ILShipmates

I know this has been talked about, but can't seem to find the exact answer.

I used my points for the last cruise I took. I have points to use again on my up coming cruise. I am confused about the new statement credits. It says I have 48 number of days left to use 15,000 points and another 96 days to use 15,000 points.

When I click on it it says please note you can redeem only 1 time against a transaction. Are these points the same as the ones I have collected or are they extra points I can use? I thought we had 3 years to use our points?

Am going out on a limb, and guessing you are talking about Credit Card points??? Don't have a Princess credit card, and have never heard of any other points associated with booking a Princess cruise.

Looking for clarification from people who have "been there done that." The Princess website specifically says OBC can only be used for excursions booked after on the ship, not reserved before the cruise. I have seen some people on here saying it can be done, I believe it was in reference to an Alaska cruise. Does it differ by cruise destination? We are going to the Baltic.

I will preface this by saying "I may be wrong", but... I know this was an issue toward the end of 2016. Princess stopped allowing you to book excursions from your Personalizer without paying for them in advance. It was my understanding that decision was reversed.?. I prebooked excursions for my last cruise in Jan. and they were paid for from OBC during the cruise. Did things change again??????

My DW and I, who normally book inside cabins, are looking at doing something a bit different for our next Caribbean cruise and booking an obstructed balcony cabin for our next one (the ones on Deck 8) on the Royal Princess. Specifically, the regular ones not the deluxe.

 

My question is does anyone have any advice as to what cabins to book or not to book in that category?

Look at the link above, but if they are available, the absolute best are the bumpout ones directly over the shops (starboard). The same ones port side are over Crooners, so don't know about noise. These balconies have no obstruction and are often larger than the typical. Even the worst obstructed balcony has a view.

The only ships with a retreat pool are the Royal and the Regal.

 

Based on my experience on the Royal it is not heated in January or if it is heated, not to a comfortable warm temperature.

What is in a name? Yes, Royal and Regal have Retreat Pool, but most of the ships have similar pools just called different things like, Spa Pool, Lap Pool, and Lotus Pool or Sanctuary Pool.

I'm planning a cruise on the Caribbean Princess. We are getting interior rooms. Should we choose Aft or Mid-Forward? There is a 10.00 difference between fat and mid-forward. I'm not sure if it makes a difference. There are also forward cabins for the same price as the Aft rooms.

 

Opinion? TIA!

From experience, probably not a lot of difference as far as movement. There may be more noise from mechanics the closer you are to the rear.

Hi all,

 

Lots of questions keep cropping up now that we have booked our first cruise. Any help with these would be most appreciated:

 

What drinks are available included in the cabin fare please without buying a drink package?

 

For example at meal times I would like to presume tea, coffee and water are available without charge?

 

In the cabin is there a kettle for an early morning cup?

 

At the bar would just iced water be offered?

 

Do the ships have ice cream available for the kids mid afternoon? I read somewhere that some ships have a machine where they can help themselves whenever they like?

 

We are booked on Crown Princess as per below.

 

Many thanks

Mark

fishywood did q pretty good job of answering the questions. As far as the first question, some additional information.

Dining rooms... Breakfast - Coffee, tea and a variety of fruit juices; LunchSupper - Coffee, tea (hot or cold)

Buffet area... same as dining room but also lemonade. There should also be a hot chocolate machine.

If you want soda but don't want to buy the soda and more card, bring your own soda and take it with you when you eat.

We are sailing on Crown next month, our first time with Princess for several years. We have a balcony cabin.

 

1 Are bathrobes provided in the cabin?

 

2 Is fruit provided in the cabin, and, if so, is it refilled?

 

Thanks

1. With the robes, you will probably have to ask for them. I think only one time have the robes been in the closet when we boarded.

2. ?? There should be an order form in your cabin on what fruit you want, if not ask your steward or call room service.

11:00 was our Cruise Critic Meet & Greet. Thanks again to VettPrincess for organizing it.

I see that the M&G was on the Horizon Terrace. How was that arranged as Princess usually puts the M&G in Club 6?

Thanks for doing this, I read that they replaced the steak, on the "Princess Favorites" portion of the menu with a burger. I saw from your post that it is true. That is really cheap of them. We are taking this same cruise in February , so I will be following u on your journey. Have fun[emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

It is not so much that they replaced the steak with a burger, more that when they introduced Curtis Stone specials that those wiped out most of the standard options on the "Favorites" menu. I think that met with a lot of resistance, so some of the old ones, like Salmon, have come back. The steak still is gone, however it was never a preference of mine. It always turned out tough. There are typically better beef options on the main menu.

Will be on the 12/18 Regal sailing. Just curious what movies will be playing.

Thanks in advance.

try this link from current cruiser.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161211/8a2eba6f51f25aa92bc9eb1e15002710.jpg

Thanks for the tip about the casino. Might use it! I understand that OBC from Princess (the OBC I am getting is from Princess, not the TA)is non-refundable...true?

Usually the only refundables are anything you put into it, and the Military OBC.

Your pictures are amazing!!! Thanks for posting the Amber Cove ones, being a new port of call for Princess, I know many cruisers will be very interested in seeing it. Your pictures make me wish I were there now. Loved the rainbow pictures. You are one good photographer. I'll be following along the whole way.

 

Cheers - Ken & Darlene

Hey, Ken & Darlene

You take some pretty awesome pictures also. Loved yours from last January. It looks like we will just keep missing each other. You are going to be on the Regal the month after us coming up, and on the Caribbean the cruise before us in Jan. 2018. We were on the retreaters cruise this year, but chose the full Panama trip for October 2017 instead. Maybe someday we will connect up again.

Wayne & Jan

I can see from the picture that E330 has a lifeboat directly under it.

 

Many cabins have actual photos but this cabin does not. I understand that if I look down, I'll see the lifeboat. My question is if I look straight out from the balcony is the view unobstructed?

If you stand at your balcony rail, there is no obstruction. Any obstruction would be from the railing down.

Hi, I did a search and can't find and answer to my question. Hoping you all can help me.

 

We are sailing on the Regal and we have booked both a side aft balcony and an aft interior. The cabins are across the hall from one another, but it looks on the deck plans that the interiors are separated by a hallway. So I am wondering where are the doors to the interior cabins located? Are the doors facing the balcony cabins or is there a hallway in between the interior cabins?

 

Thank you! :)

I'm sure that what you are referring to is just a service corridor. The insides will open to the main hall.

We are sailing on the Princess Caribbean in 2 weeks and I am tying up some loose ends with the help of the cruise critic. I like my coffee on the balcony and have purchased a coffee card. Do you think there would be a problem asking to have my 20 oz insulated mug filled at the IC each morning?

As long as you are going to the IC to get it there shouldn't be a problem.

Can anyone help me determine the difference between a Deluxe Balcony and a regular Balcony cabin? Also what is the difference between a BE category and a BF category. They seem to be in the same section of the ship. I'm looking at cruises on the Regal and Royal. Thanks in advance for any help.

The difference between BF & BE is the deck. Higher and lower front are BF (lowest class regular balcony), while the middle decks in the front are BE. Princess classification has the ship divided into 5 sections front to back with the middle being a higher category and decreasing as you go forward or to the rear. Each of those 5 sections are also divided into 3 between lowest deck and highest. The middle decks are a higher category than the top or bottom decks. Thus classifications ranging from BA (best cabin) to BF (least desirable cabin). Confusing? It is even worse on ships that have the new "Club Class" cabins.

 

Here is the offer on the Royal Princess :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Could the price be dependent on the length of the cruise. Our 10 day was $199.

What is the name and where do you get the plastic sleeves that you

put your Princess luggage tags in

You can get them from the Cruise Critic store.

Hopefully this link works...

http://www.cruisecritic.com/store/product.cfm?ID=46

My family is scheduled to travel round trip, Panama Canal on the Coral Princess this January. We have just reached Platinum Level. It is my understanding that we do have expedited boarding. Is this indicated at any place on the boarding pass. Thanks for the hellp.

If you booked the cruise prior to turning Platinum, your boarding pass may not say Preferred boarding pass. If this is the case call Princess to reset your documents showing the new status. I had to do that when I turned Platinum.

There are no perks I am loosing from original TA. New TA has OBC that enticed me to move to them instead of going right back to Princess. I was just confused about our original promotion (AIBP).

So its possible you cannot move from TA to TA? I would have to ask Princess?

You will not loose your AIBP. It is a little harder to move from TA to TA. I do it all the time moving my booking from Princess to my TA, but this is slightly different. The only drawback is if your original TA has a cancel fee.

Your new TA should be able to help you through the process. If they can't, I'd question their experience.

Alaska, May 27 2017... Northbound ... Coral .... We chose E 737 and felt so sure that this was a great location that we asked for no upgrade. We are on this aft deck all alone, while many other locations nearly full. I am starting to wonder.....did we choose poorly.

 

Another thing I wonder about, could this section be sold to a "group" and we be asked to move?

Not sure what you mean "on this aft deck all alone"? Your deck is private, but the back deck is a public area and, at least when we were there, had no chairs, etc. Your balcony partition abuts the public area. We were in an inside (E729) and could occasionally hear music (especially bass) from the lounge below. Balconies may not be as bad since they partially overhang the promenade deck.

Being new to the Regal Princess, can someone tell me what "Crab Shack" is all about?? Is it a restaurant? or offerings in MDR or Lido buffet? What is offered and where?? Thanks in advance for any explanation(s). :confused::)

The Crab Shack is an informal cost added ($29pp) food option for your evening meal (6-9pm). It is located in the Horizon court Bistro area. Dinner consists of a crab pot with crab legs, clams and other seafood and veggies. It is sit down dining and is only offered a couple times per cruise.

Sorry I have no idea as I did not look at any clocks really. I just kept my watch on ship time which I assume is the same as St. M. Time. I can't confirm for sure though.

We were there a couple of weeks ago and had a similar experience. I don't remember seeing any clocks while on shore, or at least none that disagreed with my watch. In looking back at the Patter for St. M, there is no mention of a different time zone and we didn't reset any times. Everything ran according to ship time.

I was on the Regal for the repo from NY and it appeared that the Crab Shack was offered pretty much every night. I was surprised because in the past it was only held a couple of times.

 

Maureen

Maybe I'm wrong Maureen, but I looked back at the patters for that cruise (we were on it also) and could only find Crab Shack offered 3 times. But then there was a lot going on during that cruise.

 

Sorry to disagree. We have found it is always listed in the welcome aboard Patters. Back page, dining option list. You need to look closely or you will miss it. It is shown as "lunch" in one of the three MDRs listings.

 

Well, I hate to disagree. Although it may be listed in some Patters, I have in front of me the Welcome aboard patter from the same cruise that jrzebird was on, and it does not list any time for lunch in the MDR of the first day. On the other hand, I can confirm that it is available since we ate there. It is open till 1pm.