karatemom2

We booked our transfers independently through EC Minibus this past summer with a stop at Stonehenge on our way to Southampton and at Hampton Court Palace on our departure day on the way back to Heathrow. Last summer we shared a transfer from London that stopped at Windsor Castle on the way through a company called International Friends. Both companies provided excellent service.

No way will they ever permanently delete Skagway as a port stop. It is a prime draw for AK cruisers with the White Pass train and rich gold rush history. They will work around the docking issues and no doubt it will be repaired at some point even if it takes a couple of years to get it fully back to former operations.

We stayed at the Southampton Harbour Hotel before our September cruise. Lovely hotel and very close to port. We booked a transfer from Heathrow that included a stop at Stonehenge and we took in a show at the Mayfair Theatre in Southampton the evening before our cruise.

Thank you for this information. We are interested in booking this tour. Did you book for your entire group or did you all book independently through Viator? I want to book for just my husband and I but I’m a little hesitant as it appears a new company and I’m concerned about the potential for trip cancellation if they don’t get enough people. I’m also looking at the Norway Excursions option but would prefer the smaller group.

While I am sure all of these replies are well meaning, please keep in mind your medical conditions, prescriptions and opinions are not necessarily applicable to the OP. The only person who should be advising him is his own doctor who can offer the best plan of action in cooperation with the ship’s medical personnel and capabilities. It always makes me uncomfortable when I see strangers offering other people medical advice on a message board. OP, please stick to guidance from your personal physician and hopefully you can get the information you need about the ship’s laboratory capabilities via the web address provided. Wishing you healthy cruising!

We had the Grand Suite about 5 years ago on the Grand and it was lovely but we only purchased it as we got a last minute call offering it as an upgrade for a suite (haha) deal! We took advantage of the perks like breakfast in the Crown Grill (at that time), and MDR meals in the room. We hosted our family traveling with us on Glacier Bay day and had the Ultimate Balcony breakfast delivered along with a lot of other breakfast items from room service and we also did a couple of afternoon teas for our crew in suite a couple of times. It definitely has an old fashioned appeal and the doorbell that played the Titanic theme was a fun touch. We also enjoyed the two bouquets of fresh flowers we received during the cruise as well as champagne. I am sure it has probably been updated since then and I heard they replaced the wood balcony with the standard balcony which is a shame if true. I loved the old school feel with the wooden loungers and table and chairs. All that being said, we realized it was likely a one time experience since we got it as a last minute upgrade. I can’t imagine paying full price as lovely as it was - the perks beyond the room were not that extensive.

You purchase it through the Medallion Net app once onboard. On our last couple of cruises they have provided a sheet with step by step instructions and it’s quite easy. Your discount is reflected when you make the purchase. Should you have any problem the team at the Medallion desk is there to help. I have found them very eager to assist.

Oh my gosh! Yes, I was looking at what I wrote in my travel journal that day and that is the name of the castle I wrote down. But of course you are right - the reason we stopped there is that we had some huge Outlander fans on the tour so our guide made a point of including a brief detour there. That was the name I remember them calling it! : ) You are right about the planning - I spent months researching and we mostly booked private tours. In Guernsey and Invergordon we had private guides and in several other ports we booked through local tour companies. Discover Scotland in Glasgow, Odyssey Tours in Belfast, Busy Bus in Liverpool and Overlord Tours in Le Havre. We did ship excursions in Cobh and Dublin. And Edinburgh we did on our own using local taxi to get around. Everyday was fully packed as I was determined to see as much as possible and we made the most of every second. It was exhausting but also amazing and so worth the long days and tired feet!

In my personal experience, our British Isles cruise offered a wonderful opportunity to visit castles, cathedrals and historical sites which was a huge priority for me. Just to give you a sense of what we were able to do on our 12 day British Isles cruise with 4 days pre-cruise in London here is a list of what we visited: London: Buckingham Palace Westminster Abbey Tower of London Churchill War Rooms Shakespeare's Old Globe Theatre St. Paul's Cathedral Maritime Museum at Greenwich Southampton Departure Day: Windsor Castle Guernsey: Castle Cornet WWII Sites and Museum Cobh: Rock of Cashel Dublin: Glendalough Monastic City Christchurch Cathedral Belfast: Giants Causeway Dunluce Castle Titanic Museum Liverpool (tour to Wales) : Conwy Castle Snowdonia Park Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Invergordon: Dunrobin Castle Cairn Liath Falls of Shin Dornoch Cathedral Glasgow: Sterling Castle Castle Leoch Village of Luss Loch Lomond Trossachs National Park Edinburgh: Edinburgh Castle Royal Mile St. Giles Cathedral Royal Yacht Brittania Le Havre: Omaha Beach American Cemetery Bayeux - for Cathedral and Bayeux Tapestry Southampton Departure: Hampton Court Palace Stonehenge. So, you can find that you will have ample choices of castles and historically significant sites if you prioritize those things for your ports and pre and post departure days. I will always remember our British Isles cruise as one of our most memorable and wonderful travel adventures!!

Yes, either order is fine. You just need to do both before sailaway. You can also watch it on your stateroom tv.

Any crew member can direct you based on your stateroom number. But your room will be available by 1 pm and I don’t recall them setting up the check in stations before that time.

Princess has made it much easier. You can identify your muster station by looking at the map on your door. Simply check in at the station where they will scan your medallion and then watch the safety video in the comfort of your stateroom and you will be all set.

It doesn't appear there are any Hawaii sailings from Seattle, but there are from Vancouver which should be close enough to avoid a flight if you are in the Seattle area.

Victoria is a lovely town, but given a choice, I would choose Sitka any day. It is one of the most beautiful ports in Alaska in my opinion.

So surprised by all the replies about changing in the treatment room - in all the years we have been cruising with Princess I have only had that experience once on our couples massage and I figured it was unique to that service. Maybe that is the new trend now on the newer ships. I actually really liked having the ability to change in the locker room and leave my clothes in the locker and slip into a nice robe and go sit and have a tea or water before my treatment and then shower and dress afterwards so I don't get my clothes all oily. It makes the experience seem a little more pampering.

We were on the Sky for a 14 day Med cruise this summer and we’re able to reserve the same table for two in Soleil for the entire cruise. We had a 6:30 reservation time and the first evening when we checked in requested a table for two that was separate and offered a bit more room and privacy then the long line of shared two tops. They found us a great table with fantastic servers so we locked it in for the same time each night of our cruise. It was no problem at all. The first evening in the restaurants is generally light because people are still getting situated, especially at your preferred time of 5:30. Just get to your preferred dining venue a bit early and speak with the manager and I’m sure they will be happy to accommodate your request. I got the impression they prefer to have reserved guest tables wherever possible as it ultimately makes it easier on the front desk staff and servers.

It’s been a long while since my kids were in the clubs, but as I recall in the afternoon of embarkation they had an open house where the provided schedules for the week, tours and sign up opportunities. Kind of like the spa does. Not sure if this is still a thing, but I’m sure they have some sort of orientation process for kids and parents.

In addition to those items mentioned above, the menu generally includes spinach ricotta ravioli and chick pea soup. Soufflé is usually Grand Marnier. And there are always the everyday choices like burger, fries, etc.

Yes we visited on one of our stops in Mazatlan. It’s a nice aquarium and a good place to spend a couple of hours. There were several school field trips there the day we visited. We took a taxi - it was very easy.

I wish they stayed open that late. Breakfast hours in the MDR are 7 - 9 am. Hence the reason we rarely make it even though we much prefer it to the buffet.

Yes, by the visitors' center - at least that was our experience. Then you are told how much time you have to hike through on your own before getting back onboard..

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Who is paying for the cruise? Are you and Mom splitting the cost? Since you really seem to want it so much, maybe you can cover the cost for the both of you and gift it to your Mom.

In my experience, when going for an individual massage, you check in at the front desk and they direct you to the ladies dressing room where there are lockers and showers. You are provided with a robe and slippers and can leave your clothes in the locker. You then go out and relax in a waiting area where they have infused water and tea and clipboards with a form they ask you to fill out and provide to your massage therapist who will come and collect you and take you to your treatment room. Very much like a doctors office. It was different with our couples massage - in that instance we were taken directly to our treatment room and undressed with our clothes set aside in the room. I didn't really like it as well - I prefer to be provided with a robe.

Yep, we don't keep getting those awesome "free" casino offers because they are losing money on the degenerate gambler that I married. : )

I never thought about it this way before, but you have a great point. I'm not a non drinker, but very light drinker, like maybe one glass of wine or one cocktail occasionally, and definitely not everyday. So on behalf of those like us, I thank you all! Seriously, these conversations are getting downright silly. It's becoming the new formal wear debate. It really is such a personal decision based on how you partake in your cruise - great for those who love it and get a great value, and not necessary for those who don't.- No debate needed. There are a lot of people who are probably appalled that my DH loves to plays Craps in the Casino. That's where a lot of his time and dollars go when we cruise, and I'm sure there are tons of people who think it's a waste of time and money. I don't really care. He loves it and we get great cruising benefits because of it. Thank goodness Princess is a cruise line that offers something for everyone - and hey, to all the nongamblers, you are similarly welcome that our donations at the Casino help keep costs down. Haha!