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You will need to book: mini suite, Reserved Class mini, or a full suite to get a sofa on the Crown (a GEM class ship).

My post said your decision would NOT impact other cruisers. There are examples where a passenger will say, “It’s MY vacation”, and everybody else better get out of their way. YOU are not in that class. You will be fine on a cruise. Be prepared to run into others who do not take the same precautions as you do. THAT, I’m speaking from experience. There are many good folks who are very helpful. You will get to know them the more you read Cruise Critic.

@wsp2205 This is your vacation. Enjoy it the way you want to. Your wants and needs are not interfering with any other passengers' enjoyment of their cruise. Please do request to speak to your steward's housekeeping manager to explain your desires. This will avoid any miscommunications between you, your steward, and the higher uppers who will want to know why he isn't doing his job. Be flexible and be willing to modify your requests. I am sure Princess (or any other cruise line) has had unique requests from passengers.

Buyer Beware: Princess offers a basic Beverage Package, but they also have the Plus and Premier Beverage package that includes crew appreciation AND wifi. Do your research. The basic Beverage Package is not worth it, in my opinion. https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/onboard-experience/food-and-dining/beverages Disregard the "total" savings. It's a lead in. I can't find a link for "JUST" a beverage package. I sure hope they got rid of this misdirected addition. It was for select beverages and nothing else. At least with Plus or Premier, all you had to do was drink a couple of beverages to break even. Bottom line: you are limited to 15 alcoholic drinks in a 24 hour period. But you can have as many non-alcoholic drinks for "free". Welcome to Cruise Critic. Have fun pulling this together in a few months. Trying to keep everyone on the same page will be like herding cats.

There are 2 locks side by side. You have a 50-50 chance on being on the correct side. I was fortunate and luck was on my side. Coral Princess South to North transit Coral took the left locks. I was on the "correct" side. I could see the small boat hook up the freighter in the lock next to us. I could watch everything that I could not see from my balcony. Then I moved about the entire ship hitting every open observation deck. DO NOT stay on your balcony during the full transit. I did that once...rookie mistake. I have, somewhere, an awesome photo of being eye to eye with one of the workers in that hidden crew only area when the lock "sank".

Disclaimer: I know nothing about the Sun Class ships. What I do know: Full suites will get all the perks Reserve Mini-suite/Mini-suite are glorified balcony cabins with no real perks. Reserve class will have a separatED MDR but that's about it. I have been campaigning for Princess to rename "mini-SUITES" since it is so misleading. I "understand" that the Sun Class ship will have some new areas that will be accessible by certain passengers. Still waiting for first hand experiences (deep cut: "whenever" the Sun begins to cruise)

While sitting at any bar, the server will come by to ask you if you want anything. You can ask for water but any other "buffet/MDR free drinks) will come with a cost. If nothing is ordered, server will leave a coaster on your table to notify others that you prefer not to drink.

The Royal Class ships (Enchanted) does not have a dedicated dance venue. Dancing will happen in the Piazza on a not so dancer friendly tile floor.

Didn't Azamara buy Princess' Pacific Princess and call it Quest? So sad to hear this news. Pandemic caused me to miss my booked sailing on the Pacific Princess.

I respectfully disagree.

I have taken my own wine opener. Once I forgot and just asked the dining room to open it for me. Today, more bottles are coming with screw tops.

I prefer further aft to your current location. But you may also feel more aft vibrations from the engines. I can’t respond to your specific location (only stayed further aft). If walking is a concern, it is a long walk.

Hot spot on a iPhone (Verizon) also comes with an additional charge.

Therefore, the answer is: You either get the Plus package for one device OR you can purchase a 4 device stand alone Medallion net with Elite discount, but you are not able to purchase plus and add on 4 devices? This is when you make friends with someone who purchased the Premier package (wink wink). I have survived with just one connection device plan. Thank goodness that my iPad and iPhone magically transfer information (text/voice mail/calls). I shouldn't be on my devices as much as I am. Need to spend more time watching the ocean go by.

I am reaching the point in my life where cruising and not the destination is my primary reason for staying with Princess. I have tried HAL and Celebrity and both have their positives. But I can cruise more frequently with Princess since it is anywhere from 25% to 40% less than the other two. And with my loyalty standing, I am able to enjoy many extra perks. I also enjoy the smaller ship experience and therefore have stayed away from the Royal Class ships (Majestic, Royal, Enchanted, Discovery, Regal, and Sky). Only you have a check list of what is important in a cruise experience. Planning IS part of the fun (or used to be).

aka sheldon cooper

I always wondered about Plus and one device. I knew that I could switch between devices. BUT...if I wanted to add one more connection, would I be able to do an add on...with elite discount?

Go to your cruise (filter by ship and date). When your itinerary pops up, go to fare quote. You will be able to do all of this research without signing in to your account. Keep in mind, that only EZ Air options will appear. They are not ALL the flights available on the airline you first chose.

Sorry, wrong name. "The pool in the pointy part of the ship" is free.

The retreat pool and hot tubs are for all (adult) passengers without a charge. I have toured the "thermal suite" area and have only used the hot stone beds (once). I don't know if there is a charge for the wet/dry saunas since they are included as a suite perk. Yes, do take a tour before making a purchase.

If you are a buffet person or will use the elevators most of the time, then I would book Riviera Deck 14 R730+ or more aft. The infrequently used Cafe Caribe will be a deck above. The benefit of these cabins are that you are 6 steps up to the Terrace (adult only) pool and Outrigger Bar. It also has really nice tables and loungers. Go to your app and pull up the photo for Terrace Pool. Lovely spot and not well used.

I cruised on the Caribbean Princess summer and fall 2023 for a total of 25 days. Crew was terrific in the MDR and specialty restaurants. Do not interact much with bar service. I never felt crowded on sea days but detest the activities the ED now decides to hold in the Piazza. The Party Band now plays in the Piazza instead of Explorer's Lounge. Games in the Piazza, "Quiet" music in the Piazza that should not be mic'd (chamber music, acoustical guitar, piano). The Party Band was so loud that it made conversation just inside the MDR difficult. I thought food was good (subjective). Did not partake in afternoon tea, PES afternoon lounge, Captain Circle Party, champagne tower. Production shows are old...they have been around pre-pandemic. Not into comedians. Again, this is all subjective. The shows that I did go to were crowded and you needed to be there at least 25 minutes before. Enrichment lecturers were okay. Have seen better/worse. Do not visit the buffet. I like Salty Dog Grill/Pizza. International Cafe. If you have specific concerns, I am sure others will be happy to write comments. And the casino is smoking every day. That's okay, less for me to lose in there.

Please help me out here. If the ship is a full LNG fueled vessel, why is there diesel? This is an honest question...I'm confused.

@wsp2205 Welcome to cruise critic and the extreme ranges of posts. My two cents that you can gloss over if you feel like doing. I am also a germaphobic cruiser. Wipe down the cabin with alcohol wipes (wet ones are not as good) Wash my hands as soon as I enter the cabin Wear a mask Distance myself (when possible) from other passengers You can usually view lecturers on your television rather than go to the daytime talks Use hand sanitizers whenever I walk past one AND carry my own for after ordering meals, but before eating Take the stairs whenever possible (very rarely use the elevator) AND I still caught covid on one cruise (out of 6 post pandemic cruises). I think I picked up the virus while on a long bus tour. These are my suggestions: Hand your cabin steward a note on the first day outlining your desires. Examples: Please do not wipe down the counters or move/touch our items. Please leave fresh towels on the bed (or wherever). No need to change our sheets often (I think non-suites are every 4 days/suites every day) Slip patter and other notices under the door Please wear a mask upon entering our cabin etc. I am not concerned about: My sheets / linens (towels) Brief interactions with my steward Ice bucket exchanges I am in that "OLDer" demographics and enjoy cruising. If something should happen on your voyage, I can highly recommend the Medical Center. First time ever in my years of cruising. The doctor was a hoot and absolutely the best. Regardless of what you do, be cautious, be prepared, and enjoy your cruise.

You have more patience than 100 passengers. I sure hope this is the last of the last. Time to get yourself a good travel agent (although not sure TA could have applied the promotion). I mentioned elsewhere that the “holds” are used to text the higher uppers. Really inefficient chain of command and use of personnel. At least you will have a fantastic voyage in your owners suite. Lots of promotions do not apply to suites.