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We mailed our passport renewals in 3 weeks ago - the check has been cashed and the web site says they are processing.

1 hour ago, coondog99 said:

Yes but unfortunately non-residents of the US cannot purchase them.

Sorry - I didn't realize that!

On 3/19/2024 at 8:30 PM, coondog99 said:

How often do these go on sale? I picked up one of these and a $300 one a few weeks ago. 

I don't know about Newegg but AARP has the $500 and $100 cards available all the time for 10% off.

We were on the same cruise - our third on the Emerald in the past year.  I think the engine shutting down (and the lights going off for a short time) was the top of the list for us - and we thought the engine shut down a few other times briefly.  But it was a great cruise regardless.

On 3/6/2024 at 10:49 AM, Steelers36 said:

Interesting how you can play penny slots - if that's your game - but need to bet considerably more for each round of Blackjack.

We play the penny slots to kill time - and DW enjoys it after dinner.  On our cruise that ended this Weds she won a "mystery jackpot" for $900 playing 34 cents a pull.   So I enjoyed it as well 🙂

8 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

No, it’s the same.  We just did a transfer from ship to LAX.  My post #11

states:  they gave us transfer tickets.  When we got outside, they told us where to catch the bus.  We got on, no one wanted to collect or see our tickets.  🥴

We were just on the Emerald out of FLL.  We received excursion tickets in an envelope as usual but we did not receive anything about our transfers.  I asked the customer service folks and they said the luggage tag was the ticket....certain colors indicate transfers - and we didn't have an issue.

8 hours ago, TW6cruiser said:

We used Blackberry cars last year. It was very easy.  Service was great.  We got through security faster than expected. But we could track our driver online and saw he was parking. He met us in the terminal and helped with bags to the parking area.  Very efficient, we would use them again. 

We also used Blackberry on our trip last year and agree it was easy and the service was great.  It was getting pricey just after we booked them - I haven't checked since.

Getting on the Emerald in FLL a couple of weeks ago we started to get in line outside the terminal and just as we did one of the employees motioned for us to come over to where he was and sent us down a much shorter line - he had noticed our elite medallions - there were no signs that I could see.  Once inside we went through security and they just kept leading us to the ship - I didn't see any "Green" or "Blue" signs or lines - we just walked right on the ship and to our cabin.  Getting off the ship was almost as easy - much better than what we've experienced in the past.

We just got off the Emerald on Wednesday and we  noticed two bags on the closet floor that morning.  We have several so we didn't take them.

1 hour ago, BamaVol said:

We haven’t found one yet, but the June cruise is with the grandkids and they’re psyched.

We were just on  the Emerald Princess and they had a group from our Roll Call that did the duck thing.  I did happen to find one - and set it free the next day.  I did see one other that someone had found and it had a card on it that listed where and when the duck had been located - for the last 9 years!

You should get all the goodies.  We just got off the Emerald Princess that we booked a year and a half ago.  We had the Plus package but it was the old one and we didn't get the extra goodies.  Back in Nov we were also on the Emerald on a cruise we booked about a year ago after the new packages were put in place and we were elig to get the extras on that cruise - although we never did take advantage of the 2 desserts everyday :-)

We have 19 Princess cruises and three on the Emerald NOT counting the one we leave for in 2 weeks - in fact our last three cruises will have been on the Emerald - in the same cabin.  The last one was 4 months ago and we thought the Emerald was in good shape - but we aren't very critical.  I like the Grand class ships, and want smaller not larger so the new 5000 person ships don't interest me.  We are also not picky if we see a little rust on the balcony.  I guess it just depends on you - what are you cruising for, what are your expectations.  One of the great things about cruising is all the choices we have and whatever it is we are looking for - they pretty much offer it.  We cruise to be together in a more relaxed setting (hard to do when you've been retired a long time :-), see some sights we haven't seen before or wanted to see again, have a good service experience and hope we hate to leave the ship!  We accomplish that pretty much every cruise 🙂  Hope you have a great cruise whatever you choose!

45 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Here is what we ran into visiting Kilchurn Castle in Scotland:

 

 

Looks familiar 🙂  But our last day in Wales was sunny and spectacular.  On a private car tour in Scotland I had been discussing local favorite beverages with our driver and he admitted enjoying a "wee dram" of his favorite now and then - and we kept bringing it up until we got to our last tour area.  He called me back to the car and opened his trunk.  He pulled out a box and opened it and inside was a bottle of his favorite plus two small what looked like pewter glasses with "A wee dram" engraved in them and poured one for each of us.  When I admired his choice he decided we should have another wee dram.  At least I didn't have to drive :-)

We did the British Isles cruise in the fall of 2022.  You have received a lot of great info already.  All I can add was that it rained almost every day we were there - and it was still one of the best cruises we've been on.  Do it!!!

We have done Alaska on Princess twice - both times in May - and both times the weather was fantastic.  Never did wear those lined jeans we bought for the cruise....  I wanted to sign up for the Balcony Dinner but was worried about weather.  We were in a mini with a nice size balcony - but if the weather was bad, or the ship was moving and there was a lot of wind...iffy.  I noticed our departure in Juneau was later than normal - like 9 or 10pm so that would at least eliminate the wind from the ship moving - and I booked for 7pm.  When the dinner started the sun was shining, we were in short sleeves and sun glasses and it was perfect!  We wish that for you!!!!

We have been on the Emerald twice in the last year (and again next month) in an aft balcony cabin.  I'm not a big internet user but since we paid for it...  The speed went from no delays at all (most of the time) to go get a snack and check back later - I'm sure there are a lot of factors involved but I remember thinking I'm glad I don't have to depend on it for anything.

On 1/14/2024 at 4:56 PM, cruzsnooze said:

I bought a $500 gift card on AARP and it wasn't loaded. It's been almost two months of frustration with AARP and still no resolution. I finally had to dispute on my credit card. 

  If you buy ant gift cards from any merchant on AARP check immediately to see if was loaded. They had a lot of issue's with Macy's card last year. 

I use Princess gift cards pretty much every cruise - and I was lucky enough to get them when they were still 10% off (like they still are for the other cruise lines..).  I always check them as soon as I get them and before I send them to my TA but still had one $500 card get rejected (input by my TA) and it took a good month or longer of getting Princess, AARP and my TA involved.  About the time I was going to give up and pay from another source I received a message from my TA saying the gift card had processed...

Haven't had one in many cruises nor have I heard of any.  I would expect with the advent of the new bid for a cabin program not many good cabins would be left.  Years ago we were offered a move from our aft balcony cabin to a prime mini suite for free - we accepted.  Shortly before the cruise we were offered a full suite for $100pp - we accepted - and it was right next to the aft balcony cabin we had originally booked.  That was the last time for us.  We keep booking that same aft balcony cabin hoping it will happen again 🙂

On 1/14/2024 at 7:20 AM, amajaa said:

I downloaded the new app , I had to reset my password. All done okay so I signed into the app. I want to have a look if there dining we booked was still there and it said i had to download the app ( I checked and yes I was still in the app) so anyway I clicked download the app , yes it was just telling me to open it as I had already downloaded it, and it just took me back to where I was before  telling me to download the app. 

 

Any ideas , I am going to try deleting it and downloading it again. Well report back 

After I downloaded the new app, and after deleting all the credit cards they had listed for offshore purchases that were never listed there before, I could not get at our dining reservations at all.  I finally gave up and went on another device that still had the old app and they showed up as we had scheduled them - but it's still 30+ days 🙂

We took a cruise out of Quebec a few years ago - spent a night in a B&B then checked onto the ship at the normal boarding time the following day and after spending some time in the cabin getting situated we headed back out and spent the afternoon and evening enjoying Quebec.  I can't imagine that ability has changed.  BTW it was one of our favorites so far - enjoy!!!

21 hours ago, sparky321 said:

I have been following this blog, my new app seems to work well most of the time but still logs out once in a while when I try to open dining. 

 

I have a question about dining booked at the specialty restraunts, if you book and pay for say the Crown Grill and then cancel at a later date do you hat you money returned?

Not quite the same thing - but on our cruise on the Emerald in Nov I had booked the Steakhouse several months ahead of the cruise.  Something happened and we ended up showing up a day late (I had one day and they had another - most likely my mistake and I didn't catch it on the app).  I went to the customer service desk and they offered me the opportunity to go that evening or give me a refund.  They processed the refund on the spot.

10 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

Without knowing your stage of recovery, do please be sure you don't have an interaction with any pain medications and alcohol you may be taking at the time of your cruise.

May I suggest, my fellow gin enthusiast, since you like lemon in your gin drinks, and prefer a tall glass, instead of a G&T, have you ever tried a French 75?   It should be served in a flute.  They'd always have a bottle of champagne open. Just a thought.

No pain meds - after surgery and almost 4 weeks of morphine/dilaudid/clonodine withdrawal (long story involving a morphine pain pump) the only thing going in my mouth, other than a G&T, will be aspirin!  But thanks for the reminder!!  I have never heard of a French 75!   Google here I come! 🙂

Thanks everyone!  Hopefully I'll be physically able to go to a lounge and get what I want, but great to have options if I'm not!!!

We have had the Plus Package before including the last two cruises we went on last year, but didn't have a smartphone so never ordered anything to be delivered to us.  This cruise we have a phone and a tablet so I'm dangerous!  I will be in recovery mode after surgery and will most likely spend a lot of time on the balcony so it would be nice to be able to order a drink (or two) to be delivered.  Not having done it before I have a few questions and please remember I have never even opened whatever part of the app I will need yet 🙂  If I want to order a specific drink - say a gin and tonic - are you able to specify the type of gin, that you prefer a tall glass and lemon instead of a lime???  This is important!! 🙂  Thanks in advance.

7 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

The above two reports are what we would expect to be happening.  I don't book Suites, but I do find it hard to believe PCL has the audacity to ping them for five bucks on normal RS orders.

That sounds like a "hold my beer" challenge!!! 🙂