HappyCruiserettu

On 7/13/2021 at 1:20 PM, rbell said:

Fake news!

Not fake.  Actual.

On 5/1/2021 at 1:18 PM, nini said:

First of all, Princess is our line of choice, however, we are very upset that Princess is not disclosing itinerary changes, or just cancelling.

There is at least one thread that addressess the conflict of Princess website itineraries versus what the Port Schedules are saying.

 

Anyway, I realize that the cruise lines are trying to get back in the swing of things and juggle finances, crew, many laws and restrictions; however,

Princess PLEASE just inform us!

 

Enchanted Princess Pireaus Scheule for 2021:

July 3, 24

August 14

September 4, 25

October 17

 

Civitavecchia Schedule for 2021:

August 7, 28

September 18

November 4

Note the three-week intervals in those schedules. Now factor in the previous posting about the 7/14/21 night sailings. They are perfectly aligned.

A few years back, at least one cruise line had Hawaii cruises that would disembark passengers in Ensenada and bus them to SD or LA. They were marketed that way.

On 5/6/2014 at 4:11 PM, Pam in CA said:

In a nutshell, the PVSA applies only to passengers originally embarking and with their final destination in the US.

 

If you embark in one US port and disembark at the same US port, no matter how many B2Bs, it's called a "closed loop" and the ship (and you) must go to a "near" foreign port. "Near" is Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. You only need your birth certificate and ID.

 

If you embark in one US port and your final disembarkation is at a different US port, the ship (and you) must go to a "far" foreign port. That would include South America. You must have a passport.

 

The OP wants to initially embark in Seattle and disembark in LA so unless the ship's itinerary stops in South America, it's an illegal combination of cruises.

 

The PVSA is why Hawaiian, Mexican Riviera and CA Coastal cruises out of LA stop in Ensenada. They have to go to a "near" foreign port.

Mexican Riviera cruises do NOT have to stop in Ensenada, because they are already visiting a foreign port (i.e., Cabo, PV, etc.)

It was five members of a house (sub)Committee. NO indication that they tried to enlist any other congressional help at that time. IOW, no reason to think that there only 5 of 435 support the request.

On 10/9/2020 at 8:23 PM, chipmaster said:

 

You could have said September is so far away this past March, and look where we are, maybe things will change come winter and indeed 6 months is a long time if people willing to make the necessary sacrifices. 

I did. I was seriously considering the Sept cruise, Vancouver/Hawaii/Tahiti. But just because it took seven months so far, that doesn't mean it will take another seven months. I think a lot of progress has been made. 

On 10/9/2020 at 8:50 PM, JAMESCC said:

Yes, I read up on that pandemic lasting about 2 years. That is why I sure "hopefully" and we are bit further ahead in medicine and science then 1918. 
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
 

You think? (Not trying to be smart.) Actually, I agree with you.

1 hour ago, trbarton said:

Here’s what I’ve heard. If you don’t own or don’t want to use your phone & menu will be provided. Using your phone is to cut down on the menus which aren’t reusable. Imagine printing 1,000 menus for dinner & having to throw them out. 

Hopefully people will not be required to have a phone with them in order a meal in the MDR otherwise they may have problems with passengers on the ship. 
 

Perhaps anybody that’s been on a Medallion cruise will post about not having a phone in the MDR. 

 

Tom😎

The ordering by phone in the MDR is a new proposal. I don't think anyone who sailed before the shutdown would have experienced it.

4 hours ago, Roberto256 said:

 

Are you a travel agent?

Part-time. Friends, family, anyone who asks.

On 10/9/2020 at 2:54 PM, Thrak said:

 

 I've wanted to try a Medallion cruise since the inception of the program. We were booked on what was supposed to be the first Medallion cruise for Caribbean Princess back in March of 2018 but, even though we did sail, the Medallion program was pushed back.

We were on the Caribbean in Mid-August, 2018. The Medallion installation was taking place. We got a medallion on about day4. It only worked for door and purchases at that time. I believe they were fully Medallion two weeks later. That means everyone got a Medallion. All the features had not been developed at that point.

On 10/9/2020 at 12:29 PM, caribill said:

 

April 3 is the first still on the schedule.

 

However in the past cruises on the web site were promoted as being Medallion cruises before the technology was scheduled to be implemented as long as the cruise was after the scheduled implementation date.

That's true. I haven't seen an update to the Medallion launch schedule since the Covid pause began.

15 hours ago, pris993 said:

Then explain how do you need to get the medallion ready with an app?

 

I can't really explain that, but passengers who are not from the US will get their medallions at embarkation. So, it appears prior preparation is not needed.

4 hours ago, Roberto256 said:

 

The medallion has no user interface.  How could that possibly work?

 

 

I'm just passing on information that has been put out by Princess HQ staff. I can't answer questions. People who don't have smartphones have consistently been assured that they don't/won't need one to use the medallion in place of a cruise card. I guess they won't have the enhanced features, but can use it for all the activities the card has been used for. (ID, door opening, charging purchases, etc.)

2 hours ago, phabric said:

Medallions are only mailed in the USA

All others receive theirs at the pier. That is the current procedure. 

7 hours ago, caribill said:

 

So far my 2022 Pacific Princess cruise is not listed as a Medallion cruise on the Princess web site..

Maybe because it hasn't been implemented YET. I believe all Pacific Princess sailings have been cancelled well into mid-2021. I would guess that the conversion is expected to happen before she returns to service.

1 hour ago, caribill said:

 

And recently they changed their web site to say "most" ships will be Medallion Class.

The video I'm referring to was released late on Oct 7, so that is new information. A few weeks ago there was as slideshow from Jan Schwartz that indicated all would be Medallion. Yes, that was later edited to say most.  I am referring to a webinar released less than 36 hours ago. John Chernesky made the statement at one point, and it was repeated by another official later in the presentation. Go to John Chernesky's facebook page. It is currently the first item on the page. It is a 1-hour +  video entitled "Cruise the Americas."

2 hours ago, snoozecrooze said:

 

 

Carnival's own app (the Carnival Hub app for CCL) has a lot more functionality and other competing cruise lines also offer more that can be done, so I still feel Princess has a lot to catch up to when it comes to the actual app (especially when users have consistently noted how glitchy it's been for them). But those apps also function in conjunction with the options and flexibility those lines offer, which differs from Princess' more traditional approach to cruising, so I'm interested in seeing how Princess will tweak its operations (and consequently, the app and Medallion). For example, it's highly likely that guests will be asked to reserve seats for theater performances so I'm eager to see how Princess will execute these functions (which Princess seems to not be able to do well ever since they launched their app and the Medallion).

The original plan (things may have changed) was that the Medallion would be implemented, first on Princess ships, and then extended to the rest of Carnival Corp lines (Carnival, HAL, Cunard, etc.) I guess Princess is acting as the "Beta Test."

On 10/2/2020 at 5:17 PM, bapaleg said:

We are on the island princess to the British isles with the military tattoo. You might want to check this also

Would love to do the Tattoo.

Just be aware, there is a very large water hazard.

5 hours ago, Aulanis said:

 

 

My opinion is that they need proper testing at the ports as they are hoping to do at

the big airports.    Say we get a test  71 hours before we board and it comes back

negative.   What is there to say we havent been infected  in the intervening 70 hours

and still show no symptoms.  We get on the ship and a day later , whoops we had it all along!.

 

 

There is no fail-safe method, unfortunately. My late wife had terminal cancer. She asked the doctor, "How much time do I have?" He said, "No way of telling." She said, "True, I could get hit by a bus tomorrow." Most of us choose to not live our lives in a bubble.

8 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I guess we will have to avoid Princess ships with the medallion as we are not about to buy a smartphone in order to cruise. (BTW, our cancelled summer cruise was on one of those ships.)

Medallions are not designed to work with smartphones. They work independently. You do not need a smartphone, or any cell phone for that matter, ALL Princess ships will be Medallion Class when sailing resumes. (John Chernesky, Sr VP of Sales for Princess, in a webinar Weds eve, 10/7/2020.)

No smartphone required. Everything will operate thru the Medallion which operates independently of any phone. According to John Chernesky, Princess Sr VP of Sales, ALL ships will be Medallion Class when they resume sailing. (per yesterdays webinar "Cruising the Americas.")

3 hours ago, NancyIL said:

 

The ships that spend the late evening hours in Victoria do so mainly to fulfill the PVSA.  The Ovation and Quantum that the OP is considering spend a full day in Victoria - but they do so at the expense of a port in Alaska.

 

Yes, I'm from Illinois. 😎

I'm from Moline, and my wife is from Chicago.

4 hours ago, NancyIL said:

A stop at a foreign port is required for ships that sail round trip from a US port. Therefore, Victoria fulfills that requirement for ships that sail from Seattle or San Francisco.  
 

Your one-way cruise between Honolulu and Vancouver didn’t require the stop in Victoria, as you were traveling between the US and Canada. It was a bonus port. 

I'm very familiar with the PVSA retirement to visit a foreign port. I just don't understand why some make such a short stop in in such an interesting city, and do it in the late evening. I suppose it's a timing issue, to fit in with the rest of the itinerary. Since it's such a short distance to Seattle. ships can stay late and still make their early morning arrival. BTW, are you from Illinois?

16 hours ago, twangster said:

 

Biggest advice when booking Alaska to review the arrival and departure times in each port before booking.  Some arrive in Victoria at 6pm and depart at 10pm - hardly a great time of day to visit any port.   

Yes. I've always wondered why so many ships make only a short evening visit to Victoria. We were on Ovation from Hawaii to Vancouver in 2019. We had a longer stop scheduled for Victoria, but it had to be cut to a few afternoon hours, because we had to get to Vancouver to pass under the bridge by 7 PM. It was Ovation's first visit to Vancouver, and the captain had to carefully time the arrival. Next time to be able to pass under the bridge was on departure the next day.

4 hours ago, Abercrombie2019 said:

 

 

 

@HappyCruiserettu  I pulled this image off the internet.  The bump out balcony and the inset balcony are right next to each other on the Caribe deck.  It is easy for you to see from one balcony to the other.  This situation is not as bad on other decks because the inset balconies are set back farther.

Thanks for the picture. I guess I expected a side privacy wall .on the bump-out balcony.