There is absolutely no question that the accommodation and facilities on board the cruise were amazing. However, it was a bit of a shock missing three points in a row. I now know that it's better to book excursions while on the cruise itself, and if you do want to book in advance, it's better to do it through the cruise line since they'll refund the excursion automatically if they can't dock at the port. Despite everything, though, it was great not having to cook, clean, shop for groceries etc, and I do think there will be more Princess Cruises in our future!
Embarkation
4 out of 5
First time embarking on a major cruise ship. It was a bit of a cattle car experience, but over all it went fairly smoothly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Because of stomach upsets, we didn't even hit a main dining room - we enjoyed the buffet, cafe and room service too much! We loved the buffet because we could take as much as we wanted, when we wanted, and there were lots of healthy options to choose from.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We used the fitness facility, which was excellent. Clean with plenty of machines. Pool area was nice but a little loud. We aren't really into group activities, but I did enjoy the Interdenominational Sunday service that I went to.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Can't say enough about the high quality of service. Great staff.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was pristine. We would have enjoyed a few more quiet places without music (other than our rooms) where we could sit and have a coffee with less stimultion.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Great room with all the amenities we needed. It was very clean, and almost felt spacious. Loved having a balcony to get some fresh air in!
Ship tip
Elevators are nuts on the days you embark and disembark. It's worth it to catch the elevator going in the OPPOSITE direction that everyone want to go in while it's empty, and double back to get to the level you initially wanted to go to.
Favourite port in the city and enjoyed a half day tour. It was easy to go back by bus to the centre of the old town and spend the day looking around. Lovely place and would love to return!
Nice port. Did an excursion to Messina and then to Taormina. Since Taormina is an hour away you spend a lot of the time driving. Given a choice, I think I'd choose to see the Blue Grotto next time.
Loved Naples and highly recommend the walking tour of Naples and the underground city. Our guide was fantastic. Went back to Toledo Street after the tour and picked up some stocking stuffers for Christmas. This vied with Corfu as my favourite cities on the itinerary.
Since we decided to stay an extra day or two in Rome, we ordered a taxi in advance to take us from the port to our BnB near the Vatican. The cost was about 150 e for the trip, but well worth it to us. As older travellers, we just didn't have the energy to deal with buses and trains at 8 am in the morning. Again, I recommend this service - it was well worth the money.
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