mtnesterz

So, if I understand what you're saying, on those formal nights when they really put something special out there in the MDR at no additional charge meaning, as an option, escargot appetizer, steak and lobster main course and special desserts, You'd rather pay US$40/pp for pasta? (I think that's the Sabatini's charge now, whatever it is.) OK. If that's what you want, go for it. Your question gets asked often and I too have been curious to ask why, but thank you for answering Doug R.'s and my question.

OK, I understand. With that in mind no, we did not additionally tip in the restaurants where gratuity was included.

You might want to take another look at the bottom part of Caribill's post #1. There is a photo of a meal voucher which states (and in his bullet points as well) that a 15% gratuity is included. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1656270-details-of-the-tour-part-of-a-princess-alaska-cruisetour/

Princess specifically sails around the north of the Big Island of Hawaii. If no one here knows, try asking in the Ports of Call section of the board. Welcome to Cruise Critic.

On a recent thread. A poster noted the Sing and Sail pay-by-the-hour private karaoke rooms had been repurposed, but they still had free karaoke in the Vista. Funny. Princess has taken to nickle and diming, but the one thing we would gladly pay extra for has been taken away. No idea about Voice of the Ocean. If you eat at Harmony, give us a review.

We have been in a forward facing cabin on the Regal. The sea was calm for us, but if the sea decides to get angry, you will feel yaw, surge and pitch more pronounced in forward or aft cabins. Heave, roll and sway would be felt about the same. You didn't say which "end." Forward facing, they tell you not to open the balcony door when the ship is underway and balcony lights off at night. Some have posted the they've experienced soot in the aft facing cabins balconies, I don't know about that.

The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. -- Mark Twain I tell visitors that. They laugh and don't believe me, I know they don't because they come back with a gift shop jacket.

Don't you make your own? Once you know how to get the results you like, you'll never pay pizzaria prices again. Crispy crust is a thinner rollout and a bit extra olive oil, baked on a pre-heated sheet or stone. (To compensate for lower home oven temperatures.)

This is a good resource for you to have. Cruisedeckplans.com >public site >Princess Cruises >Grand Princess> Obst. View. Personally, of those mentioned, I'd go 408, but you should see and choose.

Your cruise will be ending in two days. I would be interested to read your follow up as we will be on the Emerald this summer. Did you buy the Plus or Premium package? Was it worth it to you? You posted elsewhere you were looking to book another cruise onboard. Did your dismay stop you. Which cruise line will you consider in the future? TIA

The reason for my post #9.

A prevarication could come back to haunt him. May well have been onboard, but passengers fearing what might happen they self-report, or mild symptoms mistaken for a cold, so neither gets reported, totally believable. Crew screening these days? Don't know.

Transmission happens by touching an contaminated object, then touching your mouth or nose, whether wearing gloves or not. There is also a potential for developing a latex allergy by prolonged contact.

Mostly they're vacationing in the south. Covid will be around. It will probably take the course of the 1918 Spanish Flu, continuing to spread but in diminishing in intensity of symptoms for another decade or two. RSV, influenza and Noro, (Someone above alluded to bronchiolitis,) are at the low point of the year during the (northern hemisphere) summer. Those planning to cruise the southern hemisphere will see those peak in June and July. Incidence will increase in the northern latitudes in late fall. If you're older than 2, you've already had RSV and it would present like a cold. Get a flu shot at least a month before you cruise. Give time to develop immunity. Noro is transmitted by contact. Just wash your hands and don't touch your face.

Yes, we have sailed on the Regal. My impression is, you are not set on Princess as a line. If you are set on Princess, and age is important, Discovery is the newest, then Enchanted, Sky, Majestic, Regal, Royal. The Sun will enter service in '24. My stand out good memory of the Regal was the buffet. Huge! Brewed coffee in the buffet too, no syrup stuff. We enjoyed our cruise, but the ship was too big and impersonal for our tastes.

Thanks for the tip. There will always be workarounds.

We ported in Falmouth, Jamaica on a Princess cruise. There is a port area with shopping and restaurants... it's super clean and nice there to walk around, shop, have lunch or a Red Stripe beer. The ship advised passengers not to go past the gate unless on an excursion bus. Since we did not go on an excursion, we walked down to the metal gate for excercise, but not beyond. Yes, we felt safe in the secured gated port shopping/dining area. Just follow recommendations.

Consider that the most common Medallion problem on the ship is that the Medallion battery goes dead and there's no replacing it. They get lost on the ship, some have it mailed but it doesn't arrive... So there has to be a system where passengers can get a new medallion if it's DOA at the port or goes dead or lost onboard. I did read somewhere that the replacement Medallions do have printing on them, but can't say from direct experience. If they've sold it to you, they need to provide it. This problem must have been considered, or resolution come up with after thousands and thousands of passengers. Bring your order confirmation.

As Voljeep wrote, there is no cost for the Medallion. Some want it shipped to them and that is $10. Some buy a fancy holder for the Medallion, or use the free lanyard that comes with it. There are general tutorials to answer your questions about Ocean Ready and the App on the Princess website. When ready to do your preboarding, including dining, log onto Princess and click your Cruise Personalizer. Near the bottom on the right, you'll see black boxes to download the App from either the Apple App store or Google Play. Download whichever because you may want it on the ship. Below those boxes, it will say use web version. That is what we found trouble free for preboarding. You may choose to preboard using the App that you've downloaded, but it has been buggy. All I'm saying is the web version was not buggy for me, just slow. Either way, you should preboard. Important to log into either the App or web version using your booking number. I see EDVM96 has also noted this. Otherwise, the app doesn't know to connect you and your booking number. Just work your way down the menu. If you get stuck. Call Princess and at the prompts, an Ocean Navigator will call you back, and walk you through it. But try first.

I get the impression some clarification might put this together for you. The Medallion App and the Medallion are two different things. As mentioned above, the Medallion you wear has a code, like a car license plate that identifies you to your cabin door and your onboard account. That is all. Yes, onboard you can request a cruise card instead, but it's actually handy. The Medallion App is what you may use for many things related to your cruise. There's a video about this on Princess website, more detailed than I can be here. To your question, you will want to download the App, which can be glitchy, but if you go to Princess website to download the app, select the option to upload preboarding using the web based version instead. It is slow to respond. Notwithstanding, this way went much smoother than the App for our cruises since restart. Oh? You say there has been a change and cannot do dining reservations? I just did my dining reservations a couple weeks ago. Hmm, well it worked for me. Maybe there is a faster way to book dining, but we did our reservations night by night rather than one time, one dining room for all nights. Slow, but you'll get through it. Another thing, remember to change settings on your phone or tablet so that your browser has permission to access your camera, because you'll need to take a photo of your passport. We do credit card at the pier, so we're always "Blue". Complete everything amd you're "Green!" You still need to go to the website to print luggage tags, but there's no more boarding passes. Good Luck!

Dining question? No, actually the Main Dining Room food is perfectly acceptable. There are specialty restaurants, but really not necessary. Ocean view cabin. You can go an obstructed view cabin, for not much more. The light is nice, but as the name implies, often obstructed. What it does buy is quiet. A guarantee that they won't be next to a broom closet or working corridor with noise at all hours. Work happens 24/7 on the ship. You say tips are covered, was it just tips or did you buy Plus or Premium? Plus includes drinks, tips and internet, Premium then adds Specialty dining x2, special desserts. But if they don't drink, it's pointless to buy either. Are they techno-savvy? If you are close by, assist them with the app for pre-boarding and get them familiar with the Medallion App. It can be wonky. Hint, the online version on the Princess website, works better. BTW, we have done this itinerary. Would do again!

Seems to me Princess would have bought the same make and model TV for all ships. If so, here is a thread about TV on the Enchanted Princess. Post #3 has a photo of the back panel. At the top is says "speaker out line out" but I would find a live thread and ask if earphones could be plugged in. https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2868995-enchanted-princess-hdmi/

As of 2022, the Baccarat table minimium was $5 according to another CC thread. Everywhere casino I've seen, the table has been either a separate room or a roped off area. Don't know if there are times or just a request to open it.

We too are interested in a cruise on the Majestic. Reports we've read are similar about the food. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the Gong-Cha Boba bar is gone. Boba, if you havent had it, is a fun drink with the tapioca pearls and huge straw. Also gone are the private Karaoke rooms. Some things just didn't catcht on in the west. Too bad. Can confirm the post that Harmony menu changed and reports were disappointing. I've seen the old and new menu. The difference between eating in Chinatown, Los Angeles and Panda Express. Consider that many passengers that are well travelled and can distinguish real Chinese food from local takeout offerings. Best review I read opined the cooktops are electric and they can't get the flamethrower heat needed for the style.

Easier way. Touch your Medallion to any of the wall panels and you can us that to locate those on your booking. Unless going ashore, we put our phones in the safe for the duration.