Torfamm

59 minutes ago, whitecap said:

 

If I go to a restaurant and the wait staff does an excellent job, I don't hand the owner extra money to be put in his or her pocket, to be distributed, throughout the year to all those who work at the restaurant.  Why should it be any different when cruising.  With the exception of our very first cruise (we are now over 50), we have always removed the gratuities, obtained small envelopes from Customer Service desk, and given tips directly to the persons who went above and beyond to see to it that we enjoyed our cruise.  

To be fair, tips given to servers in restaurants in the US are not uncommonly shared with other staff or pooled. The one advantage from the servers’ point of view would be that they aren’t penalized for the good or bad luck of what their table chooses to order since tips in the US are generally based on a percentage of the check. 20% of a salad and 3 iced teas is much less than a huge steak and three glasses of wine but the effort required isn’t much different.

Same as MDR. 

35 minutes ago, 555 said:

Actually there is no minimum standard any longer. Shorts, wife beater shirts, crocks, workout clothing are all acceptable even on formal nights. Yes, they do have a dress code on their web site but no one will enforce it.  

I often wondered what it would take to be turned away on any night? 😄

There are plenty of reports of people being turned away for shorts. It’s not common but there are some dining room managers that enforce the no shorts rule. We had one on the Sky not too long ago. A number of men were frustrated and unhappy about it. Probably because they’d never had a problem wearing shorts to dinner before that cruise.

I personally have no real interest in what other people wear but unless you are going to be the one at the door to the MDR making that decision, it’s unfair to promise that shorts will be allowed.

3 minutes ago, Bgwest said:

“Minimum standard”. Now that’s funny. 
This seems like an appropriate time to remind, Dress CODE = Dress SUGGESTION. 
 

 

 

I have seen people turned away for wearing shorts to the MDR quite a few times. No one can predict whether the no shorts or ball caps policy will be enforced on any ship on any given night. If eating in the MDR is important to a passenger, they should plan accordingly

https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise

3 hours ago, Reina del Mar said:

Have done quite a few Princess Cruises (Elite).We have always taken formal wear previously.

 

Have just added a cruise to our Fly/ Drive in USA and trying to work out whether we can avoid taking formal wear. Would fit in our luggage allowance easily as we have done it before. (2x 23kg each) But as we get older do not want to lug extra things that would only be worn twice on cruise, out of longer 4 week holiday when we’ll be in and out of hotels every other night.

 

Question is…and I am totally aware of Princess’ suggested dress code…what do men wear in MDR if not hauling suits, blazers or Sports’ coats ???  Would husband get away with black jeans and a shirt with casual shoes ? Or will we be relegated to buffet/ speciality dining on formal nights ?

 

I don’t want to be reprimanded for suggesting such a dreadful thing, but would be pleased to hear from anyone who has used MDR on formal night without dressing formally….will be in Caribbean in July.

 

Thanks for your (helpful) comments.

As long as he meets the minimum standard for smart casual, long pants and a shirt with a collar, he will absolutely be allowed to eat in the MDR on any night.

15 hours ago, doghog said:

I blame Princess for allowing the smokers to use the casino as a smoking lounge. Not the smokers. Gambling or not. 

I disagree. While Princess should of course enforce their policies, passengers should comply without having to be forced to do so. That goes for all policies, not just smoking. No passenger should respond to clearly stated policies by effectively saying, “Make me”.

2 hours ago, ecs66 said:

Thank you!  I have a smart phone, but Hubby does not / will not. A retired Physicist once involved in this type of tech ... "not doin' it!".

Do I understand you correctly? Do you not use your phone either? If you do use yours you can just use the app to upload all necessary documents, security photos etc and complete check-in information for both of you

11 hours ago, ecs66 said:

If you don't have a smart phone, and don't want a smart phone, what are the options for maneuvering through the boarding process?

They can look up your reservation for you once you get to the check-in station. Be sure to have your passport and I'd also have a copy of your travel summary and booking confirmation. Just join the Blue Lane line at the terminal.

5 hours ago, Jetswdo said:

OP here.  I love how 1 question opens up whole other discussions.  My "problem" is that I have larger Canadian dollars than I wanted for use for this cruise and a couple of days in Quebec after.

The cash is for 2 regular lunch restaurants, 1 cafe,  1 food court and 3 short taxi rides, during this cruise (I can tip shore excursions with Am dollar) Once I am in hotel in Quebec, I assume hopefully that hotel can change a couple of those bills.

I found out from the local currency exchange places near me  it would basically cost $6 for every $100 note to change to smaller bills. So I won't be doing that.  I guess I will stop at a bank that is a 3 minute walk from one of the restaurants in Saint John, which is at the beginning of the cruise, and hopefully that will be that.  Thanks for all the responses.

Why not just use the $100 bills to pay for something like lunch?

1 hour ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

Here is the definitive answer from the Princess websit

 

In case anyone wants to save it - The document requirements can be found here, including the requirement for the entire party to have passports no matter what the itinerary if minors are traveling with only one adult.

https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise

59 minutes ago, DCThunder said:

Unless you're touring in western Europe (Euro zone), Canada, or Oz/NZ, I bet the tour guide would rather have USD than the local currency.  Getting access to cash USD is a major perk for tour guides/bus drivers in most developing countries.  

I’m sure that may be true. As an example, every guide we used in Vietnam told me it’s illegal for Vietnamese citizens to have US dollars (possibly any foreign currency) and try to exchange them for dong to spend in their own country or deposit in a bank. I found it very interesting trying to imagine how they put USD to use.

10 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Have been on many excursions as well both through the cruise line and private tours.  I have never, ever seen anyone weighed prior to an excursion, much less turned away.  We have a helicopter excursion booked for next week in Juneau.  There is an upcharge for passengers who exceed 250 lbs. but not an exclusion.  Again, not sure if they will actually make us step on a scale or if it's the honor system on the info. sheet.  If its the honor system, then I'm sure most people weigh 249lbs. or less.  I fully intend to declare my precruise weight....😎

I have seen people weighed for horseback riding and helicopter tours.

If the meeting point is on the ship, those on excursions are led to the tenders as a group. I have never seen whether priority is given for those meeting on shore

2 hours ago, sound_guy0918 said:

The service charge is included in the bill, so if you have Plus or Premiere it's already covered.  They find you through the Medallion so our experience was they got within 20 feet and looked around to see who might have ordered it...or called our name...you may have to flag them down.  Very convenient!

I haven’t checked in the new app but there used to be a way to push a button that turned your screen a purple color that you could hold up for the server to see 

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 

Actually, I think the State Dept info on travel requirement is pretty good and would hate to see that resource stop.   I think perhaps some posts are going off track.  The State Dept is not saying one can enter Panama by cruise ship without a passport.   Where Panama is located really doesn't matter and should only be a side discussion.  

Fair enough. I think the lesson is that there are some very specific requirements for both individual countries and islands as well as cruiseline specific rules. Questions beyond, “Do I need a passport for a closed loop cruise?” need to be asked of the right entities.

4 hours ago, HotRoot said:

We quit exchanging money years ago.  Everyone takes credit cards and US dollars.  If they do not, we do not buy it.

I like to have some local currency, especially if I plan to tip a tour guide but generally only use credit cards

12 hours ago, Jetswdo said:

 Dweeb---LOL-- I meant to say 5 20's for 100 bill, tee hee!   I've never needed to exchange large bills for smaller ones  on a ship (American or foreign)---  Since my question is for Canadian cruise starting in Boston, almost all of the ports will be Canadian, except for Portland Maine---this never came up for me--

So if any one knows that answer to my question regarding this, I really would appreciate what you know!

If you are asking if the ship will be able to give you smaller Canadian notes for larger ones in Canadian currency, the answer is most likely no. They probably will only have US dollars. The easiest thing to do to get smaller bills in hand is try to make a small purchase with cash while you are in Canada. 
 

There has always been a minimum amount set for each category in the bidding process. It varies from cruise to cruise. Sometimes the minimums are higher, as seems to be the case for your trip. You must bid at least the minimum for whatever categories you are interested in.

5 minutes ago, memoak said:

24 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

The only problem with that is that hand sanitizer is not effective for norovirus (and a few other icky GI things like C. Diff)

Better than nothing when there is not a sink available. 

Agreed, but the poster said they use hand sanitizer before they eat in the buffet rather than returning to the sink to wash their hands. I'm not sure they are aware that the sanitizer isn't effective against norovirus. 

On 5/12/2024 at 1:08 PM, Teechur said:

I agree with you, but often just use hand sanitizer when I sit down to eat. I also carry thin disposable gloves, but found they are not worth the hassle since I typically go back for something.

The only problem with that is that hand sanitizer is not effective for norovirus (and a few other icky GI things like C. Diff)

2 hours ago, reedprincess said:

FWIW - dining styles are changing on Princess, as of June 17 - with the changes taking place September.

There will be set dining times for same table, time each night and anytime dining,neither with reservations or without, available every night. Same as it was about 6 or so years ago.  

One thing that will be different than in the past is the ability to make reservations for individual nights ahead of time.  In the past, you weren't able to make a dinner reservation for select dining except on the same day.  I'm grateful that they are keeping that option.

My understanding from the press release was that one dining room will be traditional dining with two set times, one for those with reservations, and the third for walk-ups. 

2 hours ago, memoak said:

Sometimes I think people make assumptions based on what some has posted or said. Not all closed loop cruises can be done with a birth certificate. For example partial Panama cruise RT Fort Lauderdale goes to Columbia. I know that you need a valid passport for that country

This is true.  You also need a passport for Caribbean itineraries that visit Guadalupe or Martinique.  Document requirements are stated clearly in the Important Notices section near the bottom of the Travel Summary.  The booking confirmation also spells out that if only one adult is traveling with one or more minors, everyone in the party must have a passport.

1 minute ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

I am really looking forward to this.

I hope you have a wonderful time! It was one of our best trips ever and one of the few places that you really do have to travel to by water.

14 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

Thank you. Your photos are stunning! 
 

Can you see the icebergs from the ship?

Yes, it was possible to see a few from the ship. There was one in the harbor in Nuuk and some in the water very near the open air museum in Nanortalik as well as some easy to see from the ship there. It was a fun experience to wave goodbye to Greenland sitting in a hot tub and looking at icebergs. I'd never seen any before so it made a huge impression.

On 5/22/2024 at 9:47 AM, MsSoCalCruiser said:

@geoherb Thank you, I really enjoyed reading your Live! 
 

Im not sure if I missed this somehow but did you need heavy coats? I usually pack shorts, dresses and skirts along with jeans and a sweater & hoodie but I’m not sure what to pack for this trip. 

Canada will be fine, but depending on what you want to do, Greenland can be cold, especially on a moving boat. We did the Wildlife Safari by Boat in Nuuk and it was very cold and windy if you wanted to be outside in the bow of the boat. It was a spectacular, more for the scenery than the wildlife. We saw many icebergs, but even with fleeces on under Northface 3 in 1 Triclimate jackets, we had to go in by the time the boat headed back to the port..

We did an iceberg safari by Zodiak in Qaqortoq. It would also have been very, very, cold except that we were issued survival suits for that tour.  They helped a lot, especially as it was raining that day. It was still absolutely stunning. Here's a link in case you are interested, I highly recommend it.

https://sagalands.com/tour-item/icebergsafari/