nbist

4 minutes ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

We got this phone call shortly after we finished our Sky sailing in December.  I wasn't a fan that the fellow made it first seem like he was calling about our Sky sailing and wanted to know what we liked and disliked about the cruise.  

Yes, that is why I didn't hang up right away. 

Thank you AZJohn for the link. That is the information I was looking for. Not something we would be interested in, but I was just curious as to what he was talking about and concerned as to how he had all our information if it were a scam.

About 3 weeks after our January cruise I received a phone from someone saying they were from Princess and caller ID also said Princess. He seemed to have all our information regarding past cruises, etc.. He said we qualified for several packages/programs. I was having a hard time understanding his accent and I told him I was having a hard time understanding what he was trying to sell me. He said one package he could describe would cost $7499, that could be used for 2 people on any itinerary, air and pre-cruise hotel. Once a cruise was booked under this program I would receive 6000 points towards another cruise. I kept asking him to email me details because I still did not understand what he was trying to sell me. Then I ended the call. He said he would send the email, but never did. So, I am still confused as to what the heck he was trying to sell, or if this was some sort of scam. Doubt we would be interested anyway, but it sure left a bad taste in my mouth! It felt like a timeshare pitch. Did anyone else get this type of call?

Won $250 OBC on a recent Discovery cruise.

What ship are you on? The older ships I have been on have a steam room and sauna in the locker/change room that could be used any time (not just with a spa treatment). The Discovery did not have this and the steam/sauna/hydropool/heated loungers were only in the Enclave. I asked about a day pass and they said they only sold the whole week, no day pass. You may get a different answer on a different ship, or if it is a slow week for Enclave sales. Others may have had different experiences, but this was mine on Discovery, just last week.

Last week on the Discovery I had a facial and massage. I specifically asked when I booked the treatment, and again when I checked in, if I could spend any time pre- or post treatment in the Enclave. I was told NO, both times. I enjoyed my services and would definitely book another Biotec facial on a future sailing. FYI though, treatment rooms are located under the theater. My appointment was at 3p and during my massage rehearsal started above. It sounded like they were performing Riverdance. The technician apologized, but nothing she could do about it. The "performance" above ended about the same time as my treatment. I even asked then if I could spend some time in the Enclave. The answer was still NO. 

3 hours ago, MSN-Travelers said:

It has been my experience, and reported by others, that nearly all ship's clocks are one hour BEHIND Vallarta local time.  This statement may be way off at this very moment because Mexico has decided they WILL NOT observe daylight saving time anymore.  I am in the central time zone (same as Vallarta) and they are one hour behind me as I type this)

 

This is how things typically go:  You sail on Pacific time; ships clocks move to Mountain time for Cabo and Mazatlan; ships clocks stay on Mountain time while in Vallarta putting them one hour behind Vallarta local time.  It is important that at least one member of your party has a watch set to ship's time. (I have no idea what is going on today but you won't have to deal with DST in January.). 

 

I can't offer any advice with a golf course, I don't play.  There are a number immediately north of the port in the Marina area.  I wouldn't suggest any course north of Paradise Village due to the distances and traffic patterns.  There is only one road running north from the airport and an accident can shut it down for hours.

 

Enjoy!

Thank you! That is very helpful. I had already decided on the Marina course so your comment regarding traffic and accidents cemented my decision. I had hoped that the rates I was quoted for a round of golf was in pesos, but no, it was USD. Ouch. 

Thank you for the taxi info. The comment regarding ships time and PV time being different caught my eye. Got my husband to agree to this cruise by promising we would golf in Mazatlan and PV. Wish the ship offered something, but since they don't, I am researching our options and transportation. If there is a time difference between ship and local time in PV I am assuming it is an hour? Is the local time ahead or behind ships time? That will be important when I book a tee time! If it matters we will be in PV 1/24/24.

33 minutes ago, voljeep said:

just curious, and absolutely none of my business … but why cancel a cruise so far out ?

Situation where we had booked it very early. We had a 17 day booked to Hawaii on HAL for 1/21 and a 15 day cruise to Alaska for July/21. We did a 15 day to Hawaii in January 2020. While we were still on that one, we and our traveling companions decided to cancel the HAL cruise since we had already been to Hawaii many times and for some reason the 15 day we were on just seemed long and a different vibe. We canceled the HAL right away in January when we got home, but kept the Alaska booking for awhile as we did some soul searching. Over the last couple of months we have been discussing why the last cruise seemed different to us (we have sailed several lines and are Platinum on Princess). We decided to cancel the Alaska cruise because we came to the realization that we are tired of cruising and want to do some land trips where we won't be as regimented. I have always loved cruising, but the experience, to me, has become so watered down that the cons out weigh the pros.

Cancelled a July 2021 cruise on May 4th. We had placed a $200 deposit. At time of cancellation I was informed it could be 90 days before my deposit was refunded to my credit card. Received a credit for $200 on May 29th.

Sorry for those waiting on much larger amounts. I realize that mine was an "easy" one because it did not involve any FCC and was well outside any penalty window. 

Just providing information and references from official sites. I realize that many will ignore the guidelines. 

Again, from the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html

Countries that have a Level 3 Travel Health Notice (widespread, ongoing transmission):

• Australia
• Brazil
• Canada
• Chile
• Ecuador
• India
• Indonesia
• China
• Europe (Schengen Area): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City
• Iran
• Ireland
• Israel
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Qatar
• Romania
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Turkey
• United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

Some seem confused or not aware regarding official guidelines regarding isolation upon return. Here is the link to the CDC guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/returning-cruise-voyages.html

Basically:

Stay home for 14 days from the time you returned home from a cruise ship or river cruise and practice social distancing:

Take your temperature with a thermometer two times a day and monitor for fever. Also watch for cough or trouble breathing.

Stay home and avoid contact with others. Do not go to work or school.

Keep your distance from others (about 6 feet or 2 meters).

These same guidelines also pertain to those that are returning from high risk countries which includes Australia.

Discretionary travel within the US is also being discouraged.

Welcome home.

9 hours ago, KL Smith said:

 EXCELLENT post Nbist!

 

Many thanks!

FYI, I know you had tried to get a balcony room and were told they were sold out. There are now some balcony and mini-suite cabins available.

Yes, ColoradoMom!! we were on the same cruise. As with any cruise by the time we disembarked there were a lot of coughers! We have had stuffy noses since coming home, but nothing serious. One of our travel companions though became quite sick the day she got home with flu like symptoms and a deep cough - she is a smoker. I thought the concept of the hand washing station at the buffet was good, but the water would not run more than a couple of seconds, or frequently not at all. Not sure how effective that is, especially when most people would pass it by.

We enjoyed this cruise, but not as much as when we did it 3 years ago. The weather, which of course Princess has no control over, put a damper on things. The crew was wonderful and probably the best that we have encountered on many cruises over the past 20 years. The passenger mix was also one to "go early, line up, and crowd in!". 😉 Originally, we thought we missed cruising and would start doing this cruise every year as a January get-away, now that we are both retired, and already had next year booked. Even before anything about the virus came out, we had decided to cancel next year because we found that when comparing our recent land-based vacations to cruising we prefer to do land-based for now.

KL Smith. I agree and greatly doubt that there are cases of Coronavirus on the ship. If I were in your shoes I would probably make the same decision. The current safeguards put in place on 2/7 by Princess will help to keep any potential risk down - from that point.  I really am not trying to create angst, scare you or anyone else, but your logic that since 2 weeks have gone by = no apparent outbreak is only partially correct. Crew and entertainers joined the ship at each port on our cruise (first hand knowledge: our room steward changed in Honolulu, a waiter in the Portofino joined in Hilo, an entertainer joined in Lahaina - I sat next to him on the tender back to the ship), and the crew and passengers on the 1/28 cruise were not yet subject to any travel restrictions. If new crew joined at the port stops (2/2-2/5) on the current cruise and traveled through China or Hong Kong, that would essentially push the 2 week suspected incubation period to around 2/19. 

There is a lot of misinformation floating around about what is happening, and it is even funny at times, e.g., death toll of 910 up to over 50,000 being reported - I am sure the truth is somewhere in the middle - but what a range! The level of panic by governments denying port calls, quarantines, etc., personally gives me pause that there may be a lot of information and truth being withheld from the general population. Many on CC purport to be experts on everything, even coronavirus, but in reality there are no experts at this time with such a fluid situation. Each person needs to examine what they believe to be the best evidence and make their own decisions. Enjoy your cruise and use proper precautions, as I am sure you already do given your cruising experience.

We disembarked on 1/28, less than 2 weeks ago. 

Enjoy your cruise.

We were recently on this cruise. There were a large number of Asian passengers. Where they were from, China, Japan, US,  I have no clue. I also noticed more crew members from China on this cruise, including 1 who told us he had "just arrived for his first contract".

If I were going to embark during this current outbreak I would ask the corporate office if passengers (or crew) who have traveled through China or Hong Kong in the past 2 weeks are going to be allowed to board the ship in LA. With that information you would be better able to evaluate the potential risk and make the best decision for you. 

$34/pp Princess transfer to LAX post-cruise.

10 hours ago, Mlhovell said:

Have a cruise in feb. already paid and booked. I may need to cancel . We are elite on princess and did take insurance. Has anyone ever had to cancel 75 days in advance.? Do you get a refund? Thanks

The amount will depend on the length of the cruise. From the Princess website. If the cruise is 6-24 days 

Think it depends on if you regularly get massages at home and what type. At home I get pretty regular 90 minute massages and reflexology with stones. I have gotten different types of treatments on-board, Swedish, hot stone, bamboo, salt scrub/massage, and seaweed wrap with massage. The quality of the treatment depends on the therapist you get and your expectations. My recommendation is if you aren't use to massages go for the 50 minutes the first time, to see what you like and how your body reacts. I pretty much like them all except for the bamboo, which left me bruised even though I had asked her to lighten pressure then finally stop using the bamboo altogether. I was surprised that I disliked this so much since I generally like pretty intense pressure. Good luck in finding what works best for you!

4 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

This time, they didn't give me a number to call, just a request to email them back and they will charge my credit card if accepted and they will pick my cabin for me.

When we received an upsell offer from obstructed view to balcony for our Hawaii cruise, I responded that I would only accept the offer if we could be moved to a specific cabin # that was a premium balcony. They accepted my request. Guessing they would have turned me down if I requested a mini-suite at the same upsell price, but next time I might try.

If they build something like you suggest they assume liability for those that use it. Not to be rude, as I sometimes have difficulty getting in and out myself, but it is a risk one takes when getting in the ocean.

Southwest won't open June 2020 flights for scheduling until later this year. Is there any reason you have to fly Southwest?

Steelers, have had it happen many times over the years when booking FF tickets or through cruiseline far in advance that a change is made to an airline schedule (one leg of a trip) and suddenly your rebooked flight first leg is now arriving after your connection, or rebooked second leg leaving before you arrive (guess that is the same thing only different!). Agree they will not allow you to book an illegal connection initially, but once you are booked and schedule changes happen the computer can do wonky things.

We are seasoned travelers and usually book flights 1/3 on our own, 1/3 w FF and 1/3 with EZair based on what works best at the time. In the past we have gotten the red alert on the personalizer and an email when there is a flight change - but not this time. That has never happened, so why I posed the question here wondering if that "meant" anything. It should be fine since it is the same airline and I am willing to take the flight they changed us to - but if it isn't I will make sure to post back and let folks know.

We waited 3 months for a couple of reasons: 1) had a similar situation last year on another cruise where the original (ezair booked) flight changed and the connection was no longer valid. I called right away (several months before final payment) and all we could do was change airlines which resulted in a much higher airfare. Then before final payment the original airline had another schedule change with valid connection times. If we had just waited it out for awhile we would have been fine and they would have changed us to those flights, but since we changed airlines we were out of luck. Since it was closer to final payment airfares had gone up and were now significantly higher than what we booked at first and more than what we changed to.

2) wanted to see if the personalizer would catch up with AA. When it didn't over a period of time I began to wonder why and thought it might be because they are going to want more money!

Glad to hear from others that the original price was honored. Will call tomorrow, but wanted to see what others had experienced in a similar situation since last time it didn't work out so great.

Booked 1st class via ezair at a great fare about 6 months ago for a Jan 2020 cruise. AA has now taken the original flight off the schedule. On the AA website they have moved us to another flight that is fine, but original flight still showing on the Princess personalizer. If I click on "modify flight" it gives me the message that the itinerary has changed and will updated shortly - but this has been the same now for 3 months without being updated on the personalizer!

When I look on EZair at the flights that AA has changed me to the Ezair price is double the price I paid originally. 

My question is, since they (Princess) technically haven't ticketed (paid for) it yet will they honor my original price for the flights AA assigned, or want me to pay the higher fare? I know if I had purchased the ticket from the airline directly that they would not raise the fare, but not sure how this will work for an Ezair flight not yet ticketed. Wondering what to expect before I call them. Thanks!

My first cruise after losing a significant amount of weight and living a keto/low carb lifestyle for over a year was not that bad. I did splurge, but didn't go crazy. I consumed alcohol, but low carb beer and wine. That cruise I did consider myself lucky in that everything with significant carbs did go right through me 😉, so I "got by" with my indiscretions. After the cruise I regained ketosis and control quickly. Subsequent cruises I wasn't so lucky. I lost the "purge" effect and when returning home would be in the "I'll go back to cutting carbs next week, after I finish off this box of chocolates" state. Sigh.

I am now back on keto and doing well. We have a 15 day cruise planned for January. I know I will drink, I know I will splurge, but I am trying to plan the best way to do this without causing too much damage. Those on other diets don't always understand the metabolic changes that happen on keto. It isn't always easy to just deal with the damage after vacation (at least not for me). 

My goal is always to take the stairs, go to the gym, and do lots of walking. It helps, but if I eat too many carbs I am out still out of ketosis and the sugar cravings return. I am trying to plan my splurges for those things I really, really want, but we will see what happens when the time comes. I just don't want to undo all of my hard work.