avalong

I'll try to add some more thoughts, but please keep coming back and letting me know that you're following along! At some points, it feels like I'm just babbling to myself and it takes quite a while to compile all these posts. Glad that my ramblings have helped you prepare for your trip!

Hey, I subscribed to this thread, so keep it comin'! ;)

On our early May glacier cruise out of Vancouver, we stood in the Sanctuary area for a bit and there was no one in it during the glacier viewing. We spent time on the deck and on our balcony.

 

Everyone on deck was accommodating to each other to take pictures and there was no problem. There was no need to pay additional money for the sanctuary.

I am just off the Island Princess and completely agree that the Sanctuary was completely unnecessary for comfortable, uncrowded viewing of the glacier(s).

Whatever you think of them, the brochures must be working because you've been perusing Oceania Itineraries and checking out prices....:rolleyes:

 

Hope to see you onboard soon!

So true. I had NO intention of booking Oceania despite the onslaught of brochures. And then an itinerary caught my eye..............Booked!

Almost all cabins on Princess are the same within a type. You have a standard oceanview cabin with a small balcony. It's about 9'x5' and has two chairs and a small table. You're below another deck of passenger cabins so you shouldn't have noise from above. Passengers on Caribe and Dolphin deck balconies can look up and into your balcony due to the tiered ship design so it's not particularly private. The balcony is covered but because it's not very deep, there's little sun or weather protection.

The upside of a shallower balcony is that your cabin gets more light, which I really prefer. And while it is true that people on Caribe & Dolphin deck can turn around & look up at you, it just doesn't seem to happen all that often. Just our experience.

We once found a rather large diamond ear ring on the floor near the X-ray machine when you enter the ship. I took it to the pursers desk and noticed that the young woman who took it form me did not log it in, and like you I had a bad feeling about it, so I immediately asked for it back and told her to please make a note in the lost and found that I had found it and if someone asked about it to call my cabin. Sure enough by the time I got back to my cabin their was a message. The woman described it and came and got it. I don't think she would have gotten it back if I had turned it in instead of keeping it.

It was probably the best friend/co-employee of the woman at the purser's desk. :D I know, my bad.

I don't get it. Why not just play tennis?

It's a gentler work-out as you're not running quite as much.

This sounds fun. Is one able to book court time? Or is it first-come, first-served?

 

I will be on the Ruby Princess next week and noticed "Center Court" in the deck plans. Can one also play basketball on this court?

Paddle tennis was "first come, first served" on the Sapphire.

My husband and I played "pickle ball" (AKA paddle tennis) on the Sapphire. All of the equipment was provided. There was just one court. I hope they manage to retain the court somewhere on the ship after the sanctuary is put in, but I kinda doubt it. Too bad -- it was a nice change of pace.