flamomo

A non-medication possibility is ginger capsules, which is herbal, so no side effects to be concerned with. Readily available at WalMart.

My cousin was very susceptible to the ship's motion, and found that ginger alleviated her nausea better than the prescription seasickness patches she tried, plus those patches can have some nasty side effects for some users.

I have no problem with ocean motion, but always bring some with me on every cruise just incase that changes. I have shared them with other passengers now and then when they were having a problem, and they worked well for them.

It might work for your son's car sickness too if he took a capsule before car rides.

We are probably going to book a balcony cabin on Marina deck of the Regal, a class of Princess ship that we have never been on. In looking at the differences between a "regular" balcony vs a "deluxe" balcony, there's nothing I can find about the difference in balcony size between the two, although the info I see says the balcony is larger for the "deluxe".

Would I be correct in thinking that the increased size is in the side-to-side dimension, rather than the distance between the exterior wall of the ship and the railing, since there is a difference in the number of square feet in the overall cabin size?

Does anyone know if the balcony furniture would be the same as that of a "regular cabin"? Might it include footstools with the "deluxe"?

 What's the difference whether it's "new News" or "older news", as there those of us that haven't seen it before, so to us, it IS new news!!

Anyway … I believe that Princess is heading in the wrong direction size-wise. Bigger and bigger is NOT better when it means that the ports that are already overcrowded will be moreso, especially considering that other cruise lines new builds are even larger than what these two are projected to be. And because of the increased overcrowding, ports will be limited as to how many cruise ships they can accommodate, so it could result in difficulty getting berthing spots and limiting what ports will even be available, which doesn't bode well for future itineraries.  And not when it means that their size will limit the ports that can be accessed without requiring tendering.

Some folks at the top in CCL/Princess hierarchy aren't really looking at the bigger picture of how all these mega ships will affect the future of cruising ….. they're only looking for ways to increase revenues.

OP does not say what cruise line they will be traveling with.

I cruise with Princess and always use their "EZAir" program for international flights, as well as some domestic flights to/from cruises. I've gotten some amazing fares (well under half the price if booking directly with airlines) whether round trip thru the same port city or flying into and out of different cities. They offer lots of flights to choose from with multiple major airlines, with flexible faring or traditional pay-up-front fares, and I always get the best fares using the flexible option. With the flex type, if you find a better fare or flights with better timing,  you can cancel your reservation and rebook at no cost up to 45 days before the first flight. I've often cancelled and rebooked multiple times because better (cheaper)fares and/or better timing for plane changes cropped up. And the beauty of the EZAir program is that online it's online and I can do it all myself on my laptop while sitting on my couch! And I don't have to pay up front for the air tickets. It just gets added into my final payment.

I would imagine that other cruise lines have something similar, and IMO it's worth you time to check it out.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on 17th street and were very satisfied with the accommodations, the free breakfast and the staff, as well as the price. The walk up the street to where the restaurants and the Publix supermarket and the wine store only took about 7-8 minutes.

For me it's a no-brainer .... I much prefer the ports in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean over the Western. To me Cozumel is a waste of time. Grand Cayman is sort of OK. But those are just my personal preferences.

21 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

I like the linen spray to use as a bathroom spray.

Me too, and if it's getting low, the steward always brings me more. Often I have an unused bottle left, and I take it home with me to take on non-cruise trips. It works quite well for bathroom odors.

They also always bring more lotion if the bottle is getting low.

On ‎3‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 9:55 PM, oskidunker said:

Cheapest are crossings but but you don’t go anywhere. Few ports, rough weather possible. Not for me. My sister loves it. 

And even crossings aren't "cheap" any more! When I did my first TA, the fare, even as a solo, was a real deal. I was able to get an inside cabin for a little over $100/day.  Nowadays, with the  rise of increased popularity of TAs, they are far from cheap, and I would not even consider doing one as a solo cruiser in an inside cabin because those fares have at least doubled.

IMO, besides the length of the cruise, what ship you will be on matters. If it's a Grand class ship, I have never been very impressed with the mini-suites. I don't like the tubs because it's awkward getting in and out due to the open side wall being noticeably higher than the open side wall of a regular tub. If seas are bumpy, it's not a good time to be getting in or out of the tub/shower. I don't think having 2 TVs is a big deal, as, if you decide you want to watch different programs at the same time, who gets to have the sound on? In reality, both TVS are in the same room! We found we hardly ever sat on the sofa in the mini, because we like to be out and about on the ship making new cruise friends. On the Grand Class ships, except for the few minis on the Emerald deck, mini's balconies are completely uncovered, so if it's rainy, or very hot and sunny, you may be limited as to how much use of the balcony  you would get.

I always try to book a balcony on the Caribe deck on the Grand class ships …. bigger than average balconies that are half covered. The more forward ones are usually well priced, and much less pricy than a mini.

If you're cruising on Princess' one and only small ship, I wouldn't hesitate, because the mini-suite cabin, as well as the balcony, is so much larger than the regular balcony cabins. In fact, we got very lucky and were able to take advantage of an upsell offer for our 15 day Spring Panama Canal cruise on the Pacific Princess, and snagged a mini for an extra $200 apiece.

We chose to do this on the day we did scenic cruising, and it was great time to do it because we spent a lot of time on our balcony enjoying the views.

As you might already know, cruise lines tend to be very fussy about what is disposed of via the vacuum plumbing system that the ship's toilets are part of, wanting passengers to use only the type of bathroom tissue they supply, instead of bringing their favorite TP from home. I'd imagine they would prefer that passengers dispose of their used wipes in a wastebasket, instead of  risking  plugging up the vacuum system, since the pipes are smaller diameter than the sort of piping used on land.

 Besides always taking the Princess insurance, I too have a membership on MedJetAssist (NOT insurance, but is a membership program), that, thus far have never had to use, but I renew it annually, through AARP, which gives me a bit of a discount on the membership fee. When doing cruises in Europe, I feel what it offers in terms of medical evacuation back to the US to a hospital of my choosing is worth the cost for the peace of mind, plus even when traveling in the US, if I am covered if I am over 150 miles from home.

The primary reason for taking the Princess insurance is to reimburse me for medical expenses for care while onboard. I have had to use it a few times, and it's proven it's value to me.

 No sash trumpeting my age for this old lady!! I'll be reaching a big milestone - my 80th - on a cruise later this year, and I prefer to celebrate quietly and without fanfare. That cruise is MY way of celebrating …..  by doing my favorite thing by spending it on my favorite ship.

12 hours ago, chamima said:

,Princess may not build any more small ships but the fact that this one almost always sails full and people (like us) are willing to pay a premium to sail on her tells me that Princess knows they are filling a small niche in the market with this ship and won't be getting rid of her any time soon.

Same here!! We love cruising on "the beautiful little white lady", which is what one Captain a few years ago referred to her as.

We'll book a cruise on her just because it's on her!! We're doing 2 this year, for exactly that reason. They may cost a little more, than a similar cruise on one of the larger Princess ships, but the TLC attitude of the crew members on her make it worth every cent.

 If you liked the Coral Princess, you should also like the Island, as they are sister ships. I was told long ago that they are what are called Panamax ships, as they were designed to fit thru the original Panama Canal lanes.

I cruise with Princess exclusively (with one brief exception), having fallen in love with how well Princess cares for their passengers back in 2004, with my first ever cruise, which was aboard the Coral Princess. In the intervening years, I have cruise with Princess well over 40 times, and have 3 more cruises booked for this year. 

8 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Also, while the bag may be liquid tight, the wine-to-go bag may allow air to diffuse through it.  That means that  there will be double oxidation.  Not a good way to treat a bottle of good wine.  In addition, two 750 ml will add 3 1/2 pounds to the packed weight of your suitcase.  In addition, 'flamano' sounds as if he plans to reuse his wine-to-go containers.  How do you plan to clean the insides of the container so there is no carryover of flavors from filling to filling.

 

Not a good solution as far as I am concerned unless whatever is being bought is only available at an out-of-country location.

 

DON

Since food-grade plastic they are made of is pliable, virtually all of the air can be "burped" out of the container as the cap is screwed on.  They do not lose the vacuum that is created by burping the air out before closure, so do NOT "inflate" themselves via osmosis, as OP suggests, during the time they are being used.

Between uses my "wine-to-go"s get washed out with dish detergent, thoroughly rinsed, drained, and allowed to dry completely. The cap is left off during storage so they get a thorough airing while awaiting their next usage. Residual odor tainting the flavor of the subsequent wines being transported in them has not been an issue.

I'm not a wine snob, and they have worked well for my purposes, and I will continue to use them as long as they do.

If I plan to bring some wine back from Italy or Spain, I pack a couple of "wine-to-go" containers (purchased from Amazon), pour the wine into them (each holds a full 750 ml bottle), and pack on my checked bag. Never had a problem with a single drop of  leakage, plus being more like a heavy duty plastic bag with a screw-on lid, it weighs a lot less than a glass wine bottle. And when empty, they are flat, so take up virtually no suitcase space, and they are reusable over and over.

I would imagine they could work for liquor too.

I'd have to say whether or not to choose a Princess transfer depends on the port. For instance, if it's FLL, the airport is 10 minutes from the port, so a cab is quicker and cheaper. If it's Seattle, and you are going to Pier 91, that's a long distance away … maybe 40 minutes or so, depending on traffic. We pre arranged transport with the Seattle Express … definitely less expensive than either a Princess transfer or a taxi and very easy. In Europe, we almost always opt for a taxi to our hotel and from hotel to pier. In a few months we are flying into LAX early in the morning on embarkation day and are going to use a Princess Transfer, because it'll be convenient for us.

We've never tried Uber or Lyft, but that might be another option for those so inclined.

Personal preference, but I ask for a table for 6, because it's much easier to carry on conversations with dinner-mates, due to the usual ambient noise of a crowded dining room. At a table for 8, which is a bit larger , I find I usually only chat with the persons on either side of me, because there is often difficulty hearing people farther away.

I don't know if all airlines do it for international flights, but I usually fly with Delta when heading to Europe for a cruise, and they allow one checked bag per passenger. We always take a carry-on and check one bag apiece, in addition to a tote-bag each with items that we need for the flight(s). If we are spending a day or two in the port city, along with necessities like meds and toiletries, we always include sleepwear and enough clothing changes in our carry-ons so we don't need to even open our larger suitcases until we are on the ship. Just that really simplifies things!

Besides,  I don't really trust airlines to get our checked bag to our destination on time, even though they have (so far), so having a few changes of clothes in that carry-on is really important to us, in case our checked bags are delayed.

A good thing to have is your own travel luggage scale. If you ever have to pay the inflated price of an overweight bag even once, you'll travel with one from then on! I did, and I do!!

One more thing to add ---- if you thing you might do some hand laundry, throw some pinch-type clothespins in your suitcase. There's a pull-out clothesline in the shower stall, and things will dry quicker if pinned to the line instead of just flopping them over the line!! No need to bring detergent …  you can just use a few drops of the shampoo that's in the pump dispenser in the shower.

I have done a number cruises in the Med, and have another one booked for later this year. I cruise primarily with Princess cruises, so all of mine have been with that cruise line. The entertainment has been varied, with production shows with singers and dancers, individual singing performers, sometimes comedians, port related informational presentations, and now and then there will be a group of performers, such as flamenco dancers, brought on from a port, for a special show the evening we are in that port.

I personally like cruising with Princess because the atmosphere of the ship is rather low key, and classy but not stuffy. No "wet t-shirt" or hairy leg contests. There's a wide variety of itineraries available and varying cruise lengths.

What ship were you on when you saw this? I don't recall ever seeing one of these, and I've cruised on most of the ships in the Princess fleet.

We were just in Venice last Fall and the people Mover charge was charging 1.5 Euros per person each way (if you are doing a round trip it's easiest to just go ahead and buy both tickets at one time). Tickets are purchased from machines on the ground level, either with Euros or credit cards.

Maybe I'm a bit dim, but, what is this form needed for?

It's important to keep monitoring fares fairly frequently as you await your cruise. The fares go up and down quite often.

For some cruises I have cancelled and rebooked the flights more than once when there was a decrease, or if there were flights that better suited us, at the same or even a better price. There have been times when our fares have gone down several hundred dollars per person.

What's great is that you don't have to bother calling Princess to get those changes; just do it yourself online.

Until recently, I have only used EZAir for international flights, but for my cruise in a few months, just for the heck of it, I checked to see what sort of deal I could get for a flight between FL and LA using EZAir. Found a direct flight on Delta for $60!!!, which I booked immediately.