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

[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
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11/06/2004 - Diamond Princess, Mexican Riviera
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[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! [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Happy Sails,
Mrs. Tulpule

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

[url="http://community.webshots.com/user/lephysteria"]Click here to see more wedding pictures[/url]
[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] CCL Paradise 9/23/2000 #U161 - [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img] CCL Holiday 3/5/2001 #M32 - [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] RCCL Explorer 9/1/2001 #7298 - [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] CCL Ecstasy 12/7/2001 #R171 - [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] CCL Pride 3/2/2002 #6194 - [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] RCCL Vision 10/11/02 #4521 - [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] CCL Ecstasy 12/27/2002 #E135 - [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] CCL Ecstasy 1/20/2003 #U197 - [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] RCCL Monarch 12/19/03 #9580 - [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img] [img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img][img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] CCL Ecstasy 2/6/04 #M209

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=4169e1&cdt=2004;5;13;09;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800[/img] ... until our Star Honeymoon
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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 Byzance ( [url="http://more.at/Byzance"]http://more.at/Byzance[/url] ) . 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 Byzance. 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 [url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=069097554&m=726107981&r=726107981#726107981"]here[/url]

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.:)