Live from the Ruby Princess Med-T/A October 7, 2009

[WeBeGone]

Pia and Tom' date='

Can you explain what is with these people? Do they tip every meal or what?[/quote']

 

There should be NO discussion about pax as all previous threads involving these passengers were pulled and anyone who had posted on the thread got a "warning" email from the moderators.

 

Discuss the trip, not the passengers.

[Anubi]

From a thread that Pia subscribed to today

 

"This is an exerpt from our friends on board:

 

We are now at sea rocking and rolling. We are now on our way to Marseilles where the wind was over 55 mph today. No idea what time we will dock, assuming the wind calms down and we can dock.

 

PS: wind in port got so bad they closed the gangways for a couple of hours until it quieted down. Folks returning from tours had to wait in their buses!

 

This morning's mail is as follows:

Could not get email out last night. Today wind is so bad (60MPH) in Marseilles) we were forced to forget this port and sail south through very rough waters and wind and head to Barcelona."

 

I have often had very rough sea conditions in the Med and some ports are reknowned for it - Barcelona is so I hope they do manage to dock there if the seas are rough.

 

Yikes...not what I wanted to hear, but definitely what I wanted to know. Thanks so much. Could you continue to post your info or tell me how to access it myself? :confused:

[WeBeGone]

Wanda - on our TA, the night from Cannes to Barcelona, we had hurricane force winds. It caught everyone off guard. Everything came crashing off the shelves in the bars, stores, and our cabin. I left deck 9 and went to deck 5 in the atrium. It was filled with people from the upper decks who couldn't stay in their beds from the violent tossing of the ship. The next morning the captain apologized saying that it was a freak storm. I think however that the crossing to Barcelona is always rough - but it's only one night. You can tough it out. :D

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

Just as a reminder... let's enjoy this live thread, and not discuss specific passengers onboard. Please keep this thead on track. Enjoy !

[Anubi]

Wanda - on our TA, the night from Cannes to Barcelona, we had hurricane force winds. It caught everyone off guard. Everything came crashing off the shelves in the bars, stores, and our cabin. I left deck 9 and went to deck 5 in the atrium. It was filled with people from the upper decks who couldn't stay in their beds from the violent tossing of the ship. The next morning the captain apologized saying that it was a freak storm. I think however that the crossing to Barcelona is always rough - but it's only one night. You can tough it out. :D

 

I remember that; we had just disembarked and you had continued on the B2B TA. A couple of people had posted about that night {{{shudder}}} :eek:

I was so glad not to be on that ship!! ;)

 

As for toughing it out...just take me to Crooners, give me a couple of martinis and I'll sleep it off ROFL :D :D I am DETERMINED to make this trip!!

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi Everyone !

 

Just as a reminder... let's enjoy this live thread, and not discuss specific passengers onboard. Please keep this thead on track. Enjoy !

 

 

Thank you.

[mississauga]

Wanda - on our TA, the night from Cannes to Barcelona, we had hurricane force winds. It caught everyone off guard. Everything came crashing off the shelves in the bars, stores, and our cabin. I left deck 9 and went to deck 5 in the atrium. It was filled with people from the upper decks who couldn't stay in their beds from the violent tossing of the ship. The next morning the captain apologized saying that it was a freak storm. I think however that the crossing to Barcelona is always rough - but it's only one night. You can tough it out. :D

 

 

Thinking about doing the same TA next year in October. Is it just between France and Barcelona at this time of year that the weather is so bad? Will it improve after Barcelona? Everyone is always so concerned about the Atlantic crossing and I have read that it depends but it sounds like in this particular area, you are all saying is always a problem. We did this TA in April last year and it was smooth sailing the entire 16 days.

 

If it's only one night, not a big deal but is it a preview of what's to come the rest of the cruise?

[shootingstar07]

Kathleen,

would you please explain the after hours tour in Venice? Thank you, Jeanne

Hi Jeanne,

I was booked (along with a bunch of the Ruby Stars) on a Princess tour. It was a "private" evening tour of St. Mark's cathedral. It started at 6:30 and I think was scheduled to end at 9:30. Since it was an after-hours tour, the cathedral would not have a lot of tourist in there. Since we were disembarking the next morning, we decided to turn in our tickets. After the very busy days prior to Venice, we were, as I mentioned, just plain pooped.

 

Pinklavender (Susan) wrote to me and said it was a fabulous tour. I am just not sure what it included, but I can imagine the cathedral at night would be beautiful and peaceful.

 

Hope this helps. If Susan responds by email, I will be sure to post on this thread in the event you are interested.

 

Kathleen

[CruisinLow]

Kathleen,

would you please explain the after hours tour in Venice? Thank you, Jeanne

 

Jeanne,

Some friends and I did the “After Hours” tour to St. Marks though Princess tours last year when we were on the Emerald TA in October. They picked us up from the ship in a smaller boat and took us over to a dock not too far from St. Marks. There were probably only about 20 of us or so on the whole tour. The cathedral was beautiful and so very peaceful and quiet. We sat down and had a talk from a docent at the cathedral. They turned out the lights at one point and then starting turning them on in various locations of the church and it was magnificent. Then we were taken down underground where there are several crypts of Catholic hierarchy. It was all very well done and very awesome when you realize how old the cathedral is and when it was built without engineers and modern equipment. Very well worth the money.

[jeno]

Thanks for the explanation of the after hours tour. I have been to Venice several times and this is the first I heard of it. I look forward to taking it some day. Jeanne

[retiring soon]

Ann:cool: ~ I didn't realize you were on that tour. It was amazing & I especially liked that beautiful jewelled altar panel.

~Jo~ :)

[Dorset Cruiser]

Thinking about doing the same TA next year in October. Is it just between France and Barcelona at this time of year that the weather is so bad? Will it improve after Barcelona? Everyone is always so concerned about the Atlantic crossing and I have read that it depends but it sounds like in this particular area, you are all saying is always a problem. We did this TA in April last year and it was smooth sailing the entire 16 days.

 

If it's only one night, not a big deal but is it a preview of what's to come the rest of the cruise?

 

 

October can be a bit hit or miss in the Med. We often holiday on Majorca at the beginning of October and have normally had perfect weather. However, it can be just the opposite. You can never tell. We were in Monaco and Barcelona on Dawn Princess at the beginning of September and it was really hot and sunny with calm seas.

[CruisinLow]

Ann:cool: ~ I didn't realize you were on that tour. It was amazing & I especially liked that beautiful jewelled altar panel.

~Jo~ :)

 

Jo,

I had forgotten the fact that we did get to go up on the alter and walk around. The panel was beautiful and very impressive. I guess we did not realize or recognize each other because we had not had the Meet and Greet and yes, we all were very tired that night.

Thanks for jogging my memory.

[Travelrd]

Hi Everyone !

 

Just as a reminder... let's enjoy this live thread, and not discuss specific passengers onboard. Please keep this thead on track. Enjoy !

 

Andy has a great idea here. Why don't we all leave our personal stories behind and just enjoy the live thread.

 

Bravo Andy!

[garden2]

Generoso was on the Ruby for the 9/25 to 10/7 cruise & I would guess he is still there. If you have anytime dining, we found a great duo in the Michealango dining room. Beata & Antonio (asst waiter)were table 228 --worked well together plus remembered what we liked for drinks etc. Very pleasant, efficient & smiled --seemed to enjoy their jobs! Found the Michealango tone much more friendly & staff more trained than DaVinci. 1st two nights we ate in the DaVinci-not good experiences & we are not picky. Pretty much go with the flow but no flow in the DaVinci.

[Woobstr112G]

Generoso was on the Ruby for the 9/25 to 10/7 cruise & I would guess he is still there. If you have anytime dining, we found a great duo in the Michealango dining room. Beata & Antonio (asst waiter)were table 228 --worked well together plus remembered what we liked for drinks etc. Very pleasant, efficient & smiled --seemed to enjoy their jobs! Found the Michealango tone much more friendly & staff more trained than DaVinci. 1st two nights we ate in the DaVinci-not good experiences & we are not picky. Pretty much go with the flow but no flow in the DaVinci.

 

 

He got off when we boarded...Sorry to say he is not currently sailing with us.....:(:(:(

 

Bob

[Woobstr112G]

Greetings all.

 

Today was a wonderful day in Barrcelona (after the unexpected extra sea day). DW and I tok a ships tour to the monastery at Montserrat. The whole area was magnificant with fantastic views. It was a short tour as we had a 1600 sailaway from Barcelona. The drive back to the port was nice and gave me a chance to take some nice pictures.

 

Once back at port, I noted that The Brilliance of the Seas, which was docked behind us earlier, had already sailed. Being the only cruise ship in port was sure a strange feeling. Last year on the Emerald T/A we were one of 11 cruise ships in port that day. Tomorrow is a leisurely day at sea before our abrivated (only 6 hours) port of call in Lisbon (my favorite city).

 

 

Take Care All.....:):):)

 

Bob

[bgbaird]

Senor24-- Antonio from Pompeii is in charge of the Pizzaria, and the International cafe' in the morning.

 

One of those special crew members that make Princess special!

[Senor24]

bgbaird

Cool Cruiser

 

Thanks for the info on Antonio. It's great to hear he's on board. He makes the best pizza in the Princess fleet.

[elsje]

Greetings all.

 

Today was a wonderful day in Barrcelona (after the unexpected extra sea day). DW and I tok a ships tour to the monastery at Montserrat. The whole area was magnificant with fantastic views. It was a short tour as we had a 1600 sailaway from Barcelona. The drive back to the port was nice and gave me a chance to take some nice pictures.

 

Once back at port, I noted that The Brilliance of the Seas, which was docked behind us earlier, had already sailed. Being the only cruise ship in port was sure a strange feeling. Last year on the Emerald T/A we were one of 11 cruise ships in port that day. Tomorrow is a leisurely day at sea before our abrivated (only 6 hours) port of call in Lisbon (my favorite city).

 

 

Take Care All.....:):):)

 

Bob

 

Beautiful picture BOB!! Lisbon is one of my favorite cities as well.

[Sunviking]

I haven't posted for awhile on the Live from because we've been very busy and I've been trying to catch up my blog. The cruise has been fabulous! We were sorry to miss Marseille because we were looking forward to visiting Aix-en-Provence and the Luberon, but C'est la vie. Despite the high winds and the very rough seas (we heard from an officer that they approached 40 feet) the ship rode very well. The time at sea gave us an opportunity to rest a little before our visit to Barcelona.

 

Today we had another sea day with perfectly calm seas and beautiful blue skies. We did a close in pass of Gibraltar which was spectacular.

 

I think it was Jasl who asked about Stefano's e-mail address. He was our impromptu guide and driver for Rome. He can be reached at Stefa111@hotmail.it (at least I think that's what the paper says that he wrote it on). If that doesn't work, I have his phone number and if you send me an e-mail at finsatsea at yahoo.com I'll send it to you.

 

My blog is up-to-date and I've loaded lots of photos. It's at http://www.finsatsea.blogspot.com

 

Have a good evening everyone. We get an extra hour of sleep tonight and then it's Lisbon tomorrow.

[mollyanne]

I haven't posted for awhile on the Live from because we've been very busy and I've been trying to catch up my blog. The cruise has been fabulous! We were sorry to miss Marseille because we were looking forward to visiting Aix-en-Provence and the Luberon, but C'est la vie. Despite the high winds and the very rough seas (we heard from an officer that they approached 40 feet) the ship rode very well. The time at sea gave us an opportunity to rest a little before our visit to Barcelona.

 

Today we had another sea day with perfectly calm seas and beautiful blue skies. We did a close in pass of Gibraltar which was spectacular.

 

I think it was Jasl who asked about Stefano's e-mail address. He was our impromptu guide and driver for Rome. He can be reached at Stefa111@hotmail.it (at least I think that's what the paper says that he wrote it on). If that doesn't work, I have his phone number and if you send me an e-mail at finsatsea at yahoo.com I'll send it to you.

 

My blog is up-to-date and I've loaded lots of photos. It's at www.finsatsea.blogspot.com

 

Have a good evening everyone. We get an extra hour of sleep tonight and then it's Lisbon tomorrow.

 

I have been reading your blog and it is terrific! I was curious as to how you traveled to Girona for your day trip? Thanks for providing Stefano's info - it sounds like he took you on a great tour.

[peppygirl]

I haven't posted for awhile on the Live from because we've been very busy and I've been trying to catch up my blog. The cruise has been fabulous! We were sorry to miss Marseille because we were looking forward to visiting Aix-en-Provence and the Luberon, but C'est la vie. Despite the high winds and the very rough seas (we heard from an officer that they approached 40 feet) the ship rode very well. The time at sea gave us an opportunity to rest a little before our visit to Barcelona.

 

Today we had another sea day with perfectly calm seas and beautiful blue skies. We did a close in pass of Gibraltar which was spectacular.

 

I think it was Jasl who asked about Stefano's e-mail address. He was our impromptu guide and driver for Rome. He can be reached at Stefa111@hotmail.it (at least I think that's what the paper says that he wrote it on). If that doesn't work, I have his phone number and if you send me an e-mail at finsatsea at yahoo.com I'll send it to you.

 

My blog is up-to-date and I've loaded lots of photos. It's at www.finsatsea.blogspot.com

 

Have a good evening everyone. We get an extra hour of sleep tonight and then it's Lisbon tomorrow.

I had stopped working briefly to read this post and I opened up the link to your blog.....wow!!! you could publish that into a book....beautiful photos and your blogs were so descriptive I almost felt I was there...we are planning a TA next October on the Ruby so I am very much enjoying your posts! By the way, what type of camera are you using? fantastic shots; thanks so much for allowing us to share this with you...;)

[sailors2]

Thanks Ann for giving an update. I'm so glad you got to do the Chef's Table. Things are looking up a bit..............have booked two new cruises. You and Al might like the TA we're taking next Oct. Did some of the other Ruby Stars get to be at the Chef's Table?

Judy

[margord]

Jeanne' date='[/font']

Some friends and I did the “After Hours” tour to St. Marks though Princess tours last year when we were on the Emerald TA in October. They picked us up from the ship in a smaller boat and took us over to a dock not too far from St. Marks. There were probably only about 20 of us or so on the whole tour. The cathedral was beautiful and so very peaceful and quiet. We sat down and had a talk from a docent at the cathedral. They turned out the lights at one point and then starting turning them on in various locations of the church and it was magnificent. Then we were taken down underground where there are several crypts of Catholic hierarchy. It was all very well done and very awesome when you realize how old the cathedral is and when it was built without engineers and modern equipment. Very well worth the money.

 

What do you need to do to set up this tour?

 

Marilee