Iamcruzin

Princess Cay is the worst Private Island. I won't even book a cruise that stops there because more and more people have learned to stay on the ship. Having to tender makes it even more undesirable.

Having recently relocated to Florida and only sailing in the Caribbean when I lived up north I can tell you we have a new perspective. The land scape is the same and we really don't need to shop for the same beach coverups and tee shirts we can get here. We have been to the beaches many times over and now we just enjoy the ship. In the past we used to look for longer itineraries since we wanted to make it worth flying. Now I look for last minute deals for short 4-5 day itineraries during hurricane season and we enjoy the ship.

But was it more or less than what you would have paid had you booked it originally?

This is just another smoke and mirror scam run by a third party for all of the cruise lines. They are banking that nobody checked the price for the higher categories when originally booking. I always check the price of the highest category that I am willing to pay for and it has always been cheaper had I booked it from the start than the lowest bid. On my last Celebrity cruise you didn't have to wait until you were contacted. I booked directly with the cruise line just before final payment and I was able to bid from the start. I checked the starting bids for Aqua class and the lowest bid was over $400. About 2 weeks before the cruise I got an email offering 50% off the bids. At that point the lowest bid was $200 each. I did a mock booking to see what rooms were left and then called Celebrity and asked how much to upgrade to the room I picked. It was $88 total for both with tax. It was at that point I knew that this bidding was all a bunch of B.S. How can they open bidding for rooms that don't exist? .

It's hard to say. Grand Class has the wrap around promenade deck and larger balconies. The Royal class has more specialty restaurants and and deluxe balconies that offer a place to sit. I sail on Princess for the itineraries and pricing not for the on board experience. Princess used to be my first choice but after sailing on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean it has dropped to 3rd place. The have had better on board experience in terms of room accommodations and entertainment on the other two lines. Food and service is more or less the same in the MDR on all of them. If the price for Aqua Class isn't too expensive I will book that category on Celebrity for an elevated dining experience. I am booked on the Enchanted Princess for May 2026 for Italy and Greece. Celebrity couldn't come close to the Price of Princess. It's all about the itinerary and the port days will be long so entertainment and private adult solariums that Princess lacks won't matter.

The ships have been over crowded with a small public space to passenger ratio since the Caribbean Princess inaugural cruise in 2004. They added 500 passengers to that ship with no larger venues. You had to arrive 45 minutes before a show in the theater even back then and the Royal Class is even worse.

Yes men always get the bad name especially if they are covering their bald head with a baseball cap. Talk about lazy. We were on Celebrity on line to eat in Blu and the young lady in front of us was wearing beach coverup inside out. My wife politely informed her and her reply was, "Oh it's no big deal". Her mother had to tell her to go to the ladies room and turn it to the right side. These women think if it's bedazzled or has metallic thread running through the fabric it qualifies for evening wear. You could see this girls bikini through the coverup. Meanwhile if a man is wearing golf shorts he should have his legs cut off.

I would say that Princess is on par with Celebrity when it comes to dress code. With that said, if they allow women to wear leggings I don't see why they wouldn't allow shorts. Do women even wear shorts anymore? I never see my wife wearing them and we live in Florida. She wears skorts which would be acceptable. As far as a tee shirt I think she would be fine as long as it isn't a graphic Tee with advertisement such as a concert she has been too.

Find out what the lowest bid is and then call to see how much it would cost to upgrade.

Well wouldn't that apply in the UK when it's included in the fare? Do all lines include it in the fare in that situation? It should be made mandatory across the board on all lines either way.

Yes and along with that the tax went up too. They run these sales one after another and each time the price went up. This sale would cost $900 more the last sale was $1000 more.

The price went up $900 for the same category even with a larger discount than what I paid when I booked. It's not worth it for the $200 OBC. I find the key to getting the best price is to book early when the itinerary is released. The same holds true for Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. My other option since I can drive to any Florida port is to wait for a last minute Caribbean itinerary after final payment. The itinerary I booked for 2026 is Italy/Greece and I am happy with the price I paid but never hurts to check out the sales.

I booked for 2026 in August. The sales have been the same ever since give or take OBC. Every time I check pricing it would cost me $800 to $1000 more to cancel and rebook the promotion. The sale they were running when I booked was 40% and 3rd passenger free. Now it's 50% off and 3rd passenger free and $200 OBC. It would cost me $900 more now to get a $200 OBC. I'm glad I booked when I did because it was also during the refundable $99 deposit promotion.

At the end of the day you are either paying out of your left pocket or your right pocket. I agree with your statement and they should just make it mandatory. If you don't like it take a land vacation. More and more restaurants in the US are adding a 16 to 20% tip to the check and they are now paying the staff minimum wage.

Virgin was matching status at one time. Check to see if they are still doing that.

While it cost more 25 plus years ago, the ships are twice the size and carry double the passengers now. I wonder what the profit margin is per square foot compared to the old days. Also consider the more passengers the more on board spend which is where the profit is.

That's just it. They don't want people to show up. This is just enough fluff to get you to believe that they are giving you something special. So many times I read that elite passengers use this as a pre breakfast before they go to the buffet or dining room. I wouldn't pass up the breakfast in Blu for this continental breakfast.

I drink Manhattans and Martinis. Do they count twice because they are basically all alcohol or was it because of the brand he requested?

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Princess Pros Itineraries outside the Caribbean are unique Overall less expensive Better priced packages which include drinks, Wifi and gratuity and a few other fluff items Low $99 dollar refundable deposit promotions Self service Laundry Princess Cons Small stateroom. Need to book a mini suite and higher on the older ships if you want a place to sit. On newer ships you need to book a deluxe balcony. Entertainment small venues that don't accommodate the passenger load Smoking in the casino They still pretend to have formal nights but don't enforce it No true adult only area unless you pay for the sanctuary Celebrity Pros No smoking in the casino More choices for specialty restaurants Better updated entertainment Indoor adult pool sanctuary Better suite perks Aqua Class Rooms are more comfortable Better wait staff service around the ship and pool in terms of getting a drink Celebrity Cons More expensive High nonrefundable deposit High cost of drink packages and Wifi infinite verandas on E class ships Main dining room service and food as dropped considerably. ( I will only book Aqua Class just for Blu now)

iMessage will work from Apple device to Apple device. If you are communicating Apple to Android you will need to both have the WhatsApp down loaded and you can call or text via WiFi without an additional charge. If you plan on using Cellular data off of the ship then you should look to your Cell Phone Provider for additional costs and plans. You should also turn on WiFi calling before you leave home so the calls will go through your area code and not a foreign area code. For example if I turn on Wifi calling in Europe and I am calling the US it will be an out of are long distance call. If I turn it on in the US then the call will be US to US.

Don't the liquor brands translate in all languages. They are usually very specific on what brands are in these drinks. That's what determines the price for the different packages.

Princess entertainment was bad enough compared to other lines. I don't see this as being an improvement especially if CC members are thinking it's a cost cut. We only sail on Princess for the itinerary and they are priced better than Royal or Celebrity so as long as they are better at that than we will continue to book with them.

I agree. This doesn't add up especially since it was paid in full. Princess sales are more smoke and mirrors than an actual saving. I can't see this happening for the few dollars you save on one of their promotions.

Since there are cabins below on deck 8 you shouldn't be bothered by noise. I have been on this deck on other ships and it is very convenient if you spend a lot of time in on the lower public decks. I would choose a higher deck if you are sailing in warmer weather with a couple of sea days as it would be more convenient to the sun deck. The same applies if you like to bring food back to the room from the buffet. The key is to figure out where you spend the most time. Generally we spend more time on the lower decks and in the evening it's nice to be able to go back to the room if you need to use the bathroom.