pmallen

Never seen a sale. Princess doesn't seem to run excursions that need to be discounted to fill up.

For this trip, we needed either proof of vaccination, OR evidence of a negative test. This was required due to a stop in Colombia, so its their requirement.

Oh, gawd, yes, the bedding! Remember needing to have your cabin steward first remake the twins as a queen, the put egg crate foam over the whole thing so it was sleepable?

We were just on the Emerald, and loved it. We ate there twice! Very reminiscent of the original menu.

We just got off a 15-day Panama Canal cruise (you can read my Live From elsewhere) and we had a wonderful trip. This was our 5th cruise, going back to our first, exactly 30 years ago, all on Princess. I started following Cruise Critic not long after it started in the late 90s. And people here have been complaining that cruising is going to Hell for the entire three decades! We complain about the ships, the ports, the food, the sales, the CEO, the volume on the movies and more. That's human nature, of course. We're more inclined to share when we're unhappy, than when we're satisfied. But if all I knew about cruising is what I read here, why would I ever go on one??!!?? So I thought I'd try something different: what's better? That's right, what about cruising has improved over time? Because there's lots. There really is. I'll go first: coffee! On our first couple cruises, the coffee was simply dreadful. It came from some sort of concentrate made by people who, I think, didn't really like coffee. Then they added coffee bars for an upcharge, so you had to pay extra for decent coffee. This was a regular topic here 25 years ago. Trust me! Today, the coffee is fine. Not spectacular, but decent, whether room service, dining room, or buffet. Now its your turn. What do you think has gotten better about Princess specifically, or cruising in general?

Day 16: Disembarkation and some final thoughts. Completely uneventful, which is good. We were up early, around 5. Got up to the buffet to beat the crowds for breakfast. Turns out we could have probably slept another hour. Our flight isn't until late, so we drank coffee in our room right up until we needed to vacate at 8. Our assembly area was the casino, but we waited at the Good Spirits bar until it was our call time. Our flight is at 5, so we were near the end. We got called at 9:20, which was about 15 min behind. A 15 min cab ride north got us to the Sandbar Grill, right on the beach (picture below), where I'm writing now while we kill a couple hours before heading to the airport. As I say, an uneventful disembarkation. A Few Final Thoughts To be honest, we paid a lot of money to be on this cruise, and it's been on the calendar for over a year. I'm the kind of person who's inclined to want to think I had a good time, and got a good value for my money. And we did. We had a wonderful time, thought this cruise and ship were outstanding, and everything lived up to or exceeded our expectations. Others are not so inclined, and you can read them here. I don't doubt the validity of their experiences, but I can't imagine being on a trip like this and being constantly disappointed. Especially after the trip we were just on. I've read reviews of this itinerary amd this ship from just a couple turns ago that were so bad, I was truly fearful we had made a horribly expensive mistake. Turns out, I can't believe we were on the same cruise. I share all this just to suggest you take these reviews, good or bad, with a grain of salt. Each person's perspective is just that: their perspective. Look for trends, of course, but don't let an isolated review weigh too heavily. With that, you've been a lovely audience. I hope your next cruise is a great one. This cruise was awesome, and I highly recommend it.

Last week, Verizon service PV amd Huatulco was free.

Things are pretty family friendly.

Day 15: At Sea -- Final Day Well, not much to report here. Had an early workout, where we learned the tread mills aren't available until 8. Had a final couple hours of cash poker with the crew after that, then spent the afternoon in the Sanctuary. We headed down to pack around 3:30. Pro tip: compared to the skirmishes yesterday, no one was doing laundry today. We used the EZ check for our bags, especially since our flight doesn't leave until around 5 tomorrow, and we didn't want to lug them around all day. You pay whatever your airline charges for bag fees (or not, depending on your status), plus a single $25 charge for all the bags in your cabin. Importantly, there are no overweight charges applied, and we definitely had one heavy one. The convenience of putting your bags out the night before and not messing with them until you arrive at your final airport is well worth $25, I think. We said our goodbyes to various staff who we saw regularly. I have to say, I remain flummoxed by included gratuities. We thought our cabin steward did an outstanding job, so I handed him directly $50. I have no idea if he gets to keep it, or has to pool it. I don't suppose there's a point if it's pooled, but I really don't know. We had a lovely final dinner, amd then played a little blackjack in the casino. After that, had a cigar in the smoking lounge, then called it a night. I've included a picture of the cigar selection on board, if you can make it out. That's it for today. I'll report on the disembarkation process amd share some final thoughts tomorrow.

I think it's possible, but unlikely to be available. You can book individual days, but I thinknthey give preference to those booking the whole cruise. But I'm really not sure of that. Also, PC day in the Sanctuary cost $60 pp vs $40 the rest of thendays, not counting the whole cruise discount.

It was available if you went to the show, which was open to anyone. I suppose you could have also fallen into the line without going to the show.

Good luck! And regarding that hand, I was 3rd base. So I stand on 18, she takes the ace and gets 17. Oh well.

While in Mexico last we, we got a message from Verizon that Mexico was a non-roaming area, so no additional charges there. But only in port, nothing offshore.

And yes, I should have stood on soft 18. But still.

The blackjack picture.

Day 14: At Sea The wind and waves were a little sporty all night amd through early afternoon today. Not enough to cause discomfort, but pretty windy on deck, amd loud in the Sanctuary, where the wind hisses through the fabric covers. In the morning we went to the culinary show, where exec chef and maitre'd demonstrated two dishes a dessert, with quite a bit shtick thrown in. It was a good show, played to a packed house. We then went from the theater to the DaVinci dining room for a brief kitchen tour/walk through. Saw some beautiful fruit sculptures, and a patry chef sketching out Easter decorations. Beware, the line to go through the kitchen moves pretty slowly. Tonight's dinner was the gala, with surf and sea including filet mignon and plentiful lobster tails. I mamaged to convert mine into a "marsh and turf" by asking to add a lobster tail to the duck breast, which our waiter happily did. Apologies, but my photo of the menu cut off the appetizers. Highlights were escargot and wedge salads. A word about the casino: it's a bit smoky, though far from the worst I've experienced. The rules are extremely "house friendly." Extremely. The electronic poker table takes a 12.5% rake (max $8, I think). Blackjack pays 6-5 and they use a 6-7 deck (I've heard both) continuous shoe. Among the pictures I'm including is the worst beat I've ever.seen in my life. BJ takes are $10, though there is a $25 table that paya 3:2 for blackjack. Go for the fun amd socializing, not the winning. My actual mission has been to see what sorts of casino offers I can get with a couple hours per night of break-even gambling.

There's also the little known "neither" category. On ournrecent 15-day Panama Canal cruise, there were 3 formal nights and one smart casual night that was also "White and Gold" night, amd the Patter said "Dress to Impress." So, dress to impress while going smart casual. Setting aside the question of "dress to impress" whom (this from a guy who enjoys formal nights), the result was a complete hash. Note to the file: white pants and a white polo leave you looking like a swimming official. 😁

Yesterday amd today, final 2 sea days on the Emerald Panama Canal cruise, the Neptune's Reef pool has had a DJ with pool tunes (not super loud) and MUTS has been showing nature scenes with no sound. When a movie has been showing it's not been blaring (though I know what you mean from prior cruises), to the point you couldn't hear the movie from the approaches to that deck area. Meanwhile, the aft Terrace (deck 14) and Oasis (deck 17) and the forward Lotus Spa (deck 16, adults only, very limited seating), pools are all very quiet.

There is no sales tax in Oregon, so you shouldn't see one in Astoria.

Yes! If you look at the Dolphin deck balconies, you can see, between the balconies, a divider and a connector. Then, the slider into the cabin is clearly visible. On the Caribe deck above, you can see a double divider, and just barely see the connector (zooming in helps). You camd see the slider at all. The balcony above extends beyond the connector amd part way over the first divider. I'd say that gives you 5-6 feet of covered balcony. Someone who's measured it could say for sure. Hope that helps.

Oh, forgot to mention: it's a long way from Cartegna to Ft. Lauderdale, so we're traveling near max speed (avg 20kts.or so) into 6 ft sweels and pretty good winds. Things are definitely rocking and rolling, but I don't see evidence of anyone having an issue with it.

Day 13: Cartegana. This was a very short call, arriving at 10am, with all aboard at 4:30. The late arrival allowednfkr some pretty incredible views of the city as we got in. I read James Michner's "Caribbean" many years ago, so I had some recollection of the two entrances to the port: Boca Grande (Big Mouth) and Boca Chica (small mouth). Only Boca Chica is useable, amd boy is it ever narrow! We signed up for the old city and fort by land and sea excursion, amd it was hands down the best excursion of the trip. Carlos, our guide was experienced, knowledgeable, and funny. We first boarded a mid-size tour boat, motored around the waterfront for about an hour, looking at walls, and learning the history of the bay fortifications. We then got off the boat and walked a short way to one of the entrances of the walled city. Turns out, this was where enslaved people would arrive from Africa, and the square in front of us was where they would be auctioned off. The role of slavery in the city and the colony played a prominent role in this portion of the tour, and it really helped provide a complete understanding of the history of the city. After a walking tour and some time on our own, including at a "Princess Approved" jeweler, we got on the bus to go to the San Felipe fortress. We walked about 2/3 of the way up. It's enormous, and the ramps are very steep. Not suitable for people with mobility issues. The views are stunning, and Carlos gave a great recitation of the failed British invasion in 1840-41 led my Admiral Edward Vernon (for whom Mt. Vernon is named). We then returned to the cruise port, amd were let off to wander through an aviary and shopping area on the way back to the ship. There were 3 other cruise ships in port, so this area was something of a zoo. There was no lunch/snack with this tour, so we stopped when we got back at the International Cafe for sandwiches and beer. Really great day. We went up again onto the monkey island to watch sailaway. I've included a picture of the very non-descript door on deck 15 starboard that gives you access to this area. From there, I also took a picture of the balconies to give you a sense of how they work on this class vessel. At the bottom you can see deck 9 (Dolphin) where we are. Note the door between balconies and a large divider, completely uncovered. Going up, deck 10 (Caribe) has the door and two large dividers. The rest of the decks have the doors, small dividers, and are partially covered. Hope this helps with your cabin selection choices!

Day 12: Panama Canal Transit This day met and truly exceeded our expectations. We say the Canal from the train yesterday, but it really doesn't prepare you for the enormity. The day is like the best of a shore excursion amd a sea day cimbined. The afternoon before, the captain announced we were due at the Bridge of the Americas at 7. We got up early and got to the monkey island, the deck above the bridge, by about 6. I've included a picture of the unmarked door on deck 15 starboard that gives you access to this deck. There were quite a few people there already, but there were chairs in the second row still available, so we were good. The entire transit was narrated by Bill Fall, who was quite good. He grew up there when it was still the Canal Zone, so his narrative was a little weighted toward the US presence, former military facilities, what different buildings are used for, and that sort of thing. I can imagine other narrators favoring construction, natural history, navigation, or whatever their particular perspective is. He definitely touched on all that. The Holland America Zaandam was going through the old locks at the same time, which was interesting. Especially when they went through Pedro Miguel, we had a good look at the old lock operation. The Culebra Cut was especially impressive. Note: at construction, it was the Culebra Cut. After the Canal opened, it was renamed after American David Gaillard, who directed the construction of the Cut, and died of a brain tumor just before the Canal opened. In 2000, the name was restored to the original. We loitering a while waiting for tugs before entering the Agua Clara locks in the north end. These really gave a sense of the height of the lake. Between the Cocoli and Agua Clara locks, we left the monkey island, and went up to the Sanctuary. If you can afford this, and can get on early to get a spot, I highly recommend this. We reserved the entire cruise, and this one day made it worth it. This was a truly incredible day!

$3 to dry only if you can dry in one 35 min cycle. Pretty consistent feedback, and our experience too, is it can take 2-3 dry cycles.

In Fuerte Amador? Yes, there was a free shuttle through the construction.