EdmPair

Perhaps Princess is already planning and/or doing this, but I so wish you could see a photo of THAT cabin when looking at their web page deck plans. I was just looking for a related thread here about when the beds are against the wall or under the window in Obstructed Ocean View cabins. That does not change to best of my knowledge and so I think the technology is there for the company to tie a photo of THAT cabin to the number and have it available. I mean all the cabins are showroom quality for a few hours in each turn around.

I am thinking of how Google can do street view photography and I can see the storefront of Betty and Bob's Diner in Nowhereville and those are geotagged tightly.

One area I have read in the past, this was needed as much as wanted were people travelling in wheelchairs and needing to see how the shower worked for them.

Anybody have thoughts?

M

If is part of my definition of my vacation that I wear Aloha shirts from time to time. Wearing bright flowers and pineapples all the time would be a bit much, but I have to bring one on a cruise. Sorry.

Seems to me, they had a child menu for desserts and I was told to try a chocolate mess from there. I think it was called a volcano or something. The staff were fine with supplying to a child at heart. It was a bit much, but the kiddos might like all that sugar.

Congrats! No matter how you propose or where you propose, it will be right.

I proposed in our dining room. Given that, I suggest a table for two after the entree but before the dessert.

And remember the advice of Dan Savage, "$#%K First".

M

The MDR serves multi-course meals and that takes time. Take the time and meet the people about you. Eat a bit and talk more. If I have had a very busy day ashore, why not sit a while to eat.

There are other dining options on the ship for faster food and when I want to get to a show or such I will go there.

We have each given our advice to the OP.

Visiting St. Petersburg was the topic of a very contentious thread here some time back, me being an admirer of the place. I still maintain that what homophobia exists in Russia pales in comparison to the Caribbean. I see nothing here that is very accurate in response to your post, OP, and would just suggest that you peruse the St. Petersburg and Baltic boards which unfortunately won't offer gay advice. To stay on the ship in St. Petersburg would be denying yourself a wonderful travel experience of a great world city.

Perhaps. It would also deny them my coins.

Now you have me confused on the geography and I just went to my map and the reread the OP. A Princess ship would leave from Embarcadero area and sail out under the Golden Gate Bridge. If it has to take off a passenger, why would it return to the Bay and pass under the Bay Bridge?? Or did the OP not mean to say that?? It is definitely farther to go and you sail past the dock you left.

Later,

M

Is it that bad?

I can not say how bad it is to be Gay there now. However, there have been arrests for showing Pride colours. It is illegal to even advocate for equal rights so even an ally is vulnerable for speaking out. Certainly would not think of holding hands with my man.

As to the hospitality, the big tourist attractions are swamped with people and so you get big crowds. The guides give you MANY DIRECT warning of pick pockets. Don't worry too much about getting into a bad neighbourhood as you can not go anywhere without an approved guide.

Summary is that I do not look back on it as the best part of that trip and we have zero interest in every going back. I guess if it changed DRASTICALLY but no hint of that right now.

Later,

M

Would a chopper lift be faster than pulling into a dock? Might be but guessing more risks to do it. And did you folks say it passed under the bay bridge too? I had to look at the map of SF but the dock is still before that bridge. No??

Regardless, I hope the person taken off for medical reasons does fine and recovers to sail again.

We were in St Petersburg before the anti-gay laws swept the nation. Even from a hospitality point of view, it is not the prize it is marketed as. Consider staying on the boat.

(The border agent snapped that I put my passport and visa on the counter at the same time when she wanted only one.)

If I bring a more heavy duty hook (20 pound weight limit) will it still work on the wall I'm thinking of hanging my Vera Bradley jewelry holder or toiletries holder. Does anyone know if that will work. I hate to have clutter around the room. Thanks for any help.

The walls are steel sheet like the front of your fridge. If the hooks you speak about hold 20 lbs on your fridge, they will do about the same on the wall. HOWEVER, if you approach the limit at all and they slide on the wall, you must be certain they do not scratch the paint. Such damage, if noted by ship staff, will be charged back to your account as provided in the fine print of the contract.

I think magnets are best for just a paper or two. Cabins have reasonable storage if you travel by air. I can see the need for more if you travel by car and arrive with 3 cases of clothes.

Later,

M

I can not help but to add that the cabins on upper decks are more expensive because more people want them. And perhaps some of the demand is because they cost more. This is partly the pricing of a luxury product.

M

Interesting web pages but so what. I am with those who could care less but not by much. The history of events in my cabin are history and as long as no sign is there for me to see, why should I worry. I echo the person who commented about deaths in auto collisions and you don't avoid that part of the road. Heck, if you did try to avoid any such intersection, you probably not move through most cities!

If I were in the cabin where some lady knocked to the where somebody else was murdered, I would have freaked. You deserve a medal for both stupidity and callousness. Your curiosity does not justify disturbing those in another cabin.

Later,

M

Interesting discussion. Glad to see the photos from above to show the roof he would land on if/when he falls. However, I would not assume it was built to support a falling person. Also, if it has a grade at all it will just toss him in the drink unless he punches through it. I doubt the roof over the walkway below is a good thing in all ways.

He needs a sign. Not the railing.

M

I am a walker. I am a map reader. In the first day or two, I walk every floor to every corner of a ship. If a door is marked staff only and is cracked a bit, I look in but do not enter. (I did step in once and extended my arm to photo around a corner, but you know how that is. Then stepped back on the carpet.) If a door is unmarked and even looks like public space, I walk through. In short, I have walked past your cabin door and often more than once.

I do not know exactly what the OP was seeking, but if you actively explore as I do, you will find 'it'. You will find the sweet spot where you can see the deck chairs up by the funnels used only by the engineers. You will find the deck over the bridge where you can read the memory capacity of the 'black box' which is not black. You will find the special chair in the library that allows a view of the waves and the people walking by. It is important to study the texture of the crowd and the crests. You will find your gem but only if you seek it out.

Later,

M

If you are bringing more than 100 000 tonnes of luggage, they may object as it would make the ship list a bit. (If not sink.) Do book a big suite, I guess.

:-)

M

The First class sleepers on Amtrak have large all-in-one bathrooms. Push the lower button to flush, the one directly above it to turn on the shower. They had to put a cover over the upper button. Too many surprised passengers in the past.

Now if Princess moved to those bathrooms to save space, this Board would go wild!! Lets face it, the current bathroom is 'compact' now. Upside, you could almost get the experience of being an astronaut!

I can not say on Dover, but we did a trip from Southampton on the Grand Princess and it may be comparable. We took the Princess bus back to Heathrow and that was comparable in driving time. Regardless of when the ship gets in, the bus leaves so it can get to the airport, the driver have a bite to eat and then load a group to return for the next sailing. Or so the driver said was the common practice. (Once he said it, I realized that is how I would book buses to do this job too.) As such, we had a bit much of a wait for the flight -- then again 'the olympics'.

I consider the transfer from boat to plane much like that from plane to plane. Schedule it too tight and you risk a minor problem being a wrench in the gears. Bring a book and prepare to sit a bit. I hate that part of a vacation most on the way home. TOO.

Does anybody know if this is done on most cruises? If it happened on my last Princess trip, I missed it. I agree it would be a fiasco to try for such a free photo -- but if nothing else pulls me away.

Good point denmarks.

I would like the OP to let us know if this can be done. (I also suspect if it can be done after the cruise with one line, it does not say how the next company would handle such a request.)

I have not been on that ship, but on others the seating is often open in various lounges even if serving staff are not there. You could plan for a book or ipad to fill a few hours of those wee hours. Or watch the stars on an upper deck.

I say call and call soon. They all seem to be digital and archiving the lot would not be that much space or cost these days. I am sure the prints they put on display are trashed -- or more likely recycled for the silver. I would also expect a higher price.

Good luck,

M

I went to the Princess Contract and searched for something which prohibits this behaviour. I could find nothing directly about feeding birds on your balcony. I did scan for other more vague but relevant language but could find nothing. I was surprised. In my opinion, feeding gulls on your deck means poop on your deck and others. Who wants to take even money, this will eventually be in the cruise contract?

M

On another unrelated thread, there was a nice collection of photos from a Princess trip to Alaska and I was 'snooping' through them only to find a photo of somebody feeding a seagull from the rail of the ship in Vancouver.

If not mistaken, Vancouver like many other places counts feeding seagulls as littering and it is a bylaw infraction. However, beyond that ... and how can I put this politely. Well, anything which goes into a bird has to come out and there is no telling when or where that happens. I do not know if Princess has a regulation one way of the other but if you were feeding gulls on the balcony next to mine, I would be on the phone fast. Please don't.

Later,

M