DCThunder

Thank you. I don't disagree with a word you wrote, and I know that even first hand observation won't change the opinion of those dedicated to certain media coverage and narratives.

Serious question, did you feel at all unsafe or unwelcome in Kusadasi/Ephesus due to the situation in Gaza and the pro-Hamas demonstrations that have taken place in other parts of Turkey? I'm on an Island cruise that calls in Kusadasi on 11/27 and there are people on our Roll Call who are extremely nervous about getting off the ship there or even having a port call. I'm not worried myself, and am looking forward to visiting Ephesus, but since you've just been there, I thought I'd pose the question to you.

@ ombud, also, I've been picking up Medallions at the port. It's quick and easy and relives the "medallion delivery angst" that you're feeling. Plus it saves ten bucks if you don't have the Premier package.

I was on Island for 30 days this summer doing Norway/Iceland/Greenland. It was fine, except the fitness center was like a dungeon as it was totally inside. Otherwise it's a nice, smaller, older ship. I think it's got a drydock coming up in 2024 and that should help spruce her up a bit.

Nope. Island.

When I've sailed out of Southampton, I observed that many British men did wear tuxes (or Scots in full kilt and the rest of the kit) mainly because they didn't have to fly to the port. If you're crusing from Florida and will need to fly to the US, I'd heed the advice upthread and forego the tux/ball gowns unless you really want to show off.

@Ombudare you sailing on Island or Enchanted?

It's usually $150 for each $100 of FCD, but I think it actually varies depending on a number of factors such as what promotion may be offered at the time of booking.

My bad. My reading comprehension is obviously off today.

I read the OP comment as the balcony was cheaper than what they'd seen at the time they booked the inside. Not that the balcony was now cheaper than an inside. I can't ever see that happening, but strange things do happen.

I did two B2B trips on Island this summer (Norway, then Iceland/Greenland). The menu in the MDR repeated on the leg somewhat, although not totally. Same with the buffet. I did not have a package. Just realize that if you eat in the MDR, you can order whatever you want. By this I mean if you just want a salad and an appetizer as your main? The waiter will bring you that. No app, just an entree? Same thing. You don't have to "clean your plate", no one will care. Want fruit for dessert? They'll bring you something. There's nothing wrong with eating in the buffet all the time, but you aren't committed to huge meals just by eating in the MDR.

Also, if the cruise is in December, you've probably made final payment. That might complicate things a bit, so I'd advise calling Princess.

It depends on the promo that resulted in you getting the OBC, but probably. Do a dummy booking and see what you'd get for a new booking and then call your PVP or TA, if you used one. You could also try putting in an upgrade bid for a balcony.

I did 28 days on Island this summer and the food was fine, if a bit unimaginative, especially in the buffet. The cruise was from Southampton and we had a lot of Brits aboard, so some of the food was designed for the British palate. I didn't eat in Sabatini's so can't speak to that, but the Bayou Cafe (steakhouse) was very good. Island doesn't have the same selection of specialty restaurants as the bigger ships.

My travel companion always ordered a large pineapple juice at breakfast. It was free up until 10 am. After that, they charged for it so she brought a can of Coke from her cabin for lunch.

Don't stay at the airport. Take the National Express bus (cost around $25) from LHR to Southampton and stay at the Moxy hotel. Then take an Uber to the ship the next morning. Depending on when your flight arrives, you'll need an hour or so to clear customs and immigration and collect any checked luggage and get to the National Express stops at LHR. Then a little over an hour to Southampton and a 10 minute walk to the Moxy/ I've checked in there and been in my room by early afternoon, and if your room isn't ready they'll hold your luggage so you can walk around and get some lunch at a pub. The Moxy is a Marriott brand so you get/can redeem Bonvoy points if you have them and book through the hotel website and not a 3rd party site.

Yes, I was on that same cruise and agree that the RIB trip was unique, especially putting on the orange survival suit. I also wandered through the outdoor museum and it was interesting in its own understated way. I intentionally didn't mention the Prince Christian Sund passage as a ship coming from Boston most likely wouldn't be passing that way unless they're also going to Iceland. If (big IF) I ever went back to Greenland, I'd want to go further north, but that may be the province of the expedition ships. And there are other places I'd like to go before I went back to Greenland.

I visited Qaqortoq and Nanortalik in August 2023 but as part of an Iceland/Greenland cruise out of Southampton. Didn't get to Nuuk as that is much further north on the west coast of Greenland and we needed to get back to Southampton. My TL;DR version of Greenland is: The scenery is extremely beautiful, especially in good weather, but once ashore, there isn't much to do. You can walk around the small towns or do a very limited number of excursions such as a RIB trip out into the harbor to see icebergs up close, together with a vodka toast with ice chipped from the iceberg. A travel companion did an excursion to the "ice sheet" but they didn't actually get to walk on the ice, but did get the same vodka toast. I'm glad I went to Greenland, but it's not somewhere I'd need to go back to again.

The answer to my question is probably obvious but here goes. I have a Round Australia cruise from Sydney booked for 2024 following a Trans-Pac from San Francisco. I understand that the "on-board folio" will be in AUD, but does that mean that a USD$12 cocktail would be AUD$18.87 (using current exchange rates)? And would USD$250 of OBC be AUD$393?

All of the above are correct. I'm not a coffee drinker, but the Amuleto in Horizon Court on Lido was always busy during breakfast hours making lattes etc. In fact one of the bartenders we got to know did double duty as a supervisor of the coffee bar there during his mornings. It made for a long day for him, he said.

I was on a fantasy football/general discussion message board in the early 2000s that did the same thing and wiped-out post counts. The wailing and gnashing of teeth over that change was unbelievable. And this was a board of mostly "football guys"...

I'm going to try a variation of this later this month in Civitavecchia. I'm not planning on getting to the ship until around 12:30 pm rather than trying to be in one of the first groups to board (I'm Elite). I have a theory that being later to the port is actually faster to board than getting there early. I've boarded in Civi before so I have a baseline. And I've been on Island before, so I don't need to "explore" the ship immediately upon boarding. I have to pick up my medallion at the port so will be Blue, but as said upthread, that's a five minute process.

Now I'm curious. When did the CC message boards first start? Are the threads from the very beginning available?

Many more "progressive" communities/cities in the US have banned single use plastic bags for environmental reasons or imposed a 5-cent fee for them. But it is not a national ban. A few states have banned "disposable" bags but mostly it's at the community level where it's a real patchwork of where they're banned and where they aren't.

LOL. Well played!😉