GFLeeper
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We have stayed next door in R415. Sorry no pictures.
Great cabin.
The blue-white lights from the skywalk were most unusual in the middle of the night. They were bright enough to interfere with star gazing.
George
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We took this land tour last year. I believe the tour operator was Globus. Look up their similar tour on the internet and you can get additional insight into activities.
Here is where we stayed and a few notes:
The Budapest Marriott Hotel has all rooms facing the Danube. Be sure and get up early in the morning while the river is still calm for a spectacular view Buda reflected in the river. It's a pleasant walk along the esplanade to just past the chain bridge. From there to the Parliament Building the sidewalk is more narrow.
The Vienna Hilton is across the street from the Stadtpark; great place to wander. Be certain to take a look at the Johann Strauss statue.
The Intercontinental Prague is a short walk through the Jewish Quarter to the old town square. There was an optional luncheon cruise on the Vltava (Moldau) River which was a great way to see other parts of the city. A couple of blocks from the hotel is a Belgian Beer Restaurant "Les Moules" which has great seafood.
Sofitel Berlin Kurfürstendamm is just around the corner from Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Shop; great place to visit even if you don't buy a thing.
The tour has ample free time to sight see or you can take optional additional excursion. Remember to take it easy and don't try to do everything. For the tour most of your luggage will stay on board the bus, so pack your necessities into something small and easy to handle. Our bus had onboard internet access using WiFi.
Enjoy! We had a great time.
George
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Paul Slight will be the Captain on the two subsequent cruises.
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The sea days are always a pleasure on repositioning cruises. Since the cruise is longer than 7 days, the passenger mix will be slightly older with fewer children.
In late October, there is still a chance of storms, but the Captain will have a lot of sea room to maneuver between New York and St. Maarten to avoid worst.
With different departure and arrival ports. the best air fares may be through Princess EZair.
Halloween, can be a blast on board. Bring some sort of a costume just in case.
George
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We have >200 days in 8048 or 8051 on the Pacific or Ocean (Tahitian) Princess. Rarely were we bothered by noise from deck 9 and then only for a brief interval. You are more apt to be bothered by late night conversations as passengers get off the elevator.
Your cabin is a great location, close to the aft elevator/stairwell; convenient for buffet and dining room.
George
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When folks got their documents, they would post "Doing the document dance" on CC.
George
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On the PP there is a lift that can carry a wheelchair from deck 3 to the tender platform on deck 2, though I have never seen it used to carry a passenger. (I have probably been to a dozen tender ports on the PP and her sister ships.) The stairs between these two decks are narrow enough that one can easily hold onto the railing on both sides while descending or ascending. My wife has used these railing to pull herself up the stairs.
Getting from the tender platform into the tender may be less of a problem. The crew is all too willing to help. My wife has had bruises on her arms from aggressive assistance.
George
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The comments about feminine leg shaving brings back memories from the Dark Ages.
In 1962, I boarded the Matson Mariposa sailing Auckland transPac via Sydney. A large number of Kiwi women boarded the ship in Auckland. Their hirsute legs were obviously matted beneath their nylons. They must have observed and emulated the fellow American female passengers with shaved legs. They seemed borrowed their husbands razors because by day 3 and despite a rough Tasman, their legs were clean shaven but decorated with nicks and bloody scabs.
George
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We are casual bird watchers and thoroughly enjoyed the above tour out of Honningsvag (North Cape), Norway. In addition to the more common Northern seabirds such as puffins, kittiwakes and gannets, a large number of giant sea eagle circled overhead. They would occasionally swoop down to grab a less than healthy victim.
Sailing out of the harbor for the tour, it was fascinating to observe the design of the working and pleasure boats. Many were of lapstrake construction reminiscent of viking longboats. There were even fiberglass hulls patterned to look like lapstrake.
It was interesting to look way up at the North Cape Cliffs and see the tourists peering out over the ocean.
George
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In 2004 on the Pacific (2) Princess, we stopped in Guam. As we headed off on a shore excursion, they opened a freezer container for supplies. Someone had neglected to plug the container into a power source and it warmed in the tropical sun. A great deal of liquid ran out on the dock when the door was opened. There was a shortage of some items for about a week.
What made the cruise especially eventful was the dirty fuel the ship took on in Guam. The middle of the next day, the engines stopped due to clogged fuel filters. We drifted for hours in the calm equatorial Pacific. Dinner was a cold meal by candle light.
I don't recall any on board complaints about these issues. The majority of the passengers were WWII Pacific Campaign veterans and their families. For them, things were much worse on their prior cruise.
You can't beat such cruising adventures as a source of stories. Listeners generally relegate them to the category of walking to school in the snow, uphill, in both directions.
George
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The carts always seem to be parked on the same side as the hallway hand rail. DW, who has some mobility issues, likes to use the rail when walking down the corridor.
I find it a bit awkward navigating around the carts when there is some ocean motion to the ship and it is prudent to use the hand rail.
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Years ago, probably more than 10, there was a hand written menu board as you you entered the lunch buffet. It did not list all the dishes but more the daily specials and luncheon themes. It made it much easier to get what you wanted instead of stumbling across it with your plate nearly full of items that were OK but less desirable.
I end up prowling the buffet before I even pick up a plate. This is not so much an issue with the smaller ships but on the Regal, it is a major expedition.
Please bring back the menu board or use Princess@Sea for the information.
Using Princess@Sea to post the regular menus would also be appreciated. It should not be that hard to put up a pdf of the menu.
George
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I'm not certain if it fits into the category of tradition, but after more than 20 cruises, it is certainly pattern of behavior.
I tend to make myself scarce. I know my wife is wants to foist some of her stuff into my suitcase.
We are typically gone for 5-9 weeks and because there is usually some sort of repositioning involved, there is a range of climatic conditions with the accompanying wardrobe adjustments. Somehow, I manage to get by with 3/4 of a suitcase, except for my tux in the garment bag, and she always manages to spill out of her 3 containers into whatever I have packed.
In the evenings, on board, she is always dressed to the nines. Even after 49 year together, I still think she is gorgeous. However, pre-cruise there is a degree of tension in the house as I try to impose a limit on what "needs" to be taken. I suppose the fundamental problem is a difference how each of us defines "needs."
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The temperature in the public areas seems to vary greatly by ship. On the old Rs, Ocean, Pacific, Royal, you could use the MDR as a meat locker. My wife was always cold.
We just got off the Regal Princess. The temperature in the public areas was more moderate. Many evenings in the MDR, I was quite warm in a sports coat after dinner. At the same time, my wife was freezing.
My advise is to take a wrap. You can always hang it over the back of the chair if you are too warm.
It is a constant HVAC battle to drag down the humidity in a water rich environment like a cruise ship without turning passengers into icicles.
George
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In 2000, after moving to IL and settling in, we got the bug to take another cruise. I had searched on line and found a great Princess relocation cruise about 11 months hence. I even figured out which side of the ship, deck and area of cabins we would like.
Our former TA in CT had retired and his shop had closed. In our new town there was a small agency that would have been convenient. I stopped by the agency and inquired about booking the cruise.
After a brief look on the computer, the agent replied that no cabins were available. "Strange", I thought; but I thanked her for her effort and said I would see if I could find another cruise.
I went home and immediately booked that cruise with our daughter's TA in NC.
Later that day, I got a call from the local agency. "We can book you that cruise you wanted." I informed them that I already had with another agency. I got an "Oh." and a click in reply.
That convenient local agency, ultimately missed our on booking 72 cruise days for the next 5 years that we were in IL. We have since returned to CT and have used that TA in NC for a couple hundred more days of cruising.
George
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Whatever else you do in the evening, be certain to catch the 15 minute symphony of light show that starts at 8 PM every night.
If the ship docks at the Ocean Terminal, viewing is great from the Kowloon Public Pier, just a few block away.
George
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This has got to be some kind of record.
Got an email today that shore excursions were available to be booked.
Checked my August 27, 2016 sailing Singapore to Fremantle on the Dawn Princess and all the ports except Sihanoukville, Cambodia and Fremantle are available.
I had something like this happen in the past. I booked a few of the excursions very early. A few weeks later the ability to even view excursions was gone. When they reappeared a few months before sailing, my original bookings were still there.
George
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Diamond is booked into Sydney until 2018 but that's just going off the Syd Ports schedule, and as much as I know for now. Why is she not making the 27 Sep call?
According to the 2016 Japan schedule, the Diamond Princess does a 17 day Grand Japan, from Tokyo and return, beginning September 17. It will be impossible to do that cruise and arrive in Sydney 27 September.
I am disappointed because we were hoping to catch a September sailing Tokyo to Sydney.
George
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nyc12345, thanks for the posting. I have been waiting for that schedule.
Looks like the Diamond will be in Japan until October 9, 2015. It does not look as if she will make her September 27, 2016 call in Sydney.
Does anyone have her voyages after that? Is she headed back to Australia?
George
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We are arriving in Budapest a couple of days before our cruisetour late August. Our early arrival in a hotel has just been confirmed by Princess. We have been told that our hotel will be announced 30 days before our arrival.
After scouting around the internet it seems that either the Marriott or the the Hilton will be used.
I am also curious which hotels will be used in Vienna and Berling.
George
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We have over 200 days with Princess on the old Rs. Most have them have been on longer cruises with many sea day. We really enjoy this size of ship for all the reasons that others have listed. We will sorely miss the Ocean Princess when she leaves.
Most of our fellow passengers seem to enjoy this size ship as well. There has been the occasional passenger that is quite unhappy. They seem to suffer from, what under other circumstances might be called, cabin fever. I remember on particular passenger who, on the second day,was lamenting the rest of the cruise. When asked about any problem; she replied, "There's no place to go and nothing to do."
The smaller ships do mean that occasionally you have to find your own entertainment when none of the organized activities are appealing.
George
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On the Ocean Princess, April, 2014, we docked at "Saigon Port Passenger Cruise Terminal" in downtown HCMC.
If I remember correctly, the docking location was not announced until late the day before arrival. Word from the port authority was slow coming.
The views going up the Saigon River in the morning were interesting; lots of activity starting for the day; numerous fishermen, both in boats and along the shore.
It was dark when we left. The moon was low in the sky over the flat delta land. Another cruise ship, which had docked downstream, was a lit jeweled wonder as made its way to sea, always two curves ahead of us on the river.
George
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Princess Cruise Ships MAITRES D'HOTEL date last reported/due on ship (As of Feb 1)
Caribbean Princess - Mario Propato (Feb 15, Mar 1, 2014)
Coral Princess - Daniele Saredi (March 4 2014) - Silvio Zampieri (Just received email for 3/15 cruise indicating he is MD)
Crown Princess - Ignaz io D'Augustino (Jan, Feb 15, Mar 6, 2014)
Dawn Princess - Giuseppe Franchina (Feb 5, 2014); Jean Paul Misiu (Mar 3, 2014)
Diamond Princess - Francois Ferat (Feb 21, 2014)
Emerald Princess - Generoso Mazzone (1/24/14) to March 09, 2014
Golden Princess - Neville Saldanha (Feb 15, 2014, Mar 1, 2014)
Grand Princess - Angelo Balbiani (Feb 18, Mar 15, 2014)
Island Princess - Rui Pereira (Mar 2, 2014)
Ocean Princess - Luigi Pascale (Feb 9, 2014); Carlos Serrano Da Rosa (Mar 17, 2014)
Pacific Princess - Beppe Castino (Feb 25, Mar 12, 2014)
Regal Princess - Coming Soon (May 2014)
Royal Princess - Fabio Marcotti (Feb 23, Mar 2, 2014)
Ruby Princess Nicola Furlan (Feb 1, Mar 1, Mar 10, 2014)
Sapphire Princess - Silvio Zampieri (Jan 9, 2014);Francisco Patricio (Mar 1)
Sea Princess - Bruno Bogazzi (Feb 16, 2014)
Star Princess - Federico Arcos Cantos (March 5, 2014)
Sun Princess - Jacques Ghennai (Feb 2) Generoso Mazzone March 2014-Sept 2014
Dawn princess
in Princess Cruises
Posted
The Dawn Princess was the first Princess ship we sailed. We cruised on her in her maiden year, 1997. We were on her again from late August to late September this year. Ironic that we sailed on her the first and last year with the Princess but never in between.
If you can catch the engineering presentation by Chief Engineer Sterling, don't miss it. In my opinion, it is the best such presentation in the fleet. He was scheduled to be on the Dawn through its transfer to P&O.
George