Eagleeye

On our last 15 day cruise we decided not to purchase a drink package. We saved about $300 on drinks. Again it depends on how much you drink.

Roger

We ordered French Toast once. What we got was not the French Toast we are used to having. It was a deep fried bread of some kind. So you really have to be careful on what you order and make sure they know what it is.

Roger

My experience with requesting diabetic meals on cruise ships and airlines is that they have no idea what a good  diabetic diet is. They don't understand that is based on controlling the number of carbs you eat a day and less on how much sugar. Sugar is high in carbs so that is why diabetics need to avoid it. The cruise lines and airports think that diabetic diets are just low sugar. I've had them provide me a vegetarian meals and call them diabetic.  Most vegetarian meals are low in sugar, but could be very high in carbs depending what items they use. I never ask for a special diabetic diet on cruise lines or airlines. I'm much better at ordering a balanced meal with the amount of carbs I can eat. 

Roger

Very nicely done and very complete. We are doing the Hawaii Cruise in November on the Star out of LA.

I didn't notice any information on internet packages. Is the Grand a Medallion ship? The Star is not.

Thanks for creating this.

Roger

We have done this tour several times. We usually try to do this on a new ship for us. The swag bag at the end is worth the tour itself. The key is to signup for the tour the minute you get on the ship. Do not pass the service desk and go to your room first. Signing up should be the first thing you do on board. Since there is usually is waiting list, if you give them enough time you won't be charged. The last tour we did was on the Royal. At the last minute my wife wasn't able to make the tour, but she still got the swag bag.

It is very interesting to see how the captains on the different ship treat your visit to the bridge. We had one captain told us where to stand and not move. Other captains let you walk around. Some even let you take pictures. 

Some of our highlights and one low light.

1. On the Royal the bell from the original Royal was on display. We was a nice surprise since we had sailed on the old Royal. The Captain had also sailed on the old Royal, but I can't remember how he ended up with bell.

2. We saw whales from the bridge.

3. We actually saw our laundry in the laundry room. They still won't let us take a picture.

4. On one tour they took us up to the funnels. This was the low light because it was freezing outside and very windy up top.

The tour takes from 3 to 4 hours. You won't be taken to the engine room, but you will see the control center. Be prepared to climb a lot stairs and keep an eye out for trip hazards. 

On last thing: When you get to the anchor room, do not look down through the hole to look at the anchor. It is a good way to get an expected shower of sea water. 

Roger

Here are some of my suggestion for cruising in a suite.

1. Already mentioned is the breakfast. Since I'm a night owl, I get up early for the suite breakfast and then go back to the suite for a nap.

2. Club Class dinning. We just took our first cruise with club class dinning. Club Class Dinning is available as soon as the MDRs open for dinner. We thought you had to wait for anytime dinning to open, but you don't have to wait.

3. Since you didn't mention how old your child is, the first thing you do when you get on board is go to the main desk and sign up for the behind the ship tour. They don't always offer the tour, but it is limited to about 15 people. I think there might be an age limit. It cost around $150, but is well worth it because of the goodies they deliver to cabin after the tour. Also since you are in a suite, they have a special line at the desk for suite and elite passengers.

4. Since they are changing the rules on the coffee cards so you can't carry over the unused portion for another cruise, I would not get the coffee card unless you drink a lot of coffee.

5. You get double cruise points. Your suite cruise counts as two cruises.

6. You get room service from the MDR menu so don't forget to ask your steward for the daily menu.

Roger

We just used our coffee card from our Island Princess Panama Canal cruise in 2014 on the Royal last month. It had a few punches left, but there was no problem using it.

Roger

What is the standard tip for MDR delivery to a suite?

Roger

We have done the UST twice most recently on the Ruby. On our last tour we were in the laundry and they just happened to be sorting our clothes we had sent to be cleaned. Here are some tips on doing UST.

1. Sign up as soon as you get on board to get the best chance of being selected.

2. Wear comfortable shoes and opened toed shoes are not allowed in the kitchen area.

3. Keep an eye on the weather because you will be going outside. On our last tour out of Iceland we were taken up to the stacks. I can't tell you how cold it was up there.

4. You can't take pictures, but the photo department takes group pictures at each stops and everyone on the tour gets a free copy of each. We also got a picture of us with the Commodore on the bridge.

5. There are several steep steps, but it isn't all that bad.

6. When in the anchor room, do not look down the hole in the deck to look at the anchor especially during highs seas because you could get unexpected shower. The anchor is also in an unheated section of the bow.

Roger

My experience is take a late afternoon flight. It is better to wait at the airport than miss your flight. The last time we arrived in into FT Lauderdale the ship was an hour late in docking. It took three hours to get off the ship and get through customs. We took the Princess shuttle. The shuttle bus didn't leave the port area until it was full and once we got the airport they would not let us off the shuttle until all the luggage had been removed from bus. We missed our flight. If you book your flights through Princess they guarantee that they will get you to the ship on time to make the sailing, but that guarantee doesn't apply to your return flight. Princess told us that hey could get us home late the next day. Now this all took part during Sandy when flights were at a premium.

I remember reading recently posts in which it was written that the credit showed up within hours of the fax being sent.

 

Our stockbroker sent it in yesterday morning. It has not shown up yet. The customer service representative at the Princess 800 number says that they are presently working on requests from June 6th (almost 2 weeks ago). Does this seem plausible?

 

BTW, she did not know that credits now show up on one's personalizer.

I faxed mine on Tuesday and it showed up on Wednesday. Make sure you have all the information about your booking on the statement.

Roger

There is a lot of walking and standing on the tour. There are also many stairways and some are very steep.

Most Princess ships have ATMs on board. However you plan to use it make sure your bank is aware that they may see some ATM in California. We found that out the hard way when we tried to use it on a cruise to Norway.

Roger, N7BU

On my recent January cruise aboard the NCL Breakaway, I brought along a portable radio scanner. While passing thru security, they looked at it and questioned me about it. I explained that it may look like a transceiver, but it only receives and does not transmit. They said they would have to have the ship's security examine it, and would return it to me at guest relations on board.

 

I went to guest relation's, and they told me to come back after the muster drill, to give them time to 'clear' it. I returned, and they said that they would return it when I disembark. I was getting a little worried at that point, since I was not given any receipt, and worried that it would "get lost". After a few more rounds of conversation, with a supervisor, they finally returned it to me.

 

Apparently they want to be sure no one can interfere with the ship's nav communications, so they would not allow a marine band transceiver....

Each cruise line has their own rules on the use of ham radios on board. Princess and Holland America are very accommodating when it comes to allowing ham radios on board. Carnival prohibits even having a radio and will confiscate the radio.

Roger, N7BU

Princess allows the use of ham radios on board, but with restrictions. The radio can only be used in your cabin. It can only transmit at 20w PEP or below. Antennas can not be attached to any part of the ship. They do not allow wire antennas. Antennas can not protrude from the ship or be higher than 5ft.

To get permission to use the radio you first must get a Class Three Permit from Bermuda since the ships are registered in Bermuda. You must fax a copy of the Bermudian Permit, your US license, signed document from Princess stating you understand the restrictions, and the technical data sheet of your radio and frequencies you plan to use. Princess will then ask the ship captain if he will allow the radio's use. If he approves, Princess will send you an email telling you the captain has granted your request.

When you board your ship, you should take a copy of the documents you faxed plus the email from the captain giving you permission to the pursers desk and ask for the electronics officer. You can not use the radio until he gives his OK. He will probably want to come to your cabin and expect your radio equipment.

You may use your ham radio equipment on shore, but be sure to check the requirements for foreigner amateur radio operations. Many European countries have reciprocal licensing with the US.

Roger, N7BU

Unless you are flying SW, there is no advantage to printing your passes ahead of time. Just print them at the airport.

 

DON

Last year we had an early flight home from FLL. The ship arrived late and it took forever to just get off the ship. There was a long line and do mean long line for customs. Those that had their printed airline boarding passes that showed they had an early flight out, we assisted to the front of the line by Princess. Since we didn't have our boarding pass, we had to wait in line and missed our flight home.

Roger

We had a courtesy hold on the Oct 25th repo cruise on the Royal with deposit/payment due today. Have tried numerous times to make our deposit and keep getting the message "critical error". Something up with the website, or? Help!

Even my TA couldn't get on their website to make our final payment.

Roger

We were also on that cruise. We had water in our cabin,but the crew were very good and worked hard to get everything put back together.

 

It was a noisy night,but we just accepted that these things can happen.

 

Linda

I heard that some of the people with mini suites ended up in interior cabins. We are back on the Ruby next September for the TA.

Roger, N7BU

I find this topic very interesting because we were on the Ruby in October 2012 TA from Venice to FLL. We also had the same thing happen on our deck, but not our cabin. I heard that it flooded several cabins in the aft portion of the port side. I wonder how many other times this has happened on the Ruby in recent years?

Roger

We have disembarked twice in FLL during the last year. Both times were on Sundays. Both times it took us forever to get off the ship because of customs. Last October it took so long that we missed our flight and because of Sandy we couldn't get a flight home until late on Monday. We ended up renting mini van and driving home. The second time last March, we had the same problem with customs, but this time we drove both ways to FLL.

Do not take the Princess shuttle to the airport. As mentioned by others the shuttle won't leave until it is full. At the airport, the driver will not let you off the shuttle until he as unloaded all the luggage onto the sidewalk according to local law. Everyone on our shuttle felt like we were being held hostage on the bus.

My advice is always book a late flight, take a cab to the airport, and if possible just drive to the port.

Roger, N7BU