Daniel A

Why be a grinch? Although I rarely watched the Love Boat when it was on in the 70's and 80's I have to say that it put the idea in my head that someday, maybe I would take a cruise to see if it was for me. I still don't watch Love Boat re-runs or on my cabin TV, but I do get a good chuckle every time I hear the Love Boat horn on the Royal class ships. I agree that the show was campy and that it's a little tacky, but sometimes campy and tacky can be amusing and fun.

First off, I wasn't being condescending, but it is interesting that you took it that way. Anybody who needs to know what others are doing in order to do the same thing is letting others make their decisions for them. Just because most of my neighbors will vote for a particular candidate, that in no way is a 'fact' I would use in order to determine who would get my vote. No matter who I decide to vote for cannot be the 'wrong' decision for me. There are several misleading 'facts' which have been posted in this thread which clearly state what tipping minimums are, so you're not really getting any reliable information that way. One reason why much of the information being presented in this thread is inadequate is nobody who actually gave dollar amounts quantified how much use was made of a service being provided during a cruise. Taking some of the posts quite literally would mean they would tip these same dollar amounts regardless of the length of the cruise. So, a Haven Butler on a 3-day cruise would get the same amount as on a 30-day cruise according to these posts if you're considering the information as being 'facts.' Obviously, these aren't facts, they are only opinions and preferences. If you were to go back to the OP's first post, take note that the OP never said how long they would be staying in the Haven. How could anybody suggest a dollar amount? Going back to the condescension concern, allow me to rephrase what I was saying: Whatever method you use to decide how much is an appropriate tip, that would be the right decision for you...

Aren't you confusing other's opinions with factual knowledge? Another's opinion is not what constitutes an 'informed decision.' It may be helpful to understand what helps another person to formulate an opinion and decision but all I'm seeing on this thread is opinions, not any underlying factual basis for determining how much to tip. If you're more comfortable letting others make your decisions for you, then that's what's right for you. Other people prefer to rely on their own experiences and judgements and that's what's right for them. We're all different. EDIT: I wrote this response while @Two Wheels Only was writing their response, sorry if it seems to duplicate that post.

You seem to be more concerned about data points rather than the metrics of quality. Just give what you think a good professor at Cornell should get.

Thank you, that's exactly what I was saying earlier.

I guess you got me... I now realize I shouldn't listen to the advice of a respected professional in the culinary field and rather I should base my financial decisions on the 'standard' an anonymous person named BirdTravels put on the internet instead. As an aside, I never wrote that is how I base my tipping. There is no minimum or fixed percentage in my decision making when tipping. I decide on the amount of my tip based on the quality of the service I receive, not on some arbitrary "minimum" standard. If I get crappy, sub-par service, it is reflected in the tip I leave (if any at all), superior service earns a superior tip. Very simple equation. Service staff at restaurants I frequent, seem to be pleased to see me when I enter so I must be doing something right. 🤷‍♂️

Thanks for your response. I believe you did the right thing by inquiring. It doesn't sound like the OP asked and it clarifies that it may not have been "Acute failure not to do so." Based on a subsequent post, it sounds like that poster has become embittered with Princess and now Princess can do no good.

I'm curious, did they review the severity of your symptoms and then decide to look into Paxlovid, or possibly, did you request the Paxlovid from the medical center?

And you know more about the patient's medical histories than the ship's doctor did? Sometimes doctors don't prescribe some medications for a reason.

Thanks, you're the best.

Wow! That was fast! How do I find a power strip with a circuit breaker that opens both legs?

I know this is a RCI forum, but I have a non-RCI specific question. I bring a power strip which has a resettable circuit breaker and does not indicate having a surge protector. Understanding that shore-based security people won't know if there's a difference, and I run the risk of confiscation, I just want to double check with you that circuit breakers are OK onboard as long as there's no power surge protection. Thanks.

I don't know if this backs up what you're reporting, but I don't think wanting to leave the ship without the need to go directly to a local medical facility for treatment would constitute a medical evacuation or necessary disembarkation. It appears to me that the OP's desire to disembark the ship in Halifax was more a matter of convenience rather than a matter of necessity. Many, many people developed Covid on board cruise ships and got through it without the need for medical intervention and were able to resume their cruise. I did not see where the OP was experiencing respiratory distress requiring more intense procedures. Many of the complaints from PAX who got Covid are more related to a diminution of expected levels of personal service rather than a lack of necessary medical attention. When ashore, having an illness requiring isolation also encompasses many inconveniences as well. On a pre-Covid cruise, DW developed a severe strep throat and isolated in our cabin. Nobody (but me 😇) came to pamper her or bring her soups and ice cream. We didn't get any written instructions, but we did request and get documentation of the diagnosis and treatment for a later insurance claim. Nobody from Princess came to hold our hand nor did we expect it.

There is a time limit on the other end. According to the Carnival website: your request must be sent in "...no later than 4 weeks prior to your sail date..." Did your broker send it in at least 4 weeks ahead of your sailing?

The horse is dead.

It also wasn't about Princess "going to get the backbone to tackle chair hogs." It's about Carnival Cruise Line doing it, but I guess some people hate Princess so much they'll take any opportunity to take pot shots...

IMHO, if you're saying you go to the lido and put your stuff on a couple of loungers with the intent of leaving and not using the chair until a half hour later, I would consider that being a chair hog. It's a different thing if you see an unoccupied lounger and occupy it for a while and then go to the restroom and return, but to put your stuff on it to 'claim' it and immediately leave is just plain wrong. Placing belongings on a lounger with the intent of returning to your cabin (for any reason) or going to the MDR or to the gym, you're not using that lounger and forfeit the ability to use that lounger if someone else is using it. After all, someone else paid good money to use that chair too. I don't see Princess or other Carnival lines strictly enforcing the chair hog issue like they say they'll do on Carnival. IIRC, the last big brawl on Carnival started over a chair hog 'claiming' a lounger at a lido bar. Carnival needs to do something to blunt the negative publicity. No matter what, chair hogs are destined to be with us as chair hogs either don't understand they're being one or don't really care.

🤣

I was merely making a joke that they shouldn't consider combining the Internet Cafe with a wine bar. I have nothing against having Vines onboard, and frankly, I'm surprised that they have been eliminating Vines on newer builds. I hope you can convince the powers that be to bring back Vines. I just don't think taking away something one group of people depends on to cater to another segment's desires is the way to proceed. I don't like the cheesy jewelry stores onboard, but I'm not suggesting closing them down and installing something else instead. Obviously, some people enjoy the shops.

How many of them have a dedicated wine bar instead?

DW & I like to go to a special corner window seat in Vines and read during the afternoon and it is almost always empty then. Just saying. Can't Vines be combined with another bar? I don't think it would be a good idea to combine Vines with the Internet Cafe. Very strange e-mails and posts could become an issue...😅 The concept of buying an electronic leash wasn't meant to only apply to being on board a ship. How many people feel compelled to have their phones on them every time they leave the house? How many times were you out of your home and a text came in and you didn't have time to immediately respond and the sender got irked? That's what I mean by an electronic leash. I have an answering machine at home. If somebody wants to talk to me, they can leave a message.

Almost every decent hotel has a Business Center. Can you guess what's in one??? Hint:

So, I guess what you're saying is that all of us who choose not to be tied to an electronic leash are stupid, since your Nana and Pops are smart and tied themselves to the leash. As long as your grandparents are so smart, ask them about the obsolete concept of freedom of choice and the new future of accommodating those who have a different lifestyle than you do. Many people don't have a need for a smart phone and don't want to constantly keep upgrading to a newer more costly upgrade since the newer apps usually require a 'state of the art' operating system. Go back and read the threads about the rollout of the Medallion Class App and then convince us that buying a smart phone is the 'smart' thing to do. Just because you have something against desktop computers, why are you trying to take that away from those of us who use the Internet Cafe?

But again, what better use can be made of the empty space?

One of the issues affecting libraries on cruise ships is Chair Hogs who take out a number of books to place on lido deck loungers with absolutely no desire to even open the book. Since the book doesn't belong to the Chair Hog, they don't care if it gets removed. As a result, the library can get very depleted.