Grand Princess Mediterranean Medley July 18-Aug 1

[spongerob]

I'm working on an in-depth review, but thought it worthwhile to post a few comments about the ship, staff, and cruise.

 

I had been looking at Med cruises from Southampton for several years because they include 2 sea days to begin and end the cruise. It's like a port-intensive 10-day Med cruise with extra days to relax.

 

We flew in a day early and stayed in Southampton at the DeVere Grand. Car service by Woodford Chauffeurs was prompt and friendly as usual. The service at this hotel has definitely gone downhill. What used to be a posh operation is now not much better than a motel along any interstate in the US. Maybe worse. The front desk staff seemed to be better able to ignore the constantly-ringing phone than actually solve problems. We will be looking for alternatives next time.

 

• Embarkation: Swift and efficient. Southampton definitely has the process down. We arrived around noon and had to wait just a few minutes before being directed on board.
  
• Ship: She's a twenty-footer. By that I mean that everything looks great inside and out from a distance. If you look too closely, you might spot the dings and dents that show that this ship has been in service for more than 10 years. It's all small stuff, like the tiles in our bathroom that needed to be replaced. But since I noticed that the very first day, I continued to notice it the rest of the cruise. None of it is major and don't let it put you off, just be aware that you will see signs of use. As some in our group who have been on newer or upgraded Grand-class ships said, the lack of the atrium upgrades really shows how far behind the rest of the class this ship is.
  
• Dining: Outstanding. Not just good, or excellent, but outstanding. It was hard to find a complaint. Our waiter's recommendations were always spot-on. I was prepared for ordinary, but was blown away by the main dining room's selections.
  
• Service: Outstanding again. Most of the crew were genuinely eager to serve. As usual a few sourpusses were out and about, but we really lucked out getting Sal and Adonis in Michelangelo on the second night and reserved their table for the remainder of the cruise. Boyan and Spence in the Wheelhouse also took good care of us.
  
• Sabatini: Quite good. They don't overload you with appetizers you don't want, and you have the option to bypass the soup course. The two pastas served were great. I had scallops while most of the others chose the sea bass. It was all good.
  
• Painted Desert: Excellent steaks, but so-so service put a damper on the evening. Our waiter seemed more interesting in doing things the easy way rather than the right way. It stood out because we had gotten used to Sal by that point.
  
• Ultimate Ship Tour: Well worth it! I could have spent all afternoon in the engine control room, where we got a full explanation of why we were late leaving Livorno. Refreshments on the bridge with Captain Perrin was an unexpected treat. Our tour "below decks" had me totally turned around and lost very quickly. It really is a big ship.
  
• Dress Code: Enforced. 'Nuff said.
  

We had 8 ports in 9 days. A few quick comments:

 

• Gibraltar: There isn't much here besides High Street shopping if you don't take a tour. There were three ships in port. High Street was a zoo. We had lunch (not very good) and went back to the ship.
  
• Alicante: We took a ship's tour to Guadalest. It was a charming town, and inexpensive compared to the bigger cities. Fantastic photo ops. The tour was longer than described and we had no time on our own in the city itself.
  
• Barcelona: We booked a private guide for a walking tour of the city. Our guide took us to a restaurant and introduced us to tapas and sangria. After sangria, we headed back to the ship early. The city was closing down for siesta and it was brutally hot so a nice shower and some pool time were a great choice.
  
• Cannes: We tendered in and met our driver for a private tour to St. Paul de Vence and Monaco. I could have spent the entire day in St. Paul. It's a truly medieval village populated today by artists and local merchants. Monaco was neat, but one visit is enough unless you just really like to see people driving around in Ferrari's, Lambo's, and Bentley's. Interestingly enough, a Ford Mustang parked in front of the casino was getting more attention than a Ferrari Testarossa parked nearby.
  
• Livorno: Again, a private tour to Greve, a vineyard, and to Florence. We should have gone to Florence first, satisfied the shopping urges of the ladies in our group, then gone to Greve. We had an incredible lunch overlooking the city from a hilltop restaurant that most tourists can get to only with significant effort.
  
• Rome: We were in Rome on a Sunday. The line for the Sistine Chapel was literally a mile long first thing in the AM. We arrived a little bit late due to power problems the previous night (which were fixed) and missed our opportunity to be the early birds for the chapel. We toured the Basilica instead, then went for lunch at a restaurant recommended by our driver, Fabio Leotta. We then hit the tourist sites and Colisseum. Fabio was an excellent guide and is very knowledgeable about history, plus is a master at avoiding traffic.
  
• Alghero (Sardinia): We could have spent much more time here, too. This is a tender port and rather a short call, so we booked a ship's tour to a vineyard for winetasting. Again, the tour was longer than described due to unadvertised additions so we had no time to explore the town on our own. I purchased a magnum of local spumante for $20; it could easily have sold for much more.
  
• Cadiz: We were pretty shagged by this point and just wandered around on our own using the HOHO bus. This is my first (and last) experience with HOHO buses. Two ladies were very nearly left behind at Cadiz - the gangway was being dismantled and security had already retrieved their passports and handed them to the Spanish authorities when they showed up. They were mortified, and didn't know how close they were to watching their ship sail for England without them.
  

We did experience some rude behavior on board, in particular, very young children out on their own after 11 PM and getting into all kinds of mischief. One of their favorite tricks was to set empty plates outside cabin entrances so that you would step on them when you went out. My wife got a glass of soda all over her feet and pants as a result of this.

 

The older teens were noticeably polite and unobtrusive even when doing typical teen things. But the younger children, roaming loose at all hours, was disruptive.

 

This cruise was marketed primarily to the UK, and more than 80% on board were from the UK. The standard of dress was noticeably higher throughout the cruise.

 

This turned out to be one of my favorite cruises. I was truly impressed by the service on board. If and when I do this one again, I will skip the tourist sites and get into the countryside. That's where we had our most memorable moments.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Great review----thanks!

[Caribbean Sunsets]

Glad you had a great cruise. Thanks for the review. I'll look forward to reading your in depth review.

[lkmamom]

Hi Rob!

Welcome home!! Sounds like you had a great cruise. After three years away trying other cruise lines, we are going to try another Princess cruise late August.It is a belated empty nester cruise. Though it has always been fun to travel with DS, we look forward to this time "just the two of us".

DH and DS did a similar itin this past May after Tommy finished his fresh yr. in college (I did not go due to my mom's bad health). They loved it especially Florence. It is kind of ironic that you did this cruise. They were both remarking that "Rob" would love this cruise.;) Wait till I tell them Rob actually did do a similar cruise!

I am so sorry about the "kids" issues. I really hope that Princess brings back youth security and/or institutes something that makes parents more responsible for their children. It sounds as if this is happening a lot on ships here on US waters and now abroad. Maybe DS thought us strict, but he was always respectful of what we asked of him when traveling, and to our knowledge there were never problems. I know he was never out late because he was always in the cabin before us in the evening:eek:.

Cannot wait for your "in-depth" review!

Linda

[AudBee]

11 days and counting...........................Im on the same cruise leaving Southampton on 15th August so am looking forward to the rest of your posts. I have to say I agree with what you say about the De vere, although we have booked in there again for the Friday night, but I do think it is going downhill, it started in my humble opinion when they started sharging for parking and cut down on the valet parking.......................Thanks for a great first installment

[jdblakeslee]

We're sailing on the Grand for the Venice to Rome via Greece trip in October. Love the glowing reviews this ship continues to receive. I can't wait!

[kevey]

I'm currently also doing a review of the same cruise - started mine yesterday and will continue shortly.

 

Agree with most of your comments, although we did not experience any problems with young children being disruptive and leaving plates outside our cabin

[Shogun]

Hi There Spongerob,

 

Glad to hear you had a good cruise, who was your captain, CD and PSD.

 

Gib is a zoo with just two ships in we were in port on the Crown when the Grand pulled in.

 

yours Shogun

[spongerob]

Hi Rob!

It is kind of ironic that you did this cruise. They were both remarking that "Rob" would love this cruise.

Linda

Hi Linda! Yes, I was a bit surprised that I enjoyed it so much. I was afraid the hot weather would be a turn-off but I managed okay. I had to re-hydrate at the Colisseum, where a tiny bottle of GatorAde was 5 euros ($7!), but that was the only problem I had with heat stress. More than once I announced that the others could leave me where I was; I had no intentions of going home. Great cruise.

[spongerob]

Hi There Spongerob,

 

Glad to hear you had a good cruise, who was your captain, CD and PSD.

 

Gib is a zoo with just two ships in we were in port on the Crown when the Grand pulled in.

 

yours Shogun

We started with Nick Carlton, then Edward Perrin took over in Rome so Nick could attend some required courses. The CD was Martin ????. Never did get his last name.

[Shogun]

Hi spongerob,

 

Ed Perrin is a good Captain anyone willing to sit and watch a part of the movie while having a burger, gets my vote,

 

I want to see the Captain out and about, eating what we eat etc.

 

yours Shogun

[firefly4423]

great to hear that it was a good time!

[lkmamom]

Hi Linda! Yes, I was a bit surprised that I enjoyed it so much. I was afraid the hot weather would be a turn-off but I managed okay. I had to re-hydrate at the Colisseum, where a tiny bottle of GatorAde was 5 euros ($7!), but that was the only problem I had with heat stress. More than once I announced that the others could leave me where I was; I had no intentions of going home. Great cruise.

 

Wow, some "rich" Gatorade there;). My boys went in May so the temps were very nice. Even still, they said when they returned to the ship the staff was there greeting them with cool towels (they were on Azamara). Tommy says to tell you if you decide to go to that area again you would really enjoy Corsica and Nice. I think Larry and I will go next spring. Tommy wants, :rolleyes: (depends on what he contributes financially) to study abroad next year when school is out. Anyway, good to talk to you. I miss the Grand, she is one of my favorites. We are trying the Carribean Princess this next cruise.

Linda

[PhillyCruiser]

Rob,

 

Where did you have your "incredible lunch" on the hilltop overlooking Florence? Were you at Caffe' Michelangelo on Piazzale Michelangelo, or up in Fiesole? Just wondering.... I'm going on the Ruby next year and am already dreaming about Italy. (I was in Florence for grad school, so I had my favorite restaurants with a "view".)

 

I was on the Sea Princess out of Southhampton in 2007, and had a similar positive experience. It was definitely one of the best cruises ever.

 

Welcome home!

 

Joan

[English Tim]

Hi spongerob,

 

Ed Perrin is a good Captain anyone willing to sit and watch a part of the movie while having a burger, gets my vote,

 

I want to see the Captain out and about, eating what we eat etc.

 

yours Shogun

 

I bumped into Captain Perrin on our cruise. He lives in Dorchester, near to me, as done one of junior ratings. I'll check my database tomorrow - he may even be a customer!:D

[CaroleLee]

I'm working on an in-depth review, but thought it worthwhile to post a few comments about the ship, staff, and cruise.

 

I had been looking at Med cruises from Southampton for several years because they include 2 sea days to begin and end the cruise. It's like a port-intensive 10-day Med cruise with extra days to relax.

 

We flew in a day early and stayed in Southampton at the DeVere Grand. Car service by Woodford Chauffeurs was prompt and friendly as usual. The service at this hotel has definitely gone downhill. What used to be a posh operation is now not much better than a motel along any interstate in the US. Maybe worse. The front desk staff seemed to be better able to ignore the constantly-ringing phone than actually solve problems. We will be looking for alternatives next time.

 

• Embarkation: Swift and efficient. Southampton definitely has the process down. We arrived around noon and had to wait just a few minutes before being directed on board.
  
• Ship: She's a twenty-footer. By that I mean that everything looks great inside and out from a distance. If you look too closely, you might spot the dings and dents that show that this ship has been in service for more than 10 years. It's all small stuff, like the tiles in our bathroom that needed to be replaced. But since I noticed that the very first day, I continued to notice it the rest of the cruise. None of it is major and don't let it put you off, just be aware that you will see signs of use. As some in our group who have been on newer or upgraded Grand-class ships said, the lack of the atrium upgrades really shows how far behind the rest of the class this ship is.
  
• Dining: Outstanding. Not just good, or excellent, but outstanding. It was hard to find a complaint. Our waiter's recommendations were always spot-on. I was prepared for ordinary, but was blown away by the main dining room's selections.
  
• Service: Outstanding again. Most of the crew were genuinely eager to serve. As usual a few sourpusses were out and about, but we really lucked out getting Sal and Adonis in Michelangelo on the second night and reserved their table for the remainder of the cruise. Boyan and Spence in the Wheelhouse also took good care of us.
  
• Sabatini: Quite good. They don't overload you with appetizers you don't want, and you have the option to bypass the soup course. The two pastas served were great. I had scallops while most of the others chose the sea bass. It was all good.
  
• Painted Desert: Excellent steaks, but so-so service put a damper on the evening. Our waiter seemed more interesting in doing things the easy way rather than the right way. It stood out because we had gotten used to Sal by that point.
  
• Ultimate Ship Tour: Well worth it! I could have spent all afternoon in the engine control room, where we got a full explanation of why we were late leaving Livorno. Refreshments on the bridge with Captain Perrin was an unexpected treat. Our tour "below decks" had me totally turned around and lost very quickly. It really is a big ship.
  
• Dress Code: Enforced. 'Nuff said.
  

We had 8 ports in 9 days. A few quick comments:

 

• Gibraltar: There isn't much here besides High Street shopping if you don't take a tour. There were three ships in port. High Street was a zoo. We had lunch (not very good) and went back to the ship.
  
• Alicante: We took a ship's tour to Guadalest. It was a charming town, and inexpensive compared to the bigger cities. Fantastic photo ops. The tour was longer than described and we had no time on our own in the city itself.
  
• Barcelona: We booked a private guide for a walking tour of the city. Our guide took us to a restaurant and introduced us to tapas and sangria. After sangria, we headed back to the ship early. The city was closing down for siesta and it was brutally hot so a nice shower and some pool time were a great choice.
  
• Cannes: We tendered in and met our driver for a private tour to St. Paul de Vence and Monaco. I could have spent the entire day in St. Paul. It's a truly medieval village populated today by artists and local merchants. Monaco was neat, but one visit is enough unless you just really like to see people driving around in Ferrari's, Lambo's, and Bentley's. Interestingly enough, a Ford Mustang parked in front of the casino was getting more attention than a Ferrari Testarossa parked nearby.
  
• Livorno: Again, a private tour to Greve, a vineyard, and to Florence. We should have gone to Florence first, satisfied the shopping urges of the ladies in our group, then gone to Greve. We had an incredible lunch overlooking the city from a hilltop restaurant that most tourists can get to only with significant effort.
  
• Rome: We were in Rome on a Sunday. The line for the Sistine Chapel was literally a mile long first thing in the AM. We arrived a little bit late due to power problems the previous night (which were fixed) and missed our opportunity to be the early birds for the chapel. We toured the Basilica instead, then went for lunch at a restaurant recommended by our driver, Fabio Leotta. We then hit the tourist sites and Colisseum. Fabio was an excellent guide and is very knowledgeable about history, plus is a master at avoiding traffic.
  
• Alghero (Sardinia): We could have spent much more time here, too. This is a tender port and rather a short call, so we booked a ship's tour to a vineyard for winetasting. Again, the tour was longer than described due to unadvertised additions so we had no time to explore the town on our own. I purchased a magnum of local spumante for $20; it could easily have sold for much more.
  
• Cadiz: We were pretty shagged by this point and just wandered around on our own using the HOHO bus. This is my first (and last) experience with HOHO buses. Two ladies were very nearly left behind at Cadiz - the gangway was being dismantled and security had already retrieved their passports and handed them to the Spanish authorities when they showed up. They were mortified, and didn't know how close they were to watching their ship sail for England without them.
  

We did experience some rude behavior on board, in particular, very young children out on their own after 11 PM and getting into all kinds of mischief. One of their favorite tricks was to set empty plates outside cabin entrances so that you would step on them when you went out. My wife got a glass of soda all over her feet and pants as a result of this.

 

The older teens were noticeably polite and unobtrusive even when doing typical teen things. But the younger children, roaming loose at all hours, was disruptive.

 

This cruise was marketed primarily to the UK, and more than 80% on board were from the UK. The standard of dress was noticeably higher throughout the cruise.

 

This turned out to be one of my favorite cruises. I was truly impressed by the service on board. If and when I do this one again, I will skip the tourist sites and get into the countryside. That's where we had our most memorable moments.

 

Planning stage for this cruise in 2010. Who did you use for your private tours/transfers?

 

Thanks

Carole