melody-s

I was on this cruise as well and mostly agree with the assessment. The production shows were not good, and the internet was bad. The crew was wonderful, and the ship facilities were great. Medallion worked well for me. I was able to track my son's location, order food/beverages, and look at my folio account without any issues.  Overall, we were happy with the experience.

Sadly, my adult son caught covid on the cruise. That situation was handled very well. They tested both of us (I was negative) and moved him to an ocean-view quarantine cabin. After he left, they cleaned and disinfected our cabin. After that, I self-isolated in our cabin, over and above what was strictly required, out of courtesy to other passengers. He said the cabin was comfortable and they did a good job taking care of his medical needs. Disembarkation was a bit of a hassle since he had to do it separately. Seattle is our home port, so he is now home and resting. I can't say how they would handle the situation if additional services like a hotel was needed after the cruise.

With respect to a great lady and to the historical nature of events, I was wondering if anyone who is knowledgeable in this area can advise those of us on current and upcoming trips in the U.K. and commonwealth. What can we reasonably expect with regards to businesses and activities over the next couple of weeks?

I have limited time off work, so I always take 7 night cruises. I would love to try a longer one someday. Maybe when I retire.

I usually buy a few new items for a cruise. I generally keep a small wardrobe that is suited to my cool rainy climate and informal style. I typically need to get some clothes that are appropriate for the destination. I don't shop often, so its good motivation to get myself to the store.

Thanks for the helpful info

We are new to Princess. A group of five members of my family are cruising together on Regal this spring. This is the largest group I have cruised with, and five seems like an awkward number. I have some questions specific to our group size.

• We have anytime dining - will it make the wait for a table excessively long?
  
• Are there tables that comfortably seat five in venues like Crooners?
  
• Could we find loungers together in the Sanctuary?
  
• Would a bungalow on Princess Cayes work for five?
  
• Can the five of us fit comfortably in my mini-suite cabin for a some socializing and a pre-dinner glass of wine?
  

Also, one member of our party is an older, very sweet, very excitable lady who has not been on a cruise in decades. It's almost like planning a trip to Disneyland with a kid. Do you think we could talk her steward into making her a couple towel animals (with an extra tip of course)? Are there other suggestions to make her trip extra fun?

Thanks in advance

There's going to be a feature coming called something like "find my family". If the family member is under 18 they won't be able to hide their location. This could be good if your child/ grandchild/ etc doesn't show up for dinner when they're supposed to. If you're over 18 you'll have the ability to "hide" your location from your family. I'd imagine that Princess will be able to find anyone in an emergency situation but they wouldn't take advantage of the technology.

 

Kris

This is the feature that my extended family will find most helpful in our upcoming cruise. We all have a tendency to wander off on our own, and one family member does not speak English. We want to be able to easily locate each other when necessary.

Thanks for the helpful info.

I will be cruising with family on Regal this spring. One family member only speaks Spanish (my daughter married a Spaniard and his mother does not speak English.) Are menus, dailies, etc available in Spanish? Also, any advice on how to find shore excursions in the Caribbean that are either bilingual or in Spanish?

One unrelated question - my adult son is on the autism spectrum and crowds are exhausting for him for long durations, and my daughter's MIL is elderly and would have a hard time standing in line. Does Princess offer priority boarding in circumstances like this? We have done that on RCCL and it was very helpful.

I have. Most of the time it works well, but I have encountered the occasional problem. For example a walking tour was cancelled, or the start time changed are two things that went wrong. You can book the activity, which gets you the contact info, then cancel it if something seems like it will not work.

Seven days! I have two more days of work then I fly off to start my vacation. Yay!

Thanks for letting me know.

I booked a shore excursion with NCL, and later realized that it was not a good choice. My cruise is not until February. Is it possible to cancel my reservation and get a refund or credit?

One! We board Radiance tomorrow.

There is a restaurant at the top of the space needle. Spendy, but worth it for a special occasion. Ride the Ducks tour is fun. EMP/SciFi museum is interesting. Great shopping in Bellevue Square (Bellevue is a nice suburb of Seattle). Microsoft in Redmond has a visitor center and company store that is fun for computer nerds. Pike Place Market is a must see. Seattle Art Museum is very nice. Underground Tour in Pioneer Square is good. There is an aquarium that is decent, and a large Ferris wheel on the waterfront. Argosy has boat tours that are quite popular.

Watch this video:

 

Here's what you need to know about Lisbon - toilets are few and far between, so whenever we do a tour there, I don't drink anything before we go on the tour. I assume I may have to wait 4+ hours.

 

I'll tell you my favorite excursion in Portugal is to the Sintra mountains. There is the Pena Palace and Sintra is an amazing and enchanted place. That is where I always want to be in Portugal.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/717169/Christopher-Somerville-discovers-why-Byron-raved-about-Sintra.html

+1 for Sinatra

I went on a road trip through Portugal and Sinatra was my favorite place. Truly beautiful and wonderful fun.

I have mostly been on RCI and was on NCL Epic once. Will be on Getaway in a few months.

The NCL cabins are much smaller. It would be OK with two people, but we had three in a balcony cabin and it felt cramped. The entertainment was better on NCL. Howl at the Moon was such fun and the shows were quite entertaining. The food was simply different. I think RCI main dining room is better and NCL has some interesting options. We loved O'Sheehan and the variety of choices was nice. NCL is much more casual. Whether you like that or not is a matter of personal opinion. The NCL thermal spa is much better than the RCI thermal spa. I loved every minute spent there and highly recommend it. The waterslides on NCL are fun and there is more of a party vibe on NCL. I think the service is somewhat better on RCI.

Overall I give the slight edge to RCI. Given the right ship, itinerary, and cost I am quite willing to go on NCL again and I am looking forward to my cruise on the Getaway.

I appreciate the recommendations. I will make a point of checking them the first day.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Sailing to Alaska on Radiance soon. I am a huge introvert and love watching the scenery go by in a quiet corner with a book and sometimes a beverage. Other than my balcony, I would love some recommendations for quiet spots to seek out. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for sharing. I will be on Radiance next month and reading the Compass gives me a chance to daydream about it. :)

Thanks!

I am sailing on Radiance in September with my vegetarian son (I am not vegetarian). Looking for recommendations on specialty restaurants that will make both of us happy. Thanks in advance!

OK, I am convinced. I will plan on driving up the day before. Thanks!

I have a cruise later this summer and I am trying to decide if I should drive the day before and get a hotel for the night or drive in the day of the cruise. It's about 3.5 hours plus time to cross and international boarder (U.S. - Canada) from my home to the port.

I would prefer to save the money on the hotel, but I have a low tolerance for risk and would hate to miss the ship for something stupid like a problem on the way to port. When I fly I always arrive the day before, but not sure if the same applies to driving.

Any thoughts on what is reasonable in this situation?