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I was on Sky out of Southampton May 28-June 4 and June 4-11, 2022. My sister asked at Guest Services the first week if if there were Covid cases onboard, he was not suppose to say, but he whispered to her “a few”. They do not broadcast if there are any cases. My brother in law, was coughing at the end of the second week. On Saturday June 4 (disembarking day) about 1am, they called medical center. He tested negative (he was told a cold) but still had to be quarantined for a few hours before disembarking with the other quarantine passengers. He saw only about a dozen people quarantined leaving the ship.. From the June 4 Facebook, a few stated they tested positive once home.

I have used www.justairports.com from LHR to our London hotel and hotel back to LHR 5x. Use hotel’s postal code to get a quote.

B2B in Barcelona (2019) and Southampton (2022) we were given a “In Transat” card and told to treat the port as any port and show the card when returning to the ship. Southampton (2022), we did not need to do a Covid test for the second cruise.

On the Sky May 28-June 11, my brother in law met a couple staying 8 months on the Sky in an inside cabin.

I noticed while on the Sky that the orange juice is from a box called - Orange Cocktail

I have a Caribbean cruise booked with my 2 yr granddaughter for later in the year.. After, just returning from a 14 day Northern European cruise, I have decided to cancel the granddaughter’s cruise as she would not be allowed into the pool or kids club unless she is potty trained. Not much for her do on the ship. Don’t want other passengers to look at her if she decides to have a melt down. If taking Princess excursions, most buses would put the stroller/pram under the bus (luggage area) where they put the wheelchairs/walkers. On buses, in Norway/Denmark it was the law to wear seatbelts. On a Caribbean Princess excursion, someone brought a car seat, all the seats are counted for with a purchased ticket, plus there were no seat belts, driver had to store the car seat in stairwell of the bus. Not much room in balcony cabins to store a car seat.

The only coupon I used on my recent cruise - casino - $10 if you spend $20.

Enjoy your cruise with your mom

As a Canadian, I only had to show my Covid negative test results and my vaccination paper ( paper is easier for them to read than phone). I have never been asked to show any insurance papers in 35 cruises. It is up to passengers if they want insurance or not. British cruisers have different requirements for booking than North America cruisers.

National Express is much cheaper than Princess transfer. If going direct home after cruise, I have taken Princess transfer or Princess post cruise excursion back to Heathrow. You purchase your National Express Coach timed ticket online leaving minimum of 90 minutes after flight arrive . My ticket was £17/pp LHR Terminal 5 to Southampton for Friday, May 27. National Express will let you change to another Coach (if seats are available) if you are late/early for your timed ticket with no change fee only at the airports. Depending on your airline which terminal you land at, where you will find National Express Coach terminal. Check out Heathrow airport web site for your airline terminal and National Express Coach information. Once you have picked up your luggage, exit luggage area and follow signs for Coaches. Terminal 2/3 - a 10-15 minute walk all indoors, no seats to rest along the way, easy to follow Terminal 5 - follow signs for Coaches, there is a shelter with seats to wait. Drivers get out of coaches to load luggage and will help direct you. NOTE your Coach route number on your booking. On the Coach sign, will not say Southampton, it will show the last stop. Our Coach was -route #204, Bournemouth. It was Heathrow, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth.

May 27, 2022, I took a taxi from Southampton National Express Coach station to Premier Inn West Quay on a Friday around 11am-12pm. Once off the Coach, we (2 senior ladies), walked through the building. Outside the building , there was space for 4 taxi cars. We only waited a few minutes and a SUV taxi turned the corner. I told him the hotel name. He said you can walk to it. I said, not walking with luggage. Dropped off at the door. Cost was under £7? My sister/brother in law walked. Brother in law pulled luggage and sister had hand luggage. She found it a long walk after getting lost. I was glad to have taken a taxi. I asked at the desk about a taxi for the next morning. There is a direct line to a “Radio” taxi company near the elevators. I called while waiting for our room to be ready for the next day with my name, hotel name, time I wanted, Ship name/terminal, number of people and number of luggage. There was a list of cruise line ships and terminal near the elevator. Cost to Mayflower terminal was under £10. Mask to be wore in taxi. We were tired so decided to eat dinner at the hotel. I had taken the Breakfast Meal Deal. They changed the Breakfast Meal Deal into Breakfast and Dinner Meal Deal. They asked what time we wanted to have dinner and breakfast so chef can be prepared. Dinner meal - glass of wine/beer/soda, either appetizer or dessert and main meal. Breakfast was buffet. You have to swipe your room key to get elevator to go up.

My sister was suppose to have arrived at LHR at 6:30am Friday May 27 for our cruise the next day Saturday May 28. Her non stop flight from her home airport was 2 1/2 hours late due the plane’s late arrival from another country. She spend over 1 1/4 hours going through immigration and luggage pickup. She missed her 9:30am National Express Coach and was able to get on a later Coach. She arrived in Southampton after 2pm. You never know if planes will be on time. Going the day before will help with jet lag. Go the day before your cruise. Stay at a hotel near LHR or a hotel attached to LHR if you want the cruise line transfer. Take National Express Coach www.nationalexpress.com from LHR to Southampton Coach station. Stay at a Southampton hotel (check Port of Call - Britain for hotel suggestions). Take a taxi from National Express Coach station to hotel and a taxi to the port.

I was on the Sky June 4-11, Norway Fjords. I had purchased the WiFi separate. I was refunded $35 for lack of WIFI for 3 days. I don’t know if anything was refunded if you had WIFI was a perk.

I didn’t ask on my first week cruise. I asked my cabin attendant on second week cruise. He said you have to request it. He said he had to ask his supervisor. I received 1 nail file, 1 eye shade, 1 bath scrubber, he put them in a folded towel.

Presently on the Sky, Elite amenities are no only in the cabins, you have to requested it and the same with bathrobes.

What currency to do use to purchase or tips?

Thanks for helpful information. Can’t wait until Princess releases more dates. We enjoy planning the cruises in advance.

Is better to pick a cabin port side or starboard or does not matter?

We had a great time. Yes, lines as the full crew are back, we expected that. We missed some show as theater was full but we are on the next cruise June 4-11 so will see them then. On sea days, weather was cold, we did not sit out what you expect on the open seas. Plenty of spaces inside to sit and relax. We enjoyed our Princess excursions in each port, enjoyed the 2 comedians, one production show and special events talkers. We always found something to eat either off the day’s menu or the everyday menu in dining room, we had same table each night. We had breakfast in buffet or dining room, dinner in Cielo dining room, pizza in Alfred’s a few times, International Cafe, dinner on night in Crown Grill. Purchased Future Cruise Deposit, received an email and was deposited in my Princess account the same day.

My flight’s arrival was 6:35am on Friday May 27 Terminal 5. I had purchased online standard National Express tickets for LHR Terminal 5 to Southampton for 9:45am. We had to take a bus from plane to the terminal 5 so we missed the long walk to Immigration. At that time, there was not too many people at Immigration, we were before the crowds. At Immigration, it was a facial recognition machine where you put your passport in a slot. If you could not make it work there was a live person looking at your passport. Our luggage was just arriving when we got in the baggage area. Total time from arrival (6:35am) to luggage pickup was under 30 minutes. I could not believe how fast it was. Walked to where the National Express Coach stops outside LHR terminal 5. There was a person who had a later ticket and driver let him on an earlier bus. My sister’s arrival time changed as plane arrived late at her home airport so was 2 hours late.. She was suppose to arrive at 6:30am and be on the same Coach as me but from LHR terminal 2/3 at 9:39am and I was joining the same Coach at 9:45am at terminal 5. She said Terminal 2 Immigration had long lines and their was waiting fir them. She was able to change her 9:30am ticket (with no fee) to the 11:30am. The morning of my flight we received an email that the route 204 LHR to Southampton National Express Coach would not be a National Express Coach but another Coach company’s Coach. I talked to a Coach driver waiting and he said the day before May 26, route 204 LHR to Southampton was cancelled due to lack of coaches and drivers plus 5 other routes. He said on May 27 (my day) Bournemouth was supplying the Coach and National Express the driver. I had purchased seats tickets for £2/pp I was told since it was not a National Express Coach, no reserved seats. *** FYI - Look for route 204 Bournemouth ( is the end of the line) on the Coach sign. The route 204 goes to LHR - Winchester - Southampton- Bournemouth. The first time I used the Coach terminal at terminal 2/3, I thought the Coach sign would show Southampton until I asked “that the sign would show the last stop which was Bournemouth”.

On the Sky out of Southampton May 28-June 11. Kettle, cups, tea/coffee on a tray on the desk.

I believe you have to contact Princess to get permission.

Please post if any itineraries come out for 2024

The formal nights was Sunday and Thursday (port day). Formal night is never on the last night if it the day before disembarkment as passengers are packing.

I am looking at this cruise. We have not been to any of the ports or so many sea days. The itinerary is- LA 4 sea days 3 Hawaii ports 4 sea days 3 Samoa ports 3 sea days 4 French Polynesia ports 8 sea days LA Has anybody taken this cruise? Did you find it too many sea days? Sailings are November or March, which would be better? Any Information on this cruise would be appreciated.