Croooser

The Medallion class app requires Android 8.0 or higher. That means any Android device more than 3 - 4 years old or so is not compatible with the app. I have 3 android devices - all of which function fine for all smartphone purposes but the Princess app is not compatible with any. I believe that all of them would be compatible with the other functions that have been mentioned - e.g. checking in for flights, uploading data to a website, QR codes,  etc.

Princess has completely mishandled the app development and rollout. The number of different issues that users experience, with a solution that has been rolled out, should be minimal and minor. It's application development and testing 101. That's not the case here.

As to requiring passengers to have and use a smartphone. That's one thing. However, let's remember that many popular "ecommerce" consumer applications reside on both apps and websites. Think Netflix, Amazon Prime, Charles Schwab, Instacart - just to name a few. So, the approach that Princess is taking does not represent current "best practices". In addition, requiring passengers to replace their phone if more than a few years old is not reasonable or necessary. 

My solution has been to purchase a refurb android phone for $50 that comes with android 9.0. I don't need it or want it for anything other than getting access to the Princess app. Not happy about it, but as an expense for the 2 upcoming Princess cruises that we have booked, it's a nominal amount of $. I have to keep focused on my desired outcome which is to not be restricted in managing our bookings.

When it arrives, I get to experience the rest of the aggravation of an app that was released well before it was ready.

We have been on several Celebrity TAs. IIRC, they all had at least 3 different lecturers on each sailing who were well qualified in their respective subject matter. Each lecturer usually gave a series of maybe 3 lectures. 

We are booked on the March '22 Riviera TA but it is definitely not the activities and entertainment that we are attracted to on O. IMHO Orator would be wise to look elsewhere based on what he is looking for.

OK. I spoke too soon. I have 3 android devices that are all 3-5 years old. The app is not compatible with any of them according to Play Store. These are not way out of date devices - two are android cell phones that still work well and one is an Amazon Fire (android) tablet that is not quite 3 years old.

It looks like the app developers have not made the app compatible with any but the most current android releases?

Anyone have any info on that?

16 minutes ago, MMsteffey said:

Actually you can use any WiFi enabled smartphone or tablet that still works.  You do not need it to function as a phone, you do not need a data plan.  Using WiFi download the app.  We use our retired î phones this way for streaming music and news via WiFi.  Will probably bring them On the cruise too.    So you don’t need to buy a new smartphone if you can have or borrow a friend’s retired phone.  However, I will admit you will probably need assistance getting familiar with the smartphone and with downloading the app. It is a learning curve with significant possible misdirections.  Good luck, I hope this works out for you. 

This.

20 hours ago, Thrak said:

Wow. Really lame scammers. We have a land line (Vonage so it's cheap) that gets the political calls, most scam calls, etc. We keep it because we've had the number more than 40 years and my wife's family call on that line. Anyway...

 

I got a call purporting to be from Amazon reporting a "suspicious charge" of over $700 from Dayton, Ohio. (I guess they think including the name of a city gives them "authenticity".) Naturally, they want you to press one to find out about it at which point they would want to know what credit card is associated with the account and other personal info. Not a chance in hell I will press one. I hung up. They called back almost immediately and I let it go to the answering machine function. They left the same message. They are persistent but not too bright. So far, not only was there the call where I answered and hung up but they have left the same message on the machine NINE TIMES in the last hour. Sheesh... Mind bogglingly stupid and most annoying. I wonder how many more robo messages will be left before they give up. If they give up.

Disclaimer: Ignore this post if it does not sound interesting to you or if you already have your hands full with sprinklers. Warning - it will take some time to sort out.

We too have a land line number that we have had for 29 years and don't want to give up.

We have a solution that has completely (and I do mean completely) eliminated spam calls getting through on the land line. Sorry, have not found a similar solution for cell phones.

It is a DIY VOIP phone set up similar to a Vonage or Magic Jack but you have to set it up and configure yourself. It can be configured so that whenever a call comes through from an unknown number (known numbers are defined by flagging them in a phone book on the software), an auto attendant message announces "Please press one to speak with the "yourname" e.g. Smiths. The bots for the spam calls do not know what to do and the system is configured to drop the call after 10 seconds if one is not pressed before the phone ever rings. If it is a human, they can press one and the call rings through. Warning - it catches people by surprise and they sometimes need a couple of trys to understand and press one. We try to make sure we add persons and businesses (think family, friends, Doctors, etc.) to the known list and then they don't have to deal with the auto attendant. The software has many other capabilities that we don't use like call forwarding, voicemail, etc.

The bonus is that it is extremely low cost. There is a one time cost for hardware of about $50 and a monthly fee for a cloud provider. Our monthly bill is $2.80 with unlimited calling in and out of the lower 48. In 7 years we have had only two issues that we had to sort out with a help desk.

Here is the current version of the hardware that we use:

https://www.amazon.com/Obihai-OBi200-Adapter-Support-Service/dp/B07FCS1NGM

This is the cloud service that we use (there are others available but they may or may not have the ability to block spam calls):

https://www.anveo.com/enter.asp

If you have the time and willingness to take on a project, it might be worth a try. I recommend searching something like "DIY VOIP land line". Here is one to take a look at:

https://www.howtogeek.com/136959/how-to-switch-to-voip-and-ditch-your-home-phone-bill-forever/

HTH

P.S. Think about being able to go through election season without a single robocall or never again having the "microsoft help desk" call you or the auto warranty people, etc.

Thanks very much for the updates. What is the status of on shore? Are you restricted to Celebrity excursions or free to explore on your own? Does it vary by island?

9 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

Might it be that those who don't go to bars and who enjoy a quiet table for two do so just because they enjoy having some personal time and not to avoid so-called lowly others or pagans?

Of course it might. 

On the subject of two tops vs dining with others who we are not traveling with, I am reminded of an old Steve Martin movie. He is at a fashionable cocktail party and says to the woman he is talking to: "But enough about you, more about ME".

On more than one of our O cruises we have witnessed two couples sharing a table in one of the specialty restaurants where one of the couples beats a hasty departure ASAP because they had heard more than they needed to from the others - undoubtedly about themselves. Alcohol consumption combined with a self absorbed personality can be a dreadful combination. Not to mention those who are willing to preach about their opinions on the current issues of the day. I call it wearing one's politics on their sleeve.

OTOH, meeting someone who makes interesting conversation and has good manners can be a highlight of a trip. To be sure, there are some great possibilities for pleasant and interesting conversation when sharing a table but it's a gamble and if you get stuck with pretentious, highly opinionated  and narrow minded dinner companions, it can be really bad. 

4 hours ago, d9704011 said:

Getting from airports to hotels (or even the cruise ports) is relatively straight-forward and predictable.

 

What are your thoughts on end-of-cruise day?  Getting from PE to MIA and POM to FLL for, let’s say, a scheduled 1200 flight.

The wild card is how the post covid disembarking process might change. It is possible/likely that the crowded mad rush to disembark will not be permitted. At this point no one knows what to expect.

Also, the traffic on I-95 between FLL and Miami is usually heavy and can not always be predictable. Early AM is typically large city rush hour congestion. The Turnpike is not necessarily better. 

Just a few thoughts..

Duffy's PR person should be fired. She should have never taken this interview where they excerpted a few sound bites from her. A few minutes on a morning show where she can properly set the context makes sense, but not this. Just a few of the missing context items:

She did NOT state that Carnival would not require vaccinations, she expressed frustration that the CDC is requiring vaccinations, that no other industry is facing a similar requirement and that Carnival has an issue with under the age of twelve passengers. But she did not have time to say how Carnival intended to proceed nor how Carnival would stay safe if not facing the vaccination requirement.

She did not acknowledge that the 98%/95% CDC numbers WOULD permit a ship to sail with up to 5% children who have not been vaccinated. That could be 200 or more on a large ship sailing full.

She did not address the fact that many ports of call in other countries may require proof of vaccination for any passengers getting off of the ship.

She did not mention the difference in CDC requirements between a 98%/95% vaccinated sailing and a sailing under the test cruise (read less vaccinated) requirements.

She did not reference the seemingly large proportion of  passengers who strongly agree with a vaccination requirement.

So... IMO - not anything to be overly concerned about. For those of us who have upcoming Princess sailings, we need to see how Princess intends to proceed.

Hi Becrisler,

As to pricing, I would recommend that you take the time to look at some of the threads on here that discuss the relative merits of booking directly vs using a Travel Agent (aka TA). In brief, many of the large online TAs will offer OBC or a reduced fare. If booking 5 cabins, the savings would be $$$. However, if you book with a TA, Princess will no longer communicate directly to you. Some people feel that overrides the savings. Check out some of the threads in the archives and you will get a good feel for the subject. Alas, CC will not permit discussion of specific TAs but neverbeenhere gave the right advice on where to start.

We have 2 upcoming cruises on Princess and our TA was able to get us approx. 10% reduced fare on each booking.

Finally, if you do decide to go the TA route, a couple of suggestions:

- Always book with a large agency that has been in business for years and has a proven track record

- Never book with a TA that charges your credit card to the agency. The credit card charge should always be directly to the cruise line

- Never book with a TA that charges a service/booking fee. TAs collect a commission from the cruise line on any bookings they handle

- Never book with a TA that charges a cancellation or rebooking fee. Booking this far ahead you may see price reductions or promos that you would like to change to or possibly change cabins, etc.

HTH

7 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Of course, if you carry your GE card with you (BTW, it can be used instead of REAL ID for newer/more stringent ID proof for air travel), it has your KTN on it.

Thanks for posting this. My driver's license renews in 2025 but is not real ID compliant and I usually don't carry my passport when flying domestic - one more thing to lose😝. So, for me this is a good solution. Thank. again.

OK - color me confused.

If the cruise line sails fully (98%/95%) vaccinated, are these requirements and restrictions still in force or do they apply only if the cruise line wants to go the trial cruise route (pun intended) so that they can sail not fully vaccinated?

I am especially interested in excursions since we can live with just about all of the restrictions if we are permitted to do our own thing onshore. If we sail on a TA from Miami in March, can/will Oceania  allow us to do our own excursions once we leave Miami? Seems like the CDC would be out of the picture regardless of whether the ship is fully vaccinated or not?

We have been on both. Our opinions - YMMV:

Food - Yacht Club is better than mainstream lines like Celebrity and Princess but the Yacht Club Dining Room does not measure up to Oceania especially when factoring in specialties and Waves on O and there is nothing to compare to Horizons (which we love) - the MSC buffets are average at best. 

Service - Hands down, Yacht Club by quite a bit. It wasn't flawless but it was generally very good or better. Many of the staff will recognize you after a day or two and then the service becomes more personalized.

Ambience - Again, hands down Yacht Club. It is less crowded and generally quiet and relaxing although there is always the inevitable self absorbed, self important travelers who can have a negative impact e.g. loud, demanding and sometimes just being good at being obnoxious. But we found those folks on our O trips as well. We were on a TA and there were no kids in the Yacht Club. If there were kids in the Yacht Club, that could change things quite a bit.

If we had your decision, the 10 days would be the deciding factor and we would go on Sirena. If they were both the same duration and same price, we would go on Yacht Club.

The MSC production shows are quite a bit different them anything else we have seen on a ship. We really enjoyed them but some hate them. Worth researching.

We saw FDR on CNN this morning. He went through his reasoning in a somewhat passionate manner. He used the word "draconian" at one point. 

The person interviewing him questioned him about how he could ensure that all of the crew would be vaccinated and he replied or inferred that NCL would take care of their vaccinations stateside. When she questioned him further about NCL's ability to procure vaccinations for the crew, he replied that if all of the crew and passengers are not vaccinated, then the ship won't sail. She was satisfied with that.

As far as forged vaccination records goes... IMHO, whatever standards are applied to other travel and hospitality businesses should be applied to cruise ships - i.e. airplanes/airports, casinos, beach resorts, theme parks, etc. Nothing more and nothing less.

In the interest of full disclosure, we think FDR is making a compelling case and has presented it well, but are fearful that it may not work.

The letter from Rubio, Scott and company is well thought out and expressed clearly the issues and specific requests for information and action. It is surprisingly devoid of the normal political posturing we normally get from our politicians from either side of the political divide. 

IMO, they have done a very good job of highlighting the issues. If the administration fails to provide a meaningful response, it will be unfortunate to say the least.

On 3/18/2021 at 10:20 PM, Syracusefan44 said:

https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/FMC-commissioner-urges-cruising-restart

 

The head of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) called on the U.S. government to allow a resumption of cruises with vaccinated passengers in a plan he dubbed "Cruise Forward."

Thanks for posting this. When I first read his statement, I thought it sounded like a trade group pitch. But it looks like the FMC is a federal regulatory agency. Having the Director of a federal agency arguing in favor of the cruise lines and everyone impacted financially would seem to be a step in the right direction. 

Once you go aft, you always go back.🛳️

We experienced this too. With no FCDs in play, we booked a September 2022 Enchanted TA on 12/29 with $200 down. On 2/1 we booked a November 2021 Sky TA with $800 down. 

As a point of reference, our March 2022 Oceania Riviera TA (see a pattern here?) required a $3000 down payment for an admittedly more expensive cruise in a higher category.

We intend to watch carefully (read daily) and will pull the plug and cancel if we do not see the steady improvement in the reduction of the pandemic effect that we anticipate. We will sail if the ship sails and we will be permitted to do our own thing in ports of call. Masks and distancing are acceptable to us. Ship's excursions are not.

Our best guess is that our November Sky either will not sail or will be restricted to the point that we will cancel. But we will hold until final payment and then make the call. 2022 is too soon to tell.

3 hours ago, skynight said:

If you are searching the Princess site there are lower fares for past cruisers that sign in. Maybe you remain signed in on some browsers and not on others. Just a thought.

I believe that this is the correct answer. I have always gotten the best price by signing in with Princess as opposed to doing a dummy booking incognito.

I have a non cruising friend who speculated that the cruise lines will continue to receive interim financing from the lenders because the lenders already had a lot of capital at risk with the cruise lines before covid that they did not want to have to write off. A variation on the "too big to let fail" notion. Now, at some point, the lenders will need to decide if they are sending good money after bad.

So far, the speculation seems to be that once they are permitted to sail again, that the cruise lines will be profitable and able to pay down this debt that has been generated. Whether that thinking holds will likely depend on the next several months as well as the longer term.  Wait and see and hope for a good outcome especially for the crews who likely are in a world of hurt without the support of stimulus payments, etc.

We have a phone system that allows us to block specific numbers and have blacklisted Oceania. However, when I signed in to Regent recently, I got the phone call and an email in less than an hour. I responded to the email that unsolicited phone calls are unacceptable but to feel free to send as much email as they like. I received a response to the email indicating that they would comply. Regent probably has the same back office marketing as Oceania. It's worth a shot if you can't block their incoming calls to be asked to be put on their no call list. No real risk in that if using a TA.

HTH

2 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

The second shot of the Pfizer shot is exactly the same.... although more lethagy, fatigue and general feeling rough after the second shot.

 

I would like to hope we will be welcoming the thread starter in Southampton in October. The UK will have vaccinated 15 million people today which is approximately 25% of the population. Everyone over 18 years hopefully will have been vaccinated by July...tho watch this space.  The virus has been rife in the UK thus those infected should have some immunity for up to 6 months post infection too.

 

Elements of Boris Johnsons party are pushing for almost total opening up of the county by April. Hopefully it will be directed by science though. UK needs to get back to normaility as the virus and Brexit will have almost ruined it.

 

Can only dream of flying to Costa Rica for a holiday. Cannot even visit my mother 50 miles away. 

 

Looking at a Riviera Cruise out of Miami. Do posters think that will happen?

Thanks for posting this info. IMHO, in the USA we have a self absorbed view of the world. So, the fact that the UK is at a >25% rate gets little or no media play over here. Yesterday's data indicates another 1,700,000 doses administered in the UK!

On a wing and a prayer, we also have a TA out of Southampton booked in November. Still need a minor miracle sequence of events for it to happen but this info breathes some life into our hopes.

Would love to provide a wee bit of help to the UK economic recovery with a couple of days of getting our London "fix".

Sorry, no insight on Oceania out of Miami next winter season but I'd guess that there is a decent chance with continued progress between now and then. Fingers crossed for you. 

Just to muddy the waters - you can also purchase cruise with air but not with O Life. I don't believe that's readily apparent on the website.  We have an upcoming cruise booked that way to take advantage of a favorable Premium Economy rate (pending being able to arrive at mutually satisfactory flights). No O Life for us. YMMV

Beverage packages are not part of O life. They are in addition to O Life:

Hi Dale,

We are Elite on Celebrity and have been on Riviera twice and Sirena once. We are also booked on the Riviera TA for March 2022. We see the comparison this way, based on our experience:

Food - hands down Oceania is way better. The specialties are comparable to Murano and much better than Tuscan Grill. The terrace buffet is much better than Celebrity's buffet. The Oceania MDR is far better than Celebrity's MDR or AQ Blue and Celebrity does not have anything to compare to Waves. All of these are included in your fare. If you would typically spend $ on these, then that serves to offset the fare to some extent.

Beverages - Soda, fruit juices, bottled water and the coffee bar are all included in your fare on Oceania. If you would typically spend $ on these, then that serves to offset the fare to some extent. The drink packages on Oceania are pricey. Note that the basic beverage package is lunch and dinner only. However, Oceania does allow alcohol to be brought on board for consumption in your cabin.

Service - Oceania is somewhat better but this is situational. We have had both good and bad service on both lines. Oceania does seem to have a better crew/passenger ratio.

Entertainment - hands down Celebrity is way better. Oceania has less activity scheduled and does not have anything to compare to Celebrity's featured entertainment in the theater. Oceania does have some nice bars and lounges but less live music at them than Celebrity. If this is important to you, it should be carefully considered. 

Rooms - If this is important to you, there is a lot of discussion on here. For a port intensive itinerary the room should be a little less important. It is less important to us but we found the Oceania balconies to be quite satisfactory. The soft goods are higher quality on Oceania. People on here rave about the mattresses.

Atmosphere - We expected a more refined upscale clientele on Oceania but have not found that to be the case. That was a surprise. However, the much lower passenger count results in a less crowded and generally more relaxed atmosphere on board. You won't have as much of a contest getting on and off the ship or queuing at venues around the ship. We found very few kids on board and the ones we saw appeared to be bored to tears.

On Board Sales Activity - Oceania takes a much more subdued approach to generating additional on board revenue revenue. No sidewalk sales or barrage of fliers, voicemails, etc. 

Shore Excursions - no comment. We almost always arrange independently.

Airfare - We have found Celebrity's airfare program to be far superior and, until our next Oceania trip, have never used Oceania air. Note that many Oceania trips have a good price on Premium Economy but not so much for Business. If flying coach, Oceania may well be the best price. If you are considering using Oceania air, it is advisable to understand their deviation and upgrade charges as well as seat assignment policies.

Pricing - We run a spreadsheet to compare and normalize pricing. We adjust for gratuities, OBC/rebates, beverages and airfare. We are finding that Celebrity is = or > than Oceania. YMMV. When pricing Oceania be aware of the following: There are a few different ways to book Oceania and they all affect pricing. You can book with O Life and air included. You can book cruise only with no O Life and no air. You can book with air included but no O life (the website did not offer us this option but it is available). On our next trip, the O Life OBC was exactly the same as the difference in price - so a no brainer to decline O Life unless you are considering O shore excursions. Some TAs will offer OBC, prepaid gratuities and/or cash rebates on Oceania. We have found that the % value of these is about the same on both lines - it obviously varies by itinerary and date.

All of the above are our opinions and some would differ in their opinions (see our sig line). We would like to experience the Edge class and also Viking Sea but both are currently priced much higher on an adjusted basis.

For now, Oceania has become our goto. 

HTH