LoriPhil

Well drat - we’re Elite cruisers on Princess but with many Princess reports less than glowing thought we might go back to Celebrity since we enjoyed the Eclipse in the past.  Now thinking of Viking Ocean, but it sounds like it’s more a universal problem, not just involving a few cruise lines.  Guess we’ll just select the most interesting ship, cabin, itinerary and enjoy, but maybe start with a nice 10-day VRBO on the Big Island to get back into the swing of things.    ☺️

Very excited for you both and hopes for smooth sailing as you head up the coast.  Appreciate your photos - wonderful to have you share this with us.

Because of the maintenance meds I take, I’d work with my Dr to see if he’d write a scrip for paxlovid to bring on a cruise.  With the number of medications it negatively interacts with, I figure he’d know if it was safe.  It would add a nice feeling of security to have “just in case”.

Pulse oximeter.  They’re small and easy to use - we’ve had one here at the house since the beginning of the pandemic.  

So sorry about catching the crud, but love your silver lining.  Have a wonderful, relaxing time on your British Isle cruise!  Your Alaska itinerary looks like a great one - nice to have additional ports other than the typical ones, and a longer cruise to enjoy.  We’ll keep our eye out for something similar in 2024 (earliest we’ll be able to cruise after our house reno).

Coral is always our first choice.  Unlike other ships it has public viewing along the aft of the ship, wide promenade deck encircling the ship, great Wheelhouse Bar, and we always loved the library with its comfy chairs and large viewing windows.  It doesn’t feel like a crush to debark or reboard the ship after an excursion - probably because of her smaller capacity.

Can you clarify please - did you test positive before you disembarked?

For me the key issue is the ship is not prepared to provide adequate care for quarantined passengers.  Access to food and beverages should be routine and timely. 

A tough ending for those passengers, but their convalescence will likely be more comfortable on land.  But geeze, that’s a big number… wonder how many more untested passengers were actually positive, and hope they keep those masks on tight for the flights home.

Got it - thank you!

How do I change my CC password?  Can’t find that information and the Search function just takes me to passport data.   I got a notice when I logged into CC just now saying my password had been breached, but when I said to change it, it didn’t take me anywhere.  Yikes!

Our Krogers grocery had the Abbot Labs kit behind the pharmacy counter.  If you are seeking a non-monitored self test kit for your own use, we found them at Ace Hardware behind the cashier’s counter.  I was very surprised to see them there but stocked up.  Nice to have in reserve.

I bring a test kit for anytime when traveling.  

So very sorry you have this unwelcome end to your cruise!  Hopefully you won’t have too difficult a time, and recover quickly.

I’m surprised by the inconsistent treatment of quarantined passengers by different ships.  Ruby experience (thinking primarily about communication and food delivery) seems vastly inferior to Other Princess ships commented upon in various CC threads.  Wondering if it’s the ships leadership, or if Ruby has been hit with a higher number of quarantined people that has stretched their system too thin.  

I received a call from a Princess Vacation Planner yesterday after we cancelled our B2B Alaska cruise.  I let him know we were concerned about inconsistent procedures in place to care for quarantined passengers, citing examples of experiences mentioned by various cruisers on these Boards.  We will return once Princess has better procedures in place to assure quarantined passengers receive a level of service enabling them to convalesce in better comfort.  I was surprised to get the call, and appreciated the opportunity to discuss.  

PescadoAmarillo, when will you get the results of your PCR test?  It sounds like your symptoms are troubling - so much better to be home in your own bed with access to resources that can help.   We’ve been on the fence on whether to keep our Alaska B2B reservations but clearly Princess is not prepared to consistently provide the care needed with this bug so we’ll vacation in a VRBO house in Hawaii instead.  Take care and please continue to keep us posted.

Have contingency arrangements for pet care in case quarantine extends your time away from home.  This was mentioned as a major concern by one of the Ruby Princess cruiser who was recently placed in quarantine in a San Francisco hotel at the end of their cruise.

Hopefully the congested room service isn’t a sign of a wider-spread contagion, but it might also be due to concerned passengers going into hunker-mode.  Whatever the cause, the lack of attention to quarantine cabins is distressing.  So sorry you are going through this, but grateful you are sharing your experiences which we’ll take into consideration before finalizing our 2023 cruise.  Hoping your pet-sitter can help ensure your critter is fed if your trip home is delayed.

There is a self service laundromat on each residence floor, and there are large framed photographs lining the hallways outside the cabins, which we loved!   Also the crunchy hard rolls in the dining room are our favorite guilty carb-pleasure.  We’ll, that, plus splitting an order of fettuccine Alfredo at dinner.  Have a lovely cruise!

 Thanks for following up with that happy news.  🎉🎉🎉

Aw rats Kjlcheval, so sorry to hear that news and keeping fingers crossed for you!   One of the things I value most about our thread is the supportive community we have here, with so many fellow cruisers sharing the relief of good news, but encouragement for the rocky times.  Bestest wishes and please let us know how you are doing!

Went up to Denver for my scans today, and not only was it a dry sunny day with sparse traffic, I got a clean bill of health with no new detectable cancers.  Wohoo - best Christmas present ever!
 

Our holiday tradition is basically a repeat of Thanksgiving with just the two of us cooking… but I upgrade us to a better quality champagne. After all, it IS Christmas.  
 

What are your special holiday or year-end traditions?  Have a wonderful season everyone!

We took the plunge and signed up for Disney+ to watch Peter Jackson’s “Get Back”.  Extraordinary to see music where you know every cord, lyric and vocal nuance being created in the space of rehearsals spanning several weeks.  Feels like a time machine.   Ahhhhh, lovely.

Nope, not in this house.  We’d hate to miss out on traditions like thawing, pulling giblets out of an icy cavity, odd additives to make things blandly juicy and pop-up timers. 👍🏼