New to Princess - Questions About Differences (longish)

[ltcal94]

I recently booked a 10 day Mexican cruise on Grand Princess specifically because it sails from the Port of San Francisco (not excited about the ports). I really appreciate all the information that is posted on this board regarding Princess. I realize that Princess and Carnival have some differences and my wife and I are prepared to embrace them. However I have some simple questions (some may seem silly) about life on board:

 

1) My wife and I like to go out and dance. I think we are 'tweeners (mid-40s) in that we still enjoy current dace music and would rather do the Wobble dance then the chicken dance. Will the nightclub have current dance music?

 

2) Does the Lido have ice tea and lemonade dispensers where you serve your self or is it like RCC that they serve it for you. I drink a lot of the ice tea and lemonade on Carnival to stay hydrated and I bring along 12-16oz insulated cup.

 

3) We have used ATD on Carnival , from reading the posts on this board I get the impression it is a bit more chaotic and more waiting on Princess. When you present yourself at one of the ATD dining rooms, do you get the first available at either dining room or just the one you checked in at . Is it wise to check both if it looks like there is a wait? This is not an issue on Carnival as there is only one dining room that has ATD.

 

4) Is the pace different with ATD then it would be with traditional? I find that on Carnival , we get out sooner than we would if we had traditional. It is not a race mind you and you do not feel rushed , but they do turn tables faster.

 

5) How similar is the food in the buffet to what is served in the dining room? On Carnival , what is in the buffet is very similar if not exact with the exception of Elegant Night (no lobster or prime rib at the buffet). This question is in case we decide to switch back to traditional, I want to know what to expect if we miss our assigned time on port days.

 

6) Do passengers wear lanyards with their sign and sale cards or clip them to their cloths. We do this because it is convenient , but I get the impression this would be a protocol faux paux.

 

We are really looking forward to this cruise as I think that it will be a bit more classy and elegant (yes I wear proper blacktie on formal night even on Carnival). I see this as a transition cruise to a TA sailing on the Cunard QM2 next year as I think the differences between Carnival and QM2 would shock my system. I also hope that I enjoy my experience so that I have options other than Carnival as far as mass market cruise lines are concerned. I tried RCC and although I loved the ship and entertainment, the food and cabins were not as good as on Carnival.

[Once Upon A Time]

Can't help too much on question #1, but on #2 it works both ways.. they will serve you or you can help yourselves, #3 and #4, I prefer Anytime dining and never have had to wait.. you can make a reservations for up to 3 days in advance for a particular time and dining room for immediate seating, or you can just show up and wait for a table (never waited more than 5 min) and you are NOT rushed. You will receive the same great service in ALL dining rooms. #5, the food in the buffet might have one or two items the same, but is definitely a buffet.. faster venue, not exactly the same quality you'd expect in one of the dining rooms. As to #6.. You will see some people wearing a lanyard and if it is convenient, go ahead. Probably fewer than on Carnival, but it's not a faux paux.

 

Princess is a bit classier than Carnival in decor (a bit more subtle), I think the food and service is much better, you will see more people with wine glasses than buckets of beer, but you will find wonderful, friendly fellow passengers in every age group. Hope you have a great experience..

[deadzone1003]

3) Anytime Dining - if you come between 6:30-7:15, there will probably be a short wait for 2 unless you are willing to join in with other couples in a larger table.

[caribill]

I recently booked a 10 day Mexican cruise on Grand Princess specifically because it sails from the Port of San Francisco (not excited about the ports). I really appreciate all the information that is posted on this board regarding Princess. I realize that Princess and Carnival have some differences and my wife and I are prepared to embrace them. However I have some simple questions (some may seem silly) about life on board:

 

1) My wife and I like to go out and dance. I think we are 'tweeners (mid-40s) in that we still enjoy current dace music and would rather do the Wobble dance then the chicken dance. Will the nightclub have current dance music? There are several dance venues with live and recorded misic. One location will have a DJ in the late hours. If you do not hear the music you would like, just ask the bands or the DJ and they will usually try to accomodate you.

 

2) Does the Lido have ice tea and lemonade dispensers where you serve your self or is it like RCC that they serve it for you. I drink a lot of the ice tea and lemonade on Carnival to stay hydrated and I bring along 12-16oz insulated cup. Answered by a previous poster.

 

3) We have used ATD on Carnival , from reading the posts on this board I get the impression it is a bit more chaotic and more waiting on Princess. When you present yourself at one of the ATD dining rooms, do you get the first available at either dining room or just the one you checked in at . Is it wise to check both if it looks like there is a wait? This is not an issue on Carnival as there is only one dining room that has ATD. No, just at the one you went to. If one is busy, check the other. Usually the one on deck 6 will be busies than the one on deck 5.

 

4) Is the pace different with ATD then it would be with traditional? I find that on Carnival , we get out sooner than we would if we had traditional. It is not a race mind you and you do not feel rushed , but they do turn tables faster. It may be a little faster in ATD as they will want the table available for another passenger. In traditional, there is enough time between the two seatings that the early diners can have leisurely dining. If either traditional or anytime, if you are in a hurry, let your waitstaff know and they will serve you faster.

 

5) How similar is the food in the buffet to what is served in the dining room? On Carnival , what is in the buffet is very similar if not exact with the exception of Elegant Night (no lobster or prime rib at the buffet). This question is in case we decide to switch back to traditional, I want to know what to expect if we miss our assigned time on port days. Much will be like you found it on Carnival. However, if you are assigned to ATD, you cannot switch to traditional. If you are assigned to traditional, it is ok to skip the dining room and eat at the buffet if you wish, but let your waitstaff or other tablemates know so they will not be waiting for you.

 

6) Do passengers wear lanyards with their sign and sale cards or clip them to their cloths. We do this because it is convenient , but I get the impression this would be a protocol faux paux. I often see passengers with the cruise cards (as they are called in Princess) in a lanyard. I do not remember seeing any clipped on, but I may just not have noticed them. If you do either, it will not be a faux paux.

 

We are really looking forward to this cruise as I think that it will be a bit more classy and elegant (yes I wear proper blacktie on formal night even on Carnival). I see this as a transition cruise to a TA sailing on the Cunard QM2 next year as I think the differences between Carnival and QM2 would shock my system. I also hope that I enjoy my experience so that I have options other than Carnival as far as mass market cruise lines are concerned. I tried RCC and although I loved the ship and entertainment, the food and cabins were not as good as on Carnival.

 

See above in red. 99% certain you will enjoy your experience.

 

When onboard, if you have any questions, ask Princess personnel. They will be happy to answer.

 

Have you joined the Cruise Critic roll call for your Princess cruise? If not, I suggest doing so. You will have Princess friends before you even board. Look for your roll call here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=303

[Nancyquilts]

#5. I believe you can switch from traditional to anytime dining, but not the reverse. Traditional is usually pretty well booked up long before the sailing.

[sherryf]

2) Does the Lido have ice tea and lemonade dispensers where you serve your self or is it like RCC that they serve it for you. I drink a lot of the ice tea and lemonade on Carnival to stay hydrated and I bring along 12-16oz insulated cup.

 

3) We have used ATD on Carnival , from reading the posts on this board I get the impression it is a bit more chaotic and more waiting on Princess. When you present yourself at one of the ATD dining rooms, do you get the first available at either dining room or just the one you checked in at . Is it wise to check both if it looks like there is a wait? This is not an issue on Carnival as there is only one dining room that has ATD.

 

My experience with iced tea and lemonade is that you can get your own iced tea from dispensers, but need to ask for lemonade. It is not in a dispenser with the coffee, tea, etc. but in pitchers that the servers bring around. Also, the iced tea is not very good. It is similar to what you get dispensed from a soda fountain, not fresh brewed.

 

Maybe we have been lucky with ATD but we have rarely had to wait. On most of our cruises (Star and Golden in Alaska) one ATD room has been used for an early TD seating. Often, there have been empty tables in that TD seating and they end up putting ATD diners there. We just show up at the open ATD room, and they ask us if we mind taking the stairs to the other room for a seat there. On our first 2 cruises, there were just 2 of us and we were willing to share, and I think we only got a buzzer once. Last year we were a family of 5 and we usually went right in. I think we might have gotten a buzzer once, but only waited maybe 15 minutes. We did tend to eat early, around 6-6:30, because the kids always had things they wanted to do in the evening. They were checking cards at the door last year, to be sure you had ATD. I saw them checking other people all week, but they quit asking us after a couple of days because the Head Waiter(?) Sebastian recognized us and knew we belonged there.

[2little time]

I recently booked a 10 day Mexican cruise on Grand Princess specifically because it sails from the Port of San Francisco (not excited about the ports). I really appreciate all the information that is posted on this board regarding Princess. I realize that Princess and Carnival have some differences and my wife and I are prepared to embrace them. However I have some simple questions (some may seem silly) about life on board:

 

1) My wife and I like to go out and dance. I think we are 'tweeners (mid-40s) in that we still enjoy current dace music and would rather do the Wobble dance then the chicken dance. Will the nightclub have current dance music?

 

2) Does the Lido have ice tea and lemonade dispensers where you serve your self or is it like RCC that they serve it for you. I drink a lot of the ice tea and lemonade on Carnival to stay hydrated and I bring along 12-16oz insulated cup.

 

3) We have used ATD on Carnival , from reading the posts on this board I get the impression it is a bit more chaotic and more waiting on Princess. When you present yourself at one of the ATD dining rooms, do you get the first available at either dining room or just the one you checked in at . Is it wise to check both if it looks like there is a wait? This is not an issue on Carnival as there is only one dining room that has ATD.

 

4) Is the pace different with ATD then it would be with traditional? I find that on Carnival , we get out sooner than we would if we had traditional. It is not a race mind you and you do not feel rushed , but they do turn tables faster.

 

5) How similar is the food in the buffet to what is served in the dining room? On Carnival , what is in the buffet is very similar if not exact with the exception of Elegant Night (no lobster or prime rib at the buffet). This question is in case we decide to switch back to traditional, I want to know what to expect if we miss our assigned time on port days.

 

6) Do passengers wear lanyards with their sign and sale cards or clip them to their cloths. We do this because it is convenient , but I get the impression this would be a protocol faux paux.

 

We are really looking forward to this cruise as I think that it will be a bit more classy and elegant (yes I wear proper blacktie on formal night even on Carnival). I see this as a transition cruise to a TA sailing on the Cunard QM2 next year as I think the differences between Carnival and QM2 would shock my system. I also hope that I enjoy my experience so that I have options other than Carnival as far as mass market cruise lines are concerned. I tried RCC and although I loved the ship and entertainment, the food and cabins were not as good as on Carnival.[/quote

 

You will find a wide variety of music. You should have no problem finding a lounge that suits you. In the buffet you will have no trouble filling your own tea container. As for the buffet and food type, You will not find many similarities to the MDR menu being served on the same night. ATD is really nice. I know others have indicated waits but I have never had more than a few minutes to wait and find the service and the pace of dining perfect.

As another poster has indicated, Princess is classier than Carnival. You will find the staff, cabins and food equal if not better than Carnival. Have a great time!

[Pam in CA]

FYI, Princess has no in-cabin announcements other than what might affect all passengers, i.e., delayed arrival, etc. All announcements, and there aren't many, are in public places only. Decor is subdued and earth tones. The pace can be slow or energetic depending on what you prefer but it's not high-energy, party, party, party.

[ltcal94]

Thanks to everyone for the great information . I did join Roll-Call for my cruise and I am following some of the discussions.

 

I was kind of surprised about the comment regarding the fact that traditional fills up before ATD. On Carnival it was my understanding that ATD was limited and filled up first. In fact, I needed to use my Platinum guarantee to get into it on an upcoming cruise.

 

I will say that I won't miss the buckets of beer and I look forward to a nice glass of wine in the evening before dinner. I also like to enjoy my dinner and I don't like feeling rushed. I am glad to hear that the announcements are only in public area (except emergency of course), this seems very similar to Carnival. In fact I think on my last cruise the only announcements we heard were for the muster drill, the daily 12 PM update , and if they were looking for passengers that had not checked in from port (Cozumel :rolleyes: ).

[Cruisin' Chick]

We last sailed on Carnival back in 2002 and then took four cruises on Princess. We haven't ruled out any future cruises on Carnival, but Princess seems to fit us so much better.

 

Every cabin on the Princess ships has at least a mini fridge (don't know if there's better ones in the suites). We bring on a supply of soda, water, box o'wine (gotta have my Dew and Sobe) so it's nice we can chill our beverages.

 

As stated above, no flashing neon lights in the atrium. And I do appreciate the lack of endless PAs about activities I have no interest in (bingo, art auctions, etc). There's fewer (if any) silly pool games. I don't miss the hairy back or stuff the bikini contests.

 

I bought my teen and I lanyards for our cards. I find having the card on the lanyard very handy, especially if I don't have a pocket. I don't want to feel that I have to constantly ask hubby to carry my card. On formal nights, I stick the card in my little dressy purse.

 

We have always had late traditional, but we had booked our last cruise very close to the sailing date and were waitlisted. We just didn't care for anytime -- felt disorganized and rushed to us, and not very special (unique) that we ended up eating only 7 out of 14 nights in the anytime dining room, and the rest of the time in the Horizon Court (the buffet). When we did go to the AD room, we always went with the "sit us with others" option so we only got the pager once. There were a couple of times we were sat with others who had already ordered.

 

I had to ask for lemonade. I did bring an insulated mug for my drinks -- nor a problem getting them to pour drinks into your containers.

 

As for dancing, I guess it depends on the ship, the cruise staff, etc. On the Golden in 12/10 (we were on the holiday cruise going to Hawaii), there were several musicians and several times of genres of music. Sometimes this one band (popular party type of music) played in the Explorers Lounge and sometimes they played in the Grand Atrium. The last night of the cruise, they were playing in the atrium until about 11:30 and passengers and CD staff were dancing away. We didn't go to Skywalkers (which was the top side disco -- I think it was taken off the Grand and Golden since then) at night, but it seemed from the Patters that they were trying to feature different music each night. Because we were on the Hawaiian itinerary, there was Elua, a duo that does so much for the RTs on the Golden, and they were often playing Hawaiian melodies on deck or in the atrium.

[fishywood]

Great idea using Princess as a transition to Cunard (though I bet you will be back to Princess at some point too). I am a fellow 40-something and longtime Princess fan who took my first transatlantic on Queen Mary 2 last August--and immediately booked a repo cruise on Queen Victoria for November. The Princess of a half-dozen years ago would have been the perfect bridge; now Princess is a lot less formal, but still much more refined than other mainstream lines.

 

As the others above all said, if you preferred open seating dinner on other lines you should stick with it on Princess; you shouldn't have any significant wait unless you request a table for two. In spring 2001 I was on one of the Grand's very first sailings with anytime dining and have sworn by it ever since. My two Cunard cruises were my first experience with fixed seating in 12 years! (Though I did enjoy having the same waiter every night, and am thinking about trying fixed again on my next Princess cruise--but as I always book at the last minute it is unlikely I could).

 

As to lanyards, I find it quite odd to see anyone other than pre-teens and the elderly wearing them, but no one should look askance at you on the Grand--unless you wear it over your dinner jacket on formal night! When I was on Queen Victoria I was browsing the gift shop, when a salesgirl approached I pointed to the Cunard lanyards and said "I can't believe you sell those--they're so Princess!" :D

[caribill]

We didn't go to Skywalkers (which was the top side disco -- I think it was taken off the Grand and Golden since then) at night.

 

The Grand is the only ship to have (or even planned to have) Skywalkers removed. The new One5 Lounge on the Grand replaced it.

[Disconnections]

We are new to Princess as well and had a question about ATD. There were three dining times listed when we booked- 5:30, 6:00, and I believe 8:45. Are these three separate traditional dining times or is one of them considered anytime dining?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Matcodixon]

FYI The third TD dining time is 8:15 PM not 8:45, And those are the times for the three seatings of traditional. Anytime is anytime however sometimes you have to wait for a table.

[Jasperdo]

2) Does the Lido have ice tea and lemonade dispensers where you serve your self or is it like RCC that they serve it for you. I drink a lot of the ice tea and lemonade on Carnival to stay hydrated and I bring along 12-16oz insulated cup.

Here's a photo of what the self serve iced tea dispenser looks like on most Princess ships. You'll only find them in the Horizon Court Buffet area. Be sure and put lots of ice in it. The iced tea comes out luke warm from the dispenser.

 

Golden Princess - Alaska by Jasperdo, on Flickr

[Disconnections]

FYI The third TD dining time is 8:15 PM not 8:45, And those are the times for the three seatings of traditional. Anytime is anytime however sometimes you have to wait for a table.

 

Thanks Matcodixon. I wasn't sure if one of them was considered ATD. That solved some confusion.

[OCruisers]

I will say that I won't miss the buckets of beer and I look forward to a nice glass of wine in the evening before dinner.

 

When you're hanging out on the deck on Princess ships, you can still get a "bucket of beer" if you wish. :D

[RickEk]

Thanks to everyone for the great information . I did join Roll-Call for my cruise and I am following some of the discussions.

 

I was kind of surprised about the comment regarding the fact that traditional fills up before ATD. On Carnival it was my understanding that ATD was limited and filled up first. In fact, I needed to use my Platinum guarantee to get into it on an upcoming cruise.

 

I will say that I won't miss the buckets of beer and I look forward to a nice glass of wine in the evening before dinner. I also like to enjoy my dinner and I don't like feeling rushed. I am glad to hear that the announcements are only in public area (except emergency of course), this seems very similar to Carnival. In fact I think on my last cruise the only announcements we heard were for the muster drill, the daily 12 PM update , and if they were looking for passengers that had not checked in from port (Cozumel :rolleyes: ).

 

Bye the bye... Princess does sell buckets of beer on the upper decks... :)

[caribill]

We are new to Princess as well and had a question about ATD. There were three dining times listed when we booked- 5:30, 6:00, and I believe 8:15. Are these three separate traditional dining times or is one of them considered anytime dining?

 

 

The 6 PM and 8:15 PM times will be in the traditional dining room.

 

The 5:30 PM time was created due to more people wanting early traditional than the 6 PM one could hold and is held in one of the anytime dining rooms. Once the 5:30 PM people leave, it becomes an anytime dining room for the remainder of the evening.

[LGD]

The 6 PM and 8:15 PM times will be in the traditional dining room.

 

The 5:30 PM time was created due to more people wanting early traditional than the 6 PM one could hold and is held in one of the anytime dining rooms. Once the 5:30 PM people leave, it becomes an anytime dining room for the remainder of the evening.

 

 

We are new to ATD and Princess. Is there a ATD dining room that permits jeans at dinner? On a NCL cruise - one dining room was ATD and more casual attire (long pants/skirts and collar shirt required at dinner, but no jacket/tie or formal), with the same dinner menu as the other dining rooms every evening. My DH loved it on NCL. Does Princess offer it?

[caribill]

We are new to ATD and Princess. Is there a ATD dining room that permits jeans at dinner? On a NCL cruise - one dining room was ATD and more casual attire (long pants/skirts and collar shirt required at dinner, but no jacket/tie or formal), with the same dinner menu as the other dining rooms every evening. My DH loved it on NCL. Does Princess offer it?

 

On smart casual evenings, neat (no holes that should not be there) jeans are acceptable in the Traditional dining room and the Anytime Dining rooms.

 

On formal evenings, jeans are not acceptable in either.

[Iamcruzin]

1) My wife and I like to go out and dance. I think we are 'tweeners (mid-40s) in that we still enjoy current dace music and would rather do the Wobble dance then the chicken dance. Will the nightclub have current dance music?

My experience has been that they play a variety of music from late 60’s to present.

 

2) Does the Lido have ice tea and lemonade dispensers where you serve your self or is it like RCC that they serve it for you. I drink a lot of the ice tea and lemonade on Carnival to stay hydrated and I bring along 12-16oz insulated cup.

My one and only complaint about Princess is that they fall short when it comes to the choice of included beverages. For me the coffee at the buffet is terrible. It becomes a chemistry project every morning just to make it ingestible. I am a big coffee drinker at home. I am drinking a pot now while I post. I only drink a cup at breakfast and dinner while on the cruise. I would purchase the fresh brewed coffee but it is so inconvenient to go down to the International Café and back up to the buffet. The juice is hit or miss. Sometimes you are lucky and the tea cart will have orange juice in the morning. I have never seen lemonade. I guess it just depends on how busy they are at the time you are dining. I purchase the ultimate beverage package. I am not sure how much it is now it was $9 plus 15% gratuity a day but I believe they dropped the price since I last purchased it. The package comes with an insulated cup and includes fountain sodas, Juice, mocktails and smoothies. The staff will get you a beverage if you eat in the buffet. I usually tip a dollar (not necessary) because I don’t consider this part of their job to fetch me something from the bar. To me “buffet” is French for self service. The nice thing about the beverage package is that you can get a larger glass of juice than what they serve and we preorder a bottle of Rum and a bottle of Vodka from the website and order a mocktails and make our own drinks in our room. They also offer a beverage package for just fountain soda which costs less than the ultimate package. They do sell buckets of beer and what you can’t finish you can take back to your room and store in the refrigerator. They only open the bottles as needed. I usually share a bucket with my wife so there has never been a need to bring any to the room.

4) Is the pace different with ATD then it would be with traditional? I find that on Carnival , we get out sooner than we would if we had traditional. It is not a race mind you and you do not feel rushed , but they do turn tables faster.

I find Princess to be the same.

 

 

6) Do passengers wear lanyards with their sign and sale cards or clip them to their cloths. We do this because it is convenient , but I get the impression this would be a protocol faux paux. No

 

 

I wear a lanyard every day at work so I won't wear one on vacation. All of my pants as well as bathing suits have pockets. If we are at the beach or by the pool we always have some kind of bag that we keep our sun block and other things in so if I go in the water my pass goes in the bag. My wife wears a lanyard that contains her metro card and her monthly train ticket daily so she never wears a lanyard either. Although she insists on packing two evening bags and a casual bag she never uses them. I get to carry her sea pass and lipstick every night in my pocket. I suspect that I will also be carrying both of our iPhones as well next trip. I hope I can find a dark suit that has cargo pockets in the pants. With that said, if you go to the casino ask for a lanyard for the slot machines. You have to use your sea pass to play. It attaches to your shirt or pants with a clip so that you don’t leave your card in the machine.

 

We are really looking forward to this cruise as I think that it will be a bit more classy and elegant (yes I wear proper blacktie on formal night even on Carnival).

One is Times Square the other is Park Avenue. Not bad just different.

 

 

 

 

You haven’t asked this question but I just want to mention if you plan on buying an internet package it would be less expensive to pre purchase the minutes. You get more minutes when you pre purchase. Here is the link for the pre purchase alcohol (Princess does let you bring wine onboard) and the internet package.

 

Enjoy your trip.

http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/gifts_services/cellars_culinarydelights/princess_cellars/index.jsp

http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/gifts_services/communications/index.jsp

[fishywood]

Unless things have changes since I was on the Star last year:

 

My one and only complaint about Princess is that they fall short when it comes to the choice of included beverages.This is a valid point, as the only cold drink always available in the dining room and Lido is ice tea--and in the alternative dining areas and pub lunches they don't even have that. Would be nice to have tea and juice dispenser at the International Cafe as some other lines do at their equivalent venue.

For me the coffee at the buffet is terrible. It becomes a chemistry project every morning just to make it ingestible. I am a big coffee drinker at home. I am drinking a pot now while I post. I only drink a cup at breakfast and dinner while on the cruise. I would purchase the fresh brewed coffee but it is so inconvenient to go down to the International Café and back up to the buffet. Having breakfast in the dining room (much preferable to the Lido rugby scrum) would leave you only a few steps away from the International Cafe

The juice is hit or miss. Sometimes you are lucky and the tea cart will have orange juice in the morning. All you have to do is ask the server with the beverage cart and they will bring you the juice of your choice. In the dining room you will be asked your juice preference as soon as you sit down. Yes they are tiny little glasses but you are entitled to as many as you want

I have never seen lemonade. Lemonade is available from the beverage servers in the Lido and at the pools for no charge during lunch. There was a card in some of the tabletop drink menus in the Lido mentioning this.

I purchase the ultimate beverage package. I am not sure how much it is now it was $9 plus 15% gratuity a day but I believe they dropped the price since I last purchased it. The package comes with an insulated cup and includes fountain sodas, Juice, mocktails and smoothies. The staff will get you a beverage if you eat in the buffet. I usually tip a dollar (not necessary) because I don’t consider this part of their job to fetch me something from the bar.The beverage servers in the Lido all share in the pool of 15% gratuities on shipwide beverage purchases--including the 15% added to your UKP card. Though I am sure they are grateful for the extra.

[caribill]

My one and only complaint about Princess is that they fall short when it comes to the choice of included beverages.This is a valid point, as the only cold drink always available in the dining room and Lido is ice tea.

 

Cold tap water and cold milk is also included and always available.

[LetzCruze]

As to lanyards, I find it quite odd to see anyone other than pre-teens and the elderly wearing them, but no one should look askance at you on the Grand--unless you wear it over your dinner jacket on formal night! When I was on Queen Victoria I was browsing the gift shop, when a salesgirl approached I pointed to the Cunard lanyards and said "I can't believe you sell those--they're so Princess!" :D

 

I can only hope I am never at the same table with someone who thinks like this.