pthjudy

One more question. I went to purchase the internet package. There were 2 ways to sign up. I believe the first was full balance or the like and the second was by guest. Both needed cc information but home address as well. I thought we wouldn’t pay up front or am I incorrect? Am I then able to cancel and rebook if the internet package drops? Please guide me through the purchase. Thanks so much. 

I always know where to go to get the best answers. Thank you. 

Is it better to purchase an internet package prior to sailing? Can we get our Crown & Anchor discount then? We are Emerald and do want to buy a package but am not sure when to buy. Any suggestions much appreciated.  

33 minutes ago, Roccaforte said:

We sailed on the Riviera several times but our last cruise was on Insignia.  The ship was beautiful and we had a great time.   BUT - we really missed having two more specialty restaurants.  This is a real consideration for us because dressing up and going out to so many different venues for dinner  is a treat for us.  I missed the cooking classes and the executive lounge.  Our PH was smaller although I liked the layout better.  I’m not a fan of the table and chairs at the foot of the bed.  The separate table works so much better for meals.

We got a great deal on Insignia because of the Cuba cancellations but in the future I’ll stick to the larger ships.  

Thank you for all the responses. We do love the specialties and the larger ships are beautiful. Itinerary is important and the one I’m looking at includes Iceland and Greenland which is not the most common ports. My husband says I’m his travel agent so I’ll have to decide. 😄 

We have sailed Oceania several times but only on Marina and Riviera and loved them. We are contemplating a cruise on Insignia. What differences positive and negative might we encounter?

10 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I did two repositioning cruises on Caribbean Princess once in 2009 and one in 2010. We didn't miss Bermuda either time. However I do remember reading threads where Bermuda was missed multiple times.  What I don't understand is  how NCL, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean can make trips to Bermuda with no problems and Princess can't. I also did a repositioning cruise on Celebrity that called on Bermuda for 2 days and a Royal Caribbean 9 day itinerary that also called on Bermuda.  NCL, Royal and Celebrity do a Bermuda run all summer. I never read anything about missing the port. Why did Princess have such problems?

Princess only missed Bermuda that time because of a hurricane which actually caused all cars parked in Brooklyn to be destroyed by flooding. It would have been foolhardy to even attempt the trip to Bermuda. As it turned out that cruise was extended by 2 days and we finally docked in NYC.  

47 minutes ago, rdemn said:

If the government would get rid of the Jones Act maybe there would be more east coast cruise. 
 

We were actually on a cruise that violated the Jones Act. It was during Hurricane Sandy. It was the second part of our back to back and was supposed to go to Bermuda. With the storm coming up the coast, Princess chose to go up to Boston instead which was a violation.  Perhaps emergency situations may get a pass or perhaps a fine was levied. Either way it happened and it was wise that they did. 

2 minutes ago, voljeep said:

I'm sure most could manage going a few weeks ( months ) without doing the same old East/West 7 day Caribbean itineraries 

I like the idea of eastern seaboard ports. On our cruise on Royal Caribbean last month the first port was Port Canaveral. We did the space center and I really enjoyed being able to use my phone. We go to the Caribbean because it’s close and warm but there are other ports that offer new places and experiences. 

28 minutes ago, snowskier said:

 

I would be willing to bet a business case has been done across the Princess brand indicating that going to NY year round just isn't a profitable decision.  Seems there are many more variables in making this business decision than "the other guys sail full from NY and we don't sail full from FL so we should move a ship". If only things were that simple.

I agree with all that you said but I’ll throw in that for a long time Princess had no sailings to the Caribbean from Florida in the summer months. Other comparable ships were doing well. Now Princess does have a ship doing the Caribbean during the summer when many families with children travel.  Yes, there are variables but sometimes what success the “other guys” have can lead to changes too. (Wishful thinking, I guess!)

19 minutes ago, voljeep said:

i'd like to see Princess do some East Coast cruises … Charleston , Savannah , Bermuda … why not 5-7 days RT 

Would love that! 
 

Wouldn’t it be profitable for Princess to follow Royal Caribbean’s lead in having New York area departures year round?  Whether it’s a week cruise to Bahamas or an 11 day to the Caribbean, Anthem of the Seas with its almost 5000 passengers nearly always sells out. Princess has several ships in Florida all winter. There are usually availabilities on each,  and each of these ships holds many fewer passengers. Does anyone know why this port is ignored except for the fall? 

Solarium Bistro is a wonderful option for breakfast and lunch. We used it often a few weeks ago. Our room on deck 13 was close to the door that led to the Solarium so no steps or elevator. Try it especially on a port day. 

19 hours ago, mskaufman said:

Has anyone done this tour?  Does the RCI excursion include admission?  Is it a guided tour or self guided?  How much of it is outdoors (going this month)? How much time do you need there?

We did this tour with Anthem last week. We chose the shuttle option because we wanted flexibility. It included transportation and admission. We were happy with our choice. I planned it out beforehand according to location and activity level. We did not experience lines and could have used more time. The only outside time was walking between buildings. It was chilly but we had dressed accordingly.  Loved it!

8 minutes ago, molsonschooner said:

I think the elevators are available as soon as the drill is done. Now, actually getting on one then  is quite likely a different story. We normally wait 15-20 minutes before we try to get on one.

We discussed just that. Thanks. 

Our muster station on Anthem of the Seas tomorrow is A03. Is that the same as A3 which is the Royal Theater on Deck 5? Also how long are elevators not available after the muster drill? We usually use the stairs but we are on deck 13. 

Thank you. 

If I purchase wifi for one day on Anthem can I maximize its usefulness to me by buying at let’s say 9am and having it expire at 8:59am the next day? Or is it a fixed 24 hours beginning at 12:00am? Also is there a discount for Emerald? (So used to getting gobs of free internet on Princess!)

For anyone who recently cruised on Anthem, is the texting hole still there or has it been repaired? I’ve see conflicting posts and suggestions on how to access free texting. We are boarding  on December 1 and deciding whether to purchase internet. I’m hoping to hear from people with direct recent experience. 

11 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

If it's like Oasis, they prefer reservations, but reservations are not mandatory.

We’ve enjoyed lunch there but didn’t know about the dinner option. Is there a charge for dinner?

1 minute ago, Host Clarea said:

 

There's no "free" access to any email providers and I don't recall any easier access to certain providers.

 

Note also that the guest computers normally provide no access to USB or SD card slots, so if you want to upload photos for example, you would have to use your own device.

2 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

There's no "free" access to any email providers and I don't recall any easier access to certain providers.

 

Note also that the guest computers normally provide no access to USB or SD card slots, so if you want to upload photos for example, you would have to use your own device.

I understand that. I remember years pre ipad I would use the computers on Princess. I always told my kids to use my hotmail email because the opening page on the computer showed hotmail, yahoo etc. The email I use most frequently is more time consuming to reach. With the price you quoted for the daily, even if a little higher,  would work out to my advantage. I can use my Ipad, email as much as I want, and save a little money. Thank you. 

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

They have computers that you can use.  You still have to buy a package which at the minimum are for 24 hours of continuous use.  No by the minute packages.  All e mail providers are accessible if you purchase the package 

That leads to another question. For the first 3 days of the cruise I don’t need Internet. For the last 4 days, if I buy a 24 hour package that goes from let’s say 5:00 pm day 1 to 4:59 pm day 2, I actually can check emails during a 2 day period. Doing this again a similar way would let me pay for 2 days yet have access during 4. Is my reasoning off? I know the daily cost is high per day but the package for 7 days right now is almost $100. I can’t believe the rate for 2 days would be that steep. I simply want email contact with my kids and I’ve read the texting hole is no longer. 

We will be on Anthem in a few weeks. I contacted RC about internet access and the return email referenced the Internet cafe. Is there one on Anthem? I don’t recall since I use my iPad. And if there are computers there and I use them, can I pay by the minute? Also, if I remember from the days I relied on the ship computers, what email providers are easily accessible? It used to be those major ones like hotmail. Thanks. 

We will be on the December 1 sailing of Anthem and are contemplating another Anthem cruise for later this winter. I usually use a booking site online which provides numerous quotes for me to choose from. I also know I will get some value from booking onboard although the price may not be as attractive. What are my options concerning booking onboard and then transferring to a TA via the booking site I usually start with?  I’ve used FCD on Princess many times but never on RC. Any advice and information would be much appreciated. 

You are all correct. It’s back up now and no cabin.  Not wondering anymore. 😄

We are cruising in 31 days. I just went to check to see if we received our cabin ( balcony guarantee) and saw this message. “Information is currently not available. Please try again later.” Could this mean my guarantee could be in the process of being assigned? I’ve been checking a few times a day for weeks and this is the first time I received this message. Just wondering.........