rockdoctor

Aft is best. You can sit on your lonely balcony and watch the locks operate. Since they are so few available, it will be more expensive and need to be booked farther out. But they are well worth it. I went on deck a couple of times and it was a zoo. You must pick your vantage point well and early.

We have never gotten a price reduction but have changed to a better stateroom.

Never had a negative issue.

Never had a problem either. Always back next day.

We were on the Royal for 3 weeks in a B deck balcony. There was a minor amount of soot on one morning. We attributed this to the partially covered aft balconies on B and D deck. There is also a lack of privacy on the other decks.

It should go by number of days sailed. That seems more fair.

This is what Celebrity does.

The Northbound goes through Seymour Narrows and Johnstone Straight at night. You miss the only remaining part of the Inside Passage that Cruise ship take. Southbound is a must.

Trying for past 2 days to see what's available for Hawaii next year. Slow, unresponsive at times. I give up. Thought we'd Princess a try. Well, on to Holland and Celebrity.

If you think Princess is bad, would like to see what you think about the 2 you mention. IMHO they are far worse.

As long as you arrive after embarkation begins and the initial throng is aboard, any time is fine.

In the day when you carried video cameras, one day it rained so hard it shorted out the camera which was under my rain jacket. But we saw more bears than any other excursion. They were runnIng along the stream bed chasing salmon in Juneau. Don’t worry and, as others have said, take a rain suit.

wondering about Internet connection on Ruby Princess?

Is it the typical hit or miss of most cruise ships?

Your on vacation. Who cares how good the internet is.

Yes laundry is great, until you are on a ship (royal) with 50% elites, then 7 days for laundry, quicker to do our own!

I don’t know where this fake news is coming from. Always had laundry back in 24 hours.

Ramona - thanks for filling everyone in on all the effort it takes to be a Zumba instructor. Whether you teach CrossFit, Zumba or Jazzercise, or Group Exercise, it’s an effort of love.

I don’t like the Royal, so I probable won’t like the new ship. Bring back the Grand Class ship. Narrow balconies, no side exits from the theater, an incomprehensible Horizon Court... The list goes on...

Could be but since they are not charging for zumba wonder how they would be reimbursed?

That’s the problem, on the Crown, they weren’t reimbursed so it was zumba not Zumba.

Surprising the instructors have said they are licensed and it is called zumba in the patter.

The instructors can pay for their own license.

Does it have a green border at the top? Our Priority Passes did.

My children accompanied me on a Prncess Cruise and were disappointed that there was no Zumba. They went to a class that sounded Zumba-ish. It was Zumba but apparently Princess won’t pay for Zumba licensing so the instructors cannot call it Zumba. With the limitatins on Princess internet, the instructors can’t keep up with the Zumba music requirements. They said it was a good class.

We took the precruise Machu Pichu and loved it. Never got a full night sleep but... If you are 70ish and in good shape you can do it, just take your time. We met several couples who were taking the 3 day excursion from the ship and when they returned did the have a story. Sleep deprivation, long hours on the bus to get ahead and then catch up with the ship. There was almost a mutiny. The physical difficulty of the two are the same. They go to the same place. Three days is simply an unreasonably short time to see what they have planned for you.

Understand what you are saying, but in our case, we like certain wines and have drank or tasted most of those on board. This way we can bring our 36 bottles of great wines that we know we will enjoy everyday during the trip.

Almost every cruise we have been on, there are wine tours to some region along the way. Even in Encinada Mexico, you can take a wine tour. However, there is none on this cruise.

Thanks for explaining.

This is not a wine itinerary. Stops in Alaska before Japan, China, Korea, Philipeans, Guam and then Hawaii. Not exactly great wine regions.

That’s one of the things you pay in the cruise fare, having sommeliers who can recommend good wines when you travel to not so great wine regions. Travel is an enriching experience only if you let it be.

I don’t understand why you would want to do this. Traveling allows wine experimentation. As a reader of Wine Spectator, I get to try wines I would never find at home.

Tell your Headwaiter. He will suggest something.

Your privileges will be those your CruiseCard says you are entitled too. You’ll get a new CruiseCard on your next cruise.

With Global Warming, spring or fall. Also fewer tourists then.

No idea what you’re talking about. Fake news.