tothemall&beyond

We are booked in 8103 on the Apex this coming December for a 7 night Caribbean cruise. We have been on 50 cruises over the past 30 years, and never had a forward-facing cabin. I don't always do well with motion, but we know from experience that the Caribbean is usually (although not always) pretty calm in December, and we were really intrigued by the size and layout of the cabin -- especially since it offers the same space as the stupid Infinite Verandas in which you have to keep the window closed anyway if you don't want the cabin's A/C to shut off. If motion is an issue, I'll be out of cabin for most of the daytime and meclizine will take care of it. Motion when sleeping is not a problem for me.

If app only, you would need a phone - not a PC at the library. Clearly the OP has a computer, but not a smartphone.

Picking seats does not result in early ticketing! We have flown EZ Air for more than a decade and never had a problem picking seats and still being able to re-fare or cancel up to 45 days prior -- unless we specifically opted to early ticket ourselves (on the website) which we have done several times, including for our cruise next month. As Steelers36 and others have stated, don't ever call Princess reservations for anything related to EZ Air. You will most likely get wrong info from those overseas agents. Best practice is to do it yourself on the website, or ask to be put through specifically to EZ Air Dept.

Correct. I did say only one Elite minibar setup per cabin.

It will also be stocked with the same complimentary set-up as for suites (10 alcoholic beverages and 10 non alcoholic beverages) if you are Elite loyalty level. But note you'd only get one Elite mini-bar set-up per cabin, even if both people are Elite.

It was last dry docked and refurbed in 2018.

Based on your post, I tried doing the very same thing. But I got a response from stockperks that I had to use their app. They would not do it based on the info in my email and attachments thereto. Uploaded copy of proof of brokerage/stock ownership and I am waiting for acceptance so that I can go on to next step to submit the booking/sailing info.

My husband and I agree that we would definitely do another Hurtigruten cruise again -- especially in winter when the ships are not full. We had a tiny (and I mean, tiny) inside cabin and yet we were still happy as clams. The cabin was well-designed with more than ample storage for all we had with us for our month-long trip through wintry Scandinavia. The heated bathroom floor was a very nice plus - especially for drying our snowy gloves, scarves, hats, wool socks. So was the reasonably priced self-service laundry. The food was plentiful and excellent, even if sometimes a bit unusual. But isn't that part of what travel is about - experiencing new and different things? The Coastal Experience Team (excursions, port lectures, etc.) was comprised of 3 young men who were very knowledgable, multi-lingual, friendly, entertaining. The dining room staff (who also clean the cabins in slower winter season) was amazing -- all of them. The crew is well paid and well treated (they work 22 days on/22 days off with commutation transportation paid by Hurtigruten) -- and it shows in how they interact with each other and with passengers. FYI -- Hurtigruten gave us FREE unlimited wifi for one device pp, FREE unlimited brewed coffee/tea (and even happily put a tea kettle in our cabin upon our request). The steward even provided us with coffee/tea/hot cocoa/sugar and mugs. And there are NO automatic gratuities added nor even expected; nor are there any port charges/taxes. All is included. And, yes, they still have the NL Promise: Northern Lights Promise on Select Norwegian Coastal Voyages Sail the Norwegian coast with us during the auroral season between October 1 and March 31 on a voyage of 11 days or more. If the Northern Lights do not occur within sight of your ship during your voyage, we will give you a 6-day southbound or 7-day northbound Original Coastal Express Classic Voyage FREE OF CHARGE*. As to what we did... We tried to take in the local atmosphere of every place we went and walked around every city/town/village (through deep snow in most) that had a stop of at least an hour). A few of the specific things we did: in Bergen pre-cruise (with a rare big snow) we went to the Xmas Market two nights in a row, walked the alleyways of Byrggen and enjoyed afternoon fika chatting with locals in coffee houses. Post cruise in Bergen, we took the Floibanen funicular to the top of Mt. Floyen and even spent part of Boxing Day in a Red Cross Center whose volunteer invited us to come in for coffee and lunch. In Trondheim, I delighted at all the wonderful thrift and antique stores we found just by deviating one block from the "normal" tourist walking route. In Tromso, we enjoyed the spirit of the holiday with locals out and about shopping for gifts and children skating in the small outdoor ice rink that was installed. The two crossings of the Arctic Circle were incredible and very special -- passing the globe (lit up in the darkness) that marks the location. Our northbound crossing took place during a veritable blizzard with hail pelting our faces. Still wouldn't change anything about it. Kirkenes (where the ships turn around from north to south, and vice-versa) was a delightful surprise. Picturesque little town, friendly people, beautiful shops. We did not go to the Ice Hotel nor dog sled, but many people did. We were happy walking just through the streets knee-deep in snow, taking in the holiday lights, sounds and aromas of the homes and shops. We took one Hurtigruten excursion to Nordkapp (North Cape) and it was truly fabulous. We had enough light both on the drive there and upon arrival to see all the breathtaking scenery and then drove back in a snowstorm. An unforgettable experience. I hope that answers your question. LOL.

We spent ALL of December 2022 in Scandinavia, with more than a third of our trip way up in northern Norway, far above the Arctic Circle (much, much farther than Princess goes), on a small (500 pax) Hurtigruten ship. It was during Polar Night, and we saw the Northern Lights several times. BUT, as others have commented, what you need to know is that they rarely appear to the naked eye as amazing as they appear through the lens of a camera. Even looking through my cell phone, I could see more color and movement than I could without viewing through some sort of lens. And, of course, whether or not you get to see them (or how dramatic they are) depends on many factors solely in the control of "Mother Nature". We are glad we did it on a small ship that didn't have to go out to sea between ports, keeping us closer to land and amazing sights. Our sailing spanned Christmas, and yet, we never had more than 200 passengers on board. It was awesome! Also, in stark contrast to Princess's hot or miss method for announcing NL, Hurtigruten has an in-cabin PA system on cabin telephones for announcing the NL - which passengers could choose to leave on or turn off. Often, indeed most of the time, the NL appeared very late at night, but judging from the number of people who quickly scrambled up on deck with each announcement, I don't think anyone turned it off in their cabins.

I didn't "add" anything. I deleted Kristoffer Greyling from Majestic - as he is on vacation right now, having just finished a contract (on his birthday). Updates to the list aren't just for additions...

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Not one of the things to be discussed on a forum monitored by Princess.

Best to keep your counsel on this (ie. BE QUIET) and not broadcast it! It's one of the few things that has not been taken away from us --- yet. Would like to keep it that way!

You did the right thing -- for yourselves and for everyone else. Thank you!

They also had 4 and 5 days cruises in late fall 2015 on the Emerald.