rheathslc

7 hours ago, Fjord4Fun said:

My daughter-in-law is an ICU nurse working 12 and 1/2 hour shifts often with one half hour break, caring for people with multiple life threatening conditions who don't actually get her care unless there is a very high chance they will not make it.  She never get tips (or even a decent wage).  Please don't talk to me how people working in a commercial organisation 'need' tips.

Your daughter deserves better pay. No question at all! All health care workers do. All teachers do. Hell, garbage collectors do. But both can be true.

1 hour ago, rbtan said:

So..let me get this straight, you tip these 2 girls a total of $7 for a $150 excursion? I'm surprised they work so hard for the measly few bucks you pay them. You're right the teamsters  earn a high income. Try doing their job for a few days & then come back with a report.

OP doesn't say it was only 2 girls. They said they tip 15% which would be $22.50 for a $150 excursion. Maybe there were 3 girls. $7 each would be $21. Pretty close.  Given that some people on this thread say they think tipping at all is ridiculous, shaming someone who tips 15% seems like an odd choice.

16 minutes ago, 1emerald1 said:

You're across the hall from me, I got B428!

Yay! Those angled balcony Minis are my favorite as they are actually usable compared to the teeny ones on most of the other cabins. Even the midship Penthouse Suite balconies are barely deep enough to sit facing out without hitting your knees on the glass. Princess made a bad call on the Royal class balconies IMO.

7 minutes ago, 1emerald1 said:

Don't be discouraged, cabins turn over constantly!  That's why I check my bookings everyday.

Thank you! That just happened actually and we got our top choice (B429) so I'm happy. I'll leave M108 for one of the others who expressed interest. 🙂 

Our first choice mini-suite just became available and our TA was able to move us! Woohoo!

1 minute ago, Level six said:

Glad you got onboard!  I know you were excited.  I hope it is nice and we are able to see the eclipse. 

Thank you! Me too! TBH I would have taken an Inside cabin if it meant I got to see an eclipse again - well, maybe an Oceanview. Haha!

1 hour ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Okay. I put a hold on m108 (my second choice) as I wasn’t sure if my CVP would be able to get my first choice, S310 or if the price for it would be within the range of what we considered reasonable.  My CVP did get S310 and the price did fall in the range we’d pay so M108 is going to get released in the next couple of days.  My CVP will call me either Thursday or Friday to finalize all my bookings and at that time the M108 will be released. 
Boy yesterday was a crazy day. 

Wait! Isn't S310 one of the Sky Suites? 🤯 How fun! If you're not going into port that will be an incredible balcony to view the eclipse from. 

55 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Sometimes working 12+ hours per day and still smiling at the people who are not impressed.  Your comment certainly speaks to your character.

And working 6 1/2 days a week for 3 months straight or more. I worked 4 summer seasons for Princess many years ago at the McKinley Princess lodge in Alaska and we had it easy. We got a WHOLE day off each week and Princess didn't like paying overtime so most shifts were only 8 hours. And the season was about 5 months long. I can tell you, by August I was so worn out and the last 6 weeks were tough. But that's nothing compared to the folks who work on the ships. Those people work their butts off and do such an amazing job to make our vacations better.  I am so impressed by how hard working and thoughtful and gracious every single Princess staff member has always been. Giving the ones who make a special impression a little more brings me joy. I LOVE being able to thank them with a bit extra $ in their pocket.

22 minutes ago, cruisetilidrop said:

What is a M6 mini?

 

You should check out the pics and videos of M107/M108 on Cruise Deck Plans or elsewhere. The cabins are a non-standard layout but the balcony is HUGE! These were on my list but already booked by the time my TA was able to get my cabin.

2 hours ago, MJC said:

Just booked! So excited. First royal class cruise for us, so our favorite cabin doesn't exist, but we are still doing the happy dance!

I always avoided the Royal Class ships until last year when I sailed on the Majestic. I still prefer the Grand Class for certain cruises but I loved my time on the Majestic last fall. The Enclave is glorious and a huge improvement over the Thermal Suite on the older ships. And the Discovery looks gorgeous. SO excited for this one!

20 minutes ago, beg3yrs said:

A word of warning to y'all: We booked yesterday in a specific cabin. The travel summary I saved off last night moved us down a deck, from Baja to Caribe. It was effectively the same cabin so no harm no foul. However this morning, we were now moved from port to starboard (increased the cabin number by one). Still no harm, no foul as it's still really the same cabin. But, just like in basketball, if this keeps up, a foul will eventually be called!

 

Two unrequested cabin changes in two days - be aware!

Whoa! They changed your cabin even though you picked a specific one? That's strange. I've not had that happen before. I know it has happened when they oversell a specific category but not this early on.

43 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Okay. I put a hold on m108 (my second choice) as I wasn’t sure if my CVP would be able to get my first choice, S310 or if the price for it would be within the range of what we considered reasonable.  My CVP did get S310 and the price did fall in the range we’d pay so M108 is going to get released in the next couple of days.  My CVP will call me either Thursday or Friday to finalize all my bookings and at that time the M108 will be released. 
Boy yesterday was a crazy day. 

Gah! M108 would be ideal! We got R432. Club Class Mini with a slightly larger balcony but wasn't my top choice. All my favorite cabins were booked already by the time I remembered to check this morning.

9 hours ago, tetleytea said:

When I first saw this thread about an eclipse cruise, I thought this thread should be moved to the Celebrity board.

🤣

21 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

We are all booked and got the cabin we wanted.  This is going to be quite a special cruise.  

It looks like this is gonna be a CC all-star cruise!

Just now, 1emerald1 said:

I'm booked!  And I got the cabin I wanted!

Yay! I'm anxiously waiting for tomorrow. My TA has our list of preferred cabins in order of preference. After yesterday when Princess cancelled my two 5-day B2B cruises on the Diamond for my 40th b-day I would like a win. 🙂 

2 minutes ago, Level six said:

If I am seeing the correct thing, the eclipse will take place about 6pm, after sail away.

Hopefully that hour is enough to maneuver around any clouds but I'd prefer to leave port earlier and have more time to reposition if necessary. I've never been to Mazatlán. Do they get the day time onshore winds and low coastal cloud cover like some other coastal cities?

1 hour ago, cruisetilidrop said:

Any success booking? Anyone do a mini suite? Price range?

I can't actually book until tomorrow but my TA sent me the price. $2749pp for a club-class mini-suite with Princess Plus plus $150 in taxes and port fees. Which is so low. We're on a 7-day Alaska now in September and taxes and port fees are $450pp. 🤯

31 minutes ago, cruisetilidrop said:

While I can’t buy until tomorrow, I see we are in port and not at sea on the 8th. I’ve read where if it is cloudy the captain will maneuver to give the ship the best viewing. This will not be possible if we are in port.

I noticed that too. Maybe we can collectively pressure them to change it to scenic sailing. I would gladly give up a port to do that.

On 8/3/2022 at 10:15 PM, ceilidh1 said:

Can you report back on how the photo piece works out? I loved when they had the option to buy the "All Inclusive" photos and always purchased it and had TONS of photos! That's no longer offered but would almost make the upgrade to premier worth it if they still had as many photo opportunities. I just sailed Princess in April (first time post Covid) and really don't recall seeing any of the usual stations set up around the ship. Now, that could have been because I wasn't intending on getting pictures done so didn't look...lol. We did get a picture taken at sailaway but when we went to the digital picture place to find it, no one could locate it. I'm just interested to hear if there is ample opportunity to get a bunch of nice pictures.

 

I hope you enjoy the upgraded package - honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that I always sail with a kid as pax 2 I would probably do it just because I hate the thought of having a "bill" to pay at the end. I can't justify paying the extra for a kid who gets nothing extra with the upgrade...

On 8/3/2022 at 10:22 PM, rheathslc said:

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. 🙂

Well I can no longer report back. All Diamond Princess cruises for Sept and Oct have been canceled. ☹️

The replacement cruises won't work for us plus this was supposed to be a big 40th bday celebration so we're scrambling to find a replacement. 

Just now, memoak said:

If you can afford a cruise you can afford a few dollars for tips. As for carting your own bags I can remember multiple people struggling with large bags on the escalators 

I will gladly tip for someone to take my bags off my hands. Can I struggle onto the ship myself hauling my own bags? Sure. Do I want to? NO! Haha! The only thing I walk on with is a medium sized cross-body tote bag with my necessities and the wine we're allowed to bring on.

13 hours ago, Qextor said:

Yes, I know this is an old comment, but I still wanted to post a reply. In British Columbia, we had those regulations too - restaurants paid retail price for beer/wine/spirits.  It took the pandemic and the outsized effect it had on the hospitality industry to get the Govt to allow them to purchase at wholesale prices like retail stores did, in order to help reduce costs.  Heck, even letting a *few* grocery stores sell bottles of wine has only been here about 5 years

We don't have wine or liquor in grocery stores like some other states. We BARELY had a law change that allows grocery stores to sell beer up to 5% now. It WAS 3.2% forever prior to that and many local breweries brewed beer specifically to meet that limit and even Coors and Budweiser made beer specifically for the Utah market. But when that rule changed anything that had been between 3.5 and 5 that was sold in the state run liquor stores could no longer be sold there (ONLY one or the other) and at midnight of whatever day the law took effect any stock still on hand at the state liquor stores had to be destroyed. They couldn't even sell or transfer it to the stores that were now allowed to sell it. So wasteful and silly. 

8 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Yet you are not tipping the people who actually do most of the work getting the suitcases to your cabin when you reach the pier:

o The person who puts your luggage onto the ship

o The person who sorts your luggage once on the ship

o The person who brings your luggage to your deck

o The person who delivers your luggage to your cabin.

 

You are only tipping the person who does the least amount of work, putting your luggage on a wheeled cart and pushing the cart (with also having other people's luggage) 100 feet or less.

 

I'm not familiar enough with the baggage handling to know the answer to this: Are the people handling the luggage after the porters drop it off cruise line employees? If so do they get some of the pooled daily gratuity? 

7 hours ago, Fjord4Fun said:

In my experience it's an American 'thing' to tip anything that moves. I much prefer the Japanese who would get offended by tips as they are simply doing their job. If people are not paid to do their job that's the employer's fault not mine.

It's also the fault of the system that allows the employers to get away with paying such a low amount. In some U.S. states it's legal and typical to pay servers a "server wage" of only $2.13 an hour which is SPECIFICALLY meant to cover their taxes because their tips are accounted for and taxed on the payroll. So their actual paycheck may be close to or even less than $0 for any given two week period. Technically anyone whose tips amount to less than Federal Minimum Wage for the hours they've worked is supposed to have their pay supplemented by their employee but I've heard about employers getting around even that. And even though I agree it's their fault, not tipping does not punish the employer, it punishes the employee. I get that people disagree with tipping but people in those positions depend on tips. Not because they are selfish or greedy. But because it's customary for that job in that place and without tips they don't get paid for their work. 
And in terms of the "anything that moves" part. You're absolutely right that more and more places seem to have made it possible to tip employees in positions that haven't customarily been tipped in the past. When I tip those people, it's by choice because I WANT to give more. Not because I feel like it's expected. For example, at the car wash, the staff dry your car windows as you exit the tunnel. They get paid a full wage and tipping is for sure not EXPECTED but some people tip and I do especially if they do a really great job.

For me it boils down to what is customary in the place you're visiting. But I know lots of people disagree. 

10 hours ago, Thrak said:

One more example of the idiotic "tipping culture" in the US. I will never understand why people expect to be tipped for simply doing their job.

It may very well be idiotic but it is baked into the system. In the U.S. lot of positions that are customarily tipped include the expected tips as part of the offered compensation. So when people don't tip, those workers literally don't get paid for their time. Or they at least don't get paid anything like a normal wage. There are several states where severs get an hourly wage that is less than a third of the federal minimum wage BECAUSE it's a tipped position. I get that that is absurd to a lot of people. To be honest, even I think it's absurd. And there are all kinds of arguments about how an expectation of tips allows business owners to pass on the costs of employing labor to their customers and that is wrong. And I actually agree with that.

For me, unless and until I take any of my time to fight for fair labor practices and fair wages to change those situations then not tipping on principal is just hurting the people who are already in some of the lowest paying jobs out there. (Yes, I know that some servers and bartenders working at high end places make a TON of money but they are the exception - not the rule) Not to mention those jobs take a considerable physical toll. Serving is still one of the least rewarding and physically hardest jobs I've had. But it was what was available to me at that time of my life. Of course continuing to tip also perpetuates an unfair system. I'm still going to land on the side of tipping people who help or serve me.

The above might not apply to porters, who many have pointed out are often in unions and get a decent hourly wage. But for porters, and more recently instacart delivery drivers, and others, I'm tipping based on the time and energy they save me. If I expect someone else to take their time and energy to save mine, I'm going to tip them well for it. 

But, I'm either a socialist or bleeding heart liberal depending on which phrase my dad prefers on any given day. 🤣

7 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

In answer to the original question, I offer a different perspective. Many times my tip is not based on what effort I think the service provider is expending and instead I ask myself: “If someone came along right now and offered me the opportunity to relieve me of my present burden, how much would I pay that person to do just that?”  So when I unload all of our luggage from the cab and am balancing and rolling and dragging it all around, and I ask myself how much is it worth to me to NOT have to do that, THAT is the amount that I tip. We usually have enough luggage to justify a $15-$20 tip. I don’t care if the porter is carrying it 2 feet or 2 miles. The point is that I don’t have to deal with it any longer. At the start of my vacation I am giddy and generous!

This has become my mindset as well. And when I cruise I budget in the tips I WANT to be able to give - to the porters, our steward, servers, etc. If we can't afford to tip, we can't afford the trip. Also, I worked as a server for most of my 20s and know how much a few extra $$ means. I'm not saying a ton extra. Even just a few bucks more than the "typical" 15% could make my whole day. And now that I'm in a position of not living paycheck to paycheck (or even shift to shift when I was in tipped roles) that few extra bucks doesn't impact me very much but I know it can make a big difference to the person who made my life a little easier for a few minutes. To be honest, I tipped extra even when I couldn't really afford to. I get that tipping is not customary everywhere and people have strong feelings about it. I have strong feelings about those who choose not to tip in places and situations where it's customary but I'll keep those feelings to myself. 🙂