KKB

Have loved your posts--looking forward to your final thoughts!

This should be asked under Alaska (Ports of Call) thread, not under Princess.

Most of these are inconveniences...nothing to ruin a cruise. Get a drink b4 walking into dinner. I took mine into the theatre w/o an issue. Muster was BRILLIANT--shut EVERYTHING down until EVERYONE does it. If you go down right away there aren't any lines...go figure. I have called MSC 4 times & each time everything was resolved, generally quite promptly. My issue on Divina in Feb was the same as friends who just sailed Seascape. I have never met more clueless passengers on a cruise. (25+ under my belt on most mainstream lines). Clueless to the point of being rude, if unwittingly. Just no concept of courtesy. Lines meant nothing--many people just went where & when they wanted. Loungers drug ANYWHERE--meaning anyone walking along the decks had to zig zag around loungers. All decks, by the pools & everywhere there were loungers. Walking down stairs as a couple...but 1 not moving aside as others wanted to go up. Same situation with pics on stairs. Not the professionals, just passengers. Ignoring rules even when repeated over & over. There are rude passengers on every ship. But the lack of common courtesy of passengers was stunning. Sailing them in Europe next week so I will see if the pattern continues. My friend also mentioned an issue I had--stocking issues. Not a supply issue; it was 2 days into a cruise before my wine choice was stocked in the wine bar. When the bartender told the Bar Manager at 5PM the 2nd night that he had yet to be stocked up, the manager said it would be done by 9AM tomorrow. HUH? NOPE. Buck stops with you buddy--go stock NOW. The next night I walked up to the bar, and the bartender went down & got it himself!!! Now, I loved the pizza, fresh buffet offerings, music choices around the ship. Activities staff were fun & had fun offerings. Their private island is the nicest I've been to! The price was incredible. Overall crew was good, as on all our other cruises.

I was sitting on my balcony on Ruby Princess in March. I thought...a ceiling...walls almost to the ceiling...a railing with a clear bottom. Honestly, to me the only difference is IV opens to my room & regular balconies are closed to my room. I don't love IVs...but don't love balconies either. They are nice, but I'd rather sail more frequently in an interior.

Thx for this--I rather had the idea to stop at an ATM & pull out about $50/port in cash. It seems I could scramble to exchange that in the end if I did. Perhaps I will just play it by ear.

Looks as tho it is likely going to be rainy Friday--the day I bought a shuttle ticket to the Keukenhof gardens. I had to scrap the museums to see the tulips--was a little sad to miss Van Gogh but had to prioritize. I am packing for rainy weather (Ireland looks to be rainy at every port the week after). Do you think the gardens will be just as lovely & enjoyable in the rain? If so, umbrella or no? I usually do not bring one, but have a hooded rain jacket.

Lincoln is great! UNL grad too--youngest graduates in a few weeks. (the other 2 chose TCU). Yeah, I was planning on 3 hours...was hoping I didn't have to go earlier! I am staying at the Ibis Styles at the airport--$125 for a well rated hotel was a heck of a deal.

Take the $500 now--there is NO guarantee that these will be around next week much less next year. Twice I have been saving for cruises...got there 1st time & damn COVID hit. Well once they finally came back, they doubled the price! I bought a $500 NCL credit...but didn't realize I had to cruise by the end of the year & just couldn't make it work. So just ate that 750K points. MyVegas has given us over $3K in perks (Vegas: shows, meals, rooms, freeplay) over 12 years with very little $ invested (I'd say less than $100 over the time). But the last few years the value is nearly non-existent.

my apologies

In the US we say arrive 3 hours prior to flight time for international flights. Is the the appropriate time to go? Thanks!

Yes on Princess & Celebrity I just ask at guest services if none in library.

We just ask for a deck at security & they give them to us free

I sailed MSC for the 1st time in Feb. on the Divina. I'm not sold yet...sailing Preziosa next week, so we shall see. After sailing 25+ times in 20 years on Celebrity, Princess, Carnival, RCCL, NCL & DCL, MSC IS different. The biggest difference for me--I have never encountered more rude/clueless passengers in my life. Clueless is probably the better descriptor--I don't think they were TRYING to be rude. But just many who were oblivious to common courtesy--pulling loungers into the "track" area around the ship (admittedly damn cozy if you don't); walking 2 by 2 down the stairs...when others are trying to walk up (and one not stepping behind the other so that others may go up); oblivious to lines/who was there first; ignoring safety instructions by workers on tenders (do not stand up until we are AT ship...told REPEATEDLY.) These were not isolated incidents. They occurred many times over 5+7 cruises. Why? I cannot say. Perhaps after Preziosa I will have a clearer answer. THINGS I LIKED Overall crew was wonderful as other cruises--some quieter, some more sociable, as on other cruises. Buffet--BEST pizza I've ever had, better fish than in MDR (2 kinds at dinner), FRESH sauteed veggies, real scrambled eggs (not powdered) Many wonderful musicians (tho theatre shows were ODD) Casino was incredibly good to me, even tho there were only 6 video poker machines. I didn't HATE it...but I didn't LOVE it. Time will tell...

Unless it's a German grandmother's runza, I agree.

My memory escapes me...no lotion? (on Preziosa in 10 days, carry on only to Hamburg...gotta plan my liquid toiletries carefully!)

WAAAY better. More NYC style thin crust.

On the Getaway it was 30 min prior to showtime--which varied by night.

OK I am doing Norway on MSC next month. I understand that each port is VERY walkable & excursions not terribly necessary. So that is my plan for the most part. I also used whatsinport.com or just Googled "What to do in XXXX" to create a list of things that people recommend/look interesting to me. You do NOT need an transfer to the North Cape from Honningsvag. Cabs are available at the port for half the price of the ship transfer. If it is foggy/drizzly that day, it has been suggested that it might not be worth it. Apparently when the weather is like that it severely limits what you can see at North Cape.

There is a busy bus from Greenock that looked like a good choice but sold out. We are in port 10 hours...not sure I want to put in 4 hours of travel. Glasgow by train is my likely avenue.

I am doing Cobh, Belfast & Greenock next month. Cobh--doing Heritage museum (maybe), Titanic Experience & figure I hit a pub or 2. (we don't dock until 3PM so that is limiting) Belfast--cab to town & doing the HOHO bus--seems to hit all the things I want to see. Greenock--Stumped about this one. Would love to go to Edinburgh, but so far. HOHO bus is sold out on our date. May do a ship excursion...just not sure yet. Maybe train to Glasgow & wander.

Next week I'll be at the Holiday Inn Express City Hall, a 15 min. walk to Centraal Station.

I sailed MSC Divina in Feb--got a heck of a deal. Uh...the jury is still out. Some things I REALLY liked. Others...NOT so much. I am sailing the Preziosa to Europe next week so I wanna see how this one goes to form a firm opinion. Another insane deal--less than $1500 for 21 days w/ drinks & wifi, solo rate. I'll get back to you in a month...

Still highly contagious. I too am fully vaxxed/boosted. Last July was on Caribbean Princess 2 weeks. On last full day I was very tired but figured, hey, it's been a fun 2 weeks, so, understandable. Departure day I had a lot of drainage & clearing my throat a lot, otherwise felt fine. Wore a mask during travel to be cautious. Took a test when I got home as my father is elderly with health issues. YEP COVID Felt FINE (unlike when I got it in January 2022--in bed for 5 days exhausted w/ bad headache) We need to realize catching something on a cruise isn't surprising. I now always carry a little "COVID kit"--couple tests, lozenges, cold meds; plus make sure I have plenty of movies & books on my iPad. Cleaned the garage the next day!

Having sailed Celebrity, Princess, NCL, MSC & Carnival in the last year--only Carnival had Harry Potter trivia. As well as MASH, Friends...

I get it--we each bring things that are important to us. No sloshing worries--they have lids!