Hlitner

We had no problem uploading photos for our Westerdam cruise. However, if you don't get it done it is no biggie and the embarkation staff (at the port) will simply take your picture. Hank

That is terrific info and thank you! We will give it some time and see what hapens. The Premiere Package perks all do show-up on our Cruise Personalizer, but nothing is on the app. No big rush on booking reservations, so "patience" is the word of the day 🙂 Hank

Not in my world. While you might be able to book a lowest cost inside cabin for that price, you need to add things like gratuities (about $1000 per couple), onboard expenses, the cost of getting to/from the ports, etc. And on Princess, you would not even have two chairs in that cabin :). And yes, you are using the term "world cruise" lightly :). The lowest cost Princess World Cruise is far in excess of $30,000 a couple. And even the lowest cost inside cabin, on a short 34 day segment, will cost you over $13,000 (not including tips/air or expenses). Hank

Just a note about travel agents who charge a fee! For all but the most exotic itineraries (such as planning an African safari) we would never pay a fee. In fact, our favorite cruise agents pay us...sometimes thousands of dollars, for our business. There are plenty of decent high volume cruise agencies that will give customers 5-10% in On Board Credit (OBC) or other extra amenities such as pre-paid gratuities. As to a first trip to Europe (be it a cruise or land), it is usually exciting, a little scary, and can require doing some real homework (regarding the itineraries and ports). Just keep in mind that a European cruise will be more expensive than the typical Caribbean cruise because you have an expensive air component coupled as well as the expense of the ports (and just getting to/from places). You also need to have Passports (valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return). The issue of insurance is a very personal issue that varies depending on your risk tolerance, existing medical insurance, etc. You can come over the Cruise Critic Cruise/Travel Insurance blog (under Cruise Discussion Topics) and get plenty of help/advice Also keep in mind that your "fee" travel agent gets a nice commission on any insurance he/she can sell. Before you start looking into insurance, take a good look at your existing medical insurance and find out the extent to which you are covered outside your home country. Hank

We cruise/travel all over the world (6 continents) but still like to take a 2-3 week Caribbean cruise...once a year. Why? Caribbean cruises are usually reasonably priced (lots of competition), have terrific weather, and there are plenty of places with decent snorkeling and/or diving. For us. the Caribbean cruise is almost like a vacation from real travel :). If they still had "cruises to nowhere" we would be fans, but these days the Caribbean (to us) is like a cruise to nowhere with decent weather. The Caribbean, to us is all about the ship (not the ports) and we really could care less about the itinerary. In most other parts of the world, the itinerary is king and we will compromise on the ship in the name of better ports. Hank

To answer your question I am on the app (now). I get to the "Payment Method" screen and the only option (preferred payment) is my credit card which already has a green check mark. The only option (at this point) is to click "Confirm Reservation" and right above that the app says "Cover Charge (Adults x2) $78.00. I assume that clicking on that Confirm Reservation button is going to confirm the reservation and charge my card. Hank

It showed $78 and reached the point where, if I clicked to the next screen it would have likely charged me for the reservation. I have no reason to pay for any alternative reservation. Not only do we get 2 free dinners (from the Premiere Package) but thanks to Princess and our cruise agency we have over $1000 of OBC. I need to figure out how to use all the non-refundable OBC on a cruise that is essentially all-inclusive :). Life should have many such problems.

We are nearly 6 months out, so it might not allow the free stuff until after final payment. Since we are Elite, we do have the ability to book this far out, but when we got to the final step is did clearly show the credit card (on file) as the only payment method. And no, we have not tried the web version of the app but have only tried to use the app on our phone. Hank

We have an upcoming Sky cruise with the Premiere Package that includes 2 specialty restaurants. But when trying to book (prior to the cruise) on the Princess app, the only payment option is to have a reservation charged to a credit card. Does anyone know how to have it go against the free reservation included in the package? Hank

I think this topic is worthy of more discussion. We are in our 70s, but in excellent health and can easily walk 5-10 miles a day, go snorkeling, and even SCUBA . For us, staying on the ship in a Caribbean port is simply an issue of the best option. Why go ashore in many of these islands when one has been on those islands many times? We have no interest in shopping (don't need anything) and if there are any sites, we have been there/done that. So the main attraction, for us, are the beaches found on many islands. So we can go to a favorite beach, rent loungers, do some swimming/snorkeling, buy lunch, drink beer, etc. That is all good. or....We can stay on a near empty ship where there are plenty of loungers (no extra cost), plenty to eat/drink (no extra cost), and have a completely relaxing day. There are some Caribbean islands that we really like (St Maarten is an example) and can make a good case to go ashore. On St Maarten, we can rent a car and drive to beaches untouched by cruisers :). Other times we might just walk from the port into Phillipsburg, and do some browsing, drinking, etc. There are other islands like Bonaire, and Aruba where we also prefer to be ashore. But, there are many other Caribbean islands where we think the ship is a far better place than ashore. Yes, we could spend $100+ and go to a terrific island resort (if they allow day visitors) but why? Our ship is also a resort, we do not have to deal with crowds (on port days), and everything we want is available for no extra cost. I think it comes down to a simple philosophy. Many folks think of cruise ships as akin to a sophisticated ferry that gets them between islands. We think of cruise ships as a floating resort (and carefully choose our ships). There are places like Nassau and Ocho Rios where it is doubtful we would ever again get off a ship. Been there, done that, and truly dislike those places. When we were young cruisers we had the attitude that if we were in a port we had an obligation to explore the port/island. Now, with places we know and dislike, why bother? On some of those islands we will have a late breakfast (after many have gone ashore), choose our deck lounger, and relax with our Kindles. While folks are trying to get from point A to point B on an island, we are on our 2nd Bloody Mary or mimosa. At lunch, we can either head to the Lido or perhaps a grill (depending on the ship) where there are no lines (and no bills). Not a bad life :). Hank

Our favorite restaurant in the Plaka area is called Daphne's, but I do not think it is open for lunch. When in the area it is our goto dinner place, primarily because of its decent seafood. Unfortunately, this place is known for good food but does not have the kind of rooftop view mentioned by Cruisemom. Hank

You have done a good job laying out your options. While we are big fans of rental cars (have often rented cars in this part of France) we do understand that not everyone likes to drive. Otherwise, you are at the mercy of the usual tour options unless you opt to hire a private driver/guide which is quite expensive in the south of France. As to Grasse, I guess perfume lovers do sometimes enjoy going to a few of the perfume "factories" and even getting the opportunity to make their own scent. With a rental car could drive a loop route, heading North to Grasse and than perhaps over to St Paul de Vence (about a 40 min drive from Grasse) and back to Cannes. Eze Village and Monte Carlo are another options, with a rental car, and can even be combined with some time in Nice (assuming you have enough port time). But neither work well with a visit to Grasse in terms of geography and the road network. One warning about using a rental car on a port day. Cannes is a tender port and you will need to get back to Cannes (and drop your car) in plenty of time to make the last tender. Traffic, during the busy tourist season, can be congested as you near Cannes. So, when we do use rental cars from Cannes, we always are careful to return to Cannes a couple of hours early in order to have a good margin in case of a traffic delay. Hank

I am not sure of the exact cut-off for vehicle size. But this is a great question to ask any tour operator, before you book! I might add that this is also a problem with using third party booking companies (such as Viator) where you do not even get to deal with the actual tour operator until long after you have booked. I will add that I have driven (rental car) into Positano and parking is always a real problem. In fact, as you near Positano (on the Amalfi Drive) you will notice a very long line (sometimes a mile) of cars parked along the road...many of which are tourists and others are even folks that work in Positano. There are a few parking lots in the town, but they are relatively small and very expensive (and often full). When we stay on the coast, we have had good luck finding on the street parking after 5pm (when most of the day trippers are long gone). Hank

What I was trying to explain is that the large consortiums (many cruise/travel agencies are members) essentially have group rates+ for every cruise. You have to understand that since these consortiums represent hundreds of agencies, everything they do is a big group :). Decades ago, these type buying groups did not exist except for a few groups like AAA. Now, it is a game changer and the cruise lines need the consortiums to help fill their ships. I am still mystified that many agencies hide their affiliations while others put them right out front. The other thing about these consortiums is that, more and more, they will have a host/hostess on many cruises that will usually have a private reception/party for all who booked through any of their agencies. We first stumbled on this when on a Seabourn cruise and were invited to a hosted party (no big deal on that line since everything is already included) and decided to attend. We were surprised at how many folks were at the reception. And the consortium hostess surprised everyone by giving them an extra On Board Credit. They have quietly become a major player in the cruise world. On one HAL cruise, their future cruise consultant (a HAL employee) pointed out to us that within the cruise industry about 80% of all bookings come through agencies. The consortium that two of our favored agencies belong actually booked over $8 Billion in sales...so you can imagine the clout that comes from that kind of volume. We know of another major consortium that has booked over $25 Billion (over many years). Hank

I guess this is another case where I get to play, contrarian! A fan of the Grand Hyatt....I am not! Why? In Athens we think its all about location, location, locations. If you are going to book a 5 * expensive hotel, the best choice is the Grand Bretagne....which is an elegant older hotel in the absolutely best location within the city. Hank

I will just post my usual warning about Amalfi Coast tours. One of the most interesting places to visit is the cliffside town of Positano. Only smaller vehicles (i.e. cars, small vans) are permitted to enter into Positano and drive down the single (one-way) road that weaves its way into the town. Tour buses are NOT permitted on that road. If a tour description says something like "you will see Positano" that usually means you will see the town from the Amalfi Drive (a road) that is above the town. Ideally, you want a small vehicle tour that makes it clear your will go into Positano and have time to walk around (near the bottom) and perhaps even have lunch in that town. And finally I will reiterate that cruise line excursions, that use typical tour buses, will not get you into Positano! "Seeing Positano is akin to seeing New York City from New Jersey. Hank

You should post the request on the Cruise Critic Roll Call board for your specific cruise. Go to the Roll Call area, click on your cruise line, than your ship, and search for a thread for your particular cruise dates. Hank

Nope, You need a valid Passport or Nexus card.

Ken, I can/t let your post pass without acknowledging your comment about 11 booked Princess cruises :). We know a HAL cruiser who is similar (sometimes a dozen cruises booked) and we find it fascinating. While we do a lot of cruising (over 100 days in some years) we avoid cruising with the same line too many times over a short period of time. Why? To us, it becomes a little boring with the "same old same old" in terms of dining menus, alternative dining options, production shows (which Princess keeps for years), etc. Our last 4 cruises have been with 3 different lines (including Princess) and our next few cruises are with 4 different cruise lines, ranging from mass market (i.e. Princess) to luxury. Even our ship sizes vary from fewer than 1000 to over 4000. With about 50 years of extensive cruising, we find that all the variety keeps it fresh and somewhat exciting The other thing that has changed in our cruising life is where we used to do a lot of 7-14 day cruises, we now prefer 14+ with 40-60 being our favorite length. Over 60 days becomes somewhat difficult (in terms of logistics) although we are intrigued by the Oceania 180 day cruises. . Hank

Gonna butt in on this thread because I am somewhat confused by your reference to "discounted Group fares." The cruise agencies we work with do not deal in any group fares. These days, the decent discount agencies simply rebate 7-10% of any Princess fare (it normally comes back as OBC or pre-paid grats or both). It does not matter what cruise or category The more you spend, the more dollars you get back (since it is all based on percentages). Most of the best agencies are part of large travel "consortiums" or networks that handle 10s of thousands of bookings every year. That gives them a lot of clout with all the cruise lines. What you call "group fares" is almost as obsolete as dinosaurs. While they still do exist, it is just not the way most agencies work these days. If a particular group (say 20 couples) want to book the same cruise, they can go to any decent cruise/travel agency and try to negotiate some kind of deal. Depending on the cruise line (and agency) there can be some generous discounts and possibly some free cabins (the savings can be spread over the group). But as a simple example of how things work, we have an upcoming cruise on a Luxury cruise line for which we got a generous OBC from our favorite cruise agency. And that agency is part of a large consortium (over 700 agencies) who tossed in another $1000 (on top of what we got from the agency). That being said, very few cruisers are aware of the consortiums or whether their chosen agency is part of one of those large buying groups. And all these "deals" are really complicated by the varioius promotions and packages offered by the cruise line. I can go on the web site of my favorite cruise agency, pull up a specific cruise, and often find 3, 4 or more different fares (depending on the package, deposit terms, etc). Hank

My answer to the OP is a question, "why would you want to book a hotel through Princess and pay more (sometimes double) what it would cost you to simply book your own hotel. And, if you are considering driving to the port you might want to research some of the sites that offer hotel deals coupled with free or reduced parking! I cannot speak to SF, but here on the east coast we can often get deals with pre or post cruise hotel and parking that is less costly than just booking the hotel! There are several sites that specialize in these kind of deals. Just Google something like "park cruise San Francisco" and you will get several hits. Hank

We have had similar experience with our cruise agent. One reason, among many, that we always book cruises with a good high volume cruise agency/agent is that we prefer to have a professional (our cruise agent) working on our behalf...not for the cruise line. When we see a significant price drop (on a booked cruise) we simply send a short e-mail to our cruise agent who will than look into the situation and let us know our options. With Princess (we have 36 cruises with this line) we have never had a situation prior to final payment where we have not been able to refare. Perhaps things have recently changed (we only have one future Princess booking at this time) but we have yet to have an issue. Hank

It is almost a perfect storm working against the cruise lines. Consider that inflation has increased the cost of food/drink supplies in a major way. Fuel prices are again on the rise (not helped by recent Saudi cut-backs and the US anti-fossil fuel policy). A slow-down in the world economy will also have an impact on the cruise/travel market as disposable income decreases. And add to this the anti-cruise ship stance taken by an increasing number of ports around the world. And the proverbial "nail in the coffin" is the world-wide trend towards higher interest rates which is like the sword of domiciles hanging over the head of CCL (and some other cruise companies). With debt service eating up an increasing proportion of revenue, cost cutting must continue. There is also the issue of new builds, the cost of which is increasingly exponentially. And, with the possible exception of MSC, all the cruise lines depend on long term financing for new builds and the higher interest rates mean more cost and higher fares. Hank

It was in Ketchikan on May 8. I do not remember the name of the restaurant (it was in a shopping center near the port) but, there are plenty of places in that town that have crabs. The only picture I took (that day) was of the posted menu with those prices. My understanding is that there has been a moratorium on crabbing (for the commercial boats) which has caused a major crab shortage. Hence the ridiculous prices. A few weeks prior (in April) we were in Japan where there was plenty of crabs with much more reasonable prices. In fact, one day when I was just walking around Kyoto, we were walking through a large pedestrian shopping area when I stopped at a large fish shop where they had really nice large fried crab legs for about $5. I am not sure if they were from King Crab or another very large type, but I had one for lunch (yummy). I think it was in 1999 that I was in Anchorage and stopped in a local bar/restaurant for dinner. I had a huge King Crab leg with all the sides and beer for about $50. Those days are gone...for now. Hank

We never had to deal with a "ticket booth" for the water taxis. As you walk off the tender pier, there should be some of these boats docked along the same pier and there will usually be a man standing by the boat selling tickets. You pay the man, he gives you your tickets (you also get a ticket for a return bus from Oia to Fira) and than you hop on the boat. When they fill the boat they leave for the small pier below Oia. Once at Oia, they provide the passengers with a mini-bus or van transfer up the hill to Oia (you can walk...but its all uphill). They give you a return bus schedule (you generally get a few choices) so that when you are ready to leave Oia you just go to the bus meeting point (they will tell you where) and get on the bus back to Fira (these are generally private buses and not the same as the public bus) Several years ago, one of the operators gave us a ticket to use the public bus (back to Fira) but I do not think that is the norm Hank