Rick&Jeannie

They are definitely trying hard"! Service was impeccable! Yes, location is a bit weird being "open" to the Piazza but the way they have it set up you cannot just "waltz through" that side of deck 7. The elevators on one end open right up to the waitress stand on one side; the other side you can move around to the opposite side of the Piazza. I was originally concerned that it was going to feel like Alfredo's where people would be walking by within about 3 feet. Not so...the closest people are on the opposite side of the Piazza opening on 7.

Cannot speak to the experience in a suite but thought I would jump in and comment on The Catch. We were just on the Sky 2 weeks ago and had the opportunity to dine at The Catch. Our group of 4 felt it was the best specialty restaurant we have ever done. I'm really surprised that it was showing up with vacancies! Perhaps the word just has not gotten out yet...

We have also purchased the GeoBlue Trekker. That combined with the Princess Platinum and what little our Medicare Advantage plans give us seems like we should be well covered. I also just subscribed to MedJet Assist for medical evacuation. I thought it to be very well priced for what it does for you.

Wow! We've never had *any* type of upgrade that we didn't pay for...

$200 for 2 pax spread across 6 flight segments is not an unreasonable expense.

There will be a suitable plug at the desk.

Rumor has it that any holder that works with an Apple airtag will work.

Bathroom plugs are not rated heavy enough for hair dryers! Only electric razors are approved for use there. There will be a hair dryer provided, probably in the drawer at the desk.

Highly unlikely that you can use your pass...

Don't just sit back and take this! Keep calling various people until somebody gets some action going!

That is actually part of the Premium Fare booking...you get a special "air excursion" showing you all of the surrounding area of your airports. Don't forget to tip your steward/stewardess!

Yeah...but what they don't tell you is that you have to use your medallion to start it. You know those batteries die after about 3 weeks...

Congrats on the resolution finally appearing!

I had to handle the pre-cruise situation recently for a pair of first-time cruisers. I could find no way to do what is being suggested as far as submitting payments on their behalf. I ended up just creating Princess accounts for them and submitting payments using their credit card (with their blessing I might add) so that they would be set up for any possible future cruising.

Agree 100%. I don't know for a fact that this is the exact wording...no doubt there is some type of "legalese" added there which lays out more restrictive terms. I've been "out of the game" for 5 years now...I can only imagine how much worse it has gotten (strictly from the IT viewpoint...)

Sorry...NO. *ALL* closed loop sailings are not exempt from passport requirement.

Hmmm...not *entirely* true. We just did a partial Panama Canal cruise (Princess) this past Feb. which did require a passport due to a port call in Costa Rica. It was a "closed loop" sailing from/to Fort Lauderdale. There seem to be exceptions to just about everything travel-related these days!

In the past, we truly *have* received the email you spoke of regarding your final account. The past coupe of sailings this has not happened (for me, anyway.) We almost *always* get the survey... Regarding the "holding of CC details after the cruise...yes, I agree that it does seem very inconsistent given that they have it BEFORE the cruise. I am retired from a career in IT. One of the BIG things I had to deal with was "PCI" (Payment Card Initiative) which is an arrangement pushed forth by Visa that dictates exactly how credit card data is handled and what is allowed. There definitely *is* some language in the agreement about "not holding data any longer than is necessary". The CC industry has a HUGE influence on financial matters...and Visa has actually been able to force companies that take credit cards to abide by this PCI agreement. In the US, if you take credit cards in any fashion you MUST abide by the terms or your right to accept credit cards can be revoked! So...it's a REALLY BIG DEAL. I have no idea if PCI extends beyond US borders...I would not be surprised if *some* form of it does. The whole thing is supposed to provide more protection for you as a consumer. I'm sure it does...but it was truly a thorn in my side as an IT Manager!

Nice car...but I would pass strictly on the basis of the paint scheme! Just imagine the looks you would get driving around town!

@cr8tiv1, we may very well be the "previous passengers"! We will be doing the NY to Quebec City sailing this September and will be overnighting in Quebec...a first for us. Looking forward to it.

Always held in the Piazza, all of the railings are absolutely full of people watching as well as a full Piazza with people waiting to have their picture made with the captain pouring from a bottle. It is *well* attended.

I don't do any of the table type games...only slots but if I remember correctly there was at least one roulette wheel, one electronic multi-player poker table, and at least a couple of craps tables. Probably more...just trying to recall what I saw 2 weeks ago as I would be walking through. I have no idea about betting minimums since I don't play these...I'm sure someone else will chime in.

Typically only one per cruise. It takes quite a bit of prep to set one up.

Many people ask about posting Patters to get an idea of the daily activities. Here is a complete collection of Patters from the recent Sky Princess sailing for R/T Southampton to Norway and Iceland. This is the sailing where we missed several ports due to weather/winds. This is the "actual" Patter collection...each day that we missed they issued a "replacement" Patter so this represents the actual sailing as it was done. This should be much easier to read than a posted picture. Patters.pdf

Here are PDF scans of every day for this sailing. Patters.pdf