ldubs

2 hours ago, voljeep said:

we'll just agree to disagree - no tomato in gravy - biscuits and sausage gravy - yum

2 hours ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Sunday pasta with marinara sauce is just that, marinara sauce.  Once you factor in the addition of meatballs or sausage, it becomes gravy because of the introduction of meat.  

I heard that in the Navy they eat gravy . . . . 

Just now, Retired-N-Happy said:

I never said anything about spending 35 per day on soda pop.  But if you take the reduced price 15 for WiFi and add 16 for gratuities, you need 29 for all of the other aspects to make it worthwhile.  If you put 4.00 towards casual meals, you're at 25 per day.  If you don't care about any of the other components of the package, it's 25 towards any of the other drinks that are not free.  Fresh juice(8) fancy coffee(4) San Pellegrino(3.5) etc can easily hit that 25 even without a drop of alcohol.

Oops, should have quoted the person you quoted.  My mistake.  

I, and I think most, understand how to do the math to justify the package.  After all, it is not rocket science.

Some days it would pay off for us but most days it would not.  It simply doesn't pen out for the two of us over the length of a cruise.    If I want something, I buy it without a seconds thought.  But, I'm not going to buy something I don't care about to justify having a package.  If I ever got to the point a package is a better deal, I'll buy the package.  

48 minutes ago, earthdog said:

I have cruised primarily Carnival for the last 30 years and just got off the Mardi Gras for the second time tour 29th CCL Cruise. My wife and I are 60 and we enjoy being reminded to be young. We love the comedians, casino and bars and of course sun. I think it's time to look for what CCL used to provide. 

 

We miss twice a day room steward. Morning room service that woke us up with coffee on the balcony, white table cloth in the MDR, real upper class service in the steakhouse, bacon (not every other day), chair service in the sun for drinks, full menu in the MDR not the trim backed menus of today. 

 

Cruising used to be premium service and you were wowed it was a deal for what you paid. Now it's all gone. The premium dinning sites are just different food with no premium service to go with it. 

 

We love Carnival reminding us we are younger than our ages. We do the Cheers package and like to drink, laugh and meet other people. But we like our quiet time but we want the premium service. 

 

So where can or should we go next? We have done Princess too low key older ships, RCCL we just hate the Mall Type aspect (we want to always see the ocean). We primarily cruise the Caribbean. We enjoy the newer ships with so many choices.   

 

Help us pick a new home really want some suggestions from those that understand what was...

Caught my attention when you mentioned the Mall type ship design.  I don't like the interior boulevard designs for that same reason.  And, it is one of the reasons I have enjoyed the Princess ship layouts.   I think there are some older RCI ships that are better, but they are older.  Some of the Celebrity ships have great layouts, IMO.  We enjoy Millennium and Silhouette.  

As far as what was, I think it gone on the mainstream lines and not likely to return as part of basic fares.  Instead, it has been (or will be) replaced by the ship-within-ship approach or extra pay venues.   Speaking only for myself, even considering cut backs, we still find the service is more than we need or want.  We do recognize the quality of included dining is not near what it used to be.  

Again speaking for myself, I enjoy just about everything on mainstream lines and will continue to use them.   I think to truly get back to the higher level or service and quality that "was" might need a move up to a luxury line.  

10 minutes ago, kywildcatfanone said:

It's why I bring mine.  The hugely inflated prices onboard are why I keep my onboard purchase to a minimum.  But, people who go out to restaurants, bars, etc are used to paying a huge multiplier for drinks, so it's just sort of expected by most.  I've tried before to comment on cost vs price, but it's not worth the time.  Again, everyone perceives the value of things in their own way, and that is okay.

We used to bring water and sometimes soda.  These days we bring the reusable water. bottle.  If I want a soda, I just pay the $3.50 or whatever it is.   

13 minutes ago, 555 said:

I'm looking in to RCI myself. I never realized I had as many points as I have. It certainly would fit our style much better than any package. And Princess can keep their free laundry. 

The free drink perk on RCI is available throughout the day from any bar or dining venue.  On Celebrity, which we haven't been on for a few years,  it was limited to the happy hour.  Like 5 to 7 pm or something like that.   The old days of having to go the a specific lounge are gone, which I think is a good thing.  

7 minutes ago, 555 said:

At home from the local grocery store that would be true but on a Princess ship, their prices do add up rather quickly. 

I might have a soda during the day.  Maybe two if I'm adventuresome.  I must lead a pretty boring life.  Lol.   

Oops - delete

4 hours ago, PMGS247 said:

 

Fair, I suppose I'm intending to address specifically those that come in to discussions like these seemingly hell bent on convincing others what's right for them entirely based on their own style.  You certainly don't qualify....but there's never a shortage of them in threads like this.

I think a lot of that happens on both sides of this issue, which doesn't even qualify as a real  "issue".  Lol.  

2 hours ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Logic defeats spin doctoring from teetotalers. 👏👏👏

I'm a little confused.  I, and I think a lot of others, would never spend $35 per day on soda pop.  Seems that conclusions are being drawn by both sides to support their choice of choice.   I guess my thought is it is just a package. No need to put so much effort into drawing a line in the sand.   

14 hours ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

The only main stream line I'm aware of that gives away drinks is the 4-6 drinks per day on RCI for Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle. 

Yes, RCI and Celebrity for us. 

9 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

If you ever bought a drink package then you would know when they start.  It's usually at 600 or 700 am when the first bar opens, which is usually the coffee bar if cruisers wish to add Bailey's or something else to their coffee.

Nope, never bought a drink package.  Get freebies on some other lines.  Honestly they are more than I want, so give many away if I'm traveling with someone I know.  

8 minutes ago, PR-Texas said:

I'm sure we'll take 2 or 3 bottled waters each with us on every excursion since we're doing a cruise around New Zealand and won't be able to bring our reusable water bottles into New Zealand. That makes the plus package much more cost effective for us.

 

Am I understanding that in NZ, you can bring a disposable plastic bottle full of water but not a reusable plastic bottle full of water?  

7 hours ago, deultgen said:

 

We have been on both lines many times.  In general we like them both and always enjoy our travels.  We prefer Celebrity but Princess regularly has deals that are too good to pass up.

 

Food:  If you enjoy the food in the Main Dining Room on Celebrity, you will likely enjoy the MDR on Princess as well.  Outdoor pizza by the pool is better on Princess, burgers better on Celebrity.  The International Cafe on most Princess ships is outstanding.  There is nothing really like it on Celebrity.  

 

Drinks:  The packages on Princess are better for us since they include wifi and gratuities.   I like the feel of the bars on most Celebrity ships, but a good Manhattan is a good Manhattan.

 

Entertainment and service seem about the same to me.  

 

Room - I believe the standard balcony room on each is about the same size.  I find the room seems larger on Celebrity with a couch in the room standard.  There is much more storage on a Princess ship (both closet and storage area).

With the exception of the packages, which we don' use, I think your description is pretty good.  

For us, all things considered, it has been cyclical over  the years.  For a while it was Princess.  Then for some years (prior to the pandemic) it was Celebrity.  These days, it seems Princess has bounced back.  Or, we have bounced back to Princess.  I enjoy both lines and, while we have not been on Edge class, we enjoy the ships on both lines.  

5 minutes ago, Cloudyrain said:

You might not need to, and that’s great, but some people do need modification’s making due to the nature and impact of their allergens (especially if they are multiple and also co-exist with other food or dietary restrictions). It’s also why I said some allergies are easier to avoid than others, and therefore the need to advance notify depends on the specific allergy, or type of allergy, in question. For our dairy allergy it requires more effort as they often put butter on the veggies/potatoes, so we do ask they provide some without butter as it’s an easy thing to amend if they know in advance as it isn’t easy to do on the night. Plus it’s an ige allergy and therefore we couldn’t risk just eating around food containing dairy.
 

However,  he also has a non-ige allergy to beef, and therefore it’s really easy to just take the beef off a plate, or order a non-beef product. 
 

Not everyone with an allergy needs to notify them if they can generally work around their allergies, but some people do need to pre-order and modify menus to be able to eat anything at all. Especially when on a ship, at sea, where medical help isn’t as readily available.

This makes an incredible amount of sense to me.  If I had a severe food allergy, I would definitely make the effort to discuss it further once on board.  

2 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Of course, it is all opinion.  I traveled for a living and our failsafe was “there is always Walmart”and yes twice we forgot the luggage so three weeks and the road with a Walmart wardrobe (unfortunately was not tax deductible except for the donation to the goodwill)

Thinking back to the basics I've neglected to pack for various business trips is kind of embarrassing.   Additionally, it is always fun when one packs for an overnighter that turns into a two day meeting.   

5 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

It is 6 am to 6 am. That is very clear in the description on the website.

Aw, bummer!  Thx.  

44 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Besides my passport, phone  and a few diverse credit cards I carry a fully charged battery pack for said phone.  My phone has all of the info I need.    I can pretty much go anywhere with those items.  I only worry about the bad outcomes, I worry now, figure out a protocol and go have fun 

I think it is also how people are wired.  On one end are those who like to get down into the weeds.  On the other end are those concerned with just the big picture.  Whatever the approach one takes, if it makes you happy, then it is good.  

12 minutes ago, etphonehome24 said:

I think you hit the nail on the head. If you will feel pressured to meet the numbers needed to make the plan worth it financially, which I do and which is the reason I don’t get it based on my own situation (everyone’s assumptions indicate that both cruisers will be drinking or like soda/coffee), then don’t get it. If you think you can meet the numbers without problem, or feel liberated from having to think about it by buying the package, then get it. 
 

As for the port days argument not “holding water,” Alaska ships are in port longer, sometimes as late as 9:30pm. If people want to maximize port time, there really isn’t 6 hours to drink on the ship after you get back. That’s why I made a distinction in my previous post. 

You know, it might also depend on when a "package day" starts.  If it starts at one minute after midnight, then one could get a jump on the drink count!  Have a few before turning in, then a few more after the excursion.  Sadly, one loses out while sleeping (just kidding).  🙂

4 hours ago, Ellipooh said:

I spent hours looking at short cruises, but they all involved a flight/hotel/hassle.  This idea finally occurred to me and feels more relaxed and ultimately less expensive.

 

Thanks very much for all the great information and confirmation that I'll get free laundry on my big trip!

Well, my thinking is if you will enjoy the added cruise and gain the laundry bene for your longer itinerary, then go for it!  

Yikes, I would also be a little wary.  It has never happened to us in the way you describe.  I think it is good of you to double check.  Especially if they are not offering an explanation.   

Whatever happens, enjoy!    

59 minutes ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Once again, the sea day theory doesn't hold water.  You're back on board on a sea day by 5:00.  If you go to bed at 11:00, that gives you 6 hours to hit your number.  Easily doable even without consuming alcohol.  You could have taken two bottles of water ashore or had a specialty coffee or a fresh squeezed OJ before you left the ship that goes towards your total.

 

Good point as long as it is something desired as opposed to something needed to hit a number.  I suspect not too many would fall into the latter category.  Particularly with the original intent of this thread which was more about convenience and treating oneself over straight accounting justification. 

22 hours ago, PMGS247 said:

 

 

As with most things, YMMV, but the non-monetary benefits of the freeing mindset you get are a very valid justification if that's something you enjoy.  It's just a nuance that just doesn't go very far in a discussion with people who are trying to crap on the idea of packages because they like to have a bare bones vacation and think everyone else should too. I have not read this thread, it's way too long, but given the 9 pages of discussion I'll bet a few of these people have chimed in LOL

I understand the convenience issue and I think there are several good points made in favor of the packages.  I think you are wrong to jump to the conclusion those without a package have mental anguish over purchases. We don't do the packages.  We buy what we want when we want without a need for ledger entries.  We don't consider ourselves bare bones but I suspect our on-board spending might be less than many. It is not something I would ever ask someone about.  I certainly have no issues with anyone having the package and don't need them to justify it to me.   

Other than obvious clothing, toiletries, meds, my initial thought was not too many things really stand out that I would not leave home without.  Charge cords for electronics.  The reusable water bottle which has replaced disposable plastic water bottles.   My Kindle reader. Sun glasses.   When lengthy flights are involved, a noise cancelling headset.  Also seems we always keep a list of key addresses & contact info (helpful if I don't speak the language).  Though that is typically on the iPhone.   

15 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

We are fortunate enough to sail with high end lines when we travel, and many times it is the staff who solicits us about what we would like from on or off the menu and not us soliciting them. We are truly interested in their suggestions, and being on smaller ships allows us not to be rushed and to listen to what the staff has to say. Then, too, we have to be honest enough to certainly realize being in a named suite helps.

Same here (see post #10).  The off menu items offered are almost always initiated by the staff.  In our case, with me as an exception, it is driven by a shared nationality/language with the crew involved.  

19 hours ago, HALrunner said:

Can anyone play devil's advocate for me as to why the PVSA/Jones Act should not be repealed? Does it provide any benefits to anyone involved? It seems like the cruise lines and fellow cruisers are only harmed by this antiquated law, I'm just wondering why it hasn't been repealed yet.

Excellent responses from those that know the history and impacts of these reg's.  From my perspective, eliminating PVSA would be similar to allowing a business on American soil to pay substandard wages and ignore our labor laws.   

23 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

No- I am just questioning your opposition to the use of a perfectly appropriate and applicable term for a low price, mass market provider.

Post #40 explains my thoughts on the subject.