ihopfar

I don't think we need our room serviced twice a day.   However, given a choice our preference might be once a day after 7pm when we head out for dinner.

Would this be a problem?  Would this create more work for "Stewart"?

38 minutes ago, AZ Gurl said:

We waited to book our LHR transfers onboard. The first 3 days guest services wouldn’t even talk with me about it. Said I could buy them later in the cruise and they would be coordinated with our luggage tags. Imagine my surprise when our luggage tags were placed in our room the very next night as an “independent” passenger with no transfer. Princess didn’t ever bother to confirm our departure plans before assigning us luggage tags. Got that straightened out and was told to pick my own time. Selected 8:50.  Got off the ship to very long line for the Terminal 5 bus. It was basically first come first served, no reservations based on your flight time. They never even checked our tickets. When the first bus filled up, it then took a full hour for another one to arrive.   By this time it was 10 am and I was really wishing we had just grabbed a taxi. Made it to LHR by about 11:50 am. 

 

 

 

That is a very interesting picture you paint!   Do you recall when you were asked to pick your time (not that it seems to have mattered!) what the time range was?

BTW, why did you go to guest services instead of the shore excursion desk to sign up for the transfer?  Although not technically a shore excursion, I would have thought they would be able to book them.  

Thanks!

Brad

Thank you all for your input!  Please keep it coming!

To clarify, for our own reasons we are not interested in a transfer to the airport that includes sightseeing along the way.  We would like the direct transfer to LHR.   I am hoping to wait on board to book this so we can use OBC from our travel agent.  I am assuming (but do not know for sure) that this OBC will be refundable.  However, I would prefer not to have to pay upfront and then wait for Princess to send me a check after the cruise.   But, if folks report issues booking this transfer on board - or only poor choice of times for the transfer  - I will probably change my mind.

Curious to hear from more people who took the transfer (even if they booked in advance):  What time were you assigned for your transfer?  What time did you get to LHR?

Also, with whole swath of cabins being reserved for Quarantine, I am surprised no one has talked about their experience on the Emerald of being reassigned to a different cabin.

Thanks!

Brad

Now that there have been a few British Isles cruises on the Emerald this season, I have a few questions as I prepare for our cruise later this summer.  (Ok, maybe more than a few!)

• How was your DMW experience?  Did you have same table /staff every night if you wanted?  If so, which dining room did you eat in?
• Anybody book transfers back to LHR on board?  Hoping to use OBC for this.   Any issues being able to do this?  Are there options of times?  How late of a bus did you take?
• Heard on another thread that Princess warns of delays when tendering.  Was tendering well organized in the tender ports?   Where there long waits?  If so, what time?
• Anyone stay starboard side of the Aloha deck?   I know port side is being used for quarantine cabins, but not sure if starboard side as well.  If they needed to move your cabin because it was in the quarantine zone, how far in advance did they let you know and where did you get moved to?
• Anyone have copies of the menus or dailies, by any chance?

Thanks!

Brad

Anyone visit the Blue Waters Beach Club while in Falmouth?

I see a few tours mention stopping here, and I believe you can do it on your own.  Seems convenient for a stop in Falmouth, but I did not find any mention of it onthis board.

Thanks!

Brad

24 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Just be aware that booking speciality dining on Dine My Way App whether pre cruise or onboard does not guarantee a booking. We recently booked a meal in Crown Grill on day of embarkation on Emerald Princess. Booking was accepted and was shown on my dining reservations every day, we turned up for the meal on the day to find restaurant closed. When I complained they said everyone who had booked for that night had been informed. I said clearly not as I havent been informed and they tried to pass the blame on to me by saying I should have confirmed it in person at Crown Grill and I asked so what is the point of Dine My Way and was told there was a glitch on the App that meant not all bookings go through to right department.

Was Crown Grill opened other nights of the cruise?  How about Sabatini's?

Thanks for the wonderful review!   How much time did you spend at the Tower of London?

18 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

We did get a letter today that says they don't have the tender capacity to provide an effective tender service at the 3 tender ports.

Well, that is not good news!   So, what did they say they are doing about it?

30 minutes ago, AZ Gurl said:

They are moving the infected to deck 12. We have traveling companions up there in a balcony room. They have limited room service options but say the food is timely and good. The Lido deck is still crazy busy and it’s very hard to social distance. Still, everyone is masking per the Captain’s orders. The dining rooms seem a bit more quiet the last couple of days. I think some are now eating in their rooms or getting room service. 

I have heard of them using deck 12 port side.  Do you know if they are using starboard side as well for quarantine cabins? 

I too am wondering the time options for the transfer to LHR.   Our flight is later in the day and would prefer to not have to rush to catch a bus, just to sit at the airport.

Also, we are hoping to wait to book the transfer on board (Emerald Princess) to use our OBC.  Anyone try this?  Any problems with it being sold out on board?

2 hours ago, cruisegal415 said:

Also, any tips on getting to the castle from the South Queensferry port?

I just saw this site has been updated.   It is our first time (so I am not speaking from experience), but this seems like the easiest way to get back and forth from the port to Edinburgh.

https://www.lothianbuses.com/cruiselink-x99/

On 4/10/2022 at 9:47 PM, John Bull said:

 

We've not cruised since the start of the pandemic and not needed to test for our couple of recent foreign forays, so you'll know more about tests than I.

The UK's biggest pharmacy chain, Boots, provide the full range of Covid tests - depending which test your cruise line / destinations require you can book for testing at their store in Paddington station or St Pancras station, or several other locations in central London -  but not their Dover branch.

https://www.boots.com/covid-19-testing

 

 

How do you know which Boots locations do covid testing?  Can you just drop in during their normal hours and get tested?

13 minutes ago, Saab4444 said:

Tendering should not start before 8 and gets busy around 9-11, thereafter it will relax. Priority tendering will help you at the beginning.

So, if we want to get off between 9 and 10, then the priority tendering would help us?

I am trying to do the cost/benefit analysis for purchasing the Key for a cruise on Odyssey for February to determine how low the price needs to drop for it to be worth it for us.  I know everyone's cost/benefit for the Key will be different -- not trying to start a debate on the value of the Key!

• We are in a Junior Suite.   When do folks with the Key board on embarkation day relative to Junior Suites?
• How does the priority tendering work?  We are scheduled to be in Grand Cayman at 7AM.  Will the priority tendering require us to tender before general tendering or can we get priority at any time?   If we try to tender at 9AM, will this be a busy time or will the rush be over?
• The Key includes Surf and Stream internet.  We don't plan to stream any videos, but we may do some wifi calling.  Does wifi calling require Surf and Stream, or is Surf adequate if we choose to just purchase internet vice the Key?

Thanks!

Brad

Is the red banner/green banner for all Princess ships since they are all Medallion class now?

This is probably a silly question, but I have not flown internationally very much.

How do they time the bags being delivered to the carousels?   Since you have to clear immigration before you get to the baggage reclaim area, I assume they don't deliver the luggage until folks have time to get through passport control.   But do they time it for the quickest folks, the slowest folks, or the average folks?    

Not really important in the grand scheme of things, but I don't want to wait for my luggage because I was quick through immigration, but I don't want it going around on the carousel for a while without me either. 🙂

Thanks!

Brad

What is your issue with the test they will provide for returning home?   Not sure I follow what you would like to raise to Princess.

Is TA OBC on Princess usually refundable or non-refundable?

2 hours ago, amajaa said:

Can I ask please how do you check on the web as opposed to the app? 
 

I looked again, and they seem to have removed that feature.   I could not find how to check on the web anymore.  I am sure someone else will chime in if it still possible.  (It was part of the web based check-in they added when folks complained about only being able to check-in via the app.)

7 hours ago, Tracyken said:

We’re on a British Isles Cruise on 25th August.  I didn’t realise you could book dining so early and now I’ve realised the only table for two available is at 8.40 every night.  Can this be right five months in advance?  We’ve got another cruise in September and I’ve beeen able to book tables for two at 6pm with no issues.  I’d be grateful for any advice.

No, I do not think it is correct.   We are on the same cruise.   Only one dining room is showing any availability, but there are 3.   For a time, there was a second one available to book and that is the one we have reserved.  (Our reservations have not shown on the app for a long time, but I did see them when i was able to check on the web.)   I think as we get closer (or on board) they will open up more space in the other dining rooms to book.

On 2/28/2022 at 3:37 PM, island lady said:

  First night (steak night) is hardest to get.  

One of our future cruises in a JS (Odyssey of the Seas) is an 8 night cruise.   Looking at a recent 8 night sailing, it seemed to have the 8th night the same as the first in CK.   If accurate (which I know the app is often not) that would indicate there are only 7 CK dinner menus and thus they repeat.  It would also seam that we would have two chances to get a reservation for steak night.   

Is this true or a misleading app?

Thanks!

Brad

5 hours ago, LACruiser88 said:

We can confirm that Aloha deck was/is the isolation deck.  We were isolated in A 304.

Was it the whole Aloha desk or just the forward section?   Port and Starboard?

We are booked mid-aft on Aloha deck in August.  The ship appears very very full already.   If they had to move us from Aloha deck, I don't know where they would put us!   

I am hopeful the need for quarantine rooms will be greatly reduced by then!

7 hours ago, milolii said:

If the website has a chat feature ask there.  

I actually did this before I posted on here.   I asked a few different questions and realized some of the answers were incorrect so I don't believe I can trust the others!  Big Bus is a large company, and I would guess that the person I was chatting with was NOT in London and just reading the same FAQ I was!

That is why I was hoping for some folks who had actually done this before! 🙂

We will be in London for several days before our cruise.   Thinking of doing the Big Bus HOHO the day we arrive.  I believe the standard one day ticket includes a one-way river cruise.

Has anyone bought this ticket and then taken the river cruise a few days later?   it might work better in our schedule to take the boat ride later in our trip.  

Also, can we choose which direction we take the river cruise?

Thanks!

Brad

30 minutes ago, MustangGT said:

We did it with Southwest but that was a few years ago.

We have done it with Soutwest on other cruise lines.   The great thing is depending on how much luggage you have, you may only have to pay one EZ Check fee when flying Soutwest.