Lady Arwen

We have friends that are currently on Seabourn Encore and they overnighted in Istanbul Friday and Saturday, so some ships are still visiting. Who knows what will happen down the road. You can rest assured that ports will change if there is any risk. You may be notified prior to your cruise, but it could happen while you’re onboard. When you cruise flexibility is crucial.

We always stay at Moxy, beside WestQuay Mall and very close to other restaurants and bars. They have a great breakfast buffet included and it’s quite British fare. Lots to do in the area. Just a short walk up the road to a lovely Boots where I stock up on cosmetics. Very clean and modern hotel and we really love it.

My husband’s cardiologist told him to eat less Vitamin K and to restrict spinach. However, you would have to eat a great quantity to really make an effect. As long as you have been testing within the normal range for the past few months, you should have no problem. My husband was just fine. Have a wonderful cruise!

Exactly. Warfarin and INR testing is nothing to be played around with. My husband has been dealing with this for 14 years and was in critical condition once due to an inaccurate INR test. The only people the OP should be consulting is their cardiologist or family physician.

Indeed, things have changed in the cruise industry over the years. We find cruising in Europe to be very different than in the Caribbean. We just go with the flow now, do our own thing and just ignore the rest. We enjoy looking nice, but that seems to not be the norm any longer and that’s okay. I hope you enjoy your cruise on Sky. She is lovely.

Thanks for letting us know this! Whatever works for you is fine. Perhaps they are much more flexible at breakfast than at dinner.

Your son would be charged full price at 13 years old. No, you aren’t allowed to bring food into the specialty restaurants. However, if you speak to the restaurant manager a day or so ahead of time, they can most probably put together a plate with things in their kitchen that your son would enjoy. Princess is great for making meals off menu to please everyone. Don’t worry you’re son will be taken care of.

Yes, you are correct. My niece was 13 when she accompanied her parents to Sabatini’s and was charged full price. She loved it!

This is a very dangerous thing to do away from your home and doctor. If your INR results are not 100% accurate and the count is actually over the acceptable range you could literally bleed to death from a shaving nick. Why would anyone trust a home testing kit on a cruiseship with limited medical capability? Our doctor insists that the blood be drawn by a medical professional and the results read by an accredited lab. My husband switched to another blood thinner that does not require INR testing and is much safer and more reliable. Yes, it’s very expensive but our insurance plan covers it. I hope the OP gets the advice they Ned from their doctor and not here on CC or on the phone with a Princess rep.

My DH doctor said a finger pinch blood test is highly inaccurate and should not be relied on since INR results can be life threatening if too high. My husband has been testing for 14 years until switching heart meds. Perhaps things are different in Canada.

INR is a blood test that requires drawing blood and submitting it to a lab. You cannot self test for this. Must be a nurse or doctor.

My husband was in the same situation. He was on Warfarin for his Afib and we were going on a longer cruise of 16 days and staying precruise in a hotel for three nights. His doctor suggested an INR test two days prior to sailing as he would have lab results in 24 hours. If the results were in the acceptable range and his two tests prior to that were also acceptable then he could go three weeks until the next test. It worked out fine, with no issues. My husband is now on Elequis which does not require INR testing and it’s such a relief to travel with no concerns. I would not want to rely on the ship’s doctor to take the test and monitor the lab results.

I hear you! We always make dining reservations as soon as we book because our loyalty level offers that as a benefit. If it’s offered to everyone, then it certainly defeats the purpose of loyalty.

Can’t remember Princess ever offering this but I do remember getting 10% discount some years back but it might have been Celebrity.

We cancelled this past August for our September 2023 cruise and received FCC. The date noted on our FCC certificate is “Sail by December 31, 2024”. My understanding is that you must SAIL by the end of the following year.

I just tried it out and it worked okay for me. I just went to settings and followed the instructions which ended up on my email and password page. Clicked on my email address and it allowed me to erase and re-enter. Sorry, I’m not much help on this one.

My DH and I are so easy to please when it comes to food. We never complain and we’ve never sent food back in thirty years of cruising. We’re not looking for haute cuisine, been there done that in our younger days. We now appreciate being served a decent meal in a nice dining room being waited on by such hard working individuals who try so hard to make our cruise memorable. Is every meal perfect? Of course not, but we still enjoy ourselves.

Exactly! We started to cruise in 1991 with Celebrity and we had to pack resort casual, semi formal and formal and the dress codes were strictly adhered to back then. Times have changed and certainly no need for tuxedos or suits or cocktail dresses or ball gowns anymore.

Perfect, sir! Exactly what a lot of men should be wearing.

Love it! Such a great attitude towards life.

Thanks….just spewed my coffee onto my iPad! lol. You two are hilarious!

Sounds like things are improving for you, thank goodness. I hope the rest of your cruise is without any major disappointment.

“Maybe asking nicely will be a thing of the past.” This world is doomed if everyone felt that way. SMH

Yes, we will tip extra with cash for special services offered during our cruise in addition to the auto grats. However, I would never try to secure a better table in the MDR by giving a bribe. I’m quite surprised that Princess would allow someone of that stature to accept it. It seems so tacky to me.

I think we’ll continue to ask politely, as it seems to work for us just fine. Bribing just isn’t our thing. Actually I don’t know anyone who does this, so you’re the first!