CTGirl74

We're going on a Canada & NE cruise on MSC in a couple weeks and our Saint John excursion was just cancelled. Given it's so close to departure, there isn't much left for the ship's excursions. One is three hours:  one hours' drive each way with only and hour to explore at $65/pp; and the other is a one-hour trolley ride at $45/pp. The first one doesn't interest us given the price for what is basically a narrated bus ride 2/3 of the time and the second is expensive for the same type of ride for just one hour. I've checked the private tour operators and all the tours are either sold out or conflict with our port times in some way. I finally found a map of the port area here:   https://www.sjport.com/visiting-passengers. I asked my husband, "Take a look and let me know what you'd like to see/do." His answer was, "I guess we'll follow the dotted line" (on the map). LOL

Anyway, for those that have been there, any recommendations for what to see/do? I'm not particularly interested in renting a car, so we'd likely grab an Uber (if available) or just walk around. We're in port on a Saturday from about 10 am to 4 pm. I see there are a few museums, so that's an option (husband loves history; I like it). He loves beer. I like anything food-related, though artisan-type/specialty food is something I really prefer when I'm travelling (in other words, stuff I don't normally find or get at home). We like nature. Art isn't our thing.

Any suggestions are appreciated, as I'm coming up empty. Even though there's a map right in front of me, I find myself kind of stumped without a planned excursion.

On 8/29/2023 at 6:56 PM, ReneeFLL said:

We use these which really help with hard beds. You can make it more firm or softer with the amount of air you put in. It also rolls up into a small pouch. Have used it for about 30 cruises and still love it. Try it at home first.

 

https://klymit.gathroutdoors.com/collections/sleeping-pads

 

It arrives tomorrow! Thanks so much for the recommendation. 

13 hours ago, darwinsrule said:

 

So it sounds like this is a fleet wide issue.  Just off Meraviglia, 14 cruises and that was the most uncomforatable bed we have ever had.  Honestly sleeping on the floor might have been more comfortable.  Not a deal breaker, but given the number of cruise lines out there something to keep in mind when booking.  

Yes, this is what I'm afraid of. These days, it's definitely a deal breaker for me. My upcoming cruise is 11 nights and I would need something more than an egg crate if the bed isn't at least somewhat soft. I've decided that if it's not doable for 11 nights, I'll take an Uber to Target at the Boston port and buy my own 3 inch memory foam topper. I did that at a hotel recently when I went to a concert in Syracuse. The bed was terrible, even for two nights, so I found a Walmart and spen 84.00 on a 3 inch twin-sized memory foam topper. It wasn't big enough to cover the whole bed, but it covered my sleeping area and it worked very well. I brought it home to use on a twin bed in the guest bedroom. So, not a waste of money at all.

Thanks to both of you! Yes, I have a CPAP and yes, I have several adapters already due to a cruise I'm taking in October.

Does anyone know the electrical outlet situation in a mini suite? We're booked in cabin D328 in January. I was hoping I'd find a good cabin tour on YouTube showing the outlets, but I haven't seen any where I can clearly see the outlets.

3 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

I suggest if you need an egg crate mattress topper, you take your own.  On Seaside last week, I asked cabin attendant for en egg crate topper and what I got was a second layer of the quilted mattress topper…which was minimally helpful.  I slept better when I napped on the couch.  EM

Thanks. When they push the twin beds together to create one bed, is it queen sized or king?

I tried searching this forum, but didn't find many posts about it. I know cabin stewards will provide a mattress topper if I ask for it, but does anyone know how thick it is? Also, is it memory foam or something else? 

We'll be doing the NE & Canada cruise in October (YC), which is 11 nights out of Brooklyn on the Meraviglia. I've had lumbar fusion and recently had hip replacement. Both have helped me a lot; however, I still struggle with bursitis in both hips (3+ years!). A firm mattress for 11 nights will be a torture device for me, even with pain meds. At home we use a Sleep Number bed, which I set at 55 (medium firmness) and my husband sets his side at 100 (concrete!). I have a three-inch memory foam mattress topper with a one-inch pillow top over that. I realize I won't get the same thing on the ship, but I'm hoping for something more than a half-inch of padding. If necessary, though, I can buy a topper when we stop in Boston (I've already mapped out the nearest Target) if what they provide isn't enough.

3 hours ago, BDL said:

The blue YC tent is circled and then the arrow is the entrance for YC.  The X is the other entrance to the terminal.  This was how it was in May.

Our cruise is in 49 days and seeing a real picture of the lot and the location of the YC tent is getting me so excited for the trip. It's our first time in YC. Also, it's my husband's first cruise and my third (both were 10 years ago). He has no idea I splurged on YC nor that we have the duplex suite. I'm thinking it's going to backfire on me...he's going to think every ship cabin is that large. LOL

I'd be interested in hearing about the gym, too. Although, I don't see myself getting there often considering seven out of 10 days are port days.

I see you have the Royal Suite. Have you been in the RS on Meraviglia? I just received an upgrade email and I'm sorely tempted to bid. I'm booked in the Duplex for Canada & NE in October. I'm trying to be logical about making a decision. We'd lose a bathroom, though that's not a huge deal. And considering it will be early to mid-October and the cabin is forward, how much will we really use the dining table on the balcony? But then there's the side of me that's distracted by shiny things:  "Ooooh, a dining table on the balcony! And if I won the bid, I'd be paying about$3,000 less than if I'd booked the RS to begin with!" 

16 hours ago, ttrmom said:

if there a spot for my husband to drop me and luggage off and then go park? Or is it easiest if we park first?

I haven't been there yet, but I found a video on YouTube that shows the terminal and how it works (previous page). When you drive in, there's a spot where you drop the luggage and then you go and park. You could just get out when you drop the luggage while your husband parks.

On 6/23/2023 at 6:17 PM, Georgia_Peaches said:

I think you'd find that the vast majority of us are just regular Joes and Janes trying to enjoy a vacation in peace...

This is me and my husband. We're sailing the Meraviglia in October (New England & Canada) in the YC duplex. It's my 3rd cruise ever (last was 10 years ago) and this is his very first. Since we've had 3+ years of garbage (me with chronic pain, fusion, and hip replacement; the pandemic; etc.), we decided to do a cruise. 

The plan was to book a balcony on Princess, if I remember correctly (this was last June). After much research and seeing how limited the Canada & NE itineraries were in terms of when we can sail (Spring only, most were one way), I almost gave up. Then I remembered cruising MSC 10 years ago and started checking them out. Prices were way more reasonable for what I wanted, and they were sailing in the Fall, which is also what I preferred. I originally booked the Aurea whirlpool suite. Even though I thought it was a little pricey, it was less money compared to the same kind of suite on another cruise line. Then I started researching Yacht Club. After working up the courage--and checking my bank accounts and credit cards-- I decided to cancel the Aurea suite and book YC duplex. Double the price, but the amenities and cabin looked well worth the expense. 

I'm really looking forward to the cruise, and especially YC. It's not so much the exclusivity of it. It's more the fact that the food seems to have much more variety, it's much less crowded from what I'm reading, and we get the priority boarding. Plus it's a treat for us. I've booked plenty of nice hotel suites over the years, but I've never splurged on an entire vacation. 

As for interlopers, yes it would annoy me to see people sneaking in (breaking a lock to get in or using an unattended back gate) who didn't pay for the YC and looking to enjoy those ammenities, such as the dining room, pool deck, etc. And I would discreetly say something to a crew member.  But if it was someone who came in with a YC guest and it was just taking a quick tour of the area to see what it's like, I wouldn't care.  Although in that case I likely wouldn't even realize the person wasn't in the YC anyway. I'm not one to pay all that much attention to my environment and I'm not great at remembering faces. Probably not a good thing, but that's me.                   

How was the traffic leading up the terminal?

I've seen accounts of the traffic on other threads, but I'm curious how it is when arriving a bit earlier as you are. We're cruising from Brooklyn in October and booked a car service. We're in CT and Google Maps says it's about two hours; however, I've heard people say add an hour just from the last mile or so up to the terminal. We're leaving home at 7am and should be there by 10am. Since we're in YC, I'm not worried about having to wait around until we board.

Sorry, it's Port Everglades. I have no idea why I keep thinking Port Canaveral. 🙂

I can't edit my original comment anymore (# 14 above), so the correct question is: Any idea if Princess will do transfers from Miami International to our hotel and then hotel to Port Everglades pre-cruise, and then Port Everglades to Miami International post-cruise?

On 6/8/2023 at 9:09 PM, LeeW said:

And you have to pick up the luggage as it is unloaded from the bus and take it yourself into the airport and check it in with the airline.

 

Princess does have a program in Port Everglades and Miami that includes getting your boarding passes and sending your luggage directly onto the airplane.  Seattle runs a similar program for cruise lines that sail out of there.  Never heard of this in San Francisco.

Rather than starting another thread, maybe you know the answer to this. My sisters and I will be cruising on Princess for the first time in January. We're leaving from Port Canaveral. We're having a tough time finding flights that don't cause us to have a huge layover, have to hang around Fort Lauderdale or the airport all day, or take a red-eye flight (we're all in the Northeast). My thought was to fly to and from Miami since it's only 30 minutes from the port. Any idea if Princess will do transfers from Miami International to Port Canaveral and vice versa?

Hopefully this question fits in with this thread (and I apologize if it was already said somewhere else).

When there's an in-port day (any port, doesn't matter where), how early does one generally need to back on the ship? An hour before sailing? Half hour? Seems like an hour would be about right, since I'm sure there are always stragglers that push it to the last minute for one reason or another.

We're doing the NE & Canada cruise out of Brooklyn in October and just trying to figure out how much time we'd realistically get in the port assuming the ship arrives on time. There are some places I'd like to go on our own, but I hesitate due to time restrictions. We plan to do some ship excursions, too. 

1 hour ago, Qazzy said:

As it turned out, our boarding time was changed from 3:00 to 11:30 and then to 10;00, with the changes happening just days before our sailing.  We left CT at 8:00 for a 2 hour trip.  Traffic was heavy but for the most part wasn't awful until we got close to the port.  It took an extra hour to go the last mile!  Many side streets lead to the entrance of the port.  They need better traffic control, more police at intersections. Traffic lights would change and you would go nowhere.  Stressed drivers were blowing their horns, this did nothing to improve the situation.

 

As luck would have it, someone did a multpart review of a sailing on the Meraviglia out of Brooklyn at the end of April and it clearly shows the traffic leading up to the port, the port itself, parking lot, and luggage drop-off. It was really good. Here's the link in case anyone wants to watch. The traffic starts somewhere around the 5:30 mark.

On 5/22/2023 at 3:24 PM, cruiseguyinorl said:

 

Maybe the Stewards were having a contest on how few to hand out? 🤣

 

Bret

Obviously this is the correct answer. 🤣

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I genuinely don't know. I never even thought to take food to go at a restaurant on a cruise ship because I would have no way of reheating it. I have only ever taken cold desserts (like cake) to go at any specialty restaurant on a cruise.

 

Edit: I should clarify that my husband and I purchased the 3-meal specialty dining package for our 4/9 sailing, which cost $71 per person at the time. So I didn't pay anywhere close to $45 for the filet I had a Butcher's Cut and therefore had no issues not finishing it.

Ok thanks. I don't know yet if we will do any specialty dining. Our cruise isn't until October so we have a while to decide. 

I actually like eating leftover filet cold and I would definitely eat it the next day. If it was something like a burger (or pretty much anything else reheatable), I wouldn't care and would just leave whatever is left.

10 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I had weight loss surgery as well and my husband barely eats more than I do in one sitting despite not having had surgery. We have both learned to live with food waste. I will say, at Butcher's Cut, you can choose some items off the tastings menu that aren't huge. Teppenyaki was definitely WAY TOO MUCH food for both of us. Ocean Cay we managed to get smaller portions for the most part.

So does that mean they don't allow people to take their leftovers in a to-go container?

I'm used to food waste after 10 years. But if I'm paying to go to Butcher's Cut, I'd want to take the leftovers so I can enjoy them later on that night or even for breakfast/snack the next day. It's not only about wasting money, but also about being able to enjoy that meal for another day since I love steak. The smallest steak is an 8 oz. filet at $45, which I still can't finish. I likely wouldn't be willing to spend that if I have to leave half of it on the table. I'd probably skip the restaurant in that case.

I've only cruised MSC once, and that was 10 years ago. We didn't go to any specialty restaurants. Rather than starting a new topic, can someone tell me if the specialty restaurants allow people to take their leftovers back to the room with them? I had weight loss surgery years ago and there's no way I'll be able to finish my meal. I'd hate to waste the money on something like Butcher's Cut if I can't take a to-go container with me.

On 5/9/2023 at 10:43 AM, Qazzy said:

I'm still very anxious about this.  I guess I overthink everything because everyone says not to worry about it.  I wish they would let me make a parking reservation.

Haha I feel you! My worry is never, "Will the ship sink/plane crash?" It's, "Will I be able to get parking? How early should I leave the house? What route should I take?" I'm a planner in that respect, so it's driving me nuts not knowing exactly how much parking there is. Since we're within driving distance (about 100 miles), my husband and I plan to take a drive down ahead of time and scope out the situation. I'm recovering from hip replacement at the moment, so probably not until next month.

On 4/23/2023 at 4:33 PM, Qazzy said:

Coming from Connecticut there is no better option for us than to drive to the port.  I wonder what would happen if we arrived and the parking lot is full.  We'd just get turned away?  And go where?  We have a 1:30 boarding time with the ship departing at 3:00. This is giving me anxiety!

Qazzy, when is your cruise? We, too, are coming from CT for a cruise in October. I'd be interested in hearing what your experience is with the parking.

I just logged into my October cruise and see the laundry packages have been posted. The prices notes by phissy are what I see. Thought I'd post the detail part in case anyone wants to know:

"Book now and save 15% vs. onboard price!
Including:
Max 40 items per cabin
Ideal for families or couple on longer cruises.
Extend the relaxation after a wonderful long holiday by returning home with your clothes washed, dried and ready to put away.
Please note that dry cleaning is excluded, and that silk, wool, men's suits and evening dress are excluded from the final day of the cruise option as they require special treatment. Item allowance must be used all together in a single delivery. Multiple deliveries are not accepted. Items are collected before 12.00pm, returned before dinner the next day. Refund not available for unused item allowance."

I'll say upfront that we have A LOT of cats--11.  There's no way we'd be able to shuttle all those cats to a boarder, plus it would be expensive. The only time we've taken a cat to be boarded, which is at our vet's office, is when we have an aging kitty who need regular meds.

We used to live much closer to friends and family, so we'd have them come over to feed, scoop the litter and whatever else. Now that we're about 40 minutes away from them, we use two of the women who work at our vet's office. One is a vet tech and the other works the front desk. I feel so much more confident about my cats being well taken care of, and I'm comforted by the fact that they know cats and can handle anything the comes up unexpectedly. The biggest bonus is probably the fact that the multiple litter boxes are actually clean when we get home. For payment, I believe it's 20.00/day, which I think is a bargain.