Occasionally live from the Island Princess

[Steelers36]

54 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

Now I really wished I’d taken the move over.  Could have met you.  Next time.

It is a great itinerary. We’ve done all of the ports except Israel.

 

Israel and Turkey were main attractions.  I don't see us going either place by other means again.

[We_like_to_cruise]

I'm back !

 

The internet was abysmal/non-existent on the last half dozen days of the cruise.  Definitely something fundamentally wrong and it was not due to the stock answer from the Medallion internet crew members - "It's the geography..."  The internet worked perfectly fine in the first half of the B2B.  On this second half, even at the Southampton port it stunk. 

 

Princess gave us all 10 days credit but frankly I would prefer the internet I paid for  - "the best internet at sea".

 

This was certainly one of the topics I addressed on my survey.

 

So, I am home now, but wanted to get some closure and finish my review.  Perhaps I should rename it "No Longer Live from the Island Princess".

Edited August 31, 2022 by We_like_to_cruise
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[We_like_to_cruise]

Pictures from  Akureryri, Iceland

 

[We_like_to_cruise]

Pictures from Isafjordur, Iceland

[We_like_to_cruise]

Pictures from Reykjavik, Iceland

 

In the second picture, the tiny "sticks" you see on the very top are people walking around the upper edge of the crater.  Just to give you some scale.

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by We_like_to_cruise
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[We_like_to_cruise]

 

Traveling to Greenland - Prince Christian Sound

 

Woke up to a surprisingly mixed sunny and cloudy day that became increasingly sunnier.  We were prepared for bleak, cold, rainy days in Greenland.  After breakfast we returned to the cabin, glanced out onto the balcony and - wow - an iceberg right next to us!  Yeah, that was cool.  👍😁

 

Later in the voyage we were told that the captain took the "scenic route" instead of the faster direct route to our next port.  We have been on cruises where "scenic cruising" describes a sea day, but this was not advertised in advance.  Our ship slowly cruised through the Prince Christian Sound to our delight.

 

We spent most of the day sitting on the balcony as the ship leisurely passed through the channel.  There were huge mountains on each side of us.  (We sometimes went outside to the other side of the ship as well).  As the sun beamed down onto our balcony we basked in the unexpected warmth.

 

Of course pictures cannot do justice to the immensity of the landscape.  Even we were shocked when we viewed some fishing boats and they were so tiny in comparison.  We could not believe how sunny the weather was as we sat on the balcony for hours taking pictures of the scenery and the many icebergs.

 

The scenery was so inspiring and the weather so pleasant that we did not even make it to dinner in the MDR.  (We did contact them to advise them of our absence so our table would be available for walk-ins).  Eventually we grabbed a bite in the Horizon Court buffet, the first time we had gone there for dinner.

 

Today was an unexpected bonus in both weather and our cruise itinerary.  Thank you Captain!

 

In retrospect, this was truly one of the highlights of our voyage.

 

 

 

[We_like_to_cruise]

Nanortalik, Greenland

 

Upon awakening I immediately noticed the room was not as light as usual.  In the past there was always some stray light peaking out under the balcony blackout curtains. Not today.

 

I quietly pushed the curtain aside and was greeted with wall of thick gray fog. Our lovely day yesterday was now just a memory.

 

The dense fog continued for most of the morning and announcements were made that the tenders would start running as soon as it cleared.

 

Well, it never cleared although it did start to brighten.  Eventually the captain announced that it would be impossible for the amount of passengers on board to use the tender service back and forth in the allotted time.  Disappointing, yes.  But, we have been on enough cruises to understand that these things happen.  As DW always says - "You can't control the weather".

 

Ironically the day continued to improve and as we headed out of the port the sun came out and we once again had blue skies.  Oh well.  Tomorrow is Qaqortoq, Greenland and our fingers are crossed.

[We_like_to_cruise]

Qaqortoq, Greenland

 

Mixed sun and clouds with some drizzle today.  A marked improvement from yesterday, so we took an early tender into town.  It is a small area and we walked around for a couple of hours (seeing the whole town twice, lol) and did some shopping.

 

We also visited the Mindebrønden fountain with its spouting whales.  It is the oldest fountain in Greenland.

 

 

 

 

[We_like_to_cruise]

The next four days were sea days as we headed back to Southampton.  We did all the usual sea day rituals. 

 

Disembarkation was well organized.  We had purchased transfers to Gatwick Airport for our return flight home.  It was very easy and there was only one bus which was only half full.  In comparison there were numerous buses headed out to Heathrow.

 

Here are some post-cruise musings:

 

Staff - as noted earlier, the staff is really outstanding.  Everyone greets you pleasantly and is courteous, kind and professional.  I keep joking to DW that they must have me mixed up with someone "important".  But indeed that is how they treat everyone.

 

Announcements - we only hear announcements in the room twice a day.  There is an announcement at noon and 5 pm from the bridge, most often by the captain.  Our current location, weather, and facts about the port or an upcoming port are highlighted.  Sometimes we get a definition and origin of a nautical term.  These announcements only last a couple of minutes.  No sales pitches, ever.

 

Princess beds - Why can't I sleep at home as well as I do on a Princess bed ????  

 

Medallion app onboard - Always worked flawlessly for opening the door.  Initially worked perfectly for ordering food and drink, but gradually that function deteriorated.  (Same with ordering from the app on the tv).  However, you could still order to your room from the Room Service button on the cabin phone.  And, after pressing that button the call was almost always answered immediately.  The only time I was put on hold someone answered within a few seconds.  Drinks and food were delivered as promptly as they were using the other methods - generally within 10-15 minutes.  I thought it was pretty impressive.

 

Internet - worked beyond my expectations ---  initially.
When we were heading from Iceland to Greenland it pretty much shut down.  We were advised this would happen due to the geographical location.  But it never ever got any better even at Southampton port.  Not good!

 

Unexpected surprises -

 

Both The Bayou Cafe and Sabbatini's were open every evening.  We went back to Sabbatini's for another great meal. (Seafood packet with fish, shrimp, mussels, scallops, pictured).

 

The Pub Lunch was back, as well as the faux Alfredo's at lunch.  (Serving only a choice of about a dozen types of pizza, but no other Italian food).  We checked them both out but decided not to wait in the long lines for each.

 

The Champagne Tower!  Yes, it has returned and the Captain was in attendance and advised the audience it was over three years since it last made an appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Loveh2ofl]

Thanks for all of your updates and reviews!

 

[We_like_to_cruise]

Goodbye Island Princess. 

 

It does not have all of the glitz and glamour of the newer larger ships, but our voyage was a good one.  The staff helped us overlook some minor glitches and inconveniences.

 

Smooth sailing to all!

[DavidsNana]

Thank you so much for your review and all the beautiful pictures.  I enjoyed it very much.  Glad that you had a good experience.

 

[Calgary3]

Your pictures of the icebergs were just so gorgeous - as well as all the other ones.  Thank you for taking the time to do this report.  I really enjoyed following along.

[beg3yrs]

17 hours ago, We_like_to_cruise said:

....

Princess beds - Why can't I sleep at home as well as I do on a Princess bed ????  

...

 

You can purchase Princess beds online at https://princessluxurybed.com/

 

We have the king-size including all the pillows, sheets, comforter and so on. It's wonderful.

 

It doesn't rock you to sleep but it's the same bed!

[chamima]

17 minutes ago, beg3yrs said:

 

You can purchase Princess beds online at https://princessluxurybed.com/

 

We have the king-size including all the pillows, sheets, comforter and so on. It's wonderful.

 

It doesn't rock you to sleep but it's the same bed!

 

We also have the bedding and love it but have you noticed that the duvet cover is much larger and seems to have different dimensions than the duvet?

[tml1230]

thanks again for an outstanding report and pictures! Absolutely one of my all time favorites!

all the best!

[luvtravel]

Can anyone who has travelled from London to Southampton lately share their transportation details to the port - eg. by Princess or private car/van service, uber?  Train I understand has 2 changes - not ideal when carting luggage.   We're planning to stay in London a day or two before but could go to airport to catch Princess shuttle if needed.      There are 6 of us - so a van might be more cost effective.  Any recommendations for a private car service would be appreciated.   I did a brief look at the private car services - and boy the prices have skyrocketed!  The excellent car service we used previously, Smiths, is out of business.

Thanks everyone - appreciate your help.

[beg3yrs]

3 hours ago, chamima said:

 

We also have the bedding and love it but have you noticed that the duvet cover is much larger and seems to have different dimensions than the duvet?

Yep!

[NownZen]

1 hour ago, luvtravel said:

Can anyone who has travelled from London to Southampton lately share their transportation details to the port - eg. by Princess or private car/van service, uber?  Train I understand has 2 changes - not ideal when carting luggage.   We're planning to stay in London a day or two before but could go to airport to catch Princess shuttle if needed.      There are 6 of us - so a van might be more cost effective.  Any recommendations for a private car service would be appreciated.   I did a brief look at the private car services - and boy the prices have skyrocketed!  The excellent car service we used previously, Smiths, is out of business.

Thanks everyone - appreciate your help.

We used Blackberry Cars for the opposite direction transfer. We had an Executive MPV6 vehicle. There were two rows of facing seats for six and one more could go in the front passenger seat. They were easy to deal with, on time and found our apartment in a tricky spot in London. This will be quite a bit more cost effective than Princess from LHR and the convenience is great.

[17pandd]

Wonderful pictures and travel review, thanks for sharing.

 

[luvtravel]

On 9/1/2022 at 11:40 AM, NownZen said:

We used Blackberry Cars for the opposite direction transfer. We had an Executive MPV6 vehicle. There were two rows of facing seats for six and one more could go in the front passenger seat. They were easy to deal with, on time and found our apartment in a tricky spot in London. This will be quite a bit more cost effective than Princess from LHR and the convenience is great.

Thank you for the info - glad you had a great time!

[Travelnplane]

On 8/31/2022 at 10:34 PM, We_like_to_cruise said:

Goodbye Island Princess. 

 

It does not have all of the glitz and glamour of the newer larger ships, but our voyage was a good one.  The staff helped us overlook some minor glitches and inconveniences.

 

Smooth sailing to all!

Thank you for a wonderful report. 
 

May I ask who was the captain of the vessel during your cruises?

[cruise2relax]

On 9/1/2022 at 1:24 PM, luvtravel said:

Can anyone who has travelled from London to Southampton lately share their transportation details to the port - eg. by Princess or private car/van service, uber?  Train I understand has 2 changes - not ideal when carting luggage.   We're planning to stay in London a day or two before but could go to airport to catch Princess shuttle if needed.      There are 6 of us - so a van might be more cost effective.  Any recommendations for a private car service would be appreciated.   I did a brief look at the private car services - and boy the prices have skyrocketed!  The excellent car service we used previously, Smiths, is out of business.

Thanks everyone - appreciate your help.

We used Twelve Transfers two weeks ago and three years ago, book the car size you want right online.  Never had an issue, very competitive on pricing.  We would recommend them.

[Sarnia 432]

11 hours ago, Travelnplane said:

who was the captain

Captain Rikard Lorentzen

[beg3yrs]

11 hours ago, Sarnia 432 said:

Captain Rikard Lorentzen

I sure hope he's still on board starting October 7. What a great captain! Last we saw him was on the last voyage of the Pacific Princess before it was sold. Captain Lorentzen could often be seen wandering the ship both in uniform and also dressed like a passenger.

 

DW is full Scandinavian blood and they call each other "cousin".

 

Glad to know he's still with Princess.

 

Caption of this photo: Junior Officer thinking "How am I going to tell these guys I just dropped the ship's keys overboard?"

Edited September 16, 2022 by beg3yrs