bjkTX

I would think if they plan to go to any venue as a group, or sub group, it could get tricky for others to get in.  Maybe you can identify a member or two on the Roll Call and ask them if they have an "itinerary" while on the ship - and plan to be where they aren't - unless it looks like fun 🙂

11 minutes ago, rideev said:

I am just the opposite.  The smoked salt was the highlight of my meal on the Emerald last month.

That's one of the things we love about cruising - all the choices!!! 🙂

We have gone to the steakhouse on every Princess cruise - most recently on the Emerald in October and the Ruby last month.  I don't think we've ever had bad service or bad food.  I realized a long time ago that the steaks don't taste like I'm used to back home and I accept that because sometimes I just want a slab of beef and they provide one 🙂  I did make a mistake last month when I tried to add some flavor with the smokey salt.  I took a pinch of it and used just a tad bit of that but the smell was over powering.  My wife does not like the smell of smoked meat - and just the smell of the salt got to her from across the table 🙂  But next cruise - we'll be back!

3 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Do you have to be Elite to get this coupon book? We’re Platinum and have only heard about these, but never received one yet. 

We've been Elite for a few cruises and haven't received the coupon book at all - but I see it's listed as a benefit on our Feb 2024 cruise....  We used to get a paper coupon booklet from our TA years ago and even back them they were pretty much just coasters for your drinks.  At one point they had 2 for 1 coffee cards but I don't think we ever found them of any value.  I just kind of laughed when I saw it on our booking.

I have been looking at that cruise - it's on the top of my interest list since it's an area we haven't been to.  But I can't make myself agree to travel to Southampton (through Heathrow) again after doing it for a British Isles cruise last October.  Heathrow was a disaster and the lines went on forever and then emptied into other lines that went forever.  But it sure looks like a fantastic cruise!!!

After a couple of cruises (one Princess, one "other" just before Covid, we had pretty much decided we were done with cruising - been there, done that etc. 

But then I was looking for something to do for our 50th anniversary last year and decided on a British Isles cruise on the Emerald Princess.  I had not considered a cruise like that in the past because of pain issues and traveling for a long period just wasn't in the cards.  Then 2 years ago I had a morphine pump implanted and it improved things to the point I thought I could make it - and I/we did - and had a great anniversary cruise.

Then I received an offer I couldn't refuse from Princess on an 11 day cruise out of Galveston over Christmas on the Ruby - been there done that - but we decided to go and had a great time!

So - from "not cruising any more" to two Princess cruises in 2022 - and a 14 day cruise booked for Feb 2024 out of FLL :-)

Make sure it's in your carry on luggage to avoid a trip to the "Naughty Room."

2 hours ago, gah_cruise said:

Staying in Southampton the night before cruise (June 23).
Looking for recommendations for places to eat in the evening.
Staying at Holiday Inn...so walking distance only.
Thanks

If you are staying at the one on Herbert Walker Blvd - we were there a couple of months ago and had dinner with friends at the hotel - pretty sure it was fish and chips 🙂  We didn't die - but it wasn't very good.  But looking at the nearby options we decided to risk it at the hotel - which after everything at that hotel else we probably should have grabbed a cab 🙂

On 10/12/2022 at 2:43 PM, Thrak said:

We're booked on Ruby in December and I made our dining reservations at the Michelangelo dining room. The reason for my choice is that it is the one very near to Vines. We often like a glass of wine before dinner and it's nice to also get a glass of wine to go and just make a very short walk to the dining room. It's soooooooooooo much faster and easier than getting wine in the dining room.

We were on the Christmas cruise and ordered wine pretty much every night in the Botticelli (and a couple of times in the DaVInci) dining room - something we really haven't ever done before - mainly because of the time involved - and normally just brought a drink with us.  But we were pleasantly surprised at how fast they brought it to us every evening.  We might have to make a habit out of it 🙂

On 12/2/2022 at 9:27 PM, bjkTX said:

Same with our 30 Sep British Isles cruise - we were never given one and never asked for one.

We also just took the Ruby Princess for a Christmas cruise and the health form was never brought up.

13 minutes ago, RPR38 said:

I have a question about the Ruby Princess itinerary out of Galveston that hits Costa Maya on Wed, Roatan on Thurs, and Cozumel on Friday.  Does anyone know which nights are formal nights?  I would assume Monday is a formal night, but I don't know about the second one.  We want to schedule the steak restaurant for a dinner, but not on formal night.  Thanks.

Don't know if your schedule is the same as our was over Christmas but our first formal night was the third night (the first two full days were sea days) and the second was on the second to last night (Cozumel).  Looking at what I think your itinerary will be (we were on an 11 day) I would guess Tuesday and Friday.

We booked a 14 day Caribbean cruise in August for Feb 2024 at what I thought was a fairly high price.  Now with two major sales behind us - one being "The best sale ever" the price is up about $2,000 from what we booked for!  I had anticipated, like always, the price would drop $1,000 or more by now - not looking likely.

We just got off the Ruby Princess last week - but your question is pretty broad 🙂  What kind of information are you looking for?  Someone on our cruise did a "Live" thread that you might find interesting...let me see if I can find it. 

We just got off the Ruby Princess after a Caribbean cruise with unlimited wifi.  Most days I could do basic stuff - check email etc.  But if I tried to do much of anything else I stared at the spinning wheel a lot.  I'd hate to be paying by the minute when it takes 10 minutes for a page to download.  We have never used the internet on our previous 26 cruises so we have nothing to compare it to - but it was painful most times.

On 12/30/2022 at 8:11 PM, cruzluvr2 said:

I "think" we must have had separate cards on file. I updated my account with the new credit card but I think I must have not updated his information. After seeing this I have now deleted the second card to prevent a recurrence. In the past it was in my name and he was a designated user. I can only assume it cost me a few dollars to learn something and be more watchful in the future.

On  our British Isles cruise in October and a Caribbean cruise we just finished my wife and I had one credit card listed for payment.  In all our previous cruises they totaled it all up and billed us for anything we owed or sent us a refund.  On the BI cruise I left the ship with a positive $97 balance and DW was a minus $91.  I figured we'd get a check for $6 sometime.  But they immediately charged our card for her $91 and three weeks later sent me a check for my $97.  On the cruise we just finished we received emails saying DW would get check for $6 and my account was sent to billing because I owed $14....

14 hours ago, MissP22 said:

We had Ceaser salad in the DR just the other night.

btw- Princess is renaming Gigi's on all their ships to Alfredo's.

It was on our menu on the Ruby last week pretty much every day - but it was listed differently like Ceasar with Romaine and Kale - I normally always get the Ceasar but the Kale scared me off.  We also noted three different days they did not have the "always available" items listed on the menu - like shrimp cocktail - I asked and got it anyway.

Our TA and Princess OBC showed up on our account right after we booked.  I booked one Princess tour and they took it out of what we had in there.  We booked a year ago and cruised 18-29 Dec (still unpacking 🙂  I just looked and both the TA and Princess OBC shows up on our Feb 2024 cruise already.

On 12/25/2022 at 12:05 PM, calvindoth said:

PS 300 children on our 13 day New Zealand cruse. 

501 on our Caribbean cruise this past week...

Wow - this sale is bizarre.  When I received the first email I went and checked on our Feb 2024 cruise and found that the new sale price was $500 more than it was last month.  I looked again today and the fare is up $620 from yesterday!!!  Can I have another please.....

3 hours ago, Mud_Shark said:

BSE does not include 2024 cruises, so nothing here for me.

 

 

It may not apply although when I clicked through it took me to our Feb 2024 cruise - which is now $1,300 more than when we booked and $500 more than it was 3 weeks ago...

I second what was already said.  We booked an excursion ahead of time using OBC and the 10% refund showed up on our account when we got on board.

On 12/9/2022 at 5:50 PM, kurtwvs said:

 What's it like.. Christmas Eve and Day out there at Sea?  Lots of lights or trees on the ship?  We'll be on Ruby Princess from Galveston Texas.  Anyone know what the shows like?  Rudolph and friends? 

We'll experience it with you - we're on the same cruise 🙂

On 12/9/2022 at 2:11 PM, JimmyVWine said:

It varies from year to year, and itinerary to itinerary.  But I can attest that the booking that I made during last year's BSE promotion was absolutely the best all-in price for our Mediterranean Cruise, by a wide margin. None of the sales before or since have come close to what we got last Winter, as long as the Plus Package is of interest.  Basically, in addition to good pricing, they included the Plus Package for "free".  Yes, I know that nothing is "free."  But this was not one of those sales where they jacked the price up by $300 and then gave you the $280 (7 x $40) Plus package for free.  It was basically the same price as before, and with the Plus Package thrown in, and for us, that was for all three passengers, amounting to a $840 savings.  (Price to upgrade to Premium was the usual $25 per day.)  Now that Plus is $60 per day, a similar sale could be big.  So I would take a hard look at the BSE offerings when they come out.    

We booked a cruise about the same time and caught the same kind of deal - and I didn't even realize it until I went to look for a possible reduction a few months later and saw the price was $1500 more than what we paid for the 11 day cruise.  Essentially we got the "Plus" package free along with a nice discount.  We'll enjoy it over Christmas 🙂

17 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

You had it easy. We had to walk five miles each way in the snow and UPHILL both ways!

Our pain was real!!

3 minutes ago, moodyb1 said:

You can go to Guest Services and modify the "crew incentive" and modify that amount to anything you want. My husband and I are going to leave it at the current value.

We have the "Plus" package on our two upcoming cruises so not really an issue for us.  We have never considered modifying the payment - the only thing we modify is the extra tips if we feel they were warranted.