cruisehappy001

I would suggest that you also post on the current and next Sun Princess roll calls in the hopes that someone on the ship or going on next might be able to find out this information for you. They might not see it here, but may be active in the roll call though.

Happy Cruising!

Mark

I was wondering............

Does anyone know if the newly added rooms on the remodeled Island Princess got the new luxury beds by chance??? Our next cruise is on the Island Princess, and they seem to be last on the upgrade list! :eek:

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Yes, People make the distinction because there are clearly 4 major version of the Grand Class ships. Sure all red Ford F150's are red F150's but some can seat more and have more or less leg room in the back seat.

 

Grand Class ver 1.0 = Grand, Golden, Star,

Grand Class ver 1.1 = Diamond, Sapphire (aka Gem Class)

Grand Class ver 1.2 = Caribbean Princess (aka Caribbean Class)

Grand Class ver 1.3 = Crown, Emerald, Ruby (aka Crown Class)

One little bit of fun information that most people do not know is that "most" of the Ships were built at Fincanteri in Italy, BUT the Gem Class Ships, Diamond and Sapphire, were actually built in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries!!!

I loved sailing on the Sapphire Princess!

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Hey Keith - hope you're well! I am still CD in the traditional structure.

 

We have only rolled out this new program on 4 ships so far with 4 more to follow by year's end.

 

I believe I will be one of the last to make the switch to the new program, which should be fully rolled out by the end of 2017.

 

Looking forward to sailing with you in November!

 

All the best,

Rich

Rich,

We are all so glad that we will be able to enjoy having you as our CD! We were terribly sad when we first heard that you were originally going to be leaving as we were arriving on the unique 11/16/16 cruise. I had made several posts here on CC basically wishing that they changed your schedule slightly so that you would stay on for our cruise, and my wish came true. Whether it was the power of suggestion, all of us wishing, or just pure luck does not matter.

We have not been on the Island with you for a few years, but have sailed with several of your great proteges over these past few years. We are looking forward to this cruise, seeing you again, and and checking out the remodeled ship, but we are sad they did not add an IC! (I bet you are tired of hearing people say that! LOL!)

Thanks for checking in, and changing your schedule if that was your doing!

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Bingo!! We heard from Rich last night and he is being extended for our cruise now leaving for vacation on Dec 5th!!

Looking forward to cruising with him.

Whether it was the power of suggestion, mental telepathy, or pure luck, it does not matter, I am just happy that we will get Rich as our CD!!!!!

Looking forward to our cruise!

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Here's a message Rich Joseph sent me yesterday (FB): "My rotation on Coral was just extended until October 19 - looking forward to sailing with you - itinerary is great on both cruises!"

 

We'll have the privilege of sailing with him in Sept/Oct. He is a terrific CD and we can't wait to cruise with him again!

Thats great!

He will be splitting his time this contract first on the Coral then a short stint in the Island. :)

Maybe they will give him a few weeks off in-between and he can then have a slightly longer stint on the Island Princess, just long enough to include our special cruise!!! I know, I am dreaming and hoping! ;) I bet that I am not the only one that would like that! :D We need to lobby him and Princess!

Happy Cruising!!!

Mark

On all of our trips to Skagway we have always used Dyea Dave for our touring. They are great people, and Dave is a long time local, so we like to support the local companies. They get great reviews, and are a pleasure to deal with. The trip to Emerald Lake is a wonderful time! We have never taken the train, so I cannot comment on that. They do coordinate with folks that want to use the train part way though.

(www dot dyeadavetours dot com) Not sure why they allowed the link in the previous post, but not in my post? I thought that it was ok to share excursion companies... only links to Travel Agencies were not allowed.

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Richard Joseph, IMHO, is the best Princess CD of them all. He's terrific. A true CD, not a promoted entertainer.

 

He is joining the Island Princess (not sure of the date) and is disembarking the Island 11/16/16.

Pam,

I am thinking that you might know how to get a hold of him, so maybe you should convince him to extend his tour on the Island Princess to include our cruise!!! LOL! :) :) Just kidding and really dreaming! :D I would have hoped that they would have scheduled him for such a unique cruise!

Happy Cruising!

Mark

P.S. I got your message, but have not had time to respond. Thanks for the message. Darn work getting in the way of fun stuff! :(

Another vote here for Richard Joseph as being one of the best CD's that we have sailed with!!! (If not the best!) He is very organized, personable and friendly. He is very involved and we saw him all over the ship. Don't miss his presentation if he does it.

Happy Cruising!

Mark

For anyone cruising to Alaska here is something to checkout from time to time during cruising season to keep the excitement amped up.

 

http://juneauharborwebcam.com/

 

Enjoy! :)

Thanks for posting!

Happy Cruising!!!

Mark

Word of warning with regards to free bags and credit cards.... (NOTE: My experience is not with EZAIR, but it is related info.)

Be sure to read the terms and ask in advance as many of the cards give you "First Checked Bag Free." I was travelling internationally and they give you one free checked bag for that, and I wanted to use my Credit Card affiliated with American Airlines for another free bag but they told me that would not work since my "FIRST" bag was free already! They would not let me double dip... Luckily I check this out in advance and packed accordingly.

Do your research before flying since a mistake can be very costly given today's extra baggage charges!

Another tidbit of info is that many cards also give you first bag free for up to X members of your party flying with you... I think my card is good for me and 4 of my travel companions. Just FYI.

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Quick question: If I book(balcony) a 9 night cruise that is also offered as a b2b 4 night and 5 night cruise, do I get one or two cruise credits?

 

 

Thank you in advance.

In the US you would get two cruise credits in this instance as it is based on the number of sell-able segments which in this example is two. I did this exact breakdown on a Caribbean cruise a couple of years ago.

Happy Cruising!!!

Mark

I wanted to comment since many are not familiar with SENTRI.

Most people do not realize that Global Entry actually gives you all or part of the following other programs: TSA PreCheck, NEXUS, and SENTRI. GE is actually cheaper than SENTRI, but has the same benefits and more. (Be sure to register your car for SENTRI at your initial interview as it is free then, but does cost more if you add it later. (They will inspect it as well.) This is for returning to the US from Mexico while driving. This is great if you live near the border and drive to Mexico. I have crossed in 5-10 minutes, when other were waiting for hours!) TSA PreCheck is dependent upon your boarding pass receiving the TSA PreCheckdesignation, which is not 100% guaranteed all of the time. The NEXUS benefit for GE is only going back into the US, you have to pay additional fees and qualify for Full NEXUS for going into Canada in the NEXUS lanes.

Below is copied from:

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry/frequently-asked-questions (There is a bunch of good information here in their FAQ's!)

How are Global Entry cards used?

CBP accepts Global Entry cards for lawful U.S. entry at land and sea ports of entry. Global Entry cards have radio frequency identification, which enables their use at SENTRI and NEXUS expedited travel lanes entering the U.S. Global Entry cards are not valid for entry into Canada via the NEXUS lanes and kiosks. Global Entry cards are not accepted at Global Entry kiosks, which require passports or U.S. lawful permanent resident cards. Global Entry card holders must follow all program rules for SENTRI and NEXUS when using this card at land and sea ports of entry.

Now I am not sure about if NEXUS will give you SENTRI or not??? They say that NEXUS gives you GE Privileges, but it is unclear if the SENTRI flow down from GE is included??? Wonder if any NEXUS Folks know for sure???

Happy Cruising!!!

Mark

We (My Mom and I) cruised with you on the Emerald TA in October 2014, and I would not have guessed that you were near 80! Good for you, and I hope that you have a wonderful birthday!

Happy Cruising! :D

Mark

Cruise credits are another way to progress in the Captain's Circle program.

 

I will be sailing solo in a Suite and paying for Sole Occupancy. I will earn-

 

1st Cruise-0 cruise credits-Blue Card AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRUISE YOU WILL HAVE 3 CRUISE CREDITS

2nd Cruise-3 cruise credits-Gold Card AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRUISE YOU WILL HAVE 6 CRUISE CREDITS

3rd Cruise-6 cruise credits-Ruby Card SINCE YOU HAD 6 CREDITS AT THE END OF YOUR LAST CRUISE, YOU WILL HAVE A PLATINUM CARD, NOT A RUBY CARD!!! :D AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRUISE YOU WILL HAVE 9 CRUISE CREDITS

4th Cruise-9 Cruise credits-Platinum Card AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRUISE YOU WILL HAVE 12 CRUISE CREDITS

5th Cruise-12 Cruise credits-no change in Status AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THIS CRUISE YOU WILL HAVE 15 CRUISE CREDITS!!! ELITE ON YOUR NEXT CRUISE!!! :D:D

5th Cruise-15 Cruise credits-Black Card signalling I have achieved Elite status in the Captain's Circle Loyalty program.

 

If I've got the information wrong, someone more experienced will kindly clarify my confusion, and I gladly learn from the more experienced cruisers. And I am still learning!

 

My 1st cruise is a 3 night Sydney-Melbourne cruise. The current favourite for my 2nd cruise is a 6 night Round Trip Melbourne-Adelaide-Port Lincoln-Kangaroo Island-Melbourne, then probably 3 separate 2 night cruises between Melbourne-Sydney or vice versa. Cruise credits are not counted on days sailed, so I can do the shorter cruises, and earn the credits to sail for my BIG birthday as an Elite card holder.

 

Hope I've been helpful. It can be very confusing, understanding the difference between days sailed, and cruise credits. I'm sailing on the Golden Princess, and need the Handicapped Accessible facilities. A friend told me of the Handicapped Accessible Window Suite, which has some extra Special Perks-I'm sailing as a Belated 50th Birthday Present to myself, so upgraded from a Premium Balcony Stateroom.

See information above in Red, only thing (noted above) is that under your planned cruising you will never get a Ruby card. Also my comments are base on single segment cruises, if any are back to back with multiple segments you will get the points on each segment and skyrocket to elite!

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Is this what you want?

Thank you so much, exactly what I was looking for!

Happy Cruising!

Mark

That number got me to the right person.. Thanks again.. :)

 

LOL.. Took them less than 10 minutes to fix it..

I just wanted to take the time to commend you on your honesty!!! +++++KARMA to you for that!

I bet that the Princess rep you spoke with was shocked to get that call?

If it were me I would have thrown a little goodwill credit your way, but who am I! If I ever sail with you I guess I would have to buy you a drink.

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Howdy,

I was wanting to compare something that I was wondering about...

Can someone who has recently traveled on the Island Princess post dry-dock please scan and attach a PDF of the "Log of the Cruise from the Island Princess" that they give out at the end of the voyage? Or does someone have a link to a current one already posted on the web?

I still have to find my old one from my previous cruise on the Island for comparison.

Happy Cruising!

Mark

THANK YOU! I've been trying to locate that information, so I can better calculate my On Board Spending Costs.

crochetcruise,

I seem to recall that you are going to be cruising in a full suite, so your laundry should be free when sent out with your steward. Just in case you did not know.

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Well, I'm really trying to upload 2 more pics that show how it turns, but I keep getting messages that the file uploads have failed.

The problem may be the file size of the photos. CC is very limiting on attachments, so you may have to reduce the picture size before trying to upload. They do not have good messages about the reason for failure.

Hope this helps and works?

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Actually I think the walls etc are just steel, not actually actively magnetic, otherwise it would be a risky thing to do to hang your card on them. These cards are very easily affected by anything magnetic and then will not work in your doorlock.

I have accidentally made mine inoperative with the magnetic clasp on my Kindle cover, within half an hour of boarding, and its not a very strong magnet. Purses are another culprit.

Very good point, and a bad word choice on my part! Yes the walls are a metal that works with magnets, and are not magnetic themselves! I totally screwed up, and should have written the following:

(Not sure if you knew that the doors, walls, and ceilings are METAL?) And they work with magnets that you can bring.

Thanks for the catch Griller!

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Great to know! Think I'll go that route ... Now all I need is a lanyard!

We stop by the casino and get them to punch a hole in our cruise card and they give you a bungee as in the picture for your card. We use that as out lanyard so that we always know where the card is, plus it is stretchy so it is easy to pull it down to open the door. We hang these next to the door on a magnetic hook that we bring to remind us to take them when we leave the room. (Not sure if you knew that the doors, walls, and ceilings are magnetic?)

If you are not a lanyard person, you can clip it to a belt loop and put the card and coil in your pocket as well, but I think it is much easier around the neck.

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Oops, someone already shared this advice with you while I was looking for the picture... at least now you have the picture!

Still hoping for a US price.

Here is what comes up for C434:

Pricing Summary

Guest 1 $1,979.00

Guest 2 $1,979.00

Cruise Total† $3,958.00

Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses§ $280.00 ($140 each)

Total Price (USD) $4,238.00

Plus Tips, and they are currently offering $187.50 AUD per person Onboard Credit Promotion for AUD $375.00 Total On Board Credit for the twice as nice sale.

Hope that give you a good idea for comparison.

Happy Cruising!

Mark

My observation:

 

1) The hardest part was getting the HDMI cable connected. The TV slightly flexes to get your hand behind the monitor, but its a really tight fit. AND I have small hands :)

 

2) In my cabin, I did not have to disable hotel mode. The Samsung units have the HDMI ports disabled on the source menu until there was an active signal. As soon as there was is an active connection you can then select it on the source menu.

 

3) The Peel remote control app worked perfectly on my android phone. I customized my menu by adding the source button, up, down, left, right and enter just to make it easier to navigate from one screen. Note: If you plan on doing this, confirm you have an IR blaster on your device. Otherwise a cheap universal remote programmed for a samsung tv would work.

 

4) Also I was fighting it a bit while the embarkation video was playing. However, once it finished we didnt have any issues switching inputs.

 

Hope this helps! :)

Thank you for coming back to share your observations from experience! :)

I always like to connect my computer up to the TV screens on our cruises to show pictures and videos from the day and maybe watch a Movie with the laptop.

It would have been great if Princess would have used monitor mounts that allowed for a little bit of swivel. I think that they used these on purpose given the tight accommodations and to lessen the chance of someone hitting the TV as they walked by and possibly hurting themselves or the equipment. :eek:

Happy Cruising!

Mark

Keith,

Thanks for sharing!

Happy Cruising!

Mark