Donder1

Peak foliage in Portland Maine and surrounding towns is usually the second week in October. And, don't miss Portland.;)

I always ask for extra sauce on the side. No problem. And, I ask for the Parmesan bowl, no problem.

I am going to say yes. I really like the Platinum perks. You get 150 minutes of internet time for a 7 day cruise - this is more than I ever need. The nightly canapes and discounted drinks in the Platinum lounge are a nice touch. I also really like the preferred embarkation - it is great to be able to bypass the lines and get on the ship early. No line ups for food - you can get your embarkation drink and check out the pools while everything is still almost empty. Also like the debarkation lounge. It's almost civilized to be able to wait here. There is complimentary coffee, tea, water and snacks.

yup...what she said;)

We had a balcony and loved being out there cruising Tracey Fjord. That said, I wore mittens,hat, scarf and jacket. It was cold!!! We were there on the last Grand Princess cruise for the season.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1939814

 

This is the most current Royal wine list, from 2013.

Thanks, do you know if they are offering a package (s)?

Re: alcohol pkg. If I did my math correctly, on our upcoming 17 night cruise, the pkg. for the two of us would be close to $2000.00. WOW!

Just can't justify it. We like wine, occ. cocktails, occ. specialty coffees, etc.

Knowing me, I'd want to get my money's worth and would likely drink a lot more than I should, never mind the added on calories of all those beverages.

To each his own, I guess. I wish there was a smaller package to purchase. We will look at the wine pkgs but, not sure that will work for us either. Can someone please post or repost the Royal's current wine pkgs ?

You will be fine on either side. We were on the Starboard side of the Grand. Remember, it is a long way down the strait and then the ship turns around.

Enjoying your posts very much. What are you hearing about or experiencing re: soot on balconies, particularly aft balconies? Princess Cruise Customer Service says they are aware and working on a solution.

We have an aft balcony on the TA in Sept. I am hoping that there is some resolution to this issue by then. Have fun! I am jealous. It's going to be between 10 to 20 below zero tonight hare in Maine.:eek:

Am I the only one who thinks this is very expensive? I guess if you drink 5+ alcholic drinks and other beverages it might be worth it. As for me, I'd either be drunk or hung over every day. Not for us, I guess.

Black and Blue Onion Soup

Souffles

Creme Brulee

Gelato

Pizza

One of the best kept Princess secrets!

I love the Greek salad at IC.

B.....binoculars

If you get sick easily, I would NOT book an interior.

I am a light sleeper. I had customized ear plugs made for me by my audiologist. I used the foam ones for years and they were not all that effective. The new ones made for my ear canals are wonderful. I don't hear a thing when I use them. They were about $ 80.00 but well worth it!

I'd also try to move the cabin if at all possible.

This is one of those items that some folks can't seem to cruise without.

Cruising with just the two of us, I'd never use it. We pack light and this is one item not going on the cruise with us.;)

It used to be that there was an extra charge for fresh lobster and what was included was frozen lobster. Now, I think it's all frozen. :(

Yes, it is definitely frozen....and, doubtful from Maine. Too bad because the Princess lobster experience is nothing to get all excited about. Plus, they often overcook the lobster.

It is interesting to note that some lines like Celebrity are now onloading dockside fresh Maine lobster directly from Portland lobstermen. Good for our economy and great for their passengers.

Honestly, come to Maine and eat fresh lobster. :cool:

Did you hear anything about soot on the balconies, esp the aft balconies?

As we have also booked an aft deluxe balcony for our cruise on the Royal in Sept. I, too, have been concerned with the soot issue. Both my TA and I called Princess directly in December. Spoke with a Customer Service rep. who said that Princess is acutely aware of the soot problem and working to resolve it. One thing they are going is trying a different mixture of fuel or something to that effect.

So, I am staying the course as I love the aft and am hoping that they will get the issue fixed before our cruise.

Would love to hear from others who have sailed in aft cabins in the last few weeks.

I put mine in the pill cases. I can get a reprint from my pharmacy or on line from my patient portal. All of my docs are connected in the portal called "My Chart" and all of my current meds are listed with all of the information needed.

In Curacao, go over the bridge and bear left. Stroll down to the water(docks) where you will find small boats (called floating market) that come over from Venezula each day and sell their wares. Go early (AM) as they head back before it gets dark. We bought a lovely hand painted picture on canvas from the artist and had it framed in US. And, while I wouldn't recommend buying their fruit (wont be able to take on ship anyway), it is really pretty and interesting to look at. I saw produce I have never seen anywhere. Lots of great interest. Delft, cheeze and blue margarita's made with Curacao liquer (which you can also buy) are great!

I don't see that it would be much of an issue. I can't help but wonder though, if you and your partner were at our table, how would we know you are gay? Would you say "Hi name is "Susie" and this is my partner "Patty" (if you are males change the names, but you get my point) "And we're gay?" I'm not interested in your personal life, I'm interested in you. It would show bad manners for hetero couples to engage in overt "PDA" and the same would apply to gays.

 

The "In your face" gays attitude is a huge turn off. It's the same thing as any other "In your face" group. You're Gay? So what? Your African American ? So what? I'm a combat Viet Nam Veteran. Thanks for my service, but so what? That doesn't define me. I am Gordon first.

Well, I'd say, "hi my name is Maggie and this is my wife Cheryl". I might mention our daughter. Likely, I'd ask you your names and where you are from. BUT......given your comment above..."The "In your face" gays attitude is a huge turn off.", I think I'd pick up on your attitude and likely request a table change. It's a new world. Most of us are over hiding who we are;)

Princess allows one bootle of wine per person to be brought on the ship. You can bring more but will incur an extra charge.

We like to drink wine at sunset on the balcony.

That said, the room steward always gives us clean wine glasses everyday as well as fresh ice daily. Why? because it is there job to accomodate us with this request which we politely ask for at the beginning of the cruise.

Nothing lazy about that.

Yes, they are friendly, as are HAL and RCCL. My wife and I walk hand in hand and dance in the clubs. We sometimes attend Friends of Dorothy and other GLBT gatherings. Lots of out gays and lesbians sailing these days. It is simply not an issue. We are out in all aspects of our lives. The crew is gracious and non plussed and most passengers are happy to meet and get to know us. We have never had an unpleasant experience.

These are all cute ideas. For us, however, we are at the point where we don't need another magnet, mug, deck of cards, tea towels, well, you get the picture.

So, rather than buying a lot of souvenirs, we have decided to really think about that one item which will last and be treasured as a remembrance of the trip. For instance, 18k gold hoops from Florence, olive oil from Orvieto, lap robe from Scotland.....