Mississippian
Members-
Posts
790 -
Joined
About Me
-
Location
Holly Springs, MS USA
Mississippian's Achievements
Cool Cruiser (2/15)
-
Mississippian started following British Isles cruise: Can we gamble? , Cost of euros on a ship , Does Princess enforce 6 mos rule on passports? and 5 others
-
Princess no longer provides currency exchange. Your best bet is to use a no-fee card to get euros. Even if the card has fees, it is still better than the outlandish fees charged by exchange booths. Once upon a time it was possible to use any ATM in Europe to get a rate. No more. There are now "Euronet" ATM machines everywhere, and these machines are an absolute scam, with ultra high fees and conversion fees. Do not use them. Today, the only ATM machines you should use are those actually connected to a bank, either on an outside wall or else in the little walk-in place they provide. Even these machines will offer to charge you in your own currency, which you should decline, because your credit or debit card will always give you a much, much better rate. Wells Fargo and other banks used to provide euros at fairly reasonable rates, and it can be helpful to arrive in Europe with at least a couple of hundred euros, just to pay the taxi to the hotel, etc.
-
Does Princess enforce 6 mos rule on passports?
Mississippian replied to fergorama's topic in Princess Cruises
I think it will almost certainly be a problem. This isn't a matter or Princess enforcing the rule. It is the foreign governments enforcing the rule. You have plenty of time and should renew now. If you have other trips planned, you can renew in person at various offices. It was a roughly four-hour drive each way for me. Fortunately, there was a casino in town where I could waste a few hours and dollars and eat lunch while waiting for my passport to be processed. -
I have an upcoming cruise in July. As of now, I haven't booked either the Plus or Premier package. When the time comes, I am likely to book the Premier package, just so I can have unlimited 3,000 calorie desserts, because I want to star on My 600-pound life. Anyway, is there any reason I should book these now rather than wait to book them on ship? I think waiting would save me on insurance costs. The only downside is that I might not be able to order a drink as soon as I board.
-
The Princess excursion premium can be pretty ridiculous
Mississippian replied to Mississippian's topic in Princess Cruises
I agree. The Fly Over Iceland thing is just beyond belief, though. -
I'm not a fan of ship tours, as I don't like getting on a giant bus, and I find them overpriced. They do have the advantage that if the ship doesn't make the port call they are refunded, and they will make every effort to hold the ship for you if your tour is late (but that is by no means certain). As for cost, well, they are pretty outrageous. I just booked a Golden Circle mini-bus tour in Reykjavik for $97 which is non-refundable within 24 hours of the tour. The same tour from Princess, on a giant bus, is $295. Perhaps the most ridiculous price difference I've seen is for a Fly Over Iceland attraction that is sort of like the Soaring ride at EPCOT, maybe a little better. Princess is charging $155. I paid $36. Like the Troll tour, I have a 24-hour cancellation window, so there is some risk, but I think there is a better than 25% chance we will make the port call. Sometimes Princess does offer simple ride-there-and-get-off tours that are pretty good value, simply because they are easy to book, but I'm just not going to pay three or four times as much for an experience that isn't nearly as good as what I can get on my own. I know this is nothing new, but the Fly Over Iceland price difference just kind of knocked me down.
-
I really like the medallion.
-
Can I see my muster station well in advance?
Mississippian replied to BamaVol's topic in Princess Cruises
My muster station shows as being at Crooners on my upcoming Caribbean Princess cruise. -
YES! On my last cruise it took me 15 or 20 minutes to go from my taxi to being on Deck 7 swilling a mimosa. It would have been a good bit longer if I had not been Green Line.
-
-
British Isles cruise: Can we gamble?
Mississippian replied to Mississippian's topic in Princess Cruises
Looks like we are getting the same offers. I was thinking about the 16-day Britain and Iceland cruise, but the 12-nighter looks more interesting, even though it will wear me out.