dmwnc1959

4 hours ago, Turtles06 said:

I took the photos below on the Gem in February 2023.

 

 

 

 

If I’m not mistaken, this looks like it was done on a back-to-back? The first picture is of the Gatun Locks heading into Gatun Lake coming in from the Atlantic side, and the second picture is of the Miraflores Locks looking toward Centennial Bridge coming in from the Pacific side. 

39 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

I wanted to add one additional comment.  I don't know whether this would be your first transit of the Canal….

Thanks for the tips! Definitely the first time, and for this cruiser a once-in-a-lifetime Bucket List item. And I agree that this one day transit is the most important day of the entire cruise.

As for Panama Canal cruises: I’ve done a LOT of research on ports, weather, EB vs WB, watched cruise ships on the Panama Canal live web cams, and checked out all of the Discovery Channel, History Channel, and Smithsonian Channel videos on YouTube. I’ve double-checked ships, itineraries, and best time of year to cruise. Narrowed it down to one ship and booked it.
 

Then completely by accident NCL happened along. Found a cruise with a LOT more dining and entertainement options, on a similar sized ship, with an itinerary that’s 9-days longer, for the same price. Now I’m questioning my decision. 

I’ll put a deposit down tomorrow on this new option, and spend some more time ironing out the details. In the mean time I’ll continue to research, read books, and contemplate the meaning of life in retirement. 😁

Still looking at the pros and cons of two different ships for 2025 doing the Panama Canal. When doing a full transit WB, does NCL make it a habit of opening the bow to passengers for viewing the locks? And on these Jewel-class ships, do they always transit the old locks, as opposed to the Breakaway-class which use the new locks? 
 

😁

4 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Tuesday and NCL Gem is going in and out..

Those bridge cam shots are AMAZING!!! 🥰

33 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Yes, both are covered…

GREAT answer! As I had alluded to I’m comparing cruises, and the one main other ship I’ve narrowed it down to - as really, really nice as it is - severely lacks in number and variety of options for lunch/dinner, etc. I know cruising is more than just about eating, but having at least a dozen different options, with some great specialty dining and a 24/7 sit-down alternative, it’s a lot better than just six choices. Especially when I’m going to be on the ship for more than 2-3 weeks. 😁

My apologies for the rookie question, this will be my first time on NCL. Are the Specialty Restaurants and the A La Carte Restaurants both covered when buying a Meal Specialty Dining Package? If so, how does the latter  pricing structure figure into the package costs. I’m looking at the 25-night cruises and thinking of maybe adding a 9- or 10-night package in addition to being able to eat at all of the included options. Thanks for the help, tips, and any insights! 

21 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

OK...for the sake of everyone else who was NOT around when this took place...can we get a link to whatever thread we're talking about?  You've really got me curious now!

At the top threads list click on the drop down list and choose Most Viewed or Most Replies. You’ll find this…

THANK YOU to the OP for this thread. My cruise is still 357 days away, but having OBC and seeing an excursion that I really, REALLY want, just booked it. Not sure how quickly the Panama Canal & Locks Transit By Boat sells, but didn’t want to take a chance. This is a Once-in-a-Lifetime cruise for me. Pretty happy! 😁

13 minutes ago, MacMadame said:

The Coral Princess is going into dry dock in Oct. Maybe they'll add some more then. 

 

I do think that Princess is going to change a lot of stuff before our cruises as well. (I'm doing the Jan 4th, 2025 East->West) so I try not to stress too much about it. I really, really, really hope that they change the 2 this-or-that per cruise into per week of cruising. Because then we'll get double! 😄 

The worst part about this is that October is right at the FPT date for me. Argh. If they turn this into another Island Princess I’ll be (insert spitting mad emotions). 
 

I don’t know how much business they out of the Wedding Chapel and the Princess Fine Arts Gallery, but they could expand Sabatini’s into that space and make a new permanent Alfredo’s and I’d be fine with that. 😉

2 hours ago, tulok said:

I just looked at cruisetimetable.com and can see all ships that will be in St Thomas but not where they are docking. Four ships were listed on the St Thomas schedule for that day. I am sure there is another site that says were they are docking.

Last time I tried posting this CC quite literally locked my responce. I would include the link, but don’t want it to get locked out again. 
 

This site lists the docks as CB (Crown Bay) and WICO (Havensight). 

Check:

vinow dot com  /cruise/ship-schedule/2-2024/

😁

The really slow dining experience is why I quit eating in the MDR. And I much prefer to eat solo. Really want to be in and out within an hour. I did check the ‘eat quick’ option in the new Princess app, so I how that works. 🥸

37 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

Do you have to check two different listings for the two different Ports at St Thomas.

Looking at our cruise, I think I only saw our one ship listed.

Crown Bay and Havensight are both listed under St. Thomas…

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/cruises-to-st-thomas-us-virgin-islands.html

aslo check vinow dot com 

🥸
 

1 minute ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I'll be honest...I have never checked a port schedule before booking and doubt that I ever will.  We book for the itinerary...if it's crowded on a particular day...well, it's crowded.  We're *still* on a cruise and still visiting a port!

Crazy that I’m the complete opposite! I really do LOVE shipspotting and always excited to see what other cruise ships are in port with us. 😁

Just now, dides said:

I knew it! You were the OG as far as I was concerned - amazing dedication to detail and for hunting down information 😁

It still stands as one of the Most Viewed and Most Replies thread in the Cruise Critic’s Princess Cruises Forum history. It was a huge, huge joint effort between a LOT of us back then, soooo many truly GREAT people. To this day it brings a smile to my face and warms my heart. 🥰

7 minutes ago, dides said:

@dmwnc1959 Off topic - but were you part of the excitement on here when the first Royal Class ship was launched?  Your username seems familiar.

Guilty. 😎 That was truly a blast, and we had sooooo much fun. 🥰

8 hours ago, MacMadame said:

Alfredo's is still a popup but now it's not free. The Salty Dog Gastropub is also a popup and also is not free. I believe they alternate between the two on sea days.

 

If you have Plus, you can get 2 free casual dining meals per cruise. Premier fares give you unlimited casual dining. Standard passengers have to pay.

I’ve booked the Princess Premier. I know this isn’t even close to a Royal-class with the number of dining options, but I was hoping for a few opportunities to use the Unlimited Casual Meals. Do wish Coral Princess has more food venues or even a bigger International Café. Sigh. 🥸This is the first time in well over a decade I’ve booked a cruise for the itinerary and Coral Princess is the best option for a full transit of the Panama Canal using the old locks. 😁

And if you went a week later or earlier the weather could be pouring down rain. Or the other ships could have an itinerary change. This is really a non-issue. Last time I was in St. Thomas we had 5 ships in port including Allure of the Seas and Celebrity Reflection at Crown Bay. Royal Princess docked at Havensight along with two other ships. Allure was also docked next to us in St. Martin. It was fine. 

I was reading another thread where on Island Princess the Alfredo’s pop-up sea day lunches may, or were, to be replaced by paid lunches in Sabatini's. If this is to be the case on Island/Coral Princess, will there then be no ‘Unlimited casual dining meals’ when the only option has been removed? Asking for a friend. 😉

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2959847-new-room-service-menu-and-prices/

7 hours ago, Knickearth said:

Funny, we have done four Panama Canal crossings and never received a certificate.  I do have one for crossing the international dateline and my son and husband had a picture taken crossing the equator, but not on princess.

Just to clarify, the four PC transits were done on Princess Cruises? Or a different cruise line? Sorry for the confusion. 😁

3 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

Today it’s Ambience, another world cruiser.  I can’t help it…I e always thought this was an ugly design…

 

 

 
I remember being on her in Alaska as the original Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess - was on her twice, once each before and after her refit. The atrium post-refit was gorgeous. That giant domed casino/lounge was quite revolutionary for the time, but not unlike a lighted massive cavern. Loved the Bengal Lounge. Fond memories. 🥰

@Essiesmom same here for me at least it was pretty bad day for the Panama Canal Web Cams. They all seem to freeze up, lock up, or be out of commission. Don’t know if it was my ISP or iPhone, but couldn’t get a single one of them to work all day. Some really GREAT and UNIQUE ships coming through between tomorrow and Saturday! Looking forward to your pictures!!! 🥰

Well this is embarrassing. 🤯 I can’t even begin to imagine what those booked on her inaugural - and for that matter any sailing in February - must be going through right now. Just…wow. 😢

45 minutes ago, Josie201 said:

Is there an option to pay for a bag of laundry ? 

I know some other cruise lines offer that generalized service to passengers, but I think because Princess has self-service laundromats (with irons) on every passenger cabin deck they do not offer a ‘bag of laundry’ option. They do have Same-Day and Next-Day laundry service available, but there is a per-item charge. For Princess Cruises Elite Level guests they have complimentary laundry service. 

Two more for the OP, your transit as seen on Marine Traffic: 

😁

Fred Olsen’s BOREALIS and Crystal Cruises CRYSTAL SERENTIY passing through today on their respective World Cruises.