Matcodixon

Hi and thanks for further adding to the is there or isn't there? passed- out popcorn debate.

 

There shouldn't be a debate as the procedure should be identical on each ship and that's something I have dinged Princess for in the past: there has to be consistency ship to ship as we move around the fleet.

 

I just remembered seeing a waiter pushing a cart with bags of popcorn as I walked through one evening. Might have been on the Emerald. Not sure.

 

Cheers!

 

Norris

Just to add to this,, On the Ruby in the Med, they came around with milk and warm cookies, as well as passing out blankets.. Was a very nice touch. (also popcorn)

Dixon

The Grand Class was superseded by the Royal Class in 2013 and the GC promenade decks which run all the away around the ship ( although they have to step up to a higher deck at the bow to get over the mooring rooms where the ship gets "pointy") were not carried over into the new design, to the disappointment of many.

 

Grand Class cruisers can sit out here as close to the sea as they are going to get. They are undercover and have an uninterrupted view.

 

 

 

There are teak cabinets which store lifejackets, which is handy in a real emergency as you may not have time (or be allowed) to return to your cabin.

 

 

You can walk all the way around the stern and watch the wake.

 

 

We use the Prom deck at night to get from the stern to the theater without having to pass through crowds of people.

 

 

Here's a video I took on one of the Ruby's sisters-Crown Princess back in 2012 where I walk the promenade deck (#7) then climb stairs up to Emerald Deck (#8) to stand at the bow. Leonardo di Caprio was up there but wanted money to appear in my shot. Fat chance!

 

[YOUTUBE]2QKeQmhXykw[/YOUTUBE]

 

Enjoy that fresh sea air!

Norris, This is one of our favorite things about the Grand class ships. We walked around many, many times on the Ruby, Grand and Diamond during our time there. On the Diamond for the Alaska inside passage, it was the very best place to watch for Whales and we saw many on that voyage. It would certainly be missed by us on an X ship or the newer Princess ships.

Dixon:cool:

Hello again Norris,

As I indicated, I have returned to the comparison thread after finishing the complete Celebrity review. It has peaked my interest in trying out that ship in the future.

I have a few observations. My experience is based on my time with Princess and in particular both the Ruby and Crown, sister ships. I am using your Celebrity review for my observations.

First, the design throughout the Princess ships is fairly consistent in theme. It seems apparent that a single design team did the entire ship. The Silly seems to have had a number of different designers assigned to different venues. Made for some unusual and interesting themes. The lawn concept is certainly appealing. (if properly maintained)

Celebrity certainly has more extra charge restaurants with higher prices. If the MDR is not as good, this certainly might add to the cost of the voyage. The only extra charge meal we have ever had on any Princess cruise was the amazing UBD on our Med Cruise. We love the MDR for dinner and the IC for lunch. (room service for Breakfast)

Entertainment wise we have always enjoyed the offerings on Princess. We did have a chance to see the new "Magic to Do" show on the Crown in December and it was a level above anything we have seen before outside of a Broadway, NY show. See it if you have a chance.

A toast to you, hopefully we will meet someday,

Dixon:cool:

Hi Norris,

Well, I made it through this entire review with great interest. I actually started on the Princess board with the comparison when it was still in the early stages, but you caught my interest and off I went to this complete and informative IN DEPTH review. Entertaining as well, as always.

Again, thanks for taking the time to do this, you definitely set the standard for cruise reviews. (and each one seems to get better) I have some comments regarding the comparison, which I will post on that thread.

I have been considering Celebrity cruise for some time and this certainly helps me make my decision. It will depend on the itinerary and cost but certainly will be one I research in the future. (as long as I have patience with their website)

Well, time to go back to the comparison. See you there.

Dixon:cool:

Hi Norris,

I stumbled upon this latest review of yours and am anxiously awaiting the next installments. I have read many of your past reviews and have found them to be some of the best ever. We also did Mexican Rivera cruise recently on the Crown, sister to the Ruby and also love these ships. Have considered X at some time in the future, depending on itinerary and pricing, but have also found their website to be less friendly.

At any rate, I will also take the time to read your Celebrity review, as I am sure it will be entertaining as all others have been. A toast to you!

Dixon:cool:

Every time I read another thread about food, I am always amazed at some of the comments. One of the best things about a Ship like the Ruby is the number of choices available. I challenge anyone to try ALL of the options and not find something to their liking. Adding this venue is simply adding another choice. I am sure that it will never be for everyone, but there are those that will love it. Personally I love the MDR on every ship I have cruised on so far, but often go to the IC for lunch. I did try the Pub Lunch one day on our last cruise and found it not to be for my tastes and preference. So I won't go back. I seldom visit the Buffet, but have never gone to any of the other extra $$ places, as I am quite satisfied with the MDR food choices, variety and service. But that is just me. The more choices the better, If you try it and don't like it, simply don't go back.

Dixon:cool:

Ps I will definitely try Share on the next cruise I am on if it is available. I love trying new things.

In your opinion...do you think we could find this for a family of family of 5? And you just made a deal with driver as you walked up to him? For a certain amount of time? And did you pay in US $? I appreciate any info!!! We aren't sailing until Oct, but trying to look at things now.

A couple of answers.

First, most of the Pulmonias will only seat 4, but I have heard that there are a few with an extra seat that will handle more.

Our driver's normal charge for 4 for as long of a time as we had, was $100. We negotiated for just the 2 of us.

Yes, US dollars is how we paid.

Could we have gotten a better deal? Perhaps, but a better driver? I very much doubt it. He has over 15 years experience and could not possibly have been more accommodating. We gave him a nice tip.

Dixon :cool:

Find a Pulmonías Taxi (go out the in terminal in gate and bargain for $20 per)

 

go up to the Playa Bruja beach front Cafe' (15 miles north), then start back, along the beach and marina, stop at El Cid, and places that interest you

 

When we were there in December we walked off the ship and found a pulmonia driver that gave the two of us a 3 1/3 hour tour including a great lunch stop, trip to the cathedral and old downtown market, drive along the waterfront with the cliff divers, amazing statues and then a couple of shopping stops we requested. Plenty of photo stops whenever we requested. He even had a cooler with beer and soft drinks of our choice. Cost was $60 for the two of us (plus well earned tip) and it was well worth it.

Dixon:cool:

We stayed at the DoubleTree at the marina very close to the port. We booked it about the same amount of time in advance as you are considering and as we got closer to the actual date, we saw pricing rise substantially. I go along with booking as early as possible.

ps. Excellent hotel.. Free Shuttle and available package with parking during the cruise.

Dixon

Booked Balcony GTY last 2 cruises.

First time: Grand Med. Was upgraded free twice, finally to a mini suite.

Last time: Got an excellent cabin mid ship on Baja deck. pricing that on Princess website, that cabin would have been quite a bit more expensive, as the more desirable misdhip cabins are always priced higher.

Will book GTY next time for sure.

Dixon:cool:

We were on the Crown a week ago in a Std Balcony cabin and the bed was excellent. You must have had one that was broken or otherwise damaged.

The new beds that they are putting on sound nice but remember that not everyone prefers the same level of Hard/soft. There are many factors that make for difference of opinion. Just take a trip to a mattress store and try out all of the different ones and you will find one that you like and many that simply do not suit you.,

Dixon:cool:

We were on one there on Dec 10th. Water was quite calm and the ride was smooth. Surf was not up!

How it will be when you are there? remains to be seen.. Unpredictable.

Dixon.:cool:

Welcome back to reality :)

 

 

Thanks

Srpilo

Boy ain't that the truth!

Switching to "Getting ready for Christmas" gear... And the arrival of our family for the week!

We had friends on this cruise........

I was not aware that the port agent has this much power?

Was the ship underway?

Where did you hear that?

Was on the cruise and we were a bit late leaving due to the delay caused by those two. Captain must have made final decision to wait and he must have

received word that they were on the way out to the ship. It is a tender port.

We did arrive in LA on time on Saturday morning so lost time was made up. We were at top speed all day on Friday to get there.

Dixon

This was our first time on the Crown and the first time for this itinerary. In all it was a great cruise!

We arrived the day before and spent the night at the DoubleTree at the marina which was excellent with a nice surprise as they upgraded us to a suite.(I am a Hilton Gold member) We had driven there and they stored our car for the week and shuttled us back and forth to the cruise terminal. Great hotel and service including excellent free breakfast.

We got to the terminal just before noon and the process was quick and easy. We were on board and to our cabin where the luggage was waiting shortly after 1pm. We did not have any priority boarding. It could not have been quicker or easier.

The ship was in excellent condition and the crew was wonderful. They went out of their way to take care of any special requests or minor problems. Very nice Christmas decorations!

Food was very good at the MDR where we ate every night. Anytime dining worked very well as we were willing to share a table and arrived at about 6:45 each night. There was no wait and we met some great table mates during the week. Service was excellent. The only meal we had all week that did not impress us was the Pub Lunch we had one day. It just was not to our taste. On the other days we ate lunch at the IC and everything was very good. Breakfast was room service with the card put out each night. Special requests were written in and provided every day.

The shows were excellent especially the new "Magic to Do" By Stephen Schwartz. Really a step above any other musical show we have experienced on any other cruise. The singers and dancers were great as was the band. The band "Fusion" that worked at various events throughout was also excellent. The 70s disco party (Love Boat theme) on deck was a highlight.

The ports:

Puerto Vallarta

We did the Las Caletas private beach tour which consumed the day. It was great and well worth the cost. Everything was included. There are some detailed reviews an the Mexican Rivera ports board as well as some videos on you tube. Totally recommend this for all ages.

Mazatlan

We walked out and flagged down a Pulmonia (open taxi) and negotiated a wonderful 3 1/2 hour tour. Just the two of us and the driver. He stopped whenever we wanted and waited for us. We saw all of the sights and had lunch at an excellent restaurant by the beach in the Golden Zone.

Cabo San Lucas

Since it was a short day there we opted for a ship tour "Santa Maria cove sail and snorkel" This was also a great tour with a wonderful crew on a large catamaran. Thousands of fish and clear water. Snacks and drinks. Well worth the price.

Getting home and disembarking was also quick and easy. Well organized. Hotel Shuttle back to our car and the drive home.

Dixon:cool:

Last time we were there we took a taxi to Red Hook and then the ferry to St John. Rented a jeep and drove around the island stopping at Cinnamon Bay (much less crowded than Trunk Bay) and other interesting places.

Just remember to drive on the left side.

Taking the taxi and ferry is less time consuming than the ferry from the cruise ship port. (and much nicer if the waves are up! These are small ferries)

We were a group of 4 so this worked out well with the rental jeep.

Finally, I lived on St John for a year back in the early '70s so was familiar with the island. It has changed very little since most of the island is National park.

One of my all time favorite places.

Dixon

We are definitely looking forward to seeing it on the Crown in about 3 weeks.

Dixon

The fact that the balcony is uncovered is a plus and for some perhaps a minus.

Plus: great view of the sky and stars at night. Better view of everything in general at any time.

Minus: if you have a problem with the sun, not good, but of course the pool decks would also not be good. There are things you should not do on the balcony like sunbathing san clothes.

Also some things better left to the privacy of the cabin. :eek:

Reality is that there are better things to do than stare down at you from above. It rarely happens. We had one of these for our Grand med cruise and rarely saw anyone above looking down, and then only for a moment. There are more interesting things to stare at on the pool decks on a sunny day. :cool:

JMHO, Dixon

This is sad news indeed. Our 10 day Polynesian cruise on the then Tahitian Princess stands as my personal favorite and was hoping to repeat it again someday. It was truly amazing and I loved that ship.

Dixon:(

Thanks to all of you for your responses. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I was hoping for something like 150% but it seems that is very unlikely. I do certainly understand that the likelihood is greatly reduced if the cruise is looking like it will be a sell out.

Dixon:cool:

We have a friend that is interesting in joining us for our Mexican Rivera cruise on the Crown in December. An inside is available and going for about $410 PP. Does anyone know how much more a single pays as a solo? I would assume that is it not double but somewhere in between, I appreciate your help with this. I have looked through the Princess website for any kind of answer without success.

Hi Norris,

I have read a few of your fantastic cruise reviews in the past but it has been a while since I stumbled on one from you. I knew that you were going to take this cruise from reading a past review but had forgotten when and had not been looking for it.

That said, this is the best one yet, from what I have seen so far. You set the bar very high. Only Sailor Jack comes close from what I have seen.

Truly Italy is a special place and we hope to return some day. Your latest photos are amazing and the videos add a nice touch. Looking forward to following this to its completion. Thanks for all of the work you put into this. I hope someday we will meet, perhaps on another cruise.

Dixon:cool:

Just another reason I won't be booking a Carnival Cruise anytime in the foreseeable future. :eek:

It depends on where you want to go and what you want to see.

Compared to many on here, we have not been on that many cruises, but we also have a very nice RV and like visiting some of the fantastic State and National parks in the western US. (so far)

Our goal is to see and experience as much of this amazing world as we can in our lifetime. So far our only trip to Europe was on a Grand Mediterranean cruise which was amazing. I don't think there is any way that we could

have seen so much at so many amazing places any other way than on this cruise. That said my wife is not a great fan of sea days so when we go to Hawaii, we rent a house for the time we are there. We do prefer any island but Oahu.

Our next trip to Europe will include London, Paris and Switzerland. The most practical way to do that is not on a cruise, so it will be planes and trains and car.

Like I said, It depends on what you want to experience. There is no wrong answer.

Nice, My experience with GTY bookings has been very good as well. Some people never want to book them and would rather pay more to insure their cabin of choice, but I will continue to book them in the future. :cool: