UKWildcatCruiser

On 2/17/2024 at 12:20 AM, timcahill98 said:

Perhaps they did.  But like me, my travel insurance doesn't consider a cancellation by the carrier to be a covered loss.  So please don't assume that "travel insurance" covers all expenses or situations.

Exactly!  This was not a covered loss under my insurance plan.

We were supposed to be on the Sun Princess 18/2/24 sailing from Rome but it was canceled. We are still flying into Rome on 17/2 and staying until 2/3/24. My tentative plan is to go to Venice on the 18th for 2-3 days, then Florence for 3-4 and I’d like to visit some smaller towns in Tuscany for wine. Then end up back in Rome for the last week. Is train the best way to travel?  Should I buy a pass or individual tickets? Any Airbnb recs for Florence? My husband is not keen on driving but it seems to me that’s really the only way to do the Tuscany region and dictate your own schedule. Any advice? I normally do lots of research but I’m under such a time constraint. 

1 hour ago, petez said:

Sailing in May but not been with Princess before - just downloaded the App to start looking at Dining Options - can't book yet but strange comment on Dining Rm Dk 7 that "all food and beverages ... are subject to 18% service charge" 

 

I can understand on beverages but on food ? How does this work in a MDR ?

There are items that cost extra if you want to pay for them, but I agree this wording is odd.  And it's not listed in the description for Deck 6.

49 minutes ago, DCThunder said:

What exactly do you want them to tell you?  The "punch list" of items that have to be fixed or completed before the shipyard turns the ship over to Princess?  And do you want a daily update on the progress of that punch list?

 

I find it amusing that many of the many cruise bloggers and vloggers always advise "don't go on the last cruise before a drydock or the first cruise after a drydock" but there are many people upset because the inaugural cruise of a new class of ship isn't going off without a hitch.  And that includes people who aren't even booked on the Feb. 8th cruise. 

I am not "upset" and am not surprised that there are issues - I could have booked the inaugural but chose not to.  If I were a paying customer I never would have booked a new ship, but it was a great offer so I did. I find it hard to believe why you can't understand why I would like SOME info from Princess about what to expect on board.  For instance, I was on a first sailing on NCL after the Covid shutdown.  I received a few pre-cruise emails from them outlining protocols, and explaining about venue capacity, what wasn't going to be available, etc. It tempered expectations and also put me at ease about sailing.  I can cruise for free on just about any cruise line so I don't have put up with inept communication from one line. Regardless, I going to Rome on 2/16.  If the ship sails I'll be on it and if not I'm going to have two glorious weeks traveling Italy. Whether or not I continue my relationship with Princess remains to be seen. 

Exactly - everyone has their own risk threshold and mine is fairly small for a "free" cruise.  If I had thousands invested I may feel differently but I don't.  I'd rather travel around Italy for two weeks than be miserable on a ship. All I want is just a little bit of communication and information from Princess. It's hard to trust a company's word when they are silent.

14 hours ago, SCX22 said:

Not sure what sort of explanation some people are looking for.  The ship isn't finished, simple as that.  Do they want the line by line list of what's still to be completed?

 

As someone scheduled to go on the 2/18 sailing, yes I would like a more detailed explanation. I want to evaluate for myself any safety risks and other impacts it may have on my cruise. I don't want to end up on a "poop cruise" or be stranded in the middle of the Med.  I also would like to know how much construction is going to be going on while on board- there are noise levels and overall enjoyment levels to consider.  If I cancel, I might lose a little money (not much as I am a casino guest) but I think my family's safety is worth much more than that amount. I am not really a person that complains very much and I'd rather not go than go and be miserable because of the condition of the ship. The least Princess could do is communicate with the people of the first couple of sailings to ensure them it is a cosmetic delay, not a mechanical/engineering one, and what to expect/not expect on board.  I don't think that's asking too much.

@teecee60 - very happy to hear that!!

I’m on the 2/18 sailing. I really have no hope that it will go as scheduled but I wish Princess would go ahead and say so other plans can be made. This is very disappointing and may put me off Princess. I heard at least a month or two ago that it wouldn’t be ready but they stalled in telling people. And what they are offering as compensation is not nearly enough. 

It can be done, sure.  But there are lots of things that can go wrong if any pre-planning is involved. Cruise ships skip ports all the time for various reasons so what happens if you have a church, minister, photographers, etc waiting on you and your ship doesn't dock?  Not to mention the legality of it.  If you live in the U.S., it will not be a legal union.  The better option is to do it before boarding the ship, then have a wonderful cruise with your newly wedded partner:)

I have set up a group tour through SharingToursinItaly (RomeinLimo) for the port stop in Naples.  There will be a max of 6 people in my group.  If we book a tour guide for the Pompeii portion through them, the cost is 150 euros (does not included entrance fee) which seems high.  Does anyone know if you can book a guide upon entrance and approximately what the cost is?  The Pompeii website doesn't have that much info.  This is an off-season cruise (Naples stop is 27-Feb) so I don't expect it to be too crowded but you never know.

Thank you so much @cruisemom42 - exactly the info I was looking for - and we are staying at the Pantheon Iconic so very close to Palazzo Navano.  Sounds like we could do the morning golf cart tour then spend the afternoon exploring the area close to the hotel.

My last day in Rome is currently open with nothing planned.  I'm looking at two tours through The Tour Guy - 1) Rome's Catacombs and Appian Way Golf Cart tour and 2) Piazza Navona Underground Ruins Tour with Palazzo Altemps, with the latter being more expensive.  Is the 2nd option doable by ourselves if we find the sites?  Are there any guides to hire or signs explaining the sites? 

I haven't been on one yet but I'm booked for one on 2/18.  From my understanding, you will have a dedicated casino host, a welcome party, and small perks/gifts to your room during the cruise (food items I assume).  It was the $600 in free play and free balcony room that hooked me!

What has your experience been with the Plus package?  I have always just paid the difference on the Plus package.  It should be no different as the premium package.

42 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

3 days sea trials - and then, final push.

The opening Cruise Directors and assistants  have joined - and we should start seeing posts about venues and such once they're back to land.

Corinne and Dan are both posting frequently on the IG accounts.... 

Can you list those IG accounts? I'm on the Feb18 sailing (2nd) and I'd like to follow - thanks!

I requested tickets about a month or so ago for tickets in February.  Got a response today and tickets are purchased! Very excited. 

If you can, please share the address of your BnB and contact info - thank you!

On 10/15/2023 at 12:09 PM, marazul said:

The Excelsior is too far from all the main attractions.  See if you can use your points in the Pantheon Iconic which is in a perfect location. 

What about Palazzo Velabro?  It looks to be close to the Coliseum which we have tickets for and Trastevere.

I would love the tour information please!  Also, how long was your excursion?  We don't have all day in Sicily unfortunately so I want to make sure we can fit everything in the required time.

No, you are not charged for any drink that is $15 or less - for up to 15 drinks per day.  If you order a glass of wine that is $17, you will be charged $2 plus tax on that.  If your wine is $14 - no charge.

It's fun, but be prepared for a longer wait for a drink. Quality differs depending on the ship/bartender.  On the Sky we went all the time, the drinks and service were superb.  On the Royal it was not good. Drinks were not up to par and a very rude bartender.  Only went once.

Very interested in your Godfather tour - I'm looking to book one as well for a February cruise.  I'm taking lots of notes of your trip so as we are going to many of the same ports and staying in Rome a few days so thank you for all the great info!  

1 minute ago, marazul said:

The Excelsior is too far from all the main attractions.  See if you can use your points in the Pantheon Iconic which is in a perfect location. 

I don't think so but I am staying there for one night pre-cruise.  But I was planning to check again about a month before.  

I'll be staying for 3 nights in Rome Feb 28-Mar 2, 2024 and want to use Marriott points for my stay. I currently have reserved the Le Meridien Visconti Rome (Prati area) but I think I'll have enough points to stay at The Westin Excelsior Rome or the Marriott Grand Hotel Flora (both in the Spanish Steps area).  At least one of these days will be touring the Vatican and surrounding area.  Thoughts on which of these would be best?

Thanks for coming back and commenting!  Do they have bottles for purchase and shipping?  Did you have time afterwards to do so?