Go-Bucks!

Just booked 8338 on Reflection. The picture of the balcony on the deckplan looks much larger than other 1A's and not slanted. Is it a good choice (we like large balconies)? If not, what might be a better choice in either a 1A, 1B or 1C? Thanks! :)

Jiffy Jeff is off my list for the fake review tactics here

How do you know the posts were "fake??" Please explain.

About a year ago, we interrupted the string of these Carnival cruises and did a ten-day Southern Caribbean cruise aboard Emerald Princess. We had a full suite and were blown away with the extras that you do not get with Carnival suites.

 

One of the most important differences to me was the complimentary, unlimited Internet access. Princess has recently dropped this freebee but, because we were booked early last year, we are grandfathered for unlimited Internet in our full suite on our 16-day Asian cruise aboard Diamond Princess next April.

 

Another perk that I particularly enjoyed was the ability of suite guests to have breakfast in Sabatini's, one of Princess' premium steak houses. This amenity is for suite guests only and is not even available to Princess Elite guests.

 

A third perk is one full stock of the mini-bar that is complimentary. That is really a lot of liquor and wine.

 

A fourth perk that my wife particularly appreciated was the layout of the grand suite itself that allowed for a light-proof curtain that separated the office/sitting area from the sleeping area. That allowed my wife to sleep in dark and quiet comfort while I sat in front of another flat-screen TV in the sitting area with a tablet on my lap posting the day's photos using the free Internet.

Yes, Princess has very nice suite perks as well as good loyalty perks for Platinum and especially Elite status. Attached are the latest suite amenities.

I hope NCL will have great suite perks too since we'll be in a suite on the Dawn in 17 months.

Princess Suite Amenities.pdf

We always stay in convents when in Rome and Venice. Very cheap and safe, lovely accomodations, friendly nuns (you don't have to be Catholic to stay there), and many of them right in the middle of the sights you'll want to see.

In Rome, we stay at a convent about a block from the Spanish Steps and a Metro station. In Venice, the convent is right on a canal (with a gondola stop) that is just off the San Marco Plaza.

There is good transportation to get you to the ship. I wouldn't want to stay near the port in either of these cities.

I'm now convinced that the lobster claws at the buffet on sailaway will not be returning. :( DW and I used to pack our own shell crackers.

Last time we had them' date=' in 2010, they were small, rubbery and tasteless. I love seafood, but they were a big disappointment.

I'll be anxious to try the Crab Shack on my next cruise, but I do think the menu is a bit lackluster.

We went to the Crab Pot in Seattle a few years ago and it was [i']fantastic[/i]!! But it was pricey ($16-39).

It is pretty much open to anyone who shows up.

No, it's not. While most of the time there isn't anyone at the door to check, it's not open to anyone who shows up.

If there is someone there just tell them you are in a suite as you walk in.

What a disturbing comment!! So sad to see someone on CC with such a lack of character. :(

We really enjoy this time of relaxation before going to dinner. The food is excellent and we love sitting up there in Skywalker's to watch sailaway. I've never seen anyone checking cruise cards and there's usually fewer than 20 people in the room. Love this perk!

Is there a minimum amount of days you need in order to use the FCC. I know on NCL, the cruise credits are only valid on cruises 7 days or more.

Princess allows you to use an FCC on a cruise of at least 3 days. NCL rules are very different from Princess'. I like the way Princess handles FCC's; personally, I won't buy any on NCL after reading how theirs works.

I've booked future cruises while onboard and remember that the deposit was like $100 bucks or around there but I don't recall if I received an onboard credit or not. I'm not as worried about paying a higher deposit with the online site but if I would get a better onboard credit with Princess, I would go that route and wait until December.

I had never booked a cruise onboard until this summer and have always used FCC's for the deposit. BUT . . . . we talked to the future cruise rep and here's the deal we got.

We wanted to book 4 short consecutive B2B segments (2, 3-day and 2, 4-day). Princess only required a $50 per segment deposit, gave us $25 OBC per segment and they booked the cruise under our travel agent.

If we had used an FCC, we would have had to buy a $100 FCC for each segment ($400 deposit) and would have only gotten $15 OBC per segment from the FCC. So we ended up saving $200 on the deposit and got $40 more in OBC just to book while on the ship. And we still have it booked through our TA, not Princess.

I'm not sure if this was a special deal or not, but it only made sense to us to do it this way. And our TA is also giving us $25 OBC per segment as well as her 11% cheaper price than Princess! :D

Think they'd take an overweight, extremely nearsighted, 72YO grey-haired lady? :)

Probably. ;) :p

I know I'm in the vast minority, but I didn't enjoy the Chef's Table. First, I enjoy gourmet food, but the things they offered were really far out and had many ingredients that I don't like so there was very little that I ate. Second, the meats were tough and not full of flavor. Third, the dinner took so long that I was getting very tired and wanted to leave, but since it cost so much I felt like I should stay until the end.

The table was gorgeous, the service was first class and the signed cookbook was nice, but that didn't make it worth spending $65 for (that was the cost for someone who doesn't drink alcohol when the regular price was $75; now they charge $95 :eek:).

I'll be looking forward to the reviews of the 3 and 4 day cruises because I'll be doing two of each next year (Oct, 2014). Please include any Patters, if possible, with reviews. Thanks!! :p

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the 3 and 4 day coastals start until late September.

Sorry for asking - I didn't realize that these were brand new. I thought they had done some before. Please forgive me.

Does anyone have the lunch/dinner MDR menus or the Patters from the 3 and 4 day West Coast Getaway or California Coastal cruises? If so, could you please post them. Thanks in advance! :D

We started cruising in inside cabins, went to porthole and oceanview, then to balcony and minisuites, now finally to suites. Life situations change (kids move out, income goes up as time goes on, expenses decrease) so now we can afford to book only minisuites and full suites.

We will be trying NCL for the first time in 2015. We got a much cheaper price for a suite compared with Princess (our usual cruiseline) and read how nice the perks are - hope so! I will miss free ship Internet on NCL, though; I get that on Princess because of my Platinum (and soon, Elite) status.

We enjoyed the WS's so much in 2011 that we've booked them again on the Golden for B2B2B2B California coastal cruises next year. Got a great deal and these rooms are so nice (the perks are too!). ;)

my lack of sleep caught up with me and I nodded off.

 

Maybe it was the lack of sleep

 

At this point, we wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.

 

we were just so exhausted.

Loved your review! Glad you had a wonderful vacation. We also had a Window Suite once and loved it!! They're so fabulous, along with the perks, but especially on a cool weather cruise.

My only suggestion that could have made your experience a little better would be to fly into the cruise embarkation city at least a day before sailing. Two reasons: first, you get rested and over the jet lag so you feel good when the cruise starts, and also so that in case there are any travel problems (weather, delays, etc) then you don't run the risk of missing the ship.

Thanks again for the review. :)

In Rick Steves' book Scandinavia, he has recommendations for getting from the cruise ports into the towns.

HELSINKI:

"Cruise ships dock variously in the South Harbor, West Harbor, or Hernesaari (across from West Harbor; bus #14B runs to Kamppi mall/bus station and Temppeliaukio Church, bus #16 goes to the Esplanade and market Square); for a map, see www dot portofhelsinki dot fi."

I would say YES. I think many people say to get a good walking shoe, opposed to people who live in sandals[/quote]

 

 

Depends on your definition of a "sandal." If you're thinking of a flip-flop, then I agree.

 

But I wear Keen H2 sandals that are super sturdy and look brand new after 8 years! I often wear socks, but not always. I've worn them all over the world - especially on the cobblestones of Europe.

flip flop.doc

keen h2.doc

Oh geez. My GF is COMPLETELY addicted to Lush products!!! She's seriously upset that we've never booked a suite with a bathtub :( She loves her 'bath bombs' in our home jacuzzi tub.

 

When I show her the suite prices, she threatens to toss a bath bomb in the public hot tub late in the evening :)

Oh, I love the bath bombs and bubble bars too!! Mmm, especially that Karma scent. :p

You don't have to book a full suite, though, to have a bathtub. The minisuites have non-Jacuzzi tubs and are alot cheaper than a full suite.

Answer is ... you don't! This area is some of the advanced planning you need to do. For example, I use tooth powder rather than tooth paste. You sprinkle it on the toothbrush, add water. Works just fine, and it's light weight, and not a liquid.

Lush products (www dot lushusa dot com) makes wonderful solid shampoos that come in a tin container and are great for travel. Many of their other products help avoid the "liquid" issue in carryon luggage.

Also, we too take our old underwear and throw them away each day during our vacations. Gives more room in the luggage, then get to buy nice new undies after returning home. :p

Purex 3 in 1 sheets- Someone suggested this and it makes sense to me if you do laundry.

I do take these great laundry sheets! But I've been taking less and less with each cruise. I'm sick of hauling a bunch of things "just in case" that I don't end up using. When I go on a land trip for 2 weeks I take only a carryon; for a cruise I am now just using one medium suitcase. Makes traveling so much more enjoyable, especially if we do any pre or post cruise stays. :)

The only website I've ever seen for balcony selection is the one that Occy listed. It's just for the Coral and Island ships. It was very helpful when we went on the Coral a few years ago. :D

I bought my 100 shares in 2008 (during the recession) for $25/share! So far I've gotten half of my investment back in OBC and dividends, plus over $1300 in share price increases. I've now gotten back more than I paid. What a great deal. And no tax issues - I hold mine in my IRA.

We LOVED the Window Suite.

Chuck

So did we! Even though I love balconies, this suite was worth giving up the minisuite. It's especially nice on cool weather cruises. For perks, don't forget the free Thermal Suites. ;)

It does appear to be as you say. Thanks for the help. This ship looks lovely.