KikiKruiser

If so, what time did you get picked up?  Where did they pick you up - assuming somewhere in Arrivals?  TIA!

If you are A2 and in 1539 or adjacent, it’s below the Spa Cafe so you will hear chairs, tables, scraping, etc.  It didn’t bother us as we are heavy sleepers. Better to be towards the aft (altho those are A1 cat) which are below other cabins and not public areas, if you are a light sleeper.  You can always ask your TA to switch you. 

I was in 1539, just a few cabins away.  If you are sensitive to noise, you will hear the scraping of chairs, tables, etc. from the Spa Cafe above.  We weren’t too bothered by it. Better locations for A1 are from the midship elevators and back, as those are beneath other cabins and not public areas.  IMHO!   I did enjoy being on deck 11 and quick access to the pool, sky lounge, etc.  

I’m curious about 80 Francisco long term lot as well.  Filled out the form a week ago and still haven’t heard back for my cruise next week… getting worried! 

1 hour ago, devonuk said:

In the UK there is no vaccination card so I guess this is a non UK thing? If this is your ‘home’ record of vaccination then YES they do check and a real form of evidence is required such as paper or accepted QR code etc. 

Yes, sorry for not clarifying I'm asking about the U.S. vaccination cards.  Also, wondering if showing a photo of the card on our phone is acceptable as well.

48 minutes ago, NownZen said:

In the US, there is no national vaccine registry (it is specifically illegal) so there is a vaccination card. If you get all shots in one state, you can often get a state based QR code but if you mix shots in different states, you need to keep several records and some states do not have QR codes but only pdfs of vaccination records. In any case, Princess only wanted to see our cards.

Thank you - yes - sorry for not clarifying, I meant the U.S. vaccination cards.  Some states have QR codes (like mine),  while others don't.  So yes, just wanted to know if Princess wanted to see the physical cards or if a photo of it was acceptable.

I know protocols have been updated as of September 28 for sailing out of Southampton;  were you asked at embarkation to show your physical vaccination card?  If so, was a photo of the card sufficient?  Can't find anything mentioning it on the Princess website.  

On 8/8/2022 at 9:39 PM, Sailwithbars said:

We are sailing in September and it’s going to be our first time with PG. I’ve heard about these “Cruise Documents” but what exactly are they and when should I expect them to be delivered? We made final payment in June. Also, will the “Cruise Documents” be electronically delivered or mailed to us? Thanks for any info! 

For my upcoming sailing I received e-docs with links to pertinent info and a 14-page "Welcome Aboard."   No mention of luggage tags, so I'm thinking they'll just tag the bags when we check in.  

Three advantages of a good TA who specializes in cruises:

1.  They will always have the same price as the cruise line or better and  if they have special group pricing for the sailing you're interested in, it will be lower than the Princess website.

2.  They will keep track of your pricing and if a lower fare comes available they will adjust;  Princess won't let you know.

3.  Their agency might offer extra Onboard Credit with a group rate.

3 hours ago, skynight said:

All DRs have the same menu. Cielo is aft on deck 6 and more difficult to get to as the only access is via the aft elevators or stairs from deck 7 or above. The other two are mid ship. 

I actually found the location to be Cielo's advantage.  We liked dining there versus the other two because we found it less populated, less hectic, less noisy.

On 7/7/2022 at 1:09 AM, readingfast said:

Our first time on Sky so can anyone tell me the difference between the three MDRs and which they consider the best?

There are only two of us and most of the time we like to be quiet and eat on our own but, with occasional sharing of tables.

Many thanks

No difference - same menus.  However, we found more availability at Cielo, probably because it was not as easy to reach as the the others.  We also thought it was a bit quieter. But they are all equal.

On 7/2/2022 at 6:51 PM, taylor_99b said:

I'm not new to cruising, but I am new to Princess and Medallion. 

 

I have had drink packages before and don't normally tip when I order a drink at the pool, or go to a bar etc  because the cost of the tip is built into the package. But, if I ordered food through Room Service I always tipped a couple of bucks when it was delivered.  I know that tipping is a very personal thing and I'm not trying to start anything, but was wondering what the acceptable protocol is for when having drinks brought to your room through the medallion app.  Again not trying to start any drama about tipping, but wondering what the general consensus from more experienced cruiser is, thanks!  

We always tip Room Service because we are appreciative that we can have food and drink brought to us when we like.  

On 7/1/2022 at 5:24 PM, boltnut55 said:

I can only say that there was no ice bucket already in the cabin when we came in, but perhaps if we asked for ice service, they would have left one there.  In the past, we did ask for ice, but the steward normally is off work by the time I want it (usually like after 11:00PM), and I don't want to bug them, so we try to remember to bring our own back to the room except kept forgetting.

Did you check inside the mini-frig?  On the first day I spotted the empty ice bucket and requested ice, and every day after our cabin steward kept it filled.  Wonderful!

On 7/5/2022 at 1:26 PM, Thrak said:

Sailed to Alaska in May. My wife and I both got the survey. It "may" have ended up in your junk folder but, even if you find it there, it is now far too late to submit the survey.

 

You can always send your crew reviews to: customerrelations@princesscruises.com

 

Agree with the above.  I discovered mine in my junk folder but luckily not before the 2 weeks was up.  Definitely email to Customer Relations and mention you didn't receive the proper follow-up survey.

On 7/5/2022 at 12:46 AM, Alcairns said:

She may be getting 19 knots but she did not have the speed to beat a 5:30 am deadline to get into Southampton on the 25th June. She had to wait in the Solent pending completion of the annual Cowes yacht raise. The result she did not berth till 11 am. She cannot get her usual top speeds of 24ish knots.

We were onboard the June 11th sailing and right off the bat we were told we MIGHT miss the first port (Haugesund) due to the engine problem.  As it turned out, we made it but were late getting in.  Many shore excursions had to be cancelled.  😞

7 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

I know the Captain on the Sky and he would be appalled.  Capt Marco Fortezze.  
Please update us.

I believe he's been replaced.  He was Capt on our June 11th (ill-fated) cruise, and I read here on CC from those on the following sailing that he was "relieved of his duties" (whatever that means!) and a new Capt is in place.

19 hours ago, Italy52 said:

We just turned Elite on one of our cruises.  Looking at the perks I understand that we are entitled to complementary laundry service.  Would someone please explain to me how this perk works?  Do we stuff a bag full of laundry?  Are there limitations on how much laundry we can have done?  Thanks in advance for your help.

On our ship it was a paper bag and we rolled our stuff really tight to fit it all in.  Bag must've weighed 10 lbs! lol   

We also took photos of the receipts,  and once we reminded them to minus it from our folio (showed up on husb's folio and he's not Elite), all was fine.  We did it twice in 14 days and it came back in 2-3 days.  Our cabin steward reminded us the deadline to submit before the end of the cruise.  

Great perk - peace of mind from doing it ourselves, and using that time to enjoy being with friends onboard.  🙂

14 hours ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

 

Did it say this in the letter?

Not doubting the OP, but based on the chaos that has been reported, I'd be surprised if Princess actually reported anything to flag their passports---seems like a stretch. Now, if they used EZ Air, I suppose Princess could not give them return flights until after 10 days?

 

 

 

Because of the chaos onboard (Princess unable to reschedule everyone overnight, and guests unable to reach airlines on their own) Princess finally sent out text instructions for everyone to book their own flights/hotels and send in for reimbursements.  I can’t imagine the enormous expense of it all.

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Why would they need to be quarantined ?

Quarantine is no longer needed in the UK, and, afaik, you can fly back to the US even if you are suffering from covid, as testing is no longer required.

Princess had them quarantine on the ship;  when the cruise ended they bussed them (and other U.S. guests with Covid) to a hotel at Heathrow to finish their quarantine.  They have letters from the ship stating the dates they are OK to fly home (presumably 10 days from first exposure).  Princess is paying part of the quarantine, the rest is up to the guests.  Yes, no testing required anymore to enter to U.S., but  others who went thru the same thing, said  Princess gives the passport info to the CDC to flag them for no entry until quarantine is up. SMH. 😒

58 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Answered in your other post.

No one needs to quarantine anymore.

My friends and others were bussed by Princess to a hotel at Heathrow to finish out the quarantine they started on the ship!  DR gave them letters with the dates they were OK to fly home to the U.S. They are not happy campers...

 😔

(Also posted on the June 11 board)

Wondering if Princess has checked up on you during your Covid quarantine, or did they just drop you off at your Heathrow hotel and tell you when you can fly home?  I understand they are paying for part of the quarantine cost.  

(Also asked on the June 11 thread)

Anyone here from the June 11 cruise still quarantined at a Heathrow hotel?  Mainly the U.S. guests. Wondering if Princess has been checking up on you at all, or did they just drop you off and let you know when you could fly home?  

13 hours ago, Northeastcruiser007 said:

Our family of four have disembarked today. We missed our onward travel and have now had to book a hotel and new onward travel tomorrow, at very  considerable cost.

 

In my view, Princess have been dishonest. They implied  on board that the closing of the shipping channel, as a result of the Isle of Wight yacht race today, was a surprise to them. Guest Services staff were blaming the yacht race. 

 

This really is not honest. This is an annual event.  Five years ago we did the exact same cruise and the ship left Bergen early to dock on time, to beat the shipping lane closure.

 

This year Princess would know the lane would close, as usual, and even confirmed this when we phoned them weeks ago. They said the ship had been scheduled to accommodate this.

 

If they had mechanical problems and feared they might miss the window of opportunity they should have been more cautious on their return journey and not assumed they could make up the time. There had been no mention of engine trouble in recent days and the ship appeared to be proceeding at a normal speed.

 

I don't see why my insurers should have to bear the cost of this. Princess are presumably blaming the yacht race to avoid passengers asking them to cover their costs.

 

I do hope everyone adversely affected by this has managed to make alternative arrangements to get home safely. It has been a very stressful day.

 

I have nothing but praise for the hardworking bar staff, waiters and cabin stewards who were wonderful, but Princess's management and admin leaves much to be desired.

 

Just for information, next year's yacht race date is readily available through an on line search. Perhaps Princess could check it out.

Our thoughts exactly!  Not only did many miss their flights (we barely made ours), but anyone booking transfers into London or elsewhere also missed the transfers and had difficulty finding alternative transportation.  A colossal mess!

8 hours ago, Airwavey said:

At around 9.20 this evening there was a Captain announcement. 

 

The entry channel to Southampton past the Isle of Wight is going to be closed from 5.30 am due to Round The Island race.

Have had the ship going fast enough to try to beat 5.30am deadline but now know won't be able to. So won't be fixing until 11.30am.

People who have flights booked via Princess will have new arrangements made for them. 

People with independent arrangements will need to contact their TA. 

Anyone with a Heathrow flight earlier  than 5pm / Gatwick 5.30pm will not make it. 

Ship cabin phones being given free access for calls. 

Free Internet for everyone, but encouragement for those that don't need to be on line to stay off to give bandwidth for those that need it. 

What a balls up for those with timed ongoing travel. Surely this race was in the diary months ago?!!! 

And there are 4 or 5 ships due in on Saturday morning. If they all miss the 5.30 deadline or all be fun having them all jostling for docking position at the same time. 

And the land side departures should be fun. 

 

And you can guess what the atmosphere on board ship is like

A LOT of very angry passengers 

I am also onboard, with friends.  Some are scrambling to rebook their own flights back to the U.S.  Some are worried that Princess EZAir may not be able to find enough Business Cl/First seats (for which they paid dearly) for them.   Not to mention all the Covid cases onboard.  What an adventure!

On 5/21/2022 at 1:59 AM, Martha1974 said:

We did the test at the Mayflower quay at the end of March - there were approx 15 testing stations and we were the only people there! It was only about 10 days after Princess announced that they would accept proctored tests so I guess most people opted for that thinking that there would be long queues at the Southampton centre. We were still in the queue to get into the terminal building when the text with the results came through (approx 15 mins).
 

Unfortunately my husband tested positive (having been negative before we left home the day before) so if we’d done the proctored test at home we’d have been ok to board and probably ended up quarantined on the ship… 

So, is this test at the Mayflower quay the one Princess offers at embarkation?  What was the cost? TIA!