GRAYTech

Then saw the $1 3rd and 4th passengers. Only possible way to take advantage was the Vista suite.

I have seen the prices vary quite a bit for 3rd and 4th in a full suite but never for $1. We got bit by the suite bug and have sailed 4 in a grand class Vista a number of times. The toilet is separate from the shower so getting 4 through the bathroom was no big deal for us.

Was the $1 a general website promo available to anybody or was it Email or something else that was being offered specifically to you?

I have Apple "airpods" which are wireless Bluetooth ear buds. You plug in a Bluetooth transmitter to the head phone jack of the TV (or any headphone jack for that matter) and it broadcasts the sound to the airpods wirelessly. No bothering anyone else. Works great for late night TV too.

This is the one I have, works great and has great range. It can handle two sets of airpods so you and your mate can listen at the same time. (or just use one airpod for each of you)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0769Q8YW1/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

O...And I would be eternally grateful that his problem was found and treated before the cruise rather than having a health emergency on the cruise. Then you would really be in a bad situation without travel insurance!

Continue to count your blessings, as you know it could have been MUCH worse for your DH and lots more $$$. Given prior medical issues, no insurance is a mistake you won't make again. Sending hope for a speedy recovery to your DH.

The cost to rent the car was less than it would have been to check our bags and have it taken out to the airport. I like to tell people that I rented a car for the sole purpost of storing my luggage.

What a great idea. While EZ Check worked great I think it was $25 x4 of us = $100 We took an Uber to have lunch and then another to the airport. I think that was about $15 x 2 trips so EZCheck and get to the airport (via restaurant) was $130. Renting a car for a day (or less) is lots cheaper than that and then you could go anywhere you wanted. Even book a later return flight to have more time.

Will definitely look into this next cruise.

I may be wrong but I think the only place you get a for real, full size padded lounger is in a full suite or above. I know you crossed off a full suite due to cost but what you described to me is a grand class vista suite. The room is spacious and not claustrophobic. The separate shower and tub are great and NOT claustrophobic like an inside bathroom and shower curtain can be.

You also get the full size wood/padded lounger and the balcony is deep enough to be away from most of the salt spray. Some will say the wake is noisy and it is but I like it. Kind of like a white noise generator on full volume. While I haven't spent a whole night sleeping on the lounger I do tend to nod off after late dinner seating or the late BOGO and sleep there for a few hours until nature calls. Then it's off to bed. They are far more comfortable than the loungers.

I don't think you will get much sleep on the balcony if it's not in a full suite or above.

What a wonderful world it would be if they just sent a guy off the boat in port to pick up a pallet of local flavor.

Never thought of this. All it would take is a phone call "... I need 20 1/2 barrels of local brew..." delivered to the dock.

Yeah forget the novelty of an on board brewery. Use the space to put in some coolers and "feature" the regional brews. Oh yeah, cut back on the aluminum can fizzy water, very few will be buying it.

Do any of the lines feature regional brews?

We have the same issue with a couple of "trying to be upscale" local restaurants . All kinds of wine selection but the beer is limited to bud, bud light and miller light. Right now I have a 1/2 barrel of Karben 4 fantasy factory in my kegerator.

How hard would it be to have just one decent IPA (how about Bells Two Hearts ?) on tap in one bar on the ship? A single portable kegerator like I have could be done anywhere. At $5 a glass it would mean about $750 in profit per keg. OK, $5 is what I pay locally in a bar, maybe more like $7.50 on board so make that $1,200/keg profit.

The aluminum can of fizzy water just doesn't do it for me. What beer lover wouldn't pay more for something that actually tasted good.

...Sabatini's for breakfast was our favorite perk.

Sabatini's breakfast is not to be missed. (y) (y)

But, trashing the buffet as crazy or a zoo or whatever is a little overboard IMO.

I agree and I wasn't trying to "trash" the buffet. I was only saying I do find them chaotic on embarkation day when compared to the MDR. Doesn't mean the buffet isn't just fine and yes if on early, it's better and doing a drive-by to pick something up to take topside or cabin is no problem at all. It can be an issue to get a table on both embarkation and sea days at peak times.

The dinning room has always had a table for us at embarkation lunch, great service and the beef medallions have always been delightful.

So does that mean if I purchase it once I can use it for both cruises?

Knowing Princess I'll bet not if it's book as two cruises. I would call direct and see if they will accommodate you. Let us know what you find out.

It looks like that's just the way they priced it. Same price for up to 24 days.

All-Inclusive Photo Package

Take home all the prints and digital files of your cruise starting from $199 USD. Purchase pre-cruise and save $50 USD* compared to the onboard price.

Item #5415/#5417 - $249 Onboard for cruises 7 to 24 days ($199 Pre-Cruise)

Item #5418 - $299 for cruises 25 to 39 days ($249 Pre-Cruise)

Item #5419 - $399 for cruises 40 days and longer ($349 Pre-Cruise)

As for Crown Grill entrees in the dining room, that’s a choice. I don’t have to pay anything extra.

But will the MDR choices (without paying) become fewer and with declining quality to encourage you to pony up the bucks to get something worth eating?

So the waiter comes to the table - "...Sir/Madam can I interest you in the surf and turf tonight, it's only $20 or should I bring the dog food dish..."

So if you can pay to get better food does the already sometimes marginal quality of food (IMHO) go down even further?

Is this a win-win for Princess? Increase revenue by charging for food and decrease cost because people aren't eating the "included" entree's?

You can bet this will become the norm and you will have "free" so-so options and expensive much better options. I can't be the only one that would rather pay a little more up front to stop the nickel-n-dime at every turn.

This is from recent thread. Sounded like they were still in port and also made the comment that it was "barely working". If it truly is 75 Down and 25 Up that would be a vast improvement even with the latency shown. Hope they post again once at sea and what their experience was with MedallionNet throughout the cruise.

I won't do the day of without EZ-Air. Taking a last minute flight or charter boat to the next port could cost as much as the cruise itself.

We have had delays coming in the day before and have just barely made it onto the ship in time the next day. You just never know when the lights will go out in Atlanta or a huge storm will move up the east coast.

As noted, luggage can also be an issue. You may make it but your bags don't leaving you to enjoy the cruise in your one and only T-Shirt and jeans. We take one carry on and check luggage if flying the day of. Everyone puts a few items in the carry on just in case your bag doesn't make it.

14 credits, 59 days one more to go. We took an upsell to a Vista suite early on and have enjoyed them ever since.

Not sure what all the fuss is over getting into the MDR for lunch after you have just gotten on the ship..

For me it's more about avoiding the chaotic buffet. The MDR beef medallions and a beer have marked the start of every cruise since we found out the MDR "secret" lunch spot.

All alcohol purchase on port of call is confiscated when returning to the cruise and will be returned last night of the sailing.

Which means you will be well stocked on the second leg of a B2B cruise.

Thanks for sharing the info on the "goTenna" device. Looks very promising with a 4 mile range it would certainly work both while on board and on shore for the most part. If you use them please report back with results.

I don't intend to be snarky at all but perhaps you should just cruise RCCL then? It doesn't interest me at all so I'll stick with Princess where I am happy. If RCCL makes you happier than Princess does then it would make sense to "jump ship" as it were.

Not to be snarky back at you, I would rather cruise Princess but my business won't survive a two week hiatus. I'm a number of years from retirement. I posted the original comment a while back before I was aware of the Medallion and internet upgrades on some ships.

From the anecdotal evidence posted on CC recently it sounds like YES! They have put a little voom in their step on some ships. $10/day (or whatever the charge will be) is dirt cheap for me to stay Email accessible instead of paying someone to cover for me in my sole proprietor business.

The Princess internet upgrades actually make the sea-day intensive Hawaiian loop or a TA possible as long as I have reliable Email. I see lots of Princess cruises in my future that were really not possible before due to connectivity.

...L225 had so many physical flaws with the creaking it drove us nuts for 2 nites with the force 10 winds. previously someone even wedged a piece of wood in the corner of the ceiling to attempt to quiet the room but no dice.

For me a glass of wine before bed does more good for the creaking than a piece of wood or folded up paper. :wine-glass: :wine-glass:

...And the average age on HAL and Princess are actually within one year of each other, so the HAL reputation as a floating nursing home is not real.

I'd be curious to know where you found that info. Our one cruise anecdotal experience with HAL is the clientele is definitely older and more catered to. A line of staff ready to carry your buffet tray to a table. Staff to assist in the theater up and down the stairs.

If you think Princess rolls up the sidewalks and goes to bed early...

With all that said I liked HAL and would compare the experience to be similar to Princess. As noted, some things are better on one when compared to the other.

I'm intrigued by all this and would like to try a veggie burger although it sounds like my first one should not be on a Princess Ship. What store brands are good? What should I pick up with my next pack of brats?

...On our Alaska cruise, last September, on the Grand Princess there was an insert in the Crown Grill menu offering Oysters on the Half-Shell.

Thanks for posting this. I never knew they occasionally had them. It's probably worth asking even if there isn't a menu insert.

Do the specialty restaurants post a menu during the day?

Yes but it doesn't matter much. The specialty restaurant menus rarely change. The MDR also posts menus and they do change daily. The buffet also rotates different dishes but to my knowledge does not have a formal menu, you just do a walk through to see if anything looks good.