DRPWDunIL

Does the All Inclusive Photo Package include the embarkation photos? I assume so, but wanted to check since the embarkation package is listed separately. I didn't think that you would have to buy this along with the all-inclusive, but I will never assume, LOL.

Interesting. Disney had Sommeliers when we cruised in 2003. I guess I would have expected that it would be a foregone conclusion that Princess would have them if Disney did. Interesting.

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I will try to answer as many questions as I can based on our cruise tour in June 2012 and my parents cruise tour a month ago. Our's were southbound but I am confident that the meaningful answers will be the same.

1) They will transfer your luggage for you (except for your day bags which you will carry with you).

2) You will get a detailed itinerary every day of your tour, as well as an overall itinerary at the beginning. In addition, you will provided with information about the excursions you have booked.

3) Can't answer that question. Sorry.

4) Our tours had 50 people (one bus load). YMMV.

5) I would post on the Alaska board, but the White Pass Train in Skagway was a don't miss according to my parents. On both tours they did whale watching in Juneau. Make sure you make it to Creek Street in Ketchikan (on your own). It is very interesting. On land, make sure you get the Tundra Wilderness Tour at Denali if you can. It is a must to upgrade from the Natural History Tour and well worth it.

6) Pack layers. All the way from winter hats and neck warmers for Glacier Bay and other glacier stops, rain gear, and summer clothing. Fairbanks, for example, can get to the 90's in the summer and has been mid-80's this week. Pack sunscreen and bug repellent (may or may not need the latter). A hat for everybody, sunglasses, and binoculars.

7) Pack not only a back-up memory card, but a LOT of back-up batteries. You just don't want to take any chances.

Have a great time. Hope I was able to help a little.

In my opinion, someone refusing to dine at a specialty restaurant because they have already paid $5 of their cruise fare for the meal in the MDR is indeed cheap. But, that is just me. The phrase "penny wise, pound foolish" comes to mind. However, if you prefer to stay in the MDR because the food is to your tastes, then I can understand that. But to use the excuse that they don't want to waste a whole $5 out of the hundreds or thousands of dollars they are spending on their cruise, that makes me shake my head in wonder. Missing out on a new experience, with better food, fewer people, nicer ambiance, and better service, is a . Isn't cruising about trying new things? Get wild, people, and allow yourself be adventurous! My husband and I try all the specialty restaurants. It's part of the experience of exploring, just like at all the ports we visit.

Where to begin.... This information is so convoluted it is laughable. My guess is that the average passenger is paying much more for each meal. The quoted amount was food cost only and spread over the entire number of passengers including those who do not eat a given meal. In addition, it doesn't include the cost of the infrastructure to serve or deliver the meal. I know some of the multipliers to go from basic food cost to the value of a restaurant meal. Those, at minimum, need to be considered in the calculated value.

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My experience was that there was not, nor is there normally extra night availability during cruise tour season. I did try this. We ended up staying downtown and then paying for transportation to the lodge to check in for the first night of our cruise tour.

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Maybe it's because of the new prepay policy but we are more than six months out and have been able to make excursion reservations for some time. Haven't tried the specialty restaurants but they SEEM available as well.

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Thank you all for your quick responses. No surprises in the answers, but really appreciative to have things clarified..

In looking at the information for the Royal Princess, they list the International Cafe as included dining. What is included? I'm assuming it's food items as I think I have read that specialty coffees etc. are not included. Is regular coffee included?

What about food items at the seafood bar or Crooners? Finally, is gelato included? I believe Alfredo's is included dining as an alternative place to eat or snack. Is that correct?

Thanks for any information for this newbie to the extended options available on this cruise compared to others I have taken.:)

We will be doing a tour that involves Caribelle Batik (our main interest). Some tours go to Brimstone and others go to Timothy Hill. For those that have been both places are we significantly missing out by choosing to go to the Fortress to experience the views from there and the other aspects of the site?

If I make and prepay shore excursions through the Cruise Personalizer, but do so before making final payment, are those shore excursions guaranteed/confirmed or can I get bumped by someone who reserves after me but makes their final payment before I do? I hope that is a clear question.

Why would you doubt that? You don't even know me. :rolleyes:

With due respect, I don't have to know you when there is a post that is so far from reality and well-supported opinions in the travel industry that there are only two possible explanations: ignorance (literally, not prejoratively) or tastes that are so far out of the mainstream as to not be a reliable source of information about the options available on flights. I will not argue with you about full meals served as part of a flight--those have not improved over the years and are down right gross. But when you are ordering from a menu among the "for pay" options, my experience on Alaska, American, United, and regional carriers has been good over the last five years. Perhaps our tastes differ, but the comment of YUCK indicates a stronger response than that and one that I neither agree with nor find helpful in offering advice on this issue. If the OP tries the on board options and doesn't like them, then they can get something in the airport. But, if they do like them or find them at least satisfactory it is remains a viable option. As I said, YMMV.

I doubt you have tried the items they now sell on flights. Even my picky parents have given a thumbs up. And many options are way healthier than fast food. YMMV.

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We bought the transfer from the airport to the hotel (land/sea Alaska). We will have a 10.5 hour travel day and arrive in Fairbanks at 7:30 PM. Can we grab some fast food at the airport before going to the Princess counter? I'm sure we'll be very hungry.

I would suggest eating on the plane. Most airlines have nice options at competitive prices. We flew all night and I bought a snack box on each leg of the trip. Worked well for me.

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As an IT person, I would find it inappropriate and unacceptable that the college/university doesn't have a reliable enough mechanism for a student to submit something and be able to trust that it'll be there for the professor(s) to review. If your students have reason to go out of their way to present you with the documents, you have reason to accept it willingly. (If they're just being paranoid, then OK your point is valid.)

We offer course specific places to upload documents directly to the professor in a safe and protected environment online. All of my assignments are supposed to be uploaded there by my students. If they choose to use a different platform and just send me a link, that's where the issue arises. In that situation I would prefer a direct email. I should have clarified that this isn't a matter of IT or being a Luddite.

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Or upload them to one or more of those services and send all of the links to your professor(s).

As a professor, I would find that inappropriate and unacceptable. Few things annoy me more than a student who does this. Fresh in my mind since I had a graduate student do this very thing this week. It's lazy and creates extra work for me which I don't need with the number of students I need to accommodate, advise, and mentor. That said, it depends on the situation even with my preferences against this means of communication.

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Asking this here rather than Ports of Call as it is a more general question. CDC seems to recommend Hepatitis A and Typhoid for all of the ports of call we will be visiting. What have past cruisers done in this regard?

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I slept on the couch every night in a minisuite on a 7 night cruise. It was just fine. No complaints and I am not a small man girth wise. More comfortable than sofa beds in almost all hotels.

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We went up there as a stop with Bernard's Tours. It's so much more than clothes up there. I was honestly thinking I'd be bored there since I am a guy in my 30's but it was very interesting. We had the lady explain the art of what she was doing and how it was done. I was very interested and we regret not buying anything. Each item is so unique. Newbegin mentioned things hanging on the line. Here's what s/he is talking about:

Wow. Thanks for your informative post!

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Yep, that's true about the fruit. Pineapple and watermelon are the biggest gushers to shoot blood sugar up. If there's grapefruit available, I will eat 1/2 of one and I end up burning off the carbs with exercise. Sugar is sugar - no way to make it any different from sugar out of a bowl.

This is simply false. Watermelon is highly recommended for diabetics. The serving size for the same carb count is twice as large. This surprises many people but has been confirmed by at least six CDE/RD'S I have as part of my medical team. Diabetic diets are also CONTROLLED carbs not low carbs. Most diabetics are also asked to monitor protein intake due to its effect on kidneys.

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If you have the money do the tour that is 2 nights in Fairbanks, 2 nights at Denali, 2 nights and Mt. McKinley, and 2 nights on the Kenai Peninsula. You really see a lot of Alaska and have a wide variety of experiences. I recommend land tour first, cruise second.

Absolutely worth it in our opinion. My parents did a connoisseur tour in 2012 and they are on the cruise part of another one right now. Having a dedicated guide, having most meals included, having a relatively small group (50) that you get to know well during the tour. Having essentially a concierge with you at all times who you can contact 24 hours per day. Our guide said that we were considered to be the top 2% of Princess Cruisers and should expect to be treated that way. In addition, many land tours were included in the price including the upgraded Tundra Wilderness Tour at Denali. We felt we MORE than got our money's worth for the price difference. World travelers, including my parents, said that the Princess guides were the best they had had on any trip anywhere in the world. You can tell that I am a big fan.

This past Christmas we were on the Ruby Princess. All the Holiday festivities on board happened on Christmas Eve.

We were in Mazatlan Christmas day. Our tour bus had our family (10 of us), and another large family. It appeared that people weren't taking tours that day.No crowds anywhere. All the usual tours were being offered just smaller groups. We loved it.

Thanks!!!

We will be in Barbados on Christmas Day. There appear to be much more limited shore excursion opportunities. Is Christmas Day an atypical day on the ship? What I mean is are there more things to do ON the ship while in port than on a normal port day?

On Princess, between my cruise mates and I we have only sailed the Island Princess and the Coral Princess. We are sailing on the Royal Princess this December. Besides overall size, what are the great things you have found about the Royal class ships as compared to other classes like the Island and Coral?

Better still. Order your small wooden barrel of Rhum from Clement. Great conversation piece for your next BBQ with friends, or lay it down for a few years.

I like that!