Don't worry, Uncle Les will be back !!

[MicCanberra]

Thanks David, I think you would be correct.:D

[NSWP]

Well, got back on the weekend. Flights to LA and back were the roughest ever, turbulence for 10 hours each way, scary.

 

The cruise was good. Island Princess though has suffered badly from the extra 120 cabins aft. Too much loss of public area, like Universal Lounge aft, aft promenade deck, thus impact on all public area of the ship. The ship is also a little tardy, rusty. We had a mini suite on deck 9, which is really just an oversized cabin.

 

Tours were generally good and well managed by shorex staff and tour operators, but a stuff up in Panama, only one tour offered. The ship's crew generally excellent, as was the tucker. The Capitano Manofuso was hardly seen. The Cruise Critic roll call requested a CC lunch for 80 on the roll call, this was refused by the Maitre'D. Did not make the Americans happy. 90% of pax were Californians. Only 8 Aussies on board. The CC M&G was well attended by pax, but not by staff, only the CD and Asst purser showed up for 3 minutes. Most anti CC cruise I have ever been on, such is life.

 

Panama canal and the new one fascinating. We had the port lecturer on our table each night for 7.45pm dinner, he told us what was going on, better then Princess Patter!

 

Shows good, but with a 650 seat Princess Theatre with two nightlyshow, total 1300 seats, 1300 seats into 2200 pax does not fit !!

 

1100 elite pax on board, 50% of pax list. As such with huge loads of free washing going in, washing machines in ship's laundry broke down halfway through cruise, that did not make the Californians happy either.

 

We did 7.45pm traditional dining, easy, MDR was only half full for 2nd sitting. There were very long lines and long table delays for any time dining from 5pm. (Americans like to eat early' you hear that a lot.) So ATD was a disaster from what I heard and saw.

 

I would not recommend Island Princess on the Panama Canal/Alaska runs. Try her sister ship, Coral Princess, she has not been wrecked yet by additional cabins. Info is they made a mistake by altering IP, not doing it to Coral.

 

Dress standards were not enforced, formal nights, plenty of pax going in with jeans and polo shirts, hardly a tux in sight, senior staff said zilch at MDR door. If they don't want to enforce dress codes, get rid of them !!

 

We were permitted to bring on a couple of bottles of wine on at embarkation and at each port with no corkage/byo fees. Six packs of beers were also brought on by some, but no spirits allowed byo, they were confiscated by Food and Bev police at X Ray machine.

 

Hot steamy weather, couple of days rain around Canal but otherwise fine.

 

We had a good time, even if our grog/tour bill, hit the US$2000 mark, but we did have jubbly cocktails, $40 wine every night and several full day shorex with lunch, so we did not hold back.

 

Now I have to get my daily cruise fix on here until 2 March whence we embark QM2, Syd-HK.

 

Bye for now guys, love youse all.

Edited December 12, 2016 by NSWP

[jayde43]

Great review Uncle Les!! [emoji16]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Welcome Home.

Thanks for the review.:)

[MicCanberra]

Welcome home Uncle Les, thanks for the review. :D

Glad you got a nice bill at the end at least.:eek:

[mrs and mrs]

Great to see you back, I'm seeing a trend via your post, Times they are a changing yeah.

Anyways shes still good fun and we make the best of it, well aussies and kiwis do.:):)

Edited December 12, 2016 by mrs and mrs
spelling

[chesterbear]

Welcome back uncle les [emoji3]

 

Am glad to have someone else around here who is hanging out for early March [emoji106]🏻 as gut is making all of us very envious!! [emoji51]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[NSWP]

Thanks yall, see I am speaking like a Yankee Doodle after sailing with 2200 of them these past weeks. And hardly a word spoken on board re the President Elect.

[MicCanberra]

Thanks yall, see I am speaking like a Yankee Doodle after sailing with 2200 of them these past weeks. And hardly a word spoken on board re the President Elect.

 

Lucky you. I suppose some wanted to forget and the others were too embarrassed.:p

[NSWP]

Lucky you. I suppose some wanted to forget and the others were too embarrassed.:p

Too embarrassed Mic, 95% Californians on board - California is Clinton Country.

 

The cruise was ex LA, so no airplanes for most of them.

 

Although I did see one red neck on board with the 'Make America Great Again' baseball cap. Only saw him once, perhaps he was thrown overboard, lol.

Edited December 13, 2016 by NSWP

[cheznandy]

Welcome home Les, David has captured some great pics there!!

 

I didnt like the look of that ship when they ruined it.....thankfully they left the other alone!

[MicCanberra]

Too embarrassed Mic, 95% Californians on board - California is Clinton Country.

 

The cruise was ex LA, so no airplanes for most of them.

 

Although I did see one red neck on board with the 'Make America Great Again' baseball cap. Only saw him once, perhaps he was thrown overboard, lol.

 

The best thing the US could do is to ban their pre-shredded cheese. That would certainly make America GRATE again.;)