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skynight

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Everything posted by skynight

  1. Place your medallion on the table and ask the dealer to purchase chips, example $200, and charge to your on board account. The pit boss will process the charge and the dealer will provide you with the chips. For roulette you will have to indicate the chip's value. For roulette when you cash in you hand over your color chips to the dealer for cash value chips, the white, red, green and black ones. You then can take the cash value chips to the cashier for cash. A $200 casino charge will show in your on board account. It is the same at other table games except unlike roulette you play with the cash value chips.
  2. Crew appreciation would only be included if you upgraded the 3rd and 4th passengers to the plus fare. This is also true with internet access, although with internet access the teen can use one of your log packages. Your account will be charged daily crew appreciation for both children. If you have any excess OBC, military, shareholder, travel agent or other daily charges will net against the OBC.
  3. The Discovery is not designed like the Crown and other Grand Class ships. Almost all balconies are fully or partially covered. Most balconies on the ship are small 9ft x 4ft and covered. An example would be D512. Some cabins under the sea walk have larger angled balconies a portion of which is not covered. An example is D428. Other cabins have extended balconies which have 4ft of cover from the deck above. Example is D710. Aft facing balconies have various amounts of cover depending on the deck. Forward facing cabins on the Marina and Lido decks are basically uncovered. Search the deck plans deck by deck. You can easily see which cabins are extended with the extended section not covered.
  4. Does not begin until February 20th. No first hand experience. Princess is moving to a classed system. Not to my liking even though I have never been a lowest cat. passenger. Another way of implementing the phrase of "nickel and diming" taken to a higher level.
  5. 1. Where exactly does the ship dock along the Panama Canal? The ship passes through the Aqua Clara (Atlantic) locks early in the morning starting around 6am. Once through the locks it anchors in Gatun Lake. Only those passengers on Princess excursions are tendered ashore to a yacht club dock. No private excursions, and no tendering unless you are a Princess excursion. The ship then waits in Gatun Lake until the authorities give permission to exit the locks into the Caribbean. The wait may be an hour or two maybe longer into the afternoon. In March expect it to be very hot, humid with strong sun while the ship is stationary in the lake. 2. If you're not taking a shore excursion, is it possible to disembark there just to walk around the port area? No as mentioned above. Plus there is nothing at the yacht club dock other than a building and a parking lot. 3. When (what time of day, roughly) does the ship traverse the new Gatun locks? We'll have a balcony room and are wondering what we'll be able to experience on board the ship. Every time we have done the transit the initial approach to the locks is around 6am. There will be a published schedule. As mentioned the ship could exit late morning or into the afternoon. It depends on the traffic and the authorities. Once the ship exits it docks at Cristobal. At that point you can disembark the ship and walk around the dock area. There probably will be vendors on the dock and there might be some local folk entertainment. The best views going through the locks is from the upper open decks where you can walk around and get 360 degree views. There are also nice views from the promenade deck and all the way up front up the stairs to the bow on the promenade. The Horizon Terrace also offers nice aft views. The morning transit is narrated. The exit is not narrated. If you remain on your balcony you will miss half of the transit views. I don't recommend it. You will also have to tune your TV to the special channel to hear the narration. While anchored pools, bars, buffet and other food locations are open. There may also be some standard activities like trivia and others run by the cruise staff. It is very peaceful on board. If you have never been ashore in Panama you might want to book a shore excursion. There are interesting sights.
  6. You can use a device (cell phone) to order food and drinks on board delivered to wherever you are on the ship. That is one option. You can also place Ocean Now orders via your cabin TV or from the screens around the ship. Another option is to just ask a waiter or bar tender for your drinks. The waiter will remotely read your medallion and charge the drinks to your account. You can also show up in person at food locations like the International Cafe, Salty Dog Grill, Slices Pizza to just order and pick up what you like. You need to carry your medallion with you. You do not need to carry a cell phone around with you if you don't wish to.
  7. How about wifi when they are really selling internet access. The wifi is free.
  8. You can not use OBC to purchase the plus fare or to upgrade a standard fare to the plus fare. The plus fare is a bundled fare that has to be purchased or upgraded before you board. You can purchase an individual beverage package on boarding day. The plus beverage package is just under $71/pp/day and may be individually purchased. Wifi (internet) can also be purchased on board. Believe it is $10/day for one device. The daily crew incentive is added to your on board account each day and automatically nets against any credit balance(s).
  9. On the Royal Princess midship balconies under the skywalk are clearly visible from the skywalk. Balconies on the first few upper decks are in a direct close sight line of people walking on the skywalk. The lower deck balconies are still visible but further away. Port side is a little better than starboard. The line of sight on the port side is somewhat blocked by the seaview bar.
  10. We have been in cabin C619 on the Crown and the Emerald. The area aft of C624/5 is used by the stewards to store their carts and supplies. There could also be other mechanical equipment that runs through that area.
  11. As mentioned, smoking areas on turn around days will be the same as other days except that the promenade deck area starboard aft may be closed. All terminals I have been in have not allowed smoking. Also note pipe and cigar smoking is restricted to the cigar lounge. You may wish to review the "official" policy shown here: https://www.princess.com/learn/faq/onboard/onboard-experience/
  12. There are no bars on the Sky Princess or any other Princess ship that allow smoking. On the Sky and other Royal Class ships smoking would be limited to areas mentioned in post no. 5. The same applies to other classes of Princess ships. No bars allow smoking. Exception is that there is usually a section of Skywalker's Nightclub on the Crown, Emerald and Ruby where smoking is permitted.
  13. Suit jacket and pants can be cleaned. It is included in the Elite service. Not real dry cleaning. You complete the right hand portion of the slip. Note that the cleaning as well as laundry can take up to 72 hours.
  14. Notes: When charging casino play to your on board account you must play. If you do not play your casino account will be locked. You can not use the casino as an ATM. Slots? Go to any slot. Using your medallion set up and account, password. Select an amount you wish to play and charge to you on board account, example $100. Play for a while. When finished push the cash out button. The amount remaining, could be more or less than the initial amount, will be placed into your casino account. When you are finished playing take your medallion to the casino cashier and they will give you cash. You can do this every time you play or at the end of the cruise before the final cash out time, usually the last evening, but not always. Table games? Place your medallion on the table. Ask for the amount you want, example $100, to be charged to your on board account. The dealer will provide you with cash value chips. Play. When you are ready to leave have the dealer trade your low value chips for higher value ones. Take your chips with you. Bring the chips to the casino cashier and they will give you cash. Again you can do this each time you play or at the end of the cruise.
  15. Sky Princess should have the same smoking areas as other Royal Class ships. There should be no difference on embarkation/disembarkation days except that the promenade deck patio may be closed or restricted to non smoking when the ship is docked. On embarkation/disembarkation days the ship normally takes on fuel and thus smoking would be restricted on the promenade patio. Outside: Promenade deck starboard aft patio area outside of the Vista Lounge. May be restricted at times. Area all the way aft on the sun deck. There may be a smoking area on the sun deck above the main lido pool. Indoors: Around half of the casino slots when playing. No smoking at table games or at the casino Bar. Churchill's cigar lounge. This is the only location on the ship where cigar and pipe smoking are permitted. Smoking in cabins and on balconies is not permitted. Areas where passengers typically wait to disembark are non smoking areas.
  16. OBC shows in the travel summary on the Princess web site. The system uses non-refundable OBC first, then refundable. The net OBC available should show. You can use OBC pre-cruise to book excursions. You can not use OBC pre-cruise to purchase anything other than excursions.
  17. The terms and conditions say a plus fare has to be purchased pre-cruise. But, it does not hurt to ask once on board. I do know that you can purchase beverage packages on boarding day, but it is only the beverage package. It does not include the internet and crew incentive. The cost is around $70and change/pp/day.
  18. Believe there is still Zumba, no charge, on sea days.
  19. I think I read here on these boards that the steam/sauna were removed.
  20. "My main priority is service, good food, comfortable accommodations, interesting ports of call - or just beautiful beaches - and of course, a smooth and safe ride."- - Unless you have to be in SF I would sail from San Pedro. I don't know ELUA's schedule, but they are usually on board the San Pedro voyages. They are Hawaiian entertainers offering uke lessons, hula sessions crafts and some music sets. Bring your own ukes if you have them. There are a limited number on board, maybe 50. You can probably find ELUA's schedule on line. -The first few days to Hawaii is usually cooler and seas can be choppy. Once the ship crosses the Tropic of Cancer it usually turns tropical, pool weather. The day back to SF from Ensenada can also be choppy, as well as the overnight if you are sailing from San Pedro -Other daytime hosted activities include hula sessions, Hawaiian crafts (small fee), uke lessons, line and ballroom dancing, silly games such as ring toss, corn hole, maybe some poolside games, golf putting, morning and afternoon trivia as well as some evening trivia sessions. There will probably be a naturalist on board that gives interesting talks. The casino is there to take your money. Casino is closed while in Hawaiian waters. -Evening include the theater shows and guest entertainers which can be singers, musicians, comics, etc. There is also live music in all the lounges. -Fee activities include bingo, and the art sales. I would suggest you avoid any activities sponsored by the spa or shops on board. These are normally sales pitches. -Comfortable Accommodations, yes, recommend a balcony cat cabin or better. Club Class minis are nice as they have special dining. -Hawaii ports are all interesting -Beautiful Beaches. Yes, Hawaii does have beautiful beaches. However, most passengers do not take a Hawaii cruise to lie on the beach. That's more of a Caribbean thing. More passengers usually take private or ship tours. Volcano tours, whale watching, Peral Harbor are just a sample of the kinds of tours people take. Food. Decent. MRDs open for breakfast and dinner each day and lunch on sea days. The buffet and International Cafe are open all day and evening. The grill and pizza by the slice are open each day and evening by the main pools. Depending on the ship there may be a no charge pizza restaurant. I feel the specialty restaurants are worth the money, $25, $29, $18 depending on the restaurant. You can find the dining venues for your ship here: https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/food-and-dining/dining-options.pdf
  21. Don't know, but it can't be wallet busting. I would expect heavy use.
  22. Was there an event going on? Was the lounge full? Were you sitting at the bar or at a table? I have been on many ships with an Explorer's Lounge. The lounge is designed for events and activities. What you experienced is not typical.
  23. As others have posted the answer is yes. In practice most cabins with 3rd and 4th person beds are occupied by two people. Are thinking about a deluxe balcony cabin? These cabins have a 2 seat sofa which can be converted to a third bed.
  24. You can ask at the future cruise sales desk, but believe post number 2 is correct.
  25. Have never seen laundry specials on Princess. All Princess ships have self service laundries on almost every passenger deck. You may wish to bring along you preferred detergent tablets and dryer sheets. Has been $3 wash, $3 dry, irons free. You get tokens with your medallion.
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