Sail Date: July 15-27, 2009 This was our 9th sailing with Princess, first to Europe. Trying to keep excursion costs down, we did quite a bit of our own homework ahead of time, learning about the ports and sights to see.  Lots of info online and in Rick Steve's "Italy" tour book.Ports: MONTE CARLO: Can either dock or tender in by boat. You can see nearly everything on foot. It's a nice way to ease into the trip, especially if you just had a travel day. Husband got off the ship when we docked at 11am and had a good run through the city, along the "Grand Prix" route. LIVORNO: Expecting that Rome the following day would be exhausting, we opted to just visit Pisa by local bus and train. Princess has arranged for independent shuttles to drive you to the center of town (Piazza Grande) for €8, round trip unlimited rides. From there you can go to a Tabacchi shop to buy a bus ticket and the Pisa train ticket. There is a small surcharge but worth it not to have to stand in that line at the train station. If you want to forgo the adventure of the crowded public bus, there's a shuttle also at the pier for €15 round trip directly to the train station. Cash only. CIVITAVECCHIA: Much to our surprise and dismay, we got an uexpected sea day as our stop in Civitavecchia was cancelled due to strong winds, preventing docking. Princess refunded their excursions, but those of us with pre-paid independent tours lost out big time. NAPLES: Docked on a Sunday which meant lots of stores & restaurants were closed. We opted for the HopOn-HopOff bus which met us at the end of the dock. For €22 p/p, you can ride in the open top to see the sites of Naples on three different loops of the city. Of course you can get off and visit the Archeological Museum or any number of sites, but most people just stayed on the bus. I wish I would have visited some grocery stores that were open to buy olive oil as this was the last Italian stop before Venice, which just sold junk and jewelry. Husband ran at this stop as well first thing in the a.m. MYKONOS: Ship may either dock or tender by boat, which we did and was much more convenient for getting in to town. This is a good walking-around stop. We sent our daughters (adult) on the Platis Yialos beach excursion, which they loved. Book the earlier time slot to get a better spot on the beach and before it gets too hot. Time is allowed for walking the town upon return. There is a small public beach in the center of town, windy but a nice place to dip your toes in the water. ISTANBUL: We booked "Easy Istanbul" which was very reasonable for all we did and saw. The Grand Bazaar was suffocating and overwhelming. Be prepared with abundant online info. Starbuck's near GB. Princess offers a shuttle service to the GB for $12 round trip. From there, you can also walk to the Blue Mosque and St. Sophia. KUSADASI: Enjoyed "Ancient Ephesus". Take at least 32oz. of water with you (mostly ice), a hat or umbrella and a washcloth for mopping sweat. Really. Temp. was a little over 100°F. Before entering the ruins, there are souvenir stalls to buy straw hats, post cards and a great book on Ephesus for €2. If you saw carpet weaving demo and sales pitch in Istanbul, skip the same in Kusadasi and shop their bazaar area instead. Starbuck's here also near the terminal. PIRAEUS: Would recommend "Acropolis, Ancient Corinth & Canal" excursion. Wear good walking shoes (dusty marble is slick), bring water and hat/umbrella. Another 100°F. day. Greek buffet lunch was in a hotel; simple salads, chicken, pasta, potatoes and so-so desserts. Wine is free but you have to pay for soda. Usually several tours converge there so it gets a little crazy. If you want to buy postcards, get them from the vendors at the Acropolis as shopping on this excursion is "high end". There are some stalls at the canal, which is just a potty/soda/picture stop. VENICE: Get up to the starboard side of the ship by 9am for taking spectacular photos of your entry into Venice. Words cannot describe. We came in on a Sunday and bells were pealing, as if on cue. Princess delivers water shuttle tickets to your room and charges you $15 unless you return them. We did not book any excursions so we kept the tickets, which made it convenient for returning after dinner, which I strongly recommend. I booked a free reservation time at St. Mark's Basilica (skip the line) http://www.alata.it:80/eng/BOOKING/sanmarco.asp but didn't make it because it took one hour to get off the ship (checked every passenger's temp. for H1N1). Souvenirs here are double what you'd pay in Pisa for the same thing. MONEY: Rather than getting cash from an ATM, we used the currency exchange machine on the ship. For $3.50 fee, we felt safe and secure and didn't risk not finding a working ATM at port. But get money early as the machine does run out of euros. If you end up with extra bills at the end of the trip, you can exchange it back for USD. Kusadasi and Istanbul use Turkish Lira (TRY) but will accept Euro and USD. If you plan to use the commuter trolley, you probably need to have TRY. I recommend carrying a little conversion chart for both currencies so you can quickly see how much it would be in USD http://www.oanda.com/convert/cheatsheet . Before leaving, check with your bank to see what they charge for ATM withdrawals and if your credit card has a conversion fee for purchases. Capital One Visa does not while AMEX has 2.7% surcharge. Let your bank know of your travel plans. LAUNDRY: Wash and Dry is $1.50 each. Bring a roll of quarters. Powdered ALL in vending machine for $1. Sea Days are busy laundry days. If your last stop is Venice, don't plan on washing clothes that day as there's "gray water restrictions" so the Laundry Room is closed. DISEMBARKATION: Expect long lines at the Purser's Desk the day before Disembarkation. Also, we had a 3:45 a.m. Disembarkation time and our room steward had but did not deliver our final statement so we left without being able to confirm all charges. You can print boarding passes at the Internet cafe for 50 cents a page. DON'T FORGET: Travel clock, extension cord if you need electricity at the bedside (outlets are limited), binoculars, reusable water bottles and 2 oz. of dish soap for cleaning, hand sanitizer for ports, quarters for laundry, sun protection., white clothes if you want to go to the "White Hot Deck Party", your own wi-fi enabled laptop for convenience. They provide soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion and blow dryer. Also have a copy of your passport as they are collected for your days in Turkey.