debkaysmith

We did Norway three years ago the first week of June and had sunny days and rainy days on one of the best cruises ever. The rain never kept us away from the sightseeing or the train to Flam. I cannot remember if it was heated or not though, sorry. I traveled with my then 27 year old daughter and she was one of the youngest passengers onboard. We traveled Celebrity and there just weren't many young people around. Hope this helps your planning!

It's been about 10 months since we sailed on Emerald Princess, but she quickly became one of our favorite ships. We felt the food and service was incomparable. The friendliness of the crew from the captain on down made for a truly beautiful experience. And the ship.... she's gorgeous!!! To each his own, I guess.

On my last cruise traveling with a group of girlfriends, we all chose single beds for our cabins. Much to our surprise when we boarded, all three cabins had the beds together. Who knows??

Enjoy the Emerald!! And if you get a chance, say hello to those fabulous guys in the Vines Wine Bar. Tell 'em Jeff & Deb from last year's Med cruise say hello.

Thanks!!

We've seen everything from "drunk train wreck" karaoke to some of the finest singing around on our Princess cruises. Each week brings it's own vibe. We love it all.

You will enjoy Princess if you love Celebrity. There are similarities in dining, entertainment, and onboard ambiance. We like them both equally, though give a slight nod to Celebrity for food and quieter evenings.

I could pass on Marseille. It's a nice little port town and they have beautiful soaps ... but if you need a resting day, I'd choose this one. JMHO.

Love the Emerald Princess - such a gorgeous ship. Hope you are enjoying your time onboard. If you get a chance - stop into Vines. The service is terrific and the snacks are yummy. And please tell them Jeff & Deb from the Mediterranean cruise last year said hello - I know that the sushi chef is the same guy - Andrei.

Again... enjoy!!!

Yes, Yes, a thousand times Yes. You will love the peace and tranquility out there seeing everything as you sail. Our family (4 aft cabins) Loved it!!! No cons.

You can't go wrong with a cruise on Princess - friendly staff, clean rooms, inviting public areas, and good food. Regardless - you've got that whole ocean-view thing going for you as well. We love the Crown and have been on her three times (twice onboard during a Noro episode) Just wash your hands like you would on any cruise and enjoy her spaciousness. I'd do another 3-day, 4-day, 5-day, 7-day, 10-day, whatever aboard this ship. Enjoy!!

We especially love the Thermal Suite when we are in Alaska - chilly outside air, warm tranquility inside. It's a very nice set-up on any of the Princess ships. Hubby loves the saunas, I love the warm beds, and we both love the peace. Go for it!

While I think Seattle is a wonderful city for visiting and embarkation/disembarkation, we love Vancouver even more. Great food, friendly people, lots to see and do. We prefer to sail out of and into Vancouver to get the Inside Passage experience. Sailing out of Seattle into the outside passage can be rough for some who suffer from motion sickness. We never feel it on the Inside Passage - and it's gorgeous!!!

No Idea, But... the guys in the Vines Wine Bar for tapas and sushi held our happy hour attention for two weeks this past summer. If they're still there - say hi from Deb & Jeff!!!

Yes, and it's fabulous!!!!

All I can say is that our experience on the Emerald last May was the highlight of our lives. Great service, probably the best MDR service we've ever had. Wonderful times spent in the International Cafe and Sushi Bar with some fab servers. Superb entertainment and the food was a major YUM YUM. We loved our two weeks onboard and can't wait to sail her again.

Does anyone know if they do the UST on the 3-day cruises? I have one coming up and think it'd make a perfect treat.

Many Many Thanks for the posting - I'm in planning mode for the Norwegian Fjords in 2017!!

Europe and Alaska 2017 cruises will be open for booking on December 3, 2015. The link to a preview of all cruises for them has been posted already on this board. There are NO cruises that go to Greenland for 2017. Princess used to stop there but I think it was eliminated since they missed the port quite frequently due to weather issues. Someone else on here may have more info why they stopped going there. There are a couple cruises that will visit Iceland, though on the Crown and the Pacific.

Where is the link to the preview? I can't find it :(

QSine is a very fun tapas experience if you have never done it before. The food is presented in unique combinations. We booked last cruise on embarkation night around the time of the drill. We started our dinner before the drill, had a little break for the drill, and returned to our same table and completed the meal. It made it really great for all that food. It's really quite delicious!

We once surprised my in-laws with a cruise for their anniversary. We gave them the actual information for the booking about 6 months before the trip, but in the weeks leading up to the gifting we sent them a little something from each port they were going to visit. They had no idea what we were doing. For example, San Diego was one of the ports of call and Jack in the Box got their start there, so we sent them a gift card to Jacks. Another port of call was Seattle, and we sent them a gift card to Starbucks. They just thought we were being thoughtful during the holidays.

We had such a great time on the Emerald in May. Enjoy yourselves. And... If you head down to Vines Wine Bar for Happy Hour, please tell the staff that Debbie and Jeff from Arizona said Hello - We miss those guys!!!

We cruised aboard Emerald Princess in May and found her to be gracious in service, and full of delicious food. From the Vines' Bar sushi and tapas to the MDR to the buffet and the Crowne Grill - it was all superb. You won't be disappointed.

We loved the Gallery Hotel in Barcelona - great location near Las Ramblas, shopping, and dining. Their breakfast was also very nice. I heartily recommend a stay there prior to your cruise.

We have cruised to Alaska in September three times and found the weather to be fabulous or awful. One September it was absolutely charming with cool sunny days. One September it was warm and windy. And the last September we sailed it rained five out of the seven days. But... the crowds are smaller, the attention is greater, and Alaska is brilliantly gorgeous.

Have never done the land portion, so I don't know about that.

Aft Balconies in Alaska - love them! We adored having all that space to ourselves and seeing the panoramic grandeur of Alaska all around us. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

We were in Barcelona for two days this past May prior to our Med cruise. We loved Barcelona - it is a fabulously walkable city. There are many guide books and maps that will help you navigate through the gothic architecture, gorgeous churches, oversized parks, and Gaudi masterpieces . The food is tremendous - try everything and enjoy the shopping as well. Las Ramblas is at the city center with shops and eateries, but there are many good finds off the main drag too. We stayed at The Gallery Hotel and found it to be clean, with a lovely breakfast, and quite convenient. There's a pastry place right next door to the hotel that is not to be missed - can't remember the name but YUM! Enjoy your time planning and your days in this lovely city.