hm9912
-
Posts
806 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by hm9912
-
-
We just returned from 10 days on the Caribbean Princess.
During the week I observed several door locks on our hall way being worked on by Ship Staff.
Also, several time when I inserted my card along with the blinking red-green lights I observed a flash of yellow light.
Then our door refused to open. Up to Passenger Services we went. They rekeyed both of our cards. Door still would not open. Back to the desk we went. One of the Women working the desk came back to our cabin and tried her pass key. Door would not open.
She contacted our room steward and his pass key would not open the door. Next a staff officer was called and his pass key would not work. So, he departed and returned with an electronic over ride key. After he opened the door he replaced the batteries in the lock.
After that, no more problems. Will pay attention in the future if I see a yellow light flash when inserting the card.
Bob
We recently returned from a 23 day TA cruise on the Caribbean Princess.
During the first week the safe in the cabin stopped working and they had to replace the four batteries in it.
Our cabin safe waiting for new batteries
During the rest of the cruise I had to have my card replaced three times. The wife never had a problem with her card.
I wonder how often batteries in the cabin locks need to be replaced?
Howard
-
Yes, and that gives you time to think about where and when, and also to look for good deals.
Some people buy multiple certificates when they know they will book more than one cruise, and that way they don't miss out on the OBC.
:D
We now have two future cruise deposits because when we booked a previous 5 day cruise to Mexico last year and then wanted to book our just completed TA cruise we lost out because our credits went to the cheaper cruise rather than the 23 day one
Lesson learned!
in the future we will always have two deposits on file
Howard
-
Thanks :) And thanks to everyone for the reminder about port day discounts.
Just returned from a TA on the Caribbean Princess
On the last day there are two charges on my final statement from the Lotus Spa Beauty Salon Service
Item 113 for $40.25
Item 108 for $57.50
Don't ask me what they were for because I never asked her
Probably nails and hair?
Just show your cruise card and be surprised when you receive your statement
At least when charged on the Princess Visa card you get additional benefits:)
Howard
-
Just for clarification. Is the noise on the Starboard side (odd numbers)? I don't see any references to the Port side (even numbers). Is it the OV or interior cabins?
We just got off the Caribbean Princess and were in P309
The only noise were large waves slapping against the ship while in the North sea and outside of St John Nova Scotia. We could not dock due to 65 knot winds and 40 ft seas. We was rocking and rolling for one night and we loved it
Norway and Iceland were wonderful
Howard
-
I plan to tip our steward on first encounter hoping to make an impression on him even though we are minimally demanding cruisers, but not sure how much to tip. We are keeping the automatic gratuity in place and I'm sure he will have access to that information. Any suggestions? It is 7 days to Alaska.
We always tip the cabin steward $10s shortly after our first meeting and again at the end of the cruise. You'd be amazed at how well they take care of you.
Howard
-
I guess it is ore likely to get to your cabin and arrive quickly (if you don't get lost). I don't feel that these "benefits" are worth the hassle
Agreed!
Not worth the hassle schlepping a heavy bag thru the ship. The crew has their own elevators.
Howard
-
I am curious how you find out about the upgrade if you don't have a travel agent. Do they call or email??
Although we do use a travel agent, on our previous 5 day Princess cruise to Mexico last December we were informed of the upgrade to a mini suite when we arrived at the pier in Ft Lauderdale. It was a handicapped mini suite with a large bathroom. We loved it!
Howard
-
Just a "heads up"...
Yesterday morning an email arrived exclaiming we'd been given an "upgrade."
Technically, it was upgrade to a higher category, but not an upgrade in cabin for us. I had selected an inside(first time trying an inside cabin) in an area we carefully chose on Lido.
Our "upgrade" was to a fully-obstructed window cabin (middle of a life boat AND directly above the casino.)
Needless to say, I immediately called Princess. Within minutes we were back in our original cabin.
For those new to cruising, if given an upgrade, always check out "upgraded" cabin location on a deck plan. Don't assume an upgrade is a step up. However, many times it's great news!
I have heard (someone can correct me if I am wrong) that upgrades are given for a variety of reasons including a family that might require two adjoining inside cabins for their children which could be the reason you received an obstructed view cabin to free up an inside cabin?
On our last cruise on the Caribbean Princess to Mexico we originally wanted an inside cabin but our TA managed to get us an obstructed view cabin for around the same price.
When we arrived at the pier Princess informed us that we were receiving an upgrade to a mini suite. Not only was it a mini suite which we had never previously seen but it was a handicapped mini suite. I had never seen such a large bathroom and shower on a cruise ship.
We were very happy with the upgrade.
Howard
-
Thank you Tina Ann for your great review
Did you happen to notice the size of the shrimp cocktail?
Are they now large enough to be seen without glasses? Is freshly squeezed orange juice now available?
Both these items were a disappointment on our last Caribbean Princess cruise
Howard
-
I haven't used it in a while, the Pan American was always a clean, reasonably priced (for NYC) hotel with free pick up from LGA. 718-446-7676
It appears some changes have occurred from the good old days.
Howard
-
There is nothing wrong with this ship , we have been on it 2 times and thought it was nice. I don't go around looking for bad things I have better things to do while on vacation.
+1
We've also been on two prior cruises on this ship and are excited to be on our third in 47 days.
Howard
-
We sail Caribbean Princess in August and have been reading member reviews of the ship. Oh my word! People are not happy. :eek:
It can't really be all bad can it? Please, please can I have some positive information?
We have previously sailed on the CB twice and will be sailing again on Aug 29th.
We enjoyed our previous two cruises and are looking forward to our next one.
My biggest complaint. The shrimp cocktail are two small and no freshly squeezed orange juice.
Other than that we love the ship
Howard
-
We usually sail from Port Everglades in Florida on Princess and drive to the port. we usually arrive between 10 & 10:30 AM to obtain a parking spot from those getting off the ship. We are usually on the ship by noon and have lunch in the dining room. By 2pm the dining room is closed and the buffet is a zoo
Howard
-
My wife and I were on the Caribbean Princess during Hanukkah last December.
The Hanukkah service was listed in the Princess Patter. There was a pretty well attended crowd and the potato pancakes went quickly. The service was led by the son of a Rabbi. Perhaps some who attended are Jewish by now. :)
Howard
-
I just booked our family's first cruise for this June, loving this forum for the wealth of information!
We're taking our 2 kids (5 and 11) on RCI out of Galveston, being able to take cruises from here was one of the things my husband was most excited about when we moved to Houston two years ago. He's been wanting to cruise since forever and this is finally the year. It's also the first time I've felt like my kids are old enough for us to be able to get two connecting rooms instead of having to cram into one or paying $$$ for a suite. It was actually cheaper for us to get two rooms as well which was a bonus.
Looking forward to getting a ton more awesome tips before we sail!
When we took our 8 year old daughter on her first cruise to Bermuda many years ago it took me three days to try and convince her to try a shrimp cocktail. She immediately began ordering them and always asked if she could order one whenever we went out for dinner.
A cruise is a good opportunity to have children try new foods and if they don't like it the waiter just takes it away.
Enjoy your first cruise
Howard
-
Reading this 14 page thread brought back some memories.
Our first cruise was in 1971 on our honeymoon on the Home Lines Oceanic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Oceanic_%281965%29
I was able to order 6 shrimp cocktails for both lunch and dinner with 5 large shrimp. After the first day I no longer had to ask for them. The waiter just lined them up in front of me. Lobster and prime rib was served during a 7 day cruise The midnight buffet was huge with very impressive ice carvings just outside the buffet. The pool had a sliding glass enclosure that closed if it began to rain and reopened after the shower had passed.
If you put your shoes outside your cabin door at night they were shined when you woke up.
We had a nice Bon Voyage party on board for a few friends.
Princess still places chocolates on the bed in the evening.
The hallways were compartments that you had to step over and also step over to enter the cabin.
On our last 5 day cruise to Mexico on the Caribbean Princess last December we were upgraded to a mini suite that gave us fresh fruit, chocolate covered strawberries and Hors d'oeuvres brought to our suite daily.
Now that is the way to go.
On the negative there is no more lobster, the shrimp cocktail are so small you can barely see them and there is no freshly squeezed orange juice.
Howard
-
I always travel with the original bottles even if only flying to Florida for the week. You never know when TSA is going to question the drugs.
Same here!
Howard
-
Seriously, if you have been a loyal Princess cruiser for years, you should know the importance of having insurance while cruising. Very sorry for your illness, but you chose to gamble without insurance and this time you lost.
It doesn't matter what cruise line or where you are traveling.
Everyone should have medical, trip, and evacuation insurance.
While on a Russian River Cruise my wife suddenly awoke with excruciating pain.
Our English speaking guide accompanied us to a local hospital.
We declined to stay in this hospital and left but the bill turned out to be only a few dollars. She later found out after returning home that she had a kidney stone.
A few years later I also felt the excruciating pain from a kidney stone. This can occur with no warning and everyone should have adequate medical and trip insurance coverage at all times.
Howard
-
It sounds to me like you became ill on a cruise, had to seek medical care, and you're now either looking for Princess to reimburse you for the services, or trying to find a way to blame Princess for your illness to pursue legal action.:(
If you know your medical insurance won't cover you outside the U.S., then you can either purchase travel insurance or choose to roll the dice and realize you'll have to cover the costs if you get sick. I think you should be thankful you didn't require a medical evacuation for your illness and you're only out $1,100.
The way I see it from the information you've provided, is you're looking for somebody to accept responsibility because you chose to travel without insurance.:mad:
Well said Cindy!
Totally agree with you.
Anyone who travels and fails to take out proper insurance should not be complaining when they get sick.
Howard
-
We have booked the Sunshine for the June 20, 2016 cruise to Canada. It is a 5 night cruise departing on a Monday and returning on a Friday. We would very much like to incorporate both the pre-cruise weekend as well as the post cruise weekend into our schedule by staying in NYC for those 4 nights. We are flying in (not sure to which airport - whichever airport is cheapest I suppose!).
We are looking for decent prices for the four nights. We will have 3 families going: party of 5, party of 4, and a party of 2. We are willing to stay pretty far out but don't want to spend a fortune on taxi's. Just by looking online for the past hour it seems hotel rooms for 5 seem to be hard to come by! I have looked at Airbnb which might have some things that work, but deep down, I think we'd prefer a hotel. We don't need fancy...just clean and in a safe area near public transportation if possible.
Since none of us have ever been to NYC we do not want to drive in the city.
Any help and/or suggestions would be most appreciated!!!:)
Check out hotels around EWR (Newark, NJ) and ask about a free hotel shuttle to Path which goes to Manhattan.
Also IKEA is nearby and they have a free shuttle bus into Manhattan.
Newark also has some great restaurants and is much cheaper than Manhattan.
Good luck
Howard from NJ
-
Just returned from a great cruise on the Caribbean Princess. We had a fantastic window cabin, P309. It was quiet and a great location. But, I would stay away from the insides. It wasn't just for an auction - but they were constantly taking down and putting up pictures. I mean constantly - we walked thru there many times every day and every time they were doing something with the pictures. I told dh about this thread and that I felt sorry for anyone with an inside that backed to the art gallery.
Thank you for your review. We will occupy that cabin on our August 29th 2015 cruise.
BTW this is my first post on CC.
Frances and Howard
Vibration on Caribbean Princess
in Princess Cruises
Posted
We just returned from 23 days on the Caribbean Princess with very little vibration. We were on Plaza deck and the only noise we heard were the 40 foot waves slapping against the ship one night in 65 knot winds.
We found the trip on the whole very enjoyable.
Howard