shootingstar07

I just recently purchased travel insurance through The Trip Insurance Store. I worked with Steve. They were recommended on another thread. 
I saved by purchasing fully refundable air through American. That was only $200 more. So I only insured the cruise. 
good luck. Have a great cruise to Alaska. My favorite place to go. 

30 minutes ago, Tatra603 said:

 

Genuine question. Did any of those cruises have any embarkations planned at any of those ports or is that something unique to this one?

Princess had a 22 or 23 day segment that started in Dubai to Civitevecchia. That would have taken them through the Suez with stops in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel before entering the Med. 
Princess now has that segment ending in Capetown, 5 days earlier. Those scheduled to board in Dubai are now having to fly to Capetown to board.  
So this is not unique to Royal. 

On 8/6/2023 at 7:05 PM, SandJCruiser said:

 Even the elevators responded pretty quickly, and one of the four was out of order the entire cruise.  There was no long wait for tenders at the ports that needed them.  If the ship had been completely full, it might have felt a little more cramped.

 

 

I haven’t been on Azamara.  I am planning my first cruise next July. 
 

But I did recently get off HAL. Unfortunately, I had reason to be taken to medical in a wheelchair.  I was surprised to see the RN pull out a key and open the “broken” elevator. He proceeded to tell me there is always a blocked elevator for medical emergencies! 
 

I wonder if that applies to the elevator on your cruise. 

3 hours ago, Vertygo said:

Shootingstar07, glad to know you were well taken care of & are hopefully doing better now. Highlights the fact that Covid can still be debilitating for some. Were you given Paxlovid?

They reviewed my medical history and decided that by the time I stopped one medication for 5 days I wouldn’t need the Paxlovid.  I have heard mixed reviews about it. One friend got deathly ill taking it. She has heart problems. 

I was on HAL’S Rotterdam July 1-15. I believe there was a lot of sickness, from COVID, to Noro to sea sickness!  There was a lot of disinfecting going on. I had an opportunity to talk to a lab technician as well as an RN. They both said there were a lot of sick people. 
unfortunately, I got COVID July 12. Confirmed by medical.  Quarantined in cabin for last days of cruise. It was more than “cold symptoms “. I was coughing, fever, sore throat, wheezing, no appetite and total exhaustion. 
it was a first for me. I had shots plus boosters. 
I suspect I got it on a tour bus. 
I commend HAL for the excellent care. Every day I had a call from Guest services, Dining Room, and 2 from medics. And to boot, I was never charged for doc visits (3) only meds. 

5 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I'm grateful that I had a chance to develop my solo travel skills before Covid hit. Staying home all the time might have become a comfortable habit. 

That did happen to me. I didn’t see my kids and grandkids for over a year. Solitude became my friend. 

On 3/1/2023 at 7:22 PM, vswan said:

On 3/1/2023 at 7:22 PM, vswan said:

My husband passed away last week after bypass surgery. He was home one week and gone. I had booked a cruise for 8 weeks after the surgery and was wise enough to by the cancel for any reason insurance. I know the kind hearted people on CC will offer sympathy and prayers, so thank you in advance.

 

We had traveled together on more than 30 cruises and this is my favorite type of vacation and know that I will want to continue. I have a number of questions for those who have needed to make the switch from sailing as a couple to sailing as a solo.

 

I understand that most of the time you will be charged for two people in the cabin, even if there is only one. There are occasionally sales which only charge solo, but sounds like those are far and few...

 

How long did you wait to take your first solo cruise. Did you go alone or take a family member or friend with you? Would you go sooner or wait longer?

 

 

 

First off, my heartfelt sympathy for your loss.  
 

my husband passed away nearly 4 years ago. We were married 55 years. I had a really difficult time wanting to cruise again. We traveled the world. We had planned to go to Norway, but his illness precluded that. Then, last fall I decided I wanted to to complete this bucket list item. 
 

I planned to travel alone. Then my daughter got wind of it and she and her hubby wanted to come along.  Then 2 other couples in my family joined in. So we are 7. 
 

I think I could have gone sooner had COVID not hit. 
 

good luck, whatever you choose.  I wish you fair winds and following seas. 

On 3/4/2023 at 9:03 PM, Red Haired Lady said:

If you book an inside or OV cabin on HAL it is usually 79% supplement on ships that are NOT Pinnacle Class.  It is 100% for balcony or suites on all ships and all cabins on Pinnacle Class (Rotterdam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam)

 

On the Grand Voyages it is 60% for an inside or OV. This includes segments of Grand Voyages.

I am a single booked on Rotterdam for a July cruise to Norway. I have a balcony cabin. I am saving a whopping 12% less than full price. I do get the full OBC ($300) that is offered for a cabin with dbl occupancy. 
 

it was explained to me, by a HAL booking agent, that the cruise lines charge such a hefty single supplement because they are losing out on the sales from 2 passengers. They have to make it up somewhere! 
 

I find it is such a shame that with all these new ships being built, the cruise industry can’t figure a way to build more single cabins that aren’t jammed in the inside front of the ship. There is a market. 

11 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

  We have more people now than on previous world cruises so with the larger ship it’s still less crowded.   

 

 

Is the ship sold out for the whole cruise?  I love following along. Thank you for the effort.  You must be missing a lot of bingo and trivia events while on your computer! 

Thanks Bob for the review of Caribbean Princess. I sail on Oct 12 NYC-Quebec.

Recent comments about the shape she is in, worries me. Especially comments on bedding!! If I can sleep, I am a happy camper.

Any thoughts on mattresses?

I was scheduled to go on your 2015 Norway cruise. We had to cancel for health reasons. I am happy DH up to short cruises this side of the pond.

Congrats on making Elite. Nice isn't it?

Kathleen

Totally agree with the staff being one of the best we have ever been on!!!

I disembarked on the 21st after spending a heavenly 20 days on the Royal. I "third" the observation about the crew. The best I have had. I cried leaving Genesis, my cabin steward. Simply one of the most pleasant young men I have ever met!!

When did you arrive at the port?

 

When we were on the Royal last December, we were checked in by 11:30 AM.

 

When boarding started, first to embark were those in wheelchairs (who had been inside in AC after checking in) followed by the suite/elite passengers.

 

(If there were BVE people, they probably were the ones to actually board first.)

I thought I was being " smart" to arrive early. Got there at 10:45. The doors were not open yet since the ship had not been cleared of the b2b pax. The sit in the sun ( hot and humid too) was a good 45 mins. The Princess ground crew kept coming by asking if we had numbers. They started with verbal numbering. When we finally got inside a room they started taking us to a handicap checkin. Most lines had less than 3 people in them. We were stacked up for one line on the end with an elderly lady (no offense here, I am one too) taking such a long time. Finally we were taken to a boarding lounge. We waited there over 30 mins. Finally got our number. Then a manager came and asked everyone to sit in a regular seat - they needed the wheel chairs!!! Eventually I commandeered one and asked them to board my DH. We got to our cabin around 1:00 and went immediately to the dining room for lunch. I really wanted to head to a bar!!!

I saw one with a 250 lb limit for a similar excursion and couldn't figure it out either.

I was just on Royal. I cannot remember the island, but there was a sailboat ride with a weight restriction. I can understand that given the small size of the boat and number of pax they were advertising (12). But just an excursion to the beach - must be a typo as others have said.

Someone posted earlier on another thread (or another social site) that they were at Princess Cays today and all is well.

Just saw the Royal bridge cam. Yep, beautiful day at Princess Cay!!!

Hi Kathleen,

 

Enjoyed reading your thoughts on the Royal. We will be doing a B2B on her in January. Hopefully we will have a smoother embarkation. It will be our first time on her, we were booked for a BI cruise on her last May but had to cancel due to illness. Sounds like the cruise and disembarkation went well. Hope we meet up with you sometime in the future on a cruise. Take care.

 

Gail

Thanks, Gail. Sorry to hear about last min cancellation due to illness. Hope this one is better. We almost canceled the night before!! But Carlos was a trooper. He had a few days resting. No better way than watching a beautiful blue ocean roll by. Hoping our paths cross again.

Kathleen

Great fair review? You mentioned embarkation was an issue, how was disembarkation?

We were scheduled for early departure. (Flight at 10:30). We left the ship at 7:15 to find our luggage. Very easy. Then on to customs. One other couple in line in front of us. Very easy also. We found a cab and were through TSA and gate checked by 8 a.m!!! All very smooth. I think we were lucky because we disembarked before the bulk of the passengers. I understand we sailed full, 3640, and only 200 stayed onboard for the b2b.

I wonder why Princess would be skipping Princess Cay? Anyone???

I just got off the Royal.

As mentioned, the sept 30 port call at Princess Cay was due to hurricane Joaquin. Ditto Oct 2. The ship, under Capt. Oliver, had to bypass due to high winds and seas. Then on Oct 20 we skipped it again!! More high winds and 13 ft swells. Capt Sagani pulled as close to the anchorage as possible to see if the island would provide enough calm seas to tender. It was very rough. I cannot imagine loading tenders under those conditions. Just way to dangerous for pax and crew. So we had another sea day, cruising very slowly back to Ft Lauderdale.

Also interested in how the Princess Cay survived Joaquin. Have a wonderful trip.

I just got off the Royal. Princess Cay was skipped 3 times - Sept 30, Oct 2 and most recently, Oct 20. When I had the opportunity to ask Capt. Sagani the state of the island, he said it was fine. The reason it was skipped on Oct 20 was the high seas and 40 knot winds!! If weather improved, I am sure the current sailing will have a pleasant visit.

CruzPrincess, thanks for doing a "live from". I was going to try, but just too much pressure to type fast!!! I appreciate you using your internet mins doing this.

If you see "PhyllJim" please tell them "thank you and sorry we didn't see them before disembarking". Phyllis will understand.

Kathleen

After 2 years plus of reading the pros and cons of this "new" ship, i thought I would start another thread with my thoughts on the 20 days I spent there. I was on a b2b starting Oct 1 and ending yesterday.

Embarkation in FLL was horrible. My DH was in a wheelchair and the handicap clients were corralled outside in the hot sun for over an hour, without water, before being put in an A. C.'d room where we were given a number. Walk on pax were getting on the ship long before we were given our cruise cards!! Shameful.

The ship: simply put, beautiful. I heard a lot of complaints about confusing and having to go up to go down. I did not find that an issue since we have cruised before and know the central elevators can't get you to a walkway to aft dining room on deck 6. The central staircase is an issue, causing long waits for those 6 elevators.

The staff: well trained and friendly, beyond compare!! I have over 20 cruises on various lines and can say I met some of the best on this cruise that really made the cruise for me. I like the ship, I like the ports, I like most fellow pax, but I love meeting and talking to the crew. We tried most dining venues from the Horizon court down to International cafe. All were well staffed. There was only 1 not so happy camper in Concerto. Maybe his feet hurt.

The food: some new interesting items, particularly in the dessert category. Only 1 night did I not find something that sounded worth trying that I went to the left side of the menu. If I didn't finish, our waiter was always there offering to get something else.

Safety: I am convinced this is one of the safest ships plying the oceans of the world and for this reason I would sail her again in a heartbeat. At 2 a.m. On Oct 12, Capt Sagani came on the cabin speaker announcing a problem and all watertight doors were closing. (I jumped out of bed to see if we were dead in the water!!! We weren't, so I figured the situation was probably contained. ). The capt came back about 30 mins later to order a stand down and said all was well. The next day he came to our CC meeting and explained the nature of the problem was a generator that overheated. He explained the same thing to all pax at his noon briefing.

Entertainment: a lot of good shows. Oct 11 was the first cruise for Perry Grant. I caught one of his shows. He is good and entertaining. He had a huge Celebrity following on board to cheer him on. It will be interesting to see if he has longevity with Princess as he did with X.

Balconies small: check; no central staircases: check; no promenade: check, etc, etc. But for me, the pros of the Royal far outweigh the cons. If the right itinerary presented itself, I will sail her again.

Kathleen

I'm going on my first cruise in November on the Caribbean Princess and I'm reading mixed reviews on everything!

 

It's confusing! The reviews range from "amazing" to "will never go again" and it seems that some were even on the same cruise!

 

Some say that the ship is dirty, the carpets are disgusting, the toilets and sinks back up and the self laundry facilities don't work. The food reviews are just as varied, ranging from excellent to cold, cheap and over cooked.

 

The staff reviews are also a concern! Employee attitude can make a huge difference in the overall experience and the information that I am reading indicates that they are inconsistent at best. There have also been comments on the lack of obvious supervision and an absence of captain or other high ranking personnel.

 

Also, is there supposed to be a 'Welcome' something on embarkation day?

 

Sorry for the long post. I just don't know what to expect and I'm hoping to be happily surprised on my cruise and really don't want to be disappointed.

 

Thank you in advance for any information you can provide!

Someone on these boards once told me to through out the worst and best reviews - then take the middle ones to get a true picture of the situation. I have found that is good advise.

As to the CB - she is one of my favorite ships. I too have heard she is a "little down in the tooth". Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I find: I am on a ship on the ocean, I don't make my bed, I don't cook, I don't wash dishes. Not a bad life.

I do tend to stay away from buffets - for many reasons, mostly personal taste. So I cannot comment on them. As to the restaurant, if I don't like what they are offering, there is always something else they will bring. Frankly, I have never heard of anyone dying of starvation on a cruise ship!!

Finally staff: I rarely come across someone that I can't talk to. Just ask them about their country!! You might have a friend for the entire cruise!! Once, in all our cruises, I had a less than attentive room steward. Not bad odds. I love meeting fellow cruisers almost as much as meeting the staff.

Go and enjoy your cruise. And if you encounter an issue, talk to the front desk. They too are anxious to please.

That would very much depend on the situation at the time...im sure they would arrange to have someone meet you to receive the donations. Who that may be is anyone's guess, ie whetger it's a school official or a volunteer or whatnot. You would need to arrange with the school. Hope it works out for you. All the best..

Thanks reedprincess and patfred for handling this. I am on the same roll call with patfred, so glad he found you. We have a nice size roll call group and hopefully many can bring a little something tucked into their suitcase.

Kathleen

School supplies will be very welcome, especially composition books, pencils and pens, coloring books, crayons, packs of paper. Etc. Very kind...and will be much appreciated. Gently used kids clothes would be very much appreciated also, along with gently used baby clothes. Baby accessories are much needed also including bottles, pacifiers, bibs, etc.. These types of things would be very welcome.

Thanks for info. Would you know anyone connected to a school that we could reach out to?

Also, still happy to share the donation sites for any who would like to give directly at this time. Just let me know..

someone from our roll call wants to bring in school supplies. Any thoughts on that?

Here is one for all you experienced Royal cruisers.

I am hoping to board early with camera in hand before the crowds arrive.

What area(s) and/or things do you think are the prettiest that you recommend I get photos of?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and suggestions.

Kathleen

I thought Capt. Nash was on either the Royal or The Regal? BTW: I cruised with him just once - very nice and approachable as others have said.

Another poster mentioned the honey and vinegar. I have always said that to my DH!! I am the one who calls or visits the front desk. He has a short fuse - I find when you speak respectfully, you can move mountains.

Also, I think front desk personnel are trained to keep problems from escaping upwards. :D. But once I had an issue and I ended up with Customer Services Mgr, everyone would just say "please wait, we will get so an so for you".