MarkBearSF

FYI - In our experience, we have been able to get off the ship with the first group with a request to the Tour Office, which handles the tags. All it took was telling them that we had an early flight. On at least one occasion we were in a (not very) obstructed view balcony cabin, so our scheduled time was much later. (I don't believe they publicize this, but they have been very understanding)

As far as timing, from what I remember
- The ship would dock by 7:00
- Self-disembarkation starts around 8:30 - 9:00
- Busses, tours, and early disembark starts around 9:00
- They don't recommend any flights before 1:00 PM

Of course, this was before COVID. Things could be different. (and my memory may be off a bit)

There's not an appreciable difference between the three. Most important would probably be the airline you prefer and that will largely drive the airport decision. (UA/LH=EWR, AA/BA & DL/VS=JFK...) Also LGA has a limit on the distance for flights to land there.

That said, the closest is LGA, the furthest EWR, with JFK in the middle, but of course, traffic can be a factor. All three have traditionally been pretty dismal, but LGA's remodel must be pretty complete by now and I know EWR has had work done. But still, none will rate as anybody's favorite. I think their on-tine rates are about the same.

Locals, please feel free to correct me, but a decent driver could probably get to LGA in 20 minutes with good traffic, closer to 30 for JFK, and probably 40 minutes or so to EWR. And, of course, bad traffic could double it. For the shuttle bus I would assume about an hour or so.

Probably Yank Sing in Rincon Center. A few blocks closer is Harborview Restaurant in Embarcadero Center #4. 

A couple of points:

- To the question about spit alternatives for those with "salivary issues" - Yes. They offer an alternative; you may need a doctor's note or known medical condition to qualify. I don't recall the details, but there was a poster who had that problem and was able to use an alternative.

- A tip to make the collection less onerous. If you're over 50, you probably are like me and need to get up once or twice in the middle of night to pee. Before you go to bed, leave the tubes in the bathroom. It's easy to get half way to 2ml, lessening the amount to spit the next morning. MUUUUUCH easier! 

On 10/7/2021 at 12:54 PM, LACruiser88 said:

 

On a F&F booking you do not receive any Captain Circle benefits regardless of your previous status. You do receive a cruise credit for the cruise.

This is similar to the policy on Cunard. (Also guest lecturers)
Their first timer cruise cards have a red stripe on the edge ...and are disparagingly called "red tops." Again, regardless of personal status level.

23 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

Such "surveys" where they are looking for certain results are called Pishing here in the states. 

HA Inadvertent humor via damn spellcheck. I suspect you meant "phishing" (as in "fishing" - but spelled like the band Phish). I believe "pishing" is Yiddish for something else entirely.

2 hours ago, cruzmore99 said:

We also prefer the mid-ship DR and Early TD.  We were in the Boticelli once and it was so difficult getting on an elevator after dining because the second seating people were there waiting. It would be even more difficult for me now that I am using a walker. 

It's especially bad on the Grand (and old Star and Golden) because there are only two aft elevators that go down to Deck 6. On our 10 day Mexico cruise, we had one of the Oceanview cabins near the "art" gallery off the Piazza. Unfortunately, my husband has mobility issues and difficulties with stairs so we had to take the elevators from 5 to 7, walk aft, and then back down from 7 to 6. Heading to dinner, the elevators were usually already filled, and with a dinnertime crowd milling in the lobby on 7 waiting to go down. It often took over five minutes to  catch an elevator before or after dinner (late seating).

As a result, although we prefer traditional dining, when on the Grand or her departed sisters, we've chosen Anytime Dining to avoid Botticelli.

Of course, now it's changed - and the new ship home-porting in SF will be the Ruby - which has all four elevators go to Deck 6. 

I really enjoyed the Concierge Lounge on our QG crossing. Especially as my cabin's WiFi went south on Day 4 of the crossing, I found it handy to hang there for an hour or so on my laptop. Especially enjoyed the snacks and tea sandwiches - and the concierges were such a great help for anything aboard. (No need to queue at the Purser's Desk)

Also, for your two bottles of spirits, you may see a list of available brands. This isn't exhaustive. Feel free to request your favorites, even if it's not on the standards list. (In our case, we asked for Tanqueray 10 gin and Glenmorangie whisky) 

Although the Queen's Grill is magnificent, don't miss the delicious pub lunch in the Golden Lion Pub. (The lunch menu in the Grills is the same as in Britannia) And, indeed, the Britannia Restaurant is such a magnificent space, I'd consider an open seating lunch there one day, if you've not dined there before. 
 

I believe that there may be security considerations at play here. You are forbidden to use your phone in the arrival pre-clearance area. As a result, they may be disinclined to offer WiFi throughout. 

6 hours ago, castlebello said:

When we have done Club on Cunard we did get our own dining room and it was nice to have the same wait staff ... but we generally find the staff in the MDR on Princess to be friendly and efficient so its not an issue if we have a different team.

Of course on Cunard, it's all traditional dining and all tables are assigned with the same wait staff in all categories, including the standard Britannia MDR. (The difference being assigned times and seatings in Britannia class vs open, anytime seating at your table for Club and Grills.)

We will be on our first Club Class cruise on the Grand in October and I had hoped that it had been like on Cunard, that our table and staff were waiting for us whenever we cared to dine. Nonetheless, I'm sure we'll have a wonderful experience.

Most everyone would prefer to dock in Manhattan vs Red Hook. 

I believe the factor is the length of the ship. if she sticks out too far into the Hudson she becomes a hazard. So the QM2 docks there, but her smaller sisters Vickie and Liz will usually dock in Manhattan. The larger ships in the Princess fleet require Red Hook. Conceivably, there could be a situation where a Manhattan berth is unavailable pushing the ship to Brooklyn, but rare. And likewise, a larger ship can be granted an exemption to dock in Manhattan (I think it happened once with the QM2). 

I believe that they're expanding the facilities in Red Hook to handle two simultaneous ships in port, but it was likely delayed with the COVID freeze and I don't know its current status. By the way, I also believe that Carnival financed much of the port to accommodate the QM2. 

So, yes, RC and Celebrity ships dock in their pier at Cape Liberty, the NCL ships, although big, are short enough to dock in Manhattan, and do. And Carnival-related ships dock in either Manhattan (if they can) or Red Hook (if they're too big for Manhattan)

As majortom10 observes, it's a long way from now till May, so it's far too early to have any clear answers. According to the 26 July "Sail With Confidence" letter,
"Pre-embarkation Covid-19 tests will be required at the terminal and will be complimentary. We will update this page as necessary and update all guests prior to their holiday departure date."
And if there were to be some issues with providing them at the Redhook pier (It could happen), remember that you're in NY, and there should be many options for you to be tested. (The local drug stores have been offering tests and there's practically a Walgreens or Duane Reed on every block in Manhattan)

Assuming you sail out of Redhook (the largest/longest ships cannot dock in Manhattan) - there are no hotels in the immediate vicinity. It's an industrial/dock area that is getting gentrified, but still is mainly parking lots and construction. 

Of the three airports, LaGuardia, LGA, is closest (but still under construction in many areas. And you cannot fly from long distances there) Second is JFK and third is Newark, EWR. Depending on where you spend the night before, it may not matter (if you stay in the West Side of Manhattan, EWR can be convenient.) Your airport will likely be determined by your choice of airlines as much as anything.

I would recommend checking out Brooklyn for your overnight, but I love Manhattan and would personally stay there (and I'd try to fit in a Broadway show). Either would be great, but neither is near the airports. (I wouldn't recommend staying right near JFK or LGA).

I always recommend a car service for transportation with cruise luggage between airports, cruise and hotels. There are two highly competitive services in NY. We use Dial7 (dial7.com) or 1-212-777-7777, or their own app. The other company is Carmel (carmellimo.com) or 1 - 866-666-6666 or their app. We travel to NY and take the QM2 from Redhook often. We always do Dial7 from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship. Other options are taxi, Lyft/Uber or mass transit (I don't recommend for this port). There also is a wonderful passenger ferry that stops right next to the ship and travels to Manhattan for a few dollars. However, although they have racks to accommodate it, we're not crazy about doing that with cruise luggage.

For what it's worth, I'm certain they were available in July 2019 and the previous September. If memory serves, between the two trips, I ordered steak twice and for starters, selected shrimp (prawns) with cocktail sauce a couple of times and a caesar once. At no point did I see any indication that servers needed Head Waiter permission to do it.

I've heard rumors of the choices being printed on the menu or Daily Programme, (most often on the QE or QV) but have never noticed it myself. 

For the record, I believe the items are: Starters - Prawns with Cocktail Sauce, Caesar salad, Mains - Rib Steak, Chicken Breast, Salmon, Side - Steamed Veggies. For those who've done it, how does this compare to the Britannia Club Ala Carte Menu?

Thanks all!

5 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

Was the cruise in question a one week out of Miami,  never been on one but all the ones that have been on TV look like party  cruises. Expect not all Princess cruises are like this, especially out of Southampton. 

 

Length of  cruise and intinerary have a big impact on clientele and hence atmosphere. 

True. But, since I live on the West Coast, I often take cheaper, short little itineraries to Mexico and repos (including an upcoming 5 night to Cabo) - trips, which on Carnival or many other lines would def be a booze cruise, but I still don't see it on those cruises. 

Not doubting the OP's experiences, but I'd like to point out that the scene he describes is highly unusual for Princess.

We'll be traveling in a suite for the first time in October. It's a five-day trip to Cabo from LA. We're staying on board and treating it as a luxurious five days at sea. 
Anyway... Among the suite perks is a minibar setup. What exactly is in the setup and can we swap mini bottles to our preferences? (In our case it would work out to be 60% gin 40% scotch, no vodka, bourbon, rum, tequila)

DocLawDog - I must say that the cruise you describe would be HIGHLY unusual for Princess. 

It's my understanding that a negative COVID test is required to enter the US by air, sea or land. 
Last week, we were on a Viking cruise around Bermuda (it was heaven!) and we had daily testing onboard (we had to spit into collection tubes each AM) so it was easy for them to produce our letter of our negative test to check into our flight home from Bermuda. 

I'm not expecting the rigorous daily testing on our upcoming Mexico cruise to Cabo in October. However, I'm concerned where we will get tested to return to the US (assuming it will be at customs and immigration in San Pedro). I'm hoping it will be available onboard, as my husband has mobility issues and we were planning on staying aboard while in Cabo.

Of course I agree about the many advantages of working with a good TA. In the case I listed above, my TA was good, however the TA at the group agency ignored any requests and passed on nothing (It was like a dysfunctional game of telephone). Lesson learned - do not use a subcontract/pass-through relationship. 

However, I still appreciate visibility into my booking and the ability to monitor and take care of things like advance reservations for dining and excursions (Functions provided on most other lines). Although my wonderful TA does a heroic job of keeping track of her clients' needs and details, another set of eyes is always a good thing, 

And, as I count down the days, I love going back over the details of the booking...

A couple of years ago, Cunard "gave" me an unwanted upgrade in a cruise where there were two TAs handling my booking. (A group with one who was supposed to pass on info and a bit of commission to my usual TA, but wound up being a brick wall or a black hole - choose your metaphor) In any event, the only way I was able to see this was by the change of the cabin number in the VP.

And why can't they fix the caption on the bed arrangement? 

 

Last night, I noticed more things that are special about Viking. It happened in the men's bathroom, of all places!

I had appreciated the cloth towels next to the sinks. (I wish Cunard did this. Holland America does) And I love the sea sounds over the speakers. (It DOES help "inspire" things and probably helps cover any untoward sounds). This time, I rushed to the bathroom and dashed into a stall. I noticed a little can for "sanitary disposal" and little bags above. OH NO, I wondered. Had I dashed into the wrong bathroom by mistake? When I tentatively emerged from the stall, I was reassured by the sight of urinals. And I thought "huh?"  And then I realized that Viking had simply made accommodations for trans men to be able to use the facilities. Thank you, Viking.

2 hours ago, eegad said:

Is this a change just for this week?  Or is this the new schedule for all the remaining Bermuda cruises?

I don't think there have been announcements on this, but my impression is that all cruises will have the overnight at the Dockyards.

Another seemingly unused facility is the Restaurant bar near the stairs. It looks like a large passenger bar, but I never see passengers there. Is it used by the serving staff?