JennyLynnP

We did the International Friends to Stonehenge then Southhampton, and that was a GREAT tour. Plenty of time at Stonehenge, seamless pick up at hotel and drop off at the port - definitely worth it. They are pros at this.

We had a few days in Scotland on a cruise at various ports, but we found the company Scottish Terrier Tours that offers multiple day trips to various places.They have a wide array of choices, and we liked the company. Didn't know about the direct booking discounts or the multi option for the day tours.

Hi, We cruised Princess in/out of Southhampton this summer. We had a 9 a.m. pickup from British Express Cars (you can easily search for them) and had smooth sailing into our hotel in the city. If you tried for pickup at 7:30, you should be able to get to the airport by 10:30, I'd think. However, if Princess offers the transfer for a flight with that time, go for it. In the past, they have a specific time flights need to leave after for them to take you, and they won't make exceptions if your flight is just a few minutes earlier, even. We were glad to have the private car service, and it wasn't that much more than the transfers. Hope this helps.

We just used them a week ago. It was all seamless. And the stop at Stonehenge in the way to port was great.

The excursions for Princess Cays just opened up today - not sure why they weren't there with the other ports earlier. In any case, we're ready now.

Pretty sure you're simply too far out for excursions to be avail.....keep trying, starting in August or so....

The excursions have been open for quite a while. We're booked in all of the other ports - but there aren't any listed for Princess Cays. I think we booked the others in March. That's why I'm curious if there are no more pre-bookings for things on the island. ??

The last time we went to Princess Cays (March 2017), we could book everything, including a pool noodle, online ahead of time. Now there are no options to prebook for our November cruise. My guess is that the island is still offering all the goodies, but maybe you have to get them when you are on the island and use your cruise card to purchase at that time? Has anyone sailed there recently since the pre-booked excursions haven't been offered? Thanks for any help.

Thanks for the pics! We're in this suite for a December Hawaii cruise, and the pics are great. I appreciate it.

I was in E733 on the Star a couple years ago on a Hawaii cruise. It was great. I was on the quiet side and only heard a bit of sound from the Vista Lounge. The wake noise is louder than I expected, but I loved it. The deck furniture was not in great shape when I cruised, but they have probably refinished it by now. I loved the cabin itself. Here are some pictures.

Hi! How far ahead did they alert you to the itinerary change? Our December cruise is slated for Honolulu on Christmas, and I have read on a few boards that the ports have been switched to avoid that.

We have our own arrangements set, including private helicopter tours, so i am worried about the lead time for the itiniterary change. Any insights would be appreciated. -Jen

We did the LA to Hawaii RTs three times with the final day in Ensenada. That was our day to pack and hang out at the pool. I call it a stationary day at sea. No matter when that stop falls during a cruise' date=' I have no interest in seeing that town again.

 

On our last cruise, we would be in a port on Christmas, so the Honolulu and Lahaina ports were switched so that we would be in Maui on Christmas (which worked out fine for us as I found out Whaler's Village would be open).[/quote']

Hi! Do you know your plans for December 2017? Not sure if you'll be on the Grand or the Star (hoping the answer is the Star, since that's what we're sailing on for the Christmas cruise). Thanks, -Jen

Aloha Kakou,

Greetings from Hilo, Hi! Leialoha and I are just back from the Diamond Princess and Japan. It was a wonderful contract, but we are ready to be home for a little while to rest, and to get things ready for our upcoming Hawaiian season.

 

As promised, here is our schedule for the 2016-17 Hawaiian season. These only reflect through November 2017, so we will not know where we are assigned for the remainder of next season. We are very pleased that Princess saw fit to grant our request for the Star, and we have many wonderful things in store for our guests.

 

September 24, 2016 Vancouver, BC-Hawaii-Vancouver, BC

October 26, 2016 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

November 20, 2016 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

December 5, 2016 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

December 20, 2016 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

January 4, 2017 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

January 19, 2017 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

January 23, 2017 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

February 7, 2017 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

February 22, 2017 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

March 13, 2017 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

April 21, 2017 Vancouver, BC-Hawai'i-Vancouver, BC

September 23, 2016 Vancouver, BC-Hawai'i-Vancouver, BC

November 4, 2017 Los Angeles, CA-Hawai'i-Los Angeles, CA

 

Please join us for one of these cruises, as there will be the beautiful, nahenahe sounds of Hawaiian music, ukulele classes, hula classes, Hawaiian crafting and lei making, lectures on Hawaiian culture, specially chosen movies and shows and of course the aloha spirit that will permeate the air both going to the islands, as well as the return trip.

 

This will be our 10th season leading the Hawaiian enrichment program for Princess, and we can't wait to see as many of you as possible!

 

A Hui Hou,

Tiki Dave

(of Elua)

www.facebook.com/eluamusic

www.facebook.com/tikidavemusic

Hi. We are doing a 15-day Princess cruise round trip from San Fran in Dec. 2017, but we have arranged to disembark in Ensenada (we have to be back to work on Jan. 2nd and can't stay on the ship to make it to San Fran.). This has already been approved by Princess.

Now we need to find a way to get from Ensenada to San Diego for the flight home. I've searched on the forums and have only found old information. We know the border is a crapshoot and not a lot of transportation options are out there, but I was hoping someone may be able to recommend a service they've actually used for this. And we will build in plenty of time for this (probably with an overnight in San Diego and a flight out on Jan. 1st to make sure we have wiggle room for delays and issues).

Any help from others who have done this would be greatly appreciated!

Hi. We are doing a 15-day Princess cruise round trip from San Fran in Dec. 2017, but we have arranged to disembark in Ensenada (we have to be back to work on Jan. 2nd and can't stay on the ship to make it to San Fran.). This has already been approved by Princess.

Now we need to find a way to get from Ensenada to San Diego for the flight home. I've searched on the forums and have only found old information. We know the border is a crapshoot and not a lot of transportation options are out there, but I was hoping someone may be able to recommend a service they've actually used for this. And we will build in plenty of time for this (probably with an overnight in San Diego and a flight out on Jan. 1st to make sure we have wiggle room for delays and issues).

Any help from others who have done this would be greatly appreciated!

I appreciate the feedback and the wonderful photos, which I could see just fine. We are sticking with our mini suite on the mid-ship bump out. The small balcony on this one would work for me if it jutted out a little for its own true wake view, but we live on the balcony, so you made my decision much easier. Thanks!

Hi! I have a question about the deluxe balconies that are right next to the aft suites on the corner. Do these have a partial aft view? I've searched and tried to find photos, but I can't find anything that is specific enough to tell if the balcony is extended at all or if there is a slight curve to allow you to see aft at all. Thanks for any help.

According to cruisedeckplans.com only the Baja and Dolphin decks have partially covered aft balconies. The rest are full open, and viewable from above with full sun, as well.

Has anyone stayed in these? I wanted to know if the balcony is angled at all to see a partial aft view. Thanks.

I'm looking at booking R729 on the Regal, and I was interested if you ever got an answer or you stayed in those cabins. They do look bigger. I was also interested if you have the side aft view from there or if the partition between you and the aft suite blocked it. Any info. to share? Thanks. -Jen

Hi. I'm looking for recent reviews of Charlie Soto (Okey Dokey Tours) and Oscar Brown for day trips. I've gotten information from both of them and am trying to decide which one to use. There were some older posts about Charlie passing people to taxis, etc. and that has me worried. I haven't seen much negative about Oscar Brown.

Any feedback from the past few years would be appreciated. I have looked over the posts and forums, and most of the information is pretty old, so any comments about recent experiences would be a great help. Thanks!

We are booked with Charlie for the rainforest and ziplining full day tour in mid-March. The recent posts for Okey Dokey Tours/Charlie Soto seem to be mostly negative. Are there any other recent positive experiences? We're debating changing our plans . . . Thanks.