cruisinsince75

We went with Premier package, since my DW usually drinks Champagne and that is covered with Premier.  I also like some of the reds that are on both packages, so I figured I can try some different wines from different regions than what I normally drink.  I like more of a full body wine.  I also loathe signing chits.

3 hours ago, nanarena said:

We have stayed at the Galvez and Doubletree. They had shuttles to the ship with a relatively small fee.

 

Same for the Moody Gardens Hotel.  

19 minutes ago, MissP22 said:

I'm not sure of the percentages but there are quite a few who choose to skip it. It's not the best beach day, so why bother when you've got the ship almost to yourself with the same lunch served at the buffet, without the flies. 

Liked "without the flies".

1 hour ago, Srbucket said:

Hi all, 

Thanks you for taking the time to help me with this question. Fairly new cruiser here, it will be my 4th. I consider the crew access doors to be where crew goes in and out for luggage, room service, room cleaning, and those types of activities. We will be sailing on the Ruby Princess room D408. Thank you again. 

Looks like a great location.  Mid ship, close to mid ship elevators.  It does have white space across the hall, but impossible to tell if there are crew doors near you.  I will say however, we have been next to crew doors on other ships and it was never an issue.

15 minutes ago, PalmHarborCruiser said:

I am also feeling the pain of trying to get information from the 800 number. Not only are they impossible to understand they have 15 people behind them talking at the same time making it even more difficult to understand them. So I did as suggest and requested a CVP, this isn't any better. Same hard to understand individual with a zillion people talking behind them, I'm am so beyond frustrated at this point.

I had a similar experience with customer service line.  Had to ask them several times to repeat what they were saying.  Ultimately, I was told that my booking could not be re-fared.  Same happened on chat.  Finally got a CVP and he got it all sorted out.

On 2/13/2024 at 11:57 AM, Rick&Jeannie said:

Yep...Carnival cards are "Carnival only".  Get the Princess cards for Princess cruises.  (We've done so MANY times and saved a TON.)

 

With the exception of the deposit, I have fully paid 2 cruises now with gift cards.

 

OK, I am really ignorant on this.  How do you do this and how much do you save?

On 2/12/2024 at 4:54 PM, Rick&Jeannie said:

And here's a very important note!  If you even *think* that you may be using wifi calling at any time (EVER!) just set it up NOW.  Do it and test it at home.  Some carriers *seem* to have a special provisioning method that *may* not work if attempted on a ship.  There is absolutely NO downside to leaving wifi calling enable ALL THE TIME!  I do...I've never had any issues and if you happen to need it on board...well, you're all set up.

 

To test at home.  Turn on wifi calling

Turn on airplane mode

Make a call or two...have someone call your number...send some texts.

 

Learn something new everyday!  

38 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Didn't Azamara buy Princess' Pacific Princess and call it Quest?  So sad to hear this news.  Pandemic caused me to miss my booked sailing on the Pacific Princess.

Yes they did buy the formerly R-class Pacific Princess, but it is the AZ Onward.  The Quest and Journey were the R-class original ships to sail as Azamara ships under the Celebrity umbrella.  They just recently acquired a fourth Renaissance ship from P&O and it is called the Pursuit.     

59 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

There are 3 dining rooms available...not sure why @cruisinsince75 says only 2 are available to book.  Perhaps just another app glitch (if they were trying to do so via the app.)  You *should* be able to book all 3 (assuming there is an open time slot...)

I did mine on the web version and only got the two options to reserve for our November cruise.  Checked it just now on the old app version and all three options are there.  Very weird.  

On 2/11/2024 at 2:05 PM, NavyVeteran said:

I don't have experience with your specific group. DW always goes to the knitting group on board. On one cruise, they didn't have it scheduled. She asked at Guest Services, and it was scheduled within two days. I believe it would probably be the same for any other group.

If you ask at Guest Services, you may want to request a specific location - or at least not to schedule you at a bar that is open during your meeting.

On one of our Silversea cruises, it was in a bar, but no bartender.  Our friend wandered in to get a drink and all the liquor was pushed to one side, which he thought was strange.  Since the cruise was all inclusive, he figured it to be a self service bar.  So he poured himself a drink.  He saw a group there and asked if anyone else wanted one, and they looked at him oddly  Later that day, he told us what happened and then asked, BTW what is Friends of Bill W?  He had no idea.

The only two that I have found for the Regal that you can book ahead are the Concerto and Symphony.  

Neither one are private.  They are not covered and the cabin up above can look down to yours.  They do have two loungers.  

Is one better than the other?  Also which one if any are easier to navigate?  My wife and I both require the use of mobility scooters, so a more secluded area that is easy to get to is a real plus.  On Seabourn it was a breeze.  We had a table that was by the back entrance to the dining room and could park our scooters very close to our table.

Sorry, just to correct my mistake, on Princess it is called EZ check.  It is Luggage Direct on Holland and Luggage Valet on Celebrity

As i understand it, there is also Luggage Direct.  They will collect your luggage in FLL from the airline and deliver it to your stateroom.  I believe the cost is $35.  They will do the reverse on the return.  You put the bags out the night before disembarking and won't touch them again until you collect them at your home airport.  

I got it.  I was actually responding to Fitzroy post #11 and #19 calling it Luggage Forward.

Just to clear some confusion.  Luggage Direct is different from Luggage Forward.  Luggage Direct is from your stateroom to the airline direct and you collect your baggage at your home airport.  Luggage Forward is from your home to the ship or from your ship to your home.

15 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

@cruisinsince75 are you asking about Luggage Direct from FLL to your home airport or Luggage Forward to your house?

We use Luggage Direct from FLL to DFW every time our cruise ends there. Last time was Dec 2023 Nieuw Statendam (last month) on an FCO->FLL TA, flying American Airlines FLL to DFW. The process works flawlessly - we get the special luggage tags in our disembarkation packet, put bags in hallway by midnight like everyone else and don't touch them again until we grab them from the (extremely slow) baggage claim at DFW.

I have not used Luggage Forward, so cannot comment on it.

 

 

Yes, Luggage Direct.  I thought I remembered you posting about it on your Live From NS Rome to FLL thread.  Thanks for confirming.

On 1/30/2024 at 12:40 PM, DCThunder said:

American refused to accept our bags for check in until 4 hours before the flight began boarding.  This was Terminal 3 and we were flying first class.  Unfortunately EZ Check wasn't available for this cruise, because it was a trans-Atlantic.

Oh no!  I wonder if it is the same with HAL.  We have a TA booked for next year and fly home on American and was hoping to use Luggage Direct.  Same as Princess EZ check.  My wife and I both use mobility scooters and handling luggage is a real struggle.  🤞

We have booked a TA crossing FCO to FLL and will be flying home on American.  Is luggage direct service available?  We are both mobility challenged and use scooters and this would be a huge benefit for us.  

On 1/28/2024 at 4:37 AM, jennybenny said:

Brave!! 
I’ve definitely taken wine that made it safely. I like all the packaging you did! That likely helped. I’m never that careful when traveling with wine, probably should be. I usually wrap it in clothes. Going to Mexico next month and want to take a couple of bottles. I need to get bubble wrap! 

We take these.  Always protects them in luggage.  https://www.amazon.com/Jet-Bag-Bold-ABSORBANT-Protective/dp/B004FLK2IU/ref=asc_df_B004FLK2IU/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198066647039&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13395757444212802714&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1026607&hvtargid=pla-391437135086&mcid=dbe556fc8d753d60962fded9f1e5508e&gclid=CjwKCAiA_OetBhAtEiwAPTeQZ_1qrJPXcPXSarPivr-GhNVYttYnFeMa4rsfbPIj4bHl-24B57NXvxoCRckQAvD_BwE&th=1

EZ check if you can.  Princess will know if available for your flight.  If available, they will issue your boarding passes, collect your luggage the night before and ship it to the airport and you won't see it until you arrive at your home airport.

7 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

The suggestion from @PacnGoNow probably points you in the right direction...(I'm not familiar with the new app and I don't have any bookings right now.)  An alternative method would be to check on a desktop/laptop/tablet at Princess.com.  Log in to your booking. In the "Cruise Personalizer" (on the first *Summary* tab...NOT Dining) scroll down just a bit until you see:

 

 

Find the Dining section here and you may really like the manner in which all of your reservations are laid out for you.  In my opinion...this is the way to go with dining reservations!  It's the *only* way that I book...

We do exactly the same.  I don't worry to much what the app says.  So much easier.  

10 hours ago, Gwendy said:

The wonderful thing about cruising is there is a right time for everyone.  What suits one doesn’t suit all.

So true!  Our travel mates have very different schedules from us.  They are early risers and we are not, they are early to bed, and we stay up late.  They like to eat dinner 5:00-5:30 and we like to dine around 7:30.  On our upcoming Regal cruise we have booked a table in the CG a couple of nights for 6:30, which we agreed was a good compromise.  The other nights we will be on our own.