Steelers36

Okay, and you had made two bookings. And we already discussed that the App doesn't always recognize SD credits and apply them. When using the App, just before you commit, it does show the amount being charged, But you won't see it again (good idea to do a screen grab and save it I suppose). Credit card statement will indicate the base currency you were charge in - and that amount - and also the conversion rate and the ending amount in USD - presumably $142.93. Is this correct? I am not sure why I am continuing this other than I don't understand where the amounts came from - and perhaps you don't either. If you were at home pre-cruise and using the App, I would expect you to be charged $39/pp booked (or $35 for Sabitini's). That is $140 USD or $156 USD. If you aren't sure what is happening, go into the App and pretend to book the same SD location for a different open day & time. Carry on to the next page where it shows the amount charged. You should see what the App is doing and then you can back out and not commit the reservation. ETA: I am thinking you were charged the AUD cover charge for CG and your credit card company (or VISA for example) converted to USD and you ended up paying about $143 instead of the expected $156. That's nice in that regard, but I realize you have not received your free meals as yet. If this is the case, and you cancel, your credit refund will be in AUD and when VISA converts to USD, you will get something less than $143 (assuming steady exchange rate because refunds get you less and charges cost more). If you then wait and book on board your cabin account will be charged in AUD for whatever the ship charge is for CG. Not sure current Australia cover charge. In the end, your cabin account will be charged to your VISA and they will convert the AUD total to USD at the market rate plus upcharge. If ship gives you OBC in lieu, well who knows how that works out with exchange rates again. Hopefully, you have other charges to pay off OBC??? Bottom line, it is unforgiveable for Princess IT Team at this point in time to still have this sh**ty bug that doesn't recognize and apply SD credits. I did mention on another post that if you book both times for 4 people, you are paying because I am pretty sure the system doesn't apply dining companion credits. You might ask a DMW specialist on the help phone if that is true or changed. I think there would be a permission issue if a guest was consuming another guest's SD credits without their approval. ETA2: I was just checking and I believe CG is now $53 AUD which is approx $35 USD. Not correct...hmmm.

Have you ever tried EZ-Air? Or TA is booking for you??

I don't recall ever seeing one of those before. Just a double-wide in The Sanctuary in the past which we avoided because you can select your own recline level with single loungers.

Can you please clarify? You are American and booking a voyage in Australia would be in USD. Ship currency is AUD, but if you booked SD in advance using DineMyWay, you would be charged in USD. Are you saying you booked the SD on the ship and it is the only charge to your on-board account? So your on-board account had $0 AUD opening balance and closed with just the SD charges? Otherwise, how are you saying your credit card was charged this odd amount? If you were on the ship, you would know what they were charging in AUD for the SD cover charge. I would work from that to USD. Also, did you allow Princess to convert your on-board account charges (AUD) to USD before billing your credit card? This is a bad option and you always want the travel provider to bill you in their home currency (AUD in this case) and let it convert on your credit card statement. Otherwise you get ripped with extra conversion charges.

Alfredo's/Gigi's did have the appetizers and dessert before, plus additional mains - at least on Royal Class ships. Perhaps you were thinking of smaller ships where I understand the menu was pizza's only (I have forgotten that as not been in one of those for a long time). One piece of good news is that the menu photo you posted indicated pizza's are $8.50 a la carte, which seems reasonable based on other for-fee casual dining menus. The menu drafts that were posted in other thread(s) here in the this Forum indicated that a la carte pizza's were going to be $12. So, it will be interesting to see if the charge is $12 on a Royal Class ship or $8.50. I thought the $12 fee was on the high side. There are two different Alfredo menus - the smaller scope one like yours with one App and one Dessert and the larger one with more Apps and Mains

I wouldn't be waiting weeks to see a TA in person. I'd be emailing to make sure all is in place. Like hotel not gone all of a sudden. Perhaps this isn't the case here, but have read too many laments on here from folks who weren't paying attention or didn't follow up and lost out on something.

It would strike a dagger close to the heart for certain. It would be a per day cost increase for certain. I would be then looking for the best price/value combo on the wine list (no plonk, TYVM) and a bottle last us generally 2 meals. Sometimes we have beer at dinner instead. It's an even bigger increase than on paper since I have rarely been charged corkage. I'd also be looking to see what HAL would do at that time (right now they have same corkage fee, but no first free bottle). Anyway, it's a hypothetical exercise both on their side and my side, so just deal with it in the moment. No point in getting into a debate about death by 10 cuts and which one is the death blow, so to speak.

I guess I was still half-asleep this morning when I read this post. I just thought you were typing and did not even clue in until later that you gave the answer as a sentence. I just thought you were giving a nebulous clue. But that sentence of six words is SO SO apropos.

You should have posted it as: TIPWTA. Solution below. Spoiler warning ... . . . . . . <this is your last chance to stop scrolling> . . . . This Is Princess We Are Talking About Well done. Cheers, out. 😁

So much grumbling. I could go on about how much more we are paying for food - both grocery and restaurant sources. Fuel has been up for some time now (and both N.A. major governments are trying to kill the industry while saying they are not). Have you read about the cost of vehicles lately - both new and used? All kinds of travel costs up - it gets reported on here on a regular basis. Without doing my own research, I am inclined to believe all I have read about fares, packages and fees costing a lot more on other mass market lines. No way I am ever going to consider down-grading my cruise experience as @CruizinSusan70 suggests. No interest in (more-or-less) sideways to RCL. And it doesn't seem like I will get that much more for increased cost for same thing we book on X. Might try out HAL sometime (itinerary makes a huge difference). It would be nice to try out one of the upscale lines like O, someday. We'll see, because that is a big chunk of change and we do have interests in other vacation trips via land where we do our own thing. We are not "cruise crazy" and have had many great experiences. If I had to walk away tomorrow, I could at least say we did about 200+ days and it was good. So, we have always enjoyed the Princess experience and ambiance and that part still reads as fine to me. If we can continue to do what we are doing, I am all for fitting more cruise experience into our lives, but if they knock me out (explanation below), so be it and we can be good doing other things unless we decide to go more upscale on a ship. These are things we have been doing/getting that will keep me booking Princess: Standard Fares FCD's (not critical) SOBC (NTH) Cabin selection with Refundable Deposits Elite Mini-bar with exchanges BYOW Ability to do independent port touring, in conjunction with like-minded guests if it suits Decent food Ability to get a set table in DR at a time of convenience with same wait staff Start hacking at the above and the whole idea becomes sour. So far so good and I can understand most of the changes and price increases.

Doesn't matter is the meal offerings are not up to whatever amount is charged. IMO, the price has increased and quality of beef went down. (I can only say this to late 2022 and IDK if PCL has taken any improvements in that area, but my sense is that it continued into Winter 2023 at least). When it cost $25 and $29 for a nice steak in CG, I thought it was good value, but now I question at $39 and not as good beef. Wasn't it $29 & $25? Then up to $39 and $35 and I forget the exact date. We were also using 5 free visits up last Fall, but I wouldn't have been forking out $39 each time for what I got. Sabi's was fine enough. I am not clamoring to get SD booked going forward unless I hear of changes. I suppose we will go once to try CG out and see if any better. It's not the $ cost that matters to me - rather, am I getting something special for the investment?

Princess VP Sales was clear about this at the announcement. But we all know things can change. The $15 Ocean Now fee applies according to how you booked. If you booked three physicals B2B2B, then you pay 3X. If you booked a logical that covers the same dates as the B2B2B, then you pay once. AFAIK, we still get 3 mini-bars if we qualify. I'd rather be charged 3X no matter how booked than lose the mini-bar if they decided to go consistent.

Won't work. Take a B2B. One voyage will be something like J123 and the next J124. The B2B as a virtual will be something like J123A.

I'm still scratching my head, but maybe this clue will help if I take another look at the acronym.

I get the RS service charge for certain. I understand the other one - from their revenue-generation perspective, but it just seems odd that this has happened given the original concept of the Medallion and App functionality.

Question is puzzling since there is only the Plus 60 - technically there are some new add-ons, but price didn't change so it doesn't matter when guest booked for the $60 rate.

Go to her blog. Look at the "About Me" link. Open up her profile. There is an "Email" link there you can use.

Yes, different from SD restaurants in that the SD's are more upscale and dinner-only locales. SD's only have a single cover charge per person and not a la carte (with the exception of adding on extra lobster or main supplement for $10). Generally, the for-fee Casual Dining locales offer some sort of seating with some more resembling a restaurant ambiance than others. You could also ask for take-away if your plan was to eat outdoors on Lido, for example. Some locales on Deck 7 of Royal Class do have limited outdoor seating on Promenade. Hey, folks, if we were to start using "CD" as short for Casual Dining (a la SD for Specialty), we need to be careful of context as CD also means Cruise Director for eons.

I am probably about 5% as excited as you are. Have a nice trip.

Yes, it can be hot as h-e-dbl-hockeysticks there.

News to me. Someone screwed up.

You will not find anything on a deck plan for the PES "Lounge" (Platinum, Elite, Suite). This is because it is a mostly daily event and each ship determines where it will be held. If you qualify, you will have an invitation card with the schedule in your cabin upon embarkation. The Concierge Lounge is for Suite guests only and these are found on all Royal and Sun Class ships. It is a dedicated space near the top of the ship (below Lido) on Royal Class ships. Not sure if indicated as such on the deck plans. You will be made aware of the location upon boarding and isn't all that important to know ahead of time. The concierge lounge is open all day and you may find the Suite Concierge there at certain hours. The PES "Lounge" event is only from 4:30 to 5:30 or 6pm I think... not sure of the end time as we don't go anymore.

Some Casual Dining locations provide free food (e.g. International Cafe, Slices). Others are 'for-fee" (e.g. Kai-Sushi, Planks, and now Alfredo's). Each for-fee location offers a la carte selections and pricing. There will also be a prix fixe price of $15 whereby guest can choose an App, a Main, and a Dessert. The package allows guest the Prix Fixe option. However, you won't have to consume a 3-course meal to eat free. Just order what you want a skip item you don't want. Just don't expect any unspent balance to hang around for you to use later.

Most WC'ers are booking the full 111+ days from either FL or LA (notwithstanding the Australian sector WC) and how about only getting 2 visits total for casual dining? Seems nuts. PCL has stated to date that if guest books a logical voyage they will have one service charge, but if they book several physical voyages (sectors say), then the charge is per voyage.

Maybe one day when you are passing HQ, you could drop in and check out some of the fee questions with JP or a subordinate? 😉