Senga

@KorimakoWe booked our transfers with Princess Southampton to LHR last year and again for our upcoming cruise.

Our daughter travelled to France many years ago on a school trip.  Her godmother had told her about having to pay to use a "pit" type toilet.  When she returned home I asked her how the public washrooms were and her response was "I only went at the hotel or restaurant.  No way was I paying to pee in a pit"!!!!!!  

3 hours ago, kaisatsu said:

You can also walk up from the city center. It’s only ~150 m in elevation and doesn’t take too long.

I assume the little tourist train would still be an option.  We saw people walking and it looked like quite a strenuous workout!

Being fully vaccinated, wear masks, use our knuckles to press elevator buttons, washing hands frequently; every time we return to the cabin or before we enter the buffet.  It's amazing to see the majority of passengers bypass the hand washing stations right outside the buffet even when an attendant is standing there!

@BuckeyeMarkCheck out recommendations on TripAdvisor.  Also, depending on when you are going to Bruges, Triënnale Brugge | A city-wide collaboration in 2024 (triennalebrugge.be).

We're sailing on Caribbean Princess in May and booked a mini suite only for the couch since this ship doesn't have deluxe balcony cabins.  I have mobility issues and am actually dreading the tub but, all things considered, it's a tradeoff I'll just have to accept.

We actually like Slice better than Alfredo's.

1 minute ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

OK...that's a new one for me...what's a "DB"?

Deluxe Balcony - balcony cabin with a couch.

2 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

Covered pool would be nice, also, that area is often used as overflow for Horizon Court seating, so instead people keep packing inside an already crowded buffet. I know people love the CB, but got to take the climate into account. 

After doing Norway/Iceland on the Sky Princess the people packing all the indoor areas was unbelievable, we could hardly get any seat in the buffet.  We've booked a mini suite on Caribbean Princess for the same cruise because they don't have a DB.  A couch and a little more space is a must for us for a cold weather trip.

14 hours ago, 51st FMS said:

According to Princess you have too have an adult in each cabin. Question 1. Can we rearrange the names so the kids are in one cabin and the parents are in another? 

I agree with the Princess policy.  We had the misfortune of a cabin of kids only next to us and it was hell.  

Iceland Everywhere is an excellent company and they tailor their tours to suit cruiseline schedules so check their website.

We LOVE the look of the new menu; so many choices!

2 hours ago, spethstation said:

 

Yes, I think the issue was that they could not locate the passenger using their medallion and the passenger's roommate could also not find them...I believe the muster was a last resort!

You have the option to disable the locating feature on the Medallion so it still makes more sense to use the public address system rather than inconvenience all the other passengers.  Sorry you had to put up with this.

I'm shocked they didn't just ask "passenger so and so" or 'Passenger from cabin #?" to report to Guest Services.  Seems like a very disorganized way to locate ONE passenger!

1 hour ago, Russ Lomas said:

One thing I have read on these boards several times is to request James' Beard French Toast for breakfast in the MDR on Princess (not on the menu, but you can get it).

I have never tried this but a lady sitting beside us on the last cruise ordered it.  She asked me if I'd ever tried the frozen french toast and when I said no she said "well, I was going to offer you a slice of my James Beard French Toast but it's even worse than the frozen "crap".  Each to their own I guess but I'll say it's not for me.  😂

I'm thrilled with the breakfast menu.  Sure beats my normal yogurt, Corn Flakes, O.J. with only a cooked breakfast once a week.😂

3 hours ago, wcflats said:

I’m in the same situation…my DW contacted the personal at the cruise terminal and they took care of it all.  No cost.  When you drop off your bags tell the folks there that you need that and they take care of the rest.  Very easy and convenient.

I use a cane and standing is the worst thing for my knees.  I did the same thing; once we arrived at the cruise terminal I sat on the first bench I found and my husband found someone who arranged for a wheelchair to come get me.  There is a LOT of walking at the Vancouver cruise terminal so definitely ask for assistance.

2 hours ago, IndyKid said:

Yesterday we spent a few hours exploring Grand Turk.  I was taken aback by how shabby things looked - derelict and abandoned buildings, boats left lying around to rot, etc. A few nicer homes here and there but they were very much in the minority.

 

@Senga, I didn't see any pastries or desserts displayed at the IC, I'll look again this evening. 

How sad to hear.  It’s been many years since we were in T&C and it was so beautiful.  Thanks for checking but they definitely won’t have kougan amann in the evening.

53 minutes ago, IndyKid said:

Our captain said winds are currently 25 knots, and expected to increase to near 35 later on. I get it that safety of the ship, passengers and crew is Job 1, but it still ticks me off☠️☠️☠️. 

 

I think they need to go beyond just refunding our excursion fees, perhaps also returning our port fee as well?

We missed 3 ports in Iceland on Sky Princess due to 30 foot waves in the North Atlantic.  Very disappointing but safety is the most important thing.  We’re going to try again in June on Caribbean Princess.  We were refunded the port taxes  as well as a discount on a future cruise.

@IndyKidSince you visit IC every morning, could you tell me if they have kouign amann pastries?  I became addicted to them on Enchanted Princess and am so hoping Caribbean Princess will have them.

We sailed out of Southampton and Athens using the Accessibility Line and it was wonderful.  You are whisked away in a wheelchair through the entire process, including picking up your medallions.  

We get nothing from our TA except excellent service; that works for us.  We would never book with a US agent since they aren't covered by TICO.

59 minutes ago, Como Cruisers said:

On Majestic Princess to NZ in Jan. Should we organise all shore excursions beforehand or are there plenty of vehicles at the dock offering tours?

 

Thanks,

Cathy

 

 

Check out the Port of Call board and your Roll Call.

The thing about changing flights in Montreal enroute to Toronto is you have to pay for BOTH seats and the inconvenience of transferring through the airport.

I had been watching the prices for YYZ-Amsterdam, LHR-YYZ for May/June and received an email today from A/C about their Black Friday sale.  Surprisingly the dates actually work for us and we saved over $500.  Usually doesn't work but, nice for a change!

Yes you can and they will deliver.  Funny story.  I ordered Chicken MARSALA since I don't eat veal.  The smell hit me as soon as the meal was placed on the table and the big bowl of rice was another clue.  The restaurant manager left out the R and I ended up with Chicken MASALA.  Thankfully they were on it right away and the correct meal was prepared and served quickly.