Treasure Hunter

There are lots of people behind the scenes that make your cruise. We pay the suggested and give cash to those that went above the expected.

No. We don’t drink alcohol so swap out our mini bar for waters and sodas. The plus never pays for us. We send out laundry every night and love it. Also love reserve dining with no reservations needed and the breakfast in Sabatinis ( usually).

And full suites are included. But we once used the upgrade program to move from a regular mini to a reserve ( club class) mini two weeks before the cruise.

We are on Crystal Symphony in September (600 passengers) and we are docking in Rouen for three days. Tours offered are Paris ( we have two overnights) Giverney, Normandy etc. We plan the D-Day beaches. For your Oceania trip , I agree go with Oceania for safety if you choose Paris

We have always gone to the port at 9:30 am. If you are in the Haven you do not need a boarding time any longer. You will be kept in the Haven lounge with snacks and drinks until boarding. You will be the first on the ship,usually by 11:00.

We have cruised Princess 35 times. You will have a great time. The reserve class dining service is wonderful. Too many kids, crowds on Royal. Food is much better on Princess. You won’t have the big Broadway shows but the entertainment is still very good. And Princess CDs are better with lots of fun evening game shows, trivia and other things to keep you busy. Don’t miss the Chef/ Maitre ‘d cooking class ( hysterical). And if they have Voice of the Ocean on your ship. We are on the Island Princess in June ( old as the hills and the Enchanted in January.

Yes you are right, and service is better, greeted by name, no wait but the food is really the same as MDR . They usually add a shrimp dish and a crepe for dessert. It’s the no wait that I like. Looking forward to true suite dining on the Sun with a separate dining room. A reason for the prices to become closer to Retreat and Haven. Right now, suites on Princess are still much less than Celebrity or NCL

We were able to upgrade from a mini suite to a Reserve ( club class) mini and were thrilled as it had the club class dining. I heard that after September Princess will open one of the restaurants as a no reservation any time dining which devalues the Reserve class.

Yes. It can be a big savings but remember once you get a bid accepted you can’t back out if you don’t like the cabin.

Thank you! I have been anxious about dining times as we eat on the early side due to medical issues. But I am sure that it will all work out. We have always wanted to cruise with Crystal. We have been on over 50 cruises on many different lines and are hopeful that we will find our home.

I see that the description of the suite says “ an attentive butler is included who will make dining reservations and excursion reservations for you.” But if they are all gone at 120 days before the cruise…..?

We just upgraded from an Aquamarine suite. Are there any perks that we get besides a larger ( two rooms) suite. Can you make reservations for the specialty restaurants earlier ( like Oceania). First timer and confused.

Princess does not ( unlike RCCL, NCL and now MSC) cruise from the New York area in winter! Their last cruise every year will be in November one way, then you have to fly home from Fort Lauderdale. We have done this on the Regal ( two weeks in the Caribbean. It’s not so bad as you don’t have to fly in a day early ( worry if you will miss the cruise due to bad weather) and spend for a hotel. They don’t start sailing in New York until late March or early April to Bermuda. That’s a bummer for us as flying to Florida has become an expensive add on.

When we were in Tahiti ( the Ocean before sale to Oceania and now called Sirena). Many passengers bought beautiful exotic flower displays at the market in Papeete and had them the whole cruise. But it is true, you can’t take them home.

Thank you, Paula. That is great news.