karatemom2

My DH was just telling me about this recently on our Sky Princess cruise. He never plays roulette - he likes Craps and pretty much plays that exclusively, maybe a bit of blackjack or three card poker here or there. But he is very aware of the games and talks with other players and this exact issue came up in a conversation at the Craps table one night so he took a look at the roulette wheel and sure enough noticed the extra slot. He was trying to explain to me why that is a big deal for people who like roulette, nongambler that I am, and I gathered from what he said that it further reduces the winning odds for the players and increases house odds. Seems like a bad deal for roulette players.

We have done the back to back and I would agree with the suggestion to rent a car in Whittier from Avis. It is a very long port day and you have plenty of time to drive to Anchorage and do something there. We visited the Alaska Heritage Museum, the Earthquake Museum and took a hike along the Tony Knowles trail and were lucky enough to spot moose. It's a beautiful drive along Turnagain Arm and you can totally make your own excursion day focusing on things that interest you. Just make sure you are planning your exit and reentrance around the Whittier Tunnel schedule.

You should not let them pressure you into spending money on benefits you won’t fully use. Like you, we don’t find the plus or premier packages cost effective based on our onboard patterns and prefer to pay as we go for the services we are using. We would certainly pay more with the package so it just doesn’t make sense for us. In terms of specialty dining, you absolutely DO NOT need the package to make reservations with your friends. You can pay for your meal separately and there is no issue there. They will happily make a reservation for your entire group. I would just nicely, but firmly let them know you do not plan to purchase the package but are very much looking forward to having a great cruise sharing their company.

Oh, that’s a shame. I know it wasn’t working last time we were there but I thought it was just under renovation. Well guess that means walking up now!

My advice would be to get up early and eat a big breakfast and be ready to get off the ship and catch the shuttle as soon as they clear you to disembark. Then you don’t need to waste time in town in a restaurant. You will be back in the ship in time for lunch. If the funicular is running you can take it up the hill and see the totem poles by the Cape Fox Lodge then walk down to Creek Street via Married Man’s Trail. Check out Creek Street and Dolly’s House for a glimpse of history of the red light area. Then you can make your way into town and explore. There is a small museum at the library you can get through quickly. Your time will go quickly but if you keep things moving you can at least get an overview of the town.

In Cabo, you might want to look into the Todos Santos excursion. No water - just a trip to a charming little village with the Hotel California and some nice shops and food options.

We enjoy breakfast in the MDR, but I do wish they would extend the hours to 9:30 a.m. instead of closing at 9 a.m.. We love our leisurely sea day mornings and sometimes want to take our time and sleep in so don’t always make the 9 a.m. cut off. The buffet is a zoo at breakfast, but if we end up grabbing breakfast there we usually bring it back to our cabin and eat in peace on our balcony. On port days we are up and out early so usually order room service or grab a bite at the IC. It would be nice if they expanded the breakfast room service options. I’ve had some success writing in warm items, but not consistently. Worth a try but YMMV.

We have found the outsourced casino sales reps to be very aggressive in trying to push add ons like transfers, insurance and plus packages - all of which we decline. I imagine they work on commission so are highly incentivized to get you to buy the additions, especially since many casino bookings are free or very low cost. It reminds me of the person at the car dealership desperately pushing the extended warranty. You just have to give a firm no and if they are pushing out misinformation, ask to speak to a supervisor.

Thanks for sharing this info. In the past I have generally faxed our forms. I will use the email going forward.

The Queen Anne Hotel is our favorite place to stay in San Francisco. I love historic hotels and it has a great history and maybe even a friendly ghost or two. It is a great location to use a point for navigating the city. As far as suggestions of things to do, I would highly recommend a visit to Alcatraz, and of course spending time at Fisherman's Wharf and enjoying some seafood and chowder and Ghirardelli chocolate. There are some cool tours - one really good one is the Love Tour in their hippie bus. You can see the sights and gain some added appreciation for San Francisco's counterculture history. Plus it's just fun to tool around in a bright VW bus. Take some time to walk through Chinatown as well - it's quite nearby the Queen Anne hotel if you stay there. If you enjoy theatre, be sure to check out what is playing at the Orpheum while you are in town. And of course, no visit to San Francisco would be complete without a ride on a cable car.

Table players do get offers, but it is a little mysterious as to how those offers are calculated based on your play. It seems a little more subjective. DH plays craps - he's been told it's based on his time spent playing and level of play. He has also talked with fellow players who primarily play blackjack or poker and some of them get great offers. DH standard offer is generally a free inside with a certain amount of casino play dollars, but after our last cruise we got a free balcony come back offer. He also gets the "VIP" offers frequently and we have been able to do a couple of those when our schedule permits. Best advice I can offer is take the time to introduce yourself to the casino host and make sure he or she is aware of your play and you are getting your medallion scanned every time you sit down. If you are on the radar and making sure your play is accurately logged, you probably stand a better chance.

Lazy mornings, trivia, sitting on the balcony watching the ocean and looking for wildlife, a good book, wine tastings, and afternoon tea are just some of the ways we enjoy our sea days. The gift of all that free time is a joy!

Woo hoo!! We are booked. Thank you all for your advice. I think the Iceland/Greenland cruise for some future date will be the perfect option. But I couldn’t be more excited for our trip into the Midnight Sun. We got a smoking good deal with DH casino offer and managed to snag one of the forward balcony cabins - it was the very last one left. I can’t wait for those expansive views as we travel through the fjords! So grateful for the always sage advice I get here. Off to join the roll call!

Thanks for the feedback. We are definitely heavily leaning to the Land of the Midnight Sun cruise. I have been watching the most amazing videos and it looks amazing. The fact that is on the Sky is a big plus as well - so one more round of discussion with the DH tonight and I think we will move forward with this option this time and save Iceland for another trip.

We are having a hard time deciding between two Princess cruises that we are looking at for this coming summer. One is the Norway and Iceland cruise on the Caribbean Princess and the second is the Midnight Sun itinerary on the Sky Princess. Both are scheduled for June of 2024. We were on the Sky a few weeks ago for a Western Med cruise and loved the ship. We know we would be happy to cruise on her again and the itinerary is very appealing as it visits multiple Norway ports and fjords and goes up into the Arctic Circle which sounds very cool (pardon the pun!) It seems like this itinerary really gives you a very comprehensive Norway experience and also includes a stop in Brussels which is a port I've always wanted to visit. We have also cruised many years ago on the Caribbean Princess. Although we love the Grand class ships, the Caribbean is probably one of the least favorite Princess ships we have been on. I have seen some recent reviews that are less than favorable, so I'm a little wary. But the itinerary is great, visiting 3 Norway ports, Shetland Islands and 4 ports in Iceland. The thought of getting to experience both Norway and Iceland on one cruise is really enticing. I keep going back and forth - I'm sure I would love both cruises and itineraries, but I have to make a choice so I'm hoping some of you seasoned cruisers who might have done these itineraries or have recent experience on the Caribbean Princess can share your thoughts.

This has always been our experience as well. We always arrive before 11 a.m., usually closer to 10 and we have never encountered a big line or any difficulty finding porters. We are always there when boarding opens and are generally among the first onboard. We enjoy having a leisurely lunch in the dining room.

Well that's the point though - you aren't doing it. It is being done for you. Picked up, washed, pressed and delivered back fresh and clean on a hanger. Now I don't consider that housework - in fact I would love that service at home!

They don't question the laundry that is being sent out, as long as the laundry slip is filled out in the name of the Elite passenger. My daughter was on the Enchanted Princess last month for her honeymoon. Thanks to our many cruises with Princess since she was a little girl, she is Elite but her husband is not. They sent out laundry throughout their two week cruise that contained both of their clothes and no one questioned it at all. She did get some funny looks when they used her Elite benefits other places, like for tendering, wine tasting and the Elite lounge. She felt like people didn't really believe she could be Elite because she is so young. She would just explain that she was a lucky girl who was raised on Princess cruises!

We usually arrive between 10 to 11 a.m. when we cruise out of San Francisco and it is fine. It can get pretty crowded and since this is a holiday cruise, it will likely be very busy. We have never regretted our decision to arrive earlier rather than later, so I think 10 a.m. will work fine. You won't be waiting that long before they start boarding and it is better than getting stuck at the back of a very long line that might materialize as the day goes on. We have seen that happen in San Francisco.

Well good news and bad news. The bad news is that priority tendering is an Elite benefit so you will not be able to access that perk at the Platinum level. The good news is that once you are Elite and get that benefit, in our experience they will let you and your traveling companions get off together with the priority tendering if you are all in one room.

This is a great question. Everyone seems to settle on a favorite line but likely for a variety of different reasons. We love Princess best but have also enjoyed our experiences on other lines too. But Princess just always felt the most like the right fit for us and thanks to many cruises we have built up benefits by being Elite that we miss on other lines. DH also gets tons of great offers and perks onboard thanks to the Casino program. Given these benefits we find we are even less likely to branch out from Princess where we feel most at home and get the most for our investment.

I don’t think anyone here is nitpicking on people who choose Plus or Premier. This is a discussion board and many people come here for information and to discuss pros and cons of all aspects of cruising with Princess including this one which is a hot topic right now. Princess is really marketing these packages with all the bells and whistles and I think what most people you would classify as “naysayers” are advising in their comments is that people just consider their cruise patterns and assess if it’s a good value for them personally. I’m the first to say if it provides value for someone it’s a great option. But for many like me it is not a great deal once I factor in our Elite savings on Wi-Fi and other perks we get via our casino perks and reduced cost evening cocktails in Elite lounge. Knowing your existing benefits onboard, how much you consume in different drink options daily, how many port days may diminish value, and how much you would use the extra little perks like desserts or theatre seating are important considerations. My only point is that perhaps some people might get blinded by the ease of use or added perks that aren’t really of value and not think through the real value for them in actual practice which is why these discussions help provide guidance to make informed decisions. If the math on the package works in one’s favor - Fabulous! It’s an awesome deal and great to have that ease of mind and convenience! But, if figure out I’m going to end up paying more for things I’m not using - it’s not for me. In terms of your “can’t afford it” remark, my guess is that most who can afford to cruise could afford the package should they choose. Like me, those who don’t probably have determined it’s not a great value for them. I would rather pay as I go for what I am actually using and put my extra dollars toward other things like excursions and shopping. That’s how I roll. Everyone has different preferences- that is all this is really about. No need to get any feathers ruffled here or think people are being judgmental or seeking justification. It’s just a conversation.

There are no COVID testing requirements remaining in place at this point. That has long been discontinued.

The main dining room food is a big factor in our continued preference for Princess. Despite some of the complaints we see here, we have still found the main dining room food to continue to be very good to excellent on our cruises, as well as the service level. While NCL has some fabulous specialty restaurants, we have found the main dining room food to be very disappointing. We try to book a FAS package that gives us the option to eat in a specialty restaurant most nights of our NCL cruise which helps. But the Princess dining experience is still far superior in our estimation.

We are primarily Princess cruisers - it’s definitely our favorite. But, that being said we have cruised a number of times on NCL and really enjoy many aspects. The amount of onboard activity like the Go Karts, Laser Tag, Escape Room, Bowling, Pool Table and Water Slides is great fun and a hit with our young adult family members. We also love the entertainment - their production shows are outstanding, definitely a level above Princess in professionalism. I would agree that the standard dining room food is subpar compared to Princess, but I tend to prefer some of their specialty restaurants over Princess. A few of the best meals we have ever had on a cruise were at Le Bistro and Ocean Blue. I do like Crown Grill better than Cagney’s though. Despite all this, we still give an overall edge to Princess for the cabin size, beauty of ships, elegant feeling, onboard CD level activities, regular dining meals/buffet and overall experience. Plus we get better perks with our Elite status and casino benefits. But we will still continue to cruise NCL as well and enjoy it too!