iceleven

5 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Do the majority of upgrades end up badly?  I have only had two.  One on Royal  and one on Celebrity.  They were both better...

Even with an upgraded cabin you might end up in an area that is noisy or require a longer walk than you prefer.

I've only cruised Celebrity once, on the Silhouette, and found the ship beautiful and preferred it over our previous experiences on the Grand Class Princess ships and Royal. However, I find the cabins on Princess more roomy and I prefer the closet/dressing area on Princess over the smaller closet in the cabin on Celebrity. I also don't care for the storage area above the bed on Celebrity as I am only 5'1" and found it difficult to use that additional space without having to ask my husband to retrieve what I needed.

I prefer the buffet on Celebrity over Princess. The variety and selections are superior, at least to my standards.

We will continue to cruise both and add an Azamara in between to just keep things more interesting.

On 4/27/2024 at 9:25 AM, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

It doesn’t happen very often. The one time they moved our cabin was on my 50th and they upgraded us to a suite. You can mark “do not upgrade”. We’ve sailed 35 times with Princess and never moved other than the above. 

Yes very important to have your booking marked DO NOT UPGRADE.

On 4/13/2024 at 10:02 AM, Spif Barwunkel said:

We are looking forward to our first Princess cruise experience in December 2024. A long time coming, but Princess finally takes up residence in our neighborhood at Port Canaveral in November 2024 when Caribbean Princess arrives. We have also booked passage on Sky for November 2025 as she will be the next Princess ship to cruise from PC. We hope to enjoy Princess as much as we do our primary cruise line of choice.

Same for me! We're in Orlando and so very happy that a Princess ship is coming into Port Canaveral. I first was disappointed that it was to be the Caribbean because I really would love to sail with something that's new to the fleet and, just today, realized that the Sky will be taking over in 2025. Since only being in Florida 5 years, and with the covid fear for two years we've only cruised three times. We have cruised out of both Miami and Ft. Lauderdale but that's always a hassle. We're not keen on the larger kid-friendly ships that have been in PC for all these many years.

I should add that we have cruised with Princess out of California for many years and have a long history with them. 15+ cruises, I believe I can recall. Most on the Grand Princess. Also an older ship.

I am only just now looking to book a cruise with Virgin and this status match is totally new for me. Is this offer only on specific  cruises or any and all Virgin cruises? I am Elite on Princess what sort of status match would that give me on Virgin?

On 7/26/2023 at 12:57 PM, KevintheIrishDJ said:

The price of the Onward 12/22/23 Veranda is $8,767. Where are the 4 Free nights?

This, perhaps could clarify this sort of question?

Terms & Conditions 

 July Offer Terms and Conditions '23 FULL

 The July Offer (the "Offer") applies to new individual and non-contracted group bookings created

 between July 1, 2023 - September 6, 2023 ("Offer Period"), to select sailings departing between

 October 27, 2023 - April 3, 2024. 

The Offer includes a deduction equivalent to the costs of 3 nights (from the total price of the cruise fare). 

Additionally, Offer provides a $600 Onboard Credit ("OBC") per stateroom and is subject to the following: OBC is in United States Dollars ("USD"),

 based on double occupancy, has no cash value, is not redeemable for cash, not transferable, and will

 expire if not used by 10 p.m. on the last evening of the voyage. 

All guests must be named and a full deposit must be made prior to the end of the Offer Period. Offer is also combinable with exclusive

 Travel Partner OBC promotions, Back-to-Back Benefits, Onboard Booking Savings, Azamara Circle

 Quarterly Savings, National Account Hosted Programs, and Net Rates. Unless stated otherwise,

 Offer is not combinable with Last Minute Voyages, Closed User Rates, Employee Rates, Interline

 Rates, Travel Agent Rates. Offer is not applicable to third and fourth guests in a stateroom.

On 7/30/2023 at 9:43 AM, Carnevale said:

 

It was surprisingly crowded in a number of places:

- Getting food at the buffet was often hard as it frequently was packed especially at lunch time. In fact, one day my DH was waiting in the cue for sandwiches and someone trying to get through the crowd gave him a good poke!  There were lots of frustrated people in that space.

- We found it hard at times to get a place to sit to eat in the buffet area especially on the days it was too cold for anyone to sit outside or by The Patio.  Several times we had to wait for a table and one day we had to give up and carry our food from the buffet back to our stateroom and eat there.

- The Living Room was usually crowded during the before dinner drink and tapas time. We usually found a seat eventually but on one occasion friends we met on the ship had to stand with their drinks as there wasn’t a seat to be had.

- One of the days we had to do immigration clearance on the ship in the Living Room and it was a gong show. There was only one officer and staff didn’t stagger the times people were told to go through the clearance so the cue went out the door and all the way around three sides of the pool. Thankfully, the next time immigration clearance was required it was held in the Cabaret Lounge, there were several officers, and there were announcements to delay people going to that area so the cue was managed appropriately.

- White Night wasn’t fun as it had to be indoors and the Cabaret Lounge just isn’t big enough to accommodate so many so it was very crowded and uncomfortable.

 

We’ve cruised a lot and have never experienced the crowding we had on the Journey on any other ship (even those with over 3000 guests). We had only cruised once before on Azamara (several years ago) and that ship was only about half full so that experience and what we’ve heard reported about Azamara didn’t prepare us for the level of crowding we experienced.  

 

We may just have lucked out with a stateroom that was in very poor shape (and had an awful sewer smell that couldn’t be fixed) and a cruise that due to weather was more crowded than usual but theses things added to the overall low quality of what we experienced means we can’t recommend Azamara to others and we won’t be back.  We heard others (including someone who had sailed on Azamara in April) express the same thing along with their observations that overall quality seems to have declined recently.

Please tell me which cabin you were in. I'm booking a Nov. 30 cruise but haven't yet chosen a cabin. Thank you in advance.

On 10/8/2022 at 6:21 PM, orville99 said:

That happens on virtually every cruise we have been on since the restart. We have actually taken advantage of it on 1-2 occasions.

When and where do they offer this option? Do you get a call or personally go up to the desk and ask if there are any available cabins for the following cruise?

Don't stay away too long. We're leaving this coming Monday for this identical tour and you are making it so much easier to decide what to do. Love the photos!

Really looking forward to your continued report on St. Croix. I can see you didn't go into Christensted as that is the larger city and one we are hoping to be able to explore next week on our Silhouette itinerary, same as yours. We've been following your review and truly appreciate your details, your sense of humor, and honesty.

Something similar happened to me a few weeks back when I booked a cruise for my husband and myself. I found it strange that once I entered my own personal information that the next page immediately changed to the statement with the bill/charges. It showed the charges for two persons, the discount (FL resident), and another credit. I paid with my card. Then the next screen was requesting I add the 2nd passenger in the cabin. I completed that. The next screen then took me to the same statement page but had added an additional $4000+ at the bottom....due immediately.

I immediately called them, stated the problem and was put on hold for 45 minutes. When the gal came back on the phone she was extremely apologetic for keeping me on hold for so long but that she was unable to correct the problem but would put me on the call with another person. Again I was put on hold for another 45 minutes but this time the person was able to agree with the original charges and removed the additional charge. They both were very kind and apologetic.

I suggest continuing the conversation with Celebrity. You should eventually get someone who is more familiar with the occasional failures of their booking system.

And yes, I am aware that a travel agent could have sorted through this with greater ease but when I called her she was on her very own holiday...camping. No really available at the time.

On 3/15/2023 at 9:09 PM, odyssyus said:

Diapers on babies, Depends on Seniors.   Everyone pee's in the hot tub/pool...Everyone.

Nope! And that's why I never use a public hot tub whether it's adults only or children allowed.

On 3/15/2023 at 7:00 PM, DCPIV said:

 

Sounds perfect for whisky. 

Crystal, especially heirloom crystal has lead in it. Decanting the occasional wine in a crystal decanter is harmless but you wouldn't want to store any liquor, such as whisky, for any extended time.

We're not beach people but enjoy exploring the cultures of each island. I think we would be more interested in Christensted for this reason. How long of a ride from the cruise port and approximate cab fare? Is there any licensed service that would actually take us for a ride around the island?

On 3/9/2023 at 7:37 AM, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

They are still having to make up the 3 year old's bed, change out their towels, and clean up after them. You should still be tipping for them. 

As a reminder, the gratuities do not only go to the room stewards. They are shared by the dining staff, and others that one might not even come in contact with.

It appears, to me, that the bottom of the bottle is on the outside and at a higher level than the top of the bottle which is lower. This will cause sediment to pool down toward the cork, which is not ideal. However, if these bottles are replaced frequently, as they are prone to on ships, I would think this would work fine, especially if they are in this position in order to prevent falling out of their racks during rough seas. If they were stored level, this might be more hazardous. Just my 11 cents and only my thoughts.

5 hours ago, Mark_K said:

Silversea, it’s their Grand South America voyage.  It leaves next January.

Wow! Looks beautiful but waaay out of my bucket list budget. That's $100 grand for two. Of course it includes a lot, i.e., airfare, excursions, etc. The suites are so beautiful I would be tempted to not want to leave the ship.

5 hours ago, zitsky said:

What company is that, please? 

I've been corrected, There is more than one but I was thinking of the Zaandam (Holland America) and it is 70+ days, circumnavigating SA, originating in Ft. Lauderdale and returning to Ft. Lauderdale. Comparing apples with apples? Not sure, but the price is pretty good if you can get away that long. It also leaves in October of this year.

5 hours ago, Paula_MacFan said:

When I read all this angst over meal times I wonder how people function in their daily lives. Do you have a rigid set dining time every single day at home? When you go to your local restaurant do you demand the same table with the same wait staff?  We cruise for the ports & ocean views. I truly can't understand basing your vacation schedule around meal times in the same venue every night. 

Some people plan around one of the entertainment options and hope to get in and out of the dining room in order to catch a show. Others need to maintain a schedule because they are diabetic and meals need to be pretty regular. I'm sure there are other reasons. Ports and ocean views are not necessarily less important to them. People can try to have it all, no?

On 3/7/2023 at 3:41 PM, dandonna said:

Chose MSC because they transfer your loyalty tier to theirs so Elite on Princess gets the tops benefits on MSC.

Again wouldn’t even be trying this but Princess failed us so trying some different lines: Celebrity & MSC. 

For real? I hadn't heard that. We're Elite on Princess so I am going to give MSC another look. I've read several negative revues with MSC and their Caribbean itineraries tend to be redundant but the convenience of their local ports makes me, at least, more curious.

There is one cruise company, that I know of, that circumnavigates South America, starts and ends in Ft. Lauderdale. Since I don't enjoy flying, it is the only way I will see South America. Not likely there to be any children issues due to the many days. It's on my bucket list.

We are sailing on the 10th and just today received our move up offer. We currently are in Concierge and was offered a minimum bid of $200/pp - $1,000 pp (?) I'm not certain. The suites were way over our budget for this cruise. We are curious with the option of Blu dining so we offered our small bid. We love where our cabin currently is so if we don't win anything, that also would be fine. I read somewhere that it's not uncommon to actually be notified only a day or two before cruise date. 

Has it always been 2 bottles per person or is it two bottles per cabin?

Generally how early does the move up bid begin? i.e, month, week, days?

It was happening to me for several weeks. I won't book a cabin without knowing where I am going to be and I want it to be my choice, not Princess'. So...I booked Celebrity. If Princes continues making it impossible for me to book my own cabin then I will simply stop booking Princess and that's a shame because I have always been loyal to Princess and I am elite.