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This is such a fun post! We will be on the Sky in June and looking forward to it! I am so impressed that they are actually posting Vegan options! Vegans are considered as very strange people; however, if YOUR body was a cholesterol factory, then you would understand.

We enjoyed the Adagio as well. There were no Winemaker's Dinners on the Grand this past September, but there was a Chef's Table. When we were on the Emerald this past May, they did not have either one.

Ships usually dock very early in the morning. Disembarkation usually begins abut 7:00 am

We were on the Emerald in May 2022, for a 12 night British Isles cruise. Sadly, there is no Alfredo's. ** Even if you do not "drink" much, just the simple math alone makes your Princess Plus worthwhile. I am a big Lemon Drop fan and enjoy trying different wines. Last May, there was (and I think still is) a wine supply issue on the Princess ships (we were on the Grand in September). And remember, you may want a morning Caramel Latte with some Baileys or Kahlua.... and a decaf espresso in the evening. We also would pick up cold bottled water in the morning to take with us on our shore excursions..... so, not being a "drinker", this package is still quite cost effective. ** We used our WiFi from the Princess Plus package and it always worked well for us, and our cabin was on the very aft. ** We very much enjoyed Vines, Good Spirits and the International Cafe. The food in the Crown Grill was excellent and only $29.00 per person. Be sure to make reservations. ** As to weather; we were on the Coral for a full PC transit in January 2018, from LA to Fort Lauderdale. Yikes! We live on a west coast peninsula, just 46 miles from the Olympic National Forest and we are not warm weather people. So, yes, there was much heat and humidity. However, this itinerary was well worth it. Our on board commentator was fabulous and on locks day; he spoke for 10 hours non- stop. This was his 2012th transit through the locks!

We were on the Emerald in May and on the Grand in September. The movies were older and many we have seen or do not care to watch; no MUTS on the Grand in September except one night.

Really? DH does not drink alcohol or coffee. He says the hot chocolate from the IF is mediocre at best.

I do believe that. Of course there is also Viking for River cruises... maybe they just think they will continue that policy. Apparently many do not care and book anyway.

Thank you all for the information. I will say that what I DO NOT like, is the payment in full on Viking Ocean a whole year in advance of the cruise!!!

Thank you all!

Thank you. I assume our TA would know about that if we decide to book.

We have begun to consider other cruise lines and I nearly booked one on RCI for the Fall of 2023. I stopped because it was a $500.00 Non- Refundable deposit. Is thus typical of this cruise line, or is it for select itineraries? Thanks!

@The-Inside-Cabin Thank you for sharing your experiences. We are beginning to research other cruise lines, mainly RCI. It is definitely learning experience.

Yes. Please also see Post # 13.

Gotcha. WE noticed a dramatic change in the dynamics as well, on two different Princess ships just this past May and September.

Out of curiosity, were these 50 plus nights, pre-covid or post- covid? Thanks

On the Emerald (May 2022) and the Grand (September 2022), both of our cabins had the flat screen TV mounted on the wall opposite the bed. The cabinetry where the TV used to be, was still there, outlets and all. We used it as a recharging shelf for phones and Kindles.

Got it. We have always been one of the herd. Maybe some day.............

Personally, it is a MUCH shorter wait time to swing by the bar; like Good Spirits and then go to the dining room. It always took much longer for a glass of wine if I ordered it in the dining room.

We were in B749 (cornet aft) on the Emerald in May 2022. Yes, the smoke was a PIA and wafted up to us on a regular basis. And the smoking was mainly taking place on the port side......... Smoke floats where it wants to go.

As far as I know, you would need to be physically with your medallion for the delivery. It is a locating device. Just order room service to your room while you are getting ready for dinner. It usually took about 5-10 minutes, but there is no way to tell how long the wait might be. Better yet, stop in at a bar by your dining room before you enter the dining room. That is what we usually did.

Bummer.... Still very stressful!!! Imagine, flying 14 hours to an embarkation port, just to test positive. We were so hoping that this would change. After the stress of flying to London and testing at our hotel (we were both negative), we said we would not do that again.

The key is to book immediately after the rates are available which I think is about 9-10 months before the flight. Book what you like and you can always keep an eye on it and check back every once in a while and change to a lower rate of offered.

@Tedferg We always book through said Big Box. I have found the opposite to be true. Big Box always lists all available cabins and the Princess site is limited by offering a cabin (guaranteed) category. Anyway, we have purchased insurance through this TA (it is a third party) and it was super reasonable in cost and fit our situation very well. Insurance needs to be purchased by final payment. Due to circumstanves, we have also booked with Princess and then transferred into this TA. There is a time limit on that but works nicely.

We have cruised Alaska 3 times in September. Expect anything and everything. We have enjoyed 78 degrees in Ketchikan, tons of sun in Hubbard Glacier, and pouring rain in Prince Rupert.

Our neighbors who are HAL fans, went on a Mexican Riviera cruise on the Carnival Panorama. It was a family get together and they said they really enjoyed themselves. Each "party" had their own private space with their cabin, which is a huge factor. They dined together and even had made reservations for the steakhouse and really enjoyed that as well. In our opinion, X is snooty.