BMP57

21 hours ago, ROWSE said:

I had booked an airbnb months before and right before our trip I tried to contact the 

host.  I had noticed on several other dates on my airbnb it said something like property turned off.

Heard nothing from host after several attempts so airbnb got involved and they got no response either so I had to find a new place.  

Turned out better in the end and cheaper at Premier Inn West Quay, which was an easy walk from National Express drop off in Southampton.  

Some pictures of the room....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did not eat here, but took a picture of a menu.

 

 

I would stay here again in a heartbeat.  It was a great little hotel!  

 

 

We're spending one night here in September; stayed here before.

Booked on a May cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver; wondering if anyone has experience with the COVID Testing Process at the Vancouver Airport prior to flying back into the United States.

Thanks!!!

We've sailed on several Medallion cruises in the past and only have one APP Downloaded (on my phone).  My wife has never had a problem ordering drinks or shopping on board just using her Medallion.  My wife's IPhone is an older version and the App won't download anyway; thus one App works for us.

51 minutes ago, riffatsea said:

Usually "clearing customs" in Europe means going through a line that says "nothing to declare".

Maybe you mean immigration where they check your passport???

Thanks!  I am referring to clearing customs and immigration.

3 minutes ago, 1Gizmo said:

It was many years ago, we flew into Madrid and went through custom in Madrid. No customs in Barcelona. We flew Iberia Airlines  at that time.  Arrived in Madrid very early not much was open during the layover. Wife did get us a couple of wines.

Thanks!  The flight is on Iberia!

Heading for a cruise out of Barcelona in November, the flight is from Chicago to Madrid to Barcelona.  Wondering if anyone has transferred in Madrid for their flight to Barcelona and whether we clear customs in Madrid.

Thanks!

Just returned from a 15-Day Spanish Passage TA on the Emerald Princess.  We used Spain Day Tours for private excursions in Seville and Malaga.  We had used them on prior TAs and felt very confident in the services they provide.  We docked in Cadiz and the tour operators we're waiting outside the terminal for us to take us on our excursion to Seville and tour of the Alcazar.  They are very organized, prompt, and dependable.  We also used their services on our port call to Malaga where again they were waiting outside the terminal for us and our tour to Granada to visit the Alhambra.

I highly recommend their tour company on any visit to Spain!!!!

Wondering if anyone has stayed in a B&B in Rome before or after a cruise.

Thanks

Having recently lived in Berlin, I would say that Berlin, including the former East, is indeed a modern city. If you think that you will be disappointed seeing Berlin that way, then I would definitely plan to see Warnemuende and Rostock instead. (That's what we did when we did a Baltic cruise in July 2015). You might find the Stasi Prison in Rostock very interesting--we did. Just take the S-bahn from Warnemuende and you can walk there from the station. The building is not particularly well-marked, but just walk on Hermanstrasse to the Penny-Markt. It's across the parking lot from there. Admission is free and they have free audiotours in English. Allow 1 hour for the audiotour, but if you read German, you may want to stay longer to read the exhibits.

 

Our ship was in port long enough for us to do a bike ride from Warnemuende through the countryside and the side trip to Rostock. So you should have time to do a lot if you don't go to Berlin.

GradUT! Great advise; we will be ending a cruise in Warnemuende in May 2018 and want to spend a day/night in Berlin flying home the next day; can you recommend any tour companies that would pick us up at the port; tour Berlin, and then drop us off at a hotel (yet to be decided)? Also, any hotel recommendations near the airport?

Thanks

Brian

On another forum, someone mentioned that Princess stopped giving out the blue tote bags to each cabin a couple of weeks ago. This was a passenger who was just on the Regal. Does anyone currently cruising or just off a cruise know if this is true?

 

Sent from my SM-G935T using Forums mobile app

Just off the Ruby today and blue tote bag given to passengers.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Princess needs to redesign policies to regain control and make cruising a pleasant experience for all passengers.

 

I have made the suggestion to Princess that they begin to set a limit on the benefits that are already in place, plus a few other changes. For example, we all know that at one time the internet was unlimited. Ahem.... now minutes are based on the length of the cruise no matter how many times/days you have sailed. My recommendation to Princess was to do this with the free laundry as well. Depending on the length of the cruise, set an amount that is free. When that amount is "used up", charge for the laundry. So, if I get $150 worth of free laundry, for example, after I use up my quota - I get charged. (The charge already is posting on the shipboard accounts and then being credited back. So that would not be an issue or problem keeping track.)

 

Another suggestion that I had was to start issuing tickets for the Princess theater. When you show up for a show, each person PRESENT, gets a ticket. Row K, Seat 14 (for example) same as in a real theater at home. Then there would be none of this saving seats, etc that is going on. On our last cruise a family of three saved 5 seats so that if someone tall sat in front of them that they would have option to "move over" a seat in either direction. Abuse, short and simple, abuse of the production shows.

 

I also suggested that Princess begin charging a nominal fee for the entertainers and production shows.

 

I also suggested that when something occurs that sets a time restraint, such as clearing customs in a foreign port, that cruise cards be scanned at the point of entry like they are for the safety drill. If it isn't the person's/group's time to be at the event, they would not be allowed to enter because their allotted time would be assigned through their cruise card.

 

Another suggestion is regarding people who purchased and are on Princess organized shore excursions should be in one lounge together for tender tickets. Those who do not have Princess organized shore excursions would be in another area to receive tender tickets.

 

Too many things on the ships have gotten out of hand. There needs to be a way to control the crowds. Staff can only do so much and be in only one place at a time.

How about you just book another cruise line?

I am Elite, my wife is Platinum, she always checks in with me and she joins me in the Elite lounge. They put a Star on her card to denote she is traveling with an Elite member.

Hello Gracie 115

 

We did the pre cruise land tour in October 2015 and absolutely loved it, loved, it, loved it!

 

We met up with our group in Washington DC - 45 of us touring plus our guide and driver who were with us every step of the way, right up to embarkation in New York. What a wonderful collection of people - 2 Scots (that was ourselves) 3 Welsh, 2 English, 1 Austrian, 4 Canadians and everyone else from the USA.

 

The pace of the tour was excellent and seamless and the content was amazing. We loved Mount Vernon and Monticello, but the absolute highlight for us was Williamsburg. We did so much there, including being part of "the jury" at a witch trial! I was also fascinated with Independence Hall in Philadelphia and could not wait to get my hands on a $2 bill to see the original states represented on the back.

 

I know a lot of Americans come to Europe to soak up the history here, but believe me, your "history" was absolutely fascinating and we honestly did not appreciate it until then.

 

We would not hesitate to recommend this trip and hope you accept these as words of encouragement to book. If you want to know anything else, please do not hesitate to ask - or if you want to post your email address, I can contact you direct.

 

Christine

We took the same trip last year (Sept) for the land portion and October for the cruise. A great trip, we would repeat one day as well.

Brian

 

In a scene straight out of an episode of The Walking Dead, I gazed down from my lofty suite balcony, anxious for the engines to start humming, as the terminal gates at Pier 27 were closed shut and a motley crowd of commoners and curiosity seekers, looking freakishly like zombies, gathered at the fence below, groaning and muttering, desperately looking for a way in. No confetti or streamers to send us off. Just the living dead!

 

I shook the vision off, and stepped back into the sanctity of the stateroom, where Mrs. Winks was busy strategically positioning her vast array of power strips around her vanity space.

 

Our ship accommodation for the next 10-days was going to be Dolphin Deck – Cabin 736, an aft facing stateroom known as the Martin Frobisher Suite. I only learned later, that Martin Frobisher was actually a notorious British privateer - who terrorized the Irish coastline during his early career as a seaman. And while later in life he reformed his wicked ways and successfully captained several expeditions to the New World for the British, I did find it odd that our suite was named after a pirate, while other suites were named after sailors with much more presentable curriculum vitaes!

 

The suite itself was spacious, with generous storage. It came with a separate bathtub and shower and even a separate lavatory room, accessible from both sides of the cabin. There was a small bar set up (which I exchanged for a bottle of red wine – Mondavi Private Reserve) with a sink, small fridge and two TVs - each with DVD players.

 

On the down side, the room safe was rather small, not big enough to hold a tablet, and the pull-out couch was very well worn and its cushions lacked any bounce. The two sides of the room were separable by a draw curtain and there was a ceiling bed that could be pulled down to hang over the couch.

 

 

On the plus side, both Mrs. Winks and I agreed, the bed was superlative. Best we'd ever had on a cruise. Comfy mattress and linens.

 

But the real appeal of the cabin, more so for Mrs. Winks than myself, was the spacious balcony which afforded enough room for two teak wood loungers and a table for four. Technically, the balcony is classified as obstructed when you review Princess deck plans, because a support beam juts up at one end. But we didn’t find it a hindrance at all and ended up enjoying our seas days spending time out on it viewing the ship’s wake.

 

Before we knew it, the 7-horns blasts filled the air and our cabin steward was knocking at our door ushering us down a side exit that deposited us just outside the Vista Lounge on Deck 7, our safety drill assembly point.

 

Muster was the usual tired affair - punctuated by the muster leader’s sincere attempts to maintain quiet and maritime law against a disgruntled assemblage of snarky passengers, uncomfortably shuffling their cumbersome life vests about, getting restless and loud. While I like a theater or lounge muster setting better than a promenade deck one, I think the meetings held out on the deck are more orderly in the end. Plop people down in a lounge without a drink and start lecturing to them is just asking for trouble. Muster is an important safety measure that certainly needs to continue… the process just needs to be updated. Nothing else in the cruise industry is firmly stuck in 1920’s tradition… why should muster be?

 

After trying on our life vests and resisting the temptation to blow the whistle or dip the light in water to see if it would indeed light up, we rushed back to our cabin, straps flailing dangerously behind us. We popped a bottle of champagne our TA provided and hopped out onto the balcony to get ready for sail away.

 

It didn’t take long for the ship to push- off from the pier and within minutes, we were passing by Alcatraz Island and approaching the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. It was a thrill to pass under… but I still have to give the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay the award for most dramatic bridge cruise passage. There, we were within 18 feet of the road bed. You felt so close you could jump up and touch it. The clearance is nowhere near as tight when passing under the Golden Gate… and with the weather being crappy, it wasn’t as awe inspiring as I’m sure it is on other voyages. Still, it was a really unique experience sailing out of San Francisco as a port and I’m glad we had the opportunity to do so.

 

 

Once the Golden Gate Bridge faded away into the overcast skies, we took a few minutes to unpack our bags and stake out our respective storage spaces. Already, here on Day 1, we decided we’d accumulated enough used items to justify a laundry bag, and since laundry is complimentary for suite guests on Princess, we decided to take advantage of it to freshen up the garments we had worn in San Francisco.

 

Then, from the outer pocket of her suitcase, Mrs. Winks pulled out a piece of door-art she had spent a few hours creating back in NY. Thanks to cardboard padding, it had survived the flight, taxis and multiple bag handlers, so with some circle magnets we’d picked up at the Dollar Store, we tacked the object d’art to our cabin’s door and let the Fiesta begin!

 

 

That first evening we arranged to have dinner at the Crown Grill specialty restaurant since the 25$ cover charged is waved embarkation night for suite guests and, despite our hefty 700$ onboard credit, we’re still notoriously cheap. (I'll explain about that OBC a bit later on and how we managed to spend it all!)

 

Prior to dinner, I popped several ginger pills in anticipation of the rough seas we’d been warned about by cruise critic members on the voyage before ours who’d come back with tales of 14-foot seas. The waters outside the Golden Gate are typically violent, especially in a vigorous El Nino year like this one. But that night, as well as the three successive At Sea days, the Princess Patter would prove accurate when it forecast “slight” seas with only 4-5 foot waves.

 

We headed down the hall just past the atrium where we were welcomed to the Crown Grill and seated at our table. Then in a manner of all surprises, a familiar face stepped up to greet us. It was Gustavo, our waiter from the BVE lunch! But instead of taking our cocktail order, he launched right into this Specialty Coffee Package spiel. Again. Did he honestly think we had changed our minds since enduring his sales pitch in the main dining room? We laughed it off, and let him know we still weren’t interested, despite his impassioned pitch. But after he left, Mrs. Winks and I both rolled our eyes and remarked how sad it was that Princess “Escape Completely” philosophy didn’t include freedom from sales pressure…

 

 

Other than Gustavo’s intrusion, our meal at the Crown Grill was fine. Service and food quality were commendable and the ambience was top notch – dining in a romantic alcove surrounded by rich, dark grained woods and beautiful black-and-white street scenes on the walls. And while we had 8:15pm reservations, which is on the later edge of the dining spectrum I’ll admit, we were still surprised to find the dining venue less than half occupied. Later in the cruise, we would get a note from the Grill expressing sincere hopes that we had enjoyed the Grill’s hospitality and asking us to return at some point in the future… with our cover charge funds in hand, of course.

 

Upon getting back to the cabin, we found the usual mail of Princess Patter, ads from the spa, and then this horrible little card!

 

 

Apparently, we would be sailing east through TWO time zones on our way to Puerto Vallarta, and Princess wanted us to move the clock ahead an hour TWICE over the next three days. Let me tell you, there is NOTHING worse than getting an hour’s less sleep on a cruise!! The first time adjustment really threw us for a loop… the second one was just criminal!

 

Coming up next: Life at Sea

Great Review! We were on the same cruise and had an Aft Suite on Caribe Deck just above you, but on the Starboard side; we just love the large balcony and the free dinner in the Crown is always nice.

Since we stayed up in Fort Lauderdale, and our ship leaves from Miami, we were in need of transportation down there. After researching, we went with a company called GOMJStrans.

 

They were on time, and we were transported in a very luxury Mercedes van with a few other passengers for $15 a person. We were highly satisfied and will definitely use them again.

 

We were finally in site of the Celebrity Eclipse. With huge grins ear to ear we handed over our luggage and about $5 to a porter just in case our suitcases wanted to go for a swim, or get on the Disney cruise right behind us, this assured us they would not.

 

We were lucky enough to get on the 123Go promotion, and we had a Concierge class balcony cabin #1063. I had read it was not worth getting a Concierge class cabin on an S class ship unless you had more perks with it, and that is exactly what happened as we started out with just a drink package but by bumping up to that we also got gratuities, and $300 OBC.

 

The extra points per day of this category put me exactly at Elite after this cruise! We we extremely happy campers!

 

We were pretty early, but check in went smoothly and with all the festive feelings from others that were waiting, the time went fast. Suddenly we found ourselves at the Sunset Bar trying out that drink package.

 

 

 

 

It was a little overcast and we had a slight sprinkle, but it could not dampen our joy. I must say Miami is absolutely beautiful to sail from.

 

Kitty, Jim,

glad you had a great cruise, now don't keep us hanging, we want more.

Brian

Next time please come up and say "hi". I have glaucoma, so sometimes in really bright light or low light I have trouble seeing people, even people I know.:)

 

P.S. Hope I was behaving myself ;).

I'll never tell, but will certainly say hi next time around.

Brian

I feel like I was right there with you. Probably because I was.:D Can't wait to read more of your review. DH and I had an outstanding cruise, so I'm hoping that you did too.

My wife and I were on the same cruise as well, I saw you several times partybarbie:)

Brian

I have been elite for several years and my traveling companion will be on her 2nd Princess cruise when we do a 30 day T/A and British Isles cruise in the Spring.

I am very familiar with the other elite perks, but am not sure about how priority tendering is handled in a situation like ours. Since we are sharing the cabin, would she be permitted to go ashore with me on the tender, or would she be expected to go separately via the usual way for non-elites?

 

I have not had this sort of situation not come up before, and I'd like to know the proper way to handle it.

Flamomo,

we will be on the April TA together. Anyway, as to your question; my wife and I sailed on the Grand Princess earlier this month; I am Elite, Ann is Platinum; when we checked in, they put a star on her cabin card to denote she was traveling with an elite member. When we tendered, she just came with me.

Hope this helps.

Brian

Thank you for your input. You used the word 'SWAP.' That helps to add to the recommendation in this posting. Why 'SWAP' and create extra work for Room Service when it is not necessary.

 

As a welcome perk wouldn't it be much more of a perk if we could decide whether we want a mini-bar set up or the suggested option of drinks on a cruise card?

 

I don't believe I can say that the (Average) person's wants or needs is the Mini-Bar. I believe that the (Average) person would like to have an option.

 

As for those that will 'always want or expect more' this is not getting more. It is a selection of an option.

 

In the past, under your personal preferences, you could select what you wanted in the way of a Mini-Bar set up. That has gone away.

In my humble opinion, the "average" person is not receiving the mini-bar set-up, it's passengers that are Elite or in a Suite. As an Elite member, I personally like the option of using the set-up, swapping some or all, or doing nothing with it. I like being able to make myself a drink without having to go to the bar and get a drink on my card; naturally that's an option.

Your post makes a lot of assumptions on what people want or will want.

Just my two cents.

Brian

After reading problems that some passengers had at Newport regarding slow tenders for those not taking Princess excursions: We have decided to book the Princess excursion that does the Breakers with the Cliff walk. It is a 3 hour tour--my question around what time would the return be back to the pier? We want to walk to the Touro synagogue and take their guided tour there, then walk around the streets by the pier, before getting a tender back on the Regal.

 

We only book ship's tours when it just will avoid problems--so for Newport, this seemed the most practical.

 

Anyway, if any one who took this Princess tour: NPT380: Cliffwalk and Breakers, please share info. Thanks Anita

We were on the Regal for a 3-10 October cruise. We booked an independent tour to Breakers and had no problems getting off the ship. In fact when we went to get our Tender tickets they told us to go directly to the loading area, this was around 8:45am.

We just had good friends who we talked into taking the Regal TA from Copenhagen. They have cruised other lines but it was their first time they had cruised Princess. They kept saying that they felt "nickel and dimed to death" on Princess and would not be selling them again.....evidently you are not alone...:)

The title is a little bit confusing, I am an Elite as well and it's my option as to whether I purchase anything on the ship or not. I don't have to take Princess excursions, I don't have to buy alcohol, soda, or specialty coffee, nor do I have to purchase photos. I also don't have to eat at the Crown Grill. Therefore, I am confused on where the extra costs are being incurred.

Just my two cents.......

Just got off Emerald Princess Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale

UGHH

The ship is tired and all the chairs in Explorers lounge in dire need of a truly good upholsterer as all are like sitting in a ditch

Hot food selection in the Lido resembled pig swill and lacked any taste beyond 2 days when they actually served Fish and chips

Food was seldom more than luke warm across both lido and dining room and choices extremely uninteresting

Lots of things to do with a lovely group of Australian assistant cruise staff but the crescendo of noise of musak belted out in all venues denied any level of conversation before events and was with one exception being "Its a swell party"ear splitting

The lowly cabin and serving staff were great but officers,pursers etc were condescending and downright useless

As for Lee Childers Cruise Director you never saw him apart from his brief visits on stage with "MAKE SOME NOISE " Every performer was drowned out by extreme orchestra noise no doubt engineered by deaf sound techs which only those able to turn off hearing aids could tolerate

 

Elite benefits have been whittled away with laundry now taking 72 hours and elite bathroom amenities destroyed by a pathetic little bag and awful squirty shampoo and shower gell in the shower in place of the lovely Lotus Spa Eucalyptus bottles

 

Charges for port shuttles were $10 or even $15 yet a taxi was way cheaper

The Alcohol policy has become ridiculous

The coffee is pure dishwater

and the food very little better in many instances

even the most travelled passengers with over 2000 days were not impressed

 

 

All in all if Princess hope the way they treat passengers especially loyal cruisers is going to reap benefits they need to think again

 

Cannot see us cruising with them again until an entirely different attitude and quality re emerges

and yes we have over 400 days of previous happy cruising on many different Princess Ships inc Emerald

I hope you completed your Survey upon cruise completion, complaining to us won't rectify the problems.

I am a smoker and I just returned from the Golden.

 

There is smoking on Deck 15 above the Prego Pizzeria on the port side by the bar. This is ok, but I think it is a dumb place to put it since the kids club is right inside the door.

 

You can smoke on the promenade deck (7) outside the aftmost doors near the Vista Lounge. While I appreciate an area to smoke, this is also not a great location for three reasons: 1: people trying to exercise and walk around the ship will be walking right through there, 2: there's no place to sit and 3: there is a vent in front of that door and a very putrid odor eminates from there most of the time.

 

You can smoke in the Casino when it isn't formal night. My nose may be compromised, but my non-smoking wife walked through the port side of the Casino and was not offended at all.

 

You can sometimes smoke in Skywalker's lounge. I don't know if there are rules, but if there are ashtray's out, then go ahead.

 

The only nicer place to smoke is the Players Club bar located on deck 6 between the hallways that lead to the Princess Theater. Tables, TVs, bar, air purifiers and such. Not bad.

 

My favorite smoking area is on Deck 15 aft on the Grand Princess behind the One5 lounge. Covered, comfortable, wicker chairs and couches, tables, service and at the back of the ship where it doesn't bother others. I wish they would do this on all of their ships - makes sense to me.

 

Beware, no matter where you smoke there will be some hand waving, face scrunching, fake coughing, rude comment making person who is sure to make sure you know that they disapprove of your choices.

Can you smoke cigars on Deck 15 Aft of the Grand? Or is it restricted to the Cigar lounge?

On our last B2B we thought, "yay! we don't have to go to the muster drill".

But be forewarned, if you don't go, there isn't anything to do:confused:

Everything closes (except the pools) and if you stay in your cabin, the loudspeakers broadcast the drill.

We decided there wasn't much advantage and will go next time. At least we will have lots of company and may meet a new friend.

I visit the cigar lounge and enjoy a cigar, a cold beer, and watch TV. My wife reads.

I don't see a Churchill's on the Coral, Casino I assume has a smoking aread, what are the other outside smoking areas?

Churchill's is mid-ship, but very small compared to other Princess ships. Occasionally, the winds would be too strong for cigarette smokers to stand outside and smoke, therefore they all strolled into the cigar lounge which made for a very crowded atmosphere. If you were a cigar smoker and didn't get to Churchill's in time, you had no where to sit.