Torfamm

I purchase OBC by phone ahead of the cruise with my gift cards

We were just on the Emerald and it was absolutely fine. I didn’t think it looked shabby at all. Some might feel it looks dated, but I wouldn’t say shabby. I only wish it had an Alfredo’s 

1.  Parking lot van driver (parking lot to airport terminal) - in this case the driver did nothing to help with luggage but she did have a tip box next to her.   How much, if any, would you put in?

maybe $1 

2.  We checked two bags outside - How much for that guy?

$5, especially if the bags are heavy 

3.  Complimentary  van transportation from FLL to local hotel - tip?  if so how much?  He did help with luggage

$5

4.  Lyft driver from hotel to port terminal

15% and additional $5 if they help with bags 

5.  Onboard - I am not even sure how much tips are given to the various people.   Did you give extra?  If so how much?

We tip extra for anyone who goes above and beyond the service we normally expect. On a recent cruise we gave $20 each to 2 bartenders, a head waiter who got us the table we wanted, and 2 waiters and assistants.

I ordered at 6:00 pm EST on Tuesday and received my 6 pack before noon today Expiration date in December of this year

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

This part of your post is exactly what people have been discussing/arguing about for years now.

Why should anyone have to conform to someone else's desires in order to enjoy the evening themselves? 

Those that wish to dress formally can dress up every evening & make the whole cruise a really enjoyable event. 

I’ve just considered dress codes aboard as a part of the bigger picture as I read  a story about a former Miss Universe who was asked to cover her crop top on a recent flight. I am happy not to be the one who has to decide how much skin, what words, what images, etc people’s clothing can show or what counts as a “top”. I imagine we all have an idea of what is “appropriate” for every venue whether it’s the pool, casino, or MDR but we will never all agree.

It’s also confusing that we are getting mixed messages. The app and Patter say “formal night” but the CD referred to “Dress to Impress” a couple of times.

12 hours ago, Rick&Jenny said:

On our New Years Majestic cruise, guys were wearing shorts to the MDR for dinner and no one said boo about it. We had a traditional 7:20 pm  seating.

I’ve also seen men wearing shorts, specifically cargo shorts with sneakers or flip flops into the main dining room on the Emerald. Definitely a first for me. Surprisingly, many are middle-aged and up, rather than the young men.

12 minutes ago, happy cruzer said:

So is the porthole open to the outside air?  i.e. you can stick your head out and look down at the ocean? 
Thanks.

Yes they are. There are a number of threads about them with photos. Here is one 

6 hours ago, caribill said:

 

There is a crew recreation area inside on deck 8 forward. Maybe they are allowed to smoke there now.

I noticed crew smoking at their pool area overlooked by the bridge when we were in the viewing area on deck 15 during the Panama Canal transit

We are avoiding any excursions involving buses or vans for the time being. We made a decision to also avoid any cruises leaving from foreign ports and only to book if we can accept changes to the itinerary.

Unlike many other cities like Bangkok, Rome or Berlin that are on cruise itineraries but can be hours from cruise ports, St Petersburg’s port is in the city and most St. Petersburg sites are nearby. Pushkin, where the Catherine Palace is located, is about 45 minutes away if I remember correctly. 

Emerald Princess cancelled Cartagena on their sailing today as they have changed their requirements regarding testing for all visitors. It is replaced with a sea day

53 minutes ago, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

I believe they are open every day. By the way, we just finished our tests a couple hours ago for our Saturday cruise. It couldn’t be easier. And we’re old farts. Our only issue was our printer wouldn’t print them. And before anyone says anything; yes, we used the passcode. We had to take a screenshot and print from  that. 

Did you receive the email with attached lab results as a .pdf?  You should be able to print that.

Yes, I finally did see the "I am ready" button.  It would have helped if the proctor had mentioned it. They said, or at least seemed to say, that someone would come back after the 15 minutes were up.  Happily, we both tested negative.

On 1/4/2022 at 6:52 AM, misguy said:

It was interesting that we left Colon, Panama late last night.  We were waiting on tour groups whose tours ran late.  They tell you that the tour timing depends on activities in the Panama Canal, so be prepared for long tours.  

 

One other note, is don't forget to put on your sunscreen when watching the ship pass through the locks, even if the weather is cool and cloudy,  I have some red places today, and I don't sunburn easily.

Where are the ship was this photo taken?

Just a heads up - I did my BinaxNOW test and missed seeing the button at the bottom to get my results after the timer finished because of how I had propped up my phone.  I sat there forever thinking someone would just come back to me. I hope I'm not the only idiot who missed it. I came on here to ask about how long I might have to wait and saw the button.  Can't delete post so edited.

2 hours ago, misguy said:

The ship is not crowded at all.

 

Have they shared how many passengers  are on board?

So grateful for the information here! Wishing all in quarantine a speedy recovery. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. Will be watching for news as you make your way home.

We've recently had one at 60 days and one at 25 days.

You can get a good idea by checking the Journey View Activities Timeline in the app.  Look for the "formal portraits" showing as an evening activity and you'll be able to tell when formal nights are scheduled to take place.

17 hours ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Does this really matter though?  Are they going to stop you from boarding because you didn't pick a boarding group, or because you didn't know when it was available to select and simply forgot to? 

 

This "feature" really doesn't make any sense to me.

 

How far out do they allow you to select?  My March cruise gives an error when you try to select it.

The idea is to limit crowding by scheduling how many people arrive at the same time. Selection availability for arrival group us has varied from as much as 60 to as little as 25 days. 
 

Princess says that those who don’t select an arrival group will be assigned one.

11 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

Just logged into the app, it doesn't let me select a group, is that only available a certain number of days or something before boarding?

Yes, the option to select your boarding group appears up to 45 days before your cruise from what I have heard. Our most recent one appeared 25 days before our cruise.

We just were on the Summit on the starboard side in Cabin 6030 which is not supposed to be near any smoking area but we smelled smoke frequently on our balcony. I wondered is there is a crew smoking area somewhere below those Sweet 16 cabins.

He will be fine in what you describe.  Even many adults will choose to dress that way on formal night. The days of being to rent a tux and have it waiting in your cabin when you board are gone and with them, the days of seeing children and teens in tuxedos. Today, I believe only those who own a tuxedo ever choose to wear one on formal night.

You are asked to select an arrival group as a part of the check-in process in the app. They mention that if you arrive before the time scheduled for that group, you may be asked to leave and return at the assigned time.

1 hour ago, Melbean1969 said:

Can I just ask this will be our first cruise ever we have select dining do you have to make reservations for every evening? If so how? 

It is not required at all, but it is possible. Reservations for select dining can be made online Click on “manage my reservation” then “dining packages”. Scroll through and you will see Select Dining near the end of the list.