Mary loves to travel

The dining rooms aren’t normally that full with everyone arriving at once. Yet another reminder to avoid group cruises unless one is part of the group 😉

If you’d been able to put a Hold on a cabin, then yes, they’d have honored the price.

are you able to use a gift card to pay for EZAir? On the FAQ it says: Q: Are there any restrictions in using the Princess Cruises Gift Card towards the payment of products and services offered by Princess Cruises?A: The Princess Cruises Gift Card can be used for most Princess products and services, with the exception of payment towards Land Excursions and eZAir.

Ok, that’s what I remember.

oh, this is a bit concerning. Thanks for sharing, Ken! I realize also that if I don't pay for my cruise directly with my credit card, that might mean the credit card travel insurance won't apply. Hmm. Mary

oh, I think I see the "catch". If for some reason one were to cancel, say in the early penalty phase of just the deposit, the refund is back to the gift card? Mary

OK, they just emailed me my "Welcome" message. NOW I can see the gift cards!! So, I can buy a Princess gift card at a 10% discount to pay for a cruise.... and can we buy the gift cards with a regular credit card? Nice 🙂

I am completely new to this! I am not finding Princess gift cards for sale on the AARP site, so I guess I need a little hand holding 🙂

try Taxidatum. They were excellent.

This sounds like a pretty standard move-over offer. Since the replacement cruise works for you, it’s quite nice, isn’t it 😊 Doesnt hurt to ask for an upgrade to a mini. Are there quite a few available? Or ask for the Princess Plus, for that matter. Depends how many they need to move over & how many have already said Yes. Enjoy! Mary

I think I just got lucky

I had to try 2 different browsers but finally got the price shown for a cruise in 2024. Put a HOLD on it & sent to my PVP, who took care of the rebooking.

Yes, that's about how long it will take, depending on traffic; up to 45 minutes, likely less, but could be a bit more. So you'd need to be in a cab & moving by 9 am, very latest; earlier (8 am) would be better. It's just so hard to predict traffic in that area, so the sooner you are on the road, the better chance of moving along smoothly. Best, Mary

Looks pretty complete for the time you have available. We did all 3 weeks of the Med cruise last September, with a week in Rome first. We did the Princess tour to Knossos in Crete, it included a guide, which I think you’ll need. When we returned to Heraklion town center with the tour, we chose to stay in town longer and walk back to the ship on our own (or you could taxi back). We had a light lunch right on the square, then spent an hour plus at the excellent Archeological Museum. No guide needed for that museum. Good you found a tour in Ephesus that includes an inside visit of the Terrace houses. Just looking from the outside doesn’t do it justice. Enjoy, Mary

It is beyond annoying, isn't it? Might I suggest that when you see a price / itinerary you like, do the booking, putting it on HOLD. That holds your price and gives you a few days to chat with your husband before you need to either put down a deposit, or just ignore the booking and it will cancel itself (due to no deposit being paid, the HOLD expires). Best, Mary

Disappointed I can understand; angry, not so much. Take a few moments to read your cruise contract. Then, perhaps all of us will "get it". Best, Mary

That would seem to make sense, but I've been told by my CVP that unless she does the booking, she doesn't get "credit" for the cruise. So, I often put a cruise on "hold", then ask her to do the booking. that way, she gets credit. I can't expect her to do all the price changes, etc, etc if she's not going to get credit for the booking.

It was about a mile and a half each way. We went at a comfortable pace. There were some ups & downs, but not overly strenuous. If you are regular walkers, you'll have no problems.

Next Jan, we'll be on a Princess South America and Antarctica (drive-by) cruise. We'll spend a few days in Buenos Aires afterwards. It seems we'll have a few different opportunities to visit an estancia. I'm wondering how to choose -- any advice/experience welcome. Punta Arenas: Princess Tour "Patagonia Estancia & City Drive", includes 4 hours at a "traditional estancia" with a tour, bbq lunch, and demonstrations. Montevideo: Princess Tour "Best of Montevideo" includes 4 hours at Estancia La Rabida. Includes a tour on horse-drawn carriage or antique cars, bbq lunch, demonstrations, and a chance to ride horses, milk cows, etc. Buenos Aires: there are many private tours on offer, that include similar time at an estancia. we know we want to do one, but how to choose? Thanks, Mary

related terminology question: if we have 2 cruises, on different ships, same port for embarkation/debarkation, but 2 days in between the 2 cruises.... is this an S2S or something else? maybe an S2H2S? 🙂 Mary

What an awful experience. I am so sorry this happened to you. Now, of course, the second nightmare of paperwork ...... Best wishes for a quick & full recovery. Mary

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t 😀

Yes, even without using EZair sometimes you have to take the flights they offer to keep your price. I found that out this summer, when our nonstop Heathrow to Rome flight was cancelled. I’d booked with points. While there were later nonstops the same day, I was told there were no more points seats on those flights. That’s why we flew to Rome with a plane change in Madrid, arriving in Rome at midnight…. But our luggage made it. We still had a great time in Rome. Maybe take the flights they’re offering you with the one hour connection.

I wanted to come back and let people know what we did in Haugesund 🙂 We took an excursion offered by Princess "Ryvarden Lighthouse Walk". It was lovely! And not easily done on one's own. First the bus drove about a half hour north through beautiful countryside to Ryvarden, on the coast. During the drive, we learned a lot about farming and Norwegian folk stories. At Ryvarden, we had a beautiful hike to the lighthouse, with stunning views. At the lighthouse, we were treated to fresh Norwegian waffles & coffee, with time to walk around. Then, the hike back, a short tour of the town (since no one had another appointment, the driver & guide decided to add a little extra touring). All in all a lovely day. Best, Mary

Cruise that ended Sept 3 of this year we were owed ~$30. got that check about 5 weeks later. Cruise that ended Oct 1 of this year, we were owed several hundred dollars. Still waiting for that check. I was a little concerned the check may have been lost in the mail; my PVP checked and said, no, they haven't processed it yet..... go figure. Mary