Shoalwater

Anne and I did a 49 day FLL-SFO cruise a few years ago on Princess. She didn't want to spend that long on a cruise, but as we approached SFO she didn't want it to end! We agreed then we would do a WC someday, and that day is Jan 6, 2019. Like others have said, you need to be able to walk, talk and see to travel, and any one of these legs on the stool can fall off without warning. We're going because we want to.

Since this sailing is over the holidays, do you think their might be many young families with children. My wife and I are both seniors and I told the wife I did think their would be children on this small ship. Hope I am right.

We did this voyage last Christmas / New Year. PP is our favorite Princess ship. As someone else noted, there weren't many children aboard as there isn't much for them to do. You won't run into a William Golding "Lord of the Flies" scenario for certain. The intimacy of this ship is a treasure. Where else do you find the singers and dancers doubling as the Cruise Director's staff? Enjoy your sailing, the Christmas night cabaret show and the new Year Eve party out on the open deck.

Anyone been on a cruise with Viking ocean this year? Interested in feedback. Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

After 37 cruises with Princess, we have moved our future sailings over to Viking Ocean.

We will be signing up for our tours in the next couple days for our Caribbean trip on the Viking Sea in February. We are also doing a couple of private tours. I was wondering if we sign up for a couple of the walking tours, if my husband gets tired, or we aren't interested in the next stop, can we opt to leave the tour and get transportation back to the pier on our own? Do we have to return to the ship with the group, or can we choose to stay on in town? (Especially Curacao?)

Yes, you can bail out early, just let the tour guide know. Have done this on viking tours before.

Are you sure these machines are ATMs and not money changers? I know Princess has money changers on board for your convenience where for usury rates you can purchase new currency instead of walking ashore and finding an ATM.

We are seriously looking at booking the Viking ocean cruise for next year and the reviews we've seen are very good. However we've heard pros and cons on the drawers that are available in the balcony cabins. Two friends said there were very few drawers in the balcony cabins and yet two other friends who stayed in the "Deluxe Balcony" said there was more than enough drawers. We don't know who to believe. We called Viking Customer Service for better input but they weren't able to provide any details. Your input please. Thanks.

Drawer space depends on your cabin class. Veranda and deluxe veranda have IMHO inadequate drawer space. PV cateory and higher have an extra piece of furniture with several more drawers and is suitable. We were in DV recently and I had to use the top shelf of the closet for my things since the Mrs. used the meager three drawers for her things.

 

Recently off of the Crown TA and there was a note in our Cabin that it would take

four days for laundry. We went to the Circle Host and asked what the problem was.

Quite frankly, she had a "take it or leave it" attitude.

We came back to our Cabin and decided to "leave it".

E-mailed our TA and cancelled two Princess cruses.

(Total days: 59). Rebooked with an other Cruise Line.

When is a perk not a perk? When it isn't available. "Free" laundry is fast becoming a phantom perk, and some of us frequent Princess cruisers (37 voyages) are becoming phantoms as well.

You might be aware that Purell is nearly useless against Norovirus....while hand washing with soap and water is very effective. We once met a CDC expert (lecturing the crew on a ship) who told us that his major problem with hand sanitizers is that they give the user a false sense of protection. Few folks will wash their hands with soap and water if there is a convenient hand sanitzer nearby.

 

Hank

So right about the sanitizers. No mention in this thread about RINSING! All the soap does is "loosen and float' the germs off the skin, but its a good 20 second rinse that carries them away. Soap with a brief rinse is not as effective.

This is why we have moved over to Viking Ocean cruises.

************* is a legit site :( (yeah right, here we go again)

 

Sorry guys, I could go one by one and put the links up but if CC will delete or change them then what the point.

I wonder how they make a decision if the links have useful info or not :confused:

The way to post sites is: www dot whatever at something dot com

We are on the 12/16 sailing with Mary Jane and I agree, it may be a while before we know. Viking has Sailings scheduled starting in a couple weeks that head to PR to begin the season....as of yesterday no determination had been announced. I honestly don't know how any cruise line can know at this point about San Juan - and many others ports....

Also on the 12/16 Viking Sea to Brazil that is supposed to sail from San Juan. Fortunately we are flying Southwest, so no change fees. We booked a provisional round trip flight to/from Ft. Lauderdale in case we have to use the Miami port. I can't imagine the logistic nightmare trying to get all the necessary emergency stocks of food, material, etc. needed to repair the entire island. Have no idea just how much berthing space there is to accommodate this, and next there's the problem of warehousing supplies. Just when can SJU support humanitarian and rebuilding needs plus the extra demands for cruise ship provisions, fuel, etc.? My guess is it will take a long time, and VO and the other lines have to close ranks soon to organize the berthing space available at nearby ports, like maybe Miami.

This cruise line offers this port on many of their itineraries and I imagine the options to be about the same. It is offered on our cruise and I'm trying to figure out the right option so any input would be welcome. Our included excursion takes us to Pisa, we could do that and leave from there to get to Florence and back to port on our own. "

 

This port is not close to the train station, so you need a taxi on top of all else. Recommend the ship transport to Florence.

File this one under 'what were they thinking'?? A slap in the face for the P/E/S lounge. Quickest way I know for Princess to alienate its most loyal guests. :mad:

Not just this, but many of the changes over then past few years IMHO have reduced the Princess value. Maybe that's why after 37 Princess cruises our next three, including a World Cruise are with Viking.

We are taking this Miami return cruise in Feb/18. There are port stops in Belize City, Cozumel, and Merida. Can anyone speak to the safety in these areas? Is it safe to walk around in port and nearby attractions by ourselves? Any experience, suggestions or advice you have would be appreciated.

Can't speak for Merida, but I would not walk around Belize city as a couple or alone, and certainly not after dark. Its a very poor country and even the newspaper stands have everything bolted down.

Has anyone stayed in the cabins on Deck 3 of the Pacific Princess? How are they from a noise standpoint? Are the tender platforms noisy? What is under those cabins--anything that creates noise early in the morning or during the night?

 

Thanks from a very light sleeper!

We stayed on 3 aboard the Ocean Princess once. Noise I think will depend on where on deck 3 your cabin is located. We were mid-ships and I don't recall any major issues, but what makes a "light sleeper"? Hard to calibrate to that. Tenders will operate generally during waking hours so unless you want to sleep in till 10-noon during a tender port should not be an issue.

Not to worry. Just head up to the buffet deck (7, port side) on boarding and make reservations then. You should have the pick of the house.

We were on this same cruise with you and I agree with everything in your review! We just had the best time ever and this was our very first Viking experience ever! Made some new fabulous friends too as a r salt of attending Meet and Mingle. Previously loyal Oceania customers, Viking has won us over and we have already booked our next ocean cruise with them for next year.

Sorry we had to miss the Meet & Mingle, but it was scheduled over another thing we couldn't cancel. We are actually aboard the Sun for the cruise from San Juan to Manaus, Brazil over Christmas & New Year, and hopefully will make the 2019 World Cruise on the Viking Sun. I've been wanting to do a WC, and this last experience with Viking convinced both of us that this was the cruise line to sail with for such an event.

We have been loyal Princess cruisers for 12 or so years, completing some 37 voyages, but after about 2 Viking Ocean cruises it's hard for us to see our return to Princess for cruising.

Viking Sea, Into the Midnight Sun Cruise...the good and areas for improvement

- The ship is absolutely not crowded, and getting around, boarding and leaving, all elements that seem to engender lines on bigger ships is vastly improved on the Viking ships.

- The food was phenomenal, great quality, excellent preparation and presentation. The beef was as tender as cutting through a cloud, no exaggeration. The prime rib in Manfredi's specialty Italian restaurant woulds easily rival Ruth Chris' or any other quality steakhouse. Fruit was perfect, morning eggs cooked to order in the buffet and if the chef didn't like how it first looked, it was started over.

- The crew and staff were jovial, friendly and very accommodating. We spoke with several who had moved over from the other major, mass marketed cruise lines and the comparison stories about work hours, salary, conditions, etc. really let you know that Viking is approaching their Ocean venture with a new paradigm. At one port many of the crew and staff, including officers lined up outside on the dock to greet returning passengers with music and applause, and we all had a good laugh and enjoyed their welcome back. Instead of the waiter baked Alaska parade in the MDR like on Princess, the entire ship company from all departments (or at least those not on necessary duty) were called down the main staircase in the atrium to be recognized by the passengers, and our cruise director was emotional as she extolled their value to the company and the hard work they put in for our enjoyment. I have never seen this before. There was absolutely no way to hide the caring shown to them by the ship staff. It was an enjoyable moment.

- The free spa in the bow with the pools, steam bath, saunas, frigidarium and the lockers stocked with towels, robes, slippers, etc. was a wonderful break in a long cruise day. Its very relaxing and a great experience.

- The absence of being up-sold on a variety of things like on the mass market ships was a welcome relief.

- The cabins, especially the bath and showers were comfortable. The cabin stewards worked in pairs and kept things spotless and well supplied.

- Room service was like blitzkrieg. The phone was barely down before there was a buzzer ringing at the cabin door. (Well, okay, a little hyperbole here, but not too much.)

- The enrichment lectures were the BEST we have ever experienced, and well attended. It was like being back in college. They were on topic, clear yet concise, and so informative. We enjoyed them immensely.

-Ship's entertainers. The singers and dance couple were an improvement over what we saw 1 year ago, and did a credible job with all but one production number. Viking is weakest IMHO in the area of nightly entertainment. Our cruise director, Heather was a mezzo soprano who has sung professionally, and she put on two majestic solo performances. Too bad she will be on the Viking Sun World Cruise and not aboard for our next voyage from San Juan on 17-Dec, 2017. - Outside entertainment. The weakest and most criticized point of the voyage. We had only one off-ship entertainer, a comedy magician who put on shows on 2 different nights. We did have a classical violinist the final night in Bergen, but it was obvious when compared to say Princess that they need to expand the guest entertainers and not rely so heavily on ship company, especially on a 2 week sailing.

- It's harder to make new "cruise friends" aboard Viking ships since dinner seating is not "fixed", and most seats are set up for 2 people, with several larger group tables available. However you are seated in the order you appear, and so may or may not see the same passengers at meals. Many of the passengers seem to prefer tables for two, and sharing is okay, but it's like Groundhog Day every time (My name is... I live in.... How may cruises have you taken... etc.).

However, in total, Viking Ocean has hit a triple with their offering, and when they get the nightly entertainment figured out, they will have made an inside the park home run.

We had this cabin in Polynesia, and actually the partial obstruction provided a little more shade. It was fine.

She was our CD on the July 9-22, 2017 voyage "Into the Midnight Sun". I believe she remains aboard for several more sailings before taking vacation and returning to sail the World Cruise aboard a different ship.

NO!! They will tell you that it"s duty free and when you try to leave the ship they will stop you and escort you to customs to collect what you owe.

Sorry, but that's not exactly correct. All jewelry purchased on-board was originally bought in the USA by whoever is operating the jewelry store (Effy for most ships, Princess on some others). The jewelry is technically "Goods returned to USA", and we always ask the ship store to stamp it on the receipt or provide a letter to that effect. Now, Customs & Border Protection requires the ship to manifest persons making a purchase in excess of some amount, don't know how much. This is provided to CB&P with the amount. If you are on the list, your name will flag at final disembarkation from the ship when you scan your cruise card for the last time, and the ship will assign one of their personnel to escort you to the CB&P desk. Here's where it gets interesting. You MUST declare all purchases brought back on the Customs Declaration Form 6059B, even the Goods Returning to USA. (We were ignorant of this the first time it happened on a large purchase, and except for careful prodding and hinting by the CP&B agent to make a verbal correction at the time, we would have made a "false" declaration and he was prepared to take measures.) CB&P will then review the merchandise and allow the non-taxed entry upon verifying the original purchaser (Effy or Princess) in their system as US based. This usually happens in one of the back rooms. Goods returned to the USA do not count against your duty free limit. Speaking from first hand knowledge on multiple re-entry occasions.

I agree. It's being portrayed as complicated and it's not.

Maybe for most, but add a 3-yr old and 2 seniors into the equation and cruise luggage for 10 and I will bet the complexity factor goes off the chart.

Decided to go with it! This is a once in a lifetime trip for us with the cruise tour, so thought it was a good choice. The priority embarkation will be nice too because I think we are arriving around 11 am to the port

Well this all depends. If you disembark in Whittier for Anchorage you may disembark early, but wind up waiting on the Princess buses for them to fill up before they start off on the drive. May not be a perk so to speak.

Hello Fellow Travelers,

We are taking Princess Cruise in August 2017 from Rome(Civitavecchia) to Athens. We are 10 people (2 seniors, 4 adults, 4 kids - 15, 10, 9, 3) . We are staying in Rome before our cruise and plan on taking the train to Civitavecchia.

 

How do I get from Civitavecchia train station to Princess Cruise port? Is it walkable or do I need any other type of transportation? Does Princess provide a shuttle? Please let me know.

 

Thank You.

You are focused on the wrong part of your problem. The real issue is negotiating the train station in Rome. Depending on where the track is and where you enter, you may find yourself climbing up and down several long staircases, no escalator or elevators. I can almost promise you that you will regret your decision to train to the port. The train stations and trains are not "luggage" friendly. Why start your cruise with a hassle, first in Rome and then getting from the Civit train station to the port. Do some research and hire a van to take you point to point, hotel to ship. Trust me, you do not want to know the agita you will be avoiding, especially trying to corral small kids amidst the crowded train station in Rome, making your way up/down stairs with luggage, and the narrow crowded sidewalks in Civit.

We have taken Overlord D-Day tours twice, and each time we were impressed buy the itinerary and knowledge of our guide. I have no experience with the Viking ship tour. Keep in mind that because of the distances involved (2 hrs to and from), you will get the equivalent of the Overlord half-day tour. Try and ask for a stop at the Bayeaux tapestry, very well done.