SOLIVITA LADY

Still reading and enjoying every minute of our (I mean your) trip. It feels like we are cruising along with you.

Jackie

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We just booked this ship for October, 2015 Venice to Rome. Although we are elite on Princess we have never sailed on this ship nor her sister, Coral Princess. The Island is supposed to be done with her drydock in May I think, so no reports for some time yet. I figure I won't miss what I never knew about the ship and just enjoy what she does offer as well as the ports (even the ones we have been to before).

I love the Grand class, as well as the newer Royal/Regal and the little ladies (Ocean/Pacific). I find they all have a lot to offer as I'm sure the Island will too.

Jackie

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Great room. We've only had one suite which was on the Caribbean Princess and not located in a great spot like yours but we couldn't complain as it was an upgrade:) Only problem was we spent more time in the room and didn't get out and about as much.

You must be related to us as Rich was expecting to have inherited Uncle Errol's smoking jackets. At least now we know they are being put to good use as Rich quit smoking.:) The Uncle Errol joke has been in our family ever since I can remember.

Jackie(and Rich Flynn)

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Not ALL veteran cruisers agree with you. I think Princess offers a wonderful product at a fair price. It seems to me that many of you are talking about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Using our TA I am thrilled with the cruise fares paid and consider the OBC's afforded to me as gifts from Princess. If I can't use them all.....not likely....so what. It wasn't anything that I paid for anyway. I think it is wonderful that Princess offers the generous OBC's that they do and allows us to combine credits also. We get the OBC from booking with our TA, OBC from using our FCC's to book, shareholder OBC, loyalty OBC and any extra credit that Princess may be offering at the time we book.

 

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Totally agree with you. We always use all our OBC. I do use some in the casino when my cash runs out so hope I can still do that but if not then my casino play time will be cut short.

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Hotel is easy- Palazzo Sant' Angelo sul Canal Grande

 

The canal-side restaurant was Da Raffaele and the bill was 129E or @ $180 so pricey but location was outstanding.

 

The Anzola Sq one for lunch was Acquapazza and the bill was 72E or @ $100. No wine as I was drinking beer.

 

All the servers were male and very friendly and efficient. Plates were licked clean.

 

You could certainly eat for much less if you window shop.

 

Norris

Thank you so much Norris for the info. I know Venice is pricey as we paid 30Euro for two slices of regular pizza the last time we were there. I figure your lunch restaurant would be a good splurge for one meal so for 42Euros more than 2 slices of pizza we might even consider it a bargain:)

Loving your review and the pictures and videos are wonderful. Like I said you inspired me to book Venice to Rome on Oct 13, 2015. I actually cancelled a Canada/New England cruise and changed it to the Grand Med. You have spun your magic and influenced me.

Jackie

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Norris, wonderful review. You have inspired me to book a Venice to Rome cruise on Island Princess. Could you please tell me the name of the restaurant you had lunch. Looks wonderful.

If you can also list hotel names, restaurants you used it would be great. We would love to follow in your footsteps when we go on our trip.

Can't wait to read more.

Jackie

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Enjoying your review. Keep up the good work.

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We have booked this cruise and there is no roll call yet. I'll start one so we can chat on there and not clog up the main forum.

Jackie(and Rich)

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Hey all! I have a Regal cruise booked for Easter Break. I'm trying to convince my sister in law and her family to join us. She is concerned Princess will not offer enough for her 13 year old son. Can anybody who has cruised during vacation time tell me what Princess offered to make teens welcome?? I want to stay away from Royal due to the concentration of children. Info on activities, areas, etc would be welcome. Thanks in advance:)

We are taking my two grandsons on this cruise (9 & 14). There is the kids club for the 9year old and the teen club for the 14 year old. The younger grandson loves the Princess clubs and has a great time there. The teen will probably go the first night to the teen club and then decide if he wants to go to some of the activities or rather hang out with us. Either way there are things to do on the ship to keep them entertained even when they chose to be with us.

Check the Princess website to see what the clubs are like.

Jackie

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We're thrilled with the "sale." Even though my fare remained stable, got $50 more OBC and prepaid gratuities. Don't think the fare will ever be reduced, but just put $218 back in my pocket. Ya gotta love it!

The same happened to us for an Easter sailing. We booked two rooms, a balcony and an inside. Got free gratuities for both rooms, $50 extra OBC for the balcony and this was after we got a $1,100 reduction about 3 weeks ago on the total cost of the two rooms. I'd say we are very happy with all Princess allows us as it is combinable with military, stockholders, FCC an TA OBC. We will have the grandkids with us so no problems spending the OBC.

Thank you Princess and also our great travel agent.

Jackie

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Please see other people's posts about what IS happening on the CB. With that in mind, we cancelled because we had booked 3 separate solo cabins, thinking we could spend some of our OBCs and cash out some. But with the new way of treating OBCs, we were going to have way too much in OBCs (more than $1300) that would really get wasted. We can't drink that much wine or eat enough specialty meals, or take that much alcohol off the ship. We live in Florida so there are no Caribbean excursions that would interest us. We would never buy anything from Park West Gallery. So we cancelled those reservations, and re-booked for a lower fare with far less in OBC's.

I have read all the posts and OBC is still able to be used for gratuities. You can't cash out and that is fine with me as I don't use the ship as an ATM and don't expect Princess to fund the cost of my cruise. We have over $600 for a 5 day cruise. Will we spend it all, who knows. But we will have fun trying. You apparently thought you would walk away with a lot of cash in your pocket but that wasn't going to happen so you cancelled. Call it what it is - you expected a free cruise, didn't get it and now your angry. Too bad, so sad.

I'm done with this subject. Goodnight.

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These weren't Princess reps. These were management personnel in Customer Relations and we went three levels up the supervisory chain within that dept.

Which only goes to prove that what you are told and what happens on the ship can be different. I am my own woman and decide for myself what to do. Why do you care if I wait to see what happens on board? You made you decision and apparently cancelled the cruise, that was YOUR decision.

Jackie

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We are actually going on the 11/15 cruise and I didn't book it to cash in my OBC and walk away with a free cruise. I will be very surprised if we cannot use our OBC for gratuities and if that happens then I will cancel my 2015 cruises (all 3 of them) and consider selling my shares but not until I see for myself. Answers you may get from Princess reps do not always reflect what actually happens on the ships.

Jackie

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...except that there have been many posts here about 'free' cruises.

 

Where people expected to book a cruise for $398, and receive $400

in OBC.

 

Really the cruise is only 'free', if you are able to cash the OBC and

use it to pay the Credit Card bill for the cruise fare.

 

So, whenever I read the 'free' posts, I thought it was a risky idea.

 

And, with all the OBC princess is currently giving away, I think an

enforcement like this was inevitable.

 

For an upcoming 5-day cruise, I have $400 in non-refundable OBC, and

about another $175 in OBC. The $175 will cover tips, a soda sticker,

and one or two nights at crown grill. I have no idea what I am going

to do with the $400, but I hope princess has loaded a good supply of

liquor.

This is exactly our situation. If I check my folio and there is extra OBC there at the end of the cruise (night before) I will see if I can allocate it as extra gratuites to the crew who always take such good care of us.

Jackie

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Sorry to hear that you had to leave the ship and hope all turns out well.

Jackie

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Just sent to:

andawayigo

Solivita Lady

Thanks.

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Just forwarded Raina's email to :

Koolforkatz

ace1zoe2

Solivita Lady

lemonade-sails

Could you please resend to Solivita Lady. I didn't recognize the email address and deleted it. DUH!

Thanks

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Would also like the name of discounter. Please e-mail to rflynn6 at cfl dot rr dot com

Thanks,

SOLIVITA LADY

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Have a great time. Looking forward to your live when you have time to post.

Jackie

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I suppose I just can't hide from you guys and disappear in the woodwork. Sorry to say that will be no LIVE. We are not on the cruise. My husband sustained a head injury beginning of last week. I am doing this now from a hospital from where we hope he will be discharged tomorrow. We have high expectations that he will eventually fully recover.

 

I have no clue when we will be able to travel again on any cruise which requires flying.

 

Thank you for your inquiries and hope to be back LIVE with you soon.

Pia, thoughts and prayers are with you for a full recovery fo Mike.

Jackie

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Have a wonderful time on your cruise and thank you very much for all the info you have provided to future visitors.

Jackie

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Jackie, if you'd like to meet Pia and Mike and sail with David and I again, you could join us on the October 25 TA from Southampton to FLL that we are doing together. :)

 

 

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Marcia, our travel budget for 2014 is already spent as we leave on April 18th for a TA from FLL to Southampton. We are planning to do the Emerald in October 2015 from Barcelona to FLL (Spain crossing) so think about joining us. So far there is a roll call with a lot of familiar CC names on it although We are only doin the 14 day TA many have added the cruise prior to make it 21 days. We plan on spending a few days in Barcelona before the cruise.

Jackie

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So happy you are enjoying, but then you always do. Let me know what Mike gets at the $10 sale, ;) you too for that matter.

Jackie, Pia is right, remember we had that pre-cruise get together and you couldn't make it? You will meet someday I am sure.

Enjoying the live, sorry about Motor City although I can't believe you went!

Enjoy the day :)

 

 

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Marcia, I do remember that but I still haven't met or cruised with Pia &Mike. One of these days I am sure our paths will cross. Would also love to cruise with you and David again too:)

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Congratulations on hitting the 75 cruise mark. Doubt we will ever get their but we enjoy Princess even with our measly 17 cruises. Hope to meet some day in our travels.

Jackie

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