paddingtonbear

. Actually, I thought I was a bit obbsessive with all my searching and saving and collecting, and my sister was making me feel.....well....I just had to quit sharing with her, so I kept it to myself, but now I realize, it is more normal to collect than to purposely put it out of your mind!!

I don't know if it's "normal" out in the real world but here on cruise critic you are among friends who are equally obsessive so it does not matter one bit what the rest of the world do :)

I found this great web site the other day:

 

http://www.whototip.net/

 

I wish I'd found it before our trip to Australia and New Zealand - we spent way too much time watching other people to see if they tipped or not!

This site's advice is wrong for australia so I guess it's wrong for other cities. It says don't tip then in the fine print says tipping is appreciated. That is just plain wrong. It's subtly saying yes tip anyway.

We do not tip in Australia except in restaurants max 10% generally just rounding up. Taxis sometimes rounding up just to make getting change easier not tipping. Never tip for anything else. We don't want the tipping culture spread to Oz.

I have never ever ever heard of anyone tipping their hairdresser.

I would never tip a tour bus driver here.

In Italy I was told by our Italian host not to tip ever, even in restaurants because the Italians consider it rude. Sort of a master servant pride thing. I went on a your of the Vatican and there was an American family of four and us. It was 7hrs and excellent. The famy tipped the guide and walked away. I said to the guide oh sorry I didn't know you took tips and handed him some notes. He handed them back, looked me in the eye and said "we don't, don't be silly," and thanked ME for a lovely day.

There is an equivalent to london walks in Paris walks. Walkparis.com

A guided walk around various parts of Paris. Excellent value.

Friends of ours did a Segway tour and loved it and said they saw a lot.

Bellini's

 

I will answer all three Bellini questions in one response.

 

1. Totally agree with Cubfan63 that the venue is very nice and we did pick up a bottle of champagne there on day one and found that the staff were excellent - in fact we had to wait as Roman and Rebecca wanted us to have some commemorative champagne flutes since the champagne was a higher end bottle and they had to go get the special flutes. Very personable and friendly.

 

 

2. Paddington - as per Cubfan's response - the menu includes Bellini's, champagne, and some wine.

 

3. Scotslizzy - beverage package applies anywhere as long as the drink is less than 10 dollars - which pretty much applies to everything.

 

I hope this answers the questions - if not just ask.

 

thanks

 

Ray

 

 

 

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

Thank you Ray and cubsfan

I have googled a Bellini! By the time I get on the ship I will know everything or at least a whole lot more than I do now!

>Bellini’s Bar – we looked over the menu and this is a very specific type place – thus we didn’t see much activity.<

Can you please explain what you meant by this?

Thank you for the review!

Thanks for the photos dmwnc.

It does look nice. However, I have a psychological block to an inside cabin. I went on an Italian Ferry for an overnight trip and they only had an inside cabin available. I spent an hour telling myself "I'm fine..." before I finally fell asleep and I couldn't face it again. Silly I know!

 

With the Royal-class having deck mounted lifeboats, this gave way for what had been obstructed ocean view cabins to now become obstructed view balcony cabins.

 

But the problem now seems to be with the pricing - that they are priced as a more expensive balcony cabin and not as an ocean view cabin, and it's that price difference that is making it difficult for those who normally book obstructed ocean view cabins to justify the added expense when considering the alternative.

:D

Thank you all. I think there was a glitch on the website or I wasn't searching properly because it now comes up with a completely different set of deck plans. So I can see that you are right and there are no oceanview cabins. Such a surprise.

Sad for those who don't like inside cabins but don't want to stretch to a balcony.

Hi

I am looking at a British Isles cruise on the Royal (no other option) and it says there are no oceanview cabins available (not sold out just not available). On the ship plans there are ocean view cabins. Why is this?

Also I can't bring up any cabins below level 8 on the website. Am I doing something wrong?

Corfe Mixture, Great advice, day length would be important for us for the rest of the trip too. Thank you.

ellie, I googled "UK school holidays" so thank you for setting me straight. So important. Great idea to stop kids leaving school early. It is so disruptive for those left behind because teachers feel they can't start new work. Last time (the first time) we went to London it was for 6 days from May 10 and we had fantastic weather! I know it will be a lottery. : )

Insidecabin thankyou for the tips. I watch the Edinburgh tattoo on TV most years and think I'd prefer to avoid the crowds in Edinburgh for the whole of August.

Pamjp, I should have thougth of midges since they are common in New Zealand, the Scotland of the south! I will research them. How wonderful that you avoided them.

I think the Aug 25 cruise is going to be the start of the Transatlantic Cruise back to the US which is why there is an 11 page roll call for it already.

I think the July cruise might not be going to Kirkwall, afterall. The brochure says it does but the internet (which is more accurate, apparently) says it doesn't. I think we might give Kirkwall a miss (and visit it by land earlier) and stick with the July sailing. Thank you all for the advice and help.

Hi

I am looking at the Princess British Isles Cruises. I really like the one that goes to Kirkwall.

There are three departure dates from Southhampton. Which would be best weather wise? Do school children go on these cruises?

May 21 too cold?

July 8 (school holidays start 2 days after this so I guess a few kids will skip a few days of school)

August 25 ( schools go back on 31.08.15 so I guess this will have fewer kids?)

I have naturally curly hair (read: a tangled, unruly mop) so have always travelled with special shampoo and conditioner and a hairdryer that works well and fewer clothes so I can fit them in. Welcome to my world :)

Australians who don't know there are different rates for Australians and Americans. Sadly.

Cruises from Seattle sail on the west side of Vancouver Island while those that depart from Vancouver sail on the east side of Vancouver Island. The Seattle cruises can encounter rougher water.

If you pick the sights that are a must see for you narrowing down the choices is easier. Even looking through brochures helps with this or browsing excursions for Alaska on the cruise ship websites.

Thanks everyone. I got in! I am embarrassed to say that I was using the confirmation number of the first confirmation letter but had had a price drop which necessitated rebooking and a change in confirmation number.

I haven't cruised before. I booked with a TA. I have a princess booking code but it comes up as "old number".

Thanks for your help. I will contact the TA but will have to wait till Monday.

We are booked on a cruise to Alaska next July. I have a booking number but it doesn't work on the cruise personliser. Is this because we haven't made final payment yet?

People on other cruises have said that the excursions have opened up for Alaska next year. Where can I see that information?

A friend booked a cruise (not princess) to see her son perform. He'd been given dates and ships etc. A short while before our friends boarded the discovered their son wouldn't be performing on that cruise!

I guess there is a "subject to change..." Line in the fine print. : )

So very sorry to hear you missed the ship! : (

We are hiring a car at anchorage airport driving to Denali driving to Seward driving back to Anchorage downtown (for no one way drop fee) and catching the whittiershuttle dot com

which has good reviews for $28 direct pp or $38 pp with a tour of Alaskan wildlife centre. We have 8 nights total. Both are narrated and stop for photo ops along the way. Book your car ASAP. Prices go up all the time. I worked out this was the cheapest and convenient method for us.

One way drop fees to Whittier are $150 on top of your rental and you can only book with Avis as they are the only rental company in Whittier.

Don't know why I'm the only person who can't post a URL :(

fun to do it.........I enjoy viewing the different Patters since I probably won't be on several of these cruises......thanks.......mike;)

Onefine89

Thank you so much for this fantastic resource. It's wonderful to read them for my cruise and for others I might be tempted to do! Thanks again.

Might or might not work. Didn't knock anything off a rate I have been looking at in Anchorage.

Yes it has finished. Sorry I posted it on TA first then copied it over here without rechecking. I thought at first you might need the website it came on but that isn't the case.

You have to be so quick :(

Avis is having a 25% off sale right now. You have to use the AWD: S951600

The longer chilkoot tours stopped on sept 5 this year.

The weather can be a lot wetter. I recently read a trip report that sounded pretty dismal with rain everyday but you can be lucky with the weather.

If you are doing a land tour in Central Alaska the longer fjord tours may have finished by mid sept.

You will have to research which excursions aren't available. The biggest complaint I've read is people saying the excursion was in the brochure but they weren't told til they were on board that they weren't available that late in the season.

Would you mind listing some things and places you recommend. Also any sites that you used for planning. We are going with a large family group in 2016 and are doing a northbound cruise but then DH and I will stick around for some Anchorage and Denali touring on our own. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

What I do, and this may not suit you, is to get the brochures for expensive travel tours and in the case of Alaska the cruise tours and I go through them looking for what I think will interest me. When I have a vague idea of where I think I want to go I look at trip advisor reports and do a bit more indepth research. You can find out what people do not like about those tours and avoid that for your itinerary.

This means you definitely cover the highlights and maybe find some off the beaten track gems as well.

Great information. Preparing for my trip in July 2015 :)

A lot of the accommodation places offer 10% + discounts on both Kenai fjords and other tours too.