sunluva7

Does anyone know of a company that will rent a scooter or chair for the day? My husband is having mobility issues and I think the Pearl Harbor Visitor's Center and Arizona Memorial are going to be too much for him as he can't walk distances and can't stand long. I checked with one company referred by the hotel that has a four-day minimum. We are only in Honolulu for 2 days before boarding the Pride of America. Pearl Harbor is the only thing we have planned that he really wants to see, and we don''t need a scooter for the cruise.

Something I didn’t mention in my blog - my husband and I tested positive for Covid when we returned home.😳

7 minutes ago, EDVM96 said:

That's not Glacier Bay, that is a Princess excursion available at Hubbard Glacier.

https://www.princess.com/ports-excursions/hubbard-glacier-scenic-cruising-alaska-excursions/hubbard-glacier-and-wilderness-exploration

 

Thanks for clearing that up. Is that routine for Hubbard Glacier - an optional excursion? I have not done Alaska with Hubbard. The reviewer posted two photos, one from the Discovery this May and one from a previous cruise, showing a vast difference in how close they got to the glacier. I assumed it was the same glacier in both pics, but now I'm not sure. 

Someone posted in the Review section (May 2023) that Discovery "does not go near the glacier" and that an optional "$300 up close" excursion was offered to be able to get further to the glacier. The reviewer doesn't mention if it was Glacier Bay, but I've never heard of Princess doing this. Is this the case for all Princess cruises now in Glacier Bay, or was this a one-time thing due ship size, to ice or some other weather factor? I'd love to hear from someone else who may have cruised or will be cruising in Glacier Bay in 2023, as we are looking at Discovery to Glacier Bay in 2024.

Better late than never, here is my take on this cruise, published in the Review section.

Norwegian Prima by sunluva7

Besides what appears to be a better location, what's the difference in these two categories? Is Prime a bigger cabin? Is Prime worth the extra $100 bucks or so?

Thanks so much for posting this. We are also from RI, and this will be our 5th time doing this Boston to Bermuda in July. Did you have the specialty dining promo included? If so, did you book your specialty restaurants in advance on line or did you book them on board?

How does it work when you buy tickets directly with Alaska RR for the morning ride to Whittier from Anchorage for a Princess cruise? With an overnight stay at Comfort Inn Ship Creek, what's the best way to get to the rail station and how far is it from Comfort Inn? Will Princess provide luggage service or will the train crew help with bags? 

We used Cabot Discovery Tours.

Even if you book your cruise on board directly with Princess, you can transfer it to the agent of your choice when you get home. Many agents will give you added onboard credit or other amenity as a thank you for the business.🙂

1 hour ago, senior lady said:

Thanks for the great review.  Going on the Caribbean in November for a 10 day partial Canal cruise.

I've been on most of the ships except this one and the new ones that are just coming out.  I've always stayed clear of the Caribbean because of remarks about how old she was.   This has made me more excited..... thanks.

Yes, she is old, but the changes make her look much newer. By the way, we did the partial Panama transit on the Coral 2 years ago, and loved that itinerary. You’ll be going in November so it won’t be so hot. 🙂

7 hours ago, tailspintom said:

A very nice review. I like the New England / Canada itinerary, having taken the late October re-positioning to Florida a few times. We will probably do it again when/if they put Charleston, South Carolina back into the port visits. Your comment on the crowding of the theater seems to jive with Hank's earlier comments that the venue is just too small for a two show schedule.  Like you, we enjoy the quieter area aft in the Horizon Court.  The changes made on the last CB refit seems to have spread out the patrons.

 

Thanks for taking the time to do such an extensive review.

I have not been to Charleston, and that would be a great port on the itinerary!

9 hours ago, sunsetbeachgal said:

Thank you for your review.  We are going on the cruise in reverse in October with slightly different ports.  Appreciate the tip about the forward Lido Deck viewing area.  

You will love it - it’s especially beautiful in October.🙂

7 hours ago, skynight said:

I want to add that during the spring wet dock to repair the propulsion motor a really nice family area was added to deck 17. The area has a great new splash pool with active water features, cushioned lounges and seating, some with cover, shaded areas, a youth friendly bar, pool and hot tub. There is a photo in the current Circle Magazine on page 4.

Yes, I agree, it’s a nice area and a big plus for the kids, though I heard a few complaints from guests in the adult aft pool area about its location and noise from kids above disrupting their peace and quiet. We didn’t notice because we were at the aft pool either when people were off the ship or early in the morning when the kids were still in bed.

8 hours ago, skynight said:

Thanks for the review. We were on the same voyage. Agree with you regarding your medallion comments. Did not see much benefit beyond opening the cabin door. Your other comments are just about the same as mine. One additional comment is that the entertainment department needed at least three theater performance times. Two performances in an 800 seat theater does not work well with 3,000 passengers. 

You are right, and this seems to be a common problem on most big ships - too many guests for the size of the theater. We arrived a half hour early to get seats.

8 hours ago, worldtraveller said:

We are taking a similar cruise next year and I noticed in your review you said that Sydney was a tender port.  Was this a change to plans? I ask as it is not listed that way when I look up the trip we are taking.

 

Thanks

It wasn’t listed that way on ours either. We were unsure up until the day before how we were docking - first it was tender, then it was dock, the  finally they confirmed we were tendering. Holland America took the dock space.

My Review is up from our cruise a few weeks ago. It’s a long one, so pour yourself a drink, put your feet up and enjoy.😀

In a nutshell, it was a great cruise - nice ship for its age, loved Quebec City and the ports, especially Cape Breton, NS. 

Caribbean Princess-Canada NE 08/09/19

My friend is allergic to certain chemicals in water, doesn't drink tap water, and is sensitive to certain brands of bottled water but wants to bring her own. I know it's okay to carry a case of your own water on board, but what about carrying water on the tour portion from Anchorage? It doesn't seem feasible to carry an entire case on a bus or train. Does anyone know what brands they sell in Anchorage and at the lodges? Has anyone been successful in buying a case of water in Whittier before boarding the ship?

3 minutes ago, Marjan1 said:

Our Travelmarvel European river cruise had a separate group for slow walkers or those with mobility issues.  Sometimes they took a mini bus closer to the destination or had a modified walking tour.  But as our ship did not have an elevator, I guess everyone had to have a certain level of mobility to walk up/down at least one flight of stairs.  

 

Yes, some river lines like Uniworld and AmaWaterways do seem to have more options for "gentle" walkers, but Viking doesn't make it very clear. 

2 hours ago, cruisergrandma said:

On our Viking tour there was a slow walker group for those not able to keep up the pace of some of the guides.  We traveled with 3 other couples and 2 couples went with the slower group. They said that pace was very manageable for them. However, in Strasbourg they saw nothing of old town. They simply went to the cathedral. They were happy with that but I felt like they really missed a lot. Not sure what they saw or what they missed in other towns.

Thanks, that's what I thought. 

7 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

On which cruise line are you sailing? On the river cruises I have taken, the groups were not divided by ability (Viking, Gate 1). 

On one of our cruise tours there was a couple who were struggling with the pace and distance of the walking tour. The guide was great with them - they simply sat and waited in an outside cafe until our return. Don't know if this is a possibility on all tours though. 

BTW: anyone having trouble managing more than a few stairs would not be a good candidate for a moderate tour - easy tours would suit these individuals much better.

I would advise contacting the company with which you booked.

Thanks, I forgot to mention - it's a Viking cruise. I think there is only one "easy" included tour; most are optional. 

I’m looking over excursions for our October Rhine River cruise, and wonder if someone could share some thoughts on one labeled as moderate. Are guests divided into groups by ability, i.e. easy/slow, moderate walking, etc? We’ve got some people in good shape and others who are definitely slower and may have trouble with more than a few stairs. Are people generally able to hang back and wait for the group to return if they can’t make the whole tour?

When the Pearl is docked in Grand Cayman from 7:00 to 3:00, what time is the last tender back to the ship?

Thanks, everyone. We’ve decided to stay on board at Gatun Lake, since my husband is recovering from a recent health issue, and we are doing a similar rainforest boat ride in Limon. Don’t need the guess work and excess time in the heat. We’ll enjoy whatever the view is in the lake, the uncrowded experience of returning through the locks, with the added benefit of A/C when we need it.

Thanks! I guess there is a bit of guess work involved.