Steelers36

Same advice is given here. IMO, there is more bad info on X than here.

You can gamble in the casino by charging either slot machine cash or table chips to your cabin account. But you must gamble and then you can cash out net balance later on. You need to cash out before casino closes on last night of the voyage. They make a lot of announcements. Make sure the casino is open on last day and night and not in Canadian waters and closed.

One issue you have - an admittedly the App is not clear about this at all - is how you made the res. When you make a booking with dining companions, I am quite sure that DMW is using your credits and not the other party. At least it was this way a year ago. What should have done is you make one res for the four of you and the other couple make the other res for the four of you. As to why none of your credits was used, well, it should have indicated the total price (e.g. $156 for 4 @ Crown Grill) and then indicated the credits and a net balance of $0. However, for well over a year - or basically since SD was added I am thinking, many App users have reported not getting their credits recognized. I saw this behavior myself back in 2022 where some credits were recognized and not others. IDK the issue and it is a shame that OCEAN IT Team has not fixed this because they have certainly been made aware. Call in to App support and select the DMW option. If you cancel the res now - ahead of voyage - refund is to your credit card. Maybe they can help make a new res or you can make it on board if don't want the OBC. It is Refundable so you will get it back if not spent.

SMH (at Princess OCEAN IT Team yet again). I do recall this behavior, but when setting up my wife, it didn't go back and change me as well, IIRC. We setup each of our brothers for the EC info in case one isn't reached. I am pretty sure I managed to do it over a year ago. Cannot tell you other than to either call in for technical support on the App, or send an email with your issue, plus booking number, to: A360ad7@Carnival.com

Sorry you did not understand at first, but since you stated you had made MDR reservations, you had to have used DMW, so I presumed you had familiarity with it. As you now know, one of the options is to make SD reservation in lieu of MDR reservation.

It certainly was part of DMW function. You can try the web version. But, several guests have been posting about SD advance bookings not working. Who knows if a bug, if holding back a lot of it because now they have to satisfy Premier bookers, plus the Suite guests (as before).

I am not sure if I have ever heard of anyone receiving rum and yet it should be quite popular I would think. If so, it would be white rum and I'd say yuck to that (amber minimum for me). Nonetheless, the 10 alcohol beverages have traditionally been 8 mini liquors and two beers. The 10 non-alcohol have been 6 soda cans plus likely a couple of Perrier/Pellegrino and a couple of regular bottled water (500ml).

I think that might be the hubby's issue and not the other passenger. LOL.

Quite a few folk have found a way around this. I would probably have trouble finding a thread, you could try searching with some key words and might find useful help. IDK if any of these are ones I am thinking of: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2859468-discovery-princess-hdmi-connection/?do=findComment&comment=63389956 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2934516-regal-hdmi-hookup/?do=findComment&comment=65302623 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2868995-enchanted-princess-hdmi/?do=findComment&comment=63639730

NO. Are you sailing with a SO who will be there while you head off on the errand? How about the stranger next to you? Tell them the situation and ask if they mind letting anyone who asks what your situation is. Perhaps you were asking in jest and rhetorically, but I think there are reasonable ways to workaround a situation.

I did use the past tense. 😁. IIRC, two coffee programs used to be worth maybe $75 (no more than $80). Been quite a while and I forget the number. Beers were probably $6 then - I wouldn't know. Anyway, it's all in the past and it didn't kill me (but I am aware it was a blow to others). I always wanted the option to trade half a mini-bar for one coffee card (for wife as I don't drink any of that), but that never came to be, so NBD to us. We just pay-as-you-go for the stuff we don't get free. Not an Elite thing, but I hope they don't kill the wine program nor go over-board with the corkage fee.

Oh. I need that one!!

Very true last sentence as various posts reveal from an almost infinite number of perspectives. Even if 20 sodas do cost quite a bit more than $15. 😉

We normally have more things to do of interest at a port than sit around in a crowded internet cafe when I can do computer stuff in my cabin in comfort and air conditioning.

I found these times to be the case in Europe, but more like 7:30/9:30 in N.A.

Generally, no. And, it wouldn't help you anyway in some cases by the time you get to them. Where are you sailing to and from what port? When are you planning to arrive for check-in to board the ship? Both are critical considerations as to success in getting Sanctuary loungers. If you were springing for the high-priced cabanas, you might have some leeway with time. If Port Everglades to the Caribbean, the Sanctuary will be sold out within mere minutes after general boarding has begun. Speaking of PE in FL, Princess started something not too long ago at an off-site location on 17th St near the primary PE Terminal 2 for Princess. They were inviting Suite guests there to check-in and avoid the terminal crowds. There was a lounge with some noshing and also ship representatives there who would get the check-in done and could also handle some reservations - and this included the Sanctuary and things like Chef Table. At the time, it was unclear how many loungers were set aside for this purpose, but any such reservations would have to be getting arranged before the boarding commenced at the terminal, or the initial rush would get to the Sanctuary and claim remaining inventory. (One of the extra challenges with Sanctuary for the Caribbean sector is that there are often B2B guests and they always have first dibs on re-upping for the next voyage before any new guest set foot on the ship). Obviously arriving late to the off-site Suite check-in would not help with Sanctuary. Once boarding started at the terminal, Suite guests were shuttled over in luxury vehicles and their bags that would normally go to a porter at the curb, were separately taken over to the ship (and I imagine hustled up to their suites). I have not seen any member of this Forum post about this Suite check-in location or process since it kicked-off, so I have no idea if it even still exists. But something to keep an eye out for a notice or invitation if you are departing from PE. (I'd be happy to read any current reports about the off-site check-in if it is still in operation and what all goes on in terms of Sanctuary reservations).

Yes, prepping off-line was a good strategy to employ. But being online certainly drained the minutes for me quickly. I was always buying extra packages. I am probably an exception because I managed to run out of minutes in Winter 2018 when I had 2200 at one point (S.A. Circle Voyage).

On the ships, a guest cannot see into all of the areas where there are loungers. Certain areas are more popular. I have never found all of the chairs taken in every location. IMO, if a guest wants to park their body all day long in a lounger and not move, I could care less. I guess some people only want their prime location. We can normally find a place in the shade where we are away from the blaring MUTS. A guest may not get their preferred location, but I don't see why a guest should give up where they are when there are going to be loungers elsewhere. Otherwise, they would have to walk around at least two decks taking a survey for 15-20 minutes or so and come back and decide all the loungers everywhere are gone. Guess I should move along now. No, I don't think so (and we don't use loungers much).

Or going to the wee-wee room.

I certainly find value in the mini-bar swap. I get whole bottle of beer for a measly sip of a liquor I don't want. 10 beers is a $70 current menu value - not counting the 18% gratuity. Then 10 Perrier is another chunk of value. With today's prices, I wouldn't be surprise to find that over $30 easily. So my mini-bar rings up at plenty enough over $100. Even if they still had the coffee program, I'd just have my wife buy it for herself and keep the mini-bar.

😁. Good one.

I'd say that DMW wouldn't be working this close to departure, but should be functional on embarkation day. I am sure you gave the good advice to get with DR Host or DR Mgr to resolve.

Better record keeping next time? Last time I bought a batch, I entered all the pertinent info in a spreadsheet and kept it until we had sailed.

This thread reminds me of several not-so-old threads where there were extensive debates about which package (including Standard) was the way to go and some folks trying to convince others that there was a "right way". The thing is, to me, Princess offers a range of options and one can book Standard and "pay-as-you-play", or you can consider one of the two semi-AI or AI packages. For some, the add-on cost of Plus or Premier is more than they would otherwise consume or spend while, for others, one or both packages represent fabulous value. It all depends on your style of cruising and vacationing. For us, Standard and paying for the few other things we would typically want is the way to go. And I don't see that has changed with the conversion of previously-free Alfredo's/Gigi's locations to for-fee casual dining. And the new Ocean Now user fee. Am I surprised these locales now cost something? Not really. Having the opportunity for a bundled package suits many guests - and that is fine too. Many posters on here and other threads openly admit that PCL represents good value when compared to what the competition charges for similar experience. As long as they have the great crew and service and "the feel" of being on a Princess cruise, we will still consider it as a prime provider when we decide to cruise again. I do think they have executed this change very poorly - and this is not the first time - in that there are outstanding questions and somewhat ambiguous benefits and terms. Clearly they have never been right (in consumer's eye) about limiting dining experiences by voyage and not by length of. OTOH, they may be concerned about capacity limitations in the venues and being able to provide guests their benefits. Also, they are allowed to make changes anytime they want, but they could have gone a long way to better guest relations by phasing the changes in and managing to provide something to guests who were booked and fully-paid prior to the change date.

Ahhh .. there is a difference there. But I was thinking they would be adding the for-fee items to the menu along with the free items. So, it may be confusing if PCL uses the same venue name and one has the elevated menu and one does not. May not be obvious to the less-experienced shopper.