Maybe LIVE from Emerald Princess Nov 7 - Nov 23rd

[sunviking90]

How was the crown grill? We have reservations for tomorrow, but we’ve been so happy with the food in the MDR that I am thinking of cancelling it. 

[CruzeQueen2]

6 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

How was the crown grill? We have reservations for tomorrow, but we’ve been so happy with the food in the MDR that I am thinking of cancelling it. 

Good to hear that. Chef Guido must be as good as he ever was! His food was memorable and consistently wonderful in 2019 on Caribbean P, as well. Lucky you.

[Coral]

14 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

How was the crown grill? We have reservations for tomorrow, but we’ve been so happy with the food in the MDR that I am thinking of cancelling it. 

It was fine (not exceptional). I am spoiled and from Nebraska which is prime beef country. The key lime dessert was awful. I would avoid that. Service was exceptional and the steak was acceptable. Side dishes good.

Edited November 18, 2022 by Coral

[TM]

Coral, 

 

I've enjoyed reading your thread and particularly enjoyed your pictures from your D-day tour.  We did a similar day trip tour with Overlord Tours from Bayeaux.  While I enjoyed it our guide was not very good, and you seem to have seen so much more.

[bjkTX]

On 11/8/2022 at 1:01 AM, LidoLiz said:

The Wake Show just announced only 1,800 passengers are onboard, including 1,300 Americans and 300 Canadians.
Had a nice chat with the Loyalty and Events manager at the Platinum-Elite event in Skywalkers last night. She’s from Milan and extremely personable.
Two different crew members have told me that during the last cruise (post drydock), COVID was not an issue at all. I have seen very few masks, which means more smiles than I have seen in the last two years. 🙂
Going to be a great TA to the New World.
Enjoy your day in Cherbourg, Coral!

We were on the last cruise before drydock and while we had heard of issue with Covid on the previous cruise we had no problem on our cruise - that we knew of - hardly any masks except for crew members.

[azbirdmom]

10 hours ago, Coral said:

It looks like this company goes to both ports:

 

https://www.overlordtour.com. 

 

They had some larger vans (16 passenger) and also does private tours I believe. I haven't spoken to anyone who did their tour though but they had 2-3 vans outside when we exited the ship.

 

The Princess tours were booked when I booked the cruise also.

 

Thank you.  There are a lot of folks on our roll call who are going with Overlord and they were recently able to accommodate folks on their waitlist too.  But we were too late for that.  Ironically after I logged out of CC this morning I went to check that excursion on the Princess website and there was an option to get on the waitlist that hasn't appeared the dozens of previous times I have checked.  I quickly grabbed the two waitlist spots and it went back to sold out.  So fingers crossed that we clear the waitlist.  I really want to go there and I'm not sure if we will be back in that area again.

[Coral]

6 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

 

Thank you.  There are a lot of folks on our roll call who are going with Overlord and they were recently able to accommodate folks on their waitlist too.  But we were too late for that.  Ironically after I logged out of CC this morning I went to check that excursion on the Princess website and there was an option to get on the waitlist that hasn't appeared the dozens of previous times I have checked.  I quickly grabbed the two waitlist spots and it went back to sold out.  So fingers crossed that we clear the waitlist.  I really want to go there and I'm not sure if we will be back in that area again.

I am sure you will clear by this summer! Glad you got on the waitlist.

 

I am so glad I went. It is so worth it. My sister did Princess's trip on her British Isles trip this summer and she did enjoy it.

 

Let me know when you get confirmed. 

[sunviking90]

Coral,

I am really loving your pictures. I always forget to take enough and it’s nice to enjoy yours.

[Coral]

2 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

Coral,

I am really loving your pictures. I always forget to take enough and it’s nice to enjoy yours.

I haven't been the best at picking out the best pictures - just posting ones I grab. Glad you are enjoying them. Especially on the ship as they are loading slowly for me. I am waking at 4 am so it is something I have been able to do.

[Coral]

Dinner from the 18th.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Coral

[Coral]

Patters from 18th:

 

 

[Coral]

Patters from the 19th:

 

 

[Coral]

Just a note - the menus that are posted online (on phone app) for lunch and dinner are not always accurate. I keep seeing cherries jubilee for dinner and I have yet to see that in the dining room at night. I said something to the waiter today and he is going to make it for me as he has 4 others who want it. I also see bananas foster listed frequently and I haven't seen it at night.

 

I went to the dining room this morning and asked about Weiner schnitzel which is listed for lunch. The head waiter said it is not on today's menu but he was going to find out. He indicated that I am not the only one who has mentioned that the menus do not match.

[mooseridge]

Coral, so enjoy your pictures especially the D DAy ones.   That tour has been on our 'to do' for several cancelled cruises (COVID).  Now, my DH has mobility challenges.  No wheelchair but a cane & he gets tired quickly.  Question for you, did you see many with mobility issues?  We'll be at La Harve France on a cruise next May and wonder if we should go ahead and book a tour.   ?? Your observation please/advice. 

 

Big thanks in advance,

Mooseridge

Ed & Marianne

[Coral]

7 minutes ago, mooseridge said:

Coral, so enjoy your pictures especially the D DAy ones.   That tour has been on our 'to do' for several cancelled cruises (COVID).  Now, my DH has mobility challenges.  No wheelchair but a cane & he gets tired quickly.  Question for you, did you see many with mobility issues?  We'll be at La Harve France on a cruise next May and wonder if we should go ahead and book a tour.   ?? Your observation please/advice. 

 

Big thanks in advance,

Mooseridge

Ed & Marianne

Usually I am one that notices those things as I had a parent who was disabled and blind (with dog) and I dragged on trips with me. Our tour was private - we had 7 on our tour and none of us had mobility issues. A friend I am traveling with declined to go as he had gone previously on a Princess tour years ago and now has some mobility issues.

 

I think my private tour would have been fine. Our guide took us to a certain point  which would not have been difficult for anyone with mobility challenges and then we all sort of deviated from there and met back. For example - at the beaches, some of us went farther than others. At the American Cemetery - I went to the chapel and others didn't.

 

My tour guide only guides out of Cherbourg and those who arrive from Paris via train. I almost wonder if you could find a private tour out of Le Havre and if you ask them up front if they could arrange a tour with less walking or slower paced. I am sure you could find someone on your roll call that would be glad to join you to share the cost. They may also benefit from a slower paced tour.

 

I really think it is important to go. This ranks as one of my all time memorable excursions.

 

My sister did the Princess tour out of Le Havre in August and I will ask her over Thanksgiving.

[jc foster]

6 hours ago, Coral said:

Usually I am one that notices those things as I had a parent who was disabled and blind (with dog) and I dragged on trips with me. Our tour was private - we had 7 on our tour and none of us had mobility issues. A friend I am traveling with declined to go as he had gone previously on a Princess tour years ago and now has some mobility issues.

 

I think my private tour would have been fine. Our guide took us to a certain point  which would not have been difficult for anyone with mobility challenges and then we all sort of deviated from there and met back. For example - at the beaches, some of us went farther than others. At the American Cemetery - I went to the chapel and others didn't.

 

My tour guide only guides out of Cherbourg and those who arrive from Paris via train. I almost wonder if you could find a private tour out of Le Havre and if you ask them up front if they could arrange a tour with less walking or slower paced. I am sure you could find someone on your roll call that would be glad to join you to share the cost. They may also benefit from a slower paced tour.

 

I really think it is important to go. This ranks as one of my all time memorable excursions.

 

My sister did the Princess tour out of Le Havre in August and I will ask her over Thanksgiving.

The D Day Tour was almost too overwhelming for me. I am a veteran who did a 13 month tour in Korea. I also had a tough job and dangerous job in a large city before I retired. I thought there was just about nothing that could bring me to tears but the sight of all of those perfectly aligned crosses did just that. 

[Coral]

7 minutes ago, jc foster said:

The D Day Tour was almost too overwhelming for me. I am a veteran who did a 13 month tour in Korea. I also had a tough job and dangerous job in a large city before I retired. I thought there was just about nothing that could bring me to tears but the sight of all of those perfectly aligned crosses did just that. 

It was definitely overwhelming and powerful. Just too many crosses. Too much loss. We can never forget..... 

 

My grandfather died in Exercise Tiger (practicing for D-Day) and I hoped to visit his gravesite at the American Cemetery in Cambridge before this cruise. Due to bad weather and a transportation strike, I didn't make it that cemetery. I really felt like I needed to do so as no one from my family has seen it yet. I will make sure I do it next time in London and have more time.

 

I wish I had more time there and I am still processing everything I saw. I would like to return and spend more time on a land trip. I would also like to go to the Canadian sites as well. 

 

The only other time I have felt similar was in Moscow visiting mass graves from WWII there of military and civilians. In a previous trip to Germany - I could not visit a concentration camp. I know I need to but I just couldn't bring myself to do so that day.

 

[jlf1]

1 hour ago, jc foster said:

The D Day Tour was almost too overwhelming for me. I am a veteran who did a 13 month tour in Korea. I also had a tough job and dangerous job in a large city before I retired. I thought there was just about nothing that could bring me to tears but the sight of all of those perfectly aligned crosses did just that. 

After my husband and I visited Juno Beach (Canadian) on aland trip we found our way to Beny-sur-Mer, the location of the Canadian cemetery which also has the perfectly aligned crosses and/or the Star of David.  There are 19 unknown burials as well, believed to be both French & German.

I was moved to tears and to this day in recounting our visit to Juno Beach and the cemetery I can't hold back the tears.

 

Judy

 

[Coral]

18 hours ago, mooseridge said:

Coral, so enjoy your pictures especially the D DAy ones.   That tour has been on our 'to do' for several cancelled cruises (COVID).  Now, my DH has mobility challenges.  No wheelchair but a cane & he gets tired quickly.  Question for you, did you see many with mobility issues?  We'll be at La Harve France on a cruise next May and wonder if we should go ahead and book a tour.   ?? Your observation please/advice. 

 

Big thanks in advance,

Mooseridge

Ed & Marianne

I did speak with a friend who had done the Princess D-Day tours. They said where the buses had to park, required a lot of walking. I look back and we only encountered one bus and it was at a site that didn't require a lot of walking (not sure if Princess stopped there or not). The other sites - we had a large Toyota van and had no problems parking closer to the sites.

[Coral]

I noticed more people masking up yesterday and also a lot more coughing.

 

[azbirdmom]

4 hours ago, Coral said:

I noticed more people masking up yesterday and also a lot more coughing.

 

 

Oh no!  Hope you and your friend stay healthy.

[Coral]

Sorry I haven't posted. I haven't done much except for eating, reading, getting steps in, sleeping, etc.... I am trying to stay away from public places due to the coughing.

 

Tonight was Sabatini's and I had a later reservation. I went up to Skywalker's and was talking with friends and the people behind me were coughing really bad. It was sort of crowded and we couldn't move - so I decided to exit. I then went to Sabatini's early and asked if they took walk-ins. They said no - they were fully booked for the night, I indicated I had a later reservation and he said he could seat me then. I had a wonderful window table with a wonderful waitress. Food and service exceptional.

 

I assume the decor is still the same as Share. Even the elevator signs say "Share". this was probably the best meal of the trip and they fed me too much food.

 

[Coral]

[Coral]

[Coral]

Some interior shots and the water fountain outside of my window.