kendon

I'm not sure, and it has nothing to do with the current virus issues.  It has everything to do with the decline in the general cruise experience...shows, food, and cleanliness.  I'd like to see Princess return putting more effort in the very things that had me leaving in the first place...after over 25 cruises with them.

4 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

I think you can for medical but it won't cover any pre-existing conditions and of course, no cancellation insurance.  I remember you used to be able to buy it right at the airport.  

Yes!  I remember it being offered at the airport also....very cheap!

Are you able to get insurance that long after the cruise is booked??  Let us know what happens.

Deleted

11 hours ago, trajan said:

Almost booked a last minute cruise for our Florida trip in a couple weeks. So glad now that I didn’t. Given what we know now I would not forgive myself if I took my family on a cruise and we ended up quarantined or infected. Have enjoyed cruising in the past and hope to cruise again in the future but it’s gonna be a while.

Yes, it's gonna be a while...

1 hour ago, Minya said:

Vlog 68 posted tonight an hour or so ago  David himself speaking cheerfully from hospital now hes connected at last:)

7 minutes ago, kent9xxx1 said:

 

Who is in charge of disembarkation?  Princess or Japan?  

Good question.

I'm confused....where will the remainder of the passengers be staying who are being released?

Yes, imagine just sitting in your stateroom all day waiting for the next "bomb"

to drop.  

I'm not sure why the entry fee would be different for cruise ship passengers since you are going on your own by taxi.  It is a very interesting place!!

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Jerusalem is a very special place and folks have their differing priorities based on their own background.  As an ole Jewish "boy" I was simply blown away by the Wailing Wall and had some difficulty controlling my emotions.  DW, on the other hand, who is a Catholic, did not have a lot of feeling for that wall, but she was blown away when we followed the walk through the Stations of the Cross.   When we took a small group tour over to Bethlehem we were both blown away (in thought, not for real).  Our guide, who we picked up at the entrance to the West Bank was a West Bank Christian who was friends with the curator of the Church of the Nativity.  So when we went inside that structure his friend (who had all the keys) took us into some areas of the facility not normally visited by tourists.  It was all quite surreal and moving.  Bottom line is that we will return (for at least a week).  But the best decision we made in Israel was joining with a few others (thanks to the CC Roll Call) to do 3 day private tour (our guide followed us to the next port).  Driving around in a small mini-bus with only a dozen folks and having a guide who was an ex California resident who emigrated to a Kibbutz in Israel, was too perfect.  If we had been there on the Sabbath it certainly would have crimped our style (and tour).

 

Hank

I lived in Israel in the '70s for one year on a kibbutz and went back for three weeks last October.  I can't get enough as I plan on going back this coming October.  I also was in a mini-bus with 9 people and an amazing guide.  A guide with a good plan is essential as there is SO much to see and learn.   This last trip I spent quite a bit of time in Palestine, and one day in the Aida refugee camp.  Glad to hear you did a three day private tour away from the cruise.  Yes, the OP needs to choose another cruise date to get the most out of her itinerary.

On 12/30/2019 at 12:13 PM, Hlitner said:

We agree with the thoughts of the OP.  Over the years we have seen many cruises when the timing of a visit to certain ports was very unfortunate in terms of tourism.  Consider that many cruises will have you going to Rome on a Sunday when the Vatican Musuems are closed (except for one Sunday per month).  We have also seen cruises going to Istanbul on the day when Topkapi was closed.   The reality of traveling in Europe is that Sundays and Monday mornings will often find many closures.  In Muslim countries you might have closure issues on Fridays.    We also heard a lady lose her cool (and scream at a Guest Relations rep) because she was on a ship that was docked in Antigua on a Sunday when most of the stores were closed.  I guess it never occurred to her that it was her decision to book that particular cruise.  Another calendar problem can be trying to rent a car on Sundays in certain ports (especially France and Italy).

 

My advice to the OP is to simply choose a different date for your cruise or even a different cruise line (if necessary to avoid Israel on the Sabbath).   There are plenty of cruses that go to the Holy land...so choose one that works best with the calendar.

 

Hank

Agree with this post!  Choose a different date.  I love Jerusalem and you would be missing too much if you limit your visit to the Muslim Quarter in the Old City.

I think it's a good idea.

On 11/23/2019 at 7:43 PM, weedpindle said:

Well, knowing that the menu varies each day how do you expect to know what they will have on any particular day?

For many years the first day at the Horizon Court was generally the same for each cruise.  There were things I looked forward to on embarkation day such as blintzes, fried scallops, hearts of palm salad....all of which have been "removed from rotation" according to the staff.  Things have changed drastically the last couple of years (for the worse) so I don't know what they offer now.

Well, let's face it...Princess is NOT what it once was.  I realize very few things are, but after 26 Princess cruises the changes are enough for me to look elsewhere.  I've been enjoying land trips lately.  Go for it so you can make the decision for yourself.  Enjoy.

It's not a restaurant, more like a snack bar with several tables and chairs.  You can take the sandwiches and pastries anywhere on the ship.

On 11/29/2018 at 6:35 PM, zwho said:

Oh my, do I have a Petra story, along with about 600 other cruisers!  I did get to Petra.  I ended up taking the ships shore excursion at a cost of 200 euros.  It was awful, but that may have been because of the weather.  There was a flood at Petra and we should never have been let in. Our tour guides basically dissappeared and we were on our own for hours and hours!  Of course since it was a ships tour the ship could not leave us and we were probably over 2 hour late getting aback to the ship.  My friend did get a taxi and got there and back in plenty of time, and there were plenty of taxis at the Pier and at Petra.  The ship kept our passports, which I was uneasy about.  It all worked out, but it was a bad day!

Oh no!  I was there two weeks before the flood.  What a disaster it was.  Petra is an amazing place to visit...so sorry you had a bad experience.  

On 5/19/2019 at 11:56 AM, TLCOhio said:

Sad to hear.  From CNN news network this morning, they had this headline: “Egypt explosion injures tourists near Giza pyramids”  with these highlights: “At least 14 people were injured in an explosion that targeted a tourist bus carrying 25 South African citizens. A device exploded near the bus, Ahram reported, while the windshield of another vehicle was damaged. The blast took place outside the yet-to-be-opened Grand Egyptian Museum, near the Giza pyramids.   Egypt's Minister of Tourism Rania A. Al Mashat called it a 'minor explosion' in a Twitter post. 'Of the 28 passengers on the bus we can confirm some minor injuries with three being treated at the hospital as a precaution,' she wrote.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/19/africa/egypt-museum-blast-tourists-intl/index.html

 

THANKS!  Terry in Ohio

 

For latest live/blog, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

I had friends their the day this happened...they heard the blast from their hotel.  They felt uneasy.  As Americans, they were offered more security while traveling than most other groups.  I travel regularly to Israel and Jordan, but will leave Egypt off my list for a while.  

10 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Supposed to have at least 6 months left on them when you cruise.

It is a cruise line thing.

Better get them renewed.

Not just a cruise line thing.  If you get stranded for any reason while away, you need that 6 month buffer of a valid passport.  I just renewed my passport and it took 5 weeks.  Do it NOW and you'll be fine.

As many Beatles tribute bands I've seen...and I've seen a lot...the Beatle Maniacs are truly the best out there!!  

On 8/23/2019 at 10:21 PM, ShawninFL said:

Everyone just needs to break down and get a passport.  Although you can do closed loops to the Caribbean from the US with a birth certificate and a state ID, it's not advisable.  In the event of an emergency, if you do not have a passport, you are very limited as to what you can do.  Emergency back home and no passport, can't fly home.  Unexpected illness or injury that causes you or travel companion to have to leave sailing for land based care, you will have a bureaucratic hill to climb with the local consulate to get you a passport so you can travel home.  Yes, these are highly unlikely, but if they happen, the last thing you want to have to deal with is figuring out how you're going to get home.

YES, EXACTLY.  Great post.

On 8/21/2019 at 2:26 PM, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Do you carry your passports now on your most recent cruise?  I was told if one never intend to go ashore, a passport is not needed.

 

You never know what may occur that you would have to disembark leaving you illegally in a country not your own.  Always travel with a passport.

5 hours ago, clo said:

Ditto.  I recently ordered a really, really small item from a very nice store that we don't have here. It came in a cardboard big enough to hold probably 50 of that item.  They heard from me 😞

https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/t/why-do-small-items-ship-in-big-boxes/403       Interesting Amazon message board about small items shipping in large boxes...entertaining.

On 8/19/2019 at 4:03 PM, ORV said:

It's all a feel good thing. 

 

You want to know the real problem? Packaging, when Corporations get serious about reducing the amount of packaging they use then I'll pay attention to what they have to say. 

Absolutely!!

On 8/19/2019 at 3:20 PM, clo said:

Of the three things, in order of importance it's reuse, repurpose or recycle.

 

Straws are a problem.  So they're part of the problem.  The list is long.  Start with the easy stuff if you wish.  Like plastic straws.

 

I was just unloading the dishwasher.  Here are four straws that I brought home with me.  They came in drinks.  The long ones are plastic and the short ones are paper.

Don't forget "reduce", then reuse and recycle.  Getting rid of it where possible is the first step...hence the straw ban.