Sulialto

Sadly at the moment he only way is to go directly (fast as possible) as soon as you’re on the ship.

Good to know - thanks!

Are you saying the Future Cruise people on board are their employees now? Might explain why, when we booked our next cruise on board, the guy we who “helped” us was clueless! We came armed with the blue printed sheets they have available & expected him to be like a travel agent, at least knowledgeable about what was available, cabin locations, etc. All he did was type into the computer to try & get answers. That company really needs to get their act together & train their people. We HAD to use them a few cruises ago, bc we had $1000. vouchers from Verizon- sadly they were also clueless & we couldn’t wait to get back to our regular agent. Oh well - I guess the routine is to just be prepared!

So totally up to you - will You use the hotel credits, etc that you’re paying for? And do you trust the fact that the 3rd party will be in business by the time you use all your investment? Not at all being contrary- just be sure you know what you’re buying😉

We were very happy to have travelled the aqua clara locks & read & watched a lot about the history. The partial transit was enough for us❤️

Hopefully someone who did the excursion will chime in - I will say it is very hot & very humid in Panama, another reason we stayed on board. We did hear some people really loved their tours, so it’s a hard choice.

Neglected to add - the total trip to the lake from the bridge was about 2 1/2 hours, so I guess each lock was around 20 minutes.

This was a partial transit from Ft Lauderdale via the Agua Clara (new) locks. We didn’t find it boring, but had also done some studying on the canal before we went. We chose to spend the day in the Sanctuary (reserve immediately 1st day), and could wander around to get a 360 view, rest on our loungers out of the sun & enjoy food & drinks. Many people got off and took excursions when we got to Lake Gatun - the only thing to be wary about is you’re at the liberty of the Canal Authority as to when you can get back to the ship. Many people end up waiting a couple hours before they can re-embark.

The Non-smoking section wasn’t bad at all - I did play the slots & have a sensitivity to smoke (mild asthma). As far as gaming tables go, the ones on the non smoking side are good.

I do recall they said, “Saphire is #1, but it’s hard to compete with a ship sailing in Antarctica!”🤣

Sadly, the closer you are to the Equator, the warmer it gets!😬 That said, choose your tours wisely ~ The Cartagena tour we did started nice & early going to the fort (a blessing) it does require a trek up a steep hill, (should you choose to go up). When we were in the Old Town we tended to be in & out of various buildings, so it really wasn’t all that bad. We also opted to omit going to an Emerald Museum (there are a few) and wandered down a street to a small pastry/coffee shop & enjoyed some local food. We then wandered to a nearby square where we enjoyed a cool drink and returned to meet up with the group. Yes it was hot, but not unbearable. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it all & if you’re on Ruby, it’ll be the best!

We were told by the Hotel General Manager in our “Meet & Mingle” that Ruby has gone from #13 in the Fleet to #2. I’m afraid I don’t know where one can find these ratings, but you might try to reach out to Princess.

It was a Princess Tour called “best of Cartagena” - everywhere else we just did on our own. We found the local people weren’t overly pushy if you just told them, “No thank you” and moved on. That said I wouldn’t go wandering off all by yourself. Many people really enjoyed the Rainforest in Costa Rica, a little pricy, but a really nice tour. Also, it’s VERY warm in Costa Rica, Columbia and Panama. Know that if you do a Panama tour out of Lake Gatun, you are at the mercy of the port in terms of when you’re able to get back on the ship - they say the excursions are good, but you can wait a few hours without anything to do before re-embarking.

Ir was $140.pp + grat’s ~ a lot, but, a lot of outstanding food and a lot of excellent wine. It was a special occasion for us, so we rationalised!

I’m sure -