beachnut2011

Emerald Princess in October from Vancouver to Hawaii for 15 days.

I'm considering booking this cruise. However, I don't want many cold days at sea. I know weather can change in a heart beat but has anyone taken this October cruise. What should we expect?

thanks,

What is the best transportation to get there from FLL airport.

We will be there in 17 days for a cruise.

thanks,

There are not many active threads however, there is one already on Orient Beach post Irma. Just take a look on the first page here and you should find it.

We will be there in January on the Princess Regal. Princess presently has 2 different excursions to Orient beach listed.

However, I haven't seen anything posted on actual beach conditions & what has reopened.

Hopefully someone will post something soon.

I will give our feedback of the area as we return.

thanks,

Has anyone been to Orient beach since the hurricane? I'd love to know the present beach condition and what has reopened.

I will be in St. Martin in 3 weeks.

Normally when the cruise ship leaves port.

(1) We go to airplane mode

(2) Data roaming is turned off.

Do both of these need to be back on when you use AT&T passport?

Or do we just get out of airplane mode?

anything else?

thanks,

(1) Should you book the entire cruise, do they count and charge the 1st day, even though you probably will not have much time to use the deck?

(2) I've read that canal day is not included in this. Is this extra or an option?

(3) Concerning location's of your lounger's and no umbrella's available. I believe that we would prefer a lounger facing the railing in order to see the water. This would also give us extra privacy with no one walking in front of us. However, with no shade or umbrella, this might not be a good ideal.

Can you move these lounger's to shade if necessary?

What deck would be a good location?

thanks for any answer's.

Thanks for giving us all those details! I've really been debating trying it on the Island next month. Now, I'll go to the effort of trying to grab an afternoon here & there just in case there's an open lounger! :D

I agree. Thanks. The 1/2 days looks more appealing. Looking at our upcoming 10 day cruise, your only getting 9 full days on the sanctuary. The 1st day will be almost over before it begins. At least 4 additional days will be tour days. So the $600 your spending on a 10 day cruise for you and your spouse appears too expensive for us unless you planning on spending most of your time on the sanctuary.

Correct to both points. The 'good' loungers (and cabanas) will go to the full cruise bookings.

 

Are there umbrella's available next to lounger's in the sun or do they just have the cabana's?

thanks,

Not sure I understand your question. They don't assign you a lounger. You select the lounger you want to use. No one else can use your lounger during the time you booked it. Once a lounger is selected, it's "made up" with towels. Attendants are on hand to make sure no one else uses it. If you've booked for a ½ day, it's kept free for you. After that, the towels are removed and it's free to be booked by someone else. If you book for the full day, same thing. If you book for the whole cruise, it's automatically set up for you before the Sanctuary opens and no one else can use it.

 

Price is $20/half-day/pp; $40/full day/pp. If you book for the whole cruise, it's $30/day/pp.

Thanks for your reply. I guess this has good and bad points.

(1) If you book the entire cruise you select your location. I like that.

(2) Being that your booking all day, I assume they allow you to stay longer in the afternoon.... probably until the sanctuary closes.

With the addition of other perks, plus it's $30/day, this is good.

However, should you book 1/2 day.

(1) It appears your getting one of the remaining lounger's. Or should I say, the left over location's that no one else wanted.

(2) Should you chose the 1/2 day afternoon, I assume they will still run you off after your 4 hour time limit.

Plus, your paying $20/day or $40/day instead of$30.

Am I seeing this correct?

thanks,

Going on the Coral this month. I've read you can book the sanctuary for the entire cruise, 1/2 day, or 1 day at a time. When booking the entire cruise, they assign you a certain lounger and you keep this lounger the entire cruise. How do they prevent others that book 1 day at a time from using your lounger?

Also, what are the latest prices of the sanctuary?

thanks,

Just use packaging tape to tape them up well. Slap on a luggage tag and leave them with the porter. Give the porter a couple bucks and your favorite non-alcoholic liquid will arrive.

 

 

Great suggestion & great picture.

thanks,

Are you allowed to bring soda or water on board a Princess ship? We are leaving out of Fort Lauderdale.

If yes, what is the best way to carry it on board?

Are you allowed to bring soda or water on board a Princess ship? We are leaving out of Fort Lauderdale.

Go to the beach! Oh my goodness, Aruba has some of the prettiest beaches you will see anywhere. Stunning! When you get off the ship, go directly to a cab (you will see them lined up there). A taxi to Eagle Beach is $13.00 per cab - perhaps you could split the cost with another couple. Anyway, we did this on a short port stop like you did - we were swimming in the beautiful aqua water by 8:30 am. It was glorious!! Then we took a cab back to the pier area and shopped until it was time to head back.

 

And as far as your preference for non-strenuous activities, this is perfect. The beach is so gorgeous - I know you will want to say you did this. PLEASE - as a personal favor to me... hehe.... you must go. :p

 

Google pictures of Eagle Beach (or Palm Beach) and I hope you'll agree this is a lovely way to spend a morning. :)

 

EDITED to add: The shopping area at the pier is very, well, what I would call commercialized. There is every manner of store there and I can honestly say that it's not really how I would want to spend a couple or 3 hours. Beach, then leisurely shopping, is my suggestion.

.

Concerning taking a cab to Eagle beach, where is the best location to stop and get out of the cab if you want beach time? A certain hotel or where?

This does not sound encouraging. We board the Coral Princess in 20 days for a partial transit of the Panama Canal. This does not sound like the Princess I have known from the past. I would think (hope?) that Princess will put forth an extra effort to eliminate the problems by then. As I write this the Coral Princess is enroute to Oranjestad, Aruba. I would think (hope) they got things working again.

We also board the 25th. Hope things are much better.

Here's a website for that info which shows the circular route & still a forecasted route to Cozumel but no ETA to there.

 

http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:371018/mmsi:310376000/vessel:CORAL%20PRINCESS

Am I reading this correct? According to the route forecast, your headed back to Fort Lauderdale.

We always fly southwest. Unless it's changed, there's not a lot of good choices to eat in the southwest terminal area.

So if you are flying southwest, leave the area than look for someplace decent.

Did you check out the Princess website under Princess Cellars? They list the items that they sell. Looks like 375 ML bottles.

Thanks...I just now searched & found it.

Spirits

Bourbon

Jim Beam 375ml bottle Item #2335 $17.25

Crown Royal 375ml bottle Item #2333 $23.00

Jack Daniel's 375ml bottle Item #2334 $27.60

Scotch

Cutty Sark (375ml Bottle) Item #2341 $17.25

Johnny Walker Red Label 375ml bottle Item #2340 $25.30

Cognac

Courvoisier VSOP 350ml bottle Item #2345 $32.20

Vodka

Skyy 375ml Bottle Item #2353 $17.25

Absolut 375ml Bottle Item #2352 $20.70

Rum

Bacardi White 375ml bottle Item #2359 $17.25

Cruzan Coconut Rum 375ml bottle Item #2360 $17.25

Gin

Gordon's 375ml bottle Item #2367 $17.25

Bombay Sapphire 375ml bottle Item #2366 $23.00

We just came back from a cruise aboard the CB out of houston and there are ways to keep your booze costs relatively cheap. We brought on one bottle of wine each of us for no cost, attended the daily happy hours from 3-4 in Club Fusion and got buy one get one for $1 - basically $5 per drink, then we purchased some bourbon 375's through room service so we could pour a drink in our own room and that keeps the price per drink low. Doing it this way kept us way under the total for AIBP for both of us and we drank as much as we wanted. We did purchase 3 bottles of wine in the dining room and I got a few specialty shots in the MDR as well.

Please explain better about buying bourbon thru room service? The cost, limit, etc.

thanks,

Can someone explain this statement? "It's under Stateroom Amenities."

Are they talking about the small liquor bottles that's already in your room or can your actually purchase large liquor bottles thru room service?

thanks,

"For those of you who wish to enjoy a relaxing drink in the privacy of your stateroom, bottles of liquor and stateroom bar packages are available for purchase at non-duty-free prices through room service. The stateroom directory available onboard lists a complete menu of offerings."

According to the De Palm island web site, the island has 3 different beaches. What's the difference in the three?

I know Renaissance island has 2 different beaches, one for families and one is adult only.

Is De Palm island set up the same way?

thanks,

Has anyone used Sonny Tours in Aruba? Opinions?

We've booked a room on the Coral Princess Emerald Deck (floor 8) Aft. Has anyone stayed in one of these rooms? The balconies are larger than most rooms & the price is good. However, they don't appear to sell out very fast. I realize it's a longer walk to eat, etc. but is there anything else I'm missing?

thanks,

Any recent cruisers on the Getaway?

We are sailing very soon. Just curious about the different age groups and college spring breakers on board. We've never sailed during spring break.

I'm just glad NCL put the 25 year old age limit on the adult ultimate beverage package during spring break.

Finally leaving now...almost midnight...

Please hurry back and don't be late. We will be getting on after you get off.