mtnesterz

I thought you were referring to Jambel's Jerk Pit in San Pedro. I'd be interested to know the place.

We cruised Princess once since restart. There were noticable changes and cutting corners, but still distinctively Princess. If you like Princess, you will enjoy your cruise. If you prefer the liveliness of Carnival, you will be disappointed. And, over the 15 years you mention, consider that you too have changed in tastes as much as the line has changed. The only thing you might have trouble with is the Medallion App. Perhaps it will be fixed, but we had an awful time with it. Avoid using it to the extent possible.

There are several causes for edema in the feet. Also, simply moving fluid out of the feet does not mean it is removed from the system. Excess fluid in the system can lead to congestive heart failure. Drinking too much extra water can lead to hyponatremia, low salt, with potential for brain swelling. Of course, this applies to very sensitive people. Since causes of edema vary and being mindful that many cruisers are seniors, the best thing to do is to follow one's doctor's instructions on salt and water intake, diet and medication.

I forgot about a French Press. I've heard that folks ask and receive on the kettle. I like my Starbucks Via, but get my hot water from the barista.

I'll bet there are folks who complain if the menu changes. But I'm sure there's times when the kitchen staff find they're short on storage and have to change the menu. It's not like there's a Buck-ee's in the Sargasso Sea where they can pull over for a case or two of something. To the OP. New to Princess? Around lunchtime, they post the evening menu outside the main dining rooms. On our recent cruise, there was no problem getting a table at the Crown Grill steak house, same day. It was the best steak I ever ate BTW, and Italian Sabatini's was available walk-in every night. No worries, Be spontaneous.

@MissP22 has a point. You have no idea how creative Americans are in getting themselves into hot water. Pun intended. Occasionally, I would cover the emergency room. As soon as I thought I'd seen everything, I'd be astounded at what would come in. If we think of tea at all, it's something to throw overboard. 😁 And while you Brits, if you drink coffee, drink instant, we drink brewed coffee. A hot-pot doesn't work for us.

You are the first person I ever read who wrote the food is great on NCL. The only one of the three you mention that we have sailed is Carnival. MSC and NCL seem pretty even from what I've read, but Princess, at least as it used to be, would be a step up from all three. The Princess brand, or culture if you prefer, past tense, used to be on romance. Formal dining, very good food. Dancing and otherwise pretty traditional, considering Princess' British roots. That is changing. It is not quite like Carnival with passenger's drunken barf on the decks and violent brawls either, but they have come off their traditional bent. Entertainment is trending toward the one-man-shows. Singing or comedy. Cost cutting. You certainly can just eat on the buffet but if that's your thing, sail a Royal Class ship. Pizza on deck and Alfredo's are pretty good and included on your fare, as are the main dining rooms and hamburgers/hot dogs on deck and ice cream station. Formal nights offer some really special food selections. While you don't need to dress up, you will find a good number of passengers still do. You do not have to stay in your cabin.

As of March, Prime Time and SuperShuttle had stopped serving the San Pedro terminal. Will they restart? Don't know. Personally, I'd take the Princess shuttle.

It would help responders by narrowing it down, a 13 year old, or an 19 year old. Huge difference. Though some teens over 16-17 wouldn't want to vacation with parents or grandparents, even to Alaska. One thing for sure. The younger crowd lives on their phones and tablets and Princess has been having an awful time with their, "Best Internet At Sea"

Wow, one thread on shorts gets shut down and just 8 hours later, here is another. Must be a record. So before this gets shut down... Yes, it's still called Formal Night. But if you read the Princess word on it, "...shorts...are not welcome in the dining room." If you send your boys in shorts, possibly, they'll get in OK, or they'll be turned away, which would be OK if it happened to you or I as adults. But being 8 and 10, they will feel humiliated and embarassed having to go change. Do not risk that! They need to learn to dress for occasions. But for sure, they don't need a tie or jacket..

We have done this double loop out of Ft. Lauderdale. Quite a number do so it's a well worn path. You may spend the day on a shore excursion, no problem reboarding. We just hung out on the ship, kept the same cabin. One couple we met took a cab to visit a friend and stopped at a liquor store. No problem reboarding, booze secretely in pocket. Lost day, you ask? No, just relaxing. No activities, bring binoculars to watch ships.

I was going to ask what day of the week. You know, like Sunday (least traffic) as opposed to a Thursday (the worst) but you know, it doesn't matter. Terrible idea, no, risky yes. Spend a few dollars for peace of mind.

I seem to remember at least one hotel in San Pedro has an LAX shuttle. Worth the call to your hotel to find out.

Please let us know how this turns out, OK?

You don't hear of Curtis Stone either. I liked his Chicken Pot Pie I still see Richard Chen's name still attached to Harmony on the website, but everybody says the food is not the same. So, the straignt answer is no, I don't know, but from our only cruise since restart, we got a strong feeling they are cutting corners when possible. That said. I thought the desserts were among the best ever. More things you might make at home, if you were really, really good at it, but not so much the artsy stuff, that we saw.

Personally, I would request two new Medallions for the rest of your cruise.

Happy you have something that works for you. Just to be clear though, from what you describe. we're talking about two different areas on FB. In re-reading my post, I see the mistake is on me. I wrote, "their" CVP page, sounding specific. I should have typed, "the" CVP page, more generic. This is the page for all of them, not yours specifically. Response time is acceptable for ours, given he is working accounts. I believe those who say they have trouble hearing back from their CVP, but what I don't get is, why someone takes on a job where salary is partly commission, then can't even answer their phone, or text or email to make a sale. Given benefits like cruises, seems like someone ambitious could do well.

So, as I understand it. You have to buy the Plus package to get drinks and gratuities. The only real "Sale" item is the US$100 excursion. Now, if I book the base, no frills fare, there is nothing. Am I reading that right? You have to pay to get the sale?

Here is what I found that helps, to all of you that have had CVP (Cruise Vacation Planner) trouble. That's what they like to be called now. Go to their FB CVP page. At the top bar, Groups. I cannot here give you our CVP name, but look at their member numbers. We are so happpy with ours and not suprisingly he has the second highest number of members. Not suggesting anyone in particular, just look and see who is well liked, as a measure of their attentive service. Then call Princess and request a change if you are unhappy with yours.

Congrats! Peace of mind is worth so much. Enjoy your cruise!

I got the impression the Reservations Team was not able to process a payment either. To the OP, I would call back when things open later this AM. Perhaps a reset during the night will fix the problem. Good Luck and let us know, OK?

We said told the head waiter, "Chef's Choice. Hot with chicken." What came was a milder northern style curry, medium heat to our tastes. We are used to southern, bolder tastes, but they couldn't have known that. Nice change from usual MDR offerings. Lots of looks from adjoining tables. Don't wear white. Turmeric happens.

Maybe. Flyinby just wanted to put down thoughts. Some folks need to talk out their decisions, write them on paper, or in this case here write at length in a post. Appears the answer was in the question, as there was no subsequent post. This thread is interesting. What is intrinsic to cruising is different for each cruiser. What change would you tolerate and still remain loyal?

If you are referring to the thread about things we would like added to the menu, then I was the one who posted about Indian food, having spent a lot of time in Singapore, which has a big Indian population and cultural influence. Since you don't want to order off menu in the MDR, try what is served in the buffet line and names of things are posted. It's low risk if you don't like it. But I'd suggest finding a Indian restaurant local to you and have a buffet lunch. Put names to things you like. An easily accessible meal might include Butter Chicken, Palak Paneer, Pakoras, on the side, Chapati.

The Indian food on board is as good as you can get at an L.A. specialty restaurant. Figures, some of the kitchen staff is from India. Should be an onboard specialty restaurant for this. Princess should bring back their Spicy Cheese Twist bread. Recipe is online though.