Tranquility Base

Thank you vlthom. That was the info I was looking for, and is in agreement with what basor said in post # 16.

Thanks for doing this thread. My query as the cruise progresses will be regarding dining. We normally try to book Reserve Class Minis. However it appears most of these on Diamond are fully uncovered. This is a concern for us. Any info you can share regarding how normal anytime dining in the MDR is working will be appreciated.

Are you saying the “free cruise” would likely be blended into the 40 day cruise ( 18 to 21 credit one ) ? IE: the opposite of the reply in post # 16.

Update. Aqaba delayed 1 day, Suez delayed 1 day, Mykonos cancelled, Messina added. A well thought out and pragmatic decision in my opinion. A personal request. Whilst I, and I’m sure others, are happy to post factual updates from onboard, it would be appreciated if it wasn’t necessary to wade through irrelevant posts to do so. I will respect Stu’s original intention in starting this thread. Cheers.

Let’s say someone has 18 credits. The next cruise they wish to take is 40 days ( 3 credits ) ( I am aware the ‘ free cruise’ is based on max 14 days ) Does the ‘free cruise’ become and be taken as their their 22nd, or does the ‘ free cruise’ HAVE to be blended into and become part of the 40 day booking ?

It will be interesting to find out next week what the shorex credits will be on cruises longer than 35 days.

Yes, however like yourself, it is the more regular reduced time in ports which is focusing more of our attention these days than these ‘simply more’ changes.

Thanks, that makes sense. Hopefully wine waiter staffing levels keep up with any anticipated increase in demand for meal time service.

Pinot, I’m pleased you enjoyed the new ship, as you do report things as you find them….both good and the not so good. On that note, I recall you have previously reported some difficulty in finding wine waiters during some meal times; especially the Terrace. How was that side of things this time ? With ‘simply more’ having an all inclusive feature with beer & wine during lunch & dinner, it will be even more important that there are adequate staff to cater for what is likely to be a greater uptake of that service.

Ironically I was at the enrichment lecture when the announcement came through. Today’s subject……..Happiness. When the lecturer started up again he asked…..did that announcement make anybody happy ? That made me chuckle.

Having never selected the basic drinks package as an option and as this will soon be included for all, I have a question for those who have selected this option in the past. Was the quality of the wines previously offered on the basic package during lunch & dinner generally satisfactory ?

Hi again. You may want to contact Princess directly to confirm that. The reason I ask is that I was following the Island Princess World Cruise roll call. They were in Dubai in March . They docked at the new port…….Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal. This is next to The Palm Jumeirah. I popped downstairs and asked at Guest Services. They did indeed say it was the new port at Dubai Harbour. Hope this helps.

Thanks. I was wondering however, what your actual documentation from Princess indicates.

Which port in Dubai do your documents show for embarkation? Thanks.

Thanks for the answer Eloise. Disappointing, but at least we now know the limitations before we next board.

Thanks for all the ‘live from’ comments. It’s appreciated. Do you know from onboard conversations whether they plan to replace those and return to using ones that can be used in higher winds ?

Looking forward to the NASA Command Centre being back in operation. Including calling by to receive daily gofer instructions.

Thanks roger b for pointing me to this thread. There is lots of good info which I will read over the next few sea days.

Why ?

For this particular region I would choose an 'R' ship IF I had a reasonable expectation that the planned ports were the "downtown" ones at Bangkok and Saigon. Only the 'R' ships have that flexibility. That docking factor is a higher consideration for me than being on an 'O' ship which has other advantages. Insignia is due through that region in May & June on their World Cruise; so closer to the date you could ask on their roll call. Another info source is to use a site such as 'marine tracker' and see in real time where they actually dock.

If considering Asia with Oceania an important consideration (for me) is the size of the ship and where it is scheduled to dock. IE: An 'O' or an 'R' ship. Note: The following info is 5 years old, so I am not up to date as to current docking locations. 1. Bangkok: Laem Chabang : 2 - 2.5 hour bus drive, versus Klong Toey: 30-40 mins shuttle ride. 2. Saigon: Nah Rong: 15 minute shuttle ride, versus Down river at various docks as far down as Phu My: 30min - 80 min ride. 3. Da Nang: Da Nang, closer to Hoi An, Chan May, closer to Hue. 4. Hong Kong: Kai Tak: 20-30 min taxi, versus Ocean Terminal: Downtown Tsim Tsa Tsui.

How much was this please ?

Great; thanks ORV for the quick response.

Query re making an online booking with "invite guest" option. Both will be using 1 of our allocated reservations, same cabin categories, I have their booking number. When doing this online do we select private or share and then add in their details ? If selecting share, is there anyway to request a table of 4 for that booking ?

On the Promenade, do they still have the full length loungers with padding ? Any issues with swapping out items in your minibar with items you prefer ? Thanks.