luv2gonow

Thanks so much for your detailed review!! Great pics!

That area is on my bucket list so beautiful!

Thanks

Kerri

Thanks so much for your detailed honest review.

I was on the Med Epic cruise 2015. I had an amazing cruise but I didn't think the nightly entertainment was on par either. Seems the Europe cruises do less I think because of long port days.

Spa experience disgusting......reminds me of my worst massage similar experience only he had hairy rough arms to boot. I literally jumped in the shower and scubbed myself down after that one. Worst part it was in a fancy spa that cost a ton of money I should have complained.

Was just on Princess and I liked that their plan included bottled water and the specialty coffee.

NCL is prob my fav line right now because I like the casual many dining options and fun ships.

Kerri

Just found this review and read straight thru!! Love it!!

I have only been on 1 Royal cruise, but I can tell you that I think NCL is my favorite line.

I must admit I'm not a late night person on any line but I like me a good pool party and evening fun!

Keep it coming

Thanks :-)

Kerri

I would say the biggest thing is the dress code. NCL is much more relaxed.

I have cruised many lines and I have never had a bad cruise.

Most likely it will be an older crowd because of transatlantic, so dress might be a little better. But nowhere near Princess. It seemed every night was pretty dressy not just Elegant night.

Wishing you a smooth sail....one of the most important things.

Kerri

We did the NCL cruisetour last August. We were at the Anchorage Lakefront first and last nights. Hotel was nice, restaurant service was slooooow. Denali we were scheduled for the Denali Lodge and ended up across the street at the less than stellar Grizzly Bear Lodge. It reminded me of girl scout camp. The view was nice though. There are no amenities at this place .

Hi, Was it hot? We will be there end of July. I'm assuming no AC with no ammenitites. I did a land sea tour with NCL in Italy last 2015 and it was amazing. Gate one ran it and it is an itinerary they do often so maybe that is why it was so well run.

I am booked on the NCL Sun 12 Day Denali/Ayeska southbound cruise tour. Starts in Anchorage.

I know the last night is at an amazing hotel but not sure of rest.

thanks

Kerri

Hi Chuck - can you tell me if NCL use the same boat each time, and if it has easy access steps...hard to get the info from the company.

Would like to know this if anyone knows.

Thanks

Can you please tell me more about you Etruscan day, I am very interested in that itinerary :)

We did a shortened version. The regular one also goes to another town Cieri?

We went to Tarquinia only. First we stopped at the Etruscan tombs. There were quite a few of them built into the hillside. You went down the stairs into the tomb and you could see into room that had all artwork on the walls. I only went down a few while my daughter and husband looked at more. I was just tired from flight from ny with no sleep. I happily rested at a beautiful spot that had a view of countryside.

After it was to the Etruscan museum. I enjoyed this. Amazing how so many things preserved. An hour is plenty of time for sure. We were all exhausted... would have explored the town a little more if we weren't. Next off to a seaside cafe for lunch. Not sure which town but it was near citavechia. This was where we were getting dropped off.

Our driver Franco was great, ridefrom airport to Etruscan area very pleasant.

Happy planning

Kerri

Thanks so much for your comprehensive and enjoyable reviews. Your comments were very helpful as I will be boarding the Majestic in Dubai in June. I was excited before but now I can hardly wait to get aboard. Thanks, again.

Wow Dubai now that's exotic! Thanks for reading you will have an amazing cruise.:-)

Great Review; I agree with you about NCL. Casual and laid back. No dress up and no dining times. I like that. I have my first Princess cruise this July; and worry I won't be dressed up enough for dinner; but that's ok. I will eat somewhere else on the shlp if they don't allow me in MDR on formal night.

You will have an amazing cruise. Don't worry. She truly is a beautiful ship. If you have slacks and a button down you will be fine on elegant night. Every night I saw the same couple in Bellinis completely dressed down.Beach wear. Not sure they went to MDR but they were having a grand ole time and didn't care what they were wearing, and neither did I. They were the rarity but as long as you don't go to MDR in your shorts and tee you will be fine.

Happy sailing

Kerri

Ok trying to get my thoughts together.

I can't believe it is time to pack up the room and get off of this beautiful ship.

On our Valencia Excursion I was trying to book a taxi to airport. I think I managed but then I did not receive a confirmation. Apparently I waited to long to book transfer bus from ship. I was planning to take taxi but I started to panic about it being Easter and we were in Barcelona. So I was worried all the taxi drivers would be in church or with family.:rolleyes:

As I am writing this I need to call my CC to see if I was charged. I didn't realize there was no customs so getting off ship took 5 minutes we had our luggage. I booked the car for 8 am, off by 7:30. Ok folks I should have just trusted the 100 cabs that were there that we would get one. I wound up just hopping in a cab. The car guy never called that I wasn't there. And there was no number for me to call to cancel so I don't even know if I was charged or not.

Ok lets just get to the disturbing encounter. After a few days of being in the room( whole mosquito bite drama) my daughter decided she could make it down to the Spa:cool:. Well just a little backstory. One night we watched the movie under the stars. Princess does this right with comfy lounge covers, blankets and popcorn. I watched Hidden Figures. Wow this was a great movie. It was about the black women that basically brought John Glenn back from space. It still blows my mind that not that long ago not only was segregation going on but Women in general were treated as complete idiots. So lets just say that this movie inspired me and it put

Womens rights at the front of my brain.

So my daughter comes back from spa and of course she thought it was awesome. But then she tells me about the "disturbing encounter". I guess it really wasn't an encounter but an overhear of a conversation.

She tells me while she was checking in for her appointment there was a muslim couple at the counter. The woman was "begging" her husband to get a massage. He was not having it. Saying I won't have anyone touching you. That means I will have to be there in room the whole time and I refuse to do that so NO. A few more asking and No leads to her being allowed to having a pedicure....yes he is going to have one also. He then proceeds to book himself a 90 min massage:mad: Ok folks here is where maybe I get flamed but I can just say for 100 percent I am happy I was not there. After already being riled up from the movie, I would have had no choice but to say something. Not terrible more like I hope you realize you don't need to live a life under the rule of a man. So as we are living in times that are more and more trying it is difficult to rationalize this to a 15 year old. I'm sorry It is hard to watch women basically having no rights, all in the name of "religion".

Rant over......

Ok off to better subjects.

Lets just do a little recap.

Forgot to mention that we did eat at Alfredo's for dinner one night. I loved the minestrone soup and thought my pepperoni pizza was pretty good. I liked the thin crust.

Also I enjoyed the noodle bar. Had the wonton soup and noodle dish of day. Very good.

We did try to get into the Crown but I was not on top of my game and was not able to get a reservation.

Ok Comparisons on Food.

Going to give buffet to Princess. Besides being just so beautiful I really like the service. Table set and drink service. There was many choices but honestly I have never met a ship buffet that didn't have a ton of choices.

Hours buffet available. This goes to Princess with Disney being the worst. While there was always food available on all lines it seemed the dinner food was available later than any other line. NCL, Carnival had pizza, etc available but not dinner after 10 I don't think.

Service.... of the main lines for I have cruised I might give a slight edge to Princess. Only one close is

Disney. I can't remember if they serve drinks in buffet area.

As for Cabin steward I have never had anything but very attentive stewards on every line I have cruised.

I would have to give the edge for dining experience to Disney. I love that they have 3 very different themed restaurants, and the waiters follow you.

Entertainment. ok folks this is where I was disappointed. The one production show was good and I did enjoy the music in atrium and pool area, but there wasn't much else. Also I don't usually take part in the daily activities but there didn't seem to be that much. I did enjoy watching the dancing lesson one day but it was very crowded. I give the edge in live music to Princess but I have seen better stage shows on all of the other lines. They seem to have just more going on.

Ship. Ok this is where Princess shines. Besides Disney cruise line I have never seen such a beautiful ship.

Couple of weird dead ends but some ships have that.

Honestly being this was my 1st Princess cruise, I know a lot of seasoned Princess cruiser's were upset with the changes for Chinese market on Majestic. I did not notice a lack of bars. Where ever I would think to have a drink there was a bar there. My favorites were Wake view and Bellini watching action in Atrium.

We had the drink package included and it was great. Initially I was nervous because NCL has a $15 max on drinks and Princess has $10. I like my drinks strong so I just ordered a little different and it was fine.

Kuddos to Princess for including bottled water and Specialty coffee.

So drink package goes to Princess.

Cabin. I have to say maybe besides Disney because I like the curtain that separates room, I give this to Princess. It was really set up very nicely and felt much roomier than I thought. Balcony same size I am used to but chairs were able to recline slightly. This was the 1st cruise I was able to sleep with door open. It was cool out so letting in the cool air and hearing the ocean was heaven.

Beds. Ok Bed was very comfortable BUT the blanket situation was crazy. I know it's new but felt so thick.

Was like there was 2 sheets wrapped around comforter. But it just didn't work right.

Overall feel. Definitely an older crowd, and people dressed nicely every night. Definitely more dressy than any other cruise. I don't know if it is any less dressy in summer with sundresses an option.

I really enjoyed this cruise but truthfully I have never been on a cruise that I have not enjoyed. From 3 night Carnival and beyond....

If I am on vacation and the seas are smooth It takes a lot for me not to have a good time. Although the beginning of this trip was a good test. My poor daughter was so miserable. I do need to write a letter to hotel but I wanted to be calm when I did it.

After much cruising I am sailing itinerary and dates 1st, then decide on ship. With that said as much as I really enjoyed my cruise do not see Princess in my immediate future. My daughter definitely prefers NCL. Honestly I think I do also. I like the more casual freestyle with many different restaurants. Just seems more to do for the younger set. However I would not hesitate to book Princess again.

Quick on lines

Disney... Beautiful ships, great service. There is no better place for kids on the high seas.

For me not my favorite too expensive to only be around kids stuff. I really missed live music on deck. Kids movies all day.

NCL.... Most casual of lines no formal night. Many different dining options and good entertainment. Our Epic Land Sea tour in Italy was outstanding. We have another land sea booked with NCL for Alaska next year.

I did look at Princess but my dates and Itinerary worked better. Lots of families and a more middle age crowd.

Carnival. I know this line gets a bad wrap but I would not hesitate to cruise with them again. The new ships look amazing. I have always had good service, honestly they probably have the BEST beds at sea.

As for the drunk partying. I am always asleep by midnight so while it may be happening I am unaware. Décor is overstated.

Princess. Only the one cruise. Just feels classy. Absolutely stunning décor, I really thought Majestic was a real beauty. Food was very good. I have to give the pool areas to Princess. I think biggest pool and that indoor pool area is priceless on a rainy/cool day.

Excursions, This trip excursions were not so great. I don't think this is a Princess thing though just bad luck.

Last thought I think on Majestic. I really did miss a promenade deck. I love walking around the ship and the walking place was not very good.

Ok, I'm sure I will think of more things. but If anyone has any questions ask:D

Thanks for following:-)

Kerri

Ok I'm so sorry everyone I am trying to finish this up. Didn't mean for this to take so long. Wish I was back sailing:D

Kerri

Shetland Islands airport has a road across their runway also.

I didn't know that tour guide lied:confused:

Valencia

We booked the City and Oceanographic Complex. This tour was also chaotic.

Drive through town was pleasant enough. From what I saw it is a beautiful city and has it's own character.

We got off the bus for a walking tour.

Problem 1 also this was similar in Monaco and forgot to mention.

No headsets. I now realize after having headsets on other tours if the tour doesn't come with one I will not do it.

Trying to walk the crowded streets of Valencia with a tourguide describing the city to a large tour bus full of people....does not work. Unless you are standing right next to her you could not hear and even when I did accent was hard to understand. We walk a little past the Central market she points to a church and shows us a pic on her ipad because we don't have time to go in. Then she says ok some free time meet at the bus at 3. I'm like its 2;55 she says sorry no time:( This tour really needed some free time to browse the beautiful streets.

On to the Oceanographic. This was total chaos. After she gives our tickets at gate we go in and everybody disperses. We finally get back together and again trying to talk to 40 people is not working. This was Saturday of Easter weekend and the place was PACKED! We walk into the aquarium 1st giant absolutely beautiful. A very long glass tunnel with fish all around. This was the best part.

Now we are to move quickly to go to Dolphin show at exactly 4 for the 4;30 show. As we are approaching the Dolphin area she listens to the announcements. Ok folks show is full. Next one is after we are on bus. So we are just on our own. At this point I'm thirsty, I enjoy a nice Heineken while sitting in the shade. We see a sign for sharks and head over. Very long line. Fuggedaboutit. I did not sign up for this. I thought I was getting a very nice tour of the biggest aquarium complex in Europe. So I drank my beer and listened to the show from a far:cool:

Whatever.....we get another drink chill out till meeting time at bus. Honestly I am amazed everyone made it back but I was very happy they did. One couple blew away from the group early and managed to see the show which they said was very good.

Next up....Final thoughts, a disturbing observation and some comparisons on the cruise lines.

Thanks everyone for following:-)

Toulon

My husband and I did a wine tour that stopped the medieval village of Le Castellot. This was the best part of tour.

The drive to the country side was scenic. This village was beautiful. The original walls still intact. They build the houses on top of the wall. Just so quaint! Tour guide said lots of these villages were abandoned because of parking restrictions, access etc. Now it is bustling and very expensive. Small stone walkways characteristic of Europe with charming shops around every turn.

We walked around had some free time and now it was off to the wine tasting.

IMO this tour should have been later, at 11:30 I needed a little something in my belly to soak up the wine that early. I was thinking the Croissant I had with my Expresso wasn't going to cut it....but hey I will persevere lol.

The drive to the winery was pretty and didn't take long. Scenery was beautiful!! Turns out the setting was a Scottish Castle, there was a pool in the backyard which seemed like a perfect place to drink wine and have some snacks.

A woman came out to greet us and was very friendly, shaking everyones hand and genuinely happy to see us. She points out the owner which was a 90 plus yr lady who was walking her cute little dog. There was another dog with a cow bell running around which was quite funny. A man now joins the party who seemed to be an Elvis impersonator. Don't think that was what he was going for but lets just say he was very flamboyant that had serious fashion opinions.

We go into a large beautiful room that has chairs lining the walls. There is a small plate of chips and breadsticks. I quickly grab 2 to try to soak up the wine that was to come. These breadsticks were very good. Problem is they needed a lot more.

This is when it goes sour. They start opening the wines and it is chaos for people to come up and get it. One of the tourguides from other bus attempts to try and explain the wine but between people talking and the dog with the cowbell dinging it was impossible to hear. Now I have been to a few wine tastings but I am no expert. Couple next to me was very upset how disorganized it was. My husband who was outside this whole time....wasn't feeling wine at that hour listened to quite the story.

Turns out this is the 1st time in a long time they did tours. The well dressed lady and flamboyant man are her friends. They told her she should start doing tours again and will help her. Only problem with this is they didn't know a thing about wine or even drink wine LOL!!!

The name of place was Chateau Vannieres. Usual place was under construction. I hope they get some constructive feedback and organize better because it could be a great place. Anyway I'm usually not a Rose' fan but that was the best wine to me. I did not like the red at all.

My mom and daughter did not do a tour and walked to town. They didn't do much because my mom forgot her money on ship. sigh....

I still had a good time but I'm sure Princess received some complaints on this one.

Gibraltar

We did the WW2 tunnel tour. I picked this tour specifically because I did not want to visit the monkeys. I have heard of jumping on people and did not want any shenanigans with a wild animal.

This tour turned out to be my favorite one because we wound up stopping to see the monkeys anyway. ;-)

Gibraltar is very interesting and the only airport in world that has a road running through it which we drove on. They close the gates when the planes come. Never an accident!! Apparently there is more roads in the mountain than outside the mountain. I don't know how the mountain doesn't crumble seems a shell with all the tunnels and road.

We stopped at lighthouse 1st and it was interesting. There is a Mosque that is there and is directly where the Atlantic and Mediterrean Sea meet. I think 16 miles to Morroco which is who donated the mosque. Would have liked to have seen African coast but not visible not sure on clearest of days if you can see it anyway.

Off to tunnels.....

So on the way up now to the tunnels driver stops at a ledge area where the monkey congregate. This turned out to be AMAZING. They were so happy, playing with each other. Hopping on the buses and quite literally....monkeying around. I was not scared and it turned out to be such a joy to see these animals in there natural habitat. I hate zoos and cages I have no interest in the real wild aka Safari, but I truly did enjoy this. We all did.

The tunnels were pretty amazing and to think troops stayed inside the mountain for years. The whole population was brought inside mountain during wartime apparently and then dispersed. You were allowed to bathe I think 1 or 2x week with salt water. One cup of water was given per day, people did die of dehydration. Water was from the rain and there is not much rain in Gibraltar.

I highly recommend this tour it was a great day.

Next up Valencia.....

Excursions.

We had been to Florence and Pisa so we wanted to try something else. While I hummed and hawed about

Cinque Terre the excursion was sold out by the time I decided. So we booked Lucca. Turns out there was a G8? meeting there that day and city would be closed. So we wound up not leaving the ship. My husband who has a bad back wound up buying the spa pass. Folks....my husband is cheap and I would have lost my last dollar that he would spring for that. That's how much pain he must have been in. He said it was lifechanging. He absolutely loved it and said best money he ever spent.

We all went to the spa for treatment and it was very good. I like that they had a changing room and a relaxation room to wait for appointment. I have never seen that on a ship.

Only problem was I booked my treatment for evening. I like my massage as late as possible, then just off to cabin for tea and bed. Major negative of the Spa is location. It is above showlounge:confused: So as I'm trying to hear my soothing spa music it is being overshadowed my the noise I'm hearing from show. I did enjoy my treatment but I would not go at night again. Maybe they should offer a discount at showtime.

Ok sidetracked back to excursions.

Florence....Lucca wasn't able to go

Monaco. We did best of Monaco tour. Short walking tour and palace. Enjoyable. They used the lifeboats as tenders and wow they hold a lot of people.

Back to work next up Toulon......

Ok trying to squeeze this in during work:)

Upon checkin I asked about my beverage package which was part of promotion. I also wanted to check on my OBC. I changed one of my cabins to inside with a downgrade offer, lady at checkin desk didn't have access to that. I quickly moved through the front desk line and was told no OBC and no beverage package linked. Funny thing was my daughter had a soda package on her card which is what alerted me to now sticker. Long story short...even though she had my card apparently there was another family with our last name and when she made a reference to Aloha deck I was like no I'm Baja. She was looking at wrong family...Crisis averted...OBC was there as well as beverage package. Stickers are not needed anymore. Didn't show up on bar computers at first but they said now worries and it wasn't. So off to start exploring with a cocktail.

I thought the ship was absolutely stunning. Really classy!! We went to the marketplace to look over offerings.

Well there was a lot. Usually port and starboard have same offerings but here you really needed to look everywhere because something would pop up that was not offered on another station.

I was very happy with the offerings and I thought everything tasted great extremely flavorful.

Service in this area was outstanding. I really appreciated the beverage service and table set with silverwear.

Only negative was one day food was lukewarm but hey that happens.

Also it seemed there was always some part of buffet open. Even as late as after 10pm one could grab something to eat if you wanted. I noticed this on my nightly tea run.

Finishing up on the food thoughts. We went to the MDR 2x during formal nights. IMO 2nd formal night was the best menu. Had all the things I like but all in one night. I thought food was very good but I wasn't very impressed with nightly menu, so we wound up at Buffet most nights. Also being my daughter wasn't up for much it was just easier. I did go to Harmony with my mom on sea day for lunch. My mom isn't adventurous with food so I was a little worried about her. Turns out her choices were better LOL. I did enjpy but my pepper beef was almost inedible. There was so much black pepper that my mouth was on fire. I like spicey but it was overwhelming. Anyway glad I tried it and I would go back and get different items.

Entertainment. I really enjoyed the live music throughout the ship. This was a big difference on Princess. In the evenings lots of people dancing in atrium it was great fun to watch. Reminded me what cruising was like for my grandparents when they would describe it. Actually made me want to get dance lessons because let me just say It was like dancing with the stars down there. My favorite spot was Bellini bar with a perfect view of the action. Let me just say something about Asian people that I didn't know. They got game! It was a joy to see them all cut loose so much. I didn't know they were so big on dancing. I swear I don't know who had more flair the men or women. It was very interesting, in fact it made me want to learn more about the Asian culture.

Negative on entertainment was there was only 1 production show. Fiera while it was very good I thought there should have been more of that.

Pool area was very nice. I thought the pools were biggest I have seen. The indoor area was very nice and you could actually swim some laps which was amazing. Quiet area in front was ridiculous with musical instruments and jenga to make noise. Then I thought maybe the Asian people don't look at quiet as good....maybe any noise is the noise of life and living. One of the thoughts that made me want to learn more.

Cabin. I had one standard balcony and 1 inside. I thought the cabin would be very small but I have to say most well appointed cabin including inside. I loved the closet area can hold suitcases and a ton of hangers for your clothes. Room felt roomy and inside felt quite comfortable as well. Shower wasn't as small as I expected and the shelf is perfect for shaving (ladies) and shower items.

My room steward Armondo was amazing always with a smile and addressing me by name.

Next up excursions...

Hi,

I am a frequent cruiser, but my 1st Princess cruise. I was excited and nervous to sail such a new ship, but the good reviews beforehand put my mind at ease.

We arrived in Rome on Sat 4/8 and used Rome in Limo for pickup at airport and transfer to Citavecchia hotel.

Along the way we did a shortened Etruscan tour that went to the Etruscan tombs and the Museum in Tarquinia.

We enjoyed this very much. Our driver Franco was very nice to talk to and we enjoyed our drive through the countryside. We ended tour a little early because we were exhausted from flying all night and I did not sleep at all. Which makes me feel actually sick. So sick that when we stopped for lunch I looked at my beautiful bowl of pasta and could not eat it. Yes I needed sleep only thing to help. So we headed back to hotel.

We stayed at San Giorgio hotel. Beautiful hotel. Unfortunately I did not see much because I headed to room which is where I stayed. I think combination of wine, airline food and no sleep did me in. I soon had many visits to bathroom lets just say.

Problem #1 Room was hot!! Ceilings are like 30 ft and room divided into 2 floors. A/C was not doing much but it was cooler outside so I opened windows.

Now I digress......I have been travelling a lot through Europe these last 3 years and I have NEVER seen a screen in the windows. I do not understand this with all of the diseases mosquitos have I don't understand the mindset on this. Ok so I sleep with windows open for some air......

Problem 2. My daughter woke up with..... I am not exaggerating 99 mosquito bites on HER FACE ALONE:mad:

OMG at first looked rashy thought bed bugs. Then my husband sees 10 mosquitos on ceiling and kills them and it looks like a blood bath. I will try to post a picture at later time. But let me tell you my daughter who is 14 looked like she had the measles. Mostly on one side where her face was exposed. By that night it swelled from itching. She did not leave the room for 3 days. Good thing it didn't swell till later because I am sure they would have been a problem getting on ship without dr visit. She looked that bad:( Just to finish on this thought on day 2 I called ship DR to get some cortisone cream because they did not sell any anti itch anything at store. They were nice enough to just sell me the cream for $22 and I did not have to see DR.

Ok onto better things but let me just say it really put a damper on trip.

We take the hotel shuttle to the port and we finally see Majestic. Boy she is big and I can't wait to board.

Easiest boarding ever from pulling up till boarding felt like 15 minutes. Only holdup was filling out questionnaire.

And no I did not check any yes boxes. I felt better and I knew my digestive problems were from lack of sleep bad food and too much wine.

We did not board in Atrium which I did not like because I like the WOW of the atrium 1st sight. We found our way there and it truly is beautiful. I knew the ship would not disappoint on aesthetics.

Next up....Where is my beverage package......

Just returned from a med cruise and we are very happy with our service from

Rome in limo.

We had Franco who was excellent. Very personable and waiting punctually with a sign with our name on it at the airport.

We booked a shortened Etruscan tour with a transfer to our hotel in citavecchia.

Jany was readily available with answer to the many questions I had while deciding on the right tour. I would highly recommend Rome in limo

Kerri

Hi,

I am currently enjoying a drink at the wake bar. I can see this will be a fav.

THis is my 1st princess cruise.... haven't walked whole ship yet.

So far biggest quirk I see is elevators don't have deck names. Just floor number. And my room starts with 7 and I am on the 11th floor. So there will be no common sense to find room lol.

Know your floor before u board lol.

Looks like a beautiful day to sail.

Kerri

Happy to hear good things about the Sun:-)

Just booked Alaska land /sea journey on her for July 2018.

Kerri

Thankyou so much again for taking your precious time to give us much wanted info!

I can't believe I am finally on the train to airport to start my adventure. Can't wait to board:-)

Thanks

Kerri

Welcome to cruise critic:-)

These boards are priceless for information. I see my fellow cruisers have given you some very good info!

I am just posting for moral support.

I am plus size who has yo-yo

For too long. Losing and gaining 100 pds multiple times.

Every flight I stress is seatbelt gonna fit this time.... seating, rides at Wdw everything!

Smart you are researching..... follow advice and just ask for assistance. IGNORE people who are going to judge... as you know they are always around.

Enjoy your cruise and your family you will be creating amazing memories and you will be looking to book your next cruise!

Happy sailing

Kerri

Thanks for posting. I will be joining you on 4/9 sailing I can't wait! We are leaving tmrw.

I have been monitoring all threads and it seems like we will have a fabulous cruise. As of now even the weather looks good! This will be my 1st Princess cruise so I'm wondering if I will feel like something is missing. Curious to see if i notice less bars. I have beverage package included so I will find them all;-)

2 years ago we sailed the Med on Ncl epic and it was amazing . For this trip there is only one repeat port which is florence. We spent some time on land in Florence so we will be going to Lucca. I was humming and hawing about cinque terre so long it is waitlisted now.

Did your plan your excursions?

Kerri

This isn't actually a good thing. Fares have increased by a few hundred pounds (after you take into account the DSC) and all we really get that wasn't already an option with free at sea is some water and coffee.

 

My guess as to why it's Europe only is that many people from here grumble about the DSC (and many apparently remove it). Lots of comments asking why it isn't included in the fare. The result is that those people have got their way and, as the rest of us predicted, fares have increased by about double the amount.

 

Adding the open bar is another matter. It skews the prices for those who don't drink, but to be honest that happened when free at sea was introduced. I don't actually think the open bar has made much difference to the pricing. Adding it just forces everyone to take it, even if they don't drink and would prefer OBC or the dining package.

Thanks

I never understood all the griping about the DSC(service charge correct?) Everyone works hard and deserves it IMO.

However....now that I have been travelling out of my country and seeing more of Europe these past few years I understand it more.

It is a cultural thing. Tipping is much less I realized in Europe as a whole. You just round up slightly it seems and everyone happy. Here tipping has gotten completely out of control!!

One cannot drive through starbucks without seeing a tip jar at window....Ridiculous.

So it does make sense if they included tips on the fares especially from Europe so people are paid a decent wage...but booze...Hey everyone want that:D

But Europe is a looooong way to Hawaii so heck ya deserve the booze after that flight.

Kerri

Thanks

Just finished your amazing review!! You have convinced me to do a private tour of road to hana. I was not going to do it because I was worried about queasiness. I don't get sick but amalfi coast ride almost did me in. But I'm thinkin worse case we turn back around. Ship tour I be stuck.

Ok so is Hilo when the lava flows and that is starboard?

Thanks

Kerri

I almost forgot! Bad thing #3 happened that night!

 

If you're considering this trip, you know what happens between Hilo and Kona: the ship passes by an active volcano flow into the ocean.

 

We had so much angst over this when we were booked into a portside balcony, since this can be seen on the starboard side. We sucked it up and went out on deck to join the party.

 

Problem #1: We left Hilo late, so the viewing was at 10:30 rather than 9:45 pm.

 

Problem #2: About 8 minutes before we reached the viewing area, the captain came on the intercom: due to a passenger' medical emergency, the ship was turning around, immediately, and heading back to Hilo. We were 4 hours out of port but there were no other options.

 

Wow!

 

I don't know when the ship entered Hilo. The passenger was tendered off. When I asked af the desk the next day, they said he was stable and expected to make it.

 

So we arrived in Kona several hours late, which led to a lot of scrambling over shore excursions. Luckily, we booked our Captain Zodiac snorkeling excursion for the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

This is a great trip but your ass is going to be bruised. There's no way around it. You sit on the side of the raft, hold onto a rope for dear life, and go bouncing over the waves.

 

Don't even bother with a hat.

 

We settled in the cove where Captain Cook's memorial sits, donned flippers, masks and snorkels and plopped in. Wow. It was amazing. So many blue and yellow fish!

 

On the way back, we stopped by a really cool sea cave.

 

 

Another pro tip: do not put your room key and drivers license in your pocket during this ride! Because when they fall overboard, there's no net to grab them with and they will float into the cave. And while a guide may try to rescue them, the waves are strong.

 

I have no idea how this fellow traveler got back on the boat.

 

 

 

 

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Ok I didn't make it past 2nd page.

I am booked on POA this July in a port balcony.

I thought the viewing was from the PORT side. I know you didn't get to see it but are you sure it is on Starboard side:eek:

Thanks

Kerri