pthjudy

I spent wasted time yesterday trying to fax and then found out that that department is not only closed on weekends, they shut off their fax as well. I submitted by mail because faxing for me requires moving my printer from one room to another and sitting on the floor. (My cable company persuaded me to get rid of phone jacks and use their modem or router or whatever that tower thingy is!)

I’m going to put in my 2 cents worth and then promise to never comment again because unlike most other queries, there is no correct answer. Just as cruises have changed, so has how people dress. I stopped packing jackets for DH when luggage numbers and weight became a problem when flying. Others feel they vacation to get away from dressing up. Even fine restaurants have relaxed their dress codes, and when have you ever looked around in a restaurant and commented how others are dressed?  My husband wears dress shirt and tie for formal nights. Yes, more have jackets on than not, but since after 40 something cruises we don’t do formal photos, it makes no difference. Why what a stranger is wearing would impact the enjoyment of a stranger, is beyond me. And some of the dresses worn by the younger (and maybe not so young) cruisers are so short and so low cut, that makes my husband’s lack of jacket pale in comparison. (I would love to see one of those teeny boppers turned away for inappropriate dress!) Thanks for bearing with my post and wear what you want. I for one won’t even notice. 

It works on the IPad. This forum never fails to answer my questions, solve my problems, and give me lots of helpful information. I’m so glad it’s back!

 For some reason I can’t seem to find the way to search just Princess and not the whole of Cruise Critic. It used to be easy, but I can’t find where that search is with the new format. I was going to see how far in advance of my cruise I can submit my CLL stock certificate. The time frame has varied in the past. Thanks. 

I just checked my 3 upcoming cruises. Two do not include gratuities and the third does for the 3 for free promotion. All showed 0 due until I checked our names. Once checked they ALL show the gratuity amount. Yes, I do have it listed on the invoice so I’m not worried. Princess and it’s website are not 100% accurate all the time. However, I’ve never had a problem in fixing a mistake. 

If you look to see available cabins in the category they assigned you, you will have no problem in changing your cabin. I did just that a few days ago. It will be especially easy for you since you booked directly with Princess. Good luck. 

Some flights are offered only as "restricted." I'm guessing that's an airline thing.

 

OK' date=' I'm one of those people who needed to have my tickets purchased--my daughter has a mobility issue and we needed to get seats as far forward in the plane as possible. However, I could do this by purchasing the tickets as "flexible," and then sending a document to Princess requesting that they book the tickets immediately. This means we would lose the flex features--the tickets would no longer be refundable and I couldn't grab a cheaper fare if one came out BUT the airline would allow us to select the seats we needed. And I paid the "flexible" fare.

On our most recent cruise we were on a different airline and I was able to get the seats reserved prior to paying for the tickets. It just depends on the airline policy.

 

Also, sometimes people want business or first class seats which may be available only as restricted.[/quote']

Even without getting ticketed as with the flexible fares, you can still get your seats. I have done so on the airline website or by phone with the airline. I have never had a problem but it sometimes takes a little effort. Also, once you make a change or get a price reduction, you most times have to rebook your seats.

We will be in Alaska next summer for the fourth time. I don’t want to do the ship tour again, because we are at the site too long and hiking is getting harder each time. We are going with a friend who has never been to Alaska. I found a shuttle company from the ship to the glacier and back running every 30 minutes. Has anyone used a shuttle and were you able to do a little nature walk on your own?

I have been watching a particular cruise and noticed a big rise in price when the double upgrade promotion started. I would be happier with the lower starting price ($3300) vs ($4500) as a lower category is fine with me. Does anyone know how long this promotion will run and if the old starting price will return? Also does Azamara have refundable or non refundable deposits?

Just to make it really easy here. As sales change and fares do go down, NEVER book a cruise with a non-refundable deposit. With refundable deposits you can easily rebook or refare.

 

Pooh

If there is a cruise you wish to book and the deposit is non refundable, is there any recourse outside of not booking the cruise? In other words, do you put the cruise on hold until the promo has a refundable deposit or can you ask Princess what you can do to make the deposit refundable? How often do the deposits change their refundability status? It seems extreme to NOT book a cruise because the deposit (or in my case, the FCD) can’t be refunded.

Non-refundable deposits are just that, not refundable. If you cancel and re-book under a new promo you loose the $100 deposit, FCD, or whatever deposit you placed. A T.A. may be able to 'save the FCD or deposit and move it to the new promo, but it isn't automatic.

Most promos do have refundable deposits, as do bookings without promos. You have to read the fine print before you book that is where it is noted. Where it says 'details' select that and read through it carefully. The normal is refundable. It isn't like RCI, higher prices for refundable.

Thank you for clarifying. I understand why cruise lines like to lock you in with non refundable, but with cruises being booked often far in advance, it could create a problem. Some people abuse the system by booking multiple cruises and knowing most will be cancelled.

After over 20 Princess Cruises with all deposits refundable, I see that the few I recently booked have non refundable deposits. (I found this out from my TA.) Since I use FCD, I’m not really worried. However in the next few weeks we are planning to book Alaska for next year with a friend who will not have access to a FCD. Now my questions - First, are all deposits non refundable now or is it like a Royal Caribbean where the price is a bit higher for refundable? Second, can I get price reductions or make changes just as I have done previously with the refundable? And lastly, (I promise) how is the refund-ability or non refundability noted on the Princess website?

At one time there was an app, but it has been replaced by the system described above.

Please clarify. If I have my phone on WiFi and my husband does too, we can text each other without using paid WiFi minutes? On Anthem of the Seas (RC) last month, our group of 10 were texting away. We also could text people at home but it only worked with iPhones.

First time on Princess and notice they have a sort of book club with specific books for certain months. Can anyone tell me how popular this activity is on Princess Ships. It seems like a great idea for those of us who love to read.

I have found the so called book club rather lame. Yes, they do have books which they will distribute at the initial meeting. At the post book meeting, the girl in charge was just physically there. She said she had not read the book and that we should just discuss. I love books but will not participate in the future.

I do not know where you are flying from or what your luggage limitations are, but can't you just bring what you need from home?

We always bring what we need from home and throw out a lot of partially used stuff before flying home. However this is a 22 day trip and we have never been away quite as long. Too much hair spray and sun screen and toothpaste and mouthwash etc means less clothes.

My wife and I will be cruising out of LA in Sept. on Princess Star, and we need a good shuttle service that we can depend on. If anyone has any suggestions they would be much appreciated!!

We used Super Shuttle as suggested on CC. Yes, it’s a good option unless the hotel you are going to is not one of the more common ones. Their dispatcher got a bit confused about where the hotel was and while waiting the dispatchers switched and I had to explain again. Price was good but would use another option next time. If big, well known hotel or going straight to the ship, it’s much easier.

There's also a dollar store nearby if you really get desperate. ;p

I just checked on my pre cruise hotel and see there is a very close Walgreens open 24 hours. They even carry the products I might need. Isn’t the internet wonderful, especially Cruise Critic. (I never leave home without it!)

Fire the TA - that will get its' attention...:evilsmile:

My TA fired ME because I asked for too many price adjustments. Not kidding. She sent me an email wanting to release a future cruise I had booked with her. I did that and going forward I have used other TA’s or booked directly with Princess. The fact that they are supposed to be our advocate as well as do their job seems to be an inconvenience to some of them. By the way, even if I am using a TA, I will often speak directly with Princess with some excellent results.

Here is a different solution. When you are in Ft. Lauderdale on turnaround day you will most likely be on pier 2. It's a short walk to Walgreens on the corner of Eisenhower Blvd. and SE 17th St.. A little further down SE 17th St. just before the Embassy suites turn left and there is a Publix. There are other stores around as well. This is an easier way to do turn around day rather than waiting in the theater.

It’s really not that far? Didn’t know anything walking distance. Walgreens great idea.

If you dock at Havensight, walk thru all the shops and when you get to the street go left. There is one there.

Might you or anyone know similarly a drugstore in Falmouth or Cozumel? Trying to cover all my bases.

We will be on the Regal in January on a B2B2B. I may need to buy some cosmetics since the trip is so long and we are flying to Fort Lauderdale. Does anyone know if there is a drugstore nearby the St. Thomas pier?

Does Princess go through the trouble of upselling on cruises less than 7 days or do they simply upgrade cabins to the next level? If upselling, how far in advance does that usually start? If you've purchased through a big box travel agency that does not forward emails for these upsells, has anyone called to speak to the travel agency to be a make a call to Princess for an upsell or are you totally out of luck for using an agency other than Princess?

We received an upsell offer on a 5 night last October. I believe it was 4 to 6 weeks before sailing. I received it from my TA. You can often find out when upsells are offered from your roll call. Princess is very helpful if you encounter an issue with an upsell. Several months ago my TA failed to send an upsell offer. I found out on my roll call that there had been offers. I called Princess and although there was no more availability (and balconies WERE gone), they said we would be put on a wait list. They even gave us a free specialty dinner. Well, 3 or 4 days before leaving we got a call for a balcony that just opened at the same upsell price. We were thrilled and got to keep the specialty dinners too!

We did this cruise last year on Emerald and absolutely loved it. I don't like Island Princess at all so this would be an easy decision for me. Emerald Princess is great. Island Princess is my least favorite Princess ship.

Island is also my least favorite Princess ship. Emerald is one of my favorites.

on our last cruise, Princess upgraded us to a balcony for free. It was our very first balcony cabin ever. I won't lie - I loved it. Princess ships are very boring to us because they don't offer many family activities for families with kids, so it was terrific to have a balcony to read a book on for hours. We also saw dolphins! And the sunsets were magical.

 

Now, we can't always afford a balcony, so our next cruise is in the inside room. But if a balcony is sold at an agreeable price - I'd most certainly get a balcony.

 

P.S. Drying swimsuits on the balcony is also a plus.

We too like balconies but if the differential between categories is a lot, we book interior and hope for an upsell. Upsell offers (if there are availabilities) are always a much better deal than booking the higher level initially. On our last several Princess Cruises this strategy has worked. However, you need to be satisfied with the cabin you booked if no upsell is offered.

What problem is this causing you or what do you think it will cause? If you're thinking he won't be allowed on the flight because the full middle name is not on the ticket but is on the passport, as others have posted, it won't affect that. Yes, there are sites out there that warn you ticket and ID must match exactly or else but they're all wrong.

 

 

I am retired from an airline. When I travel with my flight benefits, the names are pulled from the employee travel database which for some reason has most of us as LAST/FIRSTM with no space between the first name and the middle initial and no full middle name. So I show up as LAWRENCED (and my poor son has a first name middle initial combination that looks like a female first name). It's never been an issue, I always get Pre-Check even though the Known Traveler database has my passport name with full middle name. For international travel, Global Entry always works. In short, it's never, ever been an issue of any sort with one exception: the time the TSA ID checker asked where the girl was (see note above about my son's name) and as soon as I pointed out it was first and middle initial concatenated, she just smiled and apologized.

Perhaps it depends on which person checks you in. I have also been warned that although exact name is not essential on cruise booking, it is for the air component. A few years before rules were strengthened after 9/11, I was scheduled to present at a conference and was sent an airline ticket that the organizers purchased. They used my author name which is Judy not Judith (my passport name.) I had a little difficulty in boarding. Probably a much bigger problem now?