LEtue

I didn't think the pricing was high either and the price of my studio is really nice :D

Booked tonight over the phonece and didn't wait more that a couple of minutes.

I got the last studio on the October 7, 2018 sailing and I am so excited!!!!

This is my first solo cruise and I can't believe I booked such a big ship in the Med :eek:

At least we don't have too much longer to wait....

I just wish they would publish the itineraries sooner - before bookings open. I know they know what ships are sailing in Alaska by now and where they are headed!

I am anxious to see the dates too. Since the ship arrives on Sunday, May 13 in Vancouver I would like to know what is scheduled between then and Friday, May 18 southbound from Anchorage? Normally the Radiance sails in the opposite direction as the Millennium - so maybe a 5 day to Seward? Or a 12 night (which seems less likely).

Just booked the Inaugural sailing of Symphony out of Barcelona on April 21st. 7 nights. Super excited as I have really wanted to do an Inaugural.

What is the itinerary?

What a great review and thanks for posting it!

I have been curious about MSC for a long time and the prices in the Med are outstanding - might have to give them a try on my trip. :)

Really too bad that they don't offer the same options as other airlines that use the airline booking system and allow you to see the flights and pick from a list. The price was hundreds less that booking direct with the airlines for flights into Rome and returning from Barcelona......$631 RT from Tampa for this October (but we had to cancel :( )

I just found this thread and I am so disappointed to read that NCL doesn't have a program like Princess - reserve and pay at final payment and you pick your flights.

NCL needs to step it up!

Any suggestions for good/reputable/reasonable priced hotel in Rome that will be within walking distance of certain "attractions"?

Albergo Cesari. Stayed before and will be staying there again this year. A lot of CC members have stayed and enjoyed it :)

I would suggest that when Princess releases their 2018 Europe schedule that you do some comparison shopping. You can get airfare quotes through EZ Air at the same time for any itinerary and this will give a general idea of what to expect for 2019. For my cruise in October the RT air is only $631. from Tampa which is about 1//2 of what I could find on my own. I actually canceled my Alaska cruise and booked the Med in a balcony for less ;)

However, the British Isles is an expensive itinerary but from what I have seen Princess itineraries are the best for covering all of the main ports - including Scotland. So, you might not find any deals on the cruise portion. I have seen last minute deals but never checked cabin availability so booking a suite then probably isn't an option.

I like the September - October timeframe for the Med but if you decide on the British Isles you will have to travel earlier.

Cruised on the Star Princess in Alaska last August and had no problems.

Everything was up to the standards I am used to on Princess. You should have no issues either so enjoy your cruise :)

Get a small rfid card holder for your cruise card. I used to have the problem several times per cruise but not since I got the small card holder.

 

 

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Thanks for the post! I have a spare of those and will remember to pack it!

I get so excited when I read about the Regal and Royal :)

I have only sailed on Grand Class ships and the Island and Coral so far so I am really looking forward to the Royal next year :D

I just booked EZ Air flights for the first time and the price is a little less than 1/2 of what I could find by booking direct with any airline.

The flexible fare and all of the benefits of booking though Princess are great too :)

I will say that I have made 2 changes to flights since I booked about 3 weeks ago. Fares do change as well as available flight options - so check often!

You should definitely plan on it and if the seas are calm - great. It is often too late once you get sick and relief may not come for hours - if you wait to take something.

Some people find that if they start ginger tabs a few days before sailing they can avoid it. Easy enough to do.....

The roughest seas I have experienced in Alaska was between Hubbard Glacier and Sitka. Lots of barf bags were put out in containers by all the elevators and there were a lot of empty tables at dinner!

So be prepared if you have had a bad experience in the past. It can get rough :(

Here is the information from their website.....

There are three big steps to get in and out of our boats and the van parks about 300 yards away from our boat. If you cannot walk 1/2 mile or up and down stairs with ease, you should consider booking with a different company - although, all companies in Juneau leave from the same dock so they will all require the same walking distances.

Thanks, was it far to the boat from the dock, I'm taking someone who uses a walker

They have very good information on their website about mobility issues and stepping in and out of their boats.

I remember seeing it when I was looking for options and my SIL would not have been able to do with her bad knees.....

Such a wonderful thread and I loved traveling along!

I am really hoping to sail this itinerary in 2017 :D

More RT Alaska sailings from Vancouver or even better - a couple of 14 day RT from Seattle to match HAL would be really nice :D

Have a great cruise and I will be following along too!

This itinerary is on my bucket list and my cruise buddy and friend hope to take this cruise in the near future. I love traveling in September so I will be anxious to read about how the trip goes!

Happy sails :D

I think you made the right decision to go a day early. I guess coming home wouldn't be as critical although it is always nice to get home as planned.

What surprises me is that they even offered a flight that arrived same day! I thought that coming from the US - they only offered flights that arrived the day before. Maybe your first day aboard is an overnight stay in Venice? If so, I would have been okay with the first flight.

I will be comparison shopping for flights to Venice in 2017 and although I have never used Air2Sea yet - I am interested to see what flights are offered.

I also highly recommend a guided tour here. They are inexpensive and as mentioned you could join a group from your ship.

I set up a group of 14 last year and even though I knew a lot about the sites and history of the area - I just can't imagine doing this on your own.

I used Ephesus Shuttle and can highly recommend them. They were easy to work with and communication was excellent. They offer lots of tour options in my opinion all of the sites were worth a visit and not a waste of time at all :)

http://www.ephesusshuttle.com/

Great start and I will be following along!

I bet this won't be your last trip to Alaska either :D

Enoy!!!

Just curious - will this cause anyone posting here to cruise either:

 

1. Less often

2. In inside or outside cabins

3. With other lines

 

If the answer is no, Royal has no reason to change this back...

Yes to all and what amazes me is how many still plan to cruise RCI exclusively - no matter what they do.

I have been sailing many lines for about 10 years because a ship is just a way to get there for me and I value itinerary more :) Cost has always been an issue and I have to make that part of the decision about who to book my inside cabin with....

In addition to your list I never book early anymore but rather wait for the discounting to start - about 6 months before sailing. There is still plenty of cabins available and airfare isn't an issue (even FF seats).

Can you imagine the amount of competition that would be created if most people waited to book closer to sailing. I would imagine incentives may even be worth something :eek:

I found one photo somewhere, and have asked several questions about these. The info I have gathered is

 

1. much larger windows

2. heavy doors between them and the atrium. Some ships have a door to the MDR some a wall.

3. windows sometimes aline with the the piers- so make sure curtains closed before bed - lol

4. So far beds run from wall not window so give a better view

 

I will be in one (4586) on the jewel in Oct - I will do a photo review on here on my return and will comment of any noise from the Atrium or from the the dining rooms. I will also be able to confirm the bed position on the Jewel.

Thank you! In the one review that I found they mentioned mechanical noise or a constant hum.

I am considering one for Alaska and thought it would be nice to have the larger window :D