Day After the Wedding

We wake early and head outside to the beautiful courtyard for a great breakfast that is included in the stay at Mannois Albergo Diffuso.

I can't say enough about how nice the staff are here.  After so few days they welcome us by name and know what we want before we even ask for it.

The rooms are so comfortable and so charming.  Enough character from the past but with modern ammenities.  

I think the only negative is their wifi needs a stronger router as it is rather weak throughout the grounds.

If you are coming to Sardinia I can highly recommend Mannois Albergo Diffuso.  

Today is another gathering.  This time back at Laura and Franco's home.  A final meal together before everyone heads home.

Once again we are served course after course of amazing foods.  

Today a whole roasted pig is served (we did not have any but we heard it was delicious).  The pasta course was once again amazing.

I especially love the vegetable course - here they serve a plate of raw vegetables.  Usually fennel, radishes, celery, carrots, cucumbers and lettuce.  

Dessert is leftover wedding cake and cookies.

Then the liqeurs come out again.  You name it we had it.  

In the end it was a fun day, with lots of laughs and love.

It is hard to say goodbye to all these wonderful people we have just met but feel we know so well.

We will never forget our time here.  Thank you Laura and Franco for including us in this special event.

Wedding Day

We wake a little tired after such a late night.

We need to get moving.  Breakfast, shower, and dressed for the wedding.

Around 10 am people start gathering outside the hotel where Laura (the bride) is staying with her parents.

It is customary for the Groom to arrive greet the Bride and her family.

Franco with his sister and brother

Tradition is also that people greet them with a plate with rice on it, with flower petals, candy and coins.  This is then smashed in front of the couple and hoping to break in many pieces - which is suppose to bring them great luck and fortunes. 

I have video of the Mother of the Bride and the Bridesmaids doing this but will have to wait till I get home.

We all proceed to the church - a long parade of cars - beeping horns.  

The church is remote and is called Santa Maria of the Sea.  It is where seafarers would go to seek refuge and guidance and come back to give thanks for a safe journey.  Makes sense to get married here since they met at sea.

It is a beautiful ceremony - all in Italian.  Beautiful singing!  I too have video of the singing that I will post when I get home.

After the service we all throw rice as they exit the church.

We all parade down to the reception that is held at a stunning resort (that we passed when we went to the beach the other day).  Apparently Franco use to work there.

An afternoon reception starts out in the garden with appetizers and drinks.  

We make friends with some young people that are friends/relatives of Franco.  They want to practice their English.

The reception hall is HUGE and we all can find our table by an appropriate seating assignment that has Princess ships with names assigned to each ship.  

Don't look too closely as the person who did up the board was told to add Royal Princess.  They searched the web and got Princess and Royal Caribbean intertwined.  So some of the ships are acutally RCL ships.  But hey I think we are the only ones that would notice the wrong ships.  It was a cute touch.

Our table assignment is the Majestic Princess.

Now let the feast begin!  The meal lasted 3 hours.  

Antipasta to start - cheese, meats, olives, fried vegetables
Seafood - shrimp, octopus, squid, salmon
Pasta - two different kinds
Sorbet
Veggies cours
Seafood course - salmon, swordfish, squid, octopus, shrimp, and more
Potatoes
Meat course - veal and pork
Fruit course
Wedding Cake
Cookies/cakes

I am sure I am missing something.  We were full, and we did not eat many of the courses as we stuck mainly to vegetarian items - plus the cheese.  

Around 5 pm Bernie and I went for a stroll around the grounds.  The site is stunning, and would be lovely to stay at.  A bit remote though, you would definately need a car.

Around 7 pm we left to rest at the hotel, but ended up not returning for the dancing as we were just so tired.   It was a very long day and I am not sure how they managed for so long.  

Others went back for the dancing and even more food.  We heard it was great fun.

Overall it was so nice to experience an Italian wedding in Sardinia with all it's customs.  We felt very welcomed and part of the family.

First Two Days in Orosei Sardinia

I am trying to catch up with the posts about our time here in Orosei.  Of course when attending a wedding it is packed with events and I have not really had time to write.

On Friday we woke and ended up finding a small laundrymat to do our wash.  While clothes were in the machines I went for a stroll.  As I walked I heard beeping but heck I don't know anyone here, again I hear a beep.  Well later I find out both Franco and his brother in law passed me walking and they each beeped.  So already I know this is a friendly place and I am running into people I know.

It is quite warm out and we decide to go for a stroll after putting the clothes away.  

The town is not large but it is a maze of street with numerous hills in the old town.  Everything looks the same and it took us a few days to get our bearings.  

Even delivery of wood closes a small street in the old town.

We stop for gelato and then back to the hotel for a bit of rest before heading out for a welcome dinner hosted by Franco and Laura at a local restaurant called Villa Fumosa.

A huge U shaped table takes up most of the restaurant and as the guest arrive I feel like I am again in a movie.  The drinks start, the pizza starts, the laughs and toasts start.  

Even though Bernie and knew no one except the Bride and Groom we soon know a ton of people.  We are welcomed just like we are family.

The next morning we decide to venture further afield.  I really want to see the beach.

We start walking and after about 45 minutes we are at a beautiful beach.  It is hot out and there are quite a few people here considering it is October.

We do put our feet in and it cool to the touch but I am pretty sure it would be easy to get use to.

There are numerous bars/restaurants along the beach area.  Many are closed for the season but there are still a few open.

We make our way back to the hotel where we shower and change for an open house at Laura and Franco. 

It is traditional to hand out cookies and sweets to the guests. The baskets that are being used are ones that Franco's Mom made and are a treasure.

Later that evening we head to a hall to have a huge dinner served by Franco's friends/family.  The place is packed.  I am guessing around a 150 people!  And this isn't even the wedding.

The food never stops, the wine never stops, and we are full and drunk - but not too drunk.

When we get back to the hotel we quickly hear the groomsmen arrive with Franco and Laura.  Laura is staying at the same hotel we are with her parents and sisters tonight.

Tradition has it that they serenade the bride, while we pour the drinks to get them to leave.  

We went thru quite a few bottles of the traditional liqeur.  I have a lot on video of this and it really should be seen but that will have to wait until I get home as I need my computer and wifi to do it justice.

Soon the men leave and we are back in bed, resting for a very long day tomorrow.

will add more pictures and videos when I get home so check back.

Sardinia Here We Come

You know Sardinia was never on my radar - until.....

We met Franco Patteri a head waiter with Princess on the Royal almost three years ago.  We instantlly hit it off and then meeting his lovely girlfriend Laura on one of the legs who he then formally proposed to I knew we would be life long friends.

When it came to planing their wedding we were honoured when they included us in their wedding.  This whole trip was planned around their big day.

Our flight to Sardinia is a short one, but somehow a 1 and half hour flight takes five hours - arriving at airport, dropping bags, clearing security, waiting for gate, waiting for boarding, actual flight, waiting for bags.  I really miss the train trips.

We flew with Easyjet (our first experience) and even though booking was easy, price was so right, the actual plane is not one you would want to be on for anything longer than two hours.  So overall we can't complain, and it got us to a beautiful place quickly.

As soon as I saw Sardinia from the air I nudged Bernie and said "this feels right".  

Laura and Franco were there to greet us with hugs and kisses and soon we were on the road to Orosei - about an hour's drive from Olbia where we flew in to.

Franco proudly describes his home and the surroundings.  We are impressed.  Traffic comes to a sudden halt because a truck is turning, but after 30 seconds we are on our way again with few cars in our way.  This is not the mainland of Italy anymore.  Bliss.

We are off to Franco's sister's home for a welcome lunch.  

As soon as we step out of the car we are greeted by kisses and hugs.  We feel like family!  We meet Laura's sister and her family (including two beautiful young girls), her Mom and Day, Laura's 2nd cousin and his wife, Franco's sister and her husband - the hosts.

As we are led to the house to the long table set for a feast we are stopped dead in our tracks by the view.  I swear I could be in a movie!  

We start with wine - made from the grape vines we are looking at.  Then pasta, roasted peppers, potatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, radicchio and so much more.  Patrina (hope i have that right) and her husband are such gracious hosts.  Just a mention of something and she is out with it!

For dessert we have a Sardinia favorite - a cheese filled pastry that is served with sugar or honey (also local).  OMG to die for!

The after dinner wines come out (again all homemade) and well I have to try both.  The first almost knocks me on off my feet... hmm Bernie can you finish.  The second made from a bean (sorry by this time I was feeling no pain) is still strong but very nice.  Thankfully these are small servings and we can savour them, like a fine Cognac.

Then of course espresso.   

As I sip it and stare out at the view, listen to those around this large table all I want to do is pinch myself.  How lucky are we.

I am living a dream.

Mediterranean Booked

We didn't know what our plans would be for the Fall of 2017 but we did know we had a wedding to go to in Sardinia, Italy.  Great friends Franco and Laura are finally getting married and we were honoured to be included in their celebration.

So as we do, we started working at seeing how we could fit a cruise into the planning.  

In the end we decided to book the Royal prior to the wedding that starts in Barcelona and ends in Civitavecchia.

This works great!  We get to spend some time in Barcelona prior to the cruise.  

Also when we get off we have time to explore Italy before heading to Sardinia.

Our current plan is to travel by train to Lucca.  I have been wanting to explore this area of Tuscany since we first decided to come to Italy and now we will spend a few nights there.

After Lucca we will travel by train to Venice for five nights to explore and enjoy fully.

A short flight to Sardinia from Venice for the wedding!  Boy I can't wait.  And every time we get more details about the wedding we just get more excited.

After the wedding we initially were just going to fly home but Antonio (Executive Housekeeper on Princess) is finally retiring this summer and he wants us to visit him.  Where does he live?  Portugal!  So well what is a girl to do?  But go to Portugal for a few days.

With Princess' easy air we secured good flights with reputable airlines for a decent price.  

Now the countdown begins.  But first we have to move.  Yes we sold our condo in record time at a record price!  We have been busy selling stuff, donating more stuff and getting ready for the move early next month.

Saturday Night Wine Makers Dinner

We meet up with our fellow diners at the International Café at 6:45.  We are 12 guests tonight and we are surprised to see Bill and Cathy, along with Mike and Sue are in with us as well. 

Along with Karen, Alice, Roy and Sandra and another couple (sorry didn’t get their name) from Kamloops British Columbia.  Franco comes out and checks our names off the list and we are led as a group into the Symphony dining room to the beautiful table surrounded by bottles of wine.

You may recall that we did this dinner last sailing and loved it and Karen (who was at our table then too) asked if they would do the Steak Diane menu for this sailing.  So tonight the menu is different.  Franco goes around and hands out the menus to each of us.  Sadly my menu is poorly printed and it is impossible to read and I notice that the Captain is identified as Bob Oliver…. Hmmm I am not sure what happened to Captain Dino Sagani.

The Chef comes out and is introduced and says a few words to us.  Nicole, is Franco’s assistant tonight and she starts with pouring us bottled water. 

Franco then announces that the steaks is seared with a Grey Poupon mustard and to ensure that this is okay with everyone.  He goes around and asks us all how we like our steak. 

About a half hour has passed before we even get our first glass of wine.  Sadly this wine is not introduced or explained like he did last sailing where he explained the winery and the name. 

Franco tells us the name and opens the bottle and pours the first glass for Alice.  Right away Alice notices it is very dark in color and when she tastes it is very sweet.  When I get some I take a sip and I know this wine from previous cruises and yes it is not right, it tastes like a dessert wine and the color is almost a deep deep yellow.  

When they open the next bottle and keep pouring the remaining glasses we see that the colors are very very different.  Franco then takes a glass and agrees this wine is wrong and apologizes.  And our glasses are removed and new ones brought out and new wine poured. 

We sip and enjoy the wine and wait for the first course. 

The starter course is a tuna tar tar with cucumber and avocado.  It is delicious and done perfectly and looks beautiful.  Yummy.

It takes a while but our plates are cleared and the first course out.  Franco explains that it is a panko crusted prawn served on a bed of mixed greens with a lovely duo of seaweed and wasabi sauce.  I am not sure if it was supposed to be cold or hot, but mine was cold.  Franco may of said it was supposed to be cold, but I didn’t hear it.  I liked this dish too.  For those that don’t like seafood a special pasta is served that they rave about it.

While having our two courses our glasses are empty and we have to ask for more wine often.  It is definitely a slower moving night and because of this we are chatting more (helps we know each other too) and our glasses empty waiting for the next course.

A consomme is served and Franco explains this course to us.  Sadly mine was just warm not hot, but what I did have was very flavourful, but I didn’t finish it.

All this time Franco is busy getting the steaks started and attempting to cook 12 large steaks in one pan to the desired temperature.  The smell is amazing.

But because he is so busy with that we are left to our own devices.  Nicole the assistant needs to be directed by Franco for her next move.  The table seems to be falling apart waiting for our entrée, more wine, direction and service.

Finally our steaks are cooked and served to us, but the red wine has not been served.  Franco runs around trying to pour our wine so we can enjoy it with our entrée. 

The steak is HUGE and takes up half the plate, and it is delicious but my steak is way over done for my medium request.  Bernie asked for Medium Well but his is more medium so we switch plates.  I know that many at the table are commenting about their steaks not being done correctly.  But there is no sense saying anything cause the meal has already dragged out for so long.

While sitting at the table the band made up of wait staff circles the dining room playing songs.  Now this is lovely but my feeling is that they should maybe have them doing their “actual” job serving the diners.  I know we could of used their assistance at our table tonight.  Someone at the table comments that their waiter from the other night is in the bad and they experienced great service until he left to play in the band and then service dropped considerable as his assistant worked to do the job of two people.  Now don’t get me wrong, they sing beautifully and it is nice to see and hear but the dining service requires them and I think that unless they have no one in their section they probably should not be playing.

The plates are cleared and very few are able to finish their meal because of the size.    

Dessert is brought out and it is a stunning chocolate dish with a warm inside.  I wish I could describe it more but again I never heard an introduction of it.  Mind you our table by this time had fallen apart with too much wine and too much time.  But in the end, because we were with friends it made it fun, I can’t imagine how it would have been with strangers.  I think I may of walked out.

Nicole comes around asking about coffee and tea but I am so tired of sitting that I say nothing for me.  Franco comes around offering small bon bons and they were lovely.

Then to add to it Franco has to come around with each bill and to fill out each slip too and get our signature.   I think having the bills done ahead of time or having another waiter to do this (maybe one of the band members) could of freed Franco to do what he was meant to do here.

After about at 3.5 hour meal we get up and we leave feeling no pain and something tells me I am going to have a hangover.

Overall I am glad this was not our first time doing this dinner, but very saddened about this experience.  We were going to do it again next sailing, but we are wondering now if we should. 

I can’t blame one thing but a few things.  The menu is just too much for the head waiter to do.  One assistant is not enough, you definitely need two assistants and assistants that are able to be proactive, fill glasses, answer questions, opening wines without having direction from the head waiter.  Having someone else do the cooking and have Franco do the actual dinner hosting.  Franco shines as a host, he is personable, friendly and truly cares.  His knowledge of wine tonight was lost because he was just way too busy with everything else.  

It is with a heavy heart that I write this review, but I took some time to write this and hope that these comments can be used to make the experience even better for the next guest who does it.  Thank you for listening.

Our Thoughts on the First Cruise

I have been meaning to write my overall thoughts on the ship and the first leg of the cruise.   I am getting around to it now.

First off I think this ship is beautiful.  It looks amazing and it is so nice to be on a newer ship with so many new amenities.  It shines!  And not just the décor but I think the crew on board make it shine. 

I have lots of favorite spots on board. 

I love the large Vines with the seats beside the windows.

The Atrium is amazing and so big.  It is easy to find nooks and crannies to read or talk and still enjoy the events in the center.  I love when they have the ballroom dancing there.  It is so beautiful to see people dancing there.

The Coffee Bar is a great set up too.  They have it down perfectly, they have a spot to line up and they take your order, write it on a slip and then you move to the end of the bar to pick up your drink.  It flows and would love to see a similar process for other ships.

Crooners is large and the staff are great there.  And Kory’s performances there each night are so popular that even with the large venue it is almost impossible to find a seat.

We dine most nights in Symphony dining room and we love our table and our waiter Daniel and his assistant Inna.  He is such a sweetie and we look forward to seeing them each night.  Oh and of course Franco is a highlight to chat with each night. 

The Horizon Court is stunning, and it moves and flows perfectly.  The options are fantastic and if anyone says they can’t find something to eat then they are way too picky. 

Even finding a table to sit at is smooth and easy and only on a rare occasion (like just before disembarkation and the day we missed Princess Cays) was it busy. 

The entertainment on board blows me away such a variety of shows, performances, music types, games and movies.  I love the in cabin tv (but I do need to get new batteries for this remote).  

Lisa Ball the Cruise Director is out and about and so helpful and takes time to chat with passengers and no question is too small.   She really cares. 

We did both the Chef’s Table and Wine Maker’s Dinner and both were so amazing – and extra special.  If you want to read more go back a few days to read full reviews about them.  In fact we have signed up for the Wine Maker’s Dinner again this current voyage.

We have an obstructed balcony cabin on Emerald Deck aft.  The balconies are much smaller but I find that they are fine for the two of us.  The room is well appointed and comfortable and we are experiencing the most comfortable beds we have ever had on a ship.  They are a bit smaller and there is a bit less storage space but certainly enough for us for our thirty days.  The bathrooms are so much better, especially the shower and sink area.  One thing we find odd is the lights for the closet area also turn on a light right above the bed.  So if you try to discreetly get ready without waking someone it is hard to do.  They need to be on separate lights. 

The few things you need to know about the cabin are it is located above the Wheelhouse and you will hear the music from that venue at night.  It is not horrible but unless you have earplugs you won’t be able to sleep until it ends.  I also found the door on Promenade to the aft deck to bang constantly but the crew fixed it and now the hinge works great and it closes slowly with no banging.  But I personally would not pick this cabin again.

We really love all the great work Federico Castro the Captain Circle Host has done on board, he is so patient and he takes his job to heart and really works hard to make sure you having an amazing voyage. 

The way the shops are situated on this ships really help with the flow too and the staff in them have been very helpful and knowledgeable too.

Oh my goodness, I have to mention how great we think Alfredos is and the Gelato bar too, it will be hard to go to a ship without those two places.

Now I will add that not everything is perfect.  There are a few things that could be improved on.

I find the public washrooms on deck 5 and 6 outside the restaurants need to be cleaned more often.  I am not sure of how often they are to be cleaned but when I come out of dinner around 9:30 it is in need of cleaning and I see that it has been about 1.5 hours since it was cleaned last.  Of course these washrooms are busy especially after dinner.

We dined at the Crown Grill and we had a great experience but many friends commented later to us that staff is lacking in the Crown Grill.  Service is slow and food sometimes cold.  The waiters here do not have assistants and I think they should.  When you pay the extra cover charge to dine here you expect something special.

Internet is good, but the signals to the cabin are lacking and I have to sit at the door to get a decent signal.  Someone told me today that if I open the door it will be better.  In public areas it is much better too.

I do miss a quiet spot up on the sun deck.  Seems there are no places to lounge anywhere without hearing the MUTS sound system.  There is a nice lounge area aft with lounge chairs but it is a smoking area.  I will add I am doing fine with the one less pool and haven’t had too much trouble getting a lounger.  But there were tons of loungers with just towels on them that I do think people had just left there that the pool attendants need to remove more regularly.

Yes the midship staircase is missing (well it is not really missing, it is a crew only staircase) but we haven’t missed it too much.  We are aft and we take the stairs there.  But when we have needed an elevator we have had no problem getting an elevator.

We do wish that the Elite/Platinum lounge would allow us to enjoy any of the cocktails that they offer throughout the voyage for the $5 price.  We don’t go often because of this.

But this ship is beautiful but the crew are what make it. 

One thing about being on for another leg many of the crew that know you remember you and are happy you are on board again.  They know us by name (that may be a bad thing) and they know our folio number and favorite drink.  Of course this kind of service makes us feel like we are part of the Princess Family, we feel special and we truly appreciate all they do.  I am just relieved that I get twenty more days on her.