chisoxfan

Still some sparkle for us but less than before. Just returned from 15 night Princess Enchanted and the ship was beautiful, food decent, and service good. That said it is a 4000 passenger ship that was half full for our cruise and I am not sure (perhaps unfair to play the what if) I would want to be on board when at maximum capacity. We did catch Covid at end of cruise and I do not blame Princess but it is (and likely will be) a fact of life when thousands are confined on a ship. We are on Apex in Oct. next year and while most interested in the itinerary and excited to try the new X ship(s), I think the IV will not be to our liking vs. old fashioned veranda. Will have to see but if that is the case it eliminates newer X ships. But the biggest dimmer of sparkle is pricing. Our standard for X used to be AQ-the cruise we are on had a 2k premium for AQ which I would never consider (that used to pay for a week long balcony). We have priced HAL, X, and Princess and pretty much get sticker shock at every turn. While all travel prices are rising we have migrated to all inclusives for our winter getaways that used to be cruises. Everything is included, food generally better and more diverse, and we can actually get a seat at the pool or on the beach. Minor issues with cancellation, usually as little as three days prior to trip, fly direct to resort (no hotel stay the night before or anguish over cancelled flights, etc. In short we have great memories of cruising and we were known as 'cruise people' but in the current environment it is no longer the primary option we look at. JMHO

We got off the EP on Saturday morning and everything went smoothly for us. Luggage was there walked out turned left (100 feet or so) called an Uber and it was there in five minutes. A comfort class (newer bigger vehicle) was about 65 bucks to LGA. We left the ship around 8:45 AM. I saw a few taxis across the street picking up people but did not see a cab stand per se (of course was not looking for one). We had thought about the shuttle but I do not think there was a cost saving and based on past experience figured it would be a cluster party.

Sorry for the blank reply above...... tried to delete. Anyway appreciate the comments on this cruise. The Commodore (excuse my ignorance but this is first Commodore I have run across) confirmed that there were a 'few' more cases than normal. I agree more transparency in these cryptic comments would be helpful. Speaking to crew and passengers I understood that infected passengers were staying in their original cabins. One couple we spoke to at length said that there was a Covid passenger next door and that the attendant had 'special' tools to clean their cabins (ie, red containers for bedding and towels, etc.). They were upset that this was their same attendant. I know we were fighting large swells and had slowed to approx 17 knots for an extended period which is the reason given for missing Boston which I would tend to accept. In my mind the day early entry to NY was not much of a 'bargain'. We had to spend several hours Friday going through immigration before we could return to the ship. Everyone sitting for hours in a great hall was not my idea of reducing opportunity for disease spread. My wife and I came down with strong 'head colds' on Friday and on Saturday (maybe we were just hyper tuned in to it) heard coughing everywhere on embarkation. My takeaway is mixed... we had a wonderful cruise on a beautiful ship and Princess did many things right. We would take the trip over without hesitation. I could not sign up for a cruise on this ship at max capacity however..... I kept picturing this as a full Caribbean cruise with people fighting for pool seating, waiting for dinner, full theatre shows, lines at bars, etc. Perhaps unfair but likely accurate. We used to enjoy at least one winter warm weather cruise every year but this will be replaced with an all inclusive experience in the future. More space, less drama, similar cost. We will continue to cruise but now view it more as an efficient way to see areas around the world versus a shipboard getaway 'vacation' (exception perhaps for MSC Yacht Club). Thanks for indulging these rambling thoughts.

Yes question on land tour and if you ignore it will not let you move on. This was the time I said 'forget it'. Again would be happy to take a short survey that I felt had relevance but this was not the case in my opinion. I bet CC posters could cast a meaningful survey if we put our minds to it. Agree on your comments on space utilization. The Vista lounge is a big space and was typically empty when other venues were packed. Sur la Mer was a big disappointment and seemed always empty. Just to be clear the cruise was excellent in most regards but can't get the full capacity challenge out of my mind.

We were also on this cruise and thanks for writing as I was in full agreement with your comments. We were apprehensive about Princess due to a terrible Panama cruise documented years ago on CC. A few comments... -being able to order drinks delivered to cabin and covered under drink package is fantastic. RS was amazingly fast. -Uneven quality of entertainment IMHO. Would love to have a BB King style review as HAL -crew was universally friendly but their native languages and masking could make communication We would gladly sign up for this cruise again with a huge nagging caveat-it was confirmed the ship was 50% full so wait times were minimal and spacing optimal. As I commented to my wife several times, if this cruise was full I can only imagine problems in dining venues, shows, pool areas, etc. Of course it is hard to be negative regarding a 'what if" but I remain concerned and would seek more comments from cruisers who had experienced a full ship before booking again. ps. just dutifully tried to fill out my Princess survey to offer useful feedback but gave up due to length and IMHO poor structuring of the questions....ie. question to rate the entertainment generically. In my opinion there were several outstanding entertainers and several very poor so offering a single rating really means nothing. I am afraid like many consumer companies the survey has taken over from understanding the business and talking face to face with passengers. JMHO

We had received vaccination exemption but ultimately found the rules restrictive...ie PCR test three days before, plus test at embarkation, then additional testing onboard (was different info than when we requested exemption and and were told there would be no special testing requirements) . It appeared testing on board was every four days. So hardly a 'free pass'.

Although we have private car for other travel London to Southampton was We will try the bus also. Under 20 GBP for 2 with reserved seats. Private car was 200 GBP and the train first class was not that cheap and apparently you have to manage your own luggage according to reviews I read. We are leaving the day before- maybe same day I would have been more tempted to use private car.

Let's be honest here. For years the cruiselines have surveyed cruisers on embarkation asking if they had any symptoms prior to boarding, ie, have you had fever, sore throat, etc. I am surmising that some of the more fervent Covid testing advocates have at one time or another not acknowledged a 'symptom' so their cruise was not impacted. We are excited about the return to more common sense restrictions but realistically do not think many will bother to test without symptoms and no need for test verification. JMHO

In defense of Ms. Midge...... it was my understanding that she did not demand a four top but simply refused a jammed in two top. The host should not have rolled their eyes but tried to accommodate. We prefer a more private table and will make this request but also try to be pleasant and understanding. If there is a short wait for example we can understand that. I agree with her that seating arrangements and the host 'management' aren't always logical. After decades of cruising I was always amazed the many times on formal nights the host would often seat 'black tie' diners in cramped tables and seat a couple who arrives dressed sloppily at a prime table. JMHO

I agree with your comments.... the only caveat/concern is that it must seem rude to people who are at the adjacent table when you wave off the host - as if they were the reason you did not want to sit there. Perhaps best to state your preference immediately. We try to have some patience and understand that it is not practical to expect to have an isolated table in a prime location every night. My wife probably did the best job (which we still joke about) when I requested a table for two and she added with authority 'ALONE'.

Just to throw in. I would agree that YC on MSC is an extraordinary experience highly recommended. Word of this has apparently spread as prices subjectively have increased and availability decreased. Ironically it was disappointment with Princess that caused us to cancel a cruise with them and try YC. That said I would be nervous to try the MSC 'steerage'- while the ships were amazing we were not blown away with the rest of the ship (dining, drinks, entertainment). Because YC was so great we only spent a few evening hours in the 'back of the ship'. I had their highest tier (Black now Diamond I believe) through a match and outside of some discount opportunities it did not offer much so I wouldn't be too concerned. It was funny at the time that seasoned 'elite' MSC Cruisers were so upset that MSC was offering free status matches (can't say I blame them) but again not a big deal as most elite status programs do not offer much.

Just to chime in.... we mailed our request in three weeks ago without response and followed up earlier this week with e-mail stating SECOND REQUEST. The credit was applied a few days later. Reading the posts it seems letting them know this is not the first request is helpful?

Ultra safe that you will get dollars back...not sure what their future purchasing power will be. Even so if purchases weren't limited to 10k a year there would be a run on these. Have to agree with posters that the cruise industry is facing incredible headwinds and it seems as if their pricing power is already strained.

If the app appears to be working and you want a table for two and receive an error message or no availability try booking a group table which should confirm. Then you can edit the time and change to table for two.... at least that was my workaround after fooling with this app for several days. Good luck.

Yes, I agree. Bought and sold within an hour and gained a few (12 )dollars. Only messed with this since our cruise was longer and 250 OBC offered. Probably would not do this for the shorter cruise credit (100).

Have to disagree with you.... Paul Pelosi and Jerome Powell have been very astute with their stock picks 🙃 Maybe I am missing something but there appears to be no requirement regarding the time period to hold CCL to qualify for OBC. So while buying and holding CCL just for a credit is likely fraught with uncertainty one could easily and cheaply buy and sell to prove holding and apply for credit. I know this is not what CCL is trying to promote with the shareholder credit but I do not see where this would not work. JMHO

If it helps anyone, perhaps another workaround. It appears if a booking is made for shared table you can make these without issue. It is then possible to edit to different times and private tables. When we tried to book these as posted we always had an error message. We are not fixated on having dining times for every evening (Kind of defeats the anytime dining concept) but are in dread of long waits to have dinner. I think we will book main dining for the cruise and go back and adjust/add specialty dining. Good luck.

We had no issue also making a first night and I thought we were home free but have since fooled around for three days unable to book ....early, late, different days....what a pain. Get the error message always. (both on phone and i-pad). I guess I will call Princess but doubt they will be able to help. Technology strikes again! Any other ideas anyone has would be appreciated.

I have been trying to follow the Medallion App posts but with 130plus pages it tells me something is wrong. We have a Sept. cruise and just made final payment. I was pleasantly surprised to make a dining res. on the first night of the cruise without fanfare (usually a hectic dining night). I told my wife we should sit down and schedule some dinners since apparently this app was functional. No dice. Additional attempts in the following days show an 'error' despite multiple times, dates, and venues. We downloaded the app in an I Pad also without any difference. So now I am concerned as the app seems to 'work' (it made one res and this rese does seem to stay on my record (ie. I went to the same evening and it said we had a res and do we want to cancel). Is one supposed to spend endless time just logging on and seeing what happens? While I would not be happy if it said times were not available at least I would know things were working and I would adjust my schedule accordingly. I cannot believe calling Princess will give me any knowledge or satisfaction as their input in the past on this cruise has been non helpful. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. My cynical side (supported by past Princess experience) will be that we will show up for anytime dining every evening and be told there is a one hour wait and we should have made reservation.