FirstTeacher

For Gothenburg Princess did have a free shuttle to town. On our own, we booked a delightful little tour on the Ocean Bus. (In Boston we call them duck Boats.) It tours part of the city on land and then switches to a water cruise. It’s only an hour and a half, but it gave us a taste of the city. The only thing I feel we missed is a drive past the church up on the hill; I’ve forgotten its name.

That’s what we did. Our physician was happy to give us each a scrip for the Paxlovid. So far I’m tolerating it well (despite the metallic taste).

I would say Celebrity was our best experience for the menu.. However, we have never gone on one the elite lines like Seven Seas or Seabourne. Also, when we were on the Edge, we were unable to get a shared table, but this was when COVID was more rampant. I wonder if they make that option more available now.

We definitely enjoyed the Berlin excursion. We’re history nerds so around every corner was one more interesting site. We even enjoyed the German luncheon they served us, even though we’re not adventurous eaters.

So far he is COVID-free. The same thing happened on an Iceland/Ireland cruise a few years ago. I got it, but he didn’t. (He now thinks he’s super-human 😉)

I did not report there as I wanted to maintain my own responsible control over the situation. I was afraid they would separate the two of us. Plus, only two days remained.

We’re almost finished with our cruise on the Caribbean Princess, and I want to share some of our experiences. First of all, my husband and I are in our 70’s, and this was our second cruise with Princess. We sailed from Southampton to Brussels, Rotterdam, Oslo, Copenhagen, Gotheberg, Hamburg, and LeHavre. Ship- The ship is in good shape, especially considering her age. We were always able to find quiet spots to read or play cards. Cabin- Our OV cabin was roomy enough and had plenty of storage space. The bed and pillows were comfortable as well as the linens. The main problem we had was the lack of electric plugs. The only one we could find was by the vanity, and the plugs were too close together to use 2 at once. Staff- They were uniformly cordial, and went out of their way to assist us (I walk with a cane). Our steward Joseph addressed all our requests promptly. Food- This was my biggest disappointment. We like to eat in the MDR at a shared table, and we did that for the first 4 or 5 nights. We enjoy simple meals, but each night we could find at most one choice that would work for us. For example, most cruises we’ve been on have a basic chicken dish each night; this cruise offered a roasted chicken on one evening. I tried the NY steak from the every day menu; it was very tough. Therefore, we tried the Salty Dog and Slice a couple of times. The burgers, chicken sandwiches, and pizza were very good. We also ate at the buffet for dinner a couple of nights, but found that the offerings didn’t change much. Princess App- I only used it to check menus, activities, and our bill. I had no problem with it. Princess excursions- With 2 exceptions, we toured with Princess and we’re happy with the experiences. COVID- People, please be aware the it’s still around. After our tour of Berlin by train and bus yesterday, I came back with a sore throat and cough. Sure enough, I tested myself this morning, and it’s COVID. I blame myself because even though I heard lots of coughing on the train and bus, I didn’t put on my mask. Luckily, I thought to bring Paxlovid with me so I’ll start that regimen tomorrow. Meanwhile, I’m only leaving the cabin while the steward tends to the room. Other than that, my husband is bringing me food. We had to cancel tomorrow’s excursion to Rouen, but Princess credited our account without question. We leave for home on Friday with mostly happy memories. However, I’d think twice before booking again with Princess. Missing our MDR experience was a big problem for us.

I’m currently on the Caribbean Princess . On our first night, we went to the podium that says “Reserve”, thinking this would be us. I specifically asked the gentleman at the podium, and he directed me to the other entrance to the MDR.

The tour was with Alexei from Go Fundy Tours (1-866-999-2914). We did this back in 2018 so I can’t guarantee they’re still in business. We really enjoyed it. He took us all around, and during one of the stops he offered us hot chocolate and baked goods. My sister walked with a cane, and he went out of his way to accommodate her. Good luck!

Downtown Halifax can be a busy place, but once you’re outside of it (e.g., Peggy’s Cove), it’s no problem. Parking Downtown (e.g., the public gardens or the nautical museum) can be tricky.

We also rented a car in Halifax; the rental agency was very close to the dock. In addition to Peggy’s Cove (where we arrived earlier than most of the buses), we visited the public gardens (beautiful), the Titanic Cemetery, and the Nautical Museum (a short walk down the street from the ship). in St. John, we went on a private full-day tour with four other passengers and saw much of the amazing coastline of New Brunswick. We also stopped by the bay at 2 separate times in order to see the tide going in and out- pretty impressive.

We’re cruising through Northern Europe in May, and I’m concerned about what currency to prepare with for tips. We’ll definitely get some euros ( for France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany). However, I’m not sure about England, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. We don’t need much since it will be just for tips on excursions. Would it be acceptable to give them euros as well?

I’ve only done it once, for my upcoming May cruise. I received an email about 6-7 weeks after I signed up for it.

I have a different phone # for EZ Air that I just used this morning- 800-252-7248. I was able to get right through to them (9:00 AM). Also, we flew our return flight last June from Rome on ITA. We flew Business Class and had no problem with the experience (although the menu was not to my liking, but I’m a picky eater). We were able to choose our seats right at our initial booking with EZ Air, and there was no upcharge to do so. (Unlike my experience this morning with British Airways- to choose our seats early, they charged us almost $600 for round trip tickets for 2 in Business Class. I’ve had that happen before with BA, and I can’t believe I fell into that trap again!)

Thank you all for your prompt replies.

Does Princess offer any special benefits if you reserve a new cruise while on-board? On Celebrity, I was offered OBC plus reduced deposits. Anything like that with Princess?

Recently got off the Connie where they offered Bingo once during the 9-day cruise.

Thanks for the info!

You mentioned using Aqua Cars for the transfer from Heathrow to Southampton. When I looked them up, they only mentioned the Portsmouth area. Is this the same Aqua Cars that you used?

Thank you to everyone for your helpful responses. Although I’ve got plenty of time for the planning (May 2024), it’s never too early to start!

I looked into National Express. Have you used them before? I noticed some comments suggesting their pickup times were inconsistent. They’re certainly cheap enough.

Yes, I am following the responses. I’m now looking into booking a private transfer to Southampton and looking for hotel suggestions.

I just got off the phone with Princess after scheduling my flights with EZ Air. We’re flying into Heathrow the day before our cruise from Southampton. The Princess advisor assured me that Princess would have a shuttle available from Heathrow to the port- even though the ship won’t be there yet! (We’re planning to stay in Southampton overnight.) Has anyone had this experience? I stressed that this would be the day before the cruise, but she said it’s not a problem.

Thanks to you, OP! I saved over $1500 on my May 2024 cruise, and I got to keep the $400 casino OBC from my original booking! This made my day!

As someone who purchased basic WiFi for my upcoming cruise (6/22), I am very disappointed in this decision. If I had known this would be happening, I would have taken advantage of the $9.99 voucher to upgrade back when we first booked. My husband did this so he’s all set. However, it now looks like I cannot keep the basic package at all, and if I want the premium WiFi I’ll be paying a much higher price to get it. When I get on board next week, I will certainly be requesting some satisfaction.