MDTrip

We want to cruise to Cuba this winter. Which cruise lines go to Cuba?

I am new to Princess. Just put a deposit on 5 nights on Crown Nov 8. What should I concentrate on booking first?

- Specialty dining?

- Entertainment?

- Shore Excursions?

For any of these, Do I need to wait until full payment is made? Or do I need to wait until we board? I have heard of a Personalizer? and an app? Since I am new to Princess I don't know how things work.

Thanks.

Lynn

I am new to Princess. I am trying to determine if I need to purchase a coffee card in addition to my AIBP.

I plan to purchase the AIBP. Does the AIBP package include the espresso-based specialty coffees? Brewed coffee? or just the plain old coffee? If I want an Irish Coffee, for instance, is this included in the AIBP?

Thanks.

Thank you to those of you who tried to answer my question re Princess. When we have had 6 x 6 boxes on Celebrity, they were on an outside deck and not on our balcony. I agree, they would not fit there -- unless we had one of those big suites I dream about. : - )

If anyone has first hand experience with Princess, or a phone number for their accessibility department, please share. On their website you can only contact Accessibility by email. The main number will not allow you to speak with anyone in Accessibility. Not to helpful, especially for someone who is blind, for whom email may or may not be convenient.

Happy Cruising to All!

Lynn

Princess Cruise Line - Dog Relief Box Question

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

For those who have cruised Princess with your dog, have you ever asked for a larger box, or for two boxes?

 

We have only been on Celebrity and they have accommodated our 80 pound seeing-eye dog with two 6 x 6 boxes, side by side. He is a male, and his aim is not very good, so the larger boxes are needed. Also, he does not like to pee and poop in the same box.

 

Will Princess put the box outside on a deck or on your balcony? He does not like to use a box that is indoors.

 

Also, doesn't the cardboard box wet through by the end of a seven day cruise?

 

We tried to call the Princess accessibility department, but apparently they do not take phone calls and will only communicate via email (which is not very accommodating for someone who is blind.) Does anyone have a phone number for them?

 

Thanks so much and happy cruising to all!

 

Lynn

Princess Cruise Line - Dog Relief Box Question

Thanks in advance for your help.

For those who have cruised Princess with your dog, have you ever asked for a larger box, or for two boxes?

We have only been on Celebrity and they have accommodated our 80 pound seeing-eye dog with two 6 x 6 boxes, side by side. He is a male, and his aim is not very good, so the larger boxes are needed. Also, he does not like to pee and poop in the same box.

Will Princess put the box outside on a deck or on your balcony? He does not like to use a box that is indoors.

Also, doesn't the cardboard box wet through by the end of a seven day cruise?

We tried to call the Princess accessibility department, but apparently they do not take phone calls and will only communicate via email (which is not very accommodating for someone who is blind.) Does anyone have a phone number for them?

Thanks so much and happy cruising to all!

Lynn

Princess Cruise Line - Dog Relief Box Question

Thanks in advance for your help.

For those who have cruised Princess with your dog, have you ever asked for a larger box, or for two boxes?

We have only been on Celebrity and they have accommodated our 80 pound seeing-eye dog with two 6 x 6 boxes, side by side. He is a male, and his aim is not very good, so the larger boxes are needed. Also, he does not like to pee and poop in the same box.

Will Princess put the box outside on a deck or on your balcony? He does not like to use a box that is indoors.

Also, doesn't the cardboard box wet through by the end of a seven day cruise?

We tried to call the Princess accessibility department, but apparently they do not take phone calls and will only communicate via email (which is not very accommodating for someone who is blind.) Does anyone have a phone number for them?

Thanks so much and happy cruising to all!

Lynn

Has anyone been through Atlanta since they installed the dog relief areas that are inside security? I am traveling with my friend and her seeing eye dog. We used to have to go out of security and then back through that long TSA line again. I have heard they are supposed to have installed indoor relief areas.

Does anyone know where they are? We called the airport and they were clueless.

Thanks.

Lynn

Thank you to everyone who replied re service dogs in St. Maarten. I appreciate it.

Lynn

Anyone have experience with dogs in St. Maarten? Both on the street, in restaurants and in taxis?

We are stopping there with a seeing-eye dog. I was told there are a lot of stray dogs. I wonder what areas might be safe. Are there stray dogs right by the pier?

I was told by one taxi that the dog would not be allowed unless we hired a private tour and were the only party in the van. I was told by another taxi/tour company that the dog could come on the tour if we paid a passenger fee for the dog.

I also wonder if we can take the dog into restaurants.

If anyone has St. Maarten experience they can share, I would be grateful.

Thanks.

Lynn

Both people in the same cabin are required to have the same package. The exception may be if one person is under age.

I raise service dogs here in MI for Leader Dogs for the Blind. I am very glad that I found this thread! Love reading the information that's presented here and its so informative and helpful.

 

Roz: I know exactly how you feel about the black hair! I raised a black lab for Leader Dog (my first one) and I'm STILL finding black hair everywhere (and she went back last September)! Can't wait to hear about your upcoming cruise!

 

Missy

Your post is several years old so I hope you still follow this thread. I cruise with my friend who has a Leader Dog named Gary. He will be six in September and he has been on four cruises. What an amazing dog. He is excellent on the cruises.

I just wanted to say thank you for what you do. Gary has made such a difference in the life of my blind friend. He is amazing.

Thank you for working to train Leader Dogs for the Blind!

Hi Mr. & Mrs. Winks. I am Lynn the book club arranger/moderator on Summit Oct 24. I loved your photo review of the cruise. Fabulous, and so helpful to future cruisers. Keep it up!

Lynn

CABIN #: 3019

DECK #: 3

CLASS: (Sorry I don't know)

AREA: Forward, near the elevator but it was not loud at all

BED NEAR: Bathroom

QUIET?: Yes

BALCONY VIEW: Just a large round window. No balcony

BALCONY SIZE: --

WIND A PROBLEM?:--

SOOT A PROBLEM?:--

PROBLEMS/COMMENTS: Toilet did not flush well, but they fixed it. Fan in bathroom doesn't do much to exhaust the steam. Room needs an overhaul, but whole ship is scheduled for overhaul March 2016. Grout in shower needs replacing, and sink fixtures were worn. Probably true with every cabin at this level.

We used this room as a triple. We usually get a balcony for a triple. This was very tight. When you pull out the chair into a bed, there is no place for the coffee table, and you have about 10 inches of room between the end of the second bed and the coffee table to slide by to get to the bathroom. We managed, but we are all pretty small people.

Hello,

 

I hear lots of talk about the different drinks packages available and what spirits and beer is included, I am curious to hear what wines are available in each package?

 

Many thanks

I drank Clifford Bay Sauvingnon Blanc on the Premium pkg -- it was in March 2015. I liked it. Comparable to Merrivale SB or Kim Crawford SB. Hope that helps.

Hi mmcruise. I read your review of cabin #3015 on the Summit. We have booked 3019, and there will be three of us. Can you tell me where the pull-out couch is located? On some of the floor plans it looks like the bed is under the window, and those people would have to crawl over the pull-out couch when it is extended, in order to reach the bathroom. Is this the case?

Thanks.

Ship : Summit

Cabin #: 3015

Deck #: 3

Class: OV

Area: Forward

Bed near: Bathroom

Quiet?: Yes

Balcony view: n/a

Balcony size: n/a

Wind a problem?: n/a

Soot a problem?: n/a

Problems/comments: Extremely convenient to elevators, theater, just a quick ride up to the spa. Not the first cabin visible from elevators but just off the hall. Was concerned about noise from elevator corridor but it was not an issue.

We will be staying in cabin 1290 on the Celebrity Reflection. Is there anyway to get them to move the potty box closer to our cabin? I'm allergic to smoke and really loud noise makes me skiddish so going through the casino is something that I wouldn't be able to do. Also would we be able to bring grass to put in the box? We don't cruise till Feb 2016 so I'm hoping we'll be able to get them trained well before time to cruise.

 

What do you do when you want to go in the pool and hot tub?

 

How do I find out what documentation we need to get for each port?

 

TIA

On Celebrity Constellation for March 2015 they sent a form to complete for bringing a service dog. It said that they supply cedar mulch but that sod could be available if requested in advance for cruises leaving from and returning to USA.

When we went in 2014 they did not give a choice. It was mulch, but the dog didn't like it so they pulled out some sod they had on hand, but the sod was moldy and the grass in it was brown. The dog still preferred it even with the mold.

Hope this helps.

Last year (Feb 2014) Celebrity put the relief box on deck 4, starboard, forward on the Constellation. This year when we made our reservation they sent a form asking what type of filler we wanted for the box. Last year we didn't have a choice.

I thought it was a pull out bed? I have told them it was ,do some open out and some not ??

On Constellation in Concierge Class it was a pull out love seat. On Summit in Veranda it was pull out chair (single bed). On Silhouette in Veranda it was as pictured, and it was not pull out. They just put sheets on it and removed the back bolster pillows for night time.

Hope that helps. I would call Celebrity for clarification.

OP: 1247 has the bed by the bath, and will look similar to this. The balcony is huge, and the cabin is in a great location near the elevators.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

(photo by turtles06)

I was in a room like this with my mother and sister. I slept on the sofa. (It does not open out.) You sleep parallel to the wall. The cushions do slope away from the wall (from people sitting on them) so you feel a bit like you are going to roll out of bed. I am 5'3" and 115 lbs. If it was a very large person they would not be comfortable on the sofa/bed. But a teenager can usually sleep anywhere. :-)

Thanks for your reply and thanks for volunteering to train service animals. What a huge difference they have made in my friend's life... and all with the help of people like you!

Bravo!

There have been a lot of chuckles on this thread, and I have enjoyed them, but I must chime in with something serious.

I cruise with a friend who is blind and brings her service dog. We have gone on Celebrity once. For the person who asks about where the dog relieves themselves, Celebrity provides what amounts to a large litter box tucked away in an area that is not frequented by the public.

The dog assists my friend with mobility, stairs, navigating around objects, etc. The dog is with her 24/7.

Because some people are abusing the system and buying service dog vests and falsified papers on the internet, I have heard stories of dogs on cruise ships soiling all over the floor, siting on furniture, etc. These are obviously not trained service animals. This makes it more difficult for people who have a real disability and a real service dog. The public begins to treat the service dog like a pet, calling to it, distracting it from its duties and trying to pet it while it is assisting a blind person with stairs. These actions are obviously hazardous. These animals are highly trained and absolutely necessary and should be treated with respect. Thanks.

I will be cruising with my blind friend and her Labrador SD. Last year we went to Nassau (did not get off the ship) and Key West. This year we are going to Cozumel and Key West. Does anyone have experience with any stray dogs in Cozumel? I am nervous because I would be the only one looking out for dogs that might attack the SD. We probably would just be shopping in Cozumel, and not on a ship-sanctioned excursion.

Last year in Key West we had a pit bull puppy on a parked motorcycle snap at the SD and had a pit bull on the street that the owner had to restrain. It scares me a bit because I feel responsible. An attack in Mexico would be even more scary.

Any advise?

Thanks.

I am looking to book a cruise to Bermuda in August on the Summit. (1st time on Celebrity) and I would like to have my balcony overlooking the island. Can anyone tell me which side the ship will dock? From some of the other reviews it looks like they dock port side because the Breakaway is also there at the same time. Any help would be appreciated!

June 2013 Summit we docked in Bermuda and the pier was on our port side. As a previous poster said, from the non pier side you do have a view across the water of the Hamilton area of Bermuda, so there is a good view either way.

Were you happy with the Premium wines by the glass? Or did you choose those beyond the $13.50 limit and pay the difference?

We were quite happy with the wines by the glass in the Premium Beverage Package. I drink mostly Sauvignon Blanc but also some shirah and cab, mom drinks champagne and my sister drinks merlot. We liked all of them, plus we sampled several others both red and white. We were very satisfied and did not need to go to a higher price.

Just looked at the drink packages for water and alcohol and they do not seem worth it for us as we are not big drinkers. However, I am wondering how much a decent glass of wine is on the Silhouette and my husband is wondering how much a decent shot of bourbon will be. Thanks

We bought the classic package and did not like the wine at all. At home we would typically spend about $10-12 for a bottle of wine. We quickly upgraded to the premium package.