Bon Voyage Experience Review with Pictures

[sillymonkey23]

My parents left today on their 15 day cruise to Hawaii on the Star out of LA. My husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to purchase the Bon Voyage Experience to join them for embarkation, lunch and a few hours of relaxing on board.

 

As we began to research the Bon Voyage Experience (BVE), it was difficult for us to find answers to some of our questions and a few times we came across conflicting information. So I thought I'd write a review of our experience and maybe it will be helpful for someone else planning to do the Bon Voyage Experience in the future. In my opinion, this is a great deal (both the overall value and the overall fun of it).

 

For those of you who are not familiar with the BVE, it is a service that allows people who are not actually going on the cruise to join friends/family members who are on the cruise for a few hours prior to the ship setting sail.

 

It was easy for us to make the reservation. We simply called the main number for Princess and asked for the Bon Voyage desk. We were told that for $39 each we would be able to board early with my parents, have our photo taken, have lunch, and spend up to four hours on board with them. We did need to give the booking number for my parents, so be sure to have your guests booking number if you call to reserve the BVE.

 

Upon arrival at the pier on the day of my parents cruise, we came across a few staff members who did not know what the Bon Voyage Experience was, but we were able to find plenty of people who did know what we were doing. At check in my husband and I were given envelopes with a welcome letter, a key card (that would allow us to make purchases on board) and a map of the ship. My husband, parents and I then proceeded through security and were directed to a small area of chairs with a sign that said "Bon Voyage Experience Guests."

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[Coral]

Looks like they scored well with the open window!

[sillymonkey23]

After checking out my parents room we headed down to the Portofino Restaurant for lunch. We were seated at a table for four and given special limited menus. My husband and I were given a complimentary glass of red wine. My dad requested a coke and was not charged for it.

 

My husband ordered the Red Snapper Mojito Ceviche. I had some and it was amazing!

 

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As an entree, I ordered the Trout. It was well-seasoned and tasty.

 

 

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After the meal our friendly and well-informed server (Chris) answered our questions about the drink programs on board and my dad purchased the Ultimate Kid's Beverage Program (UKP), which entitles him to unlimited soda, milkshakes, hot cocoa, and mocktails for the duration of the cruise. Though the title of the program seems to cater to children, adults are more than welcome to buy this as well. It came out to about $7 a day and included a nice souvenir cup.

[NYCcruiser65]

Wow BVE is a great idea! Glad you got to spend time onboard with your parents! Thanks for posting a review!

[sillymonkey23]

After lunch we spent some time walking around the ship. We had all sailed on the Golden Princess a few months ago and the layout was very familiar to us. We had no problem navigating the ship and quickly obtained tasty beverages at the bar on Deck 14 near the pool.

 

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Husband and I didn't bring swimsuits on board but we could easily have gone for a swim if we had!

 

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We were given two copies of the photo so my parents kept one and my husband and I took one. I think that's a pretty nice deal. I like to have photos to remember nice days, and this was absolutely a nice day!

[pusywillow]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing!

[#1Nanna]

Thanks for taking the time to do this review. I have always wondered what the BVE was like.

[sillymonkey23]

After obtaining our photo I made it a point to find the Laundromat area closest to my parents' room as my parents may need to do a few loads of laundry on a 15 day cruise. I showed them the one on their deck and was impressed with the number of irons and ironing boards as well as the washers and dryers.

 

My parents are attending a Cruise Critic Meet and Greet on their first sea day at Skywalker's so we headed up to Skywalker's to check it out.

 

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Skywalker's on the Star is a little different from Skywalker's on the Golden. We actually decided we prefer Skywalker's on the Star because it feels more open and airy. I encouraged my parents to return here in the evenings to dance and have a good time.

 

Upon returning to my parents' room their bags had arrived so my husband and I helped them unpack and put their empty luggage under their bed. The room steward knocked on the door, introduced himself and said he would bring their robes. I felt pleased with his level of friendliness and service and knew that my parents would be looked after well for the next 15 days.

 

It was almost time for my parents to attend their muster drill so we grabbed the life jackets and walked to the Crown Grill, which is their muster station. We promised to take good care of their precious little dog, told them to have a great time, and said goodbye for 15 days.

 

Overall, this was a great experience. It was important for me to make sure that my parents got on board safely, and the BVE allowed us to go one step further and actually join them on board for a few hours. I am pleased with Princess for offering this and would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is interested and able to join their guests on board for a few hours.

[sashas_mom]

Thank you so much for your review and especially your pictures. We are doing a Bon Voyage next month which we are really looking forward to.

 

Seeing these pictures are really interesting to me because we are, for the first time, getting an obstructed view cabin for our trip to Hawaii. I didn't think the obstructed view windows were ever to the side of the bed like this configuration. This is perfect. Also, I'm confused about the layout. I spent the better part of the day Sunday looking at obstructed view cabins and all the pictures I saw showed the cabins in the same configuration as the inside cabins only slightly larger. The window was always behind the bed. This cabin looks like a balcony cabin with a window instead of the balcony. The desk is alongside the same wall as the bed.

 

So, if anyone has suggestions for how to figure out the mystery of finding a good partially obstructed cabin, and obviously the pictures Princess has on their site are inaccurate, I would greatly appreciate your advice. I did look at the site with pictures of insides, and until now, thought I found a good cabin.

 

Also, are there ever any balconies that have good partially obstructed cabins?

[Colo Cruiser]

Thank you so much for your review and especially your pictures. We are doing a Bon Voyage next month which we are really looking forward to.

 

Seeing these pictures are really interesting to me because we are' date=' for the first time, getting an obstructed view cabin for our trip to Hawaii. I didn't think the obstructed view windows were ever to the side of the bed like this configuration. This is perfect. Also, I'm confused about the layout. I spent the better part of the day Sunday looking at obstructed view cabins and all the pictures I saw showed the cabins in the same configuration as the inside cabins only slightly larger. The window was always behind the bed. This cabin looks like a balcony cabin with a window instead of the balcony. The desk is alongside the same wall as the bed.

 

So, if anyone has suggestions for how to figure out the mystery of finding a good partially obstructed cabin, and obviously the pictures Princess has on their site are inaccurate, I would greatly appreciate your advice. I did look at the site with pictures of insides, and until now, thought I found a good cabin.

 

Also, are there ever any balconies that have good partially obstructed cabins?[/quote']

 

 

Depending on the ship and deck some OV's have the bed under the window and some have them on the side wall.

Only the Royal has true obstructed balconies.

[ar1950]

..........

Seeing these pictures are really interesting to me because we are' date=' for the first time, getting an obstructed view cabin for our trip to Hawaii. I didn't think the obstructed view windows were ever to the side of the bed like this configuration. This is perfect. Also, I'm confused about the layout. I spent the better part of the day Sunday looking at obstructed view cabins and all the pictures I saw showed the cabins in the same configuration as the inside cabins only slightly larger. The window was always behind the bed. This cabin looks like a balcony cabin with a window instead of the balcony. The desk is alongside the same wall as the bed.

 

So, if anyone has suggestions for how to figure out the mystery of finding a good partially obstructed cabin, and obviously the pictures Princess has on their site are inaccurate, I would greatly appreciate your advice. I did look at the site with pictures of insides, and until now, thought I found a good cabin.

 

Also, are there ever any balconies that have good partially obstructed cabins?[/quote']

 

When we were on the Star in November we had a mini-suite (thanks upgrade fairy) in the aft area of the Emerald deck. When we walked by the obstructed view cabins in the mornings when the stewards were cleaning and doors were open, the cabins we saw seemed to all be laid out that way. Not sure about "obstructed view balconies" unless they are the ones in the front areas that have steel instead of the glass railings. :cool:

Edited February 19, 2014 by ar1950

[senior lady]

wish they offered this in Vancouver

[AE_Collector]

Great review...thanks!

 

How did you pay for the drinks or anything else that you purchased? I would think maybe you would have to stop at the main desk but on boarding day it can be a mad house there.

 

Terry

[trbarton]

Good review. What program did you copy your photos from?

 

Thanks!

 

Tom:)

[rdsqrl]

Thank you so much for your review and especially your pictures. We are doing a Bon Voyage next month which we are really looking forward to.

 

Seeing these pictures are really interesting to me because we are' date=' for the first time, getting an obstructed view cabin for our trip to Hawaii. I didn't think the obstructed view windows were ever to the side of the bed like this configuration. This is perfect. Also, I'm confused about the layout. I spent the better part of the day Sunday looking at obstructed view cabins and all the pictures I saw showed the cabins in the same configuration as the inside cabins only slightly larger. The window was always behind the bed. This cabin looks like a balcony cabin with a window instead of the balcony. The desk is alongside the same wall as the bed.

 

So, if anyone has suggestions for how to figure out the mystery of finding a good partially obstructed cabin, and obviously the pictures Princess has on their site are inaccurate, I would greatly appreciate your advice. I did look at the site with pictures of insides, and until now, thought I found a good cabin.

 

Also, are there ever any balconies that have good partially obstructed cabins?[/quote']

I believe that it's only oceanview cabins on Plaza deck (and the four OCV cabins aft on Riviera on the Crown) which have the bed under the window. Every cabin on Emerald deck I've ever been in/seen has had the beds on the side walls.

 

Also, the best source for finding obstructed view cabins with good views out the window is this fantastic website, built and maintained by Cruise Critic member renmar:

https://sites.google.com/site/cabinviewbyrenmar/home

[sillymonkey23]

When we completed our online check in we set up our credit card information. When we checked in at the pier we were given key cards that had charging privileges. We simply used our key cards exactly as though we were sailing on the cruise. It was great!

[rdsqrl]

Loved your review, Sillymonkey. And the food photos are making me drool! Glad you had such a good time, and I hope your parents are having a fantastic cruise.

[sillymonkey23]

Tom,

 

I used Photobucket to upload my photos for the review. I was worried that the photos were too large but I think they came out pretty well.

[wifeofbedo]

Thanks for the wonderful info! Just a few questions....

How does one find out if the BVE is available for their particular sailing? Did you have to exit before muster drill? Was your lunch pre-arranged in a specialty restaurant? Wine included? :D

[trbarton]

Thanks for the wonderful info! Just a few questions....

How does one find out if the BVE is available for their particular sailing? Did you have to exit before muster drill? Was your lunch pre-arranged in a specialty restaurant? Wine included? :D

 

If you call Princess they will advise which cruises are available for a BVE. You have to be off the ship by 3 pm. The lunch is in the MDR that is open for lunch, usually 12 noon to 1:30 pm and a glass of wine in included plus the photo that they took of you when you boarded the ship. Besides the event being fun and a great way to tour a ship especially if you have never been on it, you also have a $39 credit towards another cruise so if you cruise with Princess the BVE is free.

 

Tom:)

[trbarton]

Thanks for the wonderful info! Just a few questions....

How does one find out if the BVE is available for their particular sailing? Did you have to exit before muster drill? Was your lunch pre-arranged in a specialty restaurant? Wine included? :D

 

If you call Princess they will advise which cruises are available for a BVE. You have to be off the ship by 3 pm. The lunch is in the MDR that is open for lunch, usually 12 noon to 1:30 pm and a glass of wine in included plus the photo that they took of you when you boarded the ship. Besides the event being fun and a great way to tour a ship especially if you have never been on it, you also have a $39 credit towards another cruise so if you cruise with Princess the BVE is free.

 

Which port are you considering doing the BVE from?

 

Tom:)

[wifeofbedo]

You get a 39 dollar credit for a future cruise too? Wow! :D

 

Don't have a specific cruise in mind right now for this, but wondered if there was something on the Princess website that I was missing that listed possible sailings for this. Out of Vancouver would be nice for me.... ;)

[dforeigner]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[douglinc@msn.com]

Thanks, I didn't know this was available.

 

Doug

[NeurosurgeryNP]

We have done the BVE on the Caribbean for the past 2 years in Brooklyn. We have sailed on the CB five times, and definitely didn't need the tour, but we did it for fun of it. It was an awesome day out, drinks on deck, beautiful NYC skyline views and a warm up for our future cruise. This past year, the cost was indeed applied to our booking for our upcoming cruise. I a, hoping we can do it again in 2014.