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Heartwarming stories, many thanks for sharing. - Musing About Cruising

We've been on all three and overall, the experience is more or less the same. That being said, of the three, we prefer the Allure for these reasons:

* Mamma Mia!

* Aqua shows and ice shows are better

* Giovanni's is better than Jamie Oliver

The stateroom configuration on Harmony is better (e.g., separate closets), but the ship is more high tech and in some ways, a bit austere. And if you don't use the slides, they don't add anything.

It all comes down to personal taste, of course. - Musing About Cruising

So much depends on how you want to spend your time. We don't typically do excursions, so my comments are based on what you can do around the pier:

* Cozumel -- Fun and lively port with tons of shopping (Mexican crafts, silver, ceramics), restaurants and bars. You can take a cab into town for more of the same

* Roatan -- There are two different stops; since you're going with Princess, I imagine it's Mahogany Bay (but I would check with the cruise line). MB is a spectacular private beach with restaurants, shops and even a chairlift.

The other port in Roatan is Coxen Hole, which has a nice, but not very big, pier area for tourists (shops, cigar roller, music, coffee vendor, etc.). You can walk into town, but there's nothing really there for tourists and the sidewalks are very narrow

* Princess Cays -- Really lovely private beach. Rivals Mahogany Bay.

* Grand Cayman -- Check to see if you dock or tender. Excellent, nice-sized town for walking around--picturesque waterfront with little fish market, shopping, restaurants, etc.

Hope that helps a bit. - Musing About Cruising

Golden Princess to Alaska! The whole experience was unforgettable and it was our first time on Princess. It turned me on to the cruise line and it's been my favorite ever since.

Princess offers the perfect blend of beautiful ships, interesting itineraries (especially the Southern Caribbean) good (buffet) food, great service (they serve drinks in the buffet!), not too big/not too small, good entertainment, affordable mini-suites and a more laid back experience. - Musing About Cruising

I can't comment on group cruises, but highly recommend Princess for Alaska, as well as the age group. We're in that age bracket and went to Alaska a few years ago, and had a tremendous experience. Here's why:

* Princess has been doing Alaska for a very long time and is skilled at it

* The experience was enhanced by a set of terrific speakers

* The cruise was built around the experience--e.g., salmon buffet

* They have the rights to cruise Glacier Bay, which is stupendous for its scenery

* There are elements you can add to the cruise; Princess has its own lodge in Denali, for example

Hope this helps. - Musing About Cruising

As other folks have said, Xmas week will cost you a premium. Also, I think the southern Caribbean cruises are more money because there are fewer of them.

If you can go another week, it would be cheaper. Also, note that there will be many, many more children during the holidays.

Fyi, we've sailed on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America and Princess, and I like Princess the best. Gracious ships, better food, more laid back. We've been on the Caribbean Princess several times and it's a very nice ship.- Musing About Cruising

I've also done the 5-night specialty package on Oasis (as well as Allure and Harmony) and like the others, have nearly always gotten into the restaurant we wanted the night we wanted. Few things that are good to know:

* If you have a show booked, the restaurant won't give you a reservation within two hours of the show (they see your schedule in their reservation system)

* Even if you can't get a reservation at the time you want, sometimes if you just show up at that time, they'll find space for you (i.e., there can be no-shows)

It's definitely worth the cost--it's a much more relaxing experience with better food. And 150 Central Park is fabulous, both the food and service. Enjoy! - Musing About Cruising

I have to sleep with the noise of a fan. Am I allowed to bring a small one? If so how does that work with having to put the card in the slot for electricity, can you turn all the lights off but still leave the card in? Sorry..we are new to cruising!

 

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If you're booked on Allure with a scheduled stop in Coxen Hole, Roatan, but wondered if it would happen in the wake of the damage the MSC ship did to the pier, have no fear. We're just back from the ship's W. Caribbean cruise and we made its maiden stop in Roatan. A section of the pier is submerged (it looks like no repairs have been attempted yet), but there's enough for the Allure to safely dock.

What's good about Roatan:

* The water around the pier is so clear that you can see fish right through it

* The pier complex is fun--there's a cigar roller, vendors of local coffee and chocolate, and a number of shops, music and even zip-lining

* The people are very friendly

What's challenging about Roatan:

* If you want to walk into town, know that the sidewalks are barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Factor in traffic that comes close to the sidewalk and caution becomes that much more important.

-- Musing About Cruising

We've been on both ships, so I can offer some thoughts. We much prefer Princess over Celebrity for these reasons:

* The food is much better on Princess, particularly in the buffet. Food items are a bit more upscale and there are fun theme nights.

* The buffet on Princess is open much later than Celebrity--they serve a full dinner in Horizon Court until, I believe, about 11 p.m. Celebrity's buffet dinner closes at 9 p.m., and there's just light snacks after that (please check times to make sure I'm still current).

* If you can swing for it and go off-season, the mini-suites on Princess can be a really good deal. They're about the size of a standard hotel room.

- Musing About Cruising

We were on the Harmony the first week of December last year and the decorations were already up. For example, there was a huge tree in the Promenade, snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, as well as smaller decorations all over the ship.

Then midway into the cruise, they set up a nifty gingerbread village in the Promenade, which was great for photos.

It's a great time of year to cruise--enjoy! - Musing About Cruising

Hi-

We've done the five-night package on Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas and loved it. To answer your questions, it's all actually quite flexible. When you sign up for the package, you designate what time you'll be eating in them. However:

* They pick the first restaurant for you, but you can change it when you're onboard to any restaurant, any time, subject to their availability (actually, most people don't do specialty dining the first night, so you have a lot of choice)

* For all the other nights, you can pick where you want to eat, when you want to eat, subject to availability

* You can sign up for the restaurants in advance on the ship or on the same day, through the stateroom phone or TV, or at any of the restaurants

* The price includes a full meal at each of the restaurants, but note that a couple of higher end dishes have an extra fee. You can also order multiple appetizers, etc. There's also some flexibility with the dishes; for example,150 Central Park has a filet mignon for two, but I always want something different from my companion. So, he asks for the filet mignon for one and I get something else

Note that if you're planning to go to any of the shows, you'll need to allow two hours for the meal; in fact, the restaurant won't book you within anything less than two hours from your show (i.e., if you've booked the show in advance).

In short, the specialty package experience is very flexible and extremely enjoyable. Restaurants are quieter, more intimate, the service is better and the food is far superior to what you get in the main dining room. Enjoy! - Musing About Cruising

There's actually quite a lot to do and see right in the port area:

* Shopping -- there are many upscale shops, as well as numerous souvenir vendors (reasonably priced, compared to other islands), in the blocks around the pier, as well as several malls

* Wilhelmina Park (second and fourth photo below) -- is a serene spot a few blocks from the pier. There are a ton of iguanas wandering around (the park staff feeds them lettuce) and there are some lovely statues, such as the one below of Anne Frank

* Beach -- there's also a beach within walking distance, which I think may be open to the public, but I'm not sure. Perhaps someone reading this thread will know

Hope that helps. - Musing About Cruising

I start ironing! And ironing! And ironing!

For whatever good that does--the stuff looks great going into the suitcase but coming out? It's all wrinkled! (What actually happens inside that suitcase???) - Musing About Cruising

I would highly recommend Princess--particularly the Royal or Regal. I've been on Celebrity quite a bit, as well as RCI and HAL, and prefer Princess for its overall experience. The ships are gracious, it's laid back and the food is better than any of the other mass market lines. And if you can get a mini-suite, which on some trips costs barely more than a balcony, you'll get an even better experience.

Of course, it's all a matter of taste and the more research you do, the better. - Musing About Cruising

Actually, the hot buffet is quite extensive. So, you get lots of choices on the hot food, the great salad bar, ice cream sundae options--and the dessert bar. It's a lot of fun. Just leave room for dinner! - Musing About Cruising

We went to Alaska around the same time of year; it was in the low 60s during the day. I would pack a warm coat, but with the ability to dress in layers. Also bring rain gear and comfortable shoes. Dress tends to be pretty informal on land as well as on the ship (we took Princess).

If you're going to Glacier Bay, note that it can be significantly cooler. We put a thermometer on the balcony--it was showing 49 degrees in the morning.

Hope that helps a bit. - Musing About Cruising

Thanks, Keith, appreciate it. I'm experimenting with a series of one-minute videos. - Musing About Cruising

We just got back from the Harmony and stayed on Deck 8. We loved strolling into Central Park at night to get a glass of wine and listen to the music, strolling into Central Park during the day to be among the greenery--in short, it's great to be that close to such a wonderful part of the ship. And if you're considering any dining packages, you'd be right near most of the specialty restaurants. - Musing About Cruising

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Lunch in the main dining room on sea days--hot and cold buffet, quiet and relaxing.

I love the quiches--Princess makes great ones. And the Int'l Café always varies them. Yum! - Musing About Cruising

Hey everyone, my wife and I just booked our first Princess cruise ever! We have done about half a dozen cruises with Carnival and loved them, but we won a free Princess cruise thru a local casino and figured we'd give it a shot. We are booked in a balcony room on a 7-day Eastern Caribbean on the Caribbean Princess next May. What recommendations does everyone have to make a Princess cruise the absolute best? Events, shows, food, etc. to definitely not miss (and maybe things that I should attempt to miss!) Any advice for a first time Princess cruiser would be greatly appreciated!

We've been on Princess (including the Caribbean Princess) many times and prefer it to Royal Caribbean, Celebrity or Holland America. The overall experience is great--the ships are handsome, the atrium is a lot of fun for people- and entertainment-watching and it never feels too crowded. Few suggestions--if you can, upgrading to a mini-suite is well worth it because it's the size of a hotel room (more or less) and can be very affordable. Also, the buffet for dinner is very good--they put on theme nights with extra special foods. One thing that's different about Princess' buffet is that at all meals, the staff come around serving water, coffee, etc.; you don't have to go track them down yourself. In the main dining room, the Norman Love desserts are fabulous. You'll have a great time! - Musing About Cruising

The port we've been to the most (via Royal Caribbean) is a distance from town--we've walked there, but I wouldn't recommend it because it is quite far.

That being said, the port area has a ton of fun shopping, restaurants and bars. In fact, the last few times we've been to Cozumel, we stayed in the port area and had a blast. - Musing About Cruising

We didn't do an excursion in Bonaire and were quite content. There's a promenade along the shore and looking into the amazing clear water was like looking into an aquarium with blue and green fish below our feet. On the main street and surrounding area, there are a number of interesting shops and galleries. There's also a small crafts market at the pier. Plenty to do for a few hours in a truly gorgeous port stop. - Musing About Cruising