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We are also looking for Japan announcement on cruise tours for summer 2025…

Not really impressed…a couple of new ports, but basically same old stuff😔

I am tech savvy, but love being really on vacation…so I leave my phone in the safe and I’m just fine! Use the medallion to open the door and charge things around the ship just like a cruise card. Ordering can be done in person. If you’re worried about being charged for things or tracked with the medallion, just keep it in an RFID sleeve.

The dress code is “suggested”, and not a rule. Rules that are broken have consequences (usually)…suggestions are just that…suggestions - and therefore have no consequences if broken.

If the waitlist is large and they can find a bus, sometimes they add an extra group. We have also had them cancel our excursion, only to add another more popular one and move us over…you never know til it happens—-just hope for the best and try to enjoy your second choice.

In Portugal, port was accepted at all of our ports, but…in Hawaii the teenager who was the “security” person insisted that Chardonnay (as it stated on the bottle) was actually just like vodka and wasn’t allowed on board…her “twin” at security couldn’t read English that well and asked twin #1 if Chardonnay was a vodka…thanks to our waiter who was behind us in the line and took charge…otherwise we’d still be there with our vodka Chardonnay—- or in alcohol jail on the ship😂

We have Medicare A + B…under those you chose which specific plan you wanted when you initially signed up …plan F covers international…thank goodness our plan advisor knew what he was doing…we used it for reimbursement…the additional monthly $35 is a bargain compared to over $18,000 in med expenses

Medicare plan F covers international travel, but you need all medical reports and your ship folio to submit claims

Before any of you start to panic ( as I just did because our Princess website names on EZAir were also wrong)… let me tell you what I just found out. What Princess EZAir lists as your names are not what is necessarily listed on your airline tickets…if you have TSA pre check, global entry, known travelers numbers, or airline miles numbers, then they will be captured by the airlines when you input all if your info and be transferred to your ticket…if bdays, any #’s, and first and last names match. Mine actually had a Mrs in front and no middle name or initial. Yes, EZAir told me I would have to book at a much higher price and they would not change it. The airline told me we were fine because global entry # matched my bday and first and last names and picture on passport…you can also go to the airline site and check your info with the locator number…more often than not you can get a correct answer to your question from any kindergartner rather than a Princess employee who answers the phone!

Thanks for your insight! The cities are Madrid, Valencia,Toledo, ending up in Barcelona for the cruise to South Hampton.

Has anyone done this and can provide feedback? I know the best and cheapest way is to book things ourselves, but that is out of the question this time …thanks for any info!

Plan to meet prior to going to the excursion meeting location and check in together…they are more than happy to put you all on the same bus if you ask at check-in!

Does Enchanted have this?

I’m in the same boat…so have just given up and will purchase on board

Port taxes on drinks?

In answer to your question why Americans wear shorts… probably because the average temperature in the area where I live is over 100 degrees for about 6 months of the year! Last August & September the average temps were over 110 for over 2 months. If you want to avoid heat stroke, you wear shorts…that’s not an obsession, it’s reality!

Going to the Princess website is absolutely worthless…just like calling them on the phone to get an “official” answer. They haven’t updated anything in years. Ask them about shore excursions and they will scare you into booking only with them so you aren’t left waving on the dock (and yes we usually book the ship excursions) looking to Princess for any type of guidance is liking asking my 6 year old grand daughter for financial advice!

And here goes the dress code debate again…insisting that almost all need a coat and tie is not true…insisting that shorts and T shirts are perfectly fine is not true…what actually exists on “formal” night is some where in between for “most” people! There are those on these boards who want to sway opinions on both sides…they ARE the minority…most of us fall somewhere in the middle of those parameters. You don’t need to look like you’re going to a black tie event, but you also don’t need to look like you’re headed to the beach!

A definite hard pass!

Any guesses as to when Fall 2025 schedule will be out…hoping for a Northern Lights itinerary!

I can’t believe it! I emailed my shareholder OBC form this afternoon and it showed up on my booking within 30 minutes…they even sent me a new booking confirmation with the OBC line itemized…could Princess be upping their customer service?

In Honolulu 3 months ago port security refused to let us bring wine and unopened potato chips back on board…one of our waiters grabbed them after the X-ray machine and said they were his and all of a sudden our purchases were allowed…table mates said they had the same thing happen to them. When they pushed it further up the chain, it was “someone from the ship” who decided no food or beverages could be brought back on board…sounded rather “fishy” to me!

New year’s cruise on Royal…room steward was in charge of mini-bar change-out, no more ice buckets or wine glasses (but did replenish drink glasses daily), he said tip rule has changed since restart. Doesn’t make any difference if you keep or remove tips, they can now keep all cash tips, the auto-gratuities are the only ones that are split fleetwide. These were his words, not mine, and he was very grateful when we tipped him in cash on the last evening…even saw him hauling luggage down the hall. I think things have changed since the restart with duties being split among all staff

Does anyone know the difference between a cove balcony and a deluxe balcony?

Where in the Rome airport is the 😂wine store…before or after baggage claim?