Teechur

On the Island last September with no IC, I asked for almond croissants in the main dining room for breakfast. They told me that it would take some time, and then the chef made some fresh for me. They were amazing and actually hot, right out of the oven. 🥰

We will do the same. I noticed that the hotels in Yokohama appear to be nicer, newer, larger rooms, and cheaper. For example: Hyatt Regency Yokohama | A Luxury Hotel in Yokohama, a port town We will probably hire a vehicle with driver and guide for an all-day loop around Tokyo. For example: 2024 Tokyo Private Driving Tour by Car or Van with Chauffeur (tripadvisor.com) Two of us have been to most of these places in the past, but Taiwan and Vietnam will be new for all four of us. ⚓

We wanted the same cruise as you. I keep checking but am not on the waitlist. The Discovery is mostly full for the first leg from Alaska to Tokyo, as well as Tokyo to Singapore. (A suite is now $34k per person.😬) I don't believe Princess will offer any more cabins for less than the entire 29-day cruise. We booked a 12-day Southeast Asia cruise on the Diamond Princess instead. It begins in Tokyo November 25, 2025, and ends in Singapore on Dec. 7th, 2025. Fewer ports/more sea days but visits the same countries. Check it out. Cruise # M535. Good luck!

Many of their cabin photos still picture barrel chairs. How long have they been gone, fleetwide?

That is disappointing, and no mention of it at their website. Not sure if we will go there after all... 😢

When life gives you lemons, add vodka!🍹 There is a lot to see and do in Kona. Two fun places to visit are the Kona Brewing Co. brewpub in Kona and the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook. It is the oldest restaurant in all of Hawaii. Last time I was there, we did the Keauhou Manta Ray snorkel trip. It was awesome. If your ship stays late or overnight, this is highly recommended. Some suggestions: THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Kailua-Kona - 2024 (with Photos) - Tripadvisor I agree with your post, but it's going to be a long time before anyone can stop in Lahaina again.

On the Big Island, you can find this type of chips at "Kona Chips" in the village of Captain Cook, just outside of Kona. Crunchy and greasy. We always stock up when they are open. Home | Kona Chips KONA CHIPS, Captain Cook - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor Also, not to be missed, is the historic Manago Hotel nearby. It's an old Japanese boarding house/restaurant. Their dining room serves meals that are cheap, delicious, and famous. (Walk-ins welcome.) Pork chops are their biggest seller, and food is served "family style". They are closed Sun, Mon, & Tuesday. I just extended my upcoming trip to Kona by a day so we can go there. Comfort food in a cool environment. Restaurant – Manago Hotel MANAGO HOTEL & RESTAURANT, Captain Cook - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor If your cruise ship stops in Kona, this would be a fun adventure by Uber or rental car. I think you can also get there on the island's free bus system, although it might be slow. Bon Appetit!

Cruises won't be stopping at Lahaina, for probably 5-10 years. The town is a complete wreck and cleanup will take years, then planning and rebuilding. Much of what was there will not be permitted in the future, including all of the businesses on the water-side of Front Street. The fire created a once-in-a-century opportunity to bring the town up to modern building codes. Many people will lose all, or at least some of their property in the process.

We will be aboard a New England/Canada cruise beginning on June 19th and aboard an Alaska cruise on September 17th. We haven't made dining reservations for Japan yet since it's more than a year away. I guess we will deal with it like we do with every change Princess introduces. 😊

Traffic accidents or vehicle breakdowns would be reasons why it can't be guaranteed. Did you use EZ Air or purchase insurance?

We took the Stonehenge excursion with a flight on Virgin Atlantic departing at 5:30 pm. from Heathrow. Three hours is commonly recommended for international flights, and I'm sure that we must have been there by 2:00pm. We weren't apprehensive about being late or I would remember the exact details. The thing I remember best is that the "tour guide" on the bus never shut up. Many of us were trying to nap during the ride and he blabbed endlessly as if he was being paid by the number of words he spoke. It was my 7th visit to England spread over 5 decades, so it was time I finally visited Stonehenge. It was worth it!

Instead, they made casual places like Alfredo's for fee venues. In the short run, it has to cost more to have people eat in the dining room than to have a pizza. Maybe in the long run, it causes more people to purchase packages? 🤔 For what it's worth, that change disappointed me and makes me eat in port restaurants more often.

Months ago, we purchased shore excursions for our upcoming New England/Canada cruise. The Boston Trolley has been $79.95 for months, and the Hop on Hop off bus in New York has been $80. Today I received an email from Princess offering "Up to 20% off Canada/New England excursions", good until April 14. I went to my bookings and discovered that the price for each had just shot up $20 and was on sale for 20% off. 🤔 You guessed it! 🙄 They are now "on sale" for the same price that they have been all along. What will happen when the sale ends? I'm sure they will drop back to the original prices. A Princess "shell game", LOL!

We choose cruises with many port days and as few sea days as possible. As a result, we are off of the ship much of the time and often have drinks onshore in ports. So far, we have not purchased any packages. If we did, I'm sure we would drink a lot more than we do now, "to get our money's worth". 😉 Since we usually get some OBC, that is our "drink money". We will also purchase the 4-device internet package (at half price) on our 3 upcoming cruises and split it with friends in other cabins.

I live in Maui, so before my Iceland cruise last September, I had to go buy some long pants. I didn't own a single pair. 😊 On the ship, I bought an overpriced sweatshirt/sweatpants, so now I'm set for Alaska this September.