jsn55

Biggest surprise on our Alaskan cruise was that it was HOT in June! We were not prepared for 't-shirt & tanktop' weather. So bring the whole gamut of layers. Fab cruise on HAL out of Seattle.

You just have to be patient, keep trying, and one day it will all be where it belongs. It's not you, it's Princess. Double-check all your details to make sure nothing is causing any problems, then just keep trying. You can read on this thread all about the issues people have and how they solved the problems. IF you can stand it. The whole system is utterly ridiculous.

Yes! The Tour Operator will make arrangements for you as long as they know all your arrival details. While there are some total flakes out there, cruise port tour operators are generally very customer-oriented and want you to have a good experience. They're very interested in becoming an official ship's shore excursion ... that's a gold mine for them.

I find it gratifying to bring clothing/shoes that make me feel special, like a specialty restaurant dinner. You're on the right track ... as long as the outfit makes you feel good about your appearance, it's the right choice.

Didn't know that only positive comments are welcomed. Maybe don't read my posts if they bother you.

With the word 'loyalist' I meant that she has had very little trouble with medallion over many cruises with Princess. I took my first and last cruise with Princess in December. I was looking forward to learning and using the technology, I love today's technology. I really enjoyed using the app onboard to order stuff delivered, that part worked fine. But I don't pay good money to get tortured by 3rd-grade-level technology that is required. We didn't have any trouble booking dining and shore excursions from home either ... but the correct reservations weren't there when we boarded. The 'interactive' TV wasn't. The 'journeyview' or whatever it's called was too cumbersome to use. If you're used to swiping and tapping and scrolling on a phone forever, perhaps it's not a problem. Other than the fabulous crew, I found Princess arrogant and focused on themselves rather than their guests. And perhaps the week before you booked, Princess hired some real IT guys and fixed medallion ... who knows?

I have a friend who's a Princess loyalist, this is what she says too. The rest of us? Nada. Do check all your arrangements 'in person' after boarding.

Just as I'd never buy travel insurance from a cruiseline, neither would I book a cruise with the cruiseline. I want an agent who is only concerned about me and my travels. One thing for sure ... never use an online booking service, only a real TA who is a cruise expert. For example, a good TA would be sure your air arrangements are just what you want ... s/he'd be sure you contacted the cruiseline's Air Desk directly (often a conference call including your TA because the cruiseline likes it that way). S/he would insist that the air be booked while you're on the phone, with confirmation numbers and seats. Air booked blindly with a cruiseline can be a real issue, with numerous connections and whacko schedules, so you want control of the air itinerary. I've had years of experience booking travel, but I like that little extra my TA gives ... perks onboard, reminders of deadlines, booking exactly the cabin we want. When a recent cruise out of Quebec was held up more than 24 hours to avoid a hurricane (or tornado or thunderstorm, I forget), she had all the facts immediately and made sure I was aware of the situation. We could then decide to stay another night at our hotel, or board as scheduled. She was a friend first, so I can run by any nutso idea I get and she advises me.

This is exactly what I was expecting from the medallion. It rarely delivered, at least in a manner that was usable. I have a short attention span when it comes to scrolling and jabbing at my phone screen for more than a minute or two.

I find that sewing something new for a trip is a great motivator to get me back at it. Otherwise, life seems to get in the way far to much.

So good to read something written by someone who understands how things work.

OP was trying to paint a word picture. It was clear to me just what they looked like, and that was the point.

How I wish we had a 'frowny face' to use so posters would stop arguing with each other.

What does this mean?

I'll define sharp as I see it. A man with a shirt tucked into his pants, with a belt. The shirt and pants have a color relationship. A brown and beige striped shirt with beige pants would look sharp. A blue and white striped shirt with beige pants wouldn't. And now let's hear it from all the color-blind men out there! These days, people dress so awfully that just tucking your shirt in and wearing a belt would look pretty good in my book.

Since this information seems quite important to pax, I would hope that the cruiselines send out notices via text or email that the berthing details have been posted on their website. I have a lot of experience communicating with large diverse groups of volunteers, and the first rule used to be 'once it's in writing, it's cast in concrete', so there's great reluctance to give people detailed information until it's super-solid. With internet access, life is much more simple ... and efficient.

I use a cruise-expert travel agent but she was a friend first. I've always booked our travel direct, so nothing would change for us. I agree that the cruiselines are dependent on TAs. It's one thing to screw up a flight, that's a situation that lasts for a few hours, or overnight. Screwing up a cruise would result in unhappy pax (doesn't matter who is at fault, since the pax will never see how he caused the problem) for a week or two. That could result in 'poisoning the cruise' as those pax tell anyone who will listen how badly the cruiseline behaved. I don't see cruiselines ever cutting out TAs.

The only reason we dine early is that it's better for our health. On a recent 2-week cruise, neither of us gained a pound. We had a light breakfast and would be hungry by late afternoon, so hustled up some food between 5 and 7. Our evening meal was really a treat every day, and we had whatever we pleased. I remember the days of wining and dining at 830 (people who booked early seating were unfathomable to us) and that was great at the age of 40. But now, not so much.

Well, he'd pout the whole trip and ruin everything. He'd make constant negative remarks about her unreasonable attitude and how she's ruining his trip. She would be tempted to launch him off the balcony. I understand the syndrome, but I would not be helping him for one second. I think the harmonica is the best solution for everyone.

For the future, I would advise anyone who encounters someone smoking against the rules to not confront the goon personally. Anyone who is crass enough to smoke on a cruiseship balcony could be prone to some unpleasant revenge. Report it, but stay out of the situation. Possible that I'm over-reacting to the mobs of drunks fighting on cruiseships, but it seems like common sense to steer well away from these kinds of people.

I gave Princess a shot over the holidays, it was an OK cruise. But I'll be booking with other cruiselines in the future. I'd rather cruise with a company who cares about their pax. Princess has had YEARS to fix their blundering medallion system and they obviously don't care.

I know exactly how you feel about being concerned over such a 'trivial thing' ... but it's NOT trivial to a woman who cares about how she looks! I remember the days of three-evening-gown cruises, and have no interest in doing that again. The same suitcase you used to sling around with impunity now seems like an enormous burden. So I developed my 'uniform' for all travel. Black silk pants or long skirt, sandals or velvet slippers, tunic top. Jewelry and scarves. I love shopping for 'statement earrings' like big gobs of 'jewels', then I pair them with a scarf. There you have it. Nobody really 'looks' at you, other than to think 'my, she looks nice', so it is almost guaranteed to work well. We sailed on Queen Victoria several years ago, and one of our favorite activities was to sit in the corrridor leading to the late-dining MDR. We'd have a glass of champagne and watch the pax come through on formal night. Women in red sequined sheaths with dyed-to-match stilletos don't look any more glamorous than women in black tunics!

Once I realized that the medallion thing was hopeless, I asked to pick them up at SF pier. Alas, the checkin guy wrote the wrong cabin on our paperwork ... so much for getting that 'green code' on my phone, it helped not a bit. Nobody knew what to do; they sent us to customer service where the line disappeared down the corridor. I flagged down an officer who went back to checkin and found them. Took us an extra 90 minutes to get to our cabin. What I don't understand is how Princess can continue to torture its customers year after year. After fighting with the medallion for months, pax board with a 'chip on their shoulders' and it takes conscious effort to get back in the good cruising mood. I suppose it will take them years to figure out that people cruise once with Princess and never come back ... but they'll just lower the fares and fill the ships. So why should they bother with their broken technology? Good IT people are expensive.

Want to share a handy trick for 'testing' new shoes. Put a shower cap over them and wear them in the house for a few hours. This has greatly cut down on my trove of expensive shoes that I can't wear.

A relief to know he doesn't bring an amplifier! Shipping it will be easy with one of the shippers listed above. Probably quite pricey. The question is "who will receive the package and hold it for you?". I've shipped boxes successfully before to a hotel where we sleep the night before a cruise. But not often, only domestically, and always to a Hilton property where I have status and feel that they'll extend the courtesy and not 'lose' the thing. Or would the shipper maybe hold it for you to pick up when you get to Roma?