JEM4205

The OP here.

Death and Taxes, Still can't avoid either one.

Thanks to all who responded, we will be able to determine the answer for sure in 3 days when we board the Sky!😀

Florida State sales tax 6% + Port Everglades local tax= 7% Correct?☹️

Not as bad as I thought.

We plan to use some of our OBC to purchase one of the beverage packages on our upcoming cruise on the Sky Princess.

From a posting here on Cruise Critic, I discovered that Florida tax is added to a package purchased while the ship is in port.

Can this be avoided by waiting to purchase the package after the ship leaves the port, if so, how long is the package offered? 

I overheard one black card wearing elite complainer, remark that she disliked the crew using "her" gangway!😏

13 minutes ago, LDVinNC said:

We have made the final payment for our cruise, including the air fare.  Now the air price has dropped.  If we change, how will the excess payment be refunded?  Thanks.

When schedule changes by Delta caused a tight connection issue in Atlanta we were re-booked by Princess on another flight which was much less expensive. 

The difference was credited back on the credit card we used for the final payment the next day. YMMD

Do you recall what deck was used for embarkation in Port Everglades 5,6, or 7?

Milkshakes available?

Thanks.

Due to Delta changing their schedules, the flights I booked back in January were not going to work out as there was a conflict with a connecting flight in Atlanta.  I called my PCC and she was able to switch me around to a better schedule with a cheaper

fair! a win win!😊

I tried it just now and it seems to be working. Yesterday it was not.  Android tablet Wi-Fi connection

6 minutes ago, cujosmom said:

I know you can bring a case of canned sodas (12 sodas) at embarkation but can you bring the same amount at a subsequent port?  We fly in the same day we embark (Brooklyn cruise terminal) and will not have the opportunity to find a store to purchase some sodas.  At our first port of call (Halifax), would we be able to purchase and bring the canned sodas on board at that port?

 

In the past it hasn't been an issue, we have done it before, however your mileage my differ. 

As the wife and I were sitting at the dinner table around July of 2017 the subject of our 25th wedding anniversary came up.

We both decided that we would like to do something special for this occasion. I don’t remember at this time which one of us suggested a cruise (It probably was me), however we had recently received a mailing on Princess Alaska cruise tours promoting their Sip and Sail offer.Having done two previous Alaska cruises but never a land tour, this was an appealing choice.

After going to the Princess website we decided on the May 9th 2018 date for our adventure! I contacted Amanda our Princess Cruise Consultant on August 15th and booked the 10 Day Denali Explorer Sip & sail promotion with Captains Circle Launch Savings. To book this cruise, we used one of our Future Cruise Credits which we had purchased on our last cruise.

As we booked so early, we had the opportunity to select a Caribe Deck Balcony cabin, C242. We love these cabins because of their larger half covered balconies, perfect for Alaska.

The cruise reserved, I started looking for flights and much to my surprise I discovered that using Princess EZ Air with transfers was the way to go. We departed Omaha NE on a non-stop to Seattle, then on to Fairbanks arriving at 10:30 pm.

The next 3 days were spent touring Fairbanks, and Denali Nat. park, ending with a 5 hour train journey to Whittier to board the Golden Princess.

We arrived at the port around 6:30pm and were in our cabin within a short time as our check-in was accomplished before we left the train, and we were given our cruise cards at that time.

A full review with photographs will be posted as soon as I get my overgrown lawn under control, and all of my photos uploaded.

But for now.

The Good: Hubbard Glacier, Alaska

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Puppy's in the Piazza, Skagway

Sunny weather in Ketchikan

The Bad: Crew attitude

Food Quality (dining room)

Entertainment (Stage shows)

The UGLY: Drips in hallways, and throughout the ship (hopefully water)

Strong sewage odor in the forward parts of the ship!

Long lines at the Customer Service Desk

Regardless of these issues, we still had a good time on this cruise and would repeat it again, but perhaps not on this ship!

Your Mileage my differ.

We just returned from the Whitter to Vancover leg of this cruise, and I am putting together a review of the ship and all of the good, bad, and ugly, from the ageing Golden Princess. Stay tuned!:mad:

It is $100 and you can find it in the personalizer under "Culinary delights"....and yes, you can pre-order and pay for it.

Thanks for the help!

I thought I would surprise my wife while on our upcoming Alaska Cruise with a balcony dinner, however I cannot find on the cruise personalizer where this can be pre-reserved or the cost. Can anyone give me the latest costs and do I have to wait till on board to set this up?

Thanks

One of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (our local newspaper) reporters tweeted earlier today that the reporter caught up with the hotel manager, and they expect to be open on schedule.

That is great news!

We are booked into this hotel on the 9th of May for the start of our cruise tour!

I am sure that Princess would have a plan B in case that the repairs take longer than expected, but I was looking forward to staying there.

In case you missed it:eek:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2622166

We are booked into this hotel May 9th as part of our upcoming cruise tour.

Unless the building suffered significant structural damage, drywall, painting and cleanup should not effect the opening.

(I hope).

Before my retirement, while contributing member of society, I was involved in the construction trade. My company faced these types of situations/repairs several times over the years, and usually the repairs can be made quickly, as long as the insurance company, and or, owner don't get into a disagreement with the contractor or themselves!

It is a good idea before you lock up your valuables in the safe, be sure to try setting your combination first on an empty safe.

On one of cruises our safe had a defective lock and all of our "stuff" was locked up. :eek:

It took 3 deck hands, two security officers, and a big hammer and chisel to get it open!!

The talk about flying in the 60s and 70s, my first flight was courtesy of Uncle Sam who set me to SE Asia for my senior trip!

We were required to travel in class A Uniforms, and as it was winter here in the states, that wool outfit was pretty hot and sweaty

on arrival!

Thanks for those who have answered my question.

I might add that the cruise tour we have booked is the first sailing of the season for the Golden from Whittier, so there will be no previous sailings to inquire about. :confused:

On our upcoming southbound Alaska cruise tour we will be arriving at the port via the train from Talkeetna.

The train is scheduled to arrive in Whittier around 6:30pm, with the ship sailing at 8:30pm.

With this late boarding, and sailing, what are the dining arrangements provided to us late arrivals?

We have requested early traditional dining and hopefully this one time we can utilize the anytime dining room instead of the Horizon Court.

Thank you for any information on how this has been handled in the past.

Sunset on the Regal Princess

our first princess cruise is coming up and considering getting one coffee card. confused with the wording of "unlimited brewed coffee". My husband likes brewed and I like latte's. If he goes to get me a latte, can he get himself a brewed coffee at the same time, and is he just charged (or one punch) for the latte.

we are on a 28 day cruise, and would prefer not to have daily charges for one or two coffees a day on our acct - we are not getting a drink package.

if hubby goes to get a coffee for himself, gets a brewed, do they punch the card ?

 

thank you for any explaination

This is exactly our situation. Coffee for me, a caramel latte for the wife. We are never refused the combo, but the latte gets a punch.

I would call them

Food supplies are routinely handled from Anchorage for both Whittier and Seward cruises.

Thanks for the Info:cool:

On several of our previous sailings we have been entertained before sail away, by watching the frantic activities of the stevedores who are bringing aboard the ships supply of consumables. It never fails to amaze me, on how much effort behind the scenes must take place to plan, and supply, the required amounts of groceries for a typical cruise.

We are booked for the first south-bound Alaska voyage of the 2018 season, departing Whittier Alaska May 12, 2018, on the Golden Princess.

The Golden arrives in Whittier that day, from 16 day, Japan & North Pacific Crossing, to begin a season of Alaska cruises from Vancouver, BC.

As Whittier is one of the smaller ports, will Princess re-provision the ship there, or will it wait to fill its cupboards at one of the other larger ports?

Heaven forbid :eek: that they will not be able to supply more than two pats of butter, or even worse, to run out of bacon at the HC!