rheathslc

I won't be elite until next Feb. I even booked a 5-day solo to get there before any of our big cruises we want to do over the next two years. Haha! So my TA will be booking it for us on the 10th too. 🙂

I won't be elite until next February but I'm gonna email my TA right now to book this for us on the 10th! I didn't even look at this on the list she posted yesterday. I was looking at the Panama Canal cruises. SO excited for this one now!

I traveled to my favorite lakeside forest service campground that just happened to be in the path of totality. It's usually only half full even on holiday weekends and I got there 4 days early but it was already packed. I had to find a spot outside the campground and thought the dispersed area was full at that point but over the next few days more and more people poured in. Normally I would have been really annoyed by someone camping RIGHT next to me but figured this was a once in a lifetime thing. By the day of the eclipse this remote, normally nearly empty place was packed. And it was the absolute most awe inspiring thing I've even seen. And sharing it with all those strangers actually made it even better. Coolest experience of my life. I would LOVE to do an eclipse cruise.

I'm really bummed that the Diamond doesn't have Vines. That's the ship we're on for the two 5-day B2B cruises that I upgraded to Premier. I like to grab my favorite glass of wine from Vines on my way to dinner since I know I can't get it in the MDR. Also no International Cafe. 😞

You can purchase the stand alone beverage package up to four days prior to the cruise or on day 1 onboard. You can also sign up for Princess Prizes separately onboard according to what I read. And you can also upgrade to the multi-device wifi once onboard. But I'm pretty certain if you want the whole Princess Premier package at the $75pp/day (or $25pp/day extra if you already booked Plus) which includes the Premier drinks package, photos, dining credits, multi-device wifi, and Prizes) you have to upgrade to Premier in advance (most likely prior to 3 days in advance - similar to spa bookings). I can't find it in the T&C but I swear I read it somewhere. This is regarding the stand-alone drink package as referenced above:

Fair point. I don't pay as much attention to the reds. 🙂 Unless I'm at Crown Grill.

One big benefit of upgrading to Premier (for me) is that the dining credits are available to be used in the app to reserve specialty dining in advance. That is NOT the case with OBC. If you want to book specialty dining in advance you have to pay out of pocket even if you have OBC. If you want to use OBC for specialty dining, you can't book until you're onboard. And with so many people booking in advance, availability was pretty limited even on day 1. And with the Premier credits you can cancel and rebook if your plans shift without having to worry about when you'll get the refund for the cancelled booking.

That looks very similar if not pretty much the exact same Vines menu (including prices) from when I was on the Crown in late May, before the Premier roll out. They ran out of the Cloudy Bay Sauv Blanc by day 3 of 7 which was a bummer.

Sure. I get that many if not most people do that. I have to budget very carefully in advance and know EXACTLY what we can spend onboard and am very careful not to overspend. I even book any spa treatments in advance. We don't gamble so the casino isn't a draw for us. Basically the only thing I spend onboard is the Sanctuary if we can get it. I even use elaborate excel spreadsheets to plan and track every dollar. Haha! But I realize I'm the odd one I lied. I also do stock up on a few of the Elemis products we like. They're essentially the same cost on board as anywhere else and SOMETIMES they discount them or give you a buy one get one kind of deal. But I do budget for that as well. 🙂

Sure. I get that many if not most people do that. I have to budget very carefully in advance and know EXACTLY what we can spend onboard and am very careful not to overspend. I even book any spa treatments in advance. We don't gamble so the casino isn't a draw for us. Basically the only thing I spend onboard is the Sanctuary if we can get it. I even use elaborate excel spreadsheets to plan and track every dollar. Haha! But I realize I'm the odd one.

You asked the right poster. I jumped in and answered a question that wasn't asked to me directly. Sorry! 🙂

I didn't have any OBC or FCC as I tend to go in spurts and stops and cycle through my different vacation preferences (camping, Oregon Coast, and cruising) and hadn't cruised since 2016 before the restart. I still upgraded to Premier out of pocket. Only for our two short 5-day cruises. And just to try it out. We have 5 more booked over the next two years and stuck with Plus for all of them. Honestly, probably will only ever do Premier on cruises 6 days or shorter based on the math, if then. I predict that seasoned cruisers who know how to look for value probably won't choose Premier in droves. But they may get the first timers or people who are really splurging here and there. I do like that it's a option though. Even if I don't use it often.

Okay, it took me a while to realize this said EDward Petrie and NOT COward Petrie. I thought that was a really strange and unfortunate name. 🤣 Time to get my eyes checked.

Absolutely! I have already agreed to report on the condition of the ship, changes to the special features that they had for Japanese market (bidets, electric kettles w tea, etc.) and the Izumi bath area. I'll provide a full report. 🙂

Both the ones we upgraded are only 5 days each. It LEAVES in 29 days. Anything longer than 6 days or so then it really loses value. But we do want the photos (it's a special celebration cruise) and the specialty dining and the multi-device internet package. Even with the Platinum discount on internet packages, at 5 or 6 days it's worth the extra cost for how WE cruise. I get that it's not a value for everyone. I did the math without factoring the prizes into it at all. That's just a potential little bonus IF we happen to win anything. But thanks for trying to, what? shame me? for my choice that doesn't affect you in any way. They come out ahead on everything they sell. It's a business. I'm under no illusions on that point. So the real question is whether someone saves money by getting the package or finds value in the peace of mind of paying for everything up front, or any other aspect of it. There are a lot of reasons people buy what they do. That the business makes a profit on it isn't really relevant since that's the point of business. Are there people who will pay for this without considering the true cost and value? Sure. But, you know, buyer beware and all that. I did the math, and for what we would pay for anyway, on a 5-day cruise, it IS a value and overall cost savings to us. 🙂

I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff too. 🙂 I'm really looking forward to experiencing all the parts of Princess Premier on the Diamond next month (29 days!) Most people have been fixating on the drinks but it includes other things that WE find valuable so I upgraded us. I think it'll be fun. I also upgraded our flights to first class since this is for my big 40th B-day celebration. See, I really AM a sucker. Haha!

30 days! We're so excited! Are you on the roll call? I have a hard time keeping track of everyone on there. 🙂

I upgraded us to Premier for our two little 5-day B2Bs on the Diamond to try it out. I hope it doesn't spoil Plus for me. 🙂

We're officially 30 days out as of today for our next cruise and I can't wait! We're sailing on the Diamond so in addition to the standard thermal suite they have the Izumi Japanese Bath and I'm really excited to try that. From what I understand (unless they have changed it since the shut-down) you can by a multi visit pass vs. having to choose to pay only for a day or two or the whole cruise. I kind of wish they did that with the Thermal Suite too.

We're on the Sept 1st and Sept 6th sailings back to back and will provide as much info on condition of the ship and amenities as we can. Are you on either of those or the later September ones?

I'm a white wine drinker too but really don't like chardonnay at all. I prefer Sauv Blanc (preferably from New Zealand) so may have to do the same. We sail in 30 days on the Diamond's first two cruises back and I'm mentally preparing for it to be a little rough as the crew get back in the swing of things.

🤣 I actually can't do 15 glasses of wine. But I can do a few mimosas with breakfast, a few stawberry margaritas with an extra shot during the day, a cocktail and few glasses of wine with dinner and get close. If I start at 7am and don't fall asleep before making it to dinner that is. But the next day or two would likely be almost no alcohol, if any. Haha!

Oh if there isn't a person actually on the bed I just put the towels in the bin and take it. That's rude to take up a bed you aren't actually using. When I was on the Crown in May there was a man who had the door to the small steam room stuck shut some how and when I tried to open it he said "occupied" and kept me out like it was totally normal and okay to prevent other people from using the space too. I was flabbergasted. I'd never had that happen before. I meant to ask at the desk if that was allowed in case maybe I was misunderstanding something but forgot at the time.

You can purchase a day pass on board. Not sure about a half day though. And a day pass WAS on Cruise Personalizer as recently as just a few months ago. I'm bummed they took that away.

Exactly! Much more concise and clear than I was. Haha!