msled

Thank you for the suggestions.  I was feeling so overwhelmed for even where to start given the tube zones and how to get to Southhampton.  We will have suitcases for a 2 week visit.  Is it reasonable to use the tube for transportation from LHR and then back to Victoria with luggage?  Is that common or will we be standouts?

Ok, I know that this is so basic and there are hundreds of options.  I am so overwhelmed!!  We are flying into Heathrow a couple of days prior to a cruise from Southhampton.  There are 4 of us and we want to stay somewhere near a tube so that we can easily get around to the sites w/ no car and not too much walking.  One of us is a little mobility challenged.  I don't really know what area would be good to stay in.  Want something reasonable because we are splurging on the cruise.  I'm wondering if we can take the tube to a hotel and then back to ride the National Express Bus to Southhampton.  Or is it advisable to only do a taxi / car service to the hotel?  Help!  Any advice on areas or hotels?

Thanks

Read a suggestion somewhere that I can rent a car from Ken's Garage and they deliver right to the cruise pier.  Can't seem to find anything on them good or bad.  Does anyone have experience with this company?

Thanks,  Susan

Thanks to all for all the advice.  I have booked a tour through Clyde Coast Tourism.  It looks like it will be a wonderful tour.

We would like to take a tour from Glasgow to Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, ...  I have read some suggestions on this board but am running into road blocks.  DiscoverScottland does not have 4 seats available.   I don't think BusyBus goes to Stirling.  We would like a small bus experience, but not a private one because of cost.  Any recommendations?

Thanks!

We will be stopping at Cork & Belfast on a cruise in July.  We have never been to Europe.  I have been searching on the boards, to no avail, for suggestions or info on renting a car.  We like to do this to just wander the countryside and sightsee.  Anyone have information on how doable this is in Ireland?  Are car rentals available near the port?  Any particular restrictions or problems with a US citizen renting there?

Thanks!

We want to do Edinburgh on our own.  Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle, ...  

Will my 78 yo mother be able to walk to Edinburgh Castle from where the Princess Cruise 'On Your Own' bus drops you?  Mostly wondering if it is a severe uphill or anything like that.   I was thinking the OYO tour would be the way to go because we could get early tender tickets from the ship.   But maybe a HOHO would be better because it probably drops immediately in front and back at the cruise terminal.  Is that correct?  Also, the Princess excursion is $70 but I thought I read somewhere that there is a Princess shuttle that takes you downtown for £9.  Anyone know about that?

Thanks so much!

I know this is a somewhat old thread but maybe someone can help me.  I have Verizon and their 'International Pay  as  you Go' for a Princess ship shows a cost for phone or messaging.  So, i was assuming if i just leave my phone with it's usual settings  i  may pay for a phone call (if i answer  it) or pay for messages.   But how  would i end  up paying for data.  My impression is that it is not even available unless I log on using the Princess internet.  So, is it  really necessary to turn data roaming off on the ship or even put it in airplane mode if i want to be able to  receive text messages.  Or, do i need to turn it  off so my phone doesn't burn through power  trying to  connect to something?

Can you walk from the cruise pier to Lover's Beach or is the water taxi required?  Can you have them drop you so you can hang out a bit and then walk back, or is that just crazy?  Can you only see the arch from a boat or can you see it at low tide from the sand somewhere?

Also, if we walk the marina to Medano Beach and stay for the day are there water taxis to take you back?

Thanks

ok, so yes, i meant connecting rooms.  and i saw that it did not show any on the website.  if you have a balcony room can either direction be connected or do i have to pick the right combination of 2 rooms.  also, if i want my two rooms to have doors right next to each other (the way the doors always pair up) how do i know what rooms to pick.  does it show that on the deck layouts?

Does anyone know if the Crown has some adjoining rooms?  The website doesn't show anything, but it does show that sister ships Emerald & Ruby have adjoining rooms.

Thanks!

Can anyone tell me what tour operator Princess uses for HOHO in San Francisco?  I would like to be able to view the stops and schedules.  I am assuming if you take this excursion that the cruise terminal will be one of their stops (at the end).  But, if you Hop Off and then Hop back On to another bus later that did not originate from the ship does it still stop at the cruise terminal?  We have a couple of low mobility persons in our group and want to make sure they will not have a long walk back to the boat.

Thanks

Thanks so much for the quick responses!

Thanks! I am pretty good with using google to find things. I did try that but had limited my results to being posted in the last year. Must have screened out this post. Any idea if Princess has basically the same menu for different itineraries, i.e. Alaska vs Caribbean?

Cruising on the Golden to Alaska next week. I've searched on here with no luck. Can anyone post the current Princess Drink Menu.

Thanks

We are sailing on the Golden to Alaska next week. Does she still have BOGO? Video on Demand on the cabin TVs?

Thanks

Sailing Golden on Sept 11 to Alaska in a regular balcony cabin. Can anyone give info on if the Golden now has Video on Demand? Also, can a computer be attached to the TVs to play downloaded movies?

Thanks

So, does this new Coffee Package need to be purchased ahead of time (via the website)? Or can it be purchased on the ship like the Coffee Cards?

Thanks

Is there any way to buy a future cruise deposit NOT on a cruise? I feel like I've heard that before but I don't remember. I have one deposit right now, but I want to book two different cruises, one for this fall and one for next fall. I don't have the ability to take a little puddle jump cruise or to wait until after the first cruise before booking the second cruise. Any advice???

We are leaving on an Alaskan cruise (including a stop in Victoria) in 10 days. We did not purchase Vacation Protection Insurance from Princess. My mother is now concerned that she will not have medical coverage in the event of an emergency. She has previously had 2 strokes. Her Medicare will cover her in Alaska, but not evacuation from the ship or in Victoria. Can anyone give me advice on how to handle this with our short time frame.

Thanks, Susan

Budget Queen, Thanks for your advice. We decided to skip the kayak and just rent a car for the day. We enjoy just driving around and sight seeing, hiking, etc. Seems there will be plenty to do there.

Budget Queen

Thanks so much for your response. I have found many of your posts on these boards to be helpful. We have decided to take the long trip that includes Bennet, train up, bus back. Picked Chilkoot because we can come back on a mini-bus rather than a motor coach thru Princess. Liked Dyea Dave but it appears with him you only ride the train to Fraser. Anyway, Thanks Again!!

I have spent a ton of time weeding through posts about the train in Skagway. I think I have a pretty good idea about a lot of it. But here are my questions...

- Is only taking the train to/from Fraser missing out on a lot that is between Fraser & Carcross, or is it much the same just longer? From the map it looks like it would be very scenic & different than the first portion of the trip.

- If you do take the train to Carcross does it always include Bennet and is this a valuable bonus above the tours that pick you up at the Fraser train depot and drive you to Carcross?

- I have only found tours that train to Carcross and then motorcoach you back to Skagway. Is there an option to ride the bus up and the train back all the way from Carcross? We will be in port on a Thursday (7/21)

- I think ultimately I am interested in a mini-bus (not the big motorcoach) trip up to Carcross or Emerald Lake and then train back from Carcross to Skagway. I haven't found this combination. Anyone know of this?

- Also, Princess offers a 4x4 Hummer trip both ways to Emerald Lake that is part of a 'group' excursion. This sounds compelling but would want to combine with a train one direction. Any idea if something like this is available to swap with someone else doing the same in reverse?

I know there are some real experts out there. I appreciate any advice you can give me.

Thanks

We are planning to do a Mendenhall Kayak & Salmon Bake excursion through Princess when we are in Juneau in July. Our problem is we would also like to go to the Mendenhall Visitor Center and hike the trails a bit. Our issue is transportation. If we want to get to Mendenhall early, I understand we could take a shuttle or taxi to the Visitor's Center. But, rather than going back to the cruise ship, we would like to go to the kayak excursion directly which I think may originate at Skater's Cabin. Any advice for transportation from the Visitor's Center to Skater's Cabin (too far to walk)? I figure our other option is just to rent a car and do the traveling ourself, assuming Princess allows this. Any thoughts?

Thanks:)

We need a cabin for 3 and are in an OV on the Grand to Alaska. Looking at the currently available rooms that would be an upgrade to another category there are only 2 balconies. Seems far fetched that we would get upgraded to a mini-suite.

So, if we get upgraded to an (unobstructed) oceanview we would be either below the Casino or above the Princess Theater.

Anyone have comments on how noisy it is above the Casino?

Also, I've read on here that on the Grand going forward from the E100's there is a door out onto the upper Promenade deck but it is not shown on the deck plans. The post was a little dated. Anyone know if there is in fact a door out to the deck?