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Posts posted by lx200gps
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10 hours ago, nhraformula00 said:
Any idea in Port Everglades for the start of check in process? 1st. time Princess cruiser.
As mentioned above, we usually arrive for Princess check-in, regardless of which terminal it is, around 9AM. Check-in usually starts around then, give or take a few minutes, worst case if you arrive before check-in starts there will be a small line up outside before they open up the security lines which come before check-in. Assuming you will have your Medallion already in hand, the check-in will be very quick and you then go inside the terminal and sit in one of the waiting areas until boarding starts around 10:30 +/-
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53 minutes ago, capriccio said:
I'm not @lx200gps but I can answer that question. Princess no longer assigns check in times and the entire process, once they open the doors (usually by 11 am) and you get through the initial security, is very quick. Try to fill out your information on the Medallion app before arriving at the port (if you run into issues, don't panic since staff can help you at check in). It is even a few minutes quicker if you have had the Medallion delivered to your home. In July we (a group of 8 including 2 kids) arrived at the terminal around 11 am and waited maybe 10 minutes to get through security. After security those with the medallion go through the green line and those who need to pick up the medallion or have other issues go through the blue line. DH and I were in the green line and hardly slowed down. Our kids and grandkids were in the blue line and met up with us within 10 minutes and we all boarded the ship together. Enjoy your cruise!
As you say, Princess did away with the "official" check in times a year or two ago, but in practice they hadn't really applied them for years anyway. Even when our assigned check-in time was as late as 11AM, we would always arrive VERY early, usually among the very first to arrive, often as early as 9AM. There is usually a small line of diehards like us who like to arrive well before boarding starts, but the security and check-in process tends to be quick that early in the process, before the thundering herd starts to arrive by about 10AM and the lines really build up. For at least the last half dozen trips, out of Brooklyn, PE and San Pedro, we were walking up the gangway to board by 10:30AM, and I think our record was abut 10:15. It's my understanding that for those who don't care to arrive early and want to optimize the check-in process, by about 1PM the lines have dissipated and folks pretty much walk right on board, no lines at check-in at all.
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It's been two years since we did it last, but IIRC from Red Hook it will happen pretty soon after sailaway. I'd want to be up on the top decks NLT a half hour after the ship pulls away, probably sooner. Given the proximity of the Statue Of Liberty and all the other NY scenery, you might as well just go upstairs for the sailaway and stay for the bridge passage. It's an impressive sight, this is a shot from our last Princess trip out of the BCT as we approached the bridge
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3 hours ago, capriccio said:
In the 15 years we've sailed out of Port Everglades (most recently in July 2023) T4 is the first stop because the road from Eisenhower Blvd. is one way entering the terminal area. It passes the garage,turns right for the drop off for T4 and then curves around to left for T2 and back out to Eisenhower Blvd.
Now in many of those years T4 was only used very sporadically (we embarked Princess ships once and disembarked on another Princess ship once and I'd occasionally see a Celebrity ship docked there) but now T4 had a major makeover is and is dedicated to Disney that home ports one of their ships in Port Everglades.
Fair enough, we haven't taken a hotel shuttle in a few years since we discovered the ease of Uber. Every time we shuttled from the Hyatt Place or the Renaissance, there was no ship at T4 so we usually headed straight for T2.
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2 hours ago, capriccio said:
If the shuttle makes multiple stops, the Disney terminal (#4) is closest to the Renaissance. It and terminal 2 (Princess) share a driveway from Eisenhower Blvd. It is also before the security check point so I am 99% sure you would be the first stop.
I would have thought that T2 would be the first stop, as it is the first terminal off the driveway, the first one a driver would come to after turning off Eisenhower. That should mean that the Princess passengers, if any, would be disgorged slightly before the T4 passengers, thereby adding an intolerable 5 minute delay for the Disney passengers ;o) And this presupposes that the van driver doesn't decide to head straight down Eisenhower to the farthest terminals first, then double back to drop off the the T2/T4 passengers last. That did happen to us once, hence our love for Uber.
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12 hours ago, beastlet said:
Can anyone recommend something relatively cheap for the night before a cruise leaving from Boston, staying October 3, 2024 for a cruise leaving on the 4th?
The cost for the hotel rooms I can find are 5% of the cost of our cruise, and that's staying in the Haven on Norwegian.How are you arriving into Boston do you have the flexibility of being able to stay farther out and driving in? We are sailing in mid-July a VERY expensive time of year, and I was amazed at how expensive Boston is. As we are driving in from the north, we elected to stay far outside of downtown, in Burlington, and drive the 30 minutes to the port on cruise morning. That specific area was still far cheaper than pretty much any other area I could find. As in hundreds of dollars cheaper.
i can highly recommend using a site like Tripadvisor to scout hotels. Enter your desired date(s) and use the map view to have it show you hotel pricing by location. You will quickly get a good idea of the relatively expensive, and cheaper areas.
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8 hours ago, Fairgarth said:
Folks, don't get hung up on price. My wife and I have been buying an annual medical travel insurance from the same company for thirty years and never had a claim. Now I do. I had to go to the medical centre on a cruise ship. It has been more than five months since the claim was submitted. I phone every month but I still don't know if they will pay out, when they will pay out or how much they will pay out. I am not renewing with them. Trying to find out which insurer will honour claims in a timely and decent manner is next to impossible. All the discussions on the boards, including this one, are about price and coverage. Can anybody shed light on satisfactory claims experience?
Here's one data point. A few years ago, our Princess ship's return into Galveston was delayed by about 6 hours due to the ubiquitous winter fog that port is known for. Needless to say we missed our return flight and there are few flights back to YUL from Houston so we had to overnight at Bush and fly home the following day. While were parked offshore in the fog, I got on the phone to start the process with Blue Cross and Air Canada. In the end, they seamlessly paid for our Air Canada change fees, our hotel at IAH, our rental car, a small Per Diem etc. IIRC the only thing they wouldn't cover (and maybe it was a bit cheeky of me to try and claim it) was the one extra day parking charge at YUL due to the delay. They paid out quickly and without issue, though of course it was only a few hundred dollars in total.
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1 hour ago, fantavet said:
Have not sailed on Disney in a LONG time. But when you check in you get to pick a port arrival time. I THINK it is in half hour slots. So if you get the slot 11:30-noon then you need to be at the port at that time. If you miss it they bump you down.
Traveling with a group of 6, includes 2 kids, wheel chair so Uber is probably not a option. Its either hotel shuttle or shell out extra for a private car service so which would give me greater control over arrival times.
Fair enough, we have no experience with Disney. We usually sail Princess, who only "suggest" an arrival time but in practice now pretty much allow you to show up whenever you want.
Re the transport issue from the Renaissance, a group of six would be a challenge. I personally wouldn't want to do it with a shuttle service, as you may not even be able to load your entire party onto the same van. It's quite probable that those shuttles have limited hours and the schedule may not even work for you if your arrival time is too late. Even with 6 people and logistical challenges, you might still find Uber will work. On 17th St they are as thick as flies on cruise ship embarkation mornings and we never have to worry about finding one as they arrive in less than 5 minutes. In your case, I'm quite sure you could have two XLs arrive with in a few minutes of each other. You could possibly also pre-order them for arrival at the hotel at a certain time. I say probably as we never bother to pre-order them, we just call them in after check-out. Best of luck, have a great cruise.
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2 hours ago, fantavet said:
I'll be staying at the end of June for a Disney Cruise. You mentioned the shuttle service. I was a little nervous about trying to meet the Disney port arrival time. I heard the hotel shuttle will make multiple stops? Does this add a lot of time to travel to your terminal?
We've used the Renaissance shuttle service a few times, but have lately started to simply Uber over to our Terminal (which admittedly is usually T2, about 5 feet from the hotel ;o) The shuttle is OK, but yes, it will stop at every PE terminal that has passengers needing to go there from the hotel. If your terminal is the first the shuttle stops at, the trip will be quick, but if your terminal happens to be the last one, the trip can drag on as passengers and their bags are disgorged at each stop. You mention the "...Disney port arrival time" What does that entail? For every trip we have ever been on out of PE, we have been able to arrive anytime between the start of check-in to a bit before sail away, an arrival window of many hours. Bottom line for us is that it is far easier to check out of the hotel, stand outside by the Valet station, dial up an Uber and watch his progress as he arrives within a few minutes. It's not much more $$$$s than the hotel shuttle and you're not sharing a cramped minivan with a dozen other people, many of whom will get off before you do.
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On a related note, does anyone have more info on the current status of the plan, by Stockperks, to implement a Web-based version of their "app"? This was mentioned here on CC a few times in recent months. That would obviate the need to use a cellphone as a PC and would presumably make the process of using the system somewhat easier by allowing the use of a desktop machine. I would certainly prefer that option, though I, too, haven't had any issues with the Android version of the app.
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10 hours ago, latebuyer said:
Does anyone know when these go on sale? Price seems cheaper when they first announce the cruises.
Couldn't agree more. Our July 2024 C/NE out of Boston, for a simple balcony cabin, is currently well over $3000 per couple more expensive than we we booked it last year.
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On 4/11/2024 at 8:59 AM, Brighton Line said:
On weekdays only NY Waterway has service to Pier 11/Wall Street from Weehawkin 6:20 am to 9:20 am 8 trips total current schedule.
Thanks for the clarification, I knew about the limited hours of this run, just not the details. Sadly, almost all our trips seem to happen on weekends, which is why I remember this not being an option for us. In the past, pre a Brooklyn cruise, we've stayed in NJ and driven all the way to the BCT and parked there for the week. IIRC the parking price at the BCT has recently gone way up to be comparable to the price at the MCT, so I suspect that when next we sail from Brooklyn, we will still stay in NJ, take the ferry across to the 39th St terminal then Uber directly to the BCT. A bit of a slog but FAR cheaper than staying in either Manhattan or Brooklyn and parking at the pier. As in many hundreds of dollars cheaper.
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1 hour ago, avonlady6390 said:
If you do get off I would suggest taking a princess sponsored excursions and if you walk thru a straw market no eye contact and just keep on walking.😀
The problem with Jamaica is that, in our experience, that doesn't work. In many cases, when you politely tell them you are not interested, they continue to harass you, even following along beside you for significant distances, getting increasingly harassing even mildly offensive when you continue to POLITELY refuse their offers. In Ocho Rios one time, we had a taxi driver get almost aggressive with us, finally saying "Why don't you like Jamaica, mon". Local vendors in many Caribbean countries can be quite the nuisance (think Coz and Cabo for example), but they usually leave you alone after a single "No thanks, not interested" NOT SO JAMAICA.
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We've stayed at both hotels many times. The HP is in better condition, somewhat newer and offers very nice large rooms. Beyond that, it is a smaller hotel with very limited facilities. We now prefer the Renaissance as it is a larger hotel with better facilities and nice views of the port from many rooms, though the rooms are a bit dated relative to the HP. The only downside to the HP for us is the very small, cramped lobby area. The lobby, bar, seating area and "restaurant" (just a limited breakfast buffet) all occupy the same cramped space, and on cruise morning, it is absolutely jammed. Still, there is a lot of love here on CC for the HP, and it is a perfectly good hotel.
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We've been to the two main Princess ports in Jamaica, Falmouth and Ocho Rios. We find them absolutely horrible places and will never get off the ship if we stop at either port.
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1 hour ago, nhraformula00 said:
We are going on Icon out of Miami that same weekend. Were wanting to stay in Ft. Lauderdale that same weekend until I seen the prices. We are staying at Yotel downtown Miami near Bayside for $200. Miami is typically higher than Lauderdale, but not this weekend. Have been to Rennasiance but it was many years ago. It was nice.
The real game changer around the Port Everglades is going to be the new Omni when it opens at the end of next year. It will surpass the Renaissance and the Hilton Marina as the closest hotel to the port, but I imagine the prices will be through the roof when it opens.
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On 4/8/2024 at 9:01 AM, Malibubaby said:
Any suggestions would be great. We recently cruised on the Venezia we parked in Weehawkin & took the Ferry from Weehawkin/Port Imperial to Midtown and walked to ship. Next cruise we are taking is MSC from Brooklyn and would love to park in Weehawkin again, but the ferry to Wall Street where we can catch another ferry to Brooklyn doesn't run on weekends. Can anyone who is familiar with the ferry system tell me if there is a way to get from Midtown to Brooklyn via Ferry(s) on a Sunday?
I looked into this myself a while back, as we are huge fans of staying in Weehawken and ferrying across to mid-town, given the huge price difference between NJ and Manhattan hotels and parking. There is no direct connection, even with a transfer, that would easily get you from the Weehawken terminal all the way to Red Hook. I eventually came to realize that the best way, as stated above, is to get across to the ferry terminal at 39th St., then either Uber all the way to Brooklyn or Uber to Pier 11 and take the ferry to Brooklyn, which leaves you right next to your ship. I vaguely recollect that there may have been ferry transfers which might have worked but they were weekday rush hour only, so not much help to cruise ship passengers.
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10 hours ago, bsbcgirl said:
Yes that’s the one. One of the 2 main elevators is not working. They let you use the service elevator. However on cruise boarding mornings, the elevator wait was quite lengthy. Plan for this.
Thanks for the heads up. Our next trip out of PE is not until October, and sadly we aren't able to stay at the Renaissance this time. Seems a young lady named Taylor Swift is holding concerts in the area on the exact date we need to stay, and hotel prices in the area are astronomically over priced. Last time I looked the Renaissance was well north of $US500 (far more in our Canadian $$$s) and the Hyatt Place was just as bad. Fortunately, I managed to snag the Riverside for a surprisingly good price, but we will be back at the Renaissance next February.
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2 hours ago, bsbcgirl said:
Read some very negative reviews. Definitely a little dated and worn, but overall a good experience and quite clean. The shuttle ($8 pp) was well organized. Sign up ahead. Elevator situation a little problematic. Walking distance to The Boatyard which is a favorite of mine.
Would book elsewhere for a vacation, but absolutely fine for one night pre cruise
I assume this is the Renaissance on 17th near Port Everglades? It's our preferred pre-cruise hotel as well. Great location and you can't beat waking up on embarkation morning, throwing open the curtains and seeing the fleet of cruise ships right next door ;o) What was the issue with the elevators, we've never had a problem with them, were they out of order? Love the Boatyard as well.
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10 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:
11:00 am Elite boarding.
FWIW the last two times we boarded in PE we were on the ship by 10:30.
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2 hours ago, Treasure Hunter said:
Princess does not ( unlike RCCL, NCL and now MSC) cruise from the New York area in winter! Their last cruise every year will be in November one way, then you have to fly home from Fort Lauderdale. We have done this on the Regal ( two weeks in the Caribbean. It’s not so bad as you don’t have to fly in a day early ( worry if you will miss the cruise due to bad weather) and spend for a hotel. They don’t start sailing in New York until late March or early April to Bermuda. That’s a bummer for us as flying to Florida has become an expensive add on.
Absolutely. It's always a mystery to us at to why Princess choose to "relatively" ignore such a massively populous market as the US Northeast when their competitors embrace it. We would certainly love more and year-round Princess sailings from both NY and Boston.
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3 hours ago, paradiselivin1 said:
You can easily take the train to NYC as an alternative which is what we do from upstate NY. We did that last summer and will do it again in June. Beats driving!
Sorry, we'll have to agree to disagree on that one. Taking any public transport, particularly the train, is an absolute non-starter for us, particularly when carrying luggage. It is far easier to simply climb in the car and get out at our pre-cruise hotel a few hours later than to do the same thing by a convoluted train ride.
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1 hour ago, BonnieSte said:
I was hoping to sail south from NY/NE. I live in Maine so it would be handy to have a port close by. My boyfriend now has an aversion to flying.
There actually are a few longer duration (10+ days) Princess "southern" sailings in or out of NY, but they tend to be one-wayers between NY and Fort Lauderdale so you would still have at least one flight. Pretty much all Princess return sailings out of NY (Brooklyn) are round trip Canada/ New England sailings, so heading north. Princess doesn't tend to do much out of NY in comparison with other lines like X, RCCL or Norwegian. NCL for example do a LOT of sailings out of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal to Bermuda, with up to three days parked at the Dockyard. A great itinerary. The other lines also do Bermuda out of NY or NJ. AFAIK the other lines also do some southern round-trips out of NY, Princess not so much.
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27 minutes ago, skynight said:
There are a bunch of sailings from Boston this summer. Some are not RT but one way to Quebec City. You can make them RT by booking b2b. Take a look to see what is available.
+1 on that. We are doing our first sailing out of Boston this July, a Canada/New England trip. For us, driving to Boston is even easier than driving to New York.
Renaissance at the Marina
in Florida Departures
Posted
It's no big thing to pick them up at the pier, it adds just a few minutes to the process. Once checked in at the podium/desk by the CSR, instead of going to sit down in the waiting room (or go right on board if after boarding starts) you simply walk over to a big table, give them your room # and they sift through a big pile of envelopes to find your Medallions.