jsn55

I always do a 'generic search' and read everything that comes up about a cruise I'm interested in. Reading the ship reviews here at CC should be very helpful in obtaining the 'big picture'. Please come back on the Princess forum with specific questions.

Very good to know; I'll have a look , I need the support.

We might want to start a club ... women who have figured out the hard way exactly what their feet need ... what their feet INSIST ON ... and we could spread the word. If you make a note of the rules your feet dictate, you can get along just fine. A 'normal' friend of mine spent some time trying to convince me that there were boots out there that I could wear comfortably. Not in a million years! Now I have a response to those who wish to 'help me'. "My feet have rules, they are not to be broken."

It's beyond annoying that a cruise line would just deny a pax a solution to a fairly-common problem for no real reason. How refreshing that you aren't whining about losing your money with the cancellation and you accept the rules you agreed to in the first place. Your situation calls for 'artful begging'. If you booked direct, you may have to talk with a few different agents to find someone who is inclined to help you. They are very reluctant to escalate your request, but they can do it. But I don't know if cruise lines are answering the phone these days ... or they are like the airlines who just ignore their customers. Be very polite, make a list of your points before you call ... and don't give up. There's no reason for them not to just make the switch ... but like airlines, they may have grown used to jerking the customers around for no reason at all. The accessible cabin could easily be switched to a regular one. Now, if the ship is sold out, all my comments are irrelevant. One last gasp ... does your credit card have any built-in trip insurance?

We are sailing out of SF to Hawaii for Christmas, Pris, on Royal Princess. It's our first Princess cruise. Which cruise are you on? We could have our own Roll Call. I am so jazzed about no air at Christmas, it will be such a no-brainer, my favorite kind of trip. I love flying, but avoiding the crowds at SFO over the holidays will be a great treat. I am a little worried about this Medallion thing and wondering if it will work. I've just started learning how to really use my phone, got an "Android for Dummies" book and it's very helpful. I hope I know it all well enough so I don't have to bring the book with me!

Amazon delivers to cruise ships??? What fun that would be.

Good for you ... we loved the sled dogs, the goofy lumberjack show and the bear sanctuary. Icy Strait Point was a fabulous day, I so admire what those locals have created. While it was really cool to see the color in the icebergs floating right off the ship, the glaciers were a big disappointment, all dirty looking. I've watched too many nature shows over the years I guess. We really enjoyed the whole cruise, but a word of warning ... we were there during August and it was HOT. We had nothing to wear! Never occurred to me to check the temps like I always do. I mean, it's Alaska, right? You'll have a ball.

Sailing out your 'home port' is a wonderful thing, we're doing it the first time at Christmas out of San Francisco. So liberating to not deal with the air. We did an RCCL Panama Canal out of Galveston some years ago, really enjoyed it. I agree with everyone, a longer cruise will deter the party-people ... somewhat. Lots of it depends on luck. On our Christmas cruise there were lots of kids; we found them quite refreshing to watch as they had a great time while minding their manners. The only issue, as always, is parents who don't seem to care what their kids do. So the kids become ever more boisterous trying to garner attention. Those families are fairly easy to avoid. As are most 'pills' you meet on a cruise as long as you pay attention. Determine which ships of each line fit your sailing dates. Read reviews on CruiseCritic. Once you've read a few dozen and made some notes, the right choice will stand out.

That's great until the day the dermatologist takes that first pre-cancerous squib off your face, then you buy hats.

I knew someone was going to mention this ... I would sooner cut off my foot than be in a restaurant and not enjoy dinner rolls or sourdough bread, since we eat very little bread at home.

I solved this issue years ago and can cruise without gaining weight ... never lost any tho, I think that's a bit much. 🙂 If you're dining in the MDR, never order a starter, enjoy half your entree, then excuse yourself and go for a walk for ten minutes. When you come back, dessert will already have been served and you can just enjoy your coffee. We prefer to dine at the buffet where it's easy to have a plate full of small things that are healthy instead of rich. My downfall is breakfast pastries, so I have a couple with a glass of skim milk and a big bowl of fruit. My secret is pretzels ... I'm never without a bag of them so I never come back to the ship ravenous.

I'm on a Quebec-Boston cruise in late September ... really looking forward to not having to dress for hot weather. I'll bring clothing to layer, silk turtlenecks, sleeveless tops, a sweater, sweatshirt, l/s shirts, cardigan, windbreaker. Scarves and jewelry for evening. Good to be comfy in all kinds of weather. I find that 'back east', rooms are usually much warmer than here in NoCA, so the layering works well. Bright colors are fine, of course. I pack nothing but beige, black and one bright color.

I've used fanny packs for travel since they invented them. I cannot bear to carry a purse, and anything over my arthritic shoulders for more than ten minutes is painful. Once you get used to 'hands-free' travel, you can't imagine dealing with a bag at all. I've been through almost all kinds of bags and always go back to a fanny pack. Am I concerned about what others in our day tour will think of me? Not a chance! I want my 'stuff' with me, and a fanny pack is perfect. I will use a travel vest with a nice scarf if the weather is cool, that's really convenient. I like this flattish bag you posted, Lisa.