Nelsj099

I have lived in both Russia and China, and cruised to Russia when I lived there (getting off with my visa was very confusing to the customs agents in St. Petes, I had to explain to them for 40 minutes that I live in Russia and that is why I don't have a photo on my visa). Both China and Russia along with many other countries have complex customs procedures. Many of these countries that require immigration checks China included you are actually supposed to have your passport on you at all times. (I carried mine for the first year I lived overseas every day.) If you need it for an excursion you should be able to get it back. This may be difficult though. I know some people choose to go to immigration themselves with their passports on some lines and it may be at 4/5 am and take forever but I have read about people doing this instead of turning in their passports as well.

I do a lot of online teaching. What you need to know is the internet speed where you will be when you need to teach. I live in China, and to use Zoom we need a VPN, so my internet speed this morning for zoom was download 1.3Mbps and that will connect and hold a zoom call with no problem. If you can get someone to share internet speeds where you need them you can make a more informed decision. I anticipate my upcoming cruise to have fast open internet. It won't take much to be better than what I get here. 🤣

I haven't done Princess in the Med but NCL and the shows were at the normal times 7:00 and 9:00 ish. I have done 3 trips 2 Med and 1 Adriatic, I remember going to 1 show in all three of those cruises. I was doing long tours 12ish hours, came back ate and went to the casino or bed.

I would love to do a forward facing but I think it would be a little bit cold. I enjoyed a friends forward facing in the fjords of New Zealand a few years ago. It was not Alaska cold by any means but it was not warm out there either. Are you sit on the balcony for long periods of time with a drink people? Or do you mostly use your cabin to crash? If you are doing a Glacier Bay trip maybe, or the Med for sure maybe even lower Norway (never done the arctic circle). But I Alaska has been my coldest cruise by far I would want a heated blanket or something to keep me warm. I am sure it would be stunning though.

I think I would go Southbound and do a land tour through Denali, especially since you mention 2024 and they are saying the road will be clear by then. I also personally looked at doing it by train. I am also not sure about your adventure level but if I had extra days, I may do a multi day kayak trip through Glacier Bay.

I chose Vancouver because the port days were longer ... I guess being able to skip Victoria and being 100 miles closer helps with that too.

I chose aft, on the port edge. I have always wanted to do an aft cabin, and it was available. Best of both? Wake view? I guess this is why people book so early. I am usually a 1-2 month out type of person. I have done the port side as well 10 years ago.

@s318830I booked Encore late June last night in a studio. I have done the studios on the Epic, and an inside on the Getaway. When I looked at the prices it was about 700$ cheaper for me to do the studio. Studios have some added benefits such as a concierge who planned great events during our Epic cruise including a bar hop, and seating at dinners and shows. This may or may not benefit your son, as you are traveling as well. The inside rooms right now even though it says "2nd guest free" are a 100% solo supplement. These rooms are a little bit bigger but not necessarily nicer. The bed in the studio is a full sized bed instead of two twins pushed together. And on the Encore you get a virtual balcony. Overall I think ( did) book the studio.

I have been loyal to NCL for their Casinos At Sea for years. I have never paid cruise fair, my first cruise came from a land based casino certificate. I live in China so when NCL was like we are reopening come on your free cruise I couldn't go. Now they are like you have no offers. So when I went to book for next summer I chose princess for a fraction of the cruise fair because now I have to pay... I assume that over 11 days that I will get an offer to come back to a Princess cruise in the future. I also used to work at a land based casino, I understand the comp system having worked in the payer's club/ cage area. I get what a casino is looking for. I get that they are looking for me to pay my cruise fair to the casino plus more. Leaving my NCL platinum perks has been difficult I keep checking to see if their price has gone down for my dates. It hasn't. I guess it does not always pay to be loyal.

I am cruising in June on an 11 night Alaska trip. The plus came out to being only 47 cents more expensive than getting the internet, gratuities, coffee and soda package. I don't ever get.an alcohol package when I cruise, but get free drinks in the casino. Plus also includes bottled water which I also usually get in the casino. I also got 200$ OBC with plus. So it ended up being a better deal.

I am registered with princess via my dad's address. But, it worked for me here in China... but, I think my VPN was on.

When I did the math on an 11 night cruise it came out to I was going to be spending 47 cents more per night with plus. But, in addition I also got 200$ in onboard credit. So I came out ahead with getting plus. I am not really a drinker, but on NCL I get free drinks in the casino so I may have 1/2 per night plus bottled water (I will get all of this with Plus on Princess). I have never sailed on princess so I won't be getting that casino benefit. I always buy the soda package but I would have at least gotten the coffee card if not the coffee package for Alaska. I have loved cruises to Norway, and the Baltics, but Iceland is cold even in the summer a nice warm drink when you get back on the ship is something to look forward to.

Maybe I am just confused. But if I have already paid 10.79$ per day in gratuities doesn't that cover my 1$ per drink for the first 10 drinks? I have not lived in America in 10 years. And I have not cruised in America in maybe 11 years. Tipping culture in the US is crazy to me. I am essentially the same as cruise staff economic migration, leaving your home country to live in another for better pay or working conditions. I am sure that the staff is not waiting on my 1$ tip on top of the 18% I have already paid. They looked at the base salary offer that they were given when they signed their contracts. And, moved to a floating city. That being said on the last night of a cruise I go around and give extra tips to staff who have made a large impact on my trip. But, I am expecting some top tier service for that, to me similar to the service you would get in a sit down restaurant in Sydney where you might drop them a few dollar coins for their service.

I am reading your TR as I am looking at booking for next summer. I cruise solo all the time, but not since the pandemic because I live in China where the borders are still closed. But, this is how I feel when people invite me to things. I say this all the time. I hate people too!