Is there no thread here that reviewed the recent cruises that saw the eclipse?

[TheMichael]

On 4/11/2024 at 8:53 AM, OnTheJourney said:

Love it!!!  Hey, what's more important on a cruise ship?  A celestial event, or food!!!!  😁

 

It’s a cruise, so food. 😀
 

23 hours ago, dreams_of_travel said:

They made an arbitrary choice of which side would be toward the eclipse.

It wasn’t arbitrary, at least in the Emerald - the captain turned the ship for the least amount of movement, and to avoid rolling. Afterward, he mentioned his sleepless nights leading up to this one (on Day 1 he made sure to remind us that he couldn’t control the weather). 
 

Oh, and the Sun Princess will be sailing an eclipse route in 2026. 

[dreams_of_travel]

2 hours ago, TheMichael said:

 😀

It wasn’t arbitrary, at least in the Emerald - the captain turned the ship for the least amount of movement, and to avoid rolling. Afterward, he mentioned his sleepless nights leading up to this one (on Day 1 he made sure to remind us that he couldn’t control the weather). 

Our captain was very transparent with Discovery Princess decisions. He discussed past eclipse strategies, and why/how starboard toward the eclipse was chosen, including position and drifting during the eclipse. Of course it is a different ship from Emerald Princess, which could have very different requirements to hold their position based on ocean current and wind. 
 

Either way, the experience on Discovery Princess exceeded my expectations. 

[TheMichael]

On 4/12/2024 at 7:04 PM, dreams_of_travel said:

Our captain was very transparent with Discovery Princess decisions. He discussed past eclipse strategies, and why/how starboard toward the eclipse was chosen, including position and drifting during the eclipse. Of course it is a different ship from Emerald Princess, which could have very different requirements to hold their position based on ocean current and wind. 
 

Either way, the experience on Discovery Princess exceeded my expectations. 

I think all the ships in our area had a great experience, as the weather cooperated perfectly. 
 

Considering totality was almost mid-day, side of ship probably didn’t make much difference for most folks. (We counted on the idea that most on our ship didn’t consider the Lotus pool, with padded loungers and shade but with open sky at the appropriate time. Indeed, someone with a large telescope chose that area too. Worked like a charm. 😀)
 

I think what was unspoken on the Emerald was that the captain didn’t want irate people from starboard/port cabins having their “vacation ruined” if an adjustment was needed that rendered their balcony unable to view the eclipse. Probably smart. 

[rodndonna]

Like others on this tread - we were on the Discovery - indeed - amazing experience!

 

The only other element I thought worth bringing up was the incredible speakers brought on board for this cruise by Princess for the enrichment session and nightly stargazing. They were both really top notch and very entertaining.

 

And then having Steve Wozniak on the cruise and sitting in on one of his talks was quite an unexpected bonus.

 

This was our first Princess cruise and the only problem with it was that it had so many unique highlights that I'm not sure it was very representative of a typical Princess cruise. We purchased cruise deposits so we can test out another "standard" Princess sailing. 🙃

[Astro Flyer]

On 4/11/2024 at 3:01 PM, dreams_of_travel said:

They made an arbitrary choice of which side would be toward the eclipse.  That said, if you were above deck 11 you would not have a clear view from your balcony.  There was plenty of space up on the upper decks, space to sit to watch, and many people did have their tripods set up.  Due to the angle of the sun I did not need to be right up on the railing to get good pics.  Overall, great experience on Discovery Princess. 100% would do again!

We got lucky to enjoy the eclipse from our starboard deck 8 midship balcony having a 90° view up. Our thermometer in the shade on the table got as high as 93° before the total eclipse but forget to check it during totality which was noticeably cooler. We’d view the progress then go inside to cool off & with the ship just drifting there was no cooling breeze. Based on the direction of the exhaust from the stacks what wind there was came from the portside.

 

Below our balcony a few passengers found a great location to comfortably view the eclipse sitting on Gigi’s outdoor chairs with some shade if they briefly wanted it.

 

 

Captain Tony Ruggero & his crew were amazing to create an atmosphere to make a great event even better. 😎☀️👏

 

[wen_c82]

We were also on Discovery Princess. What an amazing experience for a first timer chaser. Passengers also made a huge difference, with thousands on deck everyone was polite and respectful. 

Also  want to add that staff set up 2 rows of chairs by the pool side railings deck 16 for those who needed to be out of sun and/ or seated. I was  there with my 94 yo mom so she can also experience this event.  Crew members walked around passing out water, ice teas, suntan lotion so you don’t miss a minute of this event. 
 

According to Princess its going to be Sky Princess in 2026 - I assumed it will in Med/Spain - although itinerary is not out yet. 

[Cruise Raider]

46 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

We got lucky to enjoy the eclipse from our starboard deck 8 midship balcony having a 90° view up. Our thermometer in the shade on the table got as high as 93° before the total eclipse but forget to check it during totality which was noticeably cooler. We’d view the progress then go inside to cool off & with the ship just drifting there was no cooling breeze. Based on the direction of the exhaust from the stacks what wind there was came from the portside.

 

Below our balcony a few passengers found a great location to comfortably view the eclipse sitting on Gigi’s outdoor chairs with some shade if they briefly wanted it.

 

 

Captain Tony Ruggero & his crew were amazing to create an atmosphere to make a great event even better. 😎☀️👏

 

AstroFlyer, our cabin was located very near yours, yet we never met you!  😞 We were able to meet Thrak and both of you are long term posters here on this forum.  

Anyway, was your room steward Nerwin.  He was wonderful but never intrusive!  
 

It was an outstanding cruise, to be sure .. the one to beat!  

 

[Astro Flyer]

22 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

AstroFlyer, our cabin was located very near yours, yet we never met you!  😞 We were able to meet Thrak and both of you are long term posters here on this forum.  

Anyway, was your room steward Nerwin.  He was wonderful but never intrusive!  
 

It was an outstanding cruise, to be sure .. the one to beat!  

 

Unfortunately we never met you & yes Nerwin was wonderful. Too bad at the M&G no brief introductions were made from those there. I talked to billco walking down the hall who was also nearby & mthomp5 at the M&G in addition to others we’ve sailed with previously. Would have enjoyed finally meeting after reading so many of your helpful posts throughout the years.

 

[Host CJSKIDS]

@Astro Flyer  so glad to hear that you had such a great view of the event. Hope the cruise was fantastic all the way around. 

[Astro Flyer]

2 hours ago, rodndonna said:

We purchased cruise deposits so we can test out another "standard" Princess sailing.

We purchased Future Cruise Credits two years ago which had to be used within 2 years. That was down from 4 years many years ago & now they have to be used within 1 year. The booking can be for a cruise several years in advance but the booking must now be made within only a year.
 

Since we’re not booking another Princess cruise within a year, we’ll decide next year during a Princess cruise whether to purchase more FCDs or not…this change is very disappointing for us.

[Astro Flyer]

9 minutes ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

@Astro Flyer  so glad to hear that you had such a great view of the event. Hope the cruise was fantastic all the way around. 

Thanks…after delays of several days getting our minibar exchanged & receiving our sailaway chocolate strawberries our TA ordered on day 3, everything else was great! 😃

 

[rodndonna]

11 minutes ago, Astro Flyer said:

We purchased Future Cruise Credits two years ago which had to be used within 2 years. That was down from 4 years many years ago & now they have to be used within 1 year. The booking can be for a cruise several years in advance but the booking must now be made within only a year.
 

Since we’re not booking another Princess cruise within a year, we’ll decide next year during a Princess cruise whether to purchase more FCDs or not…this change is very disappointing for us.

 

I really didn't mind the 1 year as opposed to longer durations more typical (at least on other lines) - as it should refund by then if not used.

 

I agree with you though, if you have another cruise with Princess booked coming up - no reason to buy more FCD's.

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, Astro Flyer said:

Unfortunately we never met you & yes Nerwin was wonderful. Too bad at the M&G no brief introductions were made from those there. I talked to billco walking down the hall who was also nearby & mthomp5 at the M&G in addition to others we’ve sailed with previously. Would have enjoyed finally meeting after reading so many of your helpful posts throughout the years.

 

I feel the same about your posts.  
 

You may have seen us .. my DH is the one with the Santa beard and pony tail .. a remnant of not being able to get his hair cut during CoVid.  He just kept it so he can play Santa for the kids at Christmastime. 
 

[Cruise Raider]

46 minutes ago, Host CJSKIDS said:

@Astro Flyer  so glad to hear that you had such a great view of the event. Hope the cruise was fantastic all the way around. 

All the way around .. never have we had a better time on a cruise!  

[Host CJSKIDS]

36 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

All the way around .. never have we had a better time on a cruise!  

Coming from you, that's is a major endorsement!!  Glad to hear you had such a wonderful cruise.

@Cruise Raider

[Level six]

We were on the Discovery and I agree that it could not have been better.  Princess did an amazing job trying to make everything perfect and they did IMO.  Besides being positioned perfectly to see the eclipse, they went all out with extras......solar eclipse cookies, solar eclipse coins, special enrichment seminars and even offering sun screen and drinks.  All the officiers around the ship making sure everything went well during the eclipse.  They allowed all the employees a chance to see the eclipse.  One of the better cruises for us (cruise wise) and a once in a lifetime experience.  PS, we saw eclipse in 2017 in Nebraska and it did not hold a candle to this experience.  I even cried a bit, it was that amazing. 

[mthomp5]

7 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

AstroFlyer, our cabin was located very near yours, yet we never met you!  😞 We were able to meet Thrak and both of you are long term posters here on this forum.  

Anyway, was your room steward Nerwin.  He was wonderful but never intrusive!  
 

It was an outstanding cruise, to be sure .. the one to beat!  

 

 

6 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

Unfortunately we never met you & yes Nerwin was wonderful. Too bad at the M&G no brief introductions were made from those there. I talked to billco walking down the hall who was also nearby & mthomp5 at the M&G in addition to others we’ve sailed with previously. Would have enjoyed finally meeting after reading so many of your helpful posts throughout the years.

 

Cruise Raider, you were someone I was hoping to meet!  did consider myself lucky because the first person I met at the M&G was Thrak and the second was Astro Flyer.
 

We must’ve been nearby neighbors because we were also on deck 8 mid ship on the starboard side! It was terrific for the comfortable viewing of the eclipse.

[Cruise Raider]

11 hours ago, mthomp5 said:

 

Cruise Raider, you were someone I was hoping to meet!  did consider myself lucky because the first person I met at the M&G was Thrak and the second was Astro Flyer.
 

We must’ve been nearby neighbors because we were also on deck 8 mid ship on the starboard side! It was terrific for the comfortable viewing of the eclipse.

I think many of us were booked in that same area.  It’s too bad we didn’t all get to know each other while on the cruise.  
A dear couple of friends had one of the Sky Suites and invited us up there for the viewing.  Even though it was on the port side, it was absolutely perfect for viewing the eclipse!  Another friend in our group of cruise friends set up a couple of telescopes.  
 

[schmoopie17]

On 4/11/2024 at 8:37 AM, HaveDogWillTravel said:

We received this great letter on nice cardstock when we embarked explaining where we’d be and how to best view the eclipse. And then we were given this lovely certificate afterwards. Princess delivered solar glasses to all cabins the day before. 

 

We had friends on this cruise and they caught the misspelling "Moday". Apparently they were able to get replacement certificates with the correct spelling of Monday. 

[Cruise Raider]

9 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

We had friends on this cruise and they caught the misspelling "Moday". Apparently they were able to get replacement certificates with the correct spelling of Monday. 

We would have never noticed it until our room steward pointed that out to us and replaced them with new ones. 

[rodndonna]

3 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

We would have never noticed it until our room steward pointed that out to us and replaced them with new ones. 

 

Just checked ours - correct spelling.

 

I don't think I would have noticed but would have raised questions about the validity with Moday!

[Gretchendz]

On 4/11/2024 at 8:11 AM, phoebe2m said:

We are on the Emerald now. Solar eclipse was amazing! The captain did an outstanding job getting us a perfect view. Passengers were respectful of others. Plenty of room even though thousands of us on the upper decks. Crew handed out wet cloths and water. We are very happy! Thanks Princess.

 

I'm on it too--totally agree!  It was wonderful.

[esad9556]

On 4/12/2024 at 6:26 AM, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Just luck. We were on the port side and the captain had the ship positioned for starboard viewing. If you look on the deck plans for Discovery you’ll see those Sky Suites on Deck 18 have 270 degree balconies.  The sun was so high in the sky we were able to see totality from the forward and aft sections of our balcony. We were so fortunate because the port side section was entirely in shade providing great relief from the heat. 
I don’t think there’s any way to really know with any certainty how the captain will position the ship until you are either onboard or really close to sailing.  We just picked the cabin we wanted and figured we’d work out the rest. 

Yes it was just luck.🤣

But your TA beat us out by a minute.

[HaveDogWillTravel]

3 hours ago, esad9556 said:

Yes it was just luck.🤣

But your TA beat us out by a minute.

We met the family in the other sky suite (wonderful people too!) and I think they beat you out by a minute. One of the first things they asked me was how did I beat them to the sky suite?  Mine was the first to be booked followed a second or two later by their booking. And the rest is history.  I won’t lie, in the beginning that expense was pretty difficult to justify but in the end I wouldn’t have done it any other way. We had 14 friends and 5 new friends ( @Thrakand his other half among them) to share that incredible space with.  We made memories that will be treasured for a lifetime. Absolutely priceless. 
 

I have an excellent Princess CVP not a TA.  

Edited April 18 by HaveDogWillTravel

[Cruise Raider]

2 hours ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

We met the family in the other sky suite (wonderful people too!) and I think they beat you out by a minute. One of the first things they asked me was how did I beat them to the sky suite?  Mine was the first to be booked followed a second or two later by their booking. And the rest is history.  I won’t lie, in the beginning that expense was pretty difficult to justify but in the end I wouldn’t have done it any other way. We had 14 friends and 5 new friends ( @Thrakand his other half among them) to share that incredible space with.  We made memories that will be treasured for a lifetime. Absolutely priceless. 
 

I have an excellent Princess CVP not a TA.  

Your planning enhanced our experience hundredfold! We will forever be grateful for all that you both did!  Such an amazing experience and not just the eclipse day