brucedodge

We don't use the App pre cruise.  Ironically our last boarding (in Southampton) our blue line was quite short and the green line was quite long. We don't mind the App once on board, but pre-cruise it took me less than 5 minutes to determine it was a lengthy waste of time.

FWIW, I've done this in the past.  And not just in Vancouver, but in many places.

Perhaps times have changed, but once you have your medallion, getting back on board should be no different than any other port.  I'd ask at the exit of the ship when you want to get off.  They'll know.

In Vancouver, we needed something at a pharmacy.  Another time, I bought some wine and brought them back with me.  No confiscation as we hadn't brought any on board originally.

Here's one person's experience:

1.  Went on the Caribbean Princess in February from FLL.  Tried to do the medallion app.  After five minutes I said "To hell with this."  Just showed up.  Processing was easy.  On board quickly.

2.  Sailed on Sky. Princess out of Southampton August 13th.  From the beginning never used the app at all, but I did fill out their on line version.  About a week later a Princess rep called and asked for more information.  Arrived at pier with no status.  Put in blue line.  Good thing.  Blue line almost empty; green line backed up.  Looked at our passports, gave us the on board medallions and boarded ship.  Painless.

Of course this may not work for everyone.

Bruce

Thanks for the responses.  We will get it done.  Having QM2 do it is probably first choice, and if they can't or won't, we will work it out in Southampton.  And it's nice to know it can be done at the pier if necessary, even at $60 a pop.

Bruce

My understanding is that the COVID test is NOT required.  Is that in fact the case?  Not talking about vaccines and boosters.

We're arriving on QM2 the day before our Princess departure, and need to be prepared if it's required.

Thanks,

Bruce

Thanks to those who replied.  I might have accidentally reposted this as I didn't think it took the first time.  Sorry if that's happened

And to exlondoner: Yes, the Arizona Inn and Vivace's serve our personal needs VERY well.

This is NOT meant to start a dress code war, but a legitimate question.  

My wife and I will be on the QM2 NYC to Southampton.  We have an A1 guarantee, and were upgraded to PG once before, so it could happen.  I always take my tuxedo for formal nights, but this time I do not have space for an additional sport coat/blazer to wear on non-formal nights.  I'd be happy to wear a ship-supplied coat, but have no idea if this is done.  As of now I'll be planning on a nice long sleeve dress shirt, possibly with tie or vest, and dark trousers.  I know some might be troubled that I may not have a coat on, but we are continuing from Southampton on another line for three weeks going to the Baltic and Norway and I need the luggage space for that cruise.  So the question is:  will I fit in adequately given the Cunard dress tradition?

Thanks

Bruce

On 3/10/2022 at 11:14 PM, TBfrPH said:

(This is long, so apologies in advance and feel free to skip to the next post.)

 

It's rare to find a discussion about dancing on CC boards anymore.  So thank you, Kopy, for starting this one. Dancing to live music is the #1 reason that we cruise.  I've had to work really hard to find updated information about music and dancing on the different cruise lines and ships.  So I'd like to chime in with our (limited) experience, and hopefully other like-minded cruisers would find it useful in their trip planning. 

 

For better or worse, we are neither Elite nor elite.  We've been on 5 Princess ships, ranging from the old Grand to the newer Majestic.  We've also sailed on Celebrity a few years back, and HAL right before the pandemic.  We do ballroom dancing as a fun hobby, and would find ways to dance ballroom steps to all sorts of contemporary music (including hip hop) that most people don't consider to be ballroom style.  So we're not ballroom purists by any means.

 

If one is looking to boogie to pop music and just wiggle in place, then the piazza and Vista/Explorer Lounge on all the Princess ships will be more than satisfactory.  On recent cruises, there was consistently a pop band playing every night in either one of those places (both Grand and Royal Class ships).  If one wants to do ballroom dances that take up some floor space (like a waltz or tango), then none of the current ships by Princess, HAL, or Celebrity will truly accommodate.  We've made do in the Explorer/Vista,  but that only works if only one or two other couples are sharing the floor with us.  Usually a slow ballad is playing and few people want to get up for that.  The Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam used to have afternoon tea dance with the house band in the Oceanview Bar, which had a nice dance floor.  But since their latest refurbishment, they have done away with dancing there.  HAL now expects everyone to dance in BB King Lounge or the new Rock n Roll venue, and many ballroom dancers don't consider the music conducive to their style.  In fact, we've been told that the Queen's Room on Cunard ships is the only legit ballroom dance floor remaining at sea.  We'll find out for ourselves when we sample the QE this June.

 

The Wheelhouse bar on grand class ships has a small dance floor that would accommodate 3-4 couples doing something like a swing, rumba, or cha cha, but not enough room for anything that requires traveling around the dance floor. Ironically that is where Princess has chosen to stage bands that actually play ballroom style music.  We managed a foxtrot and waltz a few times when we were the only ones dancing.  Club Fusion has a nice spacious dance floor, but on most recent cruises since restart it's only used for line dancing and ballroom lessons.  Pre-dinner time, there would be pre-recorded ballroom music in there for 2-3 hours, but few people go.  Most people, including us, prefer a live band.  I've asked why they won't have a live band in that space, and the response during the pandemic is that they don't want to encourage a large gathering.  That is a curious line because they have other activities there like line dancing and hula class that draw huge crowds.

 

There is no Wheelhouse on royal class ships, but there is a little space (carpet/marble, not wood floor) bordering the passage way at the Crown Grill Bar.  When we were on the Royal Princess Feb 2019, a fabulous trio played there a few nights, and we had a great time dancing to them while trying to not be in the way of passers-by.  There was also a violin duo who would play a tango on request in the piazza.  Princess Live on royal class ships has a really nice wood floor that would be great for dancing, but having music there is not in the cards as far as I know, only game shows.

 

In summary, cruise lines are fast abandoning the traditional ballroom dancing crowd to attract younger people and to create more seating for revenue-generating alcohol sales.  This is especially true of HAL and Celebrity.  Princess still has a very good mix of music bands, and with some flexibility to adapt, one can find a venue to dance every night. Usually there would be a pop/party band, an alternative band who will play some ballroom style music,  a guitarist or violinist, or duo who will play ballroom style songs on request, and the house band who plays mostly undanceable jazz (We've not experienced the jazz club on the newer Sky/Discovery/Enchanted ships).  There would also be a pianist or two, but we have rarely been able to dance to the music that they play.  On a cruise to Mexico in Nov 2021 we had a mariachi band, to whom we were able to dance rumba, bolero, waltz, and Viennese waltz when they played in the piazza.

 

I'll stop now, since I'm out of words; and you're likely out of patience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 3/10/2022 at 11:14 PM, TBfrPH said:

(This is long, so apologies in advance and feel free to skip to the next post.)

 

It's rare to find a discussion about dancing on CC boards anymore.  So thank you, Kopy, for starting this one. Dancing to live music is the #1 reason that we cruise.  I've had to work really hard to find updated information about music and dancing on the different cruise lines and ships.  So I'd like to chime in with our (limited) experience, and hopefully other like-minded cruisers would find it useful in their trip planning. 

 

For better or worse, we are neither Elite nor elite.  We've been on 5 Princess ships, ranging from the old Grand to the newer Majestic.  We've also sailed on Celebrity a few years back, and HAL right before the pandemic.  We do ballroom dancing as a fun hobby, and would find ways to dance ballroom steps to all sorts of contemporary music (including hip hop) that most people don't consider to be ballroom style.  So we're not ballroom purists by any means.

 

If one is looking to boogie to pop music and just wiggle in place, then the piazza and Vista/Explorer Lounge on all the Princess ships will be more than satisfactory.  On recent cruises, there was consistently a pop band playing every night in either one of those places (both Grand and Royal Class ships).  If one wants to do ballroom dances that take up some floor space (like a waltz or tango), then none of the current ships by Princess, HAL, or Celebrity will truly accommodate.  We've made do in the Explorer/Vista,  but that only works if only one or two other couples are sharing the floor with us.  Usually a slow ballad is playing and few people want to get up for that.  The Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam used to have afternoon tea dance with the house band in the Oceanview Bar, which had a nice dance floor.  But since their latest refurbishment, they have done away with dancing there.  HAL now expects everyone to dance in BB King Lounge or the new Rock n Roll venue, and many ballroom dancers don't consider the music conducive to their style.  In fact, we've been told that the Queen's Room on Cunard ships is the only legit ballroom dance floor remaining at sea.  We'll find out for ourselves when we sample the QE this June.

 

The Wheelhouse bar on grand class ships has a small dance floor that would accommodate 3-4 couples doing something like a swing, rumba, or cha cha, but not enough room for anything that requires traveling around the dance floor. Ironically that is where Princess has chosen to stage bands that actually play ballroom style music.  We managed a foxtrot and waltz a few times when we were the only ones dancing.  Club Fusion has a nice spacious dance floor, but on most recent cruises since restart it's only used for line dancing and ballroom lessons.  Pre-dinner time, there would be pre-recorded ballroom music in there for 2-3 hours, but few people go.  Most people, including us, prefer a live band.  I've asked why they won't have a live band in that space, and the response during the pandemic is that they don't want to encourage a large gathering.  That is a curious line because they have other activities there like line dancing and hula class that draw huge crowds.

 

There is no Wheelhouse on royal class ships, but there is a little space (carpet/marble, not wood floor) bordering the passage way at the Crown Grill Bar.  When we were on the Royal Princess Feb 2019, a fabulous trio played there a few nights, and we had a great time dancing to them while trying to not be in the way of passers-by.  There was also a violin duo who would play a tango on request in the piazza.  Princess Live on royal class ships has a really nice wood floor that would be great for dancing, but having music there is not in the cards as far as I know, only game shows.

 

In summary, cruise lines are fast abandoning the traditional ballroom dancing crowd to attract younger people and to create more seating for revenue-generating alcohol sales.  This is especially true of HAL and Celebrity.  Princess still has a very good mix of music bands, and with some flexibility to adapt, one can find a venue to dance every night. Usually there would be a pop/party band, an alternative band who will play some ballroom style music,  a guitarist or violinist, or duo who will play ballroom style songs on request, and the house band who plays mostly undanceable jazz (We've not experienced the jazz club on the newer Sky/Discovery/Enchanted ships).  There would also be a pianist or two, but we have rarely been able to dance to the music that they play.  On a cruise to Mexico in Nov 2021 we had a mariachi band, to whom we were able to dance rumba, bolero, waltz, and Viennese waltz when they played in the piazza.

 

I'll stop now, since I'm out of words; and you're likely out of patience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TB,

This is a terrific summation of where the cruise industry is going.  Bigger and bigger leads to more and more revenue, and ballroom dancing does not figure into industry plans for reasons you so aptly stated.

Coral is now our favorite Princess ship for dancing.  The Island is okay too, but it comes with its own issues.

The "R" ships were fine when Princess had them, but Azamara and Oceania have really dorked up the dance space.

Crystal was great but of course is now bankrupt.

Celebrity's Century Class ships had good dance floors but they're all gone; haven't cruised Celebrity in 10+ years even though we have high status.

The Queens seem to be the last bastion of ballroom dancing.  You'll be happy on the QE.  We've been on the QE and QV and will be trying the grandaddy of all dance floors on the QM2 in August.  Really looking forward to it.  Wiggling may be good exercise but it's not on our "to do" list.

All the best,

Bruce

Dancing is one of the highest priorities when selecting our cruises; the options have diminished substantially.  We used to like the Century Class 

Just got back from Princess cruise.  

Gave the app five minutes to work at home, well, maybe ten.  Stopped trying.  Knew by these boards I could check in at the pier without the app.  

Did so.  Fast and easy.  Medallion works fine on board.

Listen to what many are telling you.  Don't stress.  Simply go on your cruise.

Seems strange to me.  We've booked BA business class via EZ Air a number of times, but never via code share.  And we've always chosen seats with no cost involved.

As a matter of fact we have a BA flight from LHR to Phoenix booked for September (after Norway cruise), and we chose some delightful business class seats right on the EZ Air portion of the Princess web site.

Perhaps using code share is the issue.  Don't know, but you might try redoing the booking specifying BA as the airline, assuming you want to fly BA.

Tried the app last week.  What a joke.  No frustration here, just a shrug and a head shake.

 Let them sort it out at the port.

Here's another vote for light weight foam ear plugs.  My wife and I have brought them to ALL Princess shows for years.  You can adjust them depending on the loudness, and even take one or two out for when someone is speaking on stage.  Very versatile, easy to carry, and easy to use. FWIW

18 hours ago, caribill said:

Princess has cut back on passenger dancing during the pandemic.

 

Once the pandemic is over, this may change.

Bill,

What you say makes sense in its own right, but the larger issue is that Princess continues to cut down on dancing venues and space to dance, regardless of the pandemic.

Bruce

14 hours ago, Carnevale said:

Thx to all who replied.  It isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but we love ballroom dancing and are disappointed to see it disappear from so many ships.  We have FCC to use so will probably book on Regal as there’s an itinerary of interest but, after that, I think we will need to stay with Cunard, Crystal, and Regent where dancing is still available.  Too bad as if Princess had more ballroom dancing we would be very happy sailing on it.

Yes, Canavale, for those of us who consider ballroom dancing an important reason to select a cruise ship, the industry has turned against us.  It seems as if bigger ships, which should have plenty of space for dancing, don't.  Perhaps it's because dancing is not a profit center.  Even Princess R ships, now long gone, had space.  For Celebrity, the loss of Mercury Class ships was tough to see..  Like you, we are gravitating more to Cunard and Crystal, where dancing is esteemed, and provided for.

Bruce

New Question!!  For those who like to dance (or anyone else for that matter)

What are the dance opportunities?  Venues?  Dance music types? Times?  Etc.

Thanks,  Bruce 

Raburgardt,

FWIW I posted recently on this topic.  Here's the post:

• 
•  
• 930 posts
• July 6, 2004
• Tucson, Arizona

My wife and I love to dance on cruises, and we find it ironic that as main stream cruise lines build bigger and bigger ships, they reduce the dance venues, both in size and numbers.

The best Princess ship for dancing is the Coral.  The Island is okay too, but they did away with the Vista Lounge as one of the venues.  The Grand Class ships are reasonable, but not as good, and the mega ships are worthless.

We used to cruise on Celebrity, but the same thing:  the Century Class ships (now all sold) were good for dancing.  The Millennium Class are okay, but not near as good, and the Solstice Class ships are worthless.  So we've long since stopped cruising Celebrity and we had a very high status.

The Queens, of course, have huge ballrooms, and the two Crystal ocean going ships each have two spacious dance areas, so these five ships are among our favorites.

FWIW,

Bruce

As is often pointed out, all of us are different, and luckily there are options for all.  Having said that, we used to love the Island and Coral and have many trips on both.  Now, having cruised the Island once after the "renovation" (it was a short family cruise), we would only go on it if it were a truly special itinerary.  Whoever in magement dreamed up this "renovation" ought to find another career.  OTOH, the Coral is wonderful, and is so superior to the Island in every way.  Again, to each his/her own. 😀

Bruce

 Of course Princess can change what it does on these cruises, but in 2016 the Star was doing round trips Buenos Aires - Santiago (no Antarctica) and an Argentine duo was on board to both perform and give Argentine tango lessons.  This year several of the itineraries on the Coral did include Antarctica and they did not have a tango instructor(s) on board.

If your ship overnights in Buenos Aires you'd have an opportunity to see live tango, and even though we haven't seen it yet, they could in the future decide to bring on board a tango show.

I'll try and post a video from 2017 of one of their several performances in the atrium in Feb 2016

Bruce  

24 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I am voicing my objection to any thread that mentions the replacement of the Grand itineraries with the Regal.  Princess may think this is a good move, but I am in the minority that will not sail on these "MEGA" ships.  

 

I, too, am wondering how they are going to move passengers equitably from one ship to the next.  I guess I will give them the benefit of the doubt and wait for a room assignment.  Most likely, I will have to cancel this cruise.

 

I am not in favor of this change.

Agree.  We'll wait and see, but it's a likely cancel.  Ship's too damn big.

Hello Rachel,

You've received a lot of advice and diversity of opinion.  FWIW, here's some more:

We've been on both ships multiple times.  You do not need to worry about age of the ships.

From what you've said about your kids, I think they'd be happy on either ship for an Alaska cruise.  While on the Pacific Princess, evening activities might depend on whether they'd enjoy the shows/entertainers in the  Caberet Lounge.  During sea days,IMO, there are plenty of activities which you and your kids might enjoy, often led by the six dancers, who participate as activity leaders on this ship (but not on the others).  There could be activities such as towel animal folding, napkin folder, egg drop, paper airplane flying, bean bag toss, etc.

As to the Coral, it bridges the gap between the small PP and the larger Princess fleet.  The same activities could occur, this time led by the Activities Staff.  With 2000 passengers vice 650, the Coral would undoubtedly have more kids on board, especially for Alaska.

IMO you can't make a bad choice between these two ships.

Bruce

1 hour ago, Sumitro Ong said:

I am wondering why didn't Princess skip Montevideo to give more time for Antarctica. Would it be perhaps the weather and sea condition only allows for that 2 days? 

I like your thinking, but Montevideo means a day where Coral is not burning fuel cruising, plus Princess earns the coins from excursions.  Cha Ching!!

I also suspect, believe it or not, that there are probably some passengers who would rather have the day in Montevideo instead of the extra day in Antarctica.

I know, I know, I may have a touch of cynicism. 😀

Bruce

FWIW, we have sailed on 5 of the 8 "R" ships, some multiple times, with Princess, Oceania, and Azamara.  We think they're great, especially for port intensive itineraries.

We just got off the Pacific Princess two weeks ago after a Med cruise and a transatlantic.  We were nearly a month in Club Class.

There are those who believe CC is not worth it, but we love it.  They treat you so well, and contrary to some posters' experiences, we found you could arrive whenever you wanted, all evening, and we found the temperature in the room normal.

Though you have the same dinner menu as everyone else, every night without exception, the Head Waiter prepared something special next to the dining area plus the Chef always had an entree that was not on the menu, and the chef's selections were first class.

It's a small area, but in 30 days, we never saw anyone waiting since there was always some space.  On formal nights there was extra space. 😁

Bruce

FWIW, we have only done private touring at cruise ports for 20 years and many cruises, though occasionally it's been impossible to do a private tour to a specific place (such as the Copper Canyon in Mexico).  Many factors are in play and for those who take cruise line tours, I completely understand the reasoning behind taking them.

Here are some of the factors we use:

1.  Only go with a reputable private tour person or company.  In all the years we've only been disappointed once and we didn't set it up.  We also normally like to go with very small groups, say about six or eight, or even by ourselves.  And we make sure the vehicle has plenty of elbow room, even paying for a bigger vehicle at times.

2.  When we go to multiple destinations, we almost always go to the furthest one first, and then work our way back.

3.  As has been stated, always get back to the port area early.  Our limit is one hour early, but that can vary, and we'll get back much earlier depending on circumstances.  Last month we took an early train from Cadiz to Jerez de la Frontera (about a 45 minute ride) and spent a good portion of the day there.  BUT we took a train back with two later trains as a backup, plus we were willing to spend whatever a taxi would charge as a further backup.  

4.  Take money, credit cards, and documentation with you in a secure way.

5.  And finally, when leaving the Canaries, Madeira, or the Azores for Florida, NEVER be late.  😀

Bruce

28 minutes ago, rgmacm said:

  

Before I answer your question, I have a couple of questions for you:

1.  Did you really take the time to click on the reply box to type that question?

2.  Does your question stem from a genuine concern about our future cruise plans?  🤨

3.  Have you ever known ANYONE....E-VER.... to cancel a cruise over $37?

 

Now, to answer your question  (since you DID ask it....)

After much thought....much deliberation....and several sleepless nights (dripping sarcasm just fyi)  we have finally decided that we will STILL go on this cruise that we've been planning for 16 months....and anticipating for quite a bit longer than that....IN SPITE of the additional $37 cost.

 

*sigh*

Love your reply. 😀