Lady Arwen

It sounds simply delightful.

I agree 100%. I’m always surprised when someone posts this weird stuff about smuggling. Plus package all the way!

Thank you for verifying the policy. Apparently, some people didn’t get the memo.

Wow! The thought hasn’t even entered my mind to sneak booze onto a cruiseship. Kinda makes me feel icky. I guess if you’re used to doing this sort of activity, you forget about the nastiness.

Yup, saw that. Not a problem.

Makes sense now that you say it. I completely forget about those folks who just have to find a way to smuggle booze onboard. I have words for those people, but I won't share them with you. lol. And, here I thought it was Princess being environmentally responsible. Oh, well.

I understand what you mean. Hawaii would be lovely for you. We only sail Europe, now. Please let us know all about your next Virgin cruise when you return. I’ll be checking their CC boards!

It sounds like I could be converted, too. The non smoking casino is a huge plus! And, included drinks is my style. lol. Have you sailed other than Caribbean itineraries? We don’t usually.

I feel that cruise excitement coming on! The feeling when you know you just need to book it. I love that’s it’s just something so different from our usual cruises on Celebrity and Princess. Also, the perks we would normally be paying extra for are included. My husband is a Brit and he admires Sir Richard. We won’t be doing a Caribbean cruise, tho. Been there done that many, many times.

Sooo, my DH and I are probably booking for 2025. The prices are actually not that bad for what you get. Looking at Europe in a balcony cabin. Lots of attractive amenities. Thank you for sharing your adventure. You’ve certainly sold us!

I’m very familiar with the far forward front facing deluxe balconies. Personally, we love them but I doubt if we’d book one for a TA. Your usage may dwindle as you get out to sea. For a TA we prefer as midship as possible, regardless of cabin type.

I’m sure you and @jwattle have a blast wherever you go! Please post a review. Give my regards to your better half.

You are most certainly tempting me to give it a try! However, I’m sure that when perusing their cruises there will be sticker shock. Thank you for your very thorough review.

They use the plastic bottles that are environmentally friendly and can be recycled. Where I live, these bottles are used everywhere. The dilemma for Princess, is having to check each passengers bottles to see if they’re appropriate. Easier to ban all plastic bottles. One day, all plastic bottles will be manufactured to meet these standards, Until then…….

It’s actually illegal to smoke cannabis or anything else outside in public. Many times it’s tourists who enjoy the fact the cannabis is legal in Canada so they take advantage of it and don’t care if they’re breaking the law. If you come to Toronto, you won’t see this. I personally have not.

Thank you for providing Princess’s policy regarding bringing liquids onboard. Glad to see that plastic bottles are prohibited. So very harmful to the environment. I think most guests would prefer cans or cartons, anyway.

So true. Here in Canada smoking laws are very, very strict. No smoking anywhere in public both indoors or outdoors. Basically, you can only smoke on your own property. However, casinos have designated outdoor, fenced in areas. In the winter, they have installed outdoor heaters which aren’t much use when the snow is blowing in your face. lol. I agree with you about the arcades.

Perfectly said, thank you. It’s amazing what you can purchase with that $19.00! Honestly, I use $15.00 on cappuccinos and lattes. Add a cocktail or a glass of wine and I’m way ahead. Of course, YMMV.

The afternoon tea is the best! I loved seeing that trolly with all those sumptuous goodies. And, tea in proper tea cups! The highlight of my day in the Sanctuary.

We sailed on Celebrity Ascent in January, and it was wonderful to use the casino every evening without having to be exposed to smoke. The cigar and cigarette smokers are provided with comfortable outdoor areas with sofas, chairs and coffee tables with bar service and away from passenger traffic. The casino was packed every night and people really were enjoying themselves. If Celebrity can do this, all cruiselines can do this. I spoke to a number of people who said the non smoking policy on Celebrity ships is the reason the won’t sail on other lines. Princess can please both smokers and non smokers if they choose to do so. I’m willing to bet, pun intended, that Celebrity casinos are raking in (did it again) as much or even more than Princess, so it’s not that. We need to keep on telling Princess to do better for smokers and non smokers.

Yes, there are thousands of Elite cruisers. There are many, many more who are not. For them, 2 wine, 1 cocktail, plus gratuities per person per day is $61.00 all day, everyday. Nothing else added. Please stop leading the charge on misinformation.

Wow. Thank you, so much. Unfortunately, certain members are fond of adding a little drama to their comments. I don’t recall anyone, ever calling another member names. Let’s just stick to factual numbers that would apply to all cruisers. If you don’t want it, or because of your loyalty level, you don’t need it that’s great! Enjoy yourself. Let’s stop feeding new cruisers misinformation and let them decide based on the truth.

How many passengers have any of these? Very few.

Excellent point! Unfortunately, many cruisers are not Elite, so those perks go away. Your 20 Cokes would be $60.00. Your two cocktails would be $25.00 per day. For those who haven’t reached your status, and there are many of them, 2 wine, 1 cocktail and gratuities is still $61.00 per day per person. No wifi, no water, no soda, no juice, no extras. Your calculations are just fine for those of you are Elite. Look, I honestly don’t care one iota what you purchase or don’t. Why would I? What I don’t appreciate is misinformation or information that only applies to a select few. Recently, a member informed a new cruiser that they need 10 alcoholic drinks per day to break even. Patently false information. So, if you could just paraphrase your posts to point out that “these calculations apply only if you are Elite status”. Then people would be able to make a fair assessment.

Thanks! So add another $2.50 to my calculations. Yes, I read that, too. 15 to break even? Uhhhmm no.