snoozecrooze

I feel like I just need to shout this out as an overall disclaimer for those who might also only rely on CruiseMapper:

- Cruisemapper is an independent third-party website. It's not Glacier Bay's website. Unless you're looking at a port's OFFICIAL website, then it's not going to be guaranteed to be accurate. And even port websites aren't 100% accurate! Always rely on the cruise line's own website, so just check that regularly (or Cruise Critic for the release dates!) if you're looking forward to information that may not yet be released. Cruisemapper runs on a delay and whoever runs that website only uploads already published information.

Princess has not officially released their Alaska 2025 itineraries, and that explains the "absence" of Princess from Cruisemapper; Coral has just wonderfully shared the information and files with us.

1 hour ago, philbob84 said:

anyone know where i can find high rez renders of the ship and interior?

In the wake of the Arison post, I was just thinking about how Princess could do a world of wonder if they just made an AR/VR type of thing where people can click through all the corners of the ship through interactive renderings, the way you would peruse through Google Maps Street View, for example. It would be perfect if they're really trying to target a supposed younger demographic. They already did something similar for the new "roll glider" that they hyped up so their capabilities should be there.

2 hours ago, dides said:

How funny - re-posting old cruisecritic content created by a future passenger over 4 months ago when there should be something creative from Princess themselves!

@dides, I knew it was yours! How embarrassing for Princess and Carnival corporate actually that they just steal content from the internet and can't put in their own effort to give the consumers more interactive tools to understand their own product. 

I know it seems really unkind, but countries in the US's Visa Waiver Program (such as the UK, Italy, Australia, Singapore, etc) all have had to pay $21 for the US's ESTA.

It's literally all about playing catch up.

Personally, I wouldn't dismiss Royal so fast if you must travel from Seattle as the Glacier Bay ship goes back to Royal for 2025.

I don't see any changes of "rules" implied in that Cruisehive article. 

Anyways, there are existing threads on the new embarkation modifications. It's mostly centered on the improvements they've tried to make to the app. If you don't care about the app, then there's nothing to worry about.

Thread 1: 

Thread 2:

14 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Also, there are ports like San Francisco where there is a separate line to pick up Medallions after checking in, so both lines move equally as fast. 

I agree, picking up the Medallions at the port has never been a hassle for us.

14 minutes ago, SCX22 said:

Are the port agents going to start checking QR codes now

Also agree with this question. We have never been asked to show our QR code for as long as I can remember, but we've never had a big wait for check-in either. I feel like Princess has done a good job overall already and hopefully they keep simplifying things to avoid further confusion (like if we can scan that QR code to get through, then that should be it)

Q: How many days before embarking can a guest check-in on OceanReady?

A: Have your birth date and deposit in. Then, you can start ASAP.

Also, if there are other very specific needs in addition to mobility issues, those guests can also use the Accessible Lane. Not many further details were given about the Accessible Lane, though.

26 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

Did they mention when you can book these???

Believe it or not, they didn't say. But since they've dropped the voyages now, we can likely soon expect all of that info, along with pricing and such.

Just now, azbirdmom said:

Did they mention Antarctica or can they no longer do those cruises?

Check my updated post. I'm updating as they go.

Emphasis was made that Sapphire Princess is the largest vessel "certified" with IAATO.

Emphasis was made that checking in and inputting your information can certainly be done on a computer and not just the mobile app. More information below.

Emphasis was made that home delivery for medallions is "coming soon" for Canada; it's undergoing postal trial testing.

This basically means you don't want your Medallion delivered to your home OR you can't accept home delivery because you live outside of the US.

The fee for home delivery would otherwise be $10 USD.

(No more focus on arrival group!)

They said they learned from the feedback that no one follows the arrival groups they were designated anyways, and they wanted to reinstate the "freedom of boarding."

For the ones who don't want to deal with the mobile app:

The beans will be spilled on South America tomorrow in a seminar, per VP Carmen.

18 minutes ago, LACruiser88 said:

Majestic at the end of this year.  LA to Ft Lauderdale via South America, 51 days. 

Yep, this has been on my radar as well. Feels like the diehards have been on their toes anticipating it as it officially comes out.

This is a bit off-topic but I feel like the vibes in this thread were a bit of a downer when Park19 was first revealed, because overall, I do support the targeting of the families, especially since Carnival is in dire need of easy money and even Celebrity has made it very clear they are desperate for families and easy money as well with the redeployment of Beyond and Reflection in 2024.

But I totally get the sentiments. TUI Cruises (the German line) released renderings of their new sun decks on their upcoming new class of ships (161,000 gross tons), scheduled to debut in 2024, and I think it represents pretty well what the balance between big ship and vast lounging spaces could've looked like. I certainly don't see the Princess of the future leaning in this direction, given the strong trends toward further democratization of the mode and the financial incentive to do what they're currently doing with Sun and Star. And if Carnival was focused on premiumization, I really think it will be centered on Seabourn or even the HAL of the future. But I do think it's interesting to just have a ponder about this other direction Princess could've taken with the Sphere-class.

[SOURCE of images]

1 hour ago, MortySails said:

Sad if he left Princess.  Even sadder he left to go to MSC.

Just to put this topic to bed for others who stumble upon this thread hoping to hear the "bye bye" in the halls of Princess again:

"Captain Tuvo hails from the beachside town of Levanto, La Spezia in Italy. He started his career onboard cargo ships just after graduating from The Nautical Institute Nazario Sauro. In 1999, he decided to make the transition to passenger ships and worked his way up the ranks, being promoted to Captain in 2016. While he has many years of sea-time experience under his belt, he always looks forward to the next adventure. His greatest joys are his family, cooking and outdoor sports such as cycling and hiking. Captain Tuvo is honoured to be a part of the MSC family."

As Captain John Smith said in some video I found of a holiday cruise on the Discovery last year, "Captain Bye Bye is Bye Bye."

And here's another nice bonus, just for old times' sake.

SOURCE: You can find all MSC captains here. MSC posts the bios and pics of them there.

Hi @jaybar,

You seem to have posted this outside of your actual sailing's roll call, so you might not get the most direct help you would want. Consider re-posting in your specific roll call to find others who might be able to help you with some relevant information.

I'll help you out with just a tad, but again, others have more specific advice.

- No direct train from Heathrow to Southampton; it's actually a bit convoluted to do it just via train from Heathrow. There is a train from London Waterloo to Southampton but that still requires getting into London in the first place.

- A lot have recommended using a private car service for simplicity (possibly the most expensive option)

- National Express bus directly from Heathrow to Southampton (cheapest option)

- The Princess transfer coach 

- I don't know if you're arriving in the UK on the day of your cruise or perhaps earlier, but if you're arriving with time to spare, you could also consider a transfer that includes an excursion. For example, International Friends (link here) provides cruise transfers and excursions to either Windsor Castle or Stonehenge, etc. bundled together so it's like a 2-for-1 deal. Just an option to consider if you have the time.

I think you should. Chances are that person working there isn't even there anymore, potentially. But also, so much has changed at the cruise line and in the industry (which you know about) and I've always felt life is too short to hold any of these types of grudges. If something catches your eye, I say just go for it and see what happens. The vast majority of crew you'll face onboard Princess ships are pleasant.

I would avoid taking just only advice from the port and shopping guides from any cruise line as well. Allow yourself wiggle room. I hope you have a great time.

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

My money would go on not seeing both Coral and Island doing Alaska at the same time.  Island also has the buffet section forward with lots of windows and access to exterior.

Yep, I just checked and I think I got a little overzealous there because I forgot Island was heading to New York in May.

As an aside, I made a map for myself to draw out the deployments for 2025 summer and I think it's pretty interesting there will be a strong net decrease in capacity for Alaska that season (and CB is also currently appearing in some Caribbean port schedules that season as of now). One less ship overall, and it's one less Royal-class ship at that.

On 7/5/2023 at 1:27 PM, mackfam said:

Just wondering if there’s any chance the shows will be different this time seeing as it will be 12 months since our first time on her? 

Most other cruise lines do not swap out shows onboard their various ships for years and that's because it takes a lot of resources, such as creative development and new set piece construction, which incurs a large logistical cost, among other things. While MSC's theatre shows don't seem to require as many set pieces as those on their competitors, I still think they follow the same formula of not swapping out shows for long periods of time. So I personally expect the Meraviglia's shows to be on there for a while -- like, if MSC's entertainment budgets stay still, then they could even be there for close to a decade, which is not unlike what I've seen with Princess or Carnival, from my experience.

1 hour ago, PacnGoNow said:

I wish all the ships would do this!

I believe all of the ships are doing this now? Sky and Regal were doing this, at least as of recently.

I highly doubt anyone will be fired from this unless true negligence can be proven and a record of poor behavior and judgment is documented (and even that might be asking too much, let's be honest). We'll likely forget about this a month from now.

1 minute ago, Coral said:

Actually the current Commodore (head Captain) was involved in a few ship accidents. One including a brand new Diamond Princess.

Yep, didn't Nick Nash get coined with an unfavorable nickname? (of which I won't reiterate)

19 minutes ago, Tweedy said:

that would be where the 360 venue is hiding

Good point, although the leaked deck plans call that black door place a supposed bar. Anyone's guess, right?

12 minutes ago, talkorpi said:

Does anyone know what the "Altitude Restaurant" is?

Well,....Princess has never officially confirmed nor denied the existence of such a thing lol. It's only been in the leaked plans.

I think it would've made sense to put the suites dining back there as well, but it can't be with the Signature downstairs. It could still be a separate suites-only venue we don't know about yet (something akin to the 360 venue but on a grander scale), but we'll see. 

18 minutes ago, Trixie21 said:

Does it come with a holder of some sort to go on your wrist or round your neck , or do you have to purchase something on the ship?

I agree with what David has said, but adding onto his comments, you can actually pre-order your "medallion accessory" if you are allowed to order the medallion ahead of time. If not, then just pick up the medallion at port (absolutely not a hassle at all) and then you can buy a watch band, clip, or even a pendant necklace -- all onboard. Prices aren't any cheaper onboard vs pre-cruise anyways.

Alternatively, yes you can search on Amazon for any accessories you might prefer over the lanyard at some cheaper prices. One thing is if you wear a watch, I highly recommend getting the attachment that allows you to tuck the medallion in together on your watch's band (example: https://www.amazon.com/Luke3DP-Adapter-Holding-Carnival-Medallion/dp/B07R6VM499/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=ocean+medallion+watch+attachment&qid=1688644162&sr=8-1)

2 minutes ago, dickinson said:

log in to your wifi package

You can do this on the laptop as well. I guess I was being a bit confusing at first because I was just thinking mostly about what happens when you're making your first log-in and that's usually on the phone for me. You will basically buy the package and he just needs your birthday and the room number to log in on his device.

49 minutes ago, charliedalrymple said:

It might help people like me if there wasn't a "medallion" and the "medallion app," which is rather confusing

Indeed, most of the gripes people have made are all about the app and whatever it entails. One caveat I have to note is sometimes your medallion's connection may not be "as strong" when it comes to connecting to your stateroom door so you might have to walk closer or just tap it on the reader. No big deal as long as it still works but you can get it replaced at the front desk without charge.

@david63 @JG&Lcruisingnewbies glad I could help!