Occasionally live from the Island Princess

[We_like_to_cruise]

On 8/16/2022 at 10:23 AM, Steelers36 said:

They can do a zero in your case.  Total Pax - Pax Continuing on Next Voyage = Nbr Pax that Disembark.  As the guests disembark, the total count on board goes down and should equal just those continuing on.  Once there, they are good.   The US zeroing is due to herding everyone for US CBP and making sure all accounted for.  

 

Thank you for that knowledgeable answer.  Good to know.  👍

[We_like_to_cruise]

On 8/16/2022 at 10:42 AM, NoWhiners said:

 

Wow, that laundry room looks nicer than the others I've used on Princess. I'm sure all the decks are the same, but what deck are you on? 

 

It looks like most of the machines are the combo washer/dryer units you see in apartments. Is that true? And, all the way to the left in you pic, it looks like 2 normal sized dryers??

 

I know it will sound weird but DH loves to do laundry when we cruise (it's odd but works for me 😁. Maybe because he does most of the laundry at home and helps him feel more comfortable??). Just trying to gather more data for him--he loves data and analysis.

 

 

The machines are similar to the stacked w/d but they appear to be full sized machines simply arranged one above each other.  Not sure about that one at the end - will investigate the next time we are in that neighborhood!

 

The machines have controls in the middle and you just have to be mindful of which one you put your token in and use the appropriate controls.  It is pretty self-explanatory once you look at it.

 

There is a machine for purchasing the $3 tokens for the washer and dryer and also for purchasing laundry detergent which is also $3.  You can use your medallion for purchasing them.

 

We had simply purchased tokens in advance at the guest services when we had other business there.  We knew on a 30 day B2B we would be doing laundry!  We also brought laundry pods with us from home.

 

The room also contained two ironing boards and irons as well as a full size sink and wall mounted television.  

 

The two times we have done laundry there was no problem obtaining usable and available machines.  (one or two machines had "out of service" notices).

 

Time for the washing machine with permanent press setting was 40 minutes and it was about an hour for the dryer.  There are digital timers on the machine to let you know the time involved per setting.  We set an alarm on our phone and did other fun stuff until our return.

 

I believe that the Island Princess has a laundromat on all decks with cabins.

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by We_like_to_cruise
clarity

[We_like_to_cruise]

On 8/16/2022 at 7:32 PM, venussuz said:

Asking the question that mattered to me re ice cream. When I was on the Island Princess two months ago, the ice cream stand Swirls was open from 12 to 6 pm and they sometimes had ice-cream in the mdr. I didn't find any at the buffet the times I was there or on the room service menu. 

 

I'm hoping it's more readily available now. 

 

Sorry but do not think it is any more available than you described.  Swirls is open as you noted.  Gelato is always available on the MDR dessert menu - chocolate and vanilla primarily.  I have not  seen ice cream at the Horizon Court buffet or on the room service menu.

[We_like_to_cruise]

On 8/17/2022 at 10:38 AM, uspearls said:

 

Just to add some clarity,  "La Patisserie" was nothing more than some branding around the Good Spirits bar on Deck 5.  Now, that branding has disappeared but the espresso machine at the bar remains and many people (including me) treat that bar as the poor substitute for an International Cafe since it's in the middle of the Piazza and opens at 6am. The small food case (which I accused of being sad :)) is in fact on wheels.  It is brought out sometime around 6:30am after the second staff person arrives and at some point a small selection of muffins/pastries appear.  During the day, some sandwiches are added.  I would not recommend relying on it for your daily ritual ! A far better option is Amuleto, which is just the pastries/dessert area at the very front of the Horizon Court buffet on deck 14.  That is essentially open at around 5am (as there are plenty of staff setting up for breakfast) with a full pastry selection.  They also have an espresso machine but that isn't staffed until around 6am I think.  I personally did not head to Amuleto when I staggered out of bed as my focus was coffee and I valued the comfy chairs around Good Spirits over the food.

 

Thank you - you saved me a lot of typing!  Everything you describe has been our experience on this voyage.  Although not sure if the Amuleto is open as early as 5 am.  It is listed on the Patter as 6 am to 10:30 pm and I personally have not been there before 6 am.  Perhaps you are referring to the regular "syrup" coffee which may be available earlier.  As you mentioned the espresso machine where I get my specialty coffees is open at 6 am.

[We_like_to_cruise]

17 hours ago, jeno said:

Does anyone have a picture of a caribe deck extended balcony cabin including the table? I’d appreciate it. Thanks 

 

Sorry we cannot help you but perhaps someone else will chime in.

[Denali2003]

I have been noticing that the Good Spirits bar & the Horizon Court coffee areas are not open until 5:30-6am.  I know a lot of people who are up at 4am and walk around the ship.  Is it possible to get coffee that early in the morning?  What about hot tea?  Is that open / available to help yourself 24/7?  Thank you 🙂

[NoWhiners]

6 hours ago, We_like_to_cruise said:

 

The machines are similar to the stacked w/d but they appear to be full sized machines simply arranged one above each other.  Not sure about that one at the end - will investigate the next time we are in that neighborhood!

 

The machines have controls in the middle and you just have to be mindful of which one you put your token in and use the appropriate controls.  It is pretty self-explanatory once you look at it.

 

There is a machine for purchasing the $3 tokens for the washer and dryer and also for purchasing laundry detergent which is also $3.  You can use your medallion for purchasing them.

 

We had simply purchased tokens in advance at the guest services when we had other business there.  We knew on a 30 day B2B we would be doing laundry!  We also brought laundry pods with us from home.

 

The room also contained two ironing boards and irons as well as a full size sink and wall mounted television.  

 

The two times we have done laundry there was no problem obtaining usable and available machines.  (one or two machines had "out of service" notices).

 

Time for the washing machine with permanent press setting was 40 minutes and it was about an hour for the dryer.  There are digital timers on the machine to let you know the time involved per setting.  We set an alarm on our phone and did other fun stuff until our return.

 

 

Thanks for this very complete and useful answer. Love that Princess has self-serve laundry, especially when on longer cruises.

[BobAnne]

I have a bunch of cruise-related questions for you as I prepare for the same route next year.

 

Were you able to see the Northern Lights at all?

My mum would like to know if you sailed above the Arctic Circle at all or if you were just below the whole time?

I know you haven’t shared your excursion thoughts yet but are you doing any of the Princess organized tour in Iceland or Greenland? How have they been?

How cold is it? Light sweater? Fall jacket? Or winter gear? I’m trying to convince my mum it won’t be much chillier than fall in Canada (8-15C) but we keep seeing people in toques (ski caps) and gloves from YouTube cruisers.

[venussuz]

5 hours ago, BobAnne said:

I have a bunch of cruise-related questions for you as I prepare for the same route next year.

 

Were you able to see the Northern Lights at all?

My mum would like to know if you sailed above the Arctic Circle at all or if you were just below the whole time?

I know you haven’t shared your excursion thoughts yet but are you doing any of the Princess organized tour in Iceland or Greenland? How have they been?

How cold is it? Light sweater? Fall jacket? Or winter gear? I’m trying to convince my mum it won’t be much chillier than fall in Canada (8-15C) but we keep seeing people in toques (ski caps) and gloves from YouTube cruisers.

I can't say about current temperatures, but we had lovely weather in early June, with temps in the high 50s to mid 60s throughout Iceland, which is comfortable t shirt with maybe a shawl weather for us. Just be sure to have comfortable walking shoes and layers you can add or remove as needed. 

[Denali2003]

Did they have any Arts & Crafts on the sea days?

[We_like_to_cruise]

On 8/23/2022 at 8:39 AM, Denali2003 said:

Did they have any Arts & Crafts on the sea days?

 

I truly do not know but we now have 4 sea days so I will look!

[We_like_to_cruise]

On 8/20/2022 at 5:10 PM, BobAnne said:

I have a bunch of cruise-related questions for you as I prepare for the same route next year.

 

Were you able to see the Northern Lights at all?

My mum would like to know if you sailed above the Arctic Circle at all or if you were just below the whole time?

I know you haven’t shared your excursion thoughts yet but are you doing any of the Princess organized tour in Iceland or Greenland? How have they been?

How cold is it? Light sweater? Fall jacket? Or winter gear? I’m trying to convince my mum it won’t be much chillier than fall in Canada (8-15C) but we keep seeing people in toques (ski caps) and gloves from YouTube cruisers.

 

 

We personally have not seen the Northern Lights on this voyage.  Our Reykjavik tour guide said they are not really prominent until September.  He also had harsh words about tour companies that book Northern Lights excursions prior to Sept. 1.   Despite that, he did admit that it is not impossible albeit unlikely.  In fact he personally knew someone who had viewed them the night before on his travels from the airport into the city of Reykjavik.  He said if later on the sky was clear we could try viewing between 2100 and 2400.  It wasn't clear, in fact was very rainy and cloudy.

 

Yes we did officially cross the Arctic Circle.  In fact the next day in our cabin we received a nice souvenir certificate from Princess stating so.  It was on heavy paper, nice enough to frame if desired.

 

We did a Princess excursion in Akureryri and also did a private excursion in Reykjavik.  Both are detailed in posts below this. The opportunity for excursions in Greenland are apparently very limited.  On our roll call for this cruise many complained the excursions were sold out very very quickly.  We could not book in advance even if we wanted to. The two ports we visit are small and there are not many tour operators.  So if you want to reserve one I would recommend it ASAP after booking the cruise.  

 

In general our preference is either booking smaller group local guides or heading out to the sites on our own via public transportation.  We are not fans of the big buses that stop for shopping and lunch. We have too much to see!   We also try to walk as much as possible and 5 miles or more in a city is not unusual for us.  It does not work for everyone and so we are glad there are numerous options for all tourists.  We do take ship excursions if the site of interest is very far from the port or the availability of tour operators is so limited that it is likely the ship will snatch them all up!

 

As noted in earlier posts, I think the weather has been on our side.  It is mostly warmer and sunnier than we anticipated.  However when we go out for the day we follow the tried and true "layers" technique and carry a small backpack to add/remove layers as necessary.  Umbrellas were an addition only when rain seemed pretty likely that day. We sometimes did have a pair of gloves and a winter type hat with us.  We only used the gloves once, on the whale boat excursion, and were comfortable with baseball cap style hats almost all of the time.  My only regret was not bringing a better covering for my ears on the couple of times they were cold!

 

The temps ranged from near 80F on the first leg of our B2B to a low of 46F in Greenland.  But, 46F when it is rainy and windy and gray seems much colder!

[We_like_to_cruise]

Akureryri, Iceland

 

Today was sunny and cool.  We walked off the ship and headed out following the crowds to the town center.  Plenty of shops and restaurants.  We browsed a bit and then walked up the stairs to the church, visited, and then continued onward to the Botanical Gardens.  

 

Beautiful garden with many winding paths and an explosion of colors.  Hard to believe so many flowers in bloom 30 miles from the Arctic Circle.  

We spent a few hours here and then headed back to the ship for a quick lunch before our whale watching excursion.  We did purchase this in advance when we originally booked our cruise.   Akureryri is known as a good location to view humpback and minke whales.

 

After a light lunch we gathered in the Provence Dining Room and once all were assembled and "stickered" we walked down the pier to our waiting vessel.  

 

There were three boats reserved and we had no problem getting a good viewing spot on the top deck of our assigned boat.  There was plenty of room for all to spread out. The weather was still nice - sunny and cool.

 

We rode 45 - 50 minutes into the fjord to look for whales.  The onboard naturalist (who was very informative) advised us they do not feed the whales nor do they use any kind of location devices like sonar.  They do rely on communications from other boats in the area once a whale is located.  

We eventually ended in a spot and waited for about 45 minutes for a humpback that had previously been sighted.  The outcome was -  no whale(s) but a few birds!  

 

Next we headed to a different location where a boat had recently seen a minke whale.  Again after waiting for nearly an hour it was no-go.  

 

The naturalist explained it was rare to not see any whales, but they have no control.  We eventually had to head back to the ship and to make matter worse by this time the weather had turned and it was cloudy/misty and cold!

 

The naturalist seemed as disappointed as we all were.  The company offered us vouchers for a free return excursion that would be good for two years.

Perhaps we will return, so we put our vouchers away for another day!

 

I attempted to add some pix to this post, but "Upload Failed".  Will try again later if the internet improves.

 

[We_like_to_cruise]

Isafjordur, Iceland

 

Our cool and cloudy weather continues today.  We took one of the water shuttles and at the dock stopped at the information booth to secure a local  map.

 

The pleasant representative drew us a walking tour on the map through the old town and the new town.  He also sent us up a well-used and traveled path to an overlook.  Many fellow tourists climbed the stairs and hiked the gravel path to view the fjord from above.  From that vantage point we could see that the Celebrity Summit and the Azamara Pursuit had joined us at this port.
 
The cool temps with light sprinkles persisted throughout the day.

 

Again, pictures to follow.

[We_like_to_cruise]

Reykjavik, Iceland

 

Early breakfast and walk off the ship to - chaos and confusion!  

 

We had pre-booked a private excursion of the Golden Circle but there was no one to direct us.

Passengers and buses everywhere but not the one we needed.  Eventually we discovered the Island Princess had docked at a different pier than the Celebrity Summit.  And where they were docked was where we needed to be.  A little confusing.

 

We needed to take a port shuttle bus to the other location and then walk a bit to where our vehicle was parked.  We were not the only ones with the same problem.  Indeed the majority of the bus was from our ship.  It turned out that the 19 passenger van had 16 tourists booked for the tour and all but three were from our ship.  Not sure why they didn't pick us up at our pier and make the three Celebrity Summit people get to us ??  Anyway, more on that dual ship issue later...

 

The van was comfy and well ventilated with plenty of large viewing windows.  When I booked the tour a few months back there was an option to pay upon boarding instead of in advance which is what we did.

After the initial confusion the rest of the day was excellent.

 

The driver and tour guide, Tomas, talked continuously throughout the long rides between stopping points.  He was knowledgeable and obviously loved his job and his country.

 

Our main destinations were the Geysir which we viewed erupting twice, the awe-inspiring Godafoss waterfall,the vast Kerid Volcano crater and Thingvellir National Park.  

 

They were a fair distance from the port and probably a third to one half of the 7 hour tour was spent driving from one to another.  Tomas entertained and educated us and made sure there were adequate bathroom breaks!

 

He also made some side stops so we could feed Icelandic horses, view the 24 hour a day tomato greenhouse and also a restaurant that cooked all of its dishes with geothermal power.

 

He encouraged us to bring a sandwich on the bus at a lunchtime stop so we could continue on and not spend time eating at the restaurant.

 

The Celebrity ship departed two hours before ours, so we headed back to the port too soon.  However, Tomas happily agreed to give the remaining customers a bonus personalized tour of Rejkavik city.  (When booking the Golden Circle tour we knew that there would not be enough time to also visit the city).

 

We spent the next 1 1/2 hours in the city stopping at the church, the downtown shopping area, the Harpa Concert Halll and the famous Sun Voyager sculpture. So he made it up to us and I believe that all were pleased.

 

Before departing in the morning we checked the weather - expected 90% chance of rain.  It did not rain a drop during the entire tour.  Except for the last 45 minutes in Reyjkavik.  So we again lucked out with the weather, but did get to use the umbrellas after all!

 

[teacherplus]

What tour company did you use in Reykjavik?

 

 

[BobAnne]

9 hours ago, We_like_to_cruise said:

 

 

We personally have not seen the Northern Lights on this voyage.  Our Reykjavik tour guide said they are not really prominent until September.  He also had harsh words about tour companies that book Northern Lights excursions prior to Sept. 1.   Despite that, he did admit that it is not impossible albeit unlikely.  In fact he personally knew someone who had viewed them the night before on his travels from the airport into the city of Reykjavik.  He said if later on the sky was clear we could try viewing between 2100 and 2400.  It wasn't clear, in fact was very rainy and cloudy.

 

Yes we did officially cross the Arctic Circle.  In fact the next day in our cabin we received a nice souvenir certificate from Princess stating so.  It was on heavy paper, nice enough to frame if desired.

 

We did a Princess excursion in Akureryri and also did a private excursion in Reykjavik.  Both are detailed in posts below this. The opportunity for excursions in Greenland are apparently very limited.  On our roll call for this cruise many complained the excursions were sold out very very quickly.  We could not book in advance even if we wanted to. The two ports we visit are small and there are not many tour operators.  So if you want to reserve one I would recommend it ASAP after booking the cruise.  

 

In general our preference is either booking smaller group local guides or heading out to the sites on our own via public transportation.  We are not fans of the big buses that stop for shopping and lunch. We have too much to see!   We also try to walk as much as possible and 5 miles or more in a city is not unusual for us.  It does not work for everyone and so we are glad there are numerous options for all tourists.  We do take ship excursions if the site of interest is very far from the port or the availability of tour operators is so limited that it is likely the ship will snatch them all up!

 

As noted in earlier posts, I think the weather has been on our side.  It is mostly warmer and sunnier than we anticipated.  However when we go out for the day we follow the tried and true "layers" technique and carry a small backpack to add/remove layers as necessary.  Umbrellas were an addition only when rain seemed pretty likely that day. We sometimes did have a pair of gloves and a winter type hat with us.  We only used the gloves once, on the whale boat excursion, and were comfortable with baseball cap style hats almost all of the time.  My only regret was not bringing a better covering for my ears on the couple of times they were cold!

 

The temps ranged from near 80F on the first leg of our B2B to a low of 46F in Greenland.  But, 46F when it is rainy and windy and gray seems much colder!

Super helpful feedback. Thank you so much! I love reading about your adventures during each of the stops. 

 

Thank you for sharing your experiences!

[JimChar]

Are they serving Afternoon Tea during sea days? Which restaurant will that likely be? 

Thank you

[MabePearl]

On 8/1/2022 at 8:56 AM, Mackenzie1 said:

Thank you for your review. We’re on the Island Princess for the November Mediterranean/Transatlantic cruise, and I’m glad to know that everyone is masking up. We took a cruise on the Sky Princess last October when masks were required, and we had no problems. It’s in Princess’ best interest to keep the masking protocol in place to help prevent any covid outbreaks that can spread throughout the ship.    
 

 

We are also booked for the 28 day Mediterranean/Trans Atlantic. Was looking for a roll call for our cruise. Last I searched I didn’t find one, have you?

[PacnGoNow]

8 minutes ago, MabePearl said:

We are also booked for the 28 day Mediterranean/Trans Atlantic. Was looking for a roll call for our cruise. Last I searched I didn’t find one, have you?

Is this the one your on?

 

 

[MabePearl]

1 minute ago, PacnGoNow said:

Is this the one your on?

 

 

Yes Nov 14 to Dec 12

[PacnGoNow]

7 minutes ago, MabePearl said:

Yes Nov 14 to Dec 12

That’s your roll call.  I know this one, because I was on the 2021 itinerary and it was cancelled due to the conflict in Israel.  But, I didn’t do the move over to 2022.  Kinda wish I had. 
Have a great time!

[MabePearl]

12 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

That’s your roll call.  I know this one, because I was on the 2021 itinerary and it was cancelled due to the conflict in Israel.  But, I didn’t do the move over to 2022.  Kinda wish I had. 
Have a great time!

😊 thank you

[Steelers36]

17 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

That’s your roll call.  I know this one, because I was on the 2021 itinerary and it was cancelled due to the conflict in Israel.  But, I didn’t do the move over to 2022.  Kinda wish I had. 
Have a great time!

We had this itinerary on the Pacific in 2021 and it was cancelled due to sale of the ship.  This year, we are doing virtually same trip on Island.

[PacnGoNow]

36 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

We had this itinerary on the Pacific in 2021 and it was cancelled due to sale of the ship.  This year, we are doing virtually same trip on Island.

Now I really wished I’d taken the move over.  Could have met you.  Next time.

It is a great itinerary. We’ve done all of the ports except Israel.