Review Emerald med cruise with teenager. Pics & tips too

Left Glasgow for our 6hr 30 min journey to Southampton on Friday 11th of July, stayed at the Ibis Budget Hotel in Southampton. The room was very small with a bunk bed over the double bed for our teenage son. Also the shower cubicle had a glass door which was not ideal for privacy.

Arrived at the dock at 12pm on Saturday 12th July and as we were first time cruisers with Princess we joined the queue. We were attended to quickly by one of the agents and given a number and asked to take a seat and wait until our number was called. Once the number was called and we progressed through security we were on our ship by 1pm. Allowed to go straight to our cabin – Balcony on the Aloha deck number A530 (Portside). Very nice room, I had read from other reports that it was small but I was happy overall. It has a great storage area for clothes across from the bathroom. I also requested a camp bed for our son as didn’t want to use the Pullman bed. After this was delivered the room was too cluttered so I asked our cabin steward if the tub chair and table could be removed. This was promptly done and allowed us to turn the camp bed around and allowed us access to the balcony door and the dressing table. The bed was folded up during the day. Hopefully the pictures will attach which shows the room and the view overlooking Southampton.

Our next priority was to purchase the drinks package for both myself and my husband and bought the soda and more package for our son. The package worked out good value for money for us and was better than the package offered by RCCL cruises as there was more choice. My son didn’t use any of the additional extras and only drank soda so spent more there than we needed to. Was disappointed to meet someone who was scamming the package by only buying one between two and therefore going around the bars to buy one drink at a time, the staff knew exactly what they were doing and were not happy.

On the first night my son went along to the teen club (I needed to sign permission slip first), he soon made many friends and has commented that the teen club overall is better than both RCCL ships we have sailed with. There are more organised activities and quizzes to keep them amused.

Next 3 days were sailing days – day 1 Bay of Biscay and it was very rocky and unfortunately I was sick. My husband purchased tablets for me – 10 for $9 , which seemed to work. The weather was not great either so we just had a lazy day. Next day sailing into Atlantic was still a bit rocky but I was fine and the weather was hot and sunny, this was also the first formal night, most ladies had on long dresses and many gents wearing a tux. My husband opted for suit with shirt & tie. Day 3 sailing into the Med and again the weather was hot and sunny , no problems getting a sunbed at any time of the day. The beach towels are provided for you in your room by your cabin steward.

Thank you tourist bay.

Did you happen to do anytime dining? We have that booked and I am a bit worried there may be a queue?

Anytime dining was great. They gave you a pager and you can go for a drink at the bar. The pager then goes off when your table is ready for you (normally no more than 30 minutes). I will keep going with review now I know the pics are coming through ok.

Day 4 – Barcelona docked with Portside facing the sea, starboard side facing the industrial port. As we had visited Barcelona last year we were not too bothered about sightseeing. Princess were charging $5 per person each way for a transfer from the dock. We took a taxi to Las Ramblas for 14 euros and found out later you can take the local bus for 1.50 euros each way. My son’s priority was catching up on facebook so we had a wander around Las Ramblas then over to Port Veil – Barcelona is a stunning city and well worth taking a look around – if anyone wants any info let me know as we used the open top bus last year and the underground. Wifi access is easy in Barcelona, it comes up on your device as Barcelona WIFI and connects straight away. In the evening I used the laundry room for ironing and first washing – no charge for ironing , the washing machine takes 8 US quarters (2 dollars) , I purchased 10 dollars worth from the Passenger services desk. Just for info - a colours wash takes 35 minutes and a whites wash takes 1 hour..

Day 5 – Ajaccio, Corsica – docked portside to beautiful harbour, starboard side also had a good view of Corsica but had the ferry beside the ship. From this port you can walk into Ajaccio, turn left and keep following the road up to the left and you will come to the beach. Also left from the port are some lovely cafes, restaurants and shops. The local people are very friendly and very chic too. This is one of my favourite ports and was sad to leave. No easily accessible wifi in town although we noticed the crew sitting in the terminal building on the return using their devices.

Day 6 – Civitavecchia , Rome – Docked portside looking out to sea. Starboard side looking onto an industrial port. There were 6 other cruise ships docked beside us at this port. Princess offered free transfer into Civitavecchia. We opted not to go to Rome as planning on travelling there in the winter for a long weekend. Last year we also docked at this port and visited the waterpark (if anyone wants any info let me know). This year my son stayed on the ship and my husband and I walked into town. If you turn right from the port this takes you to the promenade. They seem to be improving this port and it was a lovely walk in this area. Spoke to others who said they walked to the shops (turning left) and got hassled from shop owners trying to entice them into the shops. We also walked back to the ship which took around 20 mins from the end of the port.

Thanks for the great review!

We found using the rollaway was a big safety issue as you could not move around or access the balcony door in an emergency. We had 4 in the room! Never again. My son actually put the bed on the balcony after a day or 2. :eek:

We thought the drop down bed was much better but there was only 1.

I agree Colo Cruiser, if we had kept the tub chair and table in the room the only way to put the bed was alongside the balcony and blocked the dresser too. Whereas when these were removed we could place the bed the other way around. I don't like the pullman beds but that's just personal choice for me.

Day 7 – Livorno – Docked with both sides facing industrial port. This port is in the middle of no-where and you are not allowed to walk into town. We booked the morning trip into Pisa through Princess Tours. Left at 0930 am arrived into Pisa at 1015, we then had a slow paced walk with the guide which took around 20 minutes to reach the Leaning Tower of Pisa. There is a few market stalls leading into this area and a few bars and cafes. The Leaning Tower and surrounding buildings are stunning to experience, we also walked with the guide to the Political centre which was also worth visiting. It was very hot but enjoyable with the guide giving lots of information. Had about one hour of free time then we met the at 1240 to walk back to the bus, some of the elderly guests opted for a taxi back to the bus which the guide organised for them. The trip back only took 35 minutes as less traffic. The tour guide was also very informative in both directions on the bus. I would recommend this trip as my teenage son also enjoyed it too. Other guests mentioned they went into Livorno town and it wasn’t very nice but the shops were ok.

Day 8 – Genoa – Docked portside facing harbour, Genoa churches and town. Starboard side had the MSC Splendida right beside. Our son stayed on the ship again today so opted to walk around this town. Off ship and turn right to the harbour or you can take the open top bus for 12 euros each or the mini tourist train for 7 euros each. We walked around the harbour area which was nice, we then crossed the street and followed the route of the open top bus. This took us to some stunning buildings and old churches, some lovely outside cafes and lots of shops. On the way back we walked through the narrow streets which became quite eerie as it got darker and narrower, I was only comfortable as there were lots of tourists around us, we then walked through the red light area so quickly made a sharp exit out of there!! Until this point we really loved this port so be careful where you walk as many guests on the ship went this way first and came straight back on the ship!

Day 9 – Monaco – Portside facing the sea, Starboard side got the good side this time facing all of Monte Carlo. We were supposed to have a tender at this port but we were able to dock instead. Arrived one hour later at 8am but were given an additional 30 minutes extra in port. The last time we visited Monaco we tried to get on the open top bus without success so this time we decided to wait in the queue and try again. Eventually we got on the bus after 1 hr 20 min wait. If you pick up a booklet from the tourist information desk there are discount vouchers inside. This gave us 3 euros each off the Bateau open top bus which brought the cost down to 18 euros each. The tour takes 1 hour to go around Monte Carlo and into the old part of this area. The whole area is just stunning and the tour was well worth it. Advice with this though is DO NOT get off the bus as you will never get back on again.. many many unhappy people at each stop as hardly anyone gets off the bus. Would have loved to have had more time to spend here and it is beautiful. If you do have time the bus ticket is also valid to use for the Bateau boat – but as I am prone to sea-sickness I gave this a miss. In the evening it was the second formal night, again many opted to dress up for this which was great to see.

Day 10 - sea day. This was welcomed by all as we have been making use of the drinks package and enjoying the bars and Skywalkers nightclub. The wheelhouse bar usually has a two singers which were quite good, I would say the older generation on the ship enjoyed this bar. This bar was also beside the theatre which we only used once to watch the Freddy Mercury tribute (which was excellent). Others said the shows were good but not really our thing. Fusion bar was good with lots of families in here with either karaoke or a band or quiz going on in there. Bar staff very good in here - our favourite was Roque (who is now on a two month holiday). Martin from Uruguay needs to go on a customer service course however !

Skywalkers nightclub had a mix of ages from 18 to 80 going up here, was good usually when there was a sea day the next day. DJ not the best, although did play requests when asked.

You have to try the cocktail Strawberry daiquiri, I also loved the bottled beer Dos Equis and was prone to a few grey goose vodkas which were also included in the package.

Day 11 – Gibraltar – port side looking out to sea, starboard side with view of Gibraltar Rock. Can walk into this town in around 20 minutes. We walked to the shops which is well signposted. There are lots and lots of shops and even I got fed up after a while which is unusual. We purchased our 2 litres of Smirnoff Vodka here for £5.75 each bottle. Prices for clothes/trainers etc. were more expensive than in Scotland. When we returned to the ship we were allowed to take the vodka back to the room (didn’t open it anyway as had drinks package), on the RCCL ships they ask you to hand this in and you collect at the end of the cruise.

I'd just to add that in Monaco you can buy an all day public bus ticket costing only a few euros. Best purchase we made in any port, same as Hoho bus but less than half the cost.

Day 12 & 13 were both sea days. We had sunbathing weather for both days in the afternoon, passed very close to island of Ibiza and coast of Spain (starboard side). Was stunning scenery with beautiful weather. Must admit we were the last two sunbathing on both days - so if you spotted us - we are Scottish have to make the most of the Sun !! Many guests were walking by with their evening wear on - must have thought we were crazy.

Overall we loved our cruise - if comparing ships with RCCL I would say that the RCCL ships had the WOW factor as found the decor on the Emerald to be quite dark.

Horizon Court Buffet - good for breakfast although quite chaotic, lunch was a hit & miss for hot meals , I stuck to salads most days. On the evenings that we used the buffet we found the meals were lukewarm only and sometimes opted for pizza & burgers from the grill. We didn't bother to dress up for the last formal night either so used the buffet but most of the ship still participated.

Michaelangelo restaurant very good, opted for a table for two each time (our son didn't dine with us).

The staff try and sell the speciality restaurants but weren't pushy.

Day 14 - Disembarkation day - SHAMBLES - opted for an 815 departure. We were asked to meet in the restaurant at 8.10. We were not allowed off the ship until 0900. Myself and many others expressed our concerns as we had specific trains to catch but they weren't interested and said it was beyond their control. The luggage area had our three cases in different areas and took a while to find. Many guests missed their trains. This was a stressful and disappointing end to our cruise but we were one of the lucky ones as had booked a later train and there was also plenty of taxis outside the terminal building

Thanks Pjran - I saw others doing this but hadn't done my research!

"On the first night my son went along to the teen club (I needed to sign permission slip first), he soon made many friends and has commented that the teen club overall is better than both RCCL ships we have sailed with."

What's her name? :)

My son Adam is 14 - I think there was 3 Adams in total - mine would be the loudest !

We were on the same cruise as Touristbay. We had a great time! We did have anytime dining and had no trouble getting either a table to share or a table for two, but we usually eat early (around 6). If you eat early or late(after 8:30) we were told there usually wasn't a queue for dinner.

We did the Princess excursions had liked them all, with the exception of the Rome excursion. We did the connoisseur tour ( St. Peter's, Sistine chapel, trevi fountain and colliseum). We were deeply disappointed with the Trevi fountain part of the tour. The perimeter is surrounded by scaffolding and what looked like bullet proof glass. This restoration appeared to have been going on for quite some time. If we had known this, we would have chosen the tour similar to this but without trevi (the similar one was about $50 pp cheaper) I am contacting princess about this because I believe there is a misrepresentation in the tour description.

Other than that, we had a great time. We had a mini suite (the uncovered balcony didn't bother us a bit). We did the Crab shack one night and loved it. My husband and I both got the all inclusive drinks pkg. We figured we probably broke even on the cost, but the ease in ordering anything (and even trying new drinks) at any time was great!

We were also late disembarking but were told it had to do with the terminal personnel. It wasn't that bad though, we could get coffee,tea, etc. in the IC.

I am looking forward to our next Princess cruise.

Great write up Touristbay. Very helpful as we are on the Emerald end of Aug.:)

Thanks for the report!

We were on the same cruise as Touristbay. We had a great time! We did have anytime dining and had no trouble getting either a table to share or a table for two, but we usually eat early (around 6). If you eat early or late(after 8:30) we were told there usually wasn't a queue for dinner.

We did the Princess excursions had liked them all, with the exception of the Rome excursion. We did the connoisseur tour ( St. Peter's, Sistine chapel, trevi fountain and colliseum). We were deeply disappointed with the Trevi fountain part of the tour. The perimeter is surrounded by scaffolding and what looked like bullet proof glass. This restoration appeared to have been going on for quite some time. If we had known this, we would have chosen the tour similar to this but without trevi (the similar one was about $50 pp cheaper) I am contacting princess about this because I believe there is a misrepresentation in the tour description.

Other than that, we had a great time. We had a mini suite (the uncovered balcony didn't bother us a bit). We did the Crab shack one night and loved it. My husband and I both got the all inclusive drinks pkg. We figured we probably broke even on the cost, but the ease in ordering anything (and even trying new drinks) at any time was great!

We were also late disembarking but were told it had to do with the terminal personnel. It wasn't that bad though, we could get coffee,tea, etc. in the IC.

I am looking forward to our next Princess cruise.

I have been to see the Trevi fountain about 5 times from 1956 to 1993, and only once saw it without the scaffolding!!! This, of course, is always highly disappointing. But on that last visit, the marble gleamed white and was truly beautiful. My guess is that the marble requires frequent restoration.

Glad you got to dock in Monaco, much better then dealing with the tender.

Thank you for your review.

Keith

I was on the same cruise, and overall thought it was brilliant. Being used to Royal Caribbean, the ship has pretty much zero wow factor beyond its large outside appearance, but that didn't really bother me. The service was excellent pretty much everywhere.

One thing which has put me off Princess though was the amount of miserable old people onboard. Compared with all my previous cruises, at certain times I definitely felt out of place. During the day though the pool areas were filled with younger people. I didn't think a summer cruise to the med would have such a high average age, but it seemed that on an evening everybody under the age of 50 disappeared! My son, who is very well behaved said he often got dirty looks from older people for no reason whatsoever, and we also did in the dining room from some people on a nearby table. I guess some passengers are just like that :(

Disembarkation was a disgrace, and Princess/ABP/whoever is responsible should be ashamed of themselves. To start, we had to disembark at the QEII terminal, rather than the nice Ocean Terminal which we boarded at. If I was the Queen I would want my name struck from that place, because quite frankly it is a dump! A run down converted warehouse is not a pleasant way to end a cruise. Most importantly though, was the ridiculous delays. We had a disembarkation time of 9:45, and we didn't leave the ship until nearly 11:30! :mad: