MTNest93

6 hours ago, Guardsy said:

F-315

Thank you.  Luckily we are not booked in that cabin and hopefully our window suite won’t have flooding issues in the bathroom.  

Sad to hear the suite perks weren't there.  You would think the staff knows which should be provided.  Can I ask which cabin # you were in?

I almost forgot I was in this thread, but I finally got my act together and started losing.  I’m down 11 pounds overall (since mid February) and lost .6 this week which was great considering I went out of town last weekend and it was my birthday on Wednesday. The best part is that I’M UNDER 200 lbs this morning!!! I’m trying to get to 185 by the end of June for our July 1-8 cruise.  Thanks for the inspiration to keep it up, or down, or off, lol! 
 

17 hours ago, Sarnia 432 said:

You should be able to book after you have made final payment.  Elite and Platinum loyalty levels can book as soon as they book the cruise.

Reserve Collection mini-suites and full suites can book rights away too. 

3 hours ago, Buckeye10640 said:

We did this last year.  It was a bit of a walk to the catamaran dock but I recall they had golf-cart type transpo available. Believe we had to step down into the boat though, so that might be a challenge, and not sure how the rollator would work on board.   Once on board there was regular bench/chair seating available. You might want to call and ask specifically about this. We enjoyed the excursion.  

I would definitely call the vendor and ask.  I have not been on this excursion but did 2 catamarans while in Hawaii a few years back.  One of them we had to run from the beach to the catamaran while the tide was out in order to get onboard.  We were running in shallow water and hopping up onto a ladder (similar to a pool ladder).  The other we boarded from a dock.  I'm sure the vendor can provide specific details for their excursion and would know if you can be accommodated.  Best of luck!

I was able to make a SD reservation on the app and the credit showed up right away so it didn’t charge me. Not sure why it works for some and not others. Maybe try updating your app as I know this is a somewhat recent upgrade. 

1 hour ago, Court70 said:

We have complementary SD and booked on the app the day we paid our final payment. We were charged for it. Had to call and they refused to refund and keep my reservation, they refunded it but we were told we can’t book SD until we are on board. Very disappointed 

When was this?  I believe there is a recent update to the app that allowed me to book right away.  I wish I had taken a screenshot, but it basically showed a credit for the total amount and zero due.  I hope they can get it straightened out for you.

16 minutes ago, bobpell said:

We have a complimentary Specialty Dining Dinner on embarkation day in Nov. 2023

Approximately when can I go on the app to book a restaurant and a specific time?

thanks

newby Bob

I was able to book our complimentary SD for embarkation day immediately after we had upgraded our cabin to a suite.  The app shows the credit and we were not charged.  Our sailing is in July, but I booked our other SD reservations nearly a year in advance, so I would think you can schedule it now.

1 hour ago, ricka47 said:

I asked our TA to see if she can call them to see if there really is a reservation and where my $70 went. If she can't do that, I'll have to try to call them myself. But I'm not looking forward to doing that, as customer service by phone is such a hassle today.

Glad you have a TA to do the dirty work!  I love our TA and honestly don't know what we'd do without her.  (she's our daughter, lol)  

1 hour ago, ricka47 said:

Nope, just an option to book a new one.

That's definitely not right.  Ugh!  I have 3 SD reservations and all showed up immediately in the app.  Maybe try deleting and re-installing the app, and then of course re-sign in.  Hope it works out for you!

My reservations do show in the app but they are below the option to book a new reservation.  Be sure to scroll to the bottom and you should see it there.  

1 hour ago, JimmyVWine said:

Out of curiosity, at what price point does Plus have to soar before we all agree that we have kicked in a sufficient sum such that additional payment is no longer required, regardless what hour the server arrives or how harried they appear to be behind the bar?  Plus has gone from $40 to $60 in a matter of a year and a half.  If they raise the fee to $200 per day, would that do it?  $150?  $75?  Isn't there a point where the term "Gratuities Are Included" has real meaning?

If the gratuities were $40 or $60 per day, no I probably would not tip on top of that, but the gratuity portion of the Plus package is only a portion of that fee. It also includes your drink package and Wi-Fi, plus premium desserts, juice bar, and fitness classes.  I just don’t think the gratuities of $14.50-$16.50 split among all crew members is enough, if you do then don’t tip.  It’s your choice to tip additional or not.

38 minutes ago, david63 said:

Without ever tipping at the beginning of a cruise by about the third night I have found that waiters know my order.

Isn't that what they are being paid for bearing in mind that they already get commission on all the drinks order that they take.

Tipping extra is at your own discretion.  We take care of those who take care of us whether it's on vacation or locally.  No one is saying you have to tip and I'm not judging you if you don't. 

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

But they only think they get better service.  

If a bar man overtly serves one customer over another, they run the risk of getting a poor report on the end of cruise comment card.

Promptness doesn't necessarily mean cutting in line ahead of others.  We don't do that...ever!  But if you tip the bartender in the beginning, they may remember your drink preference and save time by not having to come over and ask what you want, etc.  

14 hours ago, newportbeachgirl said:

Crown Grill, no contest. You won’t be disappointed! The food quality was more consistent and it feels very elevated. And happy anniversary! There was a mix of people more casually dressed but just as many wore cocktail dresses and a sports coat on the more formal nights. And you will be glad you dressed up a little for the formal photo backgrounds which were fun. The MDR was very fun on the last night where they had a big deal of making it interactive. Make 2 reservations for Crown Grill if you can. You can always cancel one if you decide to change nights but you won’t get the opportunity to book dining there once you’re onboard. It’s booked solid. Happy cruising! 

Thanks so much!  We actually have 3 SD reservations right now.  Sabatini's on embarkation day and Crown Grill on the 1st sea day and the 2nd to last sea day.  My assumption is that the CG days will be the formal nights and I may switch the 2nd CG to the last night of the cruise to see what formal night is like in the MDR.  I agree that it's better to book now and cancel later if we change our minds.  I truly appreciate your input 😄

1 minute ago, cruzsnooze said:

Is that a tip or a bribe?

T.I.P. - "to insure promptness", so it stands to reason that those who tip more would receive prompt service. 

12 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

    Does the $110 PP PD I'm paying for Reserve class  a gratuity for elevated service?

The $110 PP PD includes your drink package, wifi, and gratuities.  It is not all gratuity.  I believe the gratuity daily allocation for Reserve Class is $15.50 (or $17 depending on when you booked).  IMHO that's a pretty small amount to be split among all crew members so we plan to tip additional.  However, it's not required so use your own discretion.

11 minutes ago, sammyjoanne said:

On the medalion app (you can also do it on laptop on ocean ready) you can add in your anniversary. when you do that, the door changes on your special day ( thats me taking a photo of it in the reflection with a mask on lol. Ship was still half full back then. I thought it was a lovely touch)

That’s so cool!  Our TA/daughter added it to our profile when we booked but I do see where you can do it yourself. Must have been nice having a half full ship! 

19 minutes ago, sammyjoanne said:

Congratulations on your 30th 🙂 I was our 25th last April and was first time cruising. We did both. We had a formal at the crown grill and also a formal in Da vincis MDR on the Ruby. I felt great doing both and thought it was rather nice to have two different settings for formal. We did do the crown grill on the anniversary and it did feel more special and intimate

Thank you and congrats to you too!  I think we are going to do the same. Crown Grill on our anniversary and MDR on the 2nd formal night.  We’re also booked for Sabatini’s on embarkation night, so we’ll get to sample it all. ❤️

If you’ve already booked, you can see the prices online by managing your booking and clicking the onboard services icon, then spa.  If not I can tell you each pass was $149 for a 7 day cruise on the Caribbean.  Different ships, destinations, and cruise length can mean different prices, but that will give you an idea.  

On 3/18/2023 at 11:35 AM, RedIguana said:

I have an 8 1/2 by 11 laminated Red Iguana picture I hang on my cabin door with 4 thumbnail size magnets (1 in each corner). Makes it simple to find cabin regardless of wine intake. It is not unusual for the surrounding cabin occupants to let us know they also use it as a reference point for their cabin 😁.

No worries about messing up the cabin door with the magnets. As long as they keep making the cabins out of a magnetic metal I am golden. If they ever switch to carbon fiber I am screwed......

Our oldest daughter (who is also our TA) made us a magnetic door sign.  However being in a window suite, there are only 6 other cabins in the hallway so it won't be seen much, lol.  We'll use it regardless because it will bring a smile to my face every time I see it 🙂

7 hours ago, jeromep said:

@MTNest93, I hope that you are aware that you can have MDR meals served in your suite for every meal if you feel so inclined.  It is one of the suite perks.  And then there is a separate dining room open for suite breakfast every morning.  In my experience it is usually in Sabatini's, but it can vary from ship to ship.  They are happy to do short order cooking, putting up whatever you want for breakfast.  You can create a breakfast totally off menu if nothing on the menu is to your liking.  After about the second morning of doing breakfast there they remember what you order and if you are a creature of habit you can just have that, or you can ask for something different.

 

You are also Club Class or is it now Reserve Collection, so be on the lookout for the Club Class or Reserve Collection entry door to the MDR.  That is where you will go for all of your MDR meals.  You are unlikely to experience any lines or waits at the MDR.

 

There are a lot of suite perks.  I hope you can take advantage of them all.

Thanks, I did not know we could have meals in our cabin!  We just recently upgraded from the club class/reserve mini-suite to a window suite for the extra perks.  Thanks for pointing out the extras, this trip just keeps getting more exciting!! 

On 3/16/2023 at 8:32 AM, JimmyVWine said:

How cool.  Ours is too,  Married in Denver on 7/3.  It was an out-of-town wedding for a lot of people so we chose that date because it was a three-day weekend for most people, with July 5th being a holiday.  The other reason we chose that date is because for the rest of our lives, the day after our anniversary we would not have to go to work, or do much of anything!  Two day celebration automatically built in!

That’s so awesome!  My hubby picked the date.  I think he chose it because it’s easy for him to remember and he claims to arrange fireworks for me every year, even if they are a day late 💥😂

2 hours ago, trbarton said:

I’m curious as to how you know when the 1st formal Night will be?  I’ve 35+ cruises on Princess & I never knew until I boarded the ship. 
 

Tom😀

I’m making an assumption that the 1st sea day will be a formal night based on prior posts and Patters from our itinerary. I could be wrong and that’s okay, we plan to dress up on our anniversary regardless. 

On 3/16/2023 at 9:11 AM, RedIguana said:

I am in the camp of always dining in the MDR on "formal, chic, dress your best" (whatever that particular line calls it) nights. The food tends to be just a little better those nights. Just go in with the mindset that you 30th anniversary is not just one day, but the whole week. Ya know, inflation 😍. Might want to consider doing specialty dining night one, it starts your cruise off right and avoids the first night MDR fiasco.

Oh we’re definitely celebrating all week, lol!  We just upgraded to a suite and have 3 specialty dinners reserved with one being on the 1st night!