rpcv77

Silpat is the brand name for non-stick silicone baking sheets and molds. Other companies make similar products. Easy to find online or at cookware stores.

The Dungeness crab season, in the CA coastal areas, was a bust during the season because of unacceptable levels of some kind of neurotoxin. This delayed the beginning of the season by a couple of months. We sure missed our crab during the holiday season. Crab from north of CA was available locally but was quite high priced, and not too plentiful due to the late start. Recreational crabbing ended today, 7/30.

Does OP speculation in the thread title count?

Yes, op is speculating as well, but his account is a result of first hand experience. I find that easier to read than the posts of those removed from the situation. Just how I view it, of course .

I just finished reading this thread. As always with cc, I am mildly amused by folks who just can't imagine that others think or do differently than they do, or those who spend a lot of time speculating on what might or might not have happened (especially if the op never returns).

-Lost or stolen? Who knows. Sadly, bad people can crop up anywhere.

- Purses? Carry a big one, a small one or none ar all. It's up to you and your needs. No one else has to "get it". However, please do not ask me to carry your very heavy purse. :)

Is it typical for a cruise lines to ask you if you want to get a complimentary upgrade at the time of booking? I'm a first time cruiser and I wasn't sure if I should say yes. We currently have a balcony room booked mid ship. We chose this option because of the potential for motion sickness. We were asked if we would want to get upgraded to a mini-suite, if one should become available. Any thoughts?

I am not nearly as experienced as many here. My understanding is as follows.

If you absolutely do not want to move, have your TA Mark your reservation "no upgrade".

If you will only want an upgrade to a higher category (not within your current category) have reservation marked meta upgrade only.

Even with all of this, I have heard of cases where Princess still moved folks to places they did not want to be, though folks were sometimes able to go back to their original cabin.

We marked meta upgrade only, and did not find out about our good fortune until we were checking in at the pier. We were so surprised, that we thought it was a mistake. At present it seems that free upgrades are becoming increasingly rare.

Enjoy your cruise.

I have really liked cruising on Princess, but I am one who has gotten the short end of the stick on mattresses. I kept hearing about pillow top mattresses, but so far have just gotten the ones that seemed to be at the end of their useful lives. Maybe next time...

The bathroom "shaver" outlet has only two prongs so no ground prong. The outlet will accept either two flat prongs (US) or two round prongs (Europe) where only one can be used at a time. It is however a low current rated outlet and will trip if you try to pull too much current. Night lights are certainly in the very low current category and will work. We use the outlet solely to keep our toothbrushes charged.

Thank you! I always like to know how things work. Why and how are my favorite question words. I am a very proud geek!

rpcv77

Yes.. Plenty of reservation available at 5:30 or after 7:30, any other time good luck scoring a reservation for ATD on any Princess ship regardless of what time of the day you call

 

Sad but true

Srpilo

We must have been unusually lucky, as we were able to get reservations for a wide variety of times. Again, just my personal experience.

Cool Cruiser,

I can only speak to my own experience, as noted. You are a far more experienced cruiser than I am, so I'm sure your experiences have varied due to cruise volume.

Dean,

I have never heard of being able to make ATD reservations in advance of the cruise itself, even with a firm booking. Time to give up on that web site!

Dean,

That part is true! If you have anytime dining, you can call the dine line (we always call when we wake up) and make reservations for that evening. Some have reported having trouble doing this, but I never had that experience. Others report that by speaking with the maitre d' on the first night that they arrange a standing ATD for the whole cruise. Never tried that as what time we dine depends on what we're doing each day.

Since the info you got regarding headsets is years out of date, I would find a more reliable source for your Princess cruise info. The Princess site is not bad, and cruise critic members are more than willing to share recent experiences.

I wasn't aware of the special tp, but would never take up valuable packing space by bringing my own. I can live without my preferred brand for quite some time😉

As for people not putting silly things down the toilet at home, my HOA newsletter is always reminding people of what should/shouldn't be put down the toilet or garbage disposal. Most of the units are owner occupied, so even ownership doesn't confer good sense.

Your question made me curious. Just combed the princess web site and couldn't find anything. I have never seen anyone using headsphones when viewing MUTS. Do you have a link to the page?

I agree with budget queen, and as I was an Alaska newbie last year, found myself looking into excursions.As budget queen notes, you can use the same vendors that the ship uses, but book with them directly. We did that, booked well in advance and saved a good bit of money. I kept monitoring prices after I booked and they continued to rise. Yes, I saw tour vendors at the piers, but for us, it was nice to know that we were doing exactly what we wanted to do, at the time we wanted to do it. We did, spontaneously, take the Mt. Roberts tramway and found it hard to believe that folks actually booked this as a ship's excursion. We just walked up to the ticket window, bought tix (with major cc) and that was it! Have a look at the descriptions of the ship's excursions, then google and you will likely find the vendor and can book directly. Doing so in advance, will then give you more time to enjoy in each port rather than spending time looking for a tour. Have a great cruise.

If your 3 in 1 is light (i.e.weight wise and packing wise), layers can easily be added/removed and you will use it at home, then yes, it will work. I am not big on spending money on garments which will sit in your closet after your cruise. Have a great time!

Personal preferences always play a huge part in people's responses. For my first several cruises, I sailed only in balconies. Then I had an obstructed OV and found it to be just fine. When we booked Alaska, we carefully chose an obstructed OV. At check in, we found we had been upgraded to a Caribe balcony. We loved it and enjoyed using the balcony, but would not have wanted to pay for it on our own. That money was better spent on excursions and fun in port. We will continue to book obstructed OV, but Princess is welcome to upgrade us anytime 😉.

Yes, everyone has their own opinion. I have been to Ensenada several times and have had no trouble making an enjoyable time of it. If there is time, the two winery tour to the Guadalupe Valley is lovely. Wine tasting, nibbles and a free bottle of wine. In town, walk to the public fish market. Lots of small restaurants opposite the market that serve delicious fish tacos, shrimp cocktails, margaritas and beer. Wander around town. Some shops are typical touristy, some are little gems. I love to learn about everyday life when I travel, so check out local supermarkets (good liquor prices). The walk to town, to and from the ship is very short and a good way to walk off your meal. Every experience is what you make of it. Have a great cruise.

OP,

Thank you for your update. I am glad you had a great cruise. I also admire your grace with respect to those who made mean spirited comments. I love cruise critic but am always baffled by the snarky or mean spirited comments some feel compelled to make.

My younger dd, who is my cruising buddy, has serious digestive problems and food sensitivities. They are very real and she has been quite ill, at times. She tries to be prepared when traveling and is always appreciative when accommodations can be made for her. May those of you who think these things are not "real", never have to experience such things with yourself or a loved one.

Obstructed, sailed that, expect to see a life boat with indirect sunlight at best.

If you simply got to see light then pay for it. If you are budget minded go inside and get all the service etc. but save a lot for your excursions.

Not so! I have picked obstructed OV rooms on the Diamond, Grand and Crown, based on the pics on renmar's site. They were all barely obstructed, just as the pics showed. Do check out the site for choosing a great obstructed OV cabins.

https://sites.google.com/site/cabinviewbyrenmar/

(Thanks, Theo !)

You will get lots of different opinions, of course. If you won't have any use for the garment at home, look for end of season sales or lower end brands. It's hard not to go cheap if you'll never use it again. I live in Northern CA and when not in drought years, can use a rain jacket. I found a clearance sale on a packable Marmot Precip, waterproof with pit zips for heat venting. It is my travel rain jacket. I also have the Eddie Bauer rain foil parka, which I've never traveled with, but is fairly light weight. It is waterproof but is advertised as breathable and it is! The velcro, holds fast, so you can close it without the zipper and have heat venting or unzip from the bottom up. Don't spend a lot of money if you won't use the garment beyond the cruise. Have a great time!

I was on the Crown in June and there were headset jacks on treadmills and ellipticals. I imagine there are jacks on other stationery equipment as well. Enjoy!

As you can see, there are many different preferences. Weather is far from predictable, so you may take a rain jacket and never need it, or need it everyday. I like to buy things I can use when not cruising. I live in a climate that can get cool in winter and can be rainy (hopefully). So, layering a fleece under a water/wind proof jacket made sense as I can use them at home. Look for sales on line. You can find some good prices, if you're not married to one brand (many quality brands out there). I found a great sale on the waterproof Marmot Precip. It has pit zips for heat venting, stuffs into it's own pocket and can be clipped to a belt loop or backpack. Great hood and visor really keeps rain off the face. There are many great choices and sales so keep looking and you should find what you need at a fair price.

Regardless of how many cruises one has taken without insurance or how healthy one is, a medical emergency can happen to anyone at anytime. Each of us has to decide if we are willing to forfeit the cost of a cruise or deal with exorbitant medical costs should something happen before/during a cruise. To say, "I have saved xxxx dollars by not purchasing insurance" is looking in the rear view mirror and simply good luck (assuming you take reasonable care with your health and lifestyle). It could just as easily go the other way. We all need to decide how much risk we're willing to accept.

I was in a room on Caribe deck (Crown) by the fire door, this past June. I don't recall ever hearing any noise, or at least none I noticed.have a wonderful cruise.

Embarking on the Emerald this Thursday........I guess we will see what the coffee tastes like. I have never had syrup coffee before in my life. I love my coffee in the morning and will do what it takes to get a couple of GOOD cups.

I bet most of us have had liquid coffee concentrate, but may not have been aware of it. It is commonly used in restaurants or other places that have high volume needs.

There have been many threads that have dealt with trying to find out the how's and whys of upgrades. No has been successful in figuring out the secret. I sailed to Alaska this past June. Book an obstructed OV. Got to the pier, and lo and behold had been upgraded to a Caribe balcony. It was my 3rd cruise on Princess. How or why did this happen? No idea but we were very happy!