Essiesmom

Actually, these cabins were also on the earlier grand class ships, but none but CB and Grand remain in the Princess fleet (Golden and Star now sail for P&O Australia). There are a ton of pictures online. I pinched a couple from cruisedeckplans.com. I think the reason they could not be sold as HC cabins is that the entrance is from the little hallway aft and I’ve heard there was not adequate space to turn a scooter to get through the door. I have seen pics of the beds turned to the side wall and one bed would not have a nightstand, and it would be a tight squeeze to the bathroom and to the living area. In the second pic, the hallway door is open at the foot of the bed.

Cocoli Locks

When is your ten day window, and do you already have passports? Wait times for passports are insane now, even expedited. EM

Though I have never investigated them, I hear there are showers in the spa/gym areas and maybe they are more spacious. EM

About to pass under the Centennial Bridge From the Pedro Miguel cam: From the Miraflores cam:

What happened is that I booked for myself and my sister. But it never asked for the name of the second person, just put in my last name and TBA. We had not shared the same last name for over 50 years. It was an early saver booking, so when I went in to correct the name, it said I couldn’t change the entire name. So I went back and chose modify, then added the first name, and hit save. Then I repeated, changing the last name. It works. EM

I booked online. EM

my sister and I always linked different cards. EM

Agua Clara locks cam:

If I read your post correctly, your turnarounds port will be Whittier. In this case, you treat it just like a port day. You can take a glaciers excursion from Whittier, or the cruise line will offer an excursion to Anchorage with stop at a wildlife sanctuary and alyeska. There is time for lunch and wandering around in Anchorage. There is no zeroing down of the ship in Whittier. EM

Miraflores Locks

I have tried to book as a single (Meriviglia) and they wouldn’t book me because that ship has some single cabins which were all booked, and they wouldn’t let me book any other cabin. I investigated Divina and would have been able to book a few months out. She does not have single cabins. No discount on the supplement. It’s frustrating. EM

An even greater problem with roll calls is that Cruise Critic is a North American based website with the majority of the members being from here. Ships that seldom, if ever, sail from here are filled with European guests who have no ideas that a site like CC exists. EM

I’m not sure what the formalities are in Japan, whether they require the ship to zero out. But there is a thread over on the HAL board by Hank @Hlitner and @cruisemom42 with multiple legs in Japan. I think some of the legs turnaround in Japan. It’s Enroute with Hank in Japan and the Westerdam. EM

Just because you fly into Rome does not mean you have to return from/through Rome. Many cruises start and end in different ports. EM

My view:

Start with the posted topics above. EM

Shorter lines at the soft serve machines…

Welcome to Cruise Critic. To request any changes/enhancements to the boards you need to send an email to help@cruisecritic.com. EM

There is a very good board here for Alaska under Ports of Call. Be aware that if you want to do either of the train tours in Skagway that let you get off in the Yukon, you will need a passport. If you only do the round trip train tour you do not need a passport. EM

Get a copy of Rick Steves’ Mediterranean Cruise Ports. It will tell him what there is to see do in his ports and how to DIY, and how much he can do in the time allowed in the ports. The NCL cruise is on a huge ship and has only one sea day to utilize all the bells and whistles, and the balcony. At their ages, they will be spending long exhausting says exploring ashore, returning to the ship to shower, eat, enjoy some evening entertainment, and go to bed. So I would book an OV or inside for this cruise. Where does the Royal cruise leave from? What ship? The difference in cost can be reflected by the size and age of the ship, as well as the cabin type. Also, I would refer to an inside cabin as lower quality. Category, maybe. Do they have valid passports? If not, international travel is a moot point, as passport applications and renewals are taking months. EM

The recommended weight limit is to save the backs of the porters and crew that have to load them onto the carts, and unload them. EM

Bella and Fantastica experiences offer only fixed dining. To get anytime you have to book Aurea. But this only applies to dinner. Breakfast is always open seating. I never ordered room service on MSC but for Fantastica, delivery is free, and I believe continental breakfast is free, other items may have a charge. EM

MSC. Probably no comedy due to the many languages spoken onboard, but lots of live music and production shows. EM

But you should not choose your cabin for the transit day. Choose the cabin for the other 13-14 days of your cruise. EM