minabruuke

We're currently on the Sky Princess and we can hear the people and the TV in the room next to us so clearly that it sounds like they are actually in our room. It is not muffled in the slightest. Here's the thing...I don't think the neighbors are the problem but rather there is absolutely no sound proofing. There was originally another family in that room. We could hear them just as clearly. I asked guest services if what we were experiencing was normal; they just said they'd have someone check it out. But they also told us that family was actually moving out and into a mini-suite for some extra space. Awesome, problem solved! Only they moved a new couple in there this evening (there are 100's of empty cabins this cruise so they didn't need to do this) and we're back to hearing everything. I am Elite with Princess so I have experience with their ships. I have never experienced anything like this. Hall noise and doors slamming are things I expect but this is unacceptable and frankly an invasion in privacy (if I can make out their conversations word for word then they must also be able to hear us that clearly). Has anyone else noticed a problem on the Sky Princess? Is this a known problem with these newest ships? Or is it possible that some sort of noise barrier is missing between these two cabins?

We are currently on the Sky Princess and the internet is truly the best we've ever had onboard a ship. We've yet to have any trouble. Websites are actually loading faster for me than they do using my Verizon cellular service at home. I did not expect to be able to check on our security cameras given the reports on here of terrible internet but watching them live, watching the recorded clips and downloading the recordings have all been possible and reasonably quick. If we are in a crowded area then it slows down a bit but still works. We're only a day in so I know that this could all change but we've been very happy and pleasantly surprised!

I never said or thought you were complaining. I also don't think you did anything wrong asking the question that you did. My post was not aimed at you and I am sorry that I left you with that impression. Unfortunately the question that you asked seems to be asked multiple times a week on these boards and every time that it is asked someone does call it useless (as happened here) or at least insinuates that it is a useless benefit. Same thing occurs in laundry discussions. Princess mostly likely still watches these boards so it is not a good thing when they see that over and over again, week after week.

I don't think changing your preferred cruise line due to changes in the food is in any way extreme. The dining experience, food quality and food options are at the absolute top of my list of the things that are important to me on a cruise. I am definitely not alone in that. If the food and dining experience didn't meet my expectations, especially if that was the case for more than one cruise in a row on a cruise line, I would absolutely be searching for a different cruise line. I have a close family friend who has absolutely no appreciation for good food. Food is just food to her. If you ask her how the food was on a cruise, she'll just shrug. She would not be able to appreciate the difference between cafeteria style food that came out of a can and a meal from a Michelin star restaurant. When she temporarily lost her taste due to COVID, she really couldn't have cared less. Everyone has different priorities and interests! In my opinion, it would be a very boring world if that weren't true. The food may not matter much to you but it is definitely a high priority item for many other people.

This, exactly! I am extremely concerned every time I see another Elite or suite guest come on here and make comments that insinuate or straight out call this benefit useless. Just as I get frustrated about anyone trash talking the free laundry benefit. If Princess continues to see/hear such comments then they will obviously decide that these benefits are not necessary and many of us will lose the few valuable benefits left to us. For my husband and I, if we don't have a drink package (which with the increasing prices will be every cruise we book from here on out), swapping the mini-bar for two coffee cards is an extremely nice benefit. We have never had an issue with the free laundry and absolutely love and appreciate that benefit. On some cruises, certain Elite benefits are going to be less useful and on others they are more valuable. In my opinion, it is best to just appreciate that we have them even when we don't necessarily need them. To anyone on the boards that is thinking about posting about any of the Elite benefits that we still have: please think before you write anything that Princess could use as a means to excuse eliminating the benefit all together. Please don't complain about free benefits because you will be partially to blame when Princess decides to eliminate the benefit. On the other hand, complaining about benefits they've already eliminated (for example, free internet) is totally fair and reasonable. It may be good for Princess to continue to see that customers are frustrated by the eliminated benefits.

And 50 AUD is around 34 USD (today) which means the pricing has been adjusted accordingly to take into account that gratuities are not part of the package.

Mine goes in my husband's pocket. The same place my cruise card used to go...I hated having to keep track of that and love that I can wear the medallion on my wrist. If he isn't traveling with me then my phone pretty much never leaves the cabin. I like to wear dresses on warm weather cruises, most without pockets, and I have no desire to have to keep track of a bag while enjoying vacation.

I legally changed my name, including obtaining an updated social security card and driver's license, in the few days between my wedding and my honeymoon because I was starting a new job the day we returned from our honeymoon and wouldn't have time when we returned. I had booked our honeymoon cruise using my maiden name because I knew that there was no way my passport would be updated in time and there was absolutely no need for it to be. The name on the booking needs to match the passport. It is perfectly acceptable to use a valid passport with your maiden name after you have legally changed your name. Ask your daughter what she wants to do. Since there will be time between the wedding and the trip, she can choose whether she wants to get a new passport with her new name before the trip or wait until after. If she is going to get a new one before the trip, book the cruise under her future name right now (this is allowed). If she wants to wait until after the cruise to update her passport, then book it under her current name.

It would be foolish for them not to take bids just because suites were sold out. The point of the system is to maximize profits. Cancellations can and do happen; taking bids for sold out categories means that when those cancellations happen (especially last minute when it would be difficult to resell the cabin), Princess is able to accept an already placed bid and immediately increase their profit.

I've had to learn to pay attention to very subtle signs that would indicate that I am actually sick because fever is not a reliable indicator for me. I also have severe allergies so I am congested and sneezing almost daily. Thankfully, my allergies tend to improve at sea🙂 I do pay attention to a cough, scratchy throat, swollen glands; basically any changes to what is normal for me and I would not go out in public if I noticed those sorts of symptoms. Fever is most often an indicator of contagious illness but not always. I had a very serious bout of COVID in March 2020; I ended up with long COVID. For nearly two full years, I spiked a fever every single afternoon that usually would last through the evening and until my body could rest for the night. It happened every single day! My body could not properly regulate temperature and as the day went on it would get harder and harder for my body to keep up and the fever would arrive. I could feel totally fine and still have a fever of 102°F. This is no longer a daily occurrence but it does still happen on occasion. The first 9+ months I didn't know what to do, my doctor assured me over and over again that I was not contagious but I was scared to go out anywhere because if there were temperature checks people would assume that I was sick. Eventually, I had to accept my doctor's promise that I wasn't contagious and her strong suggestion that I not worry about anybody else getting mad if they found out I had a fever and to live my life. She even suggested that I take fever suppressing medication if I knew that there was going to be a temperature check for something important (obviously, only as long as I had no other indications that I might be unwell). I did continue to wear a mask in public for the two years that I dealt with this daily and would still do so if I needed to go somewhere on the less frequent afternoons/evenings that I now deal with this. I do that just in case I am missing another sign but I can't be expected to stay home for the rest of my life. I would not go to the medical center for a fever alone (unless it was higher than is normal for me) but my husband definitely would (because it isn't normal for him). I share this because we need to try to stop judging people when we just don't know enough to understand a person's, possibly unique, circumstances.

I wouldn't have thought so but maybe 🤷 Or maybe they'll have someone at each bar just for the group? Lets just say that I won't be surprised if that tour gets cancelled for our port stop! I know ships are often in Curacao late so I am guessing this tour would typically be in the evening but rescheduling it for early morning seems strange. To each their own I guess..

For our upcoming cruise, you can book the "Curacao By Night Cocktail Tour" that is scheduled from 7:30am-10:30am. I had a good laugh at that when I first saw it; the ship departs at 5:00pm so the time is definitely not a typo.

I have struggled with the mattresses on Princess both before the introduction of the Princess luxury beds and after. They are all too firm for me as a light weight, side sleeper (your size/weight and sleep position plays a huge roll in your mattress "needs"). The Princess luxury beds were a slight improvement for me over the prior beds.... That is until I cruised with my mom and had the bed split. They did not have the luxury bed mattress pad or topper in the twin size (at least not on that ship, at that time... maybe they have them now). I was so miserable the first night that I never managed to fall asleep. The room steward finally found two egg shell mattress toppers (there were no twins to be had so he had to use larger ones and allow them to hang over) and added an extra duvet to sleep on top of and that allowed me to sleep even if I was never truly comfortable. My mom was totally fine without the padding. I am just grateful that the room stewards will do what they can to help if you tell them you are uncomfortable! Mattresses are not one style fits all. A mattress can be comfortable for most but still miserable for some. There are also some people that can sleep on anything and others who truly can't get comfortable on some/many mattresses. Letting people know that you found them uncomfortable and what about them was uncomfortable for you is helpful. But suggesting other people cancel a trip because you, personally, found the mattresses uncomfortable is a bit much.

Absolutely! But reserves are utilized in some auctions because the seller isn't willing to sell under a certain price point but starting the bidding lower can garner more interest (Princess has no obligation to accept any of the minimum bids they receive). It is possible to start the bidding too high and have too little interest as a result. That is particularly true when you are bidding on something that has substantial inventory available compared to the number of people bidding. On our upcoming sailing there are over 130 mini suites left in inventory and available to be sold (I spoke with a Princess employee yesterday) and even more balcony rooms but less than 40 days left until the cruise. That is a ton of inventory available to bid on when you consider the number of people eligible to bid on this very (currently) undersold cruise. Can Princess make more money setting the minimum bids at 2-3 times higher than they used to offer upsells, with the risk being that they do not attract enough interest to be able to upsell every cabin that inventory would allow them to sell? Or can they make more money by setting the minimum bids at a more attractive price point, thus possibly garnering more interest and allowing them to upsell more cabins? Time will tell and I imagine it will depend on the cruise. I would like to think that they will look at data from cruises where they set lower minimums and compare it to cruises where they set higher minimums and try to determine an ideal balance.

I, too, can no longer access the bidding system through the website/personalizer (get the not eligible message). I was able to access through the original email though. I am hoping they are making some changes. The minimum bids really and truly are ridiculously high for our cruise; much higher than any upsell offer I ever received under the old system (about triple). Currently, it would cost less to have my CVP re-fare us into a mini-suite from a balcony than to bid the minimum to try and get one. There appear to be a crazy high number of minis available so the low pricing outright makes sense, the bidding system (or people behind the scenes) doesn't seem to take any of that in account🤷 If they lower the minimum to somewhere closer to previous upsell offers I received then I will likely place a bid. If not, I am happy with what we currently have!

You should be a strong swimmer and I would say comfortable and confident with your snorkeling gear. I am not sure how much the current varies but it was very strong and fast when we went and it did require effort to assure that we stayed off the coral. There were a couple of people that struggled with that which led to some cuts/scrapes and, sadly, likely damage to the coral. It seemed to me that those that struggled did so more because of their swimming skill level rather than lack of experience snorkeling.

As someone who loves to plan and loves to organize, packing is part of the fun of travel for me. I use our day to day itinerary, taking into account our plans for each day, to make a detailed packing list (I actually plan out our outfits for each day😆). This may be an unnecessary chore and an utter waste of time for many people but I thoroughly enjoy it and take pride in packing appropriately. I do not overpack and I do not under pack. We do come home with some items that we don't use but those are items, such as certain over the counter meds, that I feel we should always have and hope not to use. So no changes for us! I don't want to haul around stuff we don't need and if I were to decrease what we pack I would end up irritated and frustrated due to not having enough. On another cruise line's message board, I routinely see people tell others to take only half of what they think they need. It drives me crazy every time I read that advice because that is absolutely terrible advice for some people (it would be for me). Granted, I am well aware that for other people that would be really good advice.

I can't log in using the Chrome browser on my cell phone that is running on Android 13. Nor can I log in using Chrome (version 107.0.5304.87) on my MacBook. Clearing cookies and cache does not solve this problem. I was able to sign on using Safari. On my cell phone, I can hit log in and enter my details and it appears at first that I am logged in (the option to log in changes to log out) but then when I go to the boards to post I am clearly not fully logged in as I am given the option to "register a new account" or "sign in now" at the bottom of the page. If I click "sign in now" a pop up appears to click "login or register" or "cancel." If I hit login here that pop up disappears and I am back on the board I was looking at with no option or place to actually type in my credentials. Interestingly, the issue is different using my Chrome browser on my laptop. On that I get a username/password is wrong error message. Obviously, seeing as I am currently now sign in on Safari using that exact same username and password, my credentials were not actually wrong. I hope these details can be helpful in fixing these problems as the problems are definitely not solely related to cache or cookies.

We are on Androids and can make calls. If your daughter has this problem again in the future have her check to see that she has country codes before the number she is trying to call. This may not have been her problem but just in case it could be helpful I wanted to mention it. If I add new contacts to my phone, it now automatically adds a 1 before the number (or I can select a different country code) but I noticed on my last trip that some of my old U.S. contacts did not have that 1 and I had to edit the contact number to add that before I could call them over WiFi. For example, 1(234) 567 8900 would call out just fine but (234) 567 8900 would not work.

Please do some research before telling people they are wrong. You may not be able to do so with your phone but there are phones that can do this. We have used WiFi calling to make a regular phone call on many occasions and from many countries and including on a Princess cruise ship. We haven't taken our phones off of airplane mode for travel in years, my husband takes all of his work calls as normal over WiFi while we are traveling. On my phone, WiFi calling must be enabled prior to placing the phone on airplane mode but as long as that is done it works and there are no charges. We have no trouble with outgoing or incoming calls. The original poster has stated that they have used their phone for WiFi calling in other countries before which means that they most certainly do have a phone that is capable of doing just that as long as they have a sufficient WiFi connection. I also use WhatsApp. It is awesome and I use it regularly to connect with my family and friends abroad. I encourage everyone that travels to install and use it for travel.

This is the first time I have seen a first hand report of a burglary happening because someone searched the mail but sadly I know too many instances of people being burglarized because people decided to plaster it all over social media that they were going to be or were already out of town. I can understand people trying to minimize the number of ways that someone is made aware of their absence from their home. I now only divulge my trips ahead of time when someone will still be at my home during my absence.

I am having some trouble while logged in on the Princess website and App at the moment. If I try to log one of my travel companions in I get a message that they are aware of a problem and working to fix it. I can actually log in but there are a bunch of problems. Your problem may or may not be related to that.

Has anyone else received a bid email, after the initial one, with revised minimum bid pricing for some cabins? I saw one report here. I am just curious if the company managing this bid program and Princess will analyze data and adjust ranges if necessary. We're sailing on the Dec. 17, Sky Princess cruise. Though, there could obviously be unassigned guarantees, there appear to be loads of balcony, mini-suite and suite cabins available. My Dad is in an inside and his minimum bid offers are not what I would consider a deal (more than he paid for his cabin). We're in a standard balcony (BB) and when I compare my offers to the minimum bids that someone just posted for their upcoming 10 day Emerald Princess cruise, same length cruise and also booked in a standard balcony, our mini-suite minimum bids start at twice the price for a regular mini and more than twice the price for club class. This just make me curious what sort of metrics they are using to come up with these ranges. For example, do they just hope they can get more on holiday cruises? Do they actually take into account the number of open cabins? Do they use your original paid fare to tailor each booking's bid ranges? Etc.. I'm not complaining, just find it interesting to see the differences and ponder how they are coming up with the ranges.

Do the morning Taha'a drift snorkel! It is absolutely amazing! Best snorkeling experience we've had!

My Dad's guarantee that we booked late August of this year for our Dec. 17 cruise was assigned the day after we put the room on hold and before we even secured the room with a deposit. The latest assignment we ever had was 5 days before the cruise. There is just no telling when you'll find out... On a positive note, we have booked many guarantees over the years and we have always received excellent room assignments. Maybe we're just not very picky or maybe we've just been incredibly lucky.