After our cruise to Hawaii from Los Angeles, I was a little apprehensive about this cruise. The weather on the Hawaii cruise was horrible and the staff surly. However, this cruise was the complete opposite! God smiled on us with perfect weather and calm seas.
Embarkation was fast and simple. The staff on-board were all extremely friendly and helpful. The food in the Da Vinci dining room was wonderful - perhaps too wonderful! Our mini-suite was perfect. Our cabin steward was attentive, but not smothering. He anticipated our needs and took care of things before we asked. The young man who brought our breakfast each morning was a ray of sunshine. We had a couple of times when we had to go to the desk. Even those times when there were lots of people there for help, the crew that helped us never made us feel rushed. They were very considerate and friendly.
We chose to book our excursions through private companies. The only tour we booked through Princess was on Sardinia and it was our least favorite of anywhere. I would not recommend it. I have listed below the tours that we did take, in case you are interested. Without exception, they exceeded our expectations.
We had a beautiful cabin. This was our first mini-suite, but I know it will not be our last! We were a group of six friends traveling together. The mini provided a perfect place for us to gather before dinner each evening. I could really get used to that view as I put on makeup each morning!
We flew in the evening before embarkation and stayed at the Hampton Inn, Airport-Port They had a free shuttle from the airport and arranged a very reasonable shuttle to the ship the following morning. The complimentary breakfast made for a nice start to the day.
We chose a private tour through Daniel Madeira Taxis. The island was very beautiful. We had a wonderful guide who shared a lot of the islands history as we toured in a small van, not a large bus.
We again chose a private tour with Spain Day Tours. We had a nice young man on the bus from Cadiz to Seville who provided a lot of information about the area. In Seville, our guide, Reyes, was awesome. She was fun, informative, and patient. We had found another two people to join our group of six. We had a few hours in Seville to explore on our own. Loved Seville and the tour!
We chose Gibraltar Rock Tours on this island. They were great! We had a funny, knowledgeable guide who made sure that all who wanted to hold one of the apes got a chance to do that. This is another beautiful place!
We chose a Tuscany Tour with Romeinlimo Tours. Great Choice! The driver was so nice and helped us understand the history of the area. The villages where he took us were both breathtakingly beautiful! The van was large and very comfortable and they provided us with free internet in the van throughout the tour. Highly recommend this guide and this company!
We chose Travel Tour Prestige for a tour in a small group (8). Our guide, Cecilia was wonderful. She was beautiful and funny and very knowledgeable. She took us to Nice to see the flower market, where we had a wonderful lunch. I highly recommend this company, especially Cecilia!
We booked two tours through Barcelona Day Tours. When the ship arrived around noon, our guide picked us up. Their small vans were in use, so she arrived in a large bus. This meant a lot of room for the 8 of us! This was a Barcelona Highlights Tour. We got a great overview of the city so we would know where to go on our free day. The following day, we were picked up in a large van with all our luggage. We went to Montserrat and then to a Cava winery. The guide was so cute. She made the day a fun, learning experience. We were so glad we chose this tour! At the end of the tour, the van dropped the six of us off at the apartment we had rented, and took the other couple to their hotel. I highly recommend this company.