Texasnee

Thank you so much.  We’re booking the Eastern Caribbean with Martinique January ‘24.  I’m going to ask our TA about the angled balconies on Dolphin thanks to your helpful comments.  If those cabins aren’t available we’ll go with one of the standard balconies.  

Hi, Back to the Islands....I know your post was some time ago, but did you keep your Dolphin angled balcony? If so, was it partially covered? Do you know if the standard balcony cabins on Dolphin are partially covered?

Thanks for your help!

Same thing happened to me. Logged onto Princess website last night and noticed the cabin number had been changed. Was on Dolphin port side, now same cabin on starboard side. No notice, nothing. It’ll be fine, it’s just a lateral move, but it would have been nice to have been told WHY it was changed. 

I know this ship hasn’t made its maiden voyage yet, but does anyone know if Dolphin deck is covered or uncovered?

Or partially covered? I was told by a Princess representative that the balconies are covered but now I’m beginning to doubt if that information is correct.  

On 6/20/2019 at 1:56 PM, geoherb said:

My OBC loyalty credit showed up today in the travel summary for my second cruise. That’s good.

 

Texasnee: The deck plans don’t show a wall that is between your cabin and the lobby area in front of the elevators/stairs. That wall extends down to your cabin but not to B502. People exiting from the elevators/stairs can take a shortcut to the left of the wall to get to the corridor of the higher cabin numbers instead of walking by your cabin. The door to the restricted access area for crew members only is across from B504. There should be enough of a buffer considering the distance and the wall so that you wouldn’t hear crew members going in and out of that door. 

 

CruzinNoony: Natalie is very nice and energetic. She’s Australian. I spoke with her after the martini demonstration this morning. She’s said she’s been working on Princess ships since 2006. She’s been a cruise director for a few years now. She mentioned having been on the Emerald, Regal, and of course the Island. I probably missed a few. Her contract for this time ends in October. I did not get the exact date, but she’ll still be on the ship in August for your cruises. By the way, I was one of the volunteer shakers for the martini demo. My martini was the Sky Fall, consisting of Stoli vodka, triple sec, and blue curacao. I told her we should be dancing after we had the martini, not before. It was a fun demonstration. The other martinis were a sour apple, chocolate, and cosmopolitan. At the end, one of the bartenders poured seven martinis into glasses at the same time. They gave away those as well as for those of who shook and danced for our martinis.

 

Wallyj: Thanks for the info on the internet package. I’ve been typing up my comments offline and then copying and pasting them into this Cruise Critic thread. I’m always behind in reading any responses before I post. I may stop posting the menu photos because uploading photos is using up my minutes. I’ll try to keep going with the activity pages of the Patters.  I noticed I can still purchase the unlimited internet package for my second cruise on the cruise personalizer. I wonder how the internet manager would treat that. Cognac is a type of brandy. I didn’t want to have to look up the spelling of Courvoisier. 
 

Geoherb....thank you SO much for answering my question about Baja cabin 426. You have gone above and beyond! I now have a much clearer picture of what that hallway is like and based on your comments and firsthand account, I think we’ll stick with 426. I’m enjoying hearing about your trip and look forward to reading your posts. Thanks again!

We were booked on the Island Mediterranean Adventure  Nov. 6-20, 2020. Our travel agent told us this sailing has been cancelled because the Island will be in dry dock.

No reason given. New cruise dates are Nov. 22-Dec. 6, 2020.

I’m enjoying reading your posts. Very helpful to anyone planning an Alaska cruise or like me, booking a future cruise on the Island. I’m planning a Med cruise on the Island in 2020 and currently have balcony cabin 426 booked on Baja. If you should find yourself with time on your hands (yes, I know...not likely) I would love to know if this looks like a good location or if the “white space” across from it looks like cleaning cart storage or something else that might make the location noisy. This area is right across from the lifts and stairs so it would be convenient but I’m don’t want to sacrifice quiet for convenience. Thanks and have a wonderful cruise. Looking forward to future posts. Nothing beats Alaska!

This is a screenshot of the Island, Baja deck, mid-ship. Does anyone know what the white space behind the stairs is? Cleaning cart storage, laundry room, or something else? I’m considering a cabin in this bump-out area of Baja but would like to know what this space is before I commit.

Thanks!

It sometimes takes Blexie a few days to respond to an email. Since your husband won’t be able to walk around the squares for the first part of the tour, you might want to think about driving out to Hemingway’s house instead. Our guide (Blexie Tours) told us that they do go there but it’s not part of their regular tour. Hopefully, Blexie will be able to accommodate you one way or the other. And NO you don’t have to have a tour of any kind booked to get off the ship. Just exit the ship and do whatever you want. 

1 hour ago, Magnetchief said:

 

Leave the box empty and check whatever box they tell you to.

Don't even discuss it with them. 

 

On our last trip we had people arguing about what box they wanted to check off, then were re-writing the forms out again to comply.

 

 

 

I totally agree. Just check what they tell you to check and you’ll be good to go. The process is totally easy. It’s too bad people get so stressed about Cuba. It was really easier than going through TSA at the airport. 

On 12/5/2018 at 1:00 PM, tybeelucy2 said:

Thanks for the post. We leave Sunday on the Empress. We are booked with Blexie, but a different guide (Raul). 

 

We booked a ship's tour for Cienfuegos. 

Have a wonderful trip! We had Raul as our guide and he is a great guy. Very knowledgeable. You will learn a great deal about Cuba from him. He loves baseball and the Astros are his favorite team. I attached a picture of Raul and our driver, Abel, so you’ll know who to look for. 

You can’t take any liquids at all through security. You sure don’t want to have to throw it out!  If you want to bring back rum from Cuba you’ll need to put it in your checked bags.

8 hours ago, Alegeeter said:

We have Isbel too. Looking forward to it.

 

Questions about the tour. In communications, Blexie said the car can fit 4 people if the guests "aren't that big" 😛

If there is a driver and a guide does that mean he expects all 4 people to fit in the back seat?

There were four in my group. The driver, guide and me in the front and the other three in the back. Plenty of room for the six of us without feeling cramped. 

I was wondering if anyone could help with a couple of questions?

 

First, can we bring back coffee and if so, what do you recommend?

 

Second, would anyone be able to tell me a good cigar, but not too expensive, since I need to bring back a few to buy? Also, would they stay good in a ziplock bag until I get home or is there something else I should get to bring them back?

 

Thanks so much for any help you can give me with these questions!

I read that these coffees are very good. Cubita, Escorial, or Serrano. Bags can be purchased at Cafe El Escorial on the corner of the square. Probably available many other places, as well.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We are going in November and already have your scheduled. You pay when you do the tour in Cuban money.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We’re also going in Nov. We leave Miami Nov. 12. Also booked with Blexie. Our guide will be Raul. Did he indicate who your guide will be?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

How is that relevant to the discussion of how Royal Caribbean screwed up tendering to the port?

 

It was Royal Caribbean's first cruise to that port. We had 1063 passengers for this trip.

Which is what I was referring to in my post. I guess I should have said RC’s first Cienfuegos port stop.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We just got back from the Empress on Sunday. Tendering in Cienfuegos was such a fiasco that they found a way to dock us in Santiago de Cuba two days later. I assume they let the Trinidad excursion leave first because of the length. Hopefully they will work out the problems before your cruise.

 

Then the ship tore out a mooring stone and nearly hit a building in Santiago. No one was hurt when the gangplank fell, although the cruise director had to move quick to avoid the broken rope.

Wow. I guess there are some disadvantages to being on one of the first cruises to a new port. I hope by the time we arrive in Cienfuegos they get some of these kinks worked out.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

In Cienfuegos using Fernando at FerTours. Also using them for Havana the following week (doing b2b to see it all). Our port times are 7am to 5pm. 6 in our group, plus 3 more cc, so using a late model ac van rather than an older "classic car" (heard the roads are bumpy). Going to Trinidad first (over 1 hr drive), then lunch & Cienfuegos in afternoon, so we are at the ship, not far away in the afternoon. Cost was 450c for 9 of us (not including lunch or mojito break, which is mandatory for me!) They are most responsive.

Thanks so much for the info! FerTours is very highly rated on Trip Advisor. I didn’t know they did tours in Cienfuegos, as well. Think I’ll email Fernando and see what he says. I’d much rather take a private tour with him than a ship tour.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I believe there are two different types of Cuban money. One has pictures of people and one has pictures of building, if I remember correctly. I have to research this again before our cruise the end of October, because one of them is a lot lower value then the others, so I remember reading about making sure you only get the one, but I can't remember which one to get and which one to avoid?!?!:eek:

CUP’s have pictures of people and are for use by Cubans only. Tourists must convert their money to CUC’s which has pictures of monuments. Don’t take CUP’s as change from anyone as it will be worthless to you. If you exchange your money at the port you will be given CUC, not CUP.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We are on Empress Nov 19, 2018, and just got changed from docking to tendering in all 3 ports, including Georgetown. We are only ship in port on all 3 days. Any idea why? We have private tours planned, and now with tendering not sure if we can make it to Cienfuegos & Trinidad. Is it worth going to Trinidad if our time is cut short by an hour or so? In port 7am to 5pm.

I’m going on the Nov. 12 sailing so you’re getting on when we’re getting off! From what I’ve read, I think Georgetown is always a tender port. I also read that the port in Cienfuegos is too small, hence the tender. I could be wrong but seems that what I’ve read about both ports. Are you taking a private tour to Trinidad? I really wanted to do that but since it’s so far away I was a little nervous about taking a private car that far. We’re doing the RC tour to Jagua Castle which will probably be lame and not worth the money. Wish there was more information out there about highly rated private tours in Cienfuegos Until more people report back on their experiences I guess we’ll stick with the RC tour. What company are you using?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Greetings

 

 

 

Many of the nicer stores only accept CUC. We were taken to a nice grocery store with decent stock which only took CUC. We then went to a store just a few doors down that was a peso based store and it was like night and day. Very little selection and what they had looked terrible. So if your guide (or their spouse) likes shopping at the better stores they will keep the CUC and not convert them.

 

 

 

Good Sailing

 

Tom

Very interesting! Thanks, Tom!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

There are 24 CUPs to the CUC. 50x24=1200. There are things that CUCs could be used for but most likely they would exchange them.

Thank you!!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I think I understand the USD to CUC conversion. And I understand that Cubans use CUP (Cuban Peso) not CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso). So, if we give our tour guide say, $50 CUC as a tip, do they have to convert it back to CUP in order to spend it? If so, how much would $50 CUC actually be worth to them?

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Raul was great. He commutes in about 70 miles to do the tours in Havana. He lives close to the big resort area in Cuba. He went to college with Blexie. His English is great and we really enjoyed a long conversation with him at lunch. If you ask, he will share his story about life in Cuba. If you have time to research Havana a bit and know what you are more interested in seeing, he will cover areas in which you are interested. We really loved Fusterlandia as something that was a bit off the beaten path (though definitely frequently visited by "tourists").

 

You will have a great time- I'm sure!

Thanks so much for your reply. Fusterlandia is definitely on our “must see” list. Can’t wait!

I just returned from a tour through Blexie (with Raul). He may have several days where there are not cruise ships in port, and on those days he may not be some place where it is easy to have internet access. I would be patient- he will get back to you.

We will have Raul in November. Anything you can tell us about your day with him?