capriccio

Princess considers max capacity double occupancy in all cabins. 3080 is not the max capacity; it does not include 3rd and 4th berths. With all berths filled max capacity is around 3700 IIRC.

OP - the moderator may move this to the Cruise/Travel Insurance forum: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/ In the meantime, you might want to check it out if you haven't done so already.

Plus cabins are being used to quarantine new crew. On our January cruise our servers told us each new crew member was quarantined for 10 days IIRC in a balcony cabin. Many had never seen one before much less had an entire cabin to themselves.

The water taxi doesn't stop at Coconuts. The closest stop (#6) and shortest walk is Beach Place north of Coconuts if coming from the Hilton Marina stop. The Bahia Mar stop (#5) south of Coconuts and is a slightly longer walk. Check out the map on https://watertaxi.com/hours/. Coconuts is next to the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

I thought you were commenting on not being able to determine the level of Covid in a.particular venue (a ship in this case) because reporting is problematic. I didn’t realize you were discussing risk and agree with you that everyone needs to determine their acceptable level. I felt very safe on our January (during omicron) Caribbean Princess cruise sailing at only 33% capacity with required (and enforced) masking indoors. I felt less safe on the Enchanted at 66% capacity with required masking for embarkation, disembarkation, tenders, shore excursion transportation plus we chose to wear them in elevators and the theater.

1/3 (2 out of 6) of my group tested positive for Covid after our March 10 - 20 cruise on the Enchanted Princess. Luckily they were boosted and both cases were mild. With self testing increasingly easy and available it is inevitable that cases being reported to the CDC are grossly under reported whether the source is a cruise, office, school, church, family, etc. or unknown.

One slight modification to your recommendation: 'and you grab the first VAN cab you see." OP - van taxis are plentiful at Port Everglades and with 5 people plus luggage you will definitely need one. If the taxi dispatcher doesn't notice that you are a group of 5, tell him/her that you need a van. The earlier you get off the more taxis available, especially if you are in the first group to disembark.

Some considerations for Florida ports: You will pay more for the cruise and hotel (if needed) if you book for Presidents Day week. Lots of northern schools are on winter break. Those kids and their folks want to escape the cold too! College spring breaks can occur anytime in March but the two weeks in mid-March are the busiest. The impact will depend on whether your cruise line attracts spring breakers. The week before Easter and, to a lesser extent, the week after is spring break for public schools throughout the country. Cruises and hotels will be more expensive. Specific to Fort Lauderdale - the 3 day Tortuga Music Festival occurs in April. Hotels will be expensive if needed. It is always good to check out any local happenings that might impact the price and availability of your cruise and/or hotel before making reservations.

All I can tell you is that the April 2023 Circumnavigation of Australia cruise departing Sydney on the Coral Princess opened in mid-March 2021. We (group of 4 siblings and spouses) requested 4 cabins in a specific section (covered mini-suites on Dolphin Deck aft). My TA was on the phone as soon as Princess opened for elites and was able to reserve 3 cabins (not contiguous as we had hoped for) on Dolphin Deck and 1 guarantee on Caribe Deck. It was amazing how quickly they sold out. It has stayed that way for the past year!

Unfortunately smaller private excursion companies may not have survived 2 years without clients or they may be having a difficult time re-staffing. In those cases when fewer companies offer private and cruise line excursions and demand increases as the number of passengers increase, supply and demand dictates higher prices.

Then why would some ships have great ice cream and others not? The mix isn’t standardized throughout the fleet and is sourced from different vendors?

I saw them along the beach last month but couldn’t tell you when it started.

Have you tried going to the ocean medallion desk usually set up in the long hall on the Promenade deck? They should have a couple of tech ‘experts’ helping passengers.

The perks are listed here: https://www.princess.com/learn/ships/staterooms/club-class/ We are elite and the only perk we received in addition to the dining was the 1/2 bottle of white wine (we didn't receive the 1/2 bottle of red). I brought it home to use in cooking. It was undrinkable even for cooking! We didn't receive the upgraded terry cloth robes but didn't know we were supposed to. We didn't know about priority specialty restaurant dining but we didn't go to any of them. You can tell our main objective was to check out the Club Class dining! The only real perks I could see that non-elites might be interested in and be of value are the early boarding and priority disembarkation lounge but I don't know if the priority embarkation is in effect nor if the club class had access to the disembarkation lounge.

Looking at the map, I would say Bahia Mar is closest. The shuttle is free to all. Here is some more information about it including info about the mobile app: https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/government/departments-i-z/transportation-and-mobility/transportation-division/laudergo-mobility-services/laudergo-community-shuttle They are touting these improvements over the Sun Trolley: New vehicles leased from BCT External wrap consistent with City's branding Air-conditioned - probably the most appreciated upgrade by tourists and residents alike 😁 Equipped with ionizers that kill airborne pathogens in the air and on surface, a much needed feature especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic 18 seats total (16 seats + 2 seats that are wheelchair accessible) Equipped with a bike rack designed to carry two bikes

What a shame. We used them twice (2013 and 2019) and they were a first class business.

Glad already to drove to Virginia for the summer. The first time we experienced love bugs it was like an Alfred Hitchcock horror movie. We quickly realized that the end of April/beginning of May was not the time to be traveling up/down I-95 in Florida.

It has been redesigned (with fixed stops and a schedule) and renamed LauderGO Community Shuttle (https://www.visitlauderdale.com/listing/laudergo-community-shuttle/18459/). It is free now. The two routes of most interest to tourists are: Beach Link: Monday to Sunday, 10:30AM to 5:00PM – Explore world-famous Fort Lauderdale Beach Las Olas Link: Friday to Sunday, 12:45PM to 5:00PM – Enjoy Fort Lauderdale’s high street – shopping, dining, and museums

Not on Princess if you have booked through their EZ-Air program (https://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/pre_cruise/travel_transportation_faq/popup/PC_PC_ezair.html : Late Arrival Protection – Rest easy that you'll make your cruise if flights are delayed or canceled and get home if you miss flights because of your cruise or transfer. Air Transportation: Late Arrival Protection Guests who book air travel through Princess Cruises will be automatically enrolled in the Princess Late Arrival Protection program. If guests miss or will miss their original port of embarkation due to airline delay or an airline service disruption, such as flight cancellation or flight re-routes, Princess will work with the airlines to find a reasonable alternative to provide flights to the next appropriate port at no additional air cost to the guest.

If N95 masks are important to you - like they were to us on our 2 cruises this year - bring your own supply! Princess will provide masks but there is no guarantee that they will be N95s and, given supply chain issues, the type of mask could easily change not only from ship to ship but also cruise to cruise.

We had our first club class mini in January on the Caribbean Princess when we weren't sailing with family. We enjoyed the dining experience but that could also be due to the fact that the ship was at 33% capacity. The food is the same as that in the MDR with the exception of the 'special dish.' Some were good, some were passable (really bruschetta as a special dish?). The service was excellent. But we prefer covered mini-suites on the Emerald deck, not the centrally located Club Class minis. I love the idea of dining in the specialty restaurants instead - especially on 7 day cruises. I'm sure we could find something different each night to enjoy.

That seems awfully generous. It's not like any of their diners are stuck in traffic or looking for a parking space!

What I find disturbing is the Princess pat-on-the-back after the April 11th cruise given that, IIRC, it has been reported that they dropped mid-cruise testing on those long itineraries. Or am I remembering it incorrectly?

I'm sure they don't. I have two data points to support that: my SIL had a headache the day before disembarkation from our March 10 - 20 cruise on the Enchanted Princess and my DB started feeling congested that afternoon. When they got home to VA the next day (they were driving) they tested positive. They didn't report to anyone - as I know many people, whether cruise passengers or not, using home tests don't report. I did convince them to tell their GPs and get it added to their medical records.

Here are the numbers from a reliable source ((Source: San Francisco Department of Public Health) From and article (https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2022/04/27/ruby-princess-coronavirus-outbreaks/) just published in the Washington Post. 37 cases on an Alaskan cruise that docked April 23. The vaccination rate for crew was 100%, and 99 percent for passengers. (Source: San Francisco Department of Public Health) 143 cases on a 15-day Hawaiian cruise that docked April 11. The vaccination rate was 100 percent for both crew and passengers, and one person s hospitalized. (Source: San Francisco Department of Public Health) 73 cases on a Panama Canal cruise that docked March 27. (Source: San Francisco Department of Public Health) the ship also announced cases on the Ruby Princess in January (no numbers provided). The article also noted that the CDC is investigating the Ruby Princess and placed the ship under observation according to its website. No date was provided as to when that began The article also included a comment from a Princess spokesperson after the April 11th cruise: "“The protocols that have been established work. When cases are identified because of the testing onboard, cruise ship protocols help to maximize onboard containment with rapid response procedures designed to safeguard all other guests and crew as well as the communities that the ships visit.” It also said Princess has not responded to a request for comment on the latest outbreaks.