Cloudyrain

We saw it too from the Buffet: definitely not a usual sight 😂

$5 would probably be about £3 by the time the buy-back rate/comission is taken into account: and some exchanges will have minimum amounts that they accept, and will only accept notes not coins. Maybe a driver who has a lot of US passengers can save them up and cash them in, but in your average venue its pretty pointless. I used to be a waitress (many many years ago!) and was given a $1 note as a tip and that it just got pinned on the kitchen notice board 😂 I mean we don't really "do" tipping here: 10% is seen as pretty generous, £1 per customer is pretty average, although most people give nothing at all now they mostly pay contactless.

The Piazza This is a great venue, very attractive etc, but for me it's unusable. It seems like every bar/floor has their own music playing (sometimes quite loud) and it just becomes a terrible cacophony of noise. I'm clearly in the minority for this as it's a really popular venue, but honestly after 10 minutes it makes me feel ill and discombobulated 😬 It's also quite chilly on Port days due to the draft from the deck 4 gangways.

The Euro is one of the most common currencies in Europe, and even in countries in Mainland Europe that don't operate on the Euro, it is often accepted in tourist areas (except the UK!). Europe doesn't tip like the US though, and honestly giving a tour guide or bus driver a $5 tip is pretty pointless to be honest. It would be like me giving a waitress in New York a £5 note: there isn't any conversion value.

Liverpool Weather Report Morning: T-shirt warm. Afternoon: Hoody needed as the cloud cover increased. Late afternoon/early evening: Sunshine! Actually warm in the sun, and definitely sunbathing weather on the balcony - unless you were the opposite side of the ship, and in this case tou probably would think it was freezing and that I was crazy! 7pm: Sunny, beautiful, freezing on the deck! Do not be deceived 😂 Sorry, photos are not particularly helpful to represent the weather. The first photo was early afternoon, and the second two are late afternoon and then early evening.

Disembarkation Details We return to Southampton on Saturday 8th June via the Mayflower terminal. Princess offer several options depending on how you are travelling onwards.

Liverpool Daily

The fact we were docking at Ringaskiddy was on the official Port website for months before (as the larger MSC Virtuosa was also in on that day). No one at Princess confirmed this until a few days before we travelled when we had an email confirming the change (sent 24th May). As I understand it, those with private excursions that included transport had no issues as the operators knew this would be happening (albeit some did report that they have to amend their trip itinerary slightly).

We were told that there is talk of them banning cruise ships from the city, but this hasn't been implemented yet. We docked there last August and I understand it's due there again next year, but they don't have many trips there a year (relative to the other ports that get more frequently visited).

What about it bored you? We are currently on our first Princess on the Regal and although some of the activities are not our cup of tea, we definitely aren't bored and always feel we have options for evening entertainment.

I will have to re-check then: I was reading the sign above the machine that said Dollars, but I didn't notice a token machine but that would make sense. It was a super quick visit 😊

Breakfast Ordering I love this! We don't use it often, but if we plan to go out early, it's a great option as we aren't fans of MDR breakfasts, and peak-time buffet can be a bit manic!

Laundry Rooms These are great with free irons and sinks, but you do need to pay to use the toplader machines in dollars (which isn't much help to us non-dollar users!). Oh well, I didn't come on holiday to wash 😊

Dublin Daily The tender was super busy early on, but by 11am it was ticketless. Coming back mid-afternoon there was a short queue, but it wasn't a pleasant journey as people were crammed on like sardines and there were some rather nauseous passengers by the end!

Day 5 Weather Report - Dublin Morning: Patchy cloud: hoody needed in the breeze, but ok in a t-shirt in a sheltered area of the deck. Afternoon: Sunny and warm enough to use the pool! It was glorious on deck and very quiet: it felt like being in the med! Evening: Sunny but cold in the wind! (Photos should be in order)

(I did warn I was posting half-live, because I am a very disorganised poster!) Arcade I previously said this was rubbish, and as a parent of a child who loves arcades I was initially disappointed. However, it actually isn't that bar at a second glance. It's alao easily avoided for those with children who think this place might break the bank 😂 Game prices range from $1.50 for the grabber/shooting machines, and up to $5 for the VR ones. There is a smell of smoking remaining from when it was a smoking lounge, but it's old smoke smell rather than current.

I'm sorry to hear you have encountered this. Personally it hasn't been an issue for us, but I'm probably not a "good mark" as I am usually focused on stopping my child knocking a drink over or colliding in to other passengers or furniture 😂 We also avoid the Piazza as much as possible as it's quite busy and the music/events that are often on aren't really to our tastes.

Pianist and singer: Oliver Holland This chap is great! Really great! He usually performs in the Wheelhouse bar, and tonight he did the show in the (underused) Vista Lounge. He sang a selection of (especially good) Elton John, (not my cup of tea but still good) Elvis, and (fabulous) Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody was especially good. The accompanying orchestra was also brilliant with guest Violinists really great too. I really recommend his performances 😊

Day 4 Weather Report - Cork Morning: very cloudy, a brisk breeze. Afternoon: mostly cloudy, but the breeze dropped. Evening: mostly blue sky, chilly on deck in the breeze.

Today's Patter 😊

Cork? Cobh? Ringaskiddy! I know being docked in Ringaskiddy can mess with a lot of plans, but it wasn't as bad as you might expect! - there are shuttle busses from the dock outside the ship to Cork; - there is a ferry to cobh from deck 4. Ticket slots for the ferry were called until about 8.30 and after that it was just "as you like". There was also a break in service for operational reasons. I didn't see any massive queues for the coach or the ferry, but then I wasn't stood checking so maybe others onboard experienced some waiting. Princess provided a leaflet with all the details for Cork, Dublin, and Liverpool: this is in addition to the details on the Patter and the PDF port guide.

Just to update on here with my early Princess impressions (or Princessions 😉) - I think the food options are more vast (in both buffet and MDR) but that it is definitely more tailored to an American market. We are not foodies, but I am not particularly overwhelmed with the food: and creamed spinach is not something I will be rushing to try again! They do have British bacon, but conversly the Vegan/Veggie options are poor. The staff and service are definitely better though: I can't think of a holiday or cruise where we have received better service. There is also little to zero queues. Embarkation was 11am to 3pm, arrival at any time, and we collected our Medallions, went through security, and were onboard ordering a drink in 15 minutes: this was at the 'busy' time of 11am. The medallion is also great: what a great idea. I thought it was gimmicky when I first read about it, but actually it's brilliant. The kids/family provisions are less good, and it's not really as geared up to families as P&O. Cleanliness and general facilities are comparable. The internet is excellent (but then I think P&O is also great). Entertainment I think is similar. I don't have a "favourite" (yet) but if that changes, I will let you know!

And just to counter myself and sound contrary: I actually like the very long walk from Palma Port to the city center, as it's along the sea front with cafes and shops along the way. Although again, there are other places to have a long walk that people might prefer: the walk from Castle Bellver to Port is downhill and interesting.

We have done the Barcelona walk before, but the bridge section from ship to land is loooonnng! It does't look that far, but then 20 minutes in and you aren't even half way, and that's when you begin to regret not just taking the shuttle 😂 To be honest I would recommend the shuttle and save your energy to walk the city: it's much more interesting walking around the city than the long road along the port.

Regal Theatre: This is a great venue, and so far we haven't noticed any need to arrive super early for shows. We arrive approximately 5 minutes before the start of the show and are able to get seats at the rear; although the shorties among us might have a slightly impaired view. There is no drinks service inside the theatre, and not really anywhere to put your drinks.