2Canucks

You are right. Other cruise lines do the drinks perk better. People will say that the free minibar setup makes up for it, but I would much prefer free drink coupons to be used anywhere on the ship than the ability to drink scotch in my cabin.

 

We consider the Elite benefits in total when comparing to other lines, and, even then, Princess is on par with some, better than some and worse than others.

 

More than loyalty benefits, it is the combinable OBCs that keep us returning to a Princess.

My exact thoughts too!! I'm Elite on both Princess & Celebrity and was so "disappointed" the first time I went to the Princess Elite event. (had to pay for the drink?!) Celebrity was free drinks...and you could order any drink even something not listed on their Elite drink menu...lots of choices not just one drink choice. Celebrity offers both cold and hot app's but I have found Princess does a really nice job with the buffet style app selection. Also the Celebrity Elite function always had a nice Officer presence ... we actually had some wonderful discussions with many different officers during our Celebrity cruises...not so much with Princess. Officers don't seem as visible or approachable on Princess?

Drink coupons to use in any bar onboard... instead of paying for my Elite drink would be a Great Perk. And the Princess Mini Bar set up is also appreciated even if I change out the alcohol items!! ;)

The combinable OBC's... IS what keeps me coming back to Princess. (late hubby liked this perk the best!!)

Cheers!

Pat

MADflyer... I agree with juniper berries....your info is so much more informative then both the Barcelona & the Amsterdam websites!! Clear...easy to understand info...now I feel I can do this on my own. My late hubby was the one who got us through "new to us" airports so I really appreciate your help! :) I've printed off both your airport info posts so I'm Good To Go!!!!

With Gratitude

Pat

You will go through passport control on your arrival at AMS Amsterdam. On some flights they can require a passport to exit the plane into the terminal.

 

You will then be transferring to a Schengen area terminal for a flight to Schengen gates at BCN Barcelona.

 

At Barcelona you will collect your baggage and proceed through the green line if you have nothing to declare.

 

I normally find my baggage arriving about the moment I have made my trek to the baggage claim at BCN and waits are not the norm, especially on Schengen flights.

 

20 minutes maybe from gate to driver unless there is a problem.

 

Pre-booked drivers will know your flight has landed and that baggage is being collected and normally would wait just as you exit customs into the terminal.

Thank You for this excellent info! :)

Are you familiar with the Amsterdam Airport procedure as well?

How do I find Passport Control after disembarking my 1st flight?

How to find my gate for the next flight? Will it be in the "same terminal"?

I'm flying KLM and have a 1 hour 55 minute layover if my 1st flight is on time.

First time to travel solo and first time through Amsterdam so I'm a little anxious! Don't want to get lost and miss my connection!

Pat

I will be arriving at the Barcelona Airport on a flight from Canada with a flight connection in Amsterdam. Canada-Amsterdam-Barcelona.

What procedure will I need to do in Barcelona? (I'm Canadian.)

Disembark Plane...Passport Control...Baggage Claim...Find Car Service Driver.

OR

Disembark Plane...Go Straight to Baggage Claim...Find Car Service Driver.

How long does this usually take?

Where to Find... the Pre Booked Car Service Drivers?

Thank You for any info you can share with me.

Pat

Just found out the insurance through the cruise provider does not insure Non US citizens :eek:

We booked the cruise & ins in November last year GRRRR

So now we are without insurance for our Nov cruise

 

Fingers crossed nothing goes wrong

What cruise provider does not cover NON US citizens? Thank You in advance for any info you can share with me. I've booked Princess insurance for my upcoming cruise so I'm praying I won't have a problem with this!!

Pat

At the moment constructions are still going on at the airport. Now arriving and departing passengers are often at different levels. You will have plenty of time, 1 hour is more or less minimum for transfering.

Plenty of signs will put you into the right direction, but sometimes it is a long walk.

You will go through passportcontrol in Amsterdam, luggage will go on to Barcelona if you booked it on the same ticket. You will get both boardingpasses at checkin at Canada. Always check again your departure gate at the many displays around the airport, changes are possible.

Check central security on this website and more information re Schiphol airport: http://www.schiphol.nl/Travellers/AtSchiphol.htm

Thank You for this link...excellent info! :)

Got a Reply from BCN Travel...finally (4 days!)

They acknowledged "their mistake" due to a glitch in their reservation system. This has been corrected. Car with driver will be there on Sept 8th for me.

I guess we'll see on Sept 8th how this plays out.

BCN Travel has good reviews from past clients so hopefully I'll have no problems.

Pat

I fly into Amsterdam Airport via KLM this Sept. I have a 1 Hour 55 Minute Layover before departing for Barcelona on KLM.

I've never been to the Amsterdam Airport before so would appreciate your suggestions.

Are the ARRIVAL Gates on the same level as the DEPARTURE Gates?

How easy/hard is it to get from arrival gate to departure gate?

Are there Airport Staff available for directions? Do they wear a special uniform...what to look for.

What is the Connecting flight procedure at the Amsterdam Airport for connections? Flying KLM from CANADA to BARCELONA.

Thank You in advance for any info you can share with me. :)

Pat

On my booking confirmation it is written as "08 Sept 2015".

I can certainly understand how a mistake can be made if using just numbers. Some people put the month first other people put the day first and as you mentioned Europe is a day ahead due to time zones. Very confusing for sure.

Good advise to check booking dates.

My concern is... my travel agent can't seem to get a reply from BCN Travel for a correction and the assurance that I'll have a car/driver waiting for me when I arrive in Barcelona.

Hopefully BCN Travel will reply soon or I'll just have to chalk it up to live and learn and warn others that they might not be a good choice.

Thank You for your thoughts.

Pat

On my booking confirmation it is written as "08 Sept 2015".

I can certainly understand how a mistake can be made if using just numbers. Some people put the month first other people put the day first and as you mentioned Europe is a day ahead due to time zones. Very confusing for sure.

Good advise to check booking dates.

My concern is... my travel agent can't seem to get a reply from BCN Travel for a correction and the assurance that I'll have a car/driver waiting for me when I arrive in Barcelona.

Hopefully BCN Travel will reply soon or I'll just have to chalk it up to live and learn and warn others that they might not be a good choice.

Thank You for your thoughts.

Pat :)

I booked and paid in advance for a transfer from the Barcelona Airport to my Hotel with BCN Travel...for Sept 8, 2015 as stated on my paperwork.

August 10/15 my travel agent received an email that I had missed my pick up as I wasn't at their shuttle pick up point. I ordered a private car. Something is definitely wrong!

Problem ...my booking is for SEPT 8, 2015 ...not AUGUST 8, 2015.

My travel agent has emailed them 2x so far...NO Response...so I'm now wondering if I got ripped off?

Any suggestions?

Pat

Well I booked and paid in advance for a transfer from the Barcelona Airport to my Hotel with BCN Travel...for Sept 8, 2015 as stated on my paperwork.

August 10/15 my travel agent received an email that I had missed my pick up as I wasn't at their shuttle pick up point. I ordered a private car. Something is definitely wrong!

Problem ...my booking is for SEPT 8, 2015 ...not AUGUST 8, 2015.

My travel agent has emailed them 2x so far...NO Response...so I'm now wondering if I got ripped off?

Any suggestions?

Pat

Here's a little test .... Will the Princess Cruises Personalizer allow you to complete all your passenger information under Guest Check-In?

 

If not, consider that is probably because of her passport. This was how I found out. My passport was set to expired in more than 4 months after the cruise. I absolutely HAD to renew my passport early. (But, I was not going to mexico) For me it was Western Samoa and Tahiti that was the issue, requiring more than 6 months validity after the cruise.

This is exactly how I found out too. I had 5 months 2 weeks left on my passport but European cruises require a 6 month margin. I reapplied for a 10 year passport so I'm good to go for my fall Mediterranean & TransAltantic B2B. It took 2 weeks for my new Canadian passport to be processed. Happy Cruising!!

Pat :)

Can you explain exactly how to make a Pre-Cruise OBC purchase to receive the Princess exchange rate.

What currency do we ask to be charged to our Canadian credit card...Canadian or US funds??

Not sure how this works so a simple explanation would be appreciated.

Thank You in advance for any info you can share with me.

Pat

There has been a most favourable exchange rate for Canadians to make an OBC which we'll use for both the hotel charges and to pay our excursions once on board. Our dollar is so low right now the 10% exchange rate was great compared with the bank's 30%. We've managed this for both Celebrity and Princess cruises now booked. I gather they've recently upped the exchange to 20%,

 

Now this isn't a concern for you of course.

 

Ruth

Ruth...

Can you explain exactly how to make a Pre-Cruise OBC purchase to receive the Princess exchange rate.

What currency do we ask to be charged to our Canadian credit card...Canadian or US funds??

Not sure how this works so a simple explanation would be appreciated.

Thank You in advance for any info you can share with me.

Pat :)

Carol is correct...issues involved... and a private car service is so much easier.

Pat

We always use BCN Travel. They charge €48 for up to 4 people.

 

Because my husband is partially disabled, we prefer to have a car there waiting for us rather than having to stand waiting in a queue for a taxi. We are happy to pay about €20 extra for this. As others have said, unless you have some special reason for preferring pre-arranged transfer then just get a taxi.

 

We have always found BCN Travel very reliable and helpful.

 

Carol...Did the drivers speak good English?

Pat :)

I just checked the Southampton Airport website. I tried a fake booking and there are No flights available for my travel day...April 16, 2016. I'm thinking it's too far out to book a flight.

I like to book my flights well ahead of time to be sure I get the timeframe I want. When are the Southampton flight times usually available to book?

Thank You.

Pat :)

Has anyone used the Princess cruise transfer bus from Southampton to Heathrow Airport?

What time will the bus arrive at Heathrow?

Where do I get off? At each Airline...like at home?

Will a 1:20pm flight time be workable with the Princess transfer bus arrival time?

What is the procedure when I arrive at Heathrow...to get checked in for my flight? How long does this take?

Not familiar with Heathrow...how can you tell!

I haven't booked my flight from Heathrow to Amsterdam yet...waiting for suggestions on the best timeframe that will work with the Princess transfer bus. What do you suggest?

Thank You in advance for any info you can share with me about finding my way through Heathrow to my flight.

Pat :)

I'm looking for a Reliable...English Speaking...Car Service for a transfer from the Airport to my Hotel.

Thank You in advance for any info you can share with me.

Pat :)

I didn't realize that was an option!! Have you flown out of Southampton?

I just tried to find a flight for April 16, 2016 out of Southampton to Amsterdam...1 way... but nothing is listed? There are many flight time options listed for that date out of Heathrow already available now though.

Anyone else have any info on flying to Amsterdam from Southampton instead of Heathrow?

Pat :)

I'm taking the Princess transfer from Southampton to Heathrow... then flying to Amsterdam.

What flight time should I book?

How long does it take the Princess transfer to get to Heathrow from Southampton?

Where do they drop you off...at the Airline (KLM) location??

Thank You in advance for any info you can share with me.

Pat :)

Do "Solo Cruisers" qualify for the Chef's Table or is this just for couples?

Thank You in advance for any info you can share concerning the above question.

Pat :)

Has anyone visited the Codorniu Cellar Caves at the Cathedral of Cava?

Thank You in advance for any info you can share with us.

Pat :)

So glad to hear the good reviews for AMA Waterways!! I'm booked on the AMAViola for the Tulip Time April 21, 2016 river cruise.

Question...I understand the excursions are included in the booking price. And there are "optional" excursions available at an extra cost. Can these optional excursions be booked pre-cruise or does a person have to wait until you are onboard??

Thank You in advance for any info you can share with me.

Pat :)