General, Ocean Priness and Europe Coastline Newbie Questions

[cdndizzylizzy]

Hi all,

 

I am hoping that in August 2011, Princess will once again offer the 18-day cruise of Ocean Princess from London to Athens along the European coastline and through the Mediterranean. There is one sailing with this itinerary in August 2010. To that end, I have a few questions, and thank all you experts in advance for your advice and comments:

 

1. Does anyone have any inside information on 2011 Ocean Princess itineraries - is it a good guess that Princess will repeat the 2010 itineraries, or will it be completely different? This appears to be a re-po cruise bringing the Ocean from northern Europe to the Mediterranean, which is why there is only 1?
   
2. When do you expect the August 2011 itineraries to be announced? How much time is provided for planning between itinerary announcement and Princess taking bookings?
   
3. How quickly do rates increase on booking day for a re-po/specialty cruise such as this one? Do I need to be right on top of it on booking day? With Disney, the cost of specialty cruises can increase by the hour, so I am just trying to be prepared.
   
4. What are the seas like in August on the Atlantic when you are cruising from London to Gibraltar? As a past DCL cruiser in the Caribbean I have successfully warded off sea sickness with a daily dose of bonine - will that suffice?
   
5. What are the room types that are available on the Ocean? I have observed various references to a wide array of room types on different Princess vessels and would appreciate any guidance or advice you can offer about Ocean Princess cabins that can accommodate a family of 4 travelling on a budget (I want to be able to afford excursions, and given that it's a port-intensive cruise will be aiming for keeping on-board costs lower). Is there an area or deck where motion is minimal (should we opt for a lower deck or higher, mid-ship in light of my desire to avoid sea-sickness?).
   
6. How does Princess accommodate 4 in a room? On DCL, the sofa is converted into a bed at night and a 4th bed comes out of the ceiling, with Mom and Dad in the queen-sized bed. Is that how Ocean is organized?
   

Thanks!

 

Elizabeth in Canada

[paul929207]

Welcome to the Cruise Critic.

 

1. It is hard to say whether Princess will offer this cruise in August 2011. Complicating guesses is the fact that the Royal Princess (sister of Ocean and Pacific) will have left the fleet by then.

2. 2011 itineraries should be released in March or April.

5. Princess has inside, obstucted view, ocean view, balcony, mini-suites and suites. Most feel there is less movement on the lower deckks near the middle of the ship.

 

We have been on the Ocean and her sisters 150 nights and love the ships. You should no that the ships are small. They hold about 700 passengers. There are usually few children on board, so there is no children's program. Rarely have there been as many as 5 children.