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2 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

The Island Princess does not have a concierge lounge so that suite benefit is a waste. The Island does not have an international cafe. The best perk you will definatly enjoy will be the club class/reserve class dining room. 

Yes, the Concierge Lounge is a nice perk if you happen to be nearby, but it still won’t get me on a Royal/Sphere class ship anytime soon.  
 

You will get all the other perks.  Suite breakfast is the best way to start your day; way far above anything in Reserve Collection MDR.  

Is it my imagination or does it seem as though the past couple of months have seen an uptick in medical emergencies, more than the norm?  I am taking into consideration that maybe there is just better/more reporting.  Alaska generally attracts a younger crowd.

Glad to not have a repeat of last year’s Grand very long delay.  This may not be due to a medical emergency… thanks @Paula_MacFan for chiming in.

i also feel that passengers are just sensitive to the problems Princess has had recently. 

In most cases, cabin area is measured to include balcony.  So if the balcony is bigger, you will have a "larger" stateroom.  Regardless, balconies on this class ship will be much larger than those on the Royal Class ships.  

Enjoy your suite.  I think you made a "mistake".  Really hard to sail in anything lessor on your next voyages.

6 minutes ago, wallyj said:

Currently have friends on Coral which is doing WC. They got on in So. Africa and will disembark in Dover. Currently there are about 800 elites so Elite laundry is taking 7 days to be returned.

Knowing that helps passengers pack for longer cruises.  At least they don't have to worry about getting laundry back before disembarking on  a short 7 day cruise.  

Refer a friend works:

before new passengers get a Captain Circle number (needs to be down before first booking/or before they have ANY communications with Princess).

it will work for passengers referred, booked, and on the same cruise.  I have done this with both my sisters.  $25 for each of us.  OBC applied to first cruises.

Sitting free for suite passengers are complimentary (even without a coupon).  I hope to do this on my next cruise with a coupon.  After all, one needs a really good photo for the closed casket/cremation.

11 minutes ago, memoak said:

We are rarely out of the cabin that early but laundry gets priority and we always have it back in 24 hours

You needn't be "out of the cabin"...just the bag needs to be outside by 9 AM.  Just to be safe, I do it the night before, leave it out by my door by 8 AM, and/or track the steward down in the morning to hand it to him.  

Getting it back in LESS than 24 hours isn't a necessity, just a routine I can count on.  Sure beats Elite Laundry that could take up to 72 hours to return.

The only day laundry isn't collected is in-transit days when they are busy turning around sheets and other ship linens.  

BTW, suite bed linens are changed EVERY day.  I think that is obsessive...so usually mention to my steward that he doesn't have to do that, especially on turn around days.

Just now, Hobby3333 said:

Might have to do with the plan you have.  Last year both my wife and I used both phones and never got charged.  I was assured it will be the same July 10-20th.   I would suggest you call Verizon and see if you have it on your plan.  They can explain it better that I can.

My deal with my daughter (caretaker of plan) is that I paid for her college, so she pays for HER plan/I pay for data).  She has kept a really, really, really, old plan.  Verizon has tried to "upgrade" her many times and has modified her plans slightly.  Still on a plan that shares data and has unlimited text/talk.  It works for the both of us.  I'm okay with the International Plan.  I was just curious.  Next time I am near an office, I will stop by.  Thanks.

3 minutes ago, Hobby3333 said:

Last year in Amsterdam and Norway we both used Verizon’s International Plan.  You might should contact Verizon to see if you have days banked and if you have enough there is no charge.  Last week I contacted Verizon and we have 12 days banked and will not be charged for any calls   But while on the ship, since we have internet, we will put our phones in airplane mode and FaceTime and text to our family at home.  Everyone in our family have IPhones.  

Please tell me more about "days' banked".  Never heard of that with Verizon.  How do you earn these days?  I have Verizon's International Plan on my phone, but never "had" to use it.  Just my security blanket.

Your best bet would be to have Verizon International Calling Plan for $10 if either of you are off the ship.  It is a charge for 24 hours.  Contact Verizon for specifics.  There is no charge if you don't use the service.

Otherwise, an internet provider is needed for you to contact each other.  While ON the ship, sometimes iMessages works if you have iphones.

Full suites have Express Laundry.  In by 9 AM returned around turn down service.  

Since you are coming so far for this cruise, have you thought about doing some city jumping while in the US?  Disney World is very expensive, but there are other attractions in Orlando.  And now Princess has a deal with the train (Bright something) to get you to FLL.   Or so much to see and do in NYC before heading back.  There are some great US National Parks near FLL too.

7 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 We have been trying for 4 hours to book our private tour to in Akureyri with Tours by Locals . We have a fair amount of credits that we would like to apply to our tour . These credits must be applied when we pay the balance . If not , they remain as credits . Everything we have tried has not worked yet , but we will continue to try until they honor their pledge to allow us to use these credits .  A bit frustrated at this point.  In the meantime we will show some of what we hope to do in Akureyri .

Are you trying to use Princess OBC to book a private tour with Tours by Locals?  Princess OBC can be used only for Princess purchases.  Who “pledged” that these credits can be applied?   

5 hours ago, JG&Lcruisingnewbies said:

 

I'm apprehensive as well as super excited. We sail out of Ft Lauderdale to the Caribbean & back to New York in August.

 

Are you doing a back to back (2 cruises)?  You may not be allowed to embark in Fort Lauderdale and disembark in New York unless you visit a distant foreign country (ABC islands) if not sold as a single voyage.

It is also the peak of hurricane season in the Caribbean and the US East Coast.  

15 minutes ago, cruisingrob21 said:

That picture above is what it usually looks like on a day with 3 ships or 2 large ships - you're better off enjoying your time around Vancouver than sitting in the cruise terminal waiting to be called.

 
That photo was with just the Grand Princess at Canada Place.  There were over 100 in transit passengers (Vancouver/LA/Australia).  

We left the Pan Pacific at 10 AM.  Embarkation was easy but lots and lots and lots of walking and level changes (who designed this terminal ?).  This photo was taken around 11:30 ish, just before they started boarding.  
 

The day before had 4 ships in town.  We lucked out nicely.

Once, a long, long time ago, I had a half day tour that picked us up at Sheraton with our luggage and dropped us at Canada Place around 1:30.  Getting through security with multiple ships in town was a zoo, but the rest was easy.

That's the one that I wanted.  It is a black and white "professional" sitting with their Portrait Studio that used to be separate from the photo gallery

Had it for my Canadian cruise last summer and fall. 2023  Don't have for 2024.  Mine expired Dec 2023.

I was just thinking of this.  Is it booking number related?  Will Princess have something tagged to your account?  I was upset that the two times I wanted to try out the portrait studio...both cruises, it was not open.  Did they do away with this studio?

It is a digital printout.  You need to cut off the coupon and hand it to them.  Please share if someone gets it.  Thanks

Shipping channels:  Going South, you are on the "inside" lane.  Going North, you are on the "outside" lane.  Only bring this up if you are interested in viewing other other ships.

If going to Cabo, the ship is at anchor and sometimes swings/pivots around so it won't matter which side you are on.  Otherwise, you are really too far off shore to see land.

2 minutes ago, wallyj said:

Actually depending on the ship, they can. Was on the Discovery and saw a couple of ‘reserved’ seat covers for 2 seats in the front row. I ask a crew member and was told they were for ‘sky’ suite guests and it is on a request basis. 

I have been informed by someone staying in a SKY suite, that theatre seats can be reserved for them.  But that is so out of range for many.  I, personally, feel that this is a super perk for the Sky Suite (not suites on the Sky).  Although, I would like to see this be a perk for "regular" suites too.  I can imagine this would be difficult to facilitate.  

This is the waiting/seating area at Canada Place for Princess passengers.  The first couple of rows were for priority boarders and in-transit.  When I was there several years ago (post pandemic), I did not see any lounge or beverages.  

I would be thrilled to have the P&O (Golden Princess) back in service with Princess.  But I fear that she will stay "Down Under"...you luck Aussies.

I would love to see Princess/CCL bring back smaller ships.

I am really trying to make sense of this "LIVE".  I know that you are NOT on the Caribbean Princess until July 2024, yet you are posting as if you were on the ship now.  

Am I the only one confused?  Maybe you could ask the moderators to change the title of this thread and THEN start a live when you are actually on your next cruise?????

5 minutes ago, ArizonaStorm said:

Yet the ships still cruise at full capacity.  Somehow you missed something in your research.  As for Covid, I'd be much more apt to look to the airlines than to cruise ships.  Someone brought that virus onboard.

My sister and I avoided Covid on our last cruise in the fall.  Our table mates (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) caught covid.  It wasn't until day 3 that we asked them to test.  

But my sister just flew in from her grand-daughter's graduation.  Brought covid with her.  Again, I was lucky enough to miss this "sharing".

Covid will be around any where there are crowds.  I still do what I need to do to keep myself "protected".  Like Noro, the flu, common cold, it often presents itself anywhere there are people gathering.  I do hope your case was mild.

11 minutes ago, MacMadame said:

You do have a CPU. It's in the monitor. If you didn't have a CPU, you wouldn't have a computer as that's where the computer's "brains" are (mostly).

I was thinking more PCs where the CPU is a separate unit,  Yes, I do know that there are only two parts to the older iMacs…and the keyboard does not house the CPU (therefore, it’s got to be in the monitor).  
 

That’s what I meant by the “computer” is built into the monitor. 
 

BTW I have my own personal Apple computer museum dating back to the early 70s until this model.  They got too big to “carry” around.  I also have an assortment of laptops and other devices. 😂 
 

Updated:  June 2024.

I found this excellent YouTube video and didn't know where else to post it.  Summary:  How to prepare yourself for Japan by cruise ship.