mrmarklin

5 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Alesund seems to have an obsession with trolls!

 

Not just Alesund.......:-)

The hash browns ARE a problem. 

16 hours ago, memoak said:

They are referencing P&O cruises not Princess. That would be like comparing Princess to HAL or Carnival

You do realize that all the cruise lines you named are all owned by Carnival Corporation, right?

We were on Thanksgiving cruise last year and the WiFi was more than adequate on Discovery. The ship was full, too:  3,950 passengers. 

15 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

This is Mini suite VS mini suite club class, balcony cabin has nothing to do with this. When you make a booking and choose mini suite you get two choices, standard mini or club class. This $110 PP PD is the difference between mini's when booking. 

I looked this up. You are incorrect. 

The $110 PP PD is an upgrade from a balcony cabin to a Club level mini suite. Never having sailed in a balcony, I don’t know how much of an upgrade this is. Having Club for dining is worth something, ‘cause no waiting to eat. The room size and location are also considerations. $110 PD. Up to the individual. 
I don’t know if mini suite upgrades the suggested tipping to full Suite level, which is a couple of extra bucks per day. If it does, it would be included in the price. I guess you could claw that back if you hate your crew. But Princess gets the majority of the money, that’s for sure. 
 

On another note, we travel with a couple that deletes tips and supposedly gives the equivalent to the waiters , stewards, etc.  I hope they are honest in this regard, but even assuming they are, one forgets that there are many support staff on the ship that are invisible, not to mention the workers in the buffet, kitchen, laundry etc etc. I definitely tip over and above. 

I’m a suite traveler, and the suggested gratuities are higher than those of a standard cabin. I’m happy to pay it because we get better service than a standard cabin. In addition, I usually tip extra in cash if service is above and beyond. I’ve also noticed the concierge service can be excellent and I always to make sure to tip that person as well. 
 

If one has a $110 PP PD upgrade I would expect that the base cabin would not be a mini suite. Club class, while nice, is not worth $110 per day.  The suggested gratuity may be higher in an upgraded cabin, so indeed some of the fee may go to the crew. 

Seems like a good cruise. The food was highly rated byOP. One cannot blame Princess for missed ports due to weather. 

Bubble and squeak is analogous to French ratatouille. Definitely not a main course. 

IME yes. Also assumes they are suite passengers. 

Here is a tip, cruisers. Chile is one of two places in the world where Lapis Lazuli is found. There are many places in Santiago where it is sold. You can buy from the jewelry shops with confidence. Very honest people, Chileans. 
 

The other place it is mined is hostile Afghanistan.  No one is going there anytime soon. 

5 hours ago, Outerdog said:

 

No. Absolutely not. There is nothing "easy" about SF to Monterey Bay.

 

 

This is a slow route. Far better to go down scenic highway one. Actually, that could be an excursion unto itself. 

Princess has a bus service from Victoria station to your ship in Southampton. Go to the website. 

Many Americans have no idea of how low wages are in developing countries. The wages for a bus driver in Mexico are USD 640 per month. It’s this high only because in Mexico this is a unionized industry. 
In general, wages are much lower than this, unless one is unionized or a professional. 
 

Mexico is one of the richer developing countries, so this would be the gold standard in most of Latin America. 
 

USD640 is not that much. 
 

I spent $591 on dinner last night for my wife’s birthday.  There were nine of us, and we don’t drink alcohol. Just a little perspective.

Mexican Riviera on Discovery Princess Thanksgiving week. 3950 passengers. But did not feel crowded. Nice cruise. Many more young people than one normally sees on a cruise. 

22 minutes ago, dog said:

You are causing yourself aggravation & more money by going back to airport.

 

stay in London. Take Princess transfer to ship.from Victoria Coach Station- they take your luggage and next time you see it is at cabin door.

 

taxis to/from lHR are expensive.

Totally agree. We are staying close enough to the VS station that we could walk. But won’t due to a lot of luggage.  Why go back to the airport?

In Puerto Vallarta, there is a fabulous restaurant for lunch downtown. It’s called Joe Jacks. Google the address. 
Very reasonable price for what you get. 

One needs to place Daka on ignore, if this is possible. Maybe it’s a Bot, as well. This post keeps repeating. 

5 hours ago, CruisefunSAN said:

I was on Discovery couple of weeks ago, all the beef dishes were very good, the medallion, wellington, prime rib melted in your mouth.

I was on Discovery in November. Food was excellent, and me and mine are hard to please. While I’m not a serial cruiser like some of you, I have noticed that the food quality is very dependent on the chef. I haven’t had any awful cruises, but some have been better than others, food wise. 

By definition, all the posters on this forum are relatively rich by world standards. 
 

Your steward makes around $10-12K per annum pre tip. That’s not even minimum wage here in CA. It’s about average third world income in the more prosperous countries. 
 

So be generous. Note that most of these people come from very poor countries. You all can afford to share. 

35 minutes ago, Torfamm said:

The message I get is that casino players are Princess’s least valued guests. The choice to make the casino a smoking area speaks volumes 

It’s a mistake. I like to gamble, but did none on my recent voyage. Having 1/2 smoking is ridiculous. One can smell it everywhere. 

I will add this:  I don’t know how Princess will eventually monetize this event, but if you think paying $150 for the experience is too expensive, you don’t get out much. 

Just completed the recent cruise on Discovery. 360 a unique and wonderful experience. All food cooked to perfection. 
 

Countries were Greece, Italy and Spain. Seven courses of delight. My dil was invited with her husband and since she was traveling with my wife and I, she wangled an invitation for us as well. We all had full suite accommodations. 

I’m on exact same cruise now. Everything is fine and I would rate the food excellent. 

Regarding Princess and full British breakfast, you are likely to be able to put this together in the buffet.  I did not notice it on any menus. I don’t spend much time in the buffet. 
 

Chicken Tikka Masala is available on Cunard lines if you dine in the Grills section. It’s not on the menu, but can be requested a day ahead.