vickie_bernie

since we no longer have to fill out the decleration form if you do not go above your limit most don't even need to use the app anymore. They don't even deliver the decleration forms anymore to the cabin.

We join the royal jan 19 for 4 cruises. We hot 100 pep person for each cruise as a good will credit

I think a good room steward can help facilitate the laundry service. On last weeks Royal cruise (700 Elites) I would send a bag in the morning and then a bag in the evening before dinner and they both would be back the next evening.

Very true

I see you are with us in jan and feb on the royal.

Lets compare how long it takes then. ;p

See u on board

wow it is not normal for the laundry to take that long for elites, unless you are on a transatlantic or something.

We were on the Royal twice this year and if we had the laundry in before 9:30 we got it the next day in the evening usually, occasionally the next morning.

on our trip in Sept there were a lot of elites too. But you do have to have it in before 9:30. Often we just put out in the evening and we usually get it the next evening or the morning after. A day or day and a half is usual.

Have a great dayin Bonaire. Love following along.

I hate to bother you with this question, but did you happen to notice if they are still selling 50th anniversary stuff in the gift ship? Thanks.

I have been on six princess cruises this year and i have sadly not seen anymore 50th anniversary items in the stores. I did see some items in their clearance sales they do in the restaurant a few times in a cruise.

Vickie

Local transit is the cheapest. Here is the link. https://bctransit.com/victoria/home

Taxi would be very expensive as it is at least a half hour drive away.

I’m sorry that I don’t have any tour suggestions. We’re only doing one—and that is a snorkeling one in Bonaire through Princess. There was another company recommended by people on our rollcall, but it was full by the time we booked the cruise. That’s one downside to booking cruises late. There will be folks offering tours at each port. We took a nice island tour last December when we were in Bonaire. It was either $20 or $25 per person and went basically around the island. We’ve also taken a similar tour in Curacao. But mainly the ship is our destination, especially this time around.

 

We talked with a family at breakfast who were disappointed that their suite did not include access to the Enclave. They had been in suites on other ships and had enjoyed the thermal suite benefit.

This is true suites do not get access to enclave. However full suites get access to concierge lounge that on royal regal and majestic have

The only benefit I can see with getting the card prior to the cruise is that things have been paid prior to boarding.

If you order it online prior to boarding your cabin steward will deliver a ticket/paper with the coffee card purchase proof. You then have to take it to the coffee bar to get the card. Note if you have any on board credit it may be helpful to buy only when you get on board to use us some of those obc. However if you are like me, we use all ours up and then some, correction and then a lot !

Like others have said if you buy when you board often staff are given an incentive for selling coffee cards/ drink packages. So buying from them helps. Plus you still get the same card.

Not all cards come stamped or written on on the back. We have had mini bars exchanged with date/ship/voyage number on it and sometimes we have not.

Sometimes the barista checks, sometimes they do nothing if there is nothing written, sometimes they write in the current ship and voyage number.

Either way we are fine and happy to have this perk.

Like any job there are those that tow the company line and those that don't and most that fall in between.

Happy Coffee Drinking.

We are booked on the jan 19 sailing for 4 cruises. Jan 19 was to be the first ***** cruise. I called yesterday and spoke with a lovely agent named Irma who worked with me and a supervisor and got a $100 per person per cruise good will on board credit. So give them a call.

I am on the Royal in the New Year, I called today and was given a goodwill On Board Credit of $100 per person

Interesting that you got this email for your four upcoming cruises. I only got it for one. I also have an October, 2019, cruise on the Royal and I did not get any email about that sailing. So maybe ***** up for grabs by that time?

 

Pooh

for my four - they are all in early 2017, b2b2b2b

yup got four emails for the four cruises we have booked too

yup got four emails for the four bookings we have coming up....

We were told no for OBC, and we are close to sailing. If they’re gonna do it for one, they should do it for all, plain and simple. It’s bad PR to be so inconsistent.

 

 

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yes, would agree, they are creating even more upset loyal passengers aren't they. Let's hope they will listen.

Are you sure you don't mean regal was the fist ship done?

 

Even the noted news source 'cruisecritic' says regal is the first:

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7777

 

 

The pictures of regal have a screen outside each cabin door.

 

Nothing like that seen on royal.

Nope I meant the Royal. The Royal was the First ship to go into drydock (|Fall of 2017) and get the infrastructure for Ocean Medallion. But I can see how my post was confusing I should of written dry dock ocean medallion installed, not ocean ready.

But Regal was the first ship to launch it. (I believe it went into drydock in Germany this year).

The Royal also got the screens installed outside each cabin during that dry dock too. A gold plate covered it up, and it is still a gold plate.

here is a blog I wrote when we just boarded the Royal right after drydock http://vickieandbernietravel.blogspot.ca/2016/11/boarding-royal-sideways-inside-cabin.html

Very interesting observation.

 

I disembarked Royal on 11/25, and didn't see any of the new screens.

I wonder if they have been installed on Caribbean, or any other ship?

 

Also, caribbean will be in the caribbean all summer 2018 -- maybe it's easier to

work on a ship that does turn-around in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

The Global Experience Innovators can just drive up I-95 from Miami...

Royal was the first shipt that was ocean Ready. This happened last fall in Italy. We were on just after drydock. All the new lcd screens at the elevator banks were installed. All the transponders were installed in the cabin.

I am guessing they are holding back till it is ready

Just found out today that our Royal Cruises are no longer going to be Ocean Medallion. We booked four legs (40 days). I blog and booked these dates to write about the roll out. Now although I am disappointed it won't ruin my cruise. What is frustrating is that we find this out two days after final payment has gone thru for the last day. So we are locked in.

As Carnival investors I am disappointed in the whole roll out and what a fiasco it has been.

Sure problems arise but this has been one thing after another. I love Princess but it is really putting a sour taste on how things are happening.

I almost think Princess should just automatically apply the on board credit to ALL cruises that were told would be Ocean Ready and are not. This would return faith in Princess and how they are rolling this out.

my two cents

Vickie

site is down for maintenance so I am sure this is why. Says it will be back at 1205 am Sunday Pacific Time

We are on the Regal right now. I think there is a lot more to be done before Ocean Medallion is fully implemented across the ship. Only a small handful of staterooms have the tablet screen installed outside. Surely this in itself is going to take time to rectify? On the face of it, it does seem that Princess has woefully undersestimated the logistics of the infrastructure installation. I’m sure it will get sorted but not for a good few months.

 

Oh and there’s no sign of any Christmas decorations yet :(

the screens are installed for each cabin, was done last drydock, it is located behind the gold plate at each mailbox. Just not all are activated as of yet.

We just booked the 30 day on the Royal leaving 2/21/19 while on the Regal repo. We were surprised how many cabins were already booked for 2019

R U on the same one?

 

Howard

I think that is because that is a special cruise - I am on it too - 49 days repo for the Royal around the horn to the West Coast. Always sells fast.

I'm also interested in hearing how this will play out.

I currently keep my cruise card in a small leather wallet we received from Princess along with some singles (for tips) and a credit card and photo ID for returning to ship.

I have no idea where I'll keep the medallion since I don't like a dangling necklace nor a wristband.

Hi Karen,

I have seen the medallions and they can easily slide into the Princess wallet and stay there for the entire cruise. Because you don't need the card to open your cabin or get on board the ship you can just leave it in the wallet and door will unlock when you get close to it.

I too don't normally carry my card with me, especially in the evening and if I do I usually stick it in my bra :o (don't judge me) so I am guessing the medallion might just get lost in there. :')

Following along in the live thread to see how it rolls out. Quite excited about the entire thing. We will be on for the Royal Roll Out

If you buy a pass for the vaporetto, 2 days for instance, does that also pay for the People Mover?

Do vaporetto stop near the port (Marittima) or do you have to get to Piazzale Roma to get them?

Thanks for any info!

no doesn't include people mover but I personally thought the people mover was a bit of a waste of time. I just walked under it and thru parking lot and basically covered the people mover.

There is a stop close to the port but you do need to walk a bit. I have a blog post all with direction on how to get from ship to vaporetto stops. Go to blog in link and scroll to bottom where the labels are and select Venice.

We will be in Venice on sat for five nights and will be blogging live then too. Feel free to ask questions and I will try and get your answers

yup it has gone up. Also the large bottles of water (still and sparkling) are no longer included.

Just wrote this blog about the price increase

http://vickieandbernietravel.blogspot.ca/2017/09/price-for-drink-package-goes-up.html

we have had the pleasure of dining with a few Captains. Not in the dining room but we have dined with them in the specialty restaurants. A few times in the Horizon Court and even have been honoured to be included in dinners in senior officer's cabins where the Captain was included.

We consider many our personal friends, and have visited some when they dock here in Vancouver and have visited Senior officers at their home too.

Larry from what we have heard it was not severely damaged - I have not heard of anything from my sources.