karatemom2

So glad you found my review helpful! Yes, Portsmouth was a great place to spend a few days before the cruise. Next time we would also like to add in a visit to the Isle of Wight. We really haven’t spent much more than a single night in Southampton - mostly just to get ready for the cruise and catch a show at the Mayflower Theatre and wander around a bit. It’s a nice little town, but not as much to do within the city itself. There are some great day trips to Stonehenge and Windsor Castle which we did in prior years. I would suggest looking at some of those opportunities or even spend a few days in London or other nearby area like Portsmouth, Bath, Winchester, Windsor, etc. that might offer more to do. We spent 4 days in London on our first cruise out of Southampton and it was so great!

We have cruised on the Sky the past two summers in a row. We were underwhelmed by our dinner at Sabatinis, but our meals at both Crown Grill and The Catch by Rudi were fabulous - especially The Catch - it was outstanding. We also did the Ultimate Balcony Dinner this past summer, and it was even better than our meal at the Crown Grill. If you have a balcony, I would highly recommend considering it.

Agree. We also had a very good experience with Affordable Car Rental this past September. It's an easy walk to the pier and it was a nice car in good condition. We have rented from Avis in the past as well and they are great also - but price wise Affordable was, as its name implies, more cost effective this time around.

Not especially. We walk off regularly on our cruises out of Vancouver and don’t encounter any issue. There are plenty of fellow passengers who choose walk off, but it is not super crowded. We are always off by 7:30 a.m. and there is a line of taxis waiting there to provide rides to the airport if that is where you are headed.

Thanks for sharing this. Interesting that they note that Natalya Leahy is departing for another position, but Padgett is just “stepping away”. If you work in a corporate environment, messages like these are easy to interpret. In my role in corporate communications, I have written many similar messages. No doubt that Padgett has been an innovator, particularly with the medallions. However, the rollout of the Sun has been an unmitigated disaster and embarrassment - especially with the costly Park 19 failure. I would imagine his departure is more of gentle shove with some kind words and payoff to help him save face and ensure a smooth transition as they return to a leader who is a tried and true Carnival corp insider with extensive industry background.

Agree. I really do not understand why there is a perception the casino was “lending” money. No casino lends money. People are basically putting charges on their credit card when they charge money to their account. It’s no different then going into the jewelry store on the ship and charging a $5000 ring. And you can’t possibly compare this to someone being over served at a bar. Being excessively intoxicated has visible signs that can be recognized. But people don’t walk into a casino with a sign that says “I’m a compulsive gambler, stop me”. I don’t mean to be unsympathetic and I feel very sorry for the family. But trying to place blame on the cruise line or casino for the behavior of someone suffering from mental health issues of which they could not possibly be aware is patently unfair. Lots of people charge that kind of money in the casinos regularly. To them he was just another high roller cashing in to play. That’s how casinos work.

No, this is not a casino issue. This is a very sad story indeed. But you can't blame the casino or the cruise line for poor personal choices or behavior. Clearly, this poor man was going through something, but he made a choice to rack up the bill and charge it to his account. Obviously the money was not coming from thin air. You know what you are laying out and it is up to each individual to manage their spending. It would be like blaming the ship for someone being an alcoholic and drinking too much. It's a sad thing, but some people should not be drinking, gambling, or pursuing any other type of addictive behavior that they are unable to control. But the ship and casino staff can't be held responsible for monitoring and policing that. I feel very bad for his Mom and family. It sounds like he was going through a very difficult time and had some mental health issues that manifested in a really bad way.

I think that really depends on the time of year, ship, and itinerary. We have been on some where it was a big group, but others much less. Our last Hearts cruise was on the Ruby this past September in Alaska. There were probably only about 20 - 25 total in the group. The casino was never crowded and everyone in the promotion got a lot of attention, prizes, and gifts. We got two comped specialty meals and while DH was happy to have some other players at the Craps table, as he has been on cruises where he feels like he is playing alone, it was never crowded or hard to access at all.

You can still request a receipt for purchases in the stores onboard. Other charges will appear on your folio which you can check daily on your app. Or you can always get a paper at printout guest services. We generally check our folio every day or two during our cruise.

I am not sure I would consider them a voyage within a voyage - but definitely a cruise with added perks at each level. Generally they come with special added benefits - cocktail parties, free drinks in the casino, gifts sent to your room like chocolates and champagne, drawings for cash prizes every night, specialty meals, etc. I don’t gamble much at all - my DH is the degenerate one. But he nets us lots of extras. As his travel companion I get added to the mix and actually won $970 in one of the nightly drawings during a Hearts cruise. Good thing I showed up that night! Usually there is free play cash included in the offer and a nice gift at the end of your cruise. We haven’t ranked high enough for a Prestige cruise - he has his limits! But they sound nice - probably suites, airport transfers, free Plus:Premier. Obviously for higher rollers than mine - but I am happy with what he does get. He loves to throw those dice and I love to travel so it works out well.

Well, good on him for setting such a well dressed example for those baseball cap, shorts and flip flop wearing heathens! 😂 Seriously though, we have seen lots of dogs on Princess ships over the years, but very rarely in the dining room which does cause a double take. We had a very similar situation many years ago on a Diamond Christmas cruise with a very well heeled older couple and their very glam little dog in a stroller. They were always all dressed to the nines and we saw them every evening rolling “Precious” in to the MDR in a rig that probably cost more than my engagement ring. Dad was in a wheelchair so we assumed the dog was for him, but it never seemed to leave her side as we saw her solo with the dog often during the cruise. It didn’t bother me in the slightest, but it was a running topic among fellow passengers. My daughter and I were just excited to see its new outfits every day!

On our most recent cruise on the Ruby, we received our first ever invite to the MTG cocktail party. We happened to sit near another group where a young woman had a small toy dog. I didn’t hear in the conversation what the reason was for her need for her dog, but did overhear her explaining in detail what the cruise ship requires in order to allow her dog. And trust me when I say, it sounded like a lot. Extensive documentation on the medical need, health certifications, vet records, insurance, disclaimers, release of liability, etc. She commented that the process takes weeks and is required each and every time she travels. It sounded like a real pain, so I guess people we see onboard with dogs really must need them there in order to go through that vetting process. I can guarantee, no one is sneaking a pet onboard. The dog was sweet and well behaved and was quietly sitting beside her causing no issues.

Yes, it was this one: https://www.ncl.com/shore-excursions/KTN_32/Rainforest-Canopy-Zipline-Adventure

The Rainforest Canopy Zipline does not involve climbing up a tower. You are transported to the top and zip your way down. There is some climbing down a tower at the bottom of the course, but it is easy for anyone who is able bodied, which you generally have to be in order to do this activity. It is a bit physically strenuous, so you need to be in decent shape. Also, it goes rain or shine, so be prepared if it is cool or rainy. They suit you up well, but my daughter and I did it in some pretty consistent rain on our day and it did make the zips a little faster. We loved it!

Well this makes sense - we have seen different places that they were still being offered, but have yet to see it actually implemented in some time. Even to to the point on one of our cruises since COVID it was noted on the Patter, but not enforced at all. Seems like Princess is all in on continuing to allow smoking in its casinos. It's disappointing as the nonsmoking nights seemed like at least a compromise.

Actually, the current rate of those who use tobacco products in the USA is 19%, not 25%, and that includes all types of products, with cigarettes still being the most common, but other types such as E cigarettes (vaping) and chewable gaining significantly. I work in health care and these are CDC statistics that we use. The Great American Smoke Out is coming up this Thursday, so I was just actually looking at current statistics. Regardless, I will note that our two cruises on the Sky were both out of Southampton and majority Brit passengers, and we didn't notice any real difference in the amount of smokers compared to our US based cruises, so I don't think the statistics really make a difference. That being said, smoking in the casinos on Princess is still very annoying for the vast majority who do not smoke and the design of the Royal Class ships tends to lend itself to some level of spillover in surrounding areas. This is not so much the case on the Grand Class ships in our experience. My DH is a casino player and nonsmoker and has just learned to live with it, but he enjoys it when Princess implements nonsmoking nights which seem few and far between these days. We tend to prefer the Grand Class ships, but we really do love the Sky. It's our favorite Royal Class ship. Happy to hear your experience was overall positive. Hopefully you will give Princess some other chances and try a Grand Class ship for comparison.

You really can’t go wrong either way, but my preference is a balcony. Generally you have three port days in Alaska on a 7 day cruise. While tours are expensive if you book through the ship, there is absolutely no reason not to use private vendors, rent cars, make your own plans. Often the results are superior and less expensive. I look at the vacation as a whole. The sea days and glacier viewing days are equally important to me and though it is true you can view on the public decks, the experience of enjoying them in peace and comfort on my balcony any time of day or night is worth the price for me. We have seen so much wildlife and scenic beauty from our balcony that I know others are missing out on. It’s important for me in terms of my priorities.

Same. We quite enjoy trivia of all sorts. Guess we are just “Primary School Children” as well. 🙄 Funny enough, when our school aged children cruised with us they weren’t the least interested in trivia. They enjoy it now as adults though. Maybe they are regressing! 😂

No. Matt was a superstar and the first CD Princess brought back after COVID. He came back excited and within weeks it was apparent changes already underway were not aligned with his ability to bring the best to passengers. So instead of just hanging on for a paycheck he followed his heart and instinct and left Princess. A sad loss for all of us who cruised with him. As it turns out, he likely saw the handwriting on the wall and made a wise, albeit difficult choice. He is now bringing his wonderful spirit and skills to the lucky passengers on Windstar.

I doubt many book specifically for the entertainment - our priority is itinerary, departure port, and ship. However, while I have always held that poor entertainment doesn’t necessarily ruin a cruise, conversely great entertainment can enhance it tremendously. Some of our best and most memorable cruises were on ships with an amazing CD leading a great staff. David Cole and Matt O’Brien are two that come to mind. Great entertainment and an engaged CD staff can move a cruise from good to great. Does Princess really care about that? I am thinking maybe not so much - people will cruise regardless and they could argue entertainment in and of itself does not generate a revenue stream. And right now revenue generation rules the decision making - theatrical art, music, intellectual, and cultural offerings, take a back seat in that kind of environment. But in the long run, it is part of what elevates a cruise experience and creates an onboard ambience that many people do value. I would hope Princess does not completely lose sight of that in an effort to downgrade costs by cheapening the entertainment.

When they started handing out the ridiculous little plastic coasters I really thought why even bother. Better to give no prizes and hold events for fun then give out things that will just end up in the trash. At least some of the former items like luggage tags, pens, notebooks, wine stoppers, etc., were things we actually kept and used.

This information has been corroborated by other Princess entertainment staff I follow. This reorganization seems to be another big shift and likely a cost cutting measure. I feel for those impacted. My department went through something similar three years ago and it is not a pleasant process. Forcing people to reapply for existing or new positions is not a morale booster. We lost some of our best and brightest who took it as an opportunity to move on to other companies. Princess production shows have always been a mixed bag, but in general the CD staff and other musical entertainment onboard has been a bright spot. Perhaps this will all shake out well and result in improvements in overall entertainment and activity quality, but I have my doubts. To me it indicates a plan to reduce and water down the existing onboard entertainment. We shall see.

Thoroughly enjoyed it on all three Princess cruises this past year - Discovery, Sky, and Ruby.

Children are not some bunch of filthy out of control little heathens that your hyperbolic description seems to imply. And I say that as someone who has traveled with Princess with my now adult children for more than 20 years. We have spent many, many wonderful vacations with our family and other families and have never witnessed anything other than what could be classified as slightly annoying behavior and at that very infrequently from any child onboard. We have, on the other hand, witnessed some seriously disgusting, slovenly, drunken, and rude behavior from adults. And don’t even get me started on what I have seen adults do in the buffet. Princess has been actively marketing to families for decades now. They have wonderful children’s programs and amenities for families and certainly want that segment of the cruising public on their ships. This is not new or unique to their new builds like the Sun. As for “adult” entertainment, Princess has never been a line that has blue comedians or racy acts as a norm, even on itineraries with few children. Overall, Princess is very PG and barely pushes that line even with the Marriage Match game show which has an age advisory. If you choose to travel over school holidays you can expect many families and a lot of children onboard. Their money is just as welcome and encouraged on Princess as it is on Disney. Those who have zero tolerance for kids should probably avoid peak family travel times or choose an adults only line like Virgin.

We did the LA to Hawaii cruise 5 years in a row when our kids were younger. If it meant they missed a day or two of school on either end of their holiday break, it wasn’t a concern for us. You can count on the fact there will be hundreds of children on board ranging from babies to high school age. Many extended families travel together on these cruises. Personally, I think it’s lovely. We made lifelong friends on those cruises. Christmas and children go together like peanut butter and jelly as far as I’m concerned and it just made the entire experience more festive. Instead of worrying about it, embrace it. It’s an amazing cruise and Princess makes Christmas very special. You will have a wonderful time!