CruzerDeb

Received Princess notice on 5/31 that my Medallion had shipped. Yay! I haven’t received it yet, so just decided to look at tracking. BTW, I live in Ohio (and my address is correct in email). The latest update is from yesterday, stating that it’s on its way to final destination in SPOKANE, WA! 😂🤷🏻‍♀️ Guess I’m not going to get it anytime soon. 
 

I’m boarding her on 6/18 and am also curious!

Wowza. I only hope for a better experience in a couple of weeks on the Regal. 

Seems like a weird question, but are shorts acceptable while touring in Italy, Turkey and Greece? I know that modest clothing will be needed for the Vatican and mosques in Turkey, but for other locations such as Naples and Crete, will shorts be okay?

Thanks for the info @cruisemom42and @-Lew-. I appreciate it! 

Albergo del Senato and Athens Gate hotels question:  do either or both of these hotels provide hair dryers in the room?  Trying to decide if I need a voltage converter as well as plug adapter. 

22 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

I think you are confusing the PLF with a visa.

Currently it appears that the PLF is still required to be filled out no more than 72 hours before arrival.

For most cruise passengers a visa is not required (subject to passport/nationality).

Just posted my question to a Regal Princess FB group who have just cruised to Turkey. The response was: “no, the cruise line gives you a barcode you must keep. Kind of like a visa.”

No PLF form required.

3 hours ago, ETHS1965 said:

I paid for a clam shell because my husband is a senior with difficulty walking.  He also likes some shade on the beach.  We were a little later getting off the ship because he is slower and doesn't want to hold anybody else up.  So, we got to the beach and started walking and walking...... It was a very hot day.  Nary an empty clam shell in sight.  I walked all the way to the end.  None.  We sat in the available chaise lounges.  When we got back onboard, I went to the excursion desk and they refunded our money.  No discussion.  No apology. That was on a half filled ship. 

 

There was no one monitoring if you had reserved a clam shell.  So, I don't know if they oversold or just let anyone sit there.  It certainly needs to change.

Wow! Sorry that happened to you! They should definitely be monitoring that. 

Thanks for all the responses! 

1 minute ago, mz-s said:

 

The clamshells are not reserved by location, you just reserve one. The actual clamshell you get is first come first serve.

Thanks! But are they all located at the most crowded part of the beach, or spread out further down the beach where it’s quieter?

If you reserve a clam shell (and are actually lucky enough to get one), where is it located? Can you move it? I’d rather be down the beach a bit where it’s quieter. 

Does anyone know if the PLF required to be filled out by visitors to Turkey is required if you’re cruising there? From what I can find, it’s required only if you’re passing through immigration and staying more than 72 hours. 

2 minutes ago, rjp50 said:

Strange that the Covid test at the pier was free.  They say there would be a charge to your cabin for it.  Did you check your final bill to see if they charged for it?

Princess’s current policy: 

Wow! How terrible for both of the previous posters! What an awful thing to happen and I’m glad it got sorted out. I grow more frightened by the day for only my second Princess cruise in June, first time cruising the Mediterranean. 

Thanks for the review! I’ll be on the Sunrise in October; can’t wait to be on a Carnival ship again - yum, Guy’s Burgers! 
 

Did you pay for the clamshell once you were on HMC?

I’m glad that this ended up working out for you! Perseverance pays off! What a huge hassle. 

4 hours ago, Married15 said:

I did not see any changes for European cruises. We plan to get our test at the port through Princess. That way we won't waste a day running around trying to find a place in Rome to get a test. 

Me, too. 

Thanks for this live review. Hope you are enjoying your cruise!

Princess has stated they will do it at the port for free. 

19 hours ago, notscb said:

I was looking online at the cruise planner (RCL) and they have an excursion on the last day. It's a $30 air boat tour with airport drop-off to FLL on de-embarkation day. For that rate, you get a 3 hour tour plus the transfer to the airport which is less than the cost of an uber/lyft or any of the shuttles (well, most of them).

 

I'm seriously considering going this route, especially to kill some time before my departing flight. You might look for

Carnival is currently only offering transfers to FLL or Miami airports; no other post-cruise excursions. 

11 hours ago, Ashland said:

How long then will you have to spend time before your FLL flight. This would be a game changer for me especially at FLL. The OP's flight doesn't leave until 8:30pm. Rent a car and manage your own timeframe.

Yep, just rentered a car and will do some activities in Ft. Lauderdale.

I know this is asking for a lot, but is anyone aware of a tour company that will pick us up at the Port of Miami, provide a decent tour while holding our luggage and then haul us to FLL? Our flight doesn't leave until 8:30p and we really need something fun to fill that day. All suggestions welcome!

7 hours ago, Carnevale said:

CruzerDeb, if you can post about your experiences boarding Regal from Rome we will really appreciate it.  We do that in October and are wondering if COVID testing will be required and, if so, how it is handled at that port.  Hopefully it will be as smooth as the OP’s experience in Barcelona.  In advance, many thanks!  And thx to the OP for the information being shared about Regal’s sailing in Europe.

I will try to post in June! Maybe I’ll attempt my first ever “Live From” review. 😃

Thank you for providing a live review! Hope the internet is good enough for you to post as you go. Looking forward to hearing your experiences on the Regal; I’ll be boarding her in Rome in June. 

Thank you for your review! Sailing on the Regal at the end of June and I can’t wait!!