G&T Cruisers

We just got home from a wonderful trip on the Emerald and we enjoyed our cruise very much. Our cabin with a balcony was on Aloha right up front.We thought the food was good and our dinner at the Crown Grill was outstanding.

I'm sorry you got sick. Food hygiene and quality control can't always be certain on excursions. They may not have the same standards as on the ship. I hope you will give Princess another try.

We had the same problem but on the Regal, we ordered a bottle of wine to be in the room for our brother and sister in-law who were on their very first cruise but they didn't receive it.We contacted Princess about this and our disappointment that the wine was not their for them,Princess returned our money but we will think twice before we do this again.

I was just checking out the Princess ship web cams and it shows that the Ruby is going to Miami,is she moving there or is this just a port call.

They are still stuck in the airport,Air Canada has delayed their flight again!

We had been trying to convince our sister and her husband to go on a cruise for some time and now they have taken the plunge and are booked on the Regal for a 7day cruise to the eastern Caribbean Jan 4th-11th. All was set until they got to their local airport and found their flight (Air Canada) delayed 4 hours. Not too worried. They were flying out a day before sailing with plans to overnight in a Ft. Lauderdale hotel. They felt they still had lots of time. They fly in to Toronto and learn their luggage is lost. While the airline looks for it, they miss their connecting flight and are stuck in the airport (Toronto)overnight. Air Canada assures them they will be on the next flight to Fort Lauderdale. We know they will be cutting it close to sail away so we contact Princess for them to let them know the new flight info and time of arrival. Then my sister and her hubby find out their plane is not coming and will not arrive until later that afternoon. There is no way they will make sailaway. The airline offers to fly them through Newark and onto St.Tomas where they can catch the Regal on Wednesday. We tell my sister to call Princess , let them know what's going on and ask for assistance. This is where Princess stepped in and saved the day.They are putting them up in a hotel in St.Thomas, taking care of all their meals, and sending a car to pick them up to bring them to the ship once it arrives. And, my sister has learned first-hand why we sail with Princess. She was very impressed (and relieved) when Princess took over the plans.Thank goodness they bought the platinum insurance through Princess. It does pay off and my sister can now look forward to a little extra time in Caribbean paradise.

We had been trying to convince our sister and her husband to go on a cruise for some time and now they have taken the plunge and are booked on the Regal for a 7day cruise to the eastern Caribbean Jan 4th-11th. All was set until they got to their local airport and found their flight (Air Canada) delayed 4 hours. Not too worried. They were flying out a day before sailing with plans to overnight in a Ft. Lauderdale hotel. They felt they still had lots of time. They fly in to Toronto and learn their luggage is lost. While the airline looks for it, they miss their connecting flight and are stuck in the airport (Toronto)overnight. Air Canada assures them they will be on the next flight to Fort Lauderdale. We know they will be cutting it close to sail away so we contact Princess for them to let them know the new flight info and time of arrival. Then my sister and her hubby find out their plane is not coming and will not arrive until later that afternoon. There is no way they will make sailaway. The airline offers to fly them through Newark and onto St.Tomas where they can catch the Regal on Wednesday. We tell my sister to call Princess , let them know what's going on and ask for assistance. This is where Princess stepped in and saved the day.They are putting them up in a hotel in St.Thomas, taking care of all their meals, and sending a car to pick them up to bring them to the ship once it arrives. And, my sister has learned first-hand why we sail with Princess. She was very impressed (and relieved) when Princess took over the plans.Thank goodness they bought the platinum insurance through Princess. It does pay off and my sister can now look forward to a little extra time in Caribbean paradise.

We are sailing on the Emerald in March and we have booked a Princess transfer to IAH. Our flight leaves at 1:03pm. Does anyone know what time the earliest transfer leaves the pier?

Princess has told us our flight is too early for the transfer, so we would like to know what others have done.

We did a b2b over the holidays in 2012-2013 for the first time and we stayed in same room and totally enjoyed ourselves.

It was so much fun walking off the ship in Fort Laurderdale and having no luggage to carry around and it gave us a chance to explore the city which we treated the same as a port of call.

The best part was walking past all the people waiting to board the ship because we had 'in transit' cards so we got to go right past everyone and board the ship.

When it comes to the repetition of shows,menus and movies it just gave us more time to relax and know that we could see or try it the following week.

We would book a b2b again in a heart beat.

We did a B2B on the Grand Princess for Christmas & New year and it is still one of my favourite cruises,you have that wonderful feeling of knowing that you are staying on for another cruise while other people are leaving.We left the ship on turn around day and explored Fort Laurderdale by foot and picked up supply's (wine) and then returned to the ship for lunch.We would do this kind of cruise in a heart beat again (possibly on Royal Princess for Christmas 2015).:D

I can hardly wait as well and until our short 7day cruise in March this is what keeps me going until then.:D

We bring a roll of packing tape or duct tape they work just as well and they are available almost any where.They also come in handy if you need a quick repair.

I noticed that the price on our cruise (western caribbean from Houston in March) had dropped so I called Princess and saved ourselves over 300$, it pays to check Princess web site every day.

Happy cruising :D

We did the canal on the Island over Christmas and it was hot and humid with sunny sky's .

Happy Cruising.

We were just on the Regal and we really enjoyed the ship and all it has to offer from the amazing piazza,food,service and entertainment.We have never been on Carnival and probably won't in near or distant future but we were very happy with the Regal.

Happy cruising.

We have booked a cruise on the Emerald out of Houston and we are now looking at flights getting there is not a problem but getting home is an other.We have to fly out of IAH and the flights are at 12:40 or 4:40 which means we get home at 8:40 or 10:40 but I have heard that it is a long drive to the airport and we may be risking it if we leave at 12:40.

If any one can give some feed back that would be great.

Thank you

We just did this cruise and we were very happy with the ship and the cruise tours that we booked,we felt it was a safe way to go knowing that the ship would not leave without us.We did do some ports on our own and one with a private tour company(which was very disappointing)and we used Rich Steve's Mediterranean cruise ports book which was very helpful.This is a full itinerary and will have you tired by the end of each day but it is so worth it.:D Enjoy.

We were on the Grand for two weeks and we found no problems with the closet space and we thought the food,entertainment,venues,and staff were great.We really enjoyed ourselves on this ship and we hope you will as well.

We flew into Venice on the 12th and stayed at a hotel that was very quaint and full of charm. It was located very close to St. Marks Square so it was very easy to see all the sites. We had rain and thunderstorms on our first day but that did not stop us from going out and exploring and we had a blast.We had bought Rick Steve's book Mediterranean Cruise Ports and were very thankful we had. We headed out early the next morning in order to beat the crowds, as he recommends. We were one of the first people in line at the clock tower and the first group to go up. We had a panoramic view of Venice as the bells rang right above our heads (what fun).Then off we went to see the rest of Venice while the city was still quiet. After exploring, and picking up some wine at a grocery story, we checked out of our hotel, got on a vaporetto and headed over to the ship.

Embarkation was a bit of a zoo. There was no lining up procedure. People not listening to the numbers being called and rushed to the security area, clogging it up and making it difficult for the preferred boarding. When we did get through security, it was a breeze. We were amazed to see the beauty of this ship, the piazza, the colours, and the layout.

We had a regular balcony cabin on Aloha Forward. It was great with a much improved shower and a more than adequate balcony. My only complaint was the noise of our neighbour’s tv. The television sets are now affixed to the walls. The volume of our neighbours’ shows often woke us up at 2 or 3 in the morning.

Our room steward was excellent (Henry). He kept our room neat and tidy the whole trip without being obtrusive.

We had traditional dinning at 5:30 and our dinning servers were fantastic (Natalia & Filomena) After the second night, they knew our likes and dislikes. They were an efficient team and made our experience in the dining room great.Princess has made a vast improvement in the coffee in the Horizon Court. They use real coffee machines that grind beans per brew and have done away with the coffee syrup. We hope this this change will go fleet wide.

We ate at Sabatini's once on this cruise. The food was delicious as usual, but our server was unfriendly. That brought down the experience a little for us.

We booked all but one shore excursion through Princess and we were very satisfied with what we had chosen. We went on our own in Debrovnik and used a Viator in Florence.

Debrovnik: We used the Princess shuttle to get to the old city and Rick Steve's book to guide us. Little did we know that half the wall would be closed because of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel would be visiting that day and security was tight. We were able to walk the rest of the wall and explored the town.

Athens: We went on a Princess excursion and we were very happy we did. Driving in this city is nuts and having some one else take care of everything was great. Our driver got us to the Acropolis early before the crowds and the heat. We were one of the first groups in and we got to watch the Greek soldiers raise the flag and then march down the hill. After touring the site, we went to Corinth and then walked across the Corinth Canal. Lunch was provided at a hotel. It was a buffet that included Greek dishes. Delicious! The views from hotel over a lake were amazing. We were surprised by how dirty Athens is. Garbage on the streets, sidewalks and on the roadside. As a city that depends heavily on tourism, we would think they would try to keep it clean.

Kusadasi,Turkey: We went on a Princess tour of Ephesus, Mary's house and then John's temple. We went early to beat the extreme heat. We enjoyed touring the ruins of Ephesus even with all the crowds. Mary's house was OK but not worth the time or the crowds and heat. John’s temple was good and we enjoyed it. There was also four course lunch served at a beautiful hotel overlooking the sea. During the meal, we were treated to a cultural dance.

Mykonos: Did a Princess excursion but found it to be a waste of time and money. It would have been better to go on our own. After the tour, we did explore the harbour on our own and found a lovely little restaurant for lunch. We were seated on a tiny balcony that had views of the famous windmills and the sea. Wonderful!

Naples: We used Viator to see Pompeii and drive to Sorrento. What a mistake using this company. Our tour bus was 30 min. late and our guide could hardly speak English. During the “tour” she chatted more to the driver in Italian then she spoke to us. We felt as if we were just getting a ride. We were late getting to Pompeii so our tour was cut short. After the tour, we were left at a restaurant for our lunch, but given no instructions. We were told by the manager that we were allowed a margarita pizza and a glass of juice. The pizza was half baked and we were unable to eat the middle of it. After waiting a very long time for our “guide’s” return, we were off to Sorrento. The coast drive we were expecting turned into a very long drive through the newly opened tunnel. Fortunately there was one opportunity for a scenic stop. In Sorrento, we did a little shopping. because we were behind schedule. The drive back was a joke. The “guide” didn’t acknowledge us at all, but bantered with the driver the entire time. Then, an hour before our tour ended, our van pulled over to the side of the road. She got out with a, “this is where I live. Ciao”, leaving us alone with the driver who spoke no English. We made it back a little late but safe and sound.

Civitavecchia: We used a Princess shuttle to Rome and was dropped off at St. Peter’s Square. We followed Rick Steve's book and walked everywhere on our own. We had a great time although we had some severe thunderstorms to deal with (thankfully we brought our umbrellas). The sun did finally appear and we were able to visit a lot of the sites.

Livorno: We chose a Princess excursion to Lucca which is a medieval town that still has its walls circling it. It was a very interesting place to visit but we found the excursion too short and would have liked to have had more time to explore on our own.

Toulon:We booked a Princess excursion to Bormes les Mimosas, a little village in the mountains. The views were amazing and so were the prices: 8 euros for 2 coffees! We enjoyed this place and found that a half day excursion here was perfect.

Barcelona: This cruise is very port-intensive which left us tired and in need of a couple good nights sleep. We stayed for two nights in Barcelona at Hotel Lleo (which we would not recommend if you are looking for a quiet place). On the plus side, it was centrally located being right off the Ramblas and near the metro. Barcelona is the exact opposite of Athens as it was a clean and beautiful city. We enjoyed our paella and sangria while there. Rick Steve's book came in handy again with information about places to see and prices for taxies and museums. We recommend using this book if you are traveling the Mediterranean cruise ports. It will make this journey a lot easier.

Happy Cruising!

Well it's almost over and all I can say is Wow did we have a great time,this ship is wonderful from the food,the service and the entertainment.The ports of call were intense and so full of history that at times it was hard to take in.We will post a full review when we get home,we still have a few day's in Barcelona yet so we will see you later.

Day 2: the food and service have been great. Sail away from Venice couldn't have been better. My only complaint is the TVs that are mounted on the walls of our staterooms. We were kept awake till 3 am from the volume from the speaker of our neighbours' tv.

Well here we are in Venice on the beautiful Regal we can't get over how nice this ship is from the atrium to the new horizon court and we think the balcony's are a good size as well.We just became platinum on our last cruise and we thought we could go to a lounge that was for elite and platinum only but we were wrong it's just for elite only,other then that it has been great so far.Chiao.

Happy Canada Day 147 years old and how lucky we are to live in a free and democratic society.:o

Our first cruise was on the Emerald Princess in 2010 my wife had to convince me it would be a great way to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary I thought it would be crowded and boring was I wrong. Now I book all the cruises and can hardly wait to go on the next one.

Well I got our cabin back and asked that we not be upgraded again ,O Well first world problems.:D

Got a email saying we were upgraded on the Regal from aloha to riviera,but the cabins are the same size just different locations I was not impressed.I had clicked the do not upgrade box when I originally booked back in July and now I have to try to get old cabin back.Called Princess and have to wait 24-48 hours.i