Shogun Live From The Emerald

[Shogun]

Hi Folks,

 

Well its that time again, started and finished the packing this morning, got the big chain to fix the bags to my leg, taxi should be here n a few minutes and we will be off. Now Spain is about 3 hours flying time from my airport, so I am getting on a plane in a few hours and the ship sails tomorrow some 36 hours latter, I am staying the night in England and getting on another plane, OK its all at Princess's cost but would it not be cheaper to fly me straight there.

 

We are going BA then Titan a small UK chater company have been told service is 5 star plus so will tell you all about it latter,

 

Saying in a New airport Hotel to night so do not expect much, but should be clean.

 

Will chat once we get on the ship, with bags this time, CC having a meet in the bar before we sail so will tell all.

 

Any questions about ship , ports just ask away glad to help out.

 

yours Shogun

 

PS For those coming to Scotland weather man says it will rain every day for the next 28, sorry.

[qsuzi]

Shogun - truly hope you LOVE the Emerald and it's crew. What is your itinerary? Wishing you safe travel and sunny days! Looking forward to your "LIVE" reports. Regardless of the rain, Scotland is a magical place we'd love to visit again.

[Shogun]

Hi Susan,

 

If you want to see the weather in Scotland watch the Golf on TV,

 

 

The Emerald,

 

is leaving Barcelona for

Marseille

Livorno

Civitavecchia

Naples At Sea

Mykonos

Istanbul

Kusadasi

Athens

At Sea

Venice over night,

 

The sail into Venice is one of the great cruising wonders of the world.

 

Some thing once done never forgotten.

 

yours Shogun

 

PS Taxi at door time to go.

[SheltieLady]

Shogun hope your luggage makes it on the cruise with you this time. Have a wonderful time will be cruising on the Emerald Princess on March 10, 2009 heading to the Southern Caribbean can't wait.

 

 

Christine

[Sanibel*Gal]

Shogun - Have a wonderful time.....keep that luggage close!:D Will be following your posts we sail the Emerald in October!!

[mycruz]

Shogun, have a great cruise! I know you will.....will the CD be the same as your last time on the Emerald?

 

Looking forward to your Live thread as usual you do a great job.....we leave in 49 days and can't wait.

[Colo Cruiser]

Enjoy the Emerald. :)

[wrp96]

Hope your luggage gets to accompany you on this cruise!!

[Dorset Cruiser]

Shogun - we need a really detailed review of this one. We are booked on Ruby in January which will, of course, be a sister ship of Emerald.

 

I really want to do the sailing into Venice bit especially after watching the new series on BBC, Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage. Have a great time.

 

I think it is going to rain all over the UK for the next 28 days:(

[Clutterlady]

Shogun, have a wonderful trip.

 

Would love to hear all about the Emerald.

[Barbie075]

Shogun, we do the same cruise leaving 9/21 from Barcelona, so I am really looking forward to your postings. Keep them coming. Particularly interested in any of your experiences on land tours. Will be watching this thread. Barbie

[Not an Essex Girl]

Shogun

 

 

We will be getting on the Emerald as you get off

 

We too are getting the charter flight with Titan - from Gatwick

 

Our flight is the one that is going really early and not leaving Rome when we come home till 7pm

 

If you find anyone that has got the charter flight from Gatwick and it is an early flight and a late one coming home (unless it is the manchester one ) I would be love to know whether they let them on the ship straight away and what they did with them before they went to the airport when they come home - are they being allowed to stay on the ship.

 

When we was on the Emerald last year there was a waiter in the Crooners bar named Jun Would love to know if he is still on board.

 

Well we go in just under 2 weeks so will love hearing about the ship from you

 

Safe journey

 

Tina

[kool kruiser]

Hi Shogun

 

We too are with Tina on the next Emerald sailing so please look after her for us:D

 

Any news on CD, Crooners pianist and shows/entertainment/MUTS selection would be great

 

Really appreciate your taking the trouble to share your experience with us

 

Have a wonderful cruise and don't lose sight of those bags:D

 

Colin

[bonnieg]

Hi Shogun, I'm another July 23rd cruiser who wants to thank you for starting this thread. The timing couldn't be more perfect. Looking forward to your always amusing reports.

Bonnie

[Casshew]

Have a great cruise, Shogun :)

[bettycoop]

Hi Shogun

 

Hope you and your luggage have a wonderful cruise!:)

 

I too will really look forward to your posts as I will be on 16 August cruise which will stop at the same ports.

 

One thing I would be very interested in is whether they offer shuttle buses from some of the ports.

 

Hope you had a good flight and look forward to your posts.

 

Betty

[regnig]

Shogun many thanks for starting another one of these "live" threads. Love the thought of your luggage chained to your leg. I'm sure this time you have taken pictures of each and every item in each bag and have put the sales slips in your safety deposit box. Here's wishing you smooth seas and stary nights.

[vickie_bernie]

Hey Shogun, keep that luggage close! Don't let it out of your sight! And don't put it on any bus without seeing it come off too.

 

Hope you have a great trip -- looking forward to your posts.

[Mrs2cats]

Shogun, hope you have a fantastic cruise and enjoy Emerald as much as we did last September. You are visiting all the places we did. We will never forget how we felt as we started our cruise and left Venice, we were so emotional. Someone has already mentioned Francesco's BBC TV programme and we have watched both episodes it has made me want to see more of the Med and especially visit Venice again. Looking forward to reading your live postings, if you have the time. Bon Voyage!!

[PescadoAmarillo]

Shogun, I love all LIVE FROMs, and yours most of all. Thanks for taking time to post...I always value your thoughts.

[Christapie]

Hi Shogun!

 

Enjoy your cruise!!! Tell us what you did to insure that you will have your luggage....upon arrival....

 

Christapie

[thisislou]

Shogun ....

 

If you could please find out for me if the WiFi is "free" for the Elite and where is it offered.

 

I've seen different post that suggest it - but not one that confirms.

 

Enjoy your cruise

 

thanks

Lou

[Shogun]

HI All,

 

The Story so far, the taxi arrived on time, got us to the air port on time, as we went to do our self service booking in, the shock of I though you had the bag with the passports appeared, after all we have been through the taxi was away with our passports , money cruise tickets, but not the mobile phone so a quick call to the taxi driver thank god for mobile phones and he was on his way back to us with the missing bag.

 

For UK folks, The Soiftel not sure od spelling is great food is excellant but not cheap, right next to the rapid transit rail. Nice one Princess for putting us up here.

 

OK the 2.30am check in is not so good.

 

Titan air ways the chater company used provides excellant service no plastic forks etc, sweets, hot towels , drinks, warm bread good breakfast etc, would fly with them again plane is a 757-200 a appears quite new.

 

The fun part, no steps to meet the plane but not a long delay, but there was a short delay in landing, then a short delay standing about waiting for bus to take us from the plane to the airport, once in passport control was a straight walk in and out US please learn, then we stood waiting for our bags may be half an hour or more while they went round and round on another track, Princess reps on hand, the collected bags handed to carrier andwe wewre lead to a bus,

 

As we write still no bags but it has only been about 4 hours.

 

As we were in so early what would Princess do we us, simple give us a bus tour of Bar.a few stops etc all in all far better than waiting to board a ship.

 

The boarding the night mare bit, not a chance straight through the scanners, then to check in big que hundreds and hundreds of new cruisers, as to express check in no one there walked straight up got cards got to ship by passing bloke with camera and still no que all in all the best boarding of any cruise.

 

Atleast 6 ships in Island, MSC, P&O etc.

 

Two muster calls to night .

 

Letter waiting to say cc meeting organised and a rep for me to call if any problems.

 

No captain on board but the boss him self the Commodore.

 

All staff appeared to have changed.

 

Need to go, will chat latter

 

 

yours Shogun

 

Now were's my bags !

[Sanibel*Gal]

Oh No....no bags - Good Grief, will keep fingers crossed they arrive soon!

You say no Captain but the Commodore himself, do you mean Romano??? We have sailed with him many times and really enjoyed talking with him.

 

Good luck with those bags!

[Not an Essex Girl]

Hi Shogun

 

glad to hear you landed safely and on board.

 

 

What time did you arrive in Barcelona.

 

Did you leave from Gatwick ? - what time was your flight?

 

I phoned princess yesterday and was told we would be taken on to the ship and not a tour of Venice.

 

So was surprised when you said you got a tour of Barcelona but it may be different countries do it differently.

 

What time did you get on the ship?

 

Again was surprised that if you was early on that there was loads there.

 

We too are lucky that we are platinum so hopefully that queue will be smaller.

 

Our flight leaves Gatwick at 5.40am and arrives at venice at 8.40am

 

I hope your cases arrive soon.

 

Tina