sunsetbeachgal

Thinking of booking a last minute sailing (just a little over a week away) on Caribbean Princess out of Ft Lauderdale.  Have had medical issues but hoping I can finally cruise again. 

Question, is there an option to get Covid tested at the pier before sailing?  I do not think I will have time to get the test sent to my home before we leave.  Open to any other suggestions.  We are both fully vaccinated and had boosters (total 4 shots). 
 

thanks! 
 

The pool towels on the Sky are a teal blue color.

I got an email yesterday of upgrade notice for my February 2021 cruise on the Sky.  Obstructed deluxe balcony to non obstructed deluxe balcony.  I had chosen my original cabin as it is one of those midship on Emerald deck with a much larger balcony, so I immediately called and the pleasant Princess agent (and I got right through on the phone!) got my original cabin back.  I booked this on board and had asked the future cruise consultant to mark it do not upgrade, but apparently he didn’t.  No harm!  
 

I was impressed at the gesture by Princess and told the agent how much I appreciated her help and everyone at Princess during these difficult times. 

Yes!!  No doubt about it! Have one booked for next February and possibly can fit in another later this year.  With the way Princess is handling this, I won’t consider another cruise line.

12 hours ago, MJSailors said:

   Agree with sunsetbeachgal about Cobh. It is a charming town. I would rather spend time there than Blarney Castle. While the castle gardens are lovely, the addition of the nearby Blarney Woolen Mills has made this site somewhat touristy and potentially crowded (IMHO).  Fortunately, for the residents of Cobh, the area has retained the flavor of an Irish town. 

We also found Blarney to be very touristy and crowded.  The line for the Blarney Stone was two hours, we did not wait in it.  And the drive from Cobh seemed quite long too.  While we had a nice day, we saw much nicer castles on other stops on the trip, most notably Stirling Castle. 

On 3/7/2020 at 8:46 PM, aheape1979 said:

Thanks for asking.  Here's the email they sent:

"However, I must now inform you that this tour’s itinerary  has been revised since you made your booking.  The (Small Group) Shore Tour from Cork, Blarney Castle & Kinsale is changed to the Shore Tour from Cork, Blarney Castle & Jameson Distillery. The starting times and pickup locations for this tour are the same."

I notice that it is the same online as well.  Maybe this is a change for our date only, but I would ask if this would alter your decision one way or the other.

Happy sails! 

Whatever you do touring, make sure to leave time to wander into the little town of Cobh. We were sorry we didn’t allow more time there.  It is a short, and I mean very short, walk from the ship.  A nice promenade with a small Titanic Museum ( we didn’t have time for this but our friend did and she enjoyed it quite a bit), shops, pubs, a cute train station, etc.  We stopped in at a pub for a pint and heard excellent Irish music being performed.  Cobh really is a gem and one of the ports where you are right in town rather than in a commercial area. 
 

I’m sure I would have said something to the person when it happened, that is way too shocking and a Potential danger to fellow passengers health.  I would probably Then point it out to the closest employee I could find so they could remove the food item and then ask someone to find a buffet supervisor ASAP to talk to and report it.  Some of the employees in the buffet, especially those behind the counter, have very limited English and I think a supervisor would be better equipped to handle it and report it up the line. 
 

And I think I agree with Coral that perhaps the buffet should no longer be self serve, at least until this whole threat of virus is passed.  Princess could not buy as much negative press as they are experiencing now, with the Diamond and now the Grand.  And even though most of us realize it is not their fault, the name has become synonymous with cruising problems and the Coronavirus.  

Sorry I just re read your post and you said you didn’t want any insurance lectures.  Mine wasn’t intended to be a lecture, just that you said you are turning 65 and Medicare changes things!

Have a great cruise, assuming you go and happy birthday!  This is my 65 year too, Medicare choices just around the corner.  
 

You may want to re consider getting insurance going forward With your future travel unless you are sure you have medical coverage out of the country.  It is my understanding that Medicare does Not cover medical expenses incurred outside the US.  Without insurance, the cost of something Medically happening on the cruise or, God forbid, an evacuation could be quite high.  Much as we like to think we are still young and nothing ever happens, reality says it does!  And we love the peace of mind that the Princess platinum insurance provides with the cancel for any reason. 

We did British Isles cruise in 2018, and also five nights pre cruise in London.  Loved every minute, it’s a great cruise.  

Interesting!  They did not offer the Pub Lunch on our recent cruise on the Sky.

And unless I missed it or it has been eliminated, they did not have the elaborate sushi buffet or the chocolate buffet that we have previously seen on the Royal

11 hours ago, Coral said:

It probably isn't ideal - but if the choice is seeing it for a few hours and never seeing it, I would go for a few hours.

 Exactly!  Our daughter and son in law opted for this from our British Isles cruise, as they had been to Paris but theit two young girls had not.   They did the “on your own “ Princess bus and were very pleased.  The girls got some great photo ops, a few souvenirs, saw some sights and and it saved son in law paying for a separate trip to Paris, for at least awhile! 

2 minutes ago, cmh said:

Thanks for the great review.  I read somewhere that there was no library on the Sky.  Is that true?  We are doing a transatlantic cruise in April and I will need to bring books if none are available onboard.

No library.  There is a very small book exchange on a table at the back of the computer room, but I would bring my own if I were you. 

No pub lunch on our January sailing

On 1/19/2020 at 10:50 AM, coo359a2 said:

We just got off the Sky Princess and it was a Polka cruise group headlined or put together by Jimmy Sturr. They will have a :2021 polka cruise next January on the Caribbean Princess. One of the group told me there was going to be an Irishman group cruise coming up with 1000 in the group. She didn’t say which cruise line it would  be on

The large Irish group was on our cruise on the Sky in late January.  They brought their own entertainment, but had to use the Princess Theater at very off times, most often late at night or mid afternoon. I understand some of their entertainment took place later at night in the piazza (which was open to all passengers) but we were in bed by then.  I also heard from other passengers that they one of the early traditional seatings at one of the dining rooms was for their group, but that was here say.  
 

Nice folks and in no way did the group interfere with our enjoyment of the cruise. You could spot them by their green lanyards, which also served as their entry into the private entertainment events.

No, 50% of the base fare you paid for the cancelled cruise (not including fees, taxes) is deposited in your captains circle account.  You then can apply this amount to a future booking, just like using a gift card.  
 

It has nothing to do with the actual price of the future booking. But if for instance you booked a shorter or less expensive cruise the amount of the credit could conceivably pay for most of the cruise. 

We recently dined at the Crown Grill on the Sky and had an excellent experience.  We were seated at a quiet booth and had an excellent waiter.  My friend ordered the rib eye and the waiter suggested the bone in rib eye.  She said it was delicious, as were our filets.  Yes to the onion soup and I had a scallop appetizer that was excellent. 
 

We always take cash with us to leave for the waiter.  It says gratuity is included but we like to reward a hard working knowledgeable server.  And it is always appreciated 

There was no customs and immigration at the end of our Canada New England cruise in October that ended in Quebec.  You simply got off, picked up your luggage and off you went.  
 

I would continue to follow up with Princess but I can’t imagine this would be a problem as long as they knew you had left the ship for good, rather than just going off to sightsee in Quebec.  If you have never been to Quebec you should think about taking a flight a day or two later and spending extra time there, it is an absolutely beautiful city and was the highlight of the cruise.  And having the ship dock right downtown was a huge plus.
 

We loved the Sky, and most of the changes made to the Regal and Royal.  The beds and the bedding were divine!  
 

There are two production shows on the 7 day itinerary, both are very good and very popular.  Go early! For the first one “Five Skies” you need to sit in the center area or the first few seats right or left off the aisle or the sets will obstruct some of the view. If you are further back it might not make a difference, we like to sit in the lower section. 
 

if you are going to any shows in the Vista Lounge (the Jim Henson show is there) I found that the sight lines from anywhere other than around the front weren't very good, and I am tall.  Loved the new design of Princess Live!!  We are Alfredo’s fans and I also liked the design of it, and we found service and food to be particularly good. On sea days people were lined up before they opened! No library on the Sky, I borrowed a book from the little exchange in the Computer room, or bring your own. 
 

Enjoy!

They were using facial recognition at Terminal 2 earlier this month when we disembarked the Sky. So quick!

On Princess at Cozumel I’ve always been at Puerta Maya pier. There were three ships at this port the last time we were there, one Princess and two Carnival.

Got off the Sky two weeks ago, I think 9 am was the last disembarkation group.  

I’m so sorry to hear this.  I took this Repo cruise on the Regal a few years ago and Roland and his wife were on it.  He was very friendly and welcoming to others. 
 

deepest condolences to his family. 

On 2/5/2020 at 6:59 PM, Kenswing said:

We stayed at the Hotel Le Priori.  https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g155033-d185645-Reviews-Hotel_Le_Priori-Quebec_City_Quebec.html

 

Price was reasonable.  Staff and hotel were great.  

 

Was close enough to walk to the port. 

We also stayed here, loved it and would highly recommend! This picture shows how close the ship was to the hotel.  I took it window in our room. 

Just disembarked at Terminal 2 in Port Everglades Two weeks ago, they had facial recognition.  No lines just a quick stop and walk right through.  Loved it!  Then did a short cruise out of Port Canaveral, the Royal Caribbean terminal.  Also had facial recognition.