ColoradoMom!!

1 hour ago, bvhboat said:

Anyone know if there's a couch in E437 on the Sky Princess?

It looks like E437 is BW which is a regular balcony obstructed.  It does not have a couch.  The deluxe balconies do have a couch.

Credit Cruise deck plans . com on the pic

Thanks @gumshoe958

So if I were to take the tube from Waterloo, is it considered outside of London proper - would it have contactless payment?  And that entrance would be different than where I would access the trains  - like underground probably- no pun intended.

On 4/6/2024 at 9:27 PM, hellokittyluver said:

I just purchased two train tickets from Waterloo to Southampton for my cruise in June. Chose the time of 9:35 am and getting to SOU at 10:49 am. Hope this train won't be too crowded with regular luggage. Thank you for the information JB. 

I am doing the same for August, although I have yet to purchase my tickets.

Would you mind posting your experience after your cruise in June?  Thanks in advance!

Edit -  I see @MeHeartCruising said it went smoothly - can you tell me details for dummies?  Like since you have a purchased ticket, I assume the area in Waterloo where you board wouldn't have a tap in entrance for payment then??

If your room is D725, I have a few pictures to share that might help.  The second picture from cruise deck plans site.  Bump out has a different meaning to some of us here on CC - which I won't get into - but your TA or CVP may have been eluding to the unique curved balcony. 

Also, looking at number of reviews for this room, some are concerned with no cover, and others were thrilled with the ability to see aft because of the curved balcony.

I apologize if this is not the correct room - but the info may be helpful to a future person looking for info on Coral Princess D725.

On 3/13/2024 at 11:54 AM, PacnGoNow said:

......
 

In the future go through a CVP at Princess.  They can resolve this for you.  I would request a CVP and ask for help.  If they are really good, you could use them in the future.  You can request one on the website or call the CVP desk 1 (800) 901-1172.  
 

Let us know.  Good luck.

5 hours ago, ColoradoMom!! said:

So I was wondering about this.  I've booked EZ air flying into London on United from Denver.  I haven't paid yet as final payment isn't due.  The fare shows that bags are free per the class which is Economy (not to be confused with Basic Economy which has no bags period) but the Princess EZ air has a little general that applies to all fares booked footnote that bags may not be free?? ...

Answered my own question with a little digging.  The EZ air sight has a link where you can look up your flight route and it will tell you - in my case 1st bag free.

I only use EZ air for international since Southwest out of Denver is hard to beat domestically and you get free bags.

35 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

Princess, so no free luggage on United.

So I was wondering about this.  I've booked EZ air flying into London on United from Denver.  I haven't paid yet as final payment isn't due.  The fare shows that bags are free per the class which is Economy (not to be confused with Basic Economy which has no bags period) but the Princess EZ air has a little general that applies to all fares booked footnote that bags may not be free??  Tell me what you know as I am not convinced I can depend on an answer from calling EZair.

I can do this!  Just looked up my confirmation.

Booked a  balcony GTY on Discovery Mexican Riviera, Deck 8 (Emerald) forward.  It was BF - hoping for 112, 114 or 118 which were the only ones in this category on the deck.  My motivation was purely financial as I booked this on Jan 22, 2023 for a March 18 2023 cruise date - had to pay in full right away and was looking for a somewhat last minute getaway I could justify for a decent price of $729 per person before taxes and port fees.

We stuck to our guns and didn't bid up.  We were assigned L119 about a week before we left.

Lido - deck 16 pretty far forward - but that was our GTY category - BF.

It was fine - actually enjoyed just walking across the pool area to the buffet without messing with the elevators.

35 minutes ago, Mississippian said:

 

It is very substantially cheaper to by a round-trip ticket from Europe to the USA than the other way around. In fact, the round-trip can be cheaper than a one-way ticket. Add to this the fact that most airlines now allow free ticket changes, and the best strategy is to take a USA to Europe cruise in the spring, then buy a round-trip ticket home. In July or August, search cruise fares for a cheap Europe to USA cruise, and if you find a deal, see if you can change your airline ticket dates and take advantage of the bargain. I've done this the last two years and am doing it again this year.

This is next level!! Love it.
You ( and @Globaler ) have given me new cruising goals!!

My favorite out of the box activity was in Kauai (we had seen Weimea on a previous trip).

How about tubing through the canals of a sugar plantation?  It was a blast.

https://kauaibackcountry.com/tubing/

I'll be following along too!  You guys crack me up!

LOVE the profile pic update @drwbrt  and am looking forward to more content on your web page 🤣

I have to say that I LOVE Visitor Toll pass.  I have used it twice, and it's been very easy.  I really like that I can tell the car rental agency that I don't want to pay the daily fee of using their "box" let alone paying the tolls through them.  Also nice that I don't have to stop at toll booths, and you get the lowest toll price.

It doesn't cost ANYTHING - just a $10 deposit when you start - then the tolls add up and if you exceed the $10, they just charge you that.

I would recommend it, and happy to answer any questions.  2 quick good pieces of info from their FAQ:

With Visitor Toll Pass™, there is no service fee and you will be charged the lowest toll rate (electronic rate) on toll roads throughout Florida. 

When reserving your Visitor Toll Pass™ through the smartphone app, you will pay a $10 deposit which will be used towards your toll transactions. 

However, if you do not return the hangtag to the Visitor Toll Pass™ drop boxes at the Orlando International Airport, the $10 deposit will then be used for the unreturned hangtag and not towards your toll transactions. 

If you return your pass and owe less than $10 at the conclusion of your trip, the balance will be refunded to your card on file.

Your Visitor Toll Pass™ hangtag will be activated when you leave Orlando International Airport and drive under the electronic reader when exiting rental car parking deck. 

You must hang your Visitor Toll Pass™ prior to leaving the airport to ensure activation. You will receive a notice confirming that your trip is live, and your pass is activated. (I take a picture of the license plate of my rental, and add it to the APP before I leave the rental garage.)

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Exactly as Thrak said!  🙂 Great choice.  LOVE these balconies!  A little more room.

We did a similar trip RT Boston Sept 21 - Oct 2nd 2023 on Celebrity Summit. LOVED it!

Completely lucked out on the weather as rain is the norm during this time frame. We were a bit early for the color I am afraid.  I have pictures I can send of the color on these dates if you like.  My e mail is hidden in interests on my profile page. 

16 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

So all of the obstructions are from underneath - no lifeboats in front of balconies? I talked my friends into GTY obstructed because it was so much cheaper. I hope I'm right.

No, not all obstructed balconies are from an obstruction below.  Some have lifeboats in front of them. It depends on which cabin.  So GTY is a gamble, but it does save money.

Hopefully I am allowed to link a great site that has pictures of obstructions based on which ship and cabin. I have linked Discovery as an example.

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/ships/ov.php?ship=Discovery-Princess&cabins=E501-E535

Is this it?

3 hours ago, Sulialto said:

It was a Princess Tour called “best of Cartagena” - everywhere else we just did on our own......

 

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.

Thank you so much for responding!  And the heat is a big concern for me.  I got my Alaska cruise ( ha ha - I am not a heat/humidity fan) , and this is my husband's bucket list trip. We are going late Feb - early March in 2025 full transit historic locks. Hoping it wouldn't be too bad that time of the year, but I think that's just wishful thinking. 

But I am excited and really appreciate the insight!

On 2/1/2024 at 8:33 AM, Sulialto said:

Shore Excursions, we went on a very good Princess tour of Cartagena that allowed a good amount of free time for us to explore. Our meeting place was easily found, the guide very knowledgeable & entertaining.

What was the name of this tour?  Any other port tips or excursion recommendations or insights?  Thanks!

OP Here.

Thanks for all the wonderful responses !  Wow.  And among them JB - you summed it up best 

7 hours ago, John Bull said:

In summary a day-trip to Windsor from your London hotel. then a train to Southampton on the morning of your sailing day would be cheaper, more in-depth and more leisurely.

But you'd lose a sight-seeing day in London.

Those are the choices, but we can't choose for you.

We are staying at the Hampton by Hilton Waterloo.

We arrive about 11 am on Wed. July 31, and leave Saturday morning for Southampton for the cruise.

I haven't made any other plans for our stay and was trying to nail down the LHR to hotel, and then the hotel to Southampton first.  Private transfers and taxi's from LHR are pretty costly, so I'd like to take the train to cut the cost but realize I will need to transfer at some point - so the thought of taking a taxi from the closest stop to the hotel and avoiding a transfer sounded reasonable.  

After looking at the number of ships in port when we depart Southampton on Saturday Aug 3rd (4 including the Iona) the train is looking better.  I found International Friends through all the great recommendations here on CC (as JB mentioned) but with traffic and limited time at Windsor  - and it being an easy shot from Waterloo, maybe we will do it on our own.

So I guess I am left with needing any other insight for LHR to hotel by train.  Sounds like my assumption of the Elizabeth line may not be the best after all?  Again, open to a taxi from to avoid a transfer and enjoy the drop at the door of the hotel so to speak.

We chose a Waterloo hotel based on proximity to the station for an early August 2024 pre-cruise stay.  I reasoned to spend the extra $$ and do a transfer excursion with International Friends to Windsor Castle on Saturday, Aug 3rd en route to Southampton.  My compromise was to save money by taking the Elizabeth line from LHR when we arrive (about 11:00 am on a Wednesday, T2) to Bond Street and either take a taxi from there or transfer to the Jubilee line to our Waterloo hotel. Do I have that right? Two adults - late 50's, just one rolling suitcase each. I am thinking the Elizabeth line for the extra room with luggage and the rumors of it being cooler in the August heat.

Now the splurge  (US $335 for both of us) on the way to Southampton is looking like a poor choice.  We would be picked up about 7:30 am on Saturday Aug 3rd, and the description given by International Friends includes many pick up stops before we even head to the Windsor Castle and then has us arriving in Southampton by 13:30 to 14:00.  So....guessing very little time at the castle and probable large crowds on a Saturday.  Do we give up one of our touring days in London and take the train from Waterloo to the Castle?  I did like the idea of using our transfer day to visit a site though. Then again, I chose Waterloo location to take advantage of the train to Southampton. 

Any advice/insight would be appreciated!

11 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

I don't believe that will happen and, IMO, shouldn't.  Back dating pricing and discount schemes the way you'd like will not work.

Ok - I really wasn't trying to scheme, but I get your point.  So there is no reason for me to purchase the internet now then.But aren't we all trying to backdate to get the price currently as opposed to when we sail?

I guess since my understanding was that everyone gets the Platinum benefit of half off as OBC after boarding, I thought it made sense.

I was able to book for my 2025 16 day Panama cruise.  With no package, it is a good savings if they eventually raise the rates.  However, I am concerned about getting an adjustment after we board to reflect the Platinum level discount because I haven't achieve that level when I bought it today.  We sail between now and Panama, and that will be our 5th cruise gaining us Platinum this year.

I know how it is supposed to work in my opinion, but honestly, I can hear some responses from Guest Services along the lines of "I'm sorry, we don't offer that package anymore and can only apply your discount to our current offering."  The whole way things should go, and the way they play out on board are often very different.  Anyone have experience with this?  I would like a credit of 1/2 off of what I paid today, not what the internet package will cost in 2025. Hope that makes sense.

3 hours ago, Eno said:

Just booked my cheap tickets for Sunday April 7 for my April 8 cruise. Purchased on LNER site. Registered and super easy have my tickets emailed as pdfs. Think it was 9.30 per person. 

Thanks for this info. We are planning the same thing for August.  I have never been to London, so all this is new to me.  If you remember by chance, after your cruise, to post here your experience for someone like me, I would really appreciate it.  I specifically booked hotel within walking distance of the station.I'm just worried about navigating the Waterloo station itself, and catching transportation to the port in Southampton. Thanks!

I haven't yet, but a girl can dream!

I love looking at this forum that is all about cruising the British Isles.  Although it is not Princess specific, it is a great source of information!

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/148-british-isleswestern-europe/

2 hours ago, travelin.sisters said:

I did see it, guess I missed adding the photo, I thought it was a very neat idea...it is aft, out toward the wakeview bar on the starboard side....I never did find the bottle refiller that I had read about though

 

Great review!  Thanks ! The soft drink bar here is great.  I wonder how it works for people who don't have a package.

That's sad news about the water bottle filler.  It was my favorite addition when we sailed the Discovery back in March 2023. It was located just after the hand washing stations