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Sky Princess- Iceland Missed Ports

Rick&Jeannie

By Rick&Jeannie,
in Princess Cruises

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nini

nini

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

This cruise just gets more and more interesting. Sadly, someone has just been evacuated by helicopter. No details...hope the person will be OK.

 

Oh no! I hope they will be ok.

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capriccio

capriccio

Posted
Posted
40 minutes ago, nini said:

 

I understand that. However, I was specifically referring to what @mmiicc had posted in reference specifically to the Iceland ports.

Understood.  I was elaborating for others reading this thread who may not have experienced cancelled private excursions. 

 

I don't understand whether @mmiicc's 'tour group' is one organized by a tour business that collected the payments or just a group of friends/acquaintances making reservations on their own. If it is the latter, let my comments serve as a warning for the future. If it is the former, in that case I would have asked the tour organizer what happens when ports are missed.  I will be interested to see if any insurance covers it.  We normally purchase 3rd party insurance and if you haven't added the cost of excursions to the total price of the trip they are not covered. 

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Jeter02 "Live from...." Rare

Jeter02

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Princess supplied insurance definitely does NOT cover independent excursions. Some have reported that third-party firms may. You'll have to read the terms carefully. 

Oh boy, I hope they are okay. You really can't make this stuff up. This is definitely quite the adventure you are having dor sure. 

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nini

nini

Posted
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5 hours ago, capriccio said:

Understood.  I was elaborating for others reading this thread who may not have experienced cancelled private excursions. 

 

I don't understand whether @mmiicc's 'tour group' is one organized by a tour business that collected the payments or just a group of friends/acquaintances making reservations on their own. If it is the latter, let my comments serve as a warning for the future. If it is the former, in that case I would have asked the tour organizer what happens when ports are missed.  I will be interested to see if any insurance covers it.  We normally purchase 3rd party insurance and if you haven't added the cost of excursions to the total price of the trip they are not covered. 

Thank you! We also book those which are refundable of the ship can't make if. There really are not a huge number of four companies in Iceland and 3 of our booked tours are pay on arrival and we had to make full payment with just one. So I am surprised at their predicament.

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Jeter02 "Live from...." Rare

Jeter02

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@Rick&Jeannie not sure how you usually do dinner if you do it in the dining room or not? I know I usually use the Estrella dining room Do they still have the two separate lines with signage for reservations and non reservation lines Do you know? I know the entrance is always been on the starboard side but then then they have the two separate lines typically. I know things change based on whoever the restaurant manager is on board and how they want to handle the crowd control.

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Rick&Jeannie "Live from...." Rare

Rick&Jeannie

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1 hour ago, Jeter02 said:

@Rick&Jeannie not sure how you usually do dinner if you do it in the dining room or not? I know I usually use the Estrella dining room Do they still have the two separate lines with signage for reservations and non reservation lines Do you know? I know the entrance is always been on the starboard side but then then they have the two separate lines typically. I know things change based on whoever the restaurant manager is on board and how they want to handle the crowd control.

We have done all 3 MDRs on this cruise. So far...have not noticed the signage for "no reservations" but seemingly they have been very lax about reservations. Have not seen very long lines at any restaurant so maybe that's why. For Estrella the entrance has been on port side.

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Jeter02 "Live from...." Rare

Jeter02

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Just now, Rick&Jeannie said:

We have done all 3 MDRs on this cruise. So far...have not noticed the signage for "no reservations" but seemingly they have been very lax about reservations. Have not seen very long lines at any restaurant so maybe that's why. For Estrella the entrance has been on port side.

All very good information to know. Thanks a bunch as always!

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deltaqueenie

deltaqueenie

Posted
Posted

I would highly recommend booking Iceland with these two tour companies: IET/Iceland Everywhere and ArcticShorex/Wild Westfjords, both companies are extremely reasonable. We exchanged emails daily due to the changing of the ship’s itinerary. Aukureyri was canceled at 7:30am, minutes before our tour was scheduled to begin. I had prepaid ALL Iceland excursions before leaving with the contracts including the phrase (‘refundable if your ship doesn’t dock’). ArcticShorex had already processed my refund in a day! Ironically, we did end up porting in Isafjordur (on a different day), and AcrticShorex organized two 18psgr mini vans on a few hours notice providing us our original Dynjandi Westfjords 5hr tour! Even though the contract says ‘refundable’…you really never know- most of these cancellations took place less than 24hours before, due to the Captain constantly canceling our itinerary.

 

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deltaqueenie

deltaqueenie

Posted
Posted
33 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

@Rick&Jeannie not sure how you usually do dinner if you do it in the dining room or not? I know I usually use the Estrella dining room Do they still have the two separate lines with signage for reservations and non reservation lines Do you know? I know the entrance is always been on the starboard side but then then they have the two separate lines typically. I know things change based on whoever the restaurant manager is on board and how they want to handle the crowd control.

I would say that surprisingly (3,550 psgrs onboard) both the Estrella and Soleil Dining Rooms have been great for us. We haven’t made reservations, and have been able to walk in, (request a table for 2 and be seated) between 6:00pm-7:30pm every night without waiting! I think they have the signs, but it doesn’t seem to matter- I’ve not seen anyone waiting with ‘beepers’.

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Rick&Jeannie "Live from...." Rare

Rick&Jeannie

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Posted (edited)

This particular thread has somewhat morphed into a "Live From the Sky" thread! Not what I intended when I started it but no one else seems to have started one so that's OK! 

 

We did the Wine Maker's Dinner last night. Very nice (as always.)  And for those wondering...it was the same price it has always been, $40.

Very full ship so at many of the shows, game shows & etc. it is very crowded if not SRO.  Enrichment talks have for the most part been fairly interesting. Those are much less crowded. 

Today is the first day I have seen people actually taking advantage of the opn decks...even though most have deck blankets! Prior to today it has just been too cold and windy. 

Will be trying "The Catch" tonight. I'm not too impressed with the location they have picked for it. It's right across from Alfredo's on deck 7 and is just "open" to the entire area. It's just not what comes to *my* mind as a specialty restaurant location. 

 

Also...cannot view The Catch menu in the app as you can with any of the other restaurants...

Edited by Rick&Jeannie
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david63

david63

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

It's right across from Alfredo's on deck 7 and is just "open" to the entire area.

It is better if you can get a table on the window side of the restaurant - and it is somewhat dependant on which "act" is performing in the Piazza at the time. However we think that this is the best restarant onboard - perhaps because it is new and they are trying that bit harder.

 

2 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

For Estrella the entrance has been on port side.

And the right hand side is for Reserve dining

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Jeter02 "Live from...." Rare

Jeter02

Posted
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1 hour ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

This particular thread has somewhat morphed into a "Live From the Sky" thread! Not what I intended when I started it but no one else seems to have started one so that's OK! 

 

We did the Wine Maker's Dinner last night. Very nice (as always.)  And for those wondering...it was the same price it has always been, $40.

Very full ship so at many of the shows, game shows & etc. it is very crowded if not SRO.  Enrichment talks have for the most part been fairly interesting. Those are much less crowded. 

Today is the first day I have seen people actually taking advantage of the opn decks...even though most have deck blankets! Prior to today it has just been too cold and windy. 

Will be trying "The Catch" tonight. I'm not too impressed with the location they have picked for it. It's right across from Alfredo's on deck 7 and is just "open" to the entire area. It's just not what comes to *my* mind as a specialty restaurant location. 

 

Also...cannot view The Catch menu in the app as you can with any of the other restaurants...

Thank you for your understanding, as you have been most helpful along with many others. 

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Jeter02 "Live from...." Rare

Jeter02

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2 hours ago, deltaqueenie said:

I would say that surprisingly (3,550 psgrs onboard) both the Estrella and Soleil Dining Rooms have been great for us. We haven’t made reservations, and have been able to walk in, (request a table for 2 and be seated) between 6:00pm-7:30pm every night without waiting! I think they have the signs, but it doesn’t seem to matter- I’ve not seen anyone waiting with ‘beepers’.

Fabulous news! Thank you for telling me how your first hand experience is going. My last cruise on the Discovery out of California that was lines galore I've never seen so backed up for like a 5:00 dining and all my years of cruising especially with Princess.

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