Prior to going:
The opportunity to go on the Sea Princess is one that I gladly took as soon as it arose. A magnificent ship with a peerless reputation for customer service and style, the chance to spend 8 nights onboard Sea Princess was not to be missed!
Sailing from Southampton on 2 June, and visiting Seville, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Pisa & Rome, as part of the "Mediterranean Medley" cruise I am going to be calling at some of the most popular ports of call in the Med. I hope to update this blog regularly from onboard, reporting on the facilities, cabins and features of Sea Princess along with the features of each port of call.
I will also gladly answer any questions you may have about Sea Princess when I return, just follow the link at the bottom of this page!
Getting there:
Living in the North West of England it is a difficult task getting to Southampton on the day of a cruise, but not impossible. Trains run on a regular basis and with the right amount of forward planning it is entirely possible to set off on the day of the cruise and arrive within plenty of time. The port of Southampton is less than a mile and a half from the railway station and only a short taxi ride away.
Day 1 :
First impressions were in awe of the sheer scale of the 77,000 ton vessel, which whilst being considerably smaller than some recently built cruise ships, contains all the facilities imagainable for an unforgettable experience. Sea Princess is sleek and clean with ever smiling staff and an ambience of friendliness that is clear from first setting foot onboard.
Upon arrival I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere at check-in, a real sense of camaraderie prevailed with groups of people saying goodbye to loved ones, and waving them off - it made the experience feel like the olden days of cruising, when it was a real adventure to set off, and that for most people it still is. Check in was speedy and efficient, with a fist timer like me feeling initially confused by he fact that we had to hand our bags in before check in - I was worried that the bags would not make it to the cabin before the evening, but they were there within an hour.
The cabin, a D grade on Dolphin deck is large and well kept, with the outstanding feature being the picture window which lets a lot of light into the cabin, almost as much as a balcony - it is a really good feature of the room, one which I can now fully appreciate. The bathroom is small, but this is made up for by a good, strong shower which can rally wake you up in the morning
The staff are friendly and happy to help - a special mention has o go to Gabrial from Mexico who is a strong contender for Worlds Best Barman. There is a real sense of friendliness and relaxation onboard.
We have the freedom dining which is in the Rigoletto Restaurant and much like one would expect a restaurant at home to be like, we queued for less than two minutes before being showed to our table. The four course meal was out of this world, and I have to recommend the New York Cheesecake to all.
Back in the cabin I fell contently asleep; to be woken the next day by the gentle rocking of the ship as we enter the Bay of Biscay
Day 2 - At Sea:
The first full day of the cruise was spent at sea, with lively conditions in the Bay of Biscay providing passengers with the full nautical experience! Fortunately as the day wore on, the swell grew less and less and a full and enjoyable day at sea was experienced by all.
I started the day with a brisk walk around the decks, a full circuit being the equivalent to one third of a mile. Suitably refreshed I took in a lecture on the resistance movement in the Czech Republic during World War 2, which was informative and very interesting; and warmly received by the full audience in the Theatre. Lectures go on throughout the day and cover a wide variety of topics.
The afternoon was spent getting to know the ship fully. At half past five I was turned out in my best suit for the first of two formal evenings we will be experiencing. A Captains ****tail Party was held in the main atrium and Capt. Robert Pilton gave an entertaining talk for 5 mins on the ship and crew, and provided an insight into each port of call to come.
A grand formal dinner was held in the Anytime Dining restaurant, and my only regret was that I didn't have room at the end of the meal to finish the delicious Chocolate Soufflé which rounded the dining experience off perfectly. After eating, we retired to the Monte Carlo Casino, where I discovered that when it comes to gambling, I am no James Bond. I retired to bed with a full stomach and a lighter wallet, wondering what was to come on the second day at sea.
Day 3 - At Sea :
A bright and sunny day at sea began with a tour of the ships galley by Bruno Bogazzi the Maitre d'Hotel and Michael Borns, the Executive Chef both of whom provided an entertaining and interesting insight into the workings of a kitchen which has to feed 3000 people (staff and passengers) three times a day.
To give an idea of the scale of the operation, in an average day over 1000lbs of beef is cooked, 550lbs of salad served, 4000lbs of vegetables cooked and 50,100 dishes washed
After discovering the kitchens, I took the chance to sample some of the food in the Horizon Court - it is self service and I cannot fault the food at all, it is all delicious.
In the afternoon I relaxed on the top deck, enjoying the film "Happy Feet" on the Movies Under The Stars screen, which shows a film at night and during the day. Other activities onboard included fruit sculpting and ****tail lessons.
I dined in the Sterling Steakhouse in the evening, which is a section of the Waterfront Restaurant dedicated to steak. I was tempted by the 22oz Prime Steak, but settled for a more modest portion. Tomorrow we are due in Cadiz, the first port of call, and I for one cannot wait.
Day 4 - Cadiz :
I awoke to a clear blue sky as Sea Princess berthed in Cadiz; it is amazing how quickly one becomes used to the motion of the ship at sea, as it actually felt strange not to be moving in port. I spent a leisurely morning on board, taking lunch in the Horizon Court, which was very quiet due to the passengers on shore. Also in port was the Regent Seven Seas Voyager, which was berthed immediately in front of us.
I disembarked at midday and took a stroll around the beautiful town of Cadiz. With its narrow streets and wide open squares it is an atypical Spanish town, vibrant with Continental life yet open and welcoming to visitors. I would, however, recommend that any visitors take a guided tour, so as to get the most out of the experience. I did not, and I felt that I needed to know more about the town and its history after the visit. Lectures are provided onboard prior to arrival, but they are no substitute for actually being there.
There is a magnificent memorial to the liberation of Cadiz during the Peninsula war, which is directly opposite the port. This beautiful statue should be a definite tick on the "to do" list of any visitor. No visit to a Spanish town would be complete without relaxing in an open square listening to a Spanish guitar player, which is exactly how I rounded my time off in Cadiz.
I stood on deck and watched the town sail into the distance, before getting ready for another evening of fine dining in the Rigaletto restaurant. The dress code was again smart casual, and I did not feel out of place with jeans and shirt. I went to bed looking forward to the next sea day, followed the next day by Barcelona. Just before retiring for the night, I watched out of my cabin window and saw the lights of Morocco on the Horizon as we passed through the Straits of Gibraltar to enter the Mediterranean sea.
Day 5 - At Sea :
It was a relaxing and tranquil crossing of the Mediterranean, where I took the opportunity to sunbathe and relax on the top deck. The big event of the day was the news that in the evening the England vs Estonia football match would be on the Movies Under The Stars screen, surely to the chagrin of several of our fellow American passengers, however the sizeable British contingent onboard vowed to turn out in force to support our team.
Before this, there was the opportunity to take a fascinating tour of the bridge, lead by Italian Bridge Officer Reno, who explained the ins and outs of the workings of the most important part of the ship. One of the fascinating things on the bridge is a glass floor to the extreme starboard side of the ship, which affords a direct view down to the sea, and is only for the brave to stand on!
I ate that evening a quick meal in the Pizzeria, Cafe Corniche, before heading out onto the top deck to watch England triumph 3-0 over Estonia. The deck was packed and a great time had by all. I rounded the evening off perfectly with a trip to the onboard nightclub Razamatazz, where celebrations were in full swing!!! The next day would be Barcelona, and I couldn’t wait to visit this most famous of cities; however before that there was the small matter of celebrating a rare England victory!
Day 6 - Barcelona :
Barcelona is beautiful. It is an amazing city vibrant with life and colour, surrounded by hills and filled with small streets, cafes, stores and all aspects of city life. I took an organised tour, the "Barcelona Highlights" package, which took in the Gothic cathedral of the Holy Family, Las Ramblas, buildings by Gaudi and the Olympic stadium and village. The cathedral is undergoing extensive repair work but is still stunning.
The tour took from 9 in the morning to 1 in the afternoon, and was [perfectly on time and expertly handled by a local tour guide, who was more than happy to answer all questions. My only disappointment was that as we sailed at 3:30 an I didn’t have enough time to really appreciate Barcelona, and a return visit is most definitely on the cards.
The Sea Princess berthed roughly 30 mins walk from the town, and I would recommend that any visitors who travel independently give themselves plenty of time to return to the ship before sailing time, or perhaps take a taxi back from the town centre
After returning to the ship from Barcelona I took some time to stroll on deck before departure. As we sailed out, planes landing at Barcelona airport flew close overhead on their final flight paths, and I couldn't help but think how lucky the people travelling in those planes were to be arriving somewhere so stunning.
After another fabulous meal in the Rigaletto restaurant I visited the Princes Theatre for the evening show Musical Memories - and what a great show it was! Playing tunes from the 1920s through to the Rat Pack era, the show had all the greatest tunes from the period of big band show tunes, and the audience was rapturous in their appreciation. It was a perfect set-up for Monte Carlo tomorrow!
Day 7 - Monte Carlo :
For me the highlight of the itinerary is without a doubt Monte Carlo - I could not wait to arrive as so much has been written and said about this tiny principality that I just had to visit for myself. The day started perfectly when I opened my cabin curtains to be greeted with the sight of the town of Monte Carlo laying directly outside the window! It took my breath away and only enhanced my desire to visit it.
To get to the town, a tender is required to ferry passengers back and forth, as Sea Princess is too large to actually dock in the port. I sat on the open top of the tender and watched the town gradually approach across the water. The arrival was easy as I just had to step off the tender to be in the middle of town. I immediately set bout exploring and was totally overwhelmed by the beauty of the town, it is spotlessly clean and refreshingly clear of the usual high-street shops that seem to be so ubiquitous. The people are friendly (and depressingly well dressed) and the whole atmosphere is of sophisticated relaxation.
I took a walk up the very slight gradient of the hill to get to the royal palace which stands in an open courtyard and is just as stunning as the town itself. There are small streets leading off from the palace which are the home to many small souvenir shops and cafes. It is the sort of place where you can quite easily spend a whole day relaxing in a cafe and feel like the day has not been wasted for one second.
Anybody who has second thoughts about taking a tender to port can rest assured that it is a quick and easy process with no difficulties at all aside from the small matter of stepping from tender to ship and vice versa as the sea can make the tender rise and dip slightly.
I sat on deck and watched Monte Carlo drift into the distance, and the French coastline with its mountainous scenery too was left in the distance. That evening I dressed casually again for a French themed evening in the Rigaletto Restaurant and actually managed to bring myself to try the Escargot starter (they are actually rather nice), although the Frogs Legs main course were one step too far for me!
I ventured up on deck to take in a movie on the big screen - it really is an experience. The sun loungers are given red covers and blankets are provided whilst waiters supply ample popcorn (freshly made onboard) and drinks. It was a nice way to round off the best day of the cruise so far
Day 8 - Livorno, Pisa & Florence :
Pisa was high on my list of places that I just had to see, so this cruise was the perfect opportunity to do just that. As I didn’t take an organised tour to visit both Florence and Pisa I had to forgo the opportunity of visiting Florence, as it is not practical to visit both on the same day independently.
I started out the day in good style with a full English Breakfast in the Horizon Court, the good news abut which is for late risers like myself, they continue serving breakfast after 10 in the morning. Form the dockside, Princess organised a shuttle bus into the town of Livorno for $5 (return fare) and from the town centre I was left to my own devices. I took a public bus to the train station which is about 10 mins from the town centre, and from there a train to Pisa. They lave regularly and cost around 6 Euros for a return ticket. The train was direct and did not stop anywhere else so within 20 mins I was in Pisa.
There aren't a lot of directions outside the train station so I had to ask the way to the Piazza Doumo, but it is very easy to find once a general idea of direction is known, although it is a good 20-30 minute walk away (taxis and bus services are available, however).
The Leaning Tower is just as incredible in the flesh as it is in photographs, of which I took far too many! The most remarkable part of the Piazza is that entry is completely free and the area is surrounded by the most beautiful Renaissance style churches and buildings I have ever seen. I spent my time simply enjoying the view and reveling in the fact that I had finally seen the tower in person. It is possible to climb the tower, however tickets are limited and had sold out by the time I arrived, which was a disappointment.
I left the town of Pisa by train and travelled back to find the shuttle bus waiting in Livorno town centre. I had spent most of the day on my feet, so i was suitably tired and ready for a cold drink by the pool, before getting ready for my last night onboard.
Day 9 - Civitavecchia (Disembarkation Day) :
The morning was spent preparing to disembark from Sea Princess: my bags were already packed and all I had to do was leave them outside the cabin door before 10am and they were collected by my cabin steward and taken to the bus which would ferry me to the airport. The port of Civitavecchia is just outside of Rome, so unfortunately there was no time to venture into the city itself.
I had to vacate the cabin by 12pm, and be off the ship by 2pm, so I spent my last two hours onboard saying goodbye to the ship and taking some last minute photographs. I enjoyed a final buffet lunch in Horizon Court, and settled my account with the pursers desk.
On disembarkation, I boarded a coach to Rome Airport. The journey took just over one hour on a wonderfully straight road, and in what seemed like no time I was at the airport. Rome airport is quite large but easy to navigate as all signs are bi-lingual. I checked in then took a “Sky-Bus†to my terminal for the flight home. The flight to Heathrow was slightly delayed but time was made up en route. On arrival back in the UK, I was struck by the heat, and informed by my taxi driver that the weather had been, typically, wonderful for the past week. Despite the tropical heat in London, I wished I could still be on Sea Princess, and was deeply envious of those lucky passengers, who just as I was landing in London, would be cruising out of Civitavecchia.
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