Live from the Land of Princess

[YVRteacher]

Yes, this is a land-based cruise!

It is on the IsLAND Princess and we are scheduled to visit Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland and England. So many lands!

 

I’m starting this live today on my couch in Vancouver. Tomorrow I fly to Newark then Friday take a shuttle from the airport to Brooklyn. My travel documents say Brooklyn but the Princess app says Southampton. The app also shows the incorrect cabin: my amazing travel agent sent an email last month which included many gleeful exclamation marks and the fact that I was upgraded for free.

 

As a teacher in British Columbia I just had the last day of the school year on June 28. I’m still decompressing and am a bit numb, but I am excited to be spending 7 out of the next 9 weeks on 3 different cruise ships on two cruise lines.

 

This will be my first cruise on Princess. Please share any tips for a Princess newbie! I have been cruising since 2010 and am an Ambassador on NCL. I have only cruised on NCL except for two unfortunate cruises on a line that rhymes with Barnival.

 

When I’m not teaching I am reading, writing, painting, hiking, stand up paddleboarding, enjoying Vancouver with friends, traveling, making travel plans, researching ports and taking care of my dad who now has dementia. 
 

Today when I spoke with my dad to say farewell I made him write a note next to his computer to “press send after writing an email.” When I travel I write my dad every day and I tell him I know he’s still alive when he responds. On my Spring Break cruise on the Breakaway he forgot to press send for several consecutive days and I was as worried as a cruise buffet crew member when the cookies run out!

My “home” on Cruise Critic has been the NCL boards and I feel like a kid starting a new school as I say hello to you on the Princess boards. I look forward to your advice and to inviting you to adventure with me on my first transatlantic crossing and my first Princess cruise!

[YVRteacher]

Here is a link to my last live trip report

 

[YVRteacher]

All packed and ready to go! After a disastrous suitcase-squashing-in-the-airport situation I switched to carry on luggage only. I use the Briggs and Riley compression luggage and this has been a game changer for travel. 
 

Inside the suitcase is a small packing cube stuffed with undies, socks and bras

 

and a medium packing cube containing a bathing suit, swim cover up, one long sleeve Nike quick dry top, tank tops, dressy shirts and some flowy yet light dressy tops. I did not pack an outfit for formal nights. I don’t even own heels and if I did I would trip in them.

[ceilidh1]

I cannot wait to hear your impressions of Princess. I certainly hope the actual cruises are better than the disaster that was the pre-cruise app. Believe me, you are not alone in your frustrations with that one!

[arizonaperson]

@YVRteacher love your style of writing already. Love your title, fits all the lands you will be visiting ,clever. I’ll be following along on your live cruise journey. And don’t worry about not having heels. Heels  are not required for formal nights. Just wear whatever “non trip “ shoes & outfit you’ve got packed to the dining room on formal nights, you should be fine. I am totally impressed that you have carry-on for your cruise and for 7 weeks at that.
I’m sure you already know that there are self run laundry facilities on most decks of Princess cruises and you can take your own soap with you or you can purchase it in the laundry room. Most of the laundry rooms have a fee to wash and dry. 

Enjoy your summer vacation.

Edited July 3 by arizonaperson

[Travelicious]

I've been waiting for this.  We are booked on the Island Princess (also 1st time on Princess) in 2026, so looking forward to your take on this ship.  Hope it treats you well!

[dickinson]

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[YVRteacher]

1 minute ago, arizonaperson said:

@YVRteacher love your style of writing already. I’ll be following along on your live cruise journey. And don’t worry about not having heels. Heels  are not required for formal nights. Just wear whatever “non trip “ shoes & outfit you’ve got packed to the dining room on formal nights, you should be fine. I am totally impressed that you have carry-on for your cruise and for three weeks at that.
I’m sure you already know that there are self run laundry facilities on most decks of Princess cruises and you can take your own soap with you or you can purchase it in the laundry room. Most of the laundry rooms have a fee to wash and dry. 

Enjoy your summer vacation.

Thank you for the reassurance about not needing heels!

One of my students gave me a gift card to a local environmental store so I bought some laundry soap sheets and have packed those and some dryer sheets. I also plan to do the undies-get-washed-in-the sink thing. Since I packed  so lightly for this adventure I had to leave my travel clothesline behind.

[YVRteacher]

3 minutes ago, Travelicious said:

I've been waiting for this.  We are booked on the Island Princess (also 1st time on Princess) in 2026, so looking forward to your take on this ship.  Hope it treats you well!

Thank you! I have heard so many wonderful stories from Princess cruisers. 

[YVRteacher]

3 minutes ago, dickinson said:

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Thank you! I’m so excited!

[muffydawg]

Congratulations on your decision to try Princess!

 

Hubby and I are loooong time Princess cruisers having been married years ago on the Dawn Princess. While our  Island Princess is 3 months from now, there are many things we do regardless of the ship: 1). use embarkation day to explore the ship and get the "lay of the land". (In the old days we'd confirm our dining rezzies with the maitre d)--; 2). explore the Shops of Princess, 3). participate in the Muster Drill on embarkation day, 4). check out the bars and choose a venue for "Happy Hour", 5). review the Princess Patter for daily activities & shows, 6). scope out the casino, and 7). unwind and enjoy the adventure that lies ahead.

 

Have a wonderful time!

[CptBoatface]

Scurrying up new anchor chains are we?  May it go well 🐀!

[arizonaperson]

@YVRteacher most of the Princess ships have a clothesline in the shower/ bath so you can wash your clothes all of them in the self laundry or in the sink.

Edited July 3 by arizonaperson

[YVRteacher]

I am all checked in for my flight!

 

It seems they forgot a few things on the checklist, though…

Let’s change “1 passenger” to “1 super-excited passenger”

Let’s also review other flight key items

 

stretchy pants all ready to go✅

airplane snacks❎ (I already ate them)

empty water bottle✅

upgrade to business class for an additional $3000❎

audiobooks loaded on the Libby app✅

 

 

Edited July 3 by YVRteacher

[LizikinsLivesToCruise]

Following. Thanks for sharing your vacation with us.

[YVRteacher]

I will be cruising solo for 5 weeks then cruising with my dad for what I think may be our final cruise together for the last two weeks of the summer.

 

Yes, I paid a solo supplement on Princess. I was in a terrible car accident in 2017 (I was hit from behind while stopped at a red light and was not at all at fault) and finally decided to use the settlement money.

 

At the advice of everyone I know who cruises Princess, I have Princess Plus.

 

I am looking forward to all the perks, especially the two desserts. At first I thought it was two fancy desserts for the whole cruise then I found out it was two desserts per day! I have stretchy pants in three different sizes: the smallest ones did not get packed!

 

When I first booked this cruise I needed to create a profile with Princess. I mistakenly scrolled too far and entered the incorrect birth year. I couldn’t change this and my travel agent couldn’t change this so I had my first phone call with Princess. Let me tell you, it was a doozy. The woman yelled at me and I kept telling her to be nice since I was a customer. She couldn’t fix the issue and I asked her to transfer me to someone else. The someone else was incredibly knowledgeable and efficient and fixed the incorrect birthday immediately. She also helped me reset my login and password. I mentioned to her that the first agent had not been kind.

 

30 minutes later I received a phone call from a supervisor at Princess. She said she had listened to the recording of the phone call with the first agent and was horrified with how the agent had conducted herself. The supervisor apologized and said this is not the standard they expect from their agents. She then said as a gesture of good will she would like to offer me a free specialty dining meal and she suggested Crown Grill. I mentioned that I’m a vegetarian so she countered with Sabatini’s.

 

What are your favourite items at Sabatini’s?

 

I have not yet booked this restaurant because how do I know this far in advance which night I want spaghetti??

 

 

[ceilidh1]

Burata. Get the Burata.

[muffydawg]

@YVRteacher We also purchase a future cruise credit during each voyage. Should you enjoy your Island Princess voyage sooooo much that you'd sail with Princess again, feel free to stop by the cruise consultant desk on board and purchase one.

[arizonaperson]

@YVRteacher

at Sabatini’s Italian

when you get onboard and when Sabatini’s is open on the first night( probably at 5 pm, or when there may be somebody staff wise hanging around at 4:30 go in person and ask). Ask when Italian night is in the main dining room. This is usually when I go to Sabatini‘s. You may also want to ask them if they can prepare any off menu items for vegetarians.

Here’s what I believe is on the menu, a vegetarian soup or Insalata mista salad and you choose one of those. Under Antipasti I don’t see any vegetarian items and primi piatti course I see a porcini mushroom risotto or you choose Penne primavera. Second Piatti course Parmesan Melanzane.. And desserts I don’t have a list of, but you should be good there.

 

hope you see your specialty dining somewhere listed in your dining app or Reservations or somewhere on your itinerary because that could become a problem if they gave it to you complementary and nobody on the ship can see it and you can’t prove it. Hope you’ve already thought of all that ,but one time our travel agent gifted it to us, and we could not find it anywhere in our itinerary and we never had “ certificate “ in our room ( when they use to do it that way) so always pays to be prepared 

Edited July 3 by arizonaperson

[dickinson]

They may try to sell her the packages that cost a lot.  If you are interested in sailing again within the next 12 months then purchase a future cruise deposit for $100 which will also get you some onboard credit.  It is refundable if not used.  It can be purchased on the app while onboard the ship.

[tulok]

Had 2 orders of Burrata

[ceilidh1]

4 minutes ago, tulok said:

Had 2 orders of Burrata

 

My favourite!

[arizonaperson]

Burrata looks very good,but wonder why they don’t have it listed as vegetarian? So that’s the only reason why it didn’t mention it in my previous post.

[cruiseny4life]

Can't wait to hear about all your exploits on this foreign cruise line, Princess. Foreign to us, that is. Princess is an option whenever we make our way to Alaska. Just gotta get past that formal dress.

 

Safe travels through Newark! I'm so excited for you!

Edited July 3 by cruiseny4life

[YVRteacher]

36 minutes ago, muffydawg said:

@YVRteacher We also purchase a future cruise credit during each voyage. Should you enjoy your Island Princess voyage sooooo much that you'd sail with Princess again, feel free to stop by the cruise consultant desk on board and purchase one.

Excellent advice! Thank you! (I may already have another Princess cruise or two already booked…)