Meanee

OK, I'll defer to your better knowledge. I have, however, heard several times here on CC where surge protecting power strips were confiscated by the cruise ships as being unsafe for use on the ships. If I had some confirmation from the cruise ship's engineering department that the Belkin surge protector unit is safe I'd feel better about using one.

 

The Monster gadget is only better than some 'standard' power strips because of the additional room to allow for multiple large plugs (warts) to used at the same time.

I am not a very experienced cruiser. Out of 6 cruises, I never had power strips confiscated. I left them right on top layer of my baggage or side pockets, in case they need to confiscate it and don't want to dig through my stuff.

Weird thing is, RCCL bans extension cords, but my power strips were never touched on both RCCL cruises.

The answer to that is the ship owns the tenders. To provide transport out of the port area requires the cruise line to hire/rent/charter buses and that cost would be passed onto the cruiser. So pay the 5€ and be happy you are able to travel to such a beautiful area. :)

Not always. One cruise 2 years ago, it was contracted out to local company. It was a Carnival Dream, in Belize. Other times I tendered, it was ship's lifeboats.

And yeah, I agree with you, complaining about 5 euros, when it's holding you back from seeing such wonderful places like Tower of Pisa (and everyone Kung-Fu fighting next to it), or Florence, is just weird. I'd gladly eat more ramen to save up, if I had to, just to see these amazing sights.

Again' date=' bringing up negative (even if hypothetical) examples is ridiculous and irrelevant to the discussion.

 

If you don't trust cabin stewards, hotel room maids, etc., then maybe you should just stay home. I have not had a problem with missing items. But I wouldn't use the possibility of that happening as an excuse to remove the tips.[/quote']

 

So you are telling me that there's never anything negative happening ever on cruises, right? Or is bringing up negative stuff a taboo? Maybe covering up ears and eyes, shouting "LALALALA CAN'T HEAR YOU" will stop any negativity happening ever again? Real world works somewhat differently.

 

I never had missing items, and save for waiting 25 minutes for my beer (this was only time I removed a tip from my short, 6-cruise experience, and it was removed for that order only).

 

 

Until you start paying for my vacations, or my time, you have pretty much zero say in how I should spend my time.

 

I am arguing here that concept of auto-tipping is ridiculous.

 

Another argument is advanced on the above thread is that tendering costs are included in your fare so why not the cost of moving you out of the port area like is done in many other ports?

Counter-argument. Tenders got you to port. Same way cruiseline got you to port in Livorno. What you do after you get to port, that's your problem :)

My Europe cruise was with NCL. In Rome (Civitavecchia), cruiseline gave us free shuttle to bus station (way to train station was blocked off due to construction). But in Livorno, cruise shuttle was 12 euros per person, but took you all the way to train station, instead of the gates.

Thank you for comparative review. While I prefer Princess, I was eyeing Celebrity for some time. Feedback from someone who did both is appreciated.

No one is expecting to have transportation for free.

With this Port you are FORCED to pay to get out of the docking area to the entrance of the port gate only.That is a first for me to hear about and like the OP I disagree with that.

No one is disputing the fact that one has to pay to be taken on a trip further than the Port gate.

I bet it's mostly due to the port not being a cruise port. And from the gate to the ship is quite a distance. You can get lost. You can get injured by other equipment (trucks, cranes, whatever else) there may be. So forcing you to pay for safe passage is reasonable.

Cruise ports are much more relaxed with it. You can walk, if you feel like it. But these ports are more geared towards cruise ships, and have a way to get to your ship safely. But I'd rather spend 5 euros, and don't have to walk for over a mile through active port that may be loading/unloading a huge cargo ship along the way.

It seems to me that, with all the faults you find with cruising, you would achieve a better peace of mind if you would find some other type of vacation.

Show me any vacation that does not have it's faults.

And as long as you are not paying for my vacations, I think decision how and where I spend my money will be left with me.

Keep in mind, nowhere did I state that all faults of cruising are putting me off. Cruising is still awesome in a lot of ways. Add reasonably-priced internet, and I will be in heaven. It is a very tricky industry, that relies on self-regulation of labor. And I stand by what I said that the system is broken. Problem is, there's no fix. I am sure people way smarter than me found the balance where they can stuff their pockets, keep selling reservations, and keep staff from running from their ships. Is it fixed? Nope. Can it be better? Not without losing out on one of those 3 things in previous statement.

I don't know what you mean about visa fee, however I think you'd be a bit miffed if Airline X charged you $7 dollars to catch the bus to the terminal building as your not allowed to walk for safety reasons.

 

Cool cruiser, I agree. I think the cruise companies need to be a bit more honest and let passenger know upfront.

Their airport, their rules. Am I going to blame it on airline? Nope. Maybe it would be better to throw a fit on a tarmac, demanding that airline brings me back home for free?

Airline completed it's contract. It got you from point A to point B. What you do the moment you step off the plane is none of their concern. Yeah, I won't be exactly thrilled about it, maybe reconsider flying into that airport (if alternatives exist), but I am not going to start a campaign against it. I am sure airport management knows that it's not the most amazing thing that they can do for their passengers.

OP's post pretty much blamed Princess for port setting up a rule like that.

There are tons of fees in this world for completely random and idiotic reason. I remember good old days when Sprint charged me $3 to talk to their customer service rep instead of their automated system.

5 euros won't break your bank. Besides, if you are complaining about 5 euros to get to safe area outside of the port, I hope you weren't planning to walk to Pisa/Florence from Livorno. Trains cost money too. And *surprise* Princess won't pay for them.

Princess or whatever cruise you're on, If you pay for a cruise which takes you to certain destinations then you should be able to get to the destination without paying a further fee.

 

 

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Airline X got you to a certain destination (country). Are they obligated to pay your visa fee too?

Ship got you to Livorno. Their side of contract is fulfilled. What else do you expect? Maybe a cab ride home when you disembark?

Livorno is not the port you want to walk in. It's not a cruise port. It's an industrial port that happens to accept cruise ships. Nobody will let you wander around airport's operation area, right? And I doubt any company will volunteer to drive you around out of goodness of their heart for free. It's easy to get lost (no signs), and can get twisty/turny.

Princess could probably charge more, but what if some passengers stay on ships? Money lost.

I stopped there on NCL. NCL provided shuttles to train station, but they were 12 euros per person, charged to ship account. Or you can pay a shuttle to drop you outside of port gates.

Port is pretty far from airport. Your only chance to make the flight is if you walk off at 7am, do not encounter other "I have to catch same flight" people in customs line, get a cabbie who can drive at warp speed, and pray that 110 and 405 are empty.

I don't know why Royal gets so much bad rap.

Royal was my first cruise with Princess and I loved the crap out of that cruise. Royal got me hooked on Princess as my "go to" cruise line. Booking my 3rd one for September in Crown (but would be better if it was Royal)

This is what Statue of Liberty looks like from Red Hook. Look right above Dead End sign.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.677609,-74.0175,3a,31.8y,302.3h,86.81t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sKJOQzYplNSTYfBjFuYlLVw!2e0

I never sailed out of Brooklyn, but I live here, so I guess I can reply with SOME authority lol.

Cruise terminal is in Brooklyn's "ghetto turning to hipster hive" Red Hook. There's no line of sight to Statue of Liberty from ship terminal, but you can see it on approach. Ship will depart south, and once it clears Governor's Island, you will be able to see it. But, it's tiny (from this point of view), and you will be pretty much disappointed with it.

If you want much better view of Statue of Liberty, and have 2 hours to kill, take a train to southern tip of Manhattan, and get on free Staten Island ferry. It takes you from Manhattan to Staten Island, and one way trip takes about 30 minutes. On other side, in Staten Island, you have to leave the boat, and go back to waiting area. Take a boat back to Manhattan and hop on a train to go back. If someone offers you a ticket to SI Ferry, feel free to punch them in the face. (yes, someone did charge tourists hundreds of dollars for free ferry tickets). The view of the statue is a bit better, and you can also spot Ellis Island.

Staten Island ferry usually has back doors of the ship open. There's metal gate that prevents more curious folks from falling out, but since there's no glass or metal frame, it also allows you to take great shots of NYC skyline from one of best vantage points possible. Example: http://harlemcondolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/8-31-2013-wtc-staten-island-ferry-view-hdS-r-076.jpg

Pro tip: If you get on old ship model (one with no longer used car deck), there are tons more outside seating/viewing areas. It also has an extra deck, giving you better view.

As for Verrazano, yes, you will pass right under it. You will see it while docked, to the south of the port, about 6 miles south. If you miss it, that just means that you hit the bar too damn early.

Edit: Fixed some inaccuracies.

One review "They made me miss my ship" for tour operator will destroy them. Private tour operators will bend over backwards to get you back comfortably before all aboard time.

All aboard will be posted around gangways, and in your brochure (Princess Patter)

I do not have gazillion cruises under my belt like most people here, but all of my cruises had Anytime dining.

I am on a vacation, and not on a schedule to go eat at certain time, with certain people. Sometimes we do not go to dining room. Sometimes we want to eat early, other days later.

Wait was never a factor. Longest I waited ever was on Oasis of the Seas for all of 10 minutes. And they have quite elegant waiting area, with wine pouring machines.

RFID is good as long as no dishonest people are around you. It is possible for others around you and your wrist band to read what is on it.

 

From USA Today:

 

It's an unfortunate reality of our digital age. Thieves are now extremely advanced when it comes to stealing your credit card number, and ultimately your digital ID. These days, all it takes is a scanner in someone's shopping bag to grab your credit card number safely tucked into your purse or back pocket.

 

 

 

If you're unfamiliar with how Radio Frequency Identity theft occurs,

The same type of scanners that allow you to tap your credit card for payment at check-out at a store can easily be purchased by anyone, carried in a nondescript way through stores or malls to scan your credit card numbers from you, from several feet of way. This type of wireless crime which has significantly increased happens quickly and without our knowledge until it's too late.

Credit cards have 3 different input methods. Swiped, Keyed In, Tapped. RFID chip on credit card is encoded with a number which does not appear on a face of the card. Any transaction with that number will be rejected by the bank if it was not tapped on a reader. It will also be rejected if authorization was requested from a business with specific industry ID number. Example, if you are trying to run RFID number through Amazon, bank will deny it right away because there's no way you can tap on a card reader in Amazon.

Also, RFID tag does not contain your name or any other personal details. Current versions also have encryption. Current versions also have much smaller transmission range, requiring you to have 1-2 inches at most when you try to read the card. And if you carry multiple RFID-enabled cards, you will get just mixed data.

And if all else fails, credit card customers are not liable for fraudulent charges. If you see something that does not belong, call your bank and charge will be removed.

We got same email last December on our Royal Princess cruise. It was suggested we arrive after 1:30 or something. We got there around 11, walked right in. No waiting, no section being called. I think total time from curb to ship was somewhere around 15 minutes. It was fast enough that all work related things that I hoped to finish while in terminal, I finished on the ship.

These are just suggestions. We arrived at 11, because our flight landed not much earlier than that. And it's like 10 minutes from airport to cruise port in FLL. Nobody told me that it's not our time to check in, or that we should wait, etc.

Sailed out of FLL 3 times. Always chose walk-off option. Usually within 30 minutes from walking out of customs, you will be at airline checkin counter.

But your mileage may vary.

Actually there were 3. I don't assume anything around here.

How do you rate the Royal then to the ships you mention?

I loved Royal. It had certain character, and felt that I was taken care on it much better than other ships. Pools were deep and empty. Food was top notch. Entertainment was great. I can post more after I get out of office.

It is one of ships that I will not hesitate to sail again.

So you have sailed the new Royal?

Correct. Since I am not aware of "old" Royal. We took a trip on Royal Princess last December out of FLL

I spent 2 weeks on the Crown last winter and had no trouble finding things to do.

 

Keep in mind that Princess is not a circus ship where there are wild things going on all the time.

 

We never felt crowded on the ship. Obviously, some venues are busier than others, but there was never a problem.

 

Dining is pretty well set with lots of time to find plenty to eat. We found the shows good and the places to relax great.

 

Enjoy!

I understand and appreciate that. Didn't like Carnival. Loved Royal Princess. It had a feeling of upscale cruise, and that's what I enjoyed.

I meant that it's "relatively small" compared to Oasis, for example. But thank you for your input.

Hello everyone.

We are looking for a December cruise, and thinking about taking the Crown Princess down to Mexico from LA. But I have few concerns.

Here's the thing, all our past cruises were on large ships. Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Royal Princess, NCL Epic, and tiniest (and crappiest of them all) Carnival Dream.

My concern is that there may not be enough things to do on the ship. I had pretty bad experience with Carnival Dream as well, with weird restaurant and buffet schedules, tiniest pools known to man, and so on. I enjoyed Oasis and Allure a lot, because even with a horde of people on it, ship never felt crowded. But I did love the level of service on Royal Princess, and loved the ship too.

So, are there any "mega-ship" fans who went on Crown Princess (or comparable) and enjoyed it?

Just picking a random helicopter excursion:

 

Guests 250 lbs. and over are charged an additional rate to reserve two seats for safety and comfort. These spaces are capacity controlled. You will not be able to book this option online. Please call 1.866.625.1167 for assistance with these reservations.

 

Probably wouldn't hurt to just call NCL.

If you are not a lot over 250lbs, talk to the tour operator. Every aircraft has it's own weight and balance calculation, which must be done before every flight. As long as aircraft is under MTOW (Max Takeoff Weight), you should be ok. MTOW is calculated with a weight of everything factored, even fuel. So, let's say, pilot will let you go on his last run before refueling, you may squeeze under MTOW and avoid the surcharge.

Company rules may not allow it, but never hurts to ask. And if you call them, ask them about what I said in this post.

I fly planes for fun, and usually calculations work out that I can take extra person after I burn off some fuel.