wildtky101

Thank you. I’ll be on the ship in a couple of months but on deck 14. I hope it’s not as bad as it looks.

Any 

9 hours ago, Hutcha said:

Lots of chatter on the FB group for our sailing that just finished. Reports of screams, security running through the hallway, the hallway being blocked off with yellow tape, and people told to return to their rooms. One cruiser said they couldn't get to their room, and when they finally did, there was blood splattered onto their balcony. A B2Ber said that when they reboarded, they were notified that the sports bar would be closed for the week (not sure if it's connected).

Any idea what deck or cabin? 

6 minutes ago, jelayne said:

They will move you to the same category (A1 - A1) if possible and if not to a A2.

There are 5 aft facing A1s on the Solstice so fingers crossed you get 1.  There are also a lot of A1 forward of the aft elevators however some are under the pool.

Thank You. We were under the pool our last cruise on he Silhouette and we wouldn't want to do that again. This was our first time in an aft cabin and we so looking forward to it.

We had an aft Aqua class room on the Millennium. Does anyone know if it's customary to be moved to the same when they make changes like this? We were so excited about our cabin.

Of course, enjoy your cruise!

We didn’t smell smoke at all so I don’t think that should be an issue for you. Enjoy your cruise!

We are going in 2020 on Celebrity!

Following too, I’m sailing in December.

It is pretty similar and at the same time varies from ship to ship. Princess has little performances at Piazza during the day and nice Zumba classes outside at least on new ships.

 

We enjoy local entertainers who Princess invites sometimes

We usually sail NCL but we would like to try something new. We are interested in the 11 day Panama Canal on Princess in December. Decisions decisions [emoji4]

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I think this is one area that can really vary between ships and also itineraries. I have never had an issue with either line but have noticed that some cruise have so many more activities and also variety compared to other cruises.

I’m happy just to be on any cruise, my husband on the other hand gets bored fairly quickly, lol. I will keep my eye out for the Princess Patters (I think that’s what it’s called) once the Island Princess switches to the Panama Canal itinerary to try to get an idea of the activities. I currently have NCL and Princess booked for Panama Canal in December but need to make a decision by August when our payment is due.

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How does the sea day entertainment compare between Celebrity and Princess? We’ve sailed the Reflection and found that we didn’t have much to do during the day. I was just wondering how Princess compared to Celebrity in the daytime entertainment category (we usually sail NCL and it seemed there were more scheduled activities than on Celebrity).

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No problem,

 

 

 

My husband I have just been discussing this and he said he thought it must have been well fitted/done/contained in the refit as he couldn't smell a thing unless he got super close and took a deep breath. I know that area didn't get a super make over compared to the rest of the ship but it probably got some new fittings and things.

 

 

 

Enjoy the Jade, shes a lovely sized ship and her refit really made her feel nice to be on.

Wonderful! We are very excited since we’ve never been on the Jade. We won’t leave until December but of course I’ve already starting planning, for me that is part of the fun of a cruise!

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I have not been in the cabins below the cigar bar when I was on the Jade last year however I was down the hall on that very deck and all was fine.

 

However, if it helps we noticed on our 10 day cruise last year the room wasn't ever super busy (and we were in Europe) and when it was we couldn't smell anything from outside the room in the mini lobby area or in the French place next door so you should be fine.

That makes me feel much better, thank you!

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My current cabin location on the NCL Jade is directly below the Cigar Bar. I’m pretty sensitive to the smell of smoke (weird that I’m an ex-smoker and cannot stand the smell now), has anyone had any experience with a cabin below a confined smoking area, have you smelled smoke at all? I’m just wondering if I should reconsider the location. I would just change my cabin except all cabins in my category are sold out and the price of the cruise had gone up a lot since I booked so changing categories would be pricey. Thanks in advance!

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We just got our $100 military OBC so thanks everyone for the provided info! I never would have known!

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Thank you everyone for all of your feedback! It’s been very helpful. We ended up booking Princess for our cruise in December. We’re excited to try a new cruise line [emoji4]

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We too are trying to decide if a beverage package is worth it. I will take a look at the spreadsheet, thanks for putting it together!

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You will find some negatives on Princess food from a few years ago when they decreased their portions, but we have always found the food to be very good. If you come across something that does not suit your tastes, ask for something else. As for portion size, you can always ask for more.

 

All in all, we find Princess to be a great value over other lines and they have great itineraries. The only time we switch now is to do an itinerary during a time Princess isn't doing it.

 

Princess also has some of the best and varied port tours. For an Alaskan cruise this summer I think there were around 20 tours in ine port alone.

 

They also take good care of the people in tour. Even those not booked on a Princess tour. In 2016 there was a bird strike that took out a jet coming back from Machu Pichu on take off. Princess helped all the non Princess tour people on board find transportation and logging (not free) until they got back to the ship at another port.

Portion size isn’t really a problem. I love to sample just a bit of everything, I never really eat the entire meal. Especially after snacking throughout the day. We are actually looking at the Panama Canal sailing on 12/20/18, I love the ports of call and the price is much less that NCL so it seems Princess is ahead at this point. I think I’m going to put a deposit on it tomorrow!

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very much depends on what you like and who's at the piano, of course...;p

 

 

 

we've had more than a few very enjoyable nights in Crooners, but also have walked out on occasion...:evilsmile:

I guess it just depends on the night but overall Princess may be the choice for us!

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I would rate the food from good to excellent. Service is generally excellent, and on rare occasions I’d say very good. Since we stay in a suite, we have breakfast in Sabatini’s which is excellent, and then dinner in the dining room - Club Class or regular anytime. Lunch and snacks are generally from the International Cafe if there is one. Also, if there’s an Alfredo’s, the pizza is outstanding. Hope this helps.

 

 

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Yes it does help! I think I’m going to try my first Princess cruise, I’m so excited. Can I leave tomorrow [emoji6]????

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You would LOVE Crooner's, the martini bar on Princess! :hearteyes:

Thanks for the feedback!

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We switched to Princess about five or so years ago. We had cruised mainly Carnival and two specialty cruise lines. We do not fit the Carnival demographic - in our 60s/70s with no kids, don't drink or gamble. We enjoyed Carnival a lot and liked the upbeat vibe. We switched lines because Carnival stopped offering some of their Mexican offerings, and Princess still had them. Based on these boards, we were expecting to be wowed by the Princess experience (we stay in aft suites on both lines). We were satisfied, but not wowed after our first Princess cruise - there are more similarities than differences between the mass market lines. Now that we've been on about 10 Princess cruises, we know what to expect and are very satisfied with their product. For a suite they are more expensive than Carnival because there are more "included" services. Others have commented on the decor, and Princess has enough activities and excellent shows to keep us coming back! I think the difference between Carnival and Princess is more like the difference between a Marriott Residence Inn and full service Marriott.

Definitely good information. We typically sail NCL but it feels as though the service is lacking a bit lately, as well as the food quality (even in the specialty restaurants-at times it was barely warm). What is your opinion of the service and food on Princess?

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I really like your choice of the Island Princess, but you will find many posters here that do not. Here's a quick checklist to help you decide if the Island is for you. Princess has several styles of ships, so you may prefer one of the newer, larger ships.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you like a piano/martini bar? The Island has the best one in the fleet.

 

 

 

Would you like a big, new balcony cabin on the Promenade Deck with real teak decking? They have them on the Island.

 

 

 

Do you like having a covered pool area? The Island has one.

 

 

 

Would you like to try an authentic Bayou Cafe? You'll find that on the Island, and also a great show called "On the Bayou".

 

 

 

The Island does have a wait for anytime dining, but so do many other ships. We chose late Traditional dining, so we never had to wait. You will need to get to the shows about 30 minutes before the scheduled start time, but that is often true on other ships too.

 

 

 

Now, how to decide if the Island is not for you:

 

 

 

Do you like to gamble? The casino on the Island is very small, so this is not the ship for you.

 

 

 

Do you go to gym? The gym is in the bowels of the ship, so this is probably not the ship for you.

 

 

 

Do you party it up at the disco? The Island doesn't have a disco, but there's live music and dancing in the Wheelhouse bar, and the Explorer's lounge turns in to disco around 11:00 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

My husband and I are in our 50's and we always find plenty of things to keep us busy, or relax, as the mood strikes us. Enjoy your cruise.

Great information, the casino and gym aren’t really something that we use much but I LOVE a good martini bar, as well as live music! Waiting a bit for dinner and arriving early for a show is not really an issue for us. It looks like Princess may be just right for us! Thanks!

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I took my first Princess cruise last July. Was looking for a change of pace from both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. Sailed on Emerald Princess. My Wife and I loved it; the staff, the ship, the service, the shows. We liked it so much we have another cruise booked with Princess

Great to know! Thanks. I totally forgot, we have cruised with Royal once as well.

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I have sailed on Carnival because it is close to our home and we can drive to the port instead of gong by air. Carnival and NCL are competitors in the low end of the cruise industry. Princess and Celebrity are considered a step up. Princess is more traditional and a bit more formal in their approach. It appeals to the older set who no longer have young children at home and who want a more sophisticated cruising experience. The decor of the ship is more traditional with subdued colors, faux wood trim (no flammable material allowed on a ship) and more adult entertainment meaning no hard rock or rap or whatever the younger generation listens to. It is the difference of going to the Holiday Inn or the Marriott/Hilton.

We typically cruise on NCL, have only sailed Carnival twice, and have sailed Celebrity once. Personally, I loved Celebrity because it was a bit more sophisticated without a lot of children, but my husband was a little bored. I think Princess sounds like a good mix between Celebrity and NCL.

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