HaveDogWillTravel

Here’s the sanctuary drink menu. If you have the drink package you only pay what the drink package doesn’t cover. They will get you anything you want though. You aren’t limited to what’s on this menu.

Hmmm there’s no delivery fee in the sanctuary. Are you sure they charged you? If they were going to charge anyone it would have been me though. Lol. I order the chicken salad with a shrimp skewer from that entree and then have them add the avocado from another of the dishes to my salad. I’ve been in sanctuaries on Discovery, Grand, Island and Ruby quite a bit and have never paid a delivery fee. The menu doesn’t post one either.

Try it out for an afternoon on a sea day. Have lunch from their menu and then enjoy the beautiful afternoon tea they serve. You will not need to eat dinner that night lol. At $20 it is the best deal on the ship. And you get those lovely loungers, attentive drink service, and a hot tub private to the sanctuary (on the Discovery at least not sure about other Royal class…..yet) I love the cabanas when they are available (not all ships have them) but they are a real splurge. We got one for the week on Discovery as it was our 20th anniversary.

Pre Covid I found the wine table was often not set up if I arrived early. However post Covid it has always been set up and the folks at the scanning machine have consistently directed me to the table. I have sailed a lot since the restart and have always brought on wine. Post Covid I’ve sailed mostly out of SF but also from San Pedro and Seattle. As a side note, twice this spring I brought on a 750 ml bottle of my favorite Amalga Distillery Gin from Juneau & once brought on a bottle of wine from a port stop and all times I wasn’t charged and it wasn’t held till end of cruise. Yes I had the bottles completely out in the open in an open bag that did nothing to conceal them. These were on one Pacific Northwest and 2 Alaska sailings. Go figure. I’ve not been on a ship since June though so my information is considered old news. Lol.

While I eat the room service MC ap food all the time and like it, I will say it simply pales in comparison to sanctuary food. That’s like comparing MDR or CC breakfast to Sabatini’s specialty breakfast for full suites.

Here you go. To say the sanctuary stewards are accommodating is an understatement. They will get you any combination of things on the ship you want. The menu is exclusive to sanctuary and I love it.

I asked for those specialty tea drinks on the Ruby in June and was told they were discontinued.

Your discussion of socks and underwear is seriously funny. My DH would take 2 pairs of underwear and 2 pairs of socks for 4 days. He might even push the underwear to eight days. As he says inside out, front ways and backwards plus normal equals 4 days per pair. As I am the one who sleeps with him he’s decided he prefers our cabin to sleeping on the couches in vista lounge or sky walkers therefore he packs +1. I’ve always said you simply cannot pack too much underwear. As Jack Nicholson said “never pass up a bathroom and never trust a fart”. The older I get the more I get it and the more underwear I pack. Really looking forward to your future installments.

This statement is much clearer and does not imply they are the same thing.

This statement implies they are the same.

Real ID and Enhanced Drivers Licensees are NOT the same thing. In short Real ID cannot be used to enter the US (by itself) while an Enhanced DL CAN be used to enter from Canada, Mexico or Caribbean in place of a passport. Only a few states have EDL and California isn’t one of them. However, Princess does not require a Real ID…..https://www.princess.com/learn/faq/pre-cruise/prepare-for-your-cruise/. US citizens traveling on U.S. roundtrip or “closed-loop” voyages may also travel with an original certified US birth certificate presented together with a valid US government-issued photo identification. These voyages include: Anyone traveling without a passport really needs to read that section of the FAQs thoroughly! Also if you travel without a passport be prepared for ill informed port personnel. They were telling my nephew he couldn’t board in SF with a California Real ID & certified birth certificate. The first check in person insisted it had to be an EDL. She said they had turned away multiple people for just using a drivers license & birth cert! After getting a supervisor it was all sorted out and he boarded. But boy did border control give him a long stink eye when we disembarked. Our saying is just because the ship lets you board doesn’t mean the border cops will let you back in. Here’s the reference material on real ID and EDL if you’re interested. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/real-id/what-is-real-id/ What is a REAL ID? A REAL ID is a driver’s license or identification card that is also a federally accepted form of identification. It can be used to board a domestic flight within the U.S. and enter secure federal facilities, such as military bases, federal courthouses, and other secure federal locations. https://www.dhs.gov/enhanced-drivers-licenses-what-are-they Enhanced Drivers Licenses: What Are They? Enhanced Drivers Licenses (EDLs) are state-issued enhanced drivers licenses that provide proof of identity and U.S. citizenship. They are issued in a secure process, and include technology that makes travel easier. EDLs are a low-cost, convenient option for entering the United States from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean through a land or sea port of entry, in addition to serving as a permit to drive. DHS has been working with individual states to enhance their drivers licenses and identification documents to comply with travel rules under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), effective June 1, 2009. EDLs make it easier for U.S. citizens to cross the border into the United States because they include: A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip that will signal a secure system to pull up your biographic and biometric data for the CBP officer as you approach the border inspection booth. A Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) or barcode that the CBP officer can read electronically if RFID isn't available.

Have you noticed this cruise, barely 14 days available to book, has very limited availability? I think when I email customer relations I’ll be sure to add this to the reasons they should drop off who ever wants to get dropped off in Mazatlan then head out to sea for the eclipse viewing if there’s any chance of inclement weather. Clearly, people are booking this cruise for only ONE reason!

Absolutely agree 100%.

I meant they dropped the same day language from the suite flyer a while back. I don’t send laundry on the day before disembarkation. I’m packing anyway 😢

It was as recently as this past April. They dropped the language “same day” a while ago but it’s stayed same day in practice. Now I’ve only sailed 3 times in full suite since the restart but that’s been my experience on the Grand and the Ruby.

I’ve sailed in quite a few full suites (pre and post Covid) on Princess and I’ve never had my laundry returned in a plastic garment bag, nor have I had two ply toilet paper or a quality box of tissues provided. Ask your steward what time they need your laundry out by in order to get it back that evening. I send laundry every day and have always gotten it back on the same day. Write Full Suite Same Day on the ticket. I take pictures of the clothes sent “just in case”. Have never had any clothes damaged or lost. The number of elites on board doesn’t matter. Suites are prioritized. Your mini bar is a ONE time set up. It will definitely not be replenished. If you have a b2b or sail over multiple legs booked as one cruise then it will be provided for each segment on turn around day. Ask your steward for the MDR menus if you prefer a hard copy to reading them on the TV as you can order from MDR for room service. You will have to phone in the order though. If you can’t get thru to room service during peak times call Guest Services and explain the situation. They will put you through. The specialty dining breakfast is not to be missed. Just in case you weren’t aware mini suites are not considered full suites. The link c-boy provided gives the list of benefits. Read the fine print if your sailing is less than 6 days as some benefits are not provided on shorter sailings.

Actually I requested it because when I sailed the Discovery in April this year I used the sanctuary each day and the entrance to sanctuary is starboard. Coming and going every day we noticed a lot of traffic and the hot tub on that side was always being used. I saw a man looking over the wall to the S309 sky suite balcony as he walked from the sanctuary to the doors to the elevators. The eclipse is around noon so the sun will be high. I think the view will be great port and starboard on the upper decks. I did look at my photos from when the discovery was docked in Mazatlan last April and thought S310 was the better choice for viewing the eclipse.

And there’s a poorly marked (read lightly used) restroom just inside the door leading inside.

Shhhhhhhh! Lol. It depends on which the ship is heading and time of day. I had shade on a few afternoons.

I agree the MDR menus were not where I expected them to be on the tv. I eventually found them by clicking around. I forget where I found them. It’s been 68 days since I stepped off the Ruby. I’ve ate and slept since then and it’s all a distant memory.

All guests in full suites can order off of the MDR menus anytime it’s open. They deliver it all at once. When you first meet your steward let them know you’d like the MDR menus daily. You could look at them on the tv but I enjoy sitting on the balcony and reading them. When you pay the $$ for ultimate balcony dinner it’s served course by course. I don’t think it’s worth the money to have UBD every night. I order from MDR menu. I order my salads and once they arrive I call down and order our mains. We don’t usually eat dessert. Ordering like this from MDR menus has always worked well for us. I do hope you’ll try the specialty dining breakfast at least once.

I’m glad you moved this to its own thread. Thanks again for all your work.

I’m excited for you and all that are lucky enough to be on that sailing. I am sure you will have a really fulfilling experience. I know what you mean about not wanting to take any chances on getting a great spot to see the eclipse. Things routinely sell out 2 plus years in advance. As others have posted about their previous experiences on a Princess eclipse cruise I feel more and more confident that Princess will make this more than just being in the path of totality. Princess is pretty good at getting great guest lecturers and providing elevated experiences. Notably Panama Canal and Alaska were impressive when I did those sailings. I’ve also traveled Queen Mary 2 which is a whole other level. I wrote begging Cunard to sail the eclipse but to date they have not put out that itinerary. If we see your ship we will wave! Congratulations on getting your spot secured!

Well it is a little better. But if I’m leaving from a US port I may not scroll down far enough to see this addition. Voyages Departing, Arriving or Visiting Canada which finally does have the correct information. Seriously. I am befuddled at why Princess is finding this so hard. It. Just. Isn’t. Well here I go again, emailing my CVP and Princess management.