Cobraman

Before you disembark, could you please shoot a photo of (and post, if possible) the ships officer roster?

Thank you!

One perk they don't necessarily list is a room service breakfast on disembarkation day.    

Just FYI - I usually convert AmEx points to Carnival gift cards before I cruise, then cash them in on board.  Just looked on the AmEx website, they no longer have Carnival gift cards as an option.  You can use AmEx gift cards to buy on board credit ahead of your sail date, but the Carnival gift cards had a much better exchange rate, points wise.

Request the day before, and enjoy a nice steak with your eggs.

Or some nice crispy fried corn beef hash.

A decent alternative is the Starbucks Via packs.  I sometimes order a pot of hot water, dump several Via French roast packs in and find it's a lot better than room service or MDR coffee. 

36 minutes ago, hllwdcruiser said:

Never heard of Zylast. Went on my friend Google to investigate and found this:

https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm610146.htm

36 minutes ago, hllwdcruiser said:

 

While I don't disagree with the FDA, Zylast antiseptic hand sanitizer with 76% alcohol content is better than its competitors and provides some amount of protection when hand washing is not practical/available.  Hand washing is the best remedy, but only if done correctly and washing stations are made available.

You can request avocado toast with breakfast in Sabatinis, or sliced avocado as a side with a mixed fruit plate when available.

The first two itineraries are in the same suite, the third is a suite on the same deck, opposite corner. We couldn't get the same cabin for all three itineraries. All three have different booking numbers.

Next year we are booked on the Royal for three (3) Mexican Riviera, 7 night cruises. They are separate itineraries, departing/arriving at the San Pedro port. Curious if anyone has done this, and if so what should we expect as we transition from one itinerary to the next.

This thread is another example of the level of anxiety created by the tipping process as it relates to Princess crew members. Princess created the cashless cruising policy to eliminate said anxiety, simply pay the gratuity, sit back and enjoy your vacation. It's hilarious to think passengers actually have copies of a crew contract, and use it to debate wage/tipping associated with their employment. As others have said, most of the crew are not new, they have worked multiple contracts so they must see an up side to Princess employment. We stopped tipping extra years ago when we discovered the service is good, commencerate to the level awarded via the auto gratuity. In reality, I can count one one hand instances that warrant additional compensation. The whole concept of tipping is beginning to bug the heck out of us, we dont tip our mechanic, dry cleaner or gardener, so why should I to feel guilty for not tipping a hotel employee, cruise employee or restaurant server?

I have talked to crew members on Cunard/Celebrity/Princess/Oceania. I got the same response from all those lines. If it varied, I'd agree, but I got the same answers from crews on all those lines. The other one I love is how "empty" the MDR is on the last night of the cruise. Gee, I wonder why that is? Yes, I'm sure some are just grabbing a quick bite, but I think we all know the "rest" are skipping out so they won't have to worry about giving a little extra to the staff who worked so hard to make their trip so enjoyable. Really gives you a feeling about how cheap some pax can be. Please don't anyone support their decision, it will reflect on "you" personally.(Not you, Joybook)I'm referring to those reading the post!

We stopped tipping the MDR waitstaff years ago. Princess implemented the "cashless cruising" policy to eliminate the cumbersome tipping process, So if one chooses to utilize it (as we do) then tipping additionally is not warranted and only serves to spawn these endless threads. I realize many here feel obligated to tip each and every crew member they come in contact with, but the auto gratuity was designed to relieve passenger anxiety over who to tip and who not to. I can support an additional tip for a crew member who goes above and beyond; however in all our years Of cruising I can count those instances on one hand. The vast majority are simply doing their job, which is covered by the auto gratuity.

I'm not planning to use the viewing deck for the transit. I guess I should have skipped the part of my question concerning the viewing deck. I am more interested in the location of the cabin and it's location.

It's as good an inside cabin as they come.

No comments on the cabin, but if you plan to spend the transit on the aft balcony, you will be missing 80% of the action. (The same applies to any balcony) EM

Maybe I'm missing something, but aft balconies are a great place to observe canal operations. Our last time through was late last year on the Island, in cabin A726. It's wrap-around balcony allowed us to observe the locks and the mules as we moved through the canal.

I would think the inside cabin would be okay, since your plan is to observe the canal transit from a common, aft-facing viewing area.

Just curious why the coffee was "undrinkable." Does this also mean that the cabins don't have individual coffee/ tea pots in the room?

If you want good coffee from room service, skip ordering coffee - - ask for a large pot of hot water. Pick up a package of the Starbucks Via instant coffee, they are quite good in a pinch and beats running downstairs to pay for decent coffee.

With the Royal coming over next year wouldn't be advantageous for Princess to consider RT cruises from LA to Papeete" Tahiti?

 

Forego some of the Hawaii round trips and offer beautiful South Pacific.

 

I'd be all over that like a cheap suit.:cool::cool::cool::cool:;p:cool:

We would also enjoy the option of forgoing Hawaii and focusing on the South Pacific Islands.

True but if you average 8-10 drinks a day plus water and coffees then it is cheaper than paying ala carte

Agreed; that's why we like the sip-n-sail promotion. It works for us, especially on longer cruises.

It usually comes up in August or around there so we can only wait and see. Sure hope so, I don't mind paying for the package on a short cruise but would hate to pay full price on my usual 14-21 day cruises

It would be pricey; two people for the 28 day itinerary totals $3,155.60

We wait for the sip-n-sail promotion window, then book 3-4 itineraries and usually end up dropping one. We leave in a few days on the Hawaii/South Pacific 28 day, with said promotion. Its the only way the beverage package makes sense to us.

We regularly enjoy afternoon tea and choosing the canapés we like. We utilize the free laundry, since the last thing I want to do is wash my clothes while cruising. The secret on the laundry service is don't wait a week to send it out, on longer cruises we bundle up three days worth and send it out, and repeat the process so we always have fresh stuff coming back. A perk is a perk, so we try and capitalize on as many as we can, but don't expect they will add any new ones. I agree with the thought that longer/frequent elite travelers spend less on high profit items like photos, excursions, etc. They need to expand the number of newer passengers rather than reward loyalty members who have learned to economize the experience.

You might try a forum search, there have been several recent threads on that subject matter. The Effy jewelry sold on Princess ships is guaranteed by both Effy and Princess. The details of their dispute/repair/replacement policies should be in the paperwork that accompanied the jewelry. Do the search, you should find some excellent information.

Everyone is different, which is why there are many cabin choices and locations to pick from. We enjoy our own company/privacy, so we always book aft suites which provide large, private balconies, a great view, larger shower and living space, more closet/storage space. We prefer the slower paced breakfast at Sabatinis with its personalized service. The option to dine in and order from the MDR menu is a nice option, and nothing beats a full breakfast on disembarkation morning in the privacy of your suite, and the option to stay in your room a bit longer while you wait for your time to depart. The longer the cruise, the higher the price but also the more pleasurable the stay (at least for us, its worth it).

The argument that it is not in the contract is very silly. The contract doesn't even guaranty a voyage.

Exactly my point; they could cancel the day of the cruise, refund your money and walk away.

Just my two cents, but why do some people feel it is an inalienable right to be compensated for every little thing that doesn't go according to Hoyle.....:confused::rolleyes::confused:

 

Bob

A few years ago we booked a Mexican Riviera cruise out of San Pedro. We packed for warm, humid weather. We departed San Pedro and after clearing the harbor we had dinner and went to bed. We woke up to find we were now on a California Coastal cruise in winter! The change was due to weather, but no advance warning and absolutely no compensation for the itinerary change. Most of the stops were cold and foggy, so not a lot of interest in getting off the ship. My point is the contract clearly states Princess reserves the right to make such changes, including the low speed roll-out of the ***** program. The fact they compensated some customers and not you is sad, but not a contractural guarantee.

It's interesting how accepting we are of "new technology" (in reality the medallion is years old tech) that allows the end user to track and market data they mine with our full cooperation. Think about a software/hardware installation, fleet-wide with connections to land-based servers. Think about the costs associated with such an immense undertaking. Now think about the biggest piece of the puzzle - why? The answer is simple; ROIC.

Years ago in a boardroom filled with Princess corporate reps, a software sales team and their hardware counterparts pitched a plan filled with wiz bang tech, but in the end it was designed to turn a profit, not make the customer's life easier. Your patterns of purchase, food you consume, services you gravitate to, etc. are all data to be sold to the highest bidder. At this point I would love to be a fly in the room listening to the war of words between Princess, the software creators, the hardware suppliers and the techs trying to install and meet the designers expectations - which I hear is not going well at all. Like all new tech, it has little to do with benefiting the end user, it is all about maximizing profit. ROIC.

We choose to prepay our gratuities so they don't clutter up our folio, since they add them on a daily basis.

But, that's just us.