pink845

No need for tours at all in either of those two cities. We took the bus into Dublin. 2euros each and the train back. Walked the entire city. Did not do the Book of Kells. Not interested. But we did go to Trinity College, the churches. the Liffey Bridge, the shopping street (name escapes me), saw everything worth seeing and then back to the ship. A great day. It was August. A tiny bit of rain in the morning. So be prepared with rain gear no matter the month. Edinburgh, we took the train. Again very cheap. What a fabulous city. So much history, architecture. Holyroode and the Edinburgh Castle. We hustled back early as the day we were there, a giant protest erupted on the Royal Mile.

Lets see, the ship tour to Blarney was if I remember $150USD per person. Yes! Yikes. Our train tickets from Cobh to Cork, $11 euros return each and our bus fare return exactly $4.00 euros each. Our entrance to the castle as seniors ($18 euros each.) We took the first train upon arrival in Cobh to Cork. 30 minutes and a fast 10 minute walk to the bus 215 across the river. 30 minute bus ride to Blarney. We were there before all the tours arrived. What a lovely time and basically no wait up to the top. Would I recommend a tour. No. This is a no brainer port if you want to get to Blarney. Plus plenty of time on our return to spend in Cobh.

Take the train which is literally sitting at the pier in Cobh. Comes every 30 minutes. Easy peasy. A 10 minute walk to the city centre from the train station. You could also go to Blarney from Cork by city bus. Real cheap. 4 euros return for the bus. I seem to remember the bus would be Number 215. But Google maps would tell you.

When we arrived in the Port of Belfast last summer, I do not recall seeing cabs waiting at the port at all. We had a balcony overlooking the port so I sat out there and watched the activity below. There were shuttle buses that would take passengers into the city (which is not near to the port) and I believe the cost was $10.00 bucks each way. Walking would be a hindrance as the distance to the city is a good 35 to 45 minutes. It is very industrial. We purchased an excursion from from the ship to the Giant's Causeway and it was great not having to worry about our return. The bus was late returning as well because of very heavy traffic. Giant's Causeway is a good 1.5 hours travel from the port. We did not go into the city at all. The bus did pass through downtown but it did not stop. The Giant's Causeway was a bucket list item for us and we are so happy to have experienced it and the weather was super lovely.

On a Norway / Iceland cruise, we put waterproof cold weather rain gear into the PRIORITY BOX and every other piece of clothing into the not necessary box. Dinners are not a priority for us. And dressing for dinner, even less of a priority. The sun does not set until late and being out on the balcony watching the scenery go now that is top of mind.

We like to always start with a cruise. Wets our appetite. If we want more, we then do a land vacation. But we are all about getting a lay of the land first. We have done many many land tours so I am not against them at all. We are doing Iceland and Norway in June 2024. And I am looking at booking another Norway one in 2025 more extensive than the one we are going on in June as I fear the loss of the ability to cruise Norway past 2025 with Norway suspending the ability of ships to travel their fair fyjords.

Nothing ruins your mood more than being damp and wet. We bring and wear waterproof Gortex head to toe. Merino wool as well. We have brought and worn these clothes when in rained cats and dogs whether it be Newfoundland, Vancouver Island, Singapore, Japan or England. And will do the same for Iceland and Norway. We wear our waterproof hiker boots onto the plane and then switch into our waterproof shoes on the plane. When you are dry, everything is much rosier. We also make sure that we have a baseball cap under our warm wool hat and a hood on our gortex long jacket that covers our backside. We also make sure to bring two types of Goretex jackets. A light one and a heavier one because wind can be your enemy. We prize outerwear more than formal wear. Also, do not forget to make sure that your neck is cozy and waterproof gloves are also a key. Never had an issue with uncomfortable waterproof clothing. Yes, it might take extra effort to find the clothes that fit your body perfectly. But we do not compromise in that respect. Comfort is key to enjoying all the beautiful scenery that awaits.

For our trip, we arrive in Olden on June 4, 2024 and we will be accompanied by the Iona with 6600 passengers according to the Olden Port website. We are on the Caribbean Princess. We are to be tendered so I guess Iona will be docked. Anyhow, we have booked our glacier tour with troll cars directly with Princess and if I were doing the the Loen Skylift, (which I am not) I would be booking directly with Princess as well. Remember, there are 6600 other passengers in addition to the 3600 on Caribbean Princess (yes, not everyone doing tours), but for a small town, I would want to hedge my bets and do everything as efficiently as possible and guarantee my passage back to the ship. So, accordingly, in this case, a ship tour is the way to go. We are all set as we were when we went to Scotland and Ireland last year with our Gortex from head to toe, ready for inclement weather, never having to use them. Oh what a shame. Maybe, I will get to use them on that Briksdal glacier tour. We are usually DIY when it comes to tours, but with so many other passengers scheduled into Olden, a ship tour is what we have booked and thank heavens as I hear prices are going up on Jan 22, 2024. Princess needs more cash obviously to pay their Covid bills.

My opinion. We have in recent years scaled back on formal wear for cruises. We will be cruising Norway and Iceland this coming June 2024. Prior to embarkation in Southampton, we will have spent one week in Paris and another in London. So, keeping in mind the weather in Norway (cold) and Iceland (colder!!) and both wet (but I hope not), priority will be for us to pack more inclement weather clothing than formal wear. Also, having to take into account warmer weather in Paris and London, well, the formal wear goes even further down the priority ladder. Got to have at least a few pairs of capris and shorts for Paris and London. So I would prefer to be warm, dry and toasty as opposed to classy and formal on a Norway / Iceland cruise. We also tend not to go to the dining room much anymore either. If the menu is appealing in the dining room, I will wear one of the three dresses I bring along and that will be it in terms of classy clothes.

We will also be in Skjolden in June 2024. We went onto U tube and came across quite a few people with videos who hiked to the Andassen waterfall (there are others around too) or rented bikes and toured around town. In addition to walking around the lake and up to the viewpoint which is up away from the Cider house across the lake from where the ship will sit. Seems very manageable. We are big walkers so 3 km not a stretch for us. People also walked to where the Llamas are found. Of course, one would have to pay to walk with the llamas, but it seems good to see them from the road. The little town is pretty close to the pier as well. Looks like a 10 minute walk there. From U Tube videos, very very scenic. But be prepared for weather and bring those waterproof coats and pants

Gosh, depends on your budget and what you really want to do prior to your cruise while in Vancouver. Having stayed in numerous downtown Vancouver hotels and also out by the airport, again, what is your goal. Downtown hotels are in the range of $400 CDN per night on a good day. Airport hotels half that price. We always rent a car upon arrival and there is always something that peaks our interest in the few days prior to cruising. We like the IHG across from the Costco in Richmond. Great chicken at Costco. We drop off car at airport and take that very efficient Skytrain downtown and walk the 10 minutes to the ship. Easy Peasy. Now, a night in downtown Vancouver at the Fairmont is always a treat as well.

Everyone should do a British Isles cruise on Princess. We loved ours in August of 2023. We had fabulous weather to boot. What a great way to sample Scotland and Ireland. Once my husband retires this summer, we plan on heading back to Scotland ourselves now that we have gotten a snippet.

Problem is that people are SO ADDICTED to their Internet and Princess knows it full well, that no matter what the cost is there are people that will pay the ridiculous rates. Princess likes to make you think that they are giving you something with their packages. I do not drink. I do not need to use internet and I pay my tips directly to the room steward. I do not need any package. Think back to a time without internet, what did we do then, well in those days, "we actually escaped completely" like the Princess slogan went. We mailed postcards to reach out to our family, to say hello from afar and when we got home, we told them about all the wonderful places we saw and the great experiences we had. Maybe if people cruise once per year, yes, perhaps one is willing to pay these ridiculous internet rates, but if you are like ourselves, where we take four to five cruises per year (with sailings of more than 14 days each), paying the crazy rates Princess is asking for internet is truly insane.

Beshears, just looked at a picture that I took from the pier when I was on the Sky Princess while we were in Cozumel and we were in a port side cabin (left side) and Sky was facing the built up cruise market / shopping area and the pier. But that is no guarantee that each port in the Western itinerary will have the left side facing the pier.

Beshears, Yes, the game show in Princess Live on the Regal Princess includes the Marriage show, in addition to the ever popular Yes No show, and many trivia game shows. Sometimes, it is far quicker to get a quick coffee at the Princess Live cafe as opposed to the International Cafe where the morning lines are terrible.

Will be on a Princess cruise ending in Brisbane and wish to get to the airport. Transfers from Princess are CDN $91.00 per person one way (Approx $102 Australian). Seems excessive. Has anyone found a cheaper option. Maybe a cab or a rideshare. No access to internet or cell when we arrive in Brisbane. It appears airport is 35 to 40 minutes away.

Each of our last four cruises on Princess ships, there was a White and Gold night. But participation was so very minimal. I remember on Celebrity there was a White night and a party was held up on deck outside and there was dancing under the stars and a great amount of participation. Princess just not cutting it with this theme.

I certainly hope it is on the Enchanted in Dec. We had it on the Regal this past August. What a difference. I was actually able to drink the coffee.

We are approaching 60 cruises now. Every one longer than 7 days or more and to the far corners of the globe. I do a lot of research about each and every port. We have seen so much on our own at a fraction of the cost of a tour (ship or outside agency) by using buses, trains and rental cars to reach out destination. But it takes a very concerted effort. Maps, printed out, guide books, etc. If the logistics are too complicated and language is a problem (e.g. Egypt, Russia, China), we have opted for cruise ship tours. We bear in mind that we cannot see it all and always have the option of another cruise.

We only book balcony or mini suite cabins on the port side towards the very back of ships. We stay away from Starboard as many ships allow smoking on Deck 7 on that side and we do not want smoke hitting us depending on the wind. We like the cabins in that location as we can make quick trip up to the Buffet in the morning or basically anytime grab some hot water for our coffee or tea. We always try to book a couple of floors down from the Buffet so we can simply walk up and down. Also, we like to watch the wake and a cabin at the back of the ship allows for easy access to Deck 16 and the outside tables on that Deck. On the Royal Class of ships, we stay away from wake facing cabins as up on Deck 17 smoking is permitted!!! Never had an issue with motion sickness in the Port Back cabins. We try to stay away from cabins too close to the front of the ship as we have found they can for some reason have a lot of sand or grit on the balconies.

We did our August British Isles cruise on the Regal. We have sailed her several times on Trans Atlantics as well. Love the Royal Class of ship. We love the Atrium or Piazza. Sitting there and listening to various musicians and watching everyone walk by is entertainment in and of itself. Grabbing a beverage and a bite at the International Cafe is great. Plenty of seating. Our cabin was great. Balcony had plenty of room. No rust at all. Staff pleasant. Variety of food in dining room is definitely much reduced from even one year ago. Portions much smaller even to the point that we have taken to ordering an extra entree to share between us in addition to our regular entrees. We found plenty of choices in the buffet, however, and there have been times, where we were challenged with the main dining room selection, that we simply got up and went to the buffet for a better selection. I am still disappointed with the fact that room service has a charge. We do not Plus or Premier. Perhaps now that the Sun will be cruising, the prices on Regal itineraries for Florida and Galveston may fall as many people will be wanting to cruise on the Sun Princess and it will lead to a drop in prices on the Royal Class of ships. I am going to stay away from the Sun Princess until the reviews are in. We always book balconies or mini suites and I see that the prices on the Sun Princess are outrageous and the only balconies that are maybe a tad reasonable are the Cove ones but they seem to all be on the 6th floor with the kids club. Again, we will stick to the Royal Class of ships. In any regard, the Regal is still top notch.

Interesting. I never did think about returning to the dining room prior to closing for dessert. That sounds great. We will give that a try on the Enchanted in Dec. Now, in terms of having that extra dessert delivered to one's stateroom upon exiting the dining room, I wonder now whether we would be charged a room service delivery charge for that dining room dessert to be delivered. Going to try it both ways in December. We do not do Plus or Premium so we do not order room service.

We like the Concerto on Deck 6. Not a fan of the Allegro on Deck 6 at the back. We find the ceilings very low in the Allegro and feel very confined there, so we always avoid that one. We make sure to make reservations on the Medallion app in advance for the Concerto and vary the time of the reservation by the day depending on the time the ship leaves each port. We love being able to say goodbye outside on our balcony with a beverage and then go to the Concerto.

We took our transfer via Princess from Terminal 4. Pick up time was 9 30 am. Of course everyone got there early. Very orderly. Agent there very friendly. Sat waiting in comfort. She kept us apprised if bus arrival. We checked out Victoria Coach station earlier in the week and a firm decision, we would never ever sit in a stuffy bus station waiting for a coach National Express or Princess from that Victoria Coach station. For us grabbing the transfer from Princess at the airport is the best way for us. Much more civilized. Maybe it was just a busy morning, the morning we passed by Victoia coach station, but it did not leave a good impression on us.

All paved. We took the residental road after the 118 steps. Perhaps it had rained pre your trip.