capriccio

Our flight doesn't leave until 630pm, 4 adults, any suggestions??

 

Is there a place at the port to pay and be able to store luggage?

For luggage storage at the airport check out Bags to Go: http://www.bagstogo.net. As far as I know there is no storage at the port.

If your cruise ends on a Saturday or Sunday there is a free Sun Trolley route from the airport to the visitors center. Check out details (including pick up stops) at http://www.broward.org/Airport/Trans...unTrolley.aspx. According to the website, at the visitors center you can purchase Fort Lauderdale Excursion passes. "The pass includes admission to museums and historic properties, discounts at restaurants and shops, and all-day passage on the free Sun Trolley." If you've never been to Fort Lauderdale before, I'd recommend the water taxi (http://www.watertaxi.com).

If it is a weekday, check www.suntrolley.com for the stops on the regular routes.

For more info on what to do in Fort Lauderdale check out www.sunny.org.

We are traveling in November. We disembark in Miami and have SAS transport reserved to get to FLL. We were thinking of doing the Sun Trolley since our flight doesn't leave until 8:30pm. How easy is it to find at the airport? Any info about the Sun Trolley or what to see/do in Ft. Lauderdale would be appreciated?

Thanks in advance!!

As I understand it, the sun trolley operates out of the airport only on weekends (hope your cruise ends on a Saturday or Sunday!) when there is a free Sun Trolley route from the airport to the visitors center. Check out details (including pick up stops) at http://www.broward.org/Airport/Trans...unTrolley.aspx. According to the website, at the visitors center you can purchase Fort Lauderdale Excursion passes at the Welcome Center. "The pass includes admission to museums and historic properties, discounts at restaurants and shops, and all-day passage on the free Sun Trolley."

If it is a weekday, check http://www.suntrolley.com for the stops on the regular routes.

For more info on what to do in Fort Lauderdale check out http://www.sunny.org.

We used Odyssey Tours. Paddy's was fully booked and we thought we'd try Odyssesy. We were not disappointed! Their customer service was excellent and the tour guide informative, humorous and professional. They had two buses that day on the pier. They pick you up directly from the pier next to the ship and drop you off in plenty of time for sailaway. In our case we booked a tour to the Causeways. They had others from the ship who did the same, so we were placed in a large, clean and comfortable bus. The second bus was for a private group tour of 16. They were on the cruise together and arranged their own tour through Odyssesy. So they will work with you on what you want. Very reasonably priced. http://odysseycoachtours.co.uk/giants-causeway-tours/

Another vote for Odyssey Tours! Our roll call filled 2 16 person vans and a coach. We visited the Antrim coast including Giants Causeway and the Rope Bridge and then had a quick but incredibly informative tour of Belfast. Our guide was very knowledgeable and obviously loved his job and country.

We used them this past August. Our inbound flight arrived early but our driver was waiting. In Southampton our driver appeared at the exact time requested. Both to and from Southampton we had a very comfortable Mercedes station wagon. The drivers were personable and we thought the price was reasonable. In addition, the folks in their office were very prompt in responding to my questions and setting up our reservations.

Is the soot and exhaust problem with aft balconies on all Princess ships? We have booked an aft suite on Crown Princess for Jan., 2014. We usually just book a balcony cabin mid ship. Since we spent the extra money to splurge this time around, we would hate to have our cruise ruined.

 

Beth

We've had aft balconies on the Emerald, Sapphire and the old Royal (sister ship to the Ocean and Pacific) and never had an issue with soot. We have one on the new Royal (Dolphin deck) in December - it's an owners suite and if the balcony is uninhabitable I will be a very, very unhappy cruiser.

I'm trying to decide whether to do the Blarney Castle/Kinsale tour or stay in Cobh. Does anyone have a recommendation? Am I "missing something" by not going to Blarney Castle? Is Kinsale a must see?

We stayed in Cobh for the day. it is a lovely town to walk around. We visited the Cathedral, the Titanic museum (the White Star building the last passengers departed from) and the town museum (interesting exhibits on Irish immigration since Cobh - then Queenstown - was the major Irish port for immigration and on the sinkings of the Titanic and Luisitania).

Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are out on deck about 1/2 hour before the ship is due to leave. It seems like the entire town turns out to wave goodbye - the dock is full as is the harbor road. The town band played a variety of songs including 'Anchors Away' as we started to leave the dock. They continued to play until we were out of earshot. It was quite stirring.

The trolley on Saturday and Sunday goes to the airport and from there you could pick up SAS or another service you want.

 

During the week, you could take the trolley to one of the hotels that SAS will pick up from.

 

You just flag the trolley down and it stops. There aren't designated stops.

 

It is a city run service.

Check out their website: http://www.suntrolley.com for more info.

They rope off an area each evening pre-dinner for the cocktail of the day (discounted) and an amazing display of nibbles. Nice place to sit and mingle with other Elites. Last cruise UK in July 2013 on Caribbean P, cocktail of the day was $10 instead of $5 but still good value.

On the Caribbean Princess British Isles cruise in mid/late August 2013, the cocktail of the day was $5 (not $10).

How do I find posting 2965?

On the cruise critic main menu go to Roll Calls>Princess Roll Calls>Caribbean Princess>August 16, 2013 British Isles or just look at the thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1594858. That posting (all of them are numbered sequentially) is near the end of the thread.

We just did the BI cruise on the Caribbean Princess this August - it was fantastic! We had an extremely active roll call (August 16th sailing) and lots of private excursions were organized. Take a look at posting number 2965 that has the entire listing of them. If you want more info on any of the actual excursions, the applicable post number is listed right after the leader's name.

You can also do a search British Isles reviews in this forum. Tina-Ann did one this summer - as did others - and DeloreanGirl wrote the definitive :D review last year.

Alphen - try the Broward County Transit website: http://www.broward.org/BCT/VisitorInfo/Pages/VisitorInformation.aspx. I bet the hotel could also give you info. Enjoy your visit and cruise!

Hello,

 

First time cruiser here, and first time going to Ft. Lauderdale. I've spent the last hour trying to read the posts but didn't see the answer to my question.

 

We're booked for Allure of the Seas on November 10 and are looking to come in to Ft. Lauderdale 1 - 2 days before. We are looking for a hotel (price range $130 or under) that is in between the port/airport and Sawgrass Mills.

 

We are also debating on whether we should rent a car to get to Sawgrass Mills, or if taking a cab is worth it. We're looking for the most cost efficient method for us.

 

I appreciate any and all suggestions! Thanks so much!

Determine your hotel first (check out those in Plantation) and whether they provide shuttles from the airport and to the port. A rental car would give you more flexibility and potentially save you money, especially if the hotel doesn't have shuttles. For example, Sawgrass Mills is about 15 miles west of the airport or Port Everglades -- that could be close to a $50 cab ride one way.

I believe the first of the season Princess cruises out of FLL start in October. If the contracts/agreements with the airlines are seasonal (which would make business sense), the OP may need to wait until reports come back from actual passengers.

We are staying for 2 nights after our cruise at the Riverside hotel in FLL. If we stay 3 nights our air will be less yet will need to pay for the hotel. What I wonder is if their is enough to do and see in FLL for 3 nights or 2 is perfect. We don't swim or go to the beach. We like to see all the sights and attractions. My felling is that 2 nights is what I need to do yet I love Cruise Critics point of view. Also would you recommend any trip for the 3rd day, out side of FLL? Thanks

Check out the Fort Lauderdale website: http://www.sunny.org for lots of ideas. If you are okay with renting a car on the 3rd day, I'd go to the Everglades National Park (either Shark Valley or Royal Palm) - assuming your cruise is in the winter (it is too hot and buggy in the summer).

You will be even more surprised on your next Princess cruise as the position of sommelier is being eliminated (again) by Princess.

Caribbean Princess had a sommelier on board last week. We didn't use him or attend the wine tastings but he was very handy :D acting as the mc for the culinary demonstration and introducing a singing waiter (who was wonderful) during two different dinners.

Others have reported that there is a table set up by Horizon Court on embarkation day that handles sales of the wine package and other things.

That's where it was on our just completed Caribbean Princess cruise - it wasn't advertised anywhere and no one mentioned it in the MDR at embarkation lunch. We felt it was well worth it. We purchased the 10 day Gold package for our 12 day cruise and were very happy with the red wines we chose and the money we saved with the package.

Hi - A few photos of an aft suite partially covered balcony:

 

 

 

Thank you! We have an Owners Suite on Dolphin deck in December and are looking forward to the balcony. My only concern is the table is smaller than the suite balcony tables on other Princess ships and only has 2 chairs. Since room service delivers all the courses at once for dinner orders I'm not sure that table top is sufficient. We'll also be entertaining my brother and sister-in-law (in the premium deluxe balcony cabin next door) at times and it would have been nice to have 4 chairs around the table. I guess they'll just have to shlep the chairs from their balcony :D. But if those are my only complaints, I'll be a very happy cruiser :p.

Apparently there has been a recent change in the Suite tender perk. We can't wait to see if it works on our October cruise.

 

The on-line description of Suite Perks states under the heading of -

 

Be treated like royalty onboard and as you go ashore!

 

Priority embarkation and disembarkation at tender ports as well as private lounge at the conclusion of the cruise.

We just returned this week from a cruise in a suite -- there was no priority embarkation at tender ports. We did receive the tender tickets for disembarkation. There were 2 tender ports on the British Isles cruise and we didn't even use the tickets (we were on a Princess excursion in one; on the other we disembarked an hour after the tenders started running and walked right on board).

We have invited my parents along on our March 2014, 7 day coastal cruise on the Grand. We will be in a suite and they will have a balcony room. They have never cruised before and we are Platinum.

 

Will they be able to join us in the Disembarkation Lounge and priority check-in line? Will they be able to come with us to Sabatinis for breakfast?

 

What other perks will they be able to utilize while with us and which ones will be off limits?

 

If anyone has experience with this, it would be great to hear your advice and insights.

Some will depend (disembarkation lounge, priority check-in) on the crew (and how crowded each is). Sabatinis is only for suite passengers (they have your name and cabin number and will check it off the first day). They can accompany you to your 'free' Sabatinis or Crown Grill dinner on embarkation day but will have to pay the surcharge. I've never heard of anyone having an issue ordering room service dinner or afternoon tea for more than 2 people. Use of the thermal suite requires a sticker on your card and that too is checked against a list of suite occupants before giving you the sticker. I suppose if you pay for their drinks in the Elite/Platinum/Suite nightly cocktail hour, no one will ever know that they 'don't belong there' :D but there is a sign saying it is only for Elite/Platinum and Suite guests.

As DCT61 posted, the noise issue can change from cruise to cruise. We also had some stabilizer noise but nothing to impact out cruise and we would book again for the right price.

We just returned from a fabulous British Isles cruise on the Caribbean Princess in Window Suite F309. It was our first window suite (we have cruised in aft full suites before) and were, in general, very pleased with it. The location can't be beat and we really didn't miss the balcony on a relatively cold weather cruise. While I prefer the Vista or Premium Suite layouts (especially for the bathroom), we paid a mini-suite price (more or less) and got 2 cruise credits and the wonderful suite perks.

The only drawback we had was horrific stabilizer noises on on our second night (Guernsey to Cobh, Ireland). It felt and sounded like the ship was going to break in two. My husband didn't sleep at all; I fell asleep around 3 am. We feared experiencing it again on the 12 day cruise but the rest was clear sailing.

Would we do it again? Probably on another cold weather cruise and just pray for calm seas :D.

T

 

Also check out Delray Beach Marriott and the new Residence Inn Marrriott in Pompano, close to Deerfield.

Actually the Marriott Residence Inn has been in Pompano for some time. This summer the Marriott is opening the first "4 star" hotel in Pompano Beach (I live right down the block 7 months of the year :D) - google Marriott Hotel.

Hi We are a group of 5 adults from the UK on a B2B Caribbean cruise, when we call into FL in the middle of the cruise what can we do till about 3pm before we set sail for the 2nd part of the cruise.

 

Thanks

I would take the water taxi: http://www.watertaxi.com/watertaxi/fort-lauderdale/. Check for more ideas at http://www.sunny.org - the Fort Lauderdale Tourism Board's website.

We are going July 6-7.

That explains the price difference - July is the low, low season; January is the high season. The prices for Fort Lauderdale (and all south Florida) hotels vary widely according to the season and boat show week (end of October).

OK...to narrow it down. Are there any hotels that offer free shuttle from FLL airport to hotel? We need shuttle to cruise port too....just looking to cut some expenses. These cab fares add up.

The Fort Lauderdale Tourism Department has an excellent website that includes a list of hotels noting whether they have shuttles: http://www.sunny.org/travel-trade/pr...otel-shuttles/. I would start there and make inquiries directly to the hotels listed. There is lots of other useful information on that site.

I'm looking forward to being on the ship, seeing old friends, meeting new ones, exploring places I haven't been to before, enjoying the Piazza and the IC, trying the new dining options, checking out the Retreat pool area, etc. If there are lemons, I'll make lemonade. It won't be perfect but then no ship or cruise is.

Well said Pam! And I hope that those that are threatening to cancel because they are upset with one or more aspects of the Royal go ahead and do so and rebook on a ship they are already familiar with. Starting off with such a negative attitude doesn't bode well for an enjoyable cruise. Alternatively, I've always found that a positive attitude can overcome many inconveniences and obstacles.