Torence

My wife and I are both vaccinated.  While we are not currently booked on any cruise, we would only do so if proof of vaccination is required.  We would most likely book on NCL or other cruise lines that have this policy.  I expect this situation to remain the same through most of 2021.  If/when things change over the next several months, we may reconsider our position.  

A lot of folks have already expressed my sentiments.  I can only add that whenever we cruised on Princess we would always make time to watch an episode or two of "The Love Boat" in our cabin; it just seemed a lot more fun watching it on the ship.  We also thoroughly enjoyed the "Love Boat Disco Dance Party" they would have each cruise on the Lido Deck, weather permitting.  It was a bit corny and over-the-top, but we had a blast with it doing "The Isaac".  Even our daughter, who would normally roll her eyes at these antics had a great time!

This is something I really had not thought much about.  I figured that as all the passengers got off the ships, eventually all the crew and staff would as well.  Like us,  they would all go back to their normal shore-side lives.

Now that we are getting close to the other side of the pandemic, cruising may be an option again. I can't help but wonder; how many of the former crew staff we will see when we return to cruising?  I have also realized that the crew staff can really enhance your enjoyment of the cruise.  We have had a couple delightful cruises with Michael Reitano on the Caribbean Princess, I hope he returns.  Our very last cruise before the pandemic was on the Grand Princess in October/November 2019.  For whatever reason, my wife and I attended/participated in large number of events, game shows and dance parties more than we usually do and we had a great time.  Kevin Tugwell and his staff made it feel like you were cruising with a bunch of your best friends.  I know it sounds like a cliché,  but it really was one of the best cruises we ever had.  I hope we get the chance to go again real soon.  Maybe we will see some familiar faces and met up with some new ones!

I just don't get DeSantis actions; there seems to be no upside to what he is doing.  Even in so called "normal times", pre-pandemic, flus could spread very easily on a cruise ship.  Its in NCL's best interest, financial and otherwise, to take steps to protect their customers and employees.  Requiring covid vaccines seems to be a effective way of doing it. DeSantis preventing cruise lines from doing this just seems foolish and short sighted.  If he gets his way and ships sail without the vaccine requirement, how long will it be until another outbreak occurs?  One or two more Dimond / Grand Princess debacles could deliver a severe blow to the cruise industry.  They may never recover from it.

My guess is that like a lot of laws lately, someone or some cruise line will challenge it in court.   I don't have a legal background, but I think most lawyers would want be challenging this law rather than defending it in court.

There may be some legal scholars that may know more about this subject than I do, but I am not sure Gov. DeSantis has ultimate authority in this matter.  I believe cruise lines would fall under interstate or more likely, international commerce and as such would fall under Federal Government jurisdiction. State and local governments certainly have some say in the matter and can impose certain requirements on cruise lines, as long as they don't conflict with federal law. 

The longest we have been on has been 14 day cruises.  (Two in Europe and one TA)  We usually factor in a day or two at each end for travel to and from the port, so its about 16-17 days.  This length usually works well for us.  Anything less is almost not worth the trouble you need to go through for packing, arranging flights, hotels etc..  Anything more, we might start to get homesick, miss our family and friends and of course the bills and chores have a way of piling up in our absence.  Still, my wife and I are always open for considering a longer cruise...

I am cautiously optimistic about this new type of ship.  I thought the Breakaway type ships were just too much.  A more quite , subdued Atrium would be a big plus.  When we get to the other side of the pandemic, I hope to give these ships a try.

What I love about NCL is being able to sing karaoke almost every night; my wife loves the Thermal Spa package.  We both love just being able to sit down for a nice meal whenever we want. We are not that fussy.  Its a great pleasure not having to worry about shopping for the food, cooking or cleaning.  Just looking at the menu and deciding what we want.

I was on the Grand Princess over Halloween and they had karaoke 3 or 4 times that week.  They also had Voice of the Ocean.  I tried out, got into the finals but did not win.  I did however, have a great time practicing with the band and hanging out with the other singers.  I hope to do it again next cruise.

I get the sense that while Princess is pushing Voice of the Ocean, karaoke isn't going away.  They might not have it every night, but I believe you could expect to have it 3 or 4 times on a seven day cruise.

We just got off the Grand just this past Sunday, November 3rd.  We had a great time; one of the better cruises we have been on.  While I guess there could be some more updating, it seems they already have done at least some. There was a large, flat-screened TV (it seemed pretty new) in the room that had a lot of interactive features.  As a whole, the ship seemed older, but decently maintained. 

I realize that food can be pretty subjective, but we thought it was very good in both the MDR, the specialty restaurants and the International Café.  We never made it to the buffet, so I can't comment on that. Service throughout the ship was very good as well; room steward, waiters, bar staff and guest services were all polite , professional and very helpful.

The entertainment and activities were fun and varied.  Cruise director Kevin Tugwell and the rest of his staff were great seemingly everywhere all the time.  We think they were among the best we have ever met on a cruise!

One downside was spotty internet, that was more of my wife's issue than mine; I'm usually busy at the bars and singing karaoke. LOL!  When I have more time I will try to put out a more detailed review.  Have fun on your cruise! 

I got an email from Princess asking me if I wanted to book and excursion to Mount Rushmore.

11 hours ago, caribill said:

 

I was once on a team where one of the team members would say in a loud whisper a joke answer.

 

Problem was that one time the joke answer was the correct one and not the one our team had put down. The team that used the "joke" answer beat us by one point.

Wow, that's something I never thought about, the "joke answer" actually being the correct one.  I guess it goes to show that if you cruise (or play trivia) enough, you really do see it all.  I have to point out though, your team member really needs to work on his "joke answers".  LOL

This may not seem very nice, but I can't help myself since people take this trivia so seriously.  Occasionally, I will decide to have a little fun with them.  I'll be on a team with my wife and daughter and when a seemingly simple questions comes up, like who was the 1st president of the United States?  I state in a loud whisper, to my team of course, "It's Elvis Presley!"; and a number of the super-serious players give me the stink-eye.  I think its pretty hilarious seeing them get worked up over nothing.   And then I have another drink.

Congratulations  to Scougs and Ldyandrea!  It seems like you both had a great time.  I was on the "Voice" a couple times before and it was a lot of fun.  I have a cruise on the Star Princess scheduled in September 2019, and I am looking forward to trying out again!

46 minutes ago, jlp20 said:

Just consider how many hours of pax entertainment is provided without the bothersome that bother of paying anyone professional.

That's an interesting point, but it amounts to about 1 hour per cruise.  You could perhaps add about another two hours for rehearsals with the band.  The band members are professional and are getting paid.

However when I was on Voice of the Ocean, getting paid was the furthest thing from my mind; it was about the experience and having fun.  I'm pretty sure all the other singers felt the same way.  (Yes, I'll admit I am not as good as a professional, the band helps me sound better than I am.)  And the audience really seemed to have a good time as well!

22 hours ago, Scubadoc said:

I’m excited about this too for our cruise in January. And also just karaoke in general. I want to sing a special song for my wife if they have it. Does anyone know if they have Keith urban “somebody like you?”  Either in karaoke or voice  of the ocean? Or “all of me“ by John Legend? And to rock out I’d like to do “dream on” by Aerosmith. Thanks for help! 

 

 

One thing I noticed in dong karaoke on the ship and VOTS is that their library may not be as broad as what you are used to at home.  Also the VOTS list has about 100 songs for you to choose from.  You may want to have 3 or 4 back up choices if your first selection is not available.  Good luck and let us know how you make out!

I'm in the same position as you are.  I have a cruise leaving on Sunday on the Escape and I have put in a couple upgrade bids.  Yes, I am well aware that they have up to 48 hours out to accept your bid.  However, I was wondering  how often does it actually happed that you get a bid accepted this close to the 48 hour deadline.  I wish us both luck!  Either way I'm going to have a great cruise!

It's a great time!  I was able to perform on "Voice of the Ocean" twice and I loved every minute of it.  It's pretty much what other posters have already described, but I will add my 2 cents.

I too, like to sing karaoke and depending upon the song, I can do it fairly well.  However, there is a big difference between karaoke and a live band.  In karaoke the words light up as you are supposed to sing them, but not so with the live band.  Yes, you have a screen with the lyrics, but they don't light up (its not a karaoke machine) and I found my timing was a bit off.  I was excited/nervous which cause me to sing faster than I should have.

The rehearsals were of immense value, as I could feel myself get a bit better each time.  Everyone involved, the music director, cruise director, musicians etc... they all did a great deal to clam everyone's nerves. 

But far and away the best part was being able to meet and perform with other singers.  While everyone was trying to do their best, it didn't seem like a competition.  We were all happy just being there and getting the opportunity to sing with a live band in front of a large audience. 

It was great and I can't wait to do it again! 

I was on a Baltic cruise about four years ago and we really enjoyed it. It did include an overnight stop in St. Petersburg and we did a couple tours. The OP concerns about crowds and long lines for everything are quite valid. Still, we had a good time and I am glad we went.

Given the recent/current political climate and in addition to the crowds, I would think twice about taking this cruise again. If you are fully committed (and fully paid) to taking this cruise, I would make the best of it and take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit St. Petersburg. There seem to be a lot of good suggestions about available tour options.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

We were on the Caribbean Princess for the January 3, 2018 10-day Panama Canal cruise. They did not offer the BOGO happy hour special.

I was on the same cruise and noticed the same thing. I looked pretty hard through the Patter and never saw a BOGO advertised. I thought they had stopped doing it flee -wide. Maybe because it was still sort of holiday break for a lot of people. Perhaps Princess figured they did not need to run any drinking promotions because they would still get a lot of business with the holiday (younger) crowd.

I am a seasoned cruiser on both Carnival and Princess. (18 Carnival, 25 Princess) Carnival seemed a good fit when I was in my 30's. Party until late, lot's of pool activities, good food, and fun in the dining room! What's not to like?

 

We are now in our 60's and 70's. Princess is our cruiseline of choice. We are now in a season of life where we like to spend more time in our cabin. (therefore a nice cabin is a must) We love to rise early, have a variety of activities, have quiet time in our cabin, as well as quiet time in a chair catching a few rays. We catch many indoor activities during the day. We do not need to be on the go every minute, and we do not care where the late night party is held.

That being said, we have grandkids that we take from time to time. Carnival is a great fit, as those cruises are about THEM. Loud, busy, towel animals, kids, kids, kids! Can't beat it for them.

Lastly, what I don't like about some Princess cruises is the complaining. I am going out on a limb here. Older passengers who feel the world revolves around them. They don't think they should wait. They don't like the food. They just plain take for granted the fact that they are amazingly lucky to be able to travel and even be able to afford a cruise. They have spent $50K-$100K in their lifetime on cruises. They seem negative. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS, PLEASE. Not everyone, but I see this on some of the 10+ day cruises.

 

Carnival vs Princess...... two great lines for different sets of people. Apples and Oranges...all fruit! ;)

 

Janet

I couldn't agree more!

I have been on both Princess and Carnival and have enjoyed them both. Carnival was many years ago when I was in my 20's. Even then I thought it was a bit too rowdy, but I still had a pretty good time. Nowadays, I spend my cruising between NCL and Princess and enjoy them both.

I agree with earlier comments about Carnival skewing younger and a bit rowdier and Princess skewing older and a bit more subdued. Other factors to consider are time of year and itinerary; as they can have a significant impact on passenger demographics.

It has been my experience that there are some passengers (on all lines) who live up to the stereotype; younger passengers who drink heavily, get loud, don't know when to stop, and think the world revolves around them; and older passengers who are cranky and complaining know-it-alls who think the world revolves around them. Thankfully, these folks are in a district minority. I enjoy sailing with both younger and older passengers. From the young, I can appreciate their energy and enthusiasm which keeps me from being a stick-in-the mud. And from the older folks, I can learn from their experience and wisdom. In each case, I have a better time on my cruise.

So just pick the line you think works best for you, resolve yourself to have a great time and I'm sure you will!

Hello Joe:

I got back from a cruise on the Caribbean Princess earlier this month. The process described above was pretty much what I experienced. I was fortunate enough to make the finals. While I felt comfortable doing karaoke, singing with a live band in front of a large audience was something completely different. I was pretty nervous, but with help from the production singers, CD staff and the band, I felt much better after rehearsals. I didn't win, but I had a great time and can't wait to try it again! Be sure to give it a go. Good luck!

I have thoroughly enjoyed your cruise review and photos; this is a bucket list cruise my wife and I have been hoping to do for some time.

I share your concern about people knowingly signing up for "S" marked tours and then complaining its too hard. While my wife and I have no problem signing up for "E" or "M" tours, we very carefully review the tour details before singing up for a strenuous tour. It seems like on some of these "S" tours there are always a few people who did not think it through. You are then faced with the prospect of either bineg constantly behind schedule and short-changed at some of the tour stops; or listening to constant complaints of passengers who have a hard time keeping up.

On side note, it was really nice to see you and Rachel have a good time with your parents. Our daughter is at the age (21) that it isn't cool to hang out with Mom and Dad. Where there some folks close to your age on this cruise? Is the Panama Canal crusie something we could take our daughter with or maybe its better for just my wife and I? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

I have been following this thread with a great deal of interest since the OP's comments mirrored my last two cruises, one on NCL (Breakaway in Nov. 2015) and one on Princess (Caribbean Jan 2016). The "Anytime" or "Freestyle" dining was a mess and it was completely due to the sheer number of booked or over-booked passengers. The difference between full lower berth passengers (3080?) and full all berth passengers (3670?) can be the difference between a very enjoyable cruise and a very unpleasant one.

Have you noticed how the cruise ships are getting larger all the time and when they are refurbishing they are always adding more cabins? All these "passenger amenities" are usually just additional sources of revenue for the cruise line. They add extra cabins, more bars, specialty restaurants, more and larger shops, spas and casino space. Of course there is always room for bingo and art auctions.

While the revenue producing areas are being enlarged, other areas are being short-changed. Pool deck space and chair hogs (there have been plenty of threads and posts on this issue) seats for shows that you have to arrive 30-40 minutes before show time (the show itself is only about 45 minutes long), and chaos in the MDR, the OP's point.

I can understand why the cruise lines are doing this, cramming more and more passengers on each ship as it helps spread out their fixed costs (building the ship) and some of their variable costs (fuel, provisions and staffing). The problem is that just because you can, doesn't mean you should. At some point between 3080 people and 3670 people on board, passenger comfort and convenience begins to suffer. Where that point is, I don't know, but it does exist. Staff becomes over-worked and stressed out; and passengers (sometimes) start behaving badly towards the crew and at each other. Since the cruise line is largely responsible for creating these conditions, they really should try to find a way to prevent it or at least reduce the inconvenience they cause.

I don't have any good answers, but maybe a few suggestions...

1. Complain to the cruise line. It may not do much immediate good, but at least you can vent and maybe, just maybe if enough people do the same that these concerns will be taken into account when they are designing or remodeling these ships.

2. Try to cruise at off-peak times or at lease avoid when times when school is out of session.

3. Try to use some of the older, smaller ships on the line; I get the sense these ships may not have the same over-crowding problems of some of the newer ships.

4. Switch to a different (maybe more expensive) line and then tell Princess/NCL why you did it.

I realize a lot of folks may not be able to do as I suggest as they may have limited flexibility. As I said, I don't have any good answers, but sometimes you just have to choose the best of a poor lot. If anyone has got some good ideas, I'm willing to listen!

I just got married a year ago and I've been telling my wife how great cruising is and made a reservation back then for the Breakaway for late October. She has never taken a cruise and is a little nervous about it. So over the last several months I would tell her about all the great things she would experience to build up her excitement. First that there would be fireworks one night (very romantic) GONE. Then how great the burgers will be at the up town grill GONE. Then I told her about the Cirque dinner show, which I tried to book last week at 90 days out GONE. Today I find out they stopped serving lobster in Teppanyaki which I booked GONE.

I will now stop mentioning anything till October. We will still have a great cruise but I'm really tired of things disappearing from our cruise. As you can see our next cruise will be with Carnival.

 

Dan

A long time ago, when I got married I was in the same position. I had been on a few cruises before and really liked them while my wife-to-be had not and was pretty nervous. There was no reason to be; she loved the food, the show, the service and most of all the SPA! I like to joke that when we first went on the cruise, I had to drag her on the ship; when it came time to go home, I had to drag her off!

As far as what may be missing, I can only echo what other folks have mentioned, in that you should just focus on what is on the cruise rather than what's missing. As far as the fireworks go, well you have been only married a year, so I pretty sure YOU won't have any problem in providing them...:)