Review of the Royal Princess Holyland Cruise

[PescadoAmarillo]

Thanks for the wonderful review (both the ship and the itinerary). Such unique itinerary reviews are always a bit hard to find, and yours is very much appreciated. A few years ago I mourned the fact that we may never get to that part of the world (due to unrest)....it is very nice to know that that is not the case, and we should not give up hope that we'll get there in the next few years.

[Anubi]

Linda...thanks so much for your excellent review. Some of us are doing an independant tour of Egypt on the Aegean/Egyptian cruise with Star Princess this fall and we're staying at the same hotel in Cairo so your review was very timely. Thanks for the pointers on Cairo. The excitement builds :D :D

[NorcalGuy]

Thanks so much for your review!

It was all fascinating. This itinerary is truly "traveling" rather than just "cruising". Has everything I like: a different exotic port every day with the luxury of living on the ship!

I hope to do this itinerary one day. By then there may be several each season.

[lindaann]

Hi Linda:

 

Did you have to make your own arrangements for visas in Egypt or did Princess handle that? There was some confusion on other threads that Princess would only handle visas for their overnight cruise tours but that passengers making their own private tour arrangements needed to get their own visas?

 

Also I did request deviation approval for Egypt and received telephonic approval. Was I also to receive a form to give to the purser's desk?

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

 

 

Texas Jim. We took a private overnight tour in Egypt and we DID NOT have to make any visa arrangements. As we have said before we just walked off the ship in Port Said just the same as we walked off the ship in every port we stopped at. As for deviation approval from Princess we got a fax from Princess which we handed in to the purser's office. Half the ship or more will be staying overnight in Egypt and many of those will be on private tours. I would, however, go to the pursers desk a few days before Egypt just to confirm that they have you in the computer as staying overnight.

 

P.S. You are going to have a great time in Egypt. We wish we were going on the Holyland cruise all over again.

[Gutsy]

Hi Linda:

 

Did you have to make your own arrangements for visas in Egypt or did Princess handle that? There was some confusion on other threads that Princess would only handle visas for their overnight cruise tours but that passengers making their own private tour arrangements needed to get their own visas?

 

Also I did request deviation approval for Egypt and received telephonic approval. Was I also to receive a form to give to the purser's desk?

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

Hi Texas Jim,

 

We got a fax from Princess regarding our deviation on Friday, the day after I faxed my request to them. I think it would be important for you to have your approval in writing.

 

Susan

[Texas Jim]

Thanks Linda and Susan. I will contact Nancy at Princess and get my deviation approval in writing. :)

 

Jim

[jotabecu]

Review of the Royal Princess Holyland Cruise

 

What a cruise, what an itinerary! If you wish to experience a cruise that is slightly different from your previous ones this one is for you.

 

The Royal Princess departed from Athens on June 1st. Because it is, a small ship embarkation on to the Royal was fast and efficient. From the start of the voyage until the end, I have only the highest praise for the Princess staff. Everyone from the wait staff to the cabin stewards to the officers had a smile on their face and could not do enough to help you. We were impressed.

 

We are veteran Mediterranean cruisers and have never taken full advantage of all the amenities on the larger ships we have been on because European cruises are so port intensive. We choose our cruises based on the itineraries and this was a unique itinerary.

 

We always opt for late seating which means that when we get back to the ship after sightseeing all day we have a couple of hours to unwind and get ready for dinner, have a cocktail ( the raspberry martinis are wonderful) and then listen to some music before turning in for the next whirlwind day in port. The Royal is a much smaller ship than previous ones we have been on with about 750 passengers. It is elegant and classy. The public rooms are decorated in a very warm traditional manner. As has been mentioned in other reviews there is a country club feel on the Royal. As you wander around the ship, you find it very welcoming and comfortable. The library on the 10th floor is beautiful and yes there is an extensive selection of books. That being said if you are looking for lots of bells and whistles this is not the ship to book.

 

As far as food is concerned the breakfast buffet was good however the Princess coffee has not improved. The couple of lunches we had on the ship were good. There were two lobster nights and a king crab leg dinner that were excellent. The dining room staff was very good and very happy to bring extras for those who wished it. The other dinners were spotty. The best other meals were the nights they served lamb. The outdoor barbecue around the pool was good when you got back to the ship, the pizza was tasty and continental breakfast in your cabin was on time and good.

 

The only minor disappointment we had was the evening entertainment shows, the production shows were fairly amateur and the guest comedians were downright unfunny. There were a few complaints about internet being slow but I did not run into any terrible troubles like some of the guests who were trying to conduct business while on holiday. When in port we sometimes ran into a local internet café to check our emails for a couple of Euros. One warning is to make sure you do not have a cabin across from the seventh floor launderette. Very noisy with guests chatting while doing their laundry. On a 12-day cruise, laundry is unavoidable even though as usual we brought an excess of clothes. Now the laundry is free and Princess supplies detergent. Whether that continues remains to be seen.

 

We are generally independent travelers and tend to book private tours or in certain ports just grab a cab or wander around the port on our own. One note is that if you are a Canadian or American the ship arranges all the visas so you do not have to do it yourself even for Turkey and Egypt.

 

Our first stop was Santorini, which we have visited before. We grabbed the cable car to the top and because there were no other ships in the harbor there were not any lineups. We grabbed a cab to Oia, which happens to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. After taking about a million photos we then went back to Thira and had a lovely lunch (Greek salad of course and a Mythos beer) overlooking the sea. It was breathtaking. After a little shopping, we went back to the ship. It was a lovely day.

 

The next day we arrived on the small island of Patmos and once again grabbed a cab to take us to the main sights including St. John’s Monastery. After that, we walked around the town and had another lovely Greek salad and some calamari for lunch before heading back to the ship. Both Santorini and Patmos were tender ports and because of the small size of the ship, there was never any waiting. We then had our first sea day.

 

Our next port was Kusadasi, Turkey where the Roman ruins of Ephesus are. We have been there before and a guide is important to explain the significance and history of these magnificent ruins. We took a cab from the port and then hired a guide at the gate to Ephesus. This time we went to see the Terrace Houses on the site that are being excavated. Extremely interesting. We then went back to Kusadasi. This is the place to shop for jewelry, leather, ceramics and of course carpets. The Turks are extremely friendly and are very willing to bargain. You will probably be able to get that special item for up to half of the original price so be prepared to bargain hard and walk away if you are not happy with the price. There is no shortage of stores that sell similar items.

 

Our next stop was Haifa in Israel. We had booked a private guide and driver, which is a terrific way to travel. We started the day off at the Bahia Gardens and then traveled to Safed, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River and a Kibbutz. We stopped for the best falafel we have ever had. When you only have one day in a port we don’t like the ship’s tours that tend to have long touristy lunches and obligatory stops at the ship’s approved shopping destinations. For us it is a waste of valuable time and we like to see as much as we can and vary the itinerary as the day goes on.

 

The next day we went to Jerusalem. We began viewing Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus looking over the city. What a view! Our guide explained the strategic history of Jerusalem and the importance of Jerusalem to the three major religions. We then proceeded into the city and went to the Western Wall and because it was a Thursday morning, there were many Bar/Bat Mitvahs that lent an air of celebration to the area. Make sure you are dressed appropriately if you are going to Jerusalem. We then toured the old city, the markets, and the church of the Holy Sepulcher. In the afternoon we went to the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem which was extraordinarily moving.

 

A note about Israel; I never once felt unsafe and there was nowhere that I as a woman would have felt uncomfortable going even if I was alone. It is also extraordinary to see in the areas that we toured how the Israelis have transformed a previously barren land into a country rich in agriculture and full of green spaces. They have gone to great efforts to respect the religious diversity of their country.

 

Early the next morning we arrived in Port Said, Egypt. Most people were off the ship before 7:00A.M. We had booked a private tour with DeCastro Tours, which was recommended on these boards and we will highly commend them as well. There were four of us on the tour. We had a driver, guide and security in our van. The majority of passengers including us had decided to do an overnight stay in Cairo and then meet the ship the next evening in Alexandria We had to travel in a convoy to Cairo, both the ship’s tour buses and the private tours. The security was very tight in Egypt. They do not want there to be any trouble with the tourists as the tourist industry has been down in recent years and they need to build it up again. Our safety was their main concern.

 

The drive to Cairo is about two and a half hours from the port. Our guide was once again terrific. Cairo is a city of 15 million people and a total assault to the senses. We started our tour at the Egyptian Museum, learned a little about the history of Egypt, and of course saw the King Tut room and the famous golden mask. We then proceeded to the Great Pyramids of Giza. You drive through the city and all of a sudden, you see the pyramids looming ahead as magnificent as you have always imagined. One interesting thing is that the city goes right up to the pyramids on one side and then total desert on the other. We spent a while at the pyramids, had the obligatory photos on a camel and then went to see the sphinx, which is on the same site. After leaving the pyramids, we went to the Khan Khalili market that was extraordinarily interesting and fun. Once again, serious bargaining is the norm. The people were very friendly but of course always trying to make a sale. The selection of goods in the market is limited. If you wish an Egyptian cartouche, a pashmina, or a model of a pyramid there are many choices.

 

We then went to our hotel for the night, the Meridian Pyramids Hotel, a lovely five star hotel that was all arranged by our tour company, DeCastro tours. We opted to pay an extra $20 for a pyramid view. You open your curtains in the morning and there are the pyramids. Wow! The people who took the ship’s tours stayed at the Four Seasons Cairo. We ate at the hotel, which was terrific and had the pleasure of watching an Egyptian wedding that was going on in the hotel. The next day the hotel provided a wonderful buffet breakfast and then we were off again. We went to Sakkara and saw the step pyramids, Memphis to see the statue of Ramses and then back into Cairo to see the Grand Mosque and Old Cairo to see the churches and synagogue. Finally, we had to drive to Alexandria to catch the ship, exhausted but exhilarated at the same time.

 

A few notes about Cairo. This is city of extreme poverty in many areas. Parts of the city look like they have been bombed and many areas are filthy. However, the people we met were extremely friendly and very happy to see us. Yes, there are some beggars and some street sellers trying to sell you things but we found a polite no was all that was needed for them to go away. On one hand, you have a super highway with cars flying by and then there will be a water buffalo pulling a cart of watermelons at the side of the road. There are sheep and goats grazing in the strangest places. There are women walking with baskets on their heads. You will see a camel walking in a group of people. It was a fascinating experience

 

You must remember Egypt is a traditional Muslim country and to dress accordingly, with your shoulders and knees covered. I wore capris the first day and a broomstick skirt the second day after I knew that I had already been on the camel. Basically, be respectful in other countries of their customs. I never fail to be amazed at how inappropriate some people dress when they know they are going into religious sites, such as a churches, synagogues or mosques. We took one-dollar bills to give to some of the children. In Egypt, you must pay an attendant to use the washrooms and small bills are essential. In both Israel and Egypt, the vendors are happy with you using US or local currency.

 

The next two days were sea days and we certainly needed them. We then arrived at Sorrento a tender port again. Sorrento is a lovely little town. Princess offered a shuttle to get up to the town from the port. We took a ferry to Positano because we had done the Amalfi coast before which is stunning. Then much to our chagrin the cruise was over.

 

The next morning we arrive in Civitavecchia. We had booked a shuttle to take us to Rome where we spent a couple of days before flying home.

 

The cruise was spectacular and I would recommend this itinerary and the Royal Princess highly. If you have any questions, we will try and answer them for you.

 

Linda and Stan[/quote

 

 

Your review is excellent. One question, in Ephesus, did the taxi wait for you? I have been there before but do not recall seeing any unoccuppied taxis at the end of the road (downhill). Thanks for your reply.

[Future Islander]

Our comments regarding this cruise.

 

Pacific Princess

 

Holy Land Cruise – November 4- 16, 2008

 

Disclaimer: The following report and comments are our personal comments and are not meant to imply that any part of this trip was something that anyone else could expect to experience (good or bad). They are our experiences and opinions. They took place on particular dates under unique conditions. The following report is only meant to give the reader an idea of what we observed and recommendations that we think were appropriate for our individual needs and circumstances. Our ratings will be classified as Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair & Poor.

 

General Comments:

 

Pacific Princess – Smaller ship than what we have previously sailed on, maximum capacity 670 guests. Ship’s condition was very good, very clean and the relative smallness afforded a better ability to associate with other guests. I liked the smaller ship, the Mrs. didn’t, citing the lack of (more) things to do and fewer shops onboard. This was my 10th cruise, the Mrs’s 11th.

 

Food – Very good, both variety and quality. Also, very good presentation.

 

Service – Very good to excellent…both in the dining areas and cabins.

 

Activities – Could be more, but staff is limited on this size vessel…I was getting bored by the second day at sea. (Note, I’m the type of person that can’t sit still.)

 

Entertainment – Good, but could be better and more of it. Piano player in the casino lounge was fair and didn’t play a lot. Theater productions were “OK”, but lacked the spectacular type that you get on larger ships. However, the performers were very talented. One guest comedian was not funny.

 

Internet – Expensive. 75 cents per minute, unless you buy a plan. Plans start at $55. For 100 minutes. The internet speed is slow.

 

Cell Phones (AT&T): I was almost never out of cell phone contact, even at sea….but I wonder what the “at sea” bill will be.

 

Guest Lecturer – Not very good…not a good speaker….Debbie, the port of call lecturer was better.

 

Tours – While most of the Princess tours were OK ….I would recommend that future guests try to book private tours in Alexandria (for Cairo), Ashdod (Jerusalem) and Haifa (Nazareth). In my opinion, too much time is wasted on tourist trap shopping stops, bathroom visits (waiting for the 45 people to finish), restaurant stops (do you really need another big meal while on a cruise?) when a “quick bite” stop at a Mc Donald’s (or box lunch from the ship) would suffice? And waiting for “missing people” who are late getting back to the bus.

 

Details:

 

We left Newark, NJ (EWR) on November 3, 2008 aboard Continental flight 40 to Rome (FCO) at 17:30. Arrived in Rome at 08:00, November 4, 2008.

 

Princess Cruises met us at the gate and told us to claim our luggage (we had purchased the airport to ship transfers for $75. each – well worth the cost). Another Princess Representative met us at the baggage claim area and took our luggage. Next time we saw the bags were onboard the ship in our stateroom (Great Service!). We boarded a bus at around 10:00 for the ride to Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) however, since it was too early to check in on the ship Princess took us on a 3 hour (complimentary) tour of Rome….then onto the port. We arrived at the port at about 14:00. Check-in went very smoothly. The Pacific Princess only accommodates about 670 passengers (we are accustomed to much larger ships with 2,000 to 3,000 passengers). The good news….we were upgraded to a balcony stateroom from our original ocean view room. Emilio, our cabin attendant, greeted us upon arrival. Luggage took about 3 hours to arrive in the stateroom. The stateroom was spacious with lots of storage space….we packed for 2 seasons (Summer & Fall) due to our destinations and time of year. In all we had 2 large and 1 medium suit cases along with 2 carry on bags. Lunch at the buffet was good….we met Henry and Monica (from Los Angels) at the airport and joined them for lunch.

 

Before sailing the Captain announced a change in port for the next day. Instead of Sorrento we would dock in Naples…I was a little disappointed here but if the seas were rough then tendering into Sorrento would be a problem. Dinner was good, the Mrs. had Mahi Mahi and I the seafood crock pot. We asked to be seated at a table for 8. Here we met Stan & Iris (from Long Island) and Merle & Diane (from Rochester, NY)…..we had 2 empty seats at our table. Note: The ship was not full…..but I would estimate the occupancy at about 500-550 passengers.

 

Wednesday (November 5, 2008). We docked at Naples. Since Sorrento was a long ride away we opted to return to Pompeii. Princess provided a bus to the main transportation center of the port, but the driver was nice enough to drop us off near the train station (for Pompeii). The tickets cost 4.60 Euros (roundtrip). We met another couple on the train also going to Pompeii (Dennis & Betty from Wisconsin). Dennis & Betty were on a NCL Mediterranean Cruise. Admission to Pompeii was 11 Euros. We had a great time exploring Pompeii with Dennis & Betty and saw many things we missed on a previous trip in 2002. On the way back to the port we stopped in a small food store in Naples and bought 2 bottles of Italian wine (the good stuff). We were back on the ship by 16:00 for a sailing at 17:30. Hungry we went to the pizzeria, but it was closed…we opted for a burger instead (something to eat was always available aboard the ship). At 20:15 we went to dinner in the main dining room. I had scallops (yum). Bob & Marla (from Ohio) joined us tonight. Also, we met another couple on-board that had booked their cruise 2 weeks ahead of time (we booked ours 6 weeks ahead). They told us that they paid $995./person….we paid $1,997./person…boy did they get a good deal.

 

Thursday & Friday (November 6 & 7, 2008). Two days at sea. I got a chance to relax, slept late and read my book, “A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity” by Bill O’Reilly. I’m beginning to really like this “smaller ship”. It’s less congested and “friendlier”. We’re meeting a lot more people than we usually do on the larger ships…..I guess it’s because you see them more frequently on a smaller boat. Breakfast in the main dining room was good, lunches at the buffet were good and dinner in the main dining room was very good with excellent company and great service. Diane (from Rochester) keeps ribbing me about the election….she knows that I’m a Republican….it’s all in fun, though. The Mrs. tries her hand at ceramics & joins the other ladies for afternoon tea. I’m into exploring the ship and finding a quiet place to read my book. The ship also offers lectures/discussions on the “Global Economy” and “Ports of Call”….we both go. The lecturer on the “Global Economy” was not very good (sorry if I offended someone)…..I tried to ask questions, but he was “unavailable” for that kind of thing. Debbie, the “port of call” lecturer, was good, informative and very receptive to answering questions.

 

Saturday (November 8, 2008). Alexandria, Egypt. Awoke at 05:30, had a quick breakfast and met in the theater at 07:10. Today we purchased a Princess tour to the Pyramids, Sphinx & Egyptian Museum. The Princess personnel were very efficient and had us on the bus by 08:00 for the 3 hour ride to Cairo. The ride was smooth, but long…yes they have a (clean) restroom on the bus. Mohammad was the name of our tour guide…so was the bus driver (we also had an armed guard on-board). The tour guide was very good and provided a lot of good information during our long ride into Cairo. At about 11:00 we passed the Sofitel Hotel in Giza and I can now see the Pyramids (Wow). We stop at a parking area above the 3 pyramids and are told by Mohammad that we have 17 minutes to take pictures (huh?....17 minutes?.....a 3 hour ride for 17 minutes?). The stop was tooooo short….I barely got a chance to take a few pictures and negotiate a deal with one of many vendors for some papyrus prints before being shuffled to the bus by our guide. The Mrs., the shopper of the family, is not “a happy camper”…she wants to shop. Next stop the Great Pyramid of Cheops….we stop here and are told we have 25 minutes (huh?...the last remaining wonder of the ancient world and we have 25 minutes?)….the Mrs. & I venture into the great pyramid (tickets are included in the tour price)…the Mrs. turns back at the start of the decline…I venture further and enter the great chamber with the stone sarcophagus of Cheops (Wow!). I borrow a flashlight from an attendant and very closely view the final resting place of Cheops…..placing my hand on the very spot where this great Pharaoh was laid to rest. Back out on the desert floor I join the Mrs. who is being admired for her blond hair (I’m offered 2 camels & a goat for her….…just kidding). Being a Saturday there are a lot of school aged children at this site and they all want to meet us and practice their English….topics of the day were “where are we from” and “Obama being elected”. We’re hassled by a few vendors wanting to give us gifts (of course they wanted cash gifts in return). By the way U.S. dollars and Euros are accepted everywhere. Remember to take lots of singles and five dollar bills with you. Next stop the Sphinx….here we have a total of 35 minutes….just enough time to walk down to the Sphinx and take some pictures…then the long walk back to the bus. Total (scheduled) time at the Pyramids & Sphinx was 77 minutes (including the time to walk to and from the bus). Then off to a “scheduled” shopping opportunity (organized)….we are told we have 20 minutes here to shop (the Mrs. is in a panic mode by now…it must be “shopping withdrawal”). The Mrs. purchases 2 custom silver (with gold hieroglyphics) cartouches for $100. each with chain…..the ship wanted $140. each without the chain. Then off to lunch at a local hotel. We’re told that we have 1 hour to eat and return to the bus. Food was good. The Egyptian beer and wine was good, as well. Then back to the bus (the customized cartouches are already here) for the ride through Cairo to the Egyptian Museum (admission is included). Here we have 75 minutes…..(huh?...the greatest archeological museum in the world and we have 75 minutes for exploring and shopping (can’t forget the Mrs.). We barely touch the surface of this fascinating place…it’s a good thing that we’re coming back to Egypt in April 2009 for 2 weeks and can spend much more time exploring the sites that we just visited. I bought 3 paintings at the museum gift shop for $8.00 each. Then it’s back on the bus for the 3 hour, 15 minute ride to Alexandria. We’re back on the dock at 19:20. The Mrs. does some shopping at an area adjacent to the dock. The ship leaves port at 20:00. In all we had 2 hours and 23 minutes of “sightseeing” for an 11 ½ hour trip. I can only say that “we’ve been there”, but really didn’t get a chance to enjoy it. If any Princess Cruises representatives view these comments may I recommend the following (and it applies to the Israel tours, as well), 1. Restroom facilities on the bus are a must, it saves time; 2. Pack a box lunch from the ship so we don’t waste (precious) time at restaurants; 3. Shopping can take place at the archeological sites, we don’t need to shop at “over priced designated tourist traps”! ; 4. Assure that the tour guides are fluent in English (our Israeli tour guide in Jerusalem was terrible); 5. Smaller groups on tours. Tour groups of 45 people are just too unmanageable, 20 people maximum would be better….also, I estimate that we spent over an hour just waiting for people to use and return from the restrooms on the Israel tours, because there were no restrooms on the buses.

 

Sunday (November 9, 2008). Port Said. We docked at 10:00. Since there were no tours offered here we just took a walk into town. Port Said is small compared to Alexandria…..and we felt a little unsafe here walking around by ourselves. We were asked for money by a couple of beggars. The beach area was filthy and the worst I’ve seen anywhere in our travels….litter and garbage everywhere. We met up with another couple from the ship and walked back with them. There were many vendors on the dock and the Mrs. satisfied her desire to shop…..I bought an Egyptian coffee set and some decorative plates (by the way the Egyptian vendor freely admitted that most of the Egyptian souvenirs here are made in China, but he assured me that my coffee set was made in Egypt….hmmmm). I also purchased some Egyptian book marks for gifts….then back to the ship…..it was late so we wanted pizza….but again (the third time) it was closed (hmmm). The ship also hosted an Egyptian folklore show which was very good…we thoroughly enjoyed it…very worthwhile. Following the show we joined our new Indian friends for drinks at the casino lounge. After visiting here I’d say that Port Said is not a worthwhile port to visit, actually it would have been better to stop in Malta on the way from Naples rather than Port Said.

 

Monday (November 10, 2008). Ashdod (the port for Jerusalem & Bethlehem). We chose to do the Princess tour for Jerusalem & Bethlehem. This was by far the WORST tour we have ever taken, ever. We were very disappointed. The tour guides’ command of the English language was poor…his heavy accent made it worse….and his constant repeating of things, four times, made it very annoying. We awoke at 05:30, breakfast at 06:45 and met our tour group at 07:20 in the ship’s theater. We boarded the bus and are off at 08:00. The walking tour through Jerusalem, except for the stops at the Wailing Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, was a high speed, try to catch the tour guide, chase…we saw NOTHING! We then boarded the bus for a ride to a Kibbutz for lunch…another total waste of precious Holy Land time where a box lunch, from the ship, would have saved time. The food was O.K., but they ran out of desserts (or at least they said they did). We were then taken to the Palestinian held territory crossing for the trip to Bethlehem. We had to change tour guides, since our original guide was not allowed to go there. From here we were told that a Mass was being said at the Church of the Nativity and we couldn’t go there yet (we later found out, through people on another tour bus, that this was simply a lie). Instead we were taken to a tourist trap shop that was completely isolated….I felt a little insecure at this time…I felt trapped here (and we were)……items at this shop were severely over priced…what a rip off….and we waste almost 1 ½ hours. We finally get to the Church of the Nativity (this is what I came for) and are told that we can’t stay since we are out of time (really…after wasting 3 hours at lunch and a rip-off tourist trap shop)…..???? Princess Cruises needs to definitely do something to change this tour!

 

Tuesday (November 11, 2008). Haifa (the port for Nazareth & the Sea of Galilee). This Princess tour was much better than the previous day….at least the tour guide was understandable and very knowledgeable. We visit many religious sites and have lunch at another Kibbutz (again a box lunch would have done well and saved time). Special Note: Although we didn’t come here for a “religious experience” we found that all of the religious sites were totally commercialized to the extent that it was appalling. These were built-up sites where they “think” events took place along with severely over priced merchandise. It is a shame that these most reverend places in all of Christendom are displayed in this manner. I don’t think Jesus would have approved of all the building of shrines and the trinket kiosks with their religious items (that are made in China)…..it seems that the dollar (or Euro or any other currency) has replaced the sanctity of this area. I for one would have rather sat on a rock at the “Hill of the Multiplication” contemplating the words that Jesus spoke to his Disciples and the masses that came to hear him speak. Anyway, I can say that I saw the places where Jesus walked…the Mrs. even put her feet in the River Jordan….and for the most part it was an enjoyable day.

 

Wednesday (November 12, 2008). Day at Sea. Another day making new friends and enjoying many conversations and experiences….Diane keeps kidding me about Obama winning the election. Today we met Malcolm & Margaret from Scotland…a wonderful couple….Malcolm even wore his kilt to the formal dinner tonight…we also went to the onboard show (very good) and danced the night away at the disco….took a lot of pictures. I managed to finish my book, too. The Mrs. finished her ceramics project. Plus Debbie gave a briefing on Turkey (the country, not the bird).

 

Thursday (November 13, 2008). Kusadasi, Turkey. Again we took the Princess tour to Ephesus, St. John’s Basilica and the Virgin Mary Shrine…which was the best tour of all that we had taken…….the tour of Ephesus was amazing! We thoroughly enjoyed it…took lots of pictures…and we would come back one day to re-visit the area.

 

Friday (November 14, 2008). Patmos, Greece. We are on our own. Took a taxi (with two other friends) to St. John’s Grotto and Monastery…cost was 25 Euros (total for all 4 of us)….the tour (on our own) took about 3 hours…the taxi driver was pretty fluent in English and described the places to visit……well worth it! Then back to town for shopping before boarding the ship. I bought a bottle of Greek wine.

 

Saturday (November 15, 2008). Santorini, Greece. Since we’ve been here before we opted not to take a tour. We took the cable car to the top of the hill (4 Euros each way, each) and the Mrs. spent the day shopping while I explored the surrounding area on foot. Since it was late in the season a lot of shops were closed. Back to the ship to pack our bags and get ready to disembark. At dinner we say good-bye to all of our new friends…we exchange e-mail addresses, as well.

 

Sunday (November 16, 2008). Piraeus (Athens), Greece. Today we disembark the ship. We take a taxi to the Sofitel Hotel next to Athens airport (the cost was 50 Euros)….we asked for an early check-in…the cost for the hotel was 160 Euros (advance booking). From here we took the train into Athens and got off in Plaka (cost 10 Euros, round trip, each). We shopped had lunch at Byzantino Vizantino (a sidewalk café), shopped some more and re-boarded the train for the airport. We went to sleep early (very tired).

 

Monday (November 17, 2008). Awake at 03:30 to repack and get to the airport by 05:00 for our 07:00 flight to Paris on Air France (by the way, Air France was on a partial strike, but our flight was unaffected). Arrived in Paris at 09:30. Fortunately our Continental flight back to Newark was on schedule. We enjoyed a glass of champagne at Continental’s Presidents Club prior to boarding our flight at 12:00. The flight went very smoothly….landing about 35 minutes early…our daughter picked us up at the airport and 60 minutes later we’re home………the end of a wonderful trip.

 

Throughout our trip we met many wonderful people from around the world and formed relationships that we hope will continue through e-mails, for many years….and perhaps form some type of reunion on another cruise. We thoroughly enjoyed the Pacific Princess and would definitely sail with them again.