OrinocoFlow

it's been my experience that there's a lot of misinformation on the internet.  some is deliberate. I will leave it to the reader to guess as to potential motivations. 

some, is just low understanding or low thresholds for cruise realities. 

As always, I'll let my lived experiences speak for themselves. 

17 minutes ago, reedprincess said:

 

Maybe by asking on all the different boards will yield some various interesting insights into how the different lines went about making it work and how they're maintaining it...

 

I'll be sure to check those out, too. thank you for the suggestion! 

Please, not interested in any discussion or debate about the merits of using the internet at sea, per se. I generally turn my phone off on vacation.  We are just curious about how Princess actually made the internet work so well at sea. 

I've worked in tech for a long time, and my business partner who is a developer, and I were chatting about this.  We both know that Satellite internet is challenging, at least on a consumer level. Lots of lag, for video and what not.  But we're hearing great things about the quality of the service and how it allows for streaming and video. 

Any techies out there with insight into how the Medallion net internet uplink works? 

Thanks Cruise Critic peeps! 

1 hour ago, RMMariner said:

Cannot comment on the cruising side of things, but my wife and I have spent a couple of months biking around Fiji. We found the snorkeling and diving better than either Hawaii or Australia, but it would be hard to get to the better dive spots on a cruise ship schedule. We spent over a week on Kadavu - it was the best diving I have ever experienced. 

 

I hope you enjoy your trip.

this is a great point. Maybe we'd be better served taking a specific trip there vs cruising. 

you guys are amazing! I found something similar to what you were describing here, and this is what I've gone with so far.  

I am AMAZED at how much room I had left over for the "stuff" I like to take on a cruise: mask/snorkel, magnetic hooks, coffee mug, etc.  I could have easily gotten it all into a carry on, if I didn't have to check a bag to port the wine and other liquids (like a vat of sunscreen, etc). 

 

Here's the link I used.

 

I am excited to find your other methods. having these "structures" forced me to make choices and be smart to take less.  and it's really paying off.  I'm going to explore them now and put into my spreadsheet even if I use them for a work trip! 

So grateful for this expertise!  KEep it coming!

 

PS. To those who asked about shoes: one pair of my evening shoes are tieks that fold up flat and the other are a pair of very comfortable espadrilles I can wear in the main dining room with other pants. It's a nice chance of pace. I wear my running shoes to travel and work out in. Could probably get by with one pair of closed toe Keen's for the beach. I wear the grey keens on the ship, they're a bit more dressy and fun and can even make it to the MDR with one of the pairs of pants. I love to wear shoes with no socks. In fact, I'm adding my favorite floral birkenstocks with the extra room I have left. I have ot have shoes with arch support if I'm running or doing any serious port walking.  So if I had to pare down, it would be : running shoes, brown keens, black tieks.  I'd still wish for my birkenstocks though and I would probably add them....

Eyeballing a cruise for a milestone birthday next year and Fiji's on my bucket list.  (We're avid snorkelers, very active adults). 

We're looking at two cruises and would like some opinions. 

Cruise A: Roundtrip Melbourne on Golden Princess

CRuise B: Roundtrip Sydney Ruby Princess

They are roughly comparable in price at this point, and tbh the Melbourne route has more sea days which we love. But we'd like to hear from fellow cruisers on the tradeoffs. I think we'll want to do a short cruise in the interim so we can get to Platinum status for that one, too. (we're ruby now and will need like 3 days to cross over)

do folks know if the $1 deposit will be combined with the sale they're having? we're eyeing a fiji cruise in 2020 for my 50th birthday. 

9 hours ago, capriccio said:

'd hazard a guess (and that is all it is) that the Retreat Cabanas are more expensive because they are right next to the pool and to some people that would be considered a 'better' location.

I knew the rest, thanks. This is the part I want to drill into. Interesting. 

Am I reading this right?

It's 50/ cabana (or $25 PP) for a cabana reservation in the retreat pool. 

It's 20 PP for a reserved seat in the sanctuary (no cabana)

Why do we think the price is different? (we love the sanctuary, and we're just curious. All we want to do is talk about price, and any perceived benefits or tradeoffs between the two specific reserved situations)

thanks!

We are on a Caribbean Cruise, and I'd like to challenge myself to travel lighter.  The fact is most days we'll be snorkeling or lounging on deck in swim clothes. Last time I know at night I rarely wanted to get dressed up, and always opted for the most comfortable clothes and shoes at dinner (that met the dress code). 

This trip is 14 days, technically 2 7 day back to backs.  So there are 3 formal nights, and 5 sea days.  We are snorkeling/beaching on port days.  We are generally pretty casual people. I always bring workout shorts. And we don't mind doing laundry (our ship has it). 

What is the bare minimum packing list I could get away with? i was thinking maybe 

1 travel outfit including running shoes

2 swimsuits (shorts and top), cover up, shoes (2 pairs of "water/pool" sandals/shoes")

2 dresses for formal nights (one of which could go to a regular MDR meal) ( 2 pair of evening shoes)

1 casual dress for embarkation and MDR -extra pair of shoes that can go to mdr or casual days

2 pants for MDR, maybe 3 tops, and two light sweaters

a pair of comfy capris for lounging on deck or otherwise not swimming, eg for walks in the morning. 

(assume hats, undies, and various accessories, including carrying snorkel gear, wine, medications, journal/scrapbook materials, reading, and whatnot)

I always go back and forth between wanting to bring every cool summer outfit I own. but the fact is we really do seem to end up doing the same thing over and over:
breakfast/walk, snorkel or sea day activities, pool in afternoon, dinner in evening.  I think I'll get bored and then I just end up wearing the same stuff anyway.  How do you get "over" that desire to overpack? 

Advice, tips, links, all welcome since I'm sure this has been covered extensively. thanks in advance. 

I have been very pleased with our food on Princess. My man and I also live in SF and we cook a lot and are fussy about food-and have always been satisfied by Princess especially the prime rib, the Crown Grill (quite literally best ribeye I have eaten in my life and I grew up on a dairy farm) pizza, pastas, sorbets, desserts, pastries/bread, international cafe, lamb chops etc. I personally have never found the seafood on princess edible (except for shrimp) but that’s because I am originally from the Midwest and seafood was an acquired taste to begin with, so if it’s the least bit fishy tasting it makes me nauseated. My man and his family, including his parents who have done dozens of Princess cruises also have no issues. I have my fresh seafood in Florida before and after the cruise and order something else on seafood nights. 

Truly I really need to eat *less* on cruises. In our case we don’t plan to eat in MDR as much this trip, opting for burgers/pizza at MUTS Or a salad at HC. 

Does anyone have current menus for the regal? We’d like to pick our crown grill night, usually italian night. 

Funny you mention this. We could have booked our upcoming trip as 2 back to backs and been platinum but my husband was unwilling to spend the extra $200 pp for higher fare, taxes, etc. so we will end this cruise at *50* days and 4 cruises.

I negotiated with him that he was required to do a short cruise from our coastal city to make platinum because I wasn’t gonna do another 14 day without it. Compromise... but it shows you how we valued the perks differently. Honestly Ruby is no man’s land. The extra vacation protection is nice, and I guess we will see if the onboard experience changes.

Also if one “levels up” during a cruise princess is really missing an opportunity. They could make a big splash with Platinum and Elites by giving us a “welcome” packet, our new pin, new cruise card, etc. maybe a couple drink tickets?

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Coco Loco - Island Drink - specialty of RCL on their private island - Coco Cay...:cool:

That may be true. But this is a princess thread and this drink is coco lopez, malibu coconut rum and i think some other juice. Not far off a pina colada.

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I try to cushion the blow from coming home from a vacation by doing as much as I can to make sure home is in good shape before I ever leave. It's way easier to come home to a house with an empty dishwasher and vacuumed floors with the majority of the clothes in my suitcase already clean than it is to come home to a place that looks as if it were ransacked by thieves. It isn't always possible, and sometimes things are pretty chaotic right before travel. But I try to do whatever I can to make it easy to transition back into responsibilities. Here are some of the little details that take a big load off when I come home:

1) Place a grocery order before leaving to be picked up the day we get home or the next day.

2) Hire a cat sitter to come every other day and look in on our pets, feed them, and clean the litter box.

3) Stop the mail for long trips and have mail service resume when we get home.

4) Try to do laundry, dishes, make my bed, vacuum floors, and take out trash before leaving.

5) Try to do some laundry on vacation if possible (only if doing this doesn't sound terrible to you. I don't mind doing laundry on vacation.) so unpacking doesn't also involve laundry.

6) Return in time to have a full transition day at home, unpack fully, etc.

 

When coming home doesn't feel like walking into a deep pit of chores and "OK now I gotta do..." it is way easier for me to come home. Hope this helps!

Great tips, thank you! Much more helpful than the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps “ crowd who lack either a sense of humor or compassion.

Some people really need to lighten up. Thanks again!! [emoji178]

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While all my cruises were special it would have to be my very first one - 12 night Venice to Barcelona on Star Princess in 2004. Whenever I hear Enya's Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) it always reminds me of sailing away from Venice at dusk--magical!!

Hence my screen name. [emoji6]

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It’s really, really bad for me. Last time we deliberately scheduled a drive to key west to give us something to look forward to but it was still a bit of a let down..(finding our own food? The horror!)

Seriously though it really bums me out. How do you all deal with it -besides just booking the next one?

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Many lands’ end skirts just don’t give me enough coverage and I didn’t want to wear shorts and have to change on excursions.

This last cruise i bought a pair of swim shorts that were 9 inches and cover up a birth mark on my thigh. They had an attached panty, dried fast AND had pockets. I LIVED in them and decided for our next cruise to get a second pair, a coordinating rash guard and an extra tankini top.

I can’t recommend those shorts enough. I felt covered, but could swim, snorkel etc comfortably too. And they weren’t sopping wet for hours, like skirts, they just dried fast like men’s swim trunks. Highly recommended esp for shore days with a beach component!

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Received upsell email offer today. From remains the same as mentioned above reservations@princesscruises.com

 

Tom

this thread is what keeps me coming back to CC.

thank you all!

ours are from

 

reservations@princesscruises.com

thank you!

We got an “upgrade” offer last august It was from reservations@princess.com Subject line was the booking number, my name, and “upgrade offer” It was actually an upsell offer

 

 

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Thank you! to confirm was it princess.com or princesscruises.com?

I would like to set an alert and a filter on my email so I can know right away when we've been offered an upgrade.

Does anyone have the "from" address" or the subject line or specific content that seems consistent enough that I will catch it?

princess sends a LOT of emails and I don't want to miss the opportunity to either decline (we really are fussy about our cabin) or snag a great deal!

thanks

OF

It's nice that you're getting what you like. We've never tried the Sanctuary.

It was transformative for us on a Caribbean cruise. Reserved seat. No music, screaming, or loud noises. Padded loungers in the shade. Heaven on sea days esp when they bring afternoon tea to you in the chair!

If there weren’t the awful and frankly rude chair hogs we probably wouldn’t do it, but I am still rolling my eyes at the woman holding a chair in the shade for 3 hours for a friend who never showed up.

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Well definitely our Antarctica cruise on the Star. 16 days round trip buenos aires with my husband’s Argentine father celebrating 80 years and 7 continents along with his sisters and their families. 4 balcony rooms one in each corner and we would gather in whoever had the best view at the moment of Antarctica. Ordering hot chocolate to stay warm. Teaching my now 16 year old niece how to read...

We took our second cruise on the grand from SF to Mexico in 2016 the Christmas after “Poppy” passed from extended illness. My poor mother in law was recovering from foot surgery, in a wheelchair, missing her husband of 50+ years and fellow elite cruiser on their first christmas apart. It was hard but it really helped her a lot. The ship was beautiful and I think we all benefited from it that hard year.

But for me...this last year on the CB in the Caribbean/Panama Canal that sealed it. For the first time on a cruise my husband and I were by ourselves. By the end of the cruise he was the most relaxed I had ever seen him and living in swim trunks and Hawaiian shirts. Even the last night in MDR “what will they kick me out” face. We made friends which was hard to do when traveling with a big family.

He asked to go back to the Caribbean. So I think it finally clicked. And this time anytime dining and no formal wear.

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Yes always 8am.

We wake up early-6:00 am. We take all our bags (we self carry) down empty elevators to the international cafe and snag a comfy seat and breakfast. When the disembark room (a dining room) opened at 7, we got a comfy window seat and walked off the ship by 7:30 and had Lyft waiting for us.

We weren’t too sad about leaving last time though because we were renting a car to drive to key west. I may be more reluctant to leave this time if it’s straight back home. *whines*

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The ship will return to Ft. Lauderdale after 7 days, a kind of dead day. You will be required to go through immigration, even if you plan to stay on board, no exceptions. Production shows will repeat, and some other entertainers and activities may be the same. Nothing will repeat on the 14 day Caribbean Princess cruise.

Can you elaborate? We are looking at just such a cruise. Do we have to pack and leave? How much time is lost? We were planning to make this a lounge day but wasting half of it packing and unpacking is a non starter.

And it just hit me: is the menu repeated?

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