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 My companion Leona, and I chose to make my own way to London, so we arrived the morning of the 2nd of September, twenty four hours ahead on the same flight our group was confirmed on. We got to see how to clear customs, how the luggage would arrive, and where the ground transportation, and meeting areas were before we met our group of fourteen coming from Hawaii for the two day pre-cruise Regal package. We had made reservations at the Holiday Inn London Heathrow, so made our way to the hotel, we were allowed to check in early, and get organized for the next day's arrivals. The hotel was right at the airport so it was adequate for the night. |
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| The next morning, we made out way back to the airport to the arrivals area where I found our guide Warren Grynberg with a hand written sign showing REGAL TRAVEL. He was middle aged englishman, from London, a London Blue Badge Guide, he reminded me, and a recently published author of a book about Old London town and it's history. He brought back memories of an english version of Colombo, the detective from days past television. We were just in time to get to the front of the arrivals area to see some of our group coming in, so we gathered them together and escorted them to the large bus waiting outside. The weather was beautiful; about 60 degrees and sunny, so we loaded up and were on our way. We thought we were having breakfast close by, but Warren said the Pub we had reserved was in town, about 35 minutes from the airport. After a scenic drive into London we arrived for our British breakfast of bangers, thick bacon, eggs, toast and jam, coffee and juice, served by a friendly cook/waiter. Some of the guys wanted their first British ale, but the pub cannot sell alcohol until 11 am ,so they made do. Everyone was refreshed and ready for the morning half day tour. | ||
| I had mentioned to Warren that we also had a tour guide for our group scheduled for a full day tomorrow, so I think he wanted to be sure he did a good job today for us first. He truly did! He as his driver showed us so many sights, and stopped everywhere for photo ops. We went past the Tower of London, crossing many bridges between the old town and the more modern parts of the city.We took group pictures along side the London Bridge, of the London Eye, a Ferris wheel type ride that, while riding in one of it's capsules, you can see for miles beyond the city. We went to St. Paul's Cathedral, where his book was on sale, and autographed a couple for souvenirs, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, beautiful gardens and more. Definitely more than just a panoramic tour. He stopped when requested, and was so interesting and humorous too. The group thoroughly enjoyed his narrations. We were taken to the Harrington Hall Hotel just after 1:00pm, where the hotel staff had all but 1 room ready, and the porters were very quick in getting out bags off the bus, and into our rooms. The last room was available within the half hour, so all were happy. We met the bartender, just off the lobby, saw the nice restaurant that we would have our morning breakfast buffet, which was more that sufficient to start our day. We also made use of the small gym that included a steam room/sauna area for guests. | ||
| The hotel location was in South Kensington area, just two blocks from The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum which had collections of gowns worn by the queens and other interesting regal collections. We met for dinner in the lobby, and went off to Gloucester Road which was within walking distance, and had many restaurants to chose from.and a small market to pick up water and snacks. We happened upon a small italian family run restaurant, Il Borgo, and as it was still early, they had room for all sixteen of us. We had a delightful two hour multi-course dinner, sharing wine and good cheer. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a local market to pick snacks and waters. |
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| After our breakfast, we were met by Mr. Yeh, our second tour guide for London. He was very nice, informative, and accommodating. Today's tour was a full day, and more indepth, as the group had a very good overview of London on the first morning. The group had decided to see the Crown Jewels and tour the Tower of London as our first stop, as it gets more crowded later in the day. We were there over an hour, and then boarded the bus to go to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard. Parking was tight, and already very crowded, but most everyone got great pictures of the event to capture the event. Mr. Yeh had called ahead to a popular local pub for a very nice lunch reservation, so we dined just around the corner from Parliment and where some of it's members also have lunch. | ||
| Back on the bus for the next stop that all had looked forward to; a visit to Abbey Road. It was out of town in a private neighborhood, and a television crew was also filming a report there. Our group took pictures of the original studio where the Beatles recorded, and of course took their own pictures crossing the famous crosswalk in from of the studios, made famous by John, Paul, George, and Ringo. | ||
| The next stop was for shopping, as the girls were excited to do. We headed out to see Harrod's, and the high end shopping areas. Time was drawing to and end, so we had Mr. Yeh and the bus driver drop us off at a local restaurant I had made reservations for called the Builder's Arms. It was within walking distance of our hotel, had a fresh daily english and european menu and it was a pub, meeting all requirements for our last night in London. Everyone enjoyed the locals and Friday night atmosphere as well as the menu. On the way home we also ventured to the casino just across the street from the hotel. We noted the sign stating dress code, but after filling out general information, they let us all in. A small area, and not too crowded for a Friday night, we tried our luck at Roulette, Blackjack, and the slots, with mixed results; some winners, but at least we had fun trying. | ||
| The next morning after breakfast, and checking out, we had some free time, as the ship had been delayed due to weather coming from Scandinavia. The weather in London was wonderful, mid 60's and sunny, so it was a scenic drive to Southampton, where we would board our ship, the Grand Princess. Our driver was very friendly and even fit in a pit stop mid-route, for restrooms, snacks and coffee. We got to the Ocean Terminal just after 3:00pm and it was chaotic. Due to the weather delay, we had to use an alternate terminal from the one Princess normally uses, so all 2600 of were in one general area. We tried to stay together, and look out for one another, so after a few hours we were finally boarded, and able to go to our cabins to drop off our belongings. They announced dining would be open tonight due to the delay, so we agreed to meet in the DaVinci Dining room, which was our assigned room, for dinner. As we were finishing dinner, we were told we did not need to muster -just to read the safety information each cabin, to be prepared for any emergency while onboard. I was not able to give ship tour, but met those that wanted to the next morning to familiarize themselves with the ship. We finally sailed after 9:00pm, a bit of a rocky start to our cruise. But we made it! | ||
 After three days and nights in London, we are on our way to Rotterdam. Due to the inclement weather that delayed our departure, we were told the morning tours in Rotterdam and Amsterdam were cancelled, which was disappointing. Instead of a 12noon to 10:00pm stop, we were at dock from 2:00pm to 9:00pm, so we made the best of it. I met about half the group in the Atrium area for a ship tour after breakfast, which went well until we pasted the Waffle Station, where I lost most of the guys. The rest of the day, everyone found their own way, and favorite spots on the ship. |
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| We met for dinner at 6:00pm, the main dining, at our assigned tables that night: 10 top, 4 top, and a 6 top on one of the corners raised areas in the Da Vinci Dining Room. We met our waiters, one Filipino, the other Thai and our Maitre-de, who was Italian as was the head chef. | ||
I had mentioned to the group about the special Chef's Table reservations, and they had agreed to sign up for this event, as we had two birthdays to celebrate as well as an anniversary on this cruise. I spoke to to Guisseppe, our maitre-de, and requested a  table for 14. The maximum is 12, but he would see if he could have the chef make an exception, which he did. The head chef designs, creates, and serves this speciality menu only once or twice on each cruise, in between the formal nights and the main menu. The fee is $75 per person, and it includes a personal tour and behind the scenes look at of one of the 7 main galleys, a 5-6 course meal accompanied by premium wines and spirits, a autographed copy of Courses- a Culinary Journey, the Princess recipe book, a group and individual picture, and red rose for the ladies as memento, served on beautiful china amidst candlelit. (see menu). It is not overly advertised, but we as so glad to have had the experience! Everything from ice sculptures, with our first class french champagne and appetizers, the palate cleansing sorbet, to veal tenderloin and shanks, paraded in and carved table side, to the dessert finale. The group overwhelmingly voted this to be the best part of the cruise. We did have this dinner while we were in Vigo Spain, day 10, and it was wonderful. |
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| Meanwhile, during the 14 days cruising, we had 12 ports to visit, and most everyone had made plans for each port, either planned shore excursions, or independent free style adventures. The next stop was Bruge, so Leona and I visited a castle in Belgium, and picked up lots for chocolates for gifts back home. Generally speaking, the group met for dinners at our assigned tables, but the group of friends did enjoy the Painted Desert Steakhouse more than once, so we all sat together with whomever showed up for the evening, so everyone felt welcome in the group. Everyone was up early for their long days so breakfast and lunch was also independent of the group, but we did dine occasionally with some of the folks. | ||
| I will not report on every port, but know that most everyone had shore excursions booked with Princess, and for the most part, the group was happy with what was presented to them. The tours were well organized, with knowledgeable tour guides, and in the event of a delay, had communication with the ship so they were not left behind. | ||
 On the sea days,which we only had three, everyone made us of the Spa, the Casino, and 3 folks in the group won something at Bingo .Overall, very little seasickness was reported, but they did share the patches, and medications, on the only day it was choppy; the crossing from Ireland to Spain. |
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| The movie screen outdoors was popular, as was the late night disco in the Skywalker's Club. During the port visits, took shore excursions, took many pictures, shopped and checked out the local scene. The guys enjoyed the ports by comparing the different ales, and beers along the way. Others made use of the wine tastings on board, and the regional tours as well. | ||
| One group felt their least favorite port was the walking tour of Lisbon since they felt the tour dwelled too much on the poor part of the city, and another group felt too rushed there, with not anytime for shopping. | ||
 Some of the favorite ports on the cruise were Ireland as it was such a friendly city, with train station right at the port with easy access to town, with another little town within walking distance from the ship. We found out the day we were in port was the warmest, sunniest day that they had had the whole year, no wonder they were welcoming. And they liked Gibraltar too. I guess it was because they spoke english and had many sights and shopping nearby. |
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 Leona and I loved Barcelona, which we did our own walking tour, as our pier was very near the downtown area. Just off La Rambla there was an open market with the biggest fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish we had seen. There were also restaurants tucked in the market that made the fresh food to order, and regional wines by the glass. The market had everything from fresh flowers to baskets to handmade jewelry. We wandered around, and shopped, and later had a lunch in one of the off the main street restaurants-the best lunch yet! Everyone friendly, colorful people in mime, artists selling art, florists-a very nice afternoon, except there were four other ships in port at the same time, so very crowded with tourists. I would love to go back to Spain spend time there, at a more leisurely pace. |
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 One of our last ports before Rome was Florence, which we did in grand style. We arranged an all day tour of Florence, and the Chianti region winery tour, with lunch in a historic farmhouse. Our guide worth noting was Trudy Sbrana-Zeilstra, a dutch lady married to an italian.( I have her card if you would like more information). She was both informative, very personable, and humorous. She lived near the coast, and our driver was from the region so they knew all the back roads, and scenic areas. We had a few hours in Florence, so shopped and visited some the historic sights on foot. After driving all around the area, and hearing the history, we had a pleasant lunch at the farmhouse that had been in the family for many generations. We then went to Chianti to a place that had over 300 wines to taste. We were given a card and we could try any that added up to 10 euros. Just enough to appreciate, but not to go overboard on. |
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| We rose early to disembark in Rome as we had two full days ahead to experience the highlights of this grand city. I had arranged with the Front Desk to have a special waiting area set aside for an early departure for our group. We had a private bus scheduled to meet us at 8:00am, and had to clear customs, gather our bags, and be ready to travel one and half hours into Rome for our morning tour. Disembarkation in Rome was a breeze; no Customs Inspection, just hand them our Declaration Paper, claim baggage, and walk to the parking lot. We were early, and ready to go, when our Italian escort met us for the ride into town where some of us caught a few more winks, and others enjoyed the countryside, with another beautiful day in sight. | ||
| We met our guide Alberto Bruzzese as we reached the city center, and were excited about the tours he was going to take us through. We started at the Coliseum where everyone had agreed we wanted to have a full walking tour with headsets instead of just a panoramic view. We saw so much of the history and culture of Rome with Alberto's expert commentary as we walked inside and out of the incredible monument,. | ||
| Over two hours later, we boarded our bus and rode past many other historic sights on our way to the Pantheon, which we also had a narrated walking tour with our resident roman Alberto. He pointed out the Trevi Fountain and other points of interest for further exploration, and then we headed back to the hotel so we could check in, have lunch, and get ready for our afternoon tour. | ||
| Arriving around 12:45 pm at the Hotel Grand Beverly Hills, we were greeted by friendly staff, that help us check in, and deliver our bags to our rooms that were awaiting us. I would recommend this hotel for the service, and being near a huge city park, fairly quiet, but the location is in the northeast corner of Rome, and not as centrally located for all the major attractions. Since we had so little time before our next tour, I had the concierge called a local restaurant just around the corner, and had them set up their special of the day; ravioli, tossed salad, and homemade bread for all 16 of us. Just as we were leaving the hotel, the IC Belagio tour guide showed up, so we had to run over to eat lunch, and back in all of 15 minutes to meet her scheduled tour departure time of 1:30pm. |
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| So we headed off for Vatican City with our new tour guide, who was very informative, and professional. We picked up headsets, had a narrated tour as we walked through the many corridors, buildings, and gardens amidst so many people. It was 80 degrees,and very crowded as many other tour groups had the same idea to see the Vatican on Saturday, since it was closed to the public on Sunday. | ||
 What an incredible sight! The museums, and especially the Sistine Chapel were breathtaking, with so much history, and points of contemplation. We could have stayed the day and not seen it all. By the end of our second tour, and in the afternoon heat, many folks were definitely fading. We are so glad to have had some lunch earlier, or we won't have been able to make it though this day. We boarded the bus, and on the way back to the hotel, arranged to drop off a few that wanted to see the Spanish Steps that evening, since there were many restaurants nearby. We got back, freshened up, and agreed to meet in the lobby to go to a local restaurant for dinner, for anyone that wanted to join us. A very long day, but with Sunday being our last day in Rome, we had to make the most of it, which we surely did! |
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| Our last full day in Rome was on a Sunday, when many markets and shops are closed. Most of the group left just after breakfast to excursion on their own, see the sights that we had missed, and find their last minute deals while shopping. Leona and I headed into town to find an Internet Cafe so we could check the group in and print boarding passes. The cost of Internet use in the hotel is much more than the cafes which can be found anywhere from a coffee shop to a Laundromat, and their price was much more affordable. |
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| We went back to the hotel, packed, reconfirmed the transportation pickup for 3:45am, also reconfirmed breakfast boxes to be readied for our early departure, and finished our last bit of packing. One of the group actually brought a hand scale, and we all took turns to weigh our bags to be sure they were under 50 lbs, otherwise a hefty service fee would be applied by the airlines at checkin. | ||
| Everyone was trying to have dinner early so they could get back to the hotel and get some rest before our early morning pickup. Most all the restaurants in Italy close after lunch, around 3:00pm and reopen at 7:00pm for their dinner hour, as they dine very late, starting at around 9:00pm. We found a market/pizzeria nearby and got to bed early. | ||
| The bus was on time, the driver pleasant even at 3:30am. Everyone was ready with their bags in the lobby, having already checked out. We picked up our breakfast bags from the front desk, which were filled with an apple, roll, jam, melba toast, hard boiled egg, and apricot juice. Only thing missing was coffee, but it was enough to get us to the airport. A few in the group were nervous about the travel and checkin time as to whether it would be enough, but there was no traffic and everything went very smoothly. Our bus ride only took 40 minutes, and we were some of the first in line to checkin at Lufthansa. They had a very helpful agent that assisted me with each couple to print boarding passes, and then proceed with baggage checkin. No one was charged excess even when a few bags were borderline in weight. They were all checked in by 5:30am and on their way to the 7:05am departure, to Frankfurt, then on their way home via Los Angeles on United. Leona and I were traveling on United so we had to got to another terminal to checkin. | ||
| We parted with smiles, much mahalos, fond memories, and promises to swap pictures when we returned home. My group was the best! They all took care of each other along the way; even when some were strangers at the beginning, they parted as family at the end. Some already planning their next cruise vacation together. |
