Kitty Ellas Mom

My first cruise, Caribbean Princess Canada / New England, is in one month. I booked, early on, excursions from the cruise ship for the things I wanted most to do: Anne of Green Gables things in Charlottetown, Hopewell Rocks, and a gravestone tour in Boston. But there are so many other ports (10 day cruise) and I am uncertain if I want to do any of them without an excursion. I don't know the cities well enough to know if I'll be able to find things to do. I'm researching now, but it's a bit late, as I'm finding now that a lot of the excursions are sold out. This is a solo cruise, btw, so I am feeling like I'm not sure I want to go out completely alone (well actually a large group cruise but I don't know anyone yet, just sort of know online, and not well--I did sign up for the CC roll call and have been following that). I've traveled a lot but am not used to the pressure of having to get back to the ship by a certain time. I don't know things like will I be able to easily find a taxi. Example: Portand Maine, all excursions sold out except 2. I did book one, but am uncertain I really want to do it (Victoria Mansion). That doesn't sound like a place I'd reliably get a taxi, and I'm not good with rideshares. I noticed that in Sydney and Halifax there is a lot of availability still; I am guessing these are much larger cities than Portland. I've looked some at tours not from the cruise ship but so far haven't found anything that really intrigues me. I did book some excursions with the intention of canceling if I decide not to do a sponsored excursion at that port. Thanks for any advice. I would definitely e njoy just hanging out in a city by myself but am worried about things like transportation away from the cruise port--and back to it.

I'll be traveling back to the DC area Sept 30 after a Canada and New England cruise that begins in NYC. Can't decide between a connecting flight through either Toronto or Newark or flight to Newark, then 3 hr Amtrak train back to DC. I've never done an international flight with a connection before and just learned about having to do customs and maybe even get my bag during the layover. That worries me. Layovers are mostly 1.5 hrs but I'm looking at some flights with 2.5. I don't have global entry. I am comfortable flying into any of the 3 DC airports. A 2nd flight is about 1.5 hrs but with the layover would be similar to train. I've never been to any of the airports in Quebec, Toronto or Newark. Also, I can't take the 5 or 6 am flights, so most of my choices leave at 4 pm.

I definitely bought the excursion months ago. I specifically bought it early because it was the only one that looked like it might sell out, and it did by the time i bought other excursions. I didn't yet have any obc when I made the purchase and put it on my cc. There's no issue with others in the cabin because I'm solo. I did not know that there could be refund issues if you buy more than one excursion at a time, oops. I wasn't 100% sold on one that I bought but didn't want it to sell out, since the pif date for everyone was about to happen the next day.

I'm confused about what happened when I bought some excursions last night through Princess' website (if it matters, for a mid-Sept Caribbean Princess Canada / New England). I had just recently PIF and now have a $200 onboard credit. Prior to this I only purchased one other excursion, which I'm sure I put on my credit card or else they would not have reserved it for me. When I got to the screen for the final payment it said that I had my 3 new excursions, and one "prior reservation," and then took the $200 OBC off of that total amount. I just don't understand why the previous excursion was part of that at all, since I had already paid for it. Is there a rule that the OBC has to be used for the first excursion(s) you buy? I went ahead with the transaction b/c I really wanted to reserve the 3 new excursions. but I am wondering if I am actually being charged twice for the first one and need to contact Princess to correct, or if I can expect them to simply refund me later as part of some policy I don't know about. Thanks for any info. I'm asking CC first before calling Princess b/c I am expecting to be on hold for a long time if I call. I now wish I had just canceled the transaction and tried again later, in case the site was glitching. It's my first cruise and I feel like there's something I don't know.

Thanks everyone, I was unaware that people are allowed to stay in their own cabins.

I'm on Caribbean Princess in Sept and it will be my 4 years deferred 1st cruise (postponed twice for covid beyond my control, then family emergency in 2022). I used to be very worried about what would happen if I got quarantined but things seem a lot better now in many ways. Mostly that I won't need to test unless I actually get sick. I'm assuming that if I did get sick and was positive I'd be quarantined in a special area of the ship for that until the end if the cruise. My cruise is 10 days. Thanks for any info on how anything is going with covid in recent times. I'm planning to take precautions like wiping down my cabin with clorox wipes when I first arrive, frequent hand washing, etc. These are the same precautions I'd do to prevent things like norovirus anyway.

I decided to go on a Caribbean Princess cruise in lieu of a Majestic Princess cruise. Then just now I saw a video tour showing the bathroom. Ugh, I thought I'd be getting something nicer in a balcony cabin. Have you found these baths to be ok? Mostly the small shower size is what I didn't like. But I've researched enough to know not to expect a big shower on a cruise.

Does Newport's port tend to have a lot of taxis readily available? I have not had great experiences ordering a rideshare and prefer to just hail a taxi.

I started really looking at excursions and see what you are all saying about the Newport one that goes to The Breakers and Marble House. Admission is a lot less than the Princess excursion costs. I only have 2 qualms about not buying the Princess excursion there: 1) it's my first ever port and first ever excursion and I don't want to be overly stressed out and 2) it's a tender situation, so I wonder about how that works. Actually from the reviews it seems like it would be less stressful to be on my own to see the mansions b/c I read about it taking an hour to get the tender to land, and that messing up the schedule for the mansions. If I go on my own, and it's taking an hour to tender, do I need to be back to the tenders a whole hour before I want to be back on the ship? I'm worried about getting left behind, although the amount of time in port seems pretty generous.

My last stop on my cruise is Quebec where we overnight. Can I come and go as I please, even late into the night? I am from the US and wonder about immigration. I was reading an old thread on CC and people were warning that sometimes it's not just like a floating hotel.

These are the things I'm most interested in doing on my trip and I'm wondering if anyone has advice. All Princess excursions from Caribbean Princess, in late Sept: in Newport RI, The Breakers and Marble House tour; in Charlottetown, the 2 Anne of Green Gables places, museum and house; and in St. Johns for the Bay of Fundy, the Hopewell Rocks. I know that last one means 2 hrs each way on a bus and I won't get to see all of the tide changing. I have considered a less strenuous tour that sees some natural outdoors things and a few other sights of the area instead of going all the way to the Hopewell Rocks. But I reserved the Hopwell Rocks b/c it looked like that one might sell out. Re: Newport, on Princess' website it says that you can't take photos but when I read about them on tripadvisor it seems like you can. Are you prohibited from taking photos on a guided tour from Princess? That wouldn't stop me from wanting to go but it would be a bummer. I haven't been to any of these locations before (or most of them from the cruise, I've only been to Boston) so it will all be new to me. I love any sort of arts and culture.

Hello everyone, thank you so much for your responses. I decided to do the group cruise on Caribbean Princess to Canada / New England, b/c it's the only cruise with that group that I can go on in the near future. I still want to go to Alaska very much but decided that since I could book that one at any time solo I'd do the group now and that later. However, it was very disappointing to cancel all my hotel and excursion reservations for a 4th time. Sigh. At least this time I'm canceling b/c I have another cruise to go on and not for covid or family emergency.

Hello everyone, thank you so much for your responses. I decided to do the group cruise on Caribbean Princess to Canada / New England, b/c it's the only cruise with that group that I can go on in the near future. I still want to go to Alaska very much but decided that since I could book that one at any time solo I'd do the group now and that later. However, it was very disappointing to cancel all my hotel and excursion reservations for a 4th time. Sigh. At least this time I'm canceling b/c I have another cruise to go on and not for covid or family emergency.

I know this is very basic but I can't seem to find what shows will be on my cruise. I mostly want to know if there are any big broadway type shows I can look forward to. It's Caribbean Princess to Canada / New England departing Sept 19, 2023. Thanks!

Thank you all. Your comments about air travel are really important, as I am on the east coast. When I was booked for June 2022 I booked my flights in April. I had nonrefundable flights bought by Chase points and ended up with a flight credit which I used for a different kind of trip b/c I wanted to use it for a time frame where Alaska cruising wasn't happening. I had a first class ticket; Chase told me that if I'd had an economy ticket I would have just lost my points. I may well be better off if I just hold off on Alaska until 2024...the other cruise I have booked is a Canada / New England that leaves out of Brooklyn so all I have to do before embarkation is 3 hrs on a train from DC to NYC. That is something I know I can easily handle, vs several long connecting flights. The flight home from Quebec City doesn't sound too hard either. (I am someone who strongly dislikes flying.)

Thanks. FYI I'm currently booked on an early August cruise like this, where I have to PIF by May 7, but am thinking of canceling b/c I'm not ready to decide between it and a cruise for which the PIF date is in mid June. I can do only one right now. I'm thinking of canceling this Alaska to move the decision date to later and then if I cancel the other cruise I might reinstate Alaska. I do realize that by that point the things I want might be sold out enough for 2023 that I might be compelled to move to 2024. I originally had this all set for summer 2022 but a family emergency a week before my flights meant I had to redo it all. I wasn't then able to replan exactly as before b/c it had been a group cruise and now the group is going to Canada / New England instead. So I'm deciding between Alaska and Canada / New England. I may do that one this year and Alaska 2024.

I posted this in the Alaska board and people recommended that I also post it here: If I try to book a Princess Vancouver to Whittier (or vice versa) in June or July tor for August or Sept us it likely that everything would be sold out? I'd only do it for a balcony and would want to choose my own room.

If I try to book a Princess Vancouver to Whittier or vice versa in June or July tor for August or Sept us it likely that everything would be sold out? I'd only do it for a balcony and would want to choose my own room.

I was just realizing today that 1) I can book an Alaska cruise at any time, so it's not really like I have a deadline in 2 weeks--the DL is only for that particular set of reservations. So, 2) I could cancel and keep the Canada / New England cruise and that decision doesn't have to be made until late June since it's sailing in Sept. By late June some really important stuff going on in my life should be settled. At that time I could either make the Canada cruise final or cancel it in favor of a different Alaska cruise (unless they are all sold out, I do realize that's a possibility). It would be a shame to lose my deluxe balcony on Majestic Princess (I really did like that floor plan and there aren't a lot of them) and things like the helicopter tour over Alaska excursion I reserved last August, but since I've never been there I'm sure I'd have fun in any case. The thing about Alaska I don't like is that the season is so short that if I miss 2023 I have to wait all the way until summer 2024. But, it may have to be. I really would like to go on a group cruise, as was my original plan. This was the only group cruise with that group that worked for me for a long time.

I was just realizing today that 1) I can book an Alaska cruise at any time, so it's not really like I have a deadline in 2 weeks--the DL is only for that particular set of reservations. So, 2) I could cancel and keep the Canada / New England cruise and that decision doesn't have to be made until late June since it's sailing in Sept. By late June some really important stuff going on in my life should be settled. At that time I could either make the Canada cruise final or cancel it in favor of a different Alaska cruise (unless they are all sold out, I do realize that's a possibility). It would be a shame to lose my deluxe balcony on Majestic Princess (I really did like that floor plan and there aren't a lot of them) and things like the helicopter tour over Alaska excursion, but since I've never been there I'm sure I'd have fun in any case. The thing about Alaska I don't like is that the season is so short that if I miss 2023 I have to wait all the way until summer 2024. But, it may have to be. I really would like to go on a group cruise, as was my original plan. This was the only group cruise with that group that worked for me for a long time.

If I go on this Alaska cruise it would be solo; if I wait a year I'll probably bring one of my kids. If I go on the Canada / New England cruise it will be solo but with a large group, so I could socialize or not. I was leaning heavily towards the Caribbean Princess group cruise but then read about 20 terrible reviews of CP. By all counts I prefer MP and Alaska but I really wanted the group aspect; for perspective, I was originally booked on that Alaska and that ship with the group but I missed that group cruise b/c of a family emergency. So the decision now is to take a ship and itinerary I wouldn't have chosen for my 1st cruise and still be with the group, or to take the cruise I had planned since 2019 (booked for 2020, 21, 22) but give up the group aspect. I truly think I would like the Canada / New England Itinerary, but I don't like it as much as the Alaska itinerary.

I'm still trying to decide between an Alaska August on Majestic or a Canada / New England Sept on Caribbean Princess. I've read some reviews of both but most of these reviews are from last June. Is there anything more current to report? I wouldn't have chosen the Caribbean P on my own but it's a group cruise. The other was entirely my choice, solo cruise, and I like the Royal class ships better (well at least the idea of them....this is my 1st cruise). I definitely noticed far more terrible reviews of Caribbean than Majestic, but I've learned to take all bad reviews on CC with a grain of salt. I'd definitely appreciate any perspective. I wonder if all the bashing of Caribbean P is justified or not. I know it just got some improvements recently.

Thanks to all for responding. I am leaning towards the more relaxing Canada / New England cruise for now with the group. Thinking of maybe booking Alaska again for 2024 with at least one of my kids along.

I'd love this cruise. I want to see Vancouver, Seattle, and parts of Alaska.

Thanks all. I am thinking of maybe doing Alaska with at least one of my children later. You are right that the airfare for all 5 of my family over to Alaska would be considerable. Re: group cruise, I would still be solo quite a bit of the time. I just liked the idea of getting to meet other cruisers through the group. I'm not the type to just go up and introduce myself to complete strangers if I wasn't in the group together. Overall the main thing leading me to think of choosing the Canada cruise over the Alaska is that I just don't like the idea of flying that far. I'd much rather take the 2 - 3 hr amtrak train into NYC. I'd have to fly back from Quebec but that flight isn't nearly as long as from Alaska.