Dani24

We booked a window suite in our upcoming 10 day RT Alaska cruise on the Grand. We have the smallest one (F301), as it was the last one left. I'll have at least $3900 in rewards from my Princess Visa to apply towards the cruise, and we originally planned to try a mini suite (we've previously had oceanview or balcony, but now we have a kid in tow and would like a bit more room too). Then I saw it was only $150 more to get F301 so we jumped on the opportunity.

It's likely we won't get a suite again, unless we someday wind up with a similar deal or get upgraded. So we'd like to enjoy the suite life as fully as possible over the 10 days.

I've already read over the official Princess list of suite perks. But what else should I know that's not listed in their flyer? What creative ways do you enjoy suite perks that aren't well advertised (for instance, I read yesterday about trading the mini bar for coffee cards or wine). Any other tips for maximizing this opportunity?

Also, I know that we pay higher tips for being in a suite. But do we need to factor in additional tips for any of the suite amenities (e.g. laundry, breakfast in Crown Grill, etc.) or is that included in that $15.50/pp/day? I want to be prepared with enough cash for any extra tips (beyond what we're used to from our prior cruises). 
 

We're preparing to book our next cruise on the Grand to Alaska, RT out of SF. It's been 9 years since we last cruised Princess, so I'm sure a lot has changed since then (and I'd be grateful for any pointers!) It will be me, DH and our daughter (who will be newly 7).

A few specific questions I had:

1) We want a balcony or higher. Is there a better side of the ship for this sailing (we're going to Hubbard Glacier)? We could also get one of the bigger aft balconies on Dolphin or Emerald. DH is prone to motion sickness... is there a lot of motion back there? Any experience with noise back there as well? 

2) How do the beds work for the 3rd passenger on the Grand (particularly in balconies or above)? Can you have the bottom beds configured as a Queen and have the 3rd upper bed pulled down above it? Or is it only Twins available with the upper? That might make the difference between a balcony and mini-suite. 

3) If we did Traditional dining, does Princess try to match families with similarly aged children? We previously loved Anytime Dining on Princess. But on our last Disney cruise, we shared a table with another family and were matched with a girl our daughter's age. Our daughter really enjoyed having a "friend" to dine with. But I'd hate for her to get stuck with a table of even more adults, or teenagers (she'll glom on to any kid -- but the older kids might not care for a 7 year old as their new BFF).   

We're doing our first Disney cruise in May. At first, we were really turned off by the price but ultimately decided to book it anyway. Our daughter turns 5 in July. And this is her first cruise, plus a celebration of her turning 5 and transitioning into Kindergarten. This is not likely something we'd plan for future cruises (should we book DCL again -- the price of DCL alone is ridiculous when we can get what we feel is much better value on Princess). But again, this is a special trip. So we've decided to live it up.

The other thing that swung us was that my husband and I wouldn't bat an eye at spending around $350 (cost of one child and two adults for Royal Court Tea) for a concert for just the two of us. With no food. And no gifts to take home. And here we get the priceless joy of sharing this experience with our daughter. Plus some gifts for her and some snacks and some entertainment.

Also my husband rationalized that it amounts to about 3 hours of overtime for him -- which he easily gets (and more) every week. And since we budget based on our base salaries, we could afford the splurge. But if we were going into any sort of debt over it, or it was going to mean sacrificing something else we'd opt to skip it.

We were on a Mediterranean cruise in 2008 (on our honeymoon), when McCain announced Sarah Palin as his running mate. We were sailing on Princess, doing Anytime Dining, and got seated at a two top next to an older couple from France at the next two top over. Unfortunately, the tables were close enough that this couple decided to start trying to engage us in conversation about it. We tried politely changing the subject and declining to discuss it, but they were very pushy about it. Finally we just had to start ignoring them. Fortunately, we didn't run into them again, and haven't had any other experiences like that on that or other cruises.

I think most people try to disconnect from the world outside their cruise (we certainly do) while they're sailing. But there's always a chance you run into someone who feels the need to talk your ear off about a topic you're uncomfortable with. Do what you need to do to end the conversation without making a scene. Chances are you'll never see these people again so even if you have to resort to being "rude" and just walking away or ceasing to respond to them, there's no lasting harm in doing so.

I liked this video as well. It takes you on a 20 minute tour of the ship, post dry-dock.

If everything goes smoothly and you have answered all your own questions prior to booking' date=' it is likely that the only thing you'll get from the TA will be an OBC.

 

We have 30 cruises on DCL and have cruised multiple times on 3 other lines; needless to say, things have not always gone smoothly due to weather, airline issues, a medical situation, etc. In those situations, yes, I can again do my own research. However, it doesn't hurt to have another person who is "on my side" as opposed to the airline agent at the desk who has no real incentive to meet my needs.

 

I've also received some nice "little services" from my TA like the time I was on another cruise when my booking window opened--she booked all my desired reservations for me.

 

So no, there is little in this day of the internet that you NEED an agent for. But why leave that OBC in DCL's pocket when you can use it to pay the tips?[/quote']

 

I think my question is more regular TA vs. DCL "expert" TA. Is there anything special that a DCL "expert" TA can provide that a regular TA generally cannot, and that can't be figured out by doing some internet research?

The advantage of booking thru an educated agent who has tons of DCL experience is just that--their expertise. And a good agent will want your future business' date=' so will do their very best for you. But not all agents or agencies are created equal, so shop carefully. I would not use an agent who has not personally done the DCL training (there are multiple levels; I'd certainly look for one who has more than the on line level!), who has personally cruised on at least one of the DCL ships, and has appropriate business certifications. An agency can call itself a DCL specialist if only ONE agent in the whole company has training!!![/quote']

 

This is a sincere question:

 

I just booked my first Disney cruise, but have been on several Princess cruises (both self-booked and through a TA). The main benefit I've found from using a TA in the past is that they may give discounts/OBC or other freebies. I'm an avid researcher, so even before our very first cruise with Princess I had read the CC boards (and other sources) front to back and was already clued in to menus, daily schedules, embarkation/debarkation processes, "secret" menu items, hidden spots on the ship, what the best/worst shore excursions (through the cruise and independent), etc. We were well educated and prepared by the time we cruised.

 

And now, I'm doing the same kind of research for our DCL cruise and I already have a lengthy list started. We ended up booking through a TA that offered a sizeable credit. But I didn't need them for booking flights/hotel, insurance, excursions, etc. as I much prefer to handle myself.

 

I wonder what exactly a TA who is knowledgeable about/experienced with DCL could do for us that we couldn't figure out on our own with a little research?

Sorry if I have upset you! I was merely sharing a photo of what I felt to be worth saving for. There is no need to be defensive. I am sure cabins of all shapes & sizes suit all the different types of people in this world. Each to their own I say.

My issue is that you posted that picture in a thread where it clearly did not belong and was completely off subject. The title of this thread clearly stated that the thread was about obstructed view rooms. And had you bothered to read any of the thread, you would have realized that nobody was talking about anything BUT obstructed view cabins. Making your picture of a balcony cabin completely pointless in this thread. And perhaps a little condescending.

We cruise every 18-24 months as we would prefer the luxury of a balcony stateroom. I think I would rather wait & save.

Good for you...

Not sure why this belongs in this thread, considering there are plenty of other threads on CC about whether balconies are "worth it". This is for people that feel that an obstructed view room may be worth it to cruise more often (since cruising to them is likely about much, much more than a 3 foot by 5 foot balcony, or being able to look out a window - since all of the other amenities and activities are the same, so they likely feel it's pointless to pay hundreds more?). This thread is for people wanting to get a better feel for what obstructed view rooms look like. Not balconies. =)

We had a "fully obstructed" oceanview room on the Sapphire Princess a few years ago. Here are some pictures I took to help illustrate what you may get. We were in room E315 (which you can see labeled on one of the pictures).

The view out of our window. We had plenty of natural light, and could see out over the small lifeboat.

A close up shot of staterooms E315 and E311, behind one of the smaller life boats. These are both "fully obstructed rooms." All the way at the far left of the picture, you can kind of see the window for E317. And to the far right, you can see E307.

A close up shot of the Obstructed View rooms with the large tenders. You can see the window for E611 off to the left (right above where it says "E611" in yellow).

The best place to buy top quality vanilla is at your local Williams Sonoma store.

They carry Madagascar Bourbon, reputedly the best quality available anywhere.

A bonus: you can be assured you're buying a genuine, not pirated, brand.

 

Shop Mexico for silver, shop at home for pure vanilla extract.:)

Agreed. I think a lot of people in here have been duped. It may "taste" good. But it doesn't mean that it IS good. For something I'm going to ingest, I'd rather buy it in the US, where at least I stand a better chance of it actually being what it claims to be.

I'll repeat one more time, for those that missed it the first time if you are buying inexpensive vanilla in Mexico, you are NOT buying real, high quality vanilla. Don't automatically believe what the shop owner tells you, or what the bottle says. The rules are NOT like in America where that stuff won't fly for long.

Please be aware that you may not be getting what you think you're getting when you buy vanilla in Mexico. They don't have the strict laws like we do here. Don't be duped into buying something fake, masquerading as something real. If you're buying the inexpensive stuff, the chance is very, very high that you're not buying high quality (or real) vanilla extract. Real, high quality Mexican vanilla extract is expensive -- just like in the US.

http://www.vanilla.com/html/facts-mexican.html

An excerpt:

"How do you know if it's pure vanilla? There are a few tip-offs:

* Is it amber colored, dark and murky, or clear? Clear is pure, synthetic vanillin. It's often called "crystal vanilla." Dark and murky is synthetic vanillin, most likely ethyl vanillin derived from coal tar. It may also be dark because it contains red dye that we've banned in the U.S. or it may contain caramel coloring. If it's truly amber-colored it may be natural vanilla.

* What is the alcohol content? Usually the synthetics range from no alcohol to about 2% alcohol (which acts as a stabilizer). There are some vanilla-vanillin blends and some cheap-quality vanillas that have 25% alcohol, but they aren't worth buying either.

* How much did you pay for it? This is the biggest tip-off. If it's in a big bottle and you paid $20.00 or less, it's absolutely not vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract usually costs more in Mexico because only one company makes quality extract, and only in small quantities."

Also, beware of courmarin!

Coumarin is a the bad guy of the vanilla industry. It is derived from the Brazilian tonka bean from Dipteryx ordorata, a tree. The bean can be used to make flavoring very similar to vanilla. Sadly the concoction is dreadfully toxic and can cause liver damage and is a know carcinogen.

Coumarin is used extensively in synthetic vanillas manufactured in Mexico. The U.S. banned imports of the coumarin laced products back in the 1950's. Unfortunately the products still make their way into the U.S.

If you purchase any Mexican vanilla make sure it is clearly labeled "courmarin free".

See this link for the "Straight Dope" about it: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011207.html

There is no way now to get a Birth Certificate since the Vital Records offices were in New Orleans or Baton Rouge. So Now I am really worried since they say there may be a delay in getting my passport. They have my birth certificate too.:confused: Confused and worried whether I will receive my passport in time.

 

countrymoon

I think you can call and pay an extra $60 to have it expedited.

BTW' date=' if you're just going locally (Mexico, for instance), you might be able to get away with just birth certificate for now. But we figured we'll get it renewed anyway.[/quote']

 

Actually, because of my non-legal name change, I can't do a birth certificate. That's the only reason I'm going through the hassle of getting the passport. At this point in time, it's my only hope for leaving the country. I don't have enough time to do a legal name change (I've used my step-father's last name for the last 23 years, but my birth certificate has my biological father's last name on it, which doesn't match my DL).

 

 

Thank you to everyone who responded. You have made me feel much better. I'm glad to hear that people have had issues that they thought might be a problem, and turned out not to be.

 

I hope no one takes offense to this (because I don't mean it in that way), but one person suggested that because I was born in the US, and am middle class white that they probably won't care as much. I know it sounds horrible -- but unfortunately such prejudice does seem to exist in areas of the government. If I were middle eastern, for instance, I might get the screws put to me if there was anything questionable. I know they say they don't do it, but such biases have been observed, as unfair as some may feel it is.

 

In the meantime, I'm just going to take a deep breath, and wait and see. I'll wait 3 weeks, and then call the phone number to check the status. That way, I can hopefull catch a problem early on.

 

Thanks again for all the information everyone!

:)

To talk to someone on the phone

is a possible 30 - 40 - minute wait since they are so busy with the backlash

of applications.

I've had to call them a number of times now. And I have had the best luck when I called around noon Pacific time. I had also called at about 9:30 am Pacific time, and had a live person within 20 minutes. The time I called at noon, I was in within 5 minutes. The other time I called (today) it was around 11 am Pacific time, and I think I waited no more than 10 minutes. So, I'd suggest calling anywhere from 9am-noon Pacific time (which would be noon-3pm Eastern time)

Maybe it's just me freaking out because we only have 7.5 weeks until we leave. But, I'm admittedly a little worried. (A little? Who am I kidding. I'm too worried!!!)

So, I think I got the situation with the name change stuff settled. But, this morning (after having submitted my application last night), I see online that you are no longer allowed to smile (with teeth) in your passport photo. When I had it taken at Walgreens yesterday, I did just that. The woman at the Passport Acceptance desk didn't even look at the pictures (that I know of), and nobody told me anything about this.

So, now I'm worried it might get rejected. Anyone have any experience with having photos (or anything else for that matter) rejected? What happened then? Did they notify you and let you correct it? Did it delay getting your passport, and if so, by how long?

I could try to call the City Clerks office (where I submitted the stuff) on Monday and see if they've sent it yet. I already had Walgreens redo the photos (for free). But, I'd have to take time off of work just to get to the City Clerks office to swap the pictures (if they'd let me).

Should I just wait and see what happens? I just don't want to miss our cruise! And I can't use the birth certificate, because of the different name stuff. That's why I decided to get the passport -- to avoid that mess. But, it seems like someone doesn't want me to have a vacation without having to work for it first. =(