dfields1814

I have not seen the movie yet. I can't sit through a three hour movie anymore. I will have to wait until  it is streamed. I did read the excellent book the movie was based on.   It deals with from very serious issues like the use of the atomic bomb,, expansion of nuclear weapons in h e cold war, the abuse Oppenheimer took from government agencies etc.  The Movie Under the Stars  is in a area for partying. Lots of drinks pizza, popcorn, cookies and mild etc.  I question if this is the place to show a movie with such important content. I do believe it could  be shown in the Princess Theatre, Vista Lounge or in the cabins.  I think those are a better venues for this particular movie.  

My wife and  were on the Emerald the cruise prior to the OP, from FLL to LA. .  We would have to agree with most of what the OP has stated. We do not believe that this specific cruise on this specific ship cruise met the high standard for Princess cruises that we always experienced in the previous cruises. . 

My wife and I are huge fans of Princess. We have over 40 cruises with them.  All the cruises we had with them I would rate 9 or 10. This one maybe a 7. Still a good cruise and we had a great time. But there were a number of small issues that started to add up. Still I am glad we took the cruise. We have been on five Princess cruises since the start up. Four of the 5 were excellent! This one was just good. 

The issue shower size and no sofas on the balcony cabins issues are well known. Ship comedians have been making jokes about it for years.  If you watch Youtube reviews and look at the cabin layout provided by Princess prior to the cruise you would better prepared for it. You have to get a mini suite to solve those problems.  I think the Royal class ships may have larger shower. I maybe be mistaken. But if feels that way.

On our Panama cruise one of three MDRs were closed as well as the Salty Dog Pub, most of the buffet  and Planks. This caused long lines at the MDR. We just starting going at 7:30 when there was no lines at all.  Room service accuracy with the orders was questionable. 50% of the time something was missing. Overall the food was mostly pretty good. But I am not picky. I had 1 meal out of 14 that was really bad. My wife had two. The variety of the main dishes is smaller that pre Covid. They kept repeating the same desserts. Many of my favorite dishes disappeared from the menu. I considered the buffet a lost cause and did not eat there at all. My wife had a more generous opinion. She ate there twice.  The production show not as good as shows in the pre Covid . The bar service and drinks were excellent. (I don't use the app. I just order in person. I had no problems and got to meet some interesting employees.) The bar entertainment was pretty good as a whole but I have seen better.  The huge problem with the Wheelhouse Bar was my drinks were so good I kinda over spent my budget there!  The Maitre D at Di Vinci was absolutely great. 

The dress code for both causal and formal nights in the MDR was a joke.  I would say on formal night  more than 50% of the men ignored it.  They allowed shorts and tee shirts for dinner on causal nights.  I did see three men in shorts turned away on the first formal night. 

There was very little or no mask wearing or social distancing even in very crowded spaces.  If there were no cases of covid or the flu we were extremely lucky IMHO. 

The cruise through the new locks was really interesting. Not good as the old locks, but interesting all the same. 

My fear is that first time cruises on this cruise would assume that this cruise is the norm for all Princess cruises. It wasn't.

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3:30

I was on the same cruise and used Luggage Forwarding FLL to LAX.  Absolutely no problem. Glad I used the service. 

No chocolates on the pillow..... I am getting off at the next port

Keep the vaccines drop the testing. Apologies to The Godfather.

I am a big fan of the testing in conjunction with mask wearing and social distancing. However I think testing needs to be dropped in that it is not doing what it is supposed to do, as of now.  For example we test negative 3 days prior to our December cruise. Then the next day we take public transport to the airport, wait in the airport gate area with 100's of unmasked people none social distancing . Take a 5 hour flight in an airplane full with unmasked people. Get our luggage in area with lots of unmasked people. Then take a public transport to a hotel and wait in line with to register with unmasked people who are not socially distancing. Finally we eat a crowded restaurant after waiting in the waiting area. The eext day we take a tour on bus crowded with people none wearing a mask. Eat at three crowded restaurants. Hang out by the crowded pool with unmasked people who are not social distancing .  Cruise day, we take a crowded public transport to the terminal, Stand in line with people not social distancing and not wearing a mask even though they are supposed to. Then two later we have covid and wonder why.  

Thanks to those who mentioned an oximeter. I did not even know they existed.  I went to Amazon a bought one today.   

I am also a local and I agree with mtnesterz.   They want you LAX at least three hours early. so by 8:00. That is what they just start disembarkation.  And the arrival time is based on everything going as planned. Once we we delayed a couple of hours getting into San Pedro due to thick fog.  Dec. 22 is on a Thursday. Why worry about it your entire cruise. I would just rebook a later flight.  Good luck with LA traffic. In LA speak you have to go via  the 110 to the 405 to Sepulveda. Good luck with that on Thursday between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. LAX should be crazy just before Christmas with traffic and long lines.  

With smoking in the casino the issue is second hand smoke.  That applies to the crew who has to work there daily.  A total ban on smoking in the casino would be a big benefit to them. They should not have to be exposed to second hand smoke. IMHO   

You would think security would have seen what happened with all the security cameras they had. I would have also asked for a child abuse investigation.  

Crown Grill and Le Mer.  

LA would be out of your way.  I guess you could. take PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) to the 10  then south to the port. Or take the 55 north to the 405. to the 10 Since I live in the LA area I usually take freeways especially on weekends.   The exit on the 10 can be tricky. If you make a mistake you could be on the bridge going back to Long Beach.   The exit  ramp will take you to  a light on Harbor Blvd . The World Cruise Terminal is right here, Can't miss it. I just go straight across Harbor for a few feet and turn right. That road will swing all around the port in a circle past the USS Iowa. You can drop off the luggage at the ship. Or you can enter the parking lot before you get to the Iowa and walk with you luggage to the ship.  Plenty of parking. I have never had a problem parking there. $20 a day.  

Princess or any other cruise line can have all the rules and protocols they want, but if they are not enforced they are worthless. 

Dirty Banana

My best bet that the Jan 4th cruise will sail if they get the port agreements signed on time. However with the CDC putting all cruising on level 4 and recommending no cruising for anyone, I bet Princess will have to have some sort of opt out.  We are on the Jan 19th sailing. Yesterday I would have said it had a 75% chance of sailing. Today after the CDC ... less than 50% without an opt out provision.  

We have been in cruises to Hawaii in Feb, March and Oct.  The cruises in February and March have been on the rough side going to and return from Hawaii. This was especially true on our last Hawaii cruise Feb./March 2020 which was cloudy and windy.    The seas in Hawaii itself were fine. No Problem.   We will be on a Hawaii cruise in January 2022 if it sails.   

Good rules on mask wearing.  Now if only Princess would enforce them.  One night on the Majestic in the  casino I counted 34 people, 14 were not wearing a mask. That is not counting the people who were wearing masks improperly. I asked a crew member about it. He said "people will be people."  Mask wearing was ok at the beginning of the cruise. But got worse and worse as the cruise continued.  Toward the end of the cruise there was a group of about 10 people in the atrium. None wore masks. The mask rules are worthless as long as they are not enforced. 

One unexpected thing about this cruise is the elevators. I expected some problems with the elevators with more than 6  people trying to get on.  (Six is the recommended amount.)  So far we have been the only ones on the elevators most of the time. Since the beginning of the cruise I think we shared an elevator with one or two others no more than 7 or 8 times.  No more long waits for the elevator. We can get on an elevator less than one or two minutes. And there is usually no stops since we are the only occupants. No more 6 or 7 stops going from deck 5 to 16.  Sailing with only 1350 makes a difference. 

If this were me I would call Princess directly on a matter so serious. You could miss your cruise if your timing is off.  I would give them specific info like the date of the cruise and port. Then I would recall them a few days later to make sure I get the same information, This info used to be found on you cruise personalizer on their website. I don't know if it is still there or not. It may be it is on the Medallion App.  The best thing to do is arrive a day early and not have to worry about it. 

We have a cruise in January. This is excellent news!!   

I would not chance it. I would arrive at least a day early. You would probably be OK if there is no flight delay.  Why risk it?

I brought a power strip with surge protector on our first 25 or so  out of 35 cruises. No one said anything about it. Then I found out they are not allowed and are very dangerous. So much for that power strip. Now I cruise with power strip without a surge protector. You can buy them on Amazon. Some of them say cruise ship approved. 

Pants/khaki and and a nice polo shirt should be OK for the MDR for most evenings.  A nice Hawaiian shirt would be OK for non formal nights. However, for formal nights men are supposed to wear a tux or a dark suit. Most men opt for the dark suit. That being said, that rule is really not enforced that much. He could wear a  a nice shirt and tie and be better dressed than a lot of men who just ignore the rules altogether. One formal night I sat next to this man wearing jeans and a tee shirt. The staff just ignored the rules. 

My wife and I are on on of those cruises mentioned in the article. A month I would have given this cruise less than a 25% chance of sailing. It looks like the odds are significantly better now!  

If you are ay all interested in the history of the Panama Canal, you have no choice. You have to take the the Island or Coral in that they are the only two Princess ships  that fit in the old locks.  If you have been through the old locks then you can decide between the Ruby and the Island. If you have never sailed through the canal,. as a history teacher,  I would recommend the old locks. full transit. If you read the book Path Between the Seas you will understand why going through the old locks is a must.