justafem

Here's the issue. This is a topic that's been beaten to death. There's a pinned smoking thread at the top of the page. You want to discuss? Discuss it there, but NOPE, you feel the need to keep bringing it up again and again. I'm going to be the party pooper and report this topic.

The tax is what got me to start making my own. It was a long process finding the correct blend of tobacco and tubes, many experiments. Then it was getting the right pack, with the right machine. I must have gone through 3 machines before I found the one I like best. I now make my smokes for about $10 per carton. That said, I cruised several times when covid 'laws' were in effect. I stopped going to the casino once I used my casino cash. It was a hassle redressing, catching the elevator, smoking, then reversing the process. So I stopped going. I ended one cruise with 22 points, when I normally have 10,000-20,000 points. I know my paltry donation to the casino is a drop, but there were 32 of us that didn't spend a penny of our own money. I also didn't get my complimentary steakhouse or spa visit. But considering how I didn't spend anything in the casino, I covered those costs comfortably. I'm going to smoke where I'm allowed to. If they make the casino nonsmoking, I won't frequent the casino, just as I've chosen not to go to Disney.

It looks like the survey is exactly as I would have guessed. About 13% of the US population smokes, as shown by the 13% that voted to keep smoking.

My recent experience with quarantine was the positive able to rejoin the cruise after 5 days if negative. And it counts from the first sign, not the first test. You are absolutely right on if only one test positive. If both chose to isolate, they stay in their original cabin, if only the positive chooses to isolate, they are moved. The nonpositive is tested every day for 5 days and is able to intermingle with everyone, but they do ask that they wear a mask when in public, when possible. It used to be after the 10th day. Amazing how things have changed, especially after our experience on the Grand.

I would have to do the light with the couch. Seems like such a small thing, but that couch makes all the difference in the comfort of the room to me. Walking an extra 50 feet, not so much. AND you are close to the elevators, the nonbusy elevators. That's a HUGE factor. And the truth is, ships really are small, you can get from one end to another in 4 minutes and that's if the elevators are running slow.

I bought a fishbowl on my first cruise. I bring it back every time. Where else can I get a drink the size of my head filled for $20. Was worth the initial investment!

Oh yeah. Last year, we booked a forward Caribe balcony at rock bottom pricing. We were 'upgraded' 3 times for cabins midship, but higher levels. Balconies are smaller unless on deck 10. Every time, I had to contact my TA, who contacted princess, who moved us back to our original room. Repeat 3 times. What the cruise line considers an upgrade is not always an upgrade in the customers eyes. Our plan will be booking our plus package on-board from now forward. Copious amounts of on-board credit will take the price of plus down considerably and not 'make' us spend all the on-board frivolously. Ultimately, princess will get less money out of us. Then there's the insurance that will go down too. We won't be paying an additional 8% of the plus price in insurance. If something happens, that money would be refunded from princess, so there's another lower bill. And princess gets less money.

You can print the photos from the flash. That's why you have the flash, so you can view, print, enhance or do whatever you want with those photos. Always have been. Once it's purchased, it's yours.

With the double price of the coffee and soda package, used to be $23, but now it's $48, THAT and only that makes our decision about the plus package a no-brainer. Neither hubs or I will do without our multiple trips to the coffee bar. In the past we'd get the coffee cards, and hubs would get the soda package; Then I'd miss out on having the juices. So I'd get the soda package too. But heck, we're on a cruise and I'll have 10 butter pecan latte's per day if I want. And the coffee card doesn't allow me that amount. Grats are now $16 per person. $48 + $16 is $64. So even if the internet sucks, it doesn't play into the pricing. But I want the internet. Then again, I want the internet to work. Then there's the added booze drinks, bottled water, juice and the ability to grab whatever we want, whenever we want. OR have it delivered to our room, the room service was the absolute deal breaker. 3 am butter pecans? Yes! Thank you, bring 2 would you? So for us, the plus package makes sense. Now on to our plan. We get lots of onboard, I book to get onboard. So for our upcoming 10 day we have $700+ onboard. We could buy the plus package the first day, which is now allowed and pay $500 and use up every penny of the onboard without the stress of trying to spend it all on useless crap. So in my mind, I'm paying $25 per person per day for the package. Going forward this is how we'll get that plus package, with as little out of pocket as possible. It's a game you know, get the best price on the cruise, get as much on-board as possible and have the best time. I like this plan!

It's also the ez-air. Sometimes it'll let me look, sometimes it errors out. No telling when it'll happen, it just does. Sometimes a different browser works too, or not. I have a cruise booked in April and am looking at the pricing every day. I know it'll go down, it always does and when it does, I'll book the flights. Or without flights, we'll drive, whichever way is cheapest.

I agree. BUT, they are TA's who have access to that information, all just under the cruise lines blessing. They've existed for years. Treat them like any other cold calling sales agency. Hang up or say 'do not call'. Or listen to their spiel. We're the ones with the control.

I LIKE the lanyard! I don't wear a watch, so something on my wrist would drive me nutz. Hubs bought the recycled band last year. And was going to reuse it for our next cruise. He was messing with it and broke the plastic part. So just know, they don't take much abuse, but they are cheap and something to use onboard credit on. He ordered a bunch of airpod wristbands from amazon. If they work, great and if not, we'll buy him another band on the ship

Galley tour is back. I wear comfortable. Not a slob, but I'm going to get overfull and want to have clothing that gives a little. I have little or no pretention and am just as likely to be feeling like the biggest hillbilly in the room. Not going to fake who I am!

Or you wait until you get on the ship. There'll be the vouchers with the date, time and restaurant prebooked. You CAN change this to when you want by calling DINE. If you choose to book precruise, you'll be charged but the charge will be reversed/credited either back to your card or as refundable onboard credit.

Recently saw wine packages return to carnival after going missing for a year. Hopefully that means princess isn't far behind. I leave in a couple days, I'll try to come back to this thread and tell you if I saw them or not.

I sure hope this happens. I like to use my internet onboard. That said, I KNOW princess can raise their bandwidth, I was part of the covid experience Grand princess Hawaii 2020. Internet was spotty most of that cruise and for the first day or two while we floated. There were several announcements about increasing bandwidth and 'suddenly' everything was accessible at all times. And it never went down. But that was an extremely one of a kind experience and they pay by the amount of bandwidth used. They're not going to increase bandwidth and expenses unless they have to. When we traveled with only 700 pax, internet was extremely useable, next cruise had 1700 pax, a little slower and 3500, very spotty. This was for the exact same cruises, exact same ship. Yeah, we do that. Keeping my fingers crossed for better internet access.

We always make it on the ship for embarkment day lunch. But we're group A 10;30 and normally on the ship by 11. Nice thing about being almost local. Those that travel are at the mercy of flights or other impediments. But the MDR that's open is always the main dining room, midship level 5 or 6. So looking forward to being back onboard!

PVP's have a way to make the hold longer, they get a cut of sales, so they've been given a little more power. Yup, after final payment hold time is always a day, gives you just enough time to think about it, quickly. I book frequently after final. We know when hubs can travel, cruises we're likely to go on and what I'm willing to pay. When all those things line up, I hold a room, then check if those dates are doable. When they are, I book and when they don't align, I let the hold expire. Nothing lost, kinda cool actually!

They're salespeople making cold calls. Just like any other sales related job They're going to make it seem like seem like they work directly for the cruiseline to get us to book those cruises. There are people who are going to book, then those those that know it's not the best deal and won't. Ever notice brand knock-offs? Look and kinda sound like the brand you were going for and you grab it by mistake or think it's a cheaper version of the product you already use. Same thing.

It's not exactly a scam, they'll give you what you ordered at the nonbargain price. It'll end up costing more than it would if you did the booking yourself, used a TA or a PVP. It's just a half a step above legal. Cruise companies will never admit they work with these kinds of companies, but they do. They let them block out rooms like any other TA. How a TA sells their bookings doesn't matter as long as the room is filled at the price agreed. Any TA can see your cruise history.

Now I feel cheated, I've never had entertainment at the crown. GRINS! Quality has definitely gone down, but this is a paid venue, you'd think they'd want us to keep paying the upcharge. Then again, we use our onboard and we get a lot. I only book with promotions that include onboard, use an online TA who gives me extra onboard, we have FFD and own stock. We all know the onboard has to be used and for us, this is a better meal than we get in the MDR. Not that I'm saying MDR is bad, it's just that when there are choices between a semi-inviting meal or one that we'll enjoy more, we'll always choose the enjoy more. We do the steakhouse at least 2 times in a 10 day cruise and Sabitini's at least once. We'll also do winemakers and chefs when offered. We like to eat better food. That said, if it's disappointing, we'll come up with other ways to use our onboard, but I don't need or want anymore princess giftshop crap. But we'll probably keep going and know what to expect. I sometimes cruise carnival and their steakhouse is even more disappointing, apples to grainy apples. And Kineticoh20, You got a lousy steak. Servers knew it, kitchen knew it management knew it and did the right thing in comping the meal without you raising a fuss. That's the service we DO expect. Hopefully, this isn't where ALL steakhouse meals are going. Because then, they really will lose us.

I don't think you actually purchased the package. There was a LOT of confusion a yearish ago when the program was first rolled out. Several people on our Jan 2022 cruise misread and thought plus was included in the base fare, when it wasn't. There was another price to add princess plus. I know princess hasn't offered the 3 for free promo since, well, before the restart. Your emails for the original booking would have the plus package listed in the breakdown, either from a TA or princess. I watched this exact same confusion happen with many pax.

Yup, you're only supposed to get 1 non-specialty beverage per trip, but there's noting saying you can't go through the line again immediately. Yes, the coffee, tea and hot chocolate are brewed instead of syrup that's included. And yes, they will deliver the specialty drinks to your room. But not the unlimited 'free' brewed beverages. You'll end up with the same stuff you'd get in the buffet.

Does anyone have a menu? I've googled and only seen from before 2020. I love sushi, but hubs won't touch raw, so I'm hoping there are other choices for him. And if not, I'll just grab a couple of plates and join him wherever he's eating.

I've been cruising with carnival too. Not because I especially like carnival, they just keep giving me free cruises. I finally convinced hubs to try one of my freebies. We both agreed that while it was a 'cruise', it wasn't one that we'd pay for. The differences are that profound. So, we'll cruise on princess when we want a 'real' cruise and we'll go on carnival when we can chop out that block of time and we just want to get away.