Dorset Cruiser

I don't think that answers the question... The service is available 24/7, but does a single

 

sign-on last until you sign-off? On ::mumble:: cruiseline, your sign-on lasts for an hour, and

 

you then have to reënter your password = annoying in the extreme.

It lasts until you either sign out to connect another device or until your plan ends

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Does Medallion.net sign you off after a certain amount of time?

No its a continuous 24 hour service. You can sign out of one device and sign in with another. Simply go to the Home page.

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Thank you for the info. The cruise that I'm looking at is for this October. I wonder why they are still showing it as an ***** cruise?

Some staterooms are testing the Medallion but most of us have cards.

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On Regal at moment. Did not exchange our bar set up but have not missed coffee card. Ship coffee is very good anyway for a change [emoji846]

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On Regal at the moment. The Elite internet has been really great with just one hiccup which was soon sorted. Download speeds are good. Our travelling companions have just used the free service using Whatsapp and have been pleased with it.

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We were on this cruise departing 23/6 and our experience in St. Petersburg was quite different. We had booked a private company. a fabulous person on our roll call organized private tours - in total 6 buses of 15 as it turned out, via I love travel SPB. It was a fantastic tour and I think very similar to other private tours. Great value at $214 each for two full days and lunch - everything included. We saw everything on the ship tour and more and much easier with a small group than a big one as everything is crowded, bathrooms are few and far between.

 

The private companies know that on day 1 they can't get early entry to the port so their tours start at 8.30 We didn't go to Concerto - that is just a big decoy. We just went out as usual but at about ten to 8. We were out through immigration by 8.10. The people who got tickets at concerto- no one checked them or asked for them anyway.

Why do you class it a 'decoy'. Is your time more important than the people who follow the rules and wait their turn ?

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We are on Regal now. We did have to go to get a ticket but only waited for about 20 mins to get off. Immigration queues in the terminal were long on first day but not too bad on second.

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It works all over the ship.

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On now. Platinum and Elite is free for length of cruise 24 hours a day on one device at a time. Other than that the package is $9.99 per 24 hour period as far as I can make out.

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For my sailing, only passengers from muster station B received the medallion that substitutes for the cruise card used on board. Theses passengers were notified by email in advance and the medallions were mailed to their home address.

 

 

 

The (paid )internet speed worked fine and I have no complaints.i only know that for elite passengers, they have access to free internet the whole trip on one device. I believe the others all have to pay.

Thanks so much for prompt reply [emoji3]

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Do we recive a 'medallion' before the cruise? How does internet work for suites/platinum/elite passengers?

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you have a reminder to bring my visa.. i do not have a visa. i have my alla tour tickets and my passport. i hope this is sufficient.

We are with Cruising Excursions on 28/30 June into St. Petersburg and received printed visas along with our tour tickets.

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Hi,

 

This is our first cruise and aside from St. Petersburg where we booked with a tour company wondering how easy it may be to sight see in the ports of Helsinki, Copenhagen and Nynasham (Stockholm) on our own using hop on and off type buses ? My DH likes to wing it but I am more of a planner. Thinking this might be a good compromise. I am confident Tallinn we can walk and explore on our own

We are doing the Baltic ports next weekend. Booked St Petersburg, Berlin, Tallinn and a debark tour in Copenhagen with airport drop off. Think the other ports you mention all have HOHO buses (and a HOHO boat in Stockholm) and we plan to use them.

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Is part of the buffet still converted into a specialty restaurant, L'Obelisco, in the evenings, or is choice limited to the Sushi restaurant?

We were on her in January 2017. L'Obelisco seemed to only be used as an extension of the normal buffet. Other than that there was only the Sushi restaurant ☹️

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I haven't been able to find that in the package description.....can someone point me to it?

 

 

 

If the Princess system can add it to your card on board, I wonder why they can't add it to your card within 3 days of sailing?

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Must be purchased at least 4 days before sailing

The package details say you can purchase onboard.

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Have been looking into Berlin excursions whilst we are on Regal Princess next month. They are the cheapest option so far. Think we might take a chance - have spent a small fortune on some other tours with the ship - although have also seen fair prices for Berlin with SPB. Don't want to do the Princess excursion as we will have to spend up to 6 hours on a train with no air conditioning on what we hope will be a hot, sunny day [emoji6]. Decisions, decisions [emoji848]

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Has anyone used Viator for cruise excursions?

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Not all, only some.

 

The Cruise Critic deck plans show them with a RED DOT.

 

Do not book one of those red dots, unless you like bumping into beds.

Thankyou! After my panicky moment, I did a Google search and found out our inside cabin does not have the red dot - we usually book a balcony cabin but booked this cruise just a few days ago in order to join Canadian relatives - we sail on 23 June and still waiting on that suite upgrade [emoji6]

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May 22, 2018

 

Breakfast in the best place in the World!

 

 

 

Good morning, dear friends!

 

 

 

Firstly, thank you for your really kind comments. I truly appreciate your feedback. Also, a massive thank you to P2 for all of her input. It is so great to have someone to ping pong opinions with. This has been a real treat for me.

 

 

 

Trying to catch up over breakfast in Sabatini’s...

 

 

 

So... here is my “words” version of the big reveal (see the Fungirl FB page for video...).

 

 

 

Paige and I are living the SUITE life!

 

 

 

The story behind this exciting turn of events:

 

 

 

About 7 weeks ago, I got a wild hair to travel again. When I logged onto the Princess webpage, this Baltic cruise popped up. Cheap. Super cheap- like cheaper than Caribbean-cruises- on- sale cheap. So I booked the least expensive inside gty. I am embarrassed to admit how much I did not pay for the cruise. It appeared as though this cruise was sailing relatively empty- so this felt like a flash sale (and was certainly priced that way).

 

 

 

I was chatting with Paige, who had invited me to join her on her Japan adventure. (Sadly, I had to decline. But this was the impetus for my booking the Baltic cruise.) So I asked if she wanted to come along... and she said “”yes”.

 

 

 

This is a new friendship so we decide to book two separate cabins. She got all fancy and booked a balcony gty. She received cabin assignment pretty quickly. She was upgraded several levels within her category. I received cabin assignment a couple of weeks later- I moved from an IF to an IB- sideways interior. I was over the moon!!! No pesky 3rd/ 4th berths. No connecting room. Cabins above and below. And no pesky “white spaces”. It was perfect! Perfect! Paige and I had our bookings linked for the purposes of dining.

 

 

 

All of a sudden, this cruise that had a ton of availability was sold out. Not “we are assigning the cabins for the next 6 hours” sold out- but truly SOLD OUT! So strange. And then the emails move-over offers started. First to me:

 

• 
   
  
• Move to a July sailing and receive the cruise fare in refundable OBC.
   
  

That would be a no.

 

Then to me again:

 

• 
   
  
• Move to any 11 day cruise anywhere in the world, get a balcony and cruise fare in refundable OBC.
   
  

At the same time, P2 received this offer (Paige, correct me if I did not get it right):

 

• 
   
  
• Move to a 12 day cruise anywhere in the world, in a mini suite with fully refundable OBC for her cruise fare.
   
  

Both of those move-over offers were politely refused. We were packed. We had flights. We had reservations. We had plans. And we were excited.

 

 

 

I honestly thought that was the end of it, but desperation ensued.

 

On the Wednesday before the cruise, our TA called us with this offer:

 

• 
   
  
• I give up my sideways interior
   
  
• P2 gives up her balcony
   
  
• We share a Penthouse Suite (Aft S2- previously an Owner’s Suite)
   
  
• We each get a pretty good chunk of change in refundable OBC
   
  
• AND we stay on our originally booked cruise (no changing hotels, flights, transfers, etc...)
   
  

 

 

Ummmm. That was a no-brainer for me. Suite. About half my fare back in refundable OBC. Suite. Space. Suite. Same cruise. Suite. Perks. Suite. Club Class dining. Suite. Extra mini bar. Suite!

 

 

 

I was ALL IN!

 

 

 

We quickly got ahold of Paige- and she agreed- but I think she wished she had negotiated a little more with Princess on the deal. I will have her weigh in on this. Me? I was completely thrilled. I had been in this suite-type on the Royal, and I knew how doable it would be for the two of us. I was so grateful that Paige agreed.

 

Did I mention that I WAS ALL IN!!!!

 

 

 

For those who have not seen the aft suites on the Royal-class builds, the living room and the bedroom are separated by a hallway that creates sort of an “elbow”. Paige and I cannot really hear each other from room to room so we can come and go at will without a lot of apologies and creeping around. It is really nice. Plus there is the wrap around balcony.

 

 

 

I boarded first. When I first entered the suite, the beds were joined. Ummmmmm... No. I mean I love P2, but I don’t LOVE her that way. Separate beds please! Hahahahaha

 

 

 

I passed of my list of desires to our cabin steward, JoJo. He set about fulfilling the list of stuff (e.g. extra hangers, extra glasses, extra comforter, more towels....). My luggage arrived quickly and I set about unpacking. I wanted to get as much done before Paige boarded, so she would have space to unpack. There is a gracious amount of storage in the suite, so no fighting over drawers, etc...

 

 

 

P2 and I have discovered we are pretty travel compatible. I like dark bread. She likes light bread. I like hanging space. She likes shelves. I am a righty. She is a lefty. (I have all of the “right side” towels, drawers, closet. She has the left sides). She and I both call the bar area the kitchen. It is really very uncanny. Plus, we are both Princesses. What could be better than this?!?!

 

 

 

By the time P2 came aboard, I was all set. She and I continued to nest in the suite until it was time for muster. I have not sailed in 16 months- and so much has changed. If you already know this, forgive my redundancy- but I was shocked at the changes in muster. First, you do not have to bring your life vest. Yay! No trailing straps. No newbies blowing the whistle... Also, they have partially narrated some of the muster instructions to the tune of the Love Boat theme. Delightfully cheesy. Also, it was short. Really, really short. Less than 15 minutes.

 

 

 

After muster, Paige and I went to the Crown for dinner. This was included as one of our suite perks. As always, it was delicious. I had a salad, the onion soup, and a half of a filet. Perfect. Sadly, the lack of sleep over the past three days had finally caught up with me and I was having trouble maintaining the conversation. As soon as dinner was over, I headed to bed. Paige went to the production show.

 

 

 

As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. Cold. I never heard Paige come and go. I did wake up around 1:30 am and I chatted with Paige til she fell asleep. Then I called PJ back in he States to chat with him a bit. The free unlimited internet is running fast for the most part. Fingers crossed it stays that way. I fell back asleep at around 3:30 am and did not wake again until 7:30. Finally- sleep!

 

 

 

And now I am all caught up with you fine folks. I will report back later on my day in Oslo, Norway.

 

 

 

Thank you for listening to all these words!

 

 

 

Tracie-Lynn :) :)

 

 

 

PS- WE HAVE MAIL! We received an invitation to the Most Traveled Passenger Luncheon!!! We were unsure of who made the cut- but I strongly suspected it was Paige. I only have 133 days. Paige checked with the Captain’s Circle Hostess and we were correct. I did not make the cut- but I get to be her “plus one”- so I am super happy about that! Paige has 195 days and the cut was 173 days. She is number 14 on board! Yay, Paige!!!! Travel with P2 and you will go places!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh please tell me not all the ordinary inside cabins have those awful pull down beds on the walls [emoji33]

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It has to do with having equipment to track the O3b equatorial satellites and their

 

massive bandwidth. ...which are below the horizon and not useable from the Baltic.

 

 

 

It's going to be interesting to see how Princess decides to cope with that little bit

 

of basic physics. Please report back?

 

 

 

BTW, the Regal / O3b combo set a record with 1500 simultaneous video streams

 

when it was in the Caribbean last February -- almost enough for every other

 

person to be walking around, watching a different movie on their smartphone.

Will do. Had a similar package with P&O in Caribbean this year and loved not having to worry how much time I spent on line [emoji846]

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Each passenger has their own minutes to use. As long as the passenger is either Platinum or Elite they get their own allotment. You create an account and log in on whatever device you choose to use. You can log out of your phone and log onto your tablet or laptop. One device per account at a time but as many devices as you like.

 

Internet Minutes for Platinum and Elite Passengers

7 days or fewer 150

8-20 days 250

21+ days 500

We are on Regal next month - we get free internet for the length of the cruise fir one device each as the ship only seems to offer a 24 hour package. Don't know how long this offer is for. Perhaps it is something to do with Medallion?

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Copenhagen question. Our flight to UK leaves at 4.10pm. Have seen a debark city tour with Tivoli Gardens which includes a 1.30pm pick up at Tivoli. Will we have enough time to make flight? Does anyone know how far Tivoli is from the airport? Really don't want to spend hours at the airport and we cannot check in until 1.30pm.

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Just got off the Ruby 2 weeks ago, and they were 20% off on the boat.

Thanks for that - will definitely wait until on ship in case of similar offer [emoji3]

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No benefit to purchasing in advance except that they'd be in your room when you boarded...sometimes. We've also had situations where there was a voucher in the room and we had to go somewhere to exchange that for the card/soda glass' date=' etc. In that case, you may as well just buy the card on board and you can use OBC for it in that situation.

 

 

 

Yes, you can swap out items in the mini-bar for other items.[/quote']

 

 

 

Thanks - $35.65 pre-bought. Think we will wait until we get on and purchase them [emoji846]

 

 

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