2MellowCruisers

We've only done the bid a few times. If eligible to bid, you should get an email or you can log into Princess, go to My Account then Manage This Booking. From there scroll down and you click on the Princess Upgrade box. It will show you what you are eligible to bid on. You cannot bid on a particular room, just a catagory. In our case, we booked a regular balcony and our choices were Premium Balcony, Mini Suite or Club Class/Reserve Mini Suite. You won't know if you have won the bid until closer to the crusie. Ours was at about 30 days and we got the Premium Balcony but we also have been notified that we did'nt win while already on the cruise. When I bid, I just went on the website to see what rooms were available in the catagories I bid on and made my decision to bid based on if the lowest room in the catagory would be good for us. You don't get to pick the room, it is assigned when they approve the bid. I've read that some were able to change after winning by calling and asking to change to another room in the same category if some were available. I've not done this so I don't know if this will always work. There are time frames involved and I don't know what they are but 2025 seems too far in advance to bid. There are many who have done this much more that us and can correct me if I'm wrong or left anything out.

Thank you to the OP for this question. We are taking our first cruise to Hawaii next month and are interested in the replies. Great information.

Many years ago we moved to the Seattle area. We went up to Mt. Rainier to walk trails up there. A friend of ours took a picture of us from behind, both of us using umbrellas on a day with just light drizzle on the trail. She sent it to us saying that only people from California do this!! We laugh about that picture to this day. Glad to say that we went up to visit a couple months ago and walked some trails on a drizzly day without the umbrellas.

Well, you hit the nail on the head! We just got the charge to our CC and the email saying we got the premium balcony. We are very happy with the new location and close to the laundry. Very excited! I forgot to say it before, congratulations on your win!

Thank you for the reply! We've only tried bidding a few times and the first time, we never received an email. The second time, we received the "Outbid" email while on the cruise and I didn't bother reading it. Also, for anyone on this cruise wondering how we bid, we bid at the high fair or low good points.

We bid on a Club Class Mini, a Mini Suite and Premium Balcony on the January 7th Crown Princess cruise. Just received emails that we were overbid on the Mini and Club Class Mini but the Balcony is still pending. The odd thing is that both emails said I could go back in and change my bid but when I click the link or log in, I cannot make changes and both Mini's are showing expired. I tried immediately after receiving the emails. Is it a done deal once they show expired? I was hoping to try to change the bids.

LOL! I get what you are saying. Maybe "Neither one of us likes like to spend money" were not the right words. I was actually expecting someone to call me out on not liking to spend money while also being a casino player. Our decisions about spending money depend on the value we put into something. We often laugh at ourselves because we will be in a store and not want to buy something because it seems frivolous or a dollar more than we think the price should be, but have no problem throwing a $20 in a slot machine! We just think of the value it would add to our lives, for any reason and decide if we really want it or not. We are no saints and have made purchases that we wonder what we were thinking about but have also looked back on things we wanted and were thankful we didn’t spend on them. The value to us is that we enjoy the entertainment of the casino so can spend money there, within reason of course. We get free cruises because we play in the casino. The value is we enjoy the casino experience and get free cruises. We know that the cruise is really not free because we spend the money in the casino but usually come out ahead because we don’t gamble more than the fare would have been if not free. Sometimes we come out ahead and sometimes, maybe not. We love cruising so we get the same value of the cruise while also getting the casino experience without having to spending more. And sometimes get a better cabin than we would normally book. As for the suite, we got a free suite on the Discovery earlier in the year. I booked it online and everything was $0 on all rooms for the cruise so I laughed and booked the suite. Afterwards, I called Princess twice to be sure this was correct because I didn’t believe it and booking online for casino deals was kind of new. We don’t spend enough in the casino to get a suite but this ended up being an ultimate VIP cruise so I guess over time it was enough. I didn’t even believe it up until the day of the cruise. Generally, we book balcony and below. We had never been in a suite and would have never booked one because it is usually out of the price range that we like to spend on a cruise. Well, we ending up loving it! We booked the upcoming suite by cancelling the Solar Eclipse cruise we paid full price for and by using the casino discount got the suite on the Discovery for about the same price. We thought long and hard on that one. We were really looking forward to the Solar Eclipse cruise but started to think that it would be just too crowded for us on a 10 day cruise. The value ended up being the suite perks that we really enjoyed last time on a more relaxed cruise even though just 7 days. As for the dinner, we really enjoyed the food and experience so while I put the conditional value that the presentation change, my DH would just do it again and pay if needed. Sorry for the long-winded reply. I think everyone has their own ways of looking at finances and what is great for one may seem odd to others. I have friends and family that like to spend money on things that leave me scratching my head wondering WHY! And I’m sure many of those same people look at us wondering the same thing. No judgments, it’s just the way things are. 🤪

We were invited to the 360 Experience because we are casino players. We loved it! They did call us before the cruise to ask if we had any food allergies. I did let them know that while I’m not allergic, I just don’t like seafood. That was not honored and after seeing the experience, I can totally understand why. I like to try new things so if it was seafood, I just tried it and if it was not my thing, I would give it to my DH. I almost didn’t try the octopus but am glad I did, it was delicious! I just couldn’t look at it while eating. 😊 The food was fantastic. We had great people on either side of us that added to the enjoyment. You are seated on long curved tables that together make a large circle so while we couldn’t hear people that were not next to us, I looked like everyone was enjoying it. I would say it was over an hour long but can’t remember exactly how long. I do know that I was bummed when it was over but that could also be because of the wine! As for the cost, we didn’t have to pay for it and will get to try it again next year on the Discovery since we are splurging on a suite. Neither one of us likes like to spend money and the $150 does seem steep. I just asked my DH if he would do it again if we had to pay and to my shock, he said yes. He hates to spend money more than I do. I would also pay to go again, but might wait to see if they change the experience to a different region. My assumption is that our upcoming Discovery cruise will have the same experience/menu as the last one. Again, my assumption. Enjoy your cruise and if you decide to do it, let us know what you thought.

We almost always have casino comped cruises and have never had issues getting military or stock OBC. I have not tried the StockPerks app yet for two of our upcoming cruises but I can't imagine it should be an issue. If so, there will be a lot of unhappy cruisers!

Thank you for the great information! We will be taking our first cruise to Hawaii next year. I have already signed up using the link you provided and calendared the time the tickets will be available for purchase. Also thank you to the OP for the post. I hadn't made it over the Hawaii boards yet. That is my next stop.

What a great question and brings back a great feel good memory. I like being at the front of the ship when leaving a port. Once enjoyed a really great sunset while leaving Ensenada. A perfect day and not too windy. It seemed like everyone at the front was very quiet just waiting for it to fully set and once just under the horizon, there were plenty of people commenting on how beautiful it was. It was a nice moment. I have also enjoyed sunsets while on the balcony with a glass of wine and just the sound of the waves. Where ever it is, I'm sure you will find it! 😊

I also need water in the cabin for meds/vitamins. Before plus, we used to order the water on the Princess website and it would be in our cabin when we got there, or shortly after. Now if we have Plus, we just get an extra bottle every time we get a drink at the bar. We have had no problems getting two bottles when we asked. We are OK with holding them or bringing them back to the cabin each time to stock up, but I do like Cruisintimer’s idea to also buy some online beforehand for the convenience. I’ve not been to Princess Cay, so cannot comment on that one. For the casual dining, it depends on what venues the ships have. We usually go to Alfredo’s/Gigi’s. You don’t have to make reservations but we just go by and if not busy will wait for a table or come back later if a line. We have not tried other venues. Yes, when ordering a drink, the gratuity is already included when you pay for the package. As for extra gratuities, if you want to give extra, that is up to you personally. We bring extra $1’s, $5’s etc. for tips. I keep them in an envelope in the safe in my room and carry some each day to give out when needed. We also bring additional envelopes for the tips we give to the room stewards and waiter/assistant waiter. You can tip in cash. Again, this is what we do ourselves. There are plenty of tipping threads with pros and cons. 😊 I’m not sure if you can charge extra tips to your cabin anymore since they have gone to the medallions and you have a package. I have not tried so someone else may have an answer to that. We have only brought wine onboard and will generally stick to what the written policy is. I have heard stories about inconsistencies regarding written policy and what happens on the ship or at the port. Have a great cruise!

That is for sure! 🤣

For us it has absolutely nothing to do with being able to afford it. Without going into financial details, it is more about budgeting and a satisfaction of of coming off a vacation with no bills due. And I will say that when budgeting, sometimes paying in bits at a time for a cruise instead of one lump sum, does make it more affordable. We all have our own ways of doing things that work for us but not for others and that is a good thing. 😆

I don't know about the OP but we always prepay gratuities if we don't buy the plus package. We also prepay shore excursions if any. We like to pay as much in advance, at our leisure, so we don't end up with a large bill after the cruise. We know and understand the arguments against this but to us it is a great feeling to walk off the ship after a nice vacation and know that no credit card bill will be coming in the mail. I would assume that you should get a credit for the gratuities since the ship could not dock but I wish I could speak for Princess. 😁 We have never had a problem with refunds in the past, but have not had this issue come up for us. I'm curious about the outcome. Let us know how this works out. Good luck and I hope you have/had smooth sailing for the rest of your cruise.

I just checked my upcoming cruises for 2024 and I think you are correct. For the cruise booked in July, the MOBC is showing as refundable but the two cruises booked in October are showing as non-refundable.

We recently stayed in C102 on the Royal Princess. It was our first time in a suite so it could be the initial “oooh,ahhh” but we loved the room. We just booked the same room for a cruise next year on the Discovery. Here are some of our observations. Balcony- It was covered but very narrow. We like to play cards and have drinks on the balcony and had no problem but did have to maneuver to get in and out of the chairs. It would get windy but if you stood a towards where it slopes down and is sheltered a bit, it was very usable when windy. They supply blankets if needed. Noise- We did hear odd noises once in a while, but figured it was the anchor and/or this little area that opens below where crew step out to monitor the ropes while docking and leaving port. A long screeching/squeak. Also, there is a crew area opposite your entry door. That door slams every once in a while. None of the really bothered us or our experience. To some it might. Front/Bedroom Window- We loved this. We were in Alaska and stayed in our cabin at the glaciers. Loved that we could see from the balcony and when the ship turns, we could look out the bedroom window also. Also, while sailing we could stand or sit and just take in the view without the windchill. The sun coming in the window did seem to make the cabin temperature go up and down so we did play with the thermostat a bit. Also, if you are tall (DH), you can hit your head looking out the window. Storage- We don’t bring a lot so for us there is a ton of storage. A cabinet in the main room, with a safe. Desk drawers and some table drawers. The bedroom has a cabinet with four compartments to hang clothes and shelves behind the mirror door. We will do some laundry while on a cruise, but if you have a lot of clothes, I can see how the closet could be too small. Also, four large drawers and more storage for large items in the cabinet under the window that spans the length of that wall. Bathroom- Having a separate large shower with both a hand held and wall nozzle was great. Also, the water closet is separate. Plenty of room for our toiletries. The bathroom is also one of the reasons we want to book a suite again. Room Steward- This was a first for us. There is a room steward and an assistant steward. They were great and responded to anything that came up but we rarely saw them. They did let us know that they worked suites on multiple decks and gave us a card with a number to call if we needed anything. The steward who worked on cabins next to us introduced herself to us in the hallway and said that if we need anything, to let her know and she would let our steward know. We did let her know of one issue and our steward was on it and checking back later. She was the one we saw all the time and would ask how everything was going. The room stewards were great though, we just never saw them that much. Location- It did seem like a long walk to most things. We did go the concierge lounge a few times but it was a walk. We figure it is a good thing to work off some of the food. We didn’t feel too much motion on this cruise but I like the movement so for me, it would be a plus. On a past cruise from San Francisco to Alaska, our cabin was in the center but we passed it one night in really rough seas and ended up at the front and could tell when we got to the forward area it was much worse than where our cabin was so that could be an issue for some Sorry for the long-winded reply, we just got off a couple weeks ago and are looking forward to our next cruise in this cabin. We want to try an aft cabin later.

We were on the Navigator a couple week ago. The cabin steward asked us if we wanted morning or evening. Since we usually end our days in the casino and are up late, we chose the evening service. We figured that now we won’t have to worry about being out of the cabin so the room steward can get their job done without us holding them up. As it turned out we really didn’t like the evening service. It was nice to come back from lunch and have the bed made up. We always straighten up our cabin and the bed before leaving in the morning but for some reason, it was just better after they have been in. We also realized that we were always out of our cabin during their morning cleaning time anyway and we only thought we were rushing before. I was chatting with our cabin steward in the hall one evening and he asked how everything was going and I just mentioned that we thought we would prefer evening but next time would choose morning. He offered to change to the mornings for the rest of the cruise so we took him up on that. I cannot answer your questions about the sofa bed or twice a day service but will let you know that changing from one time to another may be a choice if it doesn’t quite work out as you thought.

As a former lurker for years, I say welcome! The posters here have given so much valuable information over the years and it was time for me to hopefully contribute whatever info or thoughts I may have. This is the first and only social media account I have so it took me a bit while lurking to figure out abbreviations and how things work. Still lots to learn but a new world has opened up after signing up! Have fun on your upcoming cruise.

Great post. I even watch the Royal Caribbean documentaries they have on their tv's in the room so I also found the link to the history of CocoCay very interesting. As you can see from my avatar, I wouldn't have minded a thread on cats at CoCoCay. 😸

Over the years I have checked on prices to move back. I agree on the prices. Much, much more now. Also, I remember the traffic being bad but it seems like every time we visit it is worse than before. I guess that is the nature of things. Each and every time we fly in, I am looking out the window of the plane and thinking how much I miss it. Great, now the pendulum is swinging back towards Seattle area again!

Have fun! Twenty some odd years ago we lived in Renton for about a year and a half and loved it up there. Made some great friends that we still visit back and forth with to this day. Had to move back to CA for work but we are now making decisions about where we will retire. The decisions being made are based on cruise ports. 😁 Currently we have to either drive a good distance or fly. Narrowing it down to San Diego, Los Angeles or Seattle areas. We are on Royal in July. Looking forward to your posts.

We all have different likes and dislikes and that is ok. My DH and I disagree on many things and have some very different tastes. We love to cruise and sometimes do come off a cruise where one of us felt that it was not the best while the other thought it was fantastic. That is just the way it is and we continue on. I have read your post and all replies and figure you have valid reasons to feel the way you do. While I don’t agree with some of your opinions, they are yours to have. But I have to say that as an older person who is also wider, the fact that me just being on a ship that you are also on would make you dislike your cruise so much makes me question all your other points. Drinks, prices, shows etc. can be subjective, but the quote above is just mean. Outside of people being rude or nasty to other passengers or crew, I have never let other passengers looks be a factor in whether I enjoyed a cruise or not. Even on cruises when I was younger and not as wide. Cruises are such a great thing and we are grateful that we can cruise when time permits. I hope you do find a ship or cruise line that makes you happy.

Thank you for this. This is similar to the one I saw. They had one that showed the picture of each one in the coppe gelato section. I got the Pirata and it was simple and delicious. I've not had the gelato before so I may just make it a tradition to start to try a different one on each cruise. If not included as a premium desert next time, I'll spring for the $4.00.

Thanks for the info! I've never had to cancel a cruise yet that had the plus option so this does ease my mind if I ever have to.