shiner6

My main concern is the humidity for such a lengthy time. Are there A/C areas on the Ferry which would allow passengers to cool off for periods during the transit? Also, the excursion description clearly states "your patience is appreciated" in reference to wait times for return to Colon to reboard the ship. I am trying to weigh my choices. I really want to do the ferry boat excursion, but am concerned about my husband being able to tolerate the wait. This thread has been very helpful for me. It is interesting to note that I happily booked this excursion months ago while I was super excited to being on this cruise. Now, I am going back and re-reading all the fine print! LOL! Perhaps I should have read it then? Live and learn.

I have the excursion booked for Lake Gatun, but I wonder if we might be better off in the Sanctuary that day instead. My husband has trouble with humidity and I cannot see him waiting in line for hours to reboard the ship. Is there anyone who has experienced this recently? I am so grateful for your posts. Very helpful in planning.

Will they take US dollars?

On all my previous Princess cruises the butter tasted the same. Even over several years, it tasted like authentic butter. I am able to taste difference no matter where the cows are fed. Just like wine. I have no problem with a mid- range red wine, it doesn't have to be "fine". Will not drink the cheap stuff.... and yes, I can tell the difference on first sip, just like real butter and that other stuff..

Today, the site is fixed and working! MY PCC emailed me. She was having the same problem at her end. We are now checked in officially! Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!

Ok, I just tried everything and it did not work. I then called Holland rep. and got the same spiel as yesterday. Finally, I called my PCC Shandra at HAL and got through! She was expecting my call through telepathy! LOL! She said that even the cruise consultants are experiencing the same problems with the website, so she is going to investigate further and get back to me. Thank you everyone for your kind suggestions! I love this online community.

OK, good to know. I am going to give this a try now! Thank you!!!!!

I am able to log on and navigate around the site. When I go to "Manage my cruise", the screen to check the boxes to declare that you have read the contract appears. I click on the boxes and this is as far as I get. The error screen shows something is wrong with my phone number in the contact info. I can go no further. My hubbie is in an IT engineer. He has tried different browsers and has told me that I need to contact a different rep. because it is a system error. (He refuses to call any cruise line, that is my responsibility, due to all kinds of website issues in the past with all cruise lines we use, lol). Does anyone have a contact that I can call or email?

I think she meant that Instead of refunding cash to her, they were offering the OBC. Doesn't sound like they were offering OBC if she kept the excursion?

SOOOO, all this quibbiling still hasn't convinced me that butter will be served. Butter is what I want, so I guess I will need to stop at a store and bring it onboard myself and cart it to every meal. If I was offered a choice, I would gladly give up the Princess deserts in my package in exchange for promises of butter.

I booked a cruise on Jan. 23. I have tried everyday to "Manage my cruise" without success. Today I called HAL and after a lengthy conversion/ explanation and multple tries of logging off and then back on per the agent's request, I was told to "try again tomorrow because it is a system error". I asked "what was going to change between now and tomorrow to enable me to complete my check in?' and she replied "Maybe try again next week". I thanked her for her help and hung up. It was obvious that she was reading answers from a scripted page of responses. I am exasperated. I tried to contact my planner, but she sends emails telling me that she is planning on calling me soon, but so far =NOTHING. I am running out of patience.

Remember, if you choose to use the card linked to your shipboard account on land purchases, that the "little" mom and pop shops suffer, as they have to pay Princess a high fee to have this service. I tried to delete my card after learning this, however, it would not let me enter the green lane. so I put in a card that I do not plan on using. Makes me seethe.

Love reading your blog every day! Thank you for your thoughtful posts. I wonder if you might answer some questions for me? I have a trip on the Ruby coming up next month and I have searched the forums, however, cannot find definitive answers. 1. Do you remember how far in advance you received your boarding time? 2. Was the butter served in the MDR real butter or a substitute? (I know this question may sound trivial to some, but it is important to me). 3. I have been unsuccessful in upgrading my cabin (sold out cruise), so am considering alternatives for viewing. Is the Sanctuary worth trying to "run" for a spot as soon as I embark, like other threads have implied? Thanks in advance for your assistance. Greatly appreciated. Gail

Your choice of balcony is very important for Norway cruises. We normally get an inside room, but for Norway we splurged on an aft balcony. We spent most of our time there. Having some shade was very helpful.

I absolutely love your blog! I am mesmerized by your talent and experience. Thank you soooo much!

We just booked our first trip to Rome and of course The Vatican is number 1 on our list to see. Can you help me decide which tour to book? What is the tour that you are going on? We will be in Rome for 5 days before our cruise in November. No mobility restrictions, but we are old. Thanks for posting!

Thank you cruisemom! I am about to book my Flights. I was thinking about flying into Naples for 3 nights, then heading to Rome on the train for 4 nights before boarding my cruise. I have been reading posts about getting tickets beforehand to the most important sites. It is great that people like you offer your advice. I like to do it for others as well. We will be there around the 2nd week in November, so we will be prepared with appropriate clothing. I love to hear the details like you provided about the bar. These are the tips that I find very helpful in planning.

We are planning on staying at the Alberto del Senato because of your great advice. My question is: Has anyone stayed during the month of November? Any tips or advice? This is our first trip to Italy. We are flying into Naples for a few nights, then on to Rome before our TA cruise.

well, I have tried everything for pre-booking dining-got charged for every single one even though the app states that 2 specialty dinners are included. The times are now gone only ones left are for 8:40-too late for me (I have GERDS). So, I just paid and hope I can clear this up once on board. I have sailed with Princess for 14 years. This simply adds another layer of aggravation pre cruise. I am hoping the rest is clear sailing.

Thank you very much! I have been going crazy trying to do this! Now, how do you make specialty dinner reservations without being charged if you have the premier package?

How did you decline to sign up for the onshore credit card on the app. I do not want it, but there is no place to opt out

This question is for those of you who have taken excursions from the ship which include Airport transfers. I am interested in taking one from my Princess sailing to FLL which includes a notice which states "this tour is for people whose flights depart after 3pm domestic or 4pm international". I have read on some posts that people had their excursions cut an hour or more because there were people who had booked earlier departure times. How frequently does this happen? I don not want to pay for a shortened excursion and I am following the rules by booking a later flight. Does this mean it is ok to book a 2pm flight and they will make sure that I get there in time?

Thanks Rick, but the short answer is "no", I have been trying to make these reservations for over over a month now. There were plenty of spots left, however, I had to pay for them, my Premier Plus package was not accepted although it was paid for. Just very confused as we have sailed with Princess many times and had not encountered this difficulty in the past.

It is a 10 day cruise to Panama Canal

Thanks for the helpful reply. My TA said that she must call and speak with Princess for the upgrade and that it is generally a toss up as many of the Princess reps. are not well informed. I will call Princess directly again.