BuckeyeMark

Here's a thought: if you're going to Glacier Bay do all you can to get a balcony.  IT'S SO WORTH IT.  You'll be at the main glacier for an hour.  If you have an inside cabin you'll have to go up top with the crowds.  And that's great.  It is.  But everyone is talking, a lot of noise, narration over the speakers, etc.  And I say again: Glacier Bay is incredible.  

But if you have a balcony...

It's you and the glacier.  AND YOU CAN HEAR EVERY LITTLE CRACK.  you can hear SOME cracking up top but there's a lot of noise up there.  Get a balcony and you get to hear everything.  The experience is like night and day.  AND TOTALLY WORTH IT.

After 30 min the captain will spin the boat and you'll have to go up top because you're on the "wrong" side but wow oh wow is that half hour great.

GET A BALCONY.  For me that would be a decider.  I'd do what it took to get a balcony.

Lots of talk here about the sanctuary but I'm wondering about the gym.  Did it get an upgrade or refresh?  New equipment?

Headed out Saturday on the CP and wondering about Princess Cay.  We need some shade during the day - do we have to reserve a clam shell or will there be plenty available?

Never mind... there it is in the detailed description if you scroll down the page...

The dimensions are 12W x 18D x 72H.

Wondering if we need more than one considering all the stuff we're dragging ashore...  How big are these?

On the website they look quite compact...

I plan to do extensive testing on this matter on the CP starting next Saturday!

4 hours ago, bemis12 said:

 

There was no reason to think so.  People just worry and then start inventing problems.

While not denying that this is so (and apparently the main reason for the Internet) someone posted (here or in another thread) that their son was working on the CB and he said they'd never get it done in time.  There were others who were knowledgeable about these kind of things who offered similar opinions.  So the problem wasn't just invented out of thin air.

I was betting that the cruise line knew what it was doing and wouldn't leave us stranded.  Apparently, at least this time, the cruise line got it right.

3 hours ago, voljeep said:

Hey now - she better be ready on Tuesday - when a bunch of US board ..,

And we WANT you to board Tuesday!!!!

What a fine review.  Good facts, no snarkiness.  That's very helpful!  Thank you!

1 hour ago, Familycruzer11 said:

Thank you all for the replies and great info (coffee with shot of whiskey  will have to try that!).  I have another quick question:

My DH only drinks tea (brings his own) and likes to make his own Oatmeal.  Will he be able to get plain hot water or will he be charged for that? 

Ask room service for a carafe of hot water each morning.   I bring my own coffee beans (yes, yes, I know ... it's an obsession) and make coffee each morning.   They bring the hot water without any muss or fuss.

There is now another thread on this where it was reported she is at sea this morning.  This link confirms:

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-78.787/centery:26.505/zoom:15

Obviously that doesn't mean everything is fine.  The trial might find issues/failures etc but it does seem hopeful that next Saturday she'll be ready for a bunch of us to board!

She's at sea for a sea trial!!!!  Yipppeeee!!!!

2 minutes ago, PMGS247 said:

Just based on what I've read it sounds like your location will dictate what you're able to order, i.e. if you're in the piazza you'll be able to order a coffee from the I.C. but the I.C. won't be an option if you're sitting next to the Salty dog halfway across the ship and 10 decks up.

Kinda sounds like the Green Mermaid's Mobile Order and Pay has come to Princess.... I'll take it!

I'm seeing that I can order a drink with the Medallion and they'll find me and bring me a drink.  Does that work with specialty coffees?  They''ll bring me a latte while I'm reading a good book out on deck?

She's currently in dry (or wet - we can't be sure) dock in the Bahamas for some serious refitting in the motor department.  There were some pics posted of crewmen changing/updating other parts of the boat while this is going on.  Can't remember if I saw new mattresses but I think the chances are good that this is being done right now.

1 hour ago, rocklinmom said:

The whole OM thing is just too Big Brother for my taste.  Maybe I'm old-fashioned, whatever, but I don't want fancy tech stuff.  I also have read about doors unlocking randomly, people's cabin numbers being displayed, and photos popping up on screens throughout the ship.  Don't like the possibility of any of that, no matter how many cool things the OM can do.  Give me a regular cruise card and I'm happy.  

Winner: Hilarious Post of the Day!  "Old fashioned" and "don't want fancy tech stuff" but you use a regular cruise card!  If only there had been cruise critic forums when the lines went from physical KEYS to those new fangled CARDS with electromagnetic stripes on them ... I'm sure we could have read the very same discussion we are having now over OM.  Those cards are pretty technical ... you can even pay for souvenirs, drinks, food, and the casino with them WHICH MEANS THE CRUISE LINE KNOWS WHAT YOU BOUGHT.  Shades of Big Brother!!!

What a time we live in: electromagnetic swipe cards are "old fashioned"!

On 5/5/2019 at 6:04 PM, Asquare said:

We just got off the Royal Princess.  Our experience is as follows:

1) I got us Ocean Ready atone using an i-phone.  I just followed the instructions and went in order.  I ordered the Medallions at the end of the process.

2)  The Medallions arrived via FedEx about 2 weeks before our cruise.  They were engraved with our names and the correct color for our Captain’s Club level.

3). We used a Fitbit Zip wristband that we purchased on Amazon instead of the lanyards.  The doors opened fine without removing it from the band.  If we were sitting at the actual bar the bartender could see us on his register and we didn’t need to remove it.  The only time we actually had to hand it to anyone was the servers in the Piazza for some reason the Medallion had to be perfectly flat on their device.  Some servers would still ask for a room number as well.

4)  We left our phones in the room for the most part.  People were using their phones and the Play Ocean app to play interactive games by the pool and in Princess Live.

5)  Ocean Concierge is still a webpage not an app.  It still refuses to work on Android products.  But the big new screens by the elevators have all the activities listed and can give directions to any venue.

6) The best app is Ocean Compass.  You can set up your traveling companions and find them on the ship. 

7). Getting off and on the ship is a snap with the Medallion.  It really speeds things up,

In my opinion this was much easier than having to worry about a cruise card.  There is no need to carry your phone around unless you are really into the apps.  I didn’t feel like my privacy was invaded.  

 Thanks so much!  That was really helpful.  There are a bunch of Fitbit Zip bands on Amazon.  Could you post a link to what you used that worked for you?  

2 hours ago, azdmelani said:

 

Thanks for the review.  I also have an android phone and will be on the Royal a week from Saturday.

[editing post, quoted wrong message]

Am sure gonna try and take the "behind the scenes" tour on my cruise . Would love to get down to engineering and ask some questions about what they did/how they did it/etc!

Do all the ships have HDMI ports in the TVs?  I'm on the Caribbean Princess in two weeks....

We are to be on this ship May 18 out of Miami.  Is that it’s first cruise after these repairs or is it due out sooner?

trying to remember what juices are served on board.  does Princess have grape juice?

HELP!  St Thomas Adventure Tours is BOOKED UP THE DAY WE'RE THERE.  Who else offers turtle snorkeling?

We're doing the dune buggy thing and the wife wants to know about bugs.  See a lot of skeeters?

You have some fabulous pictures and great memories - and you win the Intrepid Explorer of the Month award!  That was quite a hike!