Irule7

Thanks for the info about the waterproof pouches.  That sounds like a great option.  We don’t usually take a lot of valuables, just thinking about cruise cards, cash, small stuff.  

Typically we go cruising as a family, so one person watches the bags while the other swim and then swap.  This next cruise it’s just my husband and I, so it got me thinking that we can’t both be in the water at the same time.  Does anyone have any tips or advice on this?  What do you do with your belongings?  We will be in Bimini and Grand Cayman doing beach days on our next cruise.

On 9/28/2023 at 7:06 AM, voljeep said:

book now

refundable deposit

pick desired cabin

watch prices closely

re-fare as needed price drops

So do you just call Princess and say that you noticed the price dropped and you want a re-fare?  Is it only before final payment?  I’ve never re-priced a cruise so I appreciate any insights.

Does anyone know what is the latest debarkation time for Panorama in Long Beach?  Our flight doesn't leave until late so we are planning on going to the Aquarium and we have to reserve tickets at specific times.  I'm just trying to judge what time I should book them for.

21 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

No, that's a function of Princess Medallion and not necessarily the app. Carnival would have to adopt Medallion for this to be available on the Carnival hub.

Ah yes, if I would have used my brain and remembered that we had the medallions on us at all times I could have answered my own question, LOL.  

Does the app show you where others in your party are at on the ship?  What I loved on Sky Princess is that I could let my kids have some freedom and do something without us and when we wanted to meet up with them, we just checked the app to see where they were. 

We’re cruising out of Long Beach in December.  In looking at flights home the day we disembark, several are at 7 pm or later.  Does anyone know if there’s a place in Long Beach or surrounding area to store luggage and we could explore for awhile before heading to the airport?

On 1/6/2022 at 8:16 AM, CruisinGirl777 said:

Did they have any excursions on debarkation day with airport drop off? Or what was the latest shuttle back to the airport? I have a late flight home and trying to make arrangements to fill the day. Going to IAH. 

I'm not sure, we didn't look into that.  I know when we sailed out of Galveston with Princess several years back, they had an excursion to NASA and then they dropped you off at the airport.  

Royal had only one shuttle back to the airport and it left at around 9:00 am.  Our flight was at 6 pm and we didn't want to spend that much time at the airport.  We walked over to downtown Galveston and dropped our bags at The Cruise Stop, it's a shop there and they will watch your bags for $5 each.  Then we walked around downtown and then down to the beach.  

We just cruised Dec. 12-19th.  We booked Royal Caribbean's shuttle service to the ship and it was great!  We came into the Hobby Airport and it was $31.95 per person.  Because we were on their shuttle we got to check in right away, we didn't have to wait until our originally scheduled check in time. They were making everyone else wait until their scheduled time to check in.  On the way back, we booked an Uber XL and it was $108 for an Uber XL from downtown Galveston to Hobby.

We were on the Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston on the Dec.12 sailing.  We booked our transfer through Royal Caribbean before we left.  It was $31.95 each way for the Hobby Airport,  we only booked it to the ship because our flights left at 6 pm on the day we got off the ship.  It was a really smooth way to get to the ship.  We met the ladies signing people in at the baggage claim area and waited for everyone to arrive.  Then we hopped on a bus and we were off to the ship.  One added bonus was that since we were on their shuttle, we got to check in as soon as we arrived! We didn't have to wait until our 2 pm check in time that we originally scheduled.  And they are making people line up and wait outside until their scheduled arrival time.  

I hope this helps anyone cruising out of Galveston!

I was looking at booking a cruise for 4 people in a room and the options for "you choose" a room and "they choose" came up. I like to choose my room so I clicked that option.  Instead of taking me to the deck plans, it took me to the booking screen and said it was an interior guarantee.  My question is will I be able to choose my room at some point or will they assign it?  It costs less if I choose the "they choose the room" option, so I'm just wondering if I should bother booking it under the more expensive "you choose" option if I'm not really going to be able to choose my room.

1.  My husband and I took our first cruise on Royal Princess in 2014 when it was new.  On the formal night instead of doing the canned photo poses, my husband dipped me down and we got the best photo.  We had the most amazing time and were hooked on cruising.

2.  Two years later we booked a drop and go out of Galveston for our family of 4 and didn't tell our kids.  We were flying out of Salt Lake and we had to drive there.  We told the kids we were visiting Grandma (who lives in the Salt Lake area).  We drove straight to the airport and they weren't paying attention to where we were driving.  When we parked they were a little confused and then we sprung the surprise. It was such a fun vacation!  We went on the Caribbean Princess and went to Cozumel, Honduras, and Belize.  There weren't very many kids on the cruise, so the kids were spoiled in the kids club and were at the perfect age to enjoy it.  They loved the beaches and the cave tubing we did in Belize.  They also loved the International Cafe with all the delicious desserts.  

I always bring their originals and a copy with me.  They never ask for it at the airports.  I keep the original in the safe and bring the photocopies with me at port just in case.  I've never had anyone ask for them at a port though.  When we came through Ft. Lauderdale in 2018(debarkation), I gave the guy my passport and was getting my daughter's BC out and he said "I don't need to see that, no one takes a kid that isn't theirs on a cruise."  He didn't even look at it.

23 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

And what about the people she will be in contact with?  Will they be fine?

He said she normally gets a small cold from stress.  I just meant that if she felt her symptoms were manageable then she wasn’t going to get any type of physical evaluation by anyone at the port.  It’s up to each person as to whether they feel like they should or shouldn’t get on the ship if they are feeling sick.

We just got back from sailing in the Caribbean out of Ft. Lauderdale.  The only thing they did extra was a questionnaire if we had travelled to China or been exposed to the virus.  They aren't doing physical exams or anything.  So as long as your wife is okay traveling while sick, she should be fine.  Just bring cold medication just in case.  I always travel with any medication we could possibly need, my toiletry bag looks like a pharmacy.  

Up until we got on board our dining time was 7:15, once we got on board our cards said 7:45.  Some nights we weren't done with dinner until 9:15.  We ended up staying up late just to let our food digest.  Next time around I'd do anytime dining, it was just a little late for us to be eating.

It's a beautiful ship, have a great time!

Thank you both for your replies!  Looks like a great place to do some laundry 🙂

Has anyone done their own laundry on Sky Princess?  Do you use your Medallion to pay for the machines?  When we were on Caribbean Princess several years ago I had to go get quarters from guest services to do laundry and I want to make sure I know the drill this time before I go.

3 hours ago, steelers36 said:

I hope so too.  I can say that I recently booked us on two 10-night Caribbean cruises for the Winter 2021 season.  The voyage that includes Martinique (not Dominica/Grenada) came with a different notice and requirements than the other itinerary.  We are doing a similar 10-night in less than two weeks and no special notice and no Martinique.  I think @Daniel A has islands confused.  The OP is fine based on the islands to be visited.  Princess advised them correctly.

 

I wish I could recall the exact information in the notices I received as pop-ups when first entering Cruise Personalizer, but I believe there has been a change coming at some date.  But definitely there was a WHTI notice for the one 2021 voyage.  I am sure Martinique is the trigger. 

 

This is the additional notice in our Travel Summary:

UPDATED PASSPORT REQUIREMENT

Please be advised that documentation requirements for your voyages have been updated. A valid passport is now required for all guests on this voyage. Guests without a valid passport will be denied boarding.
Your passport should be valid for six months after the completion of travel. Please ensure the name on your passport matches your name as it appears on your booking. Additionally, make certain that your passport contains blank pages for entry and exit endorsements and any visas that may be required. If necessary, allow sufficient time to renew your passport and/or obtain additional pages.
There may be occasions where we retain your passport at check-in. This is to ensure that you are not inconvenienced by immigration clearance during your cruise in ports face-to-face inspection is not required. We recommend you bring a second government-issued photo ID if you wish to have one with you while in port, and to carry a copy of your passport photo page.

 

I realize we are Canadian (LOL), but I just don't understand anyone trying to travel without a valid passport anymore.  Even though there has been exceptions for Americans in closed-loop trips, what happens if have to leave the ship?  If you get a passport, you have no worries.  We also have NEXUS/Global Entry which is very useful. 

 

I find that Princess does a mostly excellent job in their FAQ area.  If you go to Princess website and look at "Preparing for Your Cruise"  (URL = https://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/prepare.jsp ), you will find this very detailed info under "Travel Document Requirements". 

 

Each guest is responsible for providing Princess Cruises^® with complete and accurate immigration information. The Passenger Immigration Form (PIF) should be completed online using Cruise Personalizer^®, upon confirmation of your booking.

Ensure your name appears exactly as shown on your travel document. If the name does not match, contact your travel agent (the travel agent must call in corrections if the booking was made through a travel agency) or the Princess Cruises Reservations Department at 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237). Please provide Princess Cruises with this information at least 45 days prior to your cruise. Failure to do so will result in delayed check-in and, possibly, denied boarding.

For non-US passport or non-US permanent residents disembarking in a US Port, the US Department of Homeland Security requires that before your cruise, you provide the address at which you will be staying in the US, post-cruise.

Travel Document requirements vary by destination and your citizenship. Below are document guidelines for both domestic and international voyages. Once a booking is made, you may view voyage specific requirements on the Cruise Personalizer

Document Requirements for US and Canadian Passport Holders

A valid passport is required for all international itineraries including Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, India, Central and South America, Panama Canal (partial and full transit), Caribbean voyages that visit Martinique or Guadeloupe, South Pacific, Tahiti and World Cruises. Although US and Canadian passport holders are not currently required to sail with a passport on most domestic itineraries (including Alaska, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean, Hawaii, and Mexico), Princess highly recommends they are carried.

If your cruise requires international air travel, including flights between the US and Canada, the Caribbean, Bermuda or Mexico, you will be required to present a valid passport when departing from or returning to the US by air. Even if your cruise does not involve air travel outside the US, should you be required to unexpectedly depart a vessel prior to the end of the sailing, a passport would be required to re-enter the US by air.  As such, Princess Cruises continues to strongly recommend that all guests are in possession of a valid passport.

For domestic itineraries for which a passport is not required, US and Canadian passport holders must present one of the following valid Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant travel documents at cruise check-in:

• Passport Book: Recommended travel document
• US Passport Card
• US or Canadian Issued Enhanced Driver's License (EDL)
• US or Canadian Issued Identification Card (issued to minors and non-drivers)
• NEXUS Card Air travel is limited to participating airports
• SENTRI and FAST cards
• I-872 American Indian Card or Enhanced Tribal ID Card (ETC)

PASSPORT REQUIREMENT WHEN MINORS TRAVEL WITH ONE ADULT ON VOYAGES GOVERNED BY THE U.S. WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE (includes travel within BERMUDA, CANADA, CARIBBEAN, HAWAII, MEXICO, UNITED STATES) When minors are traveling with only one adult 21 years of age or older, Princess requires that all guests must be in possession of a valid passport. We have implemented this requirement because we want to ensure that your party remains together should an emergency arise that requires one or more in your party to be disembarked in a non-U.S. port. We cannot guarantee that all members of your party will be allowed to disembark with just a WHTI-compliant document or birth certificate. Failure to present a valid passport for all guests traveling together will result in denial of boarding without refund of the cruise or cruisetour fare.

US citizens traveling on U.S. roundtrip or “closed-loop” voyages may also travel with an original certified birth certificate presented together with a valid government-issued photo identification. These voyages include:
 

• Alaska roundtrip from San Francisco or Seattle (roundtrip Seattle cruisetours excluded)
• Canada/New England roundtrip from New York
• Caribbean roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale^ or New York
• Hawaii roundtrip from Los Angeles and San Francisco
• Mexico roundtrip from Los Angeles or San Francisco

^Voyages that call to Central or South America are excluded and only Passports or WHTI compliant documents are accepted. All voyages that call to Martinique or Guadeloupe require a passport.

For information regarding WHTI compliant documents, visit the US Customs and Border Protection website.

US Permanent Residents are required to present one of the following at cruise check-in:

• Permanent Resident Card (ARC/I-55 card)
• Temporary ARC/I-55 card and valid government-issued photo identification
• Expired ARC/I-55 card and form I-797 and valid government-issued photo identification
• Passport with “ARC” stamp in the passport

Canadian Permanent Residents are required to present a valid passport and Landed Permanent Resident Card at cruise check-in.

Non-US/Non-Canadian Passport Holders: A valid passport is required for all non-US and non-Canadian citizens for all itineraries.

Passport validity: Many countries require passports be valid for six months after the completion of your travel. Check your passport to verify it will be valid for this period of time. Please ensure the name on the passport matches the name on the booking. Additionally, make certain that your passport contains blank pages for entry and exit endorsements and any visas that may be required. If necessary, allow sufficient time to renew your passport and/or obtain additional pages. US and Canadian passport holders sailing on a domestic cruise should ensure passports or other travel documents are valid through the completion of travel. There may be occasions where we retain your passport at check-in. This is to ensure that you are not inconvenienced by immigration clearance during your cruise and where face to face inspection is not required. We recommend you bring a second government issued photo ID if you wish to have one with you while in port.

There are over 7,000 Application Acceptance locations in the US. You may locate the one closest to you by going to the US Department of State website. The United States Postal Service also provides passport services. To obtain this information, go to the US Postal website to find a Post Office location, fees, and to download a passport application.

For information regarding Passport applications, please visit Department of State travel website or call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778 (M-F, 5am - 5pm PST).

*This information is provided as general guidance. Because governmental travel requirements change periodically, you must check with your travel agent or the government authorities for all countries you will visit to determine or verify the actual requirements at the time of sailing. Princess assumes no responsibility for advising guests of such requirements.

 

The part about a minor child traveling with only one adult is good for people to know.  I would have never thought that if I went on a cruise without my husband and with my kids that they would need passports too.

17 minutes ago, Bookster99 said:

Awesome! Definitely doing tthis!

It’s a great time to do it, the price today was lower than when I bought it in 2015.

51 minutes ago, Bookster99 said:

Thanks! That's very helpful. I wonder if I can use retirement funds to obtain the stock and still qualify? Guess I'll ask...

Do you mean like funds that are in an IRA or 401k?  I bought mine with my IRA account and just send them my statement and never had a problem.

I would think your concealed carry license would work, but I would call Carnival back and ask.  

4 hours ago, Bookster99 said:

So, how does that work? If I buy Carnival stock through E*Trade or something, how do I claim this? (Pretend I know nothing!)

You go here:  https://www.carnivalcorp.com/shareholder-information/shareholder-benefit. Click where it says click her to view shareholder benefit, it will bring up a file that tells you what to do.  Basically you fax or mail to whichever line you are traveling on your name, reservation #, ship, sail date and proof of ownership of stock (like a statement from E*Trade).  You have to do it no later than 3 weeks prior to your sailing.

22 hours ago, dgreeney said:

How does one get the Carnival Shareholder Credit after buying 100 shares?

Go here https://www.carnivalcorp.com/shareholder-information/shareholder-benefit. Click where it says "Click here to view shareholder benefits". It will bring up a form and it tells you what you need to do.  Basically you mail or fax the form with your information and proof of ownership of the stock.

4 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Are you thinking of port Everglades in FLL?  I don’t recall a security checkpoint at Port Canaveral.

Yes it was Ft. Lauderdale.  For some reason when I saw the post I was thinking Port Canaveral was Ft. Lauderdale.

My mistake, sorry about that.