EastBay Cruisers

We were on the Emerald to Alaska, and this NCL flew past us. We were sitting at the window in the MDR, and the waiter told us that this NCL ship always runs really fast.  -- EBC

12 hours ago, hoopslover said:

Since this was our first Princess cruise, we looked at the Patter for directions on what to do.  There was fixed dining at the Alegro all night.  In the Concerto there was first seating in there followed by ATD after 7:30.  The Symphony was ATD from 5:30-9:30.  The patter said you could show up or call or make reservations or speak to the maitreD.  The first night we just showed up.  There was only one person in line ahead of us.  The maitre D seated us and came by later to ask about our dinner.  At that time we asked if we could be assigned to our wonderful waiters for the remainder of the cruise.  He said yes.  Two nights the guests did not vacate and the maitreD put us at a nearby table.  Absolutely no problem for us.

There was only a line one night (the second formal night).  It had 4 people in it.  Most nights the dining room was only about half full.

What mistake did we make?  We followed the instructions in the Patter and the MaitreD Sebastian came by every night to make sure we were having a good time. I hope I didn't spoil your cruise.  If you want to report us go ahead.

You didn't make any mistakes. It is fine for Anytime Dining guests to make reservations for a certain time for Anytime Dining. When you spoke to the Maitre D',  he assumed that you were making reservations for every night for the remainder of the cruise.  You did your part -- you were booked for Anytime Dining in the Symphony, and you showed up to keep your reservations in the Symphony for ATD. 

Last month, the MDR open for lunch on embarkation day on the Regal was the aft Allegro dining room on Deck 6, I believe.  But, you cannot get to it directly from Deck 6, because the galley is in the way.  You have to go up to Deck 7, walk towards the back ( aft), then go back down to Deck 6.  That's kind of tricky for pax new to the Regal.

So much more calm and relaxing than the frantic atmosphere of the buffet. ( Even though Regal's buffet is very good).  JMO --- EBC 

Thank you for the absolutely gorgeous photos ! What a beautiful sky and ocean !  This reminds me of one of the many reasons that I really love to go cruising. -- EBC

5 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Tony, It's a bit hard to be happy about cruising right now. There's a fire that started this morning at 6:30 AM and is now at 20,000 acres. The nearest town - Paradise which is about 14 miles away - is pretty much gone. The fire has come down the hill and is now approaching Chico which is where we live. it's at zero percent containment. About 27,000 people have evacuated and many are here in Chico now at churches, the Elks club, etc. Their homes are gone. We now have evacuation warnings up to our city limits to the south and mandatory evacuations to our city limits from the east.

 Thrak - I am glad that you brought this up.  That is a terrible fire.  All of the smoke and ashes are blowing into our community here in the East Bay.  I am so sorry to read that the town of Paradise was destroyed.  I was thinking of you today and sending positive thoughts to you both.  Please stay safe and keep us updated. 

( We're scheduled to depart in 11 days from FLL for a full transit of the Panama Canal, arriving in San Francisco.  But,  it's difficult to think about that when this fire season in Northern California has been so brutal).  - EBC

15 hours ago, DimSum said:

I will be sailing to the Eastern Caribbean on the Royal 11/17 and travelling with 10yo daughter and 12yo son.  Dressing my daughter is not a problem for formal nights.  But does my 12 year old need to wear a suit jacket and tie for the formal in the MDR?  Has anyone seen pre-teen boys dressed in a suit?  I'm hoping he can get away with a shirt and tie and skip the jacket.

That will be fine. I'm sure that both your children will look very nice.

5 hours ago, JennyB1977 said:

May I ask why he would disregard the dress code? I am just curious since it appears you were aware of the dress code.

Agreed. Why would your husband sail with Princess, then disregard the dress code?? 

43 minutes ago, Potstech said:

 

Sorry but if what is allowed on ships as far as the dress code goes is enforcement then someone has a very different idea of the word enforcement then many others do.  Enforcement is NOT happening.

They don't enforce it to the extent of requiring every man to wear a dark suit or tux -- No.  But, they do enforce it to the extent of refusing to seat passengers with bare feet, shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, ripped/torn blue jeans, cut-offs, ball caps, etc. 

Why would you tell a newbie to wear anything he wants to the MDR, when that is not the case at all?  This sounds like gaslighting to me. 

We have been over this topic before -- a lot.  This "enforcement" comes up every time a dress code thread is started  ( about twice a week, because people never use the search engine to find dress code information).  

It IS enforced, but the enforcement is nuanced.  It is not strictly black-and-white -- there are some shades of gray.  Depending upon the Maitre D',  they don't strictly enforce it to the exact letter of the law, but they do draw a line in the sand.  One of the lines in the sand is that long pants are required.   Unless the Maitre D' or Head Waiters are temporarily away from the door, no one is going to walk into dinner wearing shorts -- no matter how "formal" the shorts are.   ( The term "formal shorts" is a complete oxymoron, IMO). 

This doesn't relate to the Royal, but we were on her sister ship, the Regal, last month. Wow-- those beds were hard as rocks. I like a firm mattress, but the Regal cots are kind of like sleeping on a concrete floor. 

Sorry for the thread jack -- but the new beds will surely be a welcome relief. -- EBC

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I always push any elevator buttons with a knuckle and I wash my hands with soap every time I'm in the cabin. It was nice on Caribbean Princess in March. They not only had the hand sanitizers but also had sinks with soap and water outside of the buffet.

Agreed.  Hand washing and using the Purell sanitizer is a great help in keeping germs from spreading.

In the elevators, I carry along a little pencil and push the buttons with the eraser end of the pencil.

We're booked on the Island Princess for a 14 day Thanksgiving cruise. After watching everyone handle the serving utensils at the Regal buffet last month, I'm taking along a package of medical gloves to wear to the buffet.  ( Seriously. I know this looks dorky, but I really, really want to avoid illness).

We both had our flu shots this season, and I'm taking along a container of wet wipes that are supposed to sterilize the cabin again noro virus.  ( Chlorox makes them). 

I'm normally not so germaphobic, but this upcoming cruise is a bucket list item - trip of a lifetime for us, and I don't want to ruin it.

Sometimes, though, just by chance,  we've had to sit next to someone coughing and sneezing on the plane trip to the port -- and even wearing a mask does not help much.

We are flying from San Francisco to Ft. Lauderdale, and I'm really praying that everyone on the plane will be healthy.  -- EBC

Thank you for the review ! That was very helpful.  We're leaving for the Canal in 2 weeks, and we appreciate the information on the best shipboard locations for viewing the Canal transit.  -- EBC

21 minutes ago, Yehootu said:

We love the Island.  Think of opening the doors on your promenade laps as an upper body work out rather than a nuisance. Did 19 days on the Island last April, have the Coral booked for same Itinerary this year. Booked 25 days on the Island in 2020. It's what you make it.

Thanks so much for your reply !  We'll have a wonderful time being with other family members for Thanksgiving and being out on the ocean.  You're correct -- it's what you make it. -- EBC

The only time our family members could get together for our "bucket list" Panama Canal cruise was over Thanksgiving vacation this year, which is coming up.  We wanted to sail with Princess, so we had no choice but the Island, as she had the only itinerary that could fit our schedule.  I have warned our other family members that the Island has very bad reviews,  least popular ship in the fleet, long wait times for MDR and theatre. But, what could we do if we all wanted to be together for a special reunion?   So, sometimes if people want to cruise with Princess on a specific itinerary at a specific time, they just have to take what they can get.

The other day here, someone wrote that if you want to walk/jog the entire circumference of the Promenade Deck, then just walk through the aft doors, then through the ship and come out the doors on the other side. That seemed like a pretty good work-around for me. 

I'm nervous about this cruise due to the negative publicity, but we are all going to try to make the best of it.  I'll write a review of the pros and cons when we return to San Francisco on Dec. 5  -- EBC

We are sailing on the Island on Nov. 20 for a full 15 day transit of the Canal.  Just received an e-mail from Princess that there will be 2 formal nights. 

Your 10 day cruise, therefore, will probably have 2 formal nights also.  One formal night is almost always the first full day at sea. ( not embarkation day). 

They almost never have two formal nights in a row. On a 10 or 15 days cruise, the formal nights are 4 or 5 days apart, depending on your itinerary.  ( Hope this is a little bit helpful) -- EBC

Thanks for your excellent review !  We were on the Regal from Oct 6 -13 and had a wonderful time.  Thanks for the great photos.

In the MDR, they were not upselling the entrees.  But, they were trying to sell little liqueur glasses of after-dinner liqueurs. They were selling little souvenir glasses filled with liqueurs like limoncello.  These upsells seemed to be a new thing in the MDR.

Maybe we just lucked out, the the crew in the International Cafe were very friendly and helpful. 

It's so fun to sit around in the Atrium on the Regal -- yes, it is a little loud, but there's always something happening, and you can also listen to A.J. Clarke,  who does a great show in Crooner's.  -- EBC

3 hours ago, iluvcruzin said:

Why not get a drip cone and take that with you?  It's easy to make a cup of coffee that way.  You won't have to mess with something electric and bulky.  And you can bring your favorite coffee with you.

Agreed!  A drip cone with do the trick, along with your favorite coffee.  So much easier to carry, and you avoid the possibility of having an electric appliance being confiscated. -- EBC

One I have them bring to the cabin right away and the other, I call for them to delivery about 1/2 way through the cruise.  That way, I don't have a ton of the bottles taking up room in the cabin. 

Drives Like Mario -- this is a great idea, but where do they store the extra case of water, and where do you call for it?

Thank you,  from EBC

- I think princess is pushing people to the alternative dining options - there were options available , like prime rib, or steak for an up charge.

We just got off the Regal two weeks ago. Prime rib was the recommended entree the night of sail-away. Huge cut of meat, very delicious - couldn't finish all of it.  We were in Anytime Dining in the Symphony Dining Room. 

Why did they charge you for prime rib in Concerto?  Did you ask why there was an extra charge, when it is a standard entree for sail-away dinner?   -- EBC

On 10/25/2018 at 5:37 AM, Bill B said:

It's not 'just business'; or, 'the demise of ethics'. Cruise lines are businesses devoid of ethics. The bottom line is all that counts. They don't give a damn about their pax, their employees or the environment. The ONLY thing cruise lines care about is their shareholders.

 

They register their ship in ports of convenience to avoid humane labour laws... and paying taxes... not to mention, if a crime is committed on board in international waters (by officers, crew or pax), it is unlikely in the extreme it will ever be investigated, much less prosecuted. Sssssssssh....

 

They have, with the knowledge of their corporate executives - going all the way to the top - over a period of years, from multiple ships, illegally dumped oil at sea.... all the while claiming to be 'green'.

 

They encourage past pax to "Sign in for special pricing" on their websites in the duplicitous knowledge most people are naive and will interpret "special" to mean lower pricing... when it actually means higher pricing... Sucker! 'Smoke & mirrors' and obfuscation is accepted as 'marketing'. They push the boundaries of what's legal. When they overstep those boundaries, they don't care - the fine is less than the revenue generated... or the money they've saved.

 

Their reps lie.

 

They construct draconian Cruise Contracts in the knowledge the vast majority of pax don't, or can't read and understand them.

 

They don't care if they sell you an All Inclusive Beverage Package (AIBP), but deliver a (lesser value) Premium Beverage Package. The Terms and Conditions under which you bought the AIBP, stated the Terms and Conditions may be changed at any time... Sucker! It's just business sans ethics.

Why would you pay money to a cruise line or write app. 2,500 posts about cruising if it is so morally reprehensible to you ??  If you believe that a business has no ethics nor morality, then why would you

choose to financially support it?   

Makes no sense at all. --- EBC

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We are booked on the Island over Thanksgiving vacation this year, because that is really the only time that our other family members were able to all clear their schedules for a cruise. Island is cruising from Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco on Nov. 20 this year.

Looking forward to being with other family members for Thanksgiving ( and not having to go marketing, cook, serve, and do the dishes !),  but I was very apprehensive about the Island Princess due to all the negative reviews.  Was fearing that we would just have to make the best of a very dreadful situation.

It is the first cruise in 25 years for two of our family members, and I was so worried that they would be disappointed.

If some cruisers have found some positive aspects to the Island, then that will lessen my worry.

It's good to know that one can still walk the Promenade Deck by going through the aft doors and back to the other side of the deck.  Thank you for mentioning this, as we have avid walkers in the family. -- EBC

Thank you for your review !  Sorry to hear that the service provided by your room steward was not up to par. Most stewards are very diligent about cleaning and organizing items from the previous occupants in a cabin.

Thanks for these great photos!  We came into Boston 2 weeks ago on the Regal.  We passed right by the airport, which was fascinating.  As mentioned above,  the ship has to call air traffic control each time,  especially because the Regal is such a tall ship moving across the flight path.  -- EBC

8 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Neville Saldana got off on Saturday and I g n a z i o  D'Agostino replaced him the same day!

I hope that new Maitre D'  D'Agostino enforces the Anytime Dining seating as courteously and efficiently as the former Maitre D'.  If so, then there will be no problem.  Have a great cruise, and please let us know all about it.  🙂 - EBC

Just got off the Regal 10 days ago.  We had to sail around the remnants of Hurricane Michael by taking a detour through the Gulf of Maine, instead of going in a straight line back to New York.We had gale force winds one night ( above 60 knots), and the Regal did very well, with only moderate rock 'n roll.  

The updates from the Captain were very timely and very informative.  The Princess corporate office uses their own maritime weather consulting service, ( along with the National Weather Service, of course,)  which is up-to-the-minute in assisting with navigation through wind and ocean swells. 

Tim Stringer, the Captain, will make general announcements each night about 6 PM, and also on the Wake Show, where he has his own segment from the bridge, and shows the navigation charts and maps.   He is excellent at explaining navigation and weather conditions -- the science of commanding a cruise ship is really fascinating.

Looking forward to hearing all about your cruise -- I'm sure the Regal will do beautifully.  🙂 - EBC