Torfamm

Yes, OBC can also be purchased by phone pre-cruise with gift cards. They are only accepted on the website for cruise fare.

Before sailing it can be done by phone but not on the website. Shore excursions booked onboard are charged to your onboard account. You can have gift cards applied to the onboard account at Guest Services

Of course you aren’t. Lots of people miss it. I think it’s just harder to manage than it used to be.

The only way to eat with the same people each night is if you arrange it with them. With multiple MDR’s, specialty restaurants, the buffet, and other options available, I think the number of people who eat in one MDR at the same time each evening may be relatively low. It’s much different than in the past when the only place to eat dinner on a ship was the single MDR

There is no more early and late traditional dining. You can make reservations at whatever restaurant you choose for each evening if you want to. If you like, you can book the same MDR at the same time every night but you are not guaranteed the same table every day. You can make that request once onboard and they can often arrange it.

You will still need to check in even if you already have your medallion. It’s generally a very quick process though. They just check your passport (or other ID if you don’t have a passport) and make sure your security photo is acceptable. If necessary, they take a new picture. They also check your COVID test results and vaccine record if those are required on your itinerary.

No need to stress! There is always help available at the port

It will depend on your embarkation port. When you arrive at check in there may be separate entrance lines for general and priority (platinum, elite, and suite guests) boarding and also separate check in lines for the blue and green lanes.

Good point! There were separate green and blue lines in Whittier, San Pedro, and Port Everglades but it’s a big world with lots of ports.

When I’ve picked them up we went through the normal check in process at a podium then went to a counter to pick up our medallions. Even on a cruise where everyone had to pick up medallions due to a shipping delay, it was a quick process.

There is a charge for espresso based coffee drinks in the MDR. They provide “tap” water free but there is a charge for bottled water. I’ve never ordered the other item but if they are free in the buffet, I’d guess they would be free in the MDR

There actually are separate green and blue lines when you check in at the port. You can be in the green lane even if you need to pick up your medallion. So long as all of the other steps are completed you’ll show as green lane in the app.

Those are the times for the Enchanted in the Mediterranean this summer

You might be surprised. The only time I got an email saying that two of my bids were declined was when one of the three I made was accepted. I checked my cruise personalizeer and sure enough, had a new cabin assignment

It also depends on what you drink. Wine is a lot more expensive than beer or mixed drinks. Even two $15 glasses of wine a day is $35 with the added gratuity. If you have just one coffee in the morning and a couple of bottles of water you already are about at the break even point.

Along with the free night there is the $250 resort credit if you stay at a Hilton resort property. The card pays for itself very quickly in that case.

I get OTC items in travel sized bottles or blister packs when possible. (I've refilled my little Tylenol bottle many times). I have a small pouch that comes on every trip with Mucinex, Sudafed, antihistamines, Tylenol, Immodium, triple antibiotic ointment, and Band-Aids. For vitamins etc, I hang onto the bottles from prescriptions and remove the labels, then tape my own label on the bottle and fill it with that item. I am lucky that I have no prescription meds, but if I did, I would probably keep them in their original packaging.

Thanks! I haven't had a shared dining table in many years and never on Princess. Was it an option on Princess to request the size of a shared table when they had traditional dining? I did it on Royal and Celebrity in the 90's and early 2000's and I think they just assigned you to a table. I don't remember having a choice about the size of the group. After on really bad experience I said "Never again" so my experience is pretty far out of date.

Having access to Wi-Fi has opened up lots of options, especially for people to take longer trips. The ability to check-in on work email or review and pay bills as examples are game changers if you want to be gone more than a couple of weeks. I personally want to be able to communicate with my family pretty regularly although it certainly isn’t a “need”. I wouldn’t normally go more than a couple of weeks without being in touch. Knowing that I can be reached, especially in case of an emergency is also important to me.

Do you mean that you can’t request a size for shared tables if you want to book a shared table for every night? I’ve never booked a shared table, always private for my party.

We were on that cruise and the options for ballroom dancing were very limited. There were a few evenings when one duo played a few songs. There was a fantastic trio on the Enchanted in February though, especially if you like Latin. Keeping my fingers crossed for future cruises!

That is very true. No benefit has value if the passenger already purchased it. I do think that there a a fair number of Diamonds/Elites on Royal and Celebrity like getting free drinks though. If Princess offered it along with the discounted Wi-Fi they currently offer Elites, it would be an improvement. I’m not sure what percentage of Elites would chose to forgo purchasing a package if it happened. If they asked me, I’d like a discount on packages or a more limited package of just Wi-Fi, gratuities, and beverages. I don’t care myself about desserts, reserved seats at shows, or exercise classes and the specialty restaurants on my most recent cruises have been so booked that it’s not even worth it to me to try to get a table.

Do they not have it at Coffee & Cones? The line was always much shorter there in the morning than the International Cafe. As long as it was after 6, I went there for lattes every morning

Celebrity offers Elite members free drinks from 5:00 to 7:00

In those days cruising was much more expensive than it is now. My first cruise in 1982 on the Carnival Mardi Gras was over $1000 per person for 7 nights in a cabin with a tiny porthole and no electrical outlets. $1000 then would be $3,100 today. It's similar for airline tickets. Prices have come way down, and the experience has also changed.