silversneakers

On 5/13/2019 at 7:51 PM, silversneakers said:

Haven't received my bonus card either but I did receive an email saying they were very backed up with the promo and would get back to me as soon as they could.

Bought mt $1K card on 5/12 and received my digital bonus card on 5/15.

On 5/7/2019 at 9:06 PM, Eaglecw said:

My DW wife and I are going on cruise to Alaska in June on the Ruby out of Pier 91, we do this every year. We are both elite and have priority boarding. This year we are taking another couple with us who have never cruised before, Blue cards, cruise virgins. I get the feeling that they are scared about the whole embarkation process. Would it be possible for us to be their tour guide, escort and have them check in at the same time we check in and have them board at the same time we do?  

 

You earned your status just as everyone else that has achieved that level and deserve any and all perks.  However, if every couple brought another 2, 3 or 4 people and wanted that same privilege for their guests, it dilutes the integrity of the program. I know they at times make concessions for elderly parents traveling with you or minor children traveling in another cabin.

On 5/12/2019 at 5:49 PM, Cruise2End said:

Can anyone who has recently used both lines for cruises advise me of the differences between the two lines.  We have been on NCL, Celebrity, and Princess - mostly Princess.   We have an upcoming cruise with Costa and just curious what to expect.   Anyone out there with experience on both Princess and Costa?   Would love your feedback.

We did a Costa cruise out of Stockholm about 2 years ago.  There were about a dozen Americans on the cruise and the rest mostly from Italy and Spain. It was just okay and I personally would not sail with them again.  The pricing was right and it fit our schedule before we boarded a Holland America Cruise in Amsterdam.

53 minutes ago, shanecindy21403 said:

I got my 1000 gift card on Thursday. Still no bonus card. I've checked my spam and nothing there. She did say another department handles the bonus card. I've sent 2 emails to the support dept no answer so I'll be calling tomorrow.

Haven't received my bonus card either but I did receive an email saying they were very backed up with the promo and would get back to me as soon as they could.

Do you think Princess will offer a Father's Day Gift card with bonus??

On 4/29/2019 at 4:50 PM, Love2cruise77 said:

Email titled: Pick the gift that lets Mom cruise!

 

Code: MOM50

 

Get $50 when you buy $1000.  Just got one and it worked. 😁

When reading the terms, it seems that the $1000 gift card does not expire but the $50 promo gift card must be used by July.  Is that how you understand it?

13 minutes ago, bambidrummer said:

Has anyone every gotten to the port and asked for an upgrade and gotten it?  Was it a casino rate upgrade?  I really would like a balcony, but the only casino rate left was a window.

I would say the majority of the Ports are staffed by contractors that have no upgrade authority.  All upgrades are done by Carnival.  I believe the only thing you can do at the Port upon embarkation is pay for an upgrade if one is available.

The reason I asked if Carnival is the same as Princess is that Princess allows you to book your own flights on their website and you can change up to 45 day prior to departure if you find something less expensive (without any fees).  I like it because I am in control of my schedule and you don't pay until I make my final payment.  

On 4/15/2019 at 12:17 PM, coevan said:

We would never let anyone book our flights. There are too many variables and the cheapest flights are usually the longest layovers or crazy early departure times. We want to control our seats, what time we depart, the shortest flights and layovers if necessary. 

On 4/11/2019 at 11:03 PM, TNcruising02 said:

She wants to singlehandedly take down an entire company.  When a person or people who work for a large company commit crimes, those people are prosecuted and/or the company pays a huge fine. A judge doesn't take down the entire company and punish everyone.  It's crazy.  I think the judge is on a power trip and it's an irrational threat.

Hopefully, reasonable and appropriate measures will prevail that will make those in charge and those responsible accountable so that something like this does not happen again.

I think Carnival will be tasked with undertaking the funding of a huge environmental program managed by the States or some worldwide organization...but not managed by Carnival.  

48 minutes ago, Top_of_the_Cube said:

In my opinion, after being put on probation, the responsibility at the very top is to either come up with or approve:  1) a plan to stop the offending activity immediately and prevent further violations;  2)  implementation of monitoring procedures and internal audits to verify compliance with the plan;  and, 3)  a review process to determine the effectiveness of the plan and identify any changes that need to be made.

 

Not doing these things, in my mind, would make the top company chiefs individually criminally responsible for violating probation.

 

If it can be documented that these actions were taken (with no wink-wink to subordinates), then investigation needs to be conducted down the chain as to who were responsible for falsifying records and data, and who performed the illegal activity.

 

Before charging any of the ship's crew, I would want to know if they were trained properly and could be reasonably expected to understand the legality of their actions.

 

In any case, the company needs to be hit hard, with the more severe sanctions being implemented depending on how high up it goes.

 

I believe there will be sanctions and fines. But, be prepared for an "environmental fee" attached to each and every cruise fare.

31 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

I just want compensation if my sailing gets canceled!

That's what insurance is for......

Anyone know if Carnival air program is the same as the Princess EZ Air program?

Remember, there is always two sides to the story!

On 3/27/2019 at 8:18 PM, EmilyColwell said:

Taking the Star for a 15 day cruise in October/19 to Hawaii and have never been on her before.

 

Curious what everyone's experience in the past has been with her, and any tips/must do/must sees while i'm on her.

 

Thanks again everyone!

Only 194 days to go! 😎

Never sailed on her but I understand she is being sold to P&O Cruise Line but don't know when.

On 3/4/2019 at 5:17 PM, CruisingJoe09 said:

Sailing out of Port Canaveral on Harmony in July. I haven't sailed from there before, and given that it is known to be a port where many drive in, I'm guessing that it will be a mostly American demographic.

 

Coming from Scotland, I'm slightly worried that I'll be an outsider on this ship. It felt like that on Anthem a few years ago where almost every guest was from NY/NJ. Sailing out of Barcelona on the Symphony last year was nice since no particular nationality dominated the ship, it felt like a good mix of cultures.

 

Anyone who has sailed the Canaveral 7 nighters, what is the typical demographic like?

Probably lots of US families as it is summer vacation for the kids.

Anyone know if Princess offers Stevia (natural sweetener) on board or should I bring my own?

On the website when you select the canned soda package it does say you can select which ones you would like but I don't see where it allows that option when ordering. Has anyone had any experience with this?

2 hours ago, TheRabbit said:

You need to read the small print on those. Some only provide transportation too the nearest hospital, not home.

Fortunately, our annual policy does cover medical repatriation.

19 hours ago, Andy49 said:

HI there. We are going on our first cruise ever. Pushing 70 years old soon. We took out the platinum protection Plan with Princess Cruises. Has anyone had any experience with this good or bad? I would love to be more prepared for the what ifs.. lol. Please comment if you can.. Thank you.

If you travel a lot in a year, you might want to consider an Annual Travel Policy.  My husband and I have done this for the past few years and fortunately we have never had to use it but we do have peace of mind in just knowing we have it.

On 3/16/2019 at 9:21 AM, crows nest club said:

Just noticed that the bottled water package has been removed from the on board reservations section on the Cruise personaliser. Just wondered if it was a UK blip or is it a general thing?  Could be they are upgrading prices.

On Princess website:

For pre-cruise purchase ONLY through Cruise Personalizer. Package is not currently offered on Sea and Sun Princess or Diamond, Emerald or Golden Princess voyages departing from and returning to Australia and New Zealand

4 hours ago, gatour said:

Thanks for your report.  It was well thought out

 

However, to say that the crew were upset because they would be be losing tips for that day, is a jump to a conclusion that may not be warranted.  To do a deep clean it is an all hands on decks and everything needs to be wiped down.  All linens including the bedspreads, need to be washed down or otherwise treated.  This is a very labor intensive process, so it makes for a long day for everyone involved.

I don't believe it was the tips but the enormous amount of sanitizing that is required before the CDC allows the ship to sail. 

Just a further note, Edinburgh is extremely crowded during the Tattoo and they usually have the Fringe Festival during the same time. We attended the Tattoo last year and opted to spend the night in Edinburgh after the Tattoo and thus were able to enjoy another day (walking) before heading back to the ship. We opted for a private tour the day of the Tattoo and we found it helpful as they know the "ins and outs" of traffic patterns during this hectic time.

Last year we used Go Scotland Tours  www.goscotlandtours.com.  They do tailor-made or regular small tour groups.  Mike O'Rourke, Managing Director & Tourist Guide was fantastic.  They also have a Facebook page  under goscotlandtours.  Hope this helps.

21 hours ago, Worldtraveler 4727 said:

Hello All~

I posted this on the British Isles site, 43 views so far, but no responses😢

I'm re-posting here hoping for some help.

We are two couples looking for a recommended SMALL tour company --or individual person--to show us Edinburgh and area.

We are not interested in visiting Stirling Castle or Loch Lomand since we will have done that already, so possibly Trossachs Natl Park, and touring the highlights of the city of Edinburgh a bit. 

Is there any other particular places/areas that we should consider visiting in and around Edinburgh?

Most importantly: Is there a particular company or individual that someone can recommend for the four of us?

Thanks in advance!