Rascal1

10 hours ago, Jazzjannsg said:

FYI, I managed to get hold of the Princess Support in Singapore and they had replied. 
 

You may click the following link https://oceanready-personalinfo-ui.prod.ocean.com/ use booking number to accept the website version to accept the Passage Contract.

 

It finally works! 

Thank you so much for posting this, the app has been driving me mad, but this link worked and the app is updated. 

We always stop near the port, for me it’s part of the excitement of waking up and seeing all the ships docked and going for a walk after breakfast knowing we will be getting on them soon. Also if you can get a room overlooking the dock and can’t sleep for excitement you can watch them come in 😂. 

It might not work depending on what exercises your physio has given you, but perhaps they could also suggest some alternatives with bands that you can easily pack just in case they don’t have any of the right free weights when you go. I’ve known smaller weights go missing from hotel gyms so could be a good back up just in case. 

Thanks to everyone who replied so far, we are from the UK and hadn’t thought (perhaps naively) about it would mean swapping from an American line to a more European line. But we do like European food and flavours so gives us something else to consider and other aspects to research. 

Hi, We’ve never sailed with MSC before but have cruised a few times with Celebrity and Princess. I know it’s not for everyone but in the evenings we like to dine in the buffet as it’s quicker than a main dining room, we don’t eat much but love to have salads with variety of meats or fish and find that the buffet has always given us more choices and it’s informal. But celebrity have confirmed that they are severely limiting the evening choices at the buffet to encourage more diners into the main dining room and the reviews of recent diners hasn’t impressed us,  we are thinking of cancelling the cruise and trying a different cruise line so that we get a different cruising experience overall. We’ve found a cruise we like the look of on the Virtuosa but are worried that the buffet will have similar cut backs, have experienced MSC cruisers who use the buffet in the evenings found the same or is it still a good option with lots of choices? Thanks for any insight. 

The Government have announced the sailing restrictions for UK cruises with a maximum of 1,000 passengers or 50% occupancy whichever is the lower. Just curious whether people think (or know) whether the seacation cruises were sold with this in mind or will cruise lines have to cancel some bookings? 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-cruise-ship-travel

Pleased to confirm our refund has now come through. The FCC appeared about a week ago, and the refund is today showing on the credit card backdated to 4th June, exactly 60 working days after submitting the claim (84 normal days). We submitted the claim on 12th March, 25th April sailing. If I’m being cynical I’m guessing it was scheduled with it being exactly 60 working days, but either way am pleased. Hope others start to come through.  As much as I’m frustrated at how long it’s taken, I will cruise with Princess again, it’s more the virus determining when I want/can cruise again rather than the refund experience. 

I rang last weekend having gone over the 60 days, she did say that the form I completed and had acknowledge for on the 12th March was actually registered on the 20th so it would be 60 days from then and she said I should have something the following week, which has now gone by and not received it. But my FCC credits appeared last night as did husbands which is  step forward. They did put a post out about new refund method and people are slowly getting them through so fingers crossed. 

Agree with others about so many happy memories, I’m going with a simpler experience which just makes me so happy every time I cruise, it’s the first time I see the ship and know I’m boarding it. I was as excited the first time I saw a cruise ship ‘up close’ and the last cruise which was our 8th. That and the first walk out onto the balcony with cocktail in hand and I feel all stress just leave me. 

9 hours ago, dag144 said:

Rascal1 you are being very patient.  I hope that you don't get burned.

Thanks me too, we’ll give them to end of next week and then submit a credit card claim. 

We submitted the refund request and got the acknowledgement email receipt on 12th March (April 25th cruise), we got a ‘sorry bear with us email’ On 2nd May. We rang the UK number today and go straight through. Although they acknowledge our refund request on 12th March, it didn’t hit their refund pile until 20th March so the lady said it would be 60 days from then, so if we don’t get it by end of next week to ring her back. Will wait and see what happens. Fingers crossed. 

I’m waiting for a refund, our cruise should have been 25th April, we replied immediately on 12th March to have cash refund, at that stage it was 60 days, but so far only just received an email saying ‘you are in the queue and thank you for being patient’. My patience is running out mainly due to lack of communication. They just repeat they are refunding in cruise date order, but even on the main Princess Board no-one seems to have received anything. Frustrating. 

6 minutes ago, trrn2016 said:

They are now saying Business days which adds 3 weeks. 

Disgusted if they are moving the goal posts. Just checked the website and can’t find any mention of the days now. We were prepared to wait 60 days but it’s credit charge back if we don’t get it by then.

No, sail date 25th April, refund requested 12th March - nearly at the 60 day deadline. 

Great idea for a thread. Some memories coming back from photos of ports I’ve visits and other photos have created a ‘I’d love to go there’ thought. The penguins are gorgeous. This photo was from last year at the Loen Skylift in Norway. It had only opened the year before and the views were spectacular. I loved the contrast between the metal structure engineering and the nature. 

Getting away from the work, wi-fi, mobile phones for total relaxation. Unlike land holidays (which I still enjoy) with cruises I totally switch off on and spend quality time with hubby. I can also do as much or as little as I like and for some reason I find I sleep like a baby every night, not sure if it’s the beds, relaxation or sea air or all of the above. 

17 minutes ago, Relaxedfun said:

which California ports are shut down?

https://thepointsguy.co.uk/news/ports-closing-to-cruise-ships-coronavirus-concerns/

If this is accurate, both Monterey Bay and Santa Barbara. 

Thanks everyone for the replies. 

Hi,

Has anyone done the Joe Kenda High Seas Heist? Is it a mystery that you can do by yourself throughout the cruise at your own leisure  or is it a group led activity with a princess rep? Would you recommend it?

Thanks. 

Am sorry this happened when you’ve looked forward to the cruise for so long, glad it worked out in the end and you were happy with how they handled the situation. A great attitude goes to make the experience less stressful and you’ve got a great one. Thanks for sharing the photos and the video, must admit I was expecting drips but the video def shows more than a drip! 

We got there about 11.30 and they’d just started calling boarding for suites and elite. 

18 hours ago, capriccio said:

Thank you so much for the Patters and for answering all our questions!

 

I noticed there is a destination lecturer on board.  We've traveled with some excellent lecturers and some appalling ones.  If you went to any of the presentations, how do you rate the one on the Sapphire Princess?

Sorry we didn’t do any of the lecturer presentations. 

Here are the patters, hopefully they’ve uploaded OK and people can zoom in to read them. 

Thanks everyone for the comments. I’ll try to work out how to post patters later today, if not can send them individually to anyone who wants them. 

Weather was varied. The first day at sea was fog and the fog horn was sounding most of the day, very helpfully stopped whilst wrapped up watching movies under the stars. At first you noticed it but then got used to it. Bergen and Geiranger were hot and sunny - you could get sunburned easily depending on skin tone,  Then Olden was cloudy and probably 18c, Stavanger was about 10c, cold wet and windy. The the sea day coming back was blue skies, nice and warm out of the wind, but would need a fleece/long sleeves in the wind. So I think layers are the advice I’d give. 

From what we heard no-one took any of the full day excursions which was why the itinerary changed, the impression we go from talking was if people had booked it, we’d still have gone but there wasn’t the interest. We were only told the night before so as soon as the decision was made, there wasn’t any other full day excursions offered that we saw. 

I think even it it’s cloudy I’d still do the funicular up, if it’s low fog you wouldn’t see much from the top. The walk down was about 3 miles, there is a tarmac road or there are local ‘trials’ which cut the corners but some of them looked a bit slippy so we stuck to the road. We didn’t rush, stopped to take photos and it took us about an hour and a half. When you are up at the top, there is a little trial signposted to a lake, it’s a nice 15 min walk and you come out at a big lake which reminded me of American Summer Camp lakes that you see on the films. I’d do that if you can find the trail. 

Very jealous of everyone going on the Land of the Midnight Sun cruise - have fun 

11 minutes ago, capriccio said:

Thank you so much for this very thorough and positive review.  We board the Sapphire on June 15th for the 14 day Land of the Midnight Sun cruise and this review just added to our excitement!

Thank you, I looked at that itinerary for next year, looks fab. Very excited for you (and very jealous). Have a fab time, I don’t see how anyone could not love the Sapphire.