DENNICH

Sounds like they have improved things at Princess Cays.

 

We just lounged on the beach but would be interested in a tour of the Lighthouse. How long does that last and is it just a walking tour or the lighthouse area?

 

I saw something mentioned about snorkeling also on that tour...or am I wrong?

The tour lasts for around 4-5 hours from pick up to drop off. There is snorkeling and they provide gear if you need it too. You can even choose if you want to snorkel on the Atlantic or the Caribbean side.

I was so disappointed as my Royal Princess cruise last month missed Princess Cays. The weather was bad and getting worse and the captain was worried about getting everyone back on board. One good thing about Eleuthera Tours is if the ship does not tender you get any deposit made refunded.

Getting ready to pre-purchase internet for my March 10 sailing on the Royal. Can any members report back that have sailed on the Royal recently with info on speed and if any other packages were offered onboard (ie package for full cruise duration or unlimited per day fees). My only experience with internet on board Princess was back in December on the Regal and it was the new Medallion Net Class speed at $9.99 per day. Any info would be most appreciated. Thanks!

 

 

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I just got off the Royal on Friday. I must say that I was disappointed in the internet speed. Every night I was trying to see photos posted on Facebook by the kennels that my dogs were at. The kennel would post anywhere between 8 to 30 photos a day and I would try to open them up to see if my dogs were any of the featured dogs that day. Each night I would be frustrated at how slow the photos were to show. I was using my laptop to access the internet. Sometimes each photo would take around a minute to open. To me that was really slow and I saw it as my money ticking away.

From what I remember there were 4 packages and then a pay as you go. I had the package that gave me 240 minutes for $99 dollars. I think there were 2 more expensive packages for more money and one that was less expensive. I did use all of my minutes.

I hope this helps. I saw my dogs pictures appear twice. :)

Do you still need your ID (in addition to cruise card) to go into the area where locals sell their items?

 

Thank you

 

Debr

Yes, you do need your ID for the local stands as that are is beyond the Princess Cays gates. It is right outside the gates. There is a security guard at the gates at all times to check for ID's and cruise card.

I have emailed them twice about booking with no response. Is this common? How did you go about reaching them and booking?

 

 

 

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Sorry to hear that you are having trouble contacting them. They have always been quick to respond to me, but I do remember one of their messages going to my spam folder, so maybe there is a response from them in there? Otherwise your could try phoning their office. The number is on the, "Contact Us," section of their website. I hope that you can get in touch.

Does anyone know why the afternoon sugar cane train ride through Princess is cheaper than the morning one? I would rather go in the afternoon anyway and it is 20 dollars less per person. Each trip states that it is 3 hours.

The Jungle Queen goes down the New River from Bahia Mar and doesn't go really near the port unless they've changed their route.

Thanks so much for this information. You are very helpful to so many people on the CC boards. :)

Plus the water taxi route is much longer than the Jungle Queen's route. The Jungle Queen goes further up the New River but the water taxi goes much further up the intracoastal or you can take the route south to Hollywood (and go right through Port Everglades which especially fun on the weekend when lots of cruise ships are in port).

I am trying to give life to this older thread. :) For the Jungle Queen morning cruise, does it not go down to Port Everglades then? Next month, I have a 5:00 PM flight out of FLL. I was looking at taking the Princess tour via the Carrie B, or booking the Jungle Queen on my own. It looks like the Carrie B does go down to the port. Do you know if these boats take the same route more or less? Thanks for any help/advise you can give.

Reporting back from our tour last Tuesday...we drove by a church that had the doors open and it was very pretty inside, so I am assuming this is the cathedral you are interested in. It was not mentioned by name (or I missed it as I was sitting in the back) and was definitely a drive-by. It was on a very busy street, so I would assume it would be hard to stop and let people wander in to take pictures. It looked like something I would have enjoyed seeing, too. You could always ask your driver about it and I’m sure he would be happy to answer questions you have about it and possibly drive by slowly so you could get a picture from the van. The tour was really a fun day with lots to do!

Thanks for reporting back, Rondo. I agree. That church you saw must be the cathedral. The online photos of the church are so beautiful that I am determined to see it in person. It is not that far from where the cruise ships dock so going back to Castries just for the cathedral is always an option too. Thanks again for following up. I see so many threads where people promise to report back and never do, so your posting is very appreciated. :)

Do you ever worry about not getting back to the ship in time?:o

No, not with Eleuthera Tours. They try to get people back with 1-1.5 hours from the last tender. The tour is never really that far from the ship on this tour either. Some people walk from Princess Cays to Lighthouse Beach. I think it is around 4 miles.

I have had some close calls on private tours on other islands. Last year I was on a tour in Curacao that got stuck in the mud. The company had to call another jeep to tow us out. We made it back with over an hour to spare in the end.

My closest call was on Aruba. I was on a jeep tour and there was a flat tire. The jeep did not have a spare tire or a jack. DH and I made it back on the ship when they were calling our names.

I can check it out for you on the 28th.

Thanks, Rondo. I would appreciate it. I hope you have an excellent cruise. :)

Could anyone that has toured with Cosol tell me if the tour stops when you pass by Derek Walcott Square in Castries? I would like to get some photos of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and perhaps have a look inside if it is open. The Cosol website mentions the cathedral but I was not sure if this was just a drive by, or an actual stop. Thanks for any info on this.

Thanks, sorry I just called it a resort as it's just one part of the island that Princess leases. I was hoping to do a bit more there than just lounge on the beach. I've found a bit of info but not much, so we shall see what others say.

 

Thanks!

One option is take a trip to Lighthouse Beach with Eleuthera Tours. I have used them twice and will do so for a third time in January. They collect you from the gates of Princess Cays and take you down to Lighthouse Beach for around 4 hours. They will cook your lunch while you snorkel. Check out their reviews. They are excellent. I always look forward to touring Lighthouse Beach with them. Please let me know if you have any questions.

There's an ongoing thread on this since we all panicked when it was announced.

 

Look here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2526011

 

Hint: Not much has changed... ;)

 

Dave

Hint #2: If you fly enough for this to matter (which for me would be once), spend $85 on TSA Precheck, or, since you're on a cruise forum where you travel internationally, spend $100 on Global Entry (both are for five years). Electronics stay in the bag.

 

This is being rolled out airport by airport apparently, so the actual pain is still somewhat unknown...

Thanks to both of you for the hints and for the link to the previous thread. Everyone is always so helpful on Cruise Critic. :)

Could anyone give me an update about going through security and camera equipment? I was reading a TSA page the other day and it said something to the effect that cameras require a separate screening now. Is this being enforced at most airports? Has anyone had to take their lens off.? I usually travel with 2 Nikon bodies, several lenses, a couple of small point and shoots,an underwater camera, and a laptop on my backpack. Will I have to take it all out of the pack and put them into the plastic bins? Thanks to everyone for your help and information.

Awesome shots. That must have been a great experience. Thanks for sharing your images.

 

Pro Tip: If you want to board as soon as possible, get to the port early and get in line. Boarding usually begins around 11:45 or so, with Elites/Suites first on one gangway, and handicapped on the second gangway. After that, it’s the preferreds and general boarding. First time Princess cruisers can be aboard before noon if they are there early enough.

 

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Thanks so much for the review, Chris. What time did you get to the port? Did you manage to get on the Regal before noon then? I had been planning to go later to the port at around 1:00 PM for my Royal sailing to avoid the lines, but I may reconsider now. Thanks for any advice that you can give.

Denise

Embassy suites is closer

 

 

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Thanks so much for your help. :)

Thanks to marysb and Allan of Ski WW too. Allan, thanks for your tip about the top floor views at Embassy Suites. Cruise Critic is such an awesome place for information sharing.

The Marina is right on the corner and from southern rooms, you can see the port. The view is ok but any of those hotels and a brief walk to the bridge is a better view.

 

Dave

The Hilton Marina definitely has the nicest angle to the port and the ships, and the best shooting views since it's shooting over the bridge and water...from the higher rooms and with a zoom lens you could get some lovely shots of the ships and great wide views of the entire cruise port area. Suites have large balconies too - so any south-facing room will give the nice views.

 

As mentioned, any of the hotels provides a simple walk to the bridge for the nicest views too. And depending on whether you'll be there more than the night of your cruise, if you're there for any of the ships departing the day before your cruise, you'll want to drive down to the south end of Ft. Lauderdale beach to access the jetty, or head around the port to the south side and John Lloyd Park, to get lovely shots of the ships leaving the channel (though in winter, Lloyd park will likely close too soon to catch them leaving - so the north jetty is your best access point).

Thank you so much, Dave and Justin. I was hoping that the two of you would respond. I really respect your knowledge and appreciate your willingness to help out on these boards. I am still undecided but I am leaning towards staying at Embassy Suites and walking down to the bridge.

Denise

We stayed at the Embassy Suites prior to our cruise a few years back. Loved the hotel. It was very close to a supermarket so we could get our last minute bits and pieces. Had a great breakfast there as well.

 

From our room we could see our ship. Please forgive the terrible photo. I'm not a photographer. Just thought Id share so you could see.

 

Thank you for posting this image. It really helps me to envision the views that I will see from the hotel. Thanks for the hotel information too.

Denise

I am looking for some advice for getting the hotel that gives me the best options for photographing the ships in Port Everglades. I currently have the Embassy Suites booked for one of the higher floors. I have read that you can see the ships from the higher rooms. I know that I will need to be situated in one of the east facing room to get a my shots. This hotel seems to be a touch far away to get a good shot though.

I am now reconsidering and I am tempted by one of the higher rooms at the Fort Lauderdale Marina hotel, or the Hyatt Pier 66. I have seen some of the shots from the Hyatt and they are gorgeous. Even the shots of the pool and the yachts at the Hyatt make it so tempting.

I guess another option is to stay at the Embassy Suites and then just walk to the 17th street bridge and take some images from there. The Embassy Suites seems to be more convenient for making a soda, water, and wine run before the cruise too. Decisions. Decisions. :)

I would appreciate some advice from any photographers that have stayed at these hotels. Thanks in advance for any information given.

Denise

if you click on the link posted above, it gives a time of 11:30 for the EZ check. Hope that helps!

Emily

Thanks, Emily. Looks like I will squeak by as my flight is at 11:40. Thanks for starting this thread.

I am enjoying reading this thread. The goat cheese souffle seems to have loads of fans. Is this an item that typically appears one night per cruise on the main dining room menu, or is it available more often?

I am looking forward to hearing about more great Princess foods. :):)

You will receive a disembark questionnaire in your cabin. The self disembark options will be shown. There are normally a few of them 15 mins. apart around 7am. The self disembark option is where you wheel all your own luggage off the ship with no assistance. There are also independent arrangement options at various times throughout the morning. This is where you place your luggage out the evening before and pick it up in the terminal. A taxi to Miami is around $85.

There is also the EZ Check option for certain airlines out of Miami. This is where you place your luggage out the night before and it is delivered to the airline. Check out this site: http://vickieandbernietravel.blogspot.com/2015/02/princess-ez-check-service-for-fort.html

I am on the same December sailing of the Royal with Clampram. I was wondering at what time Princess generally starts disembarkation for the people that do not self disembark? My husband has some physical limitations that will prevent us carrying the luggage off the ship. Hopefully we can do the EZ check, but our flight is right on the borderline for earliness as I have seen documentation of cut off times for EZ check for FLL as 11:30 and some at noon. Thanks for any information that you can give.

We, too, have Southwest flights for our Coral Princess cruise. I just called Princess to see if they participate with Southwest for EZ check. Said yes, if we're leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale, but that's the only port they do it for.

Thanks for calling Princess regarding EZ check. it is good news that Southwest does participate at Fort Lauderdale. :)

Hi Martin and Lindsey, My last cruise in Grenada actually ended up docking in the Carneage. We had docked at the usual cruise terminal but the sea swells were high and the captain moved the ship to the more sheltered Carneage.

 

From there I easily walked over to where you will be docking. I went over by climbing to the top of the hill and saw the views from Fort George. I highly recommend Fort George as the views are beautiful from up there. I walked back via the Sendall Tunnel. The chocolate factory is a great place to visit on your way to the Carneage via the tunnel. Take the tunnel if you want to avoid the big hill of Fort George. The Carneage is beautiful too with all of the different types of boats and reflections in the water.

 

I hope you have a very pleasant day in Grenada.

 

Denise

Just a quick correction to my initial reply. The chocolate place is not a factory. It is a museum and store. It is very interesting to visit it and it is well run. The ice cream there is very refreshing if you decide to climb up to Fort George.