First Time, Sky Princess.

[PurpleHays]

On 3/23/2024 at 7:11 PM, devonuk said:

Us Brits can spot you guys from across the pond a mile off 😉

Is it my purple hair? 😆

[upwarduk]

20 hours ago, Hilly1972 said:

All

One relatable question, has anyone used the parking at Southampton ? If so which could you recommend for the duration of the stay 

It does depend which cruise company you are sailing with.

ABP is great for CelebrityCruises & Royal.

 

[ChristopherTracy]

14 hours ago, PurpleHays said:

Is it my purple hair? 😆

It's the wrong trainers, sorry sneakers.😅We take our passports btw as in some European countries it is a legal requirement to have photo id on you.

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, ChristopherTracy said:

It's the wrong trainers, sorry sneakers.😅We take our passports btw as in some European countries it is a legal requirement to have photo id on you.

 

I have a US driver's license which is a government issued photo ID. No need for my passport on shore.

[nasa1974]

Wow! we have really gotten off topic.

[Guest Cable3232]

21 minutes ago, nasa1974 said:

Wow! we have really gotten off topic.

 

It could be worse; we could be talking about death to cruising due to IV balconies (they coming) or how cruising without Signature (ship within a ship) access is just like sailing on a cargo ship.  😋

[jeromep]

You've been directed to some good YouTube resources, be sure to check out Cruise Tips TV.  Cheri has a lot of good content about cruise packing and preparation.  https://cruisetipstv.com/

 

Do not think you have to do everything in port, or everything on the ship.  If so, you'll need a vacation from your vacation when your vacation has ended.  If your cruise is port intensive, choose a port day where you only meander a port on foot (assuming that the port is compatible with that, some ports calls, the port itself is very industrial, and you are miles from where the city actually lives).  If the port is not, then get passes for the hop on/off bus; find a cafe or little eatery, hang out, get back to the ship early.  Do some port research before you go.  The on board port guides used to be pretty good, at least for hitting the high points, but since they have done away with most of the paper newsletters and documentation and are pushing communications of all kinds to the Princess app, it is best to already have this information on hand before you cruise.  Any port research you do on your own is going to be better than anything the cruise line will provide.  Google maps is your friend, both while doing port research and when in port.  Don't be afraid to research distances to and from the ship and where you may want to go in port.

 

Not all ports are worth visiting.  For example, on some Pacific coast cruises and cruises to Hawaii from the Pacific coast, there is a port stop in Ensenada to make the cruise "legal".  I'd have to go into a lot of detail about passenger shipping laws in the U.S., but Ensenada isn't an exceptional port town or experience.  The only reason the ship calls there is because it needs to hit a foreign port before returning to the U.S. to make the cruise "legal" and avoid breaking the law and financial penalties associated.  On Alaska cruises out of Seattle, Victoria, BC is used as the foreign port to make the sailing "legal".  The port stop is so short (4 to maybe 6 hours), and so late in the day (sometimes a late evening stop (7pm to Midnight), that it makes the port difficult to enjoy unless you choose an excursion that whisks you away from the port to some place or event, and then takes you directly back to the port.  Unlike Ensenada, Victoria is a great place to visit and deserves a lot more than 4 hours, but the whole reason for the port stop is less about featuring Victoria, and more about being legal with U.S. law and doing some ship provisioning before the ship heads for Seattle.

 

I don't think there are such concerns as what I have detailed above in Europe, but it is always possible that a port on your itinerary isn't really all that wonderful, so do your research and determine if every port is worth an excursion or even getting off the ship.  If nothing else, keep your plans flexible and be willing to "sacrifice" a port day for rest and recuperation.  I do enjoy being on ship, at least for a couple of hours during a port day.  With most of the other pax off, you'll have a lot of venues to yourself, and a certain calm descends upon the ship.  It is also a good time to do any travel housekeeping, like dealing with on board billing issues with passenger services, doing laundry, having a spa day.  This is where your port research is essential in ranking ports and the things you are most interested in doing in those ports, then plan accordingly.

 

Watch your on board account.  It is pretty easy to do this on the Princess app.  There isn't a cruise I've done, pre-Medallion or with the Medallion, where there hasn't been a least one mystery charge show up that I had to dispute.  I actually think it is easier for bar servers or specialty restaurant hosts to hit the wrong button and charge to an account something you didn't do, that somebody else was doing, than it used to be.  These are not intentional errors, they are pressing the wrong button errors.  On my last cruise, ever beverage I ordered was covered under Premier, however when I went up to a bar, they would acknowledge me, but then ask me to give them my cabin number.  From what I could tell, the various bartenders were being super careful to not attribute a beverage to the wrong passenger.  I did have a charge that I had to dispute, it was a cover charge for Crown Grill that was attached to my daughter, 8, and we never dined in the Crown Grill.  I did a chat through the app and they indicated they would reverse the charge.  It took a few hours to reflect, but they did reverse the charge.

 

You are fortunate to be sailing on Sky Princess.  Of the 6 Royal class ships, I think the last 3, Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery have the best execution.  They all have wake view "terrace pools", a Princess favorite for many years on older classes of ships, and the central pool on Lido is more pool focused and less deck focused.  The first three Royals, Royal, Regal and Majestic, all have the central pool that has the water and light show feature, but that really takes a big bite out of pool space.  All of these ships have the Sea Walk, a glass floored walkway over the side of the ship.  It was a unique feature when it was new, but you can only get so much marketing mileage and awe out of a glass floored walkway.  The last 3 Regals extended the deck out to this walkway, so that it is more enclosed and provides more deck space.  It is a neat thing to visit on a sea day, but that is about all it is.  Sky, Enchanted and Discovery are also nearly cookie cutter identical.  Whereas there are some significant differences between Royal, Regal, and especially Majestic.  Also keep in mind that the Royal class ships are very "inward looking" ships.  Without a wrap around promenade deck, like the older Grand class, or the Island class, there isn't a lot of deck space on lower decks.  You'll find two large "deck" areas on Deck 7, forward and aft, port and starboard, but they are not the same as a promenade deck that goes the full length of the ship, or that even goes around the stern and bow of the ship.  I was under the impression that the eateries located near those deck areas were supposed to use them for alfresco dining, but I've been on the wrong cruises as I've not seen that done.  If you are looking for fresh air and sun, you'll have to get it up on Lido, or your own balcony.  If you want to do some laps, you'll have to go up to the sports deck and use the walking track.

 

Do try to use all your Plus benefits, have the fancy deserts, use the casual meals, drink some beverages, use room service.  All of these packages basically benefit Princess more than you and I.  Princess Plus does pencil out pretty well for us the cruiser, but it is important to remember that Princess wouldn't offer a package like this if they were loosing money on it.

 

I agree with others, dining room lunch on embarkation day is the best way to slide into your cruise vacation.  Don't ask the staff where it is.  Once on board, drop off your carryons in your cabin, maybe put some clothing away so you aren't living out of suitcases.  Run the safety video on the television while you are unpacking (you have to watch it to satisfy the virtual muster, anyway), and then head down to the Piazza.  Look around, the dining room that has its doors open is the one that is serving lunch.  In my experience it is the dining room on deck 5 at the bottom of the Piazza that usually is open for lunch on embarkation day.  It can change, but my experience is that it has always been deck 5.  If not deck 5, then the dining room that is one level up on 6.  Operating hours are like 11 to 1:30 or noon to 1:30.  It is a very small window.

 

Remain flexible in your travels, and you'll enjoy them more.

[cosytoes]

On 3/22/2024 at 9:44 AM, Cable3232 said:

You don't need your passport to get on or off the ship while in port (only your cruise card) 

A supplementary question for UK cruisers, as we are no longer in the EU and the EU counts the number of days you are outside the UK, at what point do you get your passport stamped on exit and re entrance to UK?

Just wondered as haven't done Southampton to EU since before Brexit.  

[memoak]

20 hours ago, jeromep said:

You've been directed to some good YouTube resources, be sure to check out Cruise Tips TV.  Cheri has a lot of good content about cruise packing and preparation.  https://cruisetipstv.com/

 

Do not think you have to do everything in port, or everything on the ship.  If so, you'll need a vacation from your vacation when your vacation has ended.  If your cruise is port intensive, choose a port day where you only meander a port on foot (assuming that the port is compatible with that, some ports calls, the port itself is very industrial, and you are miles from where the city actually lives).  If the port is not, then get passes for the hop on/off bus; find a cafe or little eatery, hang out, get back to the ship early.  Do some port research before you go.  The on board port guides used to be pretty good, at least for hitting the high points, but since they have done away with most of the paper newsletters and documentation and are pushing communications of all kinds to the Princess app, it is best to already have this information on hand before you cruise.  Any port research you do on your own is going to be better than anything the cruise line will provide.  Google maps is your friend, both while doing port research and when in port.  Don't be afraid to research distances to and from the ship and where you may want to go in port.

 

Not all ports are worth visiting.  For example, on some Pacific coast cruises and cruises to Hawaii from the Pacific coast, there is a port stop in Ensenada to make the cruise "legal".  I'd have to go into a lot of detail about passenger shipping laws in the U.S., but Ensenada isn't an exceptional port town or experience.  The only reason the ship calls there is because it needs to hit a foreign port before returning to the U.S. to make the cruise "legal" and avoid breaking the law and financial penalties associated.  On Alaska cruises out of Seattle, Victoria, BC is used as the foreign port to make the sailing "legal".  The port stop is so short (4 to maybe 6 hours), and so late in the day (sometimes a late evening stop (7pm to Midnight), that it makes the port difficult to enjoy unless you choose an excursion that whisks you away from the port to some place or event, and then takes you directly back to the port.  Unlike Ensenada, Victoria is a great place to visit and deserves a lot more than 4 hours, but the whole reason for the port stop is less about featuring Victoria, and more about being legal with U.S. law and doing some ship provisioning before the ship heads for Seattle.

 

I don't think there are such concerns as what I have detailed above in Europe, but it is always possible that a port on your itinerary isn't really all that wonderful, so do your research and determine if every port is worth an excursion or even getting off the ship.  If nothing else, keep your plans flexible and be willing to "sacrifice" a port day for rest and recuperation.  I do enjoy being on ship, at least for a couple of hours during a port day.  With most of the other pax off, you'll have a lot of venues to yourself, and a certain calm descends upon the ship.  It is also a good time to do any travel housekeeping, like dealing with on board billing issues with passenger services, doing laundry, having a spa day.  This is where your port research is essential in ranking ports and the things you are most interested in doing in those ports, then plan accordingly.

 

Watch your on board account.  It is pretty easy to do this on the Princess app.  There isn't a cruise I've done, pre-Medallion or with the Medallion, where there hasn't been a least one mystery charge show up that I had to dispute.  I actually think it is easier for bar servers or specialty restaurant hosts to hit the wrong button and charge to an account something you didn't do, that somebody else was doing, than it used to be.  These are not intentional errors, they are pressing the wrong button errors.  On my last cruise, ever beverage I ordered was covered under Premier, however when I went up to a bar, they would acknowledge me, but then ask me to give them my cabin number.  From what I could tell, the various bartenders were being super careful to not attribute a beverage to the wrong passenger.  I did have a charge that I had to dispute, it was a cover charge for Crown Grill that was attached to my daughter, 8, and we never dined in the Crown Grill.  I did a chat through the app and they indicated they would reverse the charge.  It took a few hours to reflect, but they did reverse the charge.

 

You are fortunate to be sailing on Sky Princess.  Of the 6 Royal class ships, I think the last 3, Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery have the best execution.  They all have wake view "terrace pools", a Princess favorite for many years on older classes of ships, and the central pool on Lido is more pool focused and less deck focused.  The first three Royals, Royal, Regal and Majestic, all have the central pool that has the water and light show feature, but that really takes a big bite out of pool space.  All of these ships have the Sea Walk, a glass floored walkway over the side of the ship.  It was a unique feature when it was new, but you can only get so much marketing mileage and awe out of a glass floored walkway.  The last 3 Regals extended the deck out to this walkway, so that it is more enclosed and provides more deck space.  It is a neat thing to visit on a sea day, but that is about all it is.  Sky, Enchanted and Discovery are also nearly cookie cutter identical.  Whereas there are some significant differences between Royal, Regal, and especially Majestic.  Also keep in mind that the Royal class ships are very "inward looking" ships.  Without a wrap around promenade deck, like the older Grand class, or the Island class, there isn't a lot of deck space on lower decks.  You'll find two large "deck" areas on Deck 7, forward and aft, port and starboard, but they are not the same as a promenade deck that goes the full length of the ship, or that even goes around the stern and bow of the ship.  I was under the impression that the eateries located near those deck areas were supposed to use them for alfresco dining, but I've been on the wrong cruises as I've not seen that done.  If you are looking for fresh air and sun, you'll have to get it up on Lido, or your own balcony.  If you want to do some laps, you'll have to go up to the sports deck and use the walking track.

 

Do try to use all your Plus benefits, have the fancy deserts, use the casual meals, drink some beverages, use room service.  All of these packages basically benefit Princess more than you and I.  Princess Plus does pencil out pretty well for us the cruiser, but it is important to remember that Princess wouldn't offer a package like this if they were loosing money on it.

 

I agree with others, dining room lunch on embarkation day is the best way to slide into your cruise vacation.  Don't ask the staff where it is.  Once on board, drop off your carryons in your cabin, maybe put some clothing away so you aren't living out of suitcases.  Run the safety video on the television while you are unpacking (you have to watch it to satisfy the virtual muster, anyway), and then head down to the Piazza.  Look around, the dining room that has its doors open is the one that is serving lunch.  In my experience it is the dining room on deck 5 at the bottom of the Piazza that usually is open for lunch on embarkation day.  It can change, but my experience is that it has always been deck 5.  If not deck 5, then the dining room that is one level up on 6.  Operating hours are like 11 to 1:30 or noon to 1:30.  It is a very small window.

 

Remain flexible in your travels, and you'll enjoy them more.

If you eat 2 of the desserts you won’t be able to eat any meals. The plus package was made for people like us who have 10+ drinks a day

[upwarduk]

1 hour ago, cosytoes said:

A supplementary question for UK cruisers, as we are no longer in the EU and the EU counts the number of days you are outside the UK, at what point do you get your passport stamped on exit and re entrance to UK?

Just wondered as haven't done Southampton to EU since before Brexit.  

Never had my passport stamped and we usually do 14 day cruises.

[Guest Cable3232]

10 hours ago, upwarduk said:

Never had my passport stamped and we usually do 14 day cruises.

I took a few 5-7-day cruises around the EU (and Norway), and this is what happened.

 

From the UK to the UK - Showed passport as cruise terminal; UK border force will come aboard on disembarkation but never interacted or showed passport.

 

EU to EU: I showed my passport at embarkation, and that was that. At the airport, there were normal checks and stamps.

 

I never had an issue with "cross" EU border crossings before or after Brexit, and I never needed ID while out and about (beyond car hire and driving, of course). 

 

[wallis7219]

On 3/26/2024 at 12:01 AM, jeromep said:

You've been directed to some good YouTube resources, be sure to check out Cruise Tips TV.  Cheri has a lot of good content about cruise packing and preparation.  https://cruisetipstv.com/

 

Do not think you have to do everything in port, or everything on the ship.  If so, you'll need a vacation from your vacation when your vacation has ended.  If your cruise is port intensive, choose a port day where you only meander a port on foot (assuming that the port is compatible with that, some ports calls, the port itself is very industrial, and you are miles from where the city actually lives).  If the port is not, then get passes for the hop on/off bus; find a cafe or little eatery, hang out, get back to the ship early.  Do some port research before you go.  The on board port guides used to be pretty good, at least for hitting the high points, but since they have done away with most of the paper newsletters and documentation and are pushing communications of all kinds to the Princess app, it is best to already have this information on hand before you cruise.  Any port research you do on your own is going to be better than anything the cruise line will provide.  Google maps is your friend, both while doing port research and when in port.  Don't be afraid to research distances to and from the ship and where you may want to go in port.

 

Not all ports are worth visiting.  For example, on some Pacific coast cruises and cruises to Hawaii from the Pacific coast, there is a port stop in Ensenada to make the cruise "legal".  I'd have to go into a lot of detail about passenger shipping laws in the U.S., but Ensenada isn't an exceptional port town or experience.  The only reason the ship calls there is because it needs to hit a foreign port before returning to the U.S. to make the cruise "legal" and avoid breaking the law and financial penalties associated.  On Alaska cruises out of Seattle, Victoria, BC is used as the foreign port to make the sailing "legal".  The port stop is so short (4 to maybe 6 hours), and so late in the day (sometimes a late evening stop (7pm to Midnight), that it makes the port difficult to enjoy unless you choose an excursion that whisks you away from the port to some place or event, and then takes you directly back to the port.  Unlike Ensenada, Victoria is a great place to visit and deserves a lot more than 4 hours, but the whole reason for the port stop is less about featuring Victoria, and more about being legal with U.S. law and doing some ship provisioning before the ship heads for Seattle.

 

I don't think there are such concerns as what I have detailed above in Europe, but it is always possible that a port on your itinerary isn't really all that wonderful, so do your research and determine if every port is worth an excursion or even getting off the ship.  If nothing else, keep your plans flexible and be willing to "sacrifice" a port day for rest and recuperation.  I do enjoy being on ship, at least for a couple of hours during a port day.  With most of the other pax off, you'll have a lot of venues to yourself, and a certain calm descends upon the ship.  It is also a good time to do any travel housekeeping, like dealing with on board billing issues with passenger services, doing laundry, having a spa day.  This is where your port research is essential in ranking ports and the things you are most interested in doing in those ports, then plan accordingly.

 

Watch your on board account.  It is pretty easy to do this on the Princess app.  There isn't a cruise I've done, pre-Medallion or with the Medallion, where there hasn't been a least one mystery charge show up that I had to dispute.  I actually think it is easier for bar servers or specialty restaurant hosts to hit the wrong button and charge to an account something you didn't do, that somebody else was doing, than it used to be.  These are not intentional errors, they are pressing the wrong button errors.  On my last cruise, ever beverage I ordered was covered under Premier, however when I went up to a bar, they would acknowledge me, but then ask me to give them my cabin number.  From what I could tell, the various bartenders were being super careful to not attribute a beverage to the wrong passenger.  I did have a charge that I had to dispute, it was a cover charge for Crown Grill that was attached to my daughter, 8, and we never dined in the Crown Grill.  I did a chat through the app and they indicated they would reverse the charge.  It took a few hours to reflect, but they did reverse the charge.

 

You are fortunate to be sailing on Sky Princess.  Of the 6 Royal class ships, I think the last 3, Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery have the best execution.  They all have wake view "terrace pools", a Princess favorite for many years on older classes of ships, and the central pool on Lido is more pool focused and less deck focused.  The first three Royals, Royal, Regal and Majestic, all have the central pool that has the water and light show feature, but that really takes a big bite out of pool space.  All of these ships have the Sea Walk, a glass floored walkway over the side of the ship.  It was a unique feature when it was new, but you can only get so much marketing mileage and awe out of a glass floored walkway.  The last 3 Regals extended the deck out to this walkway, so that it is more enclosed and provides more deck space.  It is a neat thing to visit on a sea day, but that is about all it is.  Sky, Enchanted and Discovery are also nearly cookie cutter identical.  Whereas there are some significant differences between Royal, Regal, and especially Majestic.  Also keep in mind that the Royal class ships are very "inward looking" ships.  Without a wrap around promenade deck, like the older Grand class, or the Island class, there isn't a lot of deck space on lower decks.  You'll find two large "deck" areas on Deck 7, forward and aft, port and starboard, but they are not the same as a promenade deck that goes the full length of the ship, or that even goes around the stern and bow of the ship.  I was under the impression that the eateries located near those deck areas were supposed to use them for alfresco dining, but I've been on the wrong cruises as I've not seen that done.  If you are looking for fresh air and sun, you'll have to get it up on Lido, or your own balcony.  If you want to do some laps, you'll have to go up to the sports deck and use the walking track.

 

Do try to use all your Plus benefits, have the fancy deserts, use the casual meals, drink some beverages, use room service.  All of these packages basically benefit Princess more than you and I.  Princess Plus does pencil out pretty well for us the cruiser, but it is important to remember that Princess wouldn't offer a package like this if they were loosing money on it.

 

I agree with others, dining room lunch on embarkation day is the best way to slide into your cruise vacation.  Don't ask the staff where it is.  Once on board, drop off your carryons in your cabin, maybe put some clothing away so you aren't living out of suitcases.  Run the safety video on the television while you are unpacking (you have to watch it to satisfy the virtual muster, anyway), and then head down to the Piazza.  Look around, the dining room that has its doors open is the one that is serving lunch.  In my experience it is the dining room on deck 5 at the bottom of the Piazza that usually is open for lunch on embarkation day.  It can change, but my experience is that it has always been deck 5.  If not deck 5, then the dining room that is one level up on 6.  Operating hours are like 11 to 1:30 or noon to 1:30.  It is a very small window.

 

Remain flexible in your travels, and you'll enjoy them more.

Just want to say big thank you for all this excellent information, you provided and the time taken to type it out.

 

Much appreciated 

Cheers

Gary

 

[PurpleHays]

On 3/25/2024 at 11:20 AM, ChristopherTracy said:

It's the wrong trainers, sorry sneakers.😅

Something wrong with my New Balance? 😆👟

[dixiejen]

@PurpleHays Nothing to do with cruising but when I saw your name, I just HAD to share this with you! I am a retired high school history teacher and my former married name was Hayes. When I was pregnant, I put a “Name Baby Hayes” suggestion box in my classroom. I got hundreds traditional and modern names — they were a mix of sweet, kooky, historical, etc.!  BUT- the #1 name suggestion?  Yep — Purple Hayes!!!🤣  (A few of my “history nerds” campaigned for Rutherford!😖).   (Btw, I’m from NC, too!). Happy cruising!

[ChristopherTracy]

13 hours ago, PurpleHays said:

Something wrong with my New Balance? 😆👟

Absolutely not - they are lovely, but wearing any trainers that could actually be used for sport with jeans or shorts is a US giveaway. 

[Redrobo]

On 3/24/2024 at 11:25 AM, Hilly1972 said:

All

One relatable question, has anyone used the parking at Southampton ? If so which could you recommend for the duration of the stay 

info@portsidemeetandgreet.co.uk. worth a try, I found them to be reasonably priced and if you sign up to them you get a discount. Park in short stay carpark and hand over the keys and collect on your return

[Hilly1972]

3 minutes ago, Redrobo said:

info@portsidemeetandgreet.co.uk. worth a try, I found them to be reasonably priced and if you sign up to them you get a discount. Park in short stay carpark and hand over the keys and collect on your return

Hi Redrovo 

I will have a look at that now thank you 👍🏻

[dolls123]

On 3/25/2024 at 5:01 PM, jeromep said:

 

 

I agree with others, dining room lunch on embarkation day is the best way to slide into your cruise vacation.  Don't ask the staff where it is.  Once on board, drop off your carryons in your cabin, maybe put some clothing away so you aren't living out of suitcases.  Run the safety video on the television while you are unpacking (you have to watch it to satisfy the virtual muster, anyway), and then head down to the Piazza.  Look around, the dining room that has its doors open is the one that is serving lunch.  In my experience it is the dining room on deck 5 at the bottom of the Piazza that usually is open for lunch on embarkation day.  It can change, but my experience is that it has always been deck 5.  If not deck 5, then the dining room that is one level up on 6.  Operating hours are like 11 to 1:30 or noon to 1:30.  It is a very small window.

 

Remain flexible in your travels, and you'll enjoy them more.

Thanks!

[dolls123]

On 3/23/2024 at 7:25 PM, Seemecruise said:

Just off the Sky in February. Our favorite spot was Bellini’s, listen to music in Piazza, grab a snack from International Cafe. In buffet around 3 pm everyday the afternoon tea sandwiches and scones show up, get some goodies, your tea and a table with a view. The Rock Opera was great, be sure to get there early for a seat, it filled up fast. There are so many things to see and do. Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks for the info!

[J13C85]

So much good advice has been given in this thread. Best advice I ever got came from John Heald when we were on Carnival Splendor. He said (I'm paraphrasing here)

"When you are finished unpacking, take all of your stresses and problems from the outside world, pack them in your suitcase, and slide them under the bed. All of those things will still be there for you a week from now. For this week, we have a crew who wants to help you, pamper you and take care of you. Let them do that and you can face those problems and stresses with a brand new perspective."

 

Of course, the next morning all He'll broke loose (google Carnival Splendor Fire).

 

BTW- a piece of non metaphorical advice. Choose comfortable shoes. Do not be afraid to choose comfort over style (thanks to Sheri from CruiseTipsTV)