skynight

O'Malley's is casual dining https://www.princess.com/content/dam/princess/corporate/pdfs/restaurants-dining-venues-on-board.pdf.coredownload.inline.pdf

I think you are thinking about Future Cruise Deposits, FCDs. They cost $100 each. Booking, not sailing, must be made within one year of purchase. They are individual. If you are a couple then each one must have the FCD if each wants to receive the benefits. They are fully refundable if not used. When used the $100 is the full deposit (world cruises excepted) and you will receive some OBC according to the cabin type and length of the cruise, see below. Purchase of FCDs goes directly to your credit card, not to your on board accounts. "Upon making your new booking, the appropriate shipboard credit will be applied.* Future Cruise Length Per Person Shipboard Credit* 17 - 44 Days $125 Inside, $125 Outside, $150 Balcony, $150 Suite 11 - 16 Days $75 Inside, $75 Outside, $100 Balcony, $100 Suite 7 - 10 Days $25 Inside, $25 Outside, $50 Balcony, $50 Suite 3 - 6 Days $15 Inside, $15 Outside, $25 Balcony, $25 Suite"

I didn't have any issue with mine on the Ruby earlier this year. It was cold. In balcony cabins the fridge is adjacent to the outside wall/balcony door. The curtain sometimes blocks the fridge vent making it less efficient.

Yes, U.S. law requires every passenger to clear immigration in San Diego. The standard practice is what you describe happened on your Celebrity cruise. Everyone must clear. If everyone pays attention it goes fairly quickly. But, there are always those that don't believe it applies to them. Princess should be able to locate them using the medallion location system. If you pass through immigration and leave the ship you will not be allowed to return until everyone has been processed. If you do not wish to leave the ship you may be held in the terminal until all have cleared. It's the same procedure as b2bs at U.S. ports. Yes. All passengers, those remaining on board and those disembarking, will be required to clear immigration in San Francisco. Those continuing on will have specific instructions in their cabins. Read and follow them exactly.

You can bring rice.

I looked up the excursion you mention and the excursion details. When you add up all the travel and time at site minutes it adds up to 4 1/2 hours. I would imagine that it takes a little longer. The details don't seem to allow for unloading and re-loading the van at all the stops, and for things like those bathroom lines and delays. So maybe 5 hours. I can't see the start and end times since I am not booked on this cruise.

If you receive free laundry you receive it. If you do the dollar math it cost a lot less to just send your laundry out and pay the extra 10% for excursions then it does to book extra cruises. My point is book cruises because you enjoy them and can afford them. Don't book just to gain loyalty levels. As an elite myself for many years, there is very little benefit.

I have seen the 50ml Sky vodka at retail for under $2. Wholesale and tax free maybe $1.50 or less. Fairly certain Princess' alcohol purchases would be tax free. I would expect the real cost for 8 bottles is maybe $12 or less. Dos Equis cost me about $1/bottle retail. You can figure all the soda and water probably under $10. On the high side the total cost of a mini bar set up is $24, and probably less than that. I don't know the current federal alcohol tax on distilled spirits. They used to be $27/proof gallon.

Not strange. Princess' mini bar cost, not menu price is maybe $25 & that's stretching it. One bottle of wine is probably a $20 bottle.

I do not believe any plus benefits are pooled. They are individual. Maybe, just maybe, if you go to the spa together, your cabin mate may be able to use two classes on their account. You would have to try it.

From someone that has been elite for almost 15 years. I have been reading through many of the posts. My opinion. Don't buy your way by booking extra cruises just to become elite. Book cruises because you enjoy them.

To add, I don't know your exact itinerary, but most of those South Pacific islands including Hawaii are in the tropics. So you get the strong sun no matter when you sail.

I have sailed similar itineraries twice, once from Sydney to L.A. and the other RT L.A down to the South Pacific and return. The sun is on the equator The 21st of March and September. There are no cool times. It's hot all the time with strong direct sun.

On boarding day there will be staff all over selling the plus and premier package. Just go to one of them and purchase the plus package. The charge will be posted to your on board account and will net against any OBC credits. Remember that the 1st and 2nd passengers in the cabin must have the same plus upgrade. Princess excursions are the only items you can use OBC pre-cruise.

Mini bar usually contains 8 x 50ml spirits, 2 bottles beer, plus 10 non alcoholic beverages which are normally 2 diet cokes, 2 regular cokes, 2 Perrier, 2 plain water, 2 tonic waters. You can trade any alcoholic beverage 1 for 1, for another alcoholic beverage or any non alcoholic beverage. You can trade non alcoholic beverages for different non alcoholic beverages, example get all diet cokes. If you want wine you can trade the entire mini bar, all 20 items, alcoholic & non alcoholic for one bottle of wine.

By the pool it's faster to walk up to the bar. It's a toss up with Ocean Now and the roving waiters. Waiters place orders in their hand helds and mostly others deliver the order. I did not think the system was very efficient. I did not see bar waiters in the theater on a recent Ruby cruise.

There is also plenty of space in the back end of the open closet area.

On my recent cruise there was no old style room service menu. There was the old style breakfast hang tag and then there was Ocean Now. Ocean Now isn't just room service. It is delivery to wherever you are on board, and that could be your cabin.

I can't answer your Dart question. In case you are not aware. In order to board the tender you have to be able to walk some. The crew will assist you. You can't roll a wheelchair onto the tender and with the walker you must also be able to step onto the tender with assistance. Most tenders have a few stairs to get to the seating which you have to be able to handle. The crew will load the wheelchair onto the tender and store it during the transit. Same with the walker. This is what I have seen.

If you have the plus or premier fares/packages, Ocean Now via the app and room service via the phone are included. If you have the standard fare then the first time you use the Ocean Now app you will be charged $14.99. This fee does not include phone in room service. For those with the standard fare each time you phone in for room service you are charged $5. There is no charge for food and morning beverages using the evening/morning breakfast room service door hang tag. Ocean Now delivery is to wherever you are on board the ship. You are located by your medallion. If you are in your cabin, that's where the order is delivered. At the pool, delivered to you there. There are food items and beverages you can choose. Some food items have an extra charge, many are no charge. Alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages are charged at the menu price +18% if you have the standard fare. If you have the plus/premier fare there is no charge for up to 15 alcoholic beverages within the price limits and unlimited non alcoholic beverages.

If you are Elite loyalty status or are in a full suite you will have priority tender status. This means you will be able to get on board a tender fairly quickly after you arrive at the meeting location. Platinum loyalty status do not have priority tender service. You will be advised on board regarding the timing and location to pick up your tender (water shuttle) tickets. It's one ticket per passenger. The entire group must be there. My experience is that one individual can not pick up tickets for an entire group. Once tendering begins, most likely around 7:30 passengers on Princess tours go first. There may be extra space on these early tenders. It takes a few hours before the wait times are down to zero. I would think you might be ashore somewhere between 8:30 and 9am. Remember to look at the sign which indicates the time of the last tender back to the ship. You don't want to miss that.

Yes they do. I have seen demonstrations at the Good Spirits Bar in the Piazza, deck 5. There are also wine tastings. You will find these type of activities listed in the daily event listings which you will get in your cabin as well as in the Journey View on the app and on the large screens around the ship. I will mention that you have only one sea day so that these type of activities are limited. Live music sets, performers, times and locations are also shown.

Yes for those with Elite loyalty status. One per cabin generally. Full suites also receive the mini bar and an Elite in a full suite receives 2 set ups.

This March I sailed a 10 day followed up b2b with the 14 day. The Magic to Do show was late in the 10 day cruise and the 1st production show on the 14 day. Most likely reason was to get the magician on/off as quickly as possible to make room for other entertainers. It has been mentioned to me various times that entertainer's cabins are in short supply.

Agree. I would ask the CD or ass't CD's regarding the premier seating for production shows. These are the ones that are ushers for these shows.