cboyle

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/food-and-dining/dining-options.pdf

On 2/10/2019 at 1:56 AM, crigs said:

Where do we sign up?  With the maitre d on the first night or guest services?

Call the "Dine Line" ASAP after you board the ship.

5 hours ago, floridalover5623 said:

Why? It's the barista's job & they should at least know the correct answer. 

It's not all that hard to understand. 

I agree; in a perfect world, the barista would know every minute detail about Princess' policies related to his/her position and be able to answer instantly and correctly.

However, not everyone is perfect and occasionally a barista (or other crew member) will not understand all the details of a particular policy. Would you prefer that he/she (1) tells the guest what he/she thinks the guest wants to hear (i.e., lies), (2) makes an honest attempt to guess the answer  based on imperfect knowledge, or (3) admits that he/she does not know the answer and offer to ask a superior (who may or may not know either).

I simply stated that I would prefer that the barista choose option (3). I was not commenting on the adequacy of the barista's training in company policy; that is another matter altogether.

On 1/13/2019 at 5:43 PM, floridalover5623 said:

I see that they still like to lie to their customers. 

I would contact Princess headquarters & let them know what he said. They might issue you some credit.

I don't think it's a deliberate lie as much as an attempt to answer the guest's question when the crew member does not really know the answer. I do think it it would be better if the crew member said they would get back to you with the correct answer rather than guessing. 

It's not just lower-level crew members who are confused about the new coffee "card" policy. On my last cruise (in November 2018), the Food and Beverage Director announced at the Cruise Critic M&G that ALL of the old coffee cards expired on December 31, 2018. I told him later that he needed to check what Princess has posted on the website about expiration dates. He had to send a subordinate to look up the policy and verify what I told him.

For the record, here are the links to the T&Cs:

For cards purchased for voyages prior to June 2018:

https://www.princess.com/html/global/personalizer/ssv/beverages/coffee-physical-card-disclaimer/

For cards purchased for voyages after June 2018:

https://www.princess.com/html/global/personalizer/ssv/beverages/coffee-package-disclaimer/

Since this is your first time on Princess' date=' be sure you check out other ways to obtain OBC (I left some on the table on my first cruise!). If you own 100 or more shares of Carnival Corporation stock, that will give you $100 in OBC. If anyone in your cabin is a veteran or active duty military, that's another $100. Once you have a Captain's Club number, you can refer others to Princess. If they cruise within 2 years of your referral, you and they each get $25 (per person referred).

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9Mjc0MjIzfENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1

We have had our own issues with rentacar.fr but know others who were happy with the company. In our case we also ran into the "no credit cards today" scam. We call it a scam because we suspect that they were refusing credit cards to force folks to pay for their expensive daily insurance. Many of us have credit cards that cover much of the rental car insurance. In our case we simply laughed, walked out of the port, and rented elsewhere. But a most cruisers do not want to walk over a mile to a rental car agency (many cruisers won't even walk down one flight of steps)...so rentacar.fr is a good option for them.

 

Hank

The two times we have used the car renal agency at the port, they were late in opening. So don't expect to be on your way right after the posted opening time.

Also, both times they claimed that there was a problem with the internet link and they could not accept credit cards. So be prepared to pay in cash.

I am not sure if we are just lucky, but we have never had any problem getting the wine package. (all on 10day or longer cruises). We also use one package for b2b cruises. That helps keep the cost down.

We have had the opposite experience with the wine package and B2B cruises. We have always been told that the card would NOT carry over to the next leg.

Carolyn

Please don't forget that if there is a death on board or a serious medical emergency before the ship docks that those families will be taken off and clear customs before any other passengers can leave the ship.

On one of our recent cruises, there was a medical emergency DURING disembarkation and disembarkation was stopped for over two hours while that person was stabilized and taken off the ship.

Most of the time there are no problems disembarking any time you want, but there is no guarantee.

We'll be in Belfast on June 22 and would like to book a tour of the Antrim Coast. I've seen a bunch of recommendations for Odyssey, but all of their tours are sold out on that day. Any other tour companies that you'd recommend?

https://belfastcitysightseeing.com/shore-excursions-cruise-ship-visitors/

Here is our review on TripAdvisor:https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186470-d8627200-r315798346-Causeway_Coast_Tours-Belfast_Northern_Ireland.html

I will be going on my first Elite cruise in May and traveling with my sister in law who is NOT elite. Will she be able to join me for the wine tasting?

I've been told that (at least in the past) there was quite a demand for CT, so much so that anyone with a food allergy would not be given a reservation, so that others (who could enjoy the entire experience) could go instead. Maybe that is different with CT Lumiere.

My understanding is that people are placed on a list in the order that they call the "Dine Line" to sign up. That is why we always call as soon as we can after boarding. On our last cruise (7 Nights), there was so much demand that there were four Chef 's Tables.

DW could not attend due to a shellfish allergy.

We also attended the Winemaker's Dinner and a woman with a shellfish allergy was also presented with modified or substitute dishes.

Any information on an airboat ride excursion? Have you done it? Would you do it again and was it worth it? Doing a B2B and looking for something to do. Any ideas?

OCT 11 (TUES) FORT LAUDERDALE, FL(ARRIVE 7:00AM)

After disembarking, collecting our luggage, and clearing customs, wewaited for the Budget rental car shuttle bus to take us to Budget’soff-airport location near the port. We were soon on our way to visitfriends in Punta Gorda, on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Instead oftaking the direct route across Alligator Alley (I-75) we took theTamiami Trail (Hwy 41), along the northern border of the EvergladesNational Park. We hiked several trails in the Big Cypress NationalPreserve and saw alligators from the boardwalks along the way.

Another time, we took a tour offered by the ship. Here is the excerpt from my review:

Saturday,06/28/14 Ft.Lauderdale, Florida: 7:00am – 3:30pm

Thiswas the turnaround day between the Eastern and Western Caribbean legsof the cruise. We had originally planned to stay aboard and relax onthe ship (with a short detour to debark, pass through the immigrationinspection and re-embark). However, we decided to take one of theshore excursions that are offered for both disembarking andin-transit passengers.

Thetour we chose included two tourist attractions. Our tour guide,Anthony, provided entertaining banter about alligators, theEverglades and south Florida during our bus ride. The first stop wasat Everglades Holiday Park (www.evergladesholidaypark.com). Here wetook a 1/2-hour, 21-person airboat ride in the Everglades. I hadnever ridden an airboat before; John had ridden a much smaller onemany years ago. Part of the time was spent rapidly zigzagging downthe canals and part was spent slowly cruising along the banks lookingfor wildlife. Everyone was hoping to see an alligator but we had tosettle for birds. After the air boat ride there was an “AlligatorShow,” during which a large man “wrestled” an alligator(dragged it out of a shallow pool, sat on its back, kissed it, heldits jaws open with his chin, etc.). There were about 8-10medium-large alligators in that pool for us to view and a 12-footerin a pen by himself (to keep him from eating the others). There wasalso a baby alligator that you could hold for a $5 donation. Thisattraction is associated with the Gator Boys alligator rescue effortas seen on Animal Planet.

Thesecond stop was at the Flamingo Gardens (www.flamingogardens.org), abotanical garden and wildlife sanctuary. John had looked into doingthis attraction independently, but the expensive taxi ride there andback to the ship made taking the shore excursion worthwhile. Thefirst part of our visit consisted of a narrated, 30-minute tram ridethat included areas of the park not accessible on foot. After that,we had an hour on our own to visit the animal and bird exhibits. Thisattraction is also involved in animal rescue; almost all of theanimals have been injured and could not survive in the wild. Inaddition to flamingos, there were a number of raptors (falcons,eagles, owls) and a free-flight aviary. Among the animal exhibitswere Florida panthers, bobcats, a river otter, a black bear (couldnot see him) and a couple of alligators. Many of the plants and treeswere labeled but additional signage would be nice. As we re-boardedthe bus, we were each given an ice cream sandwich!

Neitherof these attractions is what I would rate “must-see” but togetherthey made an enjoyable half-day excursion. The final stop was the FLLairport, where all but 10 of us departed for their flights home. Whenthe rest of us returned to the ship, there were only a few newpassengers checking in. Flashing our “In Transit” cards got usaround all of the lines (except security) and we were back aboard theship in short order. Being in-transit also exempted us from themuster station drill.

Hope that helps!

Carolyn

Watching with interest. We're on the same cruise and have the same question.

MAY28 (TUES) VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA: 7 AM to 1:30 PM

Withso much to see and do in Victoria (www.tourismvictoria.com),it was disappointing that Princess onlyallowed 6-1/2 hours of port time. On a previous visit here, we hadwalked to the Inner Harbour and booked a whale watching tour there(www.princeofwhales.com). Today, we planned to take the public bus toButchart Gardens.

Wewere ready to go when passengers were finally allowed to disembark atabout 7:30 a.m. The terminal building did not appear open yet but aperson was outside distributing maps with several routes to the citycenter. We took off at top speed up Montreal St., stopping at theLittle Gem Grocery (148 Superior) to buy an all-day bus pass (CA$5pp). From there, we walked to the stop for bus #75 northbound towardsSaanichton/ Royal Oak(www.bctransit.com/regions/vic/schedules/map.cfm?p=side.txt&line=75&);the bus stop is across the street from rearof theEmpress Hotel. If you want to take the public bus, pay closeattention to the routes and schedules. Depending on the time of year,the northbound #75 bus may not stop right at the Butchart Gardens andthe southbound bus may require a transfer to another line at theRoyal Oak interchange. Thetrip from downtown to Butchart Gardens takes about 50 minutes withouta transfer or about 65-75 minutes if you have to transfer.

Wearrived at the bus stop with plenty of time to catch the 8 a.m. bus.When we told the driver that we were going to the gardens, he said hewould make sure we got off at the correct stop. Ourbus stopped just past the entrance drive to the gardens. The busdriver pointed out the direction to go; the entrance kiosk is onlyabout a ¼ mile walk downhill from the bus stop. Note that this isalong a narrow street with no sidewalks.

Wearrived at the Butchart Gardens (www.butchartgardens.com) entrancekiosk just before the official opening time of 9 a.m., paid theadmission fee (which varies by season) and headed off to explore thegardens. Unfortunately, it had started to rain lightly. Although wehad come prepared for rain, we were pleased to see that the gardensprovide transparent umbrellas for guests to use during their visit.

Themap and guide given out at the entrance kiosk shows a suggested paththrough the gardens. Because we arrived earlier than most of the bustour groups, the gardens were not crowded and we could enjoy andphotograph the colorful plantings without feeling like we were beingherded along. There are several themed gardens, fountains and ponds.It's hard to believe that this is a reclaimed quarry! At this time ofyear, the roses were not yet blooming but the rhododendrons werespectacular. Butchart Gardens is a must-see for anyone who enjoysbeautiful flowers.

Wecompleted a leisurely circuit of the gardens in about an hour. Thecrowds were starting to build up, but we decided to walk the circuitagain to take some of the side paths. Our original plan had been tospend about 2-1/2 hours (a minimum of 1-1/2 hours is recommended) inthe gardens and return to the ship via bus #75 bus with a transfer tobus #31 (which stops right at the entrance to the port). However,after 2 hours we felt that we had seen enough of the gardens andleaving earlier would give us some time to visit the Inner Harbourarea. Once we were back downtown, we took a few photos before headingback to the ship along the waterfront, where we saw a sea lionswimming in the harbor. Back at the port, we walked out on the OgdenPoint Breakwater for a good view of the Grand Princess and spottedanother sea lion swimming near the rocks.

We did an itinerary with some of those ports (Stavanger, Tromso, Honningsvag, Gravdal, Trondheim, Geiranger, Bergen) in 2010. You can wade through my (long) review for lots of hiking and private tour suggestions:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=69933

More on Bergen from an earlier review (2009):

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=58425

Day 15 (Sunday, August 9) Bergen, Norway, on EDT+6 The forecast for today was drizzle, not unexpected because Bergen (www.bergen-guide.com/download.asp) typically gets 300 days of rain per year. However, the day started cloudy and ended up warm and sunny. The ship docked at the Skoltegrunnskaien pier, within easy walking distance of downtown; the port authority also ran a free shuttle to the fish market. We took a walking tour downloaded from Frommers.com (www.frommers.com/destinations/bergen/3082010008.html) while we waited for some of the haze to burn off. Around 10AM, we took the funicular up Mt. Fløyen and hiked for about 1-1/2 hours (www.floibanen.com/map/). Note that good city maps were available free on the dock; if you want to hike, print out the trail map and take it with you. When we came back down, we couldn't believe the huge line of people waiting to get on the funicular and the even more enormous line of people waiting to buy tickets; our timing was perfect. Then we walked around the Bryggen area (www.visitbergen.com/Bergen/Dokumenter/***** oss/Publikasjoner/2005/Meeting_Point_Bryggen_ENG.pdf) and ended up at Haakon's Hall (www.bymuseet.no/?vis=78), where we got tickets for the Hall and the Rosenkrantz Tower (www.bymuseet.no/?vis=202) and signed up for the guided tour. That was well worth doing, especially the tower — we got a great view from the roof. After we walked around the Bergenshus Fortress (www.visitnorway.com/en/Articles/Theme/What-to-do/Attractions/National-Fortresses/Bergenshus-Fortress/) some more, we headed back for our 3:30PM appointment with the ship. We had just gotten comfortable when the first officer came on and said the refueling barge had only just arrived and we would have an extra hour in port. We wish we would have known that earlier so we could have spent more time hiking on Mt Fløyen. We were really glad we had late dinner seating as sailing out of Bergen to the ocean was gorgeous and we got to see the whole thing from our balcony.

Hope that helps!

Anyone taken the Ultimate Ship Tour? Did you find it to be worth the money? Seeing the bridge would be amazing! Was the walking doable for someone who has some stamina, but might be a little slow? It's hard to find much info about it on the website. The page I found said that it is $150, but I'm not sure if that is up-to-date. Any info or thoughts about the tour would be great.

Read this detailed review. It convinced me!

boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=51688142&postcount=47

Carolyn

Sounds good. As an automation tech sounds like I'll really enjoy this. My son would like to see the galley.

 

Just checked online. They are giving away chef aprons now instead of bathrobes. You also get a framed photo with the Captain on the bridge by the steering wheel.

 

 

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John and I like Juan Pablo and Scuba Life (http://www.scubalifecozumel.com). J.P. will work with you to accommodate your ship's schedule. He operates from the new Marina Cozumel, which is a very easy walk (20-30 minutes) from Puerta Maya.

My husband and I got prescription bifocal SCUBA masks from https://www.seavisionusa.com/site/index

We had previously used disposable contact lenses (near vision Rx in left eye, distance Rx in right eye) but are much happier with these new masks. This is especially true for my husband, who needs a very strong prescription and hates putting things in his eyes. These masks also have a filter to correct color perception at depth.

As others have stated, you will need your prescription information from your ophthalmologist/optometrist . We did not have any problems getting most of the information except for the interpupillary distance. They did not want to give us that because they didn't believe we were ordering SCUBA masks and thought we were trying to buy glasses off the Internet. I finally insisted that we had a legal right to all our prescription information and they gave it to us. Needless to say, we do not deal with that practice anymore.

Carolyn: Memories? How about the scenario in the little boat during our Amazon trip? :eek:

Wow, that was a great cruise!

Pia what are you fixin for dinner tonight? Chicken breast and steamed broccoli? Happy New Year. :)

Joe

My favorite memory of you and Mike is from one time when you two were in the top three for the Captain's Circle "Most Traveled' luncheon. As usual, John and I had just made the cutoff and you requested to be seated with us. Instead of moving you and Mike down to our lowly table, we got moved up to sit with you and the Captain! It will probably be a long time before we make it to the top table on our own!

Hope we can cruise with you again someday!

Love,

Carolyn

The waiters and assistant waiters who constantly go into and out of the galley area to get food do not use hairnets or cover ups on their shoes, so why would those participating in the Chef's Table have to?

If you visit the galley, you will notice that all of the staff involved in food preparation are wearing hats; the waiters and assistant waiters are not.

I have been dealing with similar issues: trying to redeem points for a statement credit for a cruise that was purchased in Nov. 2016. Couldn't seem to get any answers, then finally in early January 2017, I got a similar answer that someone else posted about the issue having to do with the way Princess coded their purchases. I was told the issue had been escalated, was given a case number, and was told it would be resolved in 10-15 days. I was hopeful, but now that period has passed and nothing has been resolved. After reading other posts here, I've really lost my optimism...I had no trouble redeeming points prior to the changes that were made to the redemption system :(

 

Please tell me that some of you have had good luck resolving this issue??!!