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SKY PRINCESS Aug 12 - 19 Norway (Live from)

TenneSea

By TenneSea,
in Princess Cruises

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TenneSea "Live from...." Rare

TenneSea

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(3)  Aug 12, 2023. -Saturday.  EMBARKATION DAY !

 

Taxied  from hotel to port.  As we exited the taxi, I was looking around for porters to take our tagged luggage.  There were none so we had haul luggage around for the next couple of hours.  You arrive into a huge covered hall with maybe 6 lanes of traffic.  There was a lounge in the very back for arriving passengers to wait until checkin is ready.  So inside of this great hall, 4000 passengers are getting off of the ship with trollies of luggage and 4000 more passengers are wanting to get on the ship with all of their luggage.

 

It was chaos.

 

Finally, the departing persons are pretty much gone so the excited soon-to-be cruisers head for the check-in doors , awaiting the opening.  The doors open and two sweet British ladies direct anyone with luggage to check (which is pretty much everyone) to go the other side of the "great hall" to get their bags on the loading belt. So the entire line swarms the luggage loading area.  (Meanwhile, there are a good number of people still getting off of Sky Princess, the two lines intersect.  I don't know if anyone was injured in the collision of the two currents of people, but it certainly was a possibility.)

 

Ok, luggage finally out of our care, custody and control - back to the check in line.  Went very smoothly from there. We were on the ship by 11:15.  Sky Princess is just as beautiful as she was 3 years ago when I cruised on her.  

 

Priorities:

 

image.thumb.jpeg.2ab7087948ac37011e52611ec6ae029d.jpeg

Key Lime

 

 

 

Edited by TenneSea
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gah_cruise

gah_cruise

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10 minutes ago, TenneSea said:

(3)  Aug 12, 2023. -Saturday.  EMBARKATION DAY !

 

Taxied  from hotel to port.  As we exited the taxi, I was looking around for porters to take our tagged luggage.  There were none so we had haul luggage around for the next couple of hours.  

 

 

What time did you arrive at the port?

 

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TenneSea "Live from...." Rare

TenneSea

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@villauk  We very much enjoyed the Holiday Inn.  It was a good location to walk to restaurants.  There aren't many stores in this area (at least that we found).  Taxis were easy to get.  Rooms were clean and comfortable.  The breakfast there was very good.

 

It wasn't glamorous but it was more than satisfactory

 

Elevators were the only thing we could find that we were not happy with.  They're small and slow.

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TenneSea "Live from...." Rare

TenneSea

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4 hours ago, gah_cruise said:

Did the Mayflower sail from Southampton ?
The Mayflower attempted to depart England on three
occasions, once from Southampton on 5 August 1620; once
from Dartmouth on 21 August 1620; and finally from
Plymouth, England, on 6 September 1620.

so says Google 🙂

 

Oh, I thought you were referring to Plymouth, MA.  Yes, I guess they had a pretty rough start to their journey.  I believe Southampton is the place credited with the beginning of the voyage, hence the memorial.  Are there memorials as well, in Plymouth, England?

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gah_cruise

gah_cruise

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1 minute ago, TenneSea said:

Oh, I thought you were referring to Plymouth, MA.  Yes, I guess they had a pretty rough start to their journey.  I believe Southampton is the place credited with the beginning of the voyage, hence the memorial.  Are there memorials as well, in Plymouth, England?

https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/things-to-do/the-mayflower-steps-p1398993

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Glad Bailey

Glad Bailey

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On this cruise with you,and agree completely that embarkation

was chaotic.

Could it be because Princess cancelled allocated arrival times?
We had reserved some time ago,the 11.30 to 12,00 slot but this was

cancelled a few days before the cruise.

We decided to stick to our original booked times but seems that

half the ships complement decided to join us.

 

Entered the dock gates at 11.15 and then took 90 minute to board.

Queues to park the car then queues to deposit luggage.

 

Once in arrivals hall everything went smoothly and fast.

 

Any way must put such frustrations in the past.

Excellent attention from the crew and yummy food since boarding

 

 

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gah_cruise

gah_cruise

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16 minutes ago, Glad Bailey said:

On this cruise with you,and agree completely that embarkation

was chaotic.

Could it be because Princess cancelled allocated arrival times?
We had reserved some time ago,the 11.30 to 12,00 slot but this was

cancelled a few days before the cruise.

We decided to stick to our original booked times but seems that

half the ships complement decided to join us.

 

Entered the dock gates at 11.15 and then took 90 minute to board.

Queues to park the car then queues to deposit luggage.

 

 

 

That does not sound good....and I think you may be correct about the removal of allocated arrival times.
In June we arrived at Southampton dock 10.30 (in our car) queued for 15 mins to park the car... dropped our luggage (no queue)...straight to the embarkation desk and on board in 20 mins 

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milolii

milolii

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Some cruising from Southampton this summer reported being informed by staff(at the terminal) that arrival times were eliminated at the Mayflower terminal.  We met these folks onboard our cruise which was the second leg of a b2b for them. We embarked in Copenhagen.  No arrival times here either. 

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Ramblin Wreck Cruiser

Ramblin Wreck Cruiser

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I so happy to see this live trip report! We will be on the Sky next summer for a cruise to the Norwegian fjords and Iceland. We are so excited to sail on this beautiful ship, since our 2020 cruise on her was cancelled. I also love that you have an aft balcony cabin, as we do too! I believe we are on the Dolphin deck. Please let us know how you like your cabin location. Safe travels and have a wonderful time!

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Dwaff85

Dwaff85

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Hope you have a wonderful cruise, do you have any of the Princess Packages? Cannot wait to read your review of the ship and ports! 
 

we are due to sail on her for the TA in November, it will be out first Princess cruise, although done many other cruises with other lines

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