RKSue

I'm on the Caribbean Princess, Nov. 24. Hope you enjoy your cruise on Ruby!

 

 

I like the Caribbean as well. Been on her for a Solo in August. She has the vines bar which I really enjoy. Met a lot of Solo cruisers there. The staff is very friendly. She is getting older and so there have been some people that complain about her age.. but she is a nice ship to sail on so have a great time. The CB only posted 1 solo meet and greet but it was a 4 day cruise, so maybe they will have something for a different cruise. Thanksgiving cruises tend to have more singles as they dont have any place special to go for the holiday.. If I wasnt on a cruise Nov 3rd and Dec 7th I thought about that cruise.

There have been posts where recently access to the dining room has been cut off as early at 12:45, before many passengers have had a chance to get on board, drop off their carryons in the cabin, and make it to the dining room entrance.

 

 

I was on 3 cruises last month and did not find that on any of the 3 ships. Grand, Island and the Golden. Do you know which ships it was on? and which port they were sailing from?

 

I know that sometimes there are lines around the 1 pm hour but they also move very quickly... as the 11:30 hour has mass crowds inside the terminal waiting and outside waiting and sitting in seats... and wow its a lot of people and I find they tend to push and shove. (maybe because they have been waiting at a terminal for so long). I have enough cruises now that although I like getting on really early I love not having to be stressed out by the huge crowds...

Thanks caribill and LoveToCruisePrincess

 

My cruise was less than a year ago, and they cut me off. I understand the issues with cheaters. There is a spot for the voyage number on the back they could have used, or written it on the front if flipping the card was a hassle.

 

I'll just double check with barista at some point. It's easy enough to save the 15th Americano for debarkation morning.

 

 

I found if I tipped my barista cash each time, when I ran out of punches on the card and only wanted a cup of brewed coffee they gave it to me anyway.. Just a thought.

I think no matter what Princess decides people wont be happy.

Risk management is probably telling them to change now. There are people cancelling cruises for fear of Ebola and it really doe not make sense for them to continue on with a cruise that will have booked cruisers cancelling either now or in the future... its a gamble and the company is not willing to have an empty ship should their crystal ball be wrong.

 

The change does give the customers plenty of time to cancel and book something else. There has been so much conversation about the cruise industry getting hit with cancellations and honestly the Stock Holders expect the companies to make financial decisions that will at least hold the value of the stock. Once all this stuff is past us, I am sure there will be more trips planned.

The only rule I wish they would change is for Solo Cruisers paying for the price of 2. If I have to pay for 2 people, please legally allow me to bring 2 bottles of wine. I am one of those people that even though I bring a bottle of wine on board, I still buy a bottle or 3 depending on the cruise. I like a glass when I am getting ready in my room or just hanging out.. When I am in the dining room or at the wine bar, I love to have a bottle there as well. Then I get the exact amount I want and dont have to worry about how much I have or dont have them pour.

I have never tried box wine although it works for some. When I take a bottle of wine on the ship I like to take my expensive wine with me.. Dont have a reason why, its just something I prefer to do..

 

If Princess does catch you taking extra and the crew member is in the mood to charge you the corkage fee it would feel much better if the wine costs more than the fee. We should be thankful that Princess does not do what other ships do and that is take our wine away... and good bye bottle of wine..

That was my point. On subsequent cruises, brewed coffee costs you a punch. No more punches, no more brewed coffee. It was explained on CB last March that you can not use punches for specialty coffee after the cruise where you bought the card only brewed coffee.

 

Thats interesting. I used mine on CB and had no problems. I also used it on the Island, Grand and Golden in September with no problems. I had some OBC left so I purchased a Coffee Card that I did not use and they did not mark it with the Ship and Date. Once I use up my old card I will start my new one. I dont think that they should ding you for prebuying a coffee card.. it only means I plan on cruising more with Princess...:D:D

 

I use to have Room Service get me coffee in the AM but for me the coffee that room service brought on the Royal broke me of that habit. It was awful. I think they did it just so you would spend the money on a coffee card..LOL:)

We were there this past Spring. It was the beginning of June, 2014. What a pleasant country to visit. We rented a car at the airport which saved us from taking a bus back and forth. We flew in from Stockholm on our way back to the US. We used Icelandic Air and I was very happy with their service. Mom is 85 and has vision problems and walking issues so I needed help at the airport. Again, what a fantastic group of people.

 

If you are renting a car be advised that parking in Reykjavik is not easy and costs money, so make sure your hotel has car parking or is close to a parking lot. It is free to park on the streets after I think, but dont quote me from 7 pm to 7 am. Then you go out a buy a parking tag for whatever extra time you need.

 

I did not rent a gps as I find getting around easy and Iceland is without a doubt the easiest country to drive around. A country map is a good idea as it will help you, but keep in mind the tourist areas have maps of the city for free. It is quite the distance from the airport to the city, about 45 to 50 min ride. Not much along the way but some sights to see.

 

Restaurants do not offer a wide variety of food choices, so read the menu prior to entering. We went to one restaurant that only had lobster, and soup on the menu. The lobster are small around 3-4 ounces, but you get so many you cant eat them all. Food is expensive so be prepared for the costs vs the US costs. Of course nothing compares to food prices in Scandinavia. That one will break the bank just for a glass of wine or a cup of coffee.

We are returning to Princess in January after a four year absence. I thought I had read somewhere that the older, hard mattresses had been replaced. From the comments on this thread, it doesn't sound as though that is correct? :confused:

 

 

The last 5 ships I have been on had much better beds. They will never be like a pillow top at home but compared to 5 years ago they are like a pillow top.

Are you changing the number of guests from 2 to 1 ? Default is 2. Also this is only for the cruise tomorrow 10-26

 

I did try that cruise and yes I did change it to 1. Maybe they sold out of the solo supplement. Could be that they didn't do a lot of them.

Thanks! I am on the roll call, but thought I'd ask here as well. I think I will enjoy solo cruising. I'm pretty friendly and enjoy meeting new people, but I also like spending time alone. I'm flexible. :)

 

 

Are you on the Ruby November 3rd? Not sure which cruise you are going on. I'm going Solo on the 11/3 Ruby.

Susan

Hi all,

 

I'll be doing my first solo trip in January on Royal and I've chosen my time dining. I'm seeing in a lot of other posts where solo's or singles end up at the same table for dinner.

 

Is this on purpose or by chance? If I go to dinner as a solo and wish to have company should I tell them when I first get there if anyone is looking for a dinner companion it would be ok to bring them over?

 

Also, if I feel like eating with others should I ask them when I first arrive if there is anyone else alone who would like some company?

 

I'm not saying I definitely want someone else across from me, but on the off chance I do would this be the best way to go about it?

 

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Patty

 

 

Hi Patty. I spent 31 days on the Royal. They have a get together for Solo travelers. If not many show up the first time go again. We had a huge crowd one day and only 4 the next day.

 

I personally like the traditional dining. I've mad some fantastic friends and people to do things with while cruising. We all ended up doing a specialty restaurant one night. We let the head waiter know so that anytime diners could get out table that night.

 

Have fun. It does take a bit of getting use to.

Save the 450 unless the Getaway is better for singles. Use the savings for more fun.

It also depends on what your goals are. If getting the Sanctuary for the cruise is important to you, then you need to board early. Or if MDR lunch is a priority.

 

For our recent Royal cruise, since the Sanctuary was not in play and we knew they had a much improved buffet, we planned to arrive 1 hr after the scheduled start of check in (1 PM). Our car pulled up to the port at 2:03 - we were onboard at 2:24 with no stress, minimal fighting for an elevator and plenty of time to eat before Muster (and no hunting for a table in the expanded buffet area either.) To me, that's a fine tradeoff for one hour or so extra on the ship.

 

 

I suppose we could call the rush hour more like cruise commuter traffic. I use to commute to work. Don't wish to do that anymore. [emoji304][emoji4]

I would think the area behind the large mirror is also part of the bathroom.

 

Why would I want an inside over a balcony? Are the balcony cabins smaller than an inside?

 

 

 

Yes, its been mentioned too many times on CC how people hate the small balconies, the central staircase, the elevators, etc. on the Regal and Royal. Just avoid those ships if you can't stand it.

 

It was a free upgrade so, we will take it!:D

 

 

Uhm I don't believe I said I hated the balcony. I didn't say I couldn't stand the ships.

I said the room was a bit tight. Yes the balcony is only 4 foot deep. I don't use balconies so for me it's never an issue.

 

The bathroom showers are much bigger on the 2 new ships.

Thanks for doing a LIVE. We are on the Royal in less than a month! Can you try to find out if Sam will still be on the ship? She is terrific! Karen

 

 

Sam is the best host. We had her for Aprils, May and part of June. Her husband was working on the ship as well. I hope you get to have her next month. [emoji4]

Day 2: We woke up to another beautiful day. It is already noticeably warmer. Room service (should be called cabin service) brought coffee and it wasn't bad. Cathy went off for a bamboo deep tissue massage and said it was the best massage she ever had. The Enclave was $199 for the 10 days and they still had a few spots available today. I went to our Cruise Critic M&G. I think we may have had around 200 people attending. Strange that they assigns us the Allegro dining room in the rear of the ship with no nearby bar or bar service. Several members of the staff attended but Captain Tony we were told was having makeup applied for an appearance on a TV show. After lunch in the MDR again we purchased wine cards and coffee cards and retired to the balcony to sit in the warm sun.

 

 

 

The rest of the day consisted of a predinner snack at the Ocean Terrace seafood bar (crab cocktail and sashimi), a stop in the casino to lose some money, then a late dinner in the MDR. When we returned to our cabin we found our invitations to the Winemaker's dinner. Yea! Several other CC members received theirs too. It will be on Oct 31, Halloween, the sea day after Aruba.

 

 

 

You will love the one makers dinner. Post who your head waiter was for the event please. I have never heard of a wine card. Spent over a month on the Royal this spring and we didn't have that. Can you explain?

Many of the ships are blocking skype for that reason but once in port you should be able to connect. Be prepared for the passengers that have no idea how to close the 25 windows they have open that are hogging the band width. There is just so much. Also be ready for many disconnects. It is a satellite connection.

 

Mornings and late evenings work great because a lot of people have turned off their iPads etc. there are places on the ship which will have a better connect spread. I found the atrium, the library and the buffet area in the aft to have the fastest connections.

99% of the time they won't be there when you board anyway.

Don't waste your time fretting over it, just ask Stewart when you arrive.

 

 

Oh how very true. I can't tell you how many times I have either ordered the egg crate and never received it or the other option is they don't have any left or lastly this ship does not have them. Once on board that will change. Ask and if they do have them your steward will bring it to you.

Ok this has been hijacked. I will proceed with the first posters question.

I carry my lightweight bags off when going alone. I have over the last 4 cruises found out that each Princess ship sets their own rules. I did actually see them send people back to their disembarkation area until it was time for them to leave according to their ticket. I also saw another princess whip the next week not care.

We are on the Regal 11/16. We were supposed to be in an inside sideways cabin also, but were upgraded to a balcony.

 

 

I will say that the balconies are a bit tight. They are nice if you like balconies.

It's ironic that this topic came up. My partner and I are at odds over what time to arrive at the ship. I want to stay by the hotel pool for as long as we can, maybe leaving at 2:00. It's a short taxi ride away. She is nervous about the thought of not getting to the ship on time. We sail at 4:00 so she wants us to arrive at noon or 1:00ish!! Pool or sitting and waiting in LONG lines?? Hmmmmmmm???!!!!!

 

 

My suggestion is simple and from lots of current and past experience. Since Princess has wonderful pools I suggest you leave your hotel around 1 pm. Anytime after 12:30 and the really huge lines are gone so no stress there. You get to stay a bit longer at the hotel pool and once on board the ship say 1:15 you can go to the ships pool and continue your poolside sitting.

I see openings on Lido mid forward or Riviera. Any feedback?

 

 

I like to be near the forward elevators. The larger balconies are nice but when crossing the Atlantic it gets windy. We did not see many people on their balconies. If you want to save some cash go for an Ocean View. I am not big on balconies. I was on Royal for 31 days and I think we spent a total of 7 hours on the balcony. The Royal does Not have Ocean View cabins.

 

You will Love the Ruby. Great layout.

Can't find the comment now that I can reply but someone mentioned it would be nice for solo cruisers to get more points. Princess gives you double the cruise days when you pay for solo. The exception being for suites. Normally if a couple books a suite each person gets 2 cruise day credits. Instead of 2 sea day credits per person for suites when traveling solo you 3 cruise days. Personally I think this is a bit skewed. I think it should be 4 but it's 3.

I think suite passengers should get extra time.

Also although your tier does not go any higher on Princess after Elite you do start getting extra on board credit until you hit the $100 mark. Not a bad deal.

Use to be Elite only for the 5-7 cocktail party but they had so few Elites show up that they included platinum just to help fill the room. Someday they may stop that perk for Platinum.

With the change in cruise credits for Logical Voyages it is easier to move up faster in the status chain. Roomer still has it that like all Cruise lines eventually Princess will follow suit and change the tier structure based on sea days only. They will grandfather in the Elite passengers only. .

[quote name='M4dC0w']Did a b2b in August, didn't move rooms or attend muster, wasn't required[/QUOTE]


It's not required on Princess if you do a B2B with the same ship.
Each ship is different though. The Royal required it. The Island Princess did not require it at all since we left from Canada. Your cabin steward will know if you need to attend.

Thank you all for this information. I think since the ship docks in Victoria in the evening it might be hard to get to Seattle for a 1:15 flight the next day but may be possible. If not it would now cost 1500 more to do the same air so we will have to deal with celebrity to see if they will reimburse.

 

My husband just wants to cancel the whole thing at this point maybe your suggestion of working with the credit card company is a good one..

 

 

 

Are you saying 1:15 pm. Piece of cake. There are many ferries that you can take. Then you get the bus at the ferry terminal and have them take you right to SeaTac. There is also an express train from Seattle to the airport I think it's about 25 min ride.

 

Celebrity has access to air reservation. You can have them book you the flight home as well or like someone else suggested take Alaskan air to Seattle.

 

The cruise line can make the arrangements to get you to the ferry and from the ferry to the Seattle airport and pay the costs.