Cruise Raider

That’s different from what I’ve seen. Whenever we’ve missed a port of call, it’s always been given as refundable OBC on our folio. It won’t be much .. maybe $20 max. If they truly are sending this out my check, it comes in a plain white envelope from Bottomline Technologies that looks like junk mail. You can always submit a comment/request via post cruise inquiries on the Princess website. I’ve had great luck with that in the past when an invalid charge showed up on my folio after we left the ship. I also had a rather sizable refund coming to me through Bottomline Technologies and called them and they were quite responsive to my inquiry.

Good to know .. thanks for the info! Personally, I don’t mind the location of the Catch but have heard others complain about the noise factor. We eat dinner rather early so, maybe that is why it did not have any negative impact on us. The louder music from the piazza probably hadn’t started until we were finished eating. No matter where they locate the Catch, we will follow. It is just that good! The only meal I’ve ever eaten which is as good as the Catch was the Ultimate Balcony Dinner on this latest cruise. The 360 experience was phenomenal but not as much about the food as about the presentation and phenomenal service. One waiter per couple .. wow!

Here are my experiences .. Back when there were specials at the time of booking that included a specialty dinner for two, the specialty restaurants would be completely filled. At first, we went to guest services and asked what could be done and they said there was no compensation. That turned around quickly and they placed the cost of the meal for compensation as refundable OBC on our folio. Since that time, I have not seen the free specialty dinner as a booking offer ever again. Then, I see you can now order some of the specialty meal items through your app or in the MDR and adjustments have been made that you can use your specialty meal credits for these items (steak or lobster). The atmosphere isn’t the same, but it’s taken some of the guessing out of whether or not you can use your specialty dining credits while onboard. Lastly, ever since they have been pushing the packages, I seem to have noticed that they don’t make all reservations available online ahead of time and we’ve had no problem getting a reservation in a specialty restaurant once onboard. This makes the most sense as, it appears they hold enough reservations open for those with the premier packages to fulfill their obligations promised and sell few others for those wanting to just pay for their meal. They’ve even raised the prices for those with the standard fare to keep the demand lower than the supply. This is all just my assumption but it does make sense based on my experience. We were just on a very busy sailing and seemed everybody wanted to splurge on the specialty restaurants. We had no problems getting reservations having the premier package whereas others with the standard package said they couldn’t get a reservation at any time.

Just be aware that leaving the balcony door open between two balconies in rough waters can create some horrible banging throughout the day and night, even though it is latched open. If that does happen, you may want to consider your surrounding neighbors. I’m not saying not to keep them open, just something to consider. Of note, you can also have the front desk give your medallions access to open each other’s stateroom doors. Happy cruising

The crew is reluctant to talk about their compensation, as I was when I was working, as well. It is nobody’s business. But, we have been told they receive a salary and they believe it is fair compensation. The fleet wide pool for that salary started up shortly after CoVid to account for some ships being at full capacity vs those that were only at 1/4 capacity. Sounds like they were happy with the fact that they weren’t penalized monetarily because of the Covid restrictions or reluctance of cruisers to book. Anything above and beyond what they are given in cash tips is theirs to keep. It sounds to me that the 18% service charge, when collected by Princess, goes towards those salaries. So, if you wish for your server to directly see your appreciation, you may need to tip them in person. I’m not insinuating people need to do that, as I really think 18% is sufficient. Some people will still tip on top of a favorite server, some won’t ..both are ok! We usually pick one or two team members that we’ve gotten to know or has done an outstanding job that receive a little something extra. Sometimes, it is in the form of something they need at the store or picking up their tab for their lunch while in port.

I can’t speak specifically to that but the 360 experience does not incur an 18% fee on top of the $149. From what others have mentioned, the UBD comes out to $110 per couple.

We got to the theater a bit early and they just closed the doors .. full to capacity! I agree, Wozniak was really the brains behind the icons that made Apple so user friendly! Seems like he was kind of pushed out or at least to the side.

@Hulagirl.. it was our absolute pleasure to meet you, as well! I still can’t get over how many wonderful people we met and all the fabulous events onboard. Renee and Captain Tony were just the nicest couple. My heart melted in the theater when he mentioned that he met the “love of his life” onboard a Princess ship and that she oftentimes stays right there onboard while he is performing his duties as master of the vessel. They were both so very friendly, not only to the passengers but also to the crew. We only made it to the PES lounge one time over the whole 13 days. We always had something else scheduled. Heck, we never even made it to the MDR for dinner once. We were lucky enough to be invited up to our friend’s Sky Suite for the big event for perfect viewing! But, it appeared to be so civilized out on the top decks. It didn’t appear to be all that crowded and the viewing was actually perfect from wherever people happened to be standing. So, no need for pushing and shoving, no vying for space to stand. I always say, if the crew of a Princess cruise actual world’s governments, there probably wouldn’t be any wars and things would actually get accomplished. They know how to work together and compromise better than most governments do! @Lady Arwen.. I am sure I will have a great time on my upcoming cruises on the Crown. I so appreciate all of the efforts, hard work and talents of all the crew members on all the ships! Plus, a few of our good friends work onboard and love being able to spend time with them. Since we have no plane rides, that makes it so very convenient and we can take a few cases of spicy ramen noodles for the crew.

We did ours on the night leaving Manzanillo and had a photographer. Although, it was so windy in port so, we all look like we were fighting the winds until we got out of the port. I think some of the nice champagne glasses but the dust even before the start. Still, it was one of the best meals I have ever had!

I think with 2 dinners each being included in the premier packages, they are filling the specialty restaurants to capacity, which was maybe the long term plan all along.

I am a bit confused as I have never seen Princess charge to one’s checking account. Perhaps they are charges on your credit card? Did you perhaps book another cruise onboard .. the $99 deposit pp may explain the $198 charge. Were these charges on your post cruise summary of onboard charges they sent via email? If so, it should outline was these charges are for.

They always look at me oddly and even chuckle when I ask for 3 fries but I know if there are more on my plate, I will eat them. I savor those 3 fries and eat them ever so slowly! 😆 And yes, this past cruise was the one to beat! We head out on the Crown for a B2B this weekend .. it’s going to be a tough act to follow!

Most basic cocktails and drinks are covered under the Plus Package. If you want a high end liquor or a nicer wine, you may have to pay extra or upgrade to the premier package. You can each have up to 15 drinks with alcohol but unlimited sodas, juices, specialty coffees, etc with either package. Also, you will each be able to go to one of the casual dining venues twice per cruise, such as the GastroPub, Ocean Terrace, Vines (Charcuterie board with crudities and chocolate truffles), O'Malleys, Alfredo’s pizzeria, etc depending on which ship you are on. Unless you go to a specialty restaurant, the spa, etc., all tips are covered under the plus package, for your meals and drinks. As in the above comment, your WiFi is covered for one device at a time pp, but you can use multiple devices .. just log off one and onto a different device. We tend to get the plus package on the older ships and the premier package on the Royal class ships, as they have many more casual dining options available and it is unlimited, so it holds more value. In addition, the premier package gives you all your photos taken by the ship’s photographers. We usually have no additional costs above and beyond what the premier package provides.

You are correct .. it’s really easy to just switch devices. If you fell like that is not sufficient, one of you can upgrade to the 4 device package and you are able to share those logins with the others in your group.

I’m sure you are right on the money!

It should come to $46 pp total if the base price, which is what I’ve seen, is $39. Although, if they raise the price to $45, which it seems they have done on the Sun Princess, then yes, it is $53 pp.

I would not tip extra on top of the 18%, as I believe that is sufficient. I also don’t tip extra in the spa when they have added the 18% onto my bill.

We enjoyed Cole as our CD on the Ruby and then again on the Discovery back in January. He was scheduled to go home before the Eclipse cruise but asked to be extended, as I believe he put a lot of work into this sailing. So glad he did. He is funny, energetic, thoughtful and extremely talented. His assistant was Oz. They started the wake show with the Cole&Oz..scopy show every day. They cracked me up! Anyway, so glad he decided to extend his contract to see the fruits of his labor for this very special cruise! The team had 250 commemorative coins made for this cruise and the only way to get one was to win one. We won ours by putting a letter into the wake show box. Yay .. so very special! Captain Tony and his wife, Renee, were also so very present amongst the passengers, always stopping to chat and a friendly smile. You could tell they were just excited to see the eclipse as we all were. The respect Captain Tony showed to the entire crew was incredible! They all loved him and spoke about him with so much admiration! It is a happy crew that is a productive crew and that comes from the top down. Lastly, Raymond, the new F&B director and Terry, the hotel general manager were both extremely present and asked for feedback from their staff and guests! What a huge impact they have had onboard this most beautiful ship! 🚢

I am with you .. I am excited to try out O’Malleys! I am just not sure when that will happen. I hear tale it might be open for lunch on sea days. I would love to try their chicken wings. They are messy but I can’t resist a great chicken wing.

We just returned a couple of days ago from the Total Solar Eclipse Cruise on the Discovery. It was absolutely amazing. Not only did the Captain, the navigators, both onshore and onboard, the entertainment staff, food and beverage directors get involved, but it was obvious that the corporate powers were also highly invested to make this cruise a very special one for everyone. There were special events, eclipse glasses, viewing certificates, a enrichment lectures, eclipse cocktails and cookies, commemorative coins, a planetarium set up in the theater, games, stargazing, constant communications, etc. to make our cruise so very memorable. The crew and even officers were handing out cold water, sunscreen upon request, cookies during the morning of the eclipse. Captain Tony was incredible in keeping us posted, cruising out to the best location in the path of the totality where there were very few clouds, etc and along with his team, he succeeded in every aspect of his extensive planning. The cruise director, Cole, invited Captain Tony on the wake show to answer questions from the passengers. There were some great questions asked and answered. Terry, the hotel general manager, assisted in making all of her associated duties happen seamlessly! All the loungers were removed from the top decks for the most room for the passengers and crew to view the event! Raymond, the food and beverage director also made his job look easy, even though we know it wasn’t. It was so impressive that the top officers made sure that as many of their crew/staff as possible were able to view the eclipse. What surprised me, as never having witnessed a TSE in my lifetime, was the neon tinge I saw during totality. Also, the eclipse seemed to last just one minute, even though it was over 4 minutes. It really cooled down quickly once the eclipse was in totality. I knew it would happen, but just not to that extent. I liken all of this to watching the rose bowl parade on TV vs seeing it in person. You can’t smell the roses or the horses or make eye contact with those on the floats from watching it on TV. It was a magical experience to feel the temperature drop, to see the colors of the environment around you change and to hear the cheers from all the other umbraphiles onboard! Here are a few comments about the entire cruise .. We booked a B2B so, we were onboard for the 3 day prior to the cruise. There was a meeting in Sabatini’s to instruct all the ‘in transit’ passengers on what to expect and instructions on what to do, where to meet, etc. I think there were 171 of us. Nicely done, Princess. We were in the same cabin so, didn’t have to pack up any of our things! We told our room steward to take turnaround day off for our cabin. He insisted on taking care of our cabin that evening but we told him we were just fine and put our do not disturb sign out. During the in transit passenger meeting, we were told our account would roll over to the next cruise. While our onboard credit did automatically roll over as promised, much to their dismay, there was some issue for those with the packages. It was all cleared up by guest services without question but had to be removed manually and so was a time consuming project for them, to be sure. I did realize how valuable it was for us to have a package after seeing our drink charges for April 3rd. Anyway, we had to disembark between cruises to clear the ship but we all met in a group in the theater by 9:30 AM and were escorted off the ship and back through a waiting area in the terminal before we boarded about 30 minutes later. While there were no seats in the terminal, it wasn’t a terribly long time to wait in line to re-embark. Time to start our super special cruise! We had the premier package for our cruise and made our specialty reservations ahead of time. I already knew I love The Catch by Rudi and it didn’t disappoint. They seated us at the balcony seats overlooking the piazza. We absolutely loved it! Many complained about it being too noisy there but, it didn’t bother us one bit! We ended up eating at the Catch 3 times over the course of our 13 day B2B sailing and every time, the service and food were spectacular. I tried the Dover sole due to a recommendation from a friend and think the lobster or the Chilean sea bass is so much better. The crab cakes and the tail of citrus on the appetizer menu are my favorites, although the calamari is also excellent. We also had one meal at the Crown Grill and it was also excellent, I just happen to like seafood so much and don’t eat red meat so, the Catch is my absolute favorite due to their more extensive options of fish and seafood. We also ate at the Slaty Dog GastroPub a couple of times and it was excellent. I heard some complaints from others about the food and/or service but that wasn’t our experience so, can’t speak to that. I think it was the best it’s ever been. Right after our sailing, they were starting construction to change it over to an O’Malleys Irish Pub so, glad I had the chance to go a couple of times on this latest cruise. The space for O’Malleys will replace not only the Salty Dog, but also the Gelato / Ice cream area .. at least that’s what we were told. I also heard that Sabatini’s and The Catch by Rudi will be trading spots. I believe that is happening soon, maybe it has already been started. I did notice the Crab Shack being held at lunch time on sea days in the GastroPub area. Of note, Churchills, the smoking bar between the Take 5 and casino, has been converted to an arcade. That may have happened earlier this year if not late last year. Ultimate Balcony Dinner: wow, wow, wow We’ve never done this before but our friend and the head of our travel group set it up for 12 of us on her suite balcony. They’ve never done a UBD for 12 people before but you’d never know it. The food and service were absolute perfection. I believe it is $110 per couple and may even be better than the specialty restaurants. It was way too much food but they sent the extra up to our cabin for us and we made a couple bowls of lobster noodle soup the next day. The Japanese noodle soup station in the buffet is so good and perfect for leftover protein to be added. OK .. now my friends may tease me about this but I hate wasting food so, I always use my leftovers for something yummy the next day. Yes, even on a cruise! 360° Experience: Again … wow, wow, wow I’ve never done this before either and am happy they have an early dinner option. I even saw they were setting it up for a lunch option on the last day of the cruise. They may have added that in over demand vs having that option available on a regular basis. I will say, I never will feel as though I would have to do that again as, it just can’t be beat! It is more like a dinner and a show than just a meal. I was wowed by the entire experience. This time, it wasn’t too much food, it’s more about the presentation, the wine paring and the 360 screen. It was so incredibly imaginative and just wonderful! We were treated to incredible meals and parties the entire cruise. I love the new small bite lunch menu. I did order chicken tacos twice and received fish tacos but, they were still great. The chicken curry on the pub lunch menu is delightful. Whomever is making the minestrone soup in GiGI’s should be given a raise. Actually, all the food was just spectacular throughout the cruise. And what about those French fries. They are my weakness but try to never eat them. When they are made like they did on our latest cruise, that was a huge challenge. Best fries ever! I fear it’s going to take me some time to work off the few pounds I gained. I always put it on my survey that I wish I could order a sandwich via the app with a choice for NO FRIES! I have no will power and hate to waste food. 🤣 At least when I go to the SD grill, I can ask for 3 fries .. they laugh but always comply. Our cabin steward was excellent, a bit quiet and non intrusive but gracious and so very competent! We’ve actually had that same cabin in the past and I swear, it was like brand new due to excellent cleaning procedures and maintenance. If I looked for an out of place hair or any dust, I would be hard pressed to find it. Even the balcony was spic and span. The first full day, the shower drained very slowly and we left our steward a note and it was fixed in no time flat, never to happen again. The entertainment was also phenomenal. I love the two production shows, Spotlight Bar and Rock Opera, on this ship but we’re always scheduled for something else during the shows. Thankfully, we’ve seen both of them several times in the past. Mockingbird, our favorite band, played throughout the cruise and even got the theater one night with a tribute to Adele! They just killed it .. in a very great way! I loved the officer engagement on this ship! They mingle with the guests and make sure everything is going perfectly. I really had no complaints .. oh, other than the extra pounds I brought home with me. Those dang excellent fries 🍟.. 😆 Oh and I don’t think I mentioned how awesome the eclipse cookies were, too! I really only had one little bite and knew better to get hooked on those, too! 😮 And for those of you that question the value of the packages, they are so worth it. Just when I didn’t think the cruise could get any better than it already was, my DH won a great prize through the Princess prizes on the last day! 😁

We were just on the Discovery, too and your information is exactly how it works.

We would have never noticed it until our room steward pointed that out to us and replaced them with new ones.

I think many of us were booked in that same area. It’s too bad we didn’t all get to know each other while on the cruise. A dear couple of friends had one of the Sky Suites and invited us up there for the viewing. Even though it was on the port side, it was absolutely perfect for viewing the eclipse! Another friend in our group of cruise friends set up a couple of telescopes.

I really think it may have more to do with the ages of the passengers onboard and where they come from. When we were younger, we couldn’t understand how people wanted to eat dinner at 6:00 PM, much less at 4:30 PM. Our preferred time to start dinner was at 8:00 or even 8:30 PM. Now that we are older, we prefer the earliest dining time available. At home, we’re known to be done with dinner by 4:00 PM and wish the specialty restaurants would offer the same menu at lunchtime, even if it’s at the same cost. Perhaps that is why the cruisleines are trying to attract more and more younger crowds, as their key demographic is aging. Anyway, it may be all anecdotal but we tend to see more people that are our age (seniors) seated for the earlier dining times than we used to when we ate later in the evening. Lately, we’ve skipped out of even going to the MDR for dinner and just get little snacks at either the PES lounge, food delivery, the buffet or at Alfredo’s for a bowl of soup. We have larger lunches and smaller dinners with each passing year.

All the way around .. never have we had a better time on a cruise!