pppatpc2

Off the Crown for the 28 day Tahiti run, they eliminated 2 ports that we originally paid for (Bora Bora and Pago Pago) and are still waiting for port charges. My DH called and they said they would refund. Also asked for a refund for Princess transfers to LAX since we waited in the sun for 2 hours and eventually had to take a cab. Never again.

As promised, reporting on wine situation first hand from the Crown. There is a very simple rule...don’t get wine from any of the outdoor bars. It was explained to me that they cannot climate control any good wine outdoor, hence they don’t serve them. I shudder to report there is worse wine than Canyon Road being served out there, 😳 namely Tisdale (3 for $10 at the grocery store). We are sticking to cocktails and go to Vines before dinner and get a double to take to the dining room. There are a few decent things in the plus package Spellbound Petite Syrah and a nice French Sauvignon Blanc, but we pay the extra dollar per glass and they have nicer options, namely C3 substance and our new favorite La Vigne Nikiara Meritage. This is a workable solution for us. Thought you’d want to know.

The Dine line opens at noon. So when we have done it in the past, we stand by a house phone and call right at noon. They are more likely to choose you if you have no dietary restrictions. We also tell them we will eat whatever the chef prepares. Also, the Maitre’ D used to take requests in the dining room the afternoon on embarkation days, but that seems to have gone away. Keep in mind, since COVID, they no longer do appetizers in the galley, which was my favorite part.

The ayes have it!!!! We absolutely adored him. We saw him a few years back, probably 2017. I agree, I would take a cruise just because he is on it.

When we went through the locks on the Caribbean, it was raining pretty hard. We got up early and got a good seat in Skywalkers, from that lounge you can see all vantage points. You also have quick access to the top deck, if you want to go outside.

Look at me go! Thanks for the tip.

We were on the Island in August and heard a lot of how run down the ship was, but that was not our experience. I thought it could certainly use updating but thought it looked fine. Anything it lacked in modern decor was more then made up for by the staff. Maybe the best service we have ever had. You can get pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, etc. out by the pool outside of mealtimes. There are two coffee bars, one at the Good Spirits and the other in the buffet next to the desserts. Otherwise, no matter where you are, you can order snacks/sandwiches/coffee from the medallion app to be served wherever you are. We on deck watching the glaciers in Greenland and ordered two Irish coffees from our app and about 7 minutes later, the nice man just walked right up to us, also ordered Guacamole to have in Explorer’s, sandwich in Crooners. It is heaven. I also liked the indoor pool area on the Island.

I have many comments, regarding several of these posts, but don’t know how to quote more than one person. First, I am a big fan of Sailing Through the Orchards and the Baked Alaska. I am a fan of sweet, but not creamy martinis. Secondly, although most of the martinis are included in Plus package, the espresso martini is a little extra. However, when I was on the Island in August, if I ordered it in Explorers, they called it something different and said “oh, you mean the blah blah”, which is included. Also, my personal favorite “secret” martini, which was only listed on an Asian cruise I took, was the Crouching Tiger. It is raspberry and lychee, and rarely available, but I have found the last two cruises they will make it for me in Explorer’s. For sweet/spicy, I like the watermelon drink at Good Spirits. I also wish I could get a pack of the martini cards. I have 21 sea days coming up to do more “research”.

That is usually what they serve with the appetizers for the Chef's dinner and also is offered in Bellini's on the Royal class ships.

Thanks for this. I also have found the food very good lately. 2 more weeks before I can report first hand On Plus wine selections and with now 21 sea days, I will have plenty of time to “research”. 😊

We are looking into two more cruises for next year and are reconsidering even the Plus package. There is no sense spending the extra for "cheap wedding wine". We will end up spending 51 days at sea this year on Princess and are rooting for them to survive turbulent times, but this is a hot button with one of their main demographics and I hope they don't lose too many passengers to other lines.

Canyon Road, really?!!!! Wow.

I completely agree about befriending bartenders. That should be another category on the thread about Captains, Cruise Directors, etc. When they first started the wine tasting in Vines, it was only $15. There was a bartender named Alan, who opened 8 bottles for 10 of us. We had the best time.

I hear what you’re saying but there were 4 half bottles of very good wine at a pool bar on the last ship that were all spoiled, broke my heart. Maybe I can just have them scan my medallion, if they have something good left at the end of the night. 😂

Last cruise I was on in Aug/Sept the discount was still in effect.

Thank you to all for this. I would be happy with Decoy merlot or Meiomi Pinot. I have never been a fan of Spellbound Petite Syrah, although Petite Syrah is my favorite type of wine. I agree about paying for the overage. On our Iceland trip, it was pretty easy to find the “Chocolate Block” and at an extra price of $1 that was my go to. Those onboard, thanks for posting. If there is interest, I will post here when I board the Crown Nov 9th. It has just been through dry dock, and is taking a trip through wine country, so I hope we are well stocked for 28 days to Tahiti, I don’t think there is a Total Wine on that route and I would hate to have to buy pineapple wine.

These are extremely good and quite a splurge on calories. Every party has a party pooper... If it is your first time on Princess, go classic and order the Isaac, named after the bartender from the show. My go to drinks with the package: Bloody Mary to start a sea day, Outrigger specializes in several different types Aperol Spritz in Crooners while reading Chocolate Mint martini after dinner Sometimes they turn Sabatini’s into Alfredo’s on sea days. They don’t announce it but you can find it listing on the dining room hours on the “Patter”, which is their activity schedule. Ocean Medallion is a love/hate thing with Princess cruisers, but works very good for ordering the specialty coffees included in your plus package, as well as other food and beverage. Servers find you by your medallion. We ordered guacamole and chips in Explorer’s one night. Very convenient. Welcome to Princess, I hope you like it as much as we do.

I understand shortages, distribution issues, corporations trying to squeeze a buck, all I’m asking is, is there someone on board a ship that can report what wine brands they are pouring on the Plus package currently. Thanks.

We have no interest in the Premiere package, since they are not stocking the upscale wines anyway. I do understand about the distribution system. Crown princess was just in drydock in Oregon, conveniently located to several outstanding wine regions and our cruise will be leaving out of LA, again wine central. I do not need a Stag's Leap Napa, I am hopeful for some decent mass produced pours. Also, it was heartbreaking on the last cruise that the bartenders were not using the vacuum sealers properly and when you could find a good bottle on the Plus package at one of the bars that was not traditionally used by wine drinkers, the bottle was spoiled. There were four very good bottles all spoiled at the indoor pool bar on the Island.

Last time we were on a ship in August, they were going through growing pains with the Plus vs. Premiere packages and what wines were available. I know that generic varietals were listed on the menu and each bar had different offerings for each type depending on availability. We had to search but eventually found decent brands, Ferrari Carrano, Ancient Peaks Renegade, etc. Can any of you wine drinkers on board report back on what you are getting these days on the Plus package?

The new show is On the Bayou, New Orleans themed.

They don’t really publicize it. Ask the head waiter at Sabatini’s and they can tell you what day it might be.

We were on the Island in August and they turn Sabatini’s into Alfredo’s on some sea days. It is listed in the patter under the dining options section. They did not have a full menu, but most pizzas.

They did not have escargot on the Island in August on the Iceland/Greenland voyage. They always have them on formal night and my husband loves them. They put shrimp in the escargot dishes with the same preparation.