Cabernetlover

Has anyone had the opportunity to compare the Medallion lanyards being offered on the Medallion app?   One is free and the other is $7.   Is the $7 one an

improvement over the free one?   Thanks!

Does anyone know if there will be BinaxNOW kits for use after Dec. 12?    We are scheduled for a Jan. 6 departure.  I haven't been able to find anywhere to get test results back within 2 days around here, so am depending on BinaxNOW.   I also hate to be dealing with the mail during the holiday season, so would like to order sooner rather than later....

My TA just sent me this link from Princess.   The requirements for vaccination and testing 2 days prior to departure are extended until February 28, 2022.    So it looks like I'm okay with a Jan. 6 departure.  Now I can start getting anxious about the testing requirement...always something, but one at a time please!

https://www.princess.com/plan/cruise-with-confidence/cruise-health/frequently-asked-questions/us-cruises/

As I understand it, Princess is requiring proof of Covid vaccinations only through cruises leaving before December 31, 2021.  I'm concerned that they are not going to extend that date.   Has anyone heard anything about this?   I'm scheduled for a cruise on Jan. 6, 2022, and I don't want to go if they don't require passengers and crew to be vaccinated.    

On 10/26/2019 at 8:52 PM, Aus Traveller said:

Princess allows you to take on as much wine as you want on its Australian cruises, with the AUD$15 corkage fee applicable. Good wine is available in liquor shops in Sydney - look for Dan Murphy, or BWS (short for Beer, Wine, Spirits). For around AUD$10 you can get reasonable Aussie or NZ wine.

Thanks for responding to my question, and for giving me ideas of where to buy wine.   This is very useful information, and the reason why I love Cruise Critic and all its helpful members!

On 10/24/2019 at 8:51 PM, steelers36 said:

NP.  

Thanks for letting me know...

Does anyone have any experience bringing extra bottles of wine onboard when embarking from Sydney, Australia?  We've done this from U.S. ports without a problem (paying the corkage fee of course) but was wondering if this is accepted or prohibited in foreign ports, especially Sydney....

Many people seem to think they are washing their hands by giving them a quick rinse of water.   You might as well do nothing for all the good that does.   You must use hot water, soap, and wash for at least a minute before you can hope to get rid of most of the germs, but probably still not all.

We like CC for that very reason....you can choose your own time, no need for reservations, and we've never had to wait.  We also like the midship location...

Do the TVs have a selection of movies and TV shows you can watch at any time you want rather than on the ship's schedule?

We just got off the Regal and liked the ability to watch movies when we wanted and not when the ship had them scheduled.  On every other ship we've been on, we weren't able to do this, so I'm wondering if this is specific to the Regal/Royal class...or if all the ships have this feature now.

No they are not available here.

 

 

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Thanks...

Are Uber or Lyft available in St. John?

I'm so glad you're doing a review of this particular cruise because I've recently made reservations for the Oct 13 to 20 7 day New England Canada Cruise in 2018, which I haven't really gotten excited about yet. Partially because it's still a year away, but mostly because I'm really, really excited about leaving this Sunday on the 15 day round trip San Francisco to Hawaii cruise on the Grand. When that cruise is over, and I'm feeling depressed, I'll have the New England Canada cruise to get excited about. Like you say, Always Be Planning.

Marcia

Than there's "faux" washing: the many people who seem to think they're washing their hands by sticking them in the water for a second or two and then, voila, all finished. That doesn't do a darn thing except maybe give you false confidence that you're now germ free. I worked in a hospital and they required us to take a lesson in proper hand-washing methods....as other people have mentioned this means soap, warm water, and at least 30 seconds of scrubbing with the soap, followed by a good rinse. They also demonstrated how many germs are left on your hands if you don't scrub for the full 30 seconds...it was shocking!

Cabernetlover, yes it will be Brian and Rowena as the Hawaiian Ambassadors on Grand Princess. They are getting off Emerald Princess at Papeete on Oct. 26, 2017 and joining us on the 29th. Come to our the Meet & Greet on Oct. 31, 2017, at 10 a.m. up in the One5 Lounge/Nightclub and later in the cruise, we'll be doing a Hawaiian Novelty Gift Exchange. They will be on Grand Princess for the next 7 Hawaiian Cruises out of San Francisco.

Thanks, Gimer and Hpeabody, for letting me know that Brian and Rowena will be the Ambassadors on Oct 29 cruise. It's also good to hear the favorable reports about them from some other posts. Also thanks to Gimer for invitation to the meet and greet. I'm really looking forward to this cruise.....

Does anyone know who the Hawaiian ambassadors are for the Grand Princess RT Hawaii cruise beginning Oct. 29, 2017?

Thanks so much for the photos...they tell me exactly what I wanted to know! And yes, that's one enormous balcony!

I would like to know if the balconies for minisuites M107 and 108 are glass enclosed on the sides? From the diagram, it looks like there are two sections of balcony...one facing front and one facing to the side. I'm assuming the one facing front is metal enclosed, and therefore to see the view you must stand at the railing. But perhaps the side one is glass enclosed like other balconies on the sides of the ship, so that you can sit and see the scenery without standing.... I would really appreciate it if someone could clarify this for me. And thanks for answering my question about the wind...

I understand the forward minisuites have large balconies, but what about the wind? It seems it would be too windy to really enjoy sitting out on the balcony? Or am I missing something? Also I read elsewhere that there is an iron railing that obstructs the view when you're sitting down. I'd love to have a large balcony, but just uncertain about the downside of the front of the ship minisuites....

We are on the Oct 29 RT San Francisco to Hawaii cruise this year. This thread has very useful information. Thanks to everyone who contributed.

We are leaving on Sunday Nov. 13 for the 10 day Mexican Riviera cruise on the Grand, round trip San Francisco. The boarding is scheduled to start at 1 pm. We would like to arrive at the terminal 2 or 3 hours earlier than that and check our luggage so that we can more easily walk around the area prior to boarding. Does anyone know how soon before the boarding begins that they start checking luggage?

We just got off the Island Princess (3 days Vancouver to San Francisco), and our cabin was 2 doors from the Emerald aft deck. There were no lounge chairs. If it had been a longer cruise, i would have asked if they could move some lounge chairs out there...it was a great location! Don't know if they would have accommodated this request though.

If I want to take a bottle of wine to the dining room and I've paid the corkage fee at the time of embarkation, how does the waiter know I've already paid the fee?

Just want to thank you all for your responses. One of the things that makes the forum so interesting and valuable is that so many people are willing to share, and there can be quite a variety of answers to the same question. That said, I've been convinced to try the UBD on our next cruise!

My boyfriend and I have done the Chef's Table on two cruises now and loved the experience both times. I'm thinking about doing the Ultimate Balcony Dining instead on our upcoming Mexican Riviera Cruise in November. Would like to hear people's opinions of which is better and why.....