JimAOk1945

Did you notice whether anyone was taking pictures at the reception with their cell phones or camera?

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Did you notice whether anyone was taking pictures with their cell phones or camera?

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Our very first cruise is coming up in 4 weeks. Just curious about the references to a "hump cabin." What is that?

There are several pictures of the balcony including the end of the slideshow which shows a couple of pictures she took from the tender looking up at the balcony. It gives you a better view of the bump out shape.

Happy Travels wherever you go. Cruising is a fantastic way to travel and see the world.

http://nancysoasis.com/2012OS/2012OS.html

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Spam sushi...Spam at McDonald's...yeah they love their spam there.

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Spam is still popular in Hawaii. I know this for a fact being born and raised there.

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A few years ago pants suits were acceptable for ladies. I would suggest that you bring an overcoat if it is raining. The night we went it poured the entire show but we had our football stadium ponchos and no problem. We sat in the row right in front of the box and had perfect viewing. I had friends that attended the Princess tour that you are interested in and they had a wonderful time and booked it because of his wife having walking difficulties.

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My wife and I took the British Isles cruise on the Caribbean Princess in August 2017. We went to the Tattoo from the port of Greenock on the other side of the island past Glasgow. We were a party of eight on this cruise - four brothers and our wives. One brother and sister-in-law and my wife and I had reserved the Edinburgh Tattoo with Private Seating and Reception excursion. My other two brothers and sisters-in-law took one of the other Princess Tattoo excursions.

 

 

I will try to answer your questions. Since I am answering mostly from memory, I'm not absolutely sure about all of the answers.

 

We met on the ship at a designated time. I believe we met and left the ship about one half hour later than the other Tattoo excursions.

Our group was in a smaller minibus - not a full size bus. The bus took us up to the castle entrance - very close to the lift (elevator for Americans) to the Royal Gallery. There was very little walking.

 

The other Princess Tattoo excursions were in full size buses that parked at the bottom of the Royal Mile. They had a long walk up hill to get to the castle and another long walk at the end of the Tattoo to get back to the bus parking lot.

This was one of the reasons I booked this excursion. My wife has walking difficulties. She walks slowly, uses a cane, and tires when walking long distances. Although the Tattoo allows people with disabilities to be taken up to the castle, Princess did not have an excursion available for people with disabilities. The Edinburgh Tattoo with Private Seating and Reception, however, was very suitable for people with walking difficulties.

We had one problem on the night we went however. The lift to the Royal Gallery was broken, so we had to use the stairs to climb to the Royal Gallery. They offered people who could not handle the stairs alternative seats on the ground level, and I believe Princess adjusted the excursion costs for those people who take advantage of that offer. My wife did manage to climb the steps, so we didn't take the alternative seats. I would not expect you to have the same problem. The lift was very close to where we entered and returned to the minibus, and at the top it was very close to the Royal Gallery itself.

We were able to leave the ship a half hour after the other Tattoo excursions because they had to provide time to walk up the Royal Mile. Also we were able to go to the reception and then leave and get back to the ship when the others did because we did not have to walk back down the Royal Mile.

We each received a ticket with an assigned seat. They gave us the tickets on the bus as we were traveling to Edinburgh. Since we had two couples traveling together, we told them and they gave us tickets next to each other. To make sure, if you are traveling with anyone else (other than someone in the same cabin), I recommend you tell the Shore Excursions people in advance.

The view was perfect. We could not always see details of individual performers, but you can always take binoculars. Many of the performances were large production shows that you really would not appreciate as well at ground level.

 

Also everything was aimed at the end where we were seating, so we were looking at the front of the performance - not at the side. We were seating about six seats away from the Salute Taker - a military officer in uniform who stood and returned salutes from the performers in each group.

I believe the reception had drinks and some refreshments, but I can't really remember what. The Producer of the show talked about the show, including information about how the groups were selected and how everyone prepared. We also had a piper who gave a short performance at the reception.

Yes. The reception was held in a small entrance area outside the doors to the Royal Gallery. We went through that area on our way in and on our way out. There were restrooms just outside that area. These restrooms were not available to the general attendees, so we did not have the waits that others may have had.

We each received a program book, a scarf in the Tattoo tartan, and a few other items I forget.

The Tattoo was fantastic. Even though this excursion was expensive, I don't regret it at all. When you consider how much we paid for the cruise and for the airline tickets from the United States, the additional cost for this excursion was not really that much. We scheduled this cruise in August specifically for the Tattoo - it was the reason we were there, and we wanted to see it right. This is not something we would do everyday, and we probably wouldn't go back to the Royal Gallery if we go back to the Tattoo, but it was definitely worth it to us for our first time to see the Tattoo.

 

Note that you will need to wear a suit and tie for men and equivalent dress for women. The military officers in that section were all wearing their dress uniforms.

 

It rained some while we were watching the Tattoo. Umbrellas are not allowed in the Tattoo, since they would prevent others from seeing and would drop water on your neighbors. You could carry them in, since you could use them for the walk up and back. I saw ushers respond very quickly to anyone who opened an umbrella. That was not a problem in the Royal Gallery however. Even though it is open to the front, the Royal Gallery is fully covered. That does make it somewhat more comfortable if it rains - or I should say when it rains (since we are in Scotland in August).

We are looking forward to seeing the Tattoo next year. I think it will be the highlight of the cruise.

One more question. Did you notice any of the attendees carrying and using their cameras or phones to take pictures?

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Have you checked out the FAQs on the Tattoo website? It might answer some of your questions regarding the Royal Gallery & champagne reception: https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/hospitality/frequently-asked-questions

There is also some info on Tripadvisor regarding the dress code. You can also post your queries on TA (Scotland forum) and hopefully a local can answer some of your questions. I assume that the cruise tour is the same as the offering through the Tattoo website.

The following addresses the dress code:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g186525-i108-k10456702-Dress_code_for_Royal_Gallery_at_the_Edinburgh_Tattoo-Edinburgh_Scotland.html

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Just do it! We did it in the Royal boxes and had absolutely no regrets! It was so memorable! Just do it! We chose seats in the back as protection against the rain, and we saw everything perfectly! Just do it! You will love it!!!

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Hello everyone!

I have posted this question in the Britain Port of Call section, but since we are booked on a Princess cruise, I thought someone here might have some information to share.

My wife and I will be taking a British Isles cruise next August to celebrate our anniversary. We are planning to attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

We will have seats in the Royal Gallery and attend the reception following the program. According to the Princess website, this excursion is called the Edinburgh Tattoo with Private Seating & Reception

The cruise website excursion description doesn't answer my specific questions. I'd love to hear anyone's experiences with this excursion. Feel free to go into as much detail as you wish. I've searched Cruise Critic and the internet for several hours but can't find personal reviews from anyone who took this specific excursion.

Also, here are a few questions that came to mind:

Did you disembark the ship in a group and then board a bus or meet at the pier?

How close to castle did the bus take you?

Did you have assigned seats?

Did you have a good view of the entire performance or were you too far away?

What was the Reception like?

Were the restrooms nearby?

What did you receive in your “Gift Bag?”

I know next August is along way off, but I like to plan ahead especially for a special occasion like the Tattoo. Thanks in advance for your help.

Hello everyone! My wife and I will be taking a British Isles cruise next August to celebrate our anniversary. We are planning to attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. We will have seats in the Royal Gallery and attend the reception following the program.

The cruise website excursion description doesn't answer my specific questions. I'd love to hear anyone's experiences with this excursion. Feel free to go into as much detail as you wish. I've searched Cruise Critic and the internet for several hours but can't find personal reviews from anyone who took this specific excursion.

I know next August is along way off, but I like to plan ahead especially for a special occasion like the Tattoo. Thanks in advance for your help.

We haven't had a wrap around yet. Maybe next time!

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Just picked up this beauty in black...then found it at JCPenney in 2 prints & navy...we shall see when they come.

I am NOT a dress person, BUT this is SUPER comfy & SUPER flattering. Dress it up or down, and will pack beautifully.

https://www.jcpenney.com/p/msk-sleeveless-shift-dress-plus/ppr5007616628?pTmplType=regular&catId=SearchResults&searchTerm=msk&productGridView=medium&N=418%204294923943&selectedSKUId=22447940034&facetSelected=size

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I don't know if this helps.

https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/hospitality/frequently-asked-questions/

I was hoping to get some ideas for my wife from ladies who have actually attended the Tattoo and had purchased the Royal Gallery and Reception package.

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The pictures are great, and I appreciate you sharing. I'm finding out there's a lot more to do and see in Ketchikan than I originally thought!

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Ketchikan is very charming and has a lot to offer. On our most recent cruise, we did the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour. Maybe seeing pictures will help you decide. I'll post links below to my wife's website. Her pictures will give you an idea of what to expect.

Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour Excursion

On one of our cruises, we walked around town and then ate lunch before returning to the ship.

Ketchikan Walk About

Have fun planning!

Hello everyone! I'm posting this question for my wife. Next August we are planning to attend the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. We will have seats in the Royal Gallery and attend the reception following the program.

From what I've read, there is a "formal" dress code for those who purchase this particular excursion package. We have no problem with that as we both enjoy dressing up.

My wife was hoping to see some pictures of what you wore, or perhaps you can describe what you wore and saw the other ladies wearing.

I've searched Cruise Critic and the internet but can't find anything.

Thanks in advance for your help.

We have enjoyed being in Neptune suites twice. Once on the Maasdam for our 14 day Alaska cruise and the other was on the Westerdam for the 14 day Panama Canal transit. The experience was Wonderful! I highly recommend it.

You can see pictures of both in the links below my signature.

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Great review. We have been on three Alaska cruises on 3 different cruise lines, and plan to go back again. Our favorite was the 14 day Alaska cruise on the Maasdam. Alaska is amazing!

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I'm following along. Great start!

No, with everything factored in, I wouldn't do it. A staycation at a local luxury resort would be better for such a short duration.

We have taken 3 Alaska cruises all during the 2nd week of August. They were on Star Princess (round trip Seattle with 3 port calls), Radiance of the Seas (southbound from Seward to Vancouver with 4 port calls), and Holland America Maasdam (14 days round trip Seattle 8 port calls and 2 glacier viewing).

Seeing pictures might help you make a choice. My wife took tons for her website. I'll insert a link below to the Travel section where you can view the pictures at your leisure.

Nancy's Oasis Travel Slide Shows

Alaska is amazing!

A great excursion experience. We took a combination tour which includes a visit to the Fortress of the Bears.

If you're interested you can see pictures my wife took for her website at the link below.

http://nancysoasis.com/2016sitka/2016sitka.htm

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I'm looking forward to reading about your day in Kirkwall.

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The first formal night was Guernsey (the first full day of the cruise) and the second format night was the first sea day (between Glasgow and Kirkwall)

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