halifaxcruising

We are wondering if the bathrooms on Inside cabins on the Queen Victoria are similar in size to the bathrooms on Inside cabins on Princess cruises (that is quite small) and that the shower facilities still use flimsy shower curtains and aren't very large.  We just returned from both HAL (Konigsdam) and Celebrity (Solstice) and they have larger shower facilities so wondering if other cruise companies have changed theirs as well. 

Thank you.

We are posting this question in the general area since it is not cruise line specific.

We are in the process of booking some cruises and after looking at various cruise line and cruise ship reviews, we were wondering if all cruise lines were having difficulties staffing their cruise ships post pandemic.  A lot of the reviews on various lines indicate slow service in many areas -n dining room, buffet, guest services, cabin stewards, bars, etc.  and especially on the ships that are sailing with full capacity passengers.  We were recently on a cruise where the service was excellent and all the common areas, dining room and buffet had lots of available tables, however our ship was only 2/3 full.  

Are all cruise lines experiencing these staffing issues?  If there are some that are currently managing better than others, which cruise lines and cruise ships are doing well?  It would certainly persuade us to book on those lines and ships.

Thank you.

We have tried unsuccessfully to figure out any information on where to park around the San Pedro pier area in Los Angeles.  Is there a good website that others have used to determine where to park, costs, whether you need to pre-reserve, if you can walk to the pier, etc?

Thank you.

Hello, we are cruising on both the Celebrity Solstice and the Eclipse in the near future.  Based on the Celebrity website pictures, both of these cabins have rounded corner beds.  Is this the case or are the pictures deceiving?  Is this the norm?  Is it comfortable for sleeping?  

Thank you.

Thank you.  Do we need to pre-book any of these?

We are sailing out of B Street Terminal in San Diego on the Holland America Kongingsdam on December 10, 2022.  Can anyone suggest which long term cruise parking site we should be parking at?  Hard to figure out on the internet.

Thank you.

We are sailing out of B Street Terminal in San Diego on the Holland America Kongingsdam on December 10, 2022.  Can anyone suggest which long term cruise parking site we should be parking at?  Hard to figure out on the internet.

Thank you.

On Holland America's website, it said you could bring a bottle of wine in your carry-on suitcase to drink in your cabin but it will be subjected to a $20 corkage fee.  However, somewhere on Cruise Critic, it said you could bring a bottle of wine in your carry-on (per adult) and they would not charge you.  Can someone please clarify?  

Thank you.

Historically, Princess used to make their own ice cream.  Do they still make their own ice cream and offer it at Horizon Court at 4pm and is there a milkshake offering on the Enchanted Princess.

Thank you.

We are looking at booking on taking a cruise on the Enchanted in the Caribbean and one of the perks being offered by Vacations To Go is a drink package.  Does anyone know if this includes speciality coffees from the International Cafe?  According to Princess's website, the only drink package listed is the premiere drink package. Is this the only drink package that would be an offer, or are there others that are available?

Thank you.

It has been a while since we have cruised Princess and the coffee that was served in the Horizon Court was a syrup that was almost undrinkable.  We ended up spending most of our coffee drinking at the International Cafe so we can have a half decent cup of coffee.  Has Princess upped their game on their coffee?  Other cruise ships have done so. 

Thank you.

It has been a number of years since we have cruised on Princess but one of the things we remarked on on our last few cruises with them that there were constant announcements about ongoing activities around the ship - both in your cabin and in common areas of the ship.   We have cruised on Holland America, Cunard and Celebrity and there are less frequent or non-existent than we experienced on previous Princess Cruises.  

Has Princess modified this activity?

Thank you for your wonderful advice. Well said.

If you are happy with your existing cabin, I would not risk it for a balcony guarantee, as you might not like the location of it. As already mentioned, I would ask to be able to pick my new cabin (they often do this on upsells). If they say no, then pass on it. Why pay more for something worth less to you?

We had booked on HAL Nieuw Amsterdam an Inside Cabin and have just found out that if we wish, we can be upgraded to a "Balcony Guarantee". Our current Inside Cabin is located on Deck 6 chosen as we like it quiet. We understand that a Balcony Guarantee could be located anywhere on the ship. Is it worth the risk of taking the upgrade and perhaps being located in an area that may be noisier (close to Dining Room or other entertainment venues)? We have never cruised on a ship that only has "Guarantee Room". Can anyone advise us?

Thank you.:)

We have done a few cruises (specifically Princess, Cunard, Celebrity & RCI) and have found the coffee mediocre (absolutely terrible on Princess).

We aren't coffee snobs per se, but we do love a good cup of coffee. How is the coffee in the Lido and main dining room?

Thank you.

We have never cruised Holland American and are looking at a Caribbean cruise in January out of Fort Lauderdale.

It seems that parents take their children out of a school at any given time these days and we we were wondering if anyone can comment on whether we are likely to encounter kids on one of these cruises that time of year.

We are looking for an adult vacation.

Thank you.

We are planning a transatlantic cruise but find one way airfare is extremely exorbitant. It seems almost better to buy a 2 way ticket and throw the unused portion away. Does anyone have any suggestions as to a more cost effective way around this. In a perfect world, we could cruise over on the Queen Mary to Europe, but we don't necessarily have the vacation time (still working).

We came across From Venice to Fort Lauderdale on the Ruby Princess in November a few years ago and loved it. Ports are a personal preference but I liked Copenhagen much more than Lisbon but I am sure others would prefer it the other way around. We had a balcony and were on the wrong side of the ship as our room faced the sun the whole way. The room never cooled down at night and some afternoons it was too hot to sit on the balcony, something to keep in mind. We followed the gulf stream all the way across and had beautiful weather, and not a ripple on the water the whole way across.

Transatlantic cruises often seem to be a great value if you are retired or are able to be away from home for a little longer.

Good luck on your choice, I don't believe you can go wrong with any decision.

We prefer spinners especially if travelling in Europe where there are a lot of cobble stones and uneven surfaces. I find the spinners give better clearance but we don't use the overhead bins on airlines so that is not a problem.:)

As others have said I would recommend Celebrity and Cunard. The other main stream lines will have a large amount of kids on board in Feb. Parents no longer wait for March Break to take their kids out of school for a vacation, being a teacher I realize you know this. We have cruised on the above mentioned as well as RCI, and Princess. Our likes are very similar to yours, however we cruise spring and fall as the Caribbean is not our thing. Good luck, I am sure you will love which ever you choose.

it is generally the most consistent weather of the year in eastern Canada. We are from Halifax but travel to NFLD and Quebec frequently. As others have said be prepared for anything, even snow in NFLD is not out of the question. Rain/wind gear is essential, and if you are American you can always purchase anything you want as the Canadian loonie is extremely low compared to the green back. Having said that you may get very warm weather as we have enjoyed the last couple of years in the fall. You will have a great time, Signal Hill is Saint John's is a must, old Montreal is great and Quebec City is as beautiful as a lot of cities in Europe.

Does anyone know if the cabins directly above the main theatre at the bow of the ship is noisy during the performance or when the cast is rehearsing? A number of times we have seen what looked to be an excellent price on this type of cabin and was wondering if the reason being is that they were quite noisy.:)

I would check with the airline you are flying with. I am a Canadian and have seen people refused boarding if they did not have 6 months left on their passport from date of return.

As someone else stated, it is not worth the risk. If you have paid thousands for your trip, why risk refusal for the sake of a few dollars more.:cool:

I would agree with your assessment however, I would perhaps rank Celebrity and Cunard a little above. And as other have said any line can put out a poor meal at times.

If you email RCI they will usually email their drink list. We got one from Cunard this way.