as19111

Folks, Captain just updated us that we are awaiting update from CDC.  Holding pattern continues.  

Captain Stringer has been communicating frequently but at this moment, we just don't know.  Princess is putting those with Princess ez air up in a hotel tonight and rebooking air, which is about 700 passengers...provided we can dock.

18 minutes ago, Coral said:

I am not a fan of the Grand class ships with the extra 500 passengers. I have found them incredibly crowded. The sad thing is that most new cruisers in the last 10 years are used to this so they don't find it crowded. They don't know what the original Grand (and Sun Class) ships felt like.

 

Grand Class had 2600 passengers - sorry they are going away

Caribbean Princess, and ships after this have 3100 extra passengers with the extra deck

The Coral Princess was my favorite because it felt so uncrowded.  Don’t know how it feels today.  The Diamond Princess is another I enjoyed for a 15 day cruise. I think the enclosed pool helped spread people around.  That feature was really needed for the Greenland cruise.  There was a laundry delay on the Pacific Princess...too many Elites.  We are not at that level yet, but I think we’ll continue to do our own laundry if we get there.  Other ships encounter similar issues based on weather, demographics and ports.  I guess I’m saying that while there are things about the ship that need improvement, overall it was a great cruise, great service, and wonderful, hard working staff.  I went aboard anticipating many of these “issues” and chose alternatives rather than stew about stuff.

I think the demographic was a key factor on this cruise, both age and status.  I also found it inspiring to observe those with mobility issues keep on going.  I know I was huffing and puffing in ports and while not in great shape, I know how difficult it was for many of them, BUT they did it!  Kudos to them!

Andrea (& Tom)

On 9/5/2019 at 6:38 PM, Hlitner said:

DW and I "lucked out" because we happened to time our tendering when lines were reasonable.  But we heard quite a few horror stories including folks who simply gave-up on tendering ashore (some after waiting 2 1/2 hours).  As we mentioned in our earlier post the tender situation in Nanatorik  was the result of an extremely stupid, idiotic decision by Princess management to send a huge ship to a port that had a single tender dock capable of handling one tender at a time.  And this situation was made worse because that same single dock was also used for some Princess boat excursions.  When an excursion was loading or unloading (in Zodiac-like boats) all the ship tenders were further delayed in loading/unloading.   The CB crew was very professional and did their best, but being able to only tender 500-600 folks per hour does not work with over 3000 passengers.

 

Perhaps folks need to understand that Nanatorik is a tiny town (fewer than 1700 residents) that does not benefit from a cruise ship visit.   Most of the locals either stayed inside their homes or found other ways to avoid curious cruisers.  The tiny tourist office did their best but were quickly overwhelmed by the number of cruisers.  Perhaps the happiest locals were the owners of the small open open-air museum which raked in the money at $5 per person (those on Princess tours paid a lot more than $5 :)).  Imagine living in a small village that is overrun with thousands of cruisers.  We noticed that they locked up their church (they did the same thing on our previous visit) and  the local bar appeared closed.   Some of the local children were quite happy with our visit since the crew generously provided them with hot chocolate.

 

Hank

Hank, we were also on this cruise.  We really enjoyed every port in Greenland.  We had tender issues in Qaqortoq after lunch, but when we went ashore in the morning there was no lines, no numbers.  We just hopped on the tender and off we went.  We came back to the ship for lunch and took a tender number at 12:10.  We did not reach the shore until 2:20...that was exactly when our tour was meeting, so we were lucky to make the tour.  We only waited 20 minutes in the morning for the tender to Nanortalik.  We did not have long waits for the return tenders in either port, but we were late in the day returning from Qaqortoq and closer to noon in Nanortalik.  We thoroughly enjoyed it.  It may have been my favorite port.  We walked around, toured the museums, fishmarket and took pictures INSIDE the church.  It was open.  The tourist office was most definitely understaffed  and the help that was there looked dazed by the never ending line of people making a purchase.  The trip from the dock to the road most definitely needs a boardwalk.  If this was a rainy day, the muddy path would be trecherous.

Princess does need to improve the theater situation.  People camping out in the theater for an hour or more for the shows is a loss of revenue for them, too.  We tried 6:30, 8:30, Explorers overflow, Club Fusion and just skipping a show or two.  None were the perfect solution.  

I've sailed on the CB before and when we booked, I was not anxious to do it again.  However, I was pleasantly surprised at how nicely refreshed it was, how the staff tried really, really hard to please us and even thought the food was better than previous cruises.  That said, we ate the majority of our meals in the dining room, avoided the WFM except for three lunches, a pub lunch and also had burgers and pizza.  I think the crowded feeling was that everyone was inside the ship especially after we left Sydney and the cold temps took hold.  We planned for that by booking a mini, and when the crowds appeared, we disappeared and caught up on some movies in our cabin.  I saw the line for the craft signup and skipped those activities.   We too were disappointed about the absence of port lectures but imagine the theater crowds if there were!  As for seat saving, there really wasn't much as I've seen in the past, but dare one of us go to the restroom, the pouncers were there saying No Saving!  Good grief!!

I am delighted that we had three Greenland ports, each different in size to really get a sense of the different communities.  Also, understanding how the Inuits were forced into these towns by a misguided Danish government made it meaningful and somewhat sad.  

Overall, we would do this cruise again next year, if we could, and being the wiser just enjoy the ride and don't waste time camping out in the theater.

Oh, and to the woman on the scooter in Nuuk (from the ship) who was ready to plow through a group of us crossing the road to our tour...Really?!?  She yelled get out of my way never slowing or stopping for a break in the road!!!  Honey, pedestrians have the right of way.

Just my 2 cents.

Andrea (& Tom)

We sailed the canal on the Coral Princess. We sailed from LA to FLL and chose a balcony cabin that was starboard (odd numbered) to avoid the afternoon sun and heat for most of the cruise. (This would be the reverse from FLL to LA.) Even then, we kept the drapes closed to keep the cabin cooler...we prefer cooler! As previously mentioned, move around the ship. While it was fascinating to watch from the upper decks both forward and aft, looking out the window of the International Cafe was very interesting, too.

I’ve used them for well over ten years. I have all shapes, sizes and colors including envelopes. My family all use them and I even gave them as a gift to our 1 and 4 year old grandsons. I roll, fold or fill with clothes, electronic cords, toiletries, brushes, accessories. They go in checked bags, carry-ones, and even my purse. Amen!

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I called prior to my January cruise. I wanted to book a tour but use credits. They recently added ability to do that pre-cruise. That may be the case for specialty restaurants now, too. Call and ask if you can’t find it on-line.

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We did this cruise in early June, 2015. We were so fortunate to have outstanding weather in every port...sunny and cool but not cold and warm but not hot and humid.

There were some confusing port times and changes due to the tides, but nothing to spoil the port (unless you were late returning to the dock and the ship had sailed). We made every port.

We had a balcony and used it mostly only in port. Sea days were cool and not really poolside pleasant.

As mentioned, it is very port intensive but since the time zone is consistent except for LeHavre, we didn't feel like we were cheated on sleep.

The ports were full of things to do and see and the scenery is beautiful.

If you like the casino, this cruise was very short on casino time, even on sea days. Nice way to save some money!

As mentioned, private tours are easily booked and recommended. The ship tours are pricey but I think that is also due to the dollar/pound value.

Overall, it was a terrific cruise itinerary. Next time, I'd like to see Kirkwall, but it was nice to see Liverpool.

I cannot tolerate any sugar substitutes. I only compromise on sugar free pancake syrup (and then it's a short stack). I avoid all soda except for seltzer/club soda. I only drink "black" tea either iced or hot. If I have dessert, a real sugar dessert is my choice...within reason and moderation. The comment about your body does not know what to do with fake sugar is based on studies that say fake sugar can be more harmful in the long run while it is trying to trick your body. I get the coffee card each cruise and we have never used a punch except when "treating" a table mate who wants a specialty beverage.

For those that do frequent sugar free/diet beverages and desserts, not having a choice can be disappointing, but these things should not be an excuse to think it's ok to overindulge. Jmho

Someone asked about the MTP. On the June 2 sailing, the couple were from the UK and had sailed 1,236 days! At the Captain's Circle reception, they gave the numbers and I think there were something like 644 Platinum and maybe 400 something Elite. I think about 50% of the ship were 1st time Princess cruisers.

OMG, Tracie-Lynn, love love love your daily postings!

 

When you have a chance, would you address casino hours a bit more? Family and I are on this cruise late August and devote a fair bit of time (and money) in the casinos.

 

Thanks much.

 

Another thought -- thanks for mentioning where you've accessed free wifi. Helps to know so we don't drag tablets around each day...

Because this itinerary really doesn't get out into the international waters, the casino must remain closed. When they can sail further afar of the coastline (someone mentioned 12 miles out), then they can open.

On our cruise, the casino had extremely limited hours:

Day 1 - 10 pm. til ?

Day 2 - approx. 5:30pm to 8:30pm

Day 3 - Closed

Day 4 - 6:30pm to 10 pm

Day 5 - Closed

Day 6 - Closed

Day 7 - Closed

Day 8 - 12:30 pm til ?

Day 9 - Closed

Day 10 - Closed

Day 11 - Lost the Patter but it was a sea day, so hours were better

Day 12 - 9 pm to 1am

Our itinerary included Liverpool. This could change if you have a different itinerary, and the hours did change from what is listed above depending on our sailaway times.

There was no bag offer on the 6/2 sailing. We did our own and it's $3/load for each wash or dry. For $12, we had clean clothes in 90 minutes.

Casino hours on this itinerary are extremely limited.

On our 6/14 flight home, we booked a BA flight 67. On the departure board and at the gate, it actually showed this flight as BA, American, US Air, and Iberia...all with different flight numbers! I know to be extra careful if I ever do this again, because the prices were all over the place for each airline.

Have a great cruise. It's a wonderful itinerary. There were lots of folks from the UK on our cruise traveling with elderly parents and the equipment you mentioned. I marveled at their stamina and willingness to travel.

Enjoy!

We've done all three and I would rank them:

Baltics, Norway (and Iceland for us), British Isles.

All have their interesting ports and vistas. I guess I look at it at the chance of my visiting each of the ports independently and rank that way.

Whatever you choose, it will be a great cruise.

The Baltic cruise is port intensive and the time zone difference in ports can be quite a difference from your home. For us, it was up to 8 hours in St. Petersburg. So, you spend less time enjoying ship actitivities and rest up for the next early call in port.

For Norway, it's breathtaking scenery and smaller ports.

For the BI, it's great ports and consistent time zones.

We did lots of private tours, including Guernsey. We also did ship tours and self tours, depending on the port.

Thanks for the great summary. My DH and I were also on this cruise. I just returned from the doctor and receieved an antibiotic for my cruise cold. She said my chest was clear and the cough was from the post nasal drip. DH is now starting to feel the same symptoms. On the ride from the ship to LHR, it sounded like the symphony of coughs on the bus!

Someone asked about the movies. The new entertainment system in each cabin gives you a wide selection of movies that you can choose by category. Lots of action/adventure films. I was able to catch up on quite a few I missed: Philomena, Gone Girl, Amore (subtitles), Still Alice, Fury, Into the Woods, Frozen (sing-a-long) to name a few.

The weather in each port was terrific. Other than a really blustery Liverpool, I can't recall needing to open the umbrella or pull up the hoodie. Edinburgh was bustling with people along the Royal Mile and at the castle. We used the local shuttle bus for 10 GBP per person round trip. We went to Normandy and had a truly information filled tour given by Florin Petre of Spearhead Tours.

The tides were an issue in several ports which changed port times but nothing was a show stopper. Capt. Nash is a personable guy with a keen sense of humor.

Before boarding the ship, I, too, was not thrilled about the size of the Royal, but the ship is beautiful, and except for a few design flaws (that midship stairwell is one), everything is very well placed. I really never did feel the crowds except for showtime(the theater design is flawed) and peak buffet periods. The new buffet layout is quite nice, but it is difficult to locate items. On the last night we arrived late from our excursion and went to Horizon. I saw people with fried shrimp on their plates but never did find out where they were! We also used the dining room for most meals. Alfredos is a wonderful new addition to the dining options and we ate there multiple times. The meal at the Crown Grill was delicious. Given the right itinerary, I would sail on the Royal again, but I still prefer smaller ships.

All in all, it was a great cruise.

I think Princess is pretty diligent in providing restroom breaks.

We took the private tour to Volunteer Point (with Patrick Watts). Our caravan, other private tours and the Princess caravan follow each other almost the entire way. The Princess tours stopped for a restroom break at the halfway point up and back. There are restrooms at Volunteer Point. The private tours do not make the half way stop unless you really, really need it!

The above advice is sound. Book more than one penguin tour in ports. We made it to the Falklands. Our second "backup penguin tour" was set for Puerto Madryn which was a stop after the Falklands. Puerto Madryn was cancelled due to a labor strike at the docks. So, if we had missed the Falklands, we would have missed the penguins! In this case, the strikers said they would let us dock, but they would not promise to let us back on the ship. For passenger safety, the captain skipped the port and it became a sea day and we spent the scheduled sea day as an extra day in Montevideo.

If Princess is still giving out the coupon booklet upon boarding, they do offer a 10% discount on purchases good for only 24-48 hours after sailing. So, if you know what you want and the price is right, plan on purchasing it early in the cruise. Know what the price is at home before you sail, and include your local taxes in the comparison of cost. Sometimes you find a good deal and sometimes ...meh, not so great, depending on the item. Some items are only available on the ship and not on land, e.g., the travel kit of shadow/blush/lipstick which is nice and compact for traveling.

To our knowledge, we've always received the "surprise" gifts.

However, after entering our cabin for the first time on one cruise, we had the "gift cards" for another cabin on our desk. We brought them to our cabin steward and he was most grateful for letting him know. We figured it would be the best way for him to start a cruise with the other cabin, rather than have them think he screwed up. I do think the hotel services and tour desk deliver their cards and coupons and not the cabin stewards.

The Orchid fields should be at their best during your visit but don't expect great rafts of colour. The orchids are quite small but very beautiful and you can get up close using a path around the fields. If the weather has been wet then it may be rather soggy under foot.

 

The fields are a 5 minute walk from the west coast main road with a bus stop near the end of the road. The bus stop is half way between L'Eree Hotel and Fort Grey ( also known as the Cup and Saucer. )

 

Best wishes

 

Nigel and Lesley

Island of Guernsey

Thank you so very much! This information is very helpful. Now I just have to figure out the bus route/schedule!

I've never been offered an upgrade or an upsell. However, I wouldn't want a window suite or anything forward, so I hesitate to put myself on the list.

Our most recent two cruises were traditional dining. We mixed it up every night. We were often the first to arrive at the table, and we just kept switching seats. On the last cruise, it was a round table for 8. The waiter would put out the open wine bottles in front of where each of us sat the previous evening. Then he would have to move them around once we were all in place. It was a nice way to have more conversations especially if the person was soft spoken or had an accent that required closer attention to understand.

I also recall a formal night in the anytime/early traditional seating dining room. At this particular table, the maître 'd sat us in two empty places that the husbands left vacant because they refused to get dressed up and come to dinner. Well, the rest of the table chose to ignore us and were quite put out that they had to move their sweaters and jackets from our chairs. What a pleasant meal that was!

Although I had a fear of a long cruise with incompatible folks, so far, we've been blessed with great company!

Can you tell me what service you used from Heathrow to Dover, please? We will need that transfer on July 1st this year.

 

Thanks.

 

battanhr at comcast dot net

I sent you an email with the link. It was Smiths for Airports.

We flew into LHR and were transported directly to Dover. Our room was not ready. We took a taxi to Dover Castle and arranged for the taxi to pick us up at 4 pm. It was a really enjoyable time touring the castle, the underground hospital and the grounds around the castle and lunch. We certainly did not see all that there was to see there. That evening, we had dinner on our balcony overlooking the channel. The next morning, the taxi returned to take us to the ship. Before the taxi arrived, we wandered around some of the shops/stalls behind the hotel. We really enjoyed our relaxed time in Dover. If we had arrived another day earlier, then Canterbury would certainly be another stop for us.

Can someone tell me how long and how far the orchid fields are from St. Peter Port taking the Rt. 91 bus? We will be there on June 3. Is that past the best viewing times?

If we get off the bus, will we have a problem reboarding a later bus?

And how much is the all day bus pass?

Thanks!

P.S.

I have the 2014 DK Eyewitness Travel Guide for Great Britain. Guernsey is not listed! Invergordon gets no mention and Inverness is barely covered.

I've never been attracted to other cruise lines for the rock climbing wall, water slide, dolphin/diving show or ice rink. I wouldn't use them, either. To me, it's a waste of public space. For others, it enhances their cruise.

I'll be on the Royal in June. I'll walk the walk, but I'm not planning on the water show.

I can't fault Princess for trying something that could appeal to or be enjoyed by a larger segment of their passengers.