Sailingpeace

11 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Since Princess went to Starlink, there is no more internet/wifi by the minute.  You will need to purchase:

 

Plus or Premier

Internet package for the entire cruise

Or pay by the day at full price plus a little more than daily wifi package. (not sure if platinum/elite discount applies for by the day)

 

How port intensive is your cruise?  Can you "live" without connecting for a day or two?  

 

If you have an iPhone, iMessaging sometimes works (hit and miss) for texting

WhatApp also works for texting

Thanks for the nice reply and the suggestions with the iPhone.

12 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Not sure the point of thiS post.  A rant about internet cost ( it's not wifi).  Or is this a rant about speed?  It has improved a lot in past few months with new satellite service.

Totally not a rant, I have alyays been absolutely ok with ship Internet services. Just asking as this time I will barely need a few minutes on some sea days and little "dinosaur" me remembered old days with services at Internet Cafe and I wondered if there was something other than full day packages. 

Thanks. Reassuring coming from someone who did the tour. 

If you are ok with wifi on land at port destinations and only need wifi twice a day on sea days is there still a thing as Internet café login  of some sort.  I write my emails  off line, get connected for a few minutes as they get sent and the new ones come in. Later in the day I reply and write new ones ( if needed) and connect again for a few minutes. When in port I may take more time to connect. WIFI packages ( even at 50%) seem a lot for that. 

p.s. not that I am not a wifi person, just that I take a break when on a cruise. Ship phone ( yes $$$$$$$) , available for real emergencies. 

Thanks for the info. 

So I understand that you left your carry on on the bus ?

I wonder what Windsor Castle has as restrictions for bags for visitors , some museums have gone really minimal (no backpack etc). . I would not feel comfortable leaving some items on the bus. 

Glad you enjoyed , look forward to the same. 

Looking at the Windsor tour from Southampton. My guess is that you can also send your carry-on luggage &  CPAP to be seen again at the airport, and only take valuable items with you for the tour in a bag that can be carried as you visit Windsor Castle and go for lunch in the city.

All advice welcome. 

On 2/16/2024 at 6:01 PM, karatemom2 said:

 

Please join our roll call if you do decide to book it. We have a great group and for a lot of us, like you, this is a bucket list cruise, especially with the impending changes in a couple of years with large ships being allowed in the fjords. I can tell you that there is still a lot of availability with Princess tours and some really great private tours that you can access should you book it. 

Thanks for the kind invitation for the roll call, fingers crossed for 2024

1 hour ago, karatemom2 said:

It depends on the cruise and types of excursions, but at this point you should still find capacity on all but perhaps the most in demand excursions for your particular cruise. We have a Land of the Midnight Sun in Norway booked for June of this year, and a few excursions are filled, but most still have availability. Additionally, if you are open to independent tours there are usually lots of options from which to choose. On our roll call for our cruise, we have a number of private excursions that different groups are taking so that is another avenue you might want to explore by taking a look at the roll call for the cruise you are considering.

 

Princess shore excursions tend to be highly overpriced, so if you can find similar options you like through an independent tour you are usually better off and sometimes get a better experience in a smaller group. We usually reserve booking through Princess shore excursions for those tours we absolutely can't get on our own for some reason, or for tours that might be pressing the edge of our time in port. At least with Princess, we know if it's a late tour they won't leave without us.

It is the cruise I am looking at ! Thanks fort he advice and fingers crossed this bucket list dream can come true. 

58 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

No, not all Princess excursions would be booked full by now. Some will be, probably, but definitely not all for every port. No, there is now way to check that prior to booking..

 

Maybe Book a refundable deposit,  then you can see excursion options and spaces available and decide. If they're full, you could cancel as you're outside final payment... 

Just now, Sailingpeace said:

.Thanks, hope will make me make a refundable booking. 

1 hour ago, Sailingpeace said:

Maybe my searching skills are not top right now, but I did not find the information. I am thinking of booking a cruise, Europe, June 2024, and  I want to book many Princess excursions. Would it be too late now to book them ? I remember seeing something about booking opening 100 days before cruises or something like that. 

I would not want to do final payment if I cannot book some excursions. I understand some may fill faster than I can book. 

 

It would be a return to cruising for me, first time since 2018.

 

All advice  welcome. Thanks

Maybe my searching skills are not top right now, but I did not find the information. I am thinking of booking a cruise, Europe, June 2024, and  I want to book many Princess excursions. Would it be too late now to book them ? I remember seeing something about booking opening 100 days before cruises or something like that. 

I would not want to do final payment if I cannot book some excursions. I understand some may fill faster than I can book. 

It would be a return to cruising for me, first time since 2018.

All advice  welcome. Thanks

Cannot believe how far from the Princess I know it makes the cruise experience look. From the start, first impression, The Sanctuary is made to look like a cocktail lounge for " squeeqy OMG" overdoses !!! So the exact opposite of what can make Princess experience unique. There will be a need for some clarification of that perk in the brochures...

As someone who always booked the Sanctuary and enjoyed the serenity for a much needed rest, I just cannot imagine beeing there when this disaster was filming.I hope it was a short disturbance and that passengers were informed in advance, ie, pre-booking. 

It sems to me like a show that would belong more on other cruise lines better known for another kind of ambiance. 

It was nice to see Isaak etc, yes reminders of a much love show, 

People discovering Princess ships via this show may have a very different image of the target crowd that I had come to know. Has Princess changed that much during the pandemic.....OMG  😉

Lucky you ! 

Had the chance to cruise the Baltic when we had John Lawrence on board as our cruise director !! If you can get a copy of his Baltic Treasures dvd, or any of his talks ,  it is really useful. Some things may have change, but Tallin walls are still in the same place as are all the Churches in Russia ...   https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Baltic-Treasures-by-John-Lawrence-DVD-New-/323769582152

Also Rick Steves more recently   published a guide  https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/northern-european-cruise-ports ( 2018 edition, next one in august 2020) 

Mr Lawrence told us at the beginning of the cruise to try to get as much rest as possible on sea day before we started the port day as it would get to be very intensive. And it was ! There is so much to see and do and you will want to get the most out of your days. I recommend to friends doing this cruise, to arrive to embarkation port a few days earlier to adjust to time zone changes and get some rest.

Usually not a big fan of bus tours outside the city , but in St-Petersburg , going to Catherine Palace and Peterhof  are something I really enjoyed , the wonderful animated meal we had in a restaurant along the way beeing also a beautiful souvenir. We did that with Princess tours.

It is a cruise I would do again and again.  I read on some posts to be careful about some people MUST do things, I agree. There are so many aspects to every port , you have to choose what is of interest to YOU. 

The only thing I would do differently next time is to not stay on the ship at night . I would go back into the city for a night at he Ballet or a museum visit or just a nightly  sightseeing. We decided to rest but it was the ok thing to do as I was with my mom.  

It  has been years and I still enjoy the wonderful wool sweaters I baught in Tallin and Norway. 

Have a great cruise 

What kind of hotel do you prefer and where are you on the budget scale ? Will you have time to enjoy the city before boarding  or is it just to sleep the night before ? Do you need to do some pre-cruise shopping ?

For DH and me , Sanctuary was a big plus . and often the deciding point between Princess and another cruise line. We always booked for the duration of our Carribean cruises ( one ou 2 weeks) . But seeing the new chairs, thin and no arms... sounds like no sanctuary for us anymore. The  chair was a big  part of the experience, there is not much else to do when in sanctuary  but sit on it , rest on it, read on it etc.  Thank you fotr the pictures Host CJSKIDS !

We went for the comfort , not the look...  Different look , different style, some will find better looking, I don't , but comfort seems gone... you still get a reserved chair  in a quiet area , but doesn't seem worth the price anymore. 

Thanks Coral for that info. I did not know about the 60 days rule. 

Thank you Colo Cruiser. 

I plan to book directly with Princess at fisrt and then transfer to a TA closer to sailing. 

I was hoping that if I have to change the itinerary chosen , I would not loose my FCC privileges.  I first hope I will not have to make a change , but just in case, it is a booking so far in advance and family health situation is iffy...

1. Can I use FCC about to expire in a few days  for a cruise in 2020  ?

2. Do I need 2 FCC if cruising solo ?

3. If the answer is yes to question1 and I want to change cruises long after booking, what happens to the FCC ( would then be after expiration date) ?

Thanks, 

 I tried searching the forum but did not find answers,  sorry if it has been answered before. 

I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t have minded missing Helsinki, but Stockholm would hurt. And I’m kind of confused like the above poster since I don’t think it’s that far to sail from Stockholm to Copenhagen, but I’m not a naval expert Hopefully someone else can explain what happened (cancelling Berlin due to rough seas makes sense and if you were delayed for a day in Tallinn, I understand losing Helsinki). But I’m not quite understanding what happened to stockholm, but I’m sure there’s an explanation someone else can give.

From my souvenirs of doing this cruise a few years ago, I did enjoy seeing Stockholm, in my case it would be the opposite. I would way much rather miss Stockholm than Helsinki. They are short stays, maybe my impressions would change on a second cruise ( fingers crossed I can go again).

Alway sad to miss an long expected discovery, but safety first of course.

Favorite souvenir : my kuksa cup ( careful , some are manufactured, some are hand made) Yes, it takes a few cups of coffee ( or tea) to break it in, but after that you have it forever and you choose one that fits your hand perfectly. https://ultimathule.fi/en/291-kuksa-cups/

Beautiful wool sweaters in Tallin ( still great condition after years of use)

I can't find the DVD for sale. Is it still available ?

Definitely the MDR ! The official start of relaxion. Something we appreciate and list on the plus list of the cruise lines who offer it.

We were on the Regal for 2 weeks recently Jan 29 to Feb 12. For the first week we got Sanctuary for 3 port days. Had better luck for the 2nd week. As things progress during the week, the Sanctuary manager may be able to get you a chair on certain days if things happen ( cancellations etc). If you don't get them at first, I suggest that your DW checks every late afternoon or morning ( to save you the walk there). I understand your worries about your knee and wish you a good and speedy recovery. Contrary to some other princess ships, we found some wonderfully comfortable lounge chairs with a cushion and a little bend at the knee ( forgot the name of these great traditional cruise chairs) on the promenade deck. It was not crowed at all, but I do not know how you could be sure to get one on a sea day. We always found some but maybe we went at odd times, and were never there for a full day. I hope you can get a place in Sanctuary, we really enjoy it and I am sure your knee will too ! On our cruise the Sanctuary manager ( do not know the exact title) was an Italian gentleman named Luigi. He was very nice and did his beat to accomodate passengers. Have a great cruise !

Maybe a stupid question , but if you are on a B2B , doing 14 days ie two 7 days, can we get the packages ?

We usually prefer Dolphin open balconies. especially for warm and sunny cruises. As for privacy issues, we don't do anything on our balcony that we would not do in the dining room ( eating ) or around the pool ( reading, sunning, watching the sea or port).

The "looking up the sky at night " is , as someone mentionned, a good thing as MS would say. But for Alaska, I would choose the part covered or all covered balcony to make sure I can still stay outside and watch for wildlife even if it rains.