NavyVeteran

7 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I see you are from Canada.  Are the other passengers also Canadian?  Will they be able to clear US immigrations before getting on the plane to a US Alaskan city?  I doubt a small town like Skagway will have a way to process a Canadian.

There would be no problem flying from Vancouver to Skagway or Ketchikan, since they would clear US immigration and customs before boarding the plane in Vancouver. All flights from YVR to the US clear immigration and customs in Vancouver. However, the PVSA would prevent them from boarding the ship in Skagway or Ketchikan for a one-way cruise to Whittier.

2 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

If you are booking it as R/T Vancouver, they can get you to the next port with no PVSA violation.

And it doesn't matter whether you booked the R/T as a single cruise or as a B2B. The PVSA doesn't care about individual bookings. It only cares about the total cruise for each passenger.

4 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

The challenge is that any time I log into any system... VPN... email... all of the myriad web-based systems I need to access for work, I need to approve that login through an app on my phone, which will mean quickly switching to my phone to receive the "ping" and approve the login and then back to the device that I am attempting to log in from (my laptop). 

That's what I thought the problem was. You may need a two-device plan in order to work. The question is whether or not you and your husband both need to work at the same time. If not, one of you can use two devices while you're working and then trade with the other.

If you both need to work at the same time, then you probably need at least three devices. You would each need a logon for your computer to do work. Maybe you could switch back and forth on the phone when you're logging in. This would require one extra in addition to the two with Plus. You will have to decide the tradeoff between cost and convenience.

47 minutes ago, memoak said:

You probably need a WiFi plan and if so there would be no charge since it probably goes to an app you have. At least that is how mine works. No wifi no data 

@Cabunitsaid the APAP uses a cellular modem - not wifi. If it uses a cellular modem, then it would not use wifi. Your machine may be different.

56 minutes ago, Cabunit said:

Here is a new question for all of the experts out there:

 

My APAP has a cellular modem built into it.  It cannot be disabled.  It connects daily to download data.  Does anyone have experience with this sort of a CPAP/APAP?  Do we get charged when it sends data?  How much is charged?  Any idea when this occurs during the day?  How long does it take?  Anything else I should know?

 

I'm trying to figure out if we just grin and bear the charges (if any) or if we should try to finesse the timing of when it is powered up (to try to use the port cell connections).  The durable medical equipment provider isn't particularly knowledgeable about the cellular details.

 

Thanks in advance!

My CPAP has a cellular modem. However, I do not have a contract with a cellular provider to connect the CPAP. The CPAP company provides for the cellular connection. It does not use wi-fi. The CPAP does not use my cellular service. I've used my CPAP several times on cruises with no problems. I know the data was eventually uploaded so that my physician could see it. However, I never checked to see when it was uploaded. I suspect the CPAP does not use data roaming and waited until I returned to a United States cellular connection before uploading the back data, but I don't know for sure.

When you use a phone with a roaming foreign or nautical cellular connection, you don't pay the company providing the connection directly. You pay your home cellular connection for the roaming, as stated in your contract with them. I don't have a contract to provide cellular connection for my CPAP, so I'm not responsible for how it connects to a cellular network. I suspect that your situation is the same.

3 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I think what will make the most sense is to do neither and suck it up and deal with the hassles of switching between devices while working. This is where multi-factor authentication will be a real PITA (as if it weren't annoying enough already)!

9 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

It's really not a hassle at all. Every time I have done this as soon as you log on with the non-active device it just asks you if you want to switch. You don't have to do anything on that other device at all.

I suspect the hassle with multi-factor authentication may have nothing to do with logging on to the Princess Internet. OP and husband will need to logon to work network every time they switch devices instead of staying logged on and work network may require multi-factor authentication to log on each time.

31 minutes ago, MTNest93 said:

This!  I have a shellfish allergy and noted it in my planner on the app. One night in the MDR our head waiter brought me a shrimp cocktail for no reason (he was just trying to be nice), so they obviously don't reference the app.  I realized I should have mentioned it each and every time we dined in a new venue (we did 2 specialty dinners) just to be safe.

Not only do you need to mention it to the head waiter (not just to a waiter) in each restaurant, you need to order your MDR meals from a head waiter the evening before. Also, you need to talk with the head waiter at each specialty restaurant the evening before your reservation if possible. Obviously @threebluestarscould not go the night before for a first-night reservation. Sometimes, when the MDR head waiter comes by to take your order for the first night and you tell him you will be eating in a specialty restaurant, he will offer to talk with the specialty restaurant head waiter for you.

4 minutes ago, threebluestars said:

If I book Crown Grill for night 1, will my celiac mom be able to find something on the menu to eat? I'm assuming yes since the medallion app has all her allergy/diet info in it already and they'll know we're coming, but I want to make sure. I know the main dining room has a few dishes that are GF for night one.

Don't count on the information in the app. Go to the Crown Grill and talk with the Head Waiter as soon as you are onboard. Discuss the allergy with him, and he will tell you what is available. If it weren't the first night, I would say to talk with him the evening before to give them time to prepare. If they aren't able to adequately handle her diet without more notice, you may want to ask him to change your reservation to the next night to give them time.

You will need to use the FCD for the deposit. The Goodwill FCC cannot be used for a deposit. In my case, Princess automatically used it for the next cruise that I booked after receiving the credit. I asked them to move it to a different cruise (an earlier cruise previously booked) and they did so. When I cancelled the cruise with the FCC applied, they automatically moved it to my next cruise.

I would not recommend saving the Goodwill FCC. It expires at a specific date, and it has no value after expiration. Something unforeseen may happen.

2 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

I'm sure there would be a way...it might be best to get a CVP involved so that it gets handled exactly as you wish.

OP won't be able to get a CVP involved, since the booking will be through a travel agent.

I would recommend looking closely at the deck plans for your specific ship. On some Princess ships, there can be substantial foot traffic past the first few staterooms to get to the forward lifts. However, you would not have this problem on the Discovery Princess. On that ship, people do not walk by the Lido deck cabins to get to the forward lifts, so you would not have that foot traffic. People do need to walk past L301 or L302 to get to the forward stairs, so you may have a little foot traffic past those two cabins, but not as much as on the ships where people are walking to the lifts. I would not expect any problems farther forward.

1 hour ago, dog said:

You prepay on the website under Payments tab.

 

That might not be available a few days prior to boarding. I don’t know about app.  I am going to GS when I board and pre paying with OBC.

I wouldn't waste your time going to Guest Services. If you do nothing, the recommended crew appreciation will automatically be charged to your folio, and it will automatically use any OBC (nonrefundable OBC first and then refundable OBC).

1 hour ago, MCC retired said:

And those huge cabins on that tiny Pacific Princess ?

DW and I sailed on the original Pacific Princess on a one-week cruise in 2002. Our cabin sure didn't look like the ones on the show. Also, the cabin had two single beds that could not be moved together - not actually the best layout for "The Love Boat".

7 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Do you need to inform Princess that you are bringing on a DME?  I thought I read that somewhere.  

Yes. See this FAQ. It also gives the restrictions I quoted above.

A normal wheelchair will not fit through the door. If it's a collapsible wheelchair, if someone can carry it through the door into the hall, and if you can walk the short distance through the door to the wheelchair in the hall, then you should have no problem.

Princess provides the following information about mobility devices: "Mobility devices of any kind, like other items, may not be left outside the stateroom. Please be sure that your mobility equipment is no wider than 22" if booked in a standard cabin or no wider than 31" if booked in an accessible cabin." If it will be taken through the door collapsed, then these limitations would apply to the collapsed wheelchair.

The shower in tub in a mini could be a problem. Even before DW used a wheelchair, we did not book mini-suites for that reason - we booked either ocean view, balcony, or full suites.

26 minutes ago, memoak said:

No it was quite common back in the day for solos who wanted to save money. Many cruise lines and travel agents had these programs 

This was also back in the days when people hitchhiked and other people picked up hitchhikers. Times have changed.

11 hours ago, Maira11 said:

You'll be Elite sooner, points if cruising in a suite count double🙂

Sorry, you will not receive two credits for getting an upgrade to a suite. Princess provides the following answer in its FAQ:

1. 16. Will I receive all the amenities of a Reserve Collection Mini Suite or a full suite if I am upgraded to such categories?
   Yes! You will receive all the amenities of the upgraded stateroom category. However, you will not receive double cruise credits for a full suite with the upgrade.

14 hours ago, Coral said:

Definitely book (2) tables of 8. One long table doesn't really allow people to talk and it will hold up food longer.

 

Contact a travel agent before people book. You may qualify as a group which could give you group amenities and maybe one free cabin or one free birth. I forget what it is with Princess. Also do a referral before for those who haven't sailed Princess.

Definitely book through a travel agent or a Princess Cruise Vacation Planner (CVP). Four cabins can qualify as a group and get some small group OBC. Eight cabins can provide one berth free (which can either be applied to one passenger or divided among all the passengers). Other group amenities are possible - I don't know all the details, since I only booked a group of five cabins.

2 hours ago, Esprit said:

15 alcoholic drinks a day is easy for me too, except on embarkation day as we never seem to get onboard until mid afternoon due to flying on the same day! 

Embarkation day is easy. The real problem is to drink 15 alcoholic drinks on disembarkation day between 6:00 am and when you leave the ship.😉

1 hour ago, Canuker said:

1. Can the Princess medallion be used to locate another medallion(s), say, one's cabin-mate? Or a blue tooth device?

Or perhaps a mislaid medallion?

2. Are they programmable by users at all?

 

1. No, the medallion cannot be used to locate another medallion or anything else.

2. They are not programmable. All they contain is a code that identifies the passenger.

The medallion app on a phone, or on a display screen on the ship, can be used to locate a medallion. The easiest way is to use the app on your phone. It will locate other members of your booking. It will also locate other passengers on the ship with their permission; you select their name and it sends a message to their app asking for permission to share locations.

As stated previously, it will generally show the location where you left the ship if you and your medallion are no longer on the ship. 

14 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Besides the military & veterans meeting on every cruise, only had one event in the Princess Theater on Veteran’s Day on a transpacific cruise but believe that was due to the CD’s family connection to the military. 🫡

 

On a South Pacific cruise in 2012 (28-day round trip Los Angeles) on the Sapphire Princess, we had a program in the Princess Theater on November 11th (a sea day). The program was a combination for Armistice Day, Veterans Day (United States), and Remembrance Day (Commonwealth). The Captain led the program for a nearly full theater. He asked the veterans of each country to stand up, and we had veterans from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. It was a very moving ceremony - particularly with the participates from the many allied countries.

7 hours ago, Cruisebird said:

I'm trying to waitlist myself and DH for a couple for a Sept cruise, however it will only allow me to waitlist one person.  Will that work to get us both tickets?  No idea why I can't waitlist both of us.

I've had the same problem. I check both names and click on Add to Waitlist. One name is added. When I go back to that excursion, waitlist is no longer an option. I suspect they allow a limited number on the waitlist and I took the last spot. I'll leave it that way and check with Shore Excursions onboard.

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

Land first.

 

14-Day Ring of Kerry

 

Limerick to Southampton

Regal

15-Day Spain, Portugal & France Passage

 

Southampton to Ft. Lauderdale

 

Emerald

 

I thought you were probably doing something like that. I just wanted to clarify for anyone else reading that you can't have a couple of days in Southampton between the land portion and the cruise portion of a cruise tour.

10 minutes ago, smilesntravels said:

That is interesting- the pricing.  Since you seem to have a lot of info about the area, I said that I was thinking of just walking around/hop on hop off bus/pub in one of the ports.  I don't think you mentioned which one would be better to do that in?  If both stops (Glasgow and Edinburgh) you recommend doing a tour, then okay 🙂 .

I've done a couple of British Isles cruises, and I don't have a lot of information about those ports. My last cruise was a family cruise with four couples. We booked a private driver/guide in South Queensferry for the eight of us and went to the border town of Jedburgh instead of to Edinburg. That was very interesting for us because we found the tombstone of our great-great-great-grandfather, but that wouldn't be that interesting for someone else. We took the Princess excursion from Greenock to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. That was fantastic, and I would highly recommend the Tattoo if you were traveling in August when it is happening. Other than that, I really don't have any recommendations for either Greenock or South Queensferry.

11 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

So, another question....

In my research it says that you can locate another person by using the app/medallion......

 

My husband has a tendency to wander off....and then gets mad at me for some reason....so I end up staying stationery (ie....I can't change machines in the casino...because he won't be able to locate me).

 

This location feature sounds ideal.  How does it work?  Is it simple to use (he's technologically challenged).

You can locate people in your booking. You can select another passenger by name and request access to their location, and they receive a notice in their app to accept or reject the access. As long as he has his medallion, you can locate him. He will have to have his phone and sign in to the app to locate you. I don't know how easy he would find that because I don't know how technologically challenged, he is. You may want to show him how once you get onboard.

5 hours ago, Womble99 said:

You can always buy the Plus or Premier on board for one person in each cabin. The requirement for both is just when you book your cruise.

Have you personally done this? I haven't seen it documented that you can.

Are your talking about the Plus or Premier fare or the completely over-priced stand-alone Plus or Premier drink packages?