Shippy

We took a 7 day Caribbean cruise the end of May & tested positive for Covid the day after we returned. Old & symptoms not to bad but took the Paxlavid anyway. We are totally vax'd & boostered. It is now a crap whether or not to take any kind of trip. ANYONE WHO HAS TO ASK WHAT THE ODDS ARE IS JUST NOT REALISTIC ! BUT....it is because we are old & want to finish out our lives the way we want...we have another cruise scheduled for next month.

I think about twice the price...

THEY ARE CAPACITY CONTROLLED....AT LEAST THE SUITES ! Not long ago we were on a Princess cruise that had a ton of occupancy left. In another week or 2 that cruise was sold out. I asked the suite concierge how they managed their staff when that happens. He said it never happens in the suites because there is only a certain number of those cabins that can be booked. As soon as that number is reached, the others go off the market. That is how they can be consistent with the service to the suites....makes sense !

We have cruised just about every cruiseline over the last few decades. Mainly mini suites. I must say Princess was near the bottom of the list. We really only cruised on them because we live near San Francisco & they pretty much have that port locked up. BUT, a few months ago we cruised an S4 on the Royal....loved it. Actually looking at Alaska cruises for this summer in the same suite. Did the steakhouse the first night for the complementary meal. We were unable to reserve before the trip but had no problem when onboard. Unlike most other people, we did not really care for the special breakfast in Sabatini's. But you get the club service in the main dining room which was great. The suite concierge lounge was the best. It is open 24 hrs. We were right across the hall. I am a total insomniac so at 2 or 3 am i would just walk across the hall in my robe & slippers & get a glass of milk & cookies. The multi type coffee machine is available all day. There is a cocktail time from 5 until 7pm. Not that most people would care but the self serve laundry is right next to it.....the suite does give you free laundry...but one morning at about 4am, I decided to do a bag of whites. I was pleasantly surprised because a lot of cruise ships close there laundry rooms at night.

I do not really understand your post. When I see a cabin I like online, I book it. When I go back, I no longer see it as available as I have booked it so it is out of inventory for anyone else to book. Could that be what you are talking about ??

There is NOTHING within walking distance from the pier except a 7/11 type store & a Marine Boat shop. Unless you can walk a long distance....with hills !

Absolute best itinerary I have seen so far....in fact I might take it :O) April 29th on the Sapphire Princess It is 11 nights & hits all the good ports. Also round trip out of Vancouver which is a beautiful city.

The biggest problem with the bidding system is....... We had a mini suite on the Ruby. Successfully bid & got an upgrade to a Penthouse. Overall way cheaper than booking the Penthouse in the first place. SPOILED...want the Penthouse but not at full price. Scared if I take a mini suite They will not offer me a bid for Penthouse ! I know everyone should be ecstatic if they have a mini suite BUT the Penthouse is way over the top !

We had a regular mini suite on a 7 day cruise. Minimum bid for penthouse was $700. pp We bid that & got it. Well worth it. Room was spectacular, service great.

Just off Royal. Ate at the Crown Grill twice. Garlic (?) rolls...cold, hard. Plus 2 cold sour dough rolls.

Many, many slots. Had a lot of play. 10 tables, blackjack, let it ride, etc. 2 Roulette tables and a crap table. Smoking is allowed in half the casino. There IS a non smoking room with quite a few slots a poker machines. This room is kind of separate from the main area but I had a lot of luck in there. A bit confusing to find. You might have to ask the first time.

Round trip from San Francisco. First stop Ensenada Mexico. Next stop San Diego. Received a paper the night before San Diego stating that there would be a Face to Face Immigration Inspection in San Diego. Starting at 7:15 am EVERYONE had to get off the ship. Latest time to get off would be 9:30 am. NO ONE will be allowed back on until everyone was checked. Well, of coarse you could tell what would happen….. Some people did not read the part of not being able to return to the ship so they thought they were smart and would get off early and then return for breakfast……wrong… and then you know there are always those that feel the message does not apply to them so they remain onboard. We got off at 9am and took a shuttle to Seaport Village. To early for most shops to open so we returned. immigration building was packed and the was a very long line to get back on the ship. We we’re finally allowed to start reboarding at 10:30 am. One of the crew told me they had to knock on some cabin doors to get people out. We have done many cruises to Mexico before an d never had to go through this. NOT Princess fault but immigrations. The crew was just as annoyed as we were I am sure

Our experience not quite as good. Service and servers great but not our food. We have migrated to the club class restaurant and found the selection and quality better. Service has been excellent but there again…..the ship is more than half empty.

No, we were told no more bar soap. My husband bought one in port. We like the night lights. They do not go on unless you get up. We automatically get a bowl of fruit.

You are right about the laundry. The laundry on our floor is right next to the concierge lounge, very close to our cabin. I am a total insomniac. The other morning, I took a bag of whites and washed them at 4 am. Nice they do not lock up the laundry room at night like most other ships.

Our cruise is only 7 days. San Francisco round trip. Ensenada Mexico, Los Angelas, Santa Barbara, San Diego. Only 1600 passengers. Next cruise is Hawaii. They say full at 4,000 ! On your medallion app on your phone there is a section for your preferences. You can request paper there. I prefer, just fold & put in my pocket.

An unusual experience because there are only 1600 passengers currently on the ship ! All staff are fabulous. It was quite chilly for the sail away from San Francisco. As soon as I walked on deck, someone asked if I would like a blanket to wrap around myself. I said yes and was given a lovely blue blanket. A few minutes later, I saw my husband wrapped in a green velvet blanket. After the sail away we took them back to the cabin. I was sure the cabin steward would take them away but he has not. We use the during the day in the cabin. The suite concierge longe is 24 hours for snacks and specialty coffee. The is a cocktail time from 5 until 7 pm l opted to get the daily schedule on paper as I do not like carrying my phone around. WiFi is not good. Very spotty and slow. Laundry mats are large and very clean. $3. wash $3. dry. Have had plenty of play at the casino. The machines are basically dead until you tap your medallion on them. Then you can insert $$. When you are done, your credits go into your ‘bank’ until you do a final cash out. No more paper tickets.

Food has been a pleasant surprise. My husband normally hates buffets but we went when we first boarded the ship. There is the Horizen Court and Horizen Bistro. They are attached to each other and huge with slightly different items. A lot of the foods were served in individual ramekins or small metal pots. Shepherds pie, little casseroles,etc. Fresh carving stations, stir fries, etc. unbelievable variety. Many desserts to choose from and very fancy. All fantastic. There are pastries served in several different places on the ship, all impressive. Alfredo’s Pizza, complementary, is wonderful. A sit down restaurant that not only has pizza, but soup, salads, pastas and desserts, . International cafe, complementary and open 24 hours, has pastries, sandwiches, smoothies, specialty coffees, etc….excellent. I found Sabatinis to be a bit disappointing both for dinner and breakfast. Concerto dining room is quite good. Crown grill is excellent. Trident grill on deck makes fabulous burgers and fries.

We are Platinum but have not sailed Princess for a long time. I never thought anything special about them but this cruise has totally changed my mind. We are currently on the Royal I am going to devide my reviews into several categories because I feel that sometimes these threads get off topic otherwise. First I have to say how lucky were to get our cabin, R609, directly across from the suite concierge lounge. We had a mini suite and successfully bid up for a penthouse. Outside all the cabin doors is an electronic touchscreen. You can touch a spot for privacy or to have the cabin made up. EVERY person’s name in the cabin is displayed there. I do not think you can turn that off. Because you now have a medallion, your door senses that from several feet away and automatically unlocks your door. There are night lights at the base of some of the furniture that sense movement. There is no paper or pen but we brought our own. The bathroom is spectacular because there is the main room with tub, large shower and sink and a separate room with the toilet and another sink. There is NO bar soap, only gel. Thermostat works great. Although adequate, I was surprised there was not a bigger closet for a suite. The TV has few channels but lots of free movies.

Currently on the Royal. Only 1600 passengers. Service is great !

I am really shocked how much vacancy there is on this cruise. We are on the Royal this Sunday. Over 370 cabins still available ! Guess we will have great service :O) We live by the port so great for us. I also thought the date was good. A last chance to get away before the holidays.

?? CruiseCritic ?

Princess is a nice cruise line. We are sailing on the Royal this weekend... Royal Caribbean in January & Holland in March. My FAVORITE is MSC Yacht Club next September. We basically only choose Princess for convenience. We live on the West Coast & Princess is regular there. REMEMBER...when comparing cruise lines, it really gets down to the category. You cannot compare a balcony experience on one ship with a penthouse on another. Bedding, towels, food, service cabin, etc. are all different. This weekends cruise is in a Penthouse on the Royal. First time although we have done half a dozen Princess cruises. I am sure this will up my opinion of Princess but this was an exception deal. Probably will not be able to do that in the future. Now that I am older, I tend to look for the BEST category cabin I can get for the cheapest price. Most all cruise lines are great in a suite :O)

Safety, I am sure is one reason it has been scaled down. MANY decades ago, the baked Alaska was balanced on their heads with the meringue on fire !

WOW.....what did they charge ??? It is a minimum of $500. pp and with the ship markup......