Live From the Emerald Princess 10/15/21 LA-Port Everglades Panama Cruise

[HaveDogWillTravel]

This is some great information @Bgwestand all. Might I convince you to move it to this thread I started?  That way people will find it. This live thread won’t be the most intuitive place for people seeking this information to look. 
thanks! 

[Luv Cruising Land or Sea]

3 hours ago, Grego said:

Just think, you are one day closer to your next voyage!

Yes we are although not on Princess 😂 ( we are taking this opportunity to try some new to us lines with reduced rates and capacity)  This cruise was amazing, hiccups and all!  We went with an open mind and knowing that things may not be the same as before so we were not disappointed or put out in anyway.  Our first cabin was affected, and once moved we were very content.

 

We were so happy just to be back on the water that some of the minor inconveniences didn't bother us - the crew and staff attitudes more than made up for any small hiccups.  They are sooooo happy to be back to work!   My medallion worked great from the start and we tested many of the functions - ordering food and drinks in different locations - finding my spouse and friends, checking entertainment schedules ( although this is a little clunky) etc. 

 

Is everything "the same" as before the Pandemic - nooooo and it won't be likely for some time to come - anyone choosing to cruise now must do so with this knowledge and knowing there will be some hiccups along the way.   If you left your car sitting in the driveway for 18 months, you would experience some flatness on your tires, perhaps a dead battery and some motor coughing due to carbon build up etc.  It is the same with these ships - they were basically floating at "an idle" for so many months and with skeleton crews trying to keep things working.  We spoke with one officer who told us she was assigned several corridors - her job was to enter each cabin once a week and flush the toilet and run water - this just to keep the pipes clear! ... I imagine there were many other "jobs" like this assigned to the crew.  What they couldn't do was having other contractors on board to fix or repair things that needed specialty work ( like the flooring around the aft pool)  Our understanding was that an undetected leak caused some major flooring issues combined with some Visa issues for the contractors needed to be brought on board for repairs.

 

As we all return to sailing we have to keep all this in mind.  Things are gradually opening up and I believe Princess (and all the other lines) are doing the best they can to be fully operational - it won't be perfect for a long time yet, and anyone choosing to cruise now needs to go with that understanding or wait until the cruise lines have time to get the ships in tip top shape! 

 

For us, we couldn't wait and took any hiccups as just a part getting back to "perfect" but our feelings of gratitude just to be back on a cruise ship outweighed any small inconveniences.

 

Happy Sailing!

 

 

[AnyMajorCruiseDude]

10 hours ago, Luv Cruising Land or Sea said:

Yes we are although not on Princess 😂 ( we are taking this opportunity to try some new to us lines with reduced rates and capacity)  This cruise was amazing, hiccups and all!  We went with an open mind and knowing that things may not be the same as before so we were not disappointed or put out in anyway.  Our first cabin was affected, and once moved we were very content.

 

We were so happy just to be back on the water that some of the minor inconveniences didn't bother us - the crew and staff attitudes more than made up for any small hiccups.  They are sooooo happy to be back to work!   My medallion worked great from the start and we tested many of the functions - ordering food and drinks in different locations - finding my spouse and friends, checking entertainment schedules ( although this is a little clunky) etc. 

 

Is everything "the same" as before the Pandemic - nooooo and it won't be likely for some time to come - anyone choosing to cruise now must do so with this knowledge and knowing there will be some hiccups along the way.   If you left your car sitting in the driveway for 18 months, you would experience some flatness on your tires, perhaps a dead battery and some motor coughing due to carbon build up etc.  It is the same with these ships - they were basically floating at "an idle" for so many months and with skeleton crews trying to keep things working.  We spoke with one officer who told us she was assigned several corridors - her job was to enter each cabin once a week and flush the toilet and run water - this just to keep the pipes clear! ... I imagine there were many other "jobs" like this assigned to the crew.  What they couldn't do was having other contractors on board to fix or repair things that needed specialty work ( like the flooring around the aft pool)  Our understanding was that an undetected leak caused some major flooring issues combined with some Visa issues for the contractors needed to be brought on board for repairs.

 

As we all return to sailing we have to keep all this in mind.  Things are gradually opening up and I believe Princess (and all the other lines) are doing the best they can to be fully operational - it won't be perfect for a long time yet, and anyone choosing to cruise now needs to go with that understanding or wait until the cruise lines have time to get the ships in tip top shape! 

 

For us, we couldn't wait and took any hiccups as just a part getting back to "perfect" but our feelings of gratitude just to be back on a cruise ship outweighed any small inconveniences.

 

Happy Sailing!

 

 

Thanks for your rational and thoughtful response.  We keep running into people that think everything should be the same or better.  That is not supportive of the keep cruising going concept.  They should take a pause or enjoy the enormous effort being made.

[Grego]

21 hours ago, Luv Cruising Land or Sea said:

Yes we are although not on Princess 😂 ( we are taking this opportunity to try some new to us lines with reduced rates and capacity)  This cruise was amazing, hiccups and all!  We went with an open mind and knowing that things may not be the same as before so we were not disappointed or put out in anyway.  Our first cabin was affected, and once moved we were very content.

 

We were so happy just to be back on the water that some of the minor inconveniences didn't bother us - the crew and staff attitudes more than made up for any small hiccups.  They are sooooo happy to be back to work!   My medallion worked great from the start and we tested many of the functions - ordering food and drinks in different locations - finding my spouse and friends, checking entertainment schedules ( although this is a little clunky) etc. 

 

Is everything "the same" as before the Pandemic - nooooo and it won't be likely for some time to come - anyone choosing to cruise now must do so with this knowledge and knowing there will be some hiccups along the way.   If you left your car sitting in the driveway for 18 months, you would experience some flatness on your tires, perhaps a dead battery and some motor coughing due to carbon build up etc.  It is the same with these ships - they were basically floating at "an idle" for so many months and with skeleton crews trying to keep things working.  We spoke with one officer who told us she was assigned several corridors - her job was to enter each cabin once a week and flush the toilet and run water - this just to keep the pipes clear! ... I imagine there were many other "jobs" like this assigned to the crew.  What they couldn't do was having other contractors on board to fix or repair things that needed specialty work ( like the flooring around the aft pool)  Our understanding was that an undetected leak caused some major flooring issues combined with some Visa issues for the contractors needed to be brought on board for repairs.

 

As we all return to sailing we have to keep all this in mind.  Things are gradually opening up and I believe Princess (and all the other lines) are doing the best they can to be fully operational - it won't be perfect for a long time yet, and anyone choosing to cruise now needs to go with that understanding or wait until the cruise lines have time to get the ships in tip top shape! 

 

For us, we couldn't wait and took any hiccups as just a part getting back to "perfect" but our feelings of gratitude just to be back on a cruise ship outweighed any small inconveniences.

 

Happy Sailing!

 

 

Well done.  I would hope that everyone reads this and understand what Princess and every other cruise line is going through to bring their ships back to what was before the pandemic and stop over criticizing every little thing.

[memoak]

5 hours ago, Grego said:

Well done.  I would hope that everyone reads this and understand what Princess and every other cruise line is going through to bring their ships back to what was before the pandemic and stop over criticizing every little thing.

Except if you book aft suites only - there is really no place to move you to with an equivalent stateroom

[DKE]

Thanks for all the post from the Princess Emerald.  Sailing in late January and was just wondering if anyone on the Panama Canal cruise took any shore excursions in: Cartagena, Costa Rica, NIcacaragua , Huatulco or Puerto Vallarta, Mexico?  What were the Covid protocols leaving ship and reboarding?  Were the locals wearing masks onshore?  Thanks 

[Luv Cruising Land or Sea]

10 hours ago, DKE said:

Thanks for all the post from the Princess Emerald.  Sailing in late January and was just wondering if anyone on the Panama Canal cruise took any shore excursions in: Cartagena, Costa Rica, NIcacaragua , Huatulco or Puerto Vallarta, Mexico?  What were the Covid protocols leaving ship and reboarding?  Were the locals wearing masks onshore?  Thanks 

We did not have the "usual" Panama Ports - only Puerto Vallarta - I know many got off the ship but we chose not to as we have been there several times before. 

[DKE]

Thank you for your reply.  Did you know that PV would be your only port prior to boarding?  What was the reason for no other ports?  High Covid #'s in the other countries/ports?  Incoming travel restrictions from those countries?  Just curious, thanks again.  

[Luv Cruising Land or Sea]

6 hours ago, DKE said:

Thank you for your reply.  Did you know that PV would be your only port prior to boarding?  What was the reason for no other ports?  High Covid #'s in the other countries/ports?  Incoming travel restrictions from those countries?  Just curious, thanks again.  

We had other ports just not those you mentioned.  Originally we had PV and then the ABC’s but we lost Bonaire when we were delayed going thru the canal 

[Mike07]

22 hours ago, DKE said:

Thank you for your reply.  Did you know that PV would be your only port prior to boarding?  What was the reason for no other ports?  High Covid #'s in the other countries/ports?  Incoming travel restrictions from those countries?  Just curious, thanks again.  

 

 

The full transit the ship did only had Puerto Vallarta and the ABC Islands on the itinerary.  It was like that 30 days before the cruise when I signed up and the same when we all got onboard the ship.  There was the panama canal dustup/delay that cost the Bonaire pit-stop.

 

Why Princess chose to stop in certain places and not others is likely above the head of everybody onboard unless somebody here got an inside scoop from Corporate or somebody high up on the ship.  I doubt the Captain has much control over what the itineraries are as corporate tells him where to go and takes care of all of the port times/fees/etc.