British Isles Trip Review w/Pics: A Thesis :)

[DeloreanGirl]

emily, i am enjoying this so much. i look forward to more as this has been one of the cruises i check out all the time.

pam, i've never heard of disposable undies! that's the something new i've learned today...i wonder what the person who has to take out the garbage thinks?! and your garbage bag tip, i've used before. simple, effective, brilliant.

 

Hi there. Actually, it was us visiting your city (Victoria, British Columbia - during an Alaskan cruise) with it's small hints of British charm that started my longing for wanting to visit Britain. So, thank you!

[lovevacadays]

Loving your review. I've picked up some great tips. Congrats on that amazing upgrade!

[I_heart_vaca]

Thank you for posting a detailed review..I am really enjoying it. My cousin and I are planning on taking this trip in a couple years for 'our' big 40 birthday and this is really getting me excited about planning :D

 

My favorite part so far: "We’re going to the British Isles! We’re going to the British Isles! Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod!"

I laughed so hard at that because just to my first cruise to Alaska (and I mean first cruise period) and I kept saying. - Oh my god, oh my god, we are on a cruise ship! :D

[cdngrl]

Hi there. Actually, it was us visiting your city (Victoria, British Columbia - during an Alaskan cruise) with it's small hints of British charm that started my longing for wanting to visit Britain. So, thank you!

 

awww shucks, i do what i can. ;)

i had my first visit to london this past november and i want to go back! i reeeeaaaaaallly want to see scotland though. i can't wait for more of your review. i love the "hide your double chin photo".

where are you going next? you can do the legwork beforehand and i'll just show up to tag along!

[pizzalady1]

I would rank your review up there with those of Sailor Jack. Can't wait for the next installment. Hope you don't have to work until your review is done!:)

[DeloreanGirl]

awww shucks, i do what i can. ;)

i had my first visit to london this past november and i want to go back! i reeeeaaaaaallly want to see scotland though. i can't wait for more of your review. i love the "hide your double chin photo".

where are you going next? you can do the legwork beforehand and i'll just show up to tag along!

 

In a perfect world, Pacific Coastal would be next. I'm a Californian since birth and have never been to Santa Barbara or San Francisco. Blasphemy! It hits Astoria and I think Victoria or Vancouver. ;)

 

I would rank your review up there with those of Sailor Jack. Can't wait for the next installment. Hope you don't have to work until your review is done!:)

 

Oooo, thank you! I think I've seen his name somewhere before. I'll have to seek him out. :cool:

[DeloreanGirl]

Chapter 3: The Room, The Food & Officer Eye Candy. (Day 1)

 

Back when the Caribbean Princess was out of commission straddled alongside San Juan’s port, there was a Cruise Critic member named MD Sue who saved our sanity by posting updates about the ship as she limped back to life with a new left rear propulsion engine. When MD Sue finally went on her trip, the first one after two weeks of cancelled sailings, she had a forward port balcony room on one of the upper decks with “officer eye candy”. I laughed at her comment and subsequent photos until I realized that I, too, had a similar room and view.

 

It was great to see the captain give the stink eye to those lazy passengers boarding 30 minutes late. (I kid, the captain is a total sweetheart.)

 

The Room: C218 – Forward Port BB Balcony

Our home away from home, C218, was perfect. The cabin size is modest but the balcony was massive! All balconies on Caribe Deck 10 truly are 9’x9’. They are partially covered and partially uncovered, which for this itinerary was perfect seeing as we had drizzly mornings and sunny afternoons. The Caribe balconies had two chairs with adjustable lounge chair backings and a small table. I read a few threads about how “awfully small” the tables are. But unless you’re eating dinner out there for two, I really didn’t find a problem with it. It’s enough space to hold a book and a drink. Or two drinks and a pastry.

 

I did notice that the balcony below ours had nicer chairs, ottomans, and a much larger table. Are these mini-suites?

 

This is the view from the entryway/closet/hallway. There’s more than enough room for two people to hang out in here. We never used the circular table for dining and I only sat in the chair a few times. The cruise was nearly over until I realized that the light switch for the two halogen lights over the reading desk is next to the wall outlet, and also that there was an outside balcony light tucked behind the curtains.

 

So, I read a few posts about how awful the beds were. I blew it off and played the whole “it won’t happen to me” card. And oh, it happened. It truly was awful. You can literally see in this photo how lumpy the bed is. The two twins pushed together were concave, like a lower cased “w” from being so worn in. They were a combination of flat, hard, and lumpy. I figured an egg crate couldn’t possibly help this situation any and we decided to blow it off as they were still bearable and anything to sleep on other than an airplane seat sounded great at the moment. I should also note that, as others have mentioned, the pillows are insanely soft and puffy. If you like this sort of thing, great. But they were too puffy for us and we had to nearly fold them over in half to create a firmness that worked for our heads and neck. Again, it wasn’t anything we griped about. We just accepted it and moved on.

 

Onto the closet…

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of closet space that was given. It really worked well with the room layout. Someone once wrote that you had ample room to get dressed with a dividing wall between you and the room and you wouldn’t have to worry about closing the curtains all the time.

As mentioned earlier, the closet comes with 20 hangars. I tried to immediately hang everything up and spray my Downy Wrinkle Release on it. We folded jeans and wrinkle-free dresses into the vertical cabinet which also house the safe. We created our safe code and put my iPad, wallet, and money pouch in it. There’s tons of room up top where the life jackets and pool towels are. Down below, I had more than enough room to house both large suitcases, four pairs of shoes and my hamper. Voila!

 

The bathroom was one of the smaller bathrooms I have seen on a ship. We didn’t mind. It has enough shelves to hold some makeup and other toiletries. I always put our toothbrushes in the glass cup they provide. They give you 2 washcloths, 2 hand towels and 2 bath towels along with a floor towel. The shower is a hexagonal tube of sorts and way smaller than other cruise lines. However, instead of the claustrophobia –inducing plastic Star Trek door like Royal Caribbean, they simply use a fabric liner to close. This liner gets very wet when showering and I found that even if the curtain stays inside the shower (via a very, very small lip on the floor) our bathroom floor still got soaked - towel and all. Just make sure to tell the person you’re with to not step into the bathroom with nice dry socks after someone has showered.

 

At this point, our stateroom steward knocked on the door and had our luggage. His name was Roberto and good lord, if you are ever lucky enough to be on this deck and have Roberto (from Mexico) as your steward – he is AMAZING. His enthusiasm was off the charts. He was young, peppy, funny, reliable, and apparently a big Lady Gaga fan. ;) I swear he never sleeps. He’s up in the morning cleaning rooms, during the afternoon, and late into the evenings. We would step out for 60 seconds and he would magically appear out of nowhere and have turndown service completely done with a Patter and two pillow chocolates. I have no idea when he took breaks. We are the type of cruisers that sleep in really late and lounge around so I’m sure he hated that we threw off his cleaning schedule. Nonetheless, he was full of smiles and hello’s whenever we would see him – even if it was in an elevator or on land! I left him a raving review at the end of the voyage.

 

Since there wasn’t much of a “sailaway” (it’s a very, very different vibe than a young Caribbean cruise) we decided to hang out on our balcony while we pulled out of port and later moved down to Deck 7 for better views. I must add that Mike and I are huge (like….ridiculously huge) Titanic fans and I want to warn you that a lot of our photos throughout the trip have a constant Titanic theme. After all, Cobh, Liverpool, Southampton and Belfast were all HUGE Titanic ports. I say this because the Caribbean Princes s was berthed at 144. And Titanic was berthed at 146 which was right across from us. (Remember the movie? Where Jack won the poker hand and Rose got out of the car with her big hat? Yep, that was Southampton.) Spooky.

 

Once we gently and quietly left Southampton, Mike and I stayed on Deck 7 and watched beautiful England pass us by. It was then and there that I saw my first official castle…

 

Can you tell I was a wee bit excited?

You have to understand, I’m from California. The closest thing we have to a castle is the Disneyland castle, Hearst Castle, and the Medieval Times castle. Two of those three are fake. This was the real deal. Everything I was about to see was legit. Not a façade -- like the streets of my first job, Universal Studios. Oh no, this was real. No foam and plywood here.

As the evening progressed, we did the whole lets-walk-around-the-ship thing. The Piazza was perfectly sized and elegant. Though I must say that it’s really trippy being on a Caribbean-themed ship when you’re cruising in a British, cold climate. The whales and coral and palm trees were an interesting sight.

 

There was a quartet (yay, funding for real musicians!) playing in the Piazza and we grabbed a quick bite from the International Café. I have to say that I expected the International Café to be bigger. Maybe it’s because they use the word “café”. Regardless, a turkey sandwich was enough to hold us over for now. I never got a chance to sample their highly-reviewed cold pasta salads, which I regret.

 

Dining: aka The Table For Two Fiasco That Wasn’t

One of the first things we do on our first day of being onboard is to visit the Maitre ‘D to request a table for two. I asked a nearby employee where we could meet him and he led us to a short line that had formed inside one of the main dining rooms. Apparently quite a few people had extra “requests” like us.

 

Here comes the really bizarre/funny part:

The Maître D wasn’t at his wood podium like he normally is. Oh no. This was epic. This was out of a Godfather movie. The Maître D had his own fancy table next to the window. If you saw it, you would laugh. The window was so bright and sunny and he was sitting in front of it, backlit, with two other waiters and the seating chart and paperwork in front of him. One by one, a server would “allow” you to walk up to him to talk to him.

 

We couldn’t stop laughing because it was so overblown. We felt like we were at a bank getting ready to sit at a table to apply for a home loan! Luckily, everyone who left “The Table” was smiling. When it was our turn, I suddenly wondered that maybe our request was too petty for “The Almighty Maître D”. When we got up to “The Table” and sat down in front of “His Presence”, we kindly stated that we had Anytime Dining and we were hoping that maybe we could wait for a table for two to open up.

 

He chuckled and explained in a much romanticized Italian accent that it was no big deal for a table for two. You could call ahead and make a reservation or simply show up later in the night when the chaos dies down and there would be plenty open. He didn’t have to write down anything on our card or make any crazy arrangements. I basically just waited in line for a suave guy in a white tux to tell me, “Just show up. You’ll be fine.” We smiled, thanked him, and walked away bashfully with an embarrassing halo around us. And that, folks, is the extent of the drama when it comes to “getting a table for two”. We asked – so that you don’t have to!

 

We ate in the main dining room that night. Every night of the cruise is “Smart Casual” in the dining rooms except for the second night in (Guernsey night) which is “Formal” and your first Sea Day which was also “Formal”. Since we were “Anytime Dining”, we could eat between 6:30pm-9:30pm in either the Coral or Island dining rooms. We looooooved Anytime Dining. I didn’t mind that we had different servers sometimes. Our servers (except for 1-2 of them) were great . We didn’t have one bad meal on the boat. Also, my goal on cruises is to “not eat chicken”. I force myself to eat something other than what I eat at home. So I think the first night I had veal or lamb. I should also note that due to jet-lag and whatnot, we ate really late that night. We ate at 9pm in the MDR and gosh golly there were lots of 2-person tables available and we were seated within seconds. This would later become a pattern in the cruise.

 

There are four courses to each dinner, though you’re not required to pick from all four. One would be a tiny appetizer, the second would be a soup (cold and hot) or salad, the third would be the entrée, and the fourth would be dessert. If you order a cold soup (like a chilled mango soup, etc.) they will serve it to you in a cocktail glass with a straw. It’s really odd. It looks like you’re the lush ordering Pina Coladas every night at dinner.

The desserts ranged from various ice cream flavors, floating islands, crème brulee, tiramisu, Princess Love Boat Dream, cobblers, chocolate cakes, and my all-time favorite – the cheesecake. I don’t care if it’s flash frozen back there. It was GOOD.

 

P.S. Why do they ask for your room number on some nights in the dining room? Is it a survey? Do they want to keep track of when you eat, or what you eat? I found it perplexing. I should have asked.

 

Oh, let me also note that Dan Styne was the cruise director. I’m glad the Patter told us, because I never saw him anywhere except an intro or two on our stateroom television when he emceed the beginning of a show.

 

Movies Under The Stars = ESPN & “The Iron Lady” (these movies also play in your stateroom television)

Theater: “Welcome Aboard Showtime with Comedian Lenny Windsor” (cricket…..cricket…)

Dining Room: “Boy Voyage Dinner” in the buffet, and I think the fancy MDR menu was “Princess Dinner” or “Captains Dinner”. The titles really didn’t mean anything. The food was darn good in my opinion and anyone who says “it’s cafeteria food” must be a Michelin Chef at home because I sure as heck don’t get to eat veal, lamb, lobster, prawns, steaks and amazing salmon every night of the week. Just sayin’.

The “Ultimate Soda Package” is $7.00 per person per day + 15% gratuity. You have to drink a heck of a lot of soda. Wowza.

 

I should also note that my hubby drank the coffee in the buffet every morning and thought it was totally normal. He’s not an everyday coffee drinker so I can understand why people avoid it or bring the Starbucks Via packs. But he’d pipe up if he didn’t like it and he never griped about it.

 

To those who say the orange juice is gross, I’d have to partially disagree. It tasted like orange juice, but they pour it out of room-temperature plastic pitchers that sit at the drink stations without being refrigerated. Maybe that’s why. We also found it funny that they REALLY push the orange juice on you. My hubby said, “Do you think it’s because they want you to stay healthy?” He may have been proven right when a German server said, “Have orange juice. You need. Yes. I pour. It is vitamin C.” Hmm, okay then.

 

Next chapter: Chancing Guernsey – Day 2

[caribill]

 

 

P.S. Why do they ask for your room number on some nights in the dining room? Is it a survey? Do they want to keep track of when you eat, or what you eat? I found it perplexing. I should have asked.

 

 

They want to make sure that you are assigned to Anytime and not Traditional dining.

[dog]

Thanks for bringing the cruise back to life!

Re: August 2009 we did this cruise with Liverpool & cork. You needed layers. Not scarf & mitts like may 14 th cruise I just did, but I remember I wore spring jacket a couple of days.

 

Also take US quarters for laundry. Purser only had a few when we needed them. Those 3 in 1 laundry sheets work well.

 

In mini suite you get 2 chairs, 2 footstools, 1 higher table. It was nice but we prefer aft facing cabins for view.

 

Thanks again for posting.

Dog

Edited June 14, 2012 by dog

[azrose]

We still have over a year until our British Isles cruise--I am even more excited! I have been following all of your questions pre-cruise and this is great hearing all about it now! Thank you for taking the time to help all of us "soon to be" British Isles cruisers! :D

[nostalgiaguru]

We had the opposite dining issue: we wanted Traditional dining at a table of 6-8 (love to bond over dinner with new folks during the cruise, we traded email addresses!), and instead were seated by ourselves at a table of 4 (2 empty seats). So, upon our request, they moved us to a table of 6 beginning the next night.

[catsforkids]

Emily - you write a great review!

 

And what makes it so exciting for me is that in a year we will be doing the same cruise! Oh please keep writing, it is wonderful! I am so full of anticipation!!!!:):D:)

[jymmer]

Hi Emily,

 

I too am loving reading your review, and can't wait for next installment! It is really interesting to see through your eyes (and excitement) of how it is for you to see the UK, I am the same as you when I go to the US, which I love!! either cruising or land holidays, I thought the comment when you got to the other side of airport and went to the shop and handed over £2 was so funny, are bless!!

 

Yes I know what you mean by get used to saying 'toilet' I however have got used to saying bathroom or rest room and sometimes say over here now!!

 

We are cruising end of Sept, New England, with 3 nights in New York prior, this is one cruise I have always wanted to do and am as excited as you were when you came to the UK!! I too am doing loads of research on each Port and weather....................layer layer and layers haha.

 

I think you were lucky with the weather, or had you just missed our 'heat wave'? the weather here at the moment is awful ..... winds and rain, can't plan anything with bl**dy British weather!!

 

Looking for to your next installment xx

 

Mel

[jymmer]

Hey sunluva7,

 

Bring your shorts in August but not as many as you would for Caribbean! We tend to wear shorts/ capris and jumpers!! Weather here awful at moment lets hope we get some proper summer in August for you and everyone else!!

 

The evenings can be cold also, which I hate as love sitting out side in the evening with a glass of wine (or 2)!!

 

Mel

[Love.II.Cruise]

Thanks for the review. I know it is hard work, but keep it up! ;)

[Mrs Moho]

Hi Emily

 

Luuuuving the reviews, feel like I'm there with you:( especially as we were only on CB in April. Thanks for your acknowledgment for some of the info given on Liverpool, really sad it didn't arrive here on Monday, but that's been well documented, so no point going over it again.

 

Love the comments about queues and toilets, must admit I tend to use the word bathroom now which causes great amusement to my friends. Dave, my husband said to tell you on ships they're known as 'the heads' but then being at sea for over 30 years he's never going to change. It was funny reading your comments about jet lag, handing over £ coins, coming out & seeing the sights - everything that we do when we come to your country, I can still remember the first time I saw the restaurant area in LAX, years of seeing it on tv, then next thing you're there. I think we're all like kids in a sweet shop - candy shop to you:D

 

I could actually 'see' you going in to see 'His Holyness' for your dining request, just wondering if it was the same person we saw each eveving, we would always get the Buono Sera Signor/Signora (please excuse the spelling) you don't mind sharing? as after a few days of asking if we would share, we would answer no, we don't mind sharing, we like to meet others but there were some nights we asked for table for 2, as you say, never a problem. We were asked on several ocassions for our cabin no, when we asked, the waiter said it was because if by any chance there was problem with our service they would know which waiter had served us, we did hear someone say it was because if there was an 'outbreak' of something they would know who sat on what table - who knows.

 

Another tip we were given about the shower curtain in the bathroom, which we have used and passed onto others - take some clothes pegs to hang on the bottom of the curtain, helps to weigh it down and keeps it inside the cubicle, so not too much water on the bathroom floor. We also take a power lead with us so a) we don't need loads of adaptors, b) only have to use 1 adaptor but can charge our Ipods, Ipad, phones etc and I still have a socket for my US hairdryer - win win situation :D

 

Look forward to reading the rest of your 'story' in between us getting ready for Norway.

 

Maureen

[Apple5]

I too am enjoying reading your review. Thanks for taking the time to make it so detailed.

 

Some of your comments have really made me chuckle and I'm looking forward to hearing (and laughing) about some of your other experiences in the UK.

 

:D

[loma linda ca a & j]

emily, you are so much fun to read !!:)

 

can't wait for the next section & photos !!!;)

[Grammyluvs]

I love your enthusiasm. I, too, with our cruise over 300 days away have been reading, studying and devouring everything on CC. Started my binder....LOL. I printed off your packing suggestions to add to it. Princess should hire you....you are so funny and I love the details and pictures.

[JeffandMelissa]

Hi Emily

 

It was funny reading your comments about jet lag, handing over £ coins, coming out & seeing the sights - everything that we do when we come to your country, I can still remember the first time I saw the restaurant area in LAX, years of seeing it on tv, then next thing you're there. I think we're all like kids in a sweet shop - candy shop to you:D

 

Maureen

 

Mrs. Moho - I had to chuckle on your comment about LAX. You should have seen my face when we arrived at Heathrow for our departure home.....that shopping area!! Omigod....I've never seen so much candy in my entire life. Of course, I had to take one for the team and pick up some candy bars that I hadn't tried yet......:o

 

Emily - Thank you again for your review. I wish I had your skill. So wonderful to meet you and Mike!

 

Melissa

[DeloreanGirl]

Mrs. Moho - I had to chuckle on your comment about LAX. You should have seen my face when we arrived at Heathrow for our departure home.....that shopping area!! Omigod....I've never seen so much candy in my entire life. Of course, I had to take one for the team and pick up some candy bars that I hadn't tried yet......:o

 

Emily - Thank you again for your review. I wish I had your skill. So wonderful to meet you and Mike!

 

Melissa

 

I literally thought they dropped us off in the middle of a Nordstroms! I was like, "Is this Heathrow? Where am I? Where's the airport? Why is Harrod's and Burberry next to Gate 29?" It was the fanciest airport ever.

Edited June 14, 2012 by DeloreanGirl

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for writing this up ...

[Texas]

You are a great writer. I really enjoy all your tips and quips! I have printed out your report to keep in my 3 ring binder! Thanks. Angie

[DeloreanGirl]

Chapter 4: Chancing Guernsey

Apparently you have a 50/50 chance of making it to Guernsey on these cruises. The waters are choppy and they send out some crew from the ship in the tenders to test the waters (literally) to make sure they can send passengers to shore. If it’s too rough and the weather conditions aren’t right, you’re looking at a bonus Sea Day.

The weather gods smiled upon us on our first official day as the ship was quietly anchored outside the town of St. Peter Port and tenders were happily traveling to and from the island.

 

We ate breakfast at the buffet which had a nice selection. Off the top of my head, I’d say that every day included: fruit of all sorts, various cereals (the healthy ones, not the fun kid boxes) with a carafe of milk (which always scared me seeing as it wasn’t chilled), muffins of all sorts, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, English sausage, omelets, fried eggs, French toast, mini circular waffles, grits, cheeses and meats, oatmeal, and much more. Please know that the guys making the eggs right there behind the buffet area can also make fresh omelets to your choosing. I heard someone say this was possible and I do believe I saw a lady ask for a specific fresh omelet.

 

There’s a Tender process for getting onto Guernsey:

Go to the Island Dining room whenever you are ready to disembark (the earlier the crazier) and they will give you a paper ticket that is colored with a number. We were “Blue 9” I think. Get comfy because you’ll be sitting there for awhile. Each time a tender pulls up to the boat, they call that color/number. We sat for probably 20 minutes until they called “Blue 9”. You then follow a crew member down to Deck 4 where the brisk wind meets you and other crew members help you onto the tender.

 

 

Tender Specifics:

• Yes, you can sit up top. Yes, it is warmer inside. (I’m a sit-up-top fan! Great views!)
  
• I don’t entirely think it’s worthy of taking Dramamine, unless you or your traveling partner get queasy right off the bat (in which case I say sit up top).
  
• The ride is probably 7-8 minutes from push-off to docking.
  
• The tender does bump up against the ship if a wave hits it at a certain moment. It’s really no big deal but people will yelp out sometimes.
  
• I didn’t consider the ride to be “choppy” at all, but then again, every day the weather is different.
  

 

 

The tenders pull up to Guernsey’s main dock. This dock has a ramp as well as a covered area for you to wait with chairs if you cannot stand for long periods of time.

 

The town is right there, a quick 5-minute walk. We did not take the “7/7A” bus around the island since this was a very short port day and there were so many quaint little things to see in town. Please note that the last tender to leave to go back to the ship is at 1:30pm, so plan accordingly.

 

On the particular Sunday we went, there was a “Taste of Guernsey” Food Festival on the main street which was neat. We meandered down the main road but didn’t purchase anything. Please, please, please make sure to go behind the main street into the shopping district because it is BEAUTIFUL! The stores were all closed because it was a Sunday (boooo) but the buildings and flags were so pretty. It was my first official “Wow, I’m not in California anymore” moment.

 

 

There was a street guitarist playing some tunes and I really regret not throwing some coins in his guitar case. He was really, really good! We strolled along the cobblestone streets for some time until we realized that we should head over to the main attraction, Castle Cornet. (There is also the little chapel which is a main attraction but I completely forgot to visit it when we were there.)

 

Castle Cornet is a bit of a walk. Nothing much, but I’d say it’s a good 10 minute stroll to go across the front of town and down along the pier area. I don’t remember seeing much signage or anything that said “Castle, This Way” so we simply followed the crowd. My husband wants to let you know that the public restrooms near the walkway down to castle cornet were very cool. Apparently they wash, soap, and dry your hands all in one automated swoop.

 

I headed down to the very end of the pier to take some photos of the lighthouse.

 

 

I checked my watch and realized that it was 5 minutes to noon, which was when the exciting noon-time cannon would be fired off from the castle! We found the entrance to the castle but I noticed that we actually had a really good vantage point if we stayed where we were.

 

{TIP} If you don’t want to pay to go in the castle but simply want to see the cannon fired off, head towards the entrance of the castle but do not go through the tunnel. If you see the Castle Cornet sign, simply hang out there, in the little inlet and you can watch the cannon to the left.

 

At noon on the dot, a warbly little song comes on the speakers and a man in a red coat comes out to use his gold spyglass to “spot intruders”. He puts on a little show until a second man comes out in full uniform. I heard a rumor that this man, the one who fires the cannon, has been doing it for 30 years (or something to that effect). He preps the cannon, checks his pocketwatch, holds the string, and promptly yells “FIRE!!!” At this point Mike and I had one hand plugging our ears and the other holding our camera and camcorder, but we got it all on film!

 

 

How freaked out do you think the people are on the dock that are unaware of this?? I would have a heart attack and fall into the water! Please also note that there is a railing keeping you from falling to your death only on the left side of the pier walkway and not the right. Innnnnteresting.

 

We walked back through town to make sure that we got back to the last tender a little early. We spotted THREE beagles which melted our hearts as our beagle was back home being watched by my mom and we were missing her dearly. We sauntered through the main street back towards the dock until we saw it…….

 

THE LINE.

 

Oh, the line. The line that made headlines in Guernsey’s own newspaper!

http://www.thisisguernsey.com/news/2012/05/29/cruise-ship-crew-to-blame-for-the-queue-says-harbour-master/

 

Fear not, as you read this, for I believe Princess has learned their lesson and all future treks into Guernsey will run much smoother. But seeing as the sailing before us never made it into Guernsey, we were the guinea pigs.

The last tender was said to pick up at 1:30pm. We got in line at 12:40pm. The line, I kid you not, started at the dock, headed all the way past the dockside buildings and up the pier, then took a left at the giant mast and headed west through the downtown area. In the area we were in, people were calm. But I’m sure that quite a few people lost their minds.

 

First off, it was warm that day (we actually got sunburned!) so if you were out in the sun, it got a little toasty. Secondly, it wasn’t fun to stand for an hour. Luckily, once you get to the pier area, there were cement benches that lined the pier and I saw older folks sit down and rest while their parties stood in line. If this ever happens again, I suggest that anyone elderly or those who do not want to stand should sit down in the pier area and wait until someone from their group sashay’s to the front of the line.

We saw private vans and buses drop off people who were on excursions. They walked off the van, looked at the line in bewilderment, and were forced to walk all the way to the back of it. So much for “dropping you off near the pier”!

 

We stood for a good half hour until I saw a Princess Passenger Services employee walk past us with a radio. I felt at that moment that Princess was at least aware of the fiasco. Not long after that, the line really started moving. People were shuffling along quicker. It was then and only then that Princess decided to lease out the local ferry which was now taking on cruisers and could easily hold a good 200 people at a time. Before that, it was only 3-4 tenders that were going back and forth and apparently there was more demand than supply. We made our way onto the downstairs area of the ferry and rode back to the ship.

 

It was at this point that we were having our Cruise Critic Meet & Greet at 3pm in Skywalkers Lounge! We grabbed a quick lunch at the buffet and I changed into something decent. Sandy, my coordinator and partner-in-crime met me in the elevator on the first night and we scoped out the room and where to set up.

 

{Observation} I think Skywalkers is a cool place to have the Meet & Greet because it’s tucked out of the way, but the layout of the club is really odd. It’s not a great place to “see everybody” as the other lounges were, but I’m completely aware that you can’t really close down the main lounges downstairs for an hour or so. With Skywalkers, there’s a lot of lights and poles and tables in the way and it’s tough to see your audience. Nonetheless, we had a great time!

 

Of the nearly 170 people in our Meet & Greet, I’d say nearly 100 showed up. Sandy (NorthernLight) made fantastic name badges with everyone’s real name, screen name, and city on them. People were able to mingle, meet, talk about the upcoming cruise and most importantly to talk about private excursions that some had booked together. It was great to put faces to names and share bits and pieces about why we love cruising. When everyone has a common bond, it’s an easy conversation starter.

 

“I can’t believe how awake I am, this is great!” I said.

“Honey, you’re running on adrenaline.” Sandy said. I had no idea how very right she would be.

 

(Why yes, I am trying to grow out my bangs.)

 

We were able to get a microphone for the room which made everything a lot easier. Sandy said her welcome speech and I followed her with some cheery bits and a few small prizes to give out (Most Helpful Posts, Who Has Flown the Farthest, and Who Has Sailed The Most). Our resident private excursion organizer, InRetirement, had the longest and most informative posts; a couple from Hawaii had flown nearly 7,300 miles to be there; and a lady who had sailed 94 (or was it 96?) times got Most Days Sailed!

 

Purchasing Internet minutes on board & meeting Mr. Grumpy:

This was the day that I invested in the Internet package. Being a member of Generation Y and recently investing in a iPad made me excited to not use the ships circa 2001 computers and instead get WiFi in the room. I’ll try to keep the story short, but let me just say that the Internet Café guy was rude and cranky throughout the whole cruise. I noted it in the comments at the end of the sailing. Part of me doesn’t blame him. I woudn’t want to continuously try to help 20 people navigate slow computers with spotty signals day after day. But I later found that the signal and speed on my iPad in my room was light years faster than the sit-down computers in the café. In fact, I almost think they keep those circa 2001 computers extra dinosaur slow just to eat up your minutes and make money. But I digress…

 

If you have a mobile device or tablet of any sort, you do not need to go to the Internet Café to purchase a package. Simply attempt to get onto the internet on your device and a Log In screen will appear. It is there that you can choose your package.

{TIP} Always over-estimate. I picked the 150-minute plan and it wasn’t nearly enough. I wish I had saved some money and bought a bigger plan rather than buying two plans throuhgout the cruise. But if you’re only checking email once every few days, this may not apply to you.

 

For iPad users, your WiFi signal will recognize the “Caribbean Princess” signal. Create a password and type in your name and room number and choose your package. Your signal will be live when you see the three beacon bars appear in white (or blue) in the upper left side of the iPad.

Remember, remember, remember to type logout.com in the URL address window when you are done surfing. After you have typed logout.com, wait a moment and a screen will come up with a red stripe saying “You are now logged out from the ship’s internet”. For extra safety, I would slide my settings into Airplane Mode.

 

{TIP} Compose everything offline and only log on to send it. This is a godsend! I would take a picture with the iPad on our balcony, then insert it into an email and write a big huge long email to frends and family back home. I would put their addresses and “send” it, so that it would hang out in my Outbox. Then I would “log in” with the minutes I bought, it would activate and send, then I would log out. I would then only use up about 5 minutes doing this instead of 20. I would also use this method to type on Cruise Critic. I would type out whatever I wanted to post and would hit “Copy” and then I would log on and “Paste” it into the forum.

 

When the sailing before us was at sea, one of the members (“dog”) would post on our board to let us know of actual real-time happenings on the ship. We loved it. We were clinging to his every word and were thrilled that someone had onboard information day after day. I thought this was such a good idea that I payed it forward by posting on the June 7th board for the folks sailing after us. I would keep them informed of port information, laundry tips, internet tips, and whatever other question they may have had. I know it helped me, and I was hoping it would help them. (Especially the no staggared boarding update!)

 

The rest of the day was pretty relaxed. Since it was Formal Night in the main dining room, we ate at the buffet which was fine. They still had quality meats and vegetables and a good selection. I took some sunset photos down the length of the ship and we headed off to bed. My husband was smart and took another sleeping pill. But I was so tired from the first full day that I swore I’d snooze through the night just fine. Oh how wrong I would be…

 

 

 

For all of my Guernsey photos, you can visit: http://s1173.photobucket.com/albums/r584/deloreangrl/British%20Isles%202012%20-%20Guernsey/

 

For all of the Princess Patters, including Guernsey, you can visit: http://photobucket.com/princesspattersbritishisles

 

On Guernsey Night:

Movies Under The Stars = Barry Manilow concert and the Adam Sandler movie “Just Go With It’.

Theater: Princess production show, “Do You Wanna Dance” which I’m REALLY bummed that I missed!

 

 

Next Chapter: Emily Visits Ancestry in Cork, Ireland! (Day 3)

Edited June 14, 2012 by DeloreanGirl

[lovevacadays]

Emily. You are a really good writer! Loving your review.