Just Back from Star Princess - Med Cruise Any questions??

[robinzhere]

Just got back from the Star Princess Rome to Venice itinerary. In one word, it was fabulous! Any questions for me while I'm writing the review?

Robin
Carnival Paradise 05/04/03
Carnival Victory 07/07/03
Star Princess 04/22/04

[kreemmer]

What tours did you take? Did you have private tour guides or use Princess tours? I am going on Star Princess in August reverse itinerary. Any hints or info will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
Kathy

[ISABELLA]

We are leaving next week to be on Star from Barcelona to Venice. I will appreciate if you answer some questons for me.
1 How was food and service? Did you have PC dining?
2. How was entertaiment?
3. How many formal nights?
4. Have Princess provided a shuttle service to and from San Marco during the stay? And at disembarkation - to the train station( Piazza Roma)??
How that feel now coming home after such great trip?

[srphnx]

Welcome back, any thoughts on the difference between a largely american pax cruise and a largely european one. More smokers, more languages, that kind of thing?

<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>
Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02
Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95
<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>
Diamond Princess 12/04
Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04
Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>
West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>
Ecstacy 09/01
<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>
Century 12/97
<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>
Century 9/96

[Nidwaldner]

Ooooh, I'm on the Sept. 25 Rome-Venice itinerary and really want to know which Ports you tendered in, which ports were used (especially in Venice and where in Naples (how close to the Capri ferries)?). Also which ports you thought could be done easily independently? How close were the ferries to Delos in Mykonos?

This is only a start, I'm sure I'll think of lots more questions. Thanks for sharing!


Eastern Med/Greek Isles-Star Princess 9/25/04

Alaska-Sun Princess 8/4/03


Western Caribbean-Grand Princess 12/28/03

[verwirrt]

Princess website lists the alternative restaurants as Sabatini's and Tequila. Have never heard of Tequila resauarant on Princess before. What's up with that?

[cruiseaway]

Do you have enough time to see the sights in the various ports. I can't decide between a land tour and cruise for next summer. I want to see a lot.

[robinzhere]

Isabella,

You're so close to leaving that I'll quickly answer you before I finish the review:

1. I thought the food was OK, but I think it may have been a little better on my previous Carnival cruises. We had early traditional dining for dinner which worked best for us. I noticed a few people waiting for PC dining which would not have worked at all for us. We never got to the alternative restaurants.

We mostly had Horizon Court breakfasts and lunches for speed, though the food was hotter in the diningroom. (Diningroom breakfasts seemed to take forever, but were good for the sea day.) I liked the "real eggs" as opposed to Carnival's only scrambled "egg-like" eggs.

The only thing I had in the diningroom I didn't like was the Chateaubriand (it was more like pot roast). Our servers (Joe and Monica) were wonderful and really made our cruise for us.


2. I love production shows so I saw most of the shows more than once. Dance and Da Beat were great but I think I liked "Give my Regards to Broadway" even better. All three were offered on a second night if you missed them on the formal nights. Don Ware was the comedian - he was one of the writers for the Cosby show and he was very much like Bill Cosby. I didn't have time to see much else but Amante seemed to be very versitile, playing at 50's night, the country party. There was always a good choice of things to do, no matter what you liked.

3. There were two formal nights. We also noticed that many people were also formally dressed for the Captain's Parties which you got to go to if you were a frequent cruiser.

4. We used the Princess - provided disenbarkation shuttle to the airport(for $37 PP) because we had an early flight. I thought the price was outrageous, but the convenience was important to us.

We also used the Princess - provided (for $10 pp total no matter how many times you used it) water shuttle to San Marco square. It was automatically added to your account and you had to make special arrangements to have it taken off, which I thought was shabby. But we each used it for 2 round trips, so I guess $2.50 per trip was OK. It took about 10 minutes and ran every 15 to 20 minutes, I think.

A similar "option" was also available for Dubrovnik, but you had to pay cash for it at the bus. (I think our trip was the last time they stop in Dubrovnik this year, which is a shame because it was one of the more beautiful places we stopped.)


4. How does it feel coming back? If I could possibly swing it, I'd be back on it again! You're going to have a blast!!!

Robin
Carnival Paradise 05/04/03
Carnival Victory 07/07/03
Star Princess 04/22/04

[cruisebore]

Hi Robin

A very important (to me) question.
Did they have draught beer in the Wheelhouse.

Thanks

Ray

[hallsuk2]

Ray,
You took the words right out of my mouth.Hope they won,t let us down.
Regards,
Iain

[ISABELLA]

Robin,
Thank you very much for a very quick respond. I am so glad you had a good time on your cruise.
God bless everyone on CC boards. What will we do without them. Have to go packing.
I will repay the favor by answering all the questions after my return. Unfortunetely, we will be back before we know.
Thanks again.
Isabella

[BJS]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>We also used the Princess - provided (for $10 pp total no matter how many times you used it) water shuttle to San Marco square. It was automatically added to your account and you had to make special arrangements to have it taken off, which I thought was shabby. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Since we are arriving in Venice 2 days early, and won't need the shuttle, was wondering if you don't leave the ship except for a Princess organized shore excursion do they still charge you?

Future cruises:
May 04 Amsterdam
Sept. 04 Star Princess x 2
Jan. 05 Diamond Princess
July 05 Star Princess
Aug. 05 Star Pincess

Past cruises:
04 Dawn Princess x 2
03 Grand,Sun,Tahitian,
Royal Princess x 2,Island Princess
01 Ryndam x 2
00 Sky Princess
79 Sitmar's Fairwind

[woodspines]

How far ahead did you book? Do you think a balcony is a must?

[cactusrose]

Did you stop a Kusadasi and if you did can you settle the VISA contorversy. Do you need one in this port and if so, can you get them on board?

1952 - Excalibur (freighter)
1972 - Song of Norway, Caribbean
1980 - Hawaii American Curise line, Tahiti
09/01/2002 - Veendam, Alaska
05/29/2003 - Pacific Princess, Alaska
11/26/2003 - Star Princess, Australia/New Zealand

5/28/2004 - Star Princess, Venice to Barcelona
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11/06/2004 - Diamond Princess, Mexican Riviera
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[Belle2002]

In some of the other ports that you didn't take a tour, does Princess have shuttle service. Belle

[robinzhere]

A few more quick answers (I'm not having much luck getting time to write the real review):

Nidwaldner: I think we only tendered in Santorini. I'm not sure which ports we used in any place but the one in Naples was supposed to be close to the ferry for Capri (I didn't see it) and in Venice, we were close to the train station (but I don't know how you'd get there by walking -- it was raining and we couldn't figure it out so we just took the water shuttle that was offered.)

verwirrt: Tequilas was a "steak house with Southwestern flair" or something like that. I think it had another name a few months ago without the Southwestern flair. Didn't get time to eat there, but the steaks looked good as I walked by. (Did have the sirloin in the dining room and that was excellent, too, just a bit thinner.)

cruiseaway: We had to be back on the ship by 5:30 nearly every day. That didn't leave much time to get more than a taste of each port. Someday, I'd like to go back and stay longer in Venice and Corfu. Maybe I'd even enjoy Athens if I had more time, too. (It was very crowded and largely under construction for the Olympics.)

cruisebore and hallsuk2: Sorry, never got to the Wheelhouse either -- maybe you could post a topic about this one and get a better answer. Oh, and there was no ESPN on board to my dismay. They said the link was "down". A sports bar showing CNN is a sad thing.

BJS: We had the water shuttle option because we ended this cruise with "a day and a half" in Venice. I doubt they offer it if you begin your cruise there. Given the choice to do again, I would have picked several days in Venice over several days in Rome. It was such a beautiful city and we had an early flight so we only got to spend three hours there in the afternoon and a little time there in the evening. We could have skipped dinner, but it was our last night and we wanted to eat on the ship -- our servers were that much a part of our cruise. Also we needed to put our bags out in the hall ridiculously early (by 7pm) so Princess could get them to the airport where we picked them up in the morning and we didn't take the time to do that before going into Venice.

cactusrose: There was no mention of a visa needed in Kushadasi. I didn't take a tour (just went to the Market) and my traveling companions took two different tours. Nobody needed a visa for anything. Security was very tight in the port, though -- or at least more obvious.

srphnx: Lots less smoking that I imagined (am I'm sensitive to it) and lots of languages and diversity, though the majority were from the US, Canada and Great Britain. We still "jelled" as a ship after a few days -- it was amazingly wonderful, actually!

woodspines: We booked too far ahead -- they dropped the price dramatically at the "final payment time". The ship sailed full, though. I don't think the balcony is worth the money we would have paid for it, but I've never had one so what would I know.

Belle: They only offered a shuttle service (not free) in Venice and Dubrovnik. There was one tour in Athens that was basically a "one time only" shuttle, too. There were very few taxis when they offered a shuttle. (In Naples, for instance, there where probably 50 taxis at least. In Dubrovnik, maybe 5.

Robin
Carnival Paradise 05/04/03
Carnival Victory 07/07/03
Star Princess 04/22/04

[lephysteria]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by cactusrose:
Did you stop a Kusadasi and if you did can you settle the VISA contorversy. Do you need one in this port and if so, can you get them on board?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I had called the Turkish Consulate to clear up this question personally, as Naren needs a Visa for every country we visit together (it seems like).

The Consulate people said that cruisers are special! We are not eligible for a tourist visa, because we are not staying overnight in Turkey. Our trip does not begin or end in Turkey. Therefore, we are actually a "port-of-call" passenger. Because we are only getting off of the ship for 12 hours, and not staying overnight, we don't need a visa for this cruise. NO ONE NEEDS THIS VISA. Even if you were from Zimbabwe, you still don't need a visa to visit Kusadasi for the day.

Happy Sails,
Mrs. Tulpule

http://thumb5.webshots.com/s/thumb2/0/81/85/133608185PLovjY_th.jpg http://thumb1.webshots.com/s/thumb2/0/22/21/133602221JczsZh_th.jpg http://thumb7.webshots.com/s/thumb2/0/29/7/133602907kMhHvb_th.jpg http://thumb3.webshots.com/s/thumb3/9/23/13/140692313aCZuBP_th.jpg
Naren, "But I can't help falling in love with you."

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[Jacqueline]

Are you guys cute or what !
I loved this cruise when we did it four years ago. We are doing a similar cruise but all different ports on HAL this summer.

Jacqueline
Constellation 3/20/04
HAL Westerdam 7/30/04
Tahitian Princess August 2003
Grand Princess Western Caribbean 2003
Brilliance of the Seas Baltic 2002
Ocean Princess- Alaska 2001
Celebrity Zenith- Bermuda 2001
Grand Princess Med 2000

[ourlol]

Re: Venice Shuttle. We started our cruise last year in Venice. The shuttle was available and the $10 charge applied as well. We used it on our second day in Venice although many passengers headed ashore on the first night. If I remember correctly, on arrival, we found individual 'vouchers' in the stateroom and you handed them in when you first boarded the shuttle service. The $10 was automatically added to your onboard account. In our case, both my sons declined the offer to go ashore in Venice (having done so already in 2001) so we took their unused vouchers (i.e. those not handed in) back reception and the charge was removed from their accounts.

Laura

[verwirrt]

Robin, thx for the info.

[BJS]

Robin Thanks for the reply. Even though we will have some different ports am looking forward to your review.

Laura that answers my question about the charge for the Venice shuttle and we will be sure to return our vouchers. Thank you.

Future cruises:
May 04 Amsterdam
Sept. 04 Star Princess x 2
Jan. 05 Diamond Princess
July 05 Star Princess
Aug. 05 Star Pincess

Past cruises:
04 Dawn Princess x 2
03 Grand,Sun,Tahitian,
Royal Princess x 2,Island Princess
01 Ryndam x 2
00 Sky Princess
79 Sitmar's Fairwind

[cactusrose]

Tahnk you Robin and Mrs. Tulpule for answering my question. Your reponses have put to rest a controversy that has been going on on this board for quit a while.

1952 - Excalibur (freighter)
1972 - Song of Norway, Caribbean
1980 - Hawaii American Curise line, Tahiti
09/01/2002 - Veendam, Alaska
05/29/2003 - Pacific Princess, Alaska
11/26/2003 - Star Princess, Australia/New Zealand

5/28/2004 - Star Princess, Venice to Barcelona
http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ff00ff&cdt=2004;05;28;21;0;00&timezone=GMT+0100

11/06/2004 - Diamond Princess, Mexican Riviera
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[lephysteria]

No Problem ! http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

I'm glad my many hours spent in Consulates to get Visas can help someone! Lemme know if you have other documentation requirement questions!

Happy Sails,
Mrs. Tulpule

http://thumb5.webshots.com/s/thumb2/0/81/85/133608185PLovjY_th.jpg http://thumb1.webshots.com/s/thumb2/0/22/21/133602221JczsZh_th.jpg http://thumb7.webshots.com/s/thumb2/0/29/7/133602907kMhHvb_th.jpg http://thumb3.webshots.com/s/thumb3/9/23/13/140692313aCZuBP_th.jpg
Naren, "But I can't help falling in love with you."

Click here to see more wedding pictures (http://community.webshots.com/user/lephysteria)
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[cactusrose]

I just realized that you will be on your honeymoon in just five days. And we will pass you as you get off the ship in Venice and we board.

Congratulations on your wedding and have a wonderful, wonderful trip.

1952 - Excalibur (freighter)
1972 - Song of Norway, Caribbean
1980 - Hawaii American Curise line, Tahiti
09/01/2002 - Veendam, Alaska
05/29/2003 - Pacific Princess, Alaska
11/26/2003 - Star Princess, Australia/New Zealand

5/28/2004 - Star Princess, Venice to Barcelona
http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ff00ff&cdt=2004;05;28;21;0;00&timezone=GMT+0100

11/06/2004 - Diamond Princess, Mexican Riviera
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[vivienne-j]

We're new cruisers on the Barcelona to Venice cruise on the Star soon. We board one day, then sail at midday the next day. Once we've gone through all the boarding procedures, can we go back ashore on the same day we board to sight-see?

27 July 04 - Princess Star - Mediterranean
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[cruisebore]

Hi Vivienne

We did this cruise last year, but from Venice to Rome. No problem leaving the ship in the evening, Princess will provide a shuttle bus (chargeable) from the Port to the bottom of La Ramblas, as do the Port Authority. Likewise in Venice, a water taxi runs from the berth to
San Marcos.
Great cruise, you will enjoy Princess.

Regards
Ray
p.s. we are on the Rome Venice trip in September

[cactusrose]

rlol or others,

Do you remember how late the princess water shuttle ran while in Venice? We will be boarding in Venice around noon on the 28th and leaving the evening of the 29th so will have a day and a half. I want to make the most of my time in Venice, so once I board and unpack, I'll be off to experience as much as I can and plan on staying on shore for as long as I can.

1952 - Excalibur (freighter)
1972 - Song of Norway, Caribbean
1980 - Hawaii American Curise line, Tahiti
09/01/2002 - Veendam, Alaska
05/29/2003 - Pacific Princess, Alaska
11/26/2003 - Star Princess, Australia/New Zealand

5/28/2004 - Star Princess, Venice to Barcelona
http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ff00ff&cdt=2004;05;28;21;0;00&timezone=GMT+0100

11/06/2004 - Diamond Princess, Mexican Riviera
http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=00ff00&cdt=2004;11;06;17;0;00&timezone=GMT-0800

[lephysteria]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by cactusrose:
I just realized that you will be on your honeymoon in just five days. And we will pass you as you get off the ship in Venice and we board.

Congratulations on your wedding and have a wonderful, wonderful trip.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Awwwww thank you for the warm wishes. Although, we've been married for (technically) 3 months, its like the honeymoon already began! http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Happy Sails,
Mrs. Tulpule

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[craven3]

Hi Robin,

It's hectic when returning from a lengthy cruise; catching up on the laundry, going through the mail, sorting and recycling papers, answering all those messages, etc. However, we're all eager for your trip report to be posted. Glad to hear you had a great trip.

Charlotte

Upcoming Cruises:
Star Princess, Greek Isles, September 2004;
Infinity, Panama Canal & west coast, South America, January 2005.

[Luvcrusin']

There are 3 couples who are planning to cruise to the MED this fall. We are deciding between the Star Princess or the Celebrity Millenium. The ports are somewhat the same, but the Millenium has you in port longer.

Any advice??? HELP!!

[brownj]

Last month we did a med. cruise with Star Princess.

Some advice about the major ports:

Mykonos: The tour to nearby Delos is worth it. Delos was revered by both the Greeks and the Romans as the birthplace of Apollo and served as a major trading port to several ancient civilizations. Wear sunscreen and a hat ---NO SHADE. The tour goes until lunchtime and you can either return to the ship for lunch or eat out. We had already decided to eat "local" whenever possible to get as much of the experience as possible (BTW the food on the ship is excellent). Afterwards, there is time to visit the shops or the beach; the ship doesn't sail until late.

Santorini: Because this route arrives here on Monday, the ruins at Akrotiri are closed. The only tour available takes you to the picturesque town of Ia (or Oia in some books). Visit the town on your own --- don't bother with the tour. This is one of the two big regrets of our cruise (the other was not staying longer in Istanbul). This tour took us to the highest point of the island, the Profitis Illas mountain, where you can see both sides of the island, which was not uninteresting but it was a big time-waster considering that the ship has to set sail at 4:30 pm in order to make Rhodes by the next morning (shortest port time on the cruise) By the time we arrived in Ia, we only had an hour and a half to see it. Another couple invited us to rent a taxi with them to go directly to Ia instead of the tour and we declined. Big mistake on our part; they had time to see the whole town and do some shopping as well.

Rhodes: We took the tour to the Acropolis at Lindos and enjoyed it. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the area and from what I heard later had good advice about places to eat and shop in the town after the tour. Once on our own, we paid the admission so we could walk on the top of the walls around the old fortress (again, no shade, need good sunscreen and a hat) and visited the "Palace of the Grand Master" at the fortress -- probably the worst of the sites we visited because the pamplet and the signs explained little about the displays and the docents (if you could call them that) just said "I don't know" about everything we asked. Perhaps they didn't speak English but if so, they were among the few people we met who didn't.


Kusadasi & Ephesus: Before starting the cruise we booked a tour from a local company called ******* ( http://more.at/******* ) . We can't say enough great things about them and the tours they provided. Guide was waiting for us at the port, ready to begin our day. I requested that we try to avoid the ship's buses, and they did everything possible to make sure this occurred! It was a pleasure to enjoy the same places that the ship offered at our own pace, staying as long or as short as We wanted for a fraction of the cost! The fact that we were "alone" made it much more personalized.
On most of our tours, we had around 30 people and each and every one of them RAVED about the great time they had. It always seems there is usually someone who may have a concern or complaint, however this was not the case with *******. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. We will most definitely use them on future cruises and from comments made from our group, I can assure you they will also!


I hope this helps anyone considering this cruise. It was the trip of a lifetime for us and we have wonderful memories of the people we met and places we visited.

[ocean.queen]

MKA1934

Thank you...your reviews are very helpful. Can you review any of the other stops on your voyage? Also, looking for reviews for hotels in Venice & Rome.

[robinzhere]

I submitted my review using the proper channels, but here's an excerpt of the ports while it "clears":

(There are four of us traveling together. R = me, B= Beth, P=Pete and L=Louise, Beth's retired parents.)

Naples. Traffic is horrendous and needs to be accounted for if you’re going on your own. Allow twice the time you think it will take, take the train or book a ship tour. B did Deluxe Amalfi, which was a bus for 15 only. She said it was very relaxing and the highlight of her trip. P and L did Princess tour to Sorrento and Pompeii. I did a 16 euro hop on hop off tour of Naples and the Bay that I enjoyed as much as they did their tours, and I got to spend most of the afternoon watching the clouds gather around Mt. Vesuvias from the ship. We all thought we got the best tour of the day, so I guess you can’t go wrong.

Messina: B, P and L did the “Essence of Sicily” to Taomina. I got an excellent map of Messina from the info booth next to the ship. Walking is easy and fun, compared to Rome and Naples. If you do this, be sure to get to the Duomo (a church about 4 blocks from the ship) before noon for the “clock tower” show. Bring your video camera if you have one. It’s sort of a big religious cuckoo clock that defies description! (They say it’s the only one in the world.) Again, we all had a great time.

Valetta Malta: R and B did the Panoramic Island drive, which we enjoyed very much. Our guide Doris was a riot and made the tour special. In the afternoon, I walked up to Valetta (it’s easier than it looks) and just walked around the city. P and L took the Valletta and Mdina tour, which was way too much walking for them. They would have enjoyed our tour better and I’m not sure why we booked it this way.

Santorini: We all took the Villiage of Oia and Santorini Island tour. I think this is a good one to do on your own instead, though you’ll have to arrange a taxi or rent a car to get to the end of the island. Akirtiki was closed for renovation or I would have enjoyed that – it was my original idea. The trip to the winery was boring and most of the rest of it was pretty much on your own anyway. Our guide had just returned from Athens and the tour was rather uninspired. But we had fun, nonetheless and the island itself is gorgeous!

Kushadasi: B slept in. I went to the Market and bought two cashmere pashminas for less than 10 euros each and lovely little silk purses that look like miniature rugs for 1 euro each by bargaining hard. It was worth the hassling you get when you shop. If you want to shop with less hassling, try the wide street just outside the market. P and L took the standard tour to Mary’s house, which they enjoyed but I think they were starting to suffer from too many tours starting to look alike.

Athens: B took the tour that included the temple of Poseidon, which she enjoyed much more than our (R, P, L) tour of Athens and the Acropolis. We got delayed by a traffic jam and when we finally got there it was packed with school groups and we couldn’t keep up with our guide who was trying to keep on schedule. B got to the Acropolis about 90 minutes later and the place was almost deserted. Timing is everything. I think this stop will be much better AFTER the Olympics. Now most sights are scaffolded and traffic is a nightmare as they reconstruct roads. If you’re going for the Olympics, good luck!!

Katakolon: We were getting a little cranky from over-scheduling, so we decided to call this “A sea day with shopping options.” We slept late, had a leisurely breakfast in the dining room and just took it easy. After lunch, we walked into the tiny port town for a little more souvenir shopping (we hadn’t done much in Athens itself.) L bought a great hat and I got some good T-shirts for about 10 euros. There’s a couple small “all purpose” grocery-like markets there if you need something the ship can’t supply.

Corfu: A gorgeous island like a Greek version of Capri. I did the “Hidden Greece” tour. It was my favorite day because it included a stop at a restaurant for a folkloric show. EXCELLENT! P and L did “Leisurely Corfu” which was almost the same tour without the restaurant. B walked to the Old Fort – a long but easy walk. Want to retire there!

Dubrovnik: The biggest surprise of our trip – it was stunningly beautiful. Princess offered a shuttle bus to the walled city for $10 round trip. Take it as taxis are scarce as hen’s teeth. City is beautiful and can be done on your own pace rather than taking a tour. There is a charge to walk the wall – about 5 euros and another few if you want to rent an audioguide. I would because maps are scarce and not very descriptive. I wish I’d known more of what I was looking at. I’d go back on my own anytime!

Venice: Be out on deck for the entrance into the port if you can. No matter how long you are in Venice, it isn’t long enough. Now wish we had started there instead of ending there. Princess provided a water shuttle from the port to San Marco for $20, I think. Short walk to the vaparetto stop from there. The vaporetto is easy to ride and you see more than in a pricey Gondola – though it’s not very romantic. Get a good map and dare to get lost. It’s the best way to see the city. Never had time to see more than San Marco Square, though and I plan to go back to see more someday. (We did go back at night for a completely different view! Worth it!!!)

Robin
Carnival Paradise 05/04/03
Carnival Victory 07/07/03
Star Princess 04/22/04

[BJS]

Thank you. Very interesting and just the information I have been looking for. Will look for the complete review.

Future cruises:
5/04 HAL-Amsterdam-Alaska
9/04 Star Princess-Med.x2 Venice to Barcelona/ Barcelona to Rome
11/04 Dawn Princess-Southern Caribbean
Jan. 05 Diamond Princess-Mexican Riviera
July 05 Star Princess-Baltics
Aug. 05 Star Princess-Baltics
Past cruises:
04 Dawn Princess- Southern Caribbean x2
03 Grand Princess-W.Caribbean
03 Sun Princess -Mexico
03-Tahitian Princess-Tahiti/ Cook Islands
03 Royal Princess-x2 British Isles & Norwegian Fjords/ Iceland
03 Island Princess-Panama Canal
01 HAL Ryndam x 2-S. America San Diego to Valpariso/ & around Cape Horn to Rio
00 Sky Princess-China/Orient
79 Sitmar's Fairwind- Caribbean/Panama Canal

[craven3]

Thanks, Robin, for your candor. I appreciate the report and will look for your complete review.

Charlotte

Upcoming Cruises:
Star Princess, Greek Isles, September 2004;
Infinity, Panama Canal & west coast, South America, January 2005.

[craven3]

Robin, On which message board did you post your full review? I couldn't find anything by you on the Europe Board, and the list of recent posts under Robinzhere only reflects things you've posted on this thread.

Charlotte

Upcoming Cruises:
Star Princess, Greek Isles, September 2004;
Infinity, Panama Canal & west coast, South America, January 2005.

[robinzhere]

Mike - I got the reviews section and the board for reviews confused. Thought I was posting on the latter when I was really sending something for posting on the former.

I just added more to the review and posted it here (http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=069097554&m=726107981&r=726107981#726107981)

If you have any more questions, ask away!

Hope you enjoy your cruise, too!!!

Robin
Carnival Paradise 05/04/03
Carnival Victory 07/07/03
Star Princess 04/22/04

[craven3]

Thanks, Robin. Great review.

charlotte

Upcoming Cruises:
Star Princess, Greek Isles, September 2004;
Infinity, Panama Canal & west coast, South America, January 2005.

[floofyfish]

Hi Robin,

Your review was awesome! I am leaving for the same cruise in about a month and also have an early flight scheduled for disembarkation. The flight leaves around 7am from venice.

We realize that we will probably have to disembark by 3amish if we want to catch the flight. We are worried because we have never had to disembark this early from a cruise before. However, the travel agent checked 3 times with princess and they said everything would be fine, since they would arrange the transfer accordingly to the airport in venice. I haven't heard of anyone disembarking this early yet, and wanted to know if you think it'll all work out. How early was your flight and when did you disembark?

Thanks for your help!

[jody]

floofyfish,
Don't worry at all about your early debarkation time in Venice. I was on a 7:15 am flight last year and we were fine. I believe we left the ship on a Princess shuttle at 5:00 am or so and we actually had to wait at the airport for the check in stand to open. Just remember to keep your luggage with you the last night (versus putting it outside your room for the porters to take) as the luggage hall doesn't open until 7 am. Princess regularly books people on the 6 am flight out of Venice, so I knew that I'd be fine with the 7:15 flight. This works because the ship is all docked from the day before and the customs stuff is already done. Besides having to get up VERY EARLY (a rough way to end your vacation), everything will work out fine. You'd be surprised how many people do have the early morning flights. If you are hungry, I think the Horizon Court has pastries and juice available at that time of day (from 4 am).

Happy sailing! You'll love your Med cruise.

NEXT UP: Tahitian Princess October 2004 (Tahiti)
Golden Princess May 2003 (Mediterranean)
Golden Princess January 2002 (Eastern Caribbean)
Sea Princess March 2001 (Western Caribbean)
Carnival Inspiration March 1997 (Southern Caribbean)

[robinzhere]

I concur with Jody -- Princess really seemed to have it all together at this port because you get in the night before. (Though I thought the price they charged per person for what was essentially a shuttle bus to the airport was outrageous. Still, I believe in paying when the convenience calls for it.)

We left on the 7 am shuttle and lots of people left before us. I would pack a snack for the trip from the buffet they have for you -- not much will be open for you at the airport. It's a long day if you have connecting flights, but hopefully you will be so tired from the night before that you'll sleep on the plane!

Have a delightful trip! I wish I were going back again!

Robin
Carnival Paradise 05/04/03
Carnival Victory 07/07/03
Star Princess 04/22/04

[Nikkibird]

Hi Robin, we are in the process of booking the Venice to Rome cruise leaving August 20/06 aboard the Grand Princess. We have decided on the Caribe deck (balcony room) but were trying to figure out which side of the ship was best for port views. The booking people could not tell us which would be best. Do you have an opinion or does it even matter???? Thanks for your response.:)