Boatharbour

Apex deck 10 last year. Can’t remember the cabin number but it was one off the centre. Edge deck 8 sky suite 8308 two weeks ago. Both locations were quiet.

This is the email I received yesterday. Dear Princess Guest: Princess Cruises recently announced it is making a significant enhancement to the main dining options found across its fleet, designed to give you the ultimate in flexibility and choice when it comes to your dining experience. Starting with voyages departing September 14, 2024, Princess will designate separate dining rooms aboard every ship in the fleet* to three table service options: Traditional dining offering an early and a late seating every evening Reservable dining times Open seating to support walk-ins anytime To support these changes and the transition to the new system, main dining reservations that you may have already made will be cancelled. This change does not affect anyone booked in specialty dining restaurants or suite or reserve collection accommodations, who enjoy a dedicated dining room on Princess ships, where no reservations are required. Starting June 17, you will be able to use the app ahead of your voyage to opt for traditional seating in a dedicated dining room with the same waiter, same table and same time each night, or flexible dining, allowing you to enjoy dinner at any available time and table size of your choosing in either the Reservable or Open Seating dining rooms. * Reservable and Walk-in Anytime Dining will be combined into a single Main Dining Room location aboard Coral Princess and Island Princess.

We were in a sunset sky suite on Edge two weeks ago. The three bottles in the shower/bath recess were sitting in a plastic tray and not attached to the wall.

I’m a first timer with Princess and didn’t realise that the pinned thread addressed the issues I was having. Rookie error. By coincidence I received an email from Princess today outlining all the changes to dining with the start up dates.

We took the body wash pump out of the shower and left it on the sink for handwashing during the day. Popped it back in the shower when needed. We’re not great fans of bars of soap.

We had a medical evacuation in Milford Sound on the Edge 10 two weeks ago. The ship stayed at the end of the sound for three hours until a helicopter arrived and landed on the shore. A tender took the patient to the shore.

An interesting and balanced read. https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/articles/should-you-take-a-large-cruise-ship-to-antarctica

From the pinned thread it looks like bookings will be possible from 17 June.

I have opted for a “cruise by” and not a landing. I won’t be leaving any footprints unlike you. No double standards at all. End of story.

This is our first sailing with Princess and I was starting to think I had imagined I’d made the dining bookings with our first cruise which is next January. However we did get a refund for the specialty bookings we’d made, so I know I had booked dining previously. It seems there has been a change since then and unless you’re at certain loyalty levels or have paid in full, you can’t book ahead of time. Thanks everyone for your responses. Very helpful.

I am talking specifically about Antartica which is perhaps the last frontier that hasn’t yet been spoilt by the impact of tourism. All of your responses are about how it makes you feel and what it does for you. The last time I’ll say it - but in what way does it benefit Antartica for you to step onshore to take your trophy photos and say you’ve visited the continent? Can’t we leave at least one place on the planet free from tourism ?? The end.

I’ve just tried that but the site refers me back to the app for dining bookings. Maybe I’m not looking under the correct tab, but I can’t find a link on the website.

Several months ago I made dinner bookings for our January 2025 cruise on Sapphire Princess. Since then we’ve cancelled and rebooked the cruise at a lower price. I now need to rebook our dinners as we have a new booking number, but the app won’t let me. I’ve tried different dining rooms and specialty dining to no avail. Does anyone know what this error message might mean? Thank you.

I still ask though - in what ways do these landings benefit the Antarctic environment? There will always be an impact no matter the steps you take to minimise. I’d rather leave the landings to scientists and minimise the exposure the wildlife has to humans. Do you really, really need to view this unique wildlife in its natural environment? You and I are always going to disagree on this topic but I think it’s important that another perspective is provided.

One other perspective to think about. Does Antarctica benefit in any way from tourists landing on its pristine environment? We’ve chosen the cruise by option. As my mother used to say “Look, but don’t touch”.