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I agree - we prefer smaller as well. We haven't been on the Island but did a full transit PC on the Coral several years ago and really enjoyed her. We did the British Isles on the Emerald last fall and it was great. Rainy and cold every day and it was still spectacular and the last day in Wales was worth the whole trip. Enjoy!

There have been three big sales since we booked our Feb 2024 cruise - including the best sale ever!!! The result is that cruise now costs $3,000 more. Sales used to mean something different to me 🙂

If all else fails perhaps going to the Roll Call board might help. I just looked at the Emerald Princess and it goes back to 2006. Looking for the ship you were on, then the Roll Call, someone might have listed the itinerary - or of you find the Roll Call perhaps you can put a message on it asking if anyone still has the itinerary. Longs shots - but WTH 🙂

Too many variables to really say. On our cruise last Fall we arrived in Southampton on time and disembarkation was fast and quick - but we were just taking a car to Heathrow and were spending the night - so no time crunch. I'm not sure my stomach is strong enough for that kind of schedule - it would be touch and go under the best circumstances - none of which you can control. Good luck whatever you do!!!

On our two cruises last Fall and Christmas we had the cards in our room everyday - and unlike someone above mentioned, I had to make sure and be up and dressed because they showed up everyday at least 10 minutes before the time period I had specified. Not complaining - beats getting stuff 10 minutes before you have to leave the cabin.

Thanks for the tip. We will be staying there pre-cruise in Feb so if we have an option we'll keep this in mind 🙂

Not necessarily apples to apples - but when I applied for the Shareholder OBC for our Feb 2024 cruise I already had the military OBC automatically. Our brokerage account is in both names - and when they approved the credit they put it in my wife's name. Hopefully that will work in the future and I will send the request in under her name just to be safe - this time they just did it that way - maybe they knew something! 🙂

You beat me kiwi :-)

NEW MIlitary OBC! We just got emails from Princess saying they appreciate the military and are doubling the OBC from $100 to $200 for 7-13 days and from $250 to $500 for 14 days or longer. I did not see anything that says it has to be new bookings so I sent it to our TA to ask if this could be changed on our two current bookings. I'm sure the reply will be new bookings only - but have to ask 🙂 It does say in the fine print of there are more than 1 military person in the cabin to call and get the rates AND it says not combinable with Shareholder OBC since that rule changed yesterday.

We just got the email from Princess about this change. It specifically states that any cruises already booked are grandfathered and only those booked after today will be effected. I really don't expect a major change - I'll apply for military in my name and shareholder under Sue's.

We are Elite with Princess and they matched us to Diamond which I think is their highest level. There was a time limit (3 years) or so to use it - doubt we ever will.

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/msc-voyagers-club/status-match?utm_campaign=usa-en-sem-brand_grandvoyage&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=msc+cruise+voyage&utm_content=branded&gad=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4POxoZTO_wIVy39MCh1BTw5REAAYASABEgLREPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'm not sure I understand the issue of deciding who gets it. If only one person gets it it is $100 or $250 depending on the length of the cruise whether you were an E-1 or an O-10.

It was definitely a shock to us last Fall when we had them for the first time. I have been undergoing bladder cancer surgeries/issues for a few years which has increased my night time trips to the bathroom significantly. And every time I got up the lights lit up the room 🙂 We took another cruise over Christmas and brought supplies to remedy the problem 🙂 Overall probably a good thing - but as the OP said it would be nice to be able to control it other than with duct tape 🙂

We took a Princess cruise out of Quebec a few years ago (and highly recommend it!!!). We spent one night in a B&B up near the Hotel Frontenac. We checked in the ship the next day and spent that night on the ship after wandering around town and going out to dinner. I think we got back to the ship around 10pm. The next morning we saw people checking in right up until the listed all aboard time - and we sailed away that afternoon.

Not quite the same as what I think you are asking - but I have played the travel credit card game for years - getting a new one almost every year to get whatever bonus we are after. Earlier this year when I realized I needed to get another $5,000 in gift cards my DW signed up for a hotel card from a chain we normally use - used that card to buy the gift cards saving 10% and she got 170,000 hotel points. I always have to look because I have seen the "gift cards" don't count warning. But the way AARP lists the sale it hasn't been an issue (and I have been able to go into our credit card account while the charge was pending and change the category of the purchase to travel when needed 🙂

I agree - it's horrible. I was checking them out since they will somewhat match loyalty status - but I gave up before I got a headache - and Norwegian was as bad - every time I went to the website all I got was I need to book in 3 hours or the deal was gone....:-)

We did that cruise last fall and before we left I was told I could use a CC for everything - and very little if any tipping. Every tour we signed up for seemed to specify they wanted to be paid in cash - I only used my card for one - and tipping seemed to be the norm rather than the exception.

I admit to never having cruised with X although they were the cruise line that first got me interested in cruising - 26 cruises ago. I have looked at various X cruises lately and loyalty benefits aside I just couldn't convince myself to pay the difference. For example: A 7 day Alaska cruise out of Seattle next May in a standard balcony cabin with either the Princess Plus Package or the X All Included fare (refundable) was over $1,000 more on X. I haven't seen anything in this thread that makes them worth an extra $1,000. One of the great things about cruising - we have lots of options 🙂

I can't say how it works for people with the Premier Package - but I have booked specialty dining on both our Nov and Feb cruises. We are elite and have not made final payment.

Maybe this will help, From the video it appears the balcony is about half covered - at least on that deck 🙂 The aft facing balcony cabins are our favorite - especially the corner ones on the Grand class ship so you can see to the side and back (C753/752). We have had those the last 5 and have C-753 on two booked 🙂

Things may have changed over the last few years when I wasn't paying much attention - but when I did I was always told no one could publish prices publically that were lower than what Princess showed. The agencies could give you a lower quote - but they couldn't advertise it. If that's still the case all we'll ever see online is what Princess lists.

We were on an 11 day cruise over last Christmas. I think we heard there were 600 "kids" on the Ruby - and I always said if the choice of a cruise was kids over Spring Break or cruising in Hurricane weather - always go with the Hurricane! But I ignored my own rule and we had no issues. Granted we didn't spend a lot of time by the pools, but as far as daily activities there weren't any problems and we commented a few times how well behaved everyone was (even the adults!)

We took two cruises this past fall/winter - and while we finally gave in and bought a smartphone a few months before the first cruise - we have never used it - or the Medallion App while on the ship and life went on as usual. We are dinosaurs like your dad - and our last cruise and our next 2 cruises are on the Emerald including one this fall (Nov) - maybe we'll see you on the ship we'll be the ones with no phone in our hands 🙂

Kinda like they used to say you could invite people in your party to take advantage of the priority boarding with you...our friends normally stayed in the regular line and most times beat us to our cabin 🙂