EleanorNoway

Fuseman,  Thank you for the great review!  Our group of six is scheduled to do HCMC with Tours with Xuan.  Unfortunately Xuan will not be available to guide us on the day we are schedule, but has found us a guide to take care of us!  It was good to hear that you also did a tour with a substitute and were quite pleased.  Xuan has been a delight to communicate with and I feel we will be quite happy with his choice.  He sounds like such a pleasant young man and I feel it our misfortune to not be able to meet him in person.

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Thank You for clearing up $10-$20. And for a clear explanation of how you plan on the dollar amounts for each port.  This is our first trip to Asia and having 5 different countries to visit makes the currency issue is a bit daunting. ☺️

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Sugarbird,  Smtcan, & Philob,  Thank you so much for your replies!  We are booked with organized tours in almost all of our ports so that will be taken care prior to leaving.  We are not debit card people, but do use our credit card for almost all purchases here at home.  I thought $10-20 seemed a bit light, and that is what prompted me to ask my question.  Also, plan to check with our credit card company, first to make sure they know we will be traveling, and second to see if any fees are involved with taking cash/foreign currency advances from ATM's once we get to our destinations.  Again thanks for your input, most folks on CC are very helpful and it is my go to place for information!

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4 hours ago, smtcan said:

 

Very good advice.  We always take enough local currency for a cab and a meal, just in case we have problems using our cards.  This applies in any country we visit.  We have seen long lines at ATMs in airports, and even one out of order, so having a security blanket of some local currency is well worth the extra cost.

Hi! My question is we will be traveling to Japan (starting point), then ports in Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore (ending point).  First time travelers out of the country. Should I go to my bank here at home and get local currency for each stop? Or should I just get it for my starting point and end point.  We will be staying extra days in both places.  And is $10-$20 for each country really enough of a security blanket?  Thanks for your help!

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Has anyone figured out how to "View first Unread" in their Roll Call?  Like Retiredgram, I am at a loss for finding a dot or any type of icon to allow this function.  If it is not available at this time I am hoping it is added in the near future.

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Just wanted to add, I received an email from Princess on September 10, 2018 regarding our booking for December 7, 2018, Tokyo to Singapore, with two stops in Vietnam. The title was "Visa Requirements". This was in the email:

Thank you for your attention to this notification.

We are from the US and carry US passports if that helps anyone. I also called Princess a month ago and was given the same information. Hope this helps clarify for some of you.

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You could look on YouTube for directions on how to fold the bills (once again CASH) into origami or some other clever folds. Then find a small collapsible box, a piece of ribbon, voila gift boxed CASH! Easy to carry doesn't take much room and you can fold before you leave home. We did this with $20 bills folded into origami cranes and left them for our cabin steward on the bed when we went to dinner. When we came back there was a little chicken made from a washcloth with a Thank You note from him. Worked well!

Hi Daisy Rose. There is a web site called Whatsinport.com. I have found it very informative regarding what currency is accepted, sight seeing, where the port is located, types of transportation, shopping, food and near by places. It is easy to navigate and you should be able to find all you need to know about what currency is accepted, what places take credit cards, where ATM's are located etc. Give it a try, I hope it will help.

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Princess today is quoting $56 ($76 if you are taking a tour).

HI Brandi & Greg, We are traveling on Princess in December with two stops in Vietnam, HCMC & Nha Trang. In HCMC we are booked with a local tour company for a private 1/2 day tour (not through Princess). I thought the $76.00 charge was if you were spending the night on shore, not if you were taking a tour and re-boarding same day.

Also, it just occurred to me if we do a self guided tour (DIY) will we be charged the $56.00 or the $76.00 again, or is this a one time charge to cover both ports?

Thanks for any clarification you can give me on this subject!

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Just want to thank all of you for your help. I just got off the phone with Princess and did get my "cabin upgrade box" coded to "do NOT upgrade". The rep I spoke with, Zachary, was very knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. He noted I booked through the Princess website,which I had, and then went on to explained if I had booked with a Princess rep by phone they would have asked me if I wanted to opt in for a "complimentary upgrade" should one become available or opt out. He advised that if you book through their website you do NOT have this option available, and yes you automatically get coded for the upgrade. So again, thank you all for your advise! Feeling great knowing the cabin we picked will be there waiting with our name on it when we set sail!

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After reading various posts on "cabin upgrades" I have concluded you have to check a box for a cabin upgrade, correct me if I am wrong. My question is I booked a cruise for Dec 2018 last Oct 2017, I have no idea if I checked the box or not! I most certainly do NOT want to change our cabin, as we spent a bit of time deciding on the perfect one for us. How and where do I go to see if many months ago I checked the box, and if so can I undo it now? Much thanks for any help on this matter. Sorry not trying to hijack the OP.

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Hey Tracie! Just to let you know I'm following everyday with a smile on my face! Love your blog and descriptions! I found you here first time with your Singapore trip. My DH and family will be cruising 12 days Tokyo to Singapore in December. So I took copious notes on Singapore since we will be staying there for 4 days post cruise. Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us! Safe travels!

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Anyone use the email method for delivery or is it best to use fax or snail mail? I sent mine in last week using email to the address they gave but have seen nothing noted on my account. Thanks for any info.

I had no problem submitting the request for Military OBC via email. In fact I did it twice! After contacting Princess about a price reduction I had to resubmit the request. Anyway... both times I sent the form and copy of the DD214 to the following email address:

militarybenefit@princesscruises.com

Both times the request was acknowledged and approved in less than 12 hours. FYI: After you get the email confirmation of your credit from Princess... if you make "any" changes to your cruise itinerary, make sure you check to verify your Military OBC is still in effect, if not, simply resubmit the original email. Thank you for your service!

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Thanks for the Deck 5 and Deck 7 info! DH has his own espresso machine (got tired of spending $$$ at the coffee chains for the burnt taste). This makes him a tad fussy about his brew. Definitely purchasing the card but want to use it in the best way possible!

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Here are some pictures. Click on my photo album linked via my signature to see the rest. Or follow me on Instagram @waynstapix for live port by port posts from my British Isles on Royal Princess next month

It appears your photo links don't work unless you have the correct Photobucket account.

This is why I stopped using photobucket and switched to imgur. Too many restrictions or account requirement for photobucket. Not uncommon to see lots of photobucket error messages on old posts because users failed to keep their account current or changed the parameters of their account. I don't have that problem with imgur.

What about the Diamond? Will be on board in December and no IC there either:(. Where should I go to use my coffee card? Thanks for your help!

What about the Diamond? Will be on board in December and no IC there either:(. Where should I go to use my coffee card?

Thanks for your help!

EleanorNoway - There is no way to know which side of the ship will be to the dock side. Various reasons can cause the normal side-to to be changed.

Good point, thanks. You mention things can cause it to change from the "normal side". So if I rephrase the question I'm hoping someone who is familiar with this specific cruise could identify what the "normal side" is even though it is subject to change depending on various circumstances. We were also hoping someone who is familiar with this specific cruise could identify which side of the ship was best when under sail. We heard rumors that it follows the coastline which would seem to indicate the starboard side might be best for viewing purposes.

We are scheduled to sail on the Diamond December 7th 2018... sailing south from Tokyo to Singapore (with various stops along the way) My question is... with the exception of when the ship is tendered in port... what's the best side of the ship to be on, starboard or port? We typically like to be dockside to watch all the activity (i.e., people running to catch the ship etc) but for this cruise we're wondering if one side is better than the other for the views when pulling in or out of port?

Can't wait to hear what happens in Tokyo! Six of us will begin our journey there and do 12 days to Singapore then jump over to Hong Kong for a few more days. BTW we are traveling 12/3 to 2/26 2018. Thanks for the journey!

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Hi Subliminal, You are right. Received a text this morning from friends on the Explorer and unable to tender in Saint-Tropez so on to Monte-Carlo their final destination.

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Hi Arwen, We have used valutrips.com twice when doing an overnight in FLL. Both times we book the Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale 17th and Convention Center at $99.00 per night.You book thru Value Trips and then it takes about a day to get your confirmation back from the Hyatt. Last stay was 2016 very clean, the area was safe, and a shopping center within walking distance. Also a wide variety of restaurants. I found Value Trip thru CC. Google it and you can see the hotels they use. It appears the price has gone up to $119.00. They also have a very nice breakfast. Hope this helps!

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Hey you might want to read this post on wine corkage fees. This made it a little clearer for me.

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https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2618740

Sorry people, I had to do some maintenance.

 

We're back on

Theo

Renmar... It appears you are quicker on the keyboard than I am!;p Thanks for responding!

Did some more research on this link. The photos and info for Renmars link are stored on a google drive account. You have to request access by clicking on the link and signing into your email account. I requested access, now what remains to be seen is if Renmars is still monitoring the site and gives permission. I'll keep you posted and advise if my request is approved. On the downside by requesting access you are providing Renmars with your email address which may result in unwanted emails.

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