good, but will they be necessary for our March cruise?

 

Arlene

 

nope not required for those cruises at all!

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[arlenemilt]

nope not required for those cruises at all!

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

 

Well we have them. Would like to make use of them again before they expire. Wasn't easy getting them in the first place, besides being expensive.

A.

[T&J]

Well we have them. Would like to make use of them again before they expire. Wasn't easy getting them in the first place, besides being expensive.

 

A.

 

You will need it for our Royal cruise from Rome to FLL because we stop I believe in a place that requires it before getting into Brazil.

 

Plenty of time to debate this one.

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[Andiamo!]

Just wanted to set the record straight for the Marriott Towers and Omar K. Casino in Cairo. I checked my Amex bill this morning and the Coke was $5.50 not $14 like I had said. Wouldn't want that misinformation to scare any of you away from a beautiful hotel with great beds!

 

Also wanted to add Hazem's email for Nile Blue Tours in case anyone is interested in planning his/her own private excursion next year. Hazem is the manager and his email is info@nilebluetours.com.

 

I'm in cruise withdrawal (sigh.....:() but at least my DH is over his Norovirus. I'll be looking forward to following the "Live Froms" coming up from those of you doing them.

 

Great cruising to you all!

 

Vicki

[RSteele]

I'd be interested in knowing how many people got sick...my husband got it and our friends who were traveling with us got sick....I know of at least 6 other cases...didn't know about your husband, Vicki....was on the plane coming home with a couple that the wife had gotten sick. They offered her a hotel room in Rome..free...if she couldn't travel on Wed. and she was sent to the airport in a private car...free. Roy is better...still not completely up to par...didn't eat turkey yesterday...that was my first clue. Been up since 4 this morning...my body clock isn't back on Texas time just yet! Linda

[T&J]

I'd be interested in knowing how many people got sick...my husband got it and our friends who were traveling with us got sick....I know of at least 6 other cases...didn't know about your husband, Vicki....was on the plane coming home with a couple that the wife had gotten sick. They offered her a hotel room in Rome..free...if she couldn't travel on Wed. and she was sent to the airport in a private car...free. Roy is better...still not completely up to par...didn't eat turkey yesterday...that was my first clue. Been up since 4 this morning...my body clock isn't back on Texas time just yet! Linda

 

Linda was this Princess Cruises providing the free Hotel and Transfer for her? or the Airline?...just curious to know as I haven't heard of Princess doing that before.

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool:

[T&J]

Just wanted to set the record straight for the Marriott Towers and Omar K. Casino in Cairo. I checked my Amex bill this morning and the Coke was $5.50 not $14 like I had said. Wouldn't want that misinformation to scare any of you away from a beautiful hotel with great beds!

 

Also wanted to add Hazem's email for Nile Blue Tours in case anyone is interested in planning his/her own private excursion next year. Hazem is the manager and his email is info@nilebluetours.com.

 

I'm in cruise withdrawal (sigh.....:() but at least my DH is over his Norovirus. I'll be looking forward to following the "Live Froms" coming up from those of you doing them.

 

Great cruising to you all!

 

Vicki

 

Glad to hear that Jean-Luc is better...I knew he had Noro...remmeber me telling you about the symptoms....

 

Tony

:cool: :eek: :cool: