Jo and Rob

As of this past March, there is a ViewSonic flat screen TV in the rooms. All new TVs are equipped with one or more HDMI ports although since they mount the TVs where they cannot be moved, access to the ports takes some effort.

Fantastic! I was reading a critical review about the old fashioned TVs and the poor location for 4 berth cabins. Is the TV now wall mounted at the bottom of the bed? That would solve the problem of the drop down bunk mechanism obscuring the view.

Do the TVs enable you to check your On Board Account and view photographs taken by the ships photographers?

Morning all, glad I could help re Dublin, just wish it could have been more concrete, but Princess themselves know no more than us now, so that's the best we will get.

 

A lot of you are asking questions re food, movies, tips etc., and I will answer them all when we get home, probably on Monday, as they all take up valuable minutes from my allowance. I promise I will go through this thread and answer all of you. Have got my patters all packed for movies and shows etc.

 

Sailing down UK at the moment, been a bit of a foggy night, first time I have ever heard the ship's whistle thing go for fog. Having been born and be out up in a seaside resort I'm used to hearing a booming foghorn going at night, but the ship's whistle is most peculiar. Something new for me.

 

Nothing else to report, will get back to you all later. Don't think we'll be sunbathing today!

Sue

It's a lovely sunny day here on the coast in Suffolk with no sound of any fog horns so hopefully you will enjoy some of our sunshine as you sail past. A huge thank you for all your efforts a posting the live from it has certainly been appreciated by many of us, I'm really looking forward to embarking on Royal Princess on 1st August with my friendly roll call members. :)

Thank you for taking the time to find out about Dublin Sue. Your information is much appreciated.

What is the food like on Royal? Any tips to share about the ship?

We originally booked the Caribbean Princess with a free drinks package. Later in the year we switched as the offer changed and we were able to get a midship balcony for less than an inside with free drinks. Free drinks clearly weren't free at all just factored into the price.

Q. Did Lisa return as cd?

Did she go somewhere else then?

Do you pay for the tortilla chips or are they complementary?

Purchase the drink package!

Have a great cruise;)

I love this suggestion! Maybe not a good idea with pain killers though. Contact the port and let them know that you will need assisted boarding. Hopefully the ship can provide you with a wheel chair for excursions if needed? Just watch out for pickpockets if you are on crutches. In Venice I had my handbag over my head but it moved round to my back without me realising as I was on crutches and my purse was stolen from my handbag. (purse is English for wallet, handbag is English for purse). I was very mobile on crutches however so don't panic. DH will just have to carry all the bags! I wrapped bandages around the handles of my crutches (sponges would also work) which made them less painful on the hands.

We'll be giving P&O another try next month after a 10 year absence.

 

To say I'm apprehensive is an understatement as I believe Princess is superior in every respect.

 

It was Britannia that has lured us back as the itineraries for Royal and Regal just didn't appeal.

 

We'll ignore all the moaning Brit's on board and enjoy ourselves regardless

I can recommend the Cookery Club on Britannia. It was one of the highlights of our cruise. We had Michelin two star chef Nathan Outlaw on our sailing and I loved the masterclass we did.

Don't forget to order curry in the main dining room at lunch, they normally have one on the menu and we loved them. Afternoon tea is served in the Oriental restaurant deck 6 aft at 4pm.

I'm sure you will have a lovely time. I think that because expectations were so high for the Maiden Voyages it made it easier to be disappointed if that makes sense. Now there are lots of negative comments you will probably come back pleasantly surprised. ;)

Provide free shuttle buses and allow you to bring on what wine your desire for in cabin consumption. These are two aspects of P&O which we enjoy.

We love the afternoon tea just wish Princess wouldn't serve the scones hot! They shouldn't be warm even, or the cream (and or butter) will not taste as good. Crumpets and teacakes should be hot, not scones. :)

We have quite a list!

1. 4 bar extension plug
   
2. Multi charger plug (has four USB type ports to charge i devices)
   
3. Sparkly lanyard ;)
   
4. Highlighter pen
   
5. Post its to leave messages to each other / cabin steward
   
6. Children's hangers for the children's clothes
   
7. Plastic zipped wallet to keep paperwork delivered to the cabin
   
8. Information sheet for each ports with practical DIY information and fun facts for the children.
   
9. Binoculars
   
10. Box of wine
    
11. Vouchers and discount codes for trips (Tesco vouchers will be used on the British Isles trip to get us into Camera Obscura and World of Illusions for free.
    
12. Mini packs of tissues for trips
    
13. Big Bag for the dirty washing
    
14. Puzzle book
    
15. Ear phones
    
16. Photographs of passports on my phone in case they are lost
    
17. Daily Patter when going off the ship in order to have the emergency contact details handy.
    
18. Moroccan Argan Oil for my hair (essential if you ever go to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland)
    
19. Nail Varnish remover pads - really handy for travel
    
20. Sun tan lotion - even when heading north (ever the optimist)
    
21. Local currency
    
22. Indigestion tablets
    
23. More shoes and clothes than I probably need. :o
    
24. Travalos filled with favourite perfumes for my evening bag
    
25. Paper work to show OBC, prepaid excursions etc
    
26. The rest of the family!!
    

I read on one of the boards that Princess has a shuttle from Invergordon to Inverness. Do you know if this is different from the $49 Inverness on Your Own tour? If so, do you know the cost of the shuttle? We don't need a tour of any kind; we want to tour Inverness on our own.

Here is what I have researched for our upcoming trip on Royal.:)

BUS 25x goes from Invergorden to Inverness 45 mins trip 9.19 then every 30 minutes. Buses return on the hour.25x NOT 25 PRICE £3-4. Bus route will take us through the Scottish Highlands.

If they get into Dublin it is not Tender.

 

On google maps the actual dock is marked as Ocean pier at the end of branch road.

I think Alexander Quey is the whole basin.

 

I think the longer term plans are to develop terminal 3 as a cruise berth, much closer to the tram stop The Point(near 3arena).

That's good as tendering always takes a lot of time. Do you buy the tram tickets on board the tram or do you go somewhere else?

Dublin:

 

Princess have decided they can get into the port if weather is OK rather than tender down in DunL.

 

The first attempt was on the 21May cruise(it is quite tight)

 

Princess knew they were going to try this before leaving southampton but did not tell their customers so people with plans had little time to make adjustments when they found out..

 

It might be something like the tides that is causing the change in scheduled timings with the docking.

 

All cruisers should check their cruise and plans.

We sail the same cruise on 1st August. The cruise personaliser still says Dun Laoghaire but we are listed as coming in to Alexandra Quay on their website. It looks like they are intending to go to Alexandra Quay but have Dun Laoghaire as a back up. Is Alexandra Quay a tender port please?

Do you have your formal night tonight? I read it is the first sea day but wasn't sure if today counts as you leave Greenock in the early hours.

I'm really looking forward to this cruise with the children. How are you finding the amount of time in the ports? Do you feel under pressure at all? Are you ready for a sea day with such a port intensive cruise? Six ports before the first sea day is certainly the most port intensive cruise I think we will have done! I'm hoping that the proximity of the highlights to the ports will make it easier.

When we did the Mediterranean there was quite a lot of travel time needed (Rome for example) so I'm hoping this will be less exhausting (of course we will not have to contend with the high temperatures thinking about it which adds to fatigue).

Make sure you pack shoes without open toes as Princess are quite strict about this (or they will have you wearing socks!) Obviously this is just for the galley tour!

I've cruised on the Caribbean Princess 11 times and love the ship. She feels like home :)

 

Things which cost on the Royal/Regal and a few other Princess ships are still free on the CB.

I enjoy using the steam room which is free in the locker room. The Thermal Suites actually have heated beds and was at a reasonable price.

 

The separation of the MUTS area and the other main pool area allows you to really watch a movie.

 

The spa pool area is free and eliminates the need to pay the overpriced fee of the Sanctuary.

 

 

No it doesn't have bumper cars and rock climbing walls or robots making drinks. If these are things you're lookng for, Princess isn't the cruise line for you :)

 

The CB is fine ship

We are cruising Royal Princess then Caribbean Princess in August. What will cost extra on Royal but not on Caribbean Princess?

We are on Royal Princess and are planning to go to the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions. I think that Oliver and Emily will love it. Just wondering what the best route into Edinburgh is. I don't fancy the dirt track route to the train station with the children (Rob won't be with us) and it seems an expensive distance by taxi (Google suggest £44.20).

I don't want to be under time pressure (we panic) so wondering whether the shuttle would be a better option. Is the £10 return shuttle man still running? Do you know what the price is for children? How long will it take us to walk from the drop off to the Camera Obscura? Would the Princess shuttle be a better option?

many thanks

Could you tell me the price of the ship shuttle in Edinburgh please. I've researched the local bus and train but wonder as both are a hike away whether the shuttle bus might be a better option.

I've never done the Chef's table. Is it worth it? Can you describe your experience? I'm wondering if it might be something my husband might like to do. :confused:

We did a LIVE from post on the Crown on our first ever cruise in 2010. I have copied and pasted the Chef's table post below with the video

The chef's table was absolutely amazing!!!

If I had to give one piece of advice from the entire cruise it would be to try and get on the chef's table if you love and appreciate food. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. It was $75 each and definitely worth every penny. Second piece of advice make sure you follow the advice of not eating much at all in the day.

We all gathered at the International cafe at 7pm, and as we had already met for the health and safety briefing we already felt like we knew each other a bit. The maitre D'hotel Francesco Ciorfido then escorted us up to Da Vinci dining room where we were given our white coats and led into the galley.

In the galley you get an extensive explanation of how the food is organised and a complete tour of the galley. It was Italian night in the MDRs so all the waiters were dressed in Italian stripy t-shirts rather than the formal suits that they normally wear. Everyone was so friendly in the galley and seemed genuinely pleased that we were interested in seeing behind the scenes.

We were then led through the galley to one area where the gastronomie began. We were each given a glass of champagne (constantly refilled) while we enjoyed the canapes. Our first was Tuna tartar served on an oriental spoon which had been marinating in soy and ginger, delicious, next we had bistro mini quiche with fortini cheese and truffle which just melted in your mouth. Our third canape was bistro vol-au-vent forestiere with truffle oil, which was so light and our fourth canape was a buckwheat blini with caviar and creme fraiche.

The chef then left us in the safe hands of the Maitre D so he could make our dinner.

We gave back our white coats and were led back through the restaurant and down to the Michelangelo restaurant were a special table was waiting for us. The Maitre D then introduced the wine he had selected for the meal. The red was a robust 2004 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon (from Califorinia I think called something Jackson) the white was a Pinot Grigio (I think) but I can't remember the details - just that it was light and delicious.

We were given a appertiser (not listed on the menu) of beef carpaccio which was delicious. The executive chef Manlio Cuzzolin came to our table and introduced the risotto with lobster tail and claws which was divine.

We were then served a bloody mary sorbet complete with a celery decoration and Manlio came round with a bottle of vodka which he then poured over the top.

The waiters then removed the table decorations and bread baskets from the table ready for the theatre to begin! Manlio and his team then reappeared once more carrying huge medieval spiked flambe roasters which they laid down on the table behind us. They then poured over ladles and ladles of flames that looked truly spectacular. Another waiter carried out a huge paella shaped pan filled with lobsters - and that wasn't even on the menu! Our main course was Trio of beef, veal and pork tenderloin with jus, salsa verde, bearnaise sauce and cafe de Paris butter (they were each in little sauce pots so you helped your self to what you fancied) served with lobster on the side. This was accompanied with mashed potatoes with baby sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes, chargrilled asparagus and charred premium vegetables.

The wine and conversation just kept on flowing. We were lucky that everyone was so friendly and we all got on really well. Our cheese course was potted stilton with port wine and walnuts and rosemary biscotti - I couldn't believe just how tasty it was and even Rob who is normally not keen on stilton cheese loved it.

Our dessert was orange mousse with raspberry mango glaze which was served with a delicious dessert wine. The head pastry chef came out with Manlio for this and I asked him how long the dessert took him to make....five hours!!! The dessert was served on an edible sugar crafted plate which was so attractive.

To complete the meal we had coffee (or tea) with Manlio's homemade biscotti and and amaretti. Manlio gave all the ladies a red rose and all the men a signed Princess cookbook (worth $49.95) We then had our photographs taken with Manlio and Francesco and another one with the entire group. These will be ready for collection today. Rob has done a great job at capturing the evening in just over a minute.

We were the envy of the entire restaurant with the food and extra attention we were given - and several diners got up and took pictures of the medieval spiked flambe roaster. I thanked Manlio again while we were having our group picture taken and he said it was an absolute pleasure to cook for people who really appreciate his craft - we definitely got the impression that they really enjoyed the evening as well. This is truly an experience of a lifetime not to be missed!

Hope you enjoy the video!

Here is a link to the thread in its entirety.

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1141926

Just remember to use the link above for the video posts rather than the links in the thread which no longer work for some reason!

We are sailing on Royal on 1st so this is really handy. Thanks

How many formal nights are there in total please?

What are your impressions of your cabin and the ship?

I am wanting to do ports DIY and not pay for shuttles. In Dublin did you notice a local bus stop near where you docked? I'm hoping it will now be easier but don't know which bus to get. Did you dock at Dublin or is it now a tender?

many thanks

Omit the last 7! That's 0843 374 4444

Thank you. If they put the balance back on the card do you then lose out due to converting the currency back?

Can you collect the balance in dollars if there is anything left? Are you able to buy it with credit card without charge?

Thank you for all the advice. If we have some OBC left over do we get it back in dollars? If we get vouchers from the steward does that mean if we didn't hand them in we could use them on our next cruise?

Do you have the phone number for Southampton?

I'm getting so excited seeing all the beautiful pictures. It looks so bright. I can't wait!!

I've been reading that it is cheaper to buy a gift of OBC rather than using my credit card on board as they are going to apply a charge to use the credit card! :eek:

The charge has been highlighted on our Caribbean Princess roll call but I don't see it on my personaliser? :o We have requested to be charged in dollars rather than pounds.

I see where to prepay gratuities, drinks packages and shore excursions but can't see where I can gift myself on board credit. Any ideas?

On Royal it looks like Gelato is a restaurant that serves pancakes as well as icecream. Is there a cover charge for the pancakes? Does anyone have a copy of the menu?