Grand Princess-Greek Isles-Rome to Venice

[T2188na]

Hi All,

Thinking about going on this cruise for anniversary. Late October 2009.

 

 

http://www.princess.com/pb/itinerary...Rome+to+Venice

 

Looking for some feedback on experiences. Expect to fly from Detroit or fly out of Toronto.

 

Give me the "good, bad & ugly". Pic would be nice too.

 

Thanks

NJA

[Cruise Junky]

We did it in reverse this past September, loved it. Great itinerary, great ship. Ask away, happy to answer what I can.

[T2188na]

Hello,

 

-I am concerned about security both on the boat and on land. My wife thinks everyone is nice. I watch too many movies. Trying not to be a mark.

 

-What can you tell me about the stops and what I should be aware of? Did you take your passport off the ship with you?

 

-What about currency? Is it best to use a charge card or take local currency in the form of cash?

 

Thank you!

[rdsqrl]

Hello,

 

-I am concerned about security both on the boat and on land. My wife thinks everyone is nice. I watch too many movies. Trying not to be a mark.

 

-What can you tell me about the stops and what I should be aware of? Did you take your passport off the ship with you?

 

-What about currency? Is it best to use a charge card or take local currency in the form of cash?

 

Thank you!

 

Carry your passport with you. It doesn't do you any good in your cabin safe!

I've always used my debit card in Europe, both for getting local cash from ATMs (make sure your pin is 4-digits, numerals only) and as a charge card -- never any problem. You'll want some euros for taxis, water/snacks, etc. and to me, ATMs are the easiest way to get local currency. Just be sure to let your bank/charge card company know that you're leaving the country so their security doesn't put a hold on your card when they see a random charge from Mykonos pop up.

I don't know what you mean by a mark and too many movies? You're going to Europe, not the caves of Tora Bora (now there's a shore excursion for the brave)! The Europeans aren't generally out to get Americans -- only their tourist dollars. Just exercise the same caution you would at home and you'll be fine. The biggest concern is probably pickpockets: don't use a backpack (a thief can have your wallet/camera out of there in two seconds), carry your purse across your shoulders instead of hanging down off one shoulder, and put your wallet in your front pants pocket and in crowds keep your hand on it. I've been in some pretty dicey areas/crowds and never had a problem exercising such caution. Oh, and don't wear shorts into churches or old ladies will give you the evil eye!

[Cruise Junky]

I have to disagree, don't ever leave the ship with your passport in port, take a copy. My husband had his pocket picked in Athens, it was bad enough trying to replace cruise card, credit card, etc. Replacing a passport would have been a nightmare.

 

Currency, we always take Euro's with us from home, but that's part of my savings plan. I have a great exchange place across the street so every paycheque I buy Euros. Credit cards work fine for larger purchases, but you'll need cash in ports. ATMs work great in Europe.

 

I am concerned about your timing, if you're going late October, and Venice is your last stop, it's probably going to be cold and miserable. Any chance of going earlier? The weather in late September was perfect.

[cruisinalong001]

The pickpockets are brazen. Three of our cc group either got their pockets picked or almost picked in Athens. They work in groups and are professionals, not your ordinary US street punk. Wallet in front pocket won't deter them. DH uses a neckpouch and and I use a moneybelt and we've been fine and feel confident that we aren't soft targets. Just invest in these and relax.

[caribill]

Great itinerary. You will have a fantastic anniversary cruise.

 

No worries about security on the ship.

 

Off the ship, major cities are no better/worse than in the USA. Stay with the ship's excursions in the major cities and take normal precautions and you should be fine.

[caber]

Hi All,

Thinking about going on this cruise for anniversary. Late October 2009.

 

 

http://www.princess.com/pb/itinerary...Rome+to+Venice

 

Looking for some feedback on experiences. Expect to fly from Detroit or fly out of Toronto.

 

Give me the "good, bad & ugly". Pic would be nice too.

 

Thanks

NJA

We did this the opposite way round in April, 2007 on Emerald. It`s a great cruise. Apart from Venice which is always wonderful, we were particularly impressed with Santorini. Go off yourself, go up on the donkeys and back down on the cablecar, or do both on the cablecar. It is the prettiest place I have been to. All the ports are good. Dubrovnik is a nice place to do on your own. Just wander round the old town.These photos are of Santorini. The donkeys, the route up and the view.:)Sorry the phots didn`t upload. I will try again.

[caber]

 

This is the windy road up to the top which the donkeys take

 

 

The thing I would recommend in Venice is to sit with a drink in St Mark`s Square, later on when the day trippers have gone home, and soak up the music and atmosphere. I know it`s expensive but the whole experience is worth it.

[bluenoser2]

We too, did the Med. cruise in April 2007 on the Emerald and it was our most perfect vacation ever. The weather was beautiful and the ports were fantastic. We had no problem with "security" issues on or off ship - of course, we don't exactly look like we have anything worth getting when we are out and about, so maybe that's part of it. We carried a copy of our passport with us, and used credit card or ATMs all the time with no problem. We loved Venice, so easy to do on your own - you can walk forever, try to get lost, and still find your way back. Another favourite was our stop in Naples - we didn't see the city at all, but we loved our ship's excursion to Vesuvius and Pompeii - we had a wonderful guide and the sights were wonderful (of course, my husband the former geologist would say that about ANY volcano....

We flew to Rome out of Montreal and had no problem - used a Princess transfer to our hotel - got in at 9:30 a.m. and got a taxi, and spent a wonderful day wondering around the city on foot after being dropped off at the Trevi fountain. The hotel shuttle was our way back later in the day. The next day we used a ship tour to do the Vatican tour - we were very glad to do that particular sight with a tour - bypassed all the lineups and got in before the crowds. Have a wonderful trip - we'd love to go back and see the sights we missed the last time!

[chasetf]

We did the Rome to Venice on the Grand. Definitely worth the time and money especially if you have never been to that part of the world. You can see some of the pics I posted of our trip which was late Sep. Going in Oct you will avoid the crowds but may hit some rain. The only rain we had was Venice.

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/561466395AjVEko

 

I would also suggest you seriously consider pre and post cruise stays in Rome and Venice. Those are cities you cannot see in only one day or as you are getting on or off the ship. My webshots album also has pics of our time in both of those cities.

[lovespositano]

Our experience on this itenirary was on the Star in early November 2007. It was chilly and we had toddlers with us, but we loved everything. Our favorite Greek islands were Corfu and Santorini, but they are all wonderful. On Corfu we did the full-day Princess tour of the island with lunch - it was one of the most terrific days we have had in our lives. In Santorini the seas are rough and the 10 AM tours got cancelled because of the hazardous tendering, so book the earliest possible tour off the ship - it's SPECTACULAR!!! You don't have to be afraid for your safety, period. There are pickpockets in any large city in the world - they're not any worse in the Med than elsewhere. We have been to the Med 9 times on diverse iteniraries - we never take our passports out of the ship's safe because there's no need (except Monte Carlo if you want to get into the casino) - you have your ship's card with you, so you do have some form of ID. All we take off the ship is a few Euros (enough for taxis or any other small items), our credit card and our ship card and we keep them in a zip pocket of our camera case. There are plenty of local ATM's if you need a few more Euros and their exchange rate is the best. No need to take Euros with you from the States. If worse comes to worse, Princess has an ATM machine and you can exchange dollars for Euros in the casino, but the exchange rate is not as good and there are bank fees.

Go, totally relax, and have the times of your lives!!!

[rebeccalouise]

I love Grand Princess and your itinerary sounds fantastic. Book it.

[sunsetbeachgal]

We did this itinerary on the Golden in 2006. Fantastic! Always felt safe-do agree that you want to carry photocopies of passport, not the original. You will want to have a few Euros with you at the start of your trip-you can order them at home from your bank (might be easier and give you peace of mind-one less thing to worry about) or use the ATM in the baggage claim of either airport.

 

The Europe ports of call boards are excellent for port/tour questions.

[jdblakeslee]

On Corfu we did the full-day Princess tour of the island with lunch - it was one of the most terrific days we have had in our lives.

 

Lovespositano, there are two full-day tours offered by Princesss - The Best of Corfu and The Spirit of Corfu...do you recall which one you so enjoyed?

 

Thanks,

Jennifer

[T2188na]

Wow. Thank you everyone!

[sammiedawg]

Another vote for how great this itinerary is. We did Venice to Rome on the Grand in May, I will never forget this fabulous trip. Carry a copy of the passport with you. Use common sense but we had no security concerns, we felt very safe. We did some private tour guides, using recommendations from CC and we toured on our own using Rick Steves. There is a wealth of information on the Europe boards here.

We will do this trip again for sure.

The Grand was very nice, older ship in great condition and i think it is now refurbished.

We loved Santorini, Ephesus, Corfu.

[T2188na]

The advice is appreciated.

 

We are warm weather people, especially me!

 

Considering these factors what is a nice time of the year to go?

 

Warmer weather. 70-80F and sunny.

A little less crowded. Europeans back to work and school.

Anniversary is in late August. Don't have to go in August though.

Maybe I answered my own question... Mid to late Sept. Weather???

Sept. 11 still makes me nervous.

 

Being from North America I don't claim any knowledge about the cruise region but we love Italian and Greek food!

 

Thanks

[caber]

You should get the temperatures you want in September. It should still be lovely. Come October there is usually a bit more rain.

[lovespositano]

We did this itenirary in early November. Even then, it was fantastic, no rain and 65 deg or better in the daytime. Last summer we did part of this itenirary in early Sep and it was still very hot in some ports. If you do it in late Sep or early Oct, the temperatures should be just right for you. Have a ball - you will LOVE it!!:):)