iamaqt2

Thank you that, but we're going to be there the day before, on New Year's Eve day. Dec. 31st.

Well I went ahead and canceled my reservation for New Year's eve. I really wanted an al fresco dining experience and it sounds like that is not even possible while underway. A pity, as I'm not a fan of Crown Grill and we've eaten at Sabatini's previously. Will probably try booking for a different night once onboard when the MDR menu doesn't appeal. Thank you all for sharing your experiences.

That's a shame. I've booked BSLM for New Year's eve dinner as we leave Loreto Baja, and the weather should be perfect. Dining alfresco would have been the perfect start to the evening IMO.

Yes, Skagway is the only MDR that opens for lunch and other than Embarkation day, will only open for lunch on sea days.

Yes, it will be the only one of the 3 of the MDR's open for Embarkation Lunch. However your other options include the buffet, Gigi's Pizza, the International Cafe, and Slice pizza and the Salty Dog Grill, not the pub. Lots of places to grab lunch around the ship.

Skagway dining room will be open for lunch from 12-1:30. Embarkation lunch menu hasn't changed in years.

I see that dining alfresco is an option on the Discovery. I'd love to give this a go on my upcoming cruise, and wondering if anyone has enjoyed this aspect of BSLM.

Yes, Princess like every other cruise line has instituted many cutbacks. Some to save money, and some because of supply chain issues. A big one for me is the removal of the New York steak on the Always Available MDR menu. Also the MDR menus in general have shrunk, with fewer nightly offerings and greatly reduced portion sizes. Another place it's noticeable is the buffet. Lower quality fruits, deli meats and cheeses for sure, along with cheaper cuts of meats. Staffing is also an issue. This is industry wide and not specific to Princess. None of these things will make me not cruise, but for long time cruisers on Princess, they are definitely noticeable.

Celebrity Solstice had the nicest ship library I've ever seen.

It won't be an issue unless all the life boat space in your area is already booked. If you're even considering it, add him now. It's much easier to remove him before final payment than adding him later.

It's in the app under Journey Views. It will show all the activities and times for your cruise.

My upcoming cruise shows them at 7:30 and 9:30.

But are they still promoting them under the Chocolate Journeys on the menu? I'd be sad if that showed up at my table.

I don't believe this would be possible. The discount would only apply if she was a booked passenger.

Regular balcony cabins only have 1 chair at the desk and no where else in the cabin to sit. A deluxe balcony cabin will get you a few extra feet and a love seat and a mini will get you a sofa and a tub plus 2 tvs and a divider curtain in the cabin for couples who may have an early or late bird . Other than that and location, not much other difference except cost.

Don't let the seafood half of Bistro Sur la Mer's menu throw you off. They supposedly have a fantastic filet mignon you might be interested in.

Pick any 3 person cabin number you want to reserve and call Princess or your TA to book it. Online won't let you do it, but an agent can book the one you want.

Yes they do. You can call Princess and book the cabin you want, or you can have your TA do it.

You can't deal with Princess reps. This has to be dealt with directly through the casino dept. 1-888-772-6697

Interested to hear your opinion of Crown Grille. I'm personally not a fan. I much prefer Sabatinis. And I don't even eat pasta.

A lot of balcony and minisuites sleep 3 and Princess website won't show what is available wen only searching staterooms available for 2 people. Change your stateroom search to 3 people and a whole lot more cabins will show as available. Once you decide which stateroom you want you can call Princess or your TA to book it.

Hi seagunthera, happy to join you aboard. I've cruised the MR as well a few times. This port is small and seems very walkable. I didn't see a need to book an excursion here. But I'm hoping that things are open with the holiday.

It's not necessarily about finding food. It's finding the experience that goes with the food. Main dining times past 7 are a huge competition with any evening shows or activities because service takes 2 hours. And not everyone gets up before 9 to eat in the MDR. Half the buffet shuts down at 10 am and the grills don't open til 11. Are you going to starve? No. But service hours for sit down table service are very limited as Karma pointed out.

Truth. And those late night drunchies "require" food. At least Princess offers a fairly decent selection of room service food. My 2 am orders can get pretty big 😉

Our port stop at Loreto is on New Year's Eve. I don't want to pre-book excursions for this stop as I'd much rather play a tender stop by ear. Because of the holiday will many of the shops and restaurants be closed? And will there be tour operators willing/available to take us to Coronado Island for a few hours? Thanks for any insight you can offer.