coordinator23

Thank you. I understand now that the Princess program is EZ check, and I will use it in Florida

If I want my luggage to go to the airport ahead of me, does Princess have a program I can use? The luggage valet I read about in FAQ was completely different than one I have used on another cruise line. We will have several hours between disembarkation and the flight home. I don’t want to drag suitcases around. The other cruise line sends it directly to the airport. I don’t see my luggage until I land in Chicago.  

Which two bedroom suite has the largest balcony?  On some of the ships, the aft balcony gets larger as you get lower in the ship.  (Due to the design). Would the eighth floor have a slightly larger balcony than the tenth (which is tiny-tiny)?  Anyone know?

We have BOGO as Diamond plus members.  They have let us use ours on the first and second night

Their Chops is exceptionally good.  Warm, friendly crew.

Just read the article on line. Glad they were ALL kicked off and had to find their own way home.  Idiots

The lounges are very crowded.  Sometimes there is not enough room for the diamond members themselves, so no, you cannot bring in a guest. You do, however, have three drinks loaded on your sea pass. You can pick another venue to enjoy a free drink or three. 

No, none of the Royal ships have a self service laundry area. Packing is easier on a Princess cruise. I make use of the laundromats. Less packing. It is especially helpful on longer cruises (10-12 days). I would not consider another cruise tour to Alaska unless it was Princess because of this. I was spoiled.

Bet you were on Princess. One  other things I really like on their ships- a laundry room. 

THERE WAS NO NORO VIRUS BREAK OUT ON THE EXPLORER.................

 

 

I got on the ship on September 17th and left October 5th.

 

 

No Noro breakout....................

 

 

Bags are ALWAYS put out if the seas get a little rough.

 

 

Please don't spread rumors.............

 

 

Great Pacific Northwest Cruise.....................

I was also on this cruise and saw no signs of Noro. Noticed the barf bags, but attributed it to the seas being a little rough at times. I traveled with 4 couples - all ok

<p>I’m only asking because I never get the drink package. I am only getting it now because my husband has it. My sil is not diamond. I now understand that I may not have three free drinks loaded on my sea pass card because I have the beverage package. In general I don’t drink. I can’t remember ever using the three drinks on the card. I like the diamond lounge because I have met so many interesting people there (and I like the “spread” they put on).  I’m the one asking questions as I sip on water or an occasional Diet Coke.  So basically, when is a perk not a perk? When it’s negated by other factors. I was not trying to cheat the system. </p>

If I have the drink package, can I use my three free drinks for someone else? In other words, if I want to buy my SIL a glass of wine, and use my drink package for me, can I do so?

Do people pack dog food for dogs on board? I know relief stations are provided. (Yes, know little fluffy has been known to eat off the plates in the MDR or windjammer, but in general is any type of dog food available?)

Just saw a picture of a schnauzer on Explorer of the seas walking with his leash fully extended with a woman pushing a dog stroller using her other hand. Hope he doesn’t nip anyone running on that track this week. Doesn’t look like a service dog to me. The picture was posted to a Royal Caribbean Facebook page (closed group). It was just posted. It’s happening now. (Better yet, I hope the runners watch where they are running - it could get messy or slippery)

See the Chair Hog/ Chair Dog post in the Chair Hog thread! 😝😜 Is this the same Fluffy? Bet she/he is Diamond plus by now😝

And what service does your dog provide? “Fluffy guards my belonging while I play bingo, shop or take a nap” lol

We loved that there were dog kennels on the Queen Mary 2.

Fwd, Port side on the main deck. They looked well cared for by a team of kennel staff.

Saying that, it didnt seem to diminish the amount of small dogs traveling on mobility scooters.

Maybe those small dogs do perform a service. They bark to warn people to get out of the way — scooter coming through, lol.

I was just thinking that I’ve seen people looking for cruises with fewer children. They like the Royal brand and aren’t really looking to switch. Royal has some smaller ships that could fit that market. I have been on one X cruise. It was more expensive and did have fewer children. I just don’t see why there can’t be some flexibility since they already have the ships to meet that demand. Personally, I prefer Freedom class and below. I’m happy that they haven’t sold off the smaller ships.

Thanks for sharing. Much cheaper than the two bedroom grand suite for five.

i just read an interesting article about adult, 18+, cruises. It stated P &O had converted part of its fleet to adult only. It went on to say other cruise lines, like Viking, are exclusively for adults.

With that in mind, wouldn’t it make good business sense for Royal to take advantage of this current market trend (with some cruisers preferring adult only cruises)? They could save millions of dollars not retrofitting smaller ships with all the newer “bells and whistles” and attract the crowd that prefers to cruise sans kids.

The mega ships would continue to attract families by providing a resort like atmosphere. People who want adults only would stay with Royal instead of exploring options. And when it came time for extended family vacations would join in on the larger ships. Royal was loyal to them by providing what they wanted. Everybody wins (including Royals bottom line). I would nominate a Radiance class ship, like Serenade, as an experimental ship.

I know there is a desire for this. I have seen here, and other sites, where people are trying to figure out when is the best time to cruise with the fewest number of kids.

They are a fire hazard. Wouldn’t it be great if Royal provided laundry rooms on every floor like Princess does.? Each laundry area comes with an iron and ironing board. While I have never ironed on board, I have seen several people pop in for a touch up. I use Downey wrinkle release. Azamara also has a personal laundromat area, but I don’t know if they have an ironing set up

Thank you for all your input. Especially Bonsai3s

I have been watching the news all Summer long about all the fires on the west coast. We are among the cruisers doing the west coast this September. Can anyone tell me (who lives or has recently been in Washington, California or Oregon) if this is going to effect our cruise?

Is the wine train worth booking, or if the fires of the past two years have left a path of scorched earth making this a waste of money?

And, of course, any recommendations of what left/not to miss things are always appreciated.

Also, since we overnight in San Francisco, would you recommend renting a car to see some of these sights/attractions/national parks, or should we just stick with ship tours.

Thank you for your input.

Can you tell if a dog is a service dog vs comfort dog by breed? I kind of assume service dogs are mostly German Shepard’s or goldie’s or labs or some other mid sized breeds and comfort dogs are mostly toy breeds or poodles. Is that a fair assumption?

One of the most beautiful standard sized black poodles I have ever seen was on the Coral Princess. Her owner was cruising with a group of about 30 blind people. The dogs were definitely working service dogs. So quiet and well behaved, you pretty much forgot they were there.

I’d go Princess. The mini suites are great. We opened up the balconies on Royal Princess and made an extended balcony on our last cruise. We had three mini suites all together. My 92 year old parents enjoyed the extra space and extra comfortable beds. We all enjoyed visiting each other via the back porch doors, lol.

I wonder what the cruise line does to ensure that passengers with severe alerigic reactions to pet dander are booked in a safe cabin. Is there a special deep cleaning of their cabin? Are animals restricted to specific cabins to avoid medical issues for future cruisers who could have a bad reaction, or is it just a roll of the dice?