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Cruise Ship City – Petersburg, Sint Maarten

November 21, 2023 / Ben Lloyd / 0 Comments

We’re awake early again this morning, to discover that Sky Princess is the first cruise ship in a long line sailing into Petersburg, Sint Maarten. Eventually six ships dock, disgorging more than 10,000 passengers.

The cruise terminal itself is not unlike Antigua’s (albeit much, much larger and slightly shinier) with lots of duty free shops and bars trying to part travellers from their cash. There is jewellery, clothing, liquor and perfume – just like an airport duty free area, but with sunshine.

The walk into town is fairly straightforward and the pavements are generally well-maintained. I guess they have to be when you have 10,000 or more passengers making the trek each day.

Despite hearing that the local Hard Rock Café (HRC) may be closed, we can see its sign from our balcony. So we head along the “Boardwalk” just to make sure – we don’t have any specific destination in mind. The view is suitably tropical, with palm trees, turquoise waters and white sand stretching the length of the bay. Sadly the weather is a bit mixed so there are a few light showers as we walk. To be honest, the damp and the light breeze are a little bit of a relief from the heat and humidity in between.

The walk is punctuated by the smell of barbecued meat and bar-side entertainers who are singing and dancing. There’s also a man selling fresh coconut punches (of course). In the distance our cruise ship towers over the bay.

Eventually we reach the HRC and discover that yes, it is permanently closed. The downstairs floor is now occupied by some kind of clothing shop. The upstairs still looks like the restaurant could re-open tomorrow – sans memorabilia.

We have also heard that Front Street (Vorstraat) is worth a look, at least in terms of duty free shopping. We head one block back from the sea and immediately run into a problem. The pavements are narrow and really badly maintained this far west on the street and there are no drop curbs anywhere. Progress with the mobility scooter is impossible. Back to the Boardwalk.

Top tip: The pavements in Petersburg are fine(ish) – so long as you stay in the very busiest parts of town. The moment the quality of the shops decline, so too does the sidewalk. So if you’re travelling with a mobility scooter, don’t go too far west along Front Street. Also be prepared for a bumpy ride because of the block paving.
The Boardwalk is smooth cement for its entirety, so so long as you aren’t planning on shopping, it’s a better choice for scooters and wheelchairs.

After a few blocks we try Front Street again and find that although not perfect, the pavement has improved. The block paving is still quite uneven and Linda likens it to the toning plates found in gyms! We pass dozens of stores selling designer labels and jewellery, many of which have staff eagerly inviting us in. Thankfully they are far less pushy than their counterparts in Antigua which makes this stop more enjoyable.

Contender for weird moment of the trip: As we passed a beauty parlour, a lady said to Linda, ‘I like your hair. Is it a wig?’

At the old Guavaberry Rum distillery we do a very quick geocache (#GC3EEPY), then head back to the Boardwalk. We stop at the Lazy Lizard bar and Linda samples the guavaberry colada – it’s not too bad, sweet and slightly fruity. It’s also 2-for-1, so we get two for $10 USD. There are some picnic benches on the beach under the palm trees which are a great place to hang around for an hour or so – especially as there is a slightly heavier rain shower while we drink.

Top tip: St Maarten is a Dutch territory, so technically the local currency should be the Euro (€). However, the locals are determined to hold on to the Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ANG) instead. Not that it matters because every bar and shop advertises prices and accepts payments in US dollars ($).
And if you have a Revolut card, it doesn’t matter at all.

Back on board, it is time to relax in the Wake Bar watching intermittent rain showers sweep over Petersburg. It’s still very warm – far too warm for our British sensibilities.

Our departure is somewhat delayed because there is a queue of ships waiting to leave port, and so we trail the other out. These ships are so brightly lit it looks like they are on fire…

Would we visit St Maarten and Petersburg again? Probably not. And certainly not until Linda is fully mobile again. If we were passing this way on a cruise ship in future we would definitely try out the local zipline (it’s massive!) and make a trip out to the world-famous Maho Beach to watch the jets landing at the airport.

Back on Dry Land. Briefly.

November 21, 2023 / Ben Lloyd / 0 Comments

After nine days at sea, we’re back on dry land today. We wake early, just in time to watch Sky Princess pulling into the port of St John’s (yes another one), this time in Antigua.

We sail past a collection of very expensive homes and exclusive beach resorts before pulling into dock, right in the centre of the city. Alongside a large Aida ship and another from Oceania Cruises. It’s the first day we have had sunshine on our giant balcony but we can’t sit and enjoy breakfast out there because 2000 German tourists are staring into our stateroom.

Top tip: Use your net curtains – people in other ships really are looking in. Probably judging your ~~cabin~~ stateroom.

One of the local beachfront bars is blasting loud music and there are thousands of tourists everywhere. The sun is shining, there’s a slight breeze and sporadic clouds crossing the horizon.

Eventually we head down to Deck 4 which is almost level with the dock – perfect for the mobility scooter. Then it’s just a short walk to the town.

Past security, there is a small shopping village, reminiscent of Braintree Freeport (but with more sunshine). We have no idea if the duty free shops are stocking genuine Nike/Longines/Jimmy Choo etc etc – or if they are knock-offs aimed at the cruise market. There is also an army of locals offering taxis and hair braids – and some are more aggressive than others.

The town is heaving – there must be 6000 or 7000 cruisers in port today – and there are only 22,000 locals on the entire island.

We travel a few blocks past the cruise terminal and are forced to give up. The poorly maintained pavements and roads are too much for the mobility scooter. We’ve also got no specific destination in mind, we’re just wandering. Given that neither of us are particular fans of hot weather – or persistent, insistent street traders – we turn back to the ship.

Top tip: Why is camouflaged clothing illegal in Antigua? Two reasons. First, to ensure you are not mistaken for military. Second, camouflage is often associated with criminal gangs.

Is this for real? Absolutely. You could face a $2000 fine and up to one year in prison. And the ban applies to children too. So when your cruise line tells you not to wear camouflage clothing, don’t.

We’ve been back on dry land – but not for long. Linda is pleased to see a real Caribbean palm tree though.

Back on board, we take advantage of everyone else being ashore to snag some sunbeds on the main deck – which is nice.

Later in the evening I stumble across a cruise duck at the Elite Lounge event in the Vista Lounge. I used to think the ducks were an urban legend, but Linda was a true believer. As usual, she was right.

Thanks to P&P Geib of the Cruising Ducks Facebook group for proving me wrong. Again.

Flying Fish at the Front of the Ship

November 18, 2023 / Ben Lloyd / 0 Comments

This is our first time travelling at the front of the ship and it has been interesting. Since leaving the Azores, Sky Princess has been skirting the edge of a huge low pressure system that stretches from the US Eastern Seaboard all the way across the Atlantic back to Europe.

Ships creak. Who knew?

The storm has created a sizeable swell and Sky Princess rocked and rolled quite violently for two days. Personally, we quite enjoy the rough weather because it’s one of the few times you actually feel like you’re on a ship. Apparently we are in a minority however, judging by the bitching and carping taking place on the Facebook forums. Some people are horrified to discover that ships creak!

Top tip: Pick a point in the distance and walk in a straight line towards it as quickly as you can when the sea is rough – this will reduce swaying and staggering around the deck. You could also try drinking less too.

Although the wind has been strong and the water rough, the air temperature has been increasing steadily. Which means we were able to sit outside for a while this afternoon enjoying the sunshine.

Fun at the front of the ship

Later in the afternoon I take the opportunity to sit on our balcony for a while. And I see some tiny blue flying fish jumping out of our wake and gliding across the waves. It’s the first time we’ve ever seen flying fish which is quite exciting – and I’m sure it is to do with the location of our cabin at the front of the ship.

Top tip: Choosing a cabin at the front of the ship has advantages and disadvantages. You get a better view of the sea which has not been disturbed by the ship’s wake for instance – you would not see flying fish at the rear of the vessel.

However, as the ship cuts through larger waves, the water slams against the hull. This can be quite loud on lower decks.

I tried to take some photos of the flying fish but they were rubbish, so I advise going somewhere to see them in person for yourself. Enjoy a pic of the sunset instead:

Sick 360 Dude

November 16, 2023 / Ben Lloyd / 0 Comments

At some point in the night, Sky Princess pulled a 180º and started heading back to the Azores. Apparently there was a medical emergency and now we need to evacuate the patient to a hospital on land.

The Captain tells us this at 7am over the ~~cabin~~ stateroom loudspeaker. Linda and I had been wondering why we finally had some sunshine on our balcony.

A few hours later we see a helicopter flying low towards the ship. The patient is winched from the top deck and the Sky Princess performs another 180º, resuming her journey west. Sick 360 Captain Fortezze!

Because the weather is so nice, we spend a few hours in the afternoon sat on deckchairs in the ‘secret’ area on Deck 7. Linda snoozes while I catch up on some work. It’s all very civilised and quite relaxing.

By 11pm we have made up the ‘ground’ lost by doubling back on ourselves. Which means that we have effectively wasted the day we lost on shore in Ponta Delgada. Unlike the moaners on the Sky Princess Facebook forums, we’ve had a good day though – and we hope whoever it was airlifted off ship makes a quick recovery.

Apparently we are still going to arrive in Antigua on schedule on Monday though…

Ponta Del-Nada

November 14, 2023 / Ben Lloyd / 0 Comments

This morning we were awoken at 6:30am by an announcement over the cabin PA system. Due to a Portugal-wide strike by maritime harbour pilots we will not be stopping in Ponta Delgada today after all. Which is quite annoying because we are right outside the port, the city clearly visible just a few hundred metres away. But apparently it is illegal to dock without a local pilot on board, so…

Humiliatingly, a jet passes overhead coming in to land at Ponta Delgada, mocking us as we pull away from the island.

…so instead we have an unexpected sea day. Which we will spend doing absolutely nothing. This gives me an opportunity to comment on the most unlikely travel news story of the day.

Luton Airport is the Best UK Airport

According to a report out today, Condé Nast Traveller magazine readers have voted London Luton Airport as the UK’s best.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Surely this has to be a joke. In our experience, Luton has to be one of the worst airports in the world. It’s probably even worse than Stansted – and that’s saying something.

This raises two questions. First, what is wrong with Condé Nast readers? I thought this was a well-respected top-tier travel journal.

Second, have any of these readers actually been to Luton? The fact that London City, the UK’s fastest and most efficient airport, was voted into second place confirms that this poll must be some kind of prank.

Top tip: London Luton Airport is 35 miles – and 90 minutes drive – from central London. Which is even further out than Gatwick. Skip Luton if at all possible, it’s a dump.

Ultimate guide: How to get free drinks on a Princess Cruise

November 13, 2023 / Ben Lloyd / 0 Comments

Are you too cheap to buy a drinks package? Maybe cruising on a shoestring budget? Then you will be pleased to discover it is still possible to get a few free alcoholic drinks on a Princess Cruise.

Captain’s Champagne Waterfall

The first formal night of every Princess Cruise features the Captain’s Champagne Waterfall. Taking place in the piazza area, one of the senior officers will begin festivities by pouring a bottle of ‘champagne’ into the top of the waterfall. Guests are then invited to do the same whilst posing for photographs. Meanwhile, stewards circulate among the crowd dispensing free ‘champagne’, mimosas or alcohol-free punches.

Liquor Tasting Events

The Shops of Princess run at least one liquor promotion per voyage. These events will typically involve complimentary liquor tasting too. If you can resist the hard sell, you can sample a few drinks in the Shops of Princess for free. Check your Princess Patter or the Journey View Timeline in the Medallion Class app for details.

Achieve Elite Status

If you achieve Captain’s Circle platinum status or above, you will be invited to an elite loyalty party. There is a limited selection of free wines, beers and cocktails for attendees. And don’t forget to take your invitation along – you’ll be entered into the raffle to win a bottle of ‘champagne’.

To reach Captain’s Circle Platinum status you will need to complete at least 5 cruises or spend 50 days at sea.

Win A Quiz

Princess ships offer at least two trivia quizzes each day – and the prize is often a bottle of ‘champagne’. Some of the nightly game shows also give a bottle champagne to contestants whether they win or not.

Win Champagne Ring Toss

Throw a hoop over a bottle of fizzy wine to win. Simple. The champagne ring toss event takes place once each cruise in the Piazza.

Attend An Art Auction

Register for, and attend, one of the art auctions. You don’t have to buy anything, but you will get at least one glass of free ‘champagne’ if you can sit through the session. You also get to see people throwing thousands of dollars at some truly questionable artworks.

Go Shopping

Get up early for one of the Mimosa sessions in the onboard shops (usually at Effy jewellers) which take place around 9:30 am. Expect to face a hard sell though!

Check the daily Princess Patter newsletter for other drinks-led shopping promotions. There is typically one each sea day.

Lose A Lot Of Money

This one is really easy – lose a lot of money in the casino. Doing so may earn you an invitation to join the Gaming Circle. Members of the circle are often invited to attend a free cocktail party at the beginning of the cruise.

Make friends with a bartender

Very occasionally the bar teams make an order incorrectly or double-up by accident. If you’re sat at the bar (and very lucky!) they may give you the extra drink free. But if you’re not paying to drink, you’re not likely to be sitting at the bar making friends with the bar staff.

Why you should buy a drinks package anyway

Buying a drinks package does significantly increase the cost of a Princess Cruise, but we still reckon it provides good value for money.

You get up to 15 alcoholic drinks and unlimited soft drinks and mocktails each day
ALL gratuities are included, so no surprise surcharge at the end of your cruise.
Internet access for one device is included (and yes, you can switch devices on Princess)
No additional charges for room service or in-app food/drink orders

Whether you choose Princess Plus or Princess Premier is up to you. The wines in the Premier package are undoubtedly better and the two meals at the speciality dining restaurants are nice – but we can’t justify that particular uplift.

Sky Princess is huge

November 11, 2023 / Ben Lloyd / 0 Comments

As predicted, we can see Sky Princess from the window in room 505 – and it’s huge. It also looks quite close, which is exciting.

Less exciting is the melée in the hotel foyer. There are cruisers and suitcases everywhere, all waiting for taxis to take them to the port. It is total mayhem, a potentially stressful start to the day.

We pre-ordered our taxi for 10:45 – it turns up well after 11am. Fortunately it is a large van which means there is plenty of space for our luggage and the mobility scooter. Not so cool is the fee – £15 for a 0.9 mile trip. I now wish we had walked to the dock.

The Ocean Cruise Terminal is also mayhem with thousands of people and suitcases spreading in all directions. Even the ‘priority boarding’ queue for Platinum and Elite guests is crazy long. Thankfully the assisted boarding service allows us to escape the worst of it.

Once on board, we remember – Sky Princess is huge. Really huge. Longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall huge.

And that’s actually not a good thing.

Sky Princess is huge. And that’s not a good thing

The ship has the same number of lifts as Island Princess – but there is another 1000 passengers to transport on Sky. Worse still, the lifts at the aft section of the ship are actually smaller than those on the smaller ship. We have great difficulty getting into a lift with the mobility scooter because they are always too crowded. Linda is not happy.

Top tip: The lifts at the rear (aft) of the ship are slightly less crowded. Sometimes.

When we finally get to our ‘Premium Deluxe Balcony’ ~~cabin~~ stateroom we’re thrilled by the double-size balcony. Sky Princess is huge – in some aspects. The rest of the ~~cabin~~ stateroom feels a little small however. There are fewer drawers and shelves for storage than in other rooms we have had. The additional sofa is nice, but everything feels a little little. Once we get to the Caribbean I am sure we will appreciate our super-size balcony more.

Tomorrow will be a day at sea as we head towards the Azores. The crossing of the Bay of Biscay should be fun at this time of year 😀

National Express(ish)

November 9, 2023 / Ben Lloyd / 0 Comments

Departure port: Southampton
Destinations: Ponta Delgada, Antigua, St Maartens, Grand Turk, Fort Lauderdale
Cruise Line: Princess Cruises

Check out the complete guide to travelling by coach to Southampton Cruise Terminal.

Today’s journey to Southampton will be different – we’re using National Express coaches to get from Braintree to the South Coast because we won’t be coming back to the port. Instead, we will be flying back from Miami to Heathrow, which means we can’t just leave our car in Southampton like we normally would.

Annoyingly, there are no direct National Express coach links, so it’s a two leg trip. First, Braintree to London Victoria via Stansted Airport and Stratford. The second goes from Victoria to Southampton city centre with a stop in Basingstoke.

It’s a long day and not hugely exciting, so here’s a few observations:

The coaches are not too crowded, which is nice.
The seats by the rear emergency exit have extra legroom.
London Victoria Coach Station is busy and hectic, but there’s a Sainsbury’s across the road where you can buy sandwiches and drinks.
There is a Greggs bakery inside the departures terminal – and the hot sausage rolls are very good.
Arrivals and departures take place in different buildings and you will need to cross a road between the two.
The journey into and out of London takes in some of the biggest landmarks – Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Olympic Park etc – which is great news for any one who has never seen the city.

Top tip: When travelling with a mobility scooter you must email National Express head office in advance to inform them. You can contact the assisted travel team at addl@nationalexpress.com. Doing so will ensure that the driver knows to expect you – and they will provide additional assistance in loading your luggage and scooter.

Bonus tip: Don’t try to dodge the additional luggage charge. If you are travelling with two suitcases, make sure you pay for the second one. Otherwise you can expect to be embarrassed by the driver charging you extra at the roadside.

Just how important is this advance notice? Extremely. The driver on our London to Southampton leg initially refused to load Linda’s mobility scooter citing concerns about exploding batteries. It was only after I showed him the email from head office that he changed his mind. After that, he couldn’t do enough for us, boarding us early and helping load our suitcases neatly.

The journey from Braintree to Southampton takes 5.5 hours in total. This is just under three hours longer than making the drive ourselves, so it’s not an ‘express’ option. However, Linda says that she thinks the coach is preferable to the equivalent train journey which requires multiple changes and a lot more stairs and walking between connections. It’s also a little cheaper.

Anyway, tonight we’re staying at the Moxy Southampton which we have used a couple of times before. It’s just a few hundred metres walk from Southampton Coach Station. The hotel is comfortable enough and close to the centre of the city, which means we have plenty of places to eat when we’re ready. And as always, it’s full of people waiting to join a cruise tomorrow. Feel free to strike up a conversation in the bar if you want to start making new friends early.

Top tip: Room 505 provides a good view out towards the Ocean Cruise Terminal – which means we’ll be able to see Sky Princess when we get up in the morning!

One other detail of note. Because Linda is unable to pull a suitcase, I am having to manage three. This could have been a nightmare – until I discovered the Wisdompro luggage strap. Easy to fit, the strap allows me to connect the two larger cases and drag them together. Yes it’s heavy, but also surprisingly manoeuvrable – which will be very important for our return journey in a few weeks time.

Wisdom Pro Luggage Strap

The strap is ideal for those situations when you can’t find a luggage trolley because you can link cases by their handles and pull them in a ‘train’.
This pack includes two straps, so you could conceivably attach a third suitcase too if needed.

Buy Now

The Wisdom Pro strap performed brilliantly, making the short walk from Coach Station to hotel much, much easier than expected. A good travel accessory investment in my opinion.

Will the UK’s Proposed Drip Pricing Ban Apply to Cruises?

November 7, 2023 / Ben Lloyd / 0 Comments

The King’s Speech today outlined UK government plans to ban drip pricing. It will be interested to see how serious they are about this issue – and whether the legislation extends to cruise lines.

What is drip pricing?

Drip pricing describes the way an operator offers a very low starting fare – and then keeps adding ‘extras’ during the checkout process. Budget airlines, like Ryanair, are famous for using this technique to turn a £15 headline price into a £60 (or more) bill by the time you complete the purchase.

A picture of a water drop demonstrating the principle of drip pricing — Drip, drip, drip

It works like this:

You see a bargain fare and select your tickets. Yay, £15 flights!

Next, you’re asked whether you want to take luggage – and you’re presented with various options on a sliding price scale depending on how heavy your bags are and whether they are going in the cabin or the hold (add £7.50 per person, per flight). Your flight just doubled in price.

Then, you get to choose your seat – again, more desirable seats are more expensive (add another £7.00 per person per leg). The flight is now three times more expensive.

Finally, you get a load of additional add-ons, such as insurance, airport transfers, parking, fast track security etc etc etc.

Suddenly your flights cost 4x the headline price. At least.

Ryanair is held up as the poster boy for bad behaviour when it comes to drip pricing, but EasyJet and Wizz Air tend to be way more expensive, particularly when it comes to the luggage uplift.

Sounds familiar?

The truth is, cruise operators behave in a very similar manner. Ever seen a 7-night cruise advertised for £399? I have.

But you want a window? The price just doubled. Want a balcony? Triple the price.

Specific cabin? Add $150.

WiFi? $15 per day per device.

Drinks? $50 for each person in the cabin. Per day.

Port transfers? $80 each.

Gratuities? $16 per person per night.

Suddenly your bargain cruise is 3 or 4 times the advertised price.

If that isn’t drip pricing, I don’t know what is.

Will the government act?

So will the drip-pricing ban be applied across the travel sector as a whole? Highly unlikely.

Why? Because this measure is really only being used as a stick to beat the budget airlines. Cruise pricing isn’t even a speck on the government’s radar, let alone a part of their discussion.

A ban on drip pricing is likely to be used as an excuse to raise airfares across the board – media outlets estimate tickets will rise by as much as £80 each. And a cynic may suggest that this plan is just an excuse to price more people out of flying rather than improving the consumer experience.

The irony is that even the national flag carrier British Airways charges extra for seat selection and luggage these days too.

Are we in favour of a drip-pricing ban? Not really. It would be far more effective to educate people in how airlines and cruise operators use this system – and how it is possible to travel quite cheaply if you know what you are doing.

This is not to say we would not welcome a ban on ‘resort fees’ charged by many US hotels. Resort fees are completely unavoidable add-ons charged at checkout – whereas airline drip pricing uplifts can be dodged. And that’s just plain naughty.

Why no vlogs?

October 27, 2023 / Ben Lloyd / 0 Comments

In the age of online video, you may wonder why there are no vlogs on Journey into Darkness. But there’s a couple of really good reasons we don’t do video blogs:

Vlogs are boring

Have you ever watched a cruise junkie video? *Yawn*

We’re not into filming ourselves

Yes, Ben briefly trained as an actor, but that doesn’t mean we enjoy filming ourselves.

Missed experiences

It is impossible to fully appreciate any experience when you’re concentrating on lining up your next shot or framing composition. Yes, you captured something for your travel vlog, but you exist outside that moment. Your impressions, feelings and observations are second-hand, gathered through the viewfinder of your video camera – which makes for a less balanced or interesting review.

Ease of finding useful information

Youtube, Instagram and TikTok may be among the most popular websites today, but it is always waaaaay easier to find useful information in text form. You can search text for what you want and get a result – not so easy when the info is buried two-thirds of the way into a 40 minute monologue about balcony seating arrangements.

And if you’re really old school, you can even print out the tips you find on Journey into Darkness.

Just no

Do you know how obnoxious vloggers are?

Journey into Darkness