LewesBeach

Planning eastern this year, Princess's itineraries do seem more interesting, but seems like the Solstice class ships, cabins in particular, are a little nicer is that true? What are the standard balcony cabins like on Princess? We did spend time in our cabin so it is important.

As noted, Celebrity decor is more sleek & modern, whereas Princess is more old world elegance - both very beautiful. If you spend time in the cabin, a standard room may not be for you. Not a lot of room to walk around and 1chair, no sofa. A mini-suite is a larger room with a full sofa. The Royal & Regal do have a deluxe balcony category, (larger than standard room, not as big as a mini suite) with a love seat not full sofa.

Another consideration is balcony size. Depending on the ship, an aft cabin or one on a lower deck such as Caribe can be twice the size of a regular balcony. And on the Royal/Regal, with a few exceptions (suites, & those under the Seawalk), all balconies are small. It depends on what is important to you. Check the deck plans of your ship & Good luck!

I use the clear tape. At home, fold paper tags as directed, then cover completely with the clear strapping tape. Wrap around luggage handle and staple. I then put the clear strapping tape over the stapled part. It has never come off, ever on overseas flights with several stops. As mentioned, it's very hard to get them off once u r aboard - I had to cut them off. I did buy & use the clear Luggage Tag Holders once - they were all stolen off all 4 of our suitcases in the Frankfort airport. Luckily I always carry extra tags with me, and had to put them on at the airport before we boarded the transfer bus.

By any chance do you remember the cost of the wine card on the Grand?

The prices depend on the length of the voyage, and which pkg. Don't know about the Grand but on the Royal 18 day TA there were at least 4 options: 7 bottle Silver, 10 bottle Silver, 7 bottle Gold, 10 bottle Gold. The more you buy, the cheaper it was per bottle. We bought the 10 bottle silver (any wine $29 and less) and it worked out to $18-$19/ bottle. Gold pkg was any wine over $29. And we had to ask for it in the dining room, it was not advertised anywhere we saw. Maybe this has all changed since our October trip?

Berni

We booked a deluxe balcony on the Royal, but were on an 18 day Trans-Atlantic and sometimes the weather was chilly for being outside on the balcony. We enjoyed the extra indoor space to move around, and the small loveseat for watching TV, etc. I don't know if I would spring for the extra bucks if I were only on a 7 day cruise in warm weather.

Berni

hi

 

we are possibly going on the 14night ruby princess sailing on 31st january 2015. This does go back to FLL after 7 days and then goes out to see. As i understand this is classed as a back to back.

 

Obiviously we have to go muster drill etc - do we have to go again on the "second" 7 night cruise? not an issue just not sure

 

thanks

If you book this as 1 - 14 day cruise, it will count a 1 cruise. as opposed to booking 2 - 7 day cruises which will count as 2 cruises. Either way, unless it has changed, you do not have to attend the 2nd muster drill. We just made sure our cabin steward knew we were on a B2B and wouldn't be attending.

Is there an update on the drydock for the Island? I was looking at a Panama Canal cruise, and the Princess website lists the Island doing a partial that leaves FLL on October 12, followed by a 4 day Caribbean on October 23, and then a full transit leaving on October 27, which seems to account for the ship during the extended drydock - there doesn't seem to be any gaps in the schedule after that prior to the end of 2014. Any thoughts?

I've looked at several threads for the Island dry dock schedule, and see conflicting reports. I am sailing Jan 20, 2015 from FLL on a 15 day full Panama transit ending in LA. Does anyone know where I can find out if the dry dock will be completed by then? Thanks

Berni

Go into town and take the No# 10 jitney to Arawak Cay. You will have many places to choose from. True, fresh local flavor at a reasonable price. The only stop on our itinerary while in Nassau….Goldies :)

Do you really need a cab or the #10 jitney? Looking at a map, it doesn't seem too far to Goldie's from the cruise ship terminal. Is it walkable? Thx!!

Berni

No worries, Judith.:)

It's not a major half-term for travelling in the UK, the trains aren't usually busy on Saturdays unless there's a major event such as a soccer match in Southampton versus one of the London clubs. (schedules won't be decided til about June/July)

Being October, the airports might be busier as families go looking for some autumn sun, but that's about it.

 

Megatrain tickets are available from about 6 weeks out

 

JB :)

John Bull, thank you so much for your expertise in this matter. It's always good to get these details that you wouldn't necessarily find online. I will check the sports schedule when it comes out and then make my decision. Again, thank you so much, you've been extremely helpful.

Judith, since you are staying at our hotel, if the train doesn't work out, would you be interested in sharing a private car for 4 to Southampton? (I already have quotes from 3 companies). If so, you can email me at: sunbern52@gmail.com

Berni

I am staying at the Premier Inn Waterloo, near the London Eye, & need to take the train to Southampton to board the ship. When I go online to look at tickets, it is giving me 3 options for Waterloo (Waterloo, Waterloo East & Waterloo Merseyside) and 2 options for Southampton (airport, and central). It's my first time in London & any help would be appreciated as to which stations are closest to my destinations. Also, will I need to take a taxi from the Southampton station to the ship or is it walkable? (I will only have 1 rolling suitcase plus a carryon). Thank you.

Berni

I know this thread is three years old :eek: but I am trying to find out if Le Havre Taxis is still in business - the link leads to a Japanese page. I am trying to find options for a private tour to Mont St Michel from Le Havre next June.

Ditto. I am stopping in Le Harve in October on the Emerald Trans-Atlantic, & am interested in going to Mont St Michel for the day. Has anyone done this, or have recommendations on a driver/taxi service for this excursion? Thanks!

Berni

Those of you who purchase the wine card - be sure to check your onboard account before leaving the ship. One couple at our dining table bought the wine card (as did we), and on the last night they noticed 3 bottles of wine which they had not ordered or consumed had been charged to their account (in addition to the charge for the wine card). When they mentioned it at dinner on the final night of the cruise, I printed out our folio. There was a charge for an extra bottle of wine on our account also - and we hadn't even been able to drink all 7 bottles, so had asked for the last 2 to take home.

We bought the $29 per bottle Silver wine pkg on the Royal TA in October and checked our acct before we left. Twice we had ordered a $36 bottle and confirmed with the wait staff that we would only be charged the difference. The morning of disembarkation, our bill showed we were charged the full $36 instead of the $7 difference. We got it straightened out, but will always check from now on.

Berni

The wine program is only offered on certain voyages that are 10 days or longer' date=' which are set-up on the beverage tables on embarkation day[/quote']

 

We had to ask for the wine pkg on the Royal TA in October, we did not see it advertised or set up anywhere, maybe we missed it? And they did not push it in the dining room. I only knew about it from these boards. Silver Pkg was any wine $29 and below. Gold Pkg was $30 bottles and up. Dont remember the price, but it depended on how many bottles you bought - obviously the more you bought, the cheaper the per bottle price was. I am also interested in knowing whether they will continue this wine pkg, or consolidate it into the Bev Pkg.

Berni

This is figmentdj - Doug & Laura. We were on the Emerald with you last year. Hope you enjoy your trip down here to Texas. We'll probably sail the Emerald when she gets here. We're doing a B2B on the Caribbean Princess next month. Let us know if you need any info. Cheers!

Hi Doug and Laura! Really looking forward to our post cruise visit to Texas - first time in the Galveston/Houston area. Will keep an eye on these boards for more info as time gets closer. Enjoy your cruise - the Caribbean Princess is one of my fav ships.

Berni

Thank you both for your research & help. I have a couple months before I need to make a decision.

We are arriving into Bayport on the Emerald Princess TA Nov 11, 2014. We are staying post-cruise in Galveston for several days and are interested in any info on a car rental close to the port. From reading previous posts, it doesn't seem there are any? Should I take a cab, and are there plenty of cabs available when disembarking? My other option is finding a Galveston hotel with free shuttle. Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

Berni

I believe that by the time Regal is launched, the Princess traditionalist will have grown used to the way things are on the newest Princess ships. The initial wave of resistance will have died down, the Royal will have proved itself, the things that seriously need to be tweaked will be tweaked, and this debate will be long forgotten as it has been forgotten on most newbuilds from other cruise lines.

Yes, the controversy will eventually die down. I am a "Princess traditionalist" who booked 18 months out, saw the deck plans, and was looking forward with anticipation and an open mind to experiencing a new ship. But being on for 18 days in a cooler climate gives you a totally different perspective than say, a 5 or 7 day Caribbean. As for serious tweaking - You may be able to retrofit center stairs, install a center aisle & drink holders in Princess theater, sync elevator buttons, move TP holders, etc. But you can't "tweak" the serious issues for many people - no promenade or aft pool, tiny balconies, small loud pool area with wasted space for 1hr fountain show. We tried it, loved certain aspects, & will stay with Princess - but on other ships.

We were in E415 on the TA. Great balcony too but no wifi in the cabin. Did you have that problem too?

Yeah we had the same prob - no wifi in room E411. I had to go into the hall to hook up, then go back into the room and stand by the door to keep the signal. Pretty inconvenient.

Am looking at those cabins. Can you tell me what your cabin number was. thanks

E411. But I would not hesitate to book any cabin in that general area. It appeared that none of them had obstructions, & we were far enough away from the Seawalk that you could not see onto our balcony.

Berni

Ps: above pic is an "obstructed" balcony on Emerald deck, midship under Seawalk Notice no obstruction to the view.

I always keep my makeup and hairspray' date=' etc. in the desk drawers. It's my "dressing table". For this reason, I'm so glad we didn't get the deluxe balcony. I would really miss the storage and space of the desk. I bring a small mirror on a stand for my makeup application and to,check the back,of my hair. I loved the colors of the cabin also and was very pleased with our midship standard balcony cabin. The size of the balcony didn't 't bother us, it was suitable, however the chairs were impossible for me to,sit on, even with the use of pillows. Mark would switch chairs for me and put the chair from inside the cabin on the balcony for me when I wanted to sit out there.[/quote']

 

We had a deluxe balcony, & opposite the love seat we did have a desk w/1 drawer and chair. Maybe it's not as big as one in a reg cabin? Agree about the balcony chairs - couldn't sit on them too long! We had a larger angled extended balcony under the Seawalk and loved it. Pic attached (hopefully)

Ditto on the elevators, mostly mid ship. Heard many verbal abuses, nasty comments- someone would hold the "open" button waiting for people, and someone else would rush in and accuse them of trying to close the door; people accusing others of pushing, stepping on feet, etc - generally very uncivil behavior. By the end of the cruise after 7 sea days w/cabin fever, elevator cars resembled "Lord of the Flies". In the future I'll stay forward or aft & use the stairs when possible.

Answers to some questions:

- They are not serving oysters on the half shell at Ocean Terrace

- I have no soot problems - I am midship on Emerald deck below the Seawalk

- seas have been calm and smooth, weather warm mid 70's. Captain announced we are altering course southward a bit to avoid a tropical depression Lorenzo to the north.

More random thoughts & observations

- As reported, Madeira was absolutely stunning, a great delight- lush mtns, steep valleys, eucalyptus forests - beautiful. 2 of us took a 4 hr private taxi for 95 euro total

- weather warm today on our 2nd sea day, alternating between sun and brief squalls

- Ocean Terrace Seafood bar is very unique, serving chilled vodka shots & martinis, & free appetizers w/drink, as well as pay-for oyster shooters, sushi, crab legs, etc. All fairly priced, (unless u choose some pricey Russian Caviar) - a nice stop for cocktails before dinner

- beds very comfy w giant fluffy down pillows

- wondering why they can't show the daily MDR dinner menu on the intranet. U can however view menus for other dining venues.

- Alfredo's has a to-die-for veal ravioli in white sauce

- lots of movie choices on demand in your room

- still feeling the dining room and HC staff is not up to what we are used to (our experience only)

- cool Enrichment Lectures during the day on various topics - Art History, Whales, the Titanic, Spanish Moors, Bird Migrations, History of British Princes.

- laundry still backed up, they're cutting it off on the 23rd.

- tonite is Dancing Fountains Tribute to Frank Sinatra

Answers to some questions:

1. I am in E411, but any cabin on that deck in the area with the extended angled balcony does not have an obstruction seaward

2. Retreat pool is free and has not been busy, but the weather has not been really warm enough to make a judgement

3. I don't have info on any particular aft cabin with soot other than 2 owners suites and 2 other regular balcony cabins which I not get the numbers of when the people told me about the problem

My random thoughts & observations so far (apologies if some of this has been covered, I have limited Internet minutes & cant follow this thread every day)

- No computer terminals in the FCC area to browse while awaiting a consultant.

- intranet is VERY convenient for checking the Patter, or for future cruises, itineraries, misc Princess info, etc

- love the fixed outdoor exercise stations

- cool rattan sofas/chair/ottoman groupings in many outdoor areas

- hall carpets are not marked as before to delineate port/starboard

- love the larger showers w/ledge, hand-held shower head, & shampoo/soap dispensers.

- Lotus Spa easy to find, deck 5, should get more walk-ins here

- Horizon Court a bit hard to navigate due to all the food stations, but very nice outdoor eating areas aft. Everything we had for breakfast so far was warm/cold - will be looking for the made-to-order omelettes from now on

- in certain areas, elevator up/down buttons do not ALL light up when pushed

- TV broke down but someone came to fix w/in 24 hrs

- Piazza is very large w/ lots of seating on all levels, nice in the evening for dancing/people watching/etc

- spiral staircase into the Casino is nice

- Love the cookie station at bar outside Princess Live

- feeling bad for those w/aft cabins w/soot raining down on them

- lack of center staircase is inconvenient & elevators crowded sometimes but I'm getting more exercise so no problems with that

- laundry is backed up, sometimes as much as 4 days. We only got 1 towel one day, & asked why. Room steward said too much Elite laundry was backing everything else up. Surely they should have been ready for this? Won't b a prob on 10 day Caribbean.

- love the token system for laundromat (swipe your card, get a token) but they were all broken one sea day, had to go to passenger services.

- in our experience, food in dining rooms has been exceptional, service so-so.

- formal nite: saw many men in dining room w/shirts - no tie, no coat

- Trident Grill & Prego Pizza r now conveniently side-by-side @ pool

- deck 7 midship behind Facets is a nice outdoor deck. Sit there, & get pelted with water from the Seawalk above, not sure why this is.

- deck 7 aft there r nice quiet deck chair areas for reading/sleeping

- tiny library, load up your Kindle/Nook/iPad

- Did not bring any wine aboard, but they were not checking anywhere i saw. Had to ask about the wine pkg, they r not pushing it for whatever reason. Bought the Silver 12 bottle, suits us fine.

- our Deluxe Balcony cabin w/extended angled balcony below the Seawalk on Emerald deck was sold as obstructed. IMHO these cabins are a steal because there is absolutely no obstruction when looking out to sea, and the balconies are much larger & private. The only obstruction is looking straight down to the water (we look down onto the deck behind Facets). But most cabins have that same issue not being able to see straight down to the water because the lifeboats are extended out over the ship, not recessed. Bad news is: the higher you go under the Seawalk, the more you can see onto the balcony and eventually, into the cabin. Good news is: Seawalk is a novelty, u do it once, u hardly ever see people there. Certainly no one will stand there with the express purpose of looking into your cabin.

- there are many nice indoor venues but I'm still not sure where they're going to put all the outside people in a warm climate. With no aft pool or Promenade, there doesn't appear to be enough deck chairs for a full ship in the Caribbean, but time will tell.

- I came aboard a skeptic. Now, would I sail on the Royal again? Yes, in this same cabin. It's a nice ship going thru a year-long shakedown.

Berni