getaway101

It's been a while since we have cruised with X. We are doing a b2b and will be Elite+ after the first leg. I was told even if you have a future cruise credit you can't get the shareholder benefit. Makes me like Princess even more and more. When you can take a Princess cruise and have over $1400.00 in obc.......it's mighty worth it. Plus when you become Elite you get 100% free laundry and dry cleaning. A bar set-up in cabin & reduced $5.00 drinks.

Can you purchase the 3 night specialty dining while on the ship for the same price as on the website? Right now they are showing 3 nights of specialty dining for $75.00 pp

Allegedly, passengers arriving for the 10/7 sailing will be boarded on buses courtesy of RCI and "police escorted" directly to the cruise port.

 

I also heard that the crew of the AOS are not permitted off the ship while she sits in port due to safety concerns.

How sad is this? We are on the 10/7 & 10/14 cruises on the AOS. Why would RCI want to bring so many people into an already devastated place? I think you have more irate passengers that want them to just cancel the cruise than not to cancel. These people in PR need help. They don't need the added security to protect cruise passengers. Cancel the cruises for the rest of the month or move them to another embarkation port. I just don't get it. :confused:

You could order a medium rare shoe off the menu in Chops and it would be better than the steak in the MDR......IMO ;);p:halo:

News reports on PR and the St. Thomas are not promising either an early reopening to tourism or a return to anyway near normal conditions on the islands. Still no power or running water, lots of roads blocked by trees or not able to be used. Flights are limited into PR since the storm and primarily being used to bring in aid and fly those who were stranded there during the storm.

 

Yes, it is true that passengers with reservations will be disappointed but Mother Nature is in control and not the cruise lines. Reality is it will be quite some time before either of these islands are ready for visitors.

 

MARAPRINCE

As it should be. I am more disappointed by RCI NOT making the decision to cancel at least a few of these cruises (of which I am on 10/7 & 10/14). I would like to be able to get on with my life and all the cancellations I need to make. I think by telling those on the 9/30 cruise 4 days before the cruise is to sail is ludicrous.

Typical lounge drinks menu. Pic taken May 2017.

 

 

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They give Jack Daniels and yet the only vodka they offer is New Amsterdam. Might as well drink rubbing alcohol IMO

Also don't forget if you also cruise with Celebrity you can use it there (as long as you don't have a future cruise credit....not combinable). One good thing about CCL stock. When we use on Princess we can combine everything. Have gone on with as much as $1800.00 obc.

The captain just announced some news about noon. He is still waiting for SJ damage assessment from RCCL.

Please also remember how many ships just RCCL is managing schedules for. Try to understand the big picture.

And try to understand the people who have to scramble to change their air arrangements. For people who live in rural areas, it's not that easy.

Can anyone tell me how far it is from Dublin cruise port to the airport? Looking at booking a 12:05 flight to Southampton to catch the Queen Mary TA. Doable??

Good to know, thanks. I guess that means you can't smoke in the casino either?......I hope!:)

Can anyone tell me the smoking policy on the Queen Mary 2? Are you allowed to smoke on your balcony and in the bars, etc.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. A shirt (& possibly a tie) wins :)

Going to be on the Explorer in June 7 days to Alaska. Have many cruises under or belts and have noticed that formal is really not that formal anymore.

We are at a table for 8 with just family and friends. Wondering if just a shirt and tie would be formal enough for the men?

Loved your photos and review. We will be on the Explorer with family and friends in June. Hoping the weather will be decent. We have always done late September and one in May. This will be our 7th Alaska cruise. Taking our granddaughter and her family for her high school graduation celebration.

Question.......How were the formal nights? First how many were there on 7 days and did you find that the men wore tuxes, suits, sports coats or just shirts and ties?

To each his own, of course, but I've never quite understood the desire to go home with Princess-laundered clothes in my suitcase. I much prefer using my own detergent and fabric softener, and drying my clothes to my specifications (lots of hang-drying). Also, I don't want any travel smells (and there are always travel smells from clothes sitting in a closed suitcase 24 hours or more) to get into my drawers and closets at home.

 

We've been burned several times with Princess laundered clothing either being returned ruined or not being returned at all, but we still turn in a few items of clothing to be washed. Underwear, socks, shorts and t-shirts that are expendable. Everything else gets handwashed in the room or done myself in the passenger laundries (the best part about cruising Princess).

Princess has really started cutting back and nickle and diming you to death. We were just on a 28 day cruise in a full suite and Elite and still could not get our laundry done on time. Suites are suppose to have same day service free. I must say that I would never recommend a Suite on Princess to anyone. Mini-Suite yes....full suite no! The price you pay for the service you get is ludicrous. When a cruise line says you have amenities then they should provide the amenities. Not tell you it's only upon request. :( Time to go back to Celebrity. We just cancelled 3 long cruises with Princess and are now booked with Celebrity. :) Time to check out that Elite+ status :D

But haven't most gotten it "free" as part of Pick Your Perks or 1-2-3 Go?

 

As with anything with the cruise lines they can and do change things at a moments notice.

Nothing is for free. When they add these perks the price of the cruise is more expensive.

Be very careful with Celebrity buying on ship. They tell you it is tax and duty free but they also turn you into customs if you buy on the ship. Guess what....it is not tax and duty free. We learned the hard way. Customs does not know what you purchase in the Islands

Love the Renaissance Cruise Port Hotel on 17th St. And Walgreens is just a hop, skip and jump if you need any last minute things. Plus Bimini Boat Yard is across the parking lot.

Does anyone know of a car company that can take 8 people and luggage and wheel chair from Seattle airport to city center? Even if we have to have more than one vehicle.

So far, same MDR menus they have had for the last few years.

 

Room service is transitioning to a pay model, $7.95 per order, except for continental breakfast items in the morning.

Seriously?

IMO...there are no formal nights on Royal since they do not enforce.

We have been in dining rooms with kids in shorts and baseball caps on formal nights. And their parents in jeans. And these were teenagers not toddlers.

We always stay at the Renaissance. We like it because we can walk to so much. Plus we love to look at the ships in port in the morning. We also just go out front and grab a cab instead of fighting the crowds for the shuttle. Just tried to book it for our cruise in April but looks like it's full up.

An update - After many phone calls and emails between Princess, my TA and me, I have received a refund of the luggage fee. It should not have been that hard but at least it is now resolved.

 

 

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Nice to know it's all resolved. I am still waiting to hear from Royal Caribbean on a complaint. They told me 2 to 3 days. We are going on 2 to 3 weeks now.

If you're looking for a quick breakfast if the Horizon Court Buffet is crazy busy, you might want to try the International Cafe down in the Piazza on Deck 5. You can grab something to go and eat it out on deck while enjoying the scenery. Here are a few photos of the IC on the Star Princess:

 

 

 

We are not a big fan of room service because the menu is quite limited, and even when we have been in a full suite with the expanded menu, the omelettes and breakfast sandwiches have been barely warm and the sandwiches were soggy. I would still suggest the Horizon Court buffet or if it is too crowded, the International Cafe is a good alternative.

We have ordered eggs from room service and even grits. You just write it in. AND it's free, as opposed to the Anthem of the Seas that we just got off and your only room service choice was a danish or bagel. If you wanted eggs you had to pay for them $4.95 for one egg. I just kept telling myself....there's no place like Princess. there's no place like Princess. :D With that said, we love the IC for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Royal Caribbean....take notes!

Why rush to the airport? Well unless you have to but you might want to rent a car and do some touring for at least a few days, then fly home. I've driven around that area a lot, lots of Etruscan sites, also interesting and not too far are Pitigliano, Bagnoregio and Orvieto.

We will have already been gone for 28 days.

We too had an early flight. We had a private driver waiting. We docked. Then because it had rained the night there was a huge puddle at the bottom of the ramp. Pulled it up. Moved the ship. Put it down again. We kind of pushed to the front of the line. Our luggage just happened to be 'right there' when we got off. We grabbed it, through it in the car, drove to the airport, got in line, went through security, took the bus, waited 10 minutes, got in line, went through security then got to the airplane.

 

We were very lucky to make it.

Yeah I think we will nix that idea. So let me try to get this straight....You have to check in to the airport and go through security then get on a bus and do it all over again? :confused: