RNRcruisers

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

What exactly do you have in mind ?

Masks are of limited use, social distancing is uneconomic,  and passengers can go ashore where there are no precautions of any sort. 

Covid is here to stay, and there are no protocols on earth that will stop jt spreading.

I was talking about quarantine protocols.

I'm sorry to hear this is still happening. Why don't they have better protocols by now? Very disappointing.

15 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Was this pre-Covid and before guests could order food from MC App menu and have it delivered to them on the ship for free?  Or, did you order from the Sanctuary menu for which they do charge a fee?  Just trying to eliminate any confusion here for current versus past.

Yes it was pre-Covid and we ordered from the Sanctuary menu.

We have only been on two Caribbean cruises with Princess and reserved the Sanctuary one afternoon so not an expert. However, when we reserved it it was not full at all and no one else was there when we made the reservation. It was a shorter cruise so maybe newer cruisers who didn't know about it?

Pretty sure we were charged the fee for food delivery.

Another CPA here enjoying your trip report! 

We have done all three versions of Alaska cruise and liked them all. My daughter and I did the Anchorage to Vancouver trip that you are on (the pictures are bringing back fond memories). We also did the ACT bus pickup but they stopped in a few places for photos and at a nature center. We enjoyed that. 

I am more of a small ship person, especially one that is only 60% full! Hope you enjoyed your trip!

I don't think Princess has changed as much as you seem to believe. The only major change has been to do away with Traditional Dining. The Medallion was handy and I liked it but wouldn't call it a major change, the basic cruise experience was the same as it used to be. I'd say go with an open mind and you should enjoy it as much as you previously did.

How fun to see the Highland Festival in Inverness! Love it!

23 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

well, it IS our experience with Caribbean Princess vs. Regal Princess. Or NCL Jade vs NCL Getaway.

Every time we are on an older ship, something happens. Jade broke down completely on day 3 of 10 and we had to go home...

We now choose to only cruise in newer ships.

We have mostly cruised in older ships and never had things like this happen. None are perfect but overall very good cruises. In fact, our least favorite was on NCL Encore when it was brand new 😁. Maybe we have been lucky? Personally I tend to favor the layouts on older ships.

It sounds like only one actually bad cruise. I think I would give it a few more before giving up - but to each his own of course. It is hard to imagine not getting into the dining room, that would definitely upset me. So you had to have dinner in the buffet? Princess, please give me back traditional dining!

Very interesting! We have been planning a cruise with friends but haven't booked yet. Off to check it out. Thanks OP!

Sounds like a great trip! My daughter and I did a float plane excursion in Ketchikan and it was fabulous! Expensive but I highly recommend for next time 😀

Wonderful review! I love your writing style - informative and to the point.

A Baltic cruise is on my wish list. DH and I spent a week in Amsterdam before Covid and really enjoyed it, even spent a day at Zaanse Schans. I agree with your view - kitchy but still a fun experience. I'm happy you enjoyed Helsinki, it doesn't seem to get a lot of love on Cruise Critic. I spent a year there as an exchange student many years ago and have been wanting to return. Sounds like you had a fabulous trip. 

3 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

It would be helpful to know the cabin location, but the OP never replied.

 

I can tell you we were forward Caribe deck balcony and no issues.  I found the crew to be excellent and our crew was great this year we did 6 weeks on her before the dry dock.  Some at GS were fairly new, as with most ships, they are still learning.

So, you could check on some of the current roll calls and see how it is.

 

I wouldn’t believe 1 person who complains and never comes back on the forum.  JMo

I definitely agree. We wouldn't cancel a cruise based on one poster's experience and one sailing. But it calls for more checking. 

We actually like older ships. They are generally smaller, have a promenade deck and better lounges. The mega-ships don't really appeal to us. Glad to hear you had no issues.

Considering a cruise next year on CB so this is concerning. I guess I better do some research on the past problems for this ship.

Great pictures of Mt Etna! We were supposed to have an excursion to Mt Vesuvius back in January 2015 but it had snowed that morning and the driver couldn't make it up the mountain to where we would hike further up. Supposedly that never happens. Bummer but we went to Pompeii and Positano instead.

OP - I am sorry you had this terrible experience. I'm happy your aunt is doing better and that the ship personnel handled it well. It is too bad that they weren't more helpful to you though. They pride themselves on customer service, aren't we still a customer when our cruise is over? The least they could do is help you get in touch with someone who would be able to assist with the language and decisions regarding what to do next. And I must say it is pretty appalling that you were left without any food or water for so long.

Sounds like a fabulous cruise! I say go and enjoy. All kinds of people cruise, nothing to feel inferior about.

Sounds like a fabulous trip! I'll be following!

The High Tea looks amazing! Added to my list of must-do's. Thank you for the great review!

Ooh love the view from the rooftop terrace of the hotel. My hubby and I spent a few days in Rome before a cruise and it became our favorite city! You got a great tour of the highlights!

We have watched several of the Walking Tours videos! We are definitely thinking we need to do this in London.

The National Gallery looks fabulous. 

Planning a trip to London for September. Thank you for the great info!

Oh no, I didn't realize the Plus package was going up in price! We have been planning a cruise for next January with friends but haven't yet booked. Wonder if there will be sales with the old rate. 😬

6 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

A past passenger said that the nightclub (Club 6) was being converted to a larger casino.  Currently closed for Alaskan voyages.

That's a bummer. We enjoyed the Club 6 on Regal earlier this year. 

We never eat at the specialty restaurants and have never gone hungry. I'm not sure what this person expects but I love the food on Princess. We always eat dinner in one of the main dining rooms, lunch at the buffet or Alfredo's (which was fabulous) and breakfast at the buffet or dining room. Maybe an occasional entree that is just so-so but overall great experiences.