capriccio

Just a warning that the bracelets run small so I was glad I was buying it on the ship not ordering it before boarding.

I don't have personal experience with this but have read here on Cruise Critic of parents calling the general Princess number (probably in the days before covid when the phones were answered promptly), and asking how many children by age/age group are booked. If you ask now, I think you can assume that the number will increase the closer you get to the cruise and you might want to inquire again right before and/or after final payment. Having sailed a few Caribbean Christmas cruises and one South American cruise (without our grown children or grandkids) I can say that we've never seen any disturbing behavior or had an issue with any kids. The ships are beautifully decorated and the atmosphere is festive and everyone is there to have a good time.

This made me rush to the Princess website since we have a family cruise (having cancelled it this year, understandably not scheduled in 2021, and had it cancelled in 2020) starting on July 1. We are hoping this time is a charm. I don't see the gap! Eastern Caribbean: May 6, June 3, July 1 Western Caribbean: May 13, May 27, June 10, June 24, July 8 Eastern Caribbean w/ Puerto Rico: May 20, June 17, July 15

As of January 2022 Princess was still using it when a Royal class ship was docked at terminal 2. We were on the Caribbean Princess that left from terminal 2 and returned to terminal 4 when the Enchanted Princess was at terminal 2. Very convenient since the two terminals share the Heron Garage. As far as Disney adding Port Everglades as a second home port, that was approved by Broward County in April. See https://disneycruiselineblog.com/2022/04/broward-approves-disney-terminal-design-contract-at-port-everglades-first-sailings-targeted-for-fall-2023/ for more information and plans: During the April 5th Broward County Commission Meeting, the board approved Bermello, Ajamil & Partners, Inc. for design and consulting services to transform Port Everglades’ Cruise Terminal 4 into a second home for Disney Cruise Line. Improvements to Cruise Terminal 4 and the adjacent berth will begin once the interior and exterior designs are complete. The entire project must be completed by Fall of 2023 when Disney Cruise Line sails for the first time from Port Everglades. See https://www.porteverglades.net/cruise/cruise-terminals/terminal-4/ for the current layout of terminal 4, which was revamped in the last few years. I couldn't find a date for when construction of the Disney changes will begin..

Not only free but it is air conditioned too! If you are traveling soon (or if you are like me at anytime of the year in south Florida) you will appreciate that!

The Sun Trolley is now the free LauderGo shuttle from the Harbor Shops Publix (directly behind the Embassy Suites). See there website for the various routes including the beach and Las Olas Blvd. https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/government/departments-i-z/transportation-and-mobility/transportation-division/laudergo-mobility-services/laudergo-community-shuttle

Given all the current airline schedule changes, here's hoping that they move your departure back 5 or 10 minutes! Pre-covid that happened to my brother and sister-in-law. Their flight was scheduled out of Heathrow at 3:45 (IIRC) and the Windsor Castle disembarkation tour was only for passengers on flights after 4 pm. A few months before the flight the schedule changed to departure at 4:15 pm.

That is the automatic process (at least in my experience).

Log into the Princess website with your user ID. Go to My Account and click on Home under My Princess. Copy that page (or at least the top half of) since it has all the info MSC needs.

In addition to investigating each country's website for visa requirements and instructions, the US State Department has country specific information for US citizens at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html Search by country paying particular attention to the Entry, Exit and Visa section. The entry (highlights are mine) for India is All U.S. citizens need a valid passport and valid Indian visa to enter and exit India for any purpose (also see Special Circumstances section below). Please ensure you have the correct type of visa for your planned activity in India. If you have the incorrect visa you may be refused entry. Many visitors, including those on official U.S. government business, must apply for visas at an Indian embassy or consulate abroad before entering the country. U.S. citizens seeking to enter India solely for tourist purposes, and who plan to stay no longer than 60 days, may apply for an electronic travel authorization at least four days prior to their arrival in lieu of applying for a tourist visa at an Indian embassy or consulate. Please visit the Indian government's website for electronic travel authorization for additional information regarding the eligibilities and requirements for this type of visa. Without the electronic travel authorization, visas are not available upon arrival for U.S. citizens. If you do not have a valid passport and visa you may be denied admission. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in India cannot assist you if you arrive without proper documentation. Please carry photocopies of the bio-data page of your U.S. passport and the pages containing the Indian visa and Indian immigration stamps. If your passport is lost or stolen, copies will help you apply for a replacement passport and an exit visa from the Indian government. Replacing a lost visa, which is required in order to exit the country, may take three to four business days.

I recommend posting this on the HAL forum (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/103-holland-america-line/) and specify the ship you are sailing. Hopefully someone with recent experience on that ship and itinerary can give you specifics.

On the Enchanted Princess in March I didn't receive the elite discount on the medallion bracelet and, to be truthful, it never occurred to me to ask about it. I'm not a big shopper and in almost 30 cruises I can count on one hand the number of items I've bought on board.

From the Port Miami website (https://www.miamidade.gov/portmiami/). I would check to confirm this before your travel.

Not just cities but individual buildings. It is quite common in south Florida (and other places no doubt) for condo associations to have required rental periods written into their by-laws. For example, our building has a very common clause: one rental is allowed once a year and must be for at least three months. Every now and then there are news stories of travelers paying for a rental only to show up and not be allowed in the building or being thrown out after unpacking.

OP - given the age of your child this recommendation won’t help you but if anyone has the same question dealing with a 4 and over child, consider an inflatable car seat like a hiccapop inflatable booster or a BubbleBum booster. They meet US federal standards. We have used the former when our 7 1/2 year old granddaughter visits since she was 4. She has loved it since the very first time she rode in it. We’ve loved it because it takes up no room when being stored and is extremely easy to inflate and install.

Terminal 2 at Port Everglades was remodeled a couple of years before the pandemic. The elite and platinum waiting areas are on the second floor while other levels wait on the first floor. The platinum area is open while the elite and suites area is a series of waiting areas and IIRC a snack area pre-Covid (I didn’t notice it in January). Elites are led through the platinum waiting area when boarding starts. Floor plans can be found at https://www.porteverglades.net/cruise/cruise-terminals/terminal-2/.

We (me, my husband, brother and sister-in-law) rented a car from an agency within walking distance of our dock and drove to Peggy’s Cove and then visited the cemetery where the Titanic victims are buried on our way back. We returned the car and had lunch near the docks and then spent the afternoon at the Maritime Museum (which turned out to be our favorite activity) and walked back to the ship. Despite a drizzly day we had a lovely time.

Staying at the Embassy Suites you can catch the free LauderGo shuttle (formerly called the Sun Trolley) from the Harbor Shops Publix (directly behind the Emassy Suites) to the Hilton Marina next to the water taxi stop. See https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/government/departments-i-z/transportation-and-mobility/transportation-division/laudergo-mobility-services/laudergo-community-shuttle

We (me, DH, my 2 brothers and their spouses, ages ranging from early 60s to early 70s) did this itinerary in March. DH and I had been to all the islands on other cruises. The others had not. You will notice that with the exception of Bonaire, we used Princess excursions. That is not our normal habit but given Covid restrictions at that time on some of the islands we thought that the best thing to do. St. Thomas - Local Connections: Wildlife Sanctuary, Kayak, Hike & Snorkel with Marine Biologist. Very interesting with a variety of experiences (kayaking, short hike, snorkeling, kayaking). As with any kayaking, the level of difficulty is dependent upon the wind which was moderate that day. Dominica - River Tubing & Rainforest Scenic Drive. This was a blast and we were impressed at how safety conscious the guides were. Grenada - Glass-Bottom Kayaking. We are all kayakers but it was the first time we used a glass bottom kayak and was great fun and interesting. You hug the coast line and we had a day with very little wind so the kayaking was not difficult. Our guide was great - both informative and personable. Bonaire - We have been to Bonaire on cruises three times. The first and third times we went snorkeling with Woodwind. The snorkeling off Klein Bonaire is spectacular and Woodwind provides all the equipment (with a range of choices) on their catamaran (with 20 or fewer participants), two drift snorkel experiences, and a meal. The second time we rented a golf cart from Bonaire Cruisers and spent the day sightseeing at our own pace. If you do this, be sure to visit the Donkey Sanctuary. Curacao - Hato Caves & Willemstad Walking Tour. On a previous cruise DH and I did a self guided walking tour of Willemstad that we greatly enjoyed. The rest of our group had never been there and we chose this since the Caves would be new to us. Everyone enjoyed it and we were very impressed with our guide. Check out the Caribbean Ports of Call forum for more information on independent excursions: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/456-caribbean/

Not on the Enchanted in mid-March! In the past we've had connecting cabins on Grand class ships but never on Royal class. On the Enchanted we had a connecting door in our cabin and while we never heard the TV or voices, we definitely heard the wind tunnel the first night. In fact we opened our connecting door to determine what the sound was and I guess the occupants in the other cabin heard us talking even before we could call them or the front desk. We hadn't quite decided what to do before the 'storm' stopped and it was never a problem on the next 9 days.

No. Take a look at the port map on the website. The nearest shops are on 17th Street more than a mile away.

I looked it up on the Ship Schedule on the Port Everglade's website: right now you are scheduled at terminal 25. Status Start Time Type Ship From To Scheduled 11/03/2022 07:00 ARR CELEBRITY EQUINOX SEA BUOY 25

Which ship is it? I've occasionally seen one of their older ships docked at terminal 4 but the newer ones (Edge and Apex) are docked at 'the Celebrity' terminal #25 (https://www.porteverglades.net/cruise/cruise-terminals/terminal-25/).

See notes in red.

We've been to all the ports except San Juan, some multiple times. We like the second itinerary. In fact that was our itinerary on the Enchanted (a sister ship to the Sky) this past March. We greatly enjoyed it and, as others have said, it was nice to have two sea days returning to Fort Lauderdale.