PescadoAmarillo

Assuming that premium package holders comprise about 50% (could well be less, since people who don’t drink might well enjoy extra cost dining) of specialty dining reservations, I completely agree. And I would offer a fifth consideration, except I’m not sure how you made that little circle bullet… The quality of the specialty dining experience will decrease, and become less of a special occasion experience and more of a dining room annex. DH has had a complimentary special dining on all of his cruises this winter. He dines the last night of the cruise at 5pm. It’s the only time he can get that’s earlier than his ‘last food of the day or he can’t sleep’ cutoff. It’s fine for him, but most people waiting until they are on the ship to make a reservation probably wouldn’t be too pleased. As for Princess selling something they cannot deliver, see also Princess Theater seating and MedallionNet Best internet at Sea.

That is quite remarkable. Borderline abuse in lieu of customer service. But, hey, aren’t those new desserts amazing? 😆 @PurpleTraveller, how funny I should run into you this evening. I just finished re-reading your northern lights trip report from 2019. I had enjoyed it so much that I bookmarked it then and just came across it. Thanks again for that!

In a perfect world. So…maybe. Eventually. Or maybe not.

How have I missed him in all my cruising days? A loud mime…I would have remembered that. 🤣

I agree completely. Unfortunately, the lack of seating forces guests to stand on the stairs, generally by the railings, which also prevents people from holding on to the railings if they are walking up or down the stairs at the same time. It’s hardly a prudent option considering the relative age of Princess guests. It’s been at least ten years since Princess has adopted the “Piazza as another entertainment venue” approach (Zumba is the worst use, I think), and I really think it diminishes what is really a gorgeous area best suited for small musical ensembles playing quietly in the background.

Princess has a thing for squash and zucchini and eggplant. They’re the only veggies I won’t eat, so I just pick them out. But if they’re your thing, you’re in luck.

Of course not, but that’s exactly why I don’t understand why DMW says that there are none available. It’s clearly wrong, but that’s my point.

Thank you! We were both well looked after, which was the whole intent of going. The weeks leading up to it had been exhausting. We never intended to do anything but relax on the ship and we did.

We once booked a last minute two week cruise (on Celebrity) when DH had two broken wrists and one broken elbow and had had two surgeries in the prior three weeks. A quiet word with our waiter had DH’s meals served in manageable bites.

The OP was asking, that’s all. They even stated clearly that they weren’t expecting.

Princess’s balsamic vinaigrette is really good stuff. I’m sure it’s not olive oil based, so I don’t think it’s made from a particularly healthy oil, but it’s healthier than most of the other dressings. I love it on broccoli and cauliflower also. The thing I personally worry about the most is the soy milk. I can’t believe it’s organic, and nonorganic soy products aren’t great, but, again, it’s all relative.

Cough cough. Let me brush the Girl Scout cookie crumbs out of my teeth before I answer. Let’s put it this way…I find it much easier to eat healthy on a cruise than at home, especially since I don’t have to cook two different meals to satisfy me and DH. However, it’s nearly impossible to get anything organic or sustainable, or brown rice or quinoa, or bean pastas. But I’ve found the Restaurant Managers (formerly headwaiters) very willing to work with me in planning meals. My default is salmon and broccoli, which I can always get, even if I haven’t placed an order the day before. But I’ll often get entree sized salads, or chickpea or veggie curries and really love the roasted vegetable starters and entrees.

Regarding not choosing Princess… We have 17 B2B cruises booked next winter on the Majestic. I haven’t done the math, but it’s probably $45-50K or so of cruises. We probably would never have done every one of them (over six months) but would probably have chosen at least four months worth. But, as I’ve mentioned here before, we can’t get the app or the website to work for us. Several here on Cruise Critic have offered helpful suggestions why that might be, and when I phoned Princess about it over a month ago, I mentioned these possible causes. They took down my information and promised they’d get back with me. I’ve heard nothing. Maybe it’s just me, but I refuse to spend that kind of money with a business that makes the experience so difficult. I remember when we’d book cruises and the excitement started. That’s been replaced with frustration. I know there are work around solutions, but I am not interested in relying on a good natured Restaurant Manager to get a table for two at our desire time (5pm…this shouldn’t be difficult). Last week I booked a two month cruise on Holland America for a year later. I think it says it all that I am more excited about that than any of the Princess cruises. And we have close to 150 cruises on Princess.

I’m sorry to hear that both of you caught COVID. I’m sure you were as careful as anyone is about trying to avoid it. I hope it is short-lived and that your symptoms are mild.

That’s good to hear. That was my go-to dessert most nights and I missed it when I didn’t see it. I remember even asking about it and was told it had been eliminated. But those were early days.

That’s your choice, of course, but if you drop your bias and re-read the article, you’ll realize that highly dramatized drivel was not part of it. In fact, it pointed out that norovirus cases on land were higher than on cruise ships. But you do you.

It must have been very well hidden on our Majestic Princess cruises right after the startup.

Do they have sorbet in the dining room again at dinner? Right after the post-COVID startup, they didn’t.

A little part of me just died at that thought. For those who haven’t been down there, DH and I walked it several times. Here is a blog post with some photos. The beaches there (there are at least three) are natural and endless and gorgeous, unlike the man made one at Princess Cays. http://pescadoamarillo.blogspot.com/2016/02/day-136-princess-cays-aka-eleuthera.html

Befriend a bartender. They always hold some back for drinks.

I understand that, and wasn’t suggesting you were. ☮️

And anyone who wasn’t immediately dismissive of that news article would have read that it suggests just that.

I find the gooey sucker sticks particularly unappetizing to see. I wonder if they start out individually wrapped, and could just be handed over separately so they could be given later to….someone to enjoy on their own.

We tried, hard to do just that on the Emerald Princess in late 2021. We decided to spending the evening in port and went into the app to cancel our dinner reservation. The next night we were told that they had no idea we had cancelled and that feature on DMW on the app doesn’t work.

What part of the article was incorrect? Unfactual? There was no fear, discontent or other histrionics in what I read.