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Well, every individualmis checked when they leave the ship and come back onboard. I suppose if you've got one medallion to flash in order to join a line and your own medallion for security that will work but it will leave somebody without their medallion. Unless you have an even more complicated scheme to get in a line.

Hold on a bit here; don't put tips/gratuities in same bin as taxes. In Canada, federal and provincial sales taxes (or a blended/harmonized sales tax) are added on for pretty much all goods and services sold. They are predictable and 100% transparent. In the UK, you typically have prices that include the VAT; about 100% opaque. We used to have something like that in Canada with the Federal Sales Tax but it was changed about 40 years ago in favour of the Goods and Services Tax, which was calculated and displayed separately. Admittedly, it can get a little more complicated than one tax: hotel rooms may be advertised at $200 per night but they might be subject to sales tax and other special money grabs by other parties with the authority to do so. They'll all be clearly listed/identified and the consumer can choose whether to purchase. As for tips and the like, they are not shown or payable on any purchase except as an approved add-on or more like a service charge for certain activities (such as 15% for large groups in a restaurant).

I've been on both Sapphire and Grand; but both several years ago. I prefer Sapphire although I can't really say why. I would choose a port side balcony although it likely won't make one bit of discernible difference; any scenic type cruising will involve going about in circles so everybody gets a good look no matter what side of the ship they're on and when moving along the coast, it's not like they stick close to shore so you can see bald eagles and grizzlies. As for entertainment and activities, Princess will likely satisfy you for the time you're onboard and actually looking for diversions. Book and enjoy.

By golly, I wish I had seen this months ago so that I'd have known exactly what to do, why and when.

That is correct. Go to upper level at your terminal, hotel shuttle pick-up area is clearly marked.

Isn't cruise #3 on Grand Princess (not Crown Princess... my mistake)? I have been on Grand three times and like it. It is, as you know, older than Royal Princess but I prefer the Grand to the Royal (and Regal for that matter). Skagway offers much more in the way of excursions than Icy Point in my opinion.

I'd go with choice #3. Fact that all the balconies have already been reserved indicates popularity of this ship/itinerary. This allows you to do the Denali thing, visit Skagway, get plenty of 'scenic cruising' and Crown is a good ship with decent food and entertainment. Balcony may not be as important as you may think.... lots of opportunity to see things from open decks.

Have you ever done a 'live review'?

But watch out for that $12 drink and the $1.18 that will likely show up on the shipboard account!

I believe it may be more like.... do not use ArriveCan if you are using NEXUS to re-enter Canada. Being a NEXUS card holder does not mean you cannot use ArriveCan if you choose to come back the 'old-fashioned' way.

No, none of that. Service charges on drinks (or drinks with prices in excess of any drink package you may have), specialty dining, etc... are totally different from the daily service charge you've prepaid. This is pretty much the norm on most main line cruise lines.

I don't actually want to price anything but not being able to do so definitely helps me understand the state of FOMO.

When you become transcendent... or run out of money.

Probably based on my rapier wit and inciseveness.

I agree that it's not your problem. You can choose whether you wish to participate in the compensation scheme, which is part of the cruise line's business model.

You're losing me here. How could a person under-perform because they did not get a tip for not going above and beyond. Seems like a cycle of poor logical connection to me.

There you go.... the business model.

Personally, I simply don't much believe what a lot of people post on here.

Maybe so but you'd think the cruise line would be interested in making the pricing directly available to prospective clients.

While I understand your argument, I think the business model has more to do with how certain employees end up getting paid rather than passengers can 'opting out' of paying them.

Do you have an upper limit to how happy you can be? Can you move from happy to delighted to ecstatic and eventually reach a state of nirvana simply by handing out tips?

With lobster, I think Humpty Dumpty would be more appropriate.

How does this expose us to a 'Tragedy of the Commons'?

And I bet there wasn't an eraser.

Nothing. As for concierge, I'd decide that near the end of the cruise depending on what has actually gone on.