Our First Long Cruise - Questions!

[tovin]

We've done about 7 cruises, all 7 days, except 1 4 day, as our honeymoon back in 2006. We've done Royal, Princess, Carnival, and Holland.

 

We know we want to do a Panama Canal cruise one day - but for our next big vacation, we're considering the 28 day round trip LA to Hawaii, Tahiti & Samoa. The port in LA is only a 4 hour drive, so we don't have to worry about the logistics of flying and luggage, and all that. Which is a HUGE relief to my husband, so it makes traveling 99% easier.

 

But, we have some concerns, and figured we'd start asking. We will probably try to take this trip in 2022 (yeah, I like to plan ahead!). 

 

1. Could someone point me in the direction of patters (are they still called that?) for a longer cruise, just so I can kinda get an idea of what the multiple sea day schedules look like? 4 days at the start and 8 at the end are kinda scaring me. But there's NO way I could get my husband on a flight to Australia for the 29 day from Sydney to LA.

 

2. I've been looking for some trip reports of month long cruises, particularly in the prep area. Housing concerns, mail, cat care, etc., Logistics of this kind of length. If you've done this - what were things you wish you would have known beforehand that would have made life easier?

 

3. Specifically for longer cruises, do you get tired of the entree repeats? Are there show repeats? Do you get tired of your table mates if you're not a 100% match? We're very much not super social people but we're also not big fans of anytime dining, so this scares me quite a bit. Are there interesting onboard activities that are somewhat cost effective some or most of the time on such a long string of sea days?

 

4. Are there some sea days that are better than others for doing laundry? Or some excerpts of the cruise where there will be more activities regarding the locales we are about to visit (like lei making around Hawaii, is, I'm assuming, a thing they do)? 

 

If a few folks could share their first long cruise thoughts, things we're not considering, or things they were particularly pleased with. It would help us immensely!

 

Thanks all! Off to do a bunch of research on how Princess has changed since we last cruise with them in 2014 (SO MUCH!!)

 

[Edit: Spelling!]

Edited October 26, 2019 by tovin

[nini]

What is the ship?

The longest we did was 15 days on the Coral Princess for the Panama Canal. We love Princess 

and it is our favorite cruise line, so far. However, we were not real fans of the Coral (yes, I realize that is a real

favorite for many). Our favorite is the Regal and we have wonderful cruises on the Golden and Crown. We thought

we would enjoy the smaller ship, but it felt very cramped , the food was mediocre, the Horizon Court felt claustrophobic

because the windows were often steamy due to the humidity and they were angled/ tilted inside the room. 

We love Anytime Dining because of the freedom it offers; so, if I were you, I would see how that could work out with a better

system versus a set Traditional time. We met so many wonderful people that way. And 28 days!!! Too much structure for us.

To spice up your food for 28 days, visit the buffet once in a while. I do not think we had repeated entrees for 15 days, but you might for 28 days. But Princess has lots of variety and cruisers have had good luck asking for items not on the menu.

 

Laundry? You will fit it into your schedule just like you do at home. In port days can work better if you do it at night or the early morning.

 

The itinerary sounds like fun!

[Bethcb]

47 minutes ago, tovin said:

We've done about 7 cruises, all 7 days, except 1 4 day, as our honeymoon back in 2006. We've done Royal, Princess, Carnival, and Holland.

 

We know we want to do a Panama Canal cruise one day - but for our next big vacation, we're considering the 28 day round trip LA to Hawaii, Tahiti & Samoa. The port in LA is only a 4 hour drive, so we don't have to worry about the logistics of flying and luggage, and all that. Which is a HUGE relief to my husband, so it makes traveling 99% easier.

 

But, we have some concerns, and figured we'd start asking. We will probably try to take this trip in 2022 (yeah, I like to plan ahead!). 

 

1. Could someone point me in the direction of patters (are they still called that?) for a longer cruise, just so I can kinda get an idea of what the multiple sea day schedules look like? 4 days at the start and 8 at the end are kinda scaring me. But there's NO way I could get my husband on a flight to Australia for the 29 day from Sydney to LA.

 

2. I've been looking for some trip reports of month long cruises, particularly in the prep area. Housing concerns, mail, cat care, etc., Logistics of this kind of length. If you've done this - what were things you wish you would have known beforehand that would have made life easier?

 

3. Specifically for longer cruises, do you get tired of the entree repeats? Are there show repeats? Do you get tired of your table mates if you're not a 100% match? We're very much not super social people but we're also not big fans of anytime dining, so this scares me quite a bit. Are there interesting onboard activities that are somewhat cost effective some or most of the time on such a long string of sea days?

 

4. Are there some sea days that are better than others for doing laundry? Or some excerpts of the cruise where there will be more activities regarding the locales we are about to visit (like lei making around Hawaii, is, I'm assuming, a thing they do)? 

 

If a few folks could share their first long cruise thoughts, things we're not considering, or things they were particularly pleased with. It would help us immensely!

 

Thanks all! Off to do a bunch of research on how Princess has changed since we last cruise with them in 2014 (SO MUCH!!)

 

[Edit: Spelling!]

We've done that exact cruise this year and a few other long cruises. The sea days are great but we are big readers so we find a spot at the pool weather permitting or in the lounges and hang out there all day. There are lots of activities going on, but we don't partake in any of these. The activities are similar to the 7 day cruises but sometimes they could be region specific. Can't speak about laundry, as we have the free laundry, but all the Princess ships have washer/dryer on each deck and I see people doing laundry there all the time. 

Sign up with USPS Informed Delivery. It's free. You will get a daily email about what mail you are getting. We have a neighbor get our mail. Since we travel a lot, everything is set up for electronic payment. We just scan our incoming mail for important stuff like IRS or Jury Duty. For 28 days even this mail is not important, but for 60-90 day trips it is critical to at least know what you are getting. We have security cameras so we can see if a package or flyer gets dropped at front door and can make sure our gardener, pest control, pool guy, etc show up. Our neighbor watches house and we treat them to dinner after every trip. 

Some shows may repeat if you do B2B but usually not on the true 28 day cruise. We attend some but not all shows. Food repeating is not an issue. Lots of food venues and if they do repeat here and there, who cares? Maybe you liked it and want it again, or know it was not that great, and choose something else. Check menus ahead of time, earlier in the day, and if it doesn't sound great, eat at the buffet that night. 

Once you go on longer cruises, you will get hooked! Seven day cruises will feel like just a warm-up!

[tovin]

Right now, it appears to be the Emerald. Not sure if that will be the same ship doing it a few years down the road though.

[Mud_Shark]

We have not taken this itinerary, but will attempt our first longer cruise next September, with a 26 day pacific crossing with HAL.   I share the same concerns as far as consecutive at sea days (for my wife rather than for me - she doesn't like that much pure down time).   But maybe I can address your concern about table mates.  We are early seating set dinners, and used to sign up for a table for 8 or 10 in order to meet others.  Some cruises it was great, some cruises were a bit of a miss with the table mates, and sometimes, we would be dining alone at a table for 10, simply because people had other plans.  That was a little awkward.

 

So we began signing up for a table for 2, and found that usually the tables for 2 are located in bunches, in a row separated by only enough room to maneuver between them to seat yourself.  That makes conversation between the tables very easy - almost like you are seated at the same table.  Yet. if you prefer not to talk between tables, it is also  easy to just eat as if you are a couple.

 

We have found this arrangement very good.  We usually initiate a little conversation and judge if our fellow diners are up for conversation or not.  If not, we leave them to their own agenda. Most join right in and it is good, but some just give off a polite aura that suggest they are not conversationalists.  And, if others don't show for dinner one night, it doesn't feel awkward dining without them since they are at a separate table.  

 

Don

 

 

 

[JF - retired RRT]

2 hours ago, tovin said:

1. Could someone point me in the direction of patters (are they still called that?) for a longer cruise, just so I can kinda get an idea of what the multiple sea day schedules look like? 4 days at the start and 8 at the end are kinda scaring me. 

Still called Patter.

If you're readers or like the ship entertainment there's plenty to do all day/night.

 

2. I've been looking for some trip reports of month long cruises, particularly in the prep area. Housing concerns, mail, cat care, etc., Logistics of this kind of length. If you've done this - what were things you wish you would have known beforehand that would have made life easier?

If you have a cat, you'll definitely need a pet sitter or board out.

Our longest cruise was 43 days (Tahiti with a B2B to HI), we just put our mail on hold.

3. Specifically for longer cruises, do you get tired of the entree repeats? Are there show repeats? Do you get tired of your table mates if you're not a 100% match? We're very much not super social people but we're also not big fans of anytime dining, so this scares me quite a bit. Are there interesting onboard activities that are somewhat cost effective some or most of the time on such a long string of sea days?

If you don't like your table mates, you can ask to be moved. We've done that several times. Or book Anytime dining or a Suite or Club Class.

 

4. Or some excerpts of the cruise where there will be more activities regarding the locales we are about to visit (like lei making around Hawaii, is, I'm assuming, a thing they do)? 

There will be destination lectures. For the Hawaiian leg of the cruise you'll have the Hawaiian Ambassadors (usually a husband/wife duo) who do the lectures, classes (lei making included), hula & ukulele lessons, and music here and there.

 

If a few folks could share their first long cruise thoughts, things we're not considering, or things they were particularly pleased with. It would help us immensely!

Be prepared to have a great time. We love long cruises.

Also, if you take ANY medications (OTC or RX) bring more than enough. Don't be caught short.

 

See above.

[hpeabody]

Best Cruise Ever DO IT!

[DeeTO]

After 2 short cruises, did 26 day Singapore to Rome on Sapphire Princess this March with lots of sea days and enjoyed it all. Never bored- both of us swam, read, walked, sang in choir, went to lectures, some trivia, listened to music, shows, drank, ate, hardly watched TV or movies!

  We are pretty easy going, did ATD - sat at table for 2 and for 8 but tired a bit of small talk and waiting for table to fill up. Then met 2 couples and made table for 6 but not every night - mixed it up. Plenty of places to eat besides MDR.

Used self laundry on sea days- some times busy - just be mindful of washer/dryer times for others.

Good neighbours and online banking makes travel easier. I’m sure you will enjoy that cruise. I would do it again.

 

[Knickearth]

We  have done the 28 day Tahiti trip.  What really helped with the sea days - on the return from Tahiti because  I think there were something like 8 in a row - was that they had "team trivia" daily at the same time and so we met an awful lot of people.  They also did the olympic competition and that was fun.  Other than that there were  quite a few pub lunches onboard, movies, reading of books, and the usual other stuff.

 

Love Moorea and Bora Bora - Tahiti was a bit too industrialized for my liking.  Since we did a lot of Hawaiian cruises in the past it didn't impress like those two islands do.  

 

Have fun, enjoy the weather 

[CruisinFinsUp]

Not quite the same but similar Pescado Amarillo is currently sailing Ruby Princess from LA to Australia stopping in Hawaii etc and her blog has all the Patters.  

 

http://pescadoamarillo.blogspot.com/2019/09/season-10-big-easy-down-under-style.html

[Go-Bucks!]

7 hours ago, tovin said:

We've done about 7 cruises, all 7 days, except 1 4 day, as our honeymoon back in 2006. We've done Royal, Princess, Carnival, and Holland.

 

We know we want to do a Panama Canal cruise one day - but for our next big vacation, we're considering the 28 day round trip LA to Hawaii, Tahiti & Samoa. The port in LA is only a 4 hour drive, so we don't have to worry about the logistics of flying and luggage, and all that. Which is a HUGE relief to my husband, so it makes traveling 99% easier.

 

But, we have some concerns, and figured we'd start asking. We will probably try to take this trip in 2022 (yeah, I like to plan ahead!). 

 

1. Could someone point me in the direction of patters (are they still called that?) for a longer cruise, just so I can kinda get an idea of what the multiple sea day schedules look like? 4 days at the start and 8 at the end are kinda scaring me. But there's NO way I could get my husband on a flight to Australia for the 29 day from Sydney to LA.

 

2. I've been looking for some trip reports of month long cruises, particularly in the prep area. Housing concerns, mail, cat care, etc., Logistics of this kind of length. If you've done this - what were things you wish you would have known beforehand that would have made life easier?

 

3. Specifically for longer cruises, do you get tired of the entree repeats? Are there show repeats? Do you get tired of your table mates if you're not a 100% match? We're very much not super social people but we're also not big fans of anytime dining, so this scares me quite a bit. Are there interesting onboard activities that are somewhat cost effective some or most of the time on such a long string of sea days?

 

4. Are there some sea days that are better than others for doing laundry? Or some excerpts of the cruise where there will be more activities regarding the locales we are about to visit (like lei making around Hawaii, is, I'm assuming, a thing they do)? 

 

If a few folks could share their first long cruise thoughts, things we're not considering, or things they were particularly pleased with. It would help us immensely!

 

Thanks all! Off to do a bunch of research on how Princess has changed since we last cruise with them in 2014 (SO MUCH!!)

 

[Edit: Spelling!]

 

This year I spent 192 consecutive days on a world cruise plus the next 3 cruises after that (same ship)...they still had to drag me off! I wasn't on Princess...was on a very small Oceania ship which had way fewer activities than a larger ship but I still had plenty to do. Frankly, the days flew by! 

 

I had unlimited free laundry so I didn't have to do it.

 

Menus repeated but not too often, but I wasn't on Princess.  Usually there are several good selections each night or you can eat in the buffet (my favorite).

 

My post office will only stop delivery for 30 days so I had to change my address to my daughter's house and she let me know if anything important came. I had all bills on auto pay and my daughter came over once a week to run water, flush toilets, drive my car and water the plants. A neighbor mowed grass and shoveled snow. 

 

I suggest you go over to the World Cruising board here on CC as there are several threads about preparing for a world cruise. Your plans will be similar. 

[geoherb]

I posted the Patters in my live thread  on the Crown's transatlantic cruise this month and last. We had eight days in a row at sea from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale. I did not get bored. There were lots of activities. We had a very active roll call group. We enjoyed attending book discussions someone organized for us. They also had a couple of slot pulls, but we did not take part in them. Over a hundred showed up for the meet and greet. 

[tovin]

I appreciate the insight all! We're getting more excited the more we think about this!

[travelin.sisters]

once you book, sign up for your roll call & you can 'meet' some fellow cruisers ahead of time, some roll calls plan activities for sea days before sailing

 

[ggprincess2004]

We have a support system that allows us to take extended vacations including very long cruises. First and foremost, we have a cat nanny who is very experienced with our breed, and loves our furbaby. She comes three times a day, and also gets the mail, takes out trash (cat food and kitty litter), flushes toilets abpnd generally checks on things. We have a buddy who is a handyman, and our cat nanny can call him in emergencies, especially when we are out of phone contact, which is when we on the ship....too expensive. We are signed up for USPS to see our mail via email. We pay bills electronically, and can access most of our bills via their websites. I preschedule the payments, for the most part. We also have all income on direct deposit to our bank. We will be putting security cameras in place before our next trip....think Ring Doorbell or something similar. 

Our HOA handles the lawns so that is not an issue for us. Additional house keys are with a few trusted individuals who live close by. 

We love sea days, and there are usually lots of options. We like anytime dining, and that means a quiet dinner for 2, or a table with new friends, or playing the lottery at a table to share. Not many repeats on a true 28 day cruise as far as the menus.

You will have a marvelous time.....as long as you have confidence all is well at home by lining up the help you need to keep things moving along smoothly there.

[diane.in.ny]

Far in advance of a long trip, we prep our Rx meds by refilling them early. Our insurance company lets us fill them 7 days before the 'actual' refill date. Do this 4 times and we have an extra month's supply. 

 

Yes, the Princess ships have washers and dryers for pax use but on sea days they can be very busy. Unless you have an all day excursion at a port of call, or will otherwise be off the ship the entire day, I would suggest trying to get a load done while in port. Also, if the machines are all in use on your deck, check another deck.

 

As most of the replies here, we have our mail held and arrange for our bills to be paid automatically. Unlike some of the comments, we shut off our water and drain the pipes. We live where it freezes and don't want to come home to busted pipes.

 

We also have an auto battery charger. When we come home from a long trip, we immediately hook up one of the cars so next day we can get out and do some errands. Amazing how those car batteries can drain when away for a month.

 

We've had a problem only once with table mates at a table for 6. It was a b2b and 4 of us spoke to the maitre'd and we had a lovely table for 4 for the 2nd half of the cruise. 

[indygirl99]

I second  Pescado Amarillo's blog.

 

I think this is their 10th season cruising for the winter.

She has a lot of information on her blog. You can go back and read previous seasons. She has information about how they prepare the house to be away, set up bills, meds, checking on her mother, phone service. It is truly a great service and fun reading. I have to read her daily blog before going to bed after work each morning during season so I can make it through the winter.

[caribill]

14 hours ago, tovin said:

But, we have some concerns, and figured we'd start asking. We will probably try to take this trip in 2022 (yeah, I like to plan ahead!). 

 

1. Could someone point me in the direction of patters (are they still called that?) for a longer cruise, just so I can kinda get an idea of what the multiple sea day schedules look like? 4 days at the start and 8 at the end are kinda scaring me.

 

In general sea days on this trip will be much like sea days on the other shorter cruises you have taken on Princess. As others have pointed out, informational lectures should be offered. There may be some activities that involve multiple days such as a contest to build from trash something that will float in a pool. There may be a cruise long trivia contest.

 

14 hours ago, tovin said:

2. I've been looking for some trip reports of month long cruises, particularly in the prep area. Housing concerns, mail, cat care, etc., Logistics of this kind of length. If you've done this - what were things you wish you would have known beforehand that would have made life easier?

 

For bills that are paid monthly and you know about what they might be (water bill, electric bill, etc), estimate what they might be and pay them in advance. For credit card bills, if you do not already pay them on the Internet, set up to do so. Be aware of when the statements are available so you know when to look what is owed and pay them. If you have known payments coming due on big items such as car incurance, property tax, etc, either pay them before you go or prepare them to be mailed out and let a trusted friend/relative mail them for you.

 

14 hours ago, tovin said:

 

3. Specifically for longer cruises, do you get tired of the entree repeats? Are there show repeats? Do you get tired of your table mates if you're not a 100% match? We're very much not super social people but we're also not big fans of anytime dining, so this scares me quite a bit. Are there interesting onboard activities that are somewhat cost effective some or most of the time on such a long string of sea days?

 

Entire dinner menus will not repeat, but some of the items will show up on different evenings. Shows should not repeat. The Production shows should each only be presented one evening, but they will be spread out throughout the cruise. Guest entertainers will either give different shows and/or be replaced at ports along the way. In some cases, local entertainment may come abourd while the ship is there. Some performers such as the signers in a production show may give a solo performance one evening. Others have described above some of the possible interesting onboard activities.

 

14 hours ago, tovin said:

 

4. Are there some sea days that are better than others for doing laundry? Or some excerpts of the cruise where there will be more activities regarding the locales we are about to visit (like lei making around Hawaii, is, I'm assuming, a thing they do)? 

 

In general, it is hard to pick what sea days may have less demand for using the ship's laundry facilities. Some people may prefer to do laundry on weekends, but that cannot be predicted in advance. Laundry rooms are usually less busy during the dinner hours. As others have pointed out, there are laundry rooms on most of the passenger decks, so if busy on your deck, try another one.

 

14 hours ago, tovin said:

 

If a few folks could share their first long cruise thoughts, things we're not considering, or things they were particularly pleased with. It would help us immensely!

 

Thanks all! Off to do a bunch of research on how Princess has changed since we last cruise with them in 2014 (SO MUCH!!)

 

 

 

[skynight]

20 hours ago, tovin said:

We've done about 7 cruises, all 7 days, except 1 4 day, as our honeymoon back in 2006. We've done Royal, Princess, Carnival, and Holland.

 

We know we want to do a Panama Canal cruise one day - but for our next big vacation, we're considering the 28 day round trip LA to Hawaii, Tahiti & Samoa. The port in LA is only a 4 hour drive, so we don't have to worry about the logistics of flying and luggage, and all that. Which is a HUGE relief to my husband, so it makes traveling 99% easier.

 

But, we have some concerns, and figured we'd start asking. We will probably try to take this trip in 2022 (yeah, I like to plan ahead!). 

 

1. Could someone point me in the direction of patters (are they still called that?) for a longer cruise, just so I can kinda get an idea of what the multiple sea day schedules look like? 4 days at the start and 8 at the end are kinda scaring me. But there's NO way I could get my husband on a flight to Australia for the 29 day from Sydney to LA.

I don't have Patters. I can tell you that sea days are filled with trivia, bingo, lectures, what I call silly games, movies, line and ballroom dance classes. There are also talks which are really sales pitches. These are normally conducted by the spa or shops. The activities really depend on the Entertainment Director, Cruise Director and their staff. Some are better prepared for long cruises than others.

2. I've been looking for some trip reports of month long cruises, particularly in the prep area. Housing concerns, mail, cat care, etc., Logistics of this kind of length. If you've done this - what were things you wish you would have known beforehand that would have made life easier?

We have someone watch our house and collect our mail. Where we live mail is delivered to central mailboxes not home delivery. You stop your mail at the post office for up to 30 days. We pre-pay all our bills, but if you pay on line you can pay from the ship. Many of our routine are set for auto pay.

3. Specifically for longer cruises, do you get tired of the entree repeats? Are there show repeats? Do you get tired of your table mates if you're not a 100% match? We're very much not super social people but we're also not big fans of anytime dining, so this scares me quite a bit. Are there interesting onboard activities that are somewhat cost effective some or most of the time on such a long string of sea days?

Don't get tired of menu repeats. There are plenty of selections. Don't you repeat at home?

I know you say you are not a fan, but we use anytime dining. That way we can plan our dining around our evening activities and not the reverse. We can also vary the times and where we eat without any concerns. You also meet different people. We get tired of the DR on long cruises. Many times we just opt for a few slices of pizza, a burger or a sandwich. With fixed dining you may find tablemates not showing up as they find other dining options. 

Shows do not repeat as it is a single 28 day cruise, not a b2b.

There might be some craft sessions which have nominal costs. If you are into knitting, hand quilting and things like that there is usually time and location set aside for a group of "Knitters & Knatters" unhosted. There is also unhosted cards and games.

4. Are there some sea days that are better than others for doing laundry? Or some excerpts of the cruise where there will be more activities regarding the locales we are about to visit (like lei making around Hawaii, is, I'm assuming, a thing they do)?

Try late evening or early morning, if open. During show times or dinner times.

If a few folks could share their first long cruise thoughts, things we're not considering, or things they were particularly pleased with. It would help us immensely!

If you are a reader, bring lots of books. There is lots of down time.

 

Thanks all! Off to do a bunch of research on how Princess has changed since we last cruise with them in 2014 (SO MUCH!!)

 

[Edit: Spelling!]

Above our some of our thoughts. We have taken the 28 day cruise you mention plus many other b2b's which exceed 28 days. The cruise you mention will have at least 18 sea days with 8 straight at the end. Be prepared before you go. Also, sailing in the tropics and crossing the equator the sun will be directly overhead and hot. Be prepared for that. Other comments are above.

[JF - retired RRT]

"

41 minutes ago, skynight said:

You stop your mail at the post office for up to 30 days.

You can stop it for more than 30 days with the permission of the postmaster at your local post office. As I stated our longest cruise was 43 days and the PO held our mail for the entire cruise.

[Ken the cruiser]

Here’s what we do to be in a good position when we decide to book 3-6 week cruises. 
 

1. We buy 100 shares of Carnival stock (one time only of course) so we can get $250 OBC when we go on either a long Princess or HAL cruise. 
 

2. We are both military veterans, so we make sure we get the $250 pp OBC when we go on a long Princess cruise.

 

3. Book the cruise through our TA to get some extra perks for booking with them. 
 

4. We have all of our monthly bills setup to automatically be paid. 
 

5. Reserve a rental car for the day we leave and when we come back so we don’t have to pay parking fees when we’re gone on longer cruises. 
 

6. Pre-book an early fixed seating table for 2 as we enjoy quite meals eating together. We used to book sharing tables, but have moved on from that phase of cruising. 
 

7. As far as laundry goes as we don’t like to deal with it on a cruise, we bring enough underwear to last the entire cruise and then send everything else out to be cleaned when needed. We have found it’s cheaper to buy underwear at Walmart one time then have Princess wash it. 
 

8. We take our cat to the vet, and just pay the bill when we get back. She’s 21 years old and takes medicine everyday, so it’s just easier than asking someone to take care of her while we’re gone. 
 

9. We always book at least a premium balcony or mini-suite as soon as a cruise comes out, so we can get the cabin we want and then refare, usually 3-4 times, as it makes economical sense to do so. 
 

10. We always stop our mail and as long as we let them know when we will be back, we can usually stop it for longer than 30 days if needed. 
 

I know some of these things may not apply to you, but thought I’d pass along what works for us, especially when booking longer cruises. 

Edited October 27, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[Daniel A]

Does Princess do port lectures on the shorter (7 day) cruises?  What other lectures get offered?

 

(I'm referencing a 7 day Caribbean on the Regal (Princess Cay, St. Thomas & St. Maarten.)

Edited November 10, 2019 by Daniel A

[Lynniepoo]

On 10/26/2019 at 12:02 PM, tovin said:

We've done about 7 cruises, all 7 days, except 1 4 day, as our honeymoon back in 2006. We've done Royal, Princess, Carnival, and Holland.

 

We know we want to do a Panama Canal cruise one day - but for our next big vacation, we're considering the 28 day round trip LA to Hawaii, Tahiti & Samoa. The port in LA is only a 4 hour drive, so we don't have to worry about the logistics of flying and luggage, and all that. Which is a HUGE relief to my husband, so it makes traveling 99% easier.

 

But, we have some concerns, and figured we'd start asking. We will probably try to take this trip in 2022 (yeah, I like to plan ahead!). 

 

1. Could someone point me in the direction of patters (are they still called that?) for a longer cruise, just so I can kinda get an idea of what the multiple sea day schedules look like? 4 days at the start and 8 at the end are kinda scaring me. But there's NO way I could get my husband on a flight to Australia for the 29 day from Sydney to LA.

 

2. I've been looking for some trip reports of month long cruises, particularly in the prep area. Housing concerns, mail, cat care, etc., Logistics of this kind of length. If you've done this - what were things you wish you would have known beforehand that would have made life easier?

 

3. Specifically for longer cruises, do you get tired of the entree repeats? Are there show repeats? Do you get tired of your table mates if you're not a 100% match? We're very much not super social people but we're also not big fans of anytime dining, so this scares me quite a bit. Are there interesting onboard activities that are somewhat cost effective some or most of the time on such a long string of sea days?

 

4. Are there some sea days that are better than others for doing laundry? Or some excerpts of the cruise where there will be more activities regarding the locales we are about to visit (like lei making around Hawaii, is, I'm assuming, a thing they do)? 

 

If a few folks could share their first long cruise thoughts, things we're not considering, or things they were particularly pleased with. It would help us immensely!

 

Thanks all! Off to do a bunch of research on how Princess has changed since we last cruise with them in 2014 (SO MUCH!!)

 

[Edit: Spelling!]

Congrats Tovin!  Our longest was 16 days (the absolute longest I can be gone and still have a job afterwards) to Tahiti and Hawaii. 

 

Regarding the sea days, the ship you are on will have a say in how many activities.  I think that's already been covered a bit in this thread.  We were on the Pacific, which was too small to have much going on and didn't have an Atrium.  We found that without any structured activity, we were getting pretty listless.  But if you have a great book to read or don't mind down time, that won't be a problem for you.

 

We have a precious 4 legged child too, (cat) and we have done several things over the years.  We boarded him once, but found that the barking and sounds from the other animals traumatized him a bit, so we now use a cat sitting company that comes to our house 1x or 2x per day for food, water, a clean litter box and love.  We hire the same sitters who are familiar with our baby and know just how to handle him, and they send us pictures of him everyday with notes on how he is doing.  I recommend you look into some of these services and even interview them first.  We are in SC, otherwise I would recommend the one we use for you.

 

We look forward to sitting at big table with lots of people and getting to know them, but you can do anytime dining or even hit the buffet if you are not looking for lots of conversation.  You need to do what works for you, but if you want my advice:  go for a big table of 10 or 12!  With that many people, its hard to have a long break in the conversation, especially with new things to talk about everyday (experiences in Port, etc.).  We've also really enjoyed talking with people from all over the US and different parts of the world.'

 

Activities on board will be ukelele training, lei making, and (I think) Hula lessons.  They generally have a nominal charge anywhere from about $5 to $20 per person or so.  

 

I hope you enjoy!!!!

[Daniel A]

14 minutes ago, Lynniepoo said:

Congrats Tovin!  Our longest was 16 days (the absolute longest I can be gone and still have a job afterwards) to Tahiti and Hawaii. 

 

Regarding the sea days, the ship you are on will have a say in how many activities.  I think that's already been covered a bit in this thread.  We were on the Pacific, which was too small to have much going on and didn't have an Atrium.  We found that without any structured activity, we were getting pretty listless.  But if you have a great book to read or don't mind down time, that won't be a problem for you.

 

We have a precious 4 legged child too, (cat) and we have done several things over the years.  We boarded him once, but found that the barking and sounds from the other animals traumatized him a bit, so we now use a cat sitting company that comes to our house 1x or 2x per day for food, water, a clean litter box and love.  We hire the same sitters who are familiar with our baby and know just how to handle him, and they send us pictures of him everyday with notes on how he is doing.  I recommend you look into some of these services and even interview them first.  We are in SC, otherwise I would recommend the one we use for you.

 

We look forward to sitting at big table with lots of people and getting to know them, but you can do anytime dining or even hit the buffet if you are not looking for lots of conversation.  You need to do what works for you, but if you want my advice:  go for a big table of 10 or 12!  With that many people, its hard to have a long break in the conversation, especially with new things to talk about everyday (experiences in Port, etc.).  We've also really enjoyed talking with people from all over the US and different parts of the world.'

 

Activities on board will be ukelele training, lei making, and (I think) Hula lessons.  They generally have a nominal charge anywhere from about $5 to $20 per person or so.  

 

I hope you enjoy!!!!

We asked at the veterinarians office about caring for our dog and one of the assistants did this as a side job, coming to our house before and after work to look after the dog.

[caribill]

20 hours ago, Daniel A said:

Does Princess do port lectures on the shorter (7 day) cruises?  What other lectures get offered?

 

(I'm referencing a 7 day Caribbean on the Regal (Princess Cay, St. Thomas & St. Maarten.)

 

Any port lecture on that cruise is 99% certain to just be a sales pitch for stores that have paid Princess a fee to talk about them.