Buckeye10640

Still confused about CN versus CF.  We used CN for our August 2024 cruise. We have 2 cruises booked for 2025 with deposits and did not use CN or CF for deposit.   Can I buy CNs in August and apply them towards the balances on the 2 cruises? Or can I do the same with CF?  These 2025  bookings are CAS inside cabins. 

We will be visiting for the first time in mid-August. What is the best beach to visit which would have chairs and umbrellas for rent and possibly snacks/beverages for purchase. Thanks

On 11/4/2023 at 11:50 PM, satxdiver said:

On the Emerald now and went down to the IT "grurus" and they told me that the Princess app works on iphones but no android which I have.  After fooling around on my androids their final answer is that there are "bugs' yet to be worked out on androids since it was written for iphones!  So if you have an android forget using the princess on ship app!!  My Carnival and RCL apps work just fine but not the Princess app.  Maybe it is time to fire their app team and hire a Carnival team!

 

BTW I am getting 2.6 MB down and 0.9 up.  What happened to to starlink?  

I have used the app on my Samsung Galaxy Android phones for several cruises. How old is your device?

On 9/11/2023 at 3:24 PM, footballmp said:

I know there is a jogging track on the sky deck but it has full Sun exposure.  Is there another area of the ship that has a walking track/area that is covered?  My wife and I always like to do long walks after eating lunch or dinner.  Thanks!

Thats really it and on a warm weather cruise like in the Carribean it gets pretty warm walking on that track.  Aside from that I guess you could just walk 'laps' indoors. Or use the treadmills. 

2 hours ago, Tao Diva said:

Hello Friends,

I'm taking my first Princess cruise on Sky Princess in February and I am a bit confused and overwhelmed by how complicated they make things. I'm hoping you might help me straghten out my understanding on a few things. For context, I'm an autistic adult with low support needs but I do seek out the quiet places, shade, and predictible social interactions. I will be cruising with extended family including a daughter and a grandaughter who are also autistic, also with similar sensory issues but also with low support needs. We manage ourselves just fine but it helps a great deal if I know what to expect in advance instead of figuring out when I get there or let things "surprise" me. (Even "good" suprises can disregulate me and feel very disruptive to my peace of mind.) Cruising is AWESOME because it's a predictable, easy-to-plan vacation, with a predictable schedules, familiar events, and there is always someone close by to help if you do need it. But to prepare, it helps to study deck plans, read the daily schedules of past cruises, get familiar with the different venues and their operating times and such. Basically, It helps to know what to expect. So I'm hoping some of you might have the patience to shed light on a few things about Sky Princess with me.

 

1. Do the women's and men's changing rooms in the spa include segregated sauna/steam rooms that are open to all guests? Or are the steam and saunas in the Enclave thermal suite the only ones? 

 

2. Do you actually reserve a specific lounge chair in the Sanctuary, or can you sit anywhere as long as you have purchased a day or half-day pass? What if you reserved a shady chair and the ship turns and and puts you in the sun? Can you trade chairs with a sun-lover?

 

3. If you purchase a cabana for a day, can different family members join you in the cabana at different times (as long as the total number of people do not excede the maximum at any one time, of course.)

 

4. If I purchase the use of a cabana for a day for my adult daughter and I, and my sister purchases a half-day pass, can she have a chair next to my cabana?

 

5. Is the Retreat pool part of the Sanctuary or is it open to general access?

 

6. Where are your favorite peaceful places on the ship?

 

7. Are there dining rooms where you can get table service for breakfast and lunch every day? (I realy can't handle the chaos of a buffet for very long.)

 

8. Does Princess allow priority boarding for people with invisible disabilities? (Embarkation day and disembarkation day, are even worse than the buffet!) I usually spend sail-away day quietly in my cabin, occasionally stepping out for short errands then going back to the room. I get up early the next morning, fresh to walk the entire ship before many people are up, and I'm fine after that.

 

Thank you for your patience. It realy does help to know.

 

~ TaoDiva

 

I can answer a few of your questions.  In the Sanctuary you book a specific chair for specific days or half days. You cannot move around. Cant speak to the cabana. Be aware unless you are B2B  or priority boarding as early as pissible it is very difficult to get a spot in the sanctuary,  especially on sea days.  A cabana might be easier. Retreat pool is open to everyone, there are not alot of loungers directly around the pool but more on the deck above.  Dining room is open for breakfast, and open for lunch on sea days. You can also grab some beakfast/lunch at International Cafe and take it to your room or sit in the piazza.  If I want quiet, I love just sitting on my balcony. There are also some chairs on Promenade deck aft and its usually pretty quiet there. 

On 8/30/2023 at 10:36 AM, jrblach said:

we are on Sky - boarded Aug 19, 2023. we bought cruise and  plus package August 2022. there have been many changes to the plus package and cruising. casual dining has been added where you $15 for Alfredos pizza. plus package includes 2 casual dining visits. BUT, NOT THE OLD PLUS PACKAGES. we were told we would have to pay for Alfredos. why dont they grandfather the benefits? instead, Princess want you to pay the difference between $ 60 per day and what you paid

UNFAIR

I understand your point, but to be fair many of us booked without Princess Plus when Alfredos was free, there was no room service charge, etc. Should we all be grandfathered in too?

On 8/11/2023 at 2:31 PM, doghog said:

All great entertainment 😂 as I always sit on the deck above the pool deck. Birds eye view. 🤣 About 10 years ago I was called a chair hog here on CC because I said I sit in the same lounger for hours on the deck above the pool enjoying the view and my BP. 

This is me. My favorite spot is on Enchanted Sun Deck, where you exit from the cabin area there is an overhang where you have shade and a great view of the pool and MUTS.  Yes, i am there early and all day usually if its a sea day. I will leave to get a drink or lunch at the Lido Grill, to bring back to my chair, or a quick trip to the  cabin (Lido or Sun deck) for the restroom. Otherwise I (or my husband) is in that chair. IMHO we are not chair hogs if we are USING the chair.  Others play bingo, trivia, gamble, drink, etc. This is my sea day activity!

My experience has been that the bus stays with you and you can leave items on the bus. I have not taken this particular excursion, though. 

On 8/20/2023 at 12:11 PM, memoak said:

I can understand when we were on the Discovery in June you could not get a seat for pizza without a one hour wait. Tons of families ordering multiple pizzas and leaving half uneaten 

Its interesting, perhaps Alfredos/Gigis is more popular with families? We sail when school is in session or on longer 10 day cruises, so very few children

 The only time I have ever waited at Gigis or Alfredos is for lunch on Embarkation day on Enchanted, a few sailings into her inagural season. I have been many times for lunch and dinner with no wait at all. I guess I have been lucky. 

11 hours ago, rickays said:

Have just been denied shareholder OBC for a cruise commencing 2 October 2023 because my brokerage statement dated 30 June 2023 is 92 days from commencement of cruise.  Next brokerage statement will not be available until 30 September by which time we will be already traveling to reach cruise and anyway that statement will be of no use because under rules I "must apply 4 weeks before commencement of cruise."  When I queried that they would deny Shareholder benefit for a matter of 2 days was told "Yes, our policy is: The date of the proof documentation must be within 90 days to sailing and

no later than 4 weeks prior to your sail date."  I am so angry!

Thats a new one for me....I always submit mine early. Do you have  online account access? If so you should be ablexto download a statement at any time. 

5 hours ago, 3Gram said:

Is there a way to reserve spots in the Sanctuary before our cruise, or is it something we have to do once onboard?

No....I wish there was! 

4 hours ago, cavecreekguy said:

I'd find such a list interesting, but as a solo cruiser, I don't see the value in it. When I search for a cruise I look for the itinerary I want, then the price. If it's a price I'm willing to pay I go with it. Doesn't really matter to me what the single supplement % is. Am I missing something?

Some of us are price sensitive and it does matter what the supplement adds. I am actually looking for something out of FL now and actually dont care where I go if I can get a reasonable (for me) price, which would not be a 100% supplement. 

1 hour ago, Odonpeg said:

Just got off the Royal last weekend and yes, it's in the Pastry shop at Horizon Court!

And I believe it was only open until 1pm or something like that. Check the time when you get onboard. It was in the Patter (or whatever they are now calling it)

I have not seen any recently, but I also did not go searching for them.

11 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

No, you could spend 15.00 if you wish to get an app, entree, dessert combination.  You're entirely able to purchase any a la carte items which would of course be less than the 15.00.  For example, a pizza could be 8 bucks.  Since menus and prices have not been disclosed, it's purely speculative, but it could cost you less than 15.

Not much less, Pizza is reportedly $12. If they are charging me $12 I might want a to-go box!

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Yes, it is more of a reduction to Standard fare guests on the surface.  It will in time be a justification for increasing the cost of Plus/Premier.  

This. Exactly this! 

I dont think would be unreasonable to at least put a couple cabins on a 3 day hold while you work things out, talk to your TA, or Princess planner, etc. I have done holds  on the weekend while waiting  til Monday to reach someone.

I know there are people who book cabins on multiple ships/dates and then wait to determine what they actually want and cancel what they dont want. I have seen it posted on this site. (Dont come back at me, I do not do this!).  I find that to be more impactful than the OP wanting to book a couple rooms for a few weeks while legitimately sorting out plans.

1 hour ago, lhsail said:

Called today and was told it was simply a restricted fare, no changes or refunds. Have to decide if the savings are worth it. 

It would have to be alot cheaper to make it worth it for me. I fly SW frequently and some of the reasons are no baggage fees and almost complete flexibility to change and cancel as needed

14 hours ago, CaboWabo62 said:

Regarding canned soda and bottled water packages.

Can it be ordered on the ship if we run out ?

Or do you have to pre order as many as you need ?

 

Planning return to Princess cruises, don't like the fountain soda. 

 

Must be pre-ordered.  

22 hours ago, OttawaJohn said:

Hi all

 

Anyone been on the Enchanted on the Riviera deck and can comment on rockiness?  I know the higher you go, the more rocky it can be.  It's subjective, I know, but just curious to everyone's experience.

 

Thanks in advance!

Stayed on Sun Deck twice on Enchanted in mid-forward cabins,  which is higher still. I had no problems. 

On 7/20/2023 at 5:58 PM, Sandie5 said:

I'm not a drinker these days. Should I pass on the Plus package even though we'd get crew appreciation and wifi included?

We cant tell you what you should do. After the price increases,  I will not book Plus. I may have a drink some days, I pre-purchase bottled water, and carry on soft drinks. I get 50% off wifi, pay the grats, and dont need all that other stuff (ice cream concoctions, fitness classes, etc).  So thats what  works for me. 

12 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

I have no problem with the current policies, especially since those seats are released within 10 minutes of show time.  Passengers have paid for that privilege and for $80 a day, anyone is able purchase the premier package if they choose to do so.  
Would these same people be mad if they tried to get into the sanctuary because all the pool chairs were taken?  
 

lol I have tried to PAY to book the sanctuary and still cant get a lounger there!

@Hlitnerdescribed the Sanctuary process well. Even with priority boarding I have yet to be successful.

The Retreat area is free, but smaller on this ship than some others due to cabins on both sides, so it tends to fill up quickly. 

On 7/12/2023 at 9:15 PM, caravellov1 said:

We are sailing on the Royal next month. What is your go to food item from the International Cafe and why?

 

Almond croissants....every morning!

7 hours ago, CrazyTrain2 said:

In general RFID technology (Medallion) should be more secure than cruise cards (magnetic strips) but either system can be defeated and useless if they are only using room number and name for purchases.  Step 1 for ALL Passengers should be to remove your name from your room. RFID is pretty simple technology - A radio signal is sent out in a short area.  The radio signal powers the RFID chip and the chip sends back a number.  That number is linked to your Folio.

 

RFIDs are much harder to copy/duplicate than a magnetic strip.  Also the RFID system tracks your movements throughout the ship for tracking how often you pass through high revenue areas of the ship - casino, shopping, etc.  Traffic location data feeds into algorithms that helps maximize sailor spend through better ship design and product merchandising.  Now you know why certain events are placed in certain parts of the ship - to drive traffic to high revenue areas.  Other lines use facial recognition from the ships cameras to get similar data, but RFID is more accurate and cheaper in the long run.  Keep in mind the RFID and your folio are synched with PERFECT demographic data - the line knows age, gender, address (zipcode), previous sailing history and now your exact movements on the ship.

 

After a few cruises, the line may know more about you than you do.  Imagine if you received a mailer  or video clip completely customized to you.  A picture of your favorite bartender Marco (AI generated) handing you your favorite drink (AI Generated).  "Marco has a Mai Tai waiting for you on board".  Heck, I can even have the AI Generate voice so AI Marco can look and sound like "Mrs. {insert your name here}, I have a cold, refreshing Mai Tai waiting on Deck 11 for you, won't you join me?"

They can feel free to track my movement on the ship and send me a customized invite to cruise again, as long as they include a discount code!