GREGS1GIRL

10 hours ago, njkruzer said:

A friend recommended Pinkberry.   I see you live nearby.  We're in Nashville.  Hello

Thank you for this info. I have sent Pinkberry a message. Did you book this company?

On 7/19/2022 at 2:34 PM, Wishing on a star said:

Princess is not allowing to bring your own test kit?

Any experience on using their testing at Ft Lauderdale?

 

We ordered the proctored tests through Princess. We will do them here in the states before we fly. We are vaccinated and 2 boosters sailing from Southampton. My understanding is we can test Friday with a sail date of Monday.  We did this same thing for a cruise out of Ft Lauderdale back in November. There is an app (Navica) that they send the results to. We showed this to Princess upon check in. No need for a hard copy although it's never a bad idea to have the paper copy. Hope this helps! 

On 6/29/2022 at 5:59 PM, njkruzer said:

1.5 to 2 hrs if I remember correctly.  We'll be using a car service.   While pricey £160 forc 2 with luggage don't want to schlep luggage on train.  Train cost is low but still need taxis at both ends.  When are you going? Maybe you can check on the roll call for your cruise and find someone to share a car service. 

Which car service are you using?

On 7/19/2022 at 5:03 AM, John Bull said:

 

Hi Stacey,

 

Easiest and cheapest, but not quickest, is the direct bus service 

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

The London terminus of the bus is Victoria Coach Station - like Reubens at the Palace it's on Buckingham Palace Road and a simple flat & direct 10-minute walk (or very short taxi hop) to the hotel.

The 09.50 would suit, or the 08.45 if you can get an early disembarkation slot, but for either you are very strongly advised to book because the buses don't have elastic sides.

Nat. Express fare is about £20 per person, book the golf clubs as extra baggage, journey time 2 hrs 30 mins. Driver loads & unloads.

In the UK & in Europe generally, public transport - including buses - is used by people from all walks of life, buses are comfortable and have bathrooms & free wifi.

 

Most train services from Southampton to London go to London Waterloo station, about 90 minutes. But that means travelling by  tube (not ideal with luggage) or a £15 - £20 taxi hop from Waterloo to the hotel. Fare £21 if booked in advance (only good for the train time that you select), walk-up fare £41 

Or there's an hourly train service to London Victoria train station, just a 5-minute walk to the hotel, but that train takes a convoluted route and the journey time is 2hrs 30 mins. Fare £21. 

All of the above have direct services, there are other options which involve a change of train but I suggest you avoid that complication.

You'll need to haul bags yourselves, tho there's no high step between platform & train.

Be aware that there is an industrial dispute with train drivers, there have been a few days when they've been on strike and that may continue. There are no "wildcat" strikes in the UK, they have to be voted by union members and advised to the public in advance. If you choose to go by train, do check for industrial action - and any strike days have a knock-on effect on the following day's trains.

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

If you go by Nat Express or train you'll need a taxi hop from the rank at the cruise terminal to the bus or train station. About £7.

 

Many cruise lines - including Princess - offer ship's transfer buses from the cruise terminal to Victoria Coach Station (same place as the Nat Express buses). Very poor value compared to Nat Express for almost the same service even though no taxi hop is needed and no charge for the golf clubs, but some folk prefer the comfort of booking with the cruise line.

 

A private transfer would cost mebbe £170 - £200.

 

Best bet is either Nat Express or ship's transfer to Victoria coach station.

 

JB 🙂

Thank you!! This is very helpful! 

Stacey

We are using Belfast Tours NI. We are on a 8/1 sailing but on Emerald Princess. Hope you find something!

On 3/26/2019 at 8:24 AM, John Bull said:

As Simon's post, transportation from London depends very much on the location of your hotel and your preferences for a private transfer or saving a chunk of cash & using a train or bus (direct services from London Waterloo or London Victoria respectively).

Or taking a ship's over-priced transfer bus, or an independently-operated tour/transfer bus from your hotel to your ship via Stonehenge.

Yes, www.smithsforairports.com and www.westquaycars.com (both based at the Southampton end) are frequently recommended for private transfers. Also Blackberry Cars and others - just search "Southampton transfers" in this forum, but be aware that transfer options from LHR or LGW airports are very different to transfer options from central London.

 

At the Southampton end, yes it'll be Ocean Cruise Terminal or QE2 Cruise Terminal.

Ocean Terminal is a level walk of about 25 mins from Southampton Central rail station or coach station - though inclement weather is likely to persuade you to jump in a cab.

QE2 terminal may only be a further 10 minutes, but it's deep in the docks on roads with heavy truck traffic - in places separated from pedestrians by only a yellow line. I'd strongly recommend a cab.

 

Tell us your hotel, date / day-of-the-week, group size & make-up, whether your preferences are for convenience or cost, and anything else you consider relevant, and we can be more precise.

 

And browse https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_london_transfers.htm

(but don't book a private car transfer thro them, they promote expensive operators)

There's also lots of good London info and logistics on other pages of their website

 

JB 

John,

Could you provide transportation options from the Princess Cruise Terminal in Southampton to The Ruben Hotel in London on 13 August of this year. We have a one night stay there after our cruise before flying home the next day. Having Afternoon Tea at The Ruben and seeing Hamilton. We will most likely have a rolling suitcase and a personal item each for my husband and I and my husband will have his golf clubs. He prefers to take the easiest route so we aren't dealing with the luggage so much and I prefer we not break the bank! 

Thank you!
Stacey

1 hour ago, suzyed said:

I bet we do see it in the coming months.  RCI CEO already stated he thinks it will go by the wayside after August 1st.

 

This would be awesome! We embark 8/1 in Southampton for a 12 day cruise of the British Isles.  We tested yesterday and we were  both negative. We will test next Sunday (if this one is positive we will have 8 days before we embark to recover0 and then again the next Friday morning using the Princess proctored test before we fly. We have back up tests scheduled at Heathrow when we land. 

This has been the biggest stress of planning. Our stomachs were in knots yesterday waiting for our results so no testing would help with that but also increase people boarding with possible Covid. Based on some things I am reading I would not be surprised if we test positive once we return home. Better that than before or during and have to miss trip or quarantine. It's been in the works since 2020. 

Hoping 3rd time is the charm for actually being able to go on our twice scheduled 12 British Isles cruise roundtrip from Southhampton. Which side of the ship-port to Starboard is best? Thanks!

2 minutes ago, getting older slowly said:

Hi gregs1girl,

 

the golden princess is fine, do not worry, the ship is a little old school, meaning  lots of timber, and beige décor, it has a comfortable feel, friendly. cabin are good, plenty of places to walk around, including the promenade deck, so plenty of outside place to see the views.  As I said in my earlier post we are booked from another two cruises on the golden one in four week and the other at the end of year... and would definitely book another one of the golden.   

 

You will enjoy yourself, please do not think the ship is going to be full a buckets, it will not be,, part of it , is one state of mind... we just love being on the ship.... the cruise thing for us is the ship and being at sea...

 

So cabin and ship and the number ones, and we are very happy to be going on the Golden again in 25 days ( who is counting ? )  are we excited ? yes, we are able to go on another cruise....

 

The bottom line, you will have a great time, relax

 

Cheers Don 

Thanks Don!!

I agree that anytime I'm on a cruise ship I am having a good time. This is more of a financial hardship for one set of our parents and I just really want them to feel they got a good value for their money. They usually only cruise cheaper cruise lines and itineraries. I am hoping for the best and that the beautiful scenery of Alaska and the Princess experience we have come to love as well as us spending a week together will make this a positive trip for all!!

On January 13, 2019 at 10:23 PM, joejoe 59 said:

Great shots.

My sister & family are on board  & having  a  great time.

Hi!

My family is booked on the Golden for an Alaskan cruise in August 2019 and I've seen some negative reviews of the condition and buckets catching leaks, etc. How would you say the condition of her is/was?

Thanks!

On January 8, 2019 at 9:02 PM, NoPlaceLikeHome7 said:

I have a group of  14 going on the Golden Princess in August and I  am concerned about the negative reviews. Leaks, toilet backups, poor food selection.  What are we getting in to?

Hi!

We are sailing the Golden on August 3rd to Alaska with both sets of our parents. My husband and I have sailed Princess many times but this is the first on the Golden. And this is the first for either set of parents to be sailing on Princess. I am worried that we will not have the experience we are used to on Princess and that our elderly parents (on a fixed income) may not be happy with the condition of the ship. One expects a few things here and there but not buckets catching leaks everywhere. I hope that is not the case for our parents sake. This is a once in a lifetime trip for them and I chose Princess because it is supposed to be the best for the Alaska itinerary.  I hope I do not regret choosing the Golden.

Anyone been on here recently?

Thanks!!

On 5/5/2018 at 6:43 PM, casofilia said:

We used a private company and were picked up from our hotel, stopped at the wildlife park and then arrived in Whittier in plenty of time.

Do you recall the name of the company you used? My husband and I will be traveling with both sets of parents so I’m looking for the best option. Thank you.

On 10/29/2018 at 11:34 AM, Gardyloo said:

The Inside Passage is the generic term for the waterways between the south end of Vancouver Island and, roughly, Skagway or Haines in Southeast Alaska.  It's called that because for much of the distance there are islands that separate the open Pacific from the mainland, so the water is calmer.  The ships are never out of sight of land on both sides, and in some places the land on either side of the ship is very close, so the scenery - forests, mountains, etc. - is ever-changing and quite intimate.  

 

It's not unusual to see whales from the cruise ships, somewhat less common to see animals on shore (they're small, move fast, and are fairly far away.)  But one shouldn't confuse cruise ships with whale watching vessels for obvious reasons.  

 

Sailings from/to Vancouver typically stay to the east of Vancouver Island in both directions, thus providing a longer time in the "Inside Passage."  Sailings from Seattle travel to the west of Vancouver Island on open ocean, offering poor or no scenery and rougher water.  Those ships enter the Inside Passage once they're past Vancouver Island, after which the routes through Southeast Alaska, and port calls, are similar.

 So based on your input would you say either side of the ship is good for viewing on a southbound cruise from Whittier? 

Change of plans has us having to change from a July 6th sailing to sometime in August and port side cabins are almost nonexistent especially when needing 3.

Thanks!

Thanks coral and to everyone for the wealth of information! This will be my second Alaska trip. Last year I did not see glacier bay but saw Tracy arm Fjord and Hubbard. This time I’ll be seeing Hubbard again. I can’t remeber if it’s the day after or before glacier bay but so excited!

 

What is aft view?

Hi! You have returned from your cruise and I wondered what you could share with us trying to plan our Alaskan cruise?

Thoughts on the different Glacier experiences- Glacier NP, Hubbard, Tracy Arm. Having seen them all which are must on itineraries in your opinion?

And what are your thoughts on the Golden?

Thanks!

Looks like that will be possible. Fire doors are well forward of your staterooms. Have a great time.

On other notes, what are your thoughts on sailing the Golden Princess to Alaska? We have been on several Princess cruises but this will be a first on Princess for our parents. They have sailed Carnival and Royal Caribbean. We won't them to be wowed as this trip will be quite expensive for them-a once in a lifetime for sure.

I'm concerned because I've read many negative reviews.

I also selected Princess and the itinerary I did because I've read it's a must to go to Glacier Bay National Park.

Coral was my preferred ship but it did not match dates my husband could work with for his job. I'm second guessing, if Royal would be a better choice.

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

As long as the 3 cabins are not separated by a fire proof door, the answer is that the cabin steward can unlock the small doors between the balconies, allowing everyone to move between the balconies. Please, please, so those doors do not bang, make sure they are properly secured. It is not like having one nice long balcony, the passages are small, but you don't have to go out into the hallway to get the next cabin.

If you look at the deck plans you may be able to ascertain whether the cabins have any fire proof door issues or not. Or if you share the cabin numbers, I will be happy to take a look for you.

Thanks for your offer to help. I know the passages aren't very big just wondered if we'd be able to pass through if we are all sitting outside on each of of our balconies.

We are in C718, C722 and C726

We have 3 rooms booked on the Golden for an Alaskan Cruise. I wondered if we would be able to have the partitions removed so that it would make one large balcony we could all be on without having to use main stateroom doors?

I am planning to book a Southbound cruise to Alaska in the next couple of days. Sadly, the dates we need mean we only have two to choose from-July 6th and July 20th.

The July 6th sailing is a little cheaper than the 20th sailing which I'd prefer. Does anyone have knowledge as to whether the two week difference will affect what we are able to see?

This is a once in a lifetime trip for our parents so we want to optimize what we can see. Specifically, whales, bears and salmon running.

Thanks!

Traveling with our parents and we can only do the 7 day cruise with a day touring Vancouver. Which would you suggest doing if this is the vase-southbound Voyage of the Glaciers or Northbound?

Also, the NB arrives in Anchorage at 12:30 am. What time would we have to get off ship?

And where does one take the train that I've heard others talk about?

Thanks!

Looking at booking an Alaskan cruise for July of 2019 taking both my parents and my husband's parents.

We are thinking of booking Oceanview for our parents and a balcony or mini-suite for ourselves if not balconies for all.

Also, Southboud or Northbound and which side of the ship is best depending on direction we choose?

Thanks!

So it was the Southbound Inside Passage you did?

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Has anyone used Chianti Drivers for tours from Florence?

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We will be in Santorini from 7 am - 7 pm and would like to do a half-day Catamaran tour. The tour is aprox 10 am - 3 pm. Has anyone done this and if so, did it allow time to still walk around Oia? If not Oia, then at least time to walk around and have a meal with a view overlooking cruise ship in Fira?

We have never been before so we are unsure of the logistics and if we would be allowing ourselves enough time.

I've sent a message to Santorini Day Tours by Dimitris P.

Thanks!

Thanks for the review. We are thinking of doing this next week while on the Royal Princess. How long were you there? Princess is offering this as well but I think we only have 4 hours at the resort before heading back to Amber Cove. Want to spend the day at the beach not at a cruise port pool area. Thanks!

I just returned from our October 2017 cruise. We did this excursion offered through Carnival for Amber Cove. LIFESTYLE SERENITY VIP RESORT GETAWAY it truly was amazing. We were transported to this private resort in a beautiful air conditioned bus. It is within 30 minutes of the port. Once we arrived we were escorted to our area on the beach which had gorgeous white lounge beds, hammocks, beds and chairs. Staff laid out lush white towels as you arrived at your choice of seating. Shade is easily available. Many thatched roof bars steps away serving all inclusive drinks including coffee, alcohol, or whatever your heart desires. Many servers are available to serve you at your chair on the beach if you prefer. Full lunch buffet and made to order crepe bar. Oh don't forget the ceviche hut also. True VIP service. I would highly suggest you bring swim shoes because the ocean is pretty rocky getting in and out. Best excursion of our cruise.

I attached a photo I took from our aft facing balcony on the Regal. We were just on it last week. The cabin of the balcony in the picture is M725. No issues with soot or noise from above. With the Caribbean sun, i nthe afternoon it did get quite hot and you couldn't walk on it with bare feet due to the balcony being uncovered, but the size is amazing. They were great for our kids to play on. We had both M727 and M725 so we opened up the balcony door and they were the biggest balconies you could get on the Regal besides the suites. I would definitely book these cabins again.

Hi! We are looking to book a last minute cruise on The Royal for a Nov. 25th sailing and M725 and M727 are available. My concern is the noise from above as well as the privacy of people being able to lean over rail and see us if we are sitting on the balcony.

Do you have any other pictures to share showing above you> And also, any comments on the noise and privacy level. Thanks!