V_icki_e

On 11/30/2018 at 11:50 PM, Mrterryl said:

The older repeat crowd does not spend money on the ship.   The younger crowd will drink, go on excursions, and gamble.  Profit is the reason why Princess is after the younger crowd.

As a 47 year old (almost empty nester, still full time worker) my hubby and I cruise only Princess.  I spend less than $20 a day once onboard (those ultimate Mai-Tai's will get me every time) and simply follow my nose and explore when in port.  I absolutely love sitting at a table of 8 or 10 'older' cruisers and hearing their stories, their experiences and their advice.  This for me is the beauty of Princess.  I don't mind the techie stuff as I will have my phone with me to check on home etc, but I've not felt that Princess is losing their way ... yet.  

That $99 deal isn't available in Australia, nor is the $9.99 per day unlimited after you've used your free minutes. The Australian call centre had no idea about the offer... on the Sea Princess you only have the option of bulk minutes, not even the day to day packages. Hummppphhh 😞 

I was on the Majestic a fortnight ago and we had CC dining as we were in a suite.  The benefit of being able to walk in and be seated within minutes was lovely, but we didn't really enjoy sitting at a round table of 8 when there was only 3 of us.  They wouldn't allow us to share a table.  One night we had the additional menu option (there was only 1) of onion rings that were served with the existing steak dish.  Another evening the only additional CC menu item was a second flavour of icecream added to an existing dessert.  Nothing special at all - quite disappointing really considering the hype about CC.  The advertised 'tableside preparations' was the spooning of mint jelly onto our plate one evening.  The wait staff were pleasant, but no more attentive than the MDR staff.  We only used CC dining twice.  Maybe these were all teething issues as the Majestic settles into Australia for the season, but there's no way in the world I would ever pay extra for Club Class dining... 

Well I'm back and can report that the sofa beds are uninspiring (to say the least).  We sailed Majestic Princess last week and were in a full suite.  The sofa bed didn't fold out completely flat so as well as being a bit unstable, it was sunken slightly in the middle.  There were no mattress toppers for it due to it's wierd size (neither single nor double) and the Majestic didn't have the eggshell toppers either.  There were 3 in our suite but only 2 of everything was supplied - quickly remedied in most cases by our steward - but there was no additional timber outdoor deck furniture available for a 3rd guest.  So only 2 outdoor loungers, 2 chairs at the table, etc.  Quite disappointing for the amount of money we paid for our special family trip.   Although 3 people can easily fit into a full suite, I wouldn't spend the money it next time.  2 interconnecting balconies for us in 2019 :-) 

I'm just off the Majestic yesterday and the Hollywood Conservatory is a beautiful place.  Unfortunately it is extremely hard to get any type of deck lounger or chair as people reserve them for the entire day and the staff are unwilling to move them on after several hours.  The area is entirely free with complimentary tea and coffee and a great bar, and it also offers lovely views which is why it is so popular.  I didn't mind sitting on the bare floor to enjoy the views but this didn't suit many of the passengers with less mobility than myself.  I would fully welcome some kind of booking / payment system (similar to the old Sanctuary system) so that all paying guests could enjoy the luxury that the Conservatory offers.  :-)  

Thank you everyone - I haven't cruised NZ since 2012 so was foggy with details.   Much appreciated! 

Hi everyone,

I am wondering if someone can please let me know how I get from the cruise ship to various NZ ports. I am wanting to know if there are shuttles or if you can walk into the main part of town please.  Ports are Dunedin, Wellington, Napier and  Tauranga and we are cruising with Princess. 

Thank you. 

Yep, our party of 6 got a ridiculous offer from the Sea Princess a few days before our cruise in March this year - forgo our entire cruise, be fully refunded with a complimentary 4 day cruise at a later time in the year including $ towards airfares plus OBC of $100 per cabin. We didn't take the offer as our original cruise was for a particular reason  Clearly someone stuffed up bookings somewhere!  

7 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Yes.

Absolutely - oh the luxury of eating a fruit and cheese plate in front of a movie without having to share with my kids!!  Bliss :-) 

On 10/25/2018 at 8:22 AM, GranJean said:

  We will be sailing on the Grand Princess again next year but this time in a Vista Suite (sweet).  It will be our first cruise in a suite.  Our understanding is that if we so desire, our meals in the Main Dining Room will be in the Club Class section.  So do we still specify a seating time on the traditional dining reservation or simply select anytime dining and go to the Club Class entry whenever we wish?  

Thanx,

Don't forget that if your cruise is 6 days or longer, that you receive a complimentary dinner in one of the speciality restaurants (including UBD) on the night of embarkation.  We have chosen UBD as we sail past the Sydney Opera House :-) 

13 hours ago, Eagle_and_hawk said:

The last morning, Sabatini’s and CC breakfast will be closed. Since you will be in a suite, you can hang the card out the night before and have a full breakfast delivered. We always do this and are out sitting on the balcony when we arrive back into port. 

Ooooh thanks - didn't know this!  Great idea.

2 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

When the Christchurch cruise terminal is finished (2020?), all the ships will go there rather than Akaroa.

 

So why not do Christchurch on a future cruise and do Akaroa now?

Valid point.  We know Akaroa well but have never got to Christchurch, however I'm not sure that it's worth it this cruise.  Might just have to book a little something in 2020 :-)  

Hi everyone,

When docked at Akaroa, we are tossing up the idea of getting the shuttle to Christchurch.  I've heard mixed reviews about the current state of the city since the earthquakes.   Is it worth sitting in a bus for 3 hours to see the city or is there still too much emptiness and construction going on.   Gardens and galleries/museums are being explored at other ports, so is there anything 'must do'  in Christchurch?  Thanks for your help. 

My TA advised that dining times aren't changing on Aus/NZ cruises, regardless of whether we are on the smaller ships likes Sea/Sun or the bigger Majestic.  Will wait and see.  So far nothing has changed on any of my upcoming bookings...   

2 hours ago, cflutist said:

Snacks, sandwiches,  pastries, coffee tea, make your espresso beverages available (saw the same machine in the galley tour). Like our personal International Cafe. Access by tapping your Suite Cruise Card.

 

Seating, tables, TV, and books.

 

Concierge works posted hours and will take care of your shorex or purser desl needs.

 

Complimentary same day laundry,  out by 9am, returned that evening.  Be sure to check the "presto" box on the laundry slip.

 

Breakfast in the Crown Grill,  can order anything from the MDR menus for en-suite dining.

Oh. My. Goodness!  That sounds wonderful.  Thanks so much for sharing your information!!  Waiting for another 26 days is going to kill me. LOL!!! 

Morning everyone!  I will be cruising to NZ in January and am seeking some honest feedback about the current state of Christchurch.  We've done this cruise before and while we love the port of Akaroa, we are considering getting the Princess shuttle into Christchurch for the day.   I've heard mixed reviews on other forums about the city, specifically about the amount of 'emptiness' there after their devastating earthquakes.  What do you think?   Thank you everyone!  

P.S. - how on earth I haven't discovered Cruise Critic before now is unbelievable!  This place is an absolute goldmine of information ... I could be getting a little addicted 😉 Vickie.  

Hi all,

I've been getting conflicting information from Princess, so am wondering if anyone knows whether the sofa beds are consistent with the new luxury beds that Princess has rolled out?  I am aware that the sofa beds don't fold out like a regular sofa bed and that the size is quite small (167cm x 145cm - too bad I'm 182cms!)  I'm hoping that even though I won't fit the sofa bed, that at least it will be super comfy 😉  I'm on the Majestic in just under 4 weeks.  Any clues or suggestions most appreciated.  Cheers. 

1 hour ago, Vincruise said:

Here you go! 

Owners suite E728 on Majestic Princess.

That is simply AMAZING!!  Do you happen to know the different between the Owners Suites and the Penthouse Suites on the Majestic?  (I am in a Deck 9 Penthouse in a months time :-) :-) ) Thanks so much. 

On 10/5/2018 at 10:09 AM, cflutist said:

We just returned from a Premium suite on the Majestic. It is at the bow of the ship but is larger than the penthouse suites on the Riviera Deck which are mid-aft but near the VIP lounge. Access to the VIP lounge is via your Suite cruise card.

 

We have a penthouse suite booked on the Majestic next March. We visited a penthouse suite, and they are definitely smaller than the 4 penthouse suites that we sailed in on the Grand Class ships on the Caribe deck with 9 x 17 balconies.

 

The suites at the aft have decent size balconies, but can have soot problems. A friend said that their steward had to put a towel near the door so that they would not track soot all over their suite carpet.

 

The Majestic is a gorgeous ship, but with very narrow balconies. Instead of 2 teak loungers and a table with 4 chairs that you get on the Grand class, there are two chairs and a small table. My hubby had to move the table out of the way because you could not get by with it in the way.

 

I posted a whole bunch of photos of C102 on a FB Princess Cruise Cabin group.

 

If you have specific questions, please ask.

 

USB ports by the bed are nice.

Internet on the Majestic is a lot faster than on the Star, Grand, or Pacific.

Hi!  I am in a penthouse suite on the Majestic in 26 days (who's counting) and I wonder could you please tell me what the VIP lounge is? As I've never been in a suite before, any other secret hints for suite guests would be greatly appreciated too.  Thanks heaps!  

On 10/6/2018 at 10:12 AM, cr8tiv1 said:

I have never done the Ultimate Balcony Dining ($$) but that is an option for any passenger (balcony or not).

 

For "free", you have the option of:

 

Breakfast at Sabatini's (or designated specialty restaurant). I have yet to have this delivered to my suite.

 

Club Class dining (breakfast, sea days, dinner)

 

You can request Main Dining Room menus delivered to your suite. If you decide to to order from the MDR, you may have it delivered (from MDR via Room Service to your suite). Everything you order will arrive at one time...including the ice cream). MDR dining in your suite is only available during MDR hours (port days lunch is not an option).

Don't forget that suite passengers also get a complimentary specialty restaurant booking (including balcony dining) on night of embarkation for cruises 6 days or longer.... we have chosen to have UBD as we head out past the Sydney Opera House in 27 days :-)