Thanksgiving on Princess

[trishbebears]

A friend & I will be on the Star Princess for a 15 day SF-Hawaii rt cruise. Our second day will be Thanksgiving. Anybody have any idea of activities, like Macy's Parade on MUTS or dinner menu? Also, should we expect a lot of children on this cruise?

 

Thanks.

[caribill]

The atrium will be well decorated and there will be a special Thanksgiving menu in the dining rooms in the evening.

 

No parade.

[DesrtDrmr]

Pumpkin everything is what we've experienced! Dinner choices included a pumpkin appetizer. pumpkin soup, A pumpkin veggie, pumpkin dessert! Turkey is one of choices and dining room feels festive at dinner. Decorations minimally in public areas of the ship. We werent on a MUTS ship for Thanksgiving so dont know about that. I dont remember parades on tv, but they could have been there.

[Belle]

Some decorations on the ship.

 

Turkey on the menu plus other dinner items.

 

Don't remember if a parade on t,v.

 

Do remember having dinner at a table for eight

at anytime dining ..us two from Calif. and three

couples from England. They all took the turkey.

We wanted the steak! lol

[Astro Flyer]

A friend & I will be on the Star Princess for a 15 day SF-Hawaii rt cruise. Our second day will be Thanksgiving. Anybody have any idea of activities, like Macy's Parade on MUTS or dinner menu? Also, should we expect a lot of children on this cruise?

 

Thanks.

I sailed the 14 day Hawaiian cruise round trip from LA with Thanksgiving Day being the second day of the cruise in 2010. I don't recall seeing many children onboard & to me the turkey dinner was disappointing.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Astro Flyer

[paul929207]

By the end of the cruise, all the Christmas decorations will be up.

[1 HappyCruiser]

They usually have a display in the atrium with lots of different decorated turkeys (a big waste of good turkeys) and although there won't be loads of kids on board like Christmas time there will be more than usual. The turkey dinner in the dining room wasn't all that impressive either. It was a turkey dinner & you couldn't ask for a leg like I have in the buffet many times when they serve a whole turkey. It makes me think the turkey is processed turkey breast.

[flamomo]

I was on the Emerald for Thanksgiving last year, and the dinner menu had the usual turkey dinner on it, which most of the people at my table chose. But there was also lobster on it. Because I love lobster, and I am addicted to the stuffing recipe that has been in our family for 50+ years, I broke with tradition and opted for the lobster.

 

Lucky for me, my daughter made a belated Thanksgiving dinner a few days after I got home, complete with our special stuffing, so I had the best of both worlds!!!

[Coral]

On 7 night cruises, we have had kids. Far more then I expected (500 approx). I don't think you will have them if you take a 10 night cruise.

[1 HappyCruiser]

On 7 night cruises, we have had kids. Far more then I expected (500 approx). I don't think you will have them if you take a 10 night cruise.

 

You've got to watch those 7 night cruises anytime of the year. :D

[Coral]

You've got to watch those 7 night cruises anytime of the year. :D

 

It is a weird Catch 22. On that Thanksgiving cruise, we had problems with kids (eating and playing in the elevators, running up and down the hallways, in the adult pool, etc...). Flash forward a few years and on Christmas 2010, we probably had more kids but no problems whatsoever. They were all angels :) Proof that there are parents who watch their kids and kids who behave on their own (and the kids still have fun).

 

I work at a college and we have Wed - Sunday off. It is not uncommon for students to (pre) extend their vacation a tad and take Monday and Tuesday off. I am sure it is the same for many K-12 schools.

 

So the Catch 22 for me is that it is easier to travel during holidays but I take the chance of getting a great group of kids or the opposite. I have a Christmas cruise planned and I figure I will wait a while and call and see how many kids are booked. But the number of kids makes no indication on how the kids will behave.

Edited July 15, 2012 by Coral

[1 HappyCruiser]

But the number of kids makes no indication on how the kids will behave.

 

That says it in a nutshell.

[trishbebears]

Thanks everybody for the great responses. I'm really looking forward to this cruise, because I love the sea days. We're hoping for well behaved kids. :cool:

[hubble]

We did the Golden Princess Hawaii cruise last year over Thanksgiving. Hardly any children at all which made it nice and quiet. Don't recall ever seeing any feeds on board with the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade. As for dinner, it seemed to the the normal menu Tom Turkey with all the trimmings that they offer on every voyage. I was VERY disappointed with the meal. I thought it would be nice not to have to cook, but in reality I missed the family get together. Our cooking is much better than the meal they served on board too. Should have skipped the turkey and had a steak instead.

[Coral]

We did the Golden Princess Hawaii cruise last year over Thanksgiving. Hardly any children at all which made it nice and quiet. Don't recall ever seeing any feeds on board with the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade. As for dinner, it seemed to the the normal menu Tom Turkey with all the trimmings that they offer on every voyage. I was VERY disappointed with the meal. I thought it would be nice not to have to cook, but in reality I missed the family get together. Our cooking is much better than the meal they served on board too. Should have skipped the turkey and had a steak instead.

 

Yes - you won't find many kids on a 14 night cruise over Thanksgiving.

 

They used to have a special Thanksgiving menu which included a ton of "pumpkin things" which they have since discontinued. I am not a fan of the turkey breast/roll that they serve. I want a leg with skin!

[Twinkstarr]

Should have skipped the turkey and had a steak instead.

 

When we travel at Thanksgiving, my kids and husband never order the "traditional turkey" dinner. They go with anything else because the turkey will never taste as good as mine. We were home for T-giving last yr for the 1st time since 2006. Kind of fun to cook again, but I smoked a couple of turkey breasts instead of roasting a whole bird.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Yes - you won't find many kids on a 14 night cruise over Thanksgiving.

 

They used to have a special Thanksgiving menu which included a ton of "pumpkin things" which they have since discontinued. I am not a fan of the turkey breast/roll that they serve. I want a leg with skin!

 

Occasionally, they'll have a whole roasted turkey at the Horizon buffet on embarkation day (not only on a Thanksgiving cruise) and ONLY if you get there among the first to arrive, the legs will be available. They'll never serve a whole turkey in the dining room and never give anyone a leg. It's always the sliced turkey roll. :(

[Gaynors]

When we travel at Thanksgiving, my kids and husband never order the "traditional turkey" dinner. They go with anything else because the turkey will never taste as good as mine. We were home for T-giving last yr for the 1st time since 2006. Kind of fun to cook again, but I smoked a couple of turkey breasts instead of roasting a whole bird.

 

I also never order the "Thanksgiving" turkey on the ship. It just never seems to be as good as the one you cook and smell all day long at home :). However, we do love to sail over Thanksgiving week and have sailed on Costa, NCL, RCI, and Celebrity and from what we've heard and tasted the turkey was never up to the expectations. This will be our first Princess cruise on Thanksgiving :D, I'm sure I probably won't order the turkey, there are usually too many other tasty options :D.

[Gaynors]

Does Princess have any Black Friday specials in the shops? We've had black friday specials on RCI and Celebrity and some of them were pretty good deals. Just wondering if Princess does this.

 

We'll be a Princess Cays on black friday.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Does Princess have any Black Friday specials in the shops? We've had black friday specials on RCI and Celebrity and some of them were pretty good deals. Just wondering if Princess does this.

 

We'll be a Princess Cays on black friday.

 

I have been on the Golden twice on Thanksgiving and have never seen one... Sorry! That would be a good idea though!

[lfk60]

We were on the Ruby Princess for Thanksgiving last year and will be on the Caribbean Princess this year. They do serve the standard Thanksgiving Day menu in the main dining room, but as others have said, it can't compare to home, so we went to the steak house :). We were the only Americans there and the maitre'd offered to get us turkey in addition to our steaks!! We declined, but it was awfully nice of him! As for children, I'm sure there were many, but honestly, I didn't notice them much. There are so many activities for them on board.

 

As for Black Friday, the Ruby did have a 'Black Friday Sale'....mostly your typical t-shirts, watches, etc., but also some nice deals on make-up and souveniers.

 

Enjoy!!

[caribill]

\

As for Black Friday, the Ruby did have a 'Black Friday Sale'....mostly your typical t-shirts, watches, etc., but also some nice deals on make-up and souveniers.

 

 

They may have called it a Black Friday sale, but it was there usual garage sale to unload merchandise that is discontinued or clothing and other merchandise with logos from ports no longer being sailed to on that ship.

[rcacace]

As for Black Friday, the Ruby did have a 'Black Friday Sale'....mostly your typical t-shirts, watches, etc., but also some nice deals on make-up and souveniers.

 

Enjoy!!

 

Funny thing is that they have that sale on every ship on every sailing all times of the year.

[Gaynors]

Funny thing is that they have that sale on every ship on every sailing all times of the year.

 

Then it's not a black friday sale!! In the past, on other cruise lines, we've gotten a free tote bag (real nice canvas one) for anyone who purchases something $10 or more before 9 am, coupons for the first 50 people in line for $5 or $10 off your purchase (depending on how much you spend), extra low prices on liquor for the early risers and stuff like that.... not just the t-shirts, watches, gold by the inch stuff they always have.

 

It sounds like Princess doesn't really do "black friday" just the regular stuff they always sell.

[Gaynors]

Another Thanksgiving related question, will they have the Thanksgiving NFL games on MUTS?

 

We'll be at sea on Thanksgiving so that would be fun:).