Tony1878

It's our 40th wedding anniversary this year and I have convinced my 2 kids and their partners to join us for their first time on a cruise.

I am looking to book a wedding blessing, can anyone give me a little information please?

What day is the blessing usually on?

How long does it take?

Is it a group thing with other couples

Any other information gratefully received.

Also, I am having no luck managing my booking online, I have the booking reference, but it won't let me log on. Anyone else having problems?

Hi All,

I am looking to join my 2 children and their partners for their first cruise experience, we like the looks of the itinerary on the Majesty (Med Medley).

I haven't been on the Majesty for a couple of years and the last time we had a good cruise but the buffet area was a problem. if I remember correctly they have refurbished the buffet area.

How is it these days?

I was toying with an MSC cruise on a similar itinerary, they are giving free drinks but it would mean booking our own flights and an overnight stay in Barcelona, ok if it was just me and my wife, but catering for 6 is a logistical nightmare.

Just returned from the Baltic cruise a couple of weeks ago, we were on Princess organised tours both days so i cannot comment regarding private tours.

1st day, we had to report to the theatre and were called off by coach number, all went smoothly until we hit the customs desks.

We had to queue for about 40 minutes, once at the booth our passports were scrutinised for about 5 minutes as well.

Coming back in, i had to wait for about 15-20 minutes before i got through the passport control.

The ship Captain was on our tour and didn't look at all happy, i'm not sure if he holds any sway at all because the 2nd day was completely different, we were through in about 5mins both ways.

The wait was well worth it by the way, what a fabulous city, absolutely amazing.

I am due on my first Princess cruise in just over a week, i must be lucky because i have been upgraded twice for this booking.

I originally booked an inside cabin midship and they moved us to a larger “sideways” cabin.

A few weeks ago we were upgraded to a balcony cabin, i actually mentioned that the price had reduced and they honoured this as well., they took away my OBC, but i was still about £250 GBP up on the deal.

I don't know what people are complaining about.

Think about how many cabins have to be cleaned within a very short space of time, if they were not up to standard, you would be the first to complain.

Princess also give set times for embarkation, how many times do we read that passengers take no notice, i'll bet some of these people are the first to complain that the cabin isn't ready.

Get a life....if it's not ready, go and get a coffee, something stronger, go and explore, leave the crew to do their job without pressure and long faces, the ship isn't leaving without you.

I'm looking forward to seeing them in Liverpool May 24th - 26th.

There are thousands expected on the waterfront.

Please don't count on the journey only taking an hour between Southhampton and London, it's at least a couple of hours with the traffic etc.

this is a fantastic itinerary, we were on Majesty 2 years ago.

Venice - we booked the Thomson boat into Venice and did our own thing

Dubrovnik - Taxis galore as you get off the ship, it is 10 euros, share a cab with another couple or go on your own, it's the price of a couple of pints.

Kotor - there is a mini hop on hop off bus just over the road from the ship, beautiful sail in and out - not to be missed

I received a reminder this week that my final payment was due on the 16th, I phoned Princess today with the intention of paying the balance, but I checked the current price for the same category cabin etc before I did.

The price had gone down quite a bit, but I didn't want the hassle of cancelling and re-booking, the procedure is a bit different for us UK cruisers, we have to pay a percentage of the final fee depending on how many days before departure.

Anyway, long story short, I thought I would try, nothing ventured nothing gained.

Princess honoured the reduction, but took away my on board spend, the price worked out approx. £560 cheaper ($842 at today's rate in the UK), there was a £10pp ($15) transfer fee

I lost $400 on board spend, so my net saving was over $400.

I still have the same cabin and I am over $400 up.

Thank you everyone for posting your tips etc, it pays to ask, the worse that can happen is that they say no.

Hi, I am new to Princess cruises, I'm also on one of the Baltic itineraries. can I ask a few questions please?

Do you have to pre-book the shuttle buses? or do you just get in line?

Do they run all day?

For Stockholm, is the port miles away from the city centre?

Rough idea of costs re the shuttle buses?

thanks for your help

There were fist fights 2 years ago when we were on our way back after a Majesty cruise.

We had queued to book in, put our cases in and then when we were in the security queue, about 20 Russians decided the queue didn't exist, they were ducking under the barriers and marching straight to the front, this didn't go down too well with the Brits and a few scuffles broke out.

Security had to split everyone and restore order, all this when the temperature was in the 30's.

There were only 2 customs people working that day, opening a few more desks would have helped.

I loved our sideway inside on Regal. I wouldn't hesitate to book one. Best inside room ever. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures but here's a link to some picture of the Royal, Regal's sister, including the sideways inside cabin:

 

 

(The cabins look the same on Royal.)

 

Edited because the pictures are of Royal, not Regal.

thanks Irene, cabin looks ok to me :)

Yes but not every passenger will agree that an 'upgrade' is truly better for them.

 

My wife is very susceptible to all types of motion sickness so moving 4 decks up may not be considered an upgrade for her particularly if it moved us fore or aft from a lower deck midship cabin. We have a sideways inside cabin midship on the Regal's Caribe deck in April & being an IA category any 'upgrade' would be to a balcony.

Thanks, that's what they have moved us to, an IA category

I booked our first Princess Cruise recently.

I booked an inside cabin mid ships, about 3 weeks later I was "upgraded" to a sideways cabin 4 floors up.

Am I really being upgraded?

My DW and I went straight to the MDR last summer on the Dream without having the photographs etc.

we were on 2nd sitting and we just made our way to the MDR, we had to wait at the entrance for about 5 mins, we were already seated when the masses came in scrabbling for tables.

I wore suit and tie instead of my DJ on this occasion.

I have already pre purchased the drinks package but it doesn't show on my personalizer.

Should i be worried?

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply.

DW loved the photographs of the shops :)

The same overpriced items as any other Princess ship.

Thanks, but seeing as I haven't been on a Princess Cruise before, that's what I am trying to find out.

My DW has sent me on a mission to find out what shops there are on board the Royal Princess.

Is there anywhere that I can find out please?

LHR is notorious for absurdly high airport taxes. Can you get to Southampton via another airport? Is Gatwick as expensive for you? Could you fly into Ireland, or Northern Ireland and take a ferry? (although those are not inexpensive either - still, it's an adventure.)

 

Maddle

I live in the UK, try pricing flying into Manchester.

If you are staying over for a few days prior to departure, you are only 30 miles from Liverpool, check us out :)

You can get a direct flight from Manchester to London or Southampton, alternatively you can jump the train as well (2 hours to the centre of London).

Best rail ticket prices are 12 weeks before departure.

Trying something different ourselves next year, we are booked on Royal Princess to Scandinavia and St Petersburg.

The ship looks fantastic, but i do like my British type entertainment and food, so the proof will be in the pudding (or lack of)

I'm booked on the Royal, June 14th, Scandinavia and St Petersburg.

12 nights out of the UK

and I just can't hide it.

 

A couple of years ago I read DeLoreanGirls review of her British Isles cruise. I started daydreaming of doing the same cruise and would still be daydreaming if I hadn't inherited a little money. Just enough for what my sister/travelling companion refers to as a trip of a lifetime. Well maybe. To date all my cruises have been close to home to help cut costs and are often in an inside cabin for the same reason.

 

Anyway, I did book an inside originally. I then threw caution to the wind an upgraded us to a balcony thinking that it was found money, so why not. THEN Princess upgraded me to a higher category. Whoo-hoo!!!!

 

I kept the upgrade, but sort of regretted not declining and keeping the first balcony cabin at the new lower rate. As far as I can tell the upgraded one is only slightly larger and comes with a robe. Not really worth the money to me and found money or not, what we don't spend on our cabin, we can spend elsewhere.

 

Well, I looked today and Princess is having a sale. I called and we are now back in our original balcony category, Dolphin deck, midships. The location of which I like way better than the upgrade. We each have $100 OBC and a free night at one of the specialty restaurants. All of this at a substantial savings from what I owed yesterday. Like I said, I'm so excited!!!

If your cruise stops off in Liverpool, give me a shout and I will put you wise to the local trips and tips :cool:

Please someone, put my mind at ease.

I booked my first Princess cruise recently and obviously I came on this forum to get information etc, but all I keep seeing is "my status entitles me to this or that", now whilst I agree on some perks being available for past customers, I don't want someone stepping in front of me when I have queued waving a black card and cutting in line.

I've paid the same amount for my cruise as everyone else (probably) and expect to be treated in the same manner, please assure me this is the case :)

I always asked for a table for 2, it became quite a battle with the Maitre d' each evening, I would insist on a 2 and he would make me wait.

One night, I was outside the MDR for about 25 minutes when a couple walked up and got shown right in, I heard him ask about a table for 2, so I was over there in a flash, eyes blazing ready for an argument, the Maitre D' saw me coming and said, your table is ready sir. :D

I absolutely hated all of the fuss each evening, this was a couple of years ago and we didn't much care for the buffet at the time so we had no choice.

We could have joined a group of people, but my wife and I enjoy having a meal together on our own on holiday.

To the OP, if you want a table for 2, you have every right to get one, stick to your guns.