jsn55

Great suggestion ... and a good conversation starter almost anywhere.

I don't think any of us over 50 will ever go anywhere again without our vax cards!

I always book direct; cruises, hotels, air. I don't want/need a third party in the middle if there are issues. Online booking services add no value, they just get in the way. If you need customer service, you will have a struggle to reach a human ... or even a robot!

As long as the damn Medallion unlocks my door, I'll be content. Maybe. Princess' arrogance is hard to accept.

We travel with a big bag, a carryon and a computer backpack each. We've tried packing light, we don't like it. Took a train out of Paris for the Riviera years ago, it was a nightmare. Train station was wall-to-wall people, we could barely figure out which car to board, everything was rushed, then you have to leave your bags unattended by the train doors. Never again! But I do understand that first class training might be better, so I'm going to check that out.

If you were bored on your last cruise, obviously cruising is not for you. Dining will never be anything more than 'mass food distribution', no matter how luxe the cruise is ... that's just a given. If you are truly discerning about your meals, dining on a cruise will never be 'good enough'. While there are all kinds of wonderful adventures available on shore excursions, the rest of a cruise is aimed at relaxing and just meandering through the week doing whatever you want to do. If there's nothing you want to do, you'll be unhappy. Cruising is a form of hedonism that appeals to many people. If you don't enjoy that, why cruise at all?

I'd research both ships here on CC plus any other reviews you might find. You'll get a good overview of each ... and I find reading the member reviews a super way to gain the true feeling of cruising on each. The larger ship will have more choices and more goodies to entertain you; but you might have to be clever avoiding long lines and crowds.

A possibility is stress ... you might want to talk with your doc about an anti-anxiety Rx. You may not feel anxious, but once the anxiety goes away, you'll realize that maybe you were. It can be the little things ... worrying about being late for an appointment, concern about a business/social event ... people often don't realize that their stress is not 'normal'. Some of us are just 'wired' and have been all our lives. I know several people who have had intermittent hair loss as young adults. It slowed and finally stopped once they got their anxiety under control.

Aha! We booked this cruise in a hurry when NCL cancelled Japan. We were thrilled to get an aft-facing cabin. For the last several months I've been wondering why my original notes back when I booked this cruise showed Hilo and Kauai and they 'disappeared' from our itinerary. Apparently that's how we started ... but we don't care much; we've been to Hawaii several times and have done all the tourist stuff. This trip is pure relaxation and hedonism.

What do you mean, Royal Princess will miss several ports?

I gotta admit, sailing out and back to SF will be a major treat! Probably 20 years ago we were in a restaurant in Ghiradelli Square and watched 'lit-up wedding cake' sail out ... that picture has stayed in my mind all these years. I so hope our weather holds and we get those 'perfect NoCA days' for both trips under the Golden Gate.

Gadzooks, you've made my day! I am a very young 76, booked on Royal Princess departing SF on December 22 and wondering what I got myself into! I'm into learning about the features of my smart phone, especially the camera, taking a refresher course on drawing, adding in some experimental water colours as well, reading constantly, marching around the ship for an hour morning and afternoon, finding a bar with trivia contests in the evenings, and eager to take advantage of everything the ship has to offer on the sea days. We've never done a cruise like this, but my husband has some health issues that cause him great fatigue. So I am seriously wondering if I will die of boredom on this cruise. Come back after January 6 and I'll give you a review. I'm hoping for the best! Or better, book the 12/22 sailing and we can figure out how to have fun together!

This is so good to know! I've about used up all my credits from the virus hysteria and no longer have status with any airline. I will be sure to check with the cruiseline on air from now on. Isn't CruiseCritic just the BEST!!!??

Y'all have inspired me ... just hauled out a caftan I made out of an YSL sheet for a cruise never taken 3 years ago. It will be just the thing for our cruise to Hawaii next month.

I'll assume a 'hair styler' is a hair dryer. It's the wattage that counts. Years ago I blew out half our deck plugging in my hair dryer on a Costa ship,; I was mortified. So I never bring anything that could be considered high wattage. Your QV steward will probably find whatever you need if you just ask, it will work properly and not cause trouble. Have a SUPER time! QV is our favorite ship ever ... we'd just walk around for an hour every morning admiring her elegance. Plan your own port activities before you sail ... QV provides no information except for their own Shore Excursions. On formal nights, you can find a table in the corridor leading to the MDR, order a glass of champagne and watch the incredible parade of finery on the way to second seating. Having done far too many formal dinners already, we found that far more fun than actually formally dining.

I continue to find this whole subject hilarious. We are paying thousands and thousands of dollars to a cruise line who insists we do it their way but is unable to give us a clear path to getting it done. Absolutely insane, I've never seen anything like this BS with Princess and their crazy technology. I'll give it one last shot the week before we sail, then I'm DONE.

YES! With anything technology, 'unplugging' for five minutes often fixes the whole problem. Good thing, too, because I have no idea what to do if it didn't.

I've done air through a cruiseline a few times without issue ... but I did my own research and figured out which flights would work best. I called the Air Desk and had them make the booking and give me all the details. I checked it carefully with the airline the next morning to be sure we got what we needed. I remember booking first class at Cathay Pacific Hong Kong to SF; the fare that morning was $9K, the cruiseline's Air Desk booked tix @$5500 each. With a cruisetour of Egypt, they didn't want to confirm business class at the time of booking. I just told them that I'd cancel the whole trip if they didn't confirm my flights with seat assignments, and they did so promptly. I've certainly heard a great many horrifying tales from other pax about their flights to board the cruise, so I wouldn't just assume the cruiseline is doing its best for me. Their goal is to get me there as cheaply as possible, my goal is to get there as comfortably as possible. For a $15K cruise, I'm not going to quibble about spending $600 to avoid problems getting to the departure port.

I'd tip 'separately' for each cruise; crew members count on this income and probably have need for their tips when the 'cruise ends'. Possibly, some may be leaving the ship for their break as well. A little extra effort could have a very positive effect on crew members.

This is SUCH an important post. Those of us who have no health issues and never worry about getting sick need to really think about an 'emergency' as we grow older. I am making up a list of things to prep for our next cruise right now. First item is my MedJet Evac Insurance, followed by my laptop and phone with all my medical info easily available to anyone who is helping me. Thank you!

Yes, read your cruiseline's policy for the details.

It seems odd to not accept a DR card for the deposit. Since the card is tied to your checking account, the cruiseline cannot count on you having the money in the bank when it comes to the final payment. But you'd think they'd be OK with using a DR card for a deposit. Why not call them with your specific scenario and fine out their policy, and maybe even get the details? Interesting subject.

So smart to insure trips for this kind of stuff. I always think that I'd just gut it out if I 'didn't feel good' but a real health crisis dictates that you act on it immediately. So you lose your fun and enjoyment, but at least you don't lose all your money. I'll never travel without my annual MedJet coverage.

One thing is for sure ... on all cruises you will have plenty to eat and drink included with your cruise fare. Maybe no fresh-squeezed orange juice, prime rib or lobster tail, but you won't go hungry or thirsty. These days, many cruise lines offer free alcohol as well. Pick a destination, then read the websites of the cruise lines that cruise where you want to cruise.

If I had an injured child that needed medical attention, the last thing I'd want to do is spend even five minutes dealing with the authorities to get us out of the country without a passport. Just common sense in my book. Why would you NOT get him a passport?